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Josh Rosenau

Joshua Rosenau spends his days defending the teaching of evolution at the National Center for Science Education. He is formerly a doctoral candidate at the University of Kansas, in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. When not battling creationists or modeling species ranges, he writes about developments in progressive politics and the sciences.

The opinions expressed here are his own, do not reflect the official position of the NCSE. Indeed, older posts may no longer reflect his own official position.

Posts by this author

Surgin': McSame and Palin-spastic don't care about ________ people
September 8, 2008
A couple years ago, John McCain staked his future on the idea that sending more soldiers to Iraq would solve all our problems. He was wrong. In combination with a ceasefire by Moqtada al-Sadr, the surge did help reduce the level of violence, but Iraq's post-invasion problems are deeper than the…
McCain favors teaching creationism
September 6, 2008
It's Cindy McCain, though: Couric: How do you feel about creationism? Do you think it should be taught in schools? McCain: I think both sides should be taught in schools. I think the more children have a frame of reference and an opportunity to read and know and make better decisions and…
Palin-genesis: Too extreme for (Cindy) McCain
September 4, 2008
In an interview with CBS News, Cindy McCain lights into Sarah Palin: "We differ on many issues; we differ with, across the board with people. We don't have to agree on every issue," the Arizona senator's wife said. …CBS anchor Katie Couric asked if she supports an outright ban on abortion…
Palin-genesis speaks
September 4, 2008
I haven't seen Sarah Palin's speech, but reviews seem pretty negative. ABC's Jake Tapper reports: The Detroit Free Press invited a panel of Michigan voters to weigh in on Gov. Sarah Palin's speech last night. Their reactions run the gamut, but the independents didn't seem to care for her very much…
Palin-genesis: McCain was for mocking candidates' kids before he was against it
September 3, 2008
I've been loath to say anything about Sarah Palin's impending grandmotherhood, the unwed state of her daughter, the shotgun wedding she's arranged for young Bristol, and all the other mud being slung. I think it's petty and inappropriate to campaign by attacking people's children. That's why I…
Palin-genesis: Paradise Lost
September 2, 2008
For reasons passing understanding, the Alaskan Eagle Forum blog has purged its post highlighting Sarah Palin's hilarious answers to inane wingnut questions. Fortunately, we have The Google. The cached text is below the fold. Meanwhile, a diversion into the meaning of "palingenesis," and my recent…
Palin-genesis
September 2, 2008
Time magazine digs into Mayor Palin's early days: At some point in those the fractious first days, Palin told the department heads they needed her permission to talk to reporters. "She put a gag order on those people, something that you'd expect to find in the big city, not here," says [local paper…
Palinmania
September 2, 2008
Yesterday, the RNC convention was curtailed to avoid the awkward optics of wild celebration in the midst of Hurrican Gustav's landfall in New Orleans. That means today's schedule has been rejiggered, and the theme is "Who is John McCain?" Voters are much more curious "Who the heck is Sarah Palin?"
Palin: Dangerously unqualified for VP
September 2, 2008
This is truly the Harriet Miers of VP selections. A shot from the hip that signifies not only the incompetence of nominee Palin, but more worryingly, of nominee McCain. Steve Benen explains: To reiterate a point from the weekend, the fact that Sarah Palin shouldn't be one heartbeat from leading…
Ben Stein: "I don't think anyone blames George Bush for 9/11"
August 31, 2008
Via ThinkProgress, which watches CNN so you don't have to, Holocaust-trivializer and Expelled frontman Ben Stein and conservative radio host Larry Elder discuss 9/11: Ben Stein's comments around 1:20 are the least sensible from the entire clip, and that's saying quite a bit. Elder's claim is that…
Is it just me?
August 31, 2008
Or were Law and Order's Mariska Hargitay and Miss Alaska runner-up Sarah Palin separated at birth? I'm not complaining, but being a celebrity look-alike is not exactly a major qualification to be one heartbeat from the Presidency. Especially when the heart in question belongs to the aging John…
California uses zoning changes to cut carbon emissions
August 29, 2008
In a move that should've been taken eons ago, California's legislature is moving to bring civic planning under a unified framework that will reduce carbon emissions and reduce traffic: The bill yokes three regulatory and permit processes. One focuses on regional planning: how land use should be…
Happy Katrina Anniversary
August 29, 2008
Three years ago: McCain and Bush monkey around at McCain's birthday party photo op. Hurricane Katrina inundates New Orleans. And then things got really bad. By all accounts, a lot of New Orleans is still in ruins, a state that is frankly intolerable. Obama dealt with the aftermath of Katrina…
Creationist McCain picks creationist VP
August 29, 2008
