Bill Nye: "Saving the world" by destroying science

I got about 3 1/2 minutes into the first episode of Bill Nye Saves the World on Netflix and couldn't take any more. The "Science Guy" put some red liquid in a flask over a Bunsen burner and watched as the liquid began to expand due to the heat. He then used that illustration to claim that a slight increase in ocean temperature would cause flooding in places like Miami. Yes, heating up fluid in a glass tube proves the devastating effects of man-made global warming. You can't deny the science!

I'll be honest. When I first heard of this show, I knew it was going to be less about science and more about pushing a political agenda. Here are just a few of the episode descriptions to show you what I mean:

Episode 1: Earth Is a Hot Mess
Bill calls out climate change deniers, breaks down the science of global warming and explains how we can make the planet a cooler place to live.

Nye goes so far as to say "global warming and climate change are way worse" than all the world wars and pandemics we've had. He even has a couple quasi-celebrities in a silly skit to prove his point. He even goes off on a rant about "climate change deniers," and then wraps up the show with a panel of non-scientists who have the solution to this pressing problem. The science is settled, folks, because there's a consensus. And science ain't about questioning the consensus.

Episode 5: The Original Martian Invasion
Bill introduces the theory of panspermia, NASA scientists discuss the Mars 2020 mission, and Wil Wheaton and the panel ponder life on other planets.

The idea that the universe was designed and created by an intelligent God? Hogwash! Life evolving by chance in outer space and traveling to Earth? Totally scientifically plausible! Never mind how life began on far-off worlds, because science apparently doesn't bother with trivial things like that. (Side note: I was really disappointed to see professing Christian and food celebrity Alton Brown take part in this episode.)

Episode 9: The Sexual Spectrum
Sex is complex! Bill explores the ever-evolving science of sexuality with help from a panel of experts and "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend" star Rachel Bloom.

I don't even know where to begin, but this disgusting, inappropriate, NSFW clip pretty much says it all. Watch at your own risk:


Remember, this is science, and if you question it, you're a small-minded bigot.

Episode 11: Malarkey!
Chemtrails. Crop circles. Palm readers. Bill takes aim at pseudoscience and explains how confirmation bias makes us believe things that aren't true.

Is there a lot of pseudoscience out there? Absolutely. But confirmation bias isn't limited to tinfoil hat-wearing crackpots, as you'll see below.

Episode 13: Earth's People Problem
Bill and his guests talk about tackling overpopulation by empowering women. Comedian Joanna Hausmann interviews couples about male contraception.

Perhaps the most revealing moment in this episode was when Nye let slip "population c..." during a conversation. He caught himself before he finished saying the world "control," but it was clear what he meant. Now, you'd think the myth of overpopulation would have disappeared as quickly as Paul Ehrlich's credibility. In 1968, Erlich wrote a book titled The Population Bomb, in which he predicted a massive, global famine that would kill hundreds of millions of people in the 1970s. Yeah, that didn't happen, but Erlich is running around claiming that even though his timing was off, he's still right. Forget the fact that global poverty is at an all-time low. See, facts don't matter when you have a political ideology to advance, and confirmation bias only exists among those who disagree with you.

If you're looking for real science and an intelligent discussion of issues, steer clear of Bill Nye Saves the World. However, if you enjoy pseudoscience, progressive politics, wisecracks about religion, unfunny jokes, and lame entertainment, then this show might be right up your alley.

Find all the examples of racism in this swim safety poster

Let's play a game. See how many examples of racism you can find in this poster put out by the Red Cross. Ready? Set? Go!

If you couldn't find any examples racism, then you failed the test. As a white, middle-class person, you need to check your privilege and admit that you are incapable of understanding the kind of pain and suffering endured by those who have to deal with being triggered by the never-ending barrage of micro-aggressions inflicted by people such as yourself. You need to strive to be more like Margaret Sawyer, who took one look at that poster and recognized it for the racist propaganda that it is.

We now live in a world in which the mere hint of logic, reason, and rationality can be considered racist and intolerant. The sooner you get used to that fact, the better.

