May 11, 2008
Category: Creationism
There was some talk on anonymous blogging on SciBlogs a while back. I wasnt here at the time, so Im going to pipe up now.
I dont blog anon or with a pseudonym. Im Abbie Smith. I chose not to blog anon because if someone REALLY wanted to out me, it wouldnt be that hard, and 'Abbie Smith' is common enough it provides a slight buffer against stalkers. Some people have expressed concerns-- "Arent I worried someone will read my blog, not like me, and not hire me??" "What does your school think?" "What does your boss think??"
If you are saying controversial things under a pseudonym, those are really scary questions-- What are the answers going to be if youre outed? But me? Meh. Bossman doesnt particularly give a crap (rule is basically "Dont go psycho and embarrass yourself."). Big Bossman and other higher-ups at my uni think its pretty cool (but have also given me the 'no psycho' rule, plus a 'dont make the school look psycho' rule).
And quite the opposite of future employers being put off by ERV, Ive actually been contacted by HUGE names in the viral evolution world, who have all been extraordinarily encouraging. At least in the field of science, people you want to hire you arent going to be put off if Im 'too mean' to Creationists and Deniers.
But I completely understand that there are good reasons to be anon. If Bossman was a sexist pig and I was writing about how to live through grad school under those circumstances. If I was a doctor and didnt want to isolate my Christian patients with my usual Pro-Atheism posts. If I had young ones and didnt want them to be harassed by my internet stalkers at school.
There are also very, very bad reasons for going anon-- You want to act despicably, but you dont want people to know its *you* being an asshole. Such is the case with a poster on Uncommon Descent, pseudonymed 'Galapagos Finch'. If youve clicked on UD now and then, you are familiar with the character sheet: WAD is the whiny baby. SAL just sits around, eating cottage cheese and saying OINK. Denyse is the little writer that couldnt. Dave is the captain of dah ship.
But Galapagos is the only UD contributor I found truly disturbing. Like, 'dont want to meet in a dark alley' disturbing. Like, 'Im gonna be nice to this kid, so when he goes over the edge, he might not kill me', disturbing. To be perfectly honest, I thought the only one of the UD crew that was psychologically deformed enough to make Galapagoss posts (and think they were funny and/or appropriate), was Dembski.
I was wrong.
Galapagos Finch is Robert Marks. Go read the details there and at AtBC, then come back :)
Robert Marks, the one IDer I still had a touch of sympathy for.
Robert Marks, professor, professional, father, spends his spare time making grotesque photoshops of science advocates and, evidently, composing gigantic fake 'letters' which slander everyone from Wiki to the National Academy to Average Joe and Jane teachers and students. This is a huge letter, and must have taken forever to write, so please, READ EVERY WORD OF THIS. This is from the most respectable advocate ID Creationism has, but it was taken down (and the entire 'THE BRITES' website) after Marks was outed. READ THIS.
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 5:55 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 10, 2008
Category: Creationism • ERVs • Evolution
This is a repost from the old ERV. A retrotransposed ERV :P I dont trust them staying up at Blogger, and the SEED overlords are letting me have 4 reposts a week, so Im gonna take advantage of that!
I am going to try to add more comments to these posts for the old readers-- Think of these as 'directors cut' posts ;)
WHOO! Classes over! Scary 'wait for grades' time begins... But Im finally going to get to jump into an ERV series Ive been wanting to do for a while! It will hopefully turn into a great resource for all you science defenders when you encounter a Creationist online/real life, as ERVs are a super cool way to demonstrate common descent and evolution in action!
Here is a (monster) repost of a list of Creationist Claims I hear a lot about ERVs-- if you dont totally understand this post now, stick with me :) Im going to go through all of the basics of ERVs, their components, and what they mean for evolution, and you will totally be able to get this stuff!
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 8:35 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 9, 2008
Category: Creationism
Because I grew up in rural MO, people are surprised to hear the first Creationists I started debating were Islamic Creationists. Yes, through the wonders of the intrawebz, on a forum completely unrelated to Evolution, I ran across some nutty Muslims singing praises of Harun Yoshi or Yomama or something stupid like that.
Just in case youre wondering what Captain Dembski and the DI Brigade would do if the US was a theocracy, I heard lots of fun rumors about how Harun Yanawannadingdongs gang in Turkey ran prostitution rings and blackmailed people who wouldnt do what they wanted, and all sorts of nasty crap, all with the support of the government (Why, der just good Allahz fearin Muslimz doin GAWDS wurk!!).
Well some of the charges against these purveyors of Islamic TARD finally stuck:
Controversial Turkish Islamic author Adnan Oktar was sentenced to three years in prison on Friday for creating an illegal organization for personal gain, state-run Anatolian news agency said.
w00t!
(H/T Les Lane)
Posted by ERV at 6:31 PM • 10 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 8, 2008
Category: Personal
Teh Google Machine.
It tried to kill meh.
Now?
I PWNS TEH INTRAWEBZ!!! TOP TWO HITS FOR ERV MO FOS!
:P
Posted by ERV at 10:36 PM • 20 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: HIV/AIDS • Skepticism/Critical Thinking
I was really mad this morning. I glanced at my new issue of Discover, and noticed yet another article glorifying HIV Deniers. Its not online yet, but its a seven page spread on Peter Duesberg.
