From the Climate Reality Project

Two items:

1) The recent episode of Skeptically Speaking on space is now a podcast. Details here.

In almost any discussion of space exploration and observation, one question always arises. Why should we spend the money, when there are problems here on Earth? This week, we’re going to tackle this question, with a panel of people who know just how important the science of space actually is. Penny4NASA‘s John Zeller and Noisy Astronomer Nicole Gugliucci return to the show, along with Scientific American Associate Editor John Matson, and Cynthia Phillips, Senior Research Scientist at the SETI Institute. They’ll discuss the technological, social and economic benefits of exploring space, and what it really means to all of us.

2) A nice post on distinguishing between ral and fake science by Emily Willingham is HERE.

If you had a friend or relative who didn’t vote at all, and for that reason someone you didn’t like got elected, then, naturally, you would run them over. Like this:

Upset over the result of last week’s presidential election, an Arizona woman ran over her husband with her car, believing him to be directly responsible for Obama’s reelection because he didn’t vote.

According to police in Gilbert, 28-year-old Holly Solomon of Mesa and her husband Daniel argued loudly in a local parking lot before Holly got in her Jeep SUV and began chasing Daniel around. She eventually managed to pin him underneath the vehicle as he was trying to run away.

Daniel remains in critical condition as of this writing.

Meanwhile the latest thing is to send 15 cents to John Schnatter, the “John” behind “Papa Johns” who, if he had 15 cents more per pizza he would manage to survive having to supply his hard working employees with basic, legally required health benefits.

Like this:

Meanwhile, there is a solution to solve this problem of hate-filled, racist Republicans ruining it for everyone. Sign this petition to “Peacefully grant the State of Tennessee to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own NEW government. And then, of course, send all the Republicans there. They’ll fit, if they all breath in at once.

Also, people are starting to catch on to something I’ve been saying along. Remember the whole Black Hawk Down thing? That was George HW Bush handing Clinton a manufactured international crisis just to try to ruin his presidency. The Recession? George Bush Jr’s gift to Obama, and the rest of us. The Republicans have been deliberately creating actual crises where people die and stuff just to make Democrats look bad for just over 100 years.

That’s all for not.

Just remember to vote or someone will run you over!

Three only vaguely connected items that I thought you might want to know about:

From Amanda Marcotte: Skepticon Demonstrates That Pro-Fun Means Anti-Harassment

From Jessica at The Friendly Atheist: Uganda Passes ‘Kill the Gays’ Bill

From Think by Numbers: Government Spends More on Corporate Welfare Subsidies than Social Welfare Programs

… from you, as a friend or relative? Or, more exactly, what kinds of often well meaning things do you say or do for someone with chronic illness that are actually hurting and not helping?

I have a good friend who, like many other friends actually, has a chronic illness that is sometimes painful, sometimes scary, sometimes annoying, and at any given time, I think, is one or more of those things, and she has written a blog post listing over a dozen things that people often do or say that she wishes they wouldn’t. Most of these are really simple things, often unintentional, but not without consequence. Some of these, I think, are things people do because they are talking to themselves or about themselves rather than to the person their mouth is pointed at while exuding noise (which is what most humans do most of the time anyway). Or, they are extolling a belief or two that they need everyone else to hear even if it is irrelevant at best, likely very wrong, and just plain harmful in some cases.

Now, as soon as I read this post by my friend I immediately emailed her and said “I’M SO SORRY I DID ALL THOSE THINGS, HOLY CRAP, SORRY” but it turns out that that I was cool. But, honestly, it is easy to see how some items on her list would be so easy to do by accident (and one would naturally be forgiven), which is why you need to read this post. Even if you think you are doing this right, you may well be accidentally doing it wrong.

