A Wandering WeyrCat...

On April 14, we took to the streets of Trenton, NJ, along with thousands of people across the nation, to send a message to the United States government: Science, not Silence!

I see these well meaning images all the time after horrible things happen. Everyone shares them, ribbons, candles, pictures of children, and hugging, and all sorts of thing. What I don't see are people sharing information for the Red Cross, who collects the blood the injured people need. Or information for the Salvation Army, who provide disaster support to the first responders in the form of small on site kitchens. These images let people feel like they did something. They felt  for the hurt and empathized  for those who lost people or had families hurt. Well, that's nice, but you can really help them instead! Instead of lighting a candle or praying (ok, you can do those to) donate $10 to the Red Cross Disaster relief, or even just $5 to the Salvation Army. Go donate blood at your local Red Cross. Yea, there may not be a disaster near you right now, but lots of people need that blood. If there were a disaster near you would you feel better knowing that your Red Cros...

I keep running into people complaining about how much the United States government spends on the Military.. mainly on Facebook. Mainly these people back up their pitchforks with unsourced graphs with "defense spending by country" and fewer still have an explanation of what the numbers in the charts mean. Let's pick on the first graph I find when I search "military defense spending". The graph I'm referring to is here: *found on random image site, link to SIPRS in sources. (7) I wanted to explain this one for those who have trouble reading graphs (because they're harder to comprehend than most people think, and I'd bet a pinky nail that most of the people who wave these graphs around couldn't explain them if you asked them). However, it's come to my attention that numbers scare people and they wouldn't read that section if I wrote it anyway. So. Easier numbers then. What does "46.5% of World Military Expenditures" mean i...

Mr. President, Why is it that so many of the members of the Congressional Science Committee seem to hold opinions in direct opposition to what is agreed upon by the majority of the scientific community; and what could be done to rectify this? We have recently seen Akin, who was also recently removed, make a "scientific" statement that could only be "cutting edge" in the 14th century. An article on motherboard.vice.com lists several of the Republicans sitting on the board and statements they have made that disagree with current science. I understand that not every scientist holds a degree in every science, but it is disconcerting to see persons having jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development have so little grasp of today's scientific landscape. Could we see members of this committee who, instead of having a science-based degree while being wholly devoted to politics, are currently active in the scientific community? Than...

Summer is over and school starts tomorrow. Here's what coon in my world today! Kentucky lawmakers shocked to find evolution in biology tests. - ArsTechnica . After dictating that schools in the state include tests based on national standards, the state lawmakers were shocked to find that evolution made a prominent appearance on the science tests. The legislators apparently asked ACT whether it could create a Kentucky-specific version of the test; one that, presumably, would be a sort of formal recognition of the state's distaste for mainstream science. They were told, however, that doing so would be prohibitively expensive. "I would hope that creationism is presented as a theory in the classroom, in a science classroom, alongside evolution," the Lexington Herald-Leader quotes Senator David Givens as saying. Givens is apparently unaware that creationism is not a theory, and that the Supreme Court has ruled that teaching it is a violation of the establishment c...

Atheists Sue Over World Trade Center 9/11 Cross: Should Christian Symbol Be Removed? Yes. Yes it should. This is a suit that was filed quite a while ago, actually, and news of it has popped up again as things change here and there. Silverman, of American Atheists, posted about it against our thoughts. Here's mine. I decline to add other articles about this, because some are so dripping with venom against anyone for the suit or separation of Church and State that you'd think everyone with a different point of view was lobbying to sacrifice babies and enslave the poor Christians. I'd laugh if I wasn't choking on the irony. A: Christian monuments belong in Christian places. This is the site of a tragedy, where many people of multiple faiths lost their lives to the lunacy of another faith. If you want a monument to represent the people who died there and what they died for erect a stone with the names of the dead and an American Flag. They died because a jihadist mu...

