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","$t":"Straddling the line between ivory tower and blue collar.  \nThe notes, comments, and general ramblings of a Gen-X Scientist and Skeptic."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/posts/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/-/religion?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026max-results\u003d6"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/search/label/religion"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/-/religion/-/religion?alt\u003djson-in-script\u0026start-index\u003d7\u0026max-results\u003d6"}],"author":[{"name":{"$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":{"$t":"24"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"6"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-6649667995782301025"},"published":{"$t":"2010-08-27T19:04:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-09-06T13:16:32.908-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"transhumanism"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Singularitarianism Must be Challenged by Skeptics"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"float: right;\" src\u003d\"http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/3774175_73285f84a9.jpg\" alt\u003d\"\" width\u003d\"500\" height\u003d\"354\" /\u003eLately, there has been a fair amount of credulous coverage of the concept of transhumanism and the singularity on Skeptical podcasts and otherwise skeptical media.  To my recollection, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/2010/08/podcast-teaser-transhumanism.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMassimo Pigliucci\u003c/a\u003e and \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.theskepticsguide.org/archive/podcastinfo.aspx?mid\u003d1\u0026amp;pid\u003d266\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSteven Novella\u003c/a\u003e are the only high-profile folks providing any appropriate counterpoint.  After listening to the second episode on the topic on \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.skepticallyspeaking.com/episodes/73-transhumanism-part-2\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eSkeptically Speaking\u003c/a\u003e, I decided I could hold my tongue no longer.  It seems to me the Skeptic community, as a whole, is doing a piss-poor job being skeptical on this issue.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eAs a Geologist and Microscopist looking in, transhumanism, futurism and sigularitarianism all look to be nothing more than science fiction-based wishful thinking.  That is not to say that there are great strides being made in computer science and technology or that the idea of augmenting oneself is appealing.  As a Skeptic and an Atheist, I have observed a number of parallels between this futurist-whatever-you-want-to-call-it and woo-woo, cults, and \u0026ndash; yes \u0026ndash; religion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eLet's start with the basics, sigularists and futurists use a lot of very, very soft language in regards to what the future will provide.  In listening to the second transhumanism episode on Skeptically Speaking, I was struck by the incredible number of times words like \u0026ldquo;someday\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;would\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;could\u0026rdquo;, \u0026ldquo;might\u0026rdquo; and other similarly wiggly words were used.  How is this any different from plain old wishful thinking?  '\u003cem\u003eYou could become fabulously rich\u003c/em\u003e'.  '\u003cem\u003eSomeday, vaccinations will be shown to cause autism\u003c/em\u003e'.  How are those sentences any different from stating something along the lines of:  '\u003cem\u003eWe could make a mathematical model of the human brain\u003c/em\u003e' or '\u003cem\u003eWe might have transhumans who can do [insert super-human task here]'\u003c/em\u003e?  I have to ask why is this concept wrapped up in such poorly defined and (apparently) deliberately fuzzy language?  The very definition of the singularity \u0026ndash; as provided by \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.sentientdevelopments.com/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eGeorge Dvorsky\u003c/a\u003e on Skeptically Speaking \u0026ndash; as being \u0026ldquo;an intelligence explosion\u0026rdquo; not only smacks of pseudoscience terminology, it is so open ended as to represent almost anything intelligence related.  How is that any different from the crap Deepok Chopra spews when he calls forth his bastardized quantum physics?\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eAs to my pseudoscience observation \u0026ndash; both singularity adherents and creationists share similarities.  Perhaps the differences between \u0026ldquo;true\u0026rdquo; Science and Engineering help exacerbate this (I'm not saying engineering isn't a science \u0026ndash; I just want to separate it from Biology, Geology, and so on).  Both creationists and singularists have a pre-conceived belief that they are setting out to prove.  While the Creationists are self-deceived in regards to Evolution etc., they are using real sciences (mainly Genetics, Biology, and Geology) in an attempt to justify their beliefs.  Are the singularists doing the same thing only using computer science and robotics?  I really don't know.  I just thought I'd throw it out.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eThe main thing that is most disconcerting to me, as an Atheist, is the apparent and deliberate pseudo-religious posturing the believers in singularity put on.  Sure there are no robes and incense but it's time to face the facts, the 'singularity' (regardless of how it's defined) is not a foregone conclusion.  Yet, these computer and robotics acolytes speak as if it will happen.  How is that any different from fundamentalist Christians asserting in the inevitability of the rapture?  