Blogging
oracknows | March 2, 2011The other day, I wrote to express my disappointment with Dr. Kevin Pho, of KevinMD, for posting credulous crap about alternative medicine. I noted in an addendum that he responded with a comment that in essence said that he posts things he "doesn't necessarily agree with myself to promote discussion and debate":
Orac,
I appreciate the critique. As readers of this blog know, I often post pieces here I don't necessarily agree with myself to promote discussion and debate. Your concerns are certainly valid, and will be taken into consideration as I choose future pieces.
Best,
Kevin
My initial…
oracknows | March 2, 2011Well, I'm off to the annual meeting of the Society of Surgical Oncology in San Antonio, where, as usual, I hope to learn about the latest advances in cancer surgery and hang out with old friends. Unfortunately, that means I didn't get around to writing a new post today, even though there is one development in the news that I really wanted to write about. Oh, well, if it still interests me, I'll get to it tonight while sitting around in my hotel room. If not, it probably wasn't that interesting in the first place!
In the meantime, today looks to me like a good time to do a lazy blogging trick…
oracknows | December 11, 2010Has it really been six years?
Six years ago today, on a dim and dreary Saturday in December, almost on a whim I sat down, went to Blogspot, and started up the first version of Respectful Insolence with an introductory post with the cliched title, Please allow me to introduce myself. Here it is, six years later. On this cold December Saturday, I still find it difficult to his blog is considered one of the "top" medical blogs by one measure, and some actually--shockingly--consider me somewhat of a "famous" skeptic. I know, I know, I still can't wrap my head around the concept myself. At least,…
sa smith | December 7, 2010HAI GUYS!
Im currently packing to go on a trip.
A semi-long trip (few weeks) where my internet access will be sparse (*TWITCH*... **TWIIIIIIIITCH**), so, funny enough, the blag is a little quiet now so its not totally quiet while Im gone. Also, just a heads up,The Management is going to be keeping their eyes on the comment threads while Im gone so I dont have to shut them down totally, AND THEY ARE TERRIFIED.
Im so proud of you guys :-D
Anyway, just for lulz, I wanna see if anyone can guess where Im going :-D
And here are some random neat things:
Dawkins at Duke
Donkey and Shrek are still…
stoat | November 10, 2010See the Grauniad for the proof. But ZOMG now I've proved him right so I must be wrong. <pfft!> - that is me disappearing in a pile of logical smoke.
More seriously: yes, vast numbers of blogs are full of junk, and probably rude aggressive junk (though I don't know this from personal experience, since I don't bother read those). Most (measured by volume) of journalism is junk too - it is just that in general it is fairly polite, well-written junk. At least in the UK the most obviously trash stuff gets conveniently dumped in the Sun, Mirror, Mail and so on. But there is plenty of rubbish…
sa smith | November 1, 2010We filled a big gap at SciBlogs this morning!
See, Orac likes writing about anti-vaxers-- the politics, their methods, etc.
I like writing about anti-vaxers-- but from the vaccine and viruses perspective.
We didnt have anyone here to focus on anti-vaxers from the immune systems perspective (I can, but I really dont like to. The immune system is food and futile, to this HIV-1 researcher).
Until now! Yay!
We, Beasties
Plus, it looks like they will have some sweet micro posts too!
Plus, these guys are friends with Silvia!
Great addition :)
sastyk | October 4, 2010I'm about to leave town. Oh, and I'm about to start my Adapting in Place Class. And I'm about to begin my new liveblogging project. And I have to clean the barn, vaccinate the goats, band two goats and get my life ready to run with only one adult. And do a lot of laundry. Oh, and I'm the only member of the ASPO board of directors anyone can reach right now (everyone else is in varying stages of transport), so I'm in charge, scary as that is. Gah!
Some notes: First, blog will not be quiet this week, but will be very busy! John, Molly and Shannon and possibly a couple of others, plus me,…
sa smith | September 28, 2010In the first paragraph, I provide some anecdote about my life, family, dog, school, whatever. Sometimes its just an observation. This is really just filler I hope will draw you in so you humor the bitching part of my post and read the science part.
These are titles of some sensational news articles.
They either a) totally miss the point of a recent paper, or b) exaggerate the findings of a recent paper
I used to link to these, but theyre so awful these days I stopped.
Sometimes I will include a snippet from an awful pop-news article if its particularly bad, or is being repeated all over…
oracknows | August 2, 2010...Scientopia, a new science blogging collective that just opened shop today.
You'll note that several of its founding members are refugees from right here at Sb, including White Coat Underground, Good Math, Bad Math, Adventures in Ethics and Science, The Questionable Authority, This Scientific Life, and Thus Spake Zuska. There are also several other intriguing-looking blogs there with which I'm not familiar. I might have to check them out.
Hmmm. The entire collective looks rather promising...
oracknows | July 21, 2010...this time it's Abel Pharmboy, who's now here. Please reset your bookmarks.
