James Randi: A Great Skeptic

James Randi (The Amazing Randi) is a "magician" and the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation. Randi has a standing offer of $1 million to anyone who can prove, in a controlled setting, that they have extraordinary or supernatural powers. Below you can watch Randi expose James Hydrick, Gung Fu man extraordinarie. Hydrick has cool hair, huh?



Click "here" to watch YouTube videos of other people James Randi has exposed.

Wellness Fair: An Opportunity for Critical Thinking

Here is the letter I wrote to the Editor of the Adirondack Daily Enterprise. It was published yesterday. It concerns an article that was published a few days ago.

Well over 120 years ago in Saranac Lake, NY, Dr. E. L. Trudeau was carrying on experiments using the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis. Trudeau was utilizing a technique in the relatively new field of microbiology called the scientific method. Dr. Trudeau did these experiments at a time when a large number of physicians in the USA did not believe in the germ theory of disease. There is no question that he was a man ahead of his time.

Fast forward to the year 2007. Saranac Lake High School Wellness Class students organize a Wellness fair that includes “Chakra” readings. The front page of our newspaper features a picture of a Chakra practioner (?) dangling a charm (?) over a persons body to give them a reading (?). Chakras are an ancient Eastern wellness belief based on energy systems throughout a body. We can only hope that this opportunity was used to educate students about the scientific method. The scientific method is based on gathering observable, empirical, measurable evidence that is subjected to principles of reasoning.

Maybe Chakra is what our system of medicine has been lacking. If so, what is the measurable evidence that Chakra techniques can measure energy systems? What experiments are being done to show that these techniques are actually effective in accomplishing their goals? These are serious questions that can enhance a student’s capacity to think critically.

The National Institutes of Health actually has a center dedicated to investigating alternative and complementary medicine. It’s called the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. Yes, they are doing studies on “Energy Medicine”. Unfortunately, putative energy fields (such as Chakra) have thus far defied measurement by reproducible methods.

It is of concern that we as a nation are becoming less and less knowledgeable about the natural world. How can people make intelligent decisions in today’s world without an understanding of science? Students should be taught to distinguish between real science and pseudoscience.

Maybe I'll be accused of not being open minded. But being open minded means being open to all ideas, which I think I am. It refers to someone who considers ideas based on their merits and rejects ideas that do not appear to be rational. Being open minded does not mean you cannot reject bad ideas. If you believe all ideas without any basis or proof, you are just being credulous. I think our students should be taught to be skeptical. They should be taught to examine claims in an objective, scientific manner. Skepticism is all about testing ideas for their validity.

Psycho Dad

You might have guessed that I was a "Married with Children" fan. I especially liked "Psycho Dad".

White House Advisors Testify

Pres. Bush will allow Karl Rove and Harriet Miers to testify before Congress (concerning US Attorney firings) but in private, not under oath and no transcript can be kept. Why would they need these conditions? Obviously, because they don't want the public to see how they dodge questions or tell lies. Considering the lies (misstatements, mischaracterizations) already told by members of this administration, it would be a waste of everyones time if these two testified without being sworn. Are you willing to give Bush and/or his advisors the benefit of the doubt?

President Clinton allowed 31 of his aides to testify before Congress on 47 different occasions. What do you think Republicans were saying when Bill Clinton claimed executive privilege?

The White House has to claim executive privilege here because they know that more investigations of the executive branch are coming down the pike. Investigations that they fear much more than "Purgegate".

Leonidas

I saw the movie and I liked it a lot.

A Magic Man Done It

Understanding Islam

I'm going to attempt to read the Qur'an (or at least expert interpretations of it) in hopes of better understanding Islam. Qur'an means something like to read or recite in Arabic. It has 114 chapters called suras, some are long and some are only a sentence or two long. I'm certain I won't understand the Qur'an just as I find the Old Testament somewhat difficult to understand. So I guess I will be forced to search the Internet for sources that can help me better understand what I read. The translated titles of some of the chapters is somewhat different. For example, the cow; the women; the dinner table; the ant; the spider etc. I'm guessing I won't get through the whole thing (it's about as long as the New Test Testament) and I am certain I won't understand it because even scholars of Islam have difficulty interpreting it.

What do followers of Islam believe? They believe in one God, Angels, Prophets, the Qur'an (they also believe that the Torah and Bible were revealed by God), Judgement day and Heaven and Hell. Leave out the Qur'an and it sounds kind of like Christianity. Followers of Islam, like Christians, also have fallen into cults and sects.

There is way too much false information out there about Islam. Did you know the Qur'an only mentions "suicide" once (4:29)? And that suicide is forbidden. But just as Christians believe that martyrs are rewarded so too do followers of Islam. Much of the misunderstanding of Islam is due to confusing the Hadith, a collection of the traditons and sayings of Muhammad, with the Qur'an.

Timeline Iraq War

Monday March 19 marks four years of war in Iraq. If you need to be reminded about how we got there and what has happened over the last four years go to this timeline at Think Progess.

