I don’t know if I should file this under "Politics" or "Death from the Skies!" Maybe both.
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Or maybe just "Humor". Yeah.
PostScript: Republicans? Are you listening here? You may want to throw Governor Palin into a sack and lock her in a cellar somewhere far, far away, to prevent her from ever doing media interviews again. I’m just trying to throw you a bone here.
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The original BA site (with the Moon Hoax debunking, movie reviews, and all that) can be found here.
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 | Bad Astronomy was chosen as one of Time.com's Best Blogs of 2009. |
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November 21st, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Hehe, I’m pretty sure you don’t know about Mr Zapatero. Maybe you’d like to post about him in similar ways, hehe
November 21st, 2008 at 12:48 pm
The depth of the hatred y’all hold for anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with your agenda never ceases to amaze.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:50 pm
yeah! I wish she would be struck and killed by a meteorite, too.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:51 pm
I think it should be filed under “the election is over stop obsessing about who lost and it’s time to move on”. That’s on the bottom shelf by the way.
November 21st, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Check out her ‘turkey’ interview, when she pardons one, then we see them being killed in the background.
J/P=?
November 21st, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Cheyenne Says: “I think it should be filed under “the election is over stop obsessing about who lost and it’s time to move on”. That’s on the bottom shelf by the way.”
Sore winners?
- Jack
November 21st, 2008 at 1:08 pm
The depth of the hatred y’all hold for anyone who doesn’t march in lockstep with your agenda never ceases to amaze.
‘Splain to us the whole RINO thing again, then.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Big Al,
You apparently don’t get humor. Sarah Palin is both stupid and incurious. Nobody really hates her as much as those of us with functioning brains would be infuriated and scared to have her hold high public office.
Cheyenne,
Sarah Palin is still doing press interviews, probably to increase her chances as a Presidential nominee in 2012. This would be horrible, so continuing to ridicule her is both appropriate and necessary.
Phil,
This is from my favorite comic ever. You’re the man.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:13 pm
I have no idea what Palin was talking about; I was fascinated by that turkey contraption. However, it was hardly the massacre that we were promised by the anchor.
In fact, I found the whole process rather honest and down-to-Earth. A friend of mine worked in the quality control lab of a chicken factory (that shall remain unnamed), and the pictures and stories he shared with us make this farm look like a holiday camp.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Deep down, in parts I don’t like to acknowledge exist, I want Sarah Palin to run in 2012 as the Republican nominee. Why? Because I’m 99% certain she will make an incredible ass of herself, and lose worse than the McCain/Palin ticket did.
But that remaining 1% of me is concerned that she might actually win somehow. I mean, W managed it, so it’s not outside the realm of possibility.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Oh, wow. The only thing that stops this from being a minstrel comic is the lack of shading.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:18 pm
Big Al:
Criticism is not necessarily hate. Maybe it does in this case though…
Phil, maybe you need to add some kind of disclaimer with your advice to republicans. They might take your word and then blame you for planning her kidnapping.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:27 pm
OT: according to NYT Hillary accepted the offer to become secretary of state.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
Phil,
I just had the misfortune to watch Real Time With Bill Maher Overtime and saw one of the most astounding displays of anti-space ignorance I can remember.
The guests railed against “sending stuff to Mars” – even opining that we shouldn’t “spend billions turning urine into water” – on Mars!
http://www.hbo.com/billmaher/
This is supposed to be a show for smart people?!?
I’m so angry that I don’t know where to begin with this. Help!
Kevin Hoover
November 21st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
November 21st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Juan:
I think I can differentiate between hatred and criticism. Criticism leaves room for argument. Hatred just wants to drop a big rock on someone’s head –with glee.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Isn’t it funny how people confuse criticism, sarcasm, and irony with “hate”? It usually goes along with marching in lockstep to outworn conservative ideas. Save the term hate for those events that truly show hate — rather than use the label carelessly. There’s true hate out there and criticising Sarah Palin is NOT hate. It’s criticism. Look them up in the dictionary — there are very unsubtle differences between the two.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Oh, and Big Al? She keeps puttin’ herself out there as a serious contender… if you can’t critique her now, when is it allowed?