A friend of mine posted that "India patents 1,300 yoga moves" (via en.rian.ru/world ). Here's a brief overview: Hindu gurus and some 200 scientists compiled the list from 16 ancient texts to prevent yoga teachers in the United States and Europe from patenting established poses as their own. ... "We are making available the 30-40 most popular yoga asanas in the open domain," TKDL head, V K Gupta said. "The rest will be available only to patent offices." ... Indians have been outraged by attempts by "yoga gurus" in the West to patent poses. In the United States alone, the patent authorities have issued more than 130 yoga-related patents, 150 copyrights and 2,300 trademarks related to the ancient practice. Hmm, I would think that unless you can prove a certain pose has not been done before, you shouldn't be able to patent it. How can they patent something hundreds of years old? As for copywriting, are they talking about "yogis...

My Deutsch Professorin was talking about this: http://satwcomic.com/evil-flag (well not the actual comic but) the fact that in Germany it's rather socially unacceptable to have Patriotism, primarily because of WWII. She mentions that it's only become more acceptable in the years since the Berlin Wall coming down. She said that when she came to the US it was something odd to see the US flag EVERYWHERE because it's simply not done in Germany. As someone who tends to ignore current "history" and look farther back in the books (blame it on the SCA in me) I think that Germany has MUCH to be proud of. Not just in intellectual advances (of which there are bunches and bunches) but in simply being Germany: a country with a rich history and a fantastic preservation of culture through all it's been through. Let's face it, every country has had it's dark days, but once they come to their senses there's so point in beating them over the head with it. If...

A break from studying to climb up on my soapbox.. I get a little frustrated when people seem to be unwilling to think for themselves. I subscribe to a number of digital newsletters and opinion groups, mainly anti-(some political ideal) or pro-(insert some science here), etc. While I do presume that people posting to these groups will be hardcore towards whatever the page is promoting/demoting, I forget that something the people I find replying there are as blind as their opposition! They can be quick to accept what the OP gives them as gospel, though sometimes the OP has glaring flaws that can be easily shown by simply "Googling" the factoid in question. I find this a lot on anti-political pages. Society is an intellectual hierarchy, and when I don't know something I have to look towards someone with more knowledge on the subject. I can't know everything, and I can't pretend to be an expert in all my interests. I get a little frustrated when I run into a cl...

If only man had Natural color blindness. We'd sniff and let sniff. -JaK

I would like this read at my funeral. I'll be sure to make a copy and set it in the paperwork. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energy, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got. And at one point you'd hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bo...

This morning I got a MoveOn email from a woman with this petition: http://www.signon.org/sign/wjno-take-rush-limbaugh to "Take Rush Limbaugh off the air in West Palm Beach!" She writes "Rush Limbaugh's reprehensible attack on Sandra Fluke, the college student who spoke to Congress about women's reproductive rights, calling her a slut and a prostitute and asking her to make a sex video, should be the end of his on-air career. Let's convince KGVO to kick him off the air in West Palm Beach." While I'm all for people not listening to this moron, I had a "Howard Stern" moment. People didn't want Stern on the air either. He was foul, etc etc, and they didn't want him played in their town impinging on their children's delicate sensibilities. He's now got his own channel on satellite radio, so fine. But for some reason it just sounded to much like censorship to me. "I don't like what he's saying, so he shouldn...

WHEW! What a day.. Week? Went back to court to try to wrap up an old landlord issue; was moderately successful: should get our security deposit back (finally) and hopefully never see them again! Evil diet is evil. We sorely need it though. Allowing myself one Dark-chocolate raspberry popsicle a day. They're Weight Watchers, 85 cals, and I eat them when NOT dieting. Feels like cheating but I'm not = win. Been pretty domestic too... baked banana bread , some light sweeping, sewed a button on some pants... OH. And I hurt my knee again. I ran yesterday. Kinda. After about half a mile my right knee (the one I borked on the Spartan run) was screaming and I wanted to stop. I didn't. A mile and a half later I limped into the car and for most of the day I had to lock my knee out to get around. It was fairly agonizing. Not being over-the-top either: when I bent my knee, I instantly had to fight back tears. When that occurs in the middle of campus it's pretty embarrassing....