British police: 'Turn in your knife, surrender your life.' Or something like that.

Six years ago, I made note of an interesting story from Great Britain about an "anti-stab" knife invented by industrial designer John Cornock. His line of knives, aptly named New Point, was inspired by a report about the life-threatening knife injuries doctors had to deal with every day.

Unfortunately, Mr. Cornock's potentially life-saving design hasn't caught on fast enough. Last year, police in Lancashire took a more drastic approach, starting an amnesty campaign designed to get Brits to turn in their more lethal, pointy knives.

It's a rather simple concept, much like the gun buyback scams perpetrated here in the U.S. Lancashire's law-abiding residents simply deposit their blades into designated "amnesty bins" conveniently located at various police stations across the county, and knife crime magically disappears.

Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Clive Grunshaw funded this brilliant program. "No-one should live in fear of knives being used in their community," he said (presumably in a snooty, condescending tone), "and I hope anyone in possession of an offensive weapon will use this opportunity to protect both themselves and those around them, by handing it in."

The amnesty program is still in effect, and the Lancashire Constabulary wants to reassure those who might be afraid of knife-wielding maniacs:

Don't be a victim

If you feel you are in immediate danger from knife crime there are a number of steps you can take to protect yourself:

• Move away from the situation towards a public place (shop, house, restaurant etc.) as quickly as possible.
• Make as much noise as you can.
• Instead of carrying a knife, carry a personal alarm.
• Don't fight back.

And, above all, don't even think about bringing a gun to a knife fight. This is Great Britain. If you want the right to defend yourself, move to America.

Similar programs have since sprouted up all across the U.K. The result? As of this past July, knife crime has gone up for the first time in four years. A 2% rise in all knife offenses has been reported, along with a 13% rise in assaults with a knife. What a shock.

You've got to hand it to our progressive friends across the Pond. They may not be the sharpest knives in the drawer, but they certainly are a persistent lot.

As if grammar wasn't hard enough, here come 'gender-neutral' pronouns

This past Wednesday, Donna Braquet, Director of the Pride Center at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, made some waves. She (assuming I'm using the correct pronoun here) encouraged staff and students to abandon all common sense when it comes to names, pronouns, gender identities, and official school rosters. She writes:

We should not assume someone's gender by their appearance, nor by what is listed on a roster or in student information systems. Transgender people and people who do not identity within the gender binary may use a different name than their legal name and pronouns of their gender identity, rather than the pronouns of the sex they were assigned at birth.

In the first weeks of classes, instead of calling roll, ask everyone to provide their name and pronouns. This ensures you are not singling out transgender or non-binary students. The name a student uses may not be the one on the official roster, and the roster name may not be the same gender as the one the student now uses.

Leaving aside the question of why, given such reasoning, a school would bother having a roster at all, what kinds of pronouns are we talking about here?:

We are familiar with the singular pronouns she, her, hers and he, him, his, but those are not the only singular pronouns. In fact, there are dozens of gender-neutral pronouns.

A few of the most common singular gender-neutral pronouns are they, them, their (used as singular), ze, hir, hirs, and xe, xem, xyr.

These may sound a little funny at first, but only because they are new. The she and he pronouns would sound strange too if we had been taught ze when growing up.

Folks, let me remind you that this is someone holding an influential position at a university.

Imagine if students' personal preferences were allowed free reign in other areas of college life. "Yeah, I know I've been getting Cs and Ds on all my assignments, but deep down I identify as an A student. Come on, professor. Why are you being so hateful and intolerant? Isn't this supposed to be a safe zone?"

Ms. Braquet (I'm using "Ms." because I haven't seen a list of gender-neutral personal titles) concludes:

How do you know what pronoun someone uses? If you cannot use the methods mentioned above, you can always politely ask. "Oh, nice to meet you, [insert name]. What pronouns should I use?" is a perfectly fine question to ask.

The more we make sharing of pronouns a universal practice, the more inclusive we will be as a campus. When our organizational culture shifts to where asking for chosen names and pronouns is the standard practice, it alleviates a heavy burden for persons already marginalized by their gender expression or identity.