November 21st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
That turkey inverview was Gold! Lets just say she does not come off too well. I love how she appears to have no clue to what is happening in the background (although she apparently did!)and how it might go over. Don’t get me wrong, I love turkey dinner as much as the next guy and have no problem with the fact that turkeys need to be offed, but I am not sure how good a choice it was to use the scene as your inverview backdrop.
She has been a great source of amusement for us all, lets thank McCain for bringing her to our attention.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:39 pm
November 21st, 2008 at 1:41 pm
Criticise, critique, argue all you want. Conservatives are the flavor of the week. But when you advocate violence, you’re opening a whole ‘nother can of worms. Just remember, we fire back.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:43 pm
I think in the cartoon we should now put in Foggy Bottom beside Palin as the target of the hit. Obama just upchucked a turkey with the Clinton pick.
I hope he fills out the rest of his cabinet with the people that are the most qualified to be there (a grand notion). For whatever reason he picked Clinton it certainly had nothing to do with her foreign policy experience.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Whenever I see a Palin inteview, I always get the feeling she’s just a moment away from breaking down and wailing “I just can’t do this any more!”
I know that’s not likely the way she feels inside, but when she’s fighting her way through her sentences (and not just in the Couric interview) it just looks as though she’s desperately casting around for the words and phrases to make them sound she has a coherent thought process going on.
It really is quite painful to watch.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:52 pm
November 21st, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I think the silly bit is the pardoning.
More people should know where their food come from. And the anchor is completely over the top. What a wanker. There’s nothing there to blur out.
It’s absolutely sickening that that is what gets people upset!
I’m no fan of Palin, but in this case the ‘liberal media’ really are grasping at straws and making themselves look even worse than usual.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Not funny. Lots of hate here.
November 21st, 2008 at 1:57 pm
This is an obvious prank by the reporter. It could happen to anyone. The amazing thing is how people and media so quickly fall for these obviously set-up attacks on her. How many stories about her turned out to be false without any retractions or apologies? To me this just exposes the extreme partisans and the gullible.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:00 pm
Oh, if we only celebrated Thanksgiving by feasting upon a holiday ostrich. That video would have been a hundred times funnier.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I can see the spoofs now: Tony Soprano is giving an interview, when behind him a few goodfellas drag Big Bird to his untimely demise….
November 21st, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Phil – Like your web site and love your astronomical insights – especially enjoyed your recent black hole stuff – but …. Why do you go out of your way to be so snide. Leave the politics at home. I’m so tempted to pick up your book at Amazon but I just can do it. I suspect I’m not alone. Science please – you’re great at it – insulting me – your great at that too – don’t see how that can possibly be of benefit to you though – your choice of course.
Keep up the good work. (But drop the snide stuff)
Thanks in advance,
Tom
November 21st, 2008 at 2:06 pm
Instead of a mean spirited cartoon check this out-
http://www.zefrank.com/from52to48withlove/
Now THAT is what we should be like.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:19 pm
Bummer, I’m held up in moderation with my last post containing a link.
Type this into Google and click on the first link – “From 52 to 48″. But only do that if you are somebody who believes in reconciliation and moving forward. If you’re really partisan or a scab picker you probably won’t like it.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Criticise, critique, argue all you want. Conservatives are the flavor of the week. But when you advocate violence, you’re opening a whole ‘nother can of worms. Just remember, we fire back.
So, according to the standards that you use to call the ever unspecified “them” violence advocates, you have just advocated the mass murder of “them” for the crime of one of them drawing a picture.
So, are you really an advocate of mass murder, or are your standards, perhaps, a bit off?
November 21st, 2008 at 2:43 pm
All plants and animals on this planet were designed for our use and consumption.
