Have you been wondering about the Ark Park feasibility study?

The Lexington Herald-Leader has posted a copy of the executive summary. Just in case it goes away, here is a pdf of the 18-page executive summary; it’s a strangely fact-free document, relying on surveys and opinion polls to make estimates about economic impact. I’m serious: in the section that justifies the claim that it will bring in 1.2 million visitors a year, the sole source of information given is the results of a nationwide survey in which people were asked whether they’d take a family vacation to see Noah’s Ark, and 3 in 5 said they would.

I am reminded of surveys that evaluate how many Americans go to church — many more say they do than show up in church parking lots. This is not a reliable way to make attendance projections. A better way would be to make estimates from known, similar attractions in that part of the country, but they probably didn’t want to mention the bankrupt Heritage USA.

The most hilarious bit in their justification, though, is this:

CBS’ 60 Minutes news program, in conjunction with Vanity Fair magazine, recently conducted a survey asking which archaeological discovery would people want to be made next. The response: Noah’s Ark (43%), Atlantis (18%), Amelia Earhart’s plane (16%), Nixon’s lost tapes (13%), and Cleopatra’s barg (5%). Noah’s Ark continues to capture the imagination of the general public, and this interest spans all social, religious, and economic segments. The Ark and the Flood is one of the few historical events which are well known in the worldwide global circle.

That sort of says it all about the foundation of their “research”. A public opinion poll about what discovery ought to be made next (as if it’s a matter of choice) is irrelevant; the Ark Park is not going to be an archaeological discovery, and the most damning thing about the top two items is that they’re both mythological, and neither the Ark nor Atlantis ever existed. The claim that interest in the Ark spans all segments of society is clearly hyperbole — I don’t see much interest on the part of atheists or scientists, ever.

The ark and the flood are not historical events.

It’s a lot of fluff and wishful thinking. Sorry, Kentucky, you’re being taken for a ride.

The new John Benneth policy

That loopy homeopath, John Benneth, is bragging now that he is the most widely read homeopath in the world, and that his blog has broken all previous viewership records. He’s quite proud of this “accomplishment”.

One of the last John Benneth Journal entries for 2010, IN ONE YEAR, has broken all previous viewership records and sparked more commentary and outrage amongst the pharmaceutical company stooges than any previous Journal entry, enlisting the usual fury and nasty responses.

He seems to be aware of how it happened: I linked to that one article. What he doesn’t seem to appreciate, though, is that what I giveth, I can take away, and that it doesn’t say much for homeopathy that one link from one blog can make such a dramatic difference in his traffic.

So, because he thinks it’s meaningful, I’ve added a little filter to this site: using “johnbenneth.wordpress.com” in a comment will get it held for moderation…and it won’t be approved. Bye bye, Mr Benneth.

You’ll have to look him up indirectly, as in this mention on FSTDT. Otherwise, ignore the loon.

The last day of beer

With some relief, I have finished that gift case of beer, ending with a Great White Beer.

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I usually don’t have a beer every day — more like one every few weeks — so it was a bit more than I am used to. It was still an interesting exercise, trying them close enough in time that I could actually form some impressions about what I liked best. I’m not a fan of the spiced beers, and the fruity one was the worst. The pale ales were OK, but they do have a bitter edge that I could live with, but wasn’t enthusiastic about. I favored the pilseners best, I think. This taste test omitted any dark beers, though, which is what I usually order.

I could do with a Guinness now, but I think I’ll stick to drinking tea for a while.

Episode CLIV: What use is a baby?

Forgive me, threadlians, but I just have to riff on this particular video.

  • Don’t be surprised, this is how all atheists tenderize their babies before the barbecue.

  • Laugh-a while you can, Monkey Boy!

  • In Russia, you don’t go on roller coaster, you are roller coaster.

  • Jane, Tarzan think Boy get enough exercise today.

  • I held my breath anxiously through the entire thing, waiting for that moment when the baby would pee.

  • Or better yet, poop.

  • Right now, my kids are all greatly relieved that they were born long before YouTube. Dad might have gotten ideas.

  • Well, son, I thought I had to choose between paying for a swingset for you, or a mail-order bride for me…until I realized she could be both!

  • Which suggests that the disturbing alternative would be a video of Dad having sex with the swingset.

  • Never, ever take advantage of the childcare option at Cirque du Soleil.

  • Wow, the Russian space program sure starts training their astronauts young.

  • Hey, I remember those toys — Stretch Armstrong, wasn’t it?

