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PZ Steals My Thunder, (actually AA’s)

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This from Ooblick.com, Andrew Arensburger’s Blog. He’s planning a re-enactment podcast of the Dover trial, and is looking for voice talent to participate. PZ Myers advertised it on his website, so was jokingly named as Casting Director, and I guess that I have to shoulder the blame for that, since I’m the one who lied about PZ Myers’ casting directorship, and now I’m having to take the heat.

Andrew said he had asked PZ to advertise the project, since he has a large audience. Well OK Andrew, now you have your thunder back. You’re the casting director, and anyone interested can reach you at Ooblick.com/pandas/ (record corrected), and please Andrew, don’t get on DonaldM so hard. You know, chutzpah is not such a bad quality to have (actually ḥuá¹£pâ). By Wikipedia’s definition, “Chutzpah can be used to express admiration for non-conformist but gutsy audacity.” Does that not fit PZ or what!?

I thought it would be nice to help Andrew with the podcast, so I offered a few suggestions, not just for a podcast, but for a four act play that would definitely bring in some bucks. So I commented on his blog, an put forth some ideas:

Don’t believe everything you read Andy, but thanx anyway for taking me literally! And good luck with you podcast. I really think a four act play would be better, tho. Here’s a compendium:

Act (1), Gathering facts, and maybe letting everyone take a taste of primordial soup to really help set the mood. Act (2), Watching the facts evolve, for the amusement of the audience, and of course the genetic mutant on the bench. And don’t forget the stack of peer review books and papers, since watching the witness have to peek around it will always get a laugh. Act (3) For the finale, have the Marine Band waiting in the wings to play patriotic music as Eric Rothschild tells his epic saga of the plight for deliverance from theocratic oppression (but for g** sake, don’t have them play ‘Battle Hymn of the Republic!) Stay silent for the defense, however. Then have the audience stand up and salute as the band plays Stars and Stripes Forever as Judge gives the final accolades, and exits the room.

After a brief intermission for refreshments and to stretch a bit, Act (4) could start off with a narrative read by an announcer offstage, while gradualistic phyletic images are projected onto the curtain. Some sound effects would be cool! When the hominid lineage arrives, have the curtain open half way, and as a spotlight falls on the judge, have him read his ‘scathing decision’, and have him do it with passion, but with pauses to half smile and make audience eye contact (ala GW style). After the show, sign autographs in the lobby, while serving little Trilobite cookies and little demitasse cups of primordial soup.

Just kidding, the Podcast will be fine. Also, you can file this under touché.
Best,
Lee

Anyone wanting to post comments or suggestions (be nice tho), go here:

Comments
Lee
...and please Andrew, don’t get on DonaldM so hard. You know, chutzpah is not such a bad quality to have (actually ḥuṣpâ). By Wikipedia’s definition, “Chutzpah can be used to express admiration for non-conformist but gutsy audacity.” Does that not fit PZ or what!?
Was Andrew coming down on me somewhere? If so I never saw it. At any rate, I see no reason to back off the comment. As you correctly point out, chutzpah is a perfectly fitting word for PZ.
what are you doing for Darwin day?
I'll got to church, go home, eat dinner, and take nap. Darwin who???DonaldM
February 9, 2007
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Lee asked: By the way, what have you got planned for Darwin Day?
I'm thinking of going to James Madison University and hang out with my beloved friends in the JMU Freethinkers. Though I don't share their views (certainly not their reverence for Darwin), for whatever reason we really like each other. [I really felt bad I wasn't able to be a part of the JMU Freethinker's Christmas party last year. The younger atheists are not all quite as militant as Dawkins, and a lot of them at JMU like hanging out with Christians.] Jason Rosenhouse (of PandasThumb) will be giving his Darwin Day talk to the Freethinkers about the glories of Darwin, so I will listen to what he has to say. They will probably be having birthday cake offered, and I might indulge in the desserts (but not communion in honor of Darwin). Ironically, it was this group that helped put me in the April 28, 2005 cover story in Nature. I used the poll data at NCSE and by the JMU Freethinkers to help the reporter convince the Nature editors about the importance of the story. Rosenhouse argues the case for Darwin better than anyone I know, and from the standpoint of learning and studying rhetoric it is worthwhile. His Darwin Day address ought to be a smashing success for his side. The measure of an ID proponent's ability to argue his case is how well it will measure up to Rosenhouse's presentation. Rosenhouse and I are on good terms personally (hence you'll usually see some degree of restraint when we spar on the net), and we usually avoid talking about ID in person. Our personal conversations are more about chess and math.... At my invitation, he came out to some of my Campus Crusade for Christ/Chi Alpha/IDEA meetings, so it's fitting I come out to hear him deliver his Darwin Day presentation.scordova
February 9, 2007
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there wasn’t a judge in the United States in a better position to decide that than I was. … Dang straight!! Before he became a federal judge he ran the Pa. Liquor Control Board. Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna just said in a lecture that “restricting debate about Darwin’s theory of evolution amounts to censorship in schools and in the broader public.” Yes, but Cardinal Schoenborn never ran tha Pa. Liquor Control Board.tribune7
February 9, 2007
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Sal, The event is an upcoming podcast of a reenactment of the Dover vs Kitzmiller trial. I was responding to Ooblick.com's piece from yesterday. The four act play is a parody on the idea. The link to that is at the end of the posting. I view it all as just quipping and quipping. By the way, what have you got planned for Darwin Day? Cheers!LeeBowman
February 9, 2007
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It has become a landmark decision, even though many think the Judge went too far in his decision. He said these words in an 2/26/06 Philadelphia Inquirer interview:
"The controversial part of the ruling was whether intelligent design is in fact science … there wasn't a judge in the United States in a better position to decide that than I was. … (interviewer) Schlafly interpreted that as my saying that I am so brilliant and erudite that I could decide that better than anyone else could. What I meant was that no one else had sat through an intensive six weeks of largely scientific testimony, and in addition to the task at hand, which was to decide the case, I wanted the opinion to stand as a primer for people across the country. … I wanted it to stand as a primer so that folks on both sides of the issue could read it, understand the way the debate is framed, see the testimony in support and against the various positions. … and what is heartening to me is that it's now evident that it's being used in that way … we did some of the lifting in that trial. To my mind … it would be a dreadful waste of judicial resources, legal resources, taxpayer money … to replicate this trial someplace else."
My biggest objection to the verdict was that he pompously made himself the gatekeeper for science, when in fact, scientific inquiry has been constrained. Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn of Vienna just said in a lecture that "restricting debate about Darwin's theory of evolution amounts to censorship in schools and in the broader public." Rather than pushing religion, it's allowing free discourse. If macroevolution by naturalistic mutations is valid, it will survive free discourse. So why then the constraint, and why by court order? Anyway, the trial and its aftermath will be dissected, and yes, promulgated as truth for a long time. So, on with the podcast. Ed Humes will probably mention it in the next edition of 'Monkey Girl'.LeeBowman
February 9, 2007
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A reinactment of the of the Dover trial is a waste of time. Who would want to listen to that?Jehu
February 9, 2007
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Lee, The current events you are referencing I've not heard of. Can you provide more context? I think some of our readers are having the same problme trying to figure out what events you are commenting on and what has transpired. I rarely read what PZ Myers has to say. He generally has litte worth reading. Thanks. Salvadorscordova
February 9, 2007
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