Normally, Wednesday is Stacey’s day to Afternoon Inquisition you. Unfortunately, she’s busy with some other things, so you all have to look at my ugly mug for the next two days. Sorry, folks.
Anyway, on the 30th anniversary of the Jonestown disaster Tuesday, the first panels of a 36-foot-long stone wall that is to be inscribed with the names of more than 900 victims of the violence in Guyana were unveiled at a memorial service. The minister made it clear during the service that Jim Jones’ name will not be included on the granite panels.
Jim Jones Jr., the minister’s adopted son, is a little miffed. He says, “The tragedy is we’re villanizing Jim Jones. Jim Jones was also a victim, of his own madness. We need to memorialize all the bodies, as a great loss.”
Do you see madness/insanity as a valid excuse for any criminal or violent acts?
Thanks to the SkepTick for both the above headline and the link to this FTC Press Release I can’t believe I missed. In case you don’t feel like clicking the link, the release’s headline says it all:
Kevin Trudeau Banned from Infomercials For Three Years, Ordered to Pay More Than $5 Million for False Claims About Weight-Loss Book
Ha ha ha hahaaaaaaaaaaa!
Ahem, okay, sorry. Heh. I’m composed now.
I love, love, love seeing charlatans busted in such a well-deserved fashion. Though I’m a staunch defender of free speech and cases like this brush uncomfortably close to belief that the First Amendment should be protected at all costs, it is clear that Trudeau flagrantly violated the law by continually lying out his ass, misrepresenting his products, and scamming consumers.
Of course, as sweet as the punishment is, it doesn’t quite fit the crime. In this case, that would mean Trudeau would be force-fed until he became morbidly obese, then injected with Human Growth Hormone and given daily colonics. That’s at least nicer than the punishment that would be required for his previous run-in with the law in which he promised to give cancer victims the cure they desperately hoped for. Presumably, that punishment would involve giving him cancer and then not allowing any treatment but coral calcium.
I’m not big on the death penalty, so I think I prefer the fat punishment.
I have a list of what the.real.boy and I call the “ungoogleable” questions; but these are more conversation starters for parties than blog-friendly questions. (Unless you all really want to answer this year’s question: does anyone really like that candy known as Circus Peanuts?)
So, I’m turning to another list of questions this week; the Proust Questionnaire. You can read all about his answers later, but first answer me this:
I don’t mean this as a joke, but as a serious question. One of the big turning points for me as I was leaving religion, was realizing that the times I felt moved by the sermons in church were usually when I had PMS. I realized this during a period of time when I was struggling because I couldn’t find a church that was meeting my emotional and psychological needs. I was probably outgrowing my need for religion, but I wasn’t aware of that yet. Here’s a bit I wrote about that memory, and some further thoughts on the topic:
Flying Spaghetti Monster has come down from the heavens and touched you with his noodly appendage. He has granted you three wishes. The catch is that all three wishes can be anything at all, as long as they’re skeptically-themed and no wishing for more wishes.
I know many of you reading this are working scientists, and so of course you’re familiar with the famed medical journal, International Journal of Yoga. For those of you who don’t subscribe, you’ll be excited to learn that IJOY has just published this solid, peer-reviewed paper called Investigating paranormal phenomena: Functional brain imaging of telepathy. Better yet, it’s available online!
This study, run by “scientists” from the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences and the Vivekananda Yoga Research Foundation (both in Bangalore, India) involved a sample size of two: one magician named Gerard Senehi and one anonymous schmo who, unlike Gerard, does not lie or misrepresent himself as a psychic with magical powers. (Here’s an amusing NY Magazine article on Gerard if you’re interested.)
Both Gerard and the schmo underwent a single test of psychic powers while connected to an fMRI machine. The test in question was a standard magic trick in which the audience – I mean, researchers – thought of an image and drew it on a piece of paper. Then the magician – I mean, psychic – is to reproduce the drawing. [Read more →]
As many of you know, I come from a very conservative Catholic family. While they have never seemed to be happy with the leadership of this country, since the recent election they seem to be under the impression that Obama’s presidency will mean the death of America. Some appear to be genuinely afraid.
I’ve been talking with various family members about different aspects of our current political climate, and have been privy to some, well, interesting email forwards, all of which have given me a peek at just what is going on within the larger conservative community right now, and frankly I find it a little bit sad. They get these alarmist emails and pass them along, unthinking, maybe not believing everything in them but taking from them the general idea that they are right to be afraid, that their way of life is under attack. I received the following today: [Read more →]
No posts today on Skepchick, maybe because we’re all spending the whole day inside watching a Firefly marathon and eating S’mores. Or, maybe that’s just me, Joshua, and Expatria? Whatevs. Here, enjoy this video my pal George just sent. I like this fellow, and I love robots!
The other day at work, several of my coworkers and I discussed the pros and cons of playing the lottery, which naturally led into speculation on what each of us would do if we ever came into a large sum of money. I’ve had this conversation with many people over the years, and I always enjoy listening to different people’s plans and ideas.
So I ask you, Skepchick reader, if someone handed you ten million dollars today, what would you do?
Since I have no kids, I don’t have much to contribute to our discussion of The Ghost on Saturday Night or finding good nonreligious and skeptical books for kids. Instead of flouting my ignorance, I decided to invite Dale McGowan, editor and co-author of Parenting Beyond Belief to weigh in with his thoughts. So without further ado…
Being Pandora
by Dale McGowan
Consider Pandora. To understand why religion and science are incompatible, look no further than that myth of curiosity punished. Eve will also do, as would Lot’s poor nameless wife. Each of these religious stories has the same moral—curiosity kills. Science, then, is fueled by the very thing religion has traditionally feared—the opening of forbidden boxes, the picking of forbidden fruit. And what scientist would not have looked over her shoulder as brimstone rained down on two cities?
I consider lack of curiosity the ultimate secular sin. So when I choose books for my kids, I try to include those that raise at least as many questions as they answer— books that surprise and challenge and broaden and intrigue and entertain.
November 14th, 2008 by Masala Skeptic · 91 Comments
Happy Friday ya’ll! Today’s Afternoon Inquisition was inspired by Phil Plait’s blog post this week about the first picture of a planet orbiting a star like our own. Read the post - it’s just another example of Phil’s constant amazement with the natural wonder of the universe.
Today’s question:
What scientific principle, discovery or breakthrough is completely awesome, inspiring and wonderful to you? Why?
P.S. Sorry for the delay - I got messed up by DST again - apparently it’s working now!
