Ponderings of a Scientist

So our lovely administration and the crazy right wingers have spent the last ten plus years trying to undercut science at every turn.  At its core, the “sound science” movement (read:  only believe scientists if they are paid my industry, deny all standard science thought, give even weight to minority thoughts and main stream views…) are a group of Bush appointees working in our “nonpartisan” environmental organizations (EPA, Food and Wildlife, NOAA, etc.), including a women named Julie MacDonald who has made it her goal in life to kill the Endangered Species Act.  Check out this article on all she has accomplished.  The newest atrocity occurred today with the removal of the Yellowstone Grizzly from the ESA list.

Check out this funny, yet poignant cartoon from the makers of South Park!

 ”More than 50 Republican members have signed on to a bill, the Academic Partnerships Lead Us to Success Act of 2007 (A-PLUS Act), that would allow states and districts more flexibility in implementing state-based initiatives using federal education funding. If passed, this legislation would fundamentally alter the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. The A-PLUS Act would allow states to “opt out” of NCLB if it held a referendum or if two out of three state entities - the governor, the state legislation, and the state’s highest-elected education official - decided the state could no longer meet the law’s accountability mandates. States that elect to opt- out would still get federal funding and could combine funds from certain education programs into one funding stream. They would be freed from the requirements of each federal education program and could use the funds to advance their initiatives. Read more from the front page article in the Washington Post; a one-page description of the A-PLUS Act; or the section-by-section summary of the bill.”  - New England Ocean Science  Education Notes

Tom Delay was interviewed on NPR this am, I think in an attempt to promote his new memoir, but really it just gave NPR a chance to make Delay look bad!  Approx. excerpt….

Delay - Democrats are the enemy, why would I work with the enemy?

NPR - perhap because they are civic minded Americans

Delay - they don’t agree with my agenda for America - they are the enemy

NPR - tell us about the K street strategy

Delay - you have to work with people outside of Congress to be successful

NPR - isn’t there something bad about lobbyist paying you off and writing republican legislation?
Delay - well the Democrats do it too!

And the republicans are now complaining that the Democrats are too partisan?

Anyone interested in a fermented slime outfit for your next big night out?  Perhaps our Southern Friends could convert any unpalatable homebrew they create into party dresses for us all!

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