Farewell, friend. I'll still be reading.
oracknows | July 20, 2010...remember that the following three domains will always point to where I am:
http://www.respectfulinsolence.net
http://www.respectfulinsolence.org
http://www.respectfulinsolence.com
Also remember that, should anything happen, I still have my old Blogspot blog Respectful Insolence, which can be reactivated at a moment's notice, as I did last year when an attempt at a software upgrade at ScienceBlogs took longer than anticipated.
The fastest way to find out what's going on, though, is probably my Twitter account:
http://twitter.com/oracknows
And, don't forget, I also have my other super secret…
oracknows | July 19, 2010I can't believe it.
I really can't believe it.
I really, really, really can't believe it.
Bora has left ScienceBlogs.
Readers of just this blog probably don't know what a body blow that is to the ScienceBlogs collective. Readers of multiple ScienceBlogs probably realize that Bora was the proverbial heart and soul of ScienceBlogs. It's news that's left Isis the Scientist speechless and GrrlScientist "deeply upset." Even ScienceBlogs' big macher PZ Myers has pointed out how Bora compared the situation here to to Bion's Effect, where the departure of a few people at a party triggers a sudden end…
sa smith | July 15, 2010I was so scared this was gonna happen while I was at the dentist this morning, but some time this afternoon/evening, New ERV (not including Old ERV) is gonna get its one millionth visitor!
YAY!
Normally I would demand sacrifices and lulz for a big celebration, but I got Lortab, so... Im going to go to sleep now... But I would appreciate lulz in the comments when I wake up...
YAY!!!
rskloot | July 8, 2010Please redirect your browsers to Culture Dish's new home, where we've just put up the inaugural welcome post. There you will find an RSS to subscribe to so you can follow Culture Dish wherever it goes next (which we very much hope you'll do).
oracknows | July 8, 2010I learned with dismay this morning that blogchild Mark Chu-Carroll has decided to leave ScienceBlogs over our management's incredibly bone-headed decision to host a blog written by PepsiCo. Given that Mark's blog was the first (and, as far as I know, only) blog directly inspired by my efforts over the last few years, I find Mark's departure especially saddening. Even worse, Mark's joining a growing exodus that has led to some serious and not-so-serious speculation over who's going to be left here when the dust settles.
I can honestly say that, as I write this in my hotel room in Las Vegas,…
rskloot | July 7, 2010As I said yesterday on Twitter, a big conflict of interest and transparency problem has arisen on ScienceBlogs. Like several other bloggers here, I'm now on a hiatus, however like like David Dobb's and Blake Stacy's, my hiatus from ScienceBlogs will be permanent. I've been contemplating a move from ScienceBlogs for a while for several reasons, but PepsiGate has sealed the deal for me. Several of my ScienceBlogs colleagues have summed up the situation well, including PZ Myers, GrrlScientist, and Brian over at Laelaps. For a full recap of the issue and other ScienceBloggers' responses, see…
oracknows | July 7, 2010After the annoying kerfuffle that erupted last night over our Seed Overlords' most unfortunate decision to let a corporate blog breach the firewall between content and advertising, it's a good thing that I can go and hang out with fellow skeptics, chill, and think about things a few days. Yes, I'm going to TAM8. By the time this posts, hopefully I'll be in the air on my way to Vegas to hang with around 1,000 skeptical rogues, give a talk at the Science-Based Medicine workshop, and participate in a panel discussion.
A perfect antidote for what's going on at Sb. Who else is going? Don't forget…
laelaps | July 7, 2010Important Update: The time has come to close things up here. I will no longer be blogging for ScienceBlogs.com. I am not sure where Laelaps will end up - perhaps back on Wordpress, perhaps elsewhere - but you can be sure that I will keep on writing about saber-toothed cats, whales that walked, early humans, and other cool bits of paleontology. With any luck, I will be able to confirm my plans in a few days. Keep your eyes on my author website or follow me on Twitter to find out where I'll be headed next. This is not farewell - just a brief break in transmission.
By now you have probably heard…
oracknows | July 6, 2010There's a problem brewing and ScienceBlogs, a disturbance in the Force, if you will, and it's a doozy. It's a darkness that's distubed several of my fellow ScienceBloggers to the point where I fear that some of them may leave. Indeed, it's a spectacularly tin-eared and idiotic decision on the part of management that is leading me to start to wonder about my continued relationship with ScienceBlogs.
All in all, this is most definitely not good.
It all started when PalMD and I noticed something popping up on the ScienceBlogs newsfeed. It was a new blog in the collective announcing itself thusly…
laelaps | July 1, 2010My contribution to the Sb-wide Zombie Day will soon be posted, but if you need something to sink your teeth into before then, check out today's new issue of the Times of London science magazine Eureka (included inside the Times, for UK readers). Inside you will find two stories by me - one on paleobiology in the 21st century and the other on our changing view of tyrannosaurs - and you can access them online behind a free registration wall. It was a wonderful opportunity to write for Eureka, and I am indebted to editors Mark Henderson and Antonia Senior for their support and the freedom to…