related_results_labels_thumbs({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-09-06T13:16:32.901-04:00"},"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Mad Skeptic"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"Straddling the line between ivory tower and blue collar.  \nThe notes, comments, and general ramblings of a Gen-X Scientist and Skeptic."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/-/books?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/search/label/books"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"6"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-4951092528097650432"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-21T21:49:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-21T21:49:39.036-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"media"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"woo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Review:  Joe Nickell's Real Life X-Files"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d'margin-bottom: 0in'\u003e\u003ca href\u003d'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813122104?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0813122104'\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d'float: right; width: 200px; height: 305px; ' src\u003d'http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/S_c3XPMWbjI/AAAAAAAABTI/0DvPh-U7drc/4195FR4KY9L._SL160_.jpg' border\u003d'0'/\u003e\u003c/a\u003eI recently finished reading Joe Nickell's \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0813122104?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0813122104'\u003eReal-Life X-Files: Investigating the Paranormal\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' style\u003d'border:none !important; margin:0px !important;' src\u003d'http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0813122104' height\u003d'1' border\u003d'0' alt\u003d''/\u003e . While I did find it an entertaining read, I don't think I'm Joe's audience.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d'margin-bottom: 0in'\u003eJoe's style is pretty easy going and there really wasn't too much cerebral activity going on in my head as I read. Again, I don't think I'm the target audience and I read his posts in Skeptical Inquirer. I really believe this book is meant for the potential skeptic, the uninitiated doubter, or the woo-woo leaning but open minded individual. If that is the Joe's audience, I think he hit the nail on the head. Each chapter is a different investigation and provides a brief synopsis of the background, investigation and conclusion. Personally, I would have enjoyed the book more if he had really gone into depth but I think this synopsis style would work for those who are skepticurious.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d'margin-bottom: 0in'\u003eAbout those skepticurious folk...while I appreciate what Joe is doing by providing his references within the text (i.e. “Getman, 2010\"), it could prove distracting to the reader unfamiliar with in-text references. I felt the flow was broken up a little and the book would have been better served with end notes. But, hey, that's only my opinion. As anyone who reads this blog knows, I've been messing around with both forms of referencing.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d'margin-bottom: 0in'\u003eIf you are a hard-nosed, research-driven skeptic, this book may not be for you. Having said that, I do like to live vicariously through Joe's writings and this book really does make you wish you had his job. At the same time, I think this book would make a superb gift for anyone who is undecided about things like ghosts, various lake monsters, and the like. I'm pretty certain they will enjoy it.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-4951092528097650432?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/4951092528097650432/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d4951092528097650432\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4951092528097650432"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4951092528097650432"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/05/review-joe-nickell-real-life-x-files.html","title":"Review:  Joe Nickell\u0026#39;s Real Life X-Files"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-6743768725543699109"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-20T16:03:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-10-02T10:21:03.752-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"sex"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"misinformation"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"woo"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Get Your Woo-woo Out of My Bedroom!"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv xmlns\u003d\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml\"\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/So2pnMoYzXI/AAAAAAAABDs/F5WkYCsATIU/%5BUNSET%5D.png?imgmax\u003d800\" style\u003d\"float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 800px;\" /\u003eWoo-woo is notorious for popping its useless head up in places it doesn't belong.\u0026nbsp; Woo-woo keeps people from seeking and getting the appropriate medical attention they need.\u0026nbsp; It needlessly separates innocent people from their hard earned cash as they seek some benefit from a useless modality.\u0026nbsp; It still gets people killed for being witches or for being possessed by demons and, like religion, it wants to stick its grubby fingers into our sex lives as well.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eA recent visit to the continually idiotic Huffington Post lead me to an article by Linda Savage \"\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-e-savage/spiritual-sex-the-art-of_b_261488.html\" rel\u003d\"nofollow\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSpiritual Sex:\u0026nbsp; The Art of Multidimentional Orgasm\u003c/a\u003e\".