Skepchick Sundaylies: Pick-Up Artists, Bad Costuming, Spanking, “Health Food,” and a Tobacco Tax…for kids!
Sunday Funny: Confirmation bias is for everyone. (via Wondermark; HT: Sociological Images)
The Not So Beautiful Game Step 2: In Which a Good Stiff Motivational Speech Might Be in Order
Elizabeth is finding out what it means to be a pick-up artists with her recurring discussion of ‘The Game.’
Modern Mythology: Turn on Your Brain
Ali takes on an en vogue brain myth.
DBT Skills: DEAR MAN
For the less socially confident among us, Olivia provides some helpful tools.
Gambit – Best Worst Costume Ever
Resident costume critic Ryan explains why Gambit’s costume is the worst.
Of Gifted Children and the Banality of Menstruation: The Psychological Research of Leta Hollingworth
Dale tells the story of the woman who debunked pervasive gender myths and revolutionized gifted education.
Molecular Gastronomy: Play with your food!
Taste food like you’ve never tasted it before.
Raising Crows: Together? (en español)
Elara talks about the annoying compliment to a “helping dad” who shares some of the tasks of raising his kids. It’s insulting to everyone.
Businesslike
Are businesses really the right model for educational institutions?
School Funding: Smoke ’em If You Got ’em
More budget cuts in Pennsylvania…and a tobacco tax for the children.
Python in the Classroom
The perennial question returns: how do we get more programming in schools?
5 Problems with Atheist Ideas: Conflicts with Atheism Part II
Kavin, whose formerly-Hindu parents raised her in an atheist household, goes into the problems behind the general attitude that atheists have against religious people.
America’s Best Idea – for Kids
Lance talks about Junior Rangers, a scouting program for kids, and National Parks.
Good Reasons to Hit Your Kid
Delagar talks about purposely deciding not to spank her children and asks other parents what their “good” reasons for beating their kids are.
Food is NOT Medicine
Sarah rages against the popular idea that “health food” is the best way to treat medical conditions.
Featured image credit: Fried Dough via Flickr
I am NOT about to finish reading The Game. I would need a 55 gallon drum of bleach afterward. Something that Elizabeth might want to emphasize is that the book is supposedly an ‘inside’ report ABOUT the PUA subculture. Actual PUA literature is even more disturbing. Neal Strauss keeps up some pretense of distance from his subject, even though he was taking in money from suckers along the way…
If you search some of the web resources that Strauss mentions in the beginning of the book, you’ll find that the actual source material is WORSE than Strauss indicates. This subculture seeks to train naive boys to act like sociopaths. And ‘normal’ dating culture actually encourages the same behavior.
I’ve been largely taking the thing at face value, but you’re right, that’s a great thing to bring up.
Regarding ‘health’ food, I remember years ago Neal Barnard made a claim that if you’re vegan and diabetic, you don’t need no portion control. (Double negative for caricature purposes.) That was…irresponsible to say the least. I’m thinking about it recently because of assertions about Navajos. But I just remembered Dr Hall’s takedown and directed everyone there.
The problem is the One True Cause Of All Disease™ when…there isn’t one. Notice how real medicine doesn’t have one unifying cause of all disease?