Sure, computers are real and the four horsemen of the apocalypse aren't but both of these concepts share fundamental similarities.  Both promise a big and wonderful change for adherents as they are allowed to escape their mundane existence and negative repercussions for those who don't believe.  Good things for the in-group and bad things for the rest.  Religion.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eFinally, one thing George Dvorsky said on Skeptically Speaking really lead a bad taste in my mouth.  Right after the other guest, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://worldofweirdthings.com/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eGreg Fish\u003c/a\u003e, give a reasonable response to a chat room member who wants to become \u0026ldquo;transhuman\u0026rdquo; as quickly as possible by instructing them to study things like computer science or neurology, Dvorsky busts this gem out:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-left: 0.49in; margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e....subscribe to a, I guess, a belief system or, I guess, a value system that's referred to as 'singularitarianism' and I know that is a mouthful.  But singularitarianism is the general feeling that we need to advance ourselves, we need to get to the singularity as soon as possible.  And the reason for that is we probably risk self-destruction before then if we don't.  Namely through the development of other technologies.  Namely nano-technolgies and nano-weapons.  Whether it be robotic technologies or even biological technologies such as genetic, or sorry, such as pathogens and other kinds of, basically, devastating pathogens that could cripple the entire human species.  And the idea here is that we can circumvent or, rather, preempt that from happening should we get to the singularity first.  Whether or not we would survive the singularity is an open question but at this point the responsibility, I suppose, is somewhat out of our hands.  There is a famous quote, I think it might be from Hans Moravec, who says that a self-improving artificial intelligence that is human-equivalent is the last invention we will ever need to make because at that point it's going to take over and it will, basically, be able to figure out the rest for us.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eSo, I'm left wondering, is singularitianism a doomsday cult or are they promising to save the world?  Either way, something's rotten in Denmark.  We will destroy ourselves if we don't create god!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eI understand the host, Desiree, did not have time to follow up on this whopper of what, in my opinion is a fresh, steaming pile of crazy but she didn't ask a single hard question of her guests for the entire show.  Why was that?  If someone was to go on a Skeptic show and say similar things about crystals and New Age woo, they would almost certainly be challenged.  Why did this not happen.  Is it because robots are \u0026ldquo;good\u0026rdquo; and crystals are \u0026ldquo;bad\u0026rdquo;.  Stop playing favorites.  Someone needs to stand up and start shouting \u0026ldquo;show me the evidence\u0026rdquo;!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in;\"\u003eYes, all this stuff is cool sounding and, yes, it may very well appeal to a great many of Skeptics.  I, for one, wouldn't mind being able to become some sort of a cyberpunk and do things we can only dream of.  After all, many of us are self-identified nerds and geeks but that is no excuse to not recognize the existence of a critical thinking blind spot.  Transhumanism and singularitarianism are beliefs and, if Dvorsky's quote above is any indication, it sure sound awfully religious to me.  This belief must be challenged and debated.  If I'm wrong, and singularity (whatever the hell it ends up being) is possible and as beneficial as its proponents claim it will be, the debate may make the transition to transhumanism easier.  However, if I'm right about this being nothing more than irrational singularity worship, we might be able to inject some sound reason into what may be a new cult and save people time, energy, and grief.\u003c/p\u003e\u003chr /\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"font-size: small;\"\u003ePhoto by \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/bistrosavage/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eBistrosavage\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-6649667995782301025?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/6649667995782301025/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d6649667995782301025\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/6649667995782301025"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/6649667995782301025"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/08/singularitianism-must-be-challenged-by.html","title":"Singularitarianism Must be Challenged by Skeptics"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://farm1.static.flickr.com/3/3774175_73285f84a9_t.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-3492785543992217348"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-16T19:32:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-16T19:43:15.713-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"pseudoscience"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"cryptozoology"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"website"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Cryptozoological Whine for Cash.  Good Intentions In, Garbage Out"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBreaking news!  Cryptomundo is going to shut down if they don't raise enough money to cover costs!\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSound familiar?  You bet, Cryptomundo just finished a fund-raising drive which was innagurated by the site's owner, Craig Woolheater, threatening to shut the site down unless he received adequate donations.  He whined about loosing money and the usual garbage the woo-woos and loons put up in a disgusting display of self-pity to try to raise money and sympathy.  