Hollywood goes all "evolution-vs.-creationism" on us

More and more disturbances in the evolutionary theory keep appearing ... here's yet another one. Dangit.

NOW what are we gonna do??

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The Dishonest Institute strikes again: censoring videos that point out their bullshit – illegally!

This is a juicy one, indeed. The Discovery Institute has been caught red-handed trying to file a false and perfectly illegal DMCA copyright claim against a prominent YouTube debunker of creationist and ID bullshit(ers), DonExodus2. It seems that DonExodus2 uploaded a video in which he showed how a recent Fox News appearance of notorious DI attack-lemming Casey Luskin – yes, this dishonest moron – featured Luskin reciting lie after tired old lie, punctured with deflated and debunked claims, including that old favorite of creationists', Haeckel's Embryos, among others. Overall, it was a very amusing and dead-accurate smackdown right in Luskin's over-smug disingenuous face, and it was beautiful.

So, of course, the Censorship Institute couldn't stand it, and succeeded at filing a DMCA copyright claim against YouTube and the video. Adhering to YouTube's custom of removing videos like insecure idiots without even confirming the accuracy of the claim as usual, the vid was pulled down. Below, is DonExodus2's response to the travesty – and proof that it's simply and totally illegal of the pompous bitches to have done so. Man, are they fucked.

Or, in a brief summary: the DI is fucked (yet again), and they know it, so they tried to censor the vid by filing a false DMCA claim to remove it – and succeeded (for now). So, to all: spread the video around! Don't just embed it^[1], but actually download it and upload it to your own websites, groups, whatever you can do, and spread the word: the Discovery Institute has finally gone too far and have literally broken the law in their ever-growing efforts to spread their bullshit and crush scientific truth.

Just for good measure, below is the original video, the one that was deleted. Thanks to Gravitationalist for the re-upload.

Man, that sort of bitchslap-fest to Luskin's mug has got to hurt. (And let the record state that I nearly cracked a rib at both the humor and pointedness of the "Bitch, Please" flashcard inserted after Luskin's unbelievably bullshitty claim of trying to "promote good science" (*dies laughing*).

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^{[1] I sincerely would if I had the slightest idea how to actually upload videos to Blogger, but I don't think I can. All I can do is link to it and hope it won't be deleted.}

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Yet more hope for Texas

Texas seems to be on the road to reason for once, and the news is good: not only has Don McLeroy been kicked off the chairman's spot on the Texas State Board of Education, taking his pathetic "Strengths and Weaknesses of Evolution" policy along with him (if only temporarily), but also, two bills that would've introduced powers to grant degrees to Bible-thumping kooks straight out from the Institute for Creation Research (ICR) and added more creationist language to the state education curriculum, have been shot down.

What was less publicized was a bill in the Texas State Legislature to pull an end run around the Coordinating Board by exempting ICR’s graduate program from the regulations governing degree-granting institutions in Texas.

Another bill introduced in this legislative session would have restored the ID creationist “strengths and weaknesses” language to the Texas Science Standards.

Both bills have now died due to the adjournment of the Texas legislature. So there’s a bit more hope for Texas: Don McLeroy is out as Chairman of the State Board of Education, the creationist “strengths and weaknesses” language is not in the standards, and the ICR is still not certified to award phony graduate degrees in science education.

It's not over yet, and really, never really is, of course; there still plenty of upcoming opportunities for these bills to weasel their way back into effect, but as with McLeroy's ousting, we can at least cheer for now at the idea that Texan schoolchildren won't have any more creationist nonsense peddled into their skulls.

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Strike Three for Don McLeroy

I know it's "old news" already (in blogosphere terms, anyway, seeing as it's a few days old), but I still need to mention and celebrate: Don McLeroy, the creationist dentist chairman of the Texas State Board of Education – the tool who endlessly promoted the passing of the ridiculous and false "Strengths and Weaknesses" policy regarding scientific subjects (especially evolution) – is no longer chairman!

On May 28, 2009, McLeroy's nomination as Chair of the Board of Education failed to gain Senate approval since only 19 of 30 Senators voted for him, falling one vote short of the 2/3 majority needed for approval.

