Evilution Day Quickies

Posted by ERV on February 12, 2009
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HAPPY MONKEY!

Few random quickies for today–
1. I think a YEC challenged me to a dual. Or something. A friend was having a ‘debate’ with some random radical Christian pastor/reverend/whatever via letters to the editor in the Yukon Review, and cited some things he had learned from me and ERV. Random weirdo bawwwed to his ‘professional’ YEC butt-buddy. YEC butt-buddy took radical weirdos place in the ‘debate’, and now for some reason Im debating this guy:

*gasp!* Uh, oh… hes a lifetime member of American MENSA, people. I think Im in over my head here. lol.

2. SEED has up a ton of essays today for DARWIN 200, and I helped!

Survival of the Viral
Studying genetic “mistakes,” like endogenous retroviruses, would have led us to a theory of evolution, even if Charles Darwin had not.

And let me state here that I am MADLY in love with the artists rendition of a retrovirus accompanying my article. MADLY. I think Emilie Clark captured what a ‘retrovirus looks like’ better than the models we work up for papers.

3. Im going to John Lynchs presentation tonight at the Sam Noble Museum! You sould go too, if youre around! Especially cause the museum has a sweet exhibit on evolution, which includes a component of HIV-1 evolution!

4. I just love this– Afarensis defended the honor of his namesake, Lucy, against Casey Luskins grimy sleazy advances. Casey basically resorted the the ancient Creationist Claim ‘there are no transitional fossils‘ and Lucy is a fake blah blah blah.
Afarensis whomped him gud. Its nice :)

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Comments

  1. #1 DaveH
    February 12, 2009

    Very nice essay! BTW, Abbie, someone is stealing your name; we know it wasn’t written by you, as there was not a single “LOL!” in the whole piece ;)

  2. #2 abb3w
    February 12, 2009

    Mensa is a waste of what might otherwise be a perfectly useful five letter acronym.

  3. #3 Rich
    February 12, 2009

    Great essay, Abby. Bad creoTard Vox Day also brags about his MENSA membership. Ah, intellectual ‘dick-waving’..

  4. #4 J-Dog
    February 12, 2009

    Abbie – Good Darwin Day To You Too.

    Congrats on your wel-deserved rep. Just remember, you took on Behe and Dembski and made them cry – This guy should be even easier. And by easier, I mean he looks like a nasty slippery piece of human filth and I’ll be he specializes in the “Gish Gallop”. Let us know if we can help.

    I did notice from his bio, that he’s been at a lot of different schools in a short amount of time. This might be worth looking into for someone.

  5. #5 jj
    February 12, 2009

    Abbie, please post the link or text of the debate. If it’s anything like the Sal-tard smack down, then I want to see it in all its cottage cheese dripping gore.

  6. #6 Mobius
    February 12, 2009

    Happy Darwin’s Day Abbie (and happy 200th birthday of Abe while we’re at it)

    1. Go get ‘im, Abbie.

    And Mensa. Oh Noz!!!

    While in the Air Force, I was invited to join MENSA. I went to one meeting. All they did was sit around and brag about how smart they all were. I wasn’t impressed. Never went back.

    2. Yup. Darwin was brilliant. But if it hadn’t been Darwin, it would have been someone else. It was an idea whose time had come.

    3. I miss being close to a major university. I love seeing stuff like that.

    4. I have read other stuff about this. Go, Afarensis, go!!!

  7. #7 John Phillips, FCD
    February 12, 2009

    Happy Monkey Abbie et al. I like your Darwin Day article, a very interesting view.

  8. #8 William Wallace
    February 12, 2009

    On behalf of the brothers, Happy Lincoln day.

    This debate should be interesting. I wonder who will stoop to namecalling first?

  9. #9 William Wallace
    February 12, 2009

    Strange, your story doesn’t add up. According to Matt Hardison, he was debating Dr. J in the Yukon, and offered you up as the proxy to debate Dr. J.