Let's send some alms to the noble idiot!\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWell, I would have linked to the original posting but, true to Cryptomundo form, the post was deleted before I could archive it.  Honestly, I didn't think I would write anything about it at first so I dun goof'd.  Instead, I present you with the provided screen grab of my Google Reader account to prove the post really went up.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg style\u003d\"vertical-align: middle; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" src\u003d\"http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TEDpTDva1qI/AAAAAAAACs8/hkaJKyUncjU/s912/4c40df57b2585.png\" alt\u003d\"\" width\u003d\"912\" height\u003d\"188\" /\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn case you were actually concerned about this one-stop shop for censorship and pseudo-science, they did get enough \u003cspan style\u003d\"text-decoration: line-through;\"\u003esuckers\u003c/span\u003e donors to send in enough money to keep the site up.\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnoteanc\" name\u003d\"sdendnote1anc\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote1sym\"\u003e\u003csup\u003ei\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/a\u003e Why do we see this tactic so often?  It works in the woo woo crowd -- adding to the \"unsinkable rubber duck\" image. On the plus side, Woolheater did say they were going to shift focus back to cryptozoology!  Good thing because they were almost exclusively publishing SEO posts about monster movies instead of cryptids or even the occasional real zoological story.  I could hear the death rattle....\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo far the stories have seemed to remain on the cryptid-side of things but it's only been a day since the \u003cem\u003eGreat Cryptomundo Panic of 2010\u003csup\u003etm\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/em\u003e.  It will be interesting to see where they take this tired old topic which leads me to the second half of this post:\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eGood Intentions In, Garbage out.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile the donors were giving their money to Woolheater, his star writer and all around \u003ca href\u003d\"https://idoubtit.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/hello-my-eyes-are-up-here/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003ecreep and loon, Loren Coleman\u003c/a\u003e, published a credulous post about 36 foot tall humans in antiquity using a graphic from a creationist website (say hello to Geocities formating folks!).\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnoteanc\" name\u003d\"sdendnote2anc\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote2sym\"\u003e\u003csup\u003eii\u003c/sup\u003e\u003c/a\u003e As someone rightfully pointed out on Cryptomundo, dinosaur, mammoth, and giant sloth bones were often thought to have originated from giants.  The science of Paleontology put that ancient belief in the grave.  Having said that, we now have a better than average link between cryptozoology and creationism.  Peruse the \u003ca rel\u003d\"nofollow\" href\u003d\"http://www.omniology.com/OMNIOLOGY-Content.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eMt. Blanco Institute of Omniology\u003c/a\u003e site and see just what kind of crazies Cryptomundo has tapped into. Of course, Coleman's response to this observation would be something along the lines of he was trying to inspire discussion; which he did -- just not about giants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI honestly don't know if Coleman or Woolheater are creationists themselves or if the post is some sort of advertisement paid for by the Mt. Blanco Institute of Omniology (probably could have been cheap seeing how Cryptomundo was about to go belly up). Either way, I don't find it at all\u0026nbsp;surprising\u0026nbsp;to find creationist material on a cryptozoology site. \u0026nbsp;Regardless of what the case may be, I have to wonder if either of them actually vet ANY of the information they dig up.\u003c/p\u003e\u003chr /\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnotesym\" name\u003d\"sdendnote1sym\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote1anc\"\u003ei\u003c/a\u003eWoolheater, \tCraig. The Readers Breathe New Life Into Cryptomundo. Cryptomundo. \t2010-07-16. \tURL:http://www.cryptomundo.com/bigfoot-report/cryptomundo-anew/. \tAccessed: 2010-07-16. \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.webcitation.org/5rH96T6FC\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e(Archived by WebCite\u0026reg; at \thttp://www.webcitation.org/5rH96T6FC)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id\u003d\"sdendnote2\"\u003e\u003cp class\u003d\"sdendnote\"\u003e\u003ca class\u003d\"sdendnotesym\" name\u003d\"sdendnote2sym\" href\u003d\"#sdendnote2anc\"\u003eii\u003c/a\u003eColeman, \tLoren. Where Are The Bones? Any Giants In Those Days?. Cryptomundo. \t2010-07-16. URL:http://www.cryptomundo.com/cryptozoo-news/bones/. \tAccessed: 2010-07-16. \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.webcitation.org/5rH8bzzEI\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e(Archived by WebCite\u0026reg; at \thttp://www.webcitation.org/5rH8bzzEI)\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\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/4977309212311534399-3492785543992217348?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/3492785543992217348/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d3492785543992217348\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3492785543992217348"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3492785543992217348"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/cryptozoological-whine-for-cash-good.html","title":"Cryptozoological Whine for Cash.  