You neglected to mention how the mercury was administered for syphilis. You fill a thin glass tube, and slid it up the urethra. Then you tap it with a hammer to shatter the glass. And this would only give temporary relief, so would have to be given periodically.

In any case, the Tuskegee experiment (crime) took place after modern treatments…[Read more]

“I coupled the 10 days with precise scientific measurements of my body for months before and after the 10 days and less scientifically my own perceptions.”

And measuring what, exactly? And with what instruments?

Please elaborate on what differences were measured, how they were measured, and what statistical process was used to arrive at a p <0.01 significance level.

Pharyngula wrote a blog addressing that article

Death to Dollo’s Law!

Will definitely miss you on the show, but I know you’ll do well in your other endeavors.

Again, that’s part of the problem. Was it Anonymous, or was it Anonymous’ twin brother. Looks just like him.

I would think, I could be wrong, that they have to capability to expose someone else speaking in their name, instead of just saying “Wasn’t me. Can’t prove it was me.”

Anonymous has made me nervous since they claimed credit for the Arab Spring. I guess it’s one problem of their complete anonymousness, for lack of a better word. Maybe they helped, maybe they didn’t. It’s hard to say.

But I always get nervous dealing with people who know what’s best for me, and if I don’t like it, no problem. We have…[Read more]

Another show I’ve found surprisingly progressive is Disney’s ‘Girl Meets World’, sequel the old ‘Boy Meets World’ from the nineties.

The main characters are in the 7th grade (I think), but they’re up front with the idea that girls are attracted to boys. Sometimes I’m amazed they’re as forward as they are. It is Disney, after all.

And…[Read more]

Here here! Well put.

In the case of Randi’s statement about climate change, I think it should be pointed out that he’s a magician, not a scientist, as he himself has pointed out.

I used to buy into some of the denialist arguments myself.

A lot of the belief is because Anonymous claimed credit at the time.

Lately I’ve been getting repeated calls from India claiming to be Microsoft, calling about my “Windows Computer”. Which one? “Your Windows Computer”.

I tell them to F Off and generally just lob insults at them. Usually we trade barbs for a minute and then they hang up. But I had one spend some time trying to prove that he was much smarter…[Read more]

I’m gonna add this one for cute animal Friday
http://www.cbs8.com/story/26884116/rare-kiwi-chick-hatches-at-san-diego-zoo

My orange long hair, Teddy, used to tear open the bread bags and munch on the bread. My dad was convinced we had mice until we caught him in the act.

I’m going to start with a “non-skeptical product defamation”, but with a note that it’s been, sadly, many years since I had a cat. But back in the day I never owned a cat who could eat 9 Lives and not throw it up in a short period of time. I never really understood how they managed to stay in business.

It was a real problem as a kid as I c…[Read more]

My own experience that even sweet, lovable kittens go into attack mode when they meet innocent puppies.

I’m going to throw this article in as it looks new

Iraqi Yazidi girl tells of captivity in IS group

http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-yazidi-girl-tells-captivity-group-104216474.html

I brought it up to a Lovecraft group, and their feeling was similar. While he was horribly racist, he was pretty typical for the time. They felt that as long as no one was trying to put his face on an award for racial harmony it wasn’t worth the fuss. Of course they might be a little biased.

There were some suggestions else where that they…[Read more]

What really hit the passenger pigeons was habitat loss and market hunting. Specifically they needed large areas as rookeries, and the market hunters would burn the rookeries so that the chicks would jump from the trees where they could be easily collected for the eastern squab market. So the pigeons lost not only that years production, but the…[Read more]

Looks interesting. I’ve ordered it along with one of his older books (Them: Adventures with Extremists). But I’m so far behind in my reading already I don’t know when I’ll get to them.