…and this is a 
Defenders of Kansas
Category: Creationism
Posted on: July 27, 2006 9:46 AM, by PZ Myers
Forgive me, but I find it hard to take Casey Luskin seriously. He's a mouthpiece for the Discovery Institute who always reminds me of a voluble squirrel: he chatters away frenetically, but the brain behind his words is tiny and ill-prepared to cope with any substance. I always feel this urge to throw some peanuts at his feet to distract him. Anyway, his latest frenetic missive is a collection of angry chitterings, protesting that ID isn't about the supernatural at all (it's just about undermining naturalism…hasn't he read Philip Johnson yet?), and no, they aren't trying to sow doubt and confusion by mangling the science standards in Kansas. Meanwhile, John Rennie is more like a sleek, swift Doberman who gives the squirrel a quick shake, a chomp, and the nuisance vanishes with a squeak. For now. Anticipate Luskin's further shrill whining to continue from within the belly of the beast.
Hey, and if you want to hear more about the distortions of science in the Kansas standards revisions, Jack Krebs has been barnstorming the state, and there's lots of material to expose the Discovery Institute fraudulent campaign there.
Comments
What's up with Panda's Thumb these days? Quite often I am unable to view pages there.
Posted by: Kristjan Wager | July 27, 2006 10:21 AM
Casey, Robert, and Donald -- the Luskin name is hurtin' these days.
Posted by: John Emerson | July 27, 2006 10:40 AM
And, so, PZ, you have found out Luskin! As you have surmised, he is indeed one of my zombie android creationist-squirrel half-breeds! Curse you and your precious hypothetico-deductive method!
(Sigh) I've got a lot more where he came from.
Scott
Posted by: Scott Hatfield | July 27, 2006 1:52 PM
Casey Luskin, Squirrel Nutkin... merely similar names, or???
Couple years ago we gave a squirrel a nut in the local park. He ran all over the place trying to find a good place to bury it; every step he was followed by a crow. Finally, after a half dozen potential spots and at least a quarter mile of hopping about, he buried it. Ran off. The crow dug it up within seconds.
I think the squirrel was Casey Luskin.
Posted by: QrazyQat | July 27, 2006 2:05 PM
The problem with dealing with non-scientists (disclaimer: I'm one of them) is that you don't have a common framework for discussion. What is a fact and what is an opinion? Unbelievably, I have had several conversations in the last few weeks where I was told that the "facts" I was presenting were actually just my opinion. These discussions ran from evolution (I am a Kansan working in Seattle) to politics. Documented facts were dismissed as opinion. How can you have a discussion in that environment? Its frightening how uneducated the American public has become and how little they care.
Posted by: Ken | July 27, 2006 2:52 PM
Hey, PZ, Luskin calls himself a scientist. I guess that makes him your peer, don't it?
Since I took Econ 101, I guess by the Luskin Standard that makes me an economist. Thus, my advice to you is buy low, sell high. That's it.
Posted by: Doc Bill | July 27, 2006 7:02 PM
I am also unable to get to Panda's Thumb, neither from your link, nor from Google. That will teach me not to bookmark it. :=(
Posted by: Gentlewoman | July 27, 2006 8:41 PM
And what is really hilarious is that Jack Krebs showed up at Calverts meeting the following Wed, (the 26th) and tried out "gotcha" questions on Harris, Menuge and Calvert.
They were ready for him and he flopped and so did his "coin toss experiment"...Harris didn't fall for it.
And he had a sidekick who jumped up at every opportunity for questioning who kept digging them in deeper and deeper...IMHO.
But you'll need to see the videos, coming soon!
Very entertaining!
Posted by: Christensen | July 29, 2006 3:01 PM
My guess is that Panda's Thumb have some workload issues. If you keep trying, you get there eventually - it can take five-six reloads though.
Posted by: Kristjan Wager | July 29, 2006 3:04 PM