New Mayan discovery shows they didn’t think world would end this year.

2012end

I’ve said before that the only thing you can conclude about the Mayan calendar stopping on December 21st, 2012 is that it is time to get a new Mayan calendar. Yet there are still plenty of people out there who cling to the idea that it’s significant in establishing when the world will end.

Now archaeologists have . . . → Read More: New Mayan discovery shows they didn’t think world would end this year.

A comment on the latest drama in the atheist/skeptical community.

shit-storm

Considering how badly I got raked over the coals by various feminists for my last attempt at discussing issues involving male privilege, it’s probably a sign of diminished intelligence that I would step into that lion pit again, but here I go.

This time out it’s not about a web comic, but a shit-storm in the skeptical/atheist community . . . → Read More: A comment on the latest drama in the atheist/skeptical community.

“Pet psychics” now pass as legitimate columnists in supposedly serious newspapers.

Catherine Ferguson learning that this horse used to be Abraham Lincoln. What are the odds??

Catherine Ferguson learning that this horse used to be Abraham Lincoln. What are the odds??

Not to suggest that crap like this is why newspapers are dying a slow death, but I’m sure it doesn’t help. It seems you can write into The Jersey Journal for a reading from a “Pet Psychic” who will . . . → Read More: “Pet psychics” now pass as legitimate columnists in supposedly serious newspapers.

Why it behooves you to have some computer literacy or at least some skepticism.

Pic of Charlie Brown.

I'm right there with you on that one, Chuck.

It seems you can’t even trust your friendly neighborhood PC repair technician anymore (unless it’s me):

Trevor Harwell, 20, a technician for Rezitech Inc., provided home computer services to users with Macintosh computers, said Fullerton Police Sgt. Andrew Goodrich.

Harwell went to elaborate lengths to . . . → Read More: Why it behooves you to have some computer literacy or at least some skepticism.

Advice column for pet owners can’t leave out the woo.

skeptical-dog

Being an Ann Arbor resident I regularly visit the Ann Arbor.com news website to keep up with what’s happening locally. Generally it’s a pretty decent news source, but I’ve found myself stunned on two different occasions by the advice column for pets because it contained references to “alt-med” woo-woo nonsense that’s usually associated with humans. . . . → Read More: Advice column for pet owners can’t leave out the woo.

SEB Pro Tip: Just because the voice on the phone claims he’s from the corporate office…

Pic of Charlie Brown.

I'm right there with you on that one, Chuck.

…that doesn’t mean you should gather up all the money in your store and hand it over to someone you’ve don’t know at a McDonald’s:

The manager wasn’t available, so the caller told the employee who answered that he was from the corporate office and . . . → Read More: SEB Pro Tip: Just because the voice on the phone claims he’s from the corporate office…

Here’s a big surprise: Serbian video of dead “alien” is a hoax.

Over the weekend one of my relatives asked me if I had seen that Russian dead alien video that’s been racking up hits on YouTube. I replied that I had not. Then they asked me if I thought it was a fake. Absolutely, I said.

But how can you be so sure when you haven’t . . . → Read More: Here’s a big surprise: Serbian video of dead “alien” is a hoax.

Tim Minchin’s “Storm” has been animated.

This is technically a repeat as I’ve posted this beat poem by Tim Minchin previously, but this time it’s been turned into an animated short so that makes it new-ish. Besides, it has a message that is worth repeating:

Good God Fearing man scams his fellow church members with a Ponzi scheme.

Gullibility Demotivational

If you'll believe this, I've got a bridge I'd like to talk to you about…

Religion, we’re often told, will make you a more moral person and people who aren’t religious have no morality. Yet if you pay attention you can find example after example where the above simply isn’t true. Take, for instance, . . . → Read More: Good God Fearing man scams his fellow church members with a Ponzi scheme.

Jesus and his Mom team up for appearance on pizza pan.

The Holy pizza stains made manifest.

Josh Mather feels he’s had a miracle occur in his life. He and his brother used to own a sports bar, but they had to close it down due to the bad economy. They ended up storing some of the cooking utensils in a garage and promptly forgot about them until the day before this . . . → Read More: Jesus and his Mom team up for appearance on pizza pan.