The Adventures of Tobasco da Gama

I got my vaccination for seasonal flu today. Have you had yours yet? H1N1 vaccines aren’t available in Massachusetts yet, but as soon as they are I’ll be signing up for that as well.

I didn’t used to get the flu shot, because I figured I was young and healthy and probably wouldn’t get the flu anyway. Of course, I’m still pretty young and quite healthy, but I decided to get the shots this year anyway. That’s because I realised that the flu shot is ultimately really a public health hygiene issue — it’s not about protecting me, it’s about protecting everyone who isn’t quite as young and healthy and able to fight off the flu.

For that reason, I’m really happy to see that the Obama administration is pushing flu vaccinations especially hard this year. They’ve even set up a dedicated website for providing information on the flu and both the seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. And that includes some random widgety, newfangled, web 2.0 social networking things, so in the spirit of that I’m gonna go ahead and stick a link thingy on my sidebar.

Now stop reading this and go get your damned shot.

My bike is in the shop at the moment with a broken crank, waiting for the replacement part (it’s a one-piece crankset, which evidently needs to be special ordered) to come in, so for now I’m T bound again. I moved recently, and my new T commute isn’t as bad as the old one, but I still want my damned bike back.

Anyway, the point of bringing it up is that I found myself on the T this morning, which means I was surrounded by people reading the free Boston Metro daily newspaper. “What”, you, gentle reader, may wonder, “was today’s cover story?” Good question! Was it Iran? Certainly, there must have been enough over the weekend to provide a solid cover story. Protests, people dying, oppressive totalitarian regimes. Front page stuff.

But no. The cover story was MOTHERFUCKING JON AND KATE AND I HATE THAT I EVEN KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE ARE AND I WISH THEY AND EVERYONE WHO GIVES HALF A SHIT ABOUT THEIR LIVES WOULD DIE IN A FUCKING FIRE.

So there was that.

Worse still, it was one of those irritating navel-gazing stories where the paper chides them for airing their relationship disputes in the media. NEWS FLASH, DIPSHITS: you are the media. Don’t pretend you’re some objective third party when you’re reporting on yourselves. This has been one of the most irritating things about our Broderian era of journalism. The media orobouros feeds forever on itself while complaining about its bland, unvaried diet. Well, guess what, if you took your head out of your ass (the media orobouros feeds from the rear end) for a minute and actually reported one something other than yourselves, maybe you’d have other things to cover. If the whole fucking Jon and Kate media blitz inanity really upsets you, then starve them. Stop reporting on them. This is in your power. But, of course, you don’t actually want to stop, do you?

No, you don’t. You love that vapid bullshit because it’s easy. And that’s fine, because people obviously are willing to read it. Just strop pretending to hate it, stop pretending the coverage is beneath you, stop pretending you’re a legitimate news organisation.

But then they also carried, buried a few pages in, a genuinely quite good — if woefully short — article about Scientology’s President, David Miscavige, and his habit of beating the shit out of his employees.

So… Does that count for a stay of execution? Fuck no. Burn the worthless rag to the ground anyway. But save the guy who wrote that one article.

Via Phil Plait, we learn something we already knew: flares can be mistaken for UFOs. To sum up, a group of skeptics in New Jersey attached flares to balloons using fishing line and released them. Sure enough, local residents and media reported seeing UFOs, hitting all the standard UFO tropes.

I bring it up because this is really indicative of the difference between skeptics and believers. Believers never stop to consider alternate possibilities. They see lights in the sky or crop formations, and then because they can’t imagine any alternative, it must be aliens. Their kids get autism, and then because they can’t imagine or don’t like the alternative, it must be vaccines. They see a weird shape in the water, and then because they can’t imagine any alternative, it must be an unknown species of giant sea creature. If they even consider, say, flares or a prank or a genetic disease or floating logs, the alternative is immediately dismissed as impossible.

