I don't get a live TV feed, so as a result most of my vid watching is on DVD or thumb drive.  So, I feel kind of odd weighing in on this topic, but...

     It seems that there is a serious flaw in the way TV networks interpret the ratings that they collect.  People who tend to PVR their shows don't seem to count.  As a result, shows like Fringe (which is at risk of cancellation) or SG:U (which was just cancelled), that find themselves stacked against sports playoff games or Dancing With The Stars (which seems to be on, in one incarnation or another, every night) are at a disadvantage.  It discriminates against "nerds" who have the intelligence and inclination to record their favourite shows for alternative viewing times because they want to let (or are forced to let) another family member watch Dancing With The Stars or WWF.  So the shows watched by those most inclined to use technology are the ones that will suffer.  Apparently, you have to watch the program on the original broadcast in order to count.  How archaic!  Another example of TV and Radio shooting itself in the foot.

     The natural consequence of such a policy is for TV viewing to devolve into a long chain of sports events and cheap, shallow reality TV.  And then people will complain about how hollow TV is (-well, as if they already aren't-) and the networks will scratch their heads in puzzlement as everyone starts watching the Internet.  Technology marches on, and those not capable of keeping step will fall behind and get lost.  (Am I overdoing the metaphor?)  Such was the case with the music industry and it's currently happening with radio.

Hey.  Here's something I'd love for Christmas.

http://www.threadless.com/submission/314316/A_joker_not_The_Joker

   This month's issue of DISCOVER Magazine has is one I always look forward to, summarizing the 100 most significant scientific stories of the year.  It actually results in a little highly needed optimism as it displays some of the most extraodinary accomplishments of our species.

   One story that was prominent back in January at one of the big climate research conferences, was the hit taken by Global Warming Theory.  Leaked e-mails and other documents cast doubt on the integrity of the scientific community, claiming that they'd exaggerated their findings to make Global Warming appear more extreme than it really was.  It was a coup for the Global Warming sceptics, who, oddly, also seemed to support big oil and coal.

   That story got a lot of press and was sensationalized.  What didn't get a lot of press was the subsequent story that in five separate investigations following the accusations, the vast majority of the research called into question was exonerated.  The idea that Climate Research as "broken" was totally proven false.  This, however, never got significant press coverage and exposure.  (A very few pieces of research were found to need some revision, however this is true of any body of research.)

   Here is another example of our media journalists failing in their job.  Whether it was because the story wasn't as dramatic as the original allegations, or whether the media was compromised by their sponsors, the fact remains that on this important issue it failed to be objective and to provide the public with unbiased information.  They were ready to condemn Climate Change Research, but not to vindicate it when the evidence clearly proved that was justified, leaving the public with an inaccurate impression, -which just happens to coincide with the wishes of some big carbon producing industries. 

     Top Ten lists abound at this time of year.  Not to be outdone, "Enlighten Next" magazine published their "Top Ten Wacky Spiritual Workshops" in their just-released issue, and Toronto takes the top slot.

     Ganga Yoga is cannabis-enhanced yoga, offered at the Hot Box Cafe in Kensingon Market.  (Bring your own weed.)  Personally, I always thought that Yoga and Meditation were about purification and balance, both of which may be more challenging when intoxicated in any way. 

     Other workshops to make the list included Doga (yoga with dog positions), Yoga and Pole Dancing (described as a "striptease aerobics class") and Punk Rock Yoga (-"how loud can you scream om").

     Oh yes, and don't forget "Overcoming Fear with Yoga and Chocolate".  Mmmmm...

     I've made a few comments recently about the anaemic state of journalism.  Here's a story spotlighting that and WikiLeaks.

     I understand that Michael Moore may not be the most esteemed source of valid information, but in this case the facts seem to be in his favour.  On Jan. 31, 2008, just after the nomination of SICKO for an Academy Award, the American State Department released an internal memo claiming that SICKO was banned in Cuba because Cubans were upset and rebelling since they actually were not receiving the kinds of health benefits described in the film.  This was a total lie, as the Cuban government had even sought permission for and had aired SICKO on national television after it had been playing in Cuban theatres for months.  So what?  I guess this really just amounts to a case of the U.S. government lying to itself, so it really just becomes a matter of integrity and shouldn't be a big issue.  (Unless you remember that the war on Iraq was, more or less, a result of the same process of a government lying to itself.)

     As interesting as that is, it's not the main point.  Last Friday, WikiLeaks exposed this inaccurate memo to the press.  What did the press do?  They reported it as fact, without understanding the irony or checking their information.  Any brief Google search would have shown them that the information was false (and probably have given them a much better story).  Wow!  WikiLeaks handed them a lie and they turned it back into a truth.  Therein may lay the real damage that can be done by WikiLeaks, -the misinterpretation of powerful information by a stupid and lazy news media.

     Moore get's the final word, as quoted from his Blog:

     "OK, so we know the media is lazy and sucks most of the time. But the bigger issue here is how our government seemed to be colluding with the health insurance industry to destroy a film that might have a hand in bringing about what the Cubans already have in their poverty-ridden third world country: free, universal health care. And because they have it and we don't, Cuba has a better infant mortality rate than we do, their life expectancy is just 7 months shorter than ours, and, according to the WHO, they rank just two places behind the richest country on earth in terms of the quality of their health care."

