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.
mikethemadbiologist
Posts by this author
October 6, 2006
What's truly terrifying about the Bush phenomenon--at this point, it really can't be called a presidency like any other--is that the 36-40% that think he's doing a good job can vote and own firearms. Seriously, my conception--and I would argue most liberals, moderates, and some conservatives--of…
October 5, 2006
I'm sick as a dog, so I'll just leave you with this list of state-by-state registration dates, and sites that can help you register to vote. At the risk of sounding insulting, I'll state the obvious: if you don't register you can't vote.
If you use this link, you will be counted as someone who…
October 5, 2006
Revere has a very good summary of the Senate Bill which would "provide for the health of Americans by implementing a system that detects and identifies in a timely manner diseases, conditions, and events that represent a threat to humans, animals, food production and the water supply." Clearly, no…
October 3, 2006
Inspired by this excellent post by Revere about the evolution of influenza, I've delved deep into the archives of the Mad Biologist, and summoned up some evolutionary thoughts of my own about influenza:
I meant to post something about evolution and influenza before my travels up north, but I was…
October 2, 2006
A while ago, I posted a video by Princeton researchers that showed how electronic voting machines could be hacked. Dave Johnson has a solution:
Here is the solution: The machine is used as a data-input device ONLY. This solves all the problems from earlier ways of voting, including "hanging chads…
October 1, 2006
...if that's the sort of thing you do. Thanks to the ScienceBlogerator 9000, I can actually post while heading off to shul. We live in amazing times...
October 1, 2006
...Al-NAMBLA? (which refers to this) driftglass explains:
Americans have many questions tonight. Americans are asking: Who was the pervert that solicited sex from this page? The evidence we have gathered all points to a collection of loosely affiliated Republican organizations known as al NAMBLA.…
September 30, 2006
I agree with Digby that progressives have to stand for something more than winning.
September 30, 2006
Since I'm going away for a long weekend, I'll leave you with this post about phage therapy from the archives.
So Aetiology, in her new digs, wants a post. Well, here's one, inspired by a comment: phage therapy. "Phage therapy" is short for bacteriophage therapy. Bacteriophage are viruses that…
September 30, 2006
Rep. Mark Foley (R-FL) resigned yesterday because he sexually propositioned a sixteen year-old congressional page. That's awful enough--well, that and Foley was the Chairman of the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children, but what's even worse is that the House Republican leadership knew…
September 29, 2006
Over at Hullabaloo, tristero argues that the moral argument against torture, rather than the utilitarian one, is the argument to use. It reminds me of something Hunter wrote about the use of white phosphorous in civilian areas:
And I know it is true, there is some confusion over whether the United…
September 29, 2006
I had always hoped that my take on the Reign of Little Lord Pontchartrain was overblown. But even I have never thought it could lead to civil war. coturnix writes:
Many of my friends and neighbors have not experienced, like I did in Yugoslavia of the late 1980s and early 1990s, the gradual…
September 28, 2006
...if for no other reason than Henry Fucking Kissinger is once again disastrously advising another president. From 60 Minutes (italics mine):
In [Mike] Wallace's interview with Woodward, to be broadcast on 60 Minutes this Sunday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. ET/PT, the reporter also claims that Henry…
September 28, 2006
This transcends absurd: Republican Rep. John Boehner, the House Majority Leader, stated on national television that Al-Queda and Saddam Hussein were linked, even though President Bush himself has admitted no connection. Keep in mind, Boehner isn't some councilman in a podunk little town. He is…
September 28, 2006
...a Jewish grandmother. Barbara Boxer did a wonderful job of preventing the standard Fox 'News' modus operandi of ending an interview of a Democrat with a Republican talking point. Like you're ever going to get the last word in against a Jewish grandmother....
(link here. By way of Oliver…
September 27, 2006
Sen. George "Macaca" Allen (R-VA) is quite possibly one sick puppy:
Shelton said he also remembers a disturbing deer hunting trip with Allen on land that was owned by the family of Billy Lanahan, a wide receiver on the team. After they had killed a deer, Shelton said he remembers Allen asking…
September 27, 2006
And one of my favorite liberal wonks was wearing glasses while doing so. That has to hurt. Seriously, Waldman did a brilliant thing: he shifted the discussion onto his terms. Instead of the storyline being "liberals are mean to Bill O'Loofa O'Reilly", it became "why can't conservatives respond…
September 27, 2006
Many of my fellow ScienceBloglings have discussed the six foreign healthcare workers (the 'Tripoli Six') who are falsely accused of infecting Libyan children (Jake, Orac, Tara, Razib, David, coturnix, Kevin, Janet, Revere, John, Abel). Apparently, some have 'confessed' to doing this. Why did some…
September 26, 2006
Fellow ScienceBlogling Chris Mooney comped me a copy of the second edition of his book, The Republican War on Science, and I have finally managed to get around to writing a review of it. Here's the short version: buy this book.
It details exactly what the Bush Administration has done to U.S.…
September 26, 2006
What should be the cover story of a major news magazine: the resurgence of the Taliban, or a biography of photographer Annie Leibowitz? Well, if you're the powers that be at Newsweek, you decide that the resurgence of the Taliban is more important, except for U.S. readers. We get Leibowitz.…
September 25, 2006
Our Benevolent Seed Overlords want a picture of the Mad Biologist for their own nefarious purposes. So I ask you: what do you think a Mad Biologist would look like? Below are some candidates, but if you have something else in mind, feel free to link to it.
It's a little odd. One of the things…
September 25, 2006
Do you want to know how to stop, or at least, lessen the next E. coli 0157:H7 outbreak? Improve our surveillance and public health infrastructure.
If we improve the infrastructure, we can speed the response time, making it easier to contain an outbreak.
Let's walk through each of the steps the…
September 25, 2006
Most microbiologists, you know, the experts , are not very thrilled with the emphasis being placed on bioterrorism. Inspired by Tara's post on the Bioshield initiative, I'm reposting this from the old site.
This week, leading microbiologists are sending an open letter to NIH stating that the…
September 24, 2006
I stumbled across this site by People for the American Way designed to help citizens keep creationism out of the science classroom. The evolution FAQ is pretty good too.
http://www.pfaw.org/pfaw/general/default.aspx?oid=22398
September 23, 2006
You Are Lightning
Beautiful yet dangerous
People will stop and watch you when you appear
Even though you're capable of random violence
You are best known for: your power
Your dominant state: performing
What Type of Weather Are You?
September 23, 2006
Yes, the title is oxymoronic. But if Bevis Hillier and Stephen Escritt are right, much of the Art Deco movement was fundamentally oxymoronic. Anyway, enough yap. Here's Homeward Bound by Kent Rockwell:
September 21, 2006
Ed Brayton describes the support of intelligent design creationism by the Republican candidate for governor of Michigan. Says the hopeful candidate:
I would like to see the ideas of intelligent design -- that many scientists are now suggesting is a very viable alternative theory -- that that…
September 21, 2006
In the November general election, South Dakota will have a referendum that could overturn its law that bans abortions, even where the woman has been raped, is the victim of incest, would suffer long-term medical problems, or would be unable to have future children. The first of the political ads…
September 21, 2006
No, this post isn't about William Shatner albums. Over at Orcinus, there's a great post about the rendition (rendering? My torture lexicon is rusty...) of terrorist suspects to other countries. Here's the description of the U.S. citizens who live near the airbases and facilities used to conduct…