Oh, this “news”paper

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Michael

So the Kennebec Journal has been advertising for certain political positions lately. This hasn’t come in the form of regular ad space, but by a devotion of front page space.

A little while ago the editor, Richard Connor, printed an article advertising a political strategy for pro-bigots on the front page. This was done when Obama had just given a widely-anticipated speech on health care. After multiple opinion pieces printed by the KJ by its editors saying Obama needed to make his positions known, his speech found itself on page A3. There are two possibilities: Connor is a dumb editor who does not have a basic ability to recognize front page news or – and here’s where my money is – he’s a hack who wants to use a newspaper to prop up his particular views.

A couple days later, he followed up. The article said nothing other than “We had a meeting and decided we still hate da gays”. Not long after that, Connor, hack extraordinaire, advertised an anti-abortion rally.

Now there’s yet another article. In today’s paper, he advertised some rhetoric from the bigots. It was all about how proponents of same-sex marriage are utilizing outside resources to help with their campaign. The sub-headline said something to the effect of “People from away are helping with the campaign”. I would quote that directly, but I do not waste my money on rags, so I don’t have a copy of the paper on hand. But how about a link? Well, sir, I cannot find it. The KJ is not featuring this article on its website, despite the decision to put it on the front page of today’s paper. But I can tell you that the Vassalboro boat ramp will be closed. Because that’s important.

My favorite part of this is that this is the exact rhetoric used by the bigots. Both sides are guilty of it, actually, but the bigots seem to be more aggressive with their tactics. “From away” is a Maine phrase which means anyone who isn’t from Maine. In this context, it is designed to alienate the opposition from voters. It’s an unsubstantial ploy to woo their votes. Who really sits at home and says, “Hmm, people from out of state are trying to persuade me. Yeah, all right, voting just to spite them is a good idea”? Come on.

The kicker to all this is that it was only about 6 weeks ago that the KJ had an article which noted, simply, that both sides are getting outside funds. I guess Connor forgot about that when he decided to get hung up in all his campaigning.

Filed under: News, Politics and Social | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Ignorance is not a crime

Posted on October 6, 2009 by Michael

The only wonderful thing about creationism is that it is based upon ignorance. That is something which can be remedied with a good bout of education to the brain.

So in this vain, I am happy to confess to my ignorance about the Shroud of Turin. I’ve always known what it was purported to be; it is not there that my ignorance lies. It is in the fact that so many people actually believe it is an imprint of the face of Jesus. Such religious lunacy doesn’t surprise me, but I was hardly aware of the value people placed in a raggedy Medieval piece of cloth.

Now it looks like the 13th century creation has been recreated in the 21st century.

Garlaschelli reproduced the full-sized shroud using materials and techniques that were available in the middle ages.

They placed a linen sheet flat over a volunteer and then rubbed it with a pigment containing traces of acid. A mask was used for the face.

The pigment was then artificially aged by heating the cloth in an oven and washing it, a process which removed it from the surface but left a fuzzy, half-tone image similar to that on the Shroud. He believes the pigment on the original Shroud faded naturally over the centuries.

They then added blood stains, burn holes, scorches and water stains to achieve the final effect.

For the rational, this long-closed case just has another nail in its coffin. But we aren’t all rational, are we?

Garlaschelli expects people to contest his findings. “If they don’t want to believe carbon dating done by some of the world’s best laboratories they certainly won’t believe me,” he said.

Filed under: Science | Tagged: , , , | 5 Comments »

Andreas Moritz is a clever snake oil salesman

Posted on October 5, 2009 by Michael

I’m proud to say that a search of “Andreas Moritz” in Google will yield this post as its second result, right after his personal website. “Dangerous man cancer” will bring that post up as the number 1 result. That’s all fine and dandy – quacks who give out quacky ‘medical’ advice in search of a quick buck deserve to be dressed down as the charlatans they really are. But Moritz, being the snake oil salesman he is, took it a step further (and, really, was just begging for me to make another post by doing so).

In the comment section on the aforementioned post, I linked to Moritz’s FAQ on his website. I made the point that the majority of his FAQs are about how people can pay him for his books. Moritz’s response was to spam the comment section with a nearly 10,000 word post that he cut-and-paste from somewhere (perhaps one of his dangerous books). It took forever just to scroll past that junk. Other than that, he did not bother to defend himself. What response could he have had? He’s a snake oil salesman who only wants to make a buck off the sick and susceptible.

About a month later, an alert reader pointed out that Moritz had changed the link to his FAQ slightly.

Mr. Moritz changed his faq page address from /faq.php to faq.htm so the above link would be broken. Just change the .php to .htm.