She (ze?) then invites anyone wishing to learn more to sign up for a Safe Zone workshop. I'll bet they'll need the large conference room for that.

I don't know what kind of feedback UTK received when people read Donna Braquet's suggestions, but I imagine it was quite critical, especially since the school released the following statement just two days later:

We would like to offer clarification on statements referring to gender-neutral language.

There is no mandate or official policy to use gender-neutral pronouns. We do not dictate speech. Most people prefer to use the pronouns he and she. However, some don't.

The information provided in this week's Office of Diversity and Inclusion newsletter was offered as a resource to our campus community on inclusive practices.

We strive to be a diverse and inclusive campus and to ensure that everyone feels welcome, accepted, and respected.

My apologies to the "we're not happy unless we're offended" crowd, but let me make this clear: I will not use gender-neutral pronouns, no matter how mainstream the practice may become. The world is already complicated as it is. Why must we complicate it further?

When offered a bar of chocolate or a bar of silver, these people chose chocolate

No wonder our economy is in the shape it's in.


And to think that these people are allowed to vote. Heck, even Homer Simpson had more sense...

Shocker! Government plan to reduce obesity doesn't reduce obesity

When Los Angeles city lawmakers passed a zoning ordinance in 2008 limiting the opening of fast food restaurants in an area plagued by high obesity rates, who could have guessed that it would fail? Well, pretty much everyone with an IQ higher than a Big Mac—which might explain why government officials actually thought it would work.

The AP reports:

The research by the Rand Corp. think tank found that obesity rates in South Los Angeles continued to rise after passage of the law.

"It had no meaningful effect," Rand senior economist Roland Sturm said. "There's no evidence that diets have improved more in South LA. Obesity and overweight rates have not fallen."

I'm sure we can expect lawmakers to ask for more funding and propose further restrictions. After all, there isn't a problem in the world that can't be made worse with more bureaucracy.

Scare your kids with the Hillary Clinton action figure

No, this isn't a joke. Creator Jason Feinberg is a fan of Hillary Clinton, and he wants to immortalize her in the form of an action figure that will surely terrify young kids everywhere.


From Feinberg's KickStarter site:

We started with one simple goal; to make Hillary Clinton into an awesome iconic action figure. Basically, we're hoping to kick off some light-hearted excitement about her campaign and the amazingly cool prospect of America getting its first woman president.

After months and months of work, we're all ready to go!

Actually, this four-inch piece of plastic would be less annoying and a much more effective leader than the real thing. If only this version could get on the ballot next year.

School to arm students with canned food to ward off gun-toting intruders

There is no stupidity quite like the stupidity demonstrated by central planners. How else can you explain an idiotic idea like arming students with canned food to give them a fighting chance against a school shooter?


Sure. Bring a can of creamed corn to a gun fight and see what happens. If these "experts" really cared about the students in their charge, they would at least teach them how to weaponize school and office supplies.

Feed the homeless, go to jail

Many people will criticize this man for not following the rules. I would rather see those stupid rules repealed.

News flash: Healthcare.gov site still doesn't work

Even the U.S. Postal Service thinks we're idiots

There is a level of stupidity that is achieved only by those in government. One recent example of this is the decision of the U.S. Postal Service to destroy Michelle Obama's Just Move! stamp series. The stamps had to go because they depicted children engaged in various dangerous activities -- you know, things like jumping rope, playing soccer, and swimming.

From the government's perspective this sort of makes sense. If one actually believes that a stamp can promote good behavior, such as staying physically active, then it only follows that a stamp could also encourage risky behavior, like juggling without a helmet. Either way, it doesn't say much about how those in government view the rest of us. The way I see it, the only thing more insulting than being governed by idiots is to be treated as idiots.

(via PostalMag.com)

How to condition your child to live in a police state

What other reason could there be for including this in a children's book?

The page in question is from the book Olivia Goes to Venice, by Ian Falconer. It currently has many more negative ratings than positive. Here are a few 1-star review excerpts:

Bronzino
Truly appalling that a children's book includes an illustration of TSA-like goons searching a "child" for weapons. Even more appalling is that Olivia "is pleased" by this search. Children should not be raised on fear nor should they be taught to believe illegal search and seizure is normal and proper.

