"In the beginning, God created ..."

I saw a sad and disappointing news item recently about the anti-science wing of the GOP in Kansas suing the state over new science standards that focus on Darwinist evolution as the origins of life.  These taliban-gelicals feel that science which conflicts with their false interpretations of Genesis are imposing religion on them, in violation of the first amendment. (Note: The first amendment was numbered #3 in the original Bill of Rights, because the first 2 proposed amendments were not ratified in 1789. The original Second amendment was ratified in 1992 and is now the 27th Amendment.)

First, I weep (as does Jesus) for anyone whose faith is so weak that they can not accept new interpretation of Scripture in light of new knowledge.  God gave us minds to think and study His marvelous creation. These people are dissing God by refusing to think.

Genesis 1:1 tells us: "In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth." What more do we need to learn in Sunday School? The Big Bang and Evolution are just the methods God used to create our universe. He didn't do it 6 x 24 hours in 4004 BC.

Plus ça change, plus c'est ça même chose

I was working from home today, and had the TV on in the other room.  At one point, an old episode of "Good Times" (This was a 1976, early black Sitcom on TV, for those too young to remember)

They had two zinger lines: "Some day we might even have a Black president".

Then, the young school boy in the series had written letter to the Cuban government for info on a school project. He got a response, triggering an FBI investigation.  Momma said writing the letter might now be such a good idea. "Their security people probably opened your letter, and then when the Cubans answered, our security people opened the reply. There's a lot of letter opening going on."

Prescience and déjà vu in one episode. What more can one ask for?

My Brain is full, I'm ready to go home now...

Last night on the commute home, one of my carpool mates, speculated that he might go to a paid programming camp to learn better programming skills.  "M" is 25, so this prompted the question, "What language / languages are you thinking of studying, and what do hope to do with the new skills?"

"M" said part of the reason he thought about this path was that paying someone to teach a skill would force the discipline to learn something he could in theory do in self study.

This raises the question, why do we not force ourselves to learn if not in a class? I've been carrying my set of "Berlitz Spanish" CDs in my computer bad for 5 years, and still can't conjugate much more  than present tense indicative for regular verbs.

I don't have an answer to "M" or for myself, but "Necesito practicar mi español mucho más." Learning Spanish in California, like learning to swim in world of climate change, is not optional.

Oh, and "M": If you aren't sure what language to study or why, try INTERCAL.  :)

Wait, I should say, "Please try 'Intercal'".  Read the section on politeness, and you will see why I added this last line.

Two of God's beautiful distractions, or making work on Fridays worthwhile

Friday morning, my carpool dropped two of us off at work, at the first building on campus, so we could walk along the lagoon to our building.  Half way round, I looked from trying not to step in goose poop on the sidewalk, to see a beautiful white heron, perched at the waterline, looking for breakfast.

The view of that white heron, one of God's many beautiful creatures, more than offset the annoyance of going into the office on a Friday, when I would far preferred to work at home.

Then, that night on the drive home, the San Mateo bridge was its usually Friday rush hour plod. Half way across, one of my carpool mates called our attention to the crest of the Hayward Hills. There on the eastern horizon was the slimmest edge of the full moon, peeking over the hill top. As we sat in traffic, we could see the moon slowly rise, and grow from sliver, to crescent, to semi-circle, then a fully visible bright circle in the evening sky.

Alleluia! The world we live in is indeed wonderful.