Based upon past perusals of diary titles, the following information may be of interest to some in the dKos community.  In an article just published today (although available online for some months), Drs. Omar Ghaffar and Anthony Feinstein of the University of Toronto found, among 140 consecutive MS patients, 10 who regular users of cannabis.  Compared to a well-matched control group (n=40) using a standard evaluation tool (the Neuropsychological Battery for MS),

Group comparisons revealed that the proportion of patients meeting DSM-IV criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis was higher in cannabis users (p = 0.04). In addition, on the SDMT, cannabis users had a slower mean performance time (p = 0.006) and a different pattern of response compared to matched controls (group x time interaction; p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Inhaled cannabis is associated with impaired mentation in patients with multiple sclerosis, particularly with respect to cognition. Future studies are required to clarify the direction of this relationship.

Another chink in the armor of the alleged indications for "medical marijuana".

And the depth of someone's religious belief undoubtedly makes their beliefs true.

Unless they conflict with laws regarding trafficking in illegal reptiles.

So today I cannot use the tag "atheist".  In deference to Einstein's memory, I guess I have to use the tag "agnostic".

From today's New York Times:

A letter the physicist wrote in 1954 to the philosopher Eric Gutkind, in which he described the Bible as "pretty childish" and scoffed at the notion that the Jews could be a "chosen people," sold for $404,000 at an auction in London.

I know that I have to stop stealing diary topics from Pharyngula, but so help me, he's always got something we all should be reading.  (Actually, I'm happy to have the opportunity to steer Daily Kos readers to some of the most insightful and biting commentary at the interface of science -- or more commonly, antiscience -- and politics.)  But Pharyngula brought to my attention that Michael Medved "has declared American superiority to be genetic, encoded in our good old American DNA".

I hadn't known that Michael Medved, the movie reviewer and pop culture warrior, is now a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute (the DI).  The DI, of course, is the advocacy group that promotes anti-science ideas, and was thoroughly discredited in the brilliant opinion of Judge John E. Jones III (Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District).

That's the headline from an article in The Observer yesterday.  It describes an honor killing in Basra, where a 17-year-old girl was stomped to death by her father for talking to a British soldier -- "the enemy, the invader and a Christian".

Well, it's been a long time since I posted and received the wrath of dKos for pointing out the obvious for stating this, but I'll do so again: this is another example of how religion kills.  

That is the headline from this Associated Press story.

Reading it, I am speechless.  The parents chose to pray for some time -- news outlets have it as between a few and thirty days -- as she got sicker and sicker, descending into diabetic ketoacidosis.

I know this doesn't quite meet the criteria for a full diary, but nevertheless I think this is a very appropriate editorial cartoon from the Salt Lake Tribune's well-kept secret of a cartoonist, Pat Bagley.

Utah's 10th Senate District is currently represented by the reprehensible and racist Chris Buttars.  How racist?  Listen here, where you can hear him refer to a bill -- a bill that another Senator had likened to a baby being judged by Solomon -- by saying "This baby is black. It's a dark, ugly thing."

(You can read more about Buttars and his racist, homophobic, and anti-science education history in previous diaries here and here.)

But now, it looks like Buttars will have a challenger in this year's election, and the dKos community can help out.

Yes, let's wade into religion, shall we?  My second favorite topic, after politics.

Pharyngula today has one of his usual brief, humorous posts that directs us to "an excellent website reviewing the evidence for intercessory prayer."

OK, here we go again...into the cesspool of the Utah statehouse.  Bear with me...

For those who don't know, Chris Buttars is a racist Utah state senator, who also has a record of homophobic and reactionary activity in the Utah Senate.

Yesterday he was "booted from [the] chair of judicial committee".  This follows a demeaning letter he wrote to a sitting judge on behalf of a wealthy campaign contributor.

Some readers know of my fascination with the Utah legislature, and in particular with one particularly nasty racist senator.

But there are other ignorant lawmakers, and yesterday I learned from one of them -- Sen. Margaret Dayton -- that the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program is a plot against America.  

No, really.