Ranger_Fan73
No redeeming qualities about this book. Skip for your toddler. The getting searched at the airport sent shivers down my spine.

M. L. Browne
Falconer's gone mad. Either that, or totalitarian.

bcc mee
After seeing video footage of a young girl being groped by TSA agents, I am appalled that this book would see fit to include the main character "pleased" at being inspected for weapons. What kind of message is this? We seem to have one generation that is not aware of our civil liberties and now we're raising another generation that will never know the freedoms we once had.

Matt and Andy's Mom
I guess the only way to reach little children with government agendas is to get them before they are old enough to think for themselves, telling them that the proper response is to be pleased.

No place for freedom of expression at America's rodeos

The rodeo. It doesn't get much more American than that. And when one of the last vestiges of Americana falls victim to political correctness, you know it's all over but the singing. (Excuse me, Fat Lady? You're on in five.)

I'm referring to the incident that occurred at the Missouri State Fair this past Saturday in which a rodeo clown donned a Barack Obama mask and ran around the arena being chased by a bull.


I know. Horrifying, right?

An entire handful of people were offended. Rodeo attendee Perry Beam complained that the atmosphere created by the stunt reminded him of a KKK rally. I'm not sure how many KKK rallies Mr. Beam has been to, but I have a feeling that might be a bit of an exaggeration.

As usual, the whiny knee-jerk reactionists won the day. The clown responsible has been banned for life from the fair and the president of the Missouri Rodeo Cowboy Association has resigned.

In the glory days of the old Soviet Union, people caught poking fun at a beloved politician would have been shipped off to reeducation camps. Thankfully, we are much more civilized. We send them away to sensitivity training seminars, and that is exactly what the Show Me State is now requiring of all rodeo clowns. Nothing demonstrates the nonsense of political correctness like a solution in search of a problem.

Here's how I see it. If you attend a rodeo and find yourself offended by a clown -- and I'm going out on a limb assuming you understand the definition of the word "clown" -- running around in a mask that resembles a sitting government official, then that's a pretty good sign you need to find something else to occupy your Saturday nights. However, if you say that Barack Obama, or any reasonable likeness of him, simply has no place at a family-friendly event, then I would concede you have a point.

In the meantime, quite your whining and try growing up. The world already has enough adult children as it is.

Try to compete in the business world, get sued by the government

A group of teens turned down opportunities to attend Harvard, Princeton, and MIT to open their own rental car company called FlightCar. Yeah, I know. Crazy, right? But these kids believed their business model was sure to out-compete even the big rental companies like Hertz and Avis, and that's all part of the American dream.

Here's how the business is described on FlightCar.com:

FlightCar lets people parking rent their vehicles out to other travelers. Every rental is insured up to $1 million, and every renter is pre-screened. Depending on the size and model year of the vehicle, you'll also make up to $10/day in cash! To get free parking, click on "List Your Car". Or, to rent a vehicle, use the menu above.

For owners:

1. List your car on FlightCar. It's free! FlightCar runs a driving record check on every renter. Regardless of whether it's rented, you're guaranteed free parking for your trip.
   
2. On departure day, give us a call 10-15 minutes before you reach the airport, and come to our lot to drop off your car. From there, we'll have a black car drop you off curbside at your terminal of departure or another location within a 10 minute radius.
   
3. When you return, call us at 1-866-FLIGHTCAR (354-4482), and we'll send a black car to pick you up at the curb. If you'd like, you can even take a cab, and we'll refund you the fare. We'll even give you a check if your car is rented.

For renters:

1. Search FlightCar to find a sweet vehicle you'd like to rent! Enter your driver information and you're ready to go.
   
2. On arrival day, give us a call at 1-866-FLIGHTCAR (354-4482) when you land. A black car will pick you up right at the curb and take you to our location. A FlightCar team member will meet you there with your rental car.
   
3. When your rental period is over, give us a call, and return the vehicle to our location. A FlightCar team member will greet you and help you with your bags. From there, we'll have a black car drop you off anywhere within a 10 minute radius.

