Search Results for: heffernan

Caturday felid trifecta: The CatBus comes to life!; cat stolen along with a van is found after immense effort; CatCon convention in August in Pasadena; and lagniappe

Many of you may have seen the 1988 movie “My Neighbor Totoro“, directed and written by written and directed by the immensely creative Hayao Miyazaki and made into an animation by the fantastic Studio Ghibli (see it!). In one scene sisters Satsuki and Mei stand by as their friend, a large catlike spirit animal named … Continue reading Caturday felid trifecta: The CatBus comes to life!; cat stolen along with a van is found after immense effort; CatCon convention in August in Pasadena; and lagniappe

Thursday: Hili dialogue

Welcome to Thursday, September 14, 2023, and National Cream-filled Doughnut Day (if it’s spelled “Creme”, don’t buy it. I’m on my way back to Jerusalem today, so posting will be light. Readers are welcome to mark notable events, births, or deaths on this by consulting the Septembr 14 Wikipedia page. Da Nooz: *This is going … Continue reading Thursday: Hili dialogue

An Intelligence-Squared Debate: Has the New York Times lost its way?

Here’s a 64-minute Intelligence-Squared debate on a topic of interest to many of us: “Has the New York Times Lost Its Way?” It’s a debate between four people: two for the motion (“lost its way”) and two against (the paper is fine). Here are the participants. For the Motion: Yascha Mounk – Author, “The People … Continue reading An Intelligence-Squared Debate: Has the New York Times lost its way?

Heffernan’s creationism: was it a scam?

Three days ago I highlighted an anti-evolution essay by Virginia Heffernan, a formerly popular journalist who is now a correspondent for Yahoo News. Her piece,  “Why I’m a creationist,” was a remarkably obtuse celebration of ignorance. In essence, Heffernan maintained that she was a creationist because the Bible told a better story than did Darwin, and … Continue reading Heffernan’s creationism: was it a scam?

Yes, Virginia, you are a creationist

After journalist Virginia Hefferman wrote a ludicrous column at Yahoo News asserting that she was a creationist, the reaction was swift and negative, as was appropriate. When a fairly well-known tech writer endorses superstition because “it makes a better story,” one can expect some pushback. Have a look at her column “Why I’m a creationist,” … Continue reading Yes, Virginia, you are a creationist

In which Andrew Brown defends Heffernan’s preference for creationism and provokes me fearfully

“The interest I have in believing in something is not a proof that the something exists.” —Voltaire I will try very hard to avoid calling Andrew Brown names in this piece, despite his ad hominem remarks about me and his obtuseness, which in this case is even more outrageous than he’s ever evinced in the … Continue reading In which Andrew Brown defends Heffernan’s preference for creationism and provokes me fearfully

A former New Yorker fact-checker explains why she’s a creationist

According to Wikipedia, here are some facts about Virginia Heffernan (my emphasis): Virginia Heffernan was born [1969] in Hanover, New Hampshire. She received her B.A. from the University of Virginia in 1991, and an English LiteratureMaster’s Degree and Ph.D from Harvard University, in 1993 and 2002, respectively. Heffernan began her career as a fact-checker with The New Yorker magazine. She served as an editor at Harper’s and Talk magazines, and as TV … Continue reading A former New Yorker fact-checker explains why she’s a creationist

The New York Times hosts a superfluous debate on evolution vs. creationism, including more dumb accusations that science is based on faith

In a “Room for debate” feature in yesterday’s New York Times, seven scholars and public figures weigh in on the question, “Should creationism be controversial?” It’s dispiriting because it’s a complete waste of space. No points are made that haven’t been made before, and the debate is largely about how we can deal with the … Continue reading The New York Times hosts a superfluous debate on evolution vs. creationism, including more dumb accusations that science is based on faith