Park rangers were not pressured to lie about the age of the Grand Canyon, as an earlier press release claimed. Mike Shermer, publisher of Skeptic Magazine, tracked down the story and concludes as follows:
PEER is an anti-Bush, anti-religion liberal activist watchdog group in search of demons to exorcise and dragons to slay. On one level, that’s how the system works in a free society, and there are plenty of pro-Bush, pro-religion conservative activist watchdog groups who do the same thing on the other side. Maybe in a Hegelian process of thesis-antithesis-synthesis we find truth that way; at least at the level of talk radio. But journalistic standards and scholarly ethics still hold sway at all levels of discourse that matter, and to that end I believe we were duped by an activist group who at the very least exaggerated a claim and published it in order to gain notoriety for itself, or worse, simply made it up.
For those keeping score I count this as the second time that I have picked up a bogus press release without realizing that I’ve been had. Is that a good record? Poor? Who knows. I doubt most bloggers keep count.
cleek
Is that a good record?
you’re still no Ledeen. keep trying.
Barry
There’s a saying that irony is hard to detect on the net, since for any whacked out possible belief, there’s somebody who seriously believes it.
Similarly, it’s hard to detect slander against this administration, since it’s done so much screwed-up stuff.
Krista
Good to know. It seemed a bit absurd at the time, but then again, so have many of the things initiated by the dominionists.
Stuff like this pisses me off, though, because it then provides additional ammunition for those who claim that the entire media is biased against Bush and the religious right. There are enough damning facts already about Bush and the theocrats — groups who make stuff up about them are only hurting those that they are trying to help.
OCSteve
The fact that you acknowledge it, on the front page (and not B13 below the fold), means you have my respect whether it is 2 times or 100.
canuckistani
Crap. I got suckered by that story too. What can I say? After the ID in schools and 24-year-old NASA appointees censoring the big bang, I found it credible.
Tom in Texas, what’s a good robust red wine to go with crow?
Jake
Gee, do you think some tedious little turd will use this mistake as proof that everything else Tim F. ever says is wrong? That when said turd’s back is against the wall because he is wrong he’ll say it doesn’t count because Tim F. made a mistake? I guess it could apply to John Cole too, since he is a co-blogger. Maybe turd will say anyone who responded to the original post is also wrong about everything forever and ever…
Nah! That would be stupid.
Darrell
ditto. I confess to being surprised and impressed. Kudos Tim.
Next, “Liberals are stupid and gullible.” Discuss ;)
Krista
I imagine crow would be rather gamey and strong, so you’d probably want a fairly dry, full-bodied red to be able to stand up to it. Maybe a Chateauneuf-du-Pape or a Pinot Noir?
Darrell
ammunition = factual evidence
Krista
Make sure to cook enough crow for this fellow too:
I know, Tim’s a leftie with integrity…shocking, innit?
And Darrell, you’ve just proved my point. PEER’s BS article is not proof of a widespread liberal media bias any more than Rush Limbaugh’s spoutings are proof of a widespread conservative media bias. On both sides of the fence, there are those who will spread falsehoods in order to further their agenda.
ThymeZone
The story is what it is. The book exists and it is being sold in Grand Canyon National Park stores, according to CBN. And they appear to be quite proud of the fact.
The detail of “pressure” being applied or not applied doesn’t matter to me. What matters is that these dumbshits are promoting such a book, and getting it sold on National Park property. Pressure or no pressure, that’s a bad thing.
The Park Service doesn’t have an “offical version” of the age of the canyon? Why the fuck doesn’t it?
Andrew
Truthiness, bitches.
zzyzx
Tim – was it you that posted about the windows live ad? It came up today so I traced I-90 for a while and was able to get it to go all the way to Albany before I finally got bored. So, yes, the whole country is probably viewable in that ad window.
TenguPhule
Fixed. So on-topic of Darrell’s last off-topic, when is Darrel going to admit he is either for or against main-stream conservatives calls to ally with Al Queda to kill liberals?
