On Scienceblogs ….

Hanukkah starts tonight, as you probably know. This is the celebration of the Jewish version of Peak Oil. My family will be celebrating Hanukkah Sunday night (though we probably won’t go with the newborn) but you can celebrate now by visiting two interesting blog posts and reflecting on their meaning: White Coat Undeground: Just a…

Hey, it turns out Zicam works! Oh, no, wait, it just causes you to lose your sense of smell. Maybe. –> New Zicam study shows possible mechanism for anosmia YA Virgin Mary Sighting –> O Most Holy Pancake! Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you just some kind of freakin’ moron? –>…

The world’s most gruesome regular expression. The world’s tallest virtual building

Once again, it is time for a summary of last month’s blogospheric activities.

MMR-autism link is clearly “busted” Onions and Swine Flu The Never-Ending Conservative Obstructionism Over Climate Change The Falklands Wolf: A Darwin Mystery Solved Pitcher-plants: Nature’s toilet bowl. Bigotry rules in Maine

Human Cultural Transformation Triggered by Dense Populations A few words on Maine and the dying hog of homophobia Mid-continent earthquakes are often aftershocks of centuries-old tremors Nature Blog Networking: Nature in your Backyard

at Marmorkrebs.blogspot.com I am doing the next circus of the spineless. Please send me your submissions and have something like “circus” or “spineless” in the subject line.

Hello, Negro: Are you a racist?: Now there’s a test! But who will use it? Joe. My. God. sets us up with a post from Dan Savage and a video. Which reminds me of my friend Emily, whom I miss. Morning stupid. Let’s deconstruct this: “I, like any sane human, think Hitler was the worst…

This is really interesting: What is squalene? Next time you are talking to an antivaxer, just say “We have the squalene. We win. Shut. up.” White Coat Underground suggests that … The anti-vaccination movement is morally bankrupt. It’s always a good idea to Fight the intrusion of quackery and religious woo in health care reform…

Having a hard time keeping track of internet memes? Click here. Fifty essential swine flu resources for school nurses. Here. Did you know that Republicans have lower testosterone? (Because they lost!) Click here.

It’s all good, but this is what tickled my fancy today:

There’s a vegetarian spider?????? Holy crap: Bagheera kiplingi – the mostly vegetarian spider Viruses and icebergs … What’s the connection? DDT resistance in Mosquitoes … “It is now beyond obvious that science is liberal because conservatives don’t like to see proof that they are wrong.” Indeed

I posted 299 items during the month of September, about average. However, I had another month of increased hits on the blog and I’m not prepared to increase my estimate as to how many regular readers I have to fourteen! The most popular post of the month was this one: Franken talks down angry mob…

Listen to Blogger Chris Rowan on the BBC … he’s talking about the science of natural disasters.

Whatever she wants – sexual selection …. A post translated by Igor Santos from the original published by Atila at the Brazilian blog Rainha Vermelha. Check out what is New and Exciting in PLoS ONE, including “The Genome of the Stick Insect Medauroidea extradentata Is Strongly Methylated within Genes and Repetitive DNA” Will ants trump…

Eric Johnson has a review of Frans de Waal’s book in Seed, readable here at Seed Dot Com. Brian writes up fossils found by Bain (and later studied by Brain, of course) that I find near and dear. Both Brian’s review and the fossils themselves. From South Africa. We’re more likely to behave ethically when…

What is the difference between a “mix” cook and an “ingredient” cook? Mike Haubrich found out the hard way! How Many Cops …does it take to protect a counter-protester from teabaggers? Oh, and to all the future videographers out there: No, it is NOT ok to tip your video camera 90% to get the shot.…

The early earth did not have very much free oxygen. Or did it? Chris Rowan: Lots of oxygen on the Archean Earth? That bastard Charlie Moores is interviewed on Nature Blog Network … Oh, sorry, that’s BUSTARD, not BASTARD. Well, whatever, it is an interesting interview and they to talk about birds.

The first time I saw a star-nosed mole, I did not know such things existed. Somebody should have warned me!!!!! Lake Natron is an amazing place in Tanzania, and is one of the key habitats for the nearly threatened lesser flamingo. And, that threat has increased. Charlie has it. Ethan has a post explaining what…

Carnival of Space 117 is HERE.

The Carnival of the Godless for August 23rd is HERE.

Interesting reading: The Origin of the Hepatitis C Virus. Resistance shmisistance. Viruses will save our butts. A write-up of London Science Online 09

Funniest religion related video I’ve seen in months: HERE. Signs of the time: Judd Gregg does not want you to know that the stimulus is working. Some guys are paddling down the Mississippi river to raise awareness of the word’s global water crisis. Interview with Reef Madness author David Dobbs. A review of Reef Madness…

A new blog of interest: Pull my Finger … has a current post on how the “Dumbassosphere” is trying to pull their own nuts out of the fire to make hay from Barny Frank’s dressing down of the yahoo LaRouchite with the Adolf Obama photo: Dumbest. Argument. Ever. (check out PMF’s excellent blogroll) … Excuse…

A collection of religious propaganda at The Teapot Atheist PalMD asks What is “health care”? Francis Collins’ “Five Themes” for the NIH at Respectful Insolence Scicurious writes Friday Weird Science: Smoking away your Semen Calling out a creationist: Cornelius Hunter: Intellectually Dishonest? Or Uninquisitive? Or Both? at Afarensis

An excellent review on Almost Diamonds of the blogospheric work going on over at Sex in the Public Square: This Is About Sex, Right? The Gambit of Falsehoods at Mors dei, focusing in on the DNA and Information falsehood. The Real Creation Story at Cyberlizard’s … “I don’t remember how the conversation drifted in the…

First, I’d like to draw your attention to this post and discussion on falsehoods in Psychology: Biology? You should try Psychology my friend in which DrugMonkey adds to the debate. Dr. Monkey notes “The list of topics that people “know” the answers to about psychology are unending. I tend to limit my conversations around here…