Good Intentions In, Garbage Out"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://lh3.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TEDpTDva1qI/AAAAAAAACs8/hkaJKyUncjU/s72-c/4c40df57b2585.png","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-4125465631015052116"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-13T19:13:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-13T19:20:41.576-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"education"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"parenting"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Skeptical Single Parenting"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\ufeff\u003cimg src\u003d\"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TCFj9hTGaqI/AAAAAAAABq0/SYQn4-1xRZI/s640/f0569280.jpg\" align\u003d\"right\" border\u003d\"0\" width\u003d\"500\"\u003eI am a single dad.  On two levels, my situation definitely is not the one I envisioned myself being in when I was younger.  First, I never really expected to have a child.  For all intents and purposes, I planned on being child-free.  I could go on about the rampant anti-child prejudice the permeates the “child-free” subculture (if it is such a thing) but I won't beyond denouncing it outright and to say I never shared those views.  I guess I was somewhat narcissistic in that I didn't want to have to put any energy, money, and effort into having a child.  Secondly, when I did fantasize about my having a child, it wasn't in the context of being a single father.  Things didn't work out for my daughter, myself, and her mother in a way that reflect a “traditional” family.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eI'm glad to say I do not regret having my daughter in any way.  She is my life and being a dad, despite my child-free-ness, comes naturally to me.  She's happy, curious, and has even \u003ca href\u003d\"http://virtualds.org/2010/06/27/32-billy-meier-jenny-mccarthy-techno-daughter-dr-who-and-tam-derek-bartholomaus/\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003emade an appearance on Virtually Drinking Skeptically\u003c/a\u003e (she couldn't sleep and was curious about who I was talking to).  Obviously, despite our differences, her mother and I are doing something right.  I was fortunate to have parents who didn't try to force a dogma down my throat and I am striving to ensure my daughter gets the same advantage.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eMy daughter's mother does not share my Skeptic and Atheist views.  Yes, this could become a problem.  We parent in what is referred to as “parallel parenting” but we are moving towards true co-parenting.  In both of these parenting styles, there is communication between the parents about the child and their well-being.  At one point, this level of communication was impossible.  I'm not going to write about it here but the situation was really bad.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eDespite our level of communication, there are a couple things which I have not brought up as an issue and I parent my daughter on these topics entirely by my standards as a Skeptic and Atheist.  As a result, this aspect of our lives is “parallel”.  My Ex is pseudo-religious in a New Age meets Catholicism kind of a way.  I've never criticized her beliefs and kept my opinions to myself.  I just accepted them – which was easy because she never went to church or tried to get me to go the entire time we were together.  She is also a believer in things like spirits, ghosts, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.skepdic.com/reiki.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003ereiki\u003c/a\u003e, and other topics which lack evidence of their existence.  When we were together, her discussions about how she felt the “presence” of a dead relative were common.  I just bit my tongue and accepted them as a part of who she is.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eNow, I'm free of the situation I found myself in prior to our split and I can parent as I see fit.  Fortunately for my daughter, she had three living great-grandparents when she was born.  Unfortunately, two passed away after her second birthday.  Also, a favorite pet cat and my parents' dog (who she loved) died.  Consequently, she's trying to understand death.  This is a natural process for anyone to go through.  The way her mother and I are handling the explanations about death differ and this could be a source of conflict.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eObviously, the matter of potential strife is about what happens after one dies.  My daughter's mother tells her that one “goes to the angels”.  Consequently, my daughter comes to me for confirmation.  She'll often ask me “Is Uma with the angels?”  Uma was my parents' dog.  My response to her – which I don't think she fully understands yet – is that some people believe that we go to the angels after we die but that I don't believe that.  I try to tell her that people “live” on in our memories and that we continue to love them even though they are gone.  Personally, I don't feel that passing the buck to a supernatural and unprovable post-death existence is acceptable.  \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eAs she's only three, these types of questions often come up – a lot.  Anyone with a kid knows what I'm talking about.  Death is a big deal for kids at this stage of development as they struggle with self identity and the limits of “self”.  While she may not fully grasp what I'm telling her and it may be easier for her to think that you go somewhere else (much like we drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house) when we die, I think it is much more important for me not to deviate from my beliefs and water down my explanation.  The end result will be a consistent explanation that she can reliably hang her hat on.  While I may not be seeing any immediate comprehension, I think it will come in time.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eSimilarly, I get questions about ghosts and monsters.  