That’s what UFO believers said about the military’s explanation for the Phoenix Lights. There’s no way flares could possibly look like what people saw over Phoenix! Right.

Skeptics, on the other hand, consider every alternative unless they have good reason to rule it out. When we say that autism is not caused by vaccines, we have a dozen lines of evidence that rule out a connection. When we say that homeopathy is impossible, we can point to a hundreds of years of modern chemistry that falsifies its theoretical basis, as well as empirical studies that show no efficacy for it. And now, when we say that aerial flares can be mistaken for UFOs, we can point to this simple experiment run by some skeptics who needed nothing more than some road flares, balloons, and fishing line to recreate something that we were told was “impossible” for any terrestrial source to duplicate.

Even more importantly, the skeptics actually had the will to try an experiment, rather than just assuming that they know what is and isn’t possible.

As promised, I’ve uploaded the black & white shots I took at Boston’s Anti-Prop 8 Rally to Flickr. I left in a couple of duplicates that I probably should have left out, but eh. It’s journalistic photography, right? Recording what happened, with all the blemishes. Or something like that.

Anyway, I’m really pleased with the results. The black & white worked out, as did the fact that the film is really noisy from lying around unused for a couple of years. The new shots are in the same set, but they start here.

There’s a lot of good stuff in there, but I think my favourite bit has to be the Wellesley group. I don’t know why, I just like the shot that resulted:

I also really enjoy the All Your Need Is Love sign, so much that I got it both in color and black & white:

Love & Peace, y’all.

Last post, I mentioned the gay marriage rally I went to on Saturday. I did bring my camera. However, I made the amateur mistake of not bringing enough film: i.e., any film at all. I figured I would buy some from CVS on the way, but they only had 400 ISO film, and I didn’t think it would be enough for the overcast weather… But anyway, in the event, I ended up going to a CVS in Government Center and picking up some of their 400 ISO film, hoping again to notice a Ritz or Hunt’s or something. I didn’t have a chance to poke around, though, so I was stuck with what I had… which turned out to be a 12-exposure roll.

Shit.

However, there’s a reason I called this post “Part One”. I’ve been carrying around a roll of Ilford 400 B&W film, waiting for an appropriate subject for some black and white photography. Instead, I wound up using it at the protest. You know what? I actually think it’s going to turn out pretty awesome. But the first photo place I went to couldn’t do B&W processing, so they pointed me at another place that does.

Moral of the story is I need to buy a frickin’ DSLR already.

Anyway, here’s the album with the colour photos I had developed today. The B&Ws will go into the same set when I eventually get them done. And here’s a sample:

The Frame Problem has posted an extremely comprehensive overview of the Anonymous vs. Scientology conflict under the title CarnivUL of The fraudless: Exposing the Cult. It’s got full information on the origins of Anonymous up through the Operation Reconnect protest and legal threats from Scientology aimed at Anonymous protestors, including links to a lot of relevant videos on YouTube and elsewhere. If you want information on Anonymous, go there. I hope they continue the series as further protests occur and there are more developments in this important fight.

Speaking of which, this Saturday, May 10, will be Operation FairGameStop. Anonymous will once again be protesting, and this time the spotlight is turned on the Fair Game/SP policies of the cult. If you want to participate — and I strongly encourage you to do so — look up the local planning thread for your area on the Enturbulation forums. For Boston protestors, you can also check Non-Violent Uprising’s FairGameStop page.

In a final piece of Scientology-related news, Rebecca has announced the next speaker for Boston Skeptics in the Pub. The notice isn’t up on the site yet, but the speaker will be Patty Pieniadz, an ex-Scientologist formerly with the cult’s Narconon program for brainwashing drug addicts into the cult. The location has moved from Asgard, where the previous two lectures were held, to Tommy Doyle’s in Harvard Square. So, save May 26, because it should be a really interesting talk about what goes on inside the Church of Scientology.

