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Richard Dawkins says he's an African ape–yes we are.
Whenever I read statements from the anti-evolution/creationist crowd, I often wonder if they're satisfied with their intellect and knowledge. Their level of denialism is so high that they cannot even get basic science right. In Vasko Kohlmayer's Washington Times article, Is Richard Dawkins an ape?, decides to deny most basic biological knowledge just to make some point that humans are somehow "better" than an ape, and use it to "disprove" evolution. Kohlmayer's logic, if you can call it that, is so fallacious, I'm not sure which fallacy would fit. Maybe I'll just use them all.
Before we start, you should know a little bit about The Washington Times. It was founded by the Unification Church (better known as Moonies, from their namesake, Sun Myung Moon) as a competitor to the Washington Post, a rather progressive newspaper in Washington, DC. The Post had written some negative articles about Moonies back in the late 70's, while it was the only newspaper in the US Capital. The Washington Times has a very conservative editorial bias, based upon anti-communism and "Judeo-Christian values." Of course, the paper is generally a mouthpiece for the conservative movement in the US, with its preference for climate change and evolution denialism.
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Richard Dawkins talks about GMO crops
For New Year's Day, I'm republishing the top 10 articles I wrote in 2013. Well, actually top 9, plus 1 from 2012 that just keeps going.
#2. This article was published on 12 June 2013, and has had nearly 40,000 views. GMO's cause so much unscientific drama, that when Richard Dawkins, a "saint" for the a lot of pro-science people, makes it known that being against GMO's is anti-science, it causes the time-space continuum to break.
Thirteen years ago, Richard Dawkins, noted secularist, author and evolutionary biologist, wrote an open letter to Prince Charles, noted promoter of pseudoscience and heir apparent to the British throne, about the Prince's hostility to science. Even though the letter was written more than a decade ago, the salient points still ring true today:
…Sir, I think you may have an exaggerated idea of the natural-ness of 'traditional' or 'organic' agriculture. Agriculture has always been unnatural. Our species began to depart from our natural hunter-gatherer lifestyle as recently as 10,000 years ago – too short to measure on the evolutionary timescale.
Wheat, be it ever so wholemeal and stoneground, is not a natural food for Homo sapiens. Nor is milk, except for children. Almost every morsel of our food is genetically modified – admittedly by artificial selection not artificial mutation, but the end result is the same. A wheat grain is a genetically modified grass seed, just as a pekinese is a genetically modified wolf. Playing God? We've been playing God for centuries!
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We are humans and apes
Previously, I wrote about how Richard Dawkins claimed he was an African Ape. Fortuitously, I ran across an article in io9 by Annalee Newitz, The last time we redefined what it means to be human. Newitz clarifies the current cladogram, a diagram that shows relationships among organisms, for humans and their closest primate neighbors (from an evolutionary standpoint).
Humans today are the species sapiens, the genus Homo, the subfamily Homininae, the family Hominidae, the order Primates, the class Mammalia, and the kingdom Animalia. There are other classifications, like tribe and subtribe, sub family, and other fine tuning, which has made the taxonomic classification of organisms complex, especially because of the use of Latin names. Moreover, there are a lot of similar sounding taxonomic groups for humans and great ape relatives. But let's try to make it as clear as possible..
Science is not based on absolutes–Richard Dawkins proves that
One of the tropes of pseudoscience pushers is that science is too fungible, that is, scientists can change their mind or, horrors of horrors, refuse to make an absolute "this is the TRUTH™" statement. There are numerous articles, published in peer-reviewed, high impact factor journals, that state "more research should be done to confirm these results." The anti-science crowd uses these comments as "evidence" that science isn't sure about something.
Black/white absolute truth doesn't exist in real science. Many people state that science "seeks truth," and it does, if we do not ascribe moral qualities to the word "truth." Actually, science seeks evidence to support or refute a hypothesis (or some other scientific principle like a theory). It's all about the evidence (and the quality thereof), not about proving that it's either this or that.
