Monthly Archives: February 2009

Haynesworth becomes a Redskin; highest paid defensive player

Albert Haynesworth, seven year defensive tackle for the Tennessee Titans, has agreed to terms with the Washington Redskins on a seven year $100 million contract which includes $41 million guaranteed–a deal that will make him the highest paid defensive player in the history of the league.
Best wishes to Albert!

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That’s not how science works!

Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for February 26, 2009.

Posted in Entertainment, Humor, Science, Social Commentary | Leave a comment

Why are iPhone users willing to pay for content?

It’s the user experience, stupid!
Saul Hansell, writing in the New York Times Bits Blog, gets it:
What’s most interesting is how iPhone users are willing to spend money in ways that Web users are not.
I’ve criticized Apple from time to time for not having a coherent approach to delivering free content with advertising. But in some [...]

Posted in Apple, Entertainment, Technology, iPod / iPhone / iTunes | Tagged | Leave a comment

…and starring Bobby Jindal as ‘Two-Face’

I’m sure you’ve all seen governor of Louisiana, “Bobby” Jindal, making the rounds on TV talk shows and news programs talking about how bad the economic stimulus package is, and how he doesn’t think that the same old “tax and spend” is the best solution. I damn well know you’ve all heard how the heroic [...]

Posted in Government / Law, Politics, Truth / Half-truths / Damned Lies | Leave a comment

Vermont professor responds to Discovery Institute debate request

This is one of the funniest things I’ve read in quite some time, as well as being one of the clearest and most concise explanations of why creationism (which includes such rebrandings as “creation science” and/or “intelligent design”) simply is not science.
[via Pharyngula]

Posted in Education, Humor, Religion, Science | Leave a comment

A parent’s guide to Facebook: it’s The Beatles

Lisa Belkin writing in the New York Times Magazine, Facebook for Parents:
In the months since my first post about how my children won’t “friend” me, I’ve come to see that today’s parents see Facebook the way earlier generations of parents probably saw the Beatles — as a threat to the known universe that could actually [...]

Posted in Entertainment, Family, Internet, Psychology / Human Nature, Technology | Leave a comment

Friendship 7 orbits Earth +48 years

On this date in 1961, John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as pilot of the Mercury-Atlas 6 (“Friendship 7″).

Posted in History, Space | Leave a comment

Man shoots, kills self in California super-ultra-mega-church

The kicker here is that he shot himself as a volunteer just happened to be telling a group of visitors about the church’s suicide prevention programs.
Associated Press:
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – A man shot and killed himself in front of a cross inside televangelist Robert H. Schuller’s Crystal Cathedral on Wednesday as a nearby volunteer told [...]

Posted in News, Religion, Social Commentary, Wacky Shit | 1 Comment

La Brea yields first intact mammoth skeleton

This is huge! (I couldn’t resist–but seriously, this is pretty cool)
New York Times:
LOS ANGELES — The excavation for a parking garage near the La Brea tar pits here has yielded the site’s first intact mammoth skeleton as well as a trove of other bones that could double the size of the site’s already large collection [...]

Posted in History, Science, Television | Leave a comment

Dr. Kiki on global warming, skepticism, reason and science

Dr. Kirsten Sanford (one of the Skeptologists, for those of you who may be interested in seeing more critical thinking, science and reason on TV), writing at her blog, The Bird’s Brain, A Response to Cali’s Weekend Twitter Circus:
I spend my time paying attention to as much of the science media as I can, and [...]

Posted in Environment / Weather, Government / Law, Politics, Psychology / Human Nature, Science, Skepticism / Rational-Critical Thought | Leave a comment

Nate Silver takes on George F. Will

FiveThirtyEight.com’s Nate Silver, George F. Will Takes on Science, Loses Credibility:
And yet, according to George F. Will, many scientists were convinced in the 1970s that global cooling was a significant threat to the planet. And if those scientists were so wrong before, why should we trust them when they say that global warming is a [...]

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Mangione loses bandmates in last week’s plane crash

Two members of Chuck Mangione’s band were killed in last week’s plane crash in the Bufalo, New York area.  Mangione said in a statement, “I’m in shock over the horrible, heartbreaking tragedy.”

Posted in Entertainment, Music, News | 3 Comments