that is, according to our wannabe Vice President, Sarah Palin.

in her first-ever policy speech on Saturday, in the context of funding for disabled children, Palin said:

Quote :

"For many parents of children with disabilities, the most valuable thing of all is information. Early identification of a cognitive or other disorder, especially autism, can make a life-changing difference"

then Palin claimed that, instead of spending funding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, our government "wastes" money on

Quote :

"projects they really don’t make a whole lot of sense and sometimes these dollars go to projects that have little or nothing to do with the public good. Things like fruit fly research in Paris, France. I kid you not."

you know, i barely know which direction to hold my Cell Biology textbook, but i do understand that studying fruit flies' genes is what has led us to understand a host of disease mechanisms in our own genetics. like when geneticists at UNC studying drosophilla were recently able isolate a protein that may directly affect how we understand and treat autism.

christ almighty, i dont know what else to say. the video of Palin pretty much says it all

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wezdbLqRnzs




[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 6:20 AM. Reason : ]

10/26/2008 5:59:53 AM

this is one of those "let joe schmoe talk so he doesnt pollute other threads" threads

[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 6:25 AM. Reason : .]

10/26/2008 6:19:47 AM

Quote :

"DNL: You got a link to back that up? I vote this thread be locked"

What??

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/News/Speeches/Read.aspx?guid=3d5fc0cf-8229-490f-879b-91f6f4bb9eb2

you of all people ought to be concerned about new research into Autism and Downs Syndrome.

i vote you be locked from Soap Box. Now GTFO my thread





[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 6:29 AM. Reason : ]

10/26/2008 6:22:52 AM

this is one of those "let joe schmoe talk so he doesnt pollute other threads" threads

[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 6:25 AM. Reason : .]

10/26/2008 6:24:01 AM

Quote :

"DNL: Why do you even post here? Seriously. All you do is mess it up for our side"

do you ever read the news?







[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 6:31 AM. Reason : ]

10/26/2008 6:25:10 AM

this is one of those "let joe schmoe talk so he doesnt pollute other threads" threads

10/26/2008 6:26:20 AM

Far-left moonbats are absolutely obsessed with Palin.

10/26/2008 6:30:45 AM

obsessed?

you mean concerned with the potential President of teh US knowing nothing about science to the point that she thinks humans and dinosours cohabitated the Earth 6000 years agon.

and that she wants to dictate science policy in areas like public health.

and youve got nothing but pics of perfume bottles to follow up downy DNL and his ghost edits.

yeah, great. we've got a nation of retards electing retards.

oh, well, why should I care?

10/26/2008 6:35:22 AM

duke can you please lock this shit? its almost worse than people thinking obama was born in kenya

10/26/2008 6:36:16 AM

Yet another FAIL thread from joe_sarahobsession.

10/26/2008 6:38:05 AM

so, DNL doesnt read (or cant understand) one of the singlemost important news stories from this weekend...

and Hooksaw wants to squelch it.

no surprises here.

10/26/2008 6:43:02 AM

I support research into eradicating Left Coast Internet gadflies.

10/26/2008 6:46:46 AM

i'm pretty sure all of the soap box is aware that joe schmoe makes sucky threads

10/26/2008 6:54:08 AM

Wow, she really said that?

DAMN

Even middle school students and adults who never went for higher education know that animal research is done to ultimately help humans.

I mean, WTF, does anybody do animal research for fun or for novelty or to kill time? Is she retarded???

JESUS WTF???

10/26/2008 6:57:25 AM

yes, she did.

and it's scary.

its being called the worst error she has made yet.

and i can not believe that the transcript is still on the JohnMcCain campaign website.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=palin+fruit+fly

10/26/2008 7:04:53 AM

What's the deal? I guess this thread could have been put into one of the other threads about the election or Palin, but compared to half the shitty topics in here it isn't that bad.

Drosophila melanogaster is THE model system for genetics research. And Palin, yet again, put her foot her mouth by criticizing something she doesn't know anything about. Though I don't know why we should be funding research in France... unless it was some sort of corroborative effort, but meh.

10/26/2008 7:07:03 AM

umm... dnl, you're shitting all over a thread for no real reason. Normally you just say stupid shit, but right now you're actually doing stupid shit.


Anyway, it doesn't seem like that big a mistake to not link fruit flies to autism, especially if you've never studied anything remotely medical. Hell, I didn't know that stuff you mentioned about geneticists at UNC, but then again, I probably also wouldn't have publicly denounced a line of medical research when I don't know much about it. ...But it is pretty common sense that animal research in general helps medical progress in general.