College Professors are All Liberals

Not Prof. Mike S. Adams, Univ. of North Carolina, Wilmington. Here's Dr. Mike defending Ann Coulter and her "faggot" comment.

But enough about what Ann ought not to do. Here’s what she should do immediately:

1. Start a website called “Global War on Fags” today.

2. Begin writing essays calling for the cleansing and purification of society via the mass murder of homosexuals.

3. Distribute videos on the website showing the actual murders of homosexuals.

4. Circulate instructions on how to bomb gay bath houses in San Francisco.

5. Circulate a “battle dispatch” to give people specific information on America’s most notorious bath houses.

6. Apply for a job at Kent State University.

At first, the cries for Ann Coulter’s imprisonment will be loud. But once Kent State gets wind of the story (and possession of her job application) a happy ending will soon be in sight (not incite). In fact, I predict that Ann will soon be a professor at Kent State University with good retirement benefits, a health plan, and tenure.

Read the whole thing here.

I don't really get the Kent State reference unless Dr. Mike wrote a column about how those dirty hippy demonstrators at Kent State deserved to be killed back in 1970.

Here is the last sentence of the "mission statement" of Dr. Mike's department at UNC-Wilmington:

The department seeks to increase knowledge of human society from a global perspective and to enhance understanding of the various multicultural segments of American Society.

Oops!

I forgot to celebrate my blogging anniversary. Two years on March 10th. Over 800 posts, almost 10,000 visitors. Thanks for reading.

Why Progressives are Angry

Paul Waldman explains it pretty well here.

Happy Pi Day

I almost forgot. Happy Pi day everyone! Go here to see one million digits of Pi.

Broadcasters of Hate

Do you ever read News Hounds? They watch Fox News so you don't have to. It helps you keep up with the daily intolerant rants of the likes of Bill (falafel)O'Reilly and Michelle (intern-them-all) Malkin. These people want to protect our freedoms by getting rid of some of them. They are the people who preach "Old Testament" values. They wouldn't know the 2nd most important commandment (Matt. 22:39 or Mark 12:31 if you like Mark better)if it bit them in the ass.

War in Iraq is Lost

Another awesome article published in Rolling Stone Magazine concering the Iraq War. A panel of experts agree the war is lost.

My favorite quote:

America has been conducting an experiment for the past six years, trying to validate the proposition that it really doesn't make any difference who you elect president. Now we know the result of that experiment [laughs]. If a guy is stupid, it makes a big difference.

Gen. Tony McPeak (Ret.)

Most Americans Are Conservative or Moderate

Only 21% of Americans identify themselves as very liberal or somewhat liberal. But when you look at the issues:

Abortion: overturn Roe v. Wade yes 29% no 62%

Health Care: willing to pay higher taxes so everyone could have health insurance yes 53% no 40%

Global Warming: should government put in emmission restrictions? yes 75% no 21%

Social Security: should government provide decent standard of living for elderly yes 80% no 16%

Guns: in favor or not in favor of stricter gun control laws in favor 60% not in favor 32%

Energy: which party will do a better job handling oil and gas issues? Democrats 52% Republicans 25%

Where exactly are the conservatives?

65% of Americans favor the death penalty and 51% are opposed to same-sex marriage.

No Room At the Inn for Auditors in Iraq

We spend $3,420/sec in Iraq, about $280 million/day. And, the State Department can't afford to put up 3 government auditors in Bagdad for 3 months.

Fit Enough to Fight

Salon reports that the Army is sending troops to fight in Iraq who were classified as "medically unfit" to fight.

Maybe the soldiers that are complaining are just shirking their duty.

Maybe they were medically unfit but now are just fine.

Maybe they are physically or mentally unfit and are in increased danger because of their medical condition.

But I guess we will never know until someone with authority looks into it.

Words escape me. I have no idea how to title this picture. What is happening to our country?

Frozen Four

The "Frozen Four" is being held in Lake Placid next weekend. The St. Lawrence University women beat NH 6-2 last night so once again they will be in the Frozen Four.

Who do I root for though? My Alma Mater, the University of Wisconsin-Madison (who barely beat Harvard last night 1-0 in 4OT)) or my daughters soon-to-be Alma Mater, St. Lawrence University (who gave UNH a good shellacking)? St. Lawrence U. has not lost to Harvard in any of three games this season. Unfortunately, Julia will be in Florida with her track team (ECAC champs)over Spring break so there goes the possibility of a father-daughter sporting event.

Underwood Club?

How many hundreds of times have travelers from Saranac Lake and Lake Placid passed through Underwood, NY on their way to Adirondack Northway exit 30? Everyone knows that the Underwood Club is located in Underwood, NY, although google searches sometimes give the address as New Russia, NY. But what is with the Underwood Club? Who are the members of this 115 year old club?

An article in todays Press Republican indicates that the members enjoy cold summer drinks with ice cut from a local pond and stored in an ice house. How cool is that?



Another old club, the Ausable Club at least has a webpage, even if only to advertise for local summer help. Google "Ausable Club" and you get 767 "hits". Google ny "underwood club" -carrie and you get 39 "hits".

Will someone please spill what they know about the Underwood Club?