Author Archives: brucefp

Katie Couric Diggs the Conventions

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Katie Couric is accepting suggestions through Digg for topics to ask the candidates at the Conventions. Now, this could just be another chance for the network to cull stupid questions from the unwashed masses. Or, this could be an opportunity for those of us who would like to have the candidates answer substantive questions about how they plan to deal with Science and Science-related issues from the White House.
Support ScienceDebate2008 by digging this link.

“Hey Digg, I’d like to take some questions from the Digg community with me to the Democratic and Republican conventions. Submit a question in the comment section below. I’ll ask the newsmakers and politicians some of your questions in my online coverage from both cities, and during a live Webcast from CBS News and CNET. Thanks! Katie.”

read more | digg story

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From the "You've got to be kidding me" file

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“Special licenses offered to those who fear ‘beast'”

What? Who? Huh?

“West Virginia is offering special driver’s licenses to people who oppose digitized photos because they believe this could be the beginning of the biblical “mark of the beast” prophecy.”

So, who carries the burden of the additional cost in time and resources? Who do you think?

Look, I can understand where they are coming from. I generally refuse to have my picture taken, since it is my sincere belief that photographs steal your soul. But I don’t expect taxpayers to foot the bill for the photorealistic artwork I use on my driver’s license.

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Double Trouble 080808: Morris and Ballantine Blitz Amazon

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 Double Trouble
Here comes another marketing blitz from the Podosphere.  Tee Morris, author of the Morevi series, Billibub Baddings and the Case of the Singing Sword, Podcasting for Dummies, etc… and Phillipa “Pip” Ballantine, author of “Chasing the Bard”, are ganging up on Amazon.

With new books being released at the same time, the two authors felt they could have some synergy by promoting them together.

I haven’t read either of the new books, but I have read all of Tee’s fiction and Chasing the Bard.  These are excellent author’s with great storytelling abilities.

If “The Case of the Pitcher’s Pendant” is half as good as “The Case of the Singing Sword”, you might find that you’re always thinking Dwarf! when you’re on the hunt for a hard-boiled pulp detective.

“Chasing the Bard” was a delightful fantasy woven into the real life story of William Shakespeare.  Pip got the details right on the part we know, maybe she got the fairy bit right too?

These are two authors who have established themselves with their writing, on 08-08-08 you can help establish them in the market by buying their new books on Amazon.

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Big News for Skeptical Community

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Dr Phil Plait, The Bad Astronomer (Bad the same way Shaft was one bad-“SHUT YOUR MOUTH”), has been named the new President of the James Randi Educational Foundation. Replacing founder and namesake, James “The Amazing” Randi.

I feel this is great news for a couple of reasons.  The most important is that Phil is a tireless educator and crusading skeptic in his own right.  This will provide him with further resources and, possibly, a wider forum for his work.

Only slightly less important is that it assures that the foundation will continue on for many years.  While still incredibly energetic Randi cannot go on forever, but his work should and this will help.

Meanwhile, as board chairman, Randi will be able to influence the direction of the foundation and have time to finish his two books.

Best of luck Phil, stepping into the shoes of an icon is never easy.

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BodyWorlds 2

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The whole Icetray joined some friends up at the Maryland Science Center to check out the BodyWorlds 2 exhibit. If you’ve never heard of Body Worlds, it is an exhibit of what the BodyWorlds people call “plastinates”. Plastinates are people, real people, that have been preserved through a process that removes the body fluids an replaces them with a polymer or epoxy kind of stuff. We joked about whether they waited, or actively procured the bodies from drunken tourists or something.

That’s not really saying enough, though. You might think that this is just an opportunity for the average person to have a taste of what a medical school gross anatomy class is like. I suppose it is that to an extent and that would be enough to make it worth your time. That is only the jumping off point.

There are also words, descriptive, poetic, challenging and thought provoking writ large on the walls and psyche. The exhibit explores the brain, birth, health (it gets pretty darn pedantic on anti-smoking) and our relationship to the animal kingdom. One thing is for sure, the creators of the exhibit did not equivocate on their message. We are animals. We are physical beings.

The one thing it mostly wasn’t, was the one thing I expected. It wasn’t really gross. Sure there were some black lungs, cancerous growths, distorted hearts and a particularly cyst-y kidney which was disgusting. Yet, we practically ran from display to display, ooh-ing and discussing. It was a terrific experience though it wasn’t without its disturbing aspects.

While many of the bodies have been frozen for all time in postures that expose organs, or show how the body works during activity, a few are attempts at art. It is really these few examples that left me disturbed. The use of cadavers for education, especially of the masses, I find compelling. Taking the flesh and trying to express artistic intent, felt more like something for a madman in a horror movie. I’m not sure how I feel about that.

If you have the means and the exhibit ends up near you, I recommend you go. I’d also like to know what you thought about it.

“Man is an intelligence in servitude to his organs.” ~Aldous Huxley

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Taxpayers fund faith over knowledge at Colorado school

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Colorado Christian University, a college that puts their faith ahead of knowledge (seriously, it’s right on the front page of their website), has just had a courtroom victory to receive state scholarship money.

