Grits and Grana

Murder!

2010-02-02T14:37:00.001-05:00

Cat Predicts 50 Deaths in RIApparently a cat in Rhode Island has "predicted" 50 deaths at a nursing home near Brown University. This seems a bit suspicious to me. They say that the cat might be able to detect the smell of ketones given off my dying cells. I think this is all a conspiracy by cat apologists to cover-up a more sinister plot. This cat is KILLING people. We need to stop it before it

Lets Not OK

2010-01-25T15:58:00.001-05:00

I just got back from a quick trip to the main campus (in the pouring rain i might add) and on the way back to the lab I stopped at Dunkin'. In front of me was a woman who was probably 30+ with huge glasses like she walked off the set of an 80s movie. Despite being somewhat young she was also dressed like she was in her 80s. Note...not from the 80s but IN her 80s. I'm not exactly a style maven (

Unacceptable behavior

2010-01-20T10:37:00.000-05:00

A religious court in saudi arabia has ordered that a 13 year old girl should receive 90 lashes for carrying a camera-equipped cell phone to school with her. At what point do we in the United States put our desire for cheap fuel aside in favor of not purchasing it from barbarians. This is an unconscionable assault on basic human dignity. I understand in this country how some people (not me) might

Want!

2010-01-19T16:09:00.000-05:00

-Patrick OUT!!!

Amazon Reviews of the Family Circus

2010-01-12T15:41:00.000-05:00

http://foo.ca/wp/2005/01/11/amazon-reviews-on-family-circus-books/Hilarious...could almost make "Family Circus" worthwhile. Patrick OUT!!!

Worlds Most Talented Man

2010-01-11T10:27:00.000-05:00

No the video isn't about me. Normally I would say, "wow...this guy needs a hobby" but really he has too many. When I grow up I know what i want to be. Patrick OUT!!!

Charity

2010-01-04T12:40:00.003-05:00

Blitzed

2009-12-30T13:40:00.001-05:00

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/news/article_9d4a1d0e-f4d1-11de-8edf-001cc4c002e0.htmlSo this woman in South Dakota has registered a 0.708 blood alcohol level. For reference, a standard limit is from 0.05-0.08 and the LD50 (lethal dose for half a population) is 0.5. Not only that but she was caught behind the wheel of a stolen car. She was obviously hospitalized and eventually released on bond

New Link

2009-12-29T16:55:00.000-05:00

Quick ...look right and click the link in the side bar to add me to your google reader so you never fall behind on my ramblings. Patrick OUT!!!

Homeopathy sucks

2009-12-23T14:23:00.001-05:00

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/12/22/Why-Skeptics-Love-to-Hate-Homeopathy.aspx This article is fantastic. Its by a one, Amy L. Lansky whose CV you can find here http://www.renresearch.com/vita.html. Of course in this context when I say fantastic I really mean, its a steaming pile of unintelligent batshit crazy bullshit. I'm going to go out on a limb here and declare that

Gifts (with links)

2009-12-21T09:20:00.001-05:00

So its that time of year when we all try and find the perfect gift for every important person in our lives. I'm not sure if its just me but I love to give gifts but I HATE to give bad gifts. Its a lot of pressure. Also, I'm not very good at receiving gifts. In fact, I can hardly think of a more horrible person to buy something for than me. Its not that i'm unappreciative of the things its just

New Lambo

2009-12-15T11:35:00.001-05:00

This is now officially on my christmas list...you've all been notified.http://www.dreyx.com/2009/12/lamborghini-ankonian.htmlPatrick OUT!!!

Cocktail Redefined

2009-12-13T21:53:00.002-05:00

Awesome bartending video...i've never seen stuff like this. Patrick OUT!!!

Gaydar

2009-12-09T11:17:00.000-05:00

http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2009/12/people_identify_the_sexual_ori.php?utm_source=selectfeed&utm_medium=rss So apparently "Gay-dar" is real and quick...but not very accurate. I would have never guessed. Sometimes science is just neat.Patrick OUT!!!

Hitchens on History

2009-12-08T11:29:00.001-05:00

http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=4223Great Video at the Link AbovePatrick OUT!!!