As for monsters, I tell her they don't exist.  Period.  They are only found in books and movies.  I view it as though a monster is thing of terror and if a “monster” creature exists out there (like bigfoot) it is an animal – not a monster and not a thing of terror.  As for ghosts, I approach it in a similar fashion to the way I answer her about death and monsters.  I tell her that some people belief in ghosts but I add one little thing.  I tell her that no one can prove they are real and that ghosts are only really in scary movies and stories.  I'm trying to redirect any possible concerns she might have about ghosts and monsters towards where they belong – fiction (at least as far as we've been able to determine so far).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eMy daughter's mother as halfheartedly been going to church with the kids (she has a son from another relationship).  While some might think this would get me pissed, I'm OK with it.  Actually, I would like some exposure to religion but that exposure needs to be discussed.  When the time comes, I will discuss it with her.  Right now, “church” is where she went to see a play of the Three Little Pigs so I don't think they are going all that often (besides, trying to get my daughter not to ask a preacher “why” after every statement might be impossible – actually, she may already be a Skeptic!). \u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp style\u003d\"margin-bottom: 0in\"\u003eUltimately, I hope to provide a rational anchor to my daughter's pseudo-new-age mother.  Consistency and honesty are the keys to success and I think she will learn and grow from my example.  Now that she's getting old enough, I like asking her “what do you think?”  I get some interesting answers but, more importantly, I'm trying to start her out thinking for herself.  Ultimately, her beliefs will be linked to those of her mother and myself.  While I hope she becomes a rational and intelligent woman, I have no control over the matter.  It's up to her.  I can only give her the tools and what she builds is up to her.  I do think exposing her to science and reason will pay off in the end.  Plus, her ability to reason and think for herself will help insulate her from unfounded beliefs like those held by her mother – or myself for that matter.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-4125465631015052116?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/4125465631015052116/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d4125465631015052116\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4125465631015052116"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/4125465631015052116"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/skeptical-single-parenting.html","title":"Skeptical Single Parenting"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"Baron Army"},"uri":{"$t":"http://www.blogger.com/profile/07476349695309049940"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$extendedProperty":{"xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","name":"OpenSocialUserId","value":"17303909186244852468"}}],"media$thumbnail":{"xmlns$media":"http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/","url":"http://lh6.ggpht.com/_PqiPgKVm1uI/TCFj9hTGaqI/AAAAAAAABq0/SYQn4-1xRZI/s72-c/f0569280.jpg","height":"72","width":"72"},"thr$total":{"$t":"1"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-2895391717426003492"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-02T18:34:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-02T18:34:51.645-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"education"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"albany"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"civics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"government"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"politics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Response to my Letters Regarding Texas' Retardation"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"As many folks will recall, I\u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/05/how-to-fight-texas-board-of-education.html\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003e sent out letters to various governmental representatives about Texas's giant step backward in the education of their children.\u003c/a\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuch to my chagrin, I haven't heard anything back -- until today.  When I went to pick up my mail, there was a letter from the Assembly of the State of New York.  This, in itself, is not an uncommon occurance seeing how I've been pretty outspoken about just how dyfunctional the State of New York is.  Hell, \u003ca href\u003d\"http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/410/social-contract\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eThis American Life did a story on how messed up things are here in Albany!\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI digress.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile McEneny will almost certainly not receive my vote this November, he certainly is on the right page about creationism:\u003c/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ca title\u003d\"View Thank You for You Letter Public on Scribd\" href\u003d\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/33838424/Thank-You-for-You-Letter-Public\" style\u003d\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eThank You for You Letter Public\u003c/a\u003e \u003cobject