Mailing List Articles

These articles were sent out on my mailing list and usually relate to science or politics. Most are not written by me, although there are a few forum threads that are original. Any part italicized consits of comments by me.- Mike

03/22/02 - Conversations on Genetic Engineering
A few weeks ago I sent an article out about genetic engineering entitled 'Hooray for designer babies' I posted the article on the skeptic forum as well and recieved some interesting comments. A frequent and intelligent poster to the skeptic forum, John S. pointed out some of my fallacious reasoning. - Mike

03/22/02 - Hermits and Cranks
Fifty years ago Martin Gardner launched the modern skeptical movement.
Unfortunately, much of what he wrote about is still current today

03/22/02 - Starbucks protestors spread false fears about safe foods
"This time the scaremongers are targeting such safe foods as milk and other dairy products in your local Starbucks." (02/25/02)

10/24/2001 - Where the bodies are
"The scope of the civilian destruction the U.S. is creating (in Afghanistan) is only starting to become clear. ... The stories are leaking out, mostly in the Islamic press but also in Europe -- but, notably, not in the United States."

10/18/2001 - The folly of nation-building in Afghanistan
Some members of Congress are calling for a "nation-building effort in Central and South Asia [as] the long-term solution to the terrorism problem." Dempsey is skeptical because Afghanistan lacks "the rule of law, property rights, free markets, and an entrepreneurial culture."

10/18/2001 - Fighting for America's economy with free trade
According to Fitzgerald, "By signing new trade agreements with other countries, the United States will show the terrorists that America, which has many allies and business partners, is undeterred by their actions."

10/18/2001 - Teacher, guards disciplined after search of students
An East St. Louis schoolteacher and security guards have been disciplined for searching four middle school students by ordering them to undress in a bathroom stall. Officials still insist that they acted properly, since none of the kids were seen naked by staff.

10/08/2001 - Zero tolerance for duck sauce
A ten-year-old New Jersey boy has been subjected to psychological counseling and a criminal conviction for fashioning a "bomb" from tissue paper, soy sauce and duck sauce.

10/08/2001 - Oil companies must pay for regulators' mistake
Having strong-armed gasoline companies into adding MTBE to fuel in order to make it burn cleaner, officials in California want oil companies to pay to clean up sites contaminated by the additive now that it's proved toxic.

10/06/2001 - What Happens Next? Six options beyond war and peace

10/02/2001 - Why do they hate us?
Why did 19 terrorists choose to give their lives to murder Americans? The reasons include the treatment of the Palestinians, U.S. support of Israel, sanctions against Iraq, U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia and the repressive and corrupt nature of U.S.-backed Gulf governments.

10/02/2001 - Patriotic passions muzzle dissenting voices
Expressions of patriotism are so fervent, bordering on mandatory, since the terrorist attacks that citizens who do or say anything against the tide risk suffering a public backlash. Even those who question military approaches or criticize politicians find themselves under attack.

10/02/2001 - Bio-Terror Fear More Costly Than Attacks
Many special interests are encouraging fears of terrorism to advance their own dubious causes at public expense. We need to get a grip on our fears and not become victims of our domestic terrorists.

9/19/2001 - An Important Distinction and Decision

9/18/2001 - The price we pay: Coming to terms with a dangerous new reality

9/18/2001 - When will we learn?
By 2000 Libertarian Presidential Candidate Harry Browne

9/18/2001 - Terrorists are made, not born
Indiscriminate bombing? Dirty tricks? They're part of the problem, not the solution.

04/11/2001 - Real violence breeds violent acts, not fictional violence
that most people who committ violent acts were involved in (either a victim or perpetrator) of a violent act in thier youth. It takes more then to just see it on TV

2/6/2001 - Profiting Off of Environmentalism
Around the world, increasingly popular ecotourism is tying a profit incentive to the preservation of fragile ecosystems.

01/26/2001 - Surgeon general's youth-violence report backs media, experts say
We must concentrate out energies on things that actually do reduce violence, not things that we just THINK reduce violence

1/23/2001 - San Francisco to boot out successful Edison school
A narrow majority of San Francisco's newly-elected school board intends to boot for-profit Edison Schools out of the city -- even though Edison has dramatically improved the performance of the school under its control.

1/23/2001 - Boys denied school enrollment because of long hair
Two boys whose families say they follow a traditional Italian faith that bans cutting hair before the age of 13 have been barred admittance to government schools because of their short ponytails.

1/23/2001 - Boise ban on nudity unconstitutional
A judge has ruled that Boise's (Idaho) nudity ordinance, which bans anything more revealing than short shorts and halter tops, is unconstitutional because it infringes free expression. The ban was so strict that it would have prohibited the wearing of many bathing suits on sale in major department stores.

1/23/2001 - Middle Eastern residents tuning to outside news sources
Easy access to CNN, BBC, and the Internet is pushing the governments of some countries in the Middle East to loosen domestic controls on the press. Says one Egyptian, "There are still things we don't know about the government, some secrets, but Egypt is advancing step by step."

