You may notice a few of us SciBloggers sporting a few new badges today.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
The Austin Atheist posted this strange documentary about life in Austin, Texas. I’m pretty sure this can’t possibly be satire, but since I’ve never been to Austin, I could be wrong.
Maybe it’s a mistake, and this is actually a documentary about Orange County. Is there an Austin in California?
“Experts are scum.” That’s the amusing interpretation of Lore Sjöberg, and even better, Kieran Healy finds an entertaining example. I use Wikipedia fairly often, but it is not for anything with much depth or controversy—even fake controversy, like issues in evolution. And one serious difficulty (which is going to be endemic to any human endeavor) is that some people are jerks.
While it’s nice to have the Dilbonians* still whimpering and howling in frustration and fury, here’s an even better testimonial to my talents:
PZ, I’m sorry I slighted you. I now have seen the light. You lull your victims into a false sense of security by manifesting as a mild-mannered biology prof, but in reality you are an unspeakably hideous hybrid of Cthulhu and the Flying Spaghetti Monster, living in a shadow lair beyond time and space, called Minnesota. You suck your victims’ brains out through their eye sockets and gorge until sated. You are the very embodiment of evil.
I am well pleased. I shall let him live a little longer, although I may have to sup on his bandwidth a bit more.
*What I’m finding amusing right now is all the Dilbert fans who are showing up in the comments and complaining that I’m obsessed and that I need to stop picking on poor Scott Adams…5 days after I wrote the post. I wonder; do they think the post goes away when they don’t look at it, and I’m busily retyping it over and over again so it’ll be there when they look a second time? Peek-a-boo is cute when played with 2 year olds, but I expect people who know how to use the internet to have mastered the concept of object permanency.
Tara is talking about a trial that’s putting the HIV-denialists in the same position the creationists were in the Kitzmiller trial—having to publicly defend absurdities in a critical venue. It sounds like they aren’t coming off well, and this might be another trial where we collect amusing snippets of testimony. Maybe I just have a sick sense of humor, but I thought this was hilarious.
She was asked by prosecutor Sandi McDonald whether “you would have unprotected vaginal sex with a HIV-positive man”.
“Any time,” replied Ms Papadopulos-Eleopulos.
Slut.
Commenter Rheinhard worked hard to get this up last night, so how can I not promote it to more prominence, and so everyone can see the inimitable Molly Ivins?
The Little Professor has A Compendium of Professorial Magic that looks useful—I’m going to have to master these.
The list, though, is of low level spells. I think I really need an “Enchant Knowledge” area-effect spell that infuses all of the targets with mastery of the subject matter. It’s probably a ninth-level spell, I’m afraid, and I’m going to have to get more experience before I can handle it. (Knocking over creationists is probably analogous to fending off a kobold raid—tedious hack-and-slash that garners darned little experience, and they don’t even have any loot worth harvesting.)
Apparently, I’ve been labeling the Discovery Institute incorrectly all these years. It’s not a think-tank, it’s a belief tank.
Two thoughts on watching this video: Dick Cheney is a contemptible tool, and Jon Stewart is one of those national treasures who makes me think being an American isn’t so shameful after all.