The Boston Herald posted an article on Saturday’s Anonymous vs. Scientology protests. It was brief, but fairly balanced. (BostonNOW and Radar Online both have better coverage.) However, the Boston Herald article repeats a claim by the Church of Scientology that is refuted by their own slide show. The quote:

The site [Anonymous-Exposed] says “the church has not interacted with these ‘Anonymous’ individuals nor does it desire to,” which was evidenced yesterday by a police detail in front of the church.

Well, the police detail was there, but I have no idea what that’s supposed to prove. There were only one or two officers at the Beacon St. site for most of the duration of the protest. (A paddy wagon was also there early on, but left after about 30 minutes) However, as for not interacting with Anonymous, how do they explain this? Or the fact that other Scientologists were wandering through the crowd trying to get some of the Anonymous to take their masks off to receive a propaganda DVD? All of the Anonymous gave the actual Scientology office a wide berth, as required by Mass. law, but they left to walk among us.

For that matter, what about the lawsuit against Gregg?

Scientology seriously claims that they are not “interacting” with Anonymous? In what world does suing somebody not count as “interaction”?

I won’t even mention the allegations that Scientology is hiring private investigators to pose as some of the Anonymous in an attempt to gather information.

One could (and judging from my previous post about Gregg) conceivably come up with justifications for those actions. Certainly, if the Scientologists want to come out and talk to Anonymous, that’s fine. The lawsuit and the PIs are a bit low, but whatever. That’s what the protests are about, so nobody’s surprised that it happens. But to do those things and then claim that the Church is Scientology is not interacting with Anonymous is pure denial of reality. Pointless denial of reality, at that, because it isn’t as if ignoring ten thousand protesters with valid criticisms of an organisation gives one the moral high ground, as they no doubt imagine it does.

I try not to do these, but I’ve got like ten different things that I set aside to write about, and I just haven’t been feeling compositiony lately. But first, a quotation from System of the World from the ever-awesome Neal Stephenson’s pleasantly-surprisingly-awesome Baroque Cycle. For background, Eliza is a former Turkish harem slave turned Duchess of Qwghlm by royal fiat and then of Arcachon by marriage, and she is financing the work of an African slave named Dappa who is traveling to world collecting, compiling, and publishing slave stories.

“Our only weapon against this willful ignorance is stories. The stories that you alone are writing down. I have in one of my boxes down stairs a little packet of letters from English men and women that all go something like this: ‘I have never had the least objection to Slavery, however your book recently fell under my eye, and, though most of the slave-narratives contained in it were mawkish and dull, one in particular struck a chord in my heart, and I have since read it over and over, and come to understand the despicable, nay execrable crime that Slavery is…’”
“Which one? Which of the stories do these letters refer to?” Dappa asked, fascinated.
“That is the problem, Dappa: each of them refers to a different one. It seems that if you put enough stories out before the public, many a reader will fine one that speaks to him. But there is no telling which.”

The parallel with certain recent tactical discussions in the atheist/pro-evolution blogosphere struck me while I was reading that passage, and furthermore it gets to the heart of what I find so bloody wrong about the approach advocated by Matt Nisbet. Message discipline is one thing, but trying to shut up people who aren’t repeating your particular message is quite another. It’s just plain true that you can’t predict what story will sway any given person, so why not put as many out there as we can? PZ’s and Richard Dawkins’ stories did it for me, and for a lot of other people, so clearly they have some value. And if others prefer John Wilkins or Chris Mooney or even Ken Miller, then it’s no skin off my back.

Of course, the scene goes on to compare that approach to grape-shot, which can cripple an opponent’s ship but not sink it, and Eliza concludes that they need a decisive cannonball to fire. Fortunately, Mike the Mad Biologist is here, and he seems to be holding something of suitable size and weight… (Thanks be to Rebecca for recording Mike’s presentation at Boston Skeptics in the Pub.)

Also on the subject of the thrice-damned framing debate, I really liked what Russell Blackford had to say about the whole mad business.