I thank the reader, Chris, for pointing this out. I’ve since changed the link in my comment section post. UPDATE January 12, 2012: I’ll give the snake oil salesman a break on this one. It looks like he redesigned his site a little. At any rate, here is the new FAQ and fleecing link.

But what’s to say Moritz isn’t going to just keep changing his links? Nothing. He’s a snake oil salesman. As someone who actually cares about science, I feel it a duty, then, to post his money-grubbing FAQs.

Q. Does Andreas still answer personal e-mail questions?

A. Given the heavy workload (12hours/7days) Andreas is currently experiencing, he can no longer respond to individual e-mail questions. If you would like to set up a personal telephone consultation with him, please visit the consultation page of this website and follow the directions for making an appointment.

Q. I would like to set up a phone consultation with Andreas Moritz. How can I contact him?

A. Please email him at andreas@ener-chi.com or call his personal number 1-864-895-6295. For payment options, please visit the consultation page of this website.

Q. If I don’t have a credit card, can I pay with electronic check?

A. Yes, you can. Choose the option “ELECTRONIC CHECK PAYMENT” at the time of payment during checkout. You will need the name of your bank, check number, routing number, and the bank account number.

Q. Are there any training seminars or speaking events by Andreas Moritz that one can attend?

A. Currently, Andreas’s daily workload is at maximum level, and he is not able to organize any workshops or seminars in the near future, at least for the time being.

Q. Is there a brochure that explains and shows the Ener-chi Art pictures and other products by Andreas Moritz?

A. Unfortunately, at this time, any information about Andreas’ products is only available through this website. Ener-Chi Art pictures can be viewed here as well.

Q. Do the Ener-Chi Ionized Stones lose their charge or energy over time?

A. No, nothing that you do diminishes the charge and effect of the stones.

Q. How often should I view the Ener-Chi Art pictures to receive the full benefits?

A. The benefits occur within 30 seconds of viewing a picture and last for several weeks. However, the benefits increase with repeated viewing. You may view each picture every day or every couple of days, from half a minute to any length of time you choose. There are no negative side-effects.

Q. Are Andreas’ books available at a discount (wholesale price)?

A. Yes. The best way to sign up for the wholesale discount is to log on the wholesale page of this website. A minimum order of 10 copies of any kind is required to qualify for the wholesaler’s discount. There is a further 10% discount when you order 50 or more books.

Q. Is it possible to get a discount if I order just a few books?

A. No. To receive the wholesaler’s discount, you need to order a total of 10 books or more.

Q. Besides his books, are the Ener-Chi Art pictures and Ionized Stones available at a wholesale discount?

A. To request the wholesaler’s discount for these items, please contact Andreas Moritz directly at support@ener-chi.com. This website is not yet set up to automate this service.

Q. Are Andreas books available in Spanish?

A. At this time, only The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush is available in Spanish on this website. However, several other of Andreas’ books are available in Spanish through the Spanish website Ediciones Obelisco. For the most current information regarding which books are available in Spanish, please see the book ordering section of this Ener-Chi website. Or you may contact “Ediciones Obelisco” by e-mail at: obelisco@edicionesobelisco.com or by telephone in Barcelona at: 93 309 8525.

Q. Are any of Andreas’ books available in Russian?

A. Yes, The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush and Cancer Is Not a Disease are already available in Russian. And, Heart Disease No More, as well as parts of Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation, will be available soon. Please contact Julia at Popuri Publishing (Minsk, Belarus), email: popuri@mail.ru, or visit http://www.popuri.ru.

Q. In what other languages are Andreas’ books available?

A. The ordering section under the description of each book shows in which languages the book is available. Note: some translations are only available in E-book format.

I’ve highlighted 9 out of 14 FAQs that are about how one can give Moritz money. Oh, and those “Ener-Chi Art pictures”? Each one is $22.95. There’s a “special painting” for $34.95.

This man is a complete and utter hack. The only defense he has to offer for this dangerous lunacy is feigned niceness. He wants your money. That’s all he wants. Okay, maybe he wants to harm your health, too. He wrote this about AIDS.

Despite common belief, there is no scientific evidence to this day that AIDS is a contagious disease.

…

On the other hand, published research actually proves that HIV only extremely rarely spreads heterosexually and cannot be responsible for an epidemic that involves millions of AIDS victims around the world. Furthermore, it is an established fact that the retrovirus HIV, which is composed of human gene fragments, is incapable of destroying human cells. However, cell destruction is the main characteristic of every AIDS disease.

Dozens of prominent scientists working at the forefront of the AIDS research are now openly questioning the virus hypothesis of AIDS.

Yeah, just like all those scientists question evolution. Scoff.

Footnote: I actually have no good category in which to put this, so I’ve created a new one just for Moritz’s dangerous, greedy agenda: Pure Bullshit.

