Monday Open Thread
Welcome to your Monday open thread. The floor is yours, be sure to sweep and mop.
This is such a strange story. The Virology Journal published, then retracted an article that postulated the Bible documented the first case of human influenza.
When such studies appear in peer-reviewed medical journals, they are expected to be grounded in good evidence, science, and valid research methodologies. Yet the Virology Journal recently published a paper, ”Influenza or not influenza: Analysis of a case of high fever that happened 2000 years ago in Biblical time,” which examines a Biblical miracle attributed to Jesus.
It begins with the following abstract: “The Bible describes the case of a woman with high fever cured by our Lord Jesus Christ. Based on the information provided by the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke, the diagnosis and the possible etiology of the febrile illness is discussed. If the postulation is indeed correct, the woman with fever in the Bible is among one of the very early description of human influenza disease….”
That is, the study’s authors diagnosed the woman Jesus treated as having had influenza. Had the researchers examined some newly found document, mummified body, or other forensic evidence, that would be one thing. But using the gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke in the New King James version of the Bible as the entire data set made “Virology Journal” look like “Mad” magazine or “The Onion.”
Just three weeks later, the journal retracted the paper and apologized for publishing it.
It’s a complete breakdown of the peer review system in this case. This type of incident is something that can kill a journal.
Some Republicans are breaking with the Gingrich/Palin wing of the party to denounce the fear-mongering over the Islamic center in New York:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has claimed that the new Islamic center project “would be like putting a Nazi sign next to the Holocaust Museum.” Referencing that quote, Scarborough expressed angry disdain at Gingrich’s intolerance. “I don’t know where to begin,” Scarborough said. “To suggest that someone trying to build a tolerance center for moderate Muslims in New York is the equivalent of killing six million Jews is stunning to me.”
McKinnon then chimed in, arguing that the debate surrounding the Cordoba House project is contrary to his party’s principles. “We may get our membership [by the GOP] revoked,” McKinnon joked. “Screw ‘em,” Scarborough responded. McKinnon then said that the GOP’s stance is “reinforcing al Qaeda’s message”:
McKINNON: Usually Republicans are forthright in defending the Constitution. And here we are, reinforcing al Qaeda’s message that we’re at war with Muslims. So we’ve got this issue; then we’ve got the 14th Amendment issue, where Republicans are saying you’re not welcome here, when we were the architects of the 14th Amendment. So, I see a bad pattern where we’re headed as a Republican Party.
McKinnon said he believed President Obama has “done the right thing in stepping forward at this time on this issue.” He added, “Tolerance means tolerating things you don’t like, especially when you don’t like them. … I respect the President for making this move.”
I wish some Republicans that are actually in office right now would speak up. Shall I continue to hold my breath?
Tags: Open Thread
I can’t imagine an out-of-work Republican facing foreclosure, in say, Tennessee wants to hear his Congressmen holding forth on a mosque in Manhatten.
That Virology Journal story is amazing.
OF COURSE THEY DO. C’mon, del…. real Americans in Tennessee KNOW the REAL reason they lost their job is because Obama is stealing money from private companies and giving it to his fellow Muslims so they can build ground zero victory mosques. BTW, they republiKKKans arent protesting a mosque. they are protesting a Community Outreach Center. let’s make sure those of use with functioning brains call it the correct name.
the main problem here is wingnuts really truly feel that 9/11 was a conspiracy by the entire nation of Islam. They think every Muslim had a hand in it and they are all still plotting against us. This moronic feeble minded paranoia is backed up every night by 4 straight hours of propaganda and parroted by everyone with an R in front of their name.
their mind will never be changed. All we can do is move forward without them, hope future generations arent indoctrinated with the hate and wait for the existing Tbags to die. (after a long healthy life made possible by progressive policies they will consider evil.)
One of the remarkable things about the GOP stance on the center is that the GOP is often agitating for the Feds to do more about getting other countries to stop harassing, hurting and sometimes killing Christian missionaries in their midst. They have no idea how much their own agitating against the religious freedom of these Muslims absolutely destroys any moral authority the US might have in asking other countries to respect the religious freedom of Christians in those countries.
But what was is Newtie said? He doesn’t have to live those values, his followers just need to hear him articulate those values…..the pity is there is a huge GOP audience perfectly willing to accept this fraud.
A car powered on crap. They call it the Dung Beetle. Something of the perfect choice for the GOP Clown Car, yes?
I forgot to put the link to the Virology Journal story in the post. You can read LiveScience‘s story here.
Scientists now can explain about 50% of the increase in the occurrence of autism. Part of it is better diagnosis and higher awareness and another part is older parents.
Five Myths About Mid-Term Elections — which largely captures the lazy media narrative around this election so far. Apparently, objectivity means recycling the dumb stuff you opined on last few go-rounds which weren’t even true then.
Via Dialogue Delaware – Rollins has a commercial.
For those interested in the Treasurer’s race, I got the following email from Chip Flowers:
So tune in tonight at 6 PM to listen to the debate.
Funny how Bush was able to increase the repub majority in his first mid-term election. Of course, he didn’t whine about his base of supporters, call them names, suggest that they be drug tested, or pander to his political opponents, either.
Rollins’ tagline:
“We must get government back in the hands of the people.”