    Lastly, Dr. Jackson wishes me to produce for him the one to whom I alluded in my last letter who is “well
    versed” on matters concerning both microbiology and evilution. In fact, he even wishes to challenge this person to a debate.
    Well, Dr. Jackson, on behalf of said person, I’ll accept this challenge that you do make.
    With The Yukon Review I have left my contact information that either they or you can contact me, that we might arrange for a debate. And your opponent? An HIV researcher
    for OU Medical Center whose name I will not divulge here (for the sake of her privacy), but will give to you
    or whoever else contacts me. By the by, Dr. J, I’ll await your reply.–Matt Hardison, Yukon

  10. #10 WW
    February 12, 2009

    sorry, yes, your story does ad up upon a re-read, sorry for my momentary lapse in comprehension.

  11. #11 ERV
    February 12, 2009

    No prob ;)

  12. #12 minimalist
    February 12, 2009

    That’s alright, Wally; by now we’re used to your permanent lack of comprehension about everything else.

  13. #13 RBH
    February 12, 2009

    Hey Abbie, remember John Lynch’s talk tonight!

  14. #14 James F
    February 12, 2009

    You’re debating Jeff Goldblum’s evil twin? Or perhaps he’s a Red Lectroid….is his name John?

    ;-D

  15. #15 Paul Lundgren
    February 12, 2009

    @Wallace:

    On behalf of the brothers, Happy Lincoln day. This debate should be interesting. I wonder who will stoop to namecalling first?

    I will…racist gutter sludge.

    Look, Wallace, we all know you’re incapable of achieving sexual climax without being as obnoxious as possible through massively courageous feats of anonymous blog-trolling, but you’re giving pretentious pre-teenagers everywhere a bad name.

  16. #16 ennui
    February 12, 2009

    Anyone else catch this lump of tard-tastic broken crayon (Re: Dawkins visit to OU)?

  17. #17 DAM10N
    February 12, 2009

    hey abbs i’ll keep an eye peeled for you in the audience. is our buddy rhoblo coming tonite?

  18. #18 Blake Stacey
    February 12, 2009

    I keep expecting the guy in that picture to say, “Is it problem that woman have smaller brain than men?”

  19. #19 Aseem
    February 12, 2009

    Your wish is finally fulfilled. You had always wanted to debate him, and more importantly, take a picture with him. He contacted CFI twice requesting an opportunity to talk at OU. When and where are you debating him?

  20. #20 Prometheus
    February 12, 2009

    Happy Darwin day. I heard the Galapagos tortoises got a shell polish and extra pumpkin at the zoo. Neat.

  21. #21 a lurker
    February 12, 2009

    ERV, here is a profile of the guy who filed the Academic Freedom Act. The profile from the speakers bureau of the John Birch Society. And what about his friend Sally?

  22. #22 a lurker
    February 12, 2009

    On behalf of the brothers, Happy Lincoln day.

    This debate should be interesting. I wonder who will stoop to namecalling first?

    I will agree with Paul, this is racist.

    But I will bite anyway. Happy Lincoln Day. Happy Darwin Day. Two great men, one apple, one orange, and one great day.

    But if you simply must have a silly competition of who was more important, I will admit that Lincoln was. Other scientists would have eventually discovered all that Darwin did. It is very possible that no one would have done what Lincoln did: save the Union. And one can only imagine just how repressive the creationists in the South would have been without the United States Supreme Court to stop them.

  23. #23 carlsonjok
    February 12, 2009

    ERV, here is a profile of the guy who filed the Academic Freedom Act. The profile from the speakers bureau of the John Birch Society.

    Ah, Randy Brogdon. He just submitted another bill to restrict the transfer of Oklahoma State drivers license data (including fingerprints) to any other entity, including the federal government.

    Why, you might ask? Well, according to today’s (Feb 12) Norman Transcript, he is concerned about the information ending up in the files of some foreign government as part of a move towards one-world government.

    A John Bircher indeed!

  24. #24 ggab
    February 12, 2009

    Happy Monkey to all!!
    You’re debating that guy?? He looks like a 70′s porn star.
    Well, I guess you have to change careers when you start getting up in years.
    On a serious note though, I don’t mean to insult porn stars. They have more to offer to the world than creationists.

