Does Chris Matthews “forgetting that Obama is black” falls into that same range of racism as “Pretty for a black girl” and the “You’re not like those other black people” claptrap often espoused by the “I’m not racist, but…” crowd. They’re coded as compliments, but the subtext is still an ugly one that frames racism…

The iPad … what is it like? NZ school ditches Microsoft and goes totally open source (hat tip: LIX The Amazon Kerfuffle

Meal and Reel, Feb 19, Creation w/special guest Greg Laden at Edina Cinema Edina, the home of Al Franken, the town known locally as “Every Day I Need Attention” because of their quaint suburban attitudes, the place that appears to have the only half decent woman’s hair stylist in the city (because every woman I’ve…

Any octopus experts out there wanna give this a look? (At Digital Rabbit blog)

This is the question that was raised in the wake of a Science Online 2010 session on civility. I did not attend the session so I am only addressing the issues that were subsequently discussed on blog posts written in the aftermath of a now infamous conversation that appears to have been (by their own…

The broadcast networks that air the Super Bowl have historically rejected advocacy ads. Yet CBS, which is airing the Super Bowl this year, has accepted an anti-choice ad by the ultra-conservative group Focus on the Family. Details here

I did not appreciate the sentiment that the New York Yankees had to win the World Series because Osama Bin Laden blew up the World Trade Center. I do not appreciate the sentiment that the New Orleans Saints have to win the Super Bowl because George Bush let poor New Orleans residents die in the…

A few people asked me if I saw any polar bears during my recent trip to Antarctica. No, I didn’t… None? Not even one? Did you even see any prints???? Polar Bears in Antarctica at Digital Rabbit

On Feb 12, Feb 19th the Darwin-related film “Creation” will debut in at least one local theater here in the twin cities. A group of us will be getting together prior at a restaurant or other appropriate venue, at which I will be asked to say a few words about Darwin. This event will be…

One opinion you should check out: …Obama is missing the opportunity of a lifetime to give us serious climate change legislation, and he’s blowing it by going down the middle of the road, trying to please everyone. This year could be the end of any meaningful climate change legislation, until the point where it’s obvious…

Howard Zinn died on Wednesday. But first, he got very old and before that he inspired two or three generations of skeptics and questioners of history and society.

Dogs: Cats:

There is a big fight going on over at Quiche Moraine. Apparently, my friend and co-blogger Mike made a comment or two, months back, about someone and she didn’t like it. So she complained to Stephanie. Well, she complained to me, and I forwarded her complaint to Stephanie. And then they got into it. And…

Dogs: Cats:

Not the actual babies, but the birth weight of the new ones.

Skeptics ask questions (Q’s) and try to do so in a systematic, scientific, way. But what about IQ (and here I use IQ as a euphemism for smarts). The recent discussion here and elsewhere about the Skepchicks touched on this issue. I’ve been (temporarily) avoiding it, but skepchick car2d2 is staring to think about it.…

Negotiating with dog god… Judaism is a religion of scepticism, made for and used by sceptics. The relationship with Jews and God is not a one-way thing in which God says ‘thou-shalt-not’ and everyone jumps. It’s a constantly evolving contract. It’s not inappropriate to remind ourselves, especially today, how a panel of rabbis in Auschwitz…

Librarians & Scientists: YMMV …people (and more so engineers and scientists) consult their friends first, then their files, then after trying everything else, consult the library. It’s sort of the library/librarian as goalie metaphor (you know, 10 other people missed the ball so the goalie has to save it). Science Online 2010: Scientists and librarians…

… the theory might diversify … Pat Robertson needs to watch this. In fact, this YouTube video needs to be attached to his eyes so he has to watch it again and again for all of his days . Hat Tip Glen

I really need to be clear that as an atheist, I don’t pretend to “know” that there are no supernatural entities. I agree with those who label themselves as agnostics that there is no way to ever know the unknowable with an absolute degree of 100% certainty. I think that those atheists who claim to…

Camp Quest is a secular summer camp program, and the Minnesota Version of it has been growing in recent years, and needs volunteers to help. 2010 camping dates are June 25 to July 31, not too far from the Twin Cities. Here’s a brochure (PDF, 900K) with more info, and the web site is here.…

On Desiree Schell’s Skeptically Speaking Radio with Quiche Moraine and Almost Diamond’s Stephanie Zvan … … a panel discussion on skepticism and race. Is the face of modern skepticism really as monochrome as it appears? How do we make our message appeal to a broader, more diverse audience? And how do racial demographics influence belief…