If I had more time during the week I would be publishing more content daily.
Anyway, here's some odds-n-odds sitting on my back-burner.
Tell Obama No to Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
I
like the appointment of Rahm Emanuel as Chief of Staff, however the
appointment of Robert F Kennedy Jr. as head of the EPA or anything
science based would be a disaster on the grounds alone that he is an
anti-vaccination crank and promulgator of pseudoscience. I can only
hope that President Elect Obama has not yet properly vetted this man.
Also
Kennedy Jr. would just be too polarizing on these issues. We need a
science guy in the White House where science informs policy, not
someone playing politics with science like the Bush White
House. Kennedy Jr. as head of EPA would be a bad choice. Now Gore for
the EPA I think would be great, but would probably be to political of a
choice.
Read more about Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by Orac, over on Science Blogs.
If good, science-base policy is a concern of yours, please contact the transition team and respectfully inform them how you feel. Rejecting Kennedy over this appointment is beyond partisan politics.
My letter:
Dear President-elect Obama and team,
Robert F Kennedy Jr should not be the head of the EPA nor should he direct health policy of any kind.
President-elect
Obama made the statement to Scientists and Engineers of America that he
would restore "scientific integrity" to the White House and in policy.
Robert F Kennedy JR would be a step in the wrong direction for his anti-science, anti-vaccination views.
President-elect Obama, I voted for you because I believed you would follow through on that promise to the SEA.
Thank you for your time,
MC Pickard
As always, it is the job of the people to govern and be the watchdogs over politicians in a democracy.
Besides, I can not stand Kennedy's voice – however that man ever made it on radio is beyond me...
Vatican Defends Beautification of Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII, otherwise known as Hitler's Pope, is on his way to becoming a saint.
In a move that I can only imagine is a bit of c.y.a, the Vatican
will not open
it's WWII archives on Pope Pope Pius XII stating that it would take another six or seven years to catalog all 16
million documents.
If you can rub two brain cells together, you have to wonder why they
would make this move to canonize the former Pope on incomplete evidence?
The Catholic Church, lead by Pope Benedict Ratzinger - a former
Hitler Youth and protector of pedophiles, is making this move to
protect the Catholic Church from future and past criticism of the
church's complicity in the extermination of the
Jews. I can hear it now...
"Look the man is Saint for chrissakes, I don't know what your talkin' 'bout."
On the decision, Vatican's Number 2 official, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, stated that the selection is an internal affair and "a religious matter that requires respect."
Really, they are telling you to shut up.
Just
because this is a religious matter, like religious beliefs, does not
protect that belief or actions from criticism or ridicule.
By the way, the criticism is being lead by Jewish groups.
(Source)
Pope Meets With Muslim Scholars
In
a move to patch religious division and establish understanding, the
Pope met with twenty-nine religious scholars of each religion.
"We profess that
Catholics and Muslims are called to be instruments of love and harmony
among believers, and for humanity as a whole, renouncing any
oppression, aggressive violence and terrorism, especially that
committed in the name of religion, and upholding the principle of
justice for all"
They also issued a a joint declaration that "appealed for respect for religious figures and symbols."
I know the discussion is between the two religions, but sorry, just because you believe that you can communicate to an
invisible sky friend and wear funny robes to parade your ignorance and
believe that a cracker can become Jesus' flesh after you utter magic
words, or that images of Muhammad are sacrosanct, it does not mean that I have to show you respect. These are ridiculous beliefs which has caused
unimaginable amounts of human misery through the centuries.
Again, ridiculous beliefs require only one answer, ridicule. Respect of your beliefs does not eclipse my freedom of thought, expression, and
speech. You'll just have to live with it.
However, one thing that both Catholics and Muslims can largely agree on is that "justice for all" does not apply to the gay and lesbian. For evidence, witness the inequality for homosexuals and women in respect to the Catholic Priesthood.
Hypocrites. Every damn one of them.
Incidentally, the Pope was correct two years ago denouncing Islam as
irrational and inherently violent - but so is Christianity. I wonder
why the Pope would leave that out?
(Source)