Part of the problem, amongst both "pro-science" and anti-science types is that they both think that science is some magical word to either be loved or despised depending on the answer it provides. But science is, in reality, a coherent method to find an answer to a question about the natural universe, but it is not itself the answer. Science is a systematic and logical process, using the scientific method, that finds and builds data, and eventually knowledge, into testable explanations and predictions about the natural universe. it is not a magical word that implies truth, but it is a rigorous process to separate meaningless information from high quality evidence in support or refutation of an explanation of the natural world.
Oftentimes, someone will report that "scientists believe that birds are living dinosaurs" or "scientists believe humans cause global warming." To the lay audience that sounds like a bunch of men and women, sitting in an apartment with a keg of beer, a dartboard, and inventing some new theory. OK, in my experience, we have often sat around with a keg of beer and a dartboard, but we were discussing 10 years of research and how to sum it up clearly. Or wondering if a new set of results adds to the data or may actually move us in a different direction. But all of it was based on many years of hard work (including education, bench and field research, withering criticisms from peers and mentors, and countless nights of worrying if an experiment would fail because the power went off), not just making a random guess.
Moreover, even after hard work, publications, and critiques, science is filled with doubt. New evidence, as long as it is as strong as the evidence that supported a previously held explanation, can create new explanations and predictions. The whole scientific process is based upon criticism, open-mindedness and accumulation of new data. It's not based on "ok, we're done, we've answered all of the questions." Science evolves over times, because it simply isn't dogmatic.
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iPhone and iPad Apps–skepticism and atheism (update 2)
Update 2. Just added one more app that I've been using and just forgot to put in the original article.
When I write about skepticism, sitting at my trusty MacBook Pro, I have access to every source and bit of information that is required to write about evolution, vaccines, global warming, and the existence of sasquatch. If I need to dig up a link to an article that debunks some silly anti-vaccination lunatic's claim, it's easy to do. However, since people make pseudoscientific claims all the time, it's always good to have access to information right at the tip of your fingers. Of course, it's relatively easy to put your question in google, in the hope of getting a good answer. Then again, you have to weed through the 100 hits that might actually support the bogus claim.
iPhone and iPad Apps–skepticism and atheism (update 1)
When I write about skepticism, sitting at my trusty MacBook Pro, I have access to every source and bit of information that is required to write about evolution, vaccines, global warming, and the existence of sasquatch. If I need to dig up a link to an article that debunks some silly anti-vaccination lunatic's claim, it's easy to do. However, since people make pseudoscientific claims all the time, it's always good to have access to information right at the tip of your fingers. Of course, it's relatively easy to put your question in google, in the hope of getting a good answer. Then again, you have to weed through the 100 hits that might actually support the bogus claim.
(more…) «iPhone and iPad Apps–skepticism and…»
Richard Dawkins and the existence of god
You're going to be reading this story about Richard Dawkins and his doubts about the NON-existence of god. The Telegraph, a British newspaper, wrote about a recent public discussion between Dawkins and the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is the traditional head of the Church of England (known as Anglicans outside of the USA, and Episcopalians in the USA):
There was surprise when Prof Dawkins acknowledged that he was less than 100 per cent certain of his conviction that there is no creator.
The philosopher Sir Anthony Kenny, who chaired the discussion, interjected: "Why don't you call yourself an agnostic?" Prof Dawkins answered that he did.
An incredulous Sir Anthony replied: "You are described as the world's most famous atheist."
Huffington Post and quote mining–one more reason to ignore them
The Huffington Post published an article recently entitled, Science and religion quotes: what the world's greatest scientists say about God. I rarely read HuffPo, despite my having a similar political point-of-view, because of what I perceive to be a high number of anti-science articles. In this case, HuffPo tries to show how some of the great scientists were actually deeply spiritual if not religious. Using quotes as evidence for a history or biography of an individual is pathetic and disingenuous, especially if taken out of context. It would be as if we tried to describe Los Angeles based on a snapshot of one house in San Pedro.
(more…) «Huffington Post and quote mining–one…»


