Politics
jlynch | March 6, 2009It is nice to know that things are working so smoothly over in Oklahoma that Representative Todd Thomsen has the free time to propose a resolution (HR 1015)
opposing the invitation to Richard Dawkins to speak on campus; encouraging the University of Oklahoma to engage in a certain discussion of certain scientific theories; and directing distribution.
Abbie, Josh and PZ all chime in on this piece of irony; Remember HB 320? The bill about academic freedom? Apparently Thomsen does not and feels that OU should represent the views of the majority in OK.
As it turns out, the original version (HR…
cmooney | March 6, 2009A lot of people right now are striving desperately to establish this notion. Neil Munro's big story in the latest National Journal (here, subscription) is the latest example. In essence, it postulates a bunch of new rifts that are going to open between scientists and Democrats now that the latter are in power. I'm quoted in there with this comment:
"There is not going to be enough money to go around, so there will be a lot of scientific priorities that will be hard to meet," Mooney said. But, "I don't think it's going to be the same adversarial situation [seen in the Bush years]. Very few or…
sa smith | March 6, 2009Holy mother of God.
That 'We Dont Take Kindly to Yer Types Round Here, Dawkins Resolution' that got posted yesterday?
That was a 'compromise' resolution, HR1015, March 3, 2009.
This is HR1014, March 2, 2009:
1st Session of the 52nd Legislature (2009)
HOUSE
RESOLUTION 1014By:Thomsen
AS INTRODUCED
A Resolution expressing disapproval of the actions of the University of Oklahoma to indoctrinate students in the theory of evolution; opposing the invitation to Richard Dawkins to speak on campus; and directing distribution.
WHEREAS, the University of Oklahoma is a publicly funded institution which…
amillikan | March 6, 2009The confirmation of two of President Obama's top science advisers was delayed yesterday as several senators placed anonymous holds on what was expected to be a quick vote. John Holdren and Jane Lubchenco, Obama's nominees to head the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, respectively, were first blocked by a hold from Senator Robert Menendez (D–N.J.), for reasons unrelated to the nominees themselves. But new reports emerged later that Menendez was not the only senator to place a hold. John D. Rockefeller IV (D–W.Va.),…
amillikan | March 6, 2009After complaining during a U.S. Senate hearing that the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine he spearheaded wasn't yielding results that validated such practices, Senator Tom Harkin (D–IA) is facing the backlash of his statements from ScienceBloggers. Many of the alternative medicine practices Harkin advocates have already been subject to the thorough scrutiny of the NIH and other scientific institutions, which failed to find convincing evidence that these practices are beneficial compared with placebos and with established medical practices. Many have questioned whether…
terrasig | March 6, 2009We're really fortunate here at Terra Sigillata World Headquarters to have a strong, dedicated readership. But I'm always tickled when we attract new readers and attention to the views we express here.
Late yesterday I received a very nice e-mail from Andrew Plemmons Pratt, Managing Editor of Science Progress, a blog of the well-known liberal think tank, Center for American Progress.
In his post, Don't Bury the Next Generation of Researchers Under Billions in NIH Funding, Andrew notes my enthusiasm in our 23 Feb post for being sure that junior investigators already in the pipeline not be…
ddobbs | March 6, 2009Ezra Klein reviews Obama's handling of yesterday's health summit -- a piece well worth reading for a taste of how sharply focused and serious Obama is about truly comprehensive health-care reform.
Karen Tumlty, a health-care expert, describes in Time her own family's grueling wrestling match with the health-insurance industry. A timely story -- no pun intended -- as it makes painfully clear that it's not just the 46 million people uninsured (did I just say "just" 46 million people) who fare poorly in the current system.
Genetic Future looks at how a Victorian-era height-prediction system…
sa smith | March 5, 2009People dont understand why I love Oklahoma so much.
This is why.
Evidently Todd Thomsen, some Oklahoma legislator dude (Republican) has written an 'official' resolution denouncing Richard Dawkins.
THAT the Oklahoma House of Representative strongly opposes the invitation to speak on the campus of the University of Oklahoma to Richard Dawkins of Oxford University, whose published statements on the theory of evolution and opinion about those who do not believe in the theory are contrary and offensive to the views and opinions of most citizens of Oklahoma.
THAT the Oklahoma House of…
pharyngula | March 5, 2009Uh-oh. She opened her mouth again.
BACHMANN: If you want to look at economic history over the last 100 years. I call it punctuated equilibrium. If you look at FDR, LBJ, and Barack Obama, this is really the final leap to socialism. ... But we all know that we could turn this around and we can turn this around fairly quickly. We're still a free country.
And as the Democrats are about to institutionalize cartels -- that's what they're very good at -- they're trying to consolidate power, so we need to do everything we can to thwart them at every turn to make sure that they aren't able to, for…
terrasig | March 5, 2009Chris Mooney just asked the question as to why sci/med bloggers are up in arms about Sen Tom Harkin's recent complaints about the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), the arm of NIH charged with funding studies to investigate the mechanisms and efficacy of modalities not currently considered mainstream medicine. I left a comment for Chris that ended up being a blog post so I'll share it with Terra Sig readers here and expound a bit for good measure.
