Senator Ted Kennedy Diagnosed with Brain Tumor

Ted Kennedy

I really wanted to write about this yesterday as the news came out but didn’t have time. As you probably know Kennedy was taken to the hospital after having seizures on Monday. Obviously a malignant brain tumor was not the news the nation was hoping to hear. We are all pulling for him and his family.

Kudos to Kathleen Sebelius!

I feel kind of embarrassed that I haven’t been covering this as well as I should. I have a project in the works for a local Kansas news site so I apologize. As a Kansan I am incredibly proud of our Governor. She has consistently made the right choices even when they were not the most politically expedient. Since I have dropped the ball on her recent acts here are links to others who are picking up the slack.

Kathleen Sebelius Vetoes Voter ID Law. Read Think Progress and Crooks and Liars. Everything I said about the SCOTUS ruling on the Indiana law applies here. Reading local news and blogs it is apparent that most Kansans are unaware of the true effect of these kinds of laws. Either that or their a bunch of assholes. The jury is still out on that distinction.

All the Rest of the News thats Important

• A federal appeals court has ruled Virginia’s late term abortion ban unconstitutional!
• Openly gay Sam Adams has been elected mayor of Portland making him the first openly homosexual mayor of a major American city. It seems like every day I get to write about another accomplishment in LGBTQ equality.
• On the other hand LGBTQ hate crimes rose by 24% in 2007 over the 2006 rates. This just proves that there is still a long way to go. It also shows how needed hate crime protection is.
• A top aid for McCain has stepped down out of respect for Barack Obama. I haven’t followed politics long but can anyone remember this happing before? More at The Carpetbagger Report.
• Tim Haab has a good piece up at Environmental Economics about what we as consumers can do about $4 gas. Read the comments.
• Bush has issued a formal apology after a soldier apparently shot a Koran. Keep telling yourself that its our freedom that they hate.
• I have found out why American schoolchildren compare so poorly to children from other countries. 16% of biology teachers are young earth creationists. The same survey shows that 48% of the general population believes that “God created human beings pretty much in their at one time within the last 10,000 years or so”.

Video of the Day

Henry Waxman Threatens to Have Rep Issa (R-CA) physically removed from hearing. Awesome.

[youtube width="500" height="394"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr3HuRZFbfk[/youtube]

Thats all for today folks. I’ll try to have something up over my lunch break. Also Summer finally had a chance to comment on a story yesterday. If you havn’t been reading long it may surprise you to know that this is a multi-author blog.

In fact we accept story submissions from anyone with a progressive viewpoint. Writing for us couldn’t be easier. Just sign up for an account then when you log in you will have the ability to write a story. We will then post it assuming that its appropriate for our viewers.

Have a wonderful day

William ~ WWJV4.com

Rape Charges Dismissed Because Victim Not A Virgin

Melanie Ross, a rape victim from Georgia, had her case dismissed in large part because of her past sexual history. Against federal and state law the trial judge ordered Ross to disclose her entire personal history under the premise that prior sexual conduct is proof of consent. Because as we all know only virgins can be raped!! Read the rest here before I start swearing. This story pisses me off.

Bush Travels to Israel to Celebrate 60 Year Anniversary

[youtube width="250" height="197"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=XmUad6JOFcQ[/youtube]

Somehow he finds time to make a false and misleading political attack against Obama. Playing monkey see monkey doo McCain and Leiberman follow the leader. Of course they are playing dumb now (if playing is the right word) on their attempted Nazi smear. Joe Bidens excellent statements on Hardball are the video of the day below.

