“Who would imagine that octopi, animals without backbones, could be so smart?”

So asks the Creation Science Association of Alberta on their website. Now, I don’t know why they think critters should think with with their vertebrae. But, perhaps like the octopi, GOD JUST MADE THEM THAT WAY?

Anyway, it has been ages since I had a little nasty fun at the expense of Canadian anti-science creationists and other similar sorts, so it’s about time to make up for lost time and get back to one of the most popular irregular features of this blog:

KNOW YOUR NUTS!

So, read on, and while you  are doing so, enjoy “Octopus’s Garden” in honor of the cephalopodophile and arch-atheist PZ Myers by Lea Erbe, from IMax, Under the Sea!

No video on the video, so here she is:

Leah Erbe, at her reflective breast best.

And, guys, no thinking with your little disco balls,  um… bones,   um… just listen to the damn music and read my post!

Now, one of the pleasant side effects the Know Yer Nuts feature is the undermining of  good old Canadian smugness in thinking that the U. S. has all the creationist nutcases. NO WAY! We have our fair share too!

As noted, my victim this time is the Creation Science Association of Alberta, based in Edmonton. They claim their mission is:

To provide encouragement and resources to persons who desire good … Continue reading

C. A. R. E. (Christian Apologetics Research & Evangelism) Ministries

Based in Winnipeg, this the first out of province purveyor of anti-intellectualism to be so honoured!

First of all a hat tip to my Facebook friend, Graham Microraptor, and his great post there on geology vs. creationist-rocks-in-the-brain and his good buddy  Erik who picked up on a few choice words G. M. used and coined a new label for Young Earth Creationists.

Instant Magic Earth Poofists™!

moar funny pictures

Now, the CARE I.M.E.F.s are dedicated to Defending the Faith against “[e]volution, empiricism, atheism, agnosticism, post-modernism, other religious worldviews, cults and the occult”.

Their “faith” they say, includes the idea that a “short time after the creation week, our first human parents willingly rebelled (sinned) against their creator and the consequence was death and decay.”

Lots more whatever this is after the break!

…
Read the rest of Know Yer Nuts #5! C.A.R.E. Ministries, more Instant Magic Earth Poofists! (2,352 words)

4 comments… Continue reading

Genesis Theatre Group Presents:
A Night at the Museum Escape from the Mythonian

What does Neanderthal Man, Egyptian Queen Tiaa, and Pocahontas have in common? They all want to escape from the museum that houses lies. Will George, the museum worker, cooperate with their plan to reveal the truth about them and other exhibits? Will Phaoraoh prevent their escape?

The play runs Nov. 7, 8,  13, 14, 15, with 2 Saturday matinees. Tickets are $10.00 and are not available at the usual outlets.

Now, I’m not much of an art critic, but it is nice to see that someone with training at the Citadel Theatre isn’t about to write derivative works! Completely original, is Night at the Museum! As the site says, Larry offers his audiences a ”unique blend of creativity and humour, using scripture as a foundation”. Hell, you’re paying a ten-spot to go. You don’t expect anything less than that! Some of Larry’s other plays: Catastrophic Park and Storm Chaser.

I couldn’t find a list of the cast. Larry’s … Continue reading

Well, it didn’t take to long to find “Know Yer Nuts” number 4, and this time it isn’t a pack of creationists, its a pack of send-the-pachyderm-packingists!

Zoos are often criticized by animal rights and humanitarian groups for being, well, inhuman to the non-human. I don’t want to get into that debate here, but there is something far more insidious going on at the Calgary Zoo.

Yes, the Calgary Zoo is now engaging in Hindu proselytization! EEK!!!! And thanks to the latest superhuman, obstacle removing efforts of our fourth bunch of Known Nuts, the nefarious scheme has been discovered and publicized!

The Calgary Zoo is facing a few complaints by members of a Canadian Christian group over the presence of a statue of a dancing elephant based on the iconography of the Hindu god Ganesha. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation story:

A private donor gave the statue, modeled after the Hindu god Ganesh, to the zoo in 2006 to stand in front of the Asian elephant exhibit.

As CBC News first reported, Concerned Christians Canada sent a letter raising its concerns that the statue was “selective religious partiality” to the zoo on Thursday.