  25. #25 Dustin
    February 12, 2009

    Holy shit. It looks like he shaved his beard for the materials to weave that jacket, but accidentally missed a spot beneath his lower lip.

    The moustache defies explanation, and may constitute proof that God does not exist.

  26. #26 a lurker
    February 12, 2009

    “Ah, Randy Brogdon. He just submitted another bill to restrict the transfer of Oklahoma State drivers license data (including fingerprints) to any other entity, including the federal government.”

    Gee, he does realize that the federal government is a higher authority than the Oklahoma government? I guess not. Now if he says that the feds have to get the appropriate search warrant (or other appropriate legal safeguard) then I might think that he has a case depending on the nitty gritty of the proposal. But my approval would have nothing to do with some imaginary world government.

  28. #28 John Lynch
    February 13, 2009

    Abbie and I after my talk.

  29. #29 Jay
    February 13, 2009

    Awesome article Abbi! Seriously, your explanation of ERV’s as evidence for evolution is going to stick with me.

  30. #30 llewelly
    February 13, 2009

    Off topic, but you might be interested in an anti-Darwin editorial in the Tulsa Beacon They have a quite negative view of Darwin, and of Dawkin’s visit to OU.

  31. #31 Martin
    February 13, 2009

    A really funny thing. When I look at his site, the first two paragraphs read like this.

    “Dr. G. C. Jackson has his bachelor’s degree in Biology, a master’s in Science Education, and a master’s in Environmental Biology from George Mason University.?

    He earned his doctorate in Science Education at University of Virginia.?
    ”

    Yep. Exactly like this :) What’s with the question marks?

  32. #32 Prometheus
    February 13, 2009

    Martin asked
    “Yep. Exactly like this :) What’s with the question marks?”

    He also advises students:
    “Follow the advice of The Matrix and free your mind.”

    I guess he earned those degrees when he was still a captive consciousness and thus regards them as questionable?

    No necktie for Dr. Mustache AND soul patch. Watch yourself Smith, Charlie J. is off the hook!

  33. #33 Formerly Dr. J
    February 13, 2009

    Great, I’ve posted as Dr. J for sometime without knowing some wackaloon had called himself that. I feel dirty!

  34. #34 freelunch
    February 13, 2009

    I think we need a law that says that anyone who didn’t earn a Ph.D. should not even consider calling himself a doctor, yet, for some reason, the people most likely to call themselves doctors have either professional degrees (eg MD, DDS, OD), woo degrees (DC), or pathetic degrees (EdD).

    I expect Mr. Jackson to spend a lot of time telling lies to the audience. Interrupt him every time he does.

  35. #35 Badger3k
    February 14, 2009

    Creationist, Bircher, NWO-Conspiracy Nutcase. Damn, a trifecta. I wouldn’t worry about the Mensa bit. I’ve run into quite a few Mensa-members who were total morons. Not a shred of common sense or knowledge among them. Mensa is completely over-rated.

  36. #36 Badger3k
    February 14, 2009

    Actually, looking at the picture, I was struck by the resemblance to the Templar from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Maybe my memory is faulty, but does anyone else think he looks like him?

    Frank Zappa? (http://toddalcott.livejournal.com/193323.html)?

  37. #37 386sx
    February 14, 2009

    G. C. Jackson likes “citing” Einstein’s famous quote: “science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind.”

    But if Jackson would ever bother reading the rest of Einstein’s article, he might notice Einstein’s next dozen or so follow-up paragraphs…

    “Though I have asserted above that in truth a legitimate conflict between religion and science cannot exist, I must nevertheless qualify this assertion once again on an essential point, with reference to the actual content of historical religions. This qualification has to do with the concept of God.” Etc…

  38. #38 DCardinale
    February 20, 2009

    I debated that guy last September. I’m only a senior undergrad bio major, and he was a pushover. “Evolution can’t generate novel information, there are no transition fossils, radiometric dating doesn’t work.” Have fun.