University Town's Paper take on "Expelled"

[StClone]

Ben Stein's "Expelled" is not a fact-based exposé like a Michael Moore's. Stein's thing is to use "humor" to elicit emotional reactions about persons and institutions for not peddling Intelligent Design alongside reality. Professors get upset teaching junk science and Religion? Whoda thunk it!

So when a major university town has a paper that indicates "Expelled" is embraced, we got big problems. Ames, Iowa home of Iowa State University (the first electronic digital computer, George Washington Carver and Hector Avalos, a major anti-Creationist) has such problems.

Here's the Ames Tribune's take on the "Expelled."

'Expelled' film draws applause at ISU
By: Gavin Aronsen/Special to The Tribune
04/19/2008


A line for the 7:10 p.m. premiere showing of "Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed" at the Varsity II theater on Lincoln Way stretched back five storefronts to the Bali Satay House Friday.

The documentary film, narrated by actor and former Nixon speechwriter Ben Stein, explores the relationship between science and religion in academia, juxtaposing images of the Berlin Wall with footage shot for the film to suggest scientific freedom is being stifled by hostile views toward religion.

It features interviews with Guillermo Gonzalez, assistant professor in astronomy at Iowa State University, who claims he was denied tenure for his outspoken views on intelligent design, and Hector Avalos, professor of religious studies at ISU, who has been critical of the teaching of intelligent design in science classrooms...

http://www.midiowanews.com/site/tab1.cfm?newsid=19499416&BRD=2700&PAG=461&dept_id=554432&rfi=6

[bronxiteforever]

1. Stein is a confirmed right wing fool

He worked for Nixon and his ideology made him blind to facts about his own work place.


"Stein responded over the years by not only denying he was Deep Throat, but by going further and accusing journalist Bob Woodward of falsifying the famous secret source. In the May 14–21, 1998, edition of the Philadelphia City Paper Stein is quoted saying, "Oh, I don't think there was a Deep Throat. That was a fake. I think there were several different sources and some they just made up".-from wikipedia

[liberal N proud]

2. It is just further evidence of how the media is controlled

even down to the small town news papers, TV and radio stations.

There is no independent journalism in this country, they all get their email that tells them what to write and say down to the buzz word for the day/week.

[Paladin]

3. Ben Stein Is Living Proof That Intelligent Design Doesn't Exist.

What sort of intelligent design would allow a dim-witted putz like him to attain the fame and prosperity he has? Gotta love the irony of him providing the droney-voiced narration for this pathetic movie,though.....

[Duppers]

5. heh

true, true!

[Duppers]

4. yikes, Gonzalez - He did not get tenure at ISU

Guillermo Gonzalez (born 1963 in Havana, Cuba) is an astrophysicist and notable proponent of intelligent design, and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Iowa State University until November of 2008. He is a senior fellow of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, considered the hub of the intelligent design movement, and a fellow with the International Society for Complexity, Information and Design, which also promotes intelligent design. His primary research interest is studying the late stages of stellar evolution using spectroscopy, though he is also doing research on extrasolar planets.<1> He is a proponent of the Galactic Habitable Zone concept.<2>

...
Faculty statement
Two years prior to his consideration for tenure, approximately 130 faculty of Iowa State University signed a petition opposing "all attempts to represent Intelligent Design as a scientific endeavor." Similar statements were issued by faculty at the University of Northern Iowa and at the University of Iowa. A total of approximately 400 professors signed the three petitions.<5><6> Although no mention of Gonzalez was made in these petitions, two years later at the time of his denial of tenure, The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier called Gonzalez "the unnamed target" of the ISU petition.<7>

...
Denial of tenure
In April of 2007 Iowa State University denied Gonzalez tenure.
...President Gregory Geoffroy notified Gonzalez in April that he would not be granted tenure and promotion to associate professor."<12> The denial of tenure for Gonzalez resulted in one of the Discovery Institute intelligent design campaigns with the Institute encouraging its followers to call and email Geoffroy and urge him to reverse the decision.<13><14>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guillermo_Gonzalez_(astronomer)


Gee, why can't they teach that the world is flat too?!

It's an impossibility for a top notch, deep-thinking scientist to support ID. No wonder he was denied tenure.

[Bill McBlueState]

7. So the guy's a stellar spectroscopist

That's more or less what I do.

While I'm no ignoramus when it comes to biology, I can't imagine a situation in which I, as an astrophysicist, would claim to know more about speciation than leading biologists.

Unless, of course, I had a hidden faith-based agenda instead of a scientific one.

[Duppers]

11. ...

ID is about more than just evolution--it's proponents believe that the universe itself was divinely created. You would have an opinion on that, would you not?

:hi:

[StClone]

9. ISU did the right thing denying tenure.

ID is not acceptable as Science by Gonzalez or anyone.

It may be discussed in Universities not as an competing Theory but as an example of how cherry picked facts, noncritical thinking and propaganda techniques are used to undermined the established frameworks of Science. In other words a "how to" in avoiding pitfalls of poor Scientific method.

[KharmaTrain]

6. The Movie Should Be Retitled "Stinko"

Anyone wanna bet that this "movie" will be in the discount DVD racks by the end of the month? So a neary 70 year old guy knows more about the education system then those working in it?

BTW...I noticed the movie was "produced" by the same asshat who did that awful Faux rip-off of the Daily Show...and we saw how great that show is doing. :sarcasm:

[spanone]

8. fuckstein

[sam sarrha]

10. i have a 1st edition of 'Intelligent Design", makes no sense , all it does is Reaffirm their DOGMA

NOT EVEN A BIT LOGICAL OR PROOF BEARING.. just non-sense, which is why they like it so much, they have no sense

if it's true then their gOD designed this Fucking mess of a world.. he is Fucking Responsible, and needs to fix it right now.. all this is proof of is gOD is Incompetent.. creating being's that kill and enslave and torture and war. there are basically 4 types of humans .1.compassionate- -.2.indifferent- 3.bat shit crazy,- 4.some even crazier the NeoCons fall into this group, they are laying low to rise up and do to us what they did in Argentina, El Salvidor, Chile, Guatamala..250,000 dead, most tortured to death.. torture is their earmark, when Milton Friedman was asked why his economic theory failed in the afore mentioned countries he basically said, we didn't starve and torture enough people.. people are the key.. people with humanistic compassion for others is the disease that destroys the CeoCon "Utopia"... the Pentagon generals who dont support Bu$h's crony NeoCons call them the "Utopians"

read "Shock Doctrine:the rise of disaster capitalism" Naomi klein...cheap at amazon.com book of the century, 558 pages of which 92 are footnotes and index. it is our last warning, the end is near

[sam sarrha]

12. all kinds of bells went off when they said Limpballs called it "Powerful"