“A lot of people are saying we’re being intolerant. I don’t consider asking that the zoo look at this from a balanced perspective being intolerant,” said national chairman Jim Blake on Friday.

The Zoo has no intention of removing the statue. Good for the Zoo!

Zoo officials said the three-metre-tall statue has no religious symbols … Continue reading

Anti-Education in Canada,

“Know Yer Nuts”!

And just to make it three in a row, the crew that is driving me nuts this time around is the third creation centre in Alberta.

The Creation Discovery Centre

The CDC is to be found in sleepy little Bow Island, on Highway 3 between Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. It is part of the Bow Island Community Bible Church.

I’ve never been to the CDC, but my friend Cameron has been (a few years ago), but I don’t recall him being all that impressed. I wonder why.

Whereas the Creation Truth Ministries (Know Yer Nuts #1) and Big Valley Creation Science Museum (Know Yer Nuts #2) emphasize dinosaurs, (pseudo)biology, and so forth, the CDC is a little more outer spacey in orientation although they don’t ignore dinosaurs.

The Apollo Capsule room at the Creation Discovery Centre. Pic from CreationWiki. Why #8? Because one of the astronauts talked about God on that mission. That proves that God made the universe (apparently).

According to the blurb on their website:

The Creation Discovery Centre is open for monthly events (see our calendar for dates and times) and tour bookings. See God’s creation through the eyes of Astronomy, Manned Spaceflight, and Dinosaurs! Book a tour at the Creation Discovery Centre for groups up to a maximum of 30 people; or book a creation speaker for your organization.

Also not ignored is Noah’s ark. Notice … Continue reading

DRIVE DR. JIM NUTS

BVCSM

The little museum that couldn’t in the Big Valley that shouldn’t of which one visitor from Montana says:

“I spent more time in this museum than I did in the Smithsonian”

I posted some of my Royal Tyrrell Museum photos a few days ago, and promised to post some of the pics I took at the BVCS museum that is only a short drive away. Well, here they are.

Last August, I went to the RTM and BVCSM along with my good friends Mary, Natasha and Annabree and we had a great time. Some of us didn’t want to give the BVCSM any money but heck, it was only $5.00 and given all the laughs we got out of it, I think it was money well wasted.

Big Valley is pretty prairie village and have a nicely done website. Its a nice place and if you are touring Alberta, don’t avoid it just because of the creationists!

Lots of grain elevators like this used to dot the prairies. They are rapidly disappearing as more grain farmers are taking the stairs for the exercise.

St. Edmonds is a pretty blue church on the hill overlooking the town. I did find out which denomination, but I can’t remember (Anglican, I think). Notice the old Union Jack.

The nicest way to get to Big Valley is on the train, but we drove.

The Alberta Prairie Railway… Continue reading

Here is a new feature on Dr. Jim’s!

Know Yer Nuts

This is a when-ever-I-get-around-to-it series of posts on Canadian based creationists, general purveyors of silliness, pseudo-academia, right wing anti-social commentary, and fundamental dipwittery.

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The observant among you may also note that I have a new link category to the right,

“Danger! Head may explode”.  If you know of any other “interesting” Canadian and especially Albertan sites that might fit there, please let me know!

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So, our Number One Nuts are the good folks at:

Creation Truth Ministry

&

Alberta Dinosaur Museum

Korelei and Vance Nelson

CTM is to be found in Red Deer, Alberta and elsewhere. According to Creationwiki (yup, it exists) Vance and his Mrs. have the largest traveling creation museum in Canada.

Note the complete absence of atheist adverts.

Needless to say, these are young earth creationists. Here is what they say about their museum. A few things I’ve highlighted, just for fun.

Creation Museum Traveling Exhibits

CTM also makes available a wide selection of displays. These displays include around fifty authentic museum quality fossils. Among other things, two different dinosaur eggs from China will be on display (Hadrosaur, Segnosaur/Therizinosaur). Many museum quality fossil replicas will also be displayed.

We will bring such things as two eight foot long fossil cabinets filled with museum quality genuine fossils.  We also have a 1:87 scale model of Noah’s ark, a full size Coelophysis dinosaur cast, a T. rex footprint replica, and a full size Mosasaurus … Continue reading