So I brought it to work with me so everyone had to vomit as much as I did. They changed my perspective a bit.
First, Im still mad, but Im not as mad. I dont think they are glorifying him-- I think theyre playing to the 'fair and balanced all sides' game that 'journalists' think is so clever these days, which is still pathetic.
On the one hand, Jeanne Lenzer plays off of EXPELLEDs theme. You could hear 'Bad to the Bone' playing as Duesberg walked down the street with his bike, being described as a 'golden boy' turned 'bad boy of science.' 'Radical new theory getting serious attention'. Photos of Duesberg in a lab coat. Looking angelically into the distance. Persecuted to such extremes he no longer can afford his two personal secretaries (excuse me, how many scientists have a personal secretary??). And like William Dembski who can no longer use his Baylor ID card at Baylors cafeteria, Duesberg is no longer invited to colleagues houses to stay, for free, during conferences.
And gosh, hes saved so many lives! Why Billy Bob has been HIV+ for 23 years and hasnt taken any drugs!
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 8:20 PM • 34 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Creationism • HIV/AIDS • Skepticism/Critical Thinking
This is a repost from the old ERV. A retrotransposed ERV :P I dont trust them staying up at Blogger, and the SEED overlords are letting me have 4 reposts a week, so Im gonna take advantage of that!
I am going to try to add more comments to these posts for the old readers-- Think of these as 'directors cut' posts ;)
I like to make fun of how crappy traditional media has become as much as the next person, but I also hate it when people complain about how bad something is, without offering positive, constructive criticism. Examples of what is right, so the offending parties can improve whatever theyre doing thats so crappy. So here is a classic post where a traditional media outlet (in this case, the magazine Skeptical Inquirer) got it right. It was a feature on HIV Denialism, but it covered the bases for all kinds of pseudoscientific conspiracies peddled to the public.
Later today I will have a post to contrast this one... One of my favorite laymen-scientist magazines, Discover, dropped the ball. Again. Big time. ERV angry.
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 12:42 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 6, 2008
Category: HIV/AIDS • Skepticism/Critical Thinking
You all need to email bomb CNN.
My HIV Denier boyfriend, Leonard 'CALL ME DOCTOR OR IM HANGING UP' Horowitz was scheduled to be on CNN earlier this week (he got bumped, but still).
How did he receive such an honor with his flat, man-like, boobless chest??
Turns out Obamas choice of crazy sky-god-medium, Rev Wright, is a HUGE fan of Horowitzs, and has had no problem spitting in the face of every HIV researcher on the planet.
MODERATOR: In your sermon, you said the government lied about inventing the HIV virus as a means of genocide against people of color. So I ask you: Do you honestly believe your statement and those words?
REVEREND WRIGHT: Have you read Horowitz's book, "Emerging Viruses: AIDS and Ebola," whoever wrote that question? Have you read "Medical Apartheid"? You've read it?
Well, God-Whisperer-Wright, Ive read it. Its on my bosses bookshelf in the office. It reads as if it was edited by Denyse O'Leary, and its science is nonsensical. Ive read Lennys kook paper too. Same thing.
Whatever. Ohhh! A reverend acting like an idiot! Stop the presses!... Except Wright is *Obamas* idiot reverend, so Horowitz gets to cash in.
So, here is my open letter to CNN:
Hai, CNN!
My name is Abbie. I would be happy to 'debate' Horowitz for a show on this topic, or put you into contact with people infinitely more qualified than myself (some who even has boobages, like myself. unlike Lenny. just sayin.) Or, you know, you could devote that time to a neat science story instead. Or maybe, like, reporting the news, instead of being a 24 hour TMZ. But if your desire to speak with Lenny is simply insatiable, I will be happy to provide the necessary boobs for such a heady discussion to occur on your crappy news station.
Your friend,
Abbie
PS-- I mean seriously, who watches the news anymore? Lame. You all are a joke. Forget Lenny, get a damn investigative journalist and a blog. Get with the times, CNN.
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 9:00 PM • 33 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: HIV/AIDS • Skepticism/Critical Thinking
This is a repost from the old ERV. A retrotransposed ERV :P I dont trust them staying up at Blogger, and the SEED overlords are letting me have 4 reposts a week, so Im gonna take advantage of that!
I am going to try to add more comments to these posts for the old readers-- Think of these as 'directors cut' posts ;)
The beast... he has reemerged...
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 8:44 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
May 5, 2008
Category: Skepticism/Critical Thinking
Another fluff post. Again, I apologize, but I think I whupted todays test, so I dont feel bad :P
During tests weeks like this, I love to take study breaks by playing video games.
Not 'WoW' games that end up distracting you more than relaxing you-- Im one of those 'alternative' gamers that has benefited from the third revolution in gaming. I luv brain games. Ive always loved the 'Zelda' series, but now there is a whole new group of 'brain games'-- 'Brain Age', 'Big Brain Academy', and the like. Theyre nice because they are a 'break', but Im not shutting my brain off entirely or accidentally spending hours immersed in another world.
The latest game I got is kind of a fusion of the brain games and Zelda and is my new favorite: 'Professor Layton and the Curious Village.'
Read on »
Posted by ERV at 4:31 PM • 18 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I'm a graduate student studying the molecular and biochemical evolution of HIV within patients and within populations. I also study epigenetic control of ERVs.
