March 25, 2009
I missed the first few minutes with this camera, and someone knocked it over briefly, but still, you get the flavor of things.
More anon, including video of my testimony.
March 25, 2009
There are more questions for Don Patton than for Genie. He thinks evolution defenders are a bunch of liars. He also thinks that the Flintstones is a documentary. He's so far out that even other creationists reject his claims.
Cargill wants to talk with him about his research. Also wants to know…
March 25, 2009
They're inviting special people to jump in line.
Genie is being invited to testify. Youtube shortly.
Now some guy is saying that everyone who defends evolution is an evil atheist.
And the next guy is a Paluxy track apologist. Honestly.
March 25, 2009
I was looking forward to seeing the author of a predecessor to Of Pandas and People. Alas, family illness kept him away, but his substitute decided to assert that "Richard Dawkins plagiarized Francis Crick," a stark claim which seems unsupported.
Krouse is good, but no questions.
James Norelius:…
March 25, 2009
Travis Tunnell: High school student and prospective biology major opposes S&W.
He's getting grilled, with board members trying to shake his opposition, but he's standing strong. He'll be at McGill next year, and they'll be proud to have him.
Kelly Coghlan, of ChristianAttorney.com. Honestly,…
March 25, 2009
Mohlman defended science education, Wade Warren backed the creationist S&W language. He can't work through why people oppose S&W.
Victoria Huang explains that evolution is key to medicine, agriculture, etc.
McLeroy is after her over language in the 21st Century Science statement, which she…
March 25, 2009
Josh Rosenau just spoke, and boy was he brilliant! I felt like I was racing, but I'm told that I didn't trip over myself the way Casey did. I've got tape of the whole thing, so we'll see shortly.
Here's what I said:
Mr. Chairman, members of the Board, thank you for the chance to speak with you…
March 25, 2009
Daniel is a member of TAMEST, an association of Nobelists and members of NAS/IOM/NAE. Our statement is irreconcilable with the amendments offered.
Science is awesome, and Texas has a lot to offer, he points out. We're trying to recruit top people. S&W are understood as code-words, which will…
March 25, 2009
STAT and TABT issue a joint statement against S&W, remove January amendments. Detailed critique of the amendments, worrying about appropriateness and new testing requirements which might arise. Adopt the TEKS as presented by writing committees.
Emphasizes that gaps are not weaknesses in a…
March 25, 2009
Austen Williams, who identifies herself as Mrs. Arlington, Mrs. Texas, is bothered that she was taught evolution "dogmatically." She has a "burning desire to know."
"I just want to learn things."
Leo and Cargill are very impressed. She learned about IC in an archaeology course. Studying early…
March 25, 2009
Colin White, a student, thinks textbooks suck because they don't invent weaknesses of evolution.
Insulted by people who think high school students don't know everything. Or something.
Mercer: Students are great.
Leo: "By presenting only one side, would you say that students out there might walk…
March 25, 2009
Melinda Mells has won a ton of teaching awards in science education. "My task as a science teacher is to ensure that my students have … a solid foundation to build upon in future science courses. … Your task as board members is to ensure that science, and only science, is taught in science classes…
March 25, 2009
I was as surprised as anyone that according to Texas Education Agency, Josh Rosenau and Eugenie Scott of NCSE Now Support “Strengths and Weaknesses” in Texas Science Standards, but John West's response is utterly hackish:
Did Rosenau and Scott misrepresent their positions in an attempt to get a…
March 25, 2009
President-elect of Austin Geological Society. PhD from UT, masters from Cambridge "hence my strange accent."
Reads a letter from Geol. Soc. They reiterate NAS definition of science: "The use of evidence to construct testable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the…
March 25, 2009
White wants S&W. He insists that there are credible alternatives to evolution. Thinks that random mutation can't add mutations. Do these people not read the Index of Creationist Claims? Claims evolution is a sacrosanct icon.