I know, this is the third "FB thread" style post I've made. Maybe this means I'm spending way too much time attempting to level playing fields against people unwilling to give concessions to any other ideologies. Granted, I don't either (when talking about religion) but here, since I doubt anyone posting is actually a geneticist, papered botanist, etc, each side should be willing to give concessions when the other side provides evidence that suggests a viable counter-argument. PFFFT. Like that ever happens. I like to post them on the blog, because I've done some internet-hoofing to "research" but I am aware I am simply supporting my own opinion since I'm not a not a professional either. Cest la vie. I think think I'm right here: The outright banning of a technology or process that seeks to save lives  should not be considered. Just think, what if Alexander Fleming had said "feed people Penicillin? A bacteria I found killing other bac...

Karen  http://www.bing.com/videos/ watch/video/intelligent-design/ 6nzt56d . Please watch this video. Do you think that intellegent design should be taught in school along with evolutionism?  Matt  I do not. I think natural selection has a scientific basis; not to say it's all-explaining, but the claims it makes are based on observable data. Even if intelligent design is a real thing (and I don't think it is), it is incorrect to label  it as a scientific idea. Creationism and intelligent design are, by their very nature, incompatible with the scientific method. You can not test it, and therefore can not affirm or falsify it. It is a matter of faith, and therefore has no more place in a science class than the origin myths of the Piasas or the Aztecs. Karen  Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe. I see evolution as a religion also. Don't you think that the schools...

*This is an actual conversation I wanted to save for posterity. I've used  http://www.randomnames.com/  to change the names, since the OP had the image (and therefore the thread) posted as "Friends only". Popped up in my Facebook stream, by a family member ("Patty"): Weyrcat I would like to refer you to the current threats of violence towards a girl named Jessica Ahlquist, who took her public school to court to uphold a Constitutional ruling that was being broken by the school. The threats of violence and words of pure hatred she receives are coming FROM CHRISTIANS WHO WANT GOD IN THAT SCHOOL. They've threatened her with beatings, claim GOD will RAPE her, and hope she dies a painful death. Schools are not the place to teach about God, Church is. School is the place to learn about history and math and science. Schools that have God in them do NOT TEACH those subjects. Keep God in Church and OUT OF SCHOOLS. http://morallowground.com/2012/01/28/atheist...

Recently, my uncle Bill voiced his displeasure at the impropriety of an alleged order for the Flag of the United States of America to be flown half-mast for the funeral of recently dead singer Whitney Houston. Being a bit of a flag-etiquette buff I had to weigh in. In short, the Gov of the state where she's a resident is authorized to order it lowered in HIS jurisdiction. I disagree that is should be. This isn't to dishonor her memory, but because I think lowering it for her pales the honor of those it is authorized to be lowered for. Below you'll find the Wiki on USA Flag Etiquette, and my personal rant. Christie Orders Flags Lowered To Half-Staff In Honor Of Whitney Houston http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half-staff#United_States "There's a list of personas the flag is required to be lowered for as per Flag Etiquette Which IS LAW in the USA. The list may be found a the above Wiki, but in short: -current or former president, -current vice president, chief ...

I really like this site and have used it a few times over the last decade or so. Sometimes it surprises me, sometimes not. It asks you your stance on big issues and then "ranks" the candidates according to how they have voted or stood on those issues. Obama and Libertarians always end up WAY up front for me, and then everything evens out as I keep answering questions and rating "How important the issue is to" me. This came out pretty much exactly how I thought it would. The Libertarian candidate, who probably doesn't have a leg to stand on in America, matches my ideas 62%. Ron Paul is the next choice at 49%, but note where ALL the Republicans are: All in the low 40s. There's only one Democrat on the board (probably because he's already President, do the Democrats have to back him because he's already President or can they push another Democrat candidate? Hmm. I'm betting they have to back him. So. I rather hope Ron Paul gets the Rep. nomin...