This thing right here is pretty good. If you're at all interested in why anti-vaxxers are talking complete bollocks, you might like it. It's not just MMR either, which is further proof that vaccine scares are localised and therefore probably not based on truth.
The site also links to things like the US Centre for Disease Control, so I'm going to trust the numbers.
There is also a rather amusing, if short, section about people listening to celebrities when they should listen to their doctors. It's almost as if I wrote it :D
Wednesday 26 August 2009
Tuesday 25 August 2009
Seriously? Do not want.
Lern 2 science.
Apparently we have more creationists than I thought.
I'm not sure whether this is because people are generally lazy and stupid or if the stats are wonky. I hope it's the second one, but I have a feeling it's another example of "Herp derp science is haaaard".
By all means believe in a god, or a goddess, or several, or an intelligent shade of blue. Knock yourself out. That's something we can't prove either way, and I don't give a shit what you think about it as long as you're not going round killing abortion doctors, dressing your wife in a bedsheet or doing any of the other ridiculous things people are inclined to do when they're repressed and uneducated.
On the other hand... evolution has a metric fuckton of evidence (why yes,. that is an SI unit). I've been to museums, read books and spent the last few years up to my eyeballs in pictures of the mammalian reproductive system, and I reckon I've only seen a tiny fraction of the evidence for evolution and natural selection. But it is definitely there. Peer-reviewed articles, a theory 150 years old that has only been supported and adapted to include new evidence rather than thrown out completely... it's not that hard to realise that there's something in this 'common ancestors' thing. Evolution isn't even a hard concept to grasp.
I understand that one of the arguments against creationism can sort of apply to me too. Perhaps I wouldn't accept evolution if it wasn't for all these years of secular education and no religious upbringing. Perhaps I believe it's true because that's what I've always been told, just like some people reject it because the vicar/imam/whoever told them it led to genocide and socialism (something else fundies have a violent knee-jerk reaction to because of a mixed-up definition).
I don't think so though. The information I have always been given has been informative without evoking an emotional response. It makes sense. It is simple. Usually. The books I read as a child included science books and mythology, and I was always allowed to choose my own books without being vetted- well, within reason. Stephen King was out of the question when I was in primary school, for example. But things were never kept away from me, my parents didn't lie to me because they were afraid of something 'other'. Fear breeds fear, and ignorance breeds ignorance- I'm lucky to have this background where education and forming sensible opinions are important things.
What do you guys think? Is it strict religious upbringing that makes people reject what's in front of their eyes? Does that sort of experience mean you never actually get to see the evidence for all this awesome stuff in nature? Or is it just apathy?
One in seven isn't really that big a number, but it's a bigger number than we should have really.
Apparently we have more creationists than I thought.
I'm not sure whether this is because people are generally lazy and stupid or if the stats are wonky. I hope it's the second one, but I have a feeling it's another example of "Herp derp science is haaaard".
By all means believe in a god, or a goddess, or several, or an intelligent shade of blue. Knock yourself out. That's something we can't prove either way, and I don't give a shit what you think about it as long as you're not going round killing abortion doctors, dressing your wife in a bedsheet or doing any of the other ridiculous things people are inclined to do when they're repressed and uneducated.
On the other hand... evolution has a metric fuckton of evidence (why yes,. that is an SI unit). I've been to museums, read books and spent the last few years up to my eyeballs in pictures of the mammalian reproductive system, and I reckon I've only seen a tiny fraction of the evidence for evolution and natural selection. But it is definitely there. Peer-reviewed articles, a theory 150 years old that has only been supported and adapted to include new evidence rather than thrown out completely... it's not that hard to realise that there's something in this 'common ancestors' thing. Evolution isn't even a hard concept to grasp.
I understand that one of the arguments against creationism can sort of apply to me too. Perhaps I wouldn't accept evolution if it wasn't for all these years of secular education and no religious upbringing. Perhaps I believe it's true because that's what I've always been told, just like some people reject it because the vicar/imam/whoever told them it led to genocide and socialism (something else fundies have a violent knee-jerk reaction to because of a mixed-up definition).
