More like "the new science of stealing"...

How much dangerous BS can you pile on top of stupid BS…

Why is it dangerous?

Magical thinking, when it comes to health care, can lead to tragedy.  Just take Penelope Dingle, for example.  She was seeing homeopath Francine Scrayen for her cancer.  If Penelope had gone to a medical doctor (note, they have an MD behind their name, not ND, DC, or DH), she might be alive today.  Now all we have is her diary, the coroners report (PDF), the documentary, and the cease and desist letter from the homeopath trying to cover things up…silly homeopathy, haven't you heard of the Streisand Effect?

Boiron and Oscillococcinum: fairy dust diluted out of (non)existence

You know the details of how homeopathy is supposed to work, right? If not review this and come back when you're done...

James "the Amazing" Randi on the subject of homeopathy/homoeopathy

That was the serious version, this is the not so serious version...

via Luke Surl Comics

Boiron, a company that sells homeopathic nostrums, has threatened Italian blogger Samuele Riva who dared point out that there is no active ingredient in Oscillococcinum (which anyone can see by understanding basic chemistry, how homeopathy works, and reading the back of the package).

Many people don't know what homeopathy is or say "What's the Harm?" and it is showing up on more and more pharmacy shelves, like Walmart, CVS, Target. So I'm posting this not only to contribute to the Streisand Effect, but also to raise awareness of the fact that there are major retailers selling homeopathic products.

And to the people at Boiron... if you want me to link to your site instead of the other sites when I'm talking about Oscillococcinum, then that would be advertising and I expect a large sum of money. If you want bloggers to give up our free speech rights, and not say bad things about you when it's in the public interest, then you can take all that money, put it in a blender and grind it up to dust. Then put a ml of it into 99 ml of water (hope that water doesn't have any memories of money that might have been in it before), do the magical shake-shake-shake...take 1 ml of that put it into a different 99 ml of water, repeat the shaking... repeat that about 200 times and send that last 100 ml to me...I'll be the richest person in the Universe!

* The thing in the title about "fairy dust diluted out of (non)existence" comes from Steven Novella's article at Science Based Medicine about Oscillococcinum.

** Time Magazine seems to agree. Homeopathic flu remedies is the #1 thing they say you should stop buying. I didn't mention that Oscillococcinum is being sold to treat "influenza-like symptoms". Many people might mistake that to mean that it treats influenza, which isn't what it's claiming. There are homeopaths who claim there are homeopathic treatments for influenza, which should be a crime. It can be dangerous to lead people to believe that it treats the flu...people die from the flu.

One nation, indivisible...

During some golf game on NBC today there was a spot where they had the Pledge of Allegiance, but they forgot a few parts. They left out "indivisible", but you won't hear conservatives caring about that to much. But they also left out "under god". Oh my! It's the end of the world, this is obviously a sign of the end times, the commies are taking over, the Obama run government broadcasting corp is trying to take your faith away (apparently, your not going to be able to go to church next week).

Porky Pig knows how to say the Pledge of Allegiance...they should have checked this before making their video...

Then again, wasn't it the pigs in Animal Farm that were the start of all the problems...

Cat gets excited easy...

I can buy Cat an expensive toy and she will ignore it, but she'll get excited about a string or piece of paper like the handle from a paper grocery bag...

Michelle Bachmann is pro-choice now?

What will all those people who voted for her on that one issue do now?!?

Happy Burns Night

Addressing the Haggis

Who is hosting this years dinner? Better start preparing the haggis now.

We're all human...

Stuff happens...

SteveNote Bloopers

I hope Steve Jobs takes some time off and, BOOM, get's better.

Don't forget that it's Remembrance day...

On the 11th hour (UTC) of the 11th day of the 11th month I could embed a video of In Flanders Fields, link to Earth Science Picture of the Day, or the Last Post at the Menin Gate, or Let Them In...

Post election TED Talk...