Forgive the source of the article being Wikipedia (I know how y'all are foaming at the mouth for "reliable" sources), but all the reports I could find on Google seemed to stem from creationist or otherwise religious news sites, sites which I personally wouldn't trust to give me the time of day, much less news of this nature.

Of course, McLeroy is just one of many idiots already present on the board, and undoubtedly he still holds a certain amount of sway over them; at least he's just not officially chairman anymore. Unfortunately, it's likely that Gov. Perry will just name some other creationist idiot instead. Thus seems to be the road so often taken in Texas. But, for now, we can cheer.

I know I've been a bit lax on blogging the past few days, being busy writing and creating videos for my songs (three of which are now online), but I'm now stuck at school – which, of course, means I have plenty of time to blog now. =)

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Intelligent Design is a renamed Creationism, says Thunderf00t

And of course he's absolutely right. Only, he chooses to establish this by exposing Casey Luskin of the Discovery Institute as a liar and hypocrite, and it's a beautiful thing.

View Thunderf00t's YouTube channel here for the rest of his fantastic and brutally-accurate and honest videos debunking the bullcrap that is Creationism/Intelligent Design.

(via Pharyngula)

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Answer the damn question!

This is hilarious: Chris Matthews from MSNBC's Hardball confronts Republican Representative Mike Pence with one single, excruciatingly simple question: "Do you believe in evolution?". The amount of irrelevent and downright hilarious babble that splurges out from Pence's gob, along with enough shaking of his head to land him with torticollis, indicates either "no", or that he has some serious auditory comprehension issues. For crissakes, he segues – none too gracefully – from evolution to general science in itself, then to the Liberal global warming conspiracy, then Liberal stem-cell research cover-ups, then ... I lose track. Meanwhile, Matthews is doggedly trying to coax an answer out of him he obviously will never receive other than a few vague ramblings about how "God created the Heavens and the Earth".

You know it sucks to be a Republican when they can't even openly admit to their religious, anti-scientific leanings anymore. (Which, conversely, makes it a good day to be a Liberal, I suppose.)

I was disturbed by how much Matthews seemed bent on kissing the guy's ass, though, continually referring to his "great intelligence" and high education and whatever. I guess he has to keep his guests from throwing him daggers with their stares, after all.

(via Pharyngula)

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So what do lawyers think of the recent ICR lawsuit against Texas?

The full summary is quite long (though still quite interesting), but this lawyer preferred a two-sentence summary:

This lawsuit is gloriously insane. From top to bottom, this is exactly the kind of lawsuit you would expect from the kind of minds who think the world is 6,000 years old.

:D :D :D

(via Pharyngula)

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Creationists are suing Texas!

It's hard to imagine such a contradictory statement, no? What with Texas and the rest of the Deep South being the hotbed of Creationism in America and all.

Over a year ago, the Institute for Creation Research tried to pass along a few silly degrees in the state of Texas, degrees that basically would allow them to throw in teachers whose entire idea of science and biology would have been taken straight from the Bible and Young-Earth Creationism theological idiocy. For once, Texas made a choice to make us all proud when the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board essentially laughed them out.

But this is America, land where you sue someone over having coffee spilled over your favorite jeans, so naturally, the ICR is now suing the THECB. You can guess how their lawsuit terms must sound.

Even better, here it is for all to laugh at. Concentrated doses of stoopid are always fun!

The sixty-seven-page complaint teems with various factual claims and legal arguments, leading a blogger for the Dallas Observer (April 20, 2009) to quip that it "reads kind of like stereo instructions." It also teems with unabashed creationist rhetoric, citing articles from the ICR's publication Acts and Facts along with case law, explaining that Paredes — born as he was in 1942 — was not a witness to the Big Bang, asserting that discussions about the origin of life and the formation of the earth "do not become 'empirical science' simply because those discussions emit from the oral cavities of 'scientists'" (p. 33), and insisting that the Big Bang "should not be confused with the 'great noise' mentioned in 2nd Peter 3:10" (p. 21).

Well, at least they're not referred to as "scienticians". Right?

For those amused or bored enough to care to follow up on this inane lawsuit, here are the full papers of the event. Do keep your coffee away from your keyboard – falling asleep or dropping out of your chair in laughter is not very good for sensitive electronics, you see.