Zicam is NOT Homeopathy

2009-12-07T16:50:00.001-05:00

Zicam is NOT HomeopathyThe above link is one of the greatest things I've seen in a long while. I'm posting it because I think that people who read this blog regularly envision that I just have a thing against religion but in reality I have a think against any sort of hocus-pocus hand waving, religion is just the most common example. Here we have homeopathy in relation to the intranasal spay,

Why Academia Sucks

2009-12-02T17:29:00.001-05:00

Had a chat with my advisor today about what i was going to do next year...yikes. Side note: don't ask me what I'm going to do next year...if i haven't told you then i don't know yet. I know you're interested or feel you should be interested but really i won't feel bad if it seems like you don't give a shit because its better than me feeling like i have no idea whats going on (closer to the truth)

Way to go Nell

2009-11-30T15:49:00.002-05:00

The woman in this video makes a very valid point and she tells it like it is. Asking, "What makes the Vatican holy?" Should the children abused by priests still refer to a priest as, "father?" Of course the archbishop flounders in his response because there is no defense for the actions of the catholic church...shameful. Patrick OUT!!!

Getting older everyday

2009-11-30T12:18:00.001-05:00

Last night I watched the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary concert. It had the feel of a benefit concert, lots of big name acts coming out performing their biggest hits. The different thing was that just about every act had some sort of other hall of fame name come out and perform with them. Some of these pairings really worked, Metallica/Ozzy Osbourne and others didn't do so well. The

Gervais on Genesis

2009-11-23T10:53:00.001-05:00

Ricky Gervais on the Bible...hilarious. Patrick OUT!!!

Sharia Law Explained

2009-11-16T15:53:00.002-05:00

The video below is very powerful but also contains VERY GRAPHIC images. Its message is quite simple and should be a wake-up call to anyone who doubts the power that religion has to explicitely motivate the most inhumane acts imaginable. Patrick OUT!!!

Hot Stuff

2009-11-13T11:22:00.001-05:00

For a good long time I was really into backpacking and camping and all of that. I still probably camp 5-10 weekends a year in some form or another but its not like it was a few years back. I think there are two schools of thought in regards to camping. The first is, "How much can I replicate the comforts of home and still be outside." The second is, "How little can I bring and not die of exposure

Jail Time...really?

2009-11-10T13:49:00.001-05:00

Jail Time for Those Without Health Insurance? The new health insurance initiative includes penalties for going without health insurance...which may or may not include jail time. I can't help but be brought back to the visions of Ayn Rand and her descriptions of governmental power by force. That is the only group in society that can take what is your by the threat of physical harm is the

Craft Brew per Capita

2009-11-05T15:02:00.001-05:00

I think this map might be my new guide for where my next job should be. Montana, Oregon, Maine...anyone? Patrick OUT!!!

Post-doc ho

2009-11-03T09:53:00.001-05:00

Looks like my perfect policy fellowship is no longer a possibility...alas, not eligible until NEXT year. So what now? Well back to plan B (now plan A). I need a job in 10 months. What sort of job? I need a post-doc or maybe a job in industry. Here's what I need out of that job. I need Independence. I've been spoiled as a grad student by having mentors who have been largely absent and yet trusting

Chronicle

2009-10-28T15:26:00.001-04:00

Last night I returned home early enough to tune into "Chronicle" on WCVB. For those not from my neck of the woods, Chronicle is a "news magazine" program on television that covers lots of the comings and goings of New Englanders. Last nights episode was concerned with the rise in non-believers in new England. In general it was pretty good, they had some humanists (read: atheists for those not

New Favorite Insult

2009-10-27T13:50:00.001-04:00

My new favorite insult is now, "you are a singularity of stupid" as applied to Dr. Charlene Werner. http://cpbotha.net/2008/03/22/dr-werner-you-are-a-singularity-of-stupid/ This woman truly is at the VERY bottom of the intellectual pond. She makes Carrot Top look like a Rhodes Scholar. Patrick OUT!!!

Jon Stewart is Smart

2009-10-26T18:00:00.002-04:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10cJennifer Burnshttp://www.thedailyshow.com/Daily ShowFull EpisodesPolitical HumorHealth Care Crisis Two things, Jon Stewart is pretty damn smart and this book is now officially on my christmas list. Patrick OUT!!!