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EcoSport is a company based in China offering service of producing & designing eco-friendly promotional products targeted at companies launching advertising campaigns especially according to the worldwide slogan of eco-friendly and sporting products.
We specialize in manufacturing processes to be carried out in China. The process of order elaboration starts even before it is placed. We deliver a sample and price while the customer is browsing alternative offers, making sure we are able secure a tailor-made solution.
We improve quality of our service through continuous contact with our customers and communicate each other's ideas.
We control the manufacturing process all the way through while it is running, ensuring customers' security. We deliver complete service in the area of logistics and transportation, including transit and customs documentation workflow.
Our final goal is to achieve not only OEM but also ODM so as to maximize the customers' satisfaction.

subset: commoncrawl


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Pocono's Vacation Home near Jack Frost/Big Boulder
Bedrooms: | 4 |
Bathrooms: | 4 |
Sleeps | 14 |
Per night | $350 - $450 |
Per week | $900 - $1,200 |
Type: | Home |
Our house nestled in a wooded community situated on an acre corner lot that is truly peaceful, but still you know that you are minutes away to the modern world convinces, like supermarkets and other stores, banks, movies restaurants ,etc. The house is perfect for families, couples, and friends. Children are welcome. We have 2 cribs, high chair and changing table for infants and toddlers. The house is professionally cleaned before each visit.
Nearest motorway: Route 80 exit 284 at 10 Miles
Nearest beach: beach at 1.0 Miles
Car: necessary
Contact us now to make reservations.
Zoia Bodrenko
Big Pocono State Park consists of 1,306 acres of rugged terrain on the summit and slopes of Camelback Mountain.
The 15,990-acre Hickory Run State Park lies in the western foothills of the Pocono Mountains. This large park has over 40 miles of hiking trails, three state park natural areas and miles of trout streams. The Boulder Field, a striking boulder-strewn area, is a National Natural Landmark. The 2,972-acre Beltzville State Park is in the southern foothills of the Poconos. Pohopoco Creek, an excellent trout stream, feeds the 949-acre Beltzville Lake, which is a rest stop for migrating waterfowl and is a destination for boaters and anglers. The sand beach and picnic pavilions are very popular.
There are two lakes in Hickory Run State Park; one has an extensive sandy swimming area. There are several streams for fishing enthusiasts. Hickory Run is about a 10-minute drive from the Trails.
Going a little further out (20 to 30 minutes), just passed Jim Thorpe; you will find the Mauch Chunk Reservoir for swimming and boating, picnics and camping. At about the same distance you have the very large Beltzville Lake. This lake also offers swimming, boating, fishing and picnicking areas.Local
Towamensing Trails is located on route 903 only 5 minutes from Big Boulder and 10 minutes to Jack Frost ski slopes. Penns Peak is also easily accessible. Only 15 min from Poconos Racetrack and less than 20 minutes away from Penn National Horse racing and Casino.
Begins | Ends | Week Night |
Weekend Night |
Weekly | Monthly | Min Stay |
Dec 16 2014 | Mar 15 2015 | - | $450 | $1,200 | $4,000 | - |
Apr 16 2015 | Jun 16 2015 | - | $350 | $900 | - | - |
Jun 16 2015 | Sep 15 2015 | - | $450 | $1,200 | $4,000 | - |
Sep 16 2015 | Dec 15 2015 | - | $350 | $900 | $2,800 | - |
Deposits: $500 Security deposit is refundable subsequent to your departure, after house has been inspected and cleaned and all is in good order. | ||||||
Payment Options: Money Order, Cashier's Check, Personal Check, PayPal | ||||||
Other Fees: New Year's $3200/week, Martin Luther King $1800 President's Day $1800 Easter $1300 Memorial Day $1300 4th of July $1800 Labor Day $1800 Thanksgiving $1800 Christmas $1800 Wine Festival $1300 Race Weekend $1300 All taxes, cleaning, and registration fee is included. |
Jack Frost Ski is 10 miles away from us and has a bigger vertical drop and winter fun for all!
Camelback Ski located about 20 mails from our house. It is Pocono's largest ski area, it features 33 slopes and trails, 100% night skiing, 100% snowmaking and 13 lifts that include two high-speed quad lifts.
Blue Mountain Ski is 18 mails away from us and features 30 trails, half-pipe, 2 terrain parks, 8 lifts including a hi-speed detachable quad.
Irina Yagudayeva
New York
April 6, 2014
This house was great, just as described. Nice house to get away for a weekend. Convenient location, comfortable, and in amazing condition. Big rooms, kitchen. The house is supplied with everything you need. Very clean. Beautiful lake not too. The owner of this house is very pleasant. Planning to rent this house again.
Danielle Scalfani
New York
Exactly as describes
February 12, 2014
This place is exactly as described. We had 12 people go for the weekend and had enough room. Owner was friendly. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because some of the bathrooms were out of soap and some things needed updating (broken stool/chair) and if you are planning on cooking, bring your own pots/pans as there is not enough to cook for that many people. Other then that, just for a weekend for people to get together hang out and go snowboarding/skiing, it's a great place!
Derek Dominick
New Jersey, USA
Nice House. Has seen a few parties
September 25, 2011
The house is very nice and decently big. There are scrapes and scratches on the wall. A few punched doors. Besides the minor damages to the walls and doors the house is very good. I didn't mind them and had a great time. There were towels and plates that we could use at the house. Everyone at the house had a fantastic time and I would recommend the house to a friend,
erick rizk
allentown, pa
lake ariel vacation
August 24, 2010
nice house and lake, but house smell and barbeque handle are missing too dangerous to use.
Valhalla NY USA
November 18, 2009
This house was clean,comfortable and cozy...All the paper good you need down to tissue boxes, two master suites with their own bath were huge... and for a bonus there is an extra large jacuzzi in the 3rd bath...the bedding was the BEST,pillows,towels were plentiful(not that you needed any,this house has multi zone heating for your convenience.The only thing that needs replacement is the carpet in the main area which I'm sure the landlord is looking into. If your looking for a a comfortable laid back vacation this house is the one.
Philadelphia, PA
February 27, 2009
This house is great for a small or large group that wants to get away for a weekend. Convenient location, comfortable, and in amazing condition. It's simply perfect!
Selden, NY, USA
March 21, 2008
this house was absolutly perfect! The bedrooms were huge, two out of four with their own full bathroom. The beds we queen sized and comfortable. The house was equipt will all neccessties, TV, kitchen plates, towels, linens, etc. It was located on peaceful lot. Had a nice little porch off of the kitch and alot of space. we enjoyed this house alot!
New York, NY USA
Great Place!
January 30, 2008
This house is amazing, you have all the commodity one needs to feel like you never left your own home. From the patio to even the beds everything was just comfort, it is so that we didn't even went skiing when we were supposed to, we just decided to enjoy the house. Another great thing, The owners were really friendly and helpful. I will be more than glad to recommended this home to friends or family to spend not just a weekend but a month if they'll like to...


