Categories
Antivaccine nonsense Autism Medicine Politics Science Skepticism/critical thinking

Birthers and the anti-vaccine movement: A brief interlude

Here’s a brief one for you all. Former UPI editor and now editor of the anti-vaccine crank blog Age of Autism has a talent for incredibly un-self-aware statements. This time around, in the wake of President Obama’s having released his “long form” birth certificate, ol’ Danny Boy posted a quickie statement (in amongst a bunch […]

Categories
Politics

Osama bin Laden…dead. Finally.

After more than ten years, finally, Osama bin Laden is dead: This is such monumental news that I think it’s appropriate to pause blogging in order to pay tribute to the brave men and women who finally not only killed the terrorist mastermind behind 9/11 but brought his body back. Well done! I’ve written about […]

Categories
Politics Science Skepticism/critical thinking

In “tribute” to a commenter…all you ever needed to know about Climategate

Dedicated to a certain commenter who thinks I’m an “eco-fascist” because I criticized Ann Coulter for abusing physics and biology for claiming that “radiation is good for you,” I present a video that succinctly describes everything you need to know about the “Climategate” affair: I posted it on my Facebook profile, too, and already a […]

Categories
News of the Weird Politics Skepticism/critical thinking

Releasing his long form birth certificate: Obama caving to the birthers or putting the conspiracy theory to rest?

Among the most bizarre and risible conspiracy theories currently going around, rising to the top (or near the top) has to be notion that President Obama was not actually born in the United States and therefore is not a U.S. citizen and not eligible to be President of the United States. Indeed, ever since the […]

Categories
Complementary and alternative medicine Medicine Politics Quackery

The wonderfully Orwellian Free Speech About Science Act of 2011 (H.R. 1364)

“Health freedom.” It’s a battle cry frequently used by supporters of “alternative” medicine against what they perceive to be persecution by the medical and scientific establishment that uses the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, and other federal agencies charged with regulating pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics, and medical devices in order to protect the […]