Jonathan Haidt: The real difference between liberals and conservatives (18:42)

Psychologist Jonathan Haidt studies the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices, whether we're left, right or center. In this eye-opening talk, he pinpoints the moral values that liberals and conservatives tend to honor most.

If you're interested in more TED Talks you can subscribe to the TED Talks Podcast with iTunes.

Cat waking me up in the morning

GrrlScientist has a video that illustrates how Cat gets me up in the morning...

Credit goes to Lynette the Zoo Keeper for sending the vid to me first.

Jailhouse Rockers

When they come up with a reality program about dancing inmates...the Philippines are way ahead of us. We better get our prisons working to close the prison choreography gap so we can compete.

What kind of wives can be beaten?

I was doing some Google Video hunting and came across an interesting video....

Types of wifes that can be beaten, according to the Koran

"...and because when you purchase an electric appliance or a car you get a manual...explaining how to use it. The Creator of Man had sent down this book (the Koran) in order to show Man which ways he must choose". Apparently we in the West are still in our "days of ignorance" and can't acknowledge the "wondrous verses" that explain when we can beat our wives.

And then by clicking on the related videos area I found this one...

Cat Stevens signing "Hard Headed Women"

Cat Stevens has gone by the name Yusuf Islam after he converted to Islam in 1977, which explains why it was only a couple related videos away from the other one.

This weeks science lesson - Physics

The 1964 Messenger Lectures
"The Character of Physical Law"
Richard Feynman
I was just made aware of these newly available Feynman lectures by Blake at Science After Sunclipse. I thought it would be nice to put them together in one place and in order...

Lecture 1 - The law of gravitation, an example of physical law
Lecture 2 - The Relation of Mathematics & Physics
Lecture 3 - The Great Conservation Principles
Lecture 4 - Symmetry in Physical Law
Lecture 5 - The Distinction of Past and Future
Lecture 6 - Probably and Uncertainty - the quantum mechanical view of nature
Lecture 7 - Seeking New Laws

Hope you have magnum conexus

Sometimes when I get board with the stuff in my iTunes library...

...I look around YouTube for music. I find all kinds of interesting stuff like this, or this, or this or even THIS (need to learn your elements?).

Then I came across a few versions of O Magnum Mysterium. It's one of those pieces that choruses bring out when they think they can do it really well, especially the Lauridsen arrangement. The UST Alumni Singers from the Philippines do a great job, and they only have 16 people...

On the other hand...

Usually when someone posts a performance of themselves on YouTube, the comments are supportive. Maybe it's because this group isn't the typical amateur, and it doesn't help that the purists like to see this song done right. Check out the savagery of the comments! It's not clear who the group is, but they look like they are in Kings Hall at Newcastle University in NE England.

It is a bad performance, but why would I waste my time coming up with a response...especially when there is good stuff like this to keep me busy.

It's also done as an orchestral piece (hay, their middle schoolers...). The quality of all these versions are limited by the fact that they are on YouTube. For some good versions check your library for Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, Los Angeles Master Chorale or O Magnum Mysterium, Robert Shaw

A card of a different color

I just saw this at Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy Blog. A video by his evil twin Richard Wiseman showing an interesting card trick...watch carefully...

Cat knows the secret to happiness...

Now Barry Schwartz has figured out the secret to happiness...

TED Talks are short 20 min lectures by a variety of different people on a variety of different topics. Schwartz's talk should be compaired to this one.

When Cats Take Over the World

Cat found this on YouTube.

Cat waking me up in the morning

Every morning Cat wakes me up by licking my face or pounding on the plastic on the window. It's pretty loud at that time of the morning. And there is nothing that will stop it except getting out of bed and feeding her.

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Just to clarify...in places where it is cold in the Winter, some of us put plastic over leaky windows and then use a hair dryer to tighen it up (and then cut the edges off). This keeps drafts down.

Cat is beating on the plastic which is stretched over the window like a drum.