\u0026nbsp; I read it and realized I was stupider after doing so.\u0026nbsp; I decided to write about it here in an attempt to potentially buffer someone from a case of stupid so severe it hurts.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFor fuck's sake (literally) do not fall for this kind of babble!\u0026nbsp; It's going to do as much good as homeopathic \"Viagra\" or crystal treatment -- nothing.\u0026nbsp; Sex comes in many forms between, not only people of all walks of life, but also animals of all types.\u0026nbsp; The birds and the bee do it.\u0026nbsp; Does this mean I need to take wasp spray with me?\u0026nbsp; Is the cosmic plane covered with guano from fornicating pigeons?\u0026nbsp; I wonder where Ms. Savage's evidence of the supposed \"cosmic orgasm\" is hiding.\u0026nbsp; Give me a break.\u0026nbsp; Her article's goal seems only to make sexually discontented people even more discontented because they haven't fucked the hand of god!\u0026nbsp; Yes, some people get off on \"genitally focused sex\" (which by definition is what it is seeing how they're our SEXUAL ORGANS).\u0026nbsp; Good sex is good sex and it doesn't involve a godhead or cosmic alignment.\u0026nbsp; If you are unhappy, you don't need Ms. Savage's help.\u0026nbsp; Talk to your partner(s).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eHere's a sampling of the crap that will probably be, or already has been, on Oprah pretty soon (emphasis is not mine):\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cb style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003eSpiritual Union \u003c/b\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-style: italic;\"\u003ewhich is the ecstatic expanded experience producing altered states of consciousness. It encompasses the \"cosmic orgasm:\" the timeless, boundless state where orgasmic waves move through all the energy centers. Cosmic orgasm can and does occur spontaneously to anyone, but as a practice, it can replenish the life force with release through the crown of the head.\u003c/span\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eShe writes of the \"fact\" humans can achieve orgasms on \"multiple dimensions\".\u0026nbsp; WRONG!\u0026nbsp; How does she know?\u0026nbsp; Yay, quantum physics!\u0026nbsp; You're being used again to push some nut job's woo-woo!\u0026nbsp; I guess if this was true it would give multiple orgasms a whole new meaning.\u0026nbsp; Give me proof you sanctimonious \"expert\"!\u0026nbsp; She writes of the concepts of \"chakras\" and meridians to support her ridiculous claims.\u0026nbsp; All unprovable or, worse, disproven.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eLike most of the garbage on the \"HuffPo\" (No, Arianna.\u0026nbsp; This is NOT a term of endearment.) and as I suspected, Ms. Savage has supplied us ignorants who like to rub uglies a book and CD on how we can transform our sex - \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0975336908?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0975336908\"\u003eReclaiming Goddess Sexuality: The Power of the Feminine Way\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg alt\u003d\"\" border\u003d\"0\" class\u003d\" lsgdkzrtmltoyknqkznc wkcbpwjinfazanjsjswt wkcbpwjinfazanjsjswt\" height\u003d\"1\" src\u003d\"http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0975336908\" style\u003d\"border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important;\" width\u003d\"1\" /\u003e.\u0026nbsp; Not surprizingly, it's aimed at women because, let's face it, it can be easy to sexually satisfy most men.\u0026nbsp; I guess that must be the reason because her book doesn't address men's issues -- gay or straight.\u0026nbsp; Maybe we aren't enlightened enough or maybe her head's up her ass.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003ePhoto by: \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/zawtowers/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003ezawtowers\u003c/a\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-6743768725543699109?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/6743768725543699109/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d6743768725543699109\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/6743768725543699109"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/6743768725543699109"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2009/08/get-your-woo-woo-out-of-my-bedroom.html","title":"Get Your Woo-woo Out of My Bedroom!"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-4780515472370217260"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-03T13:15:00.003-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-07-04T09:33:17.774-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"asbestos"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Asbestos / Shroud of Turin Connection"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv xmlns\u003d\"http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml\"\u003eDid you know there is a connection between the study of asbestos and the Shroud of Turin?  No, it has nothing to do with what the shroud is made out of.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/Sk4zgADU39I/AAAAAAAAAw8/Cceve_1N-Nw/%5BUNSET%5D.png?imgmax\u003d800\" style\u003d\"float: right; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 800px;\" /\u003eAllow me to introduce you to Walter McCrone.  Dr. McCrone was the author of numerous books about microscopy and his reference books are used every day in laboratories around the world.  He was an expert in the analysis of asbestos.  His books \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0250400081?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0250400081\"\u003eThe Particle Atlas\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0250400081\" style\u003d\"border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important; display: none;\" height\u003d\"1\" border\u003d\"0\" width\u003d\"1\" /\u003e, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0250403722?