As an American I can only say I’m appalled. There are many universities in the United States that were founded by religious institutions who receive state and federal money. Serious institutions of higher learning and knowledge. Conversely, CCU is a Christian indoctrination center where students must sign a promise to emulate the life of Jesus and biblical teachings and faculty must sign a statement that the bible is the “infallible word of god”.

They must have amazing programs in biology, geology and astrophysics. I can imagine the excitement looking through the course catalog and finding out that I could get a degree in one of those subjects with a single 30 minute course.

I don’t understand how the state of Colorado can use taxpayer dollars to support students attending a blatantly discriminatory institution.  Faculty must sign a “Statement of Faith” that includes:

“We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.”

In the school’s “Strategic Objectives” the following two objectives are listed first,  “Honor Christ and share the love of Christ on campus and around the world” and “Teach students to trust the Bible, live holy lives and be evangelists”.  The most telling bit, however, is the objective listed last, “Become a great university”.
So, there is the obvious discouragement of a Jewish, Muslim, Hindu or non-theist working or attending this institution.  It still begs the question, “Who would want to attend this dogma over knowledge day camp?”

I don’t argue their right to exist, only that their evangelical mission should be assisted through taxpayer dollars.   Let them pay for their proselytizing themselves.

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Brave Men Run

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Matthew Wayne Selznick, musician, do-it-yourself advocate, podcaster and a hell of a nice guy, also happens to be the author of a really good book. Brave Men Run – A Novel of the Sovereign Era. I listened to Brave Men Run when it was originally podcast (still available on podiobooks.com). I bought a copy of the original release which was then greedily consumed by my son and wife. I will be supporting Matt as his book finds a new publisher, new cover and a new release date — this Sunday, July 13th, 2008.



Now, WHERE’S THE SEQUEL?? I THINK WE’VE WAITED LONG ENOUGH!!! 🙂

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The Amazing Meeting 6 (Next year, for sure!)

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I was unable, again, to attend the James Randi Educational Foundation’s , The Amazing Meeting (TAM) in Las Vegas. It conflicted with the trip to Costa Rica. Which was awesome and more important to my marriage.

Nonetheless, with the help of some of my favorite podcasters, I’ve been able to experience some of the better moments.

This was George Hrab‘s first year at TAM, and he was on the bill! It’s worth listening to his post-tam episode, just to hear what someone sounds like when they get what they always wanted.

Skepticality is running a series of episodes featuring interviews from TAM 6. The first two interviews, Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Adam Savage from The Mythbusters.

The Skeptics Guide to the Universe, recorded a live episode at TAM and will be incorporating interviews from the meeting into future episodes.

The Bad Astronomer, Phil Plait, has blogged of the event and included a cool video.

Soccergirl episode #286 and #287 has some great video footage from TAM 6.

These are only the ones I’ve managed to get to since I’ve been back from travel. I’m sure there’s more great coverage out there I haven’t found yet!

But are not the dreams of poets and the tales of travellers notoriously false?
H. P. Lovecraft

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Costa Rica: No Guns, No War, NO ARMY

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My wife and I spent the last week of July in Costa Rica.  We really enjoyed the diving, eco-touring and eating.  It’s just a beautiful country and the people treated us spectacularly.  Especially for that part of the world, they have a remarkably stable economy and political structure.  With the growth of tourism, they have actually restored some of their rainforests and they have an aggressive restoration program.  Very cool.

We traveled with 9 others on a trip organized through our local dive shop.  While we only dove on the first two of the 7 days, there was still the familiar bonding among divers.  We had a great group to share our all too brief adventure with.  It was a pretty fast paced tour of the country with 3 hotels, diving, rappelling, zip-lines, beach, ATVs and horses.  Believe it, or not, there was even time for a little souvenir shopping.

Not surprisingly, we were at a loss for a gift for my 16-year-old son.  I thought I hit the mother lode while shopping in La Fortuna, near the Arenal Volcano, a shop full of figures of dragons, skulls and the like.  Just the kind of stuff he likes.  It took me a minute, but I soon noticed it was a head shop and they were all pipes.  OK, not quite the message I wanted to bring home.

I settled on the Costa Rica: No Guns, No War, NO ARMY T-Shirt.  He’d like that.

I have found out that there ain’t no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.  ~Mark Twain

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Every opportunity

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I really wanted to head down to D.C. and catch George Hrab‘s show at the Hawk&Dove, for the Center For Inquiry, this evening. Geo doesn’t get this close that often and it would have been fun to see the show he’s going to be doing at The Amazing Meeting in Las Vegas later this month.

Tonight was also my daughter’s 8th grade program and dance. Next year, she will be in high school and this is a pretty big transition for her.

Her Middle School career has been something special with great friends and a huge change from kid to young woman. It was not a question of missing this event, ever. I really try to take every opportunity to be with my kids for important (and not so important) events.  Really I think it’s the nameless times making each other laugh that we’ll remember the most.

I wanted to do both.

I pretty quickly realized, once I was seated in the auditorium, D.C. was not going to be an option. A quick sigh and I was committed to the moment. I have found that everything is more enjoyable when you are not focused on where you could be, but where you are.

I missed Geo’s show, there will be others. My daughter will have more moments like this, but I may not get to share them.

Allie and friends

Totally worth it, don’t you think?

“I’ve met many people in my time. Liked many. Loved a few. Only my children are the air I breath.”

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