checkitout's Open Salon Blog

Minor Victory

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:12:32 -0500

Norvus' Original blog is no longer listed as an editors pick so far as I can tell. I'm not that nimble on OS yet. But he has a 'serious' follow up blog with the same allegations about interviews with Time, and publications in local newspapers in it that can't be verified.

Someone asked me why I dug into this

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:12:24 -0500

Simple enough. Normally I'm a resident of Cleveland. There are three prominent Case (CWRU) professors working for the forces of good, that is teaching evolution and opposing the creationists and their lies. I know all three...Krause is a fellow MIT alum, Pat Princehouse, and Manu Singham, whose kids went to school with mine. And as I just hinted I'm a scientist by training. I look up references as a habit. My fingers just seem to move on their own.

Why bother? Just look at all the other debates going on that have the paranoic fundamentalist christians on the wrong side...global warming, Obama's place of birth, his being a fascist/communist/socialist, the manipulated ACORN videos...the list is probably endless. Creduluous lefties on Salon falling for a hoax about Christians and evolution plays right into their hands..regardless of the intent of the hoaxer...no matter what he writes latter the approving comments (as opposed to all the ones pointing out its a hoax) are ammunition for the other side in a long, long war.

It probably wouldn't matter if this remained buried in the back of Open Salon, with the excuse of fiction Friday, whatever that is. But front and center on Salon's Main Page, what were the editors thinking giving it an EP? Are they in on the joke if joke it is?

Norman Novus 'fesses up

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:12:38 -0500

I'm not sure about the etiquette 'round these here parts about reposting something someone sends you a PM about. So I won't repost what I'm getting from Norman. TELLING you all about the contents is fair game in any environment. HE claims its art. BS. He wants me to go along with the gag. And the horse he road in on. As it is I'm sure this little hoax will get picked up by every right wing kook out there as yet another excuse to ignore reason: "Norvus fooled you, so you're a fool about evolution too suckers!"

Norman Novus' "Editors Pick" Blog is a hoax

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:12:03 -0500

This is a Hoax.- I have email from him admitting it.

The author keeps pulling posts that show this is a bogus blog. Coward and fraud.

None of the references or links are to what they purport to be.
The reference to Time is from 2006
There is no Macy's building near Case Western Reserve in Cleveland (I'm a resident I know better). Most Likely from Chicago.
The foliage in the background isn't winter either, and the protestors are dressed wrong for winter
There is no 'Novus' publishing works on genomes, either from Case or anywhere else.
Similar work to that described from case researchers appeared in 2002.
CCoR (visible on the lower right of the placards) is the Chicago Council of Rationality). Probably from a fake protest to promote Bill Mayer's "Religulous"
The Freedom From Religion Foundation had its National Meeting last month...November 2009, there is no major meeting in January 2010.
There are no references to this in the Cleveland Plain Dealer or other publications linked to the blog.
The only link that seems to be what it's supposed to be is the snake-oil young earther preacher
the URL link says 'noman' not Norman. Freudian slip or clue?
Graduate students aren't interviewed about papers...their professor is the primary author and would be the one to take any interviews.

I'm hoping if I keep posting this it will come to the attention of the hard to reach Salon staff and they'll take appropriate action.

Also hope others pick up on this and flood the guy so he can't take down damning posts as fast as they come in.