Because the Bible tells me so.
All idiots should be hit in the head with rocks. That will leave about 20 people left on this planet without concussions.
November 21st, 2008 at 2:54 pm
That Sarah Palin video interview brings to mind the infamous wood chipper scene in the movie Fargo.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:33 pm
KevPod:
It’s funny that I was watching that show and completely missed that piece of stupidity. I guess I’ve become inured to the occasional flash of stoopids that come from the left (or maybe I was watering the trees). I will note that Bill Maher, while generally pretty funny about politics, is also somewhat of a woo-woo. He really went ballistic about the bee colony die off last year. I guess no one in his research staff bothered to check for that phenomena on Wiki. Seems there was another such event in the late 1800s. Researchers into that problem have, I believe, determined that the problem stems from too many bees in too small an area and they’re passing contagion between the colonies.
Wooism is NOT confined to the conservative right. Woo-woos are universal,,,
Gary 7
November 21st, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Wow.
Some of you actually read ‘advocating violence’ into that cartoon?
Really???
‘Cause what I see is Palin asking for the Almighty’s advice and getting a slightly different answer than the one she expected. Various versions of this joke have been around for just about forever, aimed at different people and in different situations. The usual and customary…umm…emphatic response from said Almighty has been a bolt of lightning. Had the cartoonist drawn that instead of a meteor, would you be saying that he’s wishing violence upon Palin, or that Phil is wishing it by reposting the comic here?
Whether the cartoon can be considered divisive or not is a whole ‘nuther question, and we’ll each have our own answers for that. But no matter how I squint my eyes, I just can’t see this as a sincere wish for violence upon Palin.
November 21st, 2008 at 4:45 pm
moar funny pictures
November 21st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
KevPod:
I totally agree, it was Ashton Kutcher who brought it up as a point of discussion but Bill Maher seemed to agree with him. This kind of thing should be expected when the opinion of an uninformed (and apparently mis-informed) minor celebrity is solicited on television in regards to a topic for which he/she has no experience. His opinion on the matter should be given the credibility it deserves (i.e. none). The real travisty (to which you allude) is the endoresement of the mis-informed opinion by Bill Maher and his show.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:35 pm
So, can I anticipate this political stuff spreading into the JREF site as well ? My bet is “yes.”
Oh well – I do at least know how to delete a bookmark. I expected better of you, Phil.
November 21st, 2008 at 5:52 pm
the guy is slaughtering the turkey in the background? you mean the turkey YOU eat.
the media is SO bias. yeah sure publish flattering photos of obama. what a bunch of sexist stupid jerks read this blog.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
The thing is Palin could of choosen a better place for this event, this was set up by Palin as much as the media like Obamas. The only thing is Obama is smarter on where he holds his press conferences.
November 21st, 2008 at 6:58 pm
So, can I anticipate this political stuff spreading into the JREF site as well ? My bet is “yes.”
Oh well – I do at least know how to delete a bookmark. I expected better of you, Phil.
Seriously people, learn the difference between a personal blog and a charity homepage. I’m getting seriously tired of all this political correctness garbage.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I come here for the science, at which Phil excels. But now I see it’s morphing into something else.
That’s just sad. Not unusual, mind you, but sad anyway.
I do not recall ever reading a truly political post on the JREF site, but I guess that’s gonna be history as well. Hey – maybe I’m wrong (wouldn’t be the first time.) But I doubt it.
A damned shame, I tell you.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:25 pm
insulting me – your great at that too
You’re a proudly ignorant bigot who is in favor of marginalizing minorities and replacing science education with religious indoctrination? Because if you’re not, I don’t see how Phil would be insulting you.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:34 pm
A damned shame, I tell you.
Indeed. Shame on Phil for having opinions, much less for expressing them on his personal blog. I hope you continue to take him to task for things that he hasn’t done outside of your imagination. That’ll show him how wrong he is to behave like a human being instead of a scientist.