Filed under: Pure bullshit | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 48 Comments »

Greensburg Salem High School follow-up

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Michael

Sometime back I wrote about the irrational rule internalization which resulted in six teens from Greensburg Salem High School in Greensburg, PA being charged with distributing child pornography. In short, six teens (3 girls, 3 boys) were involved in sending or receiving photos which featured three of them in the nude or partially nude. Each person involved in these exchanges is allowed to engage in sex with each other under Pennsylvania law. So according to the Greensburg DA and the city’s police captain, George Seranko, these teens may see each other nude, even have sex, but if they do it via scary electronic devices*, they are subject to prosecution.

Since I never followed up on this case, I have gone ahead and found out what happened to these kids.

In January, six Greensburg Salem High School students were charged in juvenile court with child pornography offenses for sexting. The teens were sentenced to community service or a curfew and didn’t have to register as sex offenders.

These punishments are either too harsh or irrelevant. Had they all stood in a room together naked, would anything have happened? Of course not. The law in Pennsylvania says nothing can happen in terms of prosecution; the teens have been deemed legally responsible enough to engage in these activities. Giving any of them community service is too harsh a punishment for that reason. They should not be subject to servicing a community which has already given them the rights to engage in sexual behavior with each other. If anything, those leading the community – namely Capt. George Seranko – owe these teens an apology. As for the curfew, that is entirely irrelevant to the ‘crime’ with which they were charged. Their phones work just as well in the evening and at night as they do in the day. Curtailing the freedom of these teens (especially the ones who may work) serves no purpose. It says nothing of what they did and does nothing to prevent it from happening again. Not only are the police, prosecutors, and judges of Greensburg internalizing rules like robotic morons, they aren’t even applying the punishments for the rules appropriately. That city is obviously not run with intelligence.

*The older one beomces, usually the more mature and worldly one becomes. Not so with technology. It frightens the elderly.

UPDATE: I would email this to the Greensburg PD, but they insist on showing their lack of grasp of technology and its role in our lives, so they have no email address.

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Article on Dawkins

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Michael

I’m swamped in Marine Biology, Human Nutrition, Genetics, some philosophy and other areas of study this weekend, so cheapo-posts will have to do. Here is an article about Richard Dawkins I found enlightening.

So he is genuinely puzzled by people calling him aggressive. “Well, I’m nothing like as aggressive as I’m portrayed. And I’m always being labelled ‘strident’. In the bestseller lists it always has a little one-line summary of the book, and for my new one it says ‘strident academic Richard Dawkins’. I’m forever saddled with this wretched adjective. I think I’m one of the most unstrident people in the world. I’d like to think my books are humorous at points,” he adds, pensively. “I’d like to think people laugh when they read them.”

And when asked about who may read them,

So finally I have to ask him, does he honestly think any creationists will read it?

“Hardline, mind-made-up creationists, no. But there are lots of people, people who think they are creationists but who haven’t thought about it very hard, people who grew up in some religion or other, who are just beginning to question what they were taught. And all of a sudden they are reading about evolution and saying, wait a minute, this makes sense. I get a lot of letters from people thanking me, saying, ‘You’ve changed my life.’ That is very, very gratifying.” So you have actually converted people? “Well, for example, I was at one point teaching in Oxford, and we had an animal-behaviour student who was a creationist from some out-of-the-way Bible college in America. He came dutifully to all my lectures, every week, and after the last lecture, he came down to the desk where I was packing up my notes and he said, ‘Gee, this evolution, it really makes sense!’ So yes, yes, I do believe that people can change their minds, be convinced by the truth. And I thought, yes, that’s what I’m here for.”

Filed under: Evidence, Evolution | Tagged: , , | Leave a comment »

Thought of the day

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Michael

Where is the intention in a mutation?

Filed under: Misc | Tagged: | Leave a comment »

Ardi

Posted on October 1, 2009 by Michael

There are a bunch of great new fossil discoveries. I’m pretty busy making some Italian herb chicken (is it weird that the recipe calls for “2.5 lbs chicken parts”?), so I’ll have to write more later, but here’s a snippet from the article.

The scientists say 1.2m-high (4ft) Ardi was good at climbing trees but also walked on two feet. However she did not have arched feet like us, indicating that she could not walk or run for long distances.

“She has opposable great toes and she has a pelvis that allows her to negotiate tree branches rather well,” explained team-member Professor Owen Lovejoy, from Kent State University, Ohio.

“So half of her life is spent in the trees; she would have nested in trees and occasionally fed in trees, but when she was on the ground she walked upright pretty close to how you and I walk,” he told BBC News.

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The actual peer-reviewed articles can be found here for free.

Filed under: Evidence, Evolution, Science | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

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