Volcanology

[scholar_vit]

I am listening to Gov. Jindal. He seems to have issues with volcano monitoring.

What is it with Republican presidential hopefuls and science? Sen. McCain did not like bear studies and astronomy, Gov. Palin disliked drosophila. Now Jindal and geophysics. Is it in their job description, to be an ignorant anti-science jerk?

Comments

[oder_k]

Yes, I was also pretty puzzled by this volcano monitoring remark.

ignorant anti-science jerk

[http://users.livejournal.com/_rowan_tree_/]

God created volcanoes and He will erupt them when He is willing. What business do we have to monitor them?

Re: ignorant anti-science jerk

[anhinga-anhinga.livejournal.com]

it seems that he also lied, when he said:

$140 million for something called "volcano monitoring"

[simonff.livejournal.com]

He spoke mostly in slogans anyway. I don't think the content of his speech matters much - he just has to mention all the usual points as frequently as possible.

[meshko.livejournal.com]

I just heard him on NPR for the first time a couple of days ago. He was surprisingly coherent. So today when he was all over the news again I decided to finally look him up.
Who cares about the science?? Did you see his face? I want my president to be smart, alive and human. I'll take any 2, but this one definitely doesn't look alive or human.

[meshko.livejournal.com]

Ooops, he actually does look human on some of the pictures. But at first I saw this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bobby_Jindal.jpg

[scholar-vit.livejournal.com]

Well, I am not Lombroso, and would accept even a Botox face - if his words made sense. My problem was, they did not.

[meshko.livejournal.com]

The words are cheap, the looks are the only remaining objective way to judge a politician.

[scholar-vit.livejournal.com]

Nowadays cosmetic surgery is not too expensive. By the way, I wonder whether one can pay for it from the campaign funds?

[meshko.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is a problem, but that's why I always read tabloids: I'm very well trained now to pick up subtle clues that the surgery was performed.
Can you pay for it with campaign funds? Oh, boy! You *must*!

в тему

[saccovanzetti.livejournal.com]

I can now predict breast size from looking at woman's face.

[syarzhuk.livejournal.com]

Haven't you seen the story about him participating in an exorcism ritual?

[meshko.livejournal.com]

which side was he on?

[dyak.livejournal.com]

Вот часть бюджета, о которой Джиндал речь вел:

United States Geological Survey
For an additional amount for `Surveys, Investigations, and Research', $140,000,000, for repair, construction and restoration of facilities; equipment replacement and upgrades including stream gages, and seismic and volcano monitoring systems; national map activities; and other critical deferred maintenance and improvement projects.

Почему из тьмы статей расходов Бобби решил наехать на эту -- просто уму непостижимо.

[scholar-vit.livejournal.com]

Похоже, это такая оценка target audience. Будем набирать очки у school dropouts, тех, кто может о науке говорить только в стиле Бивиса и Баттхеда. "Исследование ДНК медведей - гы-гы-гы, наверное, это для установления отцовства среди мишек! Дрозофилы - ха-ха-ха, мушек исследуем! Вулканология - го-го-го, лучше бы банки мониторили!" На мой взгляд, это такая же ошибка GOP, как недавняя антииммигрантская риторика. Так как количество людей с университетским образованием растет, республиканцы совершают политическое самоубийство. Или, как сказал Нат Силвер, If it sounds like Jindal is targeting his speech to a room full of fourth graders, that's because he is. They might be the next people to actually vote for Republicans again.

Update: Кругман выбрал точно такие же слова: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/what-should-government-do-a-jindal-meditation/

[angerona.livejournal.com]

also a fib-teller, it seems:
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/2/24/23132/9395/253/701495

[scholar-vit.livejournal.com]

Wow

[uxxu.livejournal.com]

кому нужна ваша либеральная "наука", когда есть правильная, Республиканская Наука?
мне понравился чувак, который считал, какой высоты гору из бэйлаутных денег можно сложить, сколько раз опоясать землю купюрами и т.п.

[abu-pinhus.livejournal.com]

Anyone who questions scientist right to live on public money is jerk?
May be public has other priorities, sorry.

[scholar-vit.livejournal.com]

I did not hear him question anything. He and his target audience did not have any questions, only answers. A knee-jerk reaction to any science.

As far as I know, American public is much better than this Beavis and Butthead attitude. If Republicans want to further marginalize their party by adopting this idiocy, who am I to object?

[abu-pinhus.livejournal.com]

So you think you know american public better than he does?
So when we speak about science we got ask experts -scientists. But when we need to find public opinion we can not belive that politician knows what he is talking about? Regardless his expertise, your rection if not different that reaction of bankers -we lost money, but as experts we tell you that you got to pay us more.
Everybody does this, egg-headed and potato-heads alike :)

[luzhin.livejournal.com]

Почему же idiocy?
Idiocy - это тратить 140 миллионов в год непонятно на что.
140 миллионов, которых нет, которых придется занять в долг у врага.

Боюсь, что в данном случае "Beavis and Butthead attitude" у кого-то другого.

[jblaque.livejournal.com]

http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-02-24/bobby-jindals-secret-past/full/

[scholar-vit.livejournal.com]

Is he going to exorcise demons from volcanos as a substitute to monitoring?

[stanislav-kiev.livejournal.com]

And why would a Catholic being present at a Catholic sacrament be humorous? I dunno, this comment sounds pretty Bivis&Butthead to me.

(Side note: I have a feeling that this story is a fiction by Jindall. What business would a relatively inexperienced layman have at the Exorcism ritual (besides being posessed by a demon, of course)? Besides, I'm under the impression that exorcisms are rare: it's not like the local parish priest would do one every week.)