Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology
Mad rantings about politics, evolution, and microbiology. Comment policy: say what you want, but back it up with an email address. I don't like anonymous trolls.
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July 31, 2007
The earth is not flat, evolution by natural selection and genetic drift happened (and happens), andvaccination against deadly and debilitating childhood diseases saves thousands of lives.
Posted by Mike at 6:03 PM • 13 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
By way of Brad DeLong, I came across a post by Tyler Cowen that discusses 'fast track' article review, which sounds a lot like writing grant proposals.
Posted by Mike at 11:13 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 30, 2007
I've called those movement conservatives who think that successful policy execution--in peace or war--is about "will", as opposed to, let's say, execution, Peter Pan conservatives. Atrios has a very good explanation of why they believe so strongly in will--their own personal experience.
Posted by Mike at 4:43 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Romney has been so good for Massachusetts. Imagine what he can do for the country.
Posted by Mike at 11:08 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 29, 2007
Category: Lotsa Links
Here are your links. Science goes firstest.
Posted by Mike at 8:28 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Humor
While I was away, I posted a picture that I called "LOLGeenomz!!" One comment was so brilliant that it deserves its own picture.
Posted by Mike at 2:08 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Thomas Bewick is best known as the eighteenth century's premier woodcut engraver and ornithologist. However, he was also a passionate political activist, who had seen what war did to his country and his fellow citizens' liberties.
Posted by Mike at 11:15 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 28, 2007
Category: Humor
Amanda has a very interesting discussion of why Oscar the Cat of Doom--the cat that sees soon-to-be-dead people--can do so. However, the Mad Biologist has an alternative hypothesis.
Posted by Mike at 10:54 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 26, 2007
I don't mean that as snark. It's a serious question. 100 years ago, would towns and small cities have been viewed as "the great American socioeconomic achievement", simply because that's where many relatively well-off Americans lived?
Posted by Mike at 11:06 AM • 29 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 25, 2007
Category: Framing
It isn't always the message, sometimes it's the medium. Or the media actually. Framing only goes so far. Often, getting your message out there comes down to schmoozing, intimidation, and hard work. This applies to politics and science.
Posted by Mike at 11:17 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 24, 2007
A colleague has told me about some interesting data that people are far less likely to request an antibiotic for a chest cold than for bronchitis even though they're the same thing.
Posted by Mike at 11:25 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 23, 2007
While lots of people swear by the power of tea, I had no idea it was seriously viewed as a something that led to urbanization.
Posted by Mike at 11:57 AM • 22 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 22, 2007
Category: Lotsa Links
I'm attending a conference about microbial population biology this week, but, thanks to the Blogerator 9000, the posts will keep on coming. Speaking of posts, here are some links for you.
Posted by Mike at 8:41 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Democrats aren't doing any better funding stem cell research--or any other research.
Posted by Mike at 11:01 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Kansas Republican Party has a loyalty oath that its candidates have to sign.
Posted by Mike at 10:09 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 21, 2007
Category: Humor
You knew it had to happen: a LOLcatz internet quiz.
Posted by Mike at 4:31 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Again. ScienceBlogling razib discusses some noises various biologists are making about levels of selection. Sweet Baby Intelligent Designer, save us from this madness.
Posted by Mike at 11:09 AM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 20, 2007
Category: Little Lord Pontchartrain
Then Corn decides to get mean.
Posted by Mike at 2:02 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
By way of Brad Delong, I stumbled across this column by Washington Post editor Ruth Marcus calling for merit pay for teachers.
Posted by Mike at 10:40 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 19, 2007
E. coli is harmless (most of the time). Conservatives aren't.
Posted by Mike at 6:57 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The Boston Globe reports that the Charles River swim race might be canceled because of cyanobacterial blooms. Again. I blame the geese. Seriously.
Posted by Mike at 3:34 PM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I realize reporters are human, but campaign reporters seem to be particularly unprofessional.
Posted by Mike at 1:56 PM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
It's bad enough when the mainstream media engages in ersatz psychology and semiotics. It's even worse when this pseudoanalysis has a bias. I'm beginning to think that the average political reporter is simply unable to process anything that is conceptually more difficult than condiments.
Posted by Mike at 11:22 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 18, 2007
driftglass points out an obvious--although previously unnoticed--problem with the neocon claims that there's is no civil war in Iraq. John Aravosis answers the question "Has al-Queda won?"
Posted by Mike at 5:06 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Bloggity Blog
Be a mensch: stop by, and wish Lindsay Beyerstein of Majikthise well.
Posted by Mike at 2:13 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Well, that title has more obscure jargon than a bad Tom Clancy novel. But it has to do with antibiotic resistance. It's not good news.
Posted by Mike at 10:54 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 17, 2007
Hilzoy brilliantly skewers the idiotic Wall Street Journal piece that 'supported' the Laffer curve.
Posted by Mike at 8:31 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
...good for him.
Posted by Mike at 4:19 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Ascidians
Inspired by Quixote's excellent post about ascidians--my firstest study organism EVAH--I've decided to delve into the archives and repost something of my own about ascidians.