Thank God for the Catholic Church

2009-10-24T20:24:00.001-04:00

Time magazine reports on the move by the Vatican to make it easier for Anglicans, unhappy with their church's stance on same sex union and the ordination of women, to join the catholic church. Gee whiz, its a good thing that the catholic church was there to step in and give bigots a place to go. As the world moves forward, the catholic church remains behind...i suppose its not the first time.

Great Disappoitnment

2009-10-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

Wikipedia: Great Disappointment Thanks to Wikipedia I know that today is the anniversary of the "Great Disappointment." A day when the followers William Miller were let down to find that their prophets predictions of christ's second coming were not quite right. Miller had said that today (in 1844) would be the day of christ's return. Some of his followers even gave away their possessions to

Great Schism...sort of

2009-10-20T18:33:00.001-04:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113889251 Apparently there is a schism in the atheist community...time to pick sides. I'll see if I can summarize the "schism" for you. On the one side, we have the "old" atheists who just wanted to not believe in magic and invisible friends and be left well enough alone. On the other, we have the "new atheists" who think that their lack of

My Nemesis

2009-10-20T10:18:00.001-04:00

Yesterday I received a notice from the National Center for Science Education (NCSE), which I'm a member of, asking for donations to counter a new offensive by the Foundation for Thought and Ethics (FTE). With that innocuous title you could be forgiven for not realizing that FTE is one of the primary players in the push to get creationism admitted to public school curricula. As such, they are my

Interesting

2009-10-08T11:56:00.001-04:00

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hg1ZPw_iDZPtk40pc-eurHFUOlSQD9B6LBS80 So a recent study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion has found some interesting information about the population of Muslims in the world. While I know I routinely think of the Muslim hotbeds of the middle east and Indonesia...there are massive numbers of Muslims living in China and India (22 million, and

Backsteet Boys of Science???

2009-10-07T16:14:00.003-04:00

This is courtesy of Pharyngula and is for you to compare and contrast with that religious/musical train wreck I posted earlier today. I'm not saying that this is much better musically but only one of the two of them is taking themselves seriously. Furthermore, any music video that can incorporate the words chromatography and crystallography into its lyrics has my support. Patrick OUT!!!

Evidence

2009-10-07T09:35:00.002-04:00

For those of you who doubted the previous post on the ability of religion to do just awful things, I present the following evidence. I true and loving god would never allow this. Enjoy...if you can.Patrick OUT!!!

A Novel Nobel

2009-10-06T15:18:00.001-04:00

So I'm going to heap criticism onto the Nobel prizes with the rest of the blogosphere...not to say that I disagree with this years selections but the Nobel prizes could use some reworking. At this point we have chemistry, physics, medicine and physiology, literature, peace, and economics. The first five are specified in Mr. Nobel's will but that last one, the Nobel Prize in Economics, is awarded

Just sayin

2009-10-05T09:49:00.001-04:00

Just want to get it out there that I think i've finally seen enough to say conclusivelly that Glenn Beck is a first degree black belt moron to the third power. Thats it...just wanted to get that out there. I have no evidence to present except for EVERY GLENN BECK SHOW EVER! I dare you to disagree. Patrick OUT!!!

Climbing

2009-10-02T11:54:00.001-04:00

I blog about a lot of different crap but i think that probably 90% of what I write about is either religion/philosophy, science, politics, and formerly professional sports. To that I'm going to add another topic that I probably could have been writing about all along, climbing. Climbing is one of those things that I've done off and on for years and always kind of liked for a variety of reasons,

Finding my calling

2009-10-01T15:41:00.001-04:00

So I was somewhat pleased yesterday when the previous post got so muchattention. Granted it was from just a few major contributors but nonethe less it was nice to see that at least people read them. The debatefollowing it got a bit more heated than usual and I'm always a fan ofwhen that happens. I'm not one to start a "flame war" or anything likethat but a good spirited debate is right up my

Sinners Repent

2009-09-30T09:08:00.002-04:00

So its been a LONG time since i posted here but despite by unusualworkload, I was inspired this morning during the ride in and wanted toshare. I followed a car in this morning with a bumper sticker thatread, "Change your ways or god will change your location ↓" I'massuming the down arrow meant hell...but maybe it just meantsouth...maybe he will send you to New Jersey...alas I digress. I wascaught

