For my wife...

"Madrigal"

When the dragons grow too mighty
To slay with pen or sword
I grow weary of the battle
And the storm I walk toward
When all around is madness
And there's no safe port in view
I long to turn my path homeward
To stop awhile with you

When life becomes so barren
And as cold as winter skies
There's a beacon in the darkness
In a distant pair of eyes
In vain to search for order
In vain to search for truth
But these things can still be given
Your love has shown me proof

lyrics by Neil Peart

Five more days...

I just keep telling myself that. I gave my two week notice to my my current company this past Monday. I have about had my fill with this current position! I don't ask for much. Generally I like to be 80% satisfied with the work I do in my career. Every position has drudgery you can't escape it, but over the past year I would rate my satisfaction at about 30%. So when a former co-worker e-mailed me with an opportunity back in December, I was ready to listen. Long story short, I start a new much more interesting job on the 25th. I'm much happier working in an R&D lab with the opportunity to 'break' new and exciting stuff. The extra $ won't hurt either! Yay me!

R.

a belated Happy Birthday...

Charles Darwin
born February 12, 1809

Praise him or vilify him, there can be no denying that Mr. Darwin's brilliant intuition changed the world. It is almost impossible to over-state the accomplishment of what this honest and thoughtful man did.

Very soon a movie will be released that will try it's best to link Darwin's theory to all the evil that followed the publication of "On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or The Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life" (usually abbreviated to The Origin of Species). This is grossly unfair to the man. Any idea can be perverted to support any manner of horrible action(s).

This movie will also go out of it's way to tear down Mr. Darwin's arguments, while ignoring the very sophisticated and concrete arguments of modern evolutionary theory. It should be noted that the arguments we use to support Evolution today would have been inconceivable to Darwin. Regardless what a creationist or an advocate of Intelligent Design may tell you; the frame work of evolution is very well established and is in no danger of collapsing. This is just the wishful thinking of people who are scandalized by the concept of humanity not being a specially designed creation. I've never understood how being the legacy of 4 billion years of evolution is somehow demeaning to our dignity. I find it a deeply spiritual truth.

This brings to mind the movie "Inherit the Wind". Henry Drummond as portrayed by the great Spencer Tracy is being cross examined by Matthew Brady. During their exchange Mr. Drummond says he thinks one thing is holy:

"The individual human mind. In a child's power to master the multiplication table there is more sanctity than in all your shouted amens and holy holy hosannas. An idea is a greater monument than a cathedral, and the advance of man's knowledge is a greater miracle than all the sticks turned to snakes or the parting of the waters .... The Bible is a good book, but it is not the only book .... How do you know God didn't speak to Charles Darwin?"

It's these thoughts that give me hope for the future of humanity!

R.

Nyah! Nyah! Nyah!

Lighten up Mohamed!

Seems that our more radical Islamic friends are getting their collective panties all in a twist again! To which I say: Bite ME! You wanna live in the West you deal with mockery from time to time. It's called freedom of expression! Look it up in the Library that is if you can find one once you're done burning all the books!

Sheesh!

R.

What's next...a new inquisition?

From the irony department...

So my thirteen year old daughter will be attending a Roman Catholic High School this coming September. As part of her preparations for transition into this very different world than the Public School system she now attends, she was invited to 'shadow' a current student for the day. It was decided that I would drop her off at the school office today before I went to work. As we were walking through the school grounds and school halls I couldn't help but notice that a goodly many of the students were NOT observing the school dress code, i.e. they looked as shabby and idiotic as the students attending the public high School down the road. I inquired with Libby as to the reason for this but she was as stumped as I. Anyhow, we found the office and I put her into the hands of these modern day Jesuits. Off to work I went...

About 20 minutes ago, my wife called to inform me that she had successfully picked up our daughter from her theist captors and returned her home. I then mentioned to my wife my confusion regarding the rather relaxed dress code at an ostensibly Catholic school. Get ready for this... Libby asked her mentor the reason so many students were 'dressed down'. Evidently, the school is in the midst of a very large fund raiser and the students who sell enough of what ever product (relics, candle drippings, burnt incense who knows!) get to dress down for the week!

I'd like to repeat this because it bears repeating! The Catholic High School is BENDING the rules for students who bring it in enough money! Are you following me!? They are CHANGING the rules for people who give them enough money! My daughters future High School...is selling indulgences!

'Angels and ministers of grace defend us!'

R.

Still relevant...still stirring..."Cosmos"

I was in 7th grade when the series first aired on PBS back in 1982. It had such a profound effect on me even in my formative years. I can only describe it as a religious experience. I purchased the re-released and remastered DVD version of Carl Sagan's "Cosmos" television series. This monumentally beautiful and inspiring 13 part series, defines and defends the Scientific world view that I share with so many other people.

I have developed a repartee with many theist friends through this blog and interactions with them on their own blogs. I am saying to my theist friends now; if you want to understand a little bit more of who I am and what my views are this video series is THE place to start. I harbor no delusions that it will convert you or that you will agree with every one of or even any of the points Carl makes. But, but if you don't walk away from this series with a deeper and awe filled appreciation for the Universe as revealed by science, then I suspect you don't have a beating heart!

Please take this recommendation to heart! You wont be sorry and your faith is strong enough to stand up to it I'm sure! Seriously, you won't be sorry.

If you are already a science-based non-theist or atheist and you know nothing of this series: Go to Amazon and BUY IT NOW! Trust me!


R.