The bill proposed to provide $300,000 in support of IB classes in seven Utah high schools.  I swear I'm not making this up, but this is what Sen. Dayton actually said:

"I'm not opposed to understanding the world," Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, told members of the Senate Education Committee. "I'm opposed to the anti-American philosophy that's somehow woven into all the classes as they promote the U.N. agenda."

The racist, homophobic, and anti-science Utah State Senator Chris Buttars continues to dig himself a deeper and deeper hole.  A few days back, after a colleague refered to a bill as an "ugly baby bill", Buttars said "This baby is black. It's a dark, ugly thing."

Particularly coupled with his past statements (e.g., that the Brown vs. Board of Education decision was just "wrong") this latest statement raised an outcry.   Buttars announced that those coming after him for his racist comment (including the local NAACP, who are calling for his resignation) were a "lynch mob".  Now, he tops himself again:  

"Lynch mob is a Western term," Buttars said Tuesday night, after he ditched a meeting with the NAACP on his mea culpa tour. "That's not a racial term in my opinion. How do I know what words I'm supposed to use in front of those people?"  
                        -- from Salt Lake Tribune columnist  Rebecca Walsh

This is a followup diary on Utah State Senator Chris Buttars, the incredibly small-minded legislator who, among other things, has:

...offered bills to make illegal Salt Lake City's new domestic partner registry; to keep police disciplinary records secret; and worked to limit legislation to provide funds for STD education.  
-- (lifted from my last Buttars diary.)

But he topped it all with a racist comment on the floor of the senate:

Republican Sen. Chris Buttars' comment came during a debate on SB48, aimed at equalizing school construction funds. Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, called it "the ugly baby bill," but, as Buttars stood to vote, went further. "This baby is black. It's a dark, ugly thing," he said.

--Salt Lake Tribune, 02/13/08

I wanted to call your attention to this great commentary published today in the Salt Lake Tribune.  It is written by David Irvine, a Salt Lake attorney.  According to his tag line, "he was commissioned in the U.S. Army Reserve as a strategic intelligence officer in 1967 and retired as a brigadier general. He taught prisoner of war interrogation and military law for 18 years for the Sixth United States Army Intelligence School."

From the online Sports Illustrated today, in a story titled Kansas HS refuses female official:

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas activities officials are investigating a religious school's refusal to let a female referee call a boys' high school basketball game.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association said referees reported that Michelle Campbell was preparing to officiate at St. Mary's Academy near Topeka on Feb. 2 when a school official insisted that Campbell could not call the game.

The reason given, according to the referees: Campbell, as a woman, could not be put in a position of authority over boys because of the academy's beliefs.

A couple of diaries ago I mentioned Utah Senator Chris Buttars (R-Neanderthal).  Almost (but unfortunately not quite) unbelievably, here's what he actually said on the floor of the Utah Senate yesterday:

    A West Jordan senator shocked his colleagues and later apologized for comparing a bill he opposed to a black baby, calling it "a dark, ugly thing."
   Republican Sen. Chris Buttars' comment came during a debate on SB48, aimed at equalizing school construction funds. Sen. Howard Stephenson, R-Draper, called it "the ugly baby bill," but, as Buttars stood to vote, went further. "This baby is black. It's a dark, ugly thing," he said.

                                      --Salt Lake Tribune, 02/13/08

I hope you all read A Siegel's diary yesterday regarding the proposed Science Debate (Inject Science Into Presidential Campaign!).

This could be a chance for the Democrats to clearly distinguish themselves from the Republicans on their respect for scientific integrity (as opposed to the Bush Administration's interference with global warming reports) and their understanding of modern science.

They should be willing particularly to really take it to Huckabee on this topic.

As reported last week in the Salt Lake Tribune, under the headline "Lawmaker wants to keep police misconduct confidential":

Proposed amendments to the state's Government Records Access and Management Act would make information on police misconduct off limits to the public.
   SB260, sponsored by Sen. Chris Buttars, R-West Jordan, would among other things, classify information about charges or disciplinary action taken against police officers as private, unless officers grant written consent to make the data public.
   ...
   Such limitations on police disciplinary records may mean journalists won't have access to information on police punished for using deadly force, involved in sexual misconduct or other questionable behavior, said Joel Campbell, a Brigham Young University professor and member of the Freedom of Information Committee for the national Society of Professional Journalists.