November 21st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
if you are somebody who believes in reconciliation and moving forward
We as a nation cannot move forward as long as our progressives continue to try and “reconcile” with the reactionaries who hate them with every fiber of their being. If you think I’m exaggerating, then you haven’t been paying attention for the last quarter century, and in particular for the last two years.
I know there are moderate conservatives, but they have not been leading the Republican Party since Gerald Ford was president.
November 21st, 2008 at 8:18 pm
You know, I really have to wonder about a person claiming to be a skeptic objecting to free expression in this way. It’s a good thing. Stress this now, and maybe somebody will come up with a decent and thoughtful person for their next candidate.
You’re going to know everything Gov. Palin thinks by the time you have to vote in an election with her name in it. The man against whom she was running for President (I’m counting the media time here, especially regarding “experience”) doesn’t remember what was said in his church or anybody he associated with, and apparently doesn’t know what taxation is or does. But if it’s not space-related, is everything Sen. Obama says really gold?
November 21st, 2008 at 9:22 pm
Well, I’m hoping the GOP finally gets someone of substance for 2012. There are plenty of smart, intelligent, and coherent GOP politicians.
It’s just that none of them got picked for the VP pick this year.
Is it too much to ask for the GOP to get someone less mediocre than, say, Ronald Reagan? He feigned forgetfulness so much that he ended up forgetting himself altogether.
But no president is a demi-god. None have even come close to perfection. Not a one. Obama will fall short, to be sure. He will make mistakes, he will be embroiled in controversy.
Of course, if he really wants to become a legend in his own time, he needs to sell out our principles to the nearest Third World despot, totally forget it happened, pin the blame on a complete doofus, pardon him so that doofus can become senator.
Nah, that could never happen.
As for the comic. Hah! It’s funny, get over it.
November 21st, 2008 at 10:56 pm
Republicans and conservatives are the biggest bunch of whiners on the planet, continually crying about how anything they do turned against them (like chuckling about violence done to their opponents) is “hateful”, and carping how anyone criticizing Palin is “sexist” while they continually push open, unabashed sexism towards women in general and especially against Hillary Clinton, and yet they also constantly restate their view that anyone who isn’t them is “whiny” and “soft” and “weak”.
I think a lot of the folks aroud here need to remember that 1) This is Phil’s place and he can do whatever the heck he wants with it, and 2) Not all skeptics are fanatical conservatives or losertarians.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Well A) Remember its a JOKE.
Some of these were amusing, though the second cartoon was just plain mean
“From 52 to 48″: Wow that’s cool – actually brought a tear to my eye. I didn’t vote for McCain but I would have supported him if he had won.
November 21st, 2008 at 11:53 pm
I hope sarah justkeeps on Palin away into utter insignificance …
For Fraks sake folks – lighten up! Joking ain’t hate speech.
Shesh are tehRepublicans takinga lead formtheMuslims who reacted withfuryand detah threats against aflippin’ cartoon now or something!
Perspective ppl – get some.
Political Correctness -get (EXPLETIVE DELETED]
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:00 am
Yeck. Wrote too quick. I meant natch :
“Sheesh are the Republicans taking their lead from the flaming mad Muslims Mullah’s who reacted with such insane fury and death threats and actual violence against a flippin’ cartoon now or something!
Are we all losing our sense of humour or what?
Jokes (like mine) may or may not be in waht some consider good taste but dudes .. they’re JOKES
Arrggh! Yegods!
Thanks BA for the original cartoon – I liked it & laughed. (Until I read all the hypersensitive nancy-men mob in the comments)
Here’s asimple rule of life PC-ers :
Idiots (of whatever variety) who truly deserve ridicule should always expect and recieve ridicule.
Humour is far better than tears or violence.
November 22nd, 2008 at 12:01 am
Memo tothe Republicans :
If you can’t take a joke don’t nominate one!