From a 2006 debate: Next, [moderator] Carey asked about teaching alternatives to evolution - such as creationism and intelligent design - in public schools. … PALIN: “Teach both. You know, don’t be afraid of information. “Healthy debate is so important and it’s so valuable in our schools. I am a…
Gobama!
August 29, 2008
Republican pitbull Alex Castellanos says that, after that acceptance speech: "whoever didn't get picked for Republican VP today may be a lucky Republican." It was truly an exceptional speech. He didn't overplay the day's anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Sure, his…
McCain-Palin
August 29, 2008
McSame chose Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice-presidential nominee. This dashed all hopes of a McSame-Mittens ticket, a vehicle of such astounding hilarity as has not been seen in eons. The McCain-Palin ticket has plenty of opportunities for fun as well. Given McCain's fondness for and…
Acceptance speech watch parties and the Obama ground game
August 28, 2008
Tonight, Barack Obama will formally accept the Presidential nomination of the Democratic Party. This should be good times. Next week John McCain will accept his, and the campaigns will start in earnest. Up 'til now, the campaigns have basically been laying the groundwork for the real fight.…
My favorite things
August 26, 2008
Among my favorite things are pie, blackberries, and good friends. Imagine what happens when a good friend writes an article about blackberries and blackberry pie: It’s August in the Pacific Northwest, and the ubiquitous brambles of Himalayan blackberry, Rubus armeniacus, are suddenly covered with…
Verb, Noun, POW
August 26, 2008
John McCain has decides that his time in a POW camp can be used to explain anything at all. He recently sought to deflect criticism for being unable to keep track of how many houses he owns because "I spent some years without a kitchen table, without a chair, and I know what it's like to be…
Campaign ads
August 25, 2008
I promise not to post many of these, but I rather like this ad. Enjoy.
Bidenmania
August 22, 2008
If you've been Biden your time, waiting for Obama to announce his VP nominee, your wait is over. Joe Biden (D-MBNA) will be kicking Dick Cheney out of the Naval Observatory shortly. I guess I see the logic. He's a bulldog, has foreign policy experience, and his age makes him unlikely to run for…
Houses
August 21, 2008
Earlier today, John McCain got a bit confused. In and of itself, that wouldn't be so unusual. He's old and slightly crazy, so confusion is part of his daily experience. He can't tell Sunni from Shiite, Iran from Iraq, Iraq from Afghanistan, Czechoslovakia from the Czech Republic, or his wife…
I have a new favorite conspiracy theory!
August 21, 2008
Mark Townsend, a putative candidate for the U.S. Senate in Alabama, is onto something big. "I am running for U.S. Senator of the Great State of Alabama," he explains, "because I believe in 1906 NCAA was not created. They evolved from the same system of government created by the Roman and British…
Security theater
August 20, 2008
Airline captain, lawyer, child on terror 'watch list': James Robinson is a retired Air National Guard brigadier general and a commercial pilot for a major airline who flies passenger planes around the country. He has even been certified by the Transportation Security Administration to carry a…
King penguin becomes a knight; his relatives are endangered by global warming
August 19, 2008
Military penguin becomes a 'Sir': A penguin who was previously made a Colonel-in-Chief of the Norwegian Army has been knighted at Edinburgh Zoo. Penguin Nils Olav has been an honorary member and mascot of the Norwegian King's Guard since 1972. Over the years, he has been promoted through the ranks…
That's rich!: Less than 1/1000 are rich, according to McCain
August 18, 2008
When they were asked how much you have to earn to be rich, the presidential candidates differed wildly: Obama didn't hesitate. "I would argue that if you are making more than $250,000, then you are in the top 3, 4 percent of this country," he said. "You are doing well." McCain took a far more…
In which I correct Kevin Drum
August 13, 2008
Drum responds to a discussion of land use in the era of expensive oil by commenting: A focus on increased density is going to mean a funny political switcheroo for a lot of liberals. We're mostly accustomed to fighting evil corporations on behalf of the little guy, but it turns out that most…
Vacation spots
August 10, 2008
Politico quotes a Clinton pollster concern-trolling about Barack Obama taking a vacation in Hawaii, the state he grew up in: “For somebody who has been called ‘elitist,’ going to Hawaii is not exactly going against type,” Schoen said. “I would rather have him going to national parks.” First, I'd…
Indie acts
August 7, 2008
I've said it before, and will keep saying it until the DNC starts running ads quoting me: Like all indie acts, John McCain's early work was better. This ad is a good start: But here's the thing: John McCain's maverickness was an act. It was never genuine. Indie acts sell out to corporate…
Meet the Bloggers
August 7, 2008
Saturday at 2 PM, Scienceblogs and New York City Skeptics are organizing a meetup for Scienceblogs readers. Anyone in the area and interested in hanging out with a bunch of cool folks should head on down to Social, 795 8th Ave (betwixt 48th and 49th St.) sometime between 2 and 4. It promises to…