Jacques Distler [thanks for the correction, Blake] takes a look at the myth that Republican policies are good for the economy. He examines the numbers several ways, and… well, I didn’t call it a myth for nothing. (The site seems to be down for me, so here’s a Google Cache link just in case.)

Amanda Marcotte discusses a book about actually effective protests that are actually about things. She also segues into a discussion of the recent fad of reaching out to evangelical environmentalists on religious terms, and says this, which was awesome: “In other words, evangelicals who are willing to create an environmentalist movement can be appealed to on straightforward environmentalist terms. Highlighting what we have in common—we all want to save the environment, because duh, wrecking it is stupid and deadly—instead of pandering on what we don’t have in common is the way to create coalitions.”

Next, Blake commands us to increase the Google profile of some worthwhile sites. First, Cuttlefish, poet laureate of Pharyngula. (Is he the official poet laureate? He should be.) Also, the NCSE has an awesome site about the atrocious Expelled movie. It not only factually debunks the film’s claims, but also exposes the deceitful, cowardly tactics of the film’s producers. So, rock on.

Finally, everyone should be aware that Anonymous’ next anti-Scientology protest, Operation Reconnect, is scheduled for Saturday. Check around for your local city’s plans. It’s a global protest, so more likely than not something will be going on near you. Boston’s info is here.

So I was cruising around Enturbulation and Non-Violent Uprising looking for more info on the local instance of Operation Reconnect, when I came across a case of Church of Scientology harassment of an Anonymous member.

Since Anonymous is set on doing everything within the bounds of the law, they have somebody at each site obtaining permits for the protests. That means at least once person has to reveal his identity and open himself to harassment by CoS. In the case of Boston, Gregg, the brave guy who sacrificed his Anonymity for the good of the cause has, in fact, been on the receiving end of legal harassment by CoS in the form of a stack of complaints filed against him. Most of them apparently aren’t sticking, but he did receive an actual summons for charges of trespass and harassment for flyering activities.

From everything I’ve read, this doesn’t actually mean anything yet. The summons is for a hearing to determine whether CoS has standing to actually take the case to court. It probably won’t get that far, but then that was never the point, was it? The point was to intimidate Gregg and through him anyone else who considers speaking out against CoS.

As with the hypocritical actions of the Expelled jokers, the attempts of the Church of Scientology to legally intimidate one of their critics goes a long way to prove the criticisms correct. You can bet the Church of England isn’t too happy about Richard Dawkins, but have they tried to sue him or press harassment charges against him? That’s simply not what legitimate organisations do. It is, however, exactly what charlatans and frauds do when people dare to expose their bullshit for what it is.

All the cool kids (i.e., the Skepchicks) are doing the comment of the week thing recently, so here’s my own entry in that vein. Congratulations, Marcus Ranum, you win the Internet today:

Someone who’s such a great communicator that I’d never heard of him before I started reading this blog – thinks that the author of “the selfish gene” is not a good messenger for science?

That’s just WTF city.

For context, Matt Nisbet — the “Mark Penn of ScienceBlogs” (props to Nerull) — is known for basically one thing, which is authoring an opinion paper with Chris Mooney (who is a sensible guy, despite his unfortunate association with Nisbet) that scolded atheists for actually promoting atheism rather than, I dunno, hiding under a table until the scary Christians go away or something. (Actually, it was about “framing” evolution, but Nisbet’s definition is so radically different from everybody else’s use of the term that I refuse to call it that outside of scare quotes.) The only reason anybody knows about him is that PZ and other prominent atheists tore him a new one over that article.

And he has the fucking gall to criticise Richard Dawkins, who for better or for worse is the biggest household name in evolution these days, and PZ Myers, who has the most popular science blog on the internet, for being poor communicators? Somebody’s living in bizarro world.

As the alt-text to this XKCD comic says, “There are a lot of books on marketing out there. I wonder if you’re safest just buying the most popular one.”