Dutch cartoonists...again

2009-09-02T11:38:00.001-04:00

Dutch to Prosecute Arab group over Holocaust Cartoon So apparently the Dutch government now sees fit to prosecute some Muslims for a very distasteful and anti-semitic cartoon concerning the holocaust. Now, i'm all about distasteful cartoons and so of course I'm not about prosecuting people for writing of publishing them and i'm definately not for double standards. If they wish to prosecute for

Pointless Babble

2009-08-17T15:57:00.001-04:00

A nice article for the “No shit” file. 40% of Twitter messages are pointless babble Patrick OUT!!!

2009-08-13T09:51:00.003-04:00

So yea…this video is awesome. Sometimes its good to feel real small in the universe. Wait wait...the realization of the minutiae of human existence has me wanting to kill grandma...DAMN YOU SCIENCE. Patrick OUT!!!

I'm shocked...almost

2009-08-12T11:34:00.000-04:00

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/11/getting-rid-of-granny/ So the Washington Times is now proposing that the reason that the secular left wants to “get rid of granny” is because they believe in evolution. Wow! So not only am I now a godless evolutionist…I must also be a homicidal sociopathic evolutionist. Evolution= killing grandmothers…do this paper have an editor? Anybody? How

Don't mess with robots

2009-08-07T16:42:00.003-04:00

This woman is totally messing with this robot...all he wants to do is race and she tries to push him around. If she had read this she wouldn't be so cavalier about the whole thing. Patrick OUT!!!

Peanuts

2009-08-06T15:44:00.003-04:00

Exactly! Courtesy of Common Sense Atheism

The Hike- WITH PICTURES

2009-08-04T14:41:00.002-04:00

So on day 2 in Switzerland I decided to hike the eiger trail from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunnen via Kleine Scheidegg and the Eigergletscher. I took the early morning train to Grindelwald from Interlaken Ost. A pretty short and uneventful ride preceeding a long and exciting hike. From there I hiked down (seemed like the wrong direction to be heading) into Grindelwald Grund where I quickly found the

Interlaken - with Pictures

2009-07-31T14:16:00.001-04:00

So these are the pictures and my recollections in Interlaken Switzerland. I camped in Interlaken which was great and this first one was the view from my tent door each morning (though usually there were clouds covering the mountains in the mornings...this was actually taken in the afternoon. I didn't climb this one but I did something similar if not actually a bit taller. This photo is of the

Obamabeer

2009-07-31T11:09:00.001-04:00

Looks as if the whitehouse has managed to ruin yet another good idea. The whole Crowley-Gates-Obama beerfest seemed like an alright sort of thing but then the pictures came out. Gates and Crowley in suits sitting at a small table with Obama (looking pleasantly casual) near the WH rose garden. So far so good, until…the butler brings out bar snacks in silver bowls. So now we have what was already

Helsinki Recap with Pictures

2009-07-30T14:02:00.000-04:00

So I think its that time now, when I should finalyl write about some of my European experiences. The first post will be about the conference in helsinki, not because it was my favorite place but rather because it paid for me to be there and so I need to give it its due.This was my hotel room, it was really small but kind of cozy. The window at the far end looked onto an office building. I could

The Overthrow begins

2009-07-29T16:36:00.000-04:00

Robot Attacks a Swedish Factory Worker http://www.thelocal.se/19120.html Apparently the robots have begun their rebellion and are starting in Sweden with the attack of factory workers. This is just a sign of the coming robotic apocalypse. Of course this was all predicted some years ago. I’m off to buy robot insurance… www.hulu.com/watch/2340/old-glory You’ve been warned. Patrick OUT!!!

Why Evolution is not only right but also AWESOME

2009-07-28T14:51:00.001-04:00

Seriously…sometimes evolution is more amazing than usual. http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/2009/07/are_women_getting_better_looki.php?utm_source=selectfeed&utm_medium=rss I’m sure that the creationists will point to Tammy Faye Baker as refutation or maybe Hillary Swank…but fear not, women are getting more attractive each generation. Sweet! Patrick OUT!!!