Everything Else You Need To Know

• Following up on the Marietta bar owner who is selling racist Obama: Curious George T-Shirts. Turns out that the company that owns the Curious George image is rather unhappy about the usage of their property ans is considering suing his racist ass. (h/t Melissa McEwen @ Shakesville)
• Congress passed the Farm Bill with a veto proof majority.  Of course no bill is perfect but this bill should be better than nothing.  I’m not up to speed on this bill so if I get time I’ll post more on it when I am better educated.  Comments on this are more than welcome.
• Republicans in Congress blocked passage of the Iraq funding bill due to its inclusion of measures to help pay for the war and to increase veterans benefits.  Both issues that Republicans oppose.
• Republicans also apparently hate first responders.
• UC Berkeley is going to court over their Understanding Evolution web site because they had the gall to say the truth. Specifically the truth that “some religious beliefs explicitly contradict science”. In crazy world saying the truth is a violation of the separation of church and state. (h/t Richard Dawkins)
• Obama sent out a flyer titled “Faith, Hope, Change” to voters in Kentucky in an effort to gain support among evangelicals. I think its a good move and its about time liberals stood up to the popular misconception that only Republicans can be Christians.
• Eric Zorn has listed 8 reasons why Obama should destroy my dreams of a unity ticket. Some of them are pretty good. Damn you and your logical arguments. (h/t Logan @ Loganotron)

Video of the Day

Joe Biden, who says that Bush’s smear against Obama was Bullshit, appears on Hardball to discuss the subject more.  Its worth watching until the end because as always Biden does an excellent job of pointing out the many errors in this attack.

[youtube width="500" height="394"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=0IJWp9kAEUU[/youtube]

No NASA Has Not Found Aliens

Retrofitted Hubble

Everyone has been excited about a cryptic announcement made by NASA about “the discovery of an object in our Galaxy astronomers have been hunting for more than 50 years”. NASA was waiting until the Hubble was modified but PZ Meyers had to ruin the fun. Creationists discovered Russell’s Teapot and are planning on putting into space.

The Rest of the News

• Republicans and the Bush Administration are once again backing big business over average Americans. This time its by fighting to prevent Kansas based Creekstone Farms from testing all of its meat for mad cow disease.
• Opponent not saying anything controversial? Then lie about it. Thats what Republicans are doing. Just ask Al Gore or Barack Obama.
• 18 year old resident of Austin openly lesbian Randi Shade easily defeated incumbent Jennifer Kim with 64% of the vote for Austin City Council.  (Thanks for the correction Dan)
• 82% of American’s now say that the country is seriously on the wrong track. Or if your an optimist 18% say things are going great.
• Leading Republican Roy Blunt agrees that McCain offering third Bush term on economic policy. (and 18% of Americans cheer?)
• 5 of the (at least) 112 lobbyists working inside John McCains campaign have been tied to ruthless dictators. 2 of those who represented the Burma regime in Myanmar have already quit the campaign. There is now a petition for the firing of 3 more here.
• The Bush Administration has been hyping Iran’s involvement in weapons for Iraq without evidence for a while now. Here is yet another article on how the media is covering up this lack of evidence.

Daily Video

Today’s video is from Brave New Films and it exposes once again the Republican Yacht Party’s true interests. In California Republicans are fighting to keep open a tax loophole that lets them buy yachts tax free. If closed this would bring in around 26 million to a state that is being forced to lay off teachers. Read More about this issue here.

Thanks for reading,
William ~ WWJV4.com

I hope everyone had a good Mothers Day weekend. It went really well at our house except pretty much everyone was sick at some point. There seems to be some little bug going around that lasts a couple days. At least I’m hoping thats all the longer it lasts because the weather is getting nicer and I want to stop being sick til next winter.

Well it’s Monday morning so here is some light news and humor to start your week out right.

The Republican’s started off Mother’s Day weekend by voting against Mothers Day. This isn’t really funny, its just sick. And you all thought that Republicans were the family values party. lol (final vote results here)

[youtube width="500" height="394"]http://youtube.com/watch?v=NzlHP8Mmy6o[/youtube]

This is really cool and not as geeky as it sounds initially. There is a new game Fold It that makes protein folding competitive and fun. As you work through the levels you are taught the basics just like any other problem solving game. The game requires no science knowledge as it relies on intuitive thinking and problem solving skills. What makes this really cool is that as you advance you have the potential to make actual scientific discoveries as you work on unsolved proteins. (h/t Richard Dawkins)

A group known as “The Resistance“, which is an incestuous crossbreed of conspiracy theorists and Christian fundamentalism, has launched a boycott of Starbucks over its new Logo which shows a topless mermaid. The Resistance also supports Ron Paul. I know thats obvious from the description of the group but I wanted to point that out anyhow.

