Carnivalia, and an open thread
Category: Carnivals • Open Thread
Posted on: March 30, 2006 9:59 PM, by PZ Myers
Here are a few recent carnivals to peruse…
…and otherwise, chat away about whatever.
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Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
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PZ Myers is a biologist and associate professor at the University of Minnesota, Morris.
…and this is a pharyngula stage embryo.
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(Complete listing)The wars of extermination have given a lot of people trouble unless they know what was going on. The people in the land of Palestine were very wicked. They were given over to idolatry; they sacrificed their children; they had all kinds of abominable sex practices; they were having sex, apparently, with animals; they were having sex men with men, and women with women; they were committing adultery, fornication; they were worshipping idols, offering their children up; and they were forsaking God. God told the Israelites to kill them all - men, women and children, to destroy them. And that seems to be a terrible thing to do. Is it? Or isn't it? Well, let us assume there were 2,000 of them, or 10,000 of them living in the land, or whatever number there was of them. I don't have the exact number. Pick a number. God said, 'Kill them all.' Well, that would seem hard, wouldn't it? That would be 10,000 people who would probably go to Hell. But, if they stayed and reproduced, in 30 or 40 or 50 or 60 or 100 more years, they could conceivably be - 10,000 would go to a 100,000 - 100,000 could conceivably go to a million. And then, there would be a million people who would have to spend eternity in Hell! And it's far more merciful to take away a few than to see in the future a 100 years down the road, and say, 'Well, I have to take away a million people that would forever be apart from God,' because the abomination was there like a contagium. God saw that there was no cure for it. It wasn't going to change; their hearts weren't going to change; and all they would do is cause trouble for the Israelites, and pull the Israelites away from God, and prevent the truth of God from reaching the Earth. So, God, in love, took away a small number that he might not have to take away a large number.
[Pat Robertson, rationalizing genocide committed by the early Israelites, on "The 700 Club" television program. May 6, 1985]
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Comments
First post!
I just want to say that I'm 3/4 of the way through my doctoral comprehensive exams. Assuming they pass me, I'll officially be a doctoral candidate!
Posted by: Dan | March 30, 2006 11:01 PM
I just saw "Lucky Number Sleven"
If something is going to have a "Brutal Violence" warning on it, I expect brain matter, not just extra blood, dammit!
Posted by: Graculus | March 30, 2006 11:14 PM
good luck, Dan!
Posted by: RavenT | March 30, 2006 11:36 PM
I *knew* I shouldn't have started reading this damn blog.
I was umpiring a high school softball game this afternoon, and as I got in position behind the plate, I looked the pitcher right in the eyes. It was then that I realized my grievous error, and prayed silently that she was wearing contacts, so as to avoid the nearly-inevitably-resulting eye baby.
I nearly had to call time to keep from losing it. Thanks a lot!
Love the blog, BTW. Thanks, PZ. ;)
Posted by: Steve | March 31, 2006 12:30 AM
I am looking at the picture of the "Pharyngula state embryo" and am wondering: what is the Minnesota state embryo?
Posted by: Kai-Mikael Jää-Aro | March 31, 2006 1:11 AM
Ditto on that whole 'eye baby' meme. This one is gonna live forever in my house. Even caught my wife breaking into spontaneous laughter after looking in a mirror. Finally caught her breath and asked herself if it was as good for her as it was for her. Then started giggling again.
I worked a graveyard last night and pretty much did it with my entire crew. Even gay optical intercourse. Nonconsentual, but damn, being bad felt so good.
Bet they were wondering why their lab guy kept breaking into snickers whenever he talked with them.
Posted by: Sean | March 31, 2006 5:59 AM
Viney: Intelligent design debate has a long history
Intelligent Design may have made recent headlines for its battle against evolution for a spot in Kansas classrooms, but Don Viney, Pittsburg State University social sciences professor, said the debate goes back much further.
Viney told his philosophy of religion class on Thursday that Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, was among the first to look at teleological arguments for the world, or arguments based on the study of a purpose. Plato said that a deity likely designed the world, but didn't create it in the classical sense, rather molding things out of elements.
...
Viney referenced numerous philosophers during his Thursday class, including David Hume and Charles Darwin, whose arguments against creationism he called "crushing,"
...
