Daily Archives: December 6, 2012

Be a Lego Stud: The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide (new edition)

The other day I reviewed a guide to using the very high end Lego Technic system. Here, I’ve got a book that addresses the needs of those at the other end of the Lego Spectrum: The Unofficial LEGO Builder’s Guide

By “other end of the spectrum” I do not mean unsophisticated or easy, I simply mean no electrical gizmos and not too many gears and things. For example, you might use this guide to build a very realistic scale model of the Space Shuttle or a cool Train Station with People waiting for the Train model. Or, perhaps, a house with a chimney. But a really cool one. Continue reading Be a Lego Stud: The Unofficial Lego Builder's Guide (new edition)

Critique of Rebecca Watson's Talk: Haters gonna hate.

Whinging About Skepchick

A critique of a talk by Rebecca Watson is very likely heavily influenced by the critiquer’s membership in one group or another as defined by The Great Sorting. This not because Rebecca is a polarizing person. It is because she has been outspoken on issues that tend to polarize people, like feminism. This polarization is enhanced by the fact that a break-off group of skeptics have chosen to join the haters rather than the thinkers and doers. Also, she leads a group of women who have tried to open up the Skeptical Community to having more female participants and to more frequently address women’s issues, and this has led to significant push back. As you listen to Rebecca’s recent talk on Evolutionary Psychology or read critiques of it, especially those that specifically call her talk “science denialism” or “creationism” or some other absurd thing, keep that in mind. Continue reading Critique of Rebecca Watson's Talk: Haters gonna hate.