The problem is that Harkin has stated that the establishment is discriminating against alternative medicine and…
catdynamics | March 5, 2009I actually got the "heads up" about this last night in time to catch the west coast showing.
Cancelling on the Daily Show clearly inspires them to ever greater journalism.
If you didn't see this, you ought to watch it.
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The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
CNBC Gives Financial Advice
Daily Show Full EpisodesImportant Things With Demetri Martin
Political HumorJoke of the Day
Plus, all the kewl kids are posting it, so this way you don't have to go to their blogs to find the links.
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The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
The Dow Knows All
Daily Show…
ddobbs | March 5, 2009I noted earlier that Harold Varmus, Obama's key science advisor, was on the Daily Show, but after viewing again the clip of his short appearance I thought it should get its own little show here. Varmus is everything you'd want as a public face to science -- immensely accomplished but amiable and everyday as could be. It's a nice little clip and just short of 7 minutes.
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The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
Harold Varmus
Daily Show Full EpisodesImportant Things With Demetri Martin
Political HumorJoke of the Day
oracknows | March 5, 2009I realize I've said it before, but I still can't believe as many people read what I like to lay down on a daily basis right here on this blog. Believe me, it has nothing to do with an sort of false sense of modesty. After four years at this, I know I'm good at blogging. Real good. But good isn't always enough to make much of a difference or even to garner an audience. Whether I've done the first, I don't know. I like to think that I have. As for the second, I've done pretty well for myself. Indeed, after a year of stagnant traffic, January and February were the best months, traffic-wise, in…
j7uy5 | March 5, 2009Obama has made
href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/02/AR2009030200371.html?wprss=rss_nation">two
important appointments, to positions that will influence healthcare
policy. The attention so far has been focused on
href="http://www.governor.ks.gov/">Kathleen Sebelius, who is in
line to become Secretary of Health and Human Services, assuming she is
confirmed by the Senate. Sebelius already has
href="http://www.usnews.com/blogs/god-and-country/2009/03/03/kathleen-sebelius-and-the-fight-over-whos-truly-catholic.html">attracted
controversy, coming under…
grrlscientist | March 5, 2009tags: coal mining, mountaintop removal, clean coal, electricity, streaming video
This video shows us the dirty lie behind so-called "clean coal" -- which is one of the main sources of power on the East Coast of the United States [1:55]
catdynamics | March 4, 2009In which Michael Lewis learns what a "ruddi" is.
Quite fascinating Vanity Fair article on Iceland's Finanicial Whiz Kids and the general mood.
Thanks for the pointer Bob.
Lewis, to be fair, misses out on some things.
First of all, the Icelandic financiers weren't as naive as he claims - for one thing many of them still have their money; for another, some of the really smart ones got out, or are embedded in US hedgies by now; and, finally, Lehman failed first, actually so did Bear Sterns - the Icelanders were overexposed and over-leveraged and had horrible systemic risk exposure, but they…
hrynyshyn | March 4, 2009Read this, weep, dry your tears and get on the phone. From the still reliable news pages of the WaPo:
The nominations of two of President Obama's top science advisers have stalled in the Senate, according to several sources, posing a challenge to the administration as it seeks to frame new policies on climate change and other environmental issues.
Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) has placed a "hold" that blocks votes on confirming Harvard University physicist John Holdren, who is in line to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and Oregon State University marine…
cmooney | March 4, 2009Mike Dunford has the details, based on Congressional Quarterly's reporting. There are apparently multiple senators blocking two of Obama's key science appointees from taking their posts. This is outrageous--a totally new kind of "war on science"--and we need a full court press. Details here.
clock | March 4, 2009'Holds' on NOAA Administrator & Science Advisor Confirmations. Call Senators Now.:
The Washington Post is reporting that Senate votes to confirm Jane Lubchenco as NOAA Administrator and John Holdren as Science Advisor are currently being obstructed by a Democratic Senator. Quoting multiple unnamed sources, the Post says that New Jersey Democrat Robert Menendez has placed an "anonymous hold" on the nominations in order to try to gain leverage for some issues related to Cuba that he's interested in.
The Latest Outrage: Holds on Holdren, Lubchencho:
The Washington Post (the news part)…
oracknows | March 4, 2009If there's' one theme, one cause, that this blog has emphasized throughout the four years of its existence and the three years of its having resided on ScienceBlogs, it's been to champion science- and evidence-based medicine over pseudoscience and quackery. Whether it's refuting the lies of antivaccine zealots, having a little fun with some of the more outrageously bizarre forms of pseudoscience, railing against cancer quackery, lamenting how easily pseudoscientific quackery has infiltrated medical academia, complaining about drug companies rigging clinical studies, or trying to educate my…