id\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" name\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" height\u003d\"600\" width\u003d\"600\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" data\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf\" style\u003d\"outline:none;\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"movie\" value\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"wmode\" value\u003d\"opaque\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"bgcolor\" value\u003d\"#ffffff\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowFullScreen\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowScriptAccess\" value\u003d\"always\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"FlashVars\" value\u003d\"document_id\u003d33838424\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-d90qpjoy7rxzqp1smk9\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cembed id\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" name\u003d\"doc_838651000221983\" src\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id\u003d33838424\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-d90qpjoy7rxzqp1smk9\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess\u003d\"always\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"true\" height\u003d\"600\" width\u003d\"600\" wmode\u003d\"opaque\" bgcolor\u003d\"#ffffff\"\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-2895391717426003492?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/2895391717426003492/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d2895391717426003492\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"1 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/2895391717426003492"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/2895391717426003492"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/response-to-my-letters-regarding-texas.html","title":"Response to my Letters Regarding Texas\u0026#39; Retardation"}],"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-946735178776388971"},"published":{"$t":"2010-07-02T14:34:00.002-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-07-02T18:47:41.773-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"education"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"cta"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"civics"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"government"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"CTA: Support the Collier County Public School System in Their Fight  Against the \"liberty\" Counsel"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"CALL TO ACTION:\u003cp\u003eThis is a news item that Atheists and Agnostics should stand about and let their voices be heard.  The Collier County Public School Superintendent banned a Fundamentalist  christian group from handing out Bibles on school property on \"Freedom of Religion Day\".  You can read the whole story here: \u0026nbsp;\u003ca href\u003d\"http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features-the-religion-world/2010/07/01/florida-school-district-bans-bibles-on-religious-freedom-day\" target\u003d\"_blank\"\u003eFlorida School District Bans Bibles on Religious Freedom Day\u003c/a\u003e.  Never heard of it?  Me neither but I think it is something the non-believer crowd could get involved in.\u003c/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWell the Liberty Counsel (I figure it really should be liberty -- little \"L\" -- and in quotations but people can name their organizations what ever they want), is suing the school district to force them to allow the distribution of Bibles on campus.  We're talking about elementary to high school here.  In other words, a captive audience with heavy peer pressure.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn case you were wondering about where the law stands on this, I did a little research on the Freedom from Religion Foundation's website and found the the Seventh District Court of appeals ruled the distribution of Bibles in school to be unconstitutional in Berger v. Rensselaer Central Sch. Corp., 982 F.2d 1160.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe need to voice our support to the school district.  I have already written a letter of support and I will be mailing it out later.  Additionally, I will be posting it here when I can access my Sribd account.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id\u003d\"WISESTAMP_SIG\"\u003e\u003cspan style\u003d\"color:black;\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003chr width\u003d\"80%\"\u003eEdit: \u0026nbsp;Here is the letter I sent out copy anything from it you might like to include in your letter or email:\u003ccenter\u003e\u003ca title\u003d\"View 10-7-2 Collier County Public Schools Public on Scribd\" href\u003d\"http://www.scribd.com/doc/33837586/10-7-2-Collier-County-Public-Schools-Public\" style\u003d\"margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e10-7-2 Collier County Public Schools Public\u003c/a\u003e \u003cobject id\u003d\"doc_223636371947530\" name\u003d\"doc_223636371947530\" height\u003d\"550\" width\u003d\"600\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" data\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf\" style\u003d\"outline:none;\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"movie\" value\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"wmode\" value\u003d\"opaque\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"bgcolor\" value\u003d\"#ffffff\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowFullScreen\" value\u003d\"true\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"allowScriptAccess\" value\u003d\"always\"\u003e\u003cparam name\u003d\"FlashVars\" value\u003d\"document_id\u003d33837586\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-qfdo8b8rj8h6w3h415s\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cembed id\u003d\"doc_223636371947530\" name\u003d\"doc_223636371947530\" src\u003d\"http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id\u003d33837586\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-qfdo8b8rj8h6w3h415s\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist\" type\u003d\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" allowscriptaccess\u003d\"always\" allowfullscreen\u003d\"true\" height\u003d\"550\" width\u003d\"600\" wmode\u003d\"opaque\" bgcolor\u003d\"#ffffff\"\u003e\u003c/embed\u003e\u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\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/4977309212311534399-946735178776388971?