God Tube Video Of the Week

Every week we will be featuring our favorite crazy video from God Tube. If you haven’t checked it out that place is a virtual gold mine of crazy. I just started watching video’s from there last week and it is simply AMAZING. If you have a favorite clip from God Tube let me know and if its funny and crazy enough I’ll post it so we can all point and laugh.

Music Video of the Week

This weeks music video was first posted at Loganotron so stop by and say thanks. You probably know this one so go ahead and sing along. Get your co-workers in on the fun too. This version is Corky and the Juice pigs who do a very good rendition of “I’m The Only Gay Eskimo”.

[youtube width="500" height="394"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPcYrmMNRCg[/youtube]

There you all go, have a great Monday and as always consider this an open thread. I would like to hear if anyone did anything great this weekend for your mothers, sisters, wives … etc.

Thanks
William ~ WWJV4.com

copyright © 2007-2008, Rudis Muiznieks

Normally on Mondays I try to post a few funny things to make everyones worst day at work or school a little easier to deal with. Today I thought I would try something different and concentrate on a funny yet important subject, Homeopathy. For most rational people homeopathy is an easy subject to laugh at. Sadly though the misplaced belief in these superstitious “remedies” has many dire consequences that are often overlooked.

For those unfamiliar with homeopathy here is a short summery. Homeopathy is based upon the theories of Samuel Hahnemann who believed that disease and sickness were caused by imbalances in the body. Whats more he believed that these imbalances could be cured by taking microscopic quantities of minerals, herbs, and other bizarre substances. For a good overview I strongly suggest this article “Homeopathy: The Ultimate Fake“.

It is important to remember that homeopathic remedies have never been proven more effective than placebos. However homeopaths are quick to defend their beliefs by saying that their remedies have special magical attributes that prevent them from being tested scientifically. If this defense sounds familiar its the same as the one used for intelligent design. For an excellent overview of the science behind homeopathy I strongly recommend Ben Goldacre’s “The End of Homeopathy“.

Skepchick ran a series on Homeopathy a few weeks back during Homeopathy Awareness Week. I read every one but since we don’t normally cover superstitious nonsense never brought it up here. However if you have time to read them they are very good.

• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #1
• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #2
• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #3
• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #4
• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #5
• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #6
• Skepchick: Celebrating Homeopathy Awareness Week #7

Shared misconceptions:

• Everything is an adaptation produced by natural selection
• Natural selection is the only means of evolution
• Natural selection leads to ever-greater complexity
• Evolution produces creatures perfectly adapted to their environment
• Evolution always promotes the survival of species
• It doesn’t matter if people do not understand evolution
• “Survival of the fittest” justifies “everyone for themselves”
• Evolution is limitlessly creative
• Evolution cannot explain traits such as homosexuality
• Creationism provides a coherent alternative to evolution

Creationist myths

• Evolution must be wrong because the Bible is inerrant
• Accepting evolution undermines morality
• Evolutionary theory leads to racism and genocide
• Religion and evolution are incompatible
• Half a wing is no use to anyone
• Evolutionary science is not predictive
• Evolution cannot be disproved so is not science
• Evolution is just so unlikely to produce complex life forms
• Evolution is an entirely random process
• Mutations can only destroy information, not create it
• Darwin is the ultimate authority on evolution
• The bacterial flagellum is irreducibly complex
• Yet more creationist misconceptions
• Evolution violates the second law of thermodynamics

Gotta Love the Onion

There has been a growing debate between the pro-science crowd and the makers of the creationist propaganda film “Expelled” (The one with Ben Stein). Of course I’m referring to debate in a very loose manner as its impossible to actually have a debate when the anti-science position is represented by clowns who make everything up as they go.