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:05 am
My favourite Pain cartoon:
http://www.thepaincomics.com/weekly050126.htm
It was after the Bush re-election:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/53461/Daily-Mirror-on-George-Bushs-Reelection
(– Non-U.S. citizen)
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:54 am
“If you can’t take a joke don’t nominate one!”
Now that is funny.
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:54 am
The Turkey-Death Interview is a subliminal scare-tactic… a warning to all who oppose Sarah Palin’s bid for presidency in 2012
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:54 am
Phil,
I have been waiting very patiently for nearly a year for your blog to return to its former cosmological greatness, but I am beginning to realize this likely will not happen. I understand that politics and science often co-mingle and provide opportunities of discussion, especially when trying to figure out how to pay for science. It has become increasingly obvious which side of the isle you throw your support, and I find it disturbing. Democrat politics are are equally deceptive and corrupt as Republican politics. Let Palin go already; she isn’t going to win any election outside of Alaska and everyone knows it.
Years ago I purchased a copy of Bad Astronomy for my brother, who was an unabashed moon-hoaxer and quickly dropped my subscription to Sky & Tel (because it was lacking the cosmology content of its pre-2003 days) in favor of blogs like yours. Day by day your blog has become increasingly preachy regarding politics. I was looking forward to post-election resumption of actual science content. When can I expect it?
You of all people should be able to discern the obvious truths we as Americans are about to face; we as a nation aren’t going to be able to afford much science. Social Security will fail in the very near future (creating the largest population of poverty-stricken people our nation has ever seen) and the sheer magnitude of our foreign debts could easily doom the dollar itself. The blame rests squarely on any person who votes Democrat or Republican. It may be part of human nature to succumb to tribalism and hate a person because they are part of a group that differs from the group you identify yourself with, but science and scientists should rise above it, dammit.
You aren’t elevating your discourse above the pedestrian partisan trickery established to control the minds of fools, you are becoming an advocate of its propaganda. Why not advocate real solutions to problems instead of stumping on behalf of liars and cheats who only want power over us? You likely have an audience of greater intellect than even you suspect… so use your influence to organize and mobilize the thinkers and let’s start solving problems.
I personally would suggest that NASA scraps most of it’s near orbital budget (mostly ISS and constellation) to offer an X-prize for a viable space elevator ribbon. Make the prize $10 billion and we would have an elevator in less than ten years. We could then rebuild the ISS and have a cheap ticket to the moon and beyond AND STILL SPEND LESS than the status quo. Every time we launch a shuttle, half a billion dollars goes up in smoke. How much science could we buy with HALF A BILLION DOLLARS? right now, none.
November 22nd, 2008 at 6:06 am
Not that Obama is any better. I hope you enjoy your national service. Not like it would have been any different with McCain.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:28 am
Big Al said:
Seriously? Do you really honestly believe that that cartoon is advocating killing Palin by dropping a big rock on her head??????
For Pete’s sake, get a life.
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:40 am
>>>”But when you advocate violence, you’re opening a whole ‘nother can of worms. Just remember, we fire back.”
With Big Rocks? How do you do that? Srsly? I wanna know!
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:47 am
@ TheTranceMan Says:
I guess you missed the 3 articles below this one. It would of saved you from writing all that TL,DR.
November 22nd, 2008 at 1:37 pm
I’m sure many of you have already seen this video:
Thanksgiving with Sarah Palin
http://www.turningleft.net/2008/11/22/thanksgiving-with-sarah-palin/
A turkey dies while an oblivious Palin chats food.
“I’ll be in charge of the turkey! Yeah.”
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Uh, GKopy, that’s linked in the post.
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:31 pm
… and for all of you who are complaining about the politics of this post, have you actually clicked the link? It makes fun of Hillary Clinton, too.
Cripes.
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Big Al: it’s satire. Understand? Satire. It’s not advocating violence. However, you are, with your “firing back” comment (which is clearly not satire, given your last few comments).
Take that attitude and leave it off your keyboard. I won’t condone it here.