  • We did evolve from an arboreal lineage, after all, so she’s just letting him relive his brachiating ancestry.

  • Oh, no, suddenly I’m fantasizing about stripping naked and having a giant blond hippie woman man-handle me — I’ve turned into Robert Crumb!

  • Stop it, it’s torture! No, not the baby-flipping — the soundtrack!

  • It doesn’t count as juggling unless there are at least two babies.

We have our own barbarian subculture

An Arizona Democrat, Representative Gabrielle Giffords, has been shot and possibly killed by an assassin armed with an automatic weapon. Her offices had earlier been targeted for vandalism for her support of health care reform.

Isn’t it amazing that health care reform has become such a polarizing issue, and that the people who are raging the loudest are those who would benefit the most?

I’ll take a wild guess here. The scumbag who committed this crime has been caught; I’ll bet he’ll turn out to be a Teabagger who listens to a lot of AM talk radio.

Holy crap. This was Sarah Palin’s idea of a clever campaign earlier this year: she had select Democrats, including Gabrielle Giffords, targeted with a gunsight symbol.

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What a vile creature. Perhaps she ought to consider not inciting the deranged assholes who follow her.

And that’s not all.

(via Firedoglake)

I have a new hero

It’s Tracey Spicer, a commentator on an Australian radio show. If you do radio or TV, you must listen to her interview with Meryl Dorey, the wicked anti-vaxxer crank. There are no mealy mouthed pleasantries, there is no downplaying of the evil Dorey has promoted, Spicer simply rips into her and points out all the legal and scientific facts against her. Then, at the end, Dorey is asked about the fact that a legal judgment has been made against her requiring that she post a disclaimer on her website, which she has not done, and Dorey begins to give the address of her website instead of explaining why she’s flouting the law, Spicer cuts her off cold and kicks her off the air.

It’s beautiful.

I never listen to AM radio, and I rarely tune into television news. If we had a few announcers like Tracey Spicer over here, though, I’d actually use my radio.

I get email

Some of the email I get is simply crackpots trying to give me information. I received a lovely example this morning, and since he wants to share, I’m willing to help him.

Dear Dr. Myers, When God said He stretched out the Heavens in the Old Testament, and will fold them back again in the New Testament, He was using Hebrew and Greek to explain Planetary Orbital Jumping. Our four gas giants behave like electrons in that they can pivot in relation to each other. Jupiter will soon migrate back to it’s original orbit farther from the Sun as the other three gas giants return to their original orbits closer to the Sun. In the process, Venus will migrate closer to the Earth where it will become a pristine habitable world like Earth was before Noah’s flood. The Tabernacle God gave Moses represents Earth and the four gas giants. The Altar of Burnt Sacrifice represents Earth. The Bronze Laver — Jupiter; the Altar of Incense — Saturn; and the two angels on the Ark of the Covenant — the Greek “Ouranos,” and Neptune. The word Heaven in Greek is “Ouranos.” It means spiritual abodes. Rather than emitting particles that behave like waves when they return to their original orbits, the gas giants will release the souls of those who died on Earth. I have written a book called Fire Rider that explains this in detail. Thank you, David Leon Powers

Yes, he sent me a copy of his “book”. It’s only 13 pages long, though, so maybe he’s just being ambitious in its description. Here, you can read the whole thing yourself, although I have to tell you, it just goes on and on in the vein of the paragraph above.

Whose side was Chuck Grassley on? We know now

Senator Grassley launched an investigation into the finances of religious organizations, after reports of abuses — you know the sorts of things that are common, like obscene salaries to ministers, active politicizing from the pulpit, etc. The Grassley report has been released, with a dull thud.

According to the review, many of the ministries operate multiple non-profits, with the leaders drawing some form of compensation from each of them.

“The number and types of entities, including private airports and aircraft leasing companies, raises concerns about the use of the church’s tax-exempt status to avoid taxation. However, given the four churches’ refusal to provide tax information, we are unable to determine whether and the extent to which they are reporting and paying taxes on income earned in those entities,” the review states.

Notice…six were investigated, but only two cooperated. The investigators declined to submit subpoenas to get to the heart of the potential scofflaws. Their final conclusion: these megachurches ain’t doin’ nothin’ wrong. They make one big recommendation: maybe we should change our laws to allow church electioneering.

Big investigation. Scamming churches allowed to decline to participate. No wrong-doing found. Only significant conclusion is to increase the politicization of religion.

I think we were had. Grassley wasn’t digging into malfeasance, he was throwing up a smokescreen to cover efforts to give further benefits to churches.