How does this happen

2009-07-24T11:23:00.001-04:00

4 Boys under 14 Molest 8 year old girl In light of the recent campaign in the blogosphere to end the culture of rape that is ravaging portions of Africa we get the case of 4 young men under the age of 14 sexually molesting an 8 year old girl. All 4 alleged perpetrators and the victim are refugees from Liberia in West Africa. The boys lured the little girl with the promise of chewing gum

Gates Arrest

2009-07-23T14:12:00.000-04:00

So Professor Henry Louis Gates of Harvard was arrested on charges (now dropped) of disorderly conduct. He claims racial profiling and a racist police force are to blame. The stories from both sides differ in the critical component of whether or not Professor Gates supplied proper identification when requested. The police say that their request for ID was denied and that Professor Gates became

Europe Pictures

2009-07-21T10:21:00.001-04:00

For those who just can’t wait… pictures from Europe have been uploaded for your viewing pleasure. These may or may not make it to facebook. Ones that seem out of place will eventually have explanatory captions. Stay tuned. http://picasaweb.google.com/parsenau Patrick OUT!!!

Worlds most expensive Ham???

2009-07-20T10:27:00.001-04:00

This must have been some AWESOME ham. 1.2 million? Thanks Prez… http://www.recovery.gov/?q=content/contracts-recipient-summary&id=12-AG3J14120297196&mode=details&primeid=27 Patrick OUT!!!

Back in Action

2009-07-20T09:00:00.001-04:00

So I am at last back on US soil (I know some of you didn’t realize I was gone) and you can be sure that there will be numerous posts with pictures and such in the days to come detailing my experiences in Europe and blah blah blah. In the mean time, for all you harry potter fan’s I’ve got an awesome link that is a must-read and a real though provoking piece. Enjoy! Patrick OUT!!! http://

The World View that Must Not be Named

2009-07-06T11:26:00.001-04:00

http://www.examiner.com/x-2044-Atheism-Examiner~y2009m7d4-Harry-Potters-Daniel-Radcliffe-is-an-atheists-and-respects-Richard-Dawkins?cid=exrss-Atheism-Examiner So apparently harry potter, actually Daniel Radcliffe (who knew?), is an atheist. Hopefully this will inspire countless young people to pick up a copy of “The God Delusion” the next time they are looking for a genuine harry potter

Another Sad Chinese Anniversary

2009-07-01T17:34:00.000-04:00

Today is perhaps the second saddest anniversary in China (perhaps not for them but for those of us with a slightly different view of freedom…in the philosophical sense). The saddest day, I’ve already mentioned here is probably the June 4th massacres at Tiananmen square. Today is the anniversary of the British handover of Hong Kong to the Chinese government. This occurred in 1997 with the

Turnpike Prank

2009-06-30T16:29:00.001-04:00

So I haven’t posted in a few days. I guess I ran into a little writers block coupled with a bit of stress outside of my blogging pursuits. To tide you over, I present the following link from a boston based web comedian, John Hargrave. http://www.zug.com/pranks/turnpike/index.html Very funny stuff…a prank involving the Massachusetts turnpike authority. Well worth the read. Patrick OUT!

Facepalm

2009-06-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

I LOVE these posters

Not so uncommon

2009-06-26T10:13:00.001-04:00

I know at least a few of you are probably expecting a Michael Jackson/ Farrah Fawcett post. Not gonna happen. I will say I appreciate both of their respective talents but also have serious problems with the way they lived their lives and the examples they set. On to other things. Ed Yong over at “Not Exactly Rocket Science,” is perhaps my favorite science blogger (a close second would be PZ

Silence is the Enemy

2009-06-25T15:41:00.001-04:00

Gonna get serious for a minute here… http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=84909 So the blogosphere has been pretty active recently responding to calls for increased attention to the enormous problem of rape in Africa. A recent study has concluded that upwards of 25% of men in South Africa have raped and 46% of those have done so on more than one occasion. Even more scary over

Tinted Window

2009-06-25T10:31:00.001-04:00

Tinted Window-Wikipedia So I just came across the Wikipedia page for this band (don’t ask how), Tinted Window. The line-up is pretty diverse but is a modern “supergroup.” It includes members of Cheap Trick, Fountains of Wayne, and the Smashing Pumpkins…oh…and…HANSON. What?!? I thought Hanson was outlawed in the 90s. Seriously…why would actual musicians from the likes of the smashing pumpkins

Acupuncture

2009-06-24T17:22:00.001-04:00

http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/?p=494 A VERY interesting post on the use of acupuncture and its political implications. Also just a few more reasons why the Chinese government shouldn’t be trusted to take care of its own people and Chairman Mao…SUCKS. A bit long but a good if not disturbing post. Patrick OUT!!!