I don't think so though. The information I have always been given has been informative without evoking an emotional response. It makes sense. It is simple. Usually. The books I read as a child included science books and mythology, and I was always allowed to choose my own books without being vetted- well, within reason. Stephen King was out of the question when I was in primary school, for example. But things were never kept away from me, my parents didn't lie to me because they were afraid of something 'other'. Fear breeds fear, and ignorance breeds ignorance- I'm lucky to have this background where education and forming sensible opinions are important things.
What do you guys think? Is it strict religious upbringing that makes people reject what's in front of their eyes? Does that sort of experience mean you never actually get to see the evidence for all this awesome stuff in nature? Or is it just apathy?
One in seven isn't really that big a number, but it's a bigger number than we should have really.
Wednesday 12 August 2009
Who the fuck is this guy?
This guy.
He is awesome.
The whole video is this newsreader person (presumably someone quite famous in America) having a go at Sarah Palin for saying that a healthcare system means people will be judged on their worthiness and killed by a 'death panel' if they're not useful to society.
Obviously she's worried for herself, stupid bitch.
The bad thing about this: people actually want her to be their president one day.
The good thing: the man in this clip is giving everyone the other side of the story.
Not that they'll listen to it. Good fucking luck America.
OH GOD NO NOT SOCIALISM IT'S EVIL JESUS WAS AN AMERICAN HE HATES FAGS AND SCIENCE AND HARRY POTTER NUUUUUUUU
I hope more people listen to this guy than to Sarah Palin.
He is awesome.
The whole video is this newsreader person (presumably someone quite famous in America) having a go at Sarah Palin for saying that a healthcare system means people will be judged on their worthiness and killed by a 'death panel' if they're not useful to society.
Obviously she's worried for herself, stupid bitch.
The bad thing about this: people actually want her to be their president one day.
The good thing: the man in this clip is giving everyone the other side of the story.
Not that they'll listen to it. Good fucking luck America.
OH GOD NO NOT SOCIALISM IT'S EVIL JESUS WAS AN AMERICAN HE HATES FAGS AND SCIENCE AND HARRY POTTER NUUUUUUUU
I hope more people listen to this guy than to Sarah Palin.
Friday 7 August 2009
Somebody has been letting celebrities comment on things they don't know about. Again.
Jim Carrey is a motherfucker. I've decided I hate him now based on this article in the Huffington Post.
Jim Carrey is the Riddler at best. He is not a doctor- he isn't a scientist at all. He's just some Canadian bloke who happens to be good at gurning. And somebody let him loose on vaccines. Who the fuck did that? They deserve a good kicking. According to Wikipedia, Jim Carrey took three years to finish 10th grade at his high school. That's not really the type of person who will make intelligent judgements about science is it?
So yeah, basically good old Jim went off on one about how vaccines are eeeevil and the big bad drug companies are brainwashing us all into thinking it's okay to pump kiddies full of chemicals. I suppose it's fair enough to say that we need the truth and Big Pharma may not always want to give us the truth, but that's not quite where this article ends up.
The very first vaccine that is accused of being incredibly evil and damaging to children is... (drum roll please)... MMR. Yep, the same vaccine that has already been shown to have NO LINK with autism. The same vaccine, in fact, that has uptake of less than 50% in some areas of London despite the fact that the famous paper connecting MMR with autism has now been discredited and partially withdrawn.
What makes me angry about this is not the fact that people still believe that MMR is going to give their kids autism. Well okay, that does make me angry, but something else bothers me more. Our culture has got to the point where the majority of people listen to celebrities and random strangers over doctors and other people who are trained in a particular field. There are people who think that prayer, homeopathy, crystal healing and all that supernatural bollocks will help them get better and that doctors are not to be trusted because they 'play God'. God isn't doing anything (existing would be helpful) so somebody's got to do it, you fucking morons. Would you listen to a model who was telling you what was wrong with your car? No. You should be even more sceptical of people who tell you what's wrong with your body if they aren't medical doctors. By all means ask for a second opinion when you're at the doctor, but bloody well go in the first place!
Allowing yourselves to be 'educated' about medicine by people who have little to no scientific knowledge is stupid.
It kills children.
