Monthly Archives: September 2013

09.27.13
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More Creationist Nonsense in Kansas

This article from the NCSE http://ncse.com/news/2013/09/anti-ngss-lawsuit-filed-kansas-0015078   describes a creationist organization known as COPE (Citizens for Obviously Perverted Education) oops (Citizens for Objective Public Education) have sued the Kansas State Board of Education because the Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) apparently are riddled with facts and evidence, which make them highly undesirable for creationists, because facts and evidence is  Kryptonite to Superman. Or in other words, science and all of its damnable facts teach children things that contradict their book of fables. (well duh it was written over 2000 years ago, we have learned a few things since, well some people have) Now they are all up in arms about children learning good science because well, jebus or something. The NCSE article is kinda long but worth the read.

There is a little bit of silver lining in this situation, in that these wacky creationists have completely dropped the stealth plan of sneaking their so called theory of ID into schools. They have instead gone whole hog batshit bible insane. About the NGSS I quote:  “will have the effect of causing Kansas public schools to establish and endorse a non-theistic religious worldview … in violation of the Establishment, Free Exercise, and Speech Clauses of the First Amendment, and the Equal Protection Clauses of the 14th Amendment”  The first part of that quote is the clincher, they don’t want children learning science because it doesn’t jive with their religion.

Another great quote in the article from COPE: “The complaint alleges that the NGSS and the Framework “seek to cause students to embrace a non-theistic Worldview … by leading very young children to ask ultimate questions about the cause and nature of life and the universe … and then using a variety of deceptive devices and methods that will lead them to answer the questions with only materialistic/atheistic explanations. … The effect … is to cause the students to ultimately ‘know’ and ‘understand’ that the student is not a design or a creation made for a purpose, but rather is just a ‘natural object’ that has emerged from the random interactions of matter, energy and the physical forces via unguided evolutionary processes which are the core tenets of Religious (‘secular’) Humanism” (p. 15). Both the Big Bang and evolution are emphasized as problematic.”  Yeah…I am afraid science has a lot of evidence to support it, which is what they mean with “deceptive devices and methods” …and then the rest is basically saying that students will learn about naturalistic causes (for which we have evidence) that might lead them to believe that they were not “specially created” as is taught by creationuts (for which there is no evidence.)

Well boo freaking hoo. It is high time we base our understanding of reality on what we know, not what we think we know, or what we believe. Beliefs are not facts. Personal beliefs do not belong in schools, they sure as hell do not need to be taught as facts. Schools should teach the science we know. Period. No Religion allowed. I think that is why there are all of those eyesores known as churches that litter the landscape. Please brainwash your children there, and leave the rest of us be. There are many things for science to yet discover, I want my kids on the learning curve, not the dead end street.

Fortunately this looks like a frivolous lawsuit that won’t go anywhere. Although it does serve as a beacon for reason.

09.23.13
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The Comet Is Coming!

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ISON is it’s name, comet-ary awesomeness is it’s game. It will be here in Nov. I cannot wait. This one has the potential to be the comet of the decade, or even of the century. Scientists think this one could get so bright it can be seen in the daytime. At the very least it should be a naked eye object from dusk to darkness. 

The last time we had a “comet of the century” event, it was Kohoutek back in 1979, which fizzled and failed spectacularly to meet expectations, comets are notoriously difficult to predict accurately, but this one has the potential to be a whopper. Anyone with binoculars, or a pair of eyeballs should get a kick out of this one, even it only meets half of its expectations. I am so looking forwards to this event.

A few details from the Hubble site:   http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2013/24/image/a/

09.23.13
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Gov’t Shutdown Looms

I get up this morning to a headline similar to this. My first thought was the government shutdown a long time ago. We have no functioning governing body, we have a squabbling bunch of pre-school children that refuse to work together, and are divided along chocolate and white milk lines. Some I think would prefer juice, but are unwilling to speak up, for fear of retribution on the playground. 