November 22nd, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Phil, I think that you should use blue font for the links as I usually do, and you used to do on your old BadAstronomy.com web-site, then there would be no excuse for anyone failing to spot the link to an external article.
November 22nd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
There is an interesting article in Wikipedia on the subject of Satire which comes from Latin satura lanx and means “medley, dish of colourful fruits” — it was held by Marcus Fabius Quintilianus (ca. 35 – ca. 100) to be a “wholly Roman phenomenon” (satura tota nostra est).
Misconception of Satire
November 22nd, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Phil, the last few posts before this one have really annoyed me. How dare you post science and astronomical articles when I thought this was supposed to be an anti-rethuglican and Dr. Who blog. What do you mean that this is your personal blog. Well in which case I want a full refund, oh wait…
November 22nd, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Did you see the biology related one? I like it because you can also insert a Ken Ham in there too. I guess you could say the whole picture is meteor-related too. From Mr. Fish at Harper’s:
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:31 pm
If Palin were a man like Huckabee (whom share similar views) we would not here a peer from the media. The fact is the media wanted Obama to win from the start and attacked everyone who stood in his way. As it is easy to make fun of and criticize a woman they did. Hiliary got the same treatment during the primaries and now its Sarah Palin.
November 22nd, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Phil, i LOVE your site. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. keep the political discourse mixing with the science. it’s 2 of my favorite things!!
funny enough, for the last 8 years, republicans haven’t seemed too concerned about all of the jokes made about our current president because they were the ones in power. ohhhhh, but now, don’t mock the poor, stupid sarah palin. oh whatever. she is a joke, the republican party is a joke, and i look forward to the next 4 (8!) years with a person of substance AND intelligence in the white house. it’s been TOO long.
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Oh no Phil!
I’m never reading your site ever, never again. How could you? Now you’ve just ignited another 2012 doomsday theory. Don’t you think us rationalizers have our work cut out already?? Now we have to worry about Planet X, doomsday comets, killer solar flares and President S. Palin in 2012.
You’re a sick, sick man Dr. Plait.
*shakes head and walks off*
Ian
November 22nd, 2008 at 11:59 pm
(I only say this as there is way more chance of Planet X paying us a visit than “President Palin” becoming a reality
)
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
Sure hope your right Ian O’Neil. Sure hope your right ..
November 23rd, 2008 at 11:51 am
“funny enough, for the last 8 years, republicans haven’t seemed too concerned about all of the jokes made about our current president because they were the ones in power.”
Wow. You have a seriously underdeveloped reality gland. But enough about you.
I’m registered unaffiliated, and I just can’t believe how two-faced people are – how eager to speak instead of think, how eager to seek out any scrap that justifies their prejudice.
You can see that easiest when a person pretends to be noble, then blows it, exposing themselves as a fraud with serious commentary showing that no, they’re just partisan and petty, like most others.
You can see it in obvious mental derangement – I’ve seen people claim President Bush is a criminal mastermind one day and drooling idiot the next (clue – those are mutually exclusive). You can see this derangement in media bias in favor of Sen. Obama – and then, as the last days of the campaign arrive, that media starts saying they don’t really know anything about him. You can see it again in discussion where people put a higher value on one part of the Constitution than another. They wanna speak, dammit, and the First Amendment is all that matters!
This blog is that of a seriously accomplished man who earned a doctorate in a hard science, and I respect that immensely. Dr. Phil, I like to think you attract similarly erudite, yet entertaining people. I sure got that impression at Dragoncon. But wow, do people just throw away their brains when they’re not discussing their field, or what? It looks like experts noted for careful thought in their field quit thinking early outside of it.
Folks, why do you not use the same rigor in assessing political events that you would investigating an expanding nebula, geologic features or even a mole on your skin? Bloggers sure have enough to say about Jenny McCarthy, but when they do, they back it up. Where’s your research?
I don’t see it. I mean, based on the comments here, more people have studied the flight of a baseball than any political situation. Sadly, that’s not new, either.