Leo: What do you say to people who think these things belong only…
March 25, 2009
ESS writing committee member Sharon Mosher calls for them to reverse the bogus changes. Calling for students to "assess the arguments for and against universal common descent in light of the fossil evidence" is nonsense, she says, because it requires teachers to "manufacture arguments that don't…
March 25, 2009
Ray Bohlin, Disco. fellow and head of Probe Ministries (Motto: "Touched by a being from above!") is about to speak. On the group's front page, there is a story asking: "Is Masturbation A Sin?" Guess what he decides!
Doesn't have written testimony. "I'll be reading from a recent evolution text…
March 25, 2009
Texas oilman Kyle Lewallen is building toward something, I guess. He hasn't actually made an argument yet. Ah, he was on the writing committee, and is offering their suggested revisions for the Earth and Space Science TEKS. They don't like amendments offered last time around by the Board, who…
March 25, 2009
Sally Wall, a teacher, insists that the TEKS are about laying a foundation for future study, and the S&W language is distracting from that. "My job is not to fight cultural wars."
Tell that to Chairman McLeroy, who urges "Enlisting in the culture war."
No questions.
Randy Linder then insists…
March 25, 2009
FYI, TFN is liveblogging, as is Steve Schafersman.
Check out the audio feed at the TEA website.
Cherry Moore, supporting S&W, claims that the Great Unconformity is a weakness in the geological explanation of the Grand Canyon. Sadly, no!
Terri Leo sez that all discoveries are made because of…
March 25, 2009
Textbook author Juli Berwald is explaining why evolution rocks. Will she get any questions?
The Board just spent 10 minutes questioning a teacher who happened to back S&W, even though she's got far fewer credentials.
Yes! Dunbar asks who she writes for. Then wonders if the new "analyze and…
March 25, 2009
According to Terri Leo, Genie favored the strengths and weaknesses language in November. This is false. Not only does she oppose that language now, as she did in November, she wasn't here in November.
Why must people bear false witness?
March 25, 2009
I was originally scheduled to go third, but overnight I was bumped to 34th, after Disco. spinner Rob Crowther.
Last time I did this, you got all my cursing and swearing, but I'll try to restrict myself to commentary a bit more.
Right now, a teacher named Lee Wagstaff is holding forth in favor of…
March 24, 2009
It's the Discovery Institute's Rob Crowther, of course!
I'm in Texas right now, gearing up for the second round of science standards hearings. I'll be testifying 2nd tomorrow, right after what looks to be a very impressive news conference.
Anyway, Crowther, Disco. DJ, is upset that people…
March 18, 2009
It was a tremendous honor to be the first speaker at a session on evolution education last February. The session included such luminaries as Ken Miller, Olivia Judson, Neil Shubin, and David Deamer, who each presented a marvelous overview of how evolution illuminates our understanding of biology…
March 18, 2009
Ned Ryun, the wingnutty twin son of thankfully-disgraced former Congressman (and former middle distance runner) Jim Ryun, is worried:
ACORN is going to be helping with the 2010 census. I think that’s a sign of the apocalpyse [sic] for the week; kind of like letting the fox guard the hen house. It…
March 17, 2009
Via ObWi, we learn that the Pope took time out of his busy schedule to extend the AIDS crisis in Africa:
While medical workers advocate the use of condoms to help prevent the spread of AIDS, the Church insists on fidelity within heterosexual marriage, chastity and abstinence.
"The problem cannot…
March 16, 2009
Shorter Paul Nelson:
The tiny biochemist I drew in my notebook totally disagrees with the actual biochemist I heard speaking. I draw brilliant, brilliant biochemists.
Normally when I accuse creationists of creating a strawman, I'm speaking quite metaphorically. Here, he even has blueprints for…
March 15, 2009
Over at IDolator Bill Dembski's blog, Denyse "Buy My Book" O'Leary has been on a tear lately, blogging about the supposed racism inherent in evolution. Fellow blog contributor DaveScot responded with a long post observing that the leadership of racist groups today and in the past are often…
March 13, 2009
Ned Ryun is concocting a 30+ episode podcast series to explain the Constitution. "My hope is that by listening to the series, people might actually become interested enough to actually read the Constitution. It’s not a long document." No, it isn't. People who haven't got the patience to read…
