Ohio Board Undoes Stand on Evolution – New York Times
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 14 — The Ohio Board of Education voted 11 to 4 Tuesday to toss out a mandate that 10th-grade biology classes include critical analysis of evolution and an accompanying model lesson plan, dealing the intelligent design movement its second serious defeat in two months.
And we can all thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for this… miracle!
Chicago Tribune | Beans Recalled; Bird’s Head Found in Can
Yack! No pinto beans for me for a good long while!
And now, I’ve got a song stuck in my head:
My mother told me to put birds in my beans,
birds in my beans, birds in my beans.
Birds in my beans.
And now I can whistle from either end.
Either end, either end.
And now I can whistle from either end
Birds in my beans.
Apparently, using the gay marriage issue to rally the rabidly religious Right in 2004 wasn’t enough. New for 2006: The brand new Anti Gay Adoption Extravaganza!
I don’t want kids of my own, but I support the right of anyone who does want to have them, by any legal means. And by legal, I mean by not kidnapping them, or swiping embryos, or anything like that.
I don’t mean by being gay and wanting to have children by adoption. That should be legal, but a number of states don’t allow it (including Florida and of course Utah). And it seems that at least 16 more states will be floggging this political horse in the next election.
It’s so *fscking* cynical.
Personally, the sooner that people on the rabid Right figure out that they have loved ones who are gay, the more they’re going to back away from this headlong drive to restrict their rights or “reform” them.
I know gay people who have children, and one or two people who were raised by gay parents. The people on the Right who get all exercise obviously don’t know anyone like this personally, or they would realize what a fallacy it is to call gay adoption a “menace.”
Via ***Dave, who says “Feh” to all of this.
Recently in Barack Obama – U.S. Senator for Illinois‘s blog, he posted a reaction to the State of the Union speech, focusing on hybrid cars and the American auto industry. I’ve been meaning to respond to this for a while, because we own a Ford Escape Hybrid.
I was reminded of this vague intention because we followed another Ford Escape Hybrid last night after dinner, which always gets us talking about the technology, the pigheadedness of goverment in not getting behind the concept more, and so on.
Obama says:
The precariousness of an oil economy, crushing healthcare costs, and the failure to design for the future are killing our auto industry. And so we have a choice. We can sit by and watch it crumble. Or we can do something to save jobs and boost our economy.
It’s time to help the auto industry invest in more fuel-efficient cars, and we believe the federal government has a role in helping them do it. We’ve introduced a proposal called the “Health Care for Hybrids” Act to address the challenges of the US auto industry and reduce our country’s dependence on foreign oil at the same time.
This bill would set up a voluntary program in which automakers could choose to receive federal financial assistance towards their retiree healthcare costs. In return, the automakers would be required to reinvest these savings into developing fuel-efficient vehicles. As a result, our proposal would measurably reduce our nation’s dependence on oil. Some of these technologies are already available and awaiting use by the Big Three.
Instead of a no-strings-attached financial bailout of the auto industry that could lead to factories being built overseas, our proposal could jumpstart the industry to commercialize new technology that consumers are demanding. More American hybrid cars also ensure that there is competition in this growing market, and would also help keep car prices low.
Hey, I’m all for the idea of affordable, highly fuel-economical cars. When it comes time to replace the RAV, I’d love to be able to get a hybrid, too, but the SUVs are pretty expensive, and I’ve already learned that I don’t care for winter driving in a car the size of the Corolla.
As it happens, several of our friends and acquaintances have hybrid cars (of various makes and models) so the topic is never far from our minds. Currently, it’s ALWAYS on our minds, because gas prices are extremely high at the current juncture.
I’m so happy that Sen. Obama is making this issue one of his own.
I posted a sermon today that Father Ted gave on the Holy Moly blog. In it, he passed along the difficult news that Gene Robinson, Bishop of New Hampshire, has entered a rehab facility. If you haven’t any interest in the controversy that the Episcopal Church is has been facing over Bishop Gene’s position as the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, this won’t mean a lot. It does to me, mostly because gay people helped me along the way when first started attending an Episcopal church.
This is why I find it difficult to understand why the more conservative members of the denomination seem so adamantly anti-gay clergy… because my experience has always been in welcoming, progressive parishes. Maybe if I’d initially walked into a very conservative parish, I’d see it differently, or maybe I’d have walked out the door.
Because a house of worship that doesn’t welcome everybody might well turn away Christ in the person of a homeless man or a mentally ill woman, or any kind of gay-lesbian-bi-questioning-trans-what-have-you person. Shutting the door on anyone is tantamount to shutting the door in Christ’s face, in my very humble opinion. I wouldn’t want to take that chance with the church that I attend.
It was hard for me to read +Gene’s open letter announcing that he voluntarily checked himself into a facility to help him with an alcohol problem. Apparently this was for the traditional 28-day treatment, and he entered February 1, so he will depart February 28th or March 1st.
I’m not a big one for formal private prayer – I usually reserve that for when I’m actually in church. But I’ll definitely keep +Gene in my thoughts, because I’m a big one on thoughts. I’ll keep him in my hopes as well. I hope that he feels love and support, and that he has the strength to overlook the uncharitable comments made by his crtics, who have been using him as a focal point for their own political ends in the national Episcopal church and in the Anglican church worldwide.