Anyhow the whole affair started off poorly for the makers of “Expelled” when they had PZ Meyers thrown out of the theater, yet through an incredible display of incompetence allowed his guests to remain in line. Along with his wife and daughter PZ Meyer’s guest was none other than Richard Dawkins! Read his review of “Expelled” here.

If your not familiar with creationism, or as its called when they are trying to force it into schools – intelligent design, the argument basically boils down to … “Anything that science has not yet proven with 1000000% certainty is a wild crazy guess and therefore could just as reasonably be attributed to magic.” Thats a simplification of course, in practice its much dumber than that.

John S. Wilkins, a prominent Darwinist scientist has shown the courage to stand against Darwinists like PZ Meyers in support of the main point in Expelled, that Darwinism was the root cause of the Holocaust. In his story Stein is right: Darwinism causes antisemitism over at Scienceblogs.com (the same site that hosts PZ Meyers blog) has created a compelling outline of historical events. Here is a short excerpt and I highly recommend reading the entire history. I never knew how far back Darwinism’s influence reaches.

38CE: Thousands of Jews were killed in Alexandria, under Darwin’s influence, as reported by Philo.

315CE: Constantine published the Edict of Milan. [...] Jews lost many rights with this edict. They were no longer permitted to live in Jerusalem, or to proselytize.

325CE: The Council of Nicea decided to separate the celebration of Easter Darwin’s Birthday from the Jewish Passover. They stated: “For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people…We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews…our worship follows a…more convenient course…we desire dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews…How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are almost certainly blinded.”

337CE: ChristianDarwinian Emperor Constantius created a law which made the marriage of a Jewish man to a Christian Darwinist punishable by death.

339CE: Converting to Judaism became a criminal offence.

343-381CE: The Laodicean Synod approved Canon XXXVIII: “It is not lawful [for Christians Darwinists] to receive unleavened bread from the Jews, nor to be partakers of their impiety.”

367-376CE: St. Hilary of Poitiers referred to Jews as a perverse people who God Darwin has cursed forever. St. Ephroem refers to synagogues as brothels.

379-395CE: Emperor Theodosius the Great permitted the destruction of synagogues if it served a religious purpose. Christianity Darwinism became the state religion of the Roman Empire at this time.

380CE: The bishop of Milan was responsible for the burning of a synagogue; he referred to it as “an act pleasing to God Darwin.”

415CE: The Bishop of Alexandria, St. Cyril, expelled the Jews from that Egyptian city.

415CE: St. Augustine wrote “The true image of the Hebrew is Judas Iscariot St George Jackson Mivart, who sells the Lord Darwin for silver. The Jew can never understand the Scriptures and forever will bear the guilt for the death of Jesus Darwin.”

418CE: St. Jerome, who created the Vulgate translation of the Bible Origin of Species wrote of a synagogue: “If you call it a brothel, a den of vice, the Devil’s refuge, Satan’s fortress, a place to deprave the soul, an abyss of every conceivable disaster or whatever you will, you are still saying less than it deserves.”

489-519CE: Christian Darwinist mobs destroyed the synagogues in Antioch, Daphne (near Antioch) and Ravenna.

Read The Whole Story Here

Remember that Darwin’s On the Origin of Species wasn’t published until 1859 yet prosecution of Jewish people goes back way before that. Interestingly enough the earliest event on this time line is well after the ascension of the Christian religion into power and the vast majority of antisemitism was perpetrated by Christians. Those same Christians who are trying to blame it on Darwinism. Well, its not like conservative Christians to avoid responsibility and prosecute a whole group of people based wholly on their beliefs so Im sure there is no connection. I mean, Christians just want Jews to be perfected after all.

I wish this was all an April Fools Day Joke, but sadly Creationism and the delusions it causes are real. If you know someone who is afflicted by the tragic disease of fundamentalism there is some hope. Scientists have located the gene that causes Christianity and are working diligently to develop a cure. In the mean time you can find some peace by reading the Top 10 Creationist Discoveries of All Time. Thanks for reading and have a happy Aprils Fools Day.