Not the dumbest thing Palin has said, not by a long shot. It's just another drop in the ocean of stupid shit... not really thread-worthy.

10/26/2008 7:11:07 AM

good luck getting this one to stick...sounds like some smart ass elitest dem shit right hur

10/26/2008 7:12:05 AM

Quote :

"Not the dumbest thing Palin has said, not by a long shot. It's just another drop in the ocean of stupid shit"

i respectfully disagree.

this is far and away, the stupidest -- and most revealing -- mistake she has made yet. this transcends all of her many previous gaffes.

this is an instance where she first complains of a lack of funding for education about birth defects, then in the same breath *ridicules* the very foundations of 150 years of genetic research on the most fundamental MODEL ORGANISM used to discover disease pathways in humans.

real definite research is being done in the very fields of congenital birth defects using this very same fruit fly that she so arrogantly and ignorantly disdains.

this needs to be separated out from the rest of the Palin noise.

this totally underscores exactly the reason why she should not be allowed to touch national policies with a ten foot pole.





and yeah, i dont know why DNL is fixated on actively shitting in this thread. its like he has some emotional issue or aversion to birth defect research. im confused, to be honest.



[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 7:20 AM. Reason : ]

10/26/2008 7:18:16 AM

why spend money on science when is should be spent on creating prayer groups in high schools!

10/26/2008 11:50:21 AM

as far as i am concerned, the only money that should be spent on flies is on developing a more efficient fly-swatter.

10/26/2008 11:52:40 AM

Quote :

"this is an instance where she first complains of a lack of funding for education about birth defects, then in the same breath *ridicules* the very foundations of 150 years of genetic research on the most fundamental MODEL ORGANISM used to discover disease pathways in humans."

Palin is not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer -this much has been known for awhile. So for her to be ignorant of basic genetics should shock no one.

10/26/2008 12:21:15 PM

i would hope that her speech writers could think things through a little more

10/26/2008 12:25:40 PM

Sigh. I was already annoyed with McCain over his continued issue with an "overhead projector."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl78

Quote :

""If you've ever had the pleasure of visiting the Adler Planetarium, you'd probably guess that the 'overhead projector' he's talking about is the spectacular 'Sky Theater' -- one of the most engrossing, gorgeous venues for displaying visuals about space.""

10/26/2008 12:55:01 PM

The sad thing is that I know some people (2 women) in real life that seem to love Palin. And I overheard 2 more women on campus saying how much they love Palin and her "hockey mom-ness".

10/26/2008 12:57:12 PM

When you compare the level of education between the candidates, this should not be surprising.

10/26/2008 1:05:18 PM

^ Sure, but as I before:

Quote :

"Even middle school students and adults who never went for higher education know that animal research is done to ultimately help humans. I mean, WTF, does anybody do animal research for fun or for novelty or to kill time? Is she retarded???"

10/26/2008 1:27:00 PM

this is just another example of the anti-science attitude, and overall lack of science interest or curiosity, that McCain and Palin have.

It's telling that whenever they two of them get into one of their anti-earmarks rants, they most often single-out science research that they know nothing about because on the face of it, scientific research often sounds silly or strange if you don't know what's behind it. Off the top of my head I can think of:
- the fruit fly comment by Palin
- McCain bringing up the $3M "overhead projector" for the planetarium many times, which in fact was the projector that makes a planetarium a planetarium (i.e. without this projector, there is no planetarium). It is certainly up for debate if state or federal funds should be used for this purpose, but McCain's characterization of the issue showed a clear disdain for science education
- McCain mentioned something about "studying bear DNA in Montana" at one of the debates. He brought it up with a similar sarcastic tone that Palin talked about the fruit flies, as in "why the fuck do we need to study bear DNA!!". I do not know what study he was referring to, but there are many valid reasons for doing so and slamming it across the board is again just indicative of his lack of interest in science and science education

10/26/2008 1:47:08 PM

^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_pl78 I think this has already been posted but there's a statement from the people wanting the projector

10/26/2008 1:56:03 PM

Quote :

"Sigh. I was already annoyed with McCain over his continued issue with an "overhead projector.""

The best part is, I used to work there (at the Adler). So I know exactly the "overhead projector" he's talking about. You know, a really big Zeiss star projector for the Sky Theatre, which is a pretty fantastically large and intricate piece of office equipment.