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Skatecase Boards (aka BriefSkate): The worlds first skateboard with built in storage. Get your fully custom board today!
"Ollie The Skatecase": The Skatecase has been animated and has taken on a life of it's own in "Ollie the Skatecase." Watch as inventor Looshes, along with Ollie and their dog Flip, as they go on rad adventures.


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This is a syndicated post from Saint Jude Chapel. [Read the original article...]
1st Reading: Genesis 1:1-2:2
In the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, the earth was a formless wasteland, and darkness covered the abyss, while a mighty wind swept over the waters.
Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw … (257)
Incoming search terms:
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NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil will tomorrow administer the oath of office as cabinet minister to Trinamool Congress MP Mukul Roy, who will take charge of railway ministry.
"The President will administer the oath of office and secrecy to Mukul Roy as cabinet cinister in the council of ministers at 1000 hours on March 20," a Rashtrapati Bhawan spokesperson said in a statement.
The President, as advised by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, has accepted the resignation of Dinesh Trivedi from the Union Council of Ministers, with immediate effect, the statement said.
Trivedi, also a Trinamool Congress MP, had resigned as the Railway Minister last night.
Stay updated on the go with Times of India News App. Click here to download it for your device.
Interest Network
itimes | Email


text: This Nautical borrowed from uk replica watches its big sister both its aesthetics as its device. Indicating the decompression Replica watch tables in bluish shades (orange and Brown versus for the original edition), the central dial patek philippe replica is fixed while the rotating flange graduated at 60 minutes is activated by the Crown screwed in 4 hours. Thanks to generous square index and luminescent hands.


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February is a month when love is celebrated, typically with kisses, chocolate, champagne and candlelit dinners. But squabbles that creep up on a daily basis can take a toll on romance and even sidetrack your Valentine's Day plans.
Take heart. There are steps you can take to make every day Valentine's Day. Rekindling the romance and passion can happen by performing a single, thoughtful act. Performed on a daily basis, the single act will multiply and, over time, can quite literally divorce-proof a marriage.
So, if romance is your goal, may I suggest these seven tips (along with a dozen long-stemmed roses) to light a fire under love languishing on the embers?
- One gesture of pure kindness daily.
- Two interesting sex-capades weekly.
- Three compliments for every criticism.
- Four compromises for every line in the sand.
- Five real kisses morning, noon, and night, with two in between.
- Six acts of forgiveness weekly.
- No matter what your creed or philosophy, connect on a soul level whenever possible.
Chicago may be the heartbreak capital of the country (yes, it's official), but don't fret. By following some if not all of these tips, you can keep the love alive and the home fires burning long after Valentine's Day has passed.
Photo courtesy of Stuart Miles via freedigitalphotos.net.


text: This product is supposed to be a rescue hair mask. You should put it on dry hair, leave for some time and then wash and condition as usual. It's in a solid form and melts when touched. The smell is divine, consistency very pleasant. It is not very efficient, I have long hair and need to use over one tea spoon to cover all hair. It leaves hair very soft and shiny but I find you can achieve similar results with cheaper products. It is supposed to be innovative, but really it contains ingredients that you can find in other cheaper products.


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In order to complete your reporting requirements for Eco Schools or Food Gardens in Schools projects you must:
Photographs, although not essential, are also a great way of showcasing your projects and achievements. We recommend including them as part of your report.
Eco Schools
One report only.
Reporting Template
120214PFormES12.doc (99kb)
Statutory Declaration Form to be printed and completed by hand.
120293StatDecES.pdf (32kb)
Financial Report
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Food Gardens in Schools
Two reports: one progressand one final report.
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120292StatDecFG.pdf (32kb)
140723FinRepEFG.xls (62kb)
You should use the reporting templates provided. Please email your report to: email@example.com.
Note: Email including attachments cannot exceed 10MB. Should your email exceed this limit, please send your reports and any other attachments on a USB.
You must prominently acknowledge the Trust's assistance in your final report and all publications and promotional material relating to the project with the Trust's logo and using the following statement:
This project has been assisted by the New South Wales Government through its Environmental Trust.
If you are unsure about any aspects of the reporting process, please contact Trust Administration on (02) 8837 6093 or by email at email@example.com.
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