RationalWiki:What is going on in the blogosphere?/January 2015

January 2015
What hope does public science reporting have when professional scientists have a hard time with the basics of each others' fields Why the macho sludge peddled by the American Sniper is really cowardice. The GOP’s Long Love Affair With Schmucks: Why Republicans fall in love with inexperienced, no-hope candidates every four years. Anti-vaxxerism as a reflection of American political culture. Protest outside John Edward show draws police to the scene. Idaho Chief of Police: We need to protect trans rights. *mic drop*

They're Gr-r-r-rossly Greedy! Harvard researcher shows again just how easy it is to get a paper into crap or fake medical journals with a nonsense paper entitled "Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs?" Cracked.com takes on Oprah Winfrey's woo promotion. You know it's bad when "giving a platform to Jenny McCarthy" is only #4 on the list. In response to a euphoric fever dream of an infographic, 14 Bitcoin Predictions for 2015. A week in the life of Anita Sarkeesian. Open Carrying cop-watchers: Well, what can possibly go wrong? A trollish headline, but an evidential examination says that Muslims and non-Muslims aren't really different in the way some people say they are. One word: Nosewitness Another damned liberals and conservatives are fundamentally different article. (paywalled full article) [http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-30923038 An overview of the controversy over American Sniper. Though it is less about the movie and more about the background and subject.]

Consent is key NSFW but it ought to be Nebraska anti-Keystone group BOLD (comprised primarily of Nebraskans) concedes its total loss to Senate pressure with a final statement that sounds just like their initial statements. Cracked: 6 Ways to Keep Terrorists From Ruining the World "WARNING: This product contains deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). The Surgeon General has determined that DNA is linked to a variety of diseases in both animals and humans. In some configurations, it is a risk factor for cancer and heart disease. Pregnant women are at very high risk of passing on DNA to their children." What happens when a woman agrees with a compliment about her looks on social media? Damned if you do or don't - she can't win! Suzanne Moore at The Guardian: Add faithophobia to my crimes: I have no respect for religions that have little respect for me. Over at eSkeptic Kenneth Krause makes some points about the elephant in the room, why monotheistic religions inspire more violence than others, and what needs to happen for change. Dear lonely nerds: feminist bloggers cannot be your therapists. (And why we need to direct men who have a crippling fear of female rejection to therapists, not feminist literature.) Bitcoin has not had the best 2015 so far. Everything listed here has happened in less than two weeks. (As well as the price dropping from $320 to $190 in less than 24 hours.) Real science vs. fake science: How can you tell them apart? (Complete with handy pocket-sized guide!) The Plight of the Bitter Nerd, Arthur Chu's take on nerd opposition to feminism. All those leaders marching in France for freedom of speech .....?? ...perhaps not as much as you might think!! The state of satire in the Muslim world. You can lead a misogynist to evidence, but you can't make them accept it. (Full on Anita's Law in comments section)

Actual words people say to a blonde woman studying engineering at MIT. Discovery channel promises to mend its ways, entire internet calls bullshit. [ citation NOT needed ] So much for respect for the dead. At least in the eyes of William Donahue. "Should children be exposed to sounds of sodomy?" asks a leafleting campaign by a Christian group opposing same-sex marriage in Ireland. Twitter responds with various #soundsofsodomy jokes & memes. "Is Earth Actually Flat?" Short answer: NO. Long answer: More interesting than you might expect.