I mean, since it's an "overhead projector" and such.

(The reaction from Adler staff have of course been the best part of this whole non-issue.)

Also, if you feel like contributing to the cost of this very big "overhead projector", you can do so here:

http://shop.adlerplanetarium.org/catalog/display.php?product_id=983

[Edited on October 26, 2008 at 2:43 PM. Reason : .]

10/26/2008 2:42:19 PM

Her foreign policy experience of being able to see Russia from Alaska more than makes up for her shortcomings in the scientific field, yes?

10/26/2008 2:47:48 PM

Quote :

"this is just another example of the anti-science attitude, and overall lack of science interest or curiosity, that McCain and Palin have."

Thank you.

this is exactly the point i was trying to make, and the direction that i hope the discussion would head.

this is the problem with america in general. so many more people it seems are increasingly anti-science, anti-intellectual, than ever before.

the repbulicans continually rail about how

public schools are failing the children
children are falling behind the rest of the world in science and math
so many tech jobs here are either being shipped overseas or filled by foriegn H1-B visas

they blame the educational system, teachers, even the children i suppose -- and prop up "school vouchers" as the solution.

yet, then without even batting an eye, they go on to equate scientific research as frivolous waste of money (at best) or a liberal/satanic indoctrination of children to force a "belief system" on them that is anti-american.

well, i guess according to the republicans (or at least republicans like Bush, McCain, Palin and their supporters) being scientific-minded is to be anti-american.

10/26/2008 3:29:38 PM

My family doesn't understand why this kind of stuff frustrates me so badly. I'll be a student in a university setting for over a decade to get my MS and PhD in Biology so I can run my own research and possibly teach. To see this sort of anti-science talk from people who want to lead the country is terrifying.

10/26/2008 6:16:15 PM

Lol DNL is like the talking parots on Faux News, just repeating what they hear. I heard her say that on CNN and even I knew about fruit flies and I am a electrical engineer. I know if you look at her educational background you will see that she is a complete moron. But it is granted that most Republicans like to have someone stupider than them (I guess to make them feel better?), which is why they elected Bush twice.

Obama:
Columbia University - B.A. Political Science with a Specialization in
International Relations. Harvard - Juris Doctor (J.D.) Magna Cum Laude

Biden:
University of Delaware - B.A. in History and B.A. in Political Science.
Syracuse University College of Law - Juris Doctor (J.D.)

vs.

McCain:
United States Naval Academy - Class rank: 894 of 899 (Durr I am a retard and crashed 5 planes also, which is probably why I crashed in Vietnam)

Palin:
Hawaii Pacific University - 1 semester
North Idaho College - 2 semesters - general study
University of Idaho - 2 semesters - journalism
Matanuska-Susitna College - 1 semester
University of Idaho 3 semesters - B.A. in Journalism


But being a Hockey Mom is just as good and she stayed at a Holiday Inn.

NC for Obama 08

10/27/2008 2:53:00 PM

(1) McCain did masters work at the Naval War College. He retired a full captain, and was commander of a training squadron. He's no scholar, to be sure, but still that's more "executive experience" than Obama/Biden combined.

(2) i dont think he crashed five planes. it was two. Jet planes are dangerous business. overall, he was generally considered a good pilot. the Navy doesnt hand over $25M jets to retards.

(3) he was *shot down* behind enemy lines.

Look, I don't like the person McCain has become (whether due to a change, or his real person coming out), and I will seriously fear for our country under his leadership. He makes Bush look like an even-handed statesman. There is absolutely nothing that could make me vote for John McCain at this point.

But for you to disparage his prior service is unconscionable, and makes you look like a pretty fucking shallow character. I'm going to grant you the benefit of the doubt, so I'll suggest that your obnoxious arrogance is driven by unintentional ignorance rather than just a willful, mean stupidity.

....


As for Palin, well i cant argue anything there. She's shown herself to be an ignorant, subliterate hick. A real bible thumping snowbilly. God help us if we let that woman get within a 5-mile radius of any national policy-making body.




[Edited on October 27, 2008 at 4:35 PM. Reason : ]

10/27/2008 4:23:16 PM

^ well said, on both counts.