Anyway, the sermon is posted underr the title “Extraordinary Healing.” I happened to sit in on the little Bible study Ted gave in Adult Forum last week, where we discussed the reading for this week by accident (usually we discuss the current week, but there was a little accident with the photocopier and a time machine). So having done that, I actually know the context of the Gospel reading better than usual. And I’m not that big on Bible reading, so it’s nice to have the opportunity to discuss it with the other folks and Ted in small, easily comprehended bites. This news broke later in the week, so Ted did a pretty good job working it in to his sermon discussing the finer points in the Gospel reading, which covered the story of the paralyzed man whose friends dug down through the roof of the house where Jesus was staying, so they could lower his litter down so he could be healed. The man couldn’t have gotten in to receive healing without their help
And so it appears that +Gene, with the help of his partner, daughter, friends, and colleagues, is attempting to receive healing. I hope he makes it through in good shape, because the coming year or two will probably be a little rough.
Hang in there, Gene! Hang in there.
We went to Bob Chinn‘s yesterday to help Steve celebrate a birthday. It was a typicaly Bob Chinny experrience: waitstaff in Hawaiian aloha shirts with tropical fish, a huge dining room with the handwashing stations everywhere that were supposed to look like barrels of Myers’ Rum (an ingredient in the famous Bob Chinn Mai Tai) and bits of crab shell and aerosolized drawn butter floating in a fine mist over our heads.
A word not often heard at Bob Chinn’s was used: “traife.” Well, most of us were not concerned with that, and we tried to keep the spray and stray bits from hitting the people to whom it mattered.
A large birthday cake came out with a boatload of candles, and we all sang very heartily. A few minutes later, a young man and woman at a nearby table got engaged, and there was applause from all over the restaurant. The food was good, except that David’s first choice wasn’t as good as he thought it would be, and it was cheerfully accepted by the waiter and replaced with something David liked much better.
Also typical for Bob Chinn’s. The menu is so comprehensive and contains so many little asides that it’s hard to wade through it, so the waiter gave us a crash course in the history of Bob Chinn’s, walked us through the menu, and the only omission was a graded test at the end. Sadly, David missed the caveat about the Jonah stone crabs he ordered – the waiter didn’t recommend them very highly. That’s okay, there was a lot to absorb (fine mist and all).
It was a very successful and fun evening, and then we washed every exposed surface on our bodies. Which is also a typical end to a Bob Chinn’s Crab House experience.
Overheard at the Starbuck’s today, while waiting for some much-needed “go juice” for my brain:
Man behind a long line of people ordering chai soy-milk frothy venti lattes:
“They should have a fast line for the people ordering non-froufy, plain black coffees.”
Women in line ahead of me: “But we want our froufy drinks – do you want to cut ahead?”
Man: “No, I’ve got plenty of time before my flight, I just wish I could walk up, get my coffee, and go.”
Me, after some reflection: “But that would mean I’d have to stand in two lines, because my husband wants non-froufy plain black coffee, but I want all the froufy stuff.”
Man: “Yeah, for you my system wouldn’t work too well.”
We all got to the head of the line and sure enough, the lady ahead of me ordered the chai venti latte with extra foam. Me, I ordered a coffee for David, and a venti latte for me, and two blueberry scones. The guy behind me gave his order:
Man: “I’ll have a venti black coffee, half decaf and half regular, and I’ve already got my lucky coffee sleeve, I don’t need another one.”
Me: Oh, now you’re changing the rules. That’s a lot of customization for a supposedly non-froufy coffee order!”
Man, sheepishly: “Yeah, you got me there. But if I had a fully caffeinated venti I’d get the shakes, and I’m reusing my lucky sleeve for the environment. It’s more than a year old now.”
Me: “Well, that’s all right then, good for you. Enjoy your somewhat froufy black coffee.”
Just one of those silly conversations between strangers. That’s all.
And now I’ll enjoy my deliciously froufy latte. Mmmmmmm!!!! 😉
My blogchum Bill recorded this little gem under the heading “Outsider” and “Art.”
Like, WAY “outsider” “art”
I particularly like the meowing part.
DISCLAIMER:
Music is not safe for work, unless your company policy does not prevent you from spitting coffee through your nose. Do not listen to this music while operating heavy machinery. Do not listen to this music while pregnant. Do not attempt to become pregnant while listening to this music.
Good job, Bill! Well done! You’ve inspired me to do something regrettable and embarassing with music, too! Maybe we could encourage everyone to perform “Night and Day” with sundry animal noises and random sound effects!
The Cornjob Memorial Library: Sir Spendrick Hogsbottom presents “Night and Day”
I am SO putting this on my iPod when I get home. Oh, hey… that del.icio.us doodad…must do that later, too.
… because listening to a short clip of the adowwable tune nearly sent me straight into diabetic shock.
But if you want to listen, it’s here. And thewe’s a wingtone for you cewphone, too, snookum snookums!
Thanks to the nefarious machinations of Boing Boing
Technorati Tags: Cuppycake, Annoying Music
The sky outside is almost black, and there’s thunder and lightning going (very unusual for winter). We’ve got a winter storm warning for tonight, with snow, sleet, rain, ice, and all kinds of slidy badness. Tonight’s commute will be fun. Meantime, let the whining begin: “Can I leave eaaaarly? I’m wooooooried about the traaaaaafic.”
And by the way, it’s just before 11am here.