1/23/2001 - Why are consumer groups 'breeding distrust' of biotech foods?
Excerpt - "[d]ecisions regarding safety should be based on the nature of the product, rather than on the method by which it was modified." The report further noted that "over 30 million hectares of transgenic crops have been grown and no human health problems associated specifically with the ingestion of transgenic crops or their products have been identified."

1/23/2001 - The real cost of college
I often hear the argument that people just dont make as much today as they used to.... But if you compare apples to apples, in todays society, especially in America, we buy more then we need and can afford. Parents feel they must have a 2,000 sq. ft. house in a developement, drive two SUV's, each kid has a car of thier own, and they have to go off to very expensive private schools...

1/22/2001 - Guide to "Cold Reading"
Good intro about 'Cold reading' the method many psychics use to appear to 'know' things the shouldnt know. Some notable people these days who use this are John Edward and James Van Praagh.

1/22/2001 - IBM touts new Napster-proof music locks
It is a highly touted aspect of free market envrionments that companies will do what they can to protect themselves. Unfortunately in our society companies try to pass laws on anything they feel threatens thier market hold.

1/16/2001 - Gender quotas devastate sports programs
Title IX -- a law intended to expand opportunities for women in the classroom and in sports -- is restricting opportunities for both men and women. Unable to achieve the gender balance in sports demanded by law, universities are closing down athletic programs.

1/16/2001 - Dangers of anti-sprawlism
"In the name of improving our lives, the environmentalists propose ways to restrict our lives even more."

1/16/2001 - What’s so bad about the suburbs?
People dislike 'urban sprawel' and densely packed cities. So where can we all live?

1/16/2001 - Make drugs legal for adults, says former cop
A former LAPD officer calls for the end of the War on Drugs after experiencing the battle first hand.

1/16/2001 - Study finds errors abundant in science textbooks
Twelve of the most popular science textbooks used at government middle schools nationwide are so riddled with errors that none has an acceptable level of accuracy, according to the results of a two-year survey, released earlier this month.

1/16/2001 - Mother arrested for giving son condoms
A mother who bought her 13-year-old son condoms could be imprisoned for 15 years and fined $10,000. When she told police that she could not stop him from having sex with his 15-year-old girlfriend, they charged her with failing to prevent him from being sexually abused -- a felony.

1/16/2001 - Third-grader suspended for gun-shaped medallion in school
School officials in Pontiac, Michigan, suspended a third-grade student under the state's zero-tolerance weapons law after he found a 1 1/2-inch-long gun-shaped medallion in a snowbank and brought it to class.

1/11/2001 - ALTERNATIVE V. SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE COMMENTARY
Michael Shermer of the Skeptics Society talks a little about real world applcations

1/11/2001 - Return to charity; rediscover community
by Angela Eckhardt and Tamar Hare The authors applaud Americans' commitment to charity but argue that in order for charity to really work, we must remove government from the equation.

1/11/2001 - The unmodified facts about genetically modified foods
Misinformation about genetically modified foods has plagued the press and contaminated public opinion, but informed scientists aren't flinching. Consumption of GM foods like Starlink corn is not risky.

1/11/2001 - Riding a bike with no bell? Miami might put you in jail
Under a new "quality of life" crackdown, riding a bicycle without a bell or a horn in the city of Miami can now land you in jail.

1/4/2001 - Politically Incorrect Trascript
Transcript of the show with Michael Shermer

1/3/2001 - Your Buttocks can tell the future
Clairvoyant claims she can tell your future with your buttocks.

1/3/2001 - America's most dangerous politician ---------- by Michael W. Lynch New Mexico's feisty Gov. Gary Johnson details his opposition to the war on drugs, battle for school vouchers and belief that the government only "needs to ensure that no one is harmful to anyone else."

1/3/2001 - Review: 'Traffic': Teeming mural of a war fought and lost
"'Traffic' is a tragic cinematic mural of a war being fought and lost. ... [T]he ultimate culprit, the movie implies, is human nature. Waging a war against drugs isn't just a matter of combating corruption but of eradicating the basic human desire to 'take the edge off.'"

1/3/2001 - Snowmen: symbols of patriarchal gender bias?
According to new research conducted by Birmingham University academic Tricia Cusack, snowmen reinforce traditional gender stereotypes and patriarchy by reflecting men in prominent, public roles and women in private, domestic situations

1/3/2001 - Pennsylvania high court casts doubt on searches at bus stops
A Pennsylvania Supreme Court decision puts serious doubt on the growing practice of police boarding commercial buses, intimidating passengers and searching luggage.

1/3/2001 - Cop fired for searching bikini-clad 16-year-old
Patrolman Van Nelson was fired for allegedly searching a bikini-clad 16-year-old girl in the back of his vehicle

12/22/2000 - History of the Universe in 200 words

12/18/2000 - Youthful Metro snackers get a break
In the wake of an uproar over the arrest of a 12-year-old girl for eating french fries on the subway, Washington, D.C.'s police are backing off their policy of handcuffs and detention for such transgressions.