The brilliance of this model is its simplicity. No high overhead. No fleet of cars to maintain. Just good service.

And too good to be true, it seems. San Francisco International Airport complained that FlightCar should have to pay the same extortion fees other rental car companies pay. The city is now suing FlightCar claiming that these three teenagers are in violation of California's Unfair Competition Law. Hey, at least they didn't try opening up a lemonade stand.

I will certainly be following this story. It will be interesting to see if it's possible to fight City Hall. If not, these kids will probably be forced out of business and consumers will have one less way to save money. Unfortunately, that's how we stifle the competitive spirit in America.

Find a dirty bomb? Don't try to wash it!

But that's exactly what one woman in the U.K. did when she discovered an unexploded World War II bomb in her garden:

Photo: ALAMY

Carole Longhorn, 65, took a number of unusual safety stops after discovered the explosive - including putting a plastic chair on top of it - before bomb disposal experts took it away.

She hit the metal object with a spade while she was gardening at her home and when she looked closer realised it was in the shape of a shell.

The gardener then put a plastic seat on top of the bomb just in case it went off while she shouted for her husband Clive, 60.

Once she had dug it up she took it inside their house and left it on the coffee table, before Mr Longhorn heard a rattle and turned around to see his wife washing mud off the bomb in the sink.

Police were called and experts confirmed they believed that the bomb was still live. They took it to a nearby quarry where a controlled explosion was carried out.

Yikes!

Canadians trying to jump an above-ground pool with a Jeep

It's nice to know that America doesn't have a monopoly on stupidity. But at least they had sense enough to wear helmets.

Nanny Bloomberg hates movie trailers and social media

You can always count on Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City's head nanny, for a good laugh. Known for his quixotic crusades against soda and salt, he discussed a couple of his latest pet peeves in a recent interview with M magazine:

It was the second day of the last year of his mayoralty, and Mike Bloomberg was in a mood. He had spent a portion of New Year's Day watching Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Amanda Seyfried battling injustice in the streets of Paris. By early afternoon on January 2, he still was kvetching about his night at the movies.

"Listen," he said. "I sat through an hour of trailers, and every one was stupider than the other. And then there were these ads for video games—for adults! And you want to know why we're dumbing down politics."

Ah, yes. Those blasted movie trailers. I'm sure we can expect some sort of ban addressing that problem soon.

Another thing that irks Nanny Bloomberg is social media:

"The essence of good government is that voters hire people with the values you respect, then when they get into office, they make decisions by leading from the front," he said. "They convince legislators to go along with them, they pass bills and then make improvements so that, by the time the next election comes around, you show that it works or you get thrown out. But with social media, there is an instant referendum on everything. It's much harder to lead from the front. I'm worried how government can survive this."

I admit that I worry about a lot of things. The survival of government isn't one of them.

Government recommends using office supplies to stop a workplace shooting

DHS-approved scissors should be enough to stop a gun-toting madman.

If you need more evidence of the idiocy that is running rampant among the ruling elite in Washington, consider this recent "training" video from your friends at the Department of Homeland (In)Security. The purpose of the video is to demonstrate "possible actions to take if confronted with a (sic) active shooter scenario" (an office building in this case) and review "the choices of evacuating, hiding, or, as an option of last resort, challenging the shooter."

It is assumed that you won't be "challenging the shooter" with a gun because, well, you're too stupid and irresponsible. Guns are for those wearing government-issued costumes, not mere civilians. Besides, if you have access to an arsenal of office supplies, like scissors, staplers, rubber bands, and sticky notes, why on earth would you need a gun?

The DHS title is "Options for Consideration Active Shooter Training Video." However, I think a more appropriate title would be "How to Be a Victim and Increase Your Chances of Dying."


(Click here to watch on YouTube.)

Here's a brief sampling of the accompanying YouTube comments:

steveday72
Great video. Very helpful!

Which brand of scissors do you recommend for self-defense? ...Are Scotch brand any good, or should I spend extra and get Fiskars?