(via Pharyngula)

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Florida falls behind in crazies race. ... Which is good.

Remember how Florida just tried to pass a bill that was unpleasantly reminiscent of the old Texan 'Strengths and Weaknesses' anti-Evolution crap? Good news: it's a FAIL.

Anti-Evolution Bill Still A Fruitless Exercise

TALLAHASSEE - A bill aimed at undercutting acceptance of evolution in Florida science classes, which kicked up a fuss but didn’t pass in the Florida Legislature last year, apparently is going nowhere this year.

A Senate version of the bill has yet to receive a committee hearing and has no companion bill in the House.

That means, said one proponent of the idea, that the bill has little chance of passage in this frantic session, heavily devoted to cutting and balancing the state budget.

“With no companion in the House, it doesn’t have much likelihood,” said Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla.

Another small battle won in the great war against Creationism. Next!

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Sneaky Florida again with creationism stupidity in school

While the Texas State Board of Education is getting all the press these days for their noted debating on how to teach Evolution in Texan schools (it was a near miss, though they're still chipping at science bit by bit as Dr. Myers explains), helmed by the ignoramus Don McLeroy, other creationist states have been left out lately. Apparently, Florida resented that, as Senator Steve Wise, a Jacksonville Republican (need I even point out his political affiliations if he's a creationist?), has just sneakily introduced a bill that pretty much mandates the exact thing that we were hoping to avoid from the Texas Education Board: an introduction of the fallacious 'Strengths & Weaknesses' rule targeting Evolution in favor of Creationism.

And though it has yet to have its first hearing, the bill has the science community is up in arms.

You may remember this hot-button issue from 2008, when Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, and Rep. Alan Hays, R-Umatilla, pushed similar legislation after the state Board of Education explicitly mandated the teaching of the scientific theories of biological and chemical evolution.

This language in this year's bill from Wise is pretty similar to the version pushed last year by Hays – not banning the teaching of evolution, but allowing teachers to question it in science class. Storms had focused her version more on job protections for teachers who criticized the theory.

Here's what Wise's bill would require: "A thorough presentation and critical analysis of the scientific theory of evolution."

The Florida Academy of Science says the bill "leaves the door open for the introduction in the public school curriculum of nonscientific and covertly religious doctrines."

Talk about sidestepping a pothole just to fall down a manhole. Not only was this done, but it was done silently – the defining measure used by creationists (when not honking madly about the evils of atheism and Evolution) to try and introduce their stupid theological beliefs in scientific classrooms. Cowards.

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Small smack to creationists: stupid 'Strengths and Weaknesses' rule is defeated in Texas

Recently the Texas State Board of Education held meetings and debates to determine the next decade of schooling curriculum – not to mention how Evolution was to be taught in Science classrooms. One of the creationist advances against Evolution was the attempted implementation of the stupid 'Strengths and Weaknesses rule', which would oblige teachers to give a 'fallacy' in the Theory of Evolution for every strength it had in explaining biological development over space and time.

Thankfully, the measure has been defeated – though by an exceedingly narrow margin: 7:7. Imagine – one more ignoramus on the Board and schoolchildren would've been spoon-fed lies and disinformation for a whole fucking decade. True Texas.

AUSTIN – In a decision watched by science educators across the nation, the State Board of Education on Thursday narrowly turned aside a last-ditch effort by social conservatives to require that "weaknesses" in the theory of evolution be taught in science classes in Texas.

Board members deadlocked 7-7 on a motion to restore a longtime curriculum rule that "strengths and weaknesses" of all scientific theories – notably Charles Darwin's theory of evolution – be covered in science classes and textbooks for those subjects.

At least the battle's over – for now. The war sure as Hell ain't, though. Not as long as Religion is the dominating voice over reason and intelligence in Idiot America.

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What's worse than Christian Creationism?

Same as what's even worse than Christianity: Islamic Creationism. One of the heavyweights in the Islamic Creationism world (I don't mean that as per his brains), a certain Adnan Oktar, is hard-set working on his 'anti-Darwinism' magnum opus, a 14-part 'encyclopedia' of Islamic Creationism titled Atlas of Creation, which he claims will disprove Darwin's 'dead' theory.