TenguPhule
Indeed. So how’s that ‘fake’ AP source coming? Or that ‘Iran’s leader is dead’ exclusive’?
Tim F.
Game birds usually call for a spicy white, say a Gewurztraminer or a dry Riesling. I’ve got a Hugel et Fils from Alsace already chilling in the ‘fridge.
srv
The Grand Canyon was created by the FSM’s Noodlely Appendages. I will be submitting my creation book to the GCA shortly.
Tim F.
It’s like crack, isn’t it? Now that it’s centered on Boston I am seriously thinking about trying to find Walden Pond.
Vladi G
Krista says:
Shithead responds
And apparently “entire media” = “skeptic magazine”, a magazine/website that about .5% of the country has ever even heard of. Typical of Darrel, the serial liar.
Zifnab
I suppose this is a lesson in what the left-wing can’t let itself devolve into. You start swallowing this shit too much and you end up looking like the dreggs of the internet community. Like Red State.
Krista
Actually, Tim, if I forward you a link to the menu for my birthday dinner next weekend, can you recommend some wines? (It’s a restaurant where you bring your own wine…)
dreggas
1. There were no WMD’s.
2. Iraq had no ties to Al Qaeda.
3. Weaponized drones are not made from balsa wood.
4. Osama Bin Laden is laughing his ass off right now.
5. Trickledown Economics still doesn’t work.
6. There is no such thing as a “Unitary Executive”.
7. The NSA Surveillance program was done in secret and is illegal.
8. Signing statements are symbolic, contrary to what the decider says, and carry no weight unless you are the decider.
9. Bush quote: “Things would be easier if this were a dictatorship and I was the dictator”.
10. Bush Quote: “There’s a poster in Texas that says Wanted Dead Or Alive”.
11. Bush Quote: “I don’t think about Bin Laden much.”
Need I go on Darell?
And I believe the real facts of the story were that this POS book was on shelves at the grand canyon store. Since the park service seems to take no stand on the age of it what’s to say rangers don’t as well? Also until such time as the whistle is actually blown no one can know for sure if there is pressure being applied.
Oh and one more fact Levin And Hagel just did a presser giving bush the finger in the form of a bi-partisan resolution telling Shrubbus Maximus to keep it in his pants and forget the surge.
dreggas
leave me out of this :P
RSA
In this case, I think something lighter is appropriate: a blush wine, or perhaps even a Chagrin Blanc.
ThymeZone
Things that didn’t happen = pressure to sell the book.
Things that did happen = NPS “forgot” to review the book, thereby tacitly approving of its sale in the park.
Your National Park Service is afraid to confront the crazy people who lie about the age of the earth. Their view, apparently is that it’s okay to shrug at the question.
Visitor: Mister Ranger, how old are these rocks?
Ranger: I’m not at liberty to say, madam.
Visitor: But don’t the geologists know?
Ranger: I am not at liberty to acknowledge geology, madam. That is a matter for each person to decide for himself or herself.
Visitor: Wait …. you mean, we should have choice?
Ranger: I am not at liberty to say, madam. I’m sorry.
Visitor: So the Park Service can’t tell me how old this canyon is?
Ranger: That would be unfair to some of our visitors, madam. Please refer to your personal science or religious advisors.
Yeah, Things That Did Not Happen.
Paddy O'Shea
Nothing like a successful anti-Bush scam to brighten my day.
I think if you go by the “nothing I read on the internet is true” rule, you’ll be right 95% of the time. That is a very good percentage.
This “dregs of the internet” charge is disturbing, though. I wasn’t aware such things could be measured. What would that be, like two subway stops beyond Hell?
chopper
i’m surprised that darrell was actually right about something.
dreggas
And In Todays “Things That Piss you off (and also didn’t happen *wink*)
In bush’s words: “Doing a Heckuva Job Pervezie”
More here
Andrew
I hear that anywhere from 0 to 650,000 Iraqis have died as a result of the Grand Canyon story.
Not Bob Jones
I think what is sad here is that we did believe this because so much of what has gone on lately made this claim believable.
