I Speak of Dreams

A Great New Resource to Combat Denialism

At Scienceblogs, a new blog has opened up shop:  denialism.

Denialism is the employment of rhetorical tactics to give the appearance of argument or legitimate debate, when in actuality there is none. These false arguments are used when one has few or no facts to support one's viewpoint against a scientific consensus or against overwhelming evidence to the contrary. They are effective in distracting from actual useful debate using emotionally appealing, but ultimately empty and illogical assertions.

Examples of common topics in which denialists employ their tactics include: Creationism/Intelligent Design, Global Warming denialism, Holocaust denial, HIV/AIDS denialism, 9/11 conspiracies, Tobacco Carcinogenecity denialism (the first organized corporate campaign), anti-vaccination/mercury autism denialism and anti-animal testing/animal rights extremist denialism. Denialism spans the ideological spectrum, and is about tactics rather than politics or partisanship.

One I would add is "whole language is an effective method to teach all k-3 grade students to read"--see the debate at Edspresso, including the comments.

I am glad to have Chris Hoofnagle and Mark Hoofnagle around to teach me to think and argue more effectively.  A whole lot of goal-post moving going on. 

I Have A Daemon

Thanks to Terrance at the Republic of T, I went to the Golden Compass movie website and discovered that I had a daemon.

One Is A Nutjob, Twentyfive Are Powerful

How parents with issues are viewed by schools

1 parent with an issue = A nutjob, thinks the school
2 parents with the same issue = A nutjob and a friend
3 parents with the same issue = A trio of troublemakers
5 parents with the same issue = “Let’s have a meeting”
10 parents with the same issue = “We’d better listen”
25 parents with the same issue = “Our dear friends”
50 parents with the same issue = A powerful organization

The Second Sight Delves Into Reiki Woo

I sent EoR, who keeps The Second Sight,  the link to Beth Hansen-Buth's suite of sites (visionary artist and intuitive faery oracle and tarot reader)....

because I was deep into researching the assumptions behind the Whole Language approach to k-3 education, and my brain was already exploding with woo, non sequiturs,  ad hominem attacks in various flavors, and other logical fallacies.

Eor Never Disappoints:

Crystals, pyramids and reiki! The world is safe at last! With so many busy practitioners healing the "earths aura" and others doing acupuncture on the earth, we can all rest easy at night now.

What Passes for Common Sense With Middle School Boys

Mrs. Bluebird recounts a what were they thinking? story featuring boys and icy-hot.

Cell Phone Hazard--Really!

Thanks to my friend Karoli at odd time signatures, I learned something I didn't know: if your cell phone is stolen, you are liable for all calls made after the theft, and the cell phone carriers can be quite difficult to deal with.

I'm more worried about Jumper Girl in the college setting being a theft victim. 

David Bach has a 10 point plan to follow if your phone is stolen and you are hit with a large bill from the thieves using your phone.

Take Back The Blog

Updated--see below

April 28, 2007 Take Back the Blog! Blogswarm

As I said in my first post, I didn't care for thought the icon didn't really express the root issues. 

My PhotoShop skills aren't the best, but here's this:

Not so clean graphically--but speaks for me.

Today is the day to advocate for  the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society, including specifically online in the world of blogging but indeed everywhere and at all times, day and night, without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking and slander, predation or violence of any sort.

I want to point out that the originator of the Take Back the Blog blogswarm, Bruce Godfrey, put his money where his mouth is:

I have made two decisions related to Kos Media and my participation in its activities. I have decided not to attend YearlyKos this year, and further to cease participation at DailyKos, having written a thank-you letter/"Good-Bye Cruel World" diary to that effect over there.

This is of course over Kos's deplorable reaction to Kathy Sierra.

Taping the IEP Meeting Goes Sour, or Reason #6048383 That SpEd Parents Go Ballistic

An inadvertent tape recording of school officials discussing a student revealed the officials' contempt for the student and her family.  School officials retaliated by instigating a felony investigation of the parents, even though the parents' advocate,  not the parents, was responsible for the taping.  The whole affair set off a ruckus in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Full story below the fold.

The 59th Skeptics' Circle Is Up

Link: Pooflingers Anonymous: Untitled: the 59^th Skeptics' Circle -- haiku style. 

And oh, great -- cultic recruitment in the dojo. 

Make the Vaccine Resisters in Your Neighborhood Watch This

Kevin Leitch of Left Brain/Right Brain has put together a video showing children suffering from vaccine-preventable diseases. Link: Left Brain/Right Brain » Just Sayin’.