12/15/2000 - Conversations on God part 2
Continuation on the Forum Discussion of God and Life and Science

12/15/2000 - The Truth About Erin Brockovich
It's a titillating story about toxic torts, no question. But the movie and the real-life drama behind it contain about as much scientific credibility as Leo DiCaprio's global warming crib notes.

12/15/2000 - Questions Arise from Scientific Claims in Film Erin Brockovich

12/15/2000 - Brokovich film spreads fear of 'toxin' to leary California Valley residents
No one tastes it, smells it or even knows how much to fear it, but a toxic chemical just featured in a popular movie has the San Fernando Valley racked with worry that its tap water has become the latest victim of Southern California's endless battle with pollution.

12/15/2000 - All About Erin Brokovich
Heroine of screen and courtroom Erin Brockovich deserves a prize, all right. But not for what you think.

12/15/2000 - Arizona's Alternative Fuel Incentives Backfire
After $200 Million Mistake, State Reneges on Promise of Tax Credits to Buyers of Altered Vehicles

12/14/2000 - Nature Good, Humans Bad
Too many people today abide by a simple-minded equation: nature is good, humans are bad. But there's nothing unnatural about manipulating the environment -- animals do it all the time.

12/14/2000 - Albright College seizes copies of student newspaper
Albright College officials cited spurious copyright concerns in seizing 1,000 copies of the campus newspaper to suppress an inconvenient front-page article. They were later returned.

12/13/2000 - Playboy interview: Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico
The controversial governor of New Mexico discusses his drug-legalization proposals, term limits, gun rights and his pride in being called a libertarian.

12/11/2000 - Man may have been killed by alternative medicine treatment.
Death tied to cancer compound Questions raised on alternative therapy sold over the Internet

12/11/2000 - Golden Rice held hostage by Anti-science activists
Where's the golden rice? A lifesaving grain is being held hostage by anti-science activists

12/8/2000 - Conversations of God (part 1)
Lengthy forum Discussion of God and life and science.

12/8/2000 - Magnetic Therapy: Fact or Fiction
Is it the magnets or wishful thinking that is helping? Although magnets have been used for thousands of years for pain relief, neither I nor medical science can as yet be certain that the magnets are actually responsible for alleviating my symptoms or anyone else's symptoms.

12/8/2000 - We need biotech to feed the world
Feeding the projected 8.3 billion people in 2025 "cannot be attained without permitting the use of technologies now available, or without research to further improve and utilize new technologies, including biotechnology and recombinant DNA"

12/7/2000 - Michael Shermer to appear on Politically Incorrect

12/7/2000 - Superconducting Tape by the Kilometer
Researches at Los Alamos National Labratories are working to perfect a method that will allow cheap massive scale manufacturing of YBCO tape.

12/6/2000 - The World Bank working to end global poverty

12/5/2000 - Water Rockets are Go
Utilizing deep sea water pressure to make access to space cheaper.

12/5/2000 - The word 'naughty' is banned from the nursery
In Britain, nursery staff are being banned from calling children 'naughty' or 'bad'

12/1/2000 - At 11, old enough to be tried as adult; at 20, too young to buy beer
Across the country, teens and pre-teens are subjected to ever greater restrictions on their freedom of action in school and in public. Yet they're expected to shoulder adult responsibility when it comes to answering for criminal acts

12/1/2000 - POST - More on Libertarianism

11/30/2000 - The new trend in education: For-profit schools

11/29/2000 - POST - Evolution and Libertarianism
The most stable evolutionary strategy is 'Tit for tat' which always tends toward co-operative behavior. Humans are no longer being subjected to natural selection, and therefore will not tend to any strategy, stable or not. But corporations always are, its called capitalism.

11/28/2000 - POST - Discussion on racial profiling

11/28/2000 - POST on How are gene duplications presereved, lost or changed during evolution?
Through selective pressures. If the duplication provides and evolutionary advantage that makes an organism more likely to reproduce, even slightly, it will rapidly spread throughout the population.

11/28/2000 - Magicians, Psuedo-Racist brain theory, Prayer
A magician is to be encased in ICE, a Psuedo-Racist theory of Intelligence, and Prayer and Healing

11/27/2000 - POST on Socio-Economic classes and intelligence 2

11/27/2000 - POST on Socio-Economic classes and intelligence

11/27/2000 - POST on Libertarian Justification

11/27/2000 - The difference is between a genetic predisposition to intelligence and a culturally defined desire for learning...

11/27/2000 - Denouncing the American electoral process as "immoral and corrupt," President Clinton declares himself "President For Life."
(Satire from The Onion)

11/27/2000 - Nation Plunges into chaos. Pro Bush rebels sieze power in west; DC In flames
(Satire from The Onion)

11/22/2000 - Interesting Article

10/30/2000 - A skeptic on Life

8/14/2000 - The rich are getting richer, but so are the poor

8/8/2000 - Some Europeans Reveal Thier Scientific Ignornace

The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds the most
discoveries, is not "Eureka!" (I found it!) but "That's funny...." -- Isaac Asimov