1. PLEASE WRITE IN SUPPORT OF PZ MYERS

Comment #212681 by Amused Muse on July 17, 2008 at 2:42 pm

I am an alumna of the University of Minnesota. Bill Donohue is not. Bill Donohue gave a smarmy dollop of praise for "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" which defames our college/university system and their administrators, whereas I am a supporter not only of PZ but of our educational institutions, faculty, and staff in their mandate to teach sound science in their classrooms. I said in this my letter to President Bruininks.

2. Yoko Ono, Filmmakers Caught in 'Expelled' Flap

Comment #162659 by Amused Muse on April 17, 2008 at 7:27 am

Potentially expensive "publicity stunt" if you ask me!

Is Ms. Ono aware that in the version of "Expelled" that I saw (on March 20, in the Minneapolis theatre from which PZ was expelled) the song "Imagine" was played over an image of Stalin, and just after Ben Stein had warned something like "Liberals want to realize the UTOPIA OF JOHN LENNON!" (Cue "Imagine," Stalin, and gasps from the homeschooled creationist twits in the audience.)

I think she should consider not only that the song was used without a license, but the, ahem, "artistic [if one can call it that] license" that the makers of this film used in portraying the song as Soviet propaganda.

3. Expelled Overview

Comment #155546 by Amused Muse on April 4, 2008 at 7:00 pm

I have just read about Ben Stein making this comment in an interview:
"5. What would you like to say to Darwin?"

"A.[Ben Stein]'You are a wealthy man, you married a wealthy woman, why don't you just live quietly out in the countryside and not torture us with your half-baked suppositions, which have caused so much misery?'"

I have had it. I tell you, that is the end. I have never seen such shameless boo-hooing/Flaubert-for-hire media-whorishness in my life! I want to vomit.

They hope to open Expelled in 1000 theatres on April 18 and make $2 million over the weekend, huh? Do the math, people. I don't think they're going to achieve their goal - which means, get ready for more boo-hooing! *ugh*

4. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #151254 by Amused Muse on March 28, 2008 at 10:32 am

Belated birthday wishes!

5. No Admission for Evolutionary Biologist at Creationist Film

Comment #151157 by Amused Muse on March 28, 2008 at 8:07 am

Well, this is what happens when you are "invited" to see the film!

You get to plop down $10 to see a trailer for the movie, hear Ben Stein try to pop a blood vessel, and watch him receive the "Phillip E. Johnson Award for Liberty and Truth." :) Three standing ovations for Ben! Well, that's Texas for you. In Minnesota that means, "We're too polite to ask the windbag at the microphone to sod off now so's we can visit the w.c." ;)

6. Expelled Overview

Comment #150769 by Amused Muse on March 27, 2008 at 12:05 pm

Wonderful job, Josh. Quite a night, eh?

I am curious about Ben Stein's "questionable comment about blacks" that Shermer refers to. I cannot find this excerpt by Shermer on the web. I would love to read the whole thing, and perhaps interview him on "Atheist Talk" sometime.

I don't want to give things away too much but I have been contacted by a science blogger about the manner in which I and others learned about these screenings at all. I don't think the ultimate source will please the intelligent design camp at all.