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/946735178776388971/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d946735178776388971\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/946735178776388971"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/946735178776388971"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/07/cta-support-collier-county-public.html","title":"CTA: Support the Collier County Public School System in Their Fight  Against the \u0026quot;liberty\u0026quot; Counsel"}],"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":{"$t":"0"},"georss$point":{"$t":"26.1420358 -81.7948103"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4977309212311534399.post-3608512572308554022"},"published":{"$t":"2010-05-19T21:19:00.001-04:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2010-05-19T21:20:35.124-04:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"law"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"albany"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"religion"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"government"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"science"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"outreach"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"How to Fight the Texas Board of Education from the Comfort of Your Own State"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003cp\u003eIn light of the recent \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Education/2010/0519/Texas-textbook-war-Slavery-or-Atlantic-triangular-trade'\u003eprotest in Texas against the revisionist history being presented as a Social Studies curriculum\u003c/a\u003e, the recent \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://ncse.com/news/2010/05/antievolution-legislation-missouri-dies-005509'\u003edefeat of the Creationist agenda in Missouri\u003c/a\u003e, and the introduction of \u003ca target\u003d'_blank' href\u003d'http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2010/05/good_news_from_california.php'\u003eCalifornia Senate Bill 1451\u003c/a\u003e, I thought I'd present a proposal to those of you who don't live in Texas but still want to do something.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn an effort to build a wall around the stupidity the 'great' State of Texas seems intent upon forcing the rest of us to endure, I suggest people get out their pens, pencils, typewriters, or word processors and write their local state representatives.  I have already done this myself and I provide my letter as an example below.  Depending upon how your state's educational system is designed you probably will want to write those who actually run it.  In the case of New York, this body is the Board of Regents.  All the required information is easily available online.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ccenter\u003e\t\u003ca title\u003d'View 5-18-10 Regents Letter Public on Scribd' style\u003d'margin: 12px auto 6px auto; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; -x-system-font: none; display: block; text-decoration: underline;' href\u003d'http://www.scribd.com/doc/31641095/5-18-10-Regents-Letter-Public'\u003e5-18-10 Regents Letter Public\u003c/a\u003e \u003cobject width\u003d'500' type\u003d'application/x-shockwave-flash' style\u003d'outline:none;' name\u003d'doc_263643141123765' id\u003d'doc_263643141123765' height\u003d'600' data\u003d'http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf'\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf' name\u003d'movie'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'opaque' name\u003d'wmode'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'#ffffff' name\u003d'bgcolor'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'true' name\u003d'allowFullScreen'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'always' name\u003d'allowScriptAccess'/\u003e \u003cparam value\u003d'document_id\u003d31641095\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-16urgwx5yxlo4fnxxbbl\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist' name\u003d'FlashVars'/\u003e \u003cembed wmode\u003d'opaque' width\u003d'500' type\u003d'application/x-shockwave-flash' src\u003d'http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id\u003d31641095\u0026amp;access_key\u003dkey-16urgwx5yxlo4fnxxbbl\u0026amp;page\u003d1\u0026amp;viewMode\u003dlist' name\u003d'doc_263643141123765' id\u003d'doc_263643141123765' height\u003d'600' bgcolor\u003d'#ffffff' allowscriptaccess\u003d'always' allowfullscreen\u003d'true'/\u003e \u003c/object\u003e\u003c/center\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf enough people write in to their state legislators, there is a much better chance of stemming the flow of brain-addled Creationist dogma from Texas.  Let the Young Earth dentist McLeroy know that they are making Texas an intellectual backwater and laughing stock of the United States of America.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv class\u003d\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003e\u003cimg width\u003d'1' height\u003d'1' src\u003d'https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4977309212311534399-3608512572308554022?l\u003dwww.themadskeptic.com' alt\u003d'' /\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/feeds/3608512572308554022/comments/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID\u003d4977309212311534399\u0026postID\u003d3608512572308554022\u0026isPopup\u003dtrue","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3608512572308554022"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4977309212311534399/posts/default/3608512572308554022"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"http://www.themadskeptic.com/2010/05/how-to-fight-texas-board-of-education.html","title":"How to Fight the Texas Board of Education from the Comfort of Your Own State"}],"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"}}]}});