Multimillionaires like Rollins and Urquhart are “the people”?
Only in the minds of the right-wingnuts.
BTW, while she complains about bailouts, anyone notice that the only reason her Dover Downs business has hired recently is because it’s a partner with that despised big government in the casino business?
It’s pretty ironic that Rollins is complaining about bailouts since the bank she sits on the board of was a bailout recipient. Oh, and she got a higher salary after the bank got a bailout.
Just saw a tweet that tonight’s WDEL debate between Flowers and Jones-Potter has been postponed because Velda Jones-Potter has been hospitalized. I hope it’s nothing serious.
Funny how a1’s grasp of history is as good as their grasp of politics.
Question: W’s popularity was still mightily high during the his first mid-term elections because his popularity ratings were catapulted to astronomical heights after what historical event?
“Put government in the hands of the people, so it can put money in the hands of business owners like me.”
By the way, Velda called in sick, so the debate is postponed.
“his popularity ratings were catapulted to astronomical heights after what historical event?”
Umm…the opening of the Creationism Museum in Kentucky?
In 2 years, Obomba has killed as many G.I.’s in Afghanistan, as Bush did in 7.
But he’s a Nobel Peace Laureate.
In 2 years, Obomba has killed as many G.I.’s in Afghanistan, as Bush did in 7.
Bush was killing them in Iraq instead.
Funny how a1’s grasp of history is as good as their grasp of politics.
Question: W’s popularity was still mightily high during the his first mid-term elections because his popularity ratings were catapulted to astronomical heights after what historical event? – nemski
W didn’t blow his popularity by “whining about his base of supporters, call them names, suggest that they be drug tested, or pander to his political opponents,” either.
Would that O had W’s, albeit rudimentary, political instincts.
Or perhaps, O does not give a ____ about his base .
Velda called in sick? She looked perfectly fine yesterday afternoon at Pete Schwartzkopf’s fundraiser down here. My guess is that she called in unprepared or is chickening out.
Nemski, who admits to thinking that Bush was doing a good job up until the Iraq invasion, is wrong once again.
1. I’m not wrong.
2. Never did I write that Bush was doing a good job prior to the Iraq invasion.
1) You are wrong. Bush’s popularity was in the low 60’s in November 2002, hardly “astronomical.” But he had the political common sense to rally his base, not dis them like Obomba, Emanuel, and Gibbs do.
2) You wrote in a comment that you thought Bush was doing OK up until the Iraq saber rattling began. Perhaps you have changed your mind.
What aggravated me about the Bush White House, re: base, was that they didn’t respect them. I can forgive people who are true to different understandings than I have… but plain manipulation makes me mad.
Was it hot down there? The rumor is heat stroke, or heat exhaustion, or something similar.
Chip Flowers might be hungry to run, but is he as thirsty for victory as Velda?
I nominate Harry Reid as today’s asshat of the day.
Also, just breaking now that the 9th Circuit has granted the stay of the Prop 8 decision until Dec. 6, but have fast-tracked the appeals.
Comment by Geezer on 16 August 2010 at 5:39 pm:
*
GROAN!
MJ – the first report out of WDEL was around 3PM with no mention of what ailed her. I later saw a report that she had been hospitalized. Flowers campaign noted that she was dehydrated. She had damn-well better not chicken out of a reschedule!
How many of you losers have been to Ground Zero? Have you seen the security at the bridges? In the subways? No Mosque, No Mas.
No, of course you are reading Das Kapital and rallying for higher taxes and more social justice.
Obama is cratering and venereal disease is more popular than him.
^ Wowsa
ahhh…. here we see the adult Teabag attempting communication.
i think it is kind of fascinating when one of them tries to speak.
It has sort of formed a cogent sentence, but you know what they say… Teabag See Tebag Do…. so it is probably just like a parrot who watches Glenn Beck all the time. However, Parrots do not have the capacity to hate. The adult Teabag does.
btw, LL… im nost sure exactly what point you were trying to make, but yes ive been to Ground Zero… (there’s been a REAL mosque REALLY CLOSE BY for quite a while). Not quite sure WHY you want to burn the constitution over a Muslim version of the YMCA, but i’ll just assume either you hate the Founding Father’s vision of America, or Saint Sarah told you to….
or to put that all in words you can understand…. “OOONGA OOOOGNA AMERICA!!!!! OBAMA BOOO! YAY GLENN!”
Geezer – the weather yesterday was cloudy and cool, a great day to canvass. So the heat must have gotten her today. Hope she feels better, but as I said, she looked fine around 5:00 PM yesterday.
where did “no mas” come from? – I though you people were English only folks
oh ya – that’s right – St Sarah used “cojones” so let me see – if you use Spanish its OK – but if Spanish speakers speak spanish its not ok –
they won’t assimilate – so WHY are you using spanish words again???
Im puuuplexed….
Aoine…. the Teabag thinks the Al-Quedacans speak spanish. It doesnt understand that just because they are brown, they can be a different ethnicity.
ahhhh – I see – it’s the “brown people” thing….
dear me…its really that bad…..
the “know nothings” have really come back
http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2010-08-17/ground-zero-mosque-controversy-america-has-disgraced-itself/?cid=hp:mainpromo3 says it all.