Here's another example of how Bob Somersby has gone off the rails. Riffing on this Washington Post article, Bob says, "Such are the values that now obtain atop our academic prig-pile."

No, Bob, those are the values that will get you suspended and audited atop our academic "prig-pile." Those are also the values that will get you investigated by the FBI under subpoena and the IRS.

It's the guilt by association fallacy. It's not even well done, since who could possibly read that article as saying that this was a typical compensation package? No one.

Daily Howler takes on this NY Times article. And, in my opinion, completely bungles it. Pretty ironic for calling everyone who disagrees with him illiterate.

I'm not sure where exactly he gets his numbers, but the page he links to, does allow us to go to this report. [pdf]

This report tells us that contrary to DH's claim that 76-78% of the state's African American population is performing at grade level, the actual number is 67.2%. (p. 12 & 13) And, starting at page 54, the report shows that for every grade level except grade 5, less than 70% of the state's African American population is performing at grade level. Page 107 shows us that only 65.8% of the black students are performing at grade level for reading.

At some point in the recent past, Bob Somerby has gone off the rails, attacking everyone who writes anything slightly outside his worldview. That's a tragedy. Bring it back, Bob. Take a deep breath and calm down.

For example, maybe if multiple news sources look at the same data and get a different conclusion than you do, it might be you who has the interpretation wrong. Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they really are out to get you!

I swear this is true. CNN just said that the streets of the French Quarter were still too wet and flooded to get their trucks into but through the new technology of FTP their correspondent was able to record video and send it back to them via computer.

Who knows what these internets will come up with next. Maybe a way to "link" information together in some sort of hyperweb.

NY Times article on Intelligent Design. Here's the problem with ID. It's a cop-out. REAL scientists look at a thorny problem like the 20 proteins involved in blood clotting and say, "Wow! A really tough problem. If I can solve this, I can advance science!" An ID-proponent looks at the same problem and says, "I give up! This is tough. There must be God!"

That's not science. That's surrender.

This post from Eugene Volokh is a classic example of the equivocation fallacy. He takes the terribly loaded phrase "Gays and Lesbians Trying to Convert Others to Homosexual Behavior" and tries to make it equivalent to "forming a tolerant society."

It's disturbing that a law professor would use a tactic so transparently flawed.

Phyllis Schlafley was just on Bill Maher's show, giving the conservative line that "the definition of marriage" should be taken away from judges.

Would that have applied to the Loving decision?

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Compare and Contrast

General says Bin Laden 'Out of the Picture.'

and

US Warns of Possible Al Qaeda Plot on US Interests