a simple prop

The Role of Historians

John M. Lynch — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 05:11:26 +0000

In the past, I have written pieces presenting my thoughts on the role of historians in the creation/evolution issue (see here and this pdf). Now, Jon Weiner has a piece in The Nation detailing historians such as Robert Proctor, Louis Kyriakoudes, Gregg Michel, Lacy Ford, Michael Schaller and Kenneth Ludmerer and their respective roles in legal cases about tobacco and cancer. (The first two have testified for plaintiffs against Big Tobacco, the rest have accepted money from the likes of Phillip Morris).

As Weiner notes,

Brandt, Kyriakoudes and Proctor are proud of their work and let everyone know about it, while those on the other side never mention their work for Big Tobacco on their faculty websites or online CVs. Lacy Ford doesn’t, and neither does Michael Schaller at the University of Arizona or Kenneth Ludmerer at Washington University.

Ummm.

Texas History Standards axe Jefferson for Aquinas and Calvin.

John M. Lynch — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:31:17 +0000

From the Texas Freedom Network via Ed Brayton:

9:45 – Here’s the amendment [Cynthia] Dunbar changed: “explain the impact of Enlightenment ideas from John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau, and Thomas Jefferson on political revolutions from 1750 to the present.” Here’s Dunbar’s replacement standard, which passed: “explain the impact of the writings of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, Voltaire, Charles de Montesquieu, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Aquinas, John Calvin and Sir William Blackstone.” Not only does Dunbar’s amendment completely change the thrust of the standard. It also appalling drops one of the most influential political philosophers in American history — Thomas Jefferson.

It’s impossible to make this crap up. Replacing Jefferson with Aquinas and Calvin? Deleting explicit mention of the Enlightenment? And of political revolutions?

Friday Falconiform #16

John M. Lynch — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 11:41:43 +0000

Accipitridae / Accipitrinae / Ictinia plumbea / Plumbeous Kite

(source)

“Creation” screening tomorrow

John M. Lynch — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 06:22:41 +0000

Just a reminder to readers in the Greater Phoenix area that the AzCoR screening of Creation will be tomorrow (Friday) at 6:05pm at Harkins Valley Art Theatre (Mill Ave, Tempe). The screening itself will be followed by a Q&A of up to 45 minutes with me where I will answer your question on Darwin etc. Come one, come all.

Another ID triumph! Praise the Lord!

John M. Lynch — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 02:18:43 +0000

The Dembksi/Marks publishing behemoth continues. This time it’s a “peer-reviewed” paper in … wait for it … Proceedings of the the 42nd Meeting of the Southeastern Symposium on System Theory . The meeting is ongoing at the University of Texas at Tyler. Peer review is, no doubt, up to their previous standard. Co-authors are grad student Winston Ewert and George Montañez (a.k.a. Christian rapper “Atom Tha Immortal“). PDF here and obligatory brown-nosing here.

Word.

John M. Lynch — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:39:24 +0000

From here.

Atheist tribalism

John M. Lynch — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 18:27:37 +0000

Wilkins has a good post with much to agree with:

Look, I don’t care if atheists are aggressive or not. Certainly being excluded themselves, they have the right to be loud and proud. I think they should speak out at every turn. But does that require that they must denigrate and belittle those who don’t entirely agree with them? Must they turn into what they themselves despise? It seems, sadly, this is the human condition. But don’t pretend to be the vanguard of rationality when you are just as irrational and tribal as everyone else. The term for that is not “rational”, but “hypocritical”.

Read on.

Friday Falconiform #15

John M. Lynch — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:35:35 +0000

Accipitridae / Accipitrinae / Ictinia mississippiensis / Mississippi Kite

(source)

“Creation” Screening in Tempe (Update)

John M. Lynch — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 05:33:39 +0000

I’ve been informed that – due to circumstances beyond their control – Arizona CoR has had to move the screening of Creation that was scheduled for Friday to Friday March 12th. Unfortunately this means that Jane Maienschein won’t be available, but I will still be there to answer questions after the viewing. The screening is at Harkins Valley Art Theatre (Mill Ave, Tempe) and will begin at 6:30pm.

Update

John M. Lynch — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:57:21 +0000

Things are likely to be a little quiet here for a while for a number of reasons. The ASU portion of the Tyndall Project is finally getting off the ground, our search is moving onwards, and grading starts this week. Be back soon(ish)!

Friday Falconiform #14

John M. Lynch — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:32:10 +0000

Accipitridae / Accipitrinae / Harpagus bidentatus / Double-toothed Kite

(source)

The Earth is flat!

John M. Lynch — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:09:08 +0000

Article in the Guardian on the International Flat Earth Society:

Zeteticism, Shenton says, emphasises experience and reason over the ”trusting acceptance of dogma”

Sound like any other group we know?

Some more information here.

A little snapshot of Arizona

John M. Lynch — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:16:32 +0000

From the Arizona Central website. Apparently nearly 20% either believe (or are unsure) that Andrew Stack was a “patriot”.

“Creation” Screening in Tempe

John M. Lynch — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 23:26:22 +0000

Jane Maienschein and I will be answering questions after the screening. More details here.

Friday Falconiform #13

John M. Lynch — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 08:57:50 +0000

Accipitridae / Accipitrinae / Helicolestes hamatus / Slender-billed Kite

(source)