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Saturday, April 26, 2003 |
Pseudo-archaelogy in Cyberspace
One of the discouraging things about the web is the sheer amount of nonsense available. And sometimes, for the uncareful and unskeptical, it's hard to tell the real from the false. There's a lot of just plain hooey out there. Here's a good article that talks about one area that seems prone to it: archaeology. It discusses a useful web site, In the Hall of Ma'at, which debunks a lot of this crap, from the religiously correct notions of creationism to the crackpotism of Graham Hancock and his ilk. I remember the attention that that fraud Erick Von Daniken got in the early '70s. Despite the efforts of this site and others, this crap just doesn't go away. Lots of good reading here. And here are some others that seem good:
www.talkorigins.org
Along with FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding the veracity of biological and physical evolution, this site offers FRAs (Frequently Rebutted Assertions) that often surface in creationist arguments.
www.millerandlevine.com/km/evol/
A Brown University biology professor's fight against the Intelligent Design arguments of creationism.
www.intersurf.com/~chalcedony/wildside.shtml
Paul Heinrich's case against "alternative geology," including the impossibility of pole shifts and the artifact "from an advanced ancient race" that happens to be a spark plug.
www.ramtops.demon.co.uk
An excellent collection of links to sites that dispute pseudoarchaeological theories.
www.antiquityofman.com
Ma'atian Michael Brass keeps the public up to date with the latest research in paleoanthropology and hominid evolution.
10:28:18 PM Permalink
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Breastfeeding is now kiddie porn:. 1-Hour Arrest: "Jacqueline Mercado, a 33-year-old Peruvian immigrant, took a few photos of her young children at bath time. A week later, Richardson police were rummaging through her house for kiddie porn, and a state child welfare worker came to take her kids away." Dallas Observer [via walker] [Follow Me Here...]
Read it and weep.
4:35:24 PM Permalink
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Oxford American Music Issue
Back from near-death, Oxford American has just issued its latest Music Issue. These used to come out annually, but during the mag's hibernation, one didn't appear last year. I just saw this one on a magazine rack, and if you see one, don't wait, buy it immediately. As always, the CD that comes with the music is about as good as a compilation disc can possibly be. Every track is fun to listen to, and some are just amazing. As the liner notes in the magazine say, the guitar solo in "Evelyn is Not Real" by Morning Jacket is transcendent, remeniscent of Robbie Robertson at his best. The Del McCoury band makes Richard Thompson's "1952 Vincent Black Lightning" its own, and makes you forget those wonderful Thompson versions. Other highlights include songs from Memphis Minnie, The Delmore Brothers, The Collins Kids, P.J. Proby, and many others. 20 tracks, and with the really wonderful magazine, it's about the best $8.50 you can spend. Find one quick while they're still around or order from the web site.
2:56:43 PM Permalink
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© Copyright 2004 Steve Michel.
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