The video didn't specify if I should attempt to stab the gunman or throw the scissors at him and run away. I'd like your advice. Thanks!

113rc
Citizens: Because you aren't allowed to defend yourself you must cower in fear and try to escape. Scissors will probably be the most effective weapon you will have handy. Abandon your wounded friends and walk toward the huddled together group of police dressed in black that have assault weapons you can't own while keeping your hands up. Do exactly as they say and don't walk too fast or make any fast motions because they might kill you. Once outside thank god for DHS.

undertehlaw
Shouldn't you have more than scissors to protect yourself? For instance, some paper. In case the active shooter has a rock...

rasqual78
DHS, you're pathetic. Since carry's legal in 49 (soon 50) states, failing to address the possibility of sheepdogs among these sheep is irresponsible. "If a colleague is armed, avoid being behind his target. Be sure you help him get a clear shot at the guy we're suggesting you use scissors against, in order that your obituary can at least claim you were brave against sadly overwhelming odds." Good grief, DHS.

Everyone run, hide, or die until your armed betters show up. Pathetic.

Pathetic indeed.

(via The Knight Shift)

TSA agent accidentally pepper-sprays himself and 5 others

I readily admit that it's difficult for me to disguise my utter disdain for one of the most vile, perverted, useless, and incompetent government agencies in existence. You can imagine, then, how hard it would be for me to pass up the opportunity to call attention to this TSA story from The New York Post:

A bumbling TSA agent "playing around" with a pepper-spray container at Kennedy Airport fired the caustic liquid at five fellow screeners yesterday, sending all six to the hospital, a source told The Post.

The agent, Chris Yves Dabel, discovered the device at the Terminal 2 security checkpoint and tried to determine if it was real, a source told The Post.

He told Port Authority cops that he "found the canister on the floor and thought it was a laser pointer."

"They were playing around with it," said one Kennedy Airport official.

The screener sprayed five other TSA agents around him, sending all six to Jamaica Hospital and halting security checks at Kennedy for at least 15 minutes, police said.

Just another shining example of how the TSA keeps us safe.

Elderly couple pulled over when cops mistake Ohio State Buckeye symbol for marijuana leaf

Bonnie Jonas-Boggioni and her husband, Guido, were returning to their Texas home after a visit to Bonnie's hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Jonas-Boggioni, a lifelong Buckeyes fan, proudly displayed an Ohio State decal on the bumper of her car. On the decal was the same symbol the school's football players affix to their helmets to mark individual or team accomplishments on the field. It was this symbol that drew the attention of Tennessee police:

They were in the westbound lanes of I-40, a few miles east of Memphis, when a black police SUV with flashing lights pulled them over, Jonas-Boggioni said. A second black SUV soon pulled up behind the first one.

"Knowing I wasn't speeding, I couldn't imagine why," she said.

Two officers approached, one on each side of the car.

"They were very serious," she said. "They had the body armor and the guns."

Because the couple's two schnauzers were barking furiously, one of the officers had Jonas-Boggioni exit the car so he could hear her better.

"What are you doing with a marijuana sticker on your bumper?" he asked her.

She explained that it is actually a Buckeye leaf decal, just like the ones that Ohio State players are given to put on their helmets to mark good plays.

"He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language," she said.

At that point, Boggioni got out of the car to show that he was wearing a commemorative sweatshirt from the 2002 national-championship season, complete with a Buckeye leaf.

The officer then explained that someone from outside his jurisdiction — apparently another officer — had spotted the leaf sticker and thought it might indicate that the car was carrying marijuana, Jonas-Boggioni said.

On the left, a marijuana leaf. On the right, what Tennessee cops think is a marijuana leaf.

I realize that being a cop is stressful. With countless government regulations to enforce and growing ticket quotas to fill, it's quite understandable that some among the ranks of our uniformed protectors would start looking for just about any reason to pull someone over. But a sticker that sort of looks like a marijuana leaf? Really?

What would have made more sense was to pull Bonnie and Guido over for displaying a Big Ten sticker in SEC country. After all, isn't that a more serious offense than smuggling marijuana?