Have a look at Let’s Talk About Chronic Illnesses! by Sarah Moglia.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about what the Republican party and its members were up to this election year. Racial slurs and lynching chairs, being mean to recent immigrants, and voter suppression directed at minorities could hot have helped to get the non-white vote in line for last Tuesday’s elections. A ramped up attack on women in general and their health care in particular could not have helped to get the none-male vote in line for last Tuesday’s election. And, importantly, white males in large numbers are annoyed at attacks on women and minority, so the Republican approach could not have helped get the white male vote in line for last Tuesday’s election. Then, we had Romney making everyone wait 2 hours for his concession while Karl Rove bloviating on Fox about how you can never tell who wins, and the apparent fact that the Republicans really thought they were doing well enough to win the White House and the Senate … all this together makes me wonder if there might be something wrong with their brains.

And then, when I was thinking that, I remembered that I forgot to add a particular book to my recent post on resources on Science Denialsm. So, I added it (go have a look) and also, I’m mentioning it here.

Chis Mooney’s The Republican Brain: The Science of Why They Deny Science- and Reality …

…uses cutting-edge research to explain the psychology behind why today’s Republicans reject reality—it’s just part of who they are.
From climate change to evolution, the rejection of mainstream science among Republicans is growing, as is the denial of expert consensus on the economy, American history, foreign policy and much more. Why won’t Republicans accept things that most experts agree on? Why are they constantly fighting against the facts?

Science writer Chris Mooney explores brain scans, polls, and psychology experiments to explain why conservatives today believe more wrong things; appear more likely than Democrats to oppose new ideas and less likely to change their beliefs in the face of new facts; and sometimes respond to compelling evidence by doubling down on their current beliefs.

Goes beyond the standard claims about ignorance or corporate malfeasance to discover the real, scientific reasons why Republicans reject the widely accepted findings of mainstream science, economics, and history—as well as many undeniable policy facts (e.g., there were no “death panels” in the health care bill).

Explains that the political parties reflect personality traits and psychological needs—with Republicans more wedded to certainty, Democrats to novelty—and this is the root of our divide over reality.

Written by the author of The Republican War on Science, which was the first and still the most influential book to look at conservative rejection of scientific evidence. But the rejection of science is just the beginning…

Certain to spark discussion and debate, The Republican Brain also promises to add to the lengthy list of persuasive scientific findings that Republicans reject and deny.

Paul Broun is THIS GUY. As of this writing there are some 80,000 signatures on a petition to have him removed from the US House of Representatives Science Committee, where clearly does not belong. Click here to read and sign it!

This week, we’re looking at the science of sexual orientation, where debates over nature vs. nurture have influenced law, policy and equal rights. We’re joined by neuroscientist and writer Simon LeVay, to talk about his research on the topic, and his book Gay, Straight, and the Reason Why: The Science of Sexual Orientation.

And on the podcast, astrophysicist Ethan Siegel returns to the show, to tell us about a new project using the information aggregation service TrapIt to improve learning in the classroom.

We record live with Simon LeVay on Sunday, November 11 at 6 pm MT. The podcast will be available to download at 6 pm MT on Friday, November 16.

CLICK HERE

An anti-same sex marriage amendment was on the ballot this year in Minnesota. It was defeated, but there is still an anit same sex marriage law on the books which obviously has to be removed somehow. The new legislative leaders in Saint Paul, following a total change in ruling party, has said they won’t be addressing same sex marriage in the immediate future, and I’ve heard estimates of one or even two years before it is taken up.

There were a handful of overlapping reasons why there was an anti same sex marriage amendment, as well as a voter suppression amendment (an amendment that would have repressed liberal and progressive voters) on Minnesota’s ballot this year, in my estimation. They include:

Read the rest at MPP

Here’s an idea, which I’ve started to promote HERE. If you want your representative in the legislature or congress to do something, tell them. But also, give them a certificate that promises them volunteer hours during the next election if they do what you want. Or, as in the case of THIS CERTIFICATE (PDF), promise them X hours for their next campaign, unless some important legislative thing does not happen, and then give them X/2 (half).

First, just in case you didn’t know, Grover Norquist is a right wing lobbyist who developed the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” that most Republicans are required to sign in order to run for office. He apparently hosted a “victory party” on election eve, but the party was crashed, and pawned, by a left wing activist street performer with a camera. The following ensued:

I want to see Green Economy jobs and Alternate Energy Strategy technology and infrastructure growth. Can I haz Smart Grid please?