   I am intrigued by the humble neutron.  What exactly is it.  Modern physics says it is not a particle, so therefore it must be energy.  And yet, by its very definition, it has a neutral charge.  Energy with a neutral charge is nothing.  So a neutron is essentially nothing.  When it acts to bond protons together, it can exist forever.  Independently, it tends to disintegrate.  So it is an important nothing which is something that holds an atom together, and seems to only exist with any resilience when it is doing that job. A nothing which is something. 

   Could it be an condition, or perhaps a unit of information describing a condition, -but yet a unit of information which is an actual entity.  A unit of information existing as an entity in the universe.  It opens up all kinds of possibilities. 

   Warning to all:  This is what happens when you read Quantum Physics articles.  Beware!

Once again, taking a page from Scalzi's Blog, this time at his suggestion.  (I might have done this already, but not on this Blog.)

Here are some things that I doubt many have done.  Comments and your own lists encouraged.

1.  Kissed by a bear on the mouth (and had it slip me the tongue).

2.  Done a naked, overnight solo, in the winter, at the top of a mountain.

3.  Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, 8 times.

4.  Shaken hands with Prince Philip (and realized I must not be on any RCMP watch lists).

5.  Broken into a Spanish castle in the dead of night.

6.  Broken into an Elvis Fan Club in the dead of night (in Paris).

7.  Spent an afternoon with Dr. Rudy Rucker, driving around Toronto and discussing Chaos Theory.

8.  Handed the bone from a raccoon penis around my classroom and asked them to guess what it was.

9.  Made a radiation detector go off as I walked through it after taking a tour of a nuclear power facility.  ("Oh, I'm sure it's nothing," they quickly said.)

10. Saved someone's life using the Heimlich manoeuvre. 

Part two coming up in a few days...

Well this is very disturbing as, to me, it sums up the very real dangers of fundamentalist religious indoctrination

   It seems that a new Gallup Poll identifies almost 40% of Americans as rejecting evolution and believing in the Creationist view that God created man as he/she is about 10 000 years ago.  I feel that this has really dangerous implications for the following reasons:

   1.  To believe the Creationist view, it is necessary to suspend your belief in science and reason, ignoring all of the theories involving geology, anthropology, carbon dating, dinosaurs, etc. 

   2.  To do that, it is necessary to marginalize intelligence and reason in your mindset.  This would explain why the intelligencia in the States is under fire and being criticised, and in some cases, ridiculed.

   3.  When you look more carefully at the data, you see that belief in creationism is inversely related to education.  Among those with a high school education or less, Creationism is supported at a rate of about 47%, while evolution is supported by those with a postgraduate education at about 45%.  Once again, it is going to be necessary for the uneducated people believing in Creationism to reject and marginalize the intelligent in order to maintain their beliefs.  This is a dangerous situation, and as I said, is already happening.

   4.  Further research shows, interestingly, that the United States is the country that has the lowest percentage of people believing in evolution, and the highest in Creationism, where a recent poll identifies only 35% believing in evolution.  (The poll is over a decade old but I can't find anything more recent.)  The only country that also has a level below 50% is Poland.  Most countries, like the UK and Germany are upwards of 65% to 80%.  (Canada is not mentioned in this poll.)  This means that among the developed western countries, the US sits in a unique position of extremism.  And they're the ones making foreign policy decisions involving Muslim countries. 

   5.  These anti-intellectual, reason rejecting, dogmatic creationists tend to be overwhelmingly Republican.  (It's right there in the data.)  Again, this puts American politics in the grips of religious extremism. 

   6.  Those with strong religious leanings are more likely to attend church regularly and send their children to religiously motivated schools and youth groups.  (Check out the movie "Jesus Camp")  In those settings, youth is being indoctrinated at an impressionable age, to perpetuate all of the things I've mentioned above.  People outside of that goldfish bowl (i.e. more liberal individuals, more educated families and those more inclined to believe in evolution and science) are the ones who are more likely to take advantage of public education and to promote open-mindedness.

   I have no real quarrel with religion, as such.  I have religious beliefs, although they are not "traditional".  Evolution is probably not perfect.  What I oppose, and what often scares me, are the kinds of things I've summarized above.

1. Been in a car accident where the air bag knocked me out cold.

2. Hiked 250 miles of the Bruce Trail in N. Ontario, in one journey, twice.

3. Owned several tarantulas as pets, in my Gr. 6 classroom.

4. Was told to shut up by Alex Trubek.

5.  Accidentally took a wrong turn when driving in Toronto and ended up as part of the Gay Pride Parade, with a car full of teenage boys.

6. Ate beaver in New Orleans.  ...No...It was a real meal at a restaurant...Really!!

7. Had to dive for cover with lightning strikes all around me on a mountain top in New Mexico.

8. Was taken to the hospital in an ambulance, but it got lost on the way there and had to stop to ask directions.  (True!!)

9.  Was stalked by hostile Native Americans at Wounded Knee site.

10.Canoed to James Bay and slept in the train station parking lot in Moosonee.

11.Snuck into a little girl's bedroom dressed as Santa (at her parents' request) on Christmas Eve (making noise to be sure she woke up!).

Still waiting to hear more of YOUR exploits.  Thanks to Tanner for posting his. 

The shocker of the season will be dropped by WikiLeaks on Dec. 25.  "The Santa Documents" will expose Santa Claus and his corrupt doings at the North Pole for the world to see.

A preview can be found on MYSpace.

Stories include the real "naughty list", employment irregularities and the revelation that Rudolf is really "Rudy", Santa's prime enforcer.  Be sure to check it out!