"Darwin and his theory are dead," says Mr. Oktar, founder and honorary president of the Science Research Foundation, an Istanbul outfit dedicated to debunking the Victorian-era English naturalist. Darwin, says his 52-year-old Turkish scourge, is "Satan's biggest trick on humanity."

The Science Research Foundation? Well, gotta congratulate him – I don't think he could've found a better extreme as far as misnomers go. (Seriously, anything that has anything to do with creationism, of whichever religious flavor, has less to do with science than ... well, theology. Dang, out of metaphors.)

Nice to see he believes in Satan, too. Poor ol' Lucifer is only too forgotten in this day and age. Love the trident, though – could poke myself some serious trolls and cretins with that diabolical thing.

Also weighing in on his side are very aggressive lawyers. They've repeatedly gone to court in Turkey to silence critics whom Mr. Oktar accuses of spreading "lies and insults." Scores of Web sites have been banned at his behest.

These include the site of Oxford's Prof. Dawkins, which Mr. Oktar -- who writes under the pen name Harun Yahya -- got blocked last fall after it posted an article entitled "Venomous Snakes, Slippery Eels and Harun Yahya." Prof. Dawkins responded to the ban by posting a Turkish translation of the article. Mr. Oktar derides Prof. Dawkins, an outspoken atheist, as "a pagan monk."

Waving that Freedom of Speech flag is such a dream these days, isn't it? Also shows how very mature Oktar is – and knowledgeable, if he seriously confuses atheism (lack of belief in God or any gods) with paganism (worship of Mother Nature and such – NOT satanic rituals as ignorant Hollywood and brainwashing Church will have you believe).

Thankfully, Oktar isn't devoid of opponents, and as luck would have it (for us, definitely not for him), his most prominent 'rival' is none other than Dr. Richard Dawkins, the most famous and pronounced 'Evolutionist' and atheist on the current planet. I don't think Oktar could've hoped for a larger opponent than Professor Dawkins.

"He is a complete and utter ignoramus," says Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist and Oxford University professor.

Sometimes, long sentences are needed not.

At a Vatican-sponsored conference on evolution earlier this month in Rome, a Turk who introduced himself as a brain surgeon took the floor to expound -- in fluent English -- on Mr. Oktar's views on fossils. Organizers snatched away the microphone.

Mike Egnor, shut up already! ... Oh, wait. Nevermind.

This little detail is interesting:

In 1986, Mr. Oktar published his first book, "Freemasonry and Judaism," a tirade against the perils of atheism. He then spent 10 months in a mental hospital. Mr. Oktar says he was never mentally ill but was institutionalized to stifle his views. Military doctors later declared him mentally sound, he says, but he complains that Turkish media "propagated the idea that I was a lunatic."

Gee, whatever would make them think that? What with having ridiculous and illogical views on science and its followers, following ignorance-promoting beliefs, and peddling muck that has been thoroughly disproven an innumerable number of times by an equally-innumerable number of scientists who are incredibly more educated and intelligent (and respected, and credentialed, and ...) than he is? How awful!

He's offered a reward of 10 million Turkish lira (around $6 million) to anyone who can produce a fossil that proves evolution. He has also invited his Oxford foe to a debate.

Prof. Dawkins says he has no intention of accepting, as that would only "give legitimacy" to "this weird phenomenon." Mr. Oktar, he says, "doesn't know anything about zoology, doesn't know anything about biology. He knows nothing about what he is attempting to refute."

Of course. Ad Hominem – the last refuge of the idiot pseudo-intellectual once he realizes he's been bettered by a 'foe' such as Dawkins, who has more credentials than can fill a military archive, more knowledge than most encyclopedias, and more credibility, honor and professionalism than most academics combined. Tsk tsk tsk. Poor Oktar – smells like just another self-wanking ignorant bullshitter who will soon land in a dumpster yet have no idea as to how he got there. Ah well.

I do wonder why no-one's jumped at the incredible easy chance to claim his ruddy 6 million USD (originally 10 million Turkish) just for the effort of wasting about ten minutes or less with a slideshow explaining how fossils 'prove' Evolution. As if Evolution wasn't already established as a 'scientific fact' anyway. Loon.

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