And that's not me being overdramatic- kids have died from measles since this whole MMR thing blew up in 2001 and the rate has increased since then. Not only that, but kids in America are dying because their parents thought prayer was better than medical care. Ignorance kills people.
The worst thing about this is that this isn't the first time I've written about MMR, celebrities commenting on things they know nothing about and mindless twats believing things even though there is a mountain of evidence to the contrary. We can't afford to just laugh it off when a generation's physical, sexual or mental health is at risk. People are fucking up their kids' lives.
------------
I got the article mentioned (raged about) above via Pharyngula, a blog belonging to PZ Myers. You might have heard of it. I suggest you read it, especially if you dislike all religion except Cthulhu cults.
Jim Carrey is the Riddler at best. He is not a doctor- he isn't a scientist at all. He's just some Canadian bloke who happens to be good at gurning. And somebody let him loose on vaccines. Who the fuck did that? They deserve a good kicking. According to Wikipedia, Jim Carrey took three years to finish 10th grade at his high school. That's not really the type of person who will make intelligent judgements about science is it?
So yeah, basically good old Jim went off on one about how vaccines are eeeevil and the big bad drug companies are brainwashing us all into thinking it's okay to pump kiddies full of chemicals. I suppose it's fair enough to say that we need the truth and Big Pharma may not always want to give us the truth, but that's not quite where this article ends up.
The very first vaccine that is accused of being incredibly evil and damaging to children is... (drum roll please)... MMR. Yep, the same vaccine that has already been shown to have NO LINK with autism. The same vaccine, in fact, that has uptake of less than 50% in some areas of London despite the fact that the famous paper connecting MMR with autism has now been discredited and partially withdrawn.
What makes me angry about this is not the fact that people still believe that MMR is going to give their kids autism. Well okay, that does make me angry, but something else bothers me more. Our culture has got to the point where the majority of people listen to celebrities and random strangers over doctors and other people who are trained in a particular field. There are people who think that prayer, homeopathy, crystal healing and all that supernatural bollocks will help them get better and that doctors are not to be trusted because they 'play God'. God isn't doing anything (existing would be helpful) so somebody's got to do it, you fucking morons. Would you listen to a model who was telling you what was wrong with your car? No. You should be even more sceptical of people who tell you what's wrong with your body if they aren't medical doctors. By all means ask for a second opinion when you're at the doctor, but bloody well go in the first place!
Allowing yourselves to be 'educated' about medicine by people who have little to no scientific knowledge is stupid.
It kills children.
And that's not me being overdramatic- kids have died from measles since this whole MMR thing blew up in 2001 and the rate has increased since then. Not only that, but kids in America are dying because their parents thought prayer was better than medical care. Ignorance kills people.
The worst thing about this is that this isn't the first time I've written about MMR, celebrities commenting on things they know nothing about and mindless twats believing things even though there is a mountain of evidence to the contrary. We can't afford to just laugh it off when a generation's physical, sexual or mental health is at risk. People are fucking up their kids' lives.
------------
I got the article mentioned (raged about) above via Pharyngula, a blog belonging to PZ Myers. You might have heard of it. I suggest you read it, especially if you dislike all religion except Cthulhu cults.
O hai.
Look guys, a shiny new blog!
I thought it was about time my infamous Facebook rants were available to the entire internet, what with me being one of those arrogant liberal gaytheist evilutionist baby-killers and all that. Obviously I think I am very important and all those poor defenceless majorities don't matter so it's okay to make the baby Jesus cry by spouting my nonsense everywhere. Wrath is a sin you know.
Anyway, the blog is here! Huzzah! Stand by for another post, I'm currently raging about yet more stuff I found on the intarwebs and I don't know how long I can hold it in.
I thought it was about time my infamous Facebook rants were available to the entire internet, what with me being one of those arrogant liberal gaytheist evilutionist baby-killers and all that. Obviously I think I am very important and all those poor defenceless majorities don't matter so it's okay to make the baby Jesus cry by spouting my nonsense everywhere. Wrath is a sin you know.
Anyway, the blog is here! Huzzah! Stand by for another post, I'm currently raging about yet more stuff I found on the intarwebs and I don't know how long I can hold it in.
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