David Vitter: Adulterer AND a Creationist

What is it with sexually deviant Congressmen being sympathetic with Biblical Creationism? David Vitter added an earmark that would give $100,000 to a local group of fuckwits, the Louisiana Family Forum.

We live in an ass-backwards world when genuine science requires competition to get federal funding whereas denialism simply needs a sympathetic dodo in Congress.

X False X

There has been hype around the science blogosphere about the recently distributed behemoth Atlas of Creation by Islamic creationist Harun Yahya. Even newspapers, like the New York Times, have began commenting on the book (despitean online version being available for quite sometime now). So far, my favorite assessment of the book comes from Kevin Padian of UC Berkley, as stated in the linked NYT article: "[Recipients of Atlas were] just astounded at its size and production values and equally astonished at what a load of crap it is."

Jeremiah McNichols points out his favorite part of the entire book: it's visuals. Namely, some of the figures have big red x's across the image with the word FALSE written in big bold letters. McNichols has some examples on his page.

This visual tactic is absolutely great! I must adopt it for everything I find annoying. Go buy the X FALSE X gear and help spread the aspect of visual skepticism; all proceeds go the the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Presidential Coincidences Evidence for an Intelligent Assassin

If we truly follow the arguments put forth by intelligent design advocates concerning the concept that all the cosmological constants are "just right" for our existence, then we are seemingly forced to concede much in terms of our human history being pushed by other intelligent agencies. Charles G. Lambdin puts it bluntly with the following example in his review on the intelligent design camp's latest movie:

The thesis of The Privileged Planet is no different than the classic case of Presidential coincidences: Abraham Lincoln was elected to congress in 1846. John F. Kennedy was elected to congress in 1946. Lincoln was elected President in 1860, Kennedy in 1960. Both of their last names have seven letters. Both of their wives experienced the loss of child in the White House. Both were shot in the head on a Friday. Both were assassinated by Southerners and succeeded by Southerners. Lincoln was succeeded by Andrew Johnson, who was born in 1808. Kennedy was succeeded by Lyndon Johnson, who was born in 1908. Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth, has 15 letters in his name. Kennedy’s assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, has 15 letters in his name. Both assassins were known by three names. Booth was born in 1839, Oswald in 1939. As I am unable to imagine otherwise, these coincidences are too great to have occurred due to chance alone, so there must be some Intelligent Assassin behind it. Thus runs the reasoning throughout The Privileged Planet.

To be honest, I never knew this concerning the two Presidents. You learn something new everyday.