"Intelligent Design is philosophy, not science," Smilie said. "That doesn't make it wrong, it's just not science. These things should be taught, and are very important to be taught. It just shouldn't be taught in a science class."
...
Posted by: wamba | March 31, 2006 8:34 AM
Some of you may remember Carrie.
http://tinyurl.com/h7zga
Carrie was the second person in the United States to have an inoperable giant aneurysm repaired with ONYX. I'm happy to report that in spite of my failure to pray and because of my insistence on finding the right doctor, she is still alive and well.
And pregnant with twins!
Two more reasons to stay alive a little bit longer.
"I go on living, more from force of habit than anything else." Robert Pirsig
Posted by: charlie wagner | March 31, 2006 9:07 AM
Testing Darwin's Teachers
By Stephanie Simon, Times Staff Writer
March 31, 2006
LIBERTY, Mo. -- Monday morning, Room 207: First day of a unit on the origins of life. Veteran biology teacher Al Frisby switches on the overhead projector and braces himself.
As his students rummage for their notebooks, Frisby introduces his central theme: Every creature on Earth has been shaped by random mutation and natural selection -- in a word, by evolution.
The challenges begin at once.
"Isn't it true that mutations only make an animal weaker?" sophomore Chris Willett demands. " 'Cause I was watching one time on CNN and they mutated monkeys to see if they could get one to become human and they couldn't."
Frisby tries to explain that evolution takes millions of years, but Willett isn't listening. "I feel a tail growing!" he calls to his friends, drawing laughter.
...
Liberty High School senior Sarah Hopkins was proud of her response when a botany teacher brought up evolution last year: "I asked, 'Have you ever read the Bible? Have you ever gone to church?' "
...
Posted by: wamba | March 31, 2006 2:12 PM
Cause of Heart Disease Found!.
For years, lack of exercise, diet, smoking and hypertension have been cited as major causes of heart disease. But a large body of evidence is beginning to accumulate that infectious agents, such as certain bacteria and viruses may play a causitive role in the formation of artery clogging plaques.
Recent experiments have suggested that these agents are related to Chlamydia and cytomegalovirus. One strain, chlamydia trachomatis lives in vaginal fluid and semen and it can be transmitted via oral sex. Chlamydia is known as the "silent" disease since up to 75% of women and 50% of men infected with it display no symptoms.
There is also a well established connection between periodontal disease and heart disease. Researchers found diseased gums released significantly higher levels of bacterial pro-inflammatory components, such as endotoxins, into the bloodstream in patients with severe periodontal disease compared to healthy patients. As a result, these harmful bacterial components in the blood could travel to other organs in the body, such as the heart, and cause harm.
It is a possibility, therefore, that cunnilingus may well be the major cause of heart disease in humans! The bacterial and viral factors enter the mouth during oral sex, they are absorbed through diseased gums and are then distributed throughout the body by the cardiovascular system.
There is a lot of circumstantial evidence to support this view:
1. Many people have unhealthy diets, yet fail to develop heart disease.
2. Many people with a healthy diet and plenty of exercise succumb to heart disease at an early age.
3. More men than women develop heart disease.
4. Rates of heart disease are lower in cultures where cunnilingus is frowned upon. It has been suggested that the Mediterranean diet (pasta, olive oil, fish, very little meat) has a protective effect but it may be that sexual proclivities play a much greater role.
So my recommendation is that the next time you get the urge to give your lady a "little head" (old joke), think about the consequences to your health. You may well be placing your life in jeopardy.
Posted by: charlie wagner | April 1, 2006 7:08 AM
I assume Charlie's making a little April Fool's Day joke, but in any case, notice how he didn't implicate fellatio? Interesting, very interesting...
Posted by: Carlie | April 1, 2006 8:47 AM
Carlie wrote:
"I assume Charlie's making a little April Fool's Day joke, but in any case, notice how he didn't implicate fellatio? Interesting, very interesting..."
It's not a joke. I have no family history of heart disease, I don't smoke, I eat a healthy diet and I get plenty of exercise. It's the only explanation I can think of for my advanced heart disease. ;-)
Posted by: charlie wagner | April 1, 2006 10:18 AM