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0250403722\"\u003eThe Asbestos Particle Atlas\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0250403722\" style\u003d\"border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important; display: none;\" height\u003d\"1\" border\u003d\"0\" width\u003d\"1\" /\u003e, and \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00171DCG0?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003dB00171DCG0\"\u003ePolarized Light Microscopy\u003c/a\u003e are the \"bibles\" of the asbestos analysis industry.  Dr. McCrone founded the non-profit \u003ca href\u003d\"http://mcri.org/home/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMcCrone Research Institute\u003c/a\u003e (which publishes the journal \u003ca href\u003d\"http://mcri.org/home/section/71-72/the-microscope-journal\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eThe Microscope\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e).\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003ca href\u003d\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_McCrone\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eHis Wikipedia page\u003c/a\u003e covers more information on his background but what I want to briefly focus on is his analysis of the Turin Shroud.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eDr. McCrone was also a recognized expert on the microscopic analysis of pigments and he was selected by the Holy Shroud Guild (a group that maintains the Shroud of Turin is a physical artifact of the biblical Jesus) to analyze the shroud.  I still question why they selected him for participation and I suspect it may have been in an attempt to appear balanced with the expectation that nothing conclusive would be found.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eWell, Dr. McCrone was able to analyze actual sections of the shroud in his laboratory in 1979 and he started seeing things he was quite familiar with -- pigments.  His analysis ended up determining the shroud wasn't what the Roman Catholic Church wanted people to believe.  He determined the shroud was either an elaborate hoax, brilliant piece of art, or both.  He found that the sections that were supposedly blood soaked actually were painted with red ochre and vermilion in a tempera base!  Needless to say, the Holy Shroud Guild and the Shroud of Turin Research Project (STURP) weren't too pleased with his findings and there was a considerable falling out.  I guess the truth hurt.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eFor a more detailed examination of Dr. McCrone's analysis of the Shroud of Turin, I recommend you read the McCrone Research Institute's page on the topic:  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://mcri.org/home/section/63-64/the-shroud-of-turin\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eThe Shroud of Turin\u003c/a\u003e.  It does a good job of addressing other issues regarding the shroud -- including carbon dating and comparisons with blood-soaked linen.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003eDr. McCrone also wrote a book about his analysis of the Shroud of Turin and it should be on anyone's skeptical bookshelf:  \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1573926795?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d1573926795\"\u003eJudgment Day for the Shroud of Turin\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg alt\u003d\"\" src\u003d\"http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d1573926795\" style\u003d\"border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important; display: none;\" height\u003d\"1\" border\u003d\"0\" width\u003d\"1\" /\u003e.\u003cbr /\u003e\u003cbr /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-4780515472370217260?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/4780515472370217260/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d4780515472370217260\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"3 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4780515472370217260"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4780515472370217260"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2009/07/asbestos-shroud-of-turin-connection.html","title":"The Asbestos / Shroud of Turin Connection"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"3"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-7724348420761931951"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-10T15:35:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-06-11T10:09:22.227-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"misinformation"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"homeopathy"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"media"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"autism"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The Michael Savage / Homeopathy Connection"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv xmlns\u003d'http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d'http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/SjAJ_h0ve4I/AAAAAAAAAwQ/QgnvCbLVsXY/%5BUNSET%5D.png?imgmax\u003d800' style\u003d'max-width: 800px; float: right; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px;'/\u003eMichael Savage, the loud-mouthed, ultra-conservative talk show host who was recently \u003ca href\u003d'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Savage_%28commentator%29#Banned_from_entering_the_United_Kingdom' target\u003d'_blank'\u003ebanned from traveling to merry old England\u003c/a\u003e and who's son and wife are up to their eyeballs in \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid\u003ddf98b35756c6942343b3353592214e7a\u0026amp;gid\u003d90066263010\u0026amp;ref\u003dsearch' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eRockstar Energy Drinks\u003c/a\u003e, is also an author!