Politics is a business and you will get played if you don’t think things out. Being mad makes you feel great, doesn’t it? I bet you can name a magician who can steal your shorts with that amount of distraction.
Guess who’s playing you now.
November 23rd, 2008 at 12:58 pm
Tsk tsk… We should all ENCOURAGE Palin! Please let Palin run for president!
Its a garantueed way of ensuring a Democrat victory with such a ridiculous opponent. You betcha!
Of course if she does win, its like Bush Jr. all over again, just with a uterus.
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Radwaste, why don’t you enlighten us then? And for all you other winers out there, this is a personal blog, Phil can put up anything he damn well pleases. If you don’t want to read the political threads you don’t have to (theres that click thing that you do with the mouse thing), if you can’t tell the difference from the title that it is political or science based or the mere fact that Phil tends to be more on the liberal side and that annoys you then don’t let the URL hit you in the arse on the way out!
November 23rd, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Actually, Huckabee was pilloried for his views on creationism and answering a student as much when she questioned him about evolution. Also he wanted to add a marriage amendment to the Constitution. It’s just that he was phased out after the primary. Sorry, Luke, but Palin was a serial liar, she was brought out on the stage rather quickly, and no one forced her to make dumb comments. The bizarre thing about her is that she doesn’t seem to know what she doesn’t know and then makes all sorts of excuses for why she didn’t answer a question in a certain way. She’s got ambition, but little substance.
McCain and Obama were criticized for their dumb comments too, it’s just she made more clueless ones. Hillary’s issue was her behavior, not her brains. Likewise, Bush was made fun of for his endless malapropisms and odd (sometimes scary) behavior. Dan Quayle was made fun of repeatedly, so this “easy to make fun of a woman” is a weak argument.
Radwaste, Cheney is the “criminal mastermind”, Bush is just a business crony who does what his pals want. Your post is a bit unfocused and lacking of specifics as to what posters’ comments you are referring to.
Political cartoons/humor is as old as the Republic. So much can be said and understood in one boxed drawing.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
What’s really funny is that Phil (in a previous post) claimed that his views were, and I quote, NOT PARTISAN!!!!!
WTF?
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:27 pm
Sure – ask me. Don’t make a habit of looking for yourself. That would wreck the system.
November 23rd, 2008 at 4:59 pm
Keep doing what you like on your personal blog, Phil. I’ll never understand people that are so offended by other’s political opinions (real or imagined) that they can’t enjoy their other works- in this case writing about science and skepticism.
Also, the cartoon is a joke. It is not a call to violence, it is not asking for anyone’s death, it is a joke. Get over yourselves.
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:31 pm
David D., as I said in the rest of my comment which you conveniently left off, I am anti-conservative. More accurately, anti-neocon, since the old Republican party used to believe in smaller government that stayed out of people’s personal business. That is obviously no longer true. Being against one party is something a little different than being partisan, since I don’t hold that everything the Democrats do is good.
November 23rd, 2008 at 5:33 pm
Yes, this is all very sexist of me, because I’d never say anything against a man like McCain, or Huckabee, or Inhofe, or Bush.
Criminy.
November 23rd, 2008 at 6:02 pm
@BA–
One accepted adjectival definition of partisan includes the words “prejudiced, one-sided, biased, partial.”
Sometimes the shoe fits; you should wear it.
Methinks the astronomer protests too much.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:05 pm
Phil,
I came to this site after a long while away hoping to find some interesting bad astronomy. Instead I find stupid partisanship and a link to a nasty site full of potty-mouth comments. No thanks, I won’t be back.
My plans to buy your book just got canceled too.
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:42 pm
Oh, Whitey51! And I was going to buy you a pony.
“Potty mouth”? Really?