CHiPs

2009-06-24T10:03:00.001-04:00

Box of Chips Pays for Prostitution Oklahoma prostitutes are apparently willing to work for peanuts…actually chips. Lahoma Sue Smith was arrested and fined more than $1000 after, officers claim, she accepted a $30 box of frito-lay chips in return for her “services.” Now I’ve never been a prostitute nor been with a prostitute but that doesn’t seem like quite market value to me. Now if he had

Elderly Drivers Again

2009-06-23T09:41:00.001-04:00

Man, 83, Lands Plane on Expressway So once again we have an elderly driver putting the public at risk…he couldn’t even find an airport for pete’s sake. I’m now calling for yearly retests of pilots licenses for people over 75 yrs old. Patrick OUT!!!

Things are heating up

2009-06-22T14:40:00.000-04:00

I’m gonna make a quick list of the people I’m especially glad not to be 1. Eric Roberts – think of all those awful movies he’s been in 2. Manny Ramirez – losing all that money and part of your gender 3. Timothy Geitner – in charge of the treasury is not a great place to be right now

Dad's Day Dinner

2009-06-21T21:20:00.001-04:00

Today being fathers day, the family went out for dinner. To protect the innocent I'm not going to say where we went but I am going to give a recap of the experience.To start off, we met our hostess who must have been on some sort of medication (or should have been) because she was moving at about 300 miles an hour in her seating duties. Of course we waited to be seated so I'm guessing it was all

Sometimes its just too easy...

2009-06-19T16:27:00.001-04:00

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/06/18/2009-06-18_queens_mother_marie_lauradin_charged_in_voodoo_fire_ritual_that_leaves_6yearold_.html So a woman in Queens NY has burned her child in an attempt to drive out evil spirits with a voodoo ritual. I probably don’t need to say it again but…religion makes people do crazy things…might as well abandon faith…yada yada yada… Patrick OUT!

What a Pair

2009-06-19T09:35:00.001-04:00

For more than 4 years now, I’ve been taking the same route to work every day. Its funny how you can drive it so many times and not notice things along the way. Today, due to road construction, I was caught in a bit of traffic in an area of shrewsbury that I normally fly through. Whilst there, I noticed a video store which I had seen before and realized for the first time that its not the little

Pulling the Trigger

2009-06-18T08:46:00.001-04:00

So I finally did it. I bought a motorcycle. Delivered yesterday afternoon and already took it out for a spin. It is AWESOME. Of course its now going to sit unused for a good week or so because we are looking at 40 days of rain here. I’m just hoping that July is beautiful and sunny and that I’ll be able to get a lot of time in. Thats really all I have to say about all that…perhaps pictures later

Anonymity on trial

2009-06-16T11:42:00.001-04:00

Blogger Anonymity A high court on Britain has ruled that bloggers do not have the right to anonymity that they have enjoyed for so long. It comes after the case of a police constable was writing sometimes sensitive details about actual cases. The Times of London wanted to reveal his identity and now they are able to do so. This is one of those things that I hope stays on the other side of

Time for a test

2009-06-15T13:05:00.000-04:00

A little girl was struck and killed by an elderly driver yesterday. The young girl was in a crosswalk with her father and was hit by a woman in her 80s who couldn’t see the young girl. Finally now, lawmakers in the state are considering measures to require retests of drivers. The bill however would only require new road tests for drivers over 85 and only every five years. Not good enough.