\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\"I already knew that\", you quip.  \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eHa ha!  I wasn't talking about Michael \"Savage\" -- his nom de plume.  I'm talking about Dr. Michael Weiner -- his real name (and I can see why he'd use \"Savage\" -- \"Weiner\" probably still gets him beat up.).\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eI was recently reading about some \u003ca href\u003d'http://consumerist.com/5283320/the-rockstar-energy-drinkmichael-savage-connection' target\u003d'_blank'\u003ehullabaloo over Rockstar Energy drinks over at the Consumerist\u003c/a\u003e.  It meantioned that Weiner had written about \u003ca href\u003d'http://whatstheharm.net/herbalremedies.html' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eherbalism\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.skepdic.com/homeo.html' target\u003d'_blank'\u003ehomeopathy\u003c/a\u003e.  My curiosity was piqued so I followed the link to \u003ca href\u003d'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Savage_%28commentator%29' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eWikipedia\u003c/a\u003e and, wouldn't you know it, there was a \u003ca href\u003d'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Savage_%28commentator%29#Books_as_Michael_Weiner' target\u003d'_blank'\u003elist of Weiner's publications\u003c/a\u003e!  Sure enough, he's written such tomes as \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0895294125?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0895294125'\u003eThe Complete Book of Homeopathy\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' border\u003d'0' style\u003d'border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important; display: none;' alt\u003d'' src\u003d'http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0895294125'/\u003e and \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0912845104?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d390957\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0912845104'\u003eHealing Children Naturally\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' border\u003d'0' style\u003d'border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important; display: none;' alt\u003d'' src\u003d'http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0912845104'/\u003e.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eNot only that, he appears to be an autism denialist!  That's right!  The man has stated:\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cblockquote\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d'font-style: italic;'\u003eNow, the illness du jour is autism. You know what autism is? I'll tell you what autism is. In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out. That's what autism is. What do you mean they scream and they're silent? They don't have a father around to tell them, \"Don't act like a moron. You'll get nowhere in life. Stop acting like a putz. Straighten up. Act like a man. Don't sit there crying and screaming, idiot.\u003c/span\u003e (Michael Savage via Wikipedia)\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/blockquote\u003eThere has been a lot of talk recently about autism and the anti-vaccination crowd.  Has anyone been talking about autism denial?  I wonder where he got his facts.  99% of reported autism cases are bogus?  That's a big number.  I'll leave it up to \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/'\u003eDr. Novella\u003c/a\u003e to tackle the numbers but I smell bullshit.  \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eI would pay money to see he and Jenny McCarthy go at it in Celebrity Mixed Martial Arts!  Good times.  Good times.  What's that about killing two birds with one stone?  I have friends who have an autistic son.  One of them is a Savage fan.  I wonder what his take would be if he read that quote.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eSo I ask the question:  If Dr. Weiner is as self-deluded or ignorant or deliberately misleading in his writings as a book on homeopathy would seem to indicate, how can one take Michael Savage's opinions seriously?\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eMethinks he's not a member of the \u003ca href\u003d'http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality-based_community' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eReality-Based Community\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-7724348420761931951?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/7724348420761931951/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d7724348420761931951\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/7724348420761931951"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/7724348420761931951"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2009/06/michael-savage-homeopathy-connection.html","title":"The Michael Savage / Homeopathy Connection"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-8936628256405013196"},"published":{"$t":"2009-04-13T11:24:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-13T11:24:54.317-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"volunteerism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Hopping on the Bandwagon -- Sort-of"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv xmlns\u003d'http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'\u003e\u003ca href\u003d'http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/09-03-25.html' target\u003d'_blank'\u003e\u003cimg src\u003d'http://lh4.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/SeNWt5_dKVI/AAAAAAAAAuc/2lnTu-KRNGg/JrS-WDIDN-cover-200wide.jpg' style\u003d'max-width: 800px; float: right; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; width: 162px; height: 229px;'/\u003e\u003c/a\u003eI thought I should pass this nugget along.  