10/27/2008 4:34:43 PM

Quote :

"McCain mentioned something about "studying bear DNA in Montana" at one of the debates. He brought it up with a similar sarcastic tone that Palin talked about the fruit flies, as in "why the fuck do we need to study bear DNA!!". I do not know what study he was referring to, but there are many valid reasons for doing so and slamming it across the board is again just indicative of his lack of interest in science and science education"

Here's info about the research, sounds like great stuff actually.
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=mccains-beef-with-bears


<3 bears

10/27/2008 8:53:14 PM

joe


i applaud you on providing both sides. you make a more influential point when you agree on one side and disagree at the same time

it seems tww is spurred by slinging on both sides and im at fault for that as well

10/27/2008 9:04:36 PM

^ well, thanks


^^ alee, whats sad is that there even exists a perception that science is an appropriate target to attack.

mccain is not an idiot, i don't think. but it is telling that both he and Palin are ridiculing legitimate scientific research as being somehow the main culprit in the larger issue of wasteful government spending.

theres a reason why they're attacking science, and not any one of many other types of spending projects. i think the reason is that a large segment of american public is becoming more and more anti-intellectual, anti-science. or if not actively "anti" then definitely apathetic.

i still dont think McCain is a religious zealot, or a creationist or anything like that. But Palin definitely is, and this is obviously where McCain has decided to set up his base camp. he's thrown his lot in with the crowd that engineered the 2004 Republican victory.

the one good thing out of all this are the polls: the increasing rejection of McCain/Palin campaign in favor of Obama... it seems to me that more americans are waking up, and calling them on their trying to serve up the same old bullshit.

but the fact that "wasteful" scientific research is being perceived by the republicans as an effective avenue of attack, indicates that there is an audience who is buying this rhetoric. and that is sad, and disturbing.





[Edited on October 27, 2008 at 9:15 PM. Reason : ]

10/27/2008 9:06:33 PM

^

I think it hurts more because I'm spending my weeks in the lab, researching membrane biogenesis using Arabidopsis as a model. I'm surrounded by hazardous chemicals(including carcinogens) trying to do research for the greater good. Yet, I'm sure that the average American would think that research on a weed is wasteful spending. It feels like a personal attack.

10/27/2008 9:20:03 PM

lol wut? a weed???

well, jesus ... i mean, couldn't you do some research on, like, an animal? or, you know, something relevant?














j/k

i know, you see one phospholipid bilayer, and you've seen 'em all










[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 12:59 AM. Reason : ]

10/28/2008 12:54:15 AM

Quote :

"I think it hurts more because I'm spending my weeks in the lab, researching membrane biogenesis using Arabidopsis as a model. I'm surrounded by hazardous chemicals(including carcinogens) trying to do research for the greater good. Yet, I'm sure that the average American would think that research on a weed is wasteful spending. It feels like a personal attack."

10/28/2008 12:56:37 AM

Quote :

"I support research into eradicating Left Coast Internet gadflies. "

You GD haters!!!1 That was platinum!

10/28/2008 12:58:01 AM

i admit, i laughed at that. 'twas a beauty of a retort, but sadly failed from poor timing.

no one ever succeeded following DNL. im lucky my thread even survived after all his diarrhea.

sorry :sad:

10/28/2008 1:04:27 AM

^^^ He just thinks he's tough shit because they let us NE's play with cooler carcinogens.

^^ Are you suggesting we soak it and/or it's creator in aqua regia to see if it behaves similarly to platinum? I'm up for that.

[Edited on October 28, 2008 at 1:07 AM. Reason : ]

10/28/2008 1:04:45 AM

^^ Why, thank you. Delayed recognition is better than no recognition at all.

^ Consider your audience. But Palin certainly has the mettle (I could do this all night) for this race, despite some of her unfortunate comments.

10/28/2008 1:15:47 AM

While I can see how dissolving her in a highly corrosive reagent might help the McCain campaign out at this point, I don't see how it would be science.

10/28/2008 1:20:23 AM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0TiKVQGw-g

10/28/2008 1:46:21 AM

^^^^

Yeah, I used to worry about leftyisreal when he got his job in nuclear refueling for the navy, until I realized how well protected he is due to government regulations.

10/28/2008 8:25:04 AM

I'm not surprised to hear this kind of talk from Palin, but what everyone wants to know is if this is another case of Palin going rogue or if some speechwriter is actually stupid enough to put this kind of idiocy into a major policy speech. Maybe this is the beginning of the cornerstone of Palin's 2012 Presidential run: "Palin 2012 - Science Is Stupid"

great treatment by p.z. myers
http://scienceblogs.com/clock/2008/10/palin_autism_and_fruitflies_it.php

10/28/2008 11:23:36 AM