Me and the Open Road

2009-06-12T11:43:00.002-04:00

I think it might finally happen...after 7 years of seasonal motorcycle affective disorder (SMAD)…I’m on the cusp of putting up a down payment on a brand new (maybe last year’s model but still new) Kawasaki Ninja. A crotch rocket for sure (sorry Mel) and a boat load of fun guaranteed (still trying to get that in writing). I’m pretty excited about the prospect of me with a new open wheeled vehicle

Beware of the "O"

2009-06-11T11:39:00.001-04:00

I kinda need to get this out in the open…Oprah is full of shit. Seriously never take advice from this woman…ever. Not on what books to read, what to eat, what to wear, and especially not in medical practice. Newsweek: Why Oprah could make you sick OK, I feel better now and I didn’t even need bioidentical hormones to get me there (read the article you’ll understand). Patrick OUT!!!

Swine Flu...really?

2009-06-11T10:56:00.001-04:00

After many weeks the World Health Organization (WHO) is finally set to officially declare a pandemic in regards to the H1N1 virus (swine flu). Isn’t it a little late? The declaration of a pandemic means new guidelines and assistance will be available to member states to try and contain the geographic spread. Of course for them to call a “pandemic” means that the virus has already spread to a

Genius

2009-06-10T14:56:00.001-04:00

THREE really excellent links for today An Open Letter to the Human Resources Department of the Super Friends An Open Letter to AmEx Reserve a Spot in Heaven That should keep you all going for a bit. Patrick OUT!!!

Dignity doesn't get old

2009-06-10T12:39:00.000-04:00

Just got back from lunch at one of my favorite spots in Worcester. While we were there, a large group of elderly men and women was there with a couple of what seemed to be support personnel. I would guess that most were in their late 70s or early 80s and many were in wheelchairs or had other assistive devices. We sat somewhat close enough to them such that I could overhear the conversations

Better watch out...

2009-06-08T15:58:00.001-04:00

Massachusetts General Law Chapter 272 Section 36 I swear to you…I didn’t know it was against the law. I think I’ll be more careful in the future. To you, dear reader, please don’t turn me in. Patrick OUT!!!

How can this be real

2009-06-08T10:41:00.001-04:00

Two American reporters have been sentenced to 12 years hard labor in North Korea for allegedly crossing into the country illegally from China. This is straight out of a Hollywood script…two attractive idealistic American journalists captured by the evil north Koreans and thrown into a dank prison destined to break rocks for the rest of their days. At this point, we would probably need to throw

2009-06-05T08:58:00.001-04:00

Cheney more popular than Pelosi Seriously…click the link and see for yourself. That must really ruin Nancy’s day. To have a poll first off that seeks to make that comparison in the first place and secondly to find that a guy who organized an ill thought out invasion of Iraq, shot his friend in the face, and cozzied up to corrupt CEOs is just a bit more popular than you are. Yikes, that could

Me Being Even Handed

2009-06-03T10:56:00.001-04:00

So apparently it goes even further into the US. When asked by a reporter, “How should Jews treat their Arab neighbors.” His response “I don’t believe in western morality, i.e. don’t kill civilians or children, don’t destroy holy sites, don’t fight during holiday seasons, don’t bomb cemeteries, don’t shoot until they shoot first because it is immoral. The only way to fight a moral war is the

Reaching out to the Muslim World

2009-06-03T10:42:00.002-04:00

So our dear leader, President Obama, is trying to make amends with the muslim world…reaching out to Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq and saying…we can find common ground and prosper together. I’m gonna go ahead and call bullshit on this one. I categorically do not believe that the United States will ever be able to see eye to eye with the governments (not necessarily the people) of these

Something for you to ponder

2009-06-02T13:02:00.001-04:00

A little delay in posting here…just too much to do. While I get back on track with blog updates, the link below will take you to an excellent piece on the intersection of science and literary cultures and their potential disdain for one another. Its really quite good. A little long perhaps but well worth the time if you want to get some insight into the western academic traditions. Make

Yea I'm not too surprised

2009-05-29T10:58:00.001-04:00

Here we go…Obama’s first supreme court nomination. Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the 2nd circuit court of appeals. The would-be first latino supreme court justice. A very intriguing personal story for sure, growing up in the projects going no to Princeton and Yale and clearly gaining the esteem of her colleagues in the profession and the notice of President Obama. But unfortunately it looks like she

NASA

2009-05-28T13:55:00.001-04:00

So I’ve decided what I want to do for the rest of my life. OK, I’ve said that before and it never sticks but for the moment…I want to work for NASA. I’ve almost entirely resigned myself to the fact that I’m going to be continually in search of research patronage from tax payer dollars. I had always assumed that it would be at a university or research institute. But then I thought what if I

2009-05-28T09:15:00.001-04:00

Climate Conference Sex Boom All I can say is, “Its gettin’ hot in here” Patrick OUT!!!