In any event, it looks like the teacher has been out of the classroom way too long, and total chaos has ensued. Pencils and crayons are being thrown around, paper wads in little Suzie’s hair, I think there is gum on the teachers chair, and little Billy looks like he is drawing a crude representation of a race car on the chalk board. 

Let the Gov’t shut down. We have no gov’t as it is.

 

09.21.13
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Aljazeera America

Really? I have been seeing ads all over TV, now I’m seeing them here and there on the internet, they are marketing this thing up heavily. While I am all for the free market and open competition, I have to wonder…do we really need a conservative, religiously/politically motivated, fundamentalist slant on our news? Don’t we already have Fox News?

I have about as much interest in watching this as I would for signing up for free shock therapy, which is less than zero. In fact, what I see from regular Fox News viewers, is that stupefied deer in the headlights look, that people should not value as a personality trait. Reminds me of those old “this is your brain on drugs” commercials. This is you before Faux News, This is you after…

Didn’t Aljazeera just get banned from the air somewhere? In a country of their own religious view? http://www.dc4mf.org/en/content/al-jazeera-mubasher-misr-and-four-other-channels-forced-air

Just what we need, a bunch of shit stirring, emotion manipulating, riot inducing, “news”. If Faux News is bad, this is probably something much, much worse. I will not be watching, I would prefer my brain on drugs…I really hope they shrivel up and die due to lack of paid commercials, or funding in general, before they become the problem here, they have proven to be elsewhere.

I don’t want or need my news flavored with a point of view. I want my news presented as the facts, I am perfectly capable of forming my own views. Thank you. “Just the facts ma’am.” Joe Friday, Dragnet. Yeah, probably giving away my age with that one  🙂

09.19.13
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Good Luck With That… (Pope Warns Church on Divisive Rules on Abortion, Gays)

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/pope-warns-church-find-balance-fail-20305398

If ever there was a sign that religion is losing its grip on society, I’d take this as one. Effectively this article admits the faults of the church over the years, being heavy handed and showing no signs of empathy for fellow man. Regarding all of our social differences, sexual orientations or personal necessities based on cultural or circumstantial situations… and maintaining rule with an ironclad cross as the expected way to run its business.

So this Pope is calling for them to tone it down a notch, for fear of losing more of its hold on its followers. From what I understand, from my travels in internet land, it is no well hidden secret that x-ian sects have been on a steady decline for some time. I see this as a band aid, trying to patch up a foot long gash. Or in other words, too little, too late. 

I strongly doubt that this new line of thought will take hold anytime soon. Those in the church, with their supposed authority, aren’t likely to give in to this newfangled way of thinking, it just goes against the trend they have already set for themselves. It would be like asking an old style executioner to stop sharpening his axe, they are moving to a new mode of killing, with butterflies instead. I just don’t see it happening, without first there being a change in the status quo. 

Too much blood on the ground, too many millions dead at the hands of religion. Too many raped children. Too many abused. Too many scandals. Too much denying of inconvenient facts that contradict their beliefs. Too many lies and cover ups. Too much of all of it and more, for this little band aid to make much of a difference, even if they could get this kind of change to take place within their ranks.

The best change we can all hope for, is for religion'(s), all of them, is to die the slow painful death they deserve. Sooner, better than later. 

 

 

 

09.14.13
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Low Omega 3 Linked to Lower Brain Function

Interesting study reveals that low Omega 3 fatty acids, are related to lower reading skills, concentration, behavior, and learning ability.

If you know anything at all about the course of evolution, related to humans and our earliest ancestors, fish, it isn’t really all that much of a surprise that these O 3’s would be an important part of our diet…right? With a data set of nearly 500 participants, this is in my mind a significant study, with a significant conclusion, being that kids during their earlier years of development, would do well to have a good dose of Omega 3 intake. Probably could’t hurt us adults either.

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_stories/2013/130905.html

09.14.13
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No Freakin Way

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Was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw this.