November 23rd, 2008 at 7:44 pm
David D: I suppose “one-sided” might fit, barely, since I base my opinion firmly on the side of reality and not ideology. But note that being against neocons is not one-sided. You might have a case had I never said anything bad about, say, Democrats (though I’ve also taken on Libertarians in the past as well). I just posted about RFK Jr. just a few days ago.
Keep trying!
November 23rd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
@BA–
To paraphrase: “I’m anti-neocon, I’m anti-conservative–but I’m not partisan, or biased, or partial . . .”
Is it hard to admit that you might have a political bias? Seems so.
But–hey, it’s your blog, and you can believe anything you want! Why, sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast…
November 23rd, 2008 at 9:47 pm
I have only one thing to add.
Mmmm. Turkey!
I suppose “one-sided” might fit, barely, since I base my opinion firmly on the side of reality and not ideology.
Yeah, but all ideologues think that.
It’s what, by definition, makes them ideologues.
I tease.
Yes, this is all very sexist of me, because I’d never say anything against a man like McCain, or Huckabee, or Inhofe, or Bush.
That tactic of the GOP was silly, but I fully expect any major criticism of Obama to be labeled “racist” by the Other Side.
As for me? I continue to plan my early retirement, and laugh as the tribes fight one another, all thinking they have a monopoly on The Truth.
Keep squabbling and dragging that economy down, folks. It’s not hurting me, and it’s just making things cheaper.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:00 am
Sorry to see this site has decided to waste bandwidth on political commentary.
One of the few things more annoying than a sore loser is a sore winner.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:06 am
@Whitey51
Guess you can’t distinguish between the science and politics threads. It even has the topics listed if you can’t work this out on the main page.
Ohhhh your not going to buy his book, maybe this has more to do with the fact that you can’t read than you being pissed off with the BA’s opinion on certain topics.
Ever heard the phrase about taking one’s bat and all and going home?
All I can say is See Ya.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:15 am
MarkH,
By commenting on this thread you just wasted your time and your bandwidth as well, I guess that gotta make you really angry. BTW there’s plenty of bandwidth to go around Phil is quite prolific about putting up astronomy related articles. Also if you think that science is not entwined with politics then exit stage right as Whitey51 did.
November 24th, 2008 at 9:34 am
My effort won’t be wasted if Phil decides to drop the political content.
With political blogging, either people agree with you or they don’t. It’s not like blogs are going to influence people. They just “validate” feelings people already have, or they annoy people who disagree.
As for politics being intertwined with science, yes it is. But picking on a candidate who just lost an election will do nothing to further science.
McCain/Palin got 46% of the vote. Why alienate those people?
November 24th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Ahhh, your effort was just wasted. And if you remember Palin was all about the whole “submitting a request to a higher power to get a leg up in the mortal world”. I see the cartoon as being a satirical piece based around these specific comments and the fact that she hurt the Republican ticket in the end. If you really think she would make a good President please o please tell me how.
It all comes back to the old Waaaah you hurt my feelings, Waaaahh.
November 24th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Doug – I won’t stoop to your level.
I feel political discussions on blogs are a waste of time.
Apparently discussions with you are also a waste of time because you’re more interested in trying to put childish words in my mouth than considering what I actually say.
November 24th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
From Dave Barry:
Emphasis added.
November 24th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
MarkH,
Why do you keep wasting your time then? Why did you spend time to complain about it in the first place?
November 24th, 2008 at 5:14 pm
<>
Phil –
I’m pretty sure Naked Bunny with a Whip does not know me nor does he have any idea where I stand on minorities, science, or religion – however Phil – when you stray from science into politics you invite the “Naked Bunny with a Whip…” to attack your fans.
Again Phil – please – stick with the science – reading the comments here I see I am not alone in being interested in science – not listening to the “Naked Bunny with a Whip…” get all wound up.
Thanks!
Tom
June 22nd, 2009 at 1:30 am
Hi,
I thinkl world is in danger in 2012. Big catastropic incidents will happen from everywhere. whole earth will be finished and rebirth will be happen.
November 18th, 2009 at 11:19 am
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