Garth, Different Species and Two Different Types of Communication…
July 8, 2008 · By Matthew Campbell
I have to apologize to Greg in advance since his requested title policy for this blog really won’t fit well tonight as I attempt to do some bullet-point blogging on a few different stories that have come up recently and deserve commenting on:
1)The Garth — Got the reception that he deserved for the “Screw the West, We’ll Take the Rest” redux. I hope he doesn’t come back to tell us he’s inclusive the next time a homosexual agenda issue comes up, but if he does, it won’t be the first time he’ll be caught directly lying to Canadians. That last note makes his quote from today all the more amusing (emphasis added):
For writing and acting in defence of my country, for opposing those who put self interests before Canada, for the decisions I have made, and the consequences they have yielded, I regret nothing.
Who knew Turner had such self-hatred?
2) Regarding the most recent evolution post, “Tom” has actually posted alleged proof for macroevolution (the effort is appreciated). Two problems though; First, after being told repeatedly by PZ Myers’ fanboys that we’ve had proof for years, this opening statement from Tom’s article doesn’t sound too compatible (emphasis really added!):
A major evolutionary innovation has unfurled right in front of researchers’ eyes. It’s the first time evolution has been caught in the act of making such a rare and complex new trait.
So, before June 9th of this year, would Darwinists have happened to have been acting on some level of faith or is the article, written by a well-respected science publication, just wrong and in need of serious correction? Secondly, I’m happy that the bacteria have discovered some new munchies, but as was brushed upon in the definition of a species argument, can we indicate if these lemon-sucking bacteria are in fact a completely different species from their brethren and not just hungrier?
3) I cannot sit by any longer when it comes to Harris-Decima. The Toronto Star’s resident polling firm (that should tell you a lot about their credibility right there!) has been doing weekly polls recently that indicate a trend in which the Harper Government is now on par with dog food in popularity questions they ask. However, their latest butcher job shows over 60% of Canadians preferring massive carbon taxes if
the rising price of fossil fuels is a reason we must move even more aggressively to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels
.
That’s a big if to be assuming there, and one that even I would agree with, were I actually polled. However, I thought the article the quote appears in was called Canadians want climate action now, poll suggests, not (oh, I don’t know), Canadians want action now to end addiction to high gas prices, addiction to oil, poll suggests. Oh, The Star…
4)Finally, it’s always cute to see the NDP attempt to orchestrate some sort of public backlash via the government. Of course, what will really happen is that NDP will fail but consumers will take care of themselves by canceling phone plans and the sort. The phone carriers might think that their government-mandated cartel creates a highway robbery scenario, but there are still millions of us non-mobile Canadians who make do just fine without cells, and it’ll stay that way until someone approaches us with a reasonable cell phone plan!
SEE ALSO: Joanne indicates she’ll be first blood if the new texting fees come in; looks like you got a winner here guys! Right From Alberta also noticed an interesting point about the NDP’s petition to stop these fees.


“Secondly, I’m happy that the bacteria have discovered some new munchies, but as was brushed upon in the definition of a species argument, can we indicate if these lemon-sucking bacteria are in fact a completely different species from their brethren and not just hungrier?”
Well I guess to be able to do that, you’d have to define what you meant by “species” when you said this in your previous article:
“The fact is that evolution is still very much stuck in in the past, and will continue to be until it can offer actual testifiable evidence of one species giving way to another over the course of two or more generations.”
I asked you to provide a definition of what you meant by “species” — you provided only the definition you’d been taught at university. When I pointed out that fertile mules would seem to qualify as a new species under this definition you wrote that it wasn’t your definition, but the one that you’d been taught at university, and that personally, you’d have something in the definition to exclude mules.
So I’m asking once again, like I did on the second comment on the previous evolution thread:
What definition of “species†are you using?
Re: #4. I just did a post on that tonight. I may be one of those people opting out of cell-hone plans thanks to this ridiculous money-grab.
Wasn’t negative billing outlawed?
C, I believe that this should serve as a suitable explanation for why I disagree with mules being classified as a species:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mule#Fertile_mules
Glad to see that you’re not taking everything the scientific establishment throws at you at face value.
I think you might be right Joanne in that negative billing could be outlawed currently and therefore we’ll see a court case soon. I have to say though that personally I really hope that the free market does its work first and the negative PR/massive cancellations these two companies will see because of the move will fix their wagons but good! It’s much harder to re-earn customers…
Matthew, you seem to have missed my original question:
What definition of “species†are you using?
This is quite important, because without knowing this, we can’t know just what it is that you’d require in the way of evidence to prove speciation.
Thanks for the link, Matthew.
I agree that the free market forces should be given a chance to work. People are already ticked off enough with Bell especially. This could really spark a mass exodus.
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