That pic is the first known biological gear mechanism. Full story here, http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/functioning-mechanical-gears-seen-in-nature-for-the-first-time …anyone who digs science, this is a must click link.

The short story is an insect known as an Issus, has a gear mechanism, by way of evolution, that synchronizes its legs for jumping. Allowing it to perform powerful jumps, and retain control throughout the jump, due to the accurate dispersal of energy to both legs at the moment the jump is initiated. 

As in many evolutionary traits (think embryology) this function is lost in adulthood, being present only in juvenile Issus.

Just…amazing.

 

 

09.13.13
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Kentucky Governor a Champion for Reality

I suspected this whole anti science/pro creationist lobby would put up a scrap in Ky. They sure did, the legislature voted down the new science standards, meaning to, and I quote “wipe away all the hard work that Kentucky’s teachers and scientists invested in creating these standards, along with top scientists and teachers from across the country.” These maroons voted it down 5-1.

Fortunately for those of us sided with reason, the governor Steven Beshear overrode the decision, striking it down, and passed the new standards. Pro reality advocates were dumbfounded when the legislative vote went against them, and while the gov’s veto is cause for celebration, they are understandably in a mild state of shock that these legislative nimrods voted against the new science standards.

Quoted from the NCSE article http://ncse.com/blog/2013/09/question-answered-yes-kentucky-legislators-will-block-ngss-0015034 : 

Though they would soon be celebrating, science advocates in attendance were aghast immediately after the meeting. Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday told a reporter in the hallway: “I think it was pretty much a political vote. I don’t think there is any meat to these issues that we haven’t fully addressed.”

Rob Bevins, president of Kentuckians for Science Education, was equally disappointed. He told the paper “I wouldn’t be surprised if we’re on the Daily Show tomorrow.”

“I’m still in disbelief,” a scientist who attended the hearing told me. “The arguments our side put forth were exponentially more powerful than theirs. I’m getting ready to go to a meeting at UK [the University of Kentucky] and I’m going to bring it up the fact that we need to be more active.”

Thing is, there are reality denying, evidence ignoring, creationist dumb asses entrenched in school boards, regulatory panels, and political offices all across the country. They are constantly working to destroy solid science education, and replace it with some religiously motivated “alternative science” (known as ID) because it better fits their preconceptions and/or beliefs. They will not be satisfied until this country has become a x-ian theocracy. Every time they lose a battle such as this one, they lie low, regroup, and pop up somewhere else, looking to overthrow science based methodologies and replace that with superstitious nonsense.

While this battle is won, the fight is far from over. Texas appears to be the next battleground. I am watching with a hopeful eye. Perhaps this situation in Ky. may help to influence the outcome there, one can only hope, but the gov in Tx. is a x-ain buffoon, There will be no last minute veto there, so the only hope for reason will be at the lower levels. Good luck Texas. 

 

09.02.13
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Quote of the Month

Well, looks like another month has crept upon us. Time for  the the 3rd in the Quote of the Month series.

Lets go with Ben Franklin this time. Short, sweet and to the point.

“Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.”

Indeed they are sir, one has a useful purpose to benefit mankind, the other is religion.

The obligatory link to where I’m cribbing these quotes 🙂 

http://freethought.mbdojo.com/foundingfathers.html#franklin

 

09.02.13
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Tragic Pa. Crash

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While I am still dealing with the horrible reality that there are 6 dead in this crash, including 2 children that were occupants of the Jeep,  my stomach still has a sinking feeling of dread that is only now starting to fade…I cannot imagine the shock and pain of the surviving families, or what it would be like for something this awful to hit close to home. It is indeed unfortunate that things like this happen every day. My empathy goes out to the families.

Then while I am contemplating this incident, I realized, the Jeep is still recognizable as well, a Jeep. The Bonneville looks like it can be carted off in a wheelbarrow. I can’t fathom the forces or the angles of impact that would cause such a devastating crash. I can tell you though, if it ever comes down to me choosing to buy, or ride in a Jeep or a Bonneville, I’m picking the Jeep.