Would it be prudent to take spiritual advice about the afterlife from a religion that is demonstrably out of touch with reality? For example, what if someone was telling you what you should do to get to heaven, but also insisted the earth is flat in spite of all evidence to the contrary. Wouldn't it damage that religion's credibility on spiritual matters if it can be so easily proven wrong about something that has so much physical evidence? Wouldn't you question that person's sanity or at the very least, their ability to reason clearly?
Take it further, what if that religion had a relatively large percentage of the population bamboozled into thinking the earth is really flat, and those well-meaning but misguided people heavily lobbied school boards and politicians to demand equal time for the flat earth theory, citing "academic fairness" and "teach the controversy" as their slogans?
What if that religion ignored tons of evidence of many different types that clearly falsified its views, and denied or distorted the evidence it didn't ignore to bamboozle its followers into thinking there actually was any substance to their argument. What if there had been a dozen major court cases the past forty years where that religion could have presented evidence to support their view, or evidence to falsify the idea the earth isn't flat, yet failed to do so. What if there was actually NO scientific evidence, none at all, to support that religion's view. Does it still seem right or fair to give it "equal time" in public school science classrooms?
That is EXACTLY the situation in America today with regard to the teaching of evolution. This is not a straw man argument. To deny the overwhelming evidence for evolution is just as ridiculous and just as wrong as to insist the earth is really flat. The situation is exactly as I describe it, no exaggeration, no distortion. It would be funny if the potential negative consequences for America, humanity and the planet were not so grave. How can so many people be so ignorant in the 21st century?
Note that I am not claiming that the evidence for evolution somehow disproves God. What I am saying is that the evidence does exist; it is not as most creationists describe it, and many people are basing their opinion on faulty information. If God exists, God apparently used evolution as a tool of creation, and if it didn't happen that way, then God is apparently a trickster to plant so MUCH evidence suggesting that it did.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
The Day the Red Baron Died
Today is the 93rd anniversary of his death on April 21, 1918.
The science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein wrote in The Notebooks of Lazarus Long that "The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of 'loyalty' and 'duty.' Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute -- get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed."
I wonder if I recognized and identified with the concepts of