Posted by Mike at 11:03 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 16, 2007
I was reading this fascinating article about Japan's adoption in 2009 of a jury system, when it struck me: the Pundits on the Potomac would love to have a society like this.
Posted by Mike at 5:14 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Many pundits claim an aura of expertise that is unwarranted. They have no more expertise than you or I do, so why should they be granted any extra authority?
Posted by Mike at 3:59 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
I had sort of hoped that the Laffer curve was no longer being discussed seriously (although who takes the Wall Street Journal editorial page seriously...). From the archives, here are some thoughts on the Laffer curve.
Posted by Mike at 11:24 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 15, 2007
Category: Lotsa Links
Here are some links for you. Science comes first:
Posted by Mike at 8:41 PM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
John Nichols, in an interview with Bill Moyers, clarifies a very important--and misunderstood--point about impeachment.
Posted by Mike at 1:28 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Actually, that's not quite accurate. I'll let this picture explain why.
Posted by Mike at 11:11 AM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 14, 2007
At the Boston Public Library, there's a fascinating exhibit about Alexandre Vattemarre, entertainer turned cultural ambassador. It's definitely worth seeing.
Posted by Mike at 12:14 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
digby writes what I've often claimed around here--'people of faith' who criticize Democrats for not embracing 'faith' really want Democrats to embrace theopolitical conservatism.
Posted by Mike at 11:18 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 13, 2007
We fire him.
Posted by Mike at 3:38 PM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Shut Up and Watch the Damn Movie!
Sometimes a giant transforming robot isn't a Republican, it's just a giant transforming robot.
Posted by Mike at 11:43 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 12, 2007
Category: Basic Human Decency
I have no idea if Bush administration officials individually suffer from manifest antisocial personality disorder, but when you get enough of them together, they certainly do on an institutional level. Here's a relatively unremarked upon tidbit from the recent Surgeon General scandal.
Posted by Mike at 5:15 PM • 6 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Or actually visitors who cite Galt. There are two problems with her argument: the numbers do add up, and she's shifting the goalposts.
Posted by Mike at 11:32 AM • 8 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 11, 2007
Something very interesting in the news about the news--the Chicago Sun has publicly announced its decision to make its op-ed page more liberal.
Posted by Mike at 3:33 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
...and the Mad Biologist answers.
Posted by Mike at 11:17 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 10, 2007
Category: A Message to You, Rudy
Over at the Group News Blog, there's a brilliant roundup of all the awful crap Giuliani has done.
Posted by Mike at 5:21 PM • 5 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Bloggity Blog
skippy, the kangaroo-eist blogger in all of blogtopia (and, yes, skippy invented that phrase) is celebrating his fifth blogiversary.
Posted by Mike at 3:45 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Over at Pandagon, Amanda raises an interesting issue about the subtext of the phrase "trusting women" when used to argue for reproductive freedom.
Posted by Mike at 11:01 AM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 9, 2007
Category: WhatEVAH!
One of the fun things about blogging is that I get a lot of weird emails, like this one from the Israeli embassy.
Posted by Mike at 6:32 PM • 2 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The headline in today's Boston Globe: "Colleges fear debt puts damper on donations." Gee, do ya think?
Posted by Mike at 5:03 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
we can all across political lines and join this movement.
Posted by Mike at 3:15 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
There have been several calls for Democrats to be more welcoming of 'people of faith.' Typically, these have been admonitions that Democrats need to stop acting like Democrats and more like conservative evangelicals (e.g., Mara Vanderslice; also here). However, it has never occurred to most of these 'people of faith' that perhaps they have a little house cleaning to do on their side of things.
Posted by Mike at 11:10 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 8, 2007
Category: Lotsa Links
Lotsa links for you. The July 4th vacation refreshed a lot of people I guess. Science stuff first.
Posted by Mike at 8:34 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
The title is self-explanatory.
Posted by Mike at 3:52 PM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Consider this the Fouad Ajami edition. Some of you may have read that Ajami compared Scooter Libby to fallen U.S. soldiers in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. Recently, Ajami tried to defend his statements on MSNBC's Hardball.
Posted by Mike at 11:10 AM • 1 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 7, 2007
Susan Madrak is dead on target: if the rightwing is willing to give its wingnuts 'wingnut welfare', why can't the left provide its own moonbat welfare for leftwing moonbats?
Posted by Mike at 3:22 PM • 0 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Category: Bureaucracy
I'm all for more efficient bureaucracy, but, like it or not, governance requires bureaucracy, something those conservatives opposed to universal healthcare don't seem to get.
Posted by Mike at 10:35 AM • 4 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 6, 2007
and the Mad Biologist attempts to give a serious answer.
Posted by Mike at 10:57 AM • 7 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
Over at Hullabaloo, I found this great list of suggested slogans for congressional Democrats
Posted by Mike at 10:04 AM • 3 Comments • 0 TrackBacks
July 5, 2007