Cognitive Dissonance

2009-05-27T12:21:00.001-04:00

An excellent post on cognitive dissonance with some relevance to yesterday’s commentary. Patrick OUT!!!

Just Don't Know

2009-05-26T13:33:00.001-04:00

Had a nice trip down to the cape this weekend for memorial day. Did a good deal of time on the bike, went fishing (didn’t catch anything but is that really the point?), and spent some quality time with friends. On the way down I rode with a good friend of mine who is the only person I know (I think) that has gone from being an atheist to being spiritual in any sense. I’m not going to go too far

Money for Nothing

2009-05-25T09:57:00.000-04:00

AWESOME!

Zombie Attack

2009-05-21T10:40:00.001-04:00

Boston Cops will Inform of Imminent Zombie Attacks I can’t tell you how much better I feel after finding out that the Boston PD will in fact be informing the public about any zombie attacks. Obviously the potential for a police cover-up of such activities is great and so this display of governmental transparency really puts my mind at ease. I hope that other departments around the nation

Teachers Fail at Math

2009-05-20T08:59:00.001-04:00

http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/local_wpri_massachusetts_aspiring_school_teachers_fail_in_math20090519 Apparently the prospective teachers in Massachusetts aint doin so hot on their teachers exams. More specifically they can’t do math. In fact, almost 3 out of 4 of them failed their exam on the math portion. It’s a good thing there are lots of subjects for them to teach other than

Times are Tough

2009-05-19T09:53:00.001-04:00

With the economy on the rocks major corporations are trying to cut corners as best they can. For some that means the lay-offs of thousands of employees or cutting back on company travel, for others it means giving out large bonuses to employees who ran said corporations into the ground (thanks AIG). In an age of telecommuters, VPNs, and instant messaging…the office has become a bit passé.

Criminal Hubris

2009-05-18T10:55:00.001-04:00

Nancy Pelosi has found herself embroiled in a controversy concerning what she knew or didn’t know about the use of torture or “enhanced interrogation techniques” on suspected or avowed terrorists. I really think this woman doesn’t understand that attempting to fool the whole country so you can have it both ways is just dumb. Does she honestly believe herself to be that much smarter than

Creation Minute

2009-05-14T16:06:00.001-04:00

Link Below Eric Hovind’s Creation Minute My new FAVORITE website…don’t stare at it for too long though, it will rot your brain. Patrick OUT!!!

Christian Scienctists...what?

2009-05-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

The Church of Christ Scientist is furnishing a speaker in Framingham this coming week. The Title of his Talk: “Prayer: God's Stimulus Plan.” Holy Shit…literally. This guy wants to tell me that the downfall of my business or economic status can be mitigated through prayer. Ummmm…no. Lets keep in mind that these are the same people who deny the basics of modern medicine in favor of health through

On being vegetarian

2009-05-12T15:21:00.000-04:00

I don’t think I get the whole vegetarian thing. Rather I don’t get the people who don’t eat meat but still buy things that taste like meat (you know who you are fake bacon eaters). I’ve heard about the health issues of eating meat but I’m not sure I buy that because its really all about moderation. If you ate nothing but avocado all day then you wouldn’t be in super good health that same is if

It just can't be

2009-05-11T17:07:00.001-04:00

Please let this just be a bad joke…I’m not sure I can tolerate this from people we elect to high public office. http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hc111-121 Patrick OUT!!! Note to Self: Move to Georgia and run against Paul Broun for House seat.

What now?

2009-05-11T10:42:00.001-04:00

Discover Magazine: Texas is Doomed It appears to me that we are entering a new age of the religion and reason battle. The state of texas state board of education has now voted to remove references to the age of the universe. The presumption is that the generally accepted age of the universe (14 billion years) may somehow be at odds with some religious fundamentalists. I kind of get why they