At least we made one guy laugh
Robert Marks, distinguished professor of engineering at Baylor University, had this to say after a recent screening of Expelled:
"I sat there and I laughed, I laughed because I have seen this atheistic, big-science mafia squad come out and kill the careers of many of my friends. Guillermo Gonzalez, who I knew at the University of Washington. Richard Sternberg, who I recently met. And to see their motivation and goals so clearly exposed in a Ben Stein sort of dry humor was incredible. I really, really enjoyed the movie. I think it is going to have an enormous impact. I hope it does."
Marks was quoted in this article, which also includes a reaction to Expelled from ID theorist William Dembski. Both Marks and Dembski figure prominently in the film.
"ID theorist William Dembski"
Oh, they have a theory now? Care to share?
Posted by: Rich | April 07, 2008 at 11:44 PM
THREAD HIJACK: Or should I bother again to ask what specific aspect of evolutionary theory the Nazis found essential for their ideology considering they disputed common descent? It would be weird if the producers of Expelled hadn't carefully researched that in order to make their argument as strong as possible. You don't think they're tossing around any old quote they mined just for effect do you? 'Cause that would mean once the general public gets to see it someone is going to call them on that. I suppose it won't make a difference to the target audience; I suppose the goal is to "storm the barricades" of academia so listening to both sides of the discussion is really not the point is it?
Or am I just being cynical? Kevin? Kevin? Anyone? Anyone?
Posted by: ellazimm | April 07, 2008 at 11:57 PM
Does the picture of "Robert Marks" mean you agree with common descent? :-)
Posted by: ellazimm | April 07, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Ah, Robert Marks. This would be the fellow who wanted to pretend as if he had the imprimatur of Baylor University for an ID "lab" which didn't exist except as a website. It's not surprising that you'd get everything you wanted to hear and more from him, since he's part of the same propaganda campaign.
Guillermo Gonzalez didn't have a career to kill. He attracted no graduate students, no grants of any size, and didn't get hardly any telescope time. Basically, Gonzalez wanted tenure for sitting on his arse as an assistant professor and doing no science. What's amusing about his presence in "Expelled" is that he now has all the time in the world to promote his crank ideas without going through the rigamarole of pretending to be doing science and teaching students. If this is the "big-science mafia squad" suppressing freedom of speech, they don't seem to be doing it very well.
Richard Sternberg continues to work in the same position that he has for the last seven years, so his career was hardly "killed" by the non-existent object of Marks' paranoid fantasies. He did step down as editor of the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, but he was on his way out in any case. That is why he chose that time to undermine the peer review process for that journal and shoehorn in an article which was not only garbage, but out of place in a journal dealing with systematics.
Posted by: Nullifidian | April 08, 2008 at 12:56 AM
Of course he's laughing, Kevin, he managed to dupe you into making a film about his delusions of grandeur.
Be sure to let us know when someone credible reviews your movie.
Posted by: MachiavelliDiscourse | April 08, 2008 at 03:05 AM
Someone credible did review it - remember http://www.expelledexposed.com/? :-D
It's getting so hard to tell a documentary from pure fiction these days.
Posted by: Cheezits | April 08, 2008 at 05:14 AM
Kevin-
Will this movie be screened for critics on the 17th?
Posted by: deejay | April 08, 2008 at 05:36 AM
Deejay: Only if they can prove they're not stupid, ignorant, insane or evil.
Posted by: Kevin Miller | April 08, 2008 at 09:07 AM
Ya poor thing, Kevin.
You've attracted all the Darwinist internet thugs.
I can empathize. They're relentless, and no matter how many times you correct them, they continue their rhetoric and twisting of every word you say.
Sigh...
Good luck.
Posted by: FtK | April 08, 2008 at 10:42 AM
Ftk:
"You've attracted all the Darwinist internet thugs."
Translation: you've written a film about censorship and as a result you have to tolerate people pointing out your many mistakes (he doesn't really have to, but he seems to have more self-awareness than the average creationist).
Ftk:
"They're relentless, and no matter how many times you correct them..."
I've seen no evidence of Kevin correcting anything. He simply ignores the questions he doesn't want to answer.
Posted by: MachiavelliDiscourse | April 08, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Yeah, poor Kev and Ftk. As Pastor Mummert put it:
"We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of the culture."
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2005/3/29/101723/142
No matter how many times these people who don't know science correct those who do, somehow the latter just won't learn from the former. And that's just unfair, you know, cause why should the intelligent and educated have more say than, well, the others?
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: Glen Davidson | April 08, 2008 at 11:45 AM
ROFL! Kevin can't correct anyone until he removes that lumberyard from his own eye. :-D
Posted by: Cheezits | April 08, 2008 at 11:53 AM
FtK on Kevin's blog? I'm not sure the world can take that much concern trolling..
Posted by: Rich | April 08, 2008 at 04:00 PM
Oh, and FtK, whatever else his shortcomings, Kevin promotes all comments...
Posted by: Rich | April 08, 2008 at 04:26 PM
Better a concern troll than a plain old troll, hey Rich?
Posted by: Kevin Miller | April 08, 2008 at 11:27 PM
What the sam hill is a concern troll? Is that how you're supposed to instantly dismiss anyone you disagree with?
Posted by: Cheezits | April 09, 2008 at 05:21 AM
At what point did they speciate, Kevin? OH NOES! DARWINIST LANGUAGE! I've just Nazified your readership.
Posted by: Rich | April 09, 2008 at 07:19 AM
"What the sam hill is a concern troll? Is that how you're supposed to instantly dismiss anyone you disagree with?"
A concern troll is someone who makes a concerted effort to pretend like they're on your side, only to wail and lament that you're doing it wrong, and there's a far better way to (weaken your own case) put your own case if you'd only listen to them.
Some people manage to maintain a public profile by being professional concern trolls. Just ask Todd Gitlin.
Posted by: Nullifidian | April 09, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Well, by that definition I don't see how the phrase applies to FTK in this context. Sounds more like yours truly. :-D Okay, maybe not - true trolling used to mean posting stupid s**t that you don't necessarily believe, just to get a lot of responses. The term has been overused nearly to the point of meaninglessness.
Posted by: Cheezits | April 09, 2008 at 09:46 AM
Cheezits, it applies to FtK because of prior experience with the same schtick. There is no reason to give FtK the benefit of any doubt, since any cause for doubt about FtK's behaviour faded months ago.
Posted by: Nullifidian | April 09, 2008 at 02:25 PM
I don't know what FTK's schtick has been but all I see here is someone taking Kevin's side. Heck, it's about time somebody did! I was starting to suspect a Darwinist conspiracy to suppress dissenting views. :-D
Posted by: Cheezits | April 09, 2008 at 06:17 PM
Kevin, you've made us ALL laugh, don't sell yourself short.
I can't quit laughing! And I'm not laughing with you, I'm laughing at you.
Posted by: Boris | April 09, 2008 at 07:25 PM