I've now seen it on \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.skeptic.com' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eSkeptic.com\u003c/a\u003e.  Heard about it on the \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.theskepticsguide.org/' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eSkeptic's Guide to the Universe\u003c/a\u003e, and read about it on \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blog' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eCFI's blog\u003c/a\u003e.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eBehold, \u003cspan style\u003d'text-decoration: underline;'\u003eWhat Do I Do Next?\u003c/span\u003e!\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eI've read through some of it and skimmed through the rest and it looks promising.  \u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003e\"How much doe this book cost?\" you ask.  Nothing!  \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.skeptic.com/downloads/WhatDoIDoNext.pdf' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eGo download it!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-8936628256405013196?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/8936628256405013196/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d8936628256405013196\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/8936628256405013196"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/8936628256405013196"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2009/04/hopping-on-bandwagon-sort-of.html","title":"Hopping on the Bandwagon -- Sort-of"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-1717984565713859293"},"published":{"$t":"2009-03-24T11:51:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-04-03T11:45:37.115-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"cryptozoology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"books"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"bigfoot"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"A Superb Book on the Bigfoot Phenomenon"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cdiv xmlns\u003d'http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml'\u003e\u003ca href\u003d'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0759105391?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0759105391'\u003e\u003cimg border\u003d'0' src\u003d'http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/Scj7sZ6ch8I/AAAAAAAAAro/XQDlJs9P_so/51Z61BFANAL._SL160_.jpg' style\u003d'float: right; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; width: 121px; height: 184px;'/\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg height\u003d'1' width\u003d'1' border\u003d'0' style\u003d'border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important;' alt\u003d'' src\u003d'http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/Scj7sZ6ch8I/AAAAAAAAAro/XQDlJs9P_so/51Z61BFANAL._SL160_.jpg'/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eAre you looking for a good, entertaining read about bigfoot?  I'd like to recommend a book which was originally recommended to my by my brother, \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0759105391?ie\u003dUTF8\u0026amp;tag\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;linkCode\u003das2\u0026amp;camp\u003d1789\u0026amp;creative\u003d9325\u0026amp;creativeASIN\u003d0759105391'\u003eBigfoot Exposed: An Anthropologist Examines America's Enduring Legend\u003c/a\u003e\u003cimg height\u003d'1' width\u003d'1' border\u003d'0' style\u003d'border: medium none  ! important; margin: 0px ! important;' alt\u003d'' src\u003d'http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t\u003dthemadskeptic-20\u0026amp;l\u003das2\u0026amp;o\u003d1\u0026amp;a\u003d0759105391'/\u003e by David J. Daegling.  This is the book \u003ca rel\u003d'nofollow' href\u003d'http://www.cryptomundo.com/' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eLoren Coleman\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca rel\u003d'nofollow' href\u003d'http://www.isu.edu/%7Emeldd/' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eJeff Meldrum\u003c/a\u003e don't want you to read.  If \u003ca href\u003d'http://www.history.com/minisites/monsterquest' target\u003d'_blank'\u003eMonsterQuest\u003c/a\u003e wanted to portray itself as truely critical of bigfoot (no matter how many different names they concoct -- \"Grassman\", \"Skunkape\", \"Snow beast\", etc.) they would do well to read this book and apply some of what contains within.  In the interest of full disclosure, I do enjoy watching MonsterQuest -- as I've already stated.  Watching those people \"play scientist\" is fun.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003eMr. Daegling is a real scientist and he systematically goes through the entire history of the bigfoot phenomenon and exposes the frauds, in-fighting and outright ignorance in the \"field\" of bigfoot hunting.  His style is easy to read and intellectually stimulating at the same time and I particularly liked his scientific analysis of bigfoot and its \"evidence\".  He effectively examines and, as a result, dismisses all the pop pseudoscience for precisely what it is -- bunk.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003cbr/\u003ePick this one up and it will be hard to put back down.\u003cbr/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-1717984565713859293?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/1717984565713859293/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d1717984565713859293\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/1717984565713859293"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/1717984565713859293"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2009/03/superb-book-on-bigfoot-phenomena.html","title":"A Superb Book on the Bigfoot Phenomenon"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});