Pooh
It’s far less than that, and you can’t prove otherwise. The Grand Canyon has produced a net positive number of living Iraqis.
Tim F.
Krista,
Make sure that you email Tom in Tx as well. I like wine but Tom’s a pro.
Krista
Will do! Thanks! Normally I wouldn’t have too much of a problem picking out wine, but this is a 5-course fixed menu meal, and there’s a pretty interesting variety of dishes — so it’s to find a wine that complements all of it.
demimondian
PoTD
Jimmy Mack
It’s nice to see what high standards self-described members of the “reality-based community” hold themselves to. If Pajamas did something like this, you’d be calling for their heads. I know you like to pretend this is a resposible, centrist blog, but you’re just as biased as Red State, Kos, and the like, clearly.
tBone
Careful, Jimmy. Darrell could probably sue you for copyright infringement if you keep lifting his signature lines like this.
Niket
There is a reason why I respect publications like Skep.Mag. The reason shows clearly in its retraction. There was no “yes but our point is still valid because NPS sells a creationist book”. It was a clear admission of mistake, as clear as one can possibly be. The article claiming the Bush admin silencing science was promptly retracted, with no caveats. And finally, an acknowledgment was made that while NPS still sells the creationist book, that still does not validate the central premise of the retracted article.
Thats how real journalism/science/life should work. When facts contradict your point of view, its the POV that needs to be modified… not massage the facts to suit your POV.
Kudos to Shermer and Tim!
scarshapedstar
Clearly, this proves that George Bush never said:
Tune in next week to Adventures in Kerning, when we prove that Al Gore never said he “invented the internet” and therefore pretty much the entire “liberal media” is a fucking farce.
Wait, sorry, that episode’s been shitcanned and replaced with some sort of Ronnie Raygun hagiography.
Joel
They do still sell the creationist book, in the “inspirational” section right next to books that give the Hopi and Paiute creation stories.
TenguPhule
Shorter Jimmy: Pricks!
merlallen
I am a uniter, not a divider.
Bruce Moomaw
Oh dear. I believe I was the one who pointed you toward that one. My apologies. Still, the Park Service WAS apparently selling that dumb book in its bookstore.
Helena Montana
What is Skeptic Magazine? I’ve never heard of it before. Sounds like another Focus on the Family front org to me!
Sherard
Good record ? Poor record ? Uh, no. All it indicates is your desire for these stories to be true in order to validate your simplistic view of Bush as Dumb, Evil. Not so much the truth that matters as much as the proper narrative. Admitting you have a problem is the first step.
Bombadil
A wine? Nothing says you can’t open multiple bottles!
Krista
Good point, Bombadil. Good point.
Pb
Irony, thy name is Sherard.
scarshapedstar
When a man says that the “jury is still out” on the entire foundation of biology it’s pretty hard to avoid concluding that he is either a
a) a drooling, helmeted window-licker (i.e., Dumb)
or
b) a fucking liar (i.e., Evil).
Perhaps not both, though. I’ll concede that. For the record, though, which do you think it is?
Punchy
I think they have medication for that.
As for this:
Exactly the opposite. The magazine is the shit. Shermer is a stud. Logical, reasonable, measured. Hell, the guy used to do RAAM, and was damn good at it. He’s on our side.
RSA
It’s clear to me that any attention to ramming must be part of a liberal plot to destroy the American family.
canuckistani
I am glad that this story is not true. It’s always nice to find out that the world isn’t quite as fucked up as you were afraid it was. But in the year 2007, I don’t need or want any more evidence that Bush is dumb and/or evil. I had all I needed years ago.
Tom
Park this story next to the one about the gay sheep.
noodly appendage
Skeptic Magazine is very good. They’ve got a great little “how to argue with a creationist” pamphlet that works wonders when one is backed into a corner by the mystics.
Creation myths and pseudo science are alive and well, whether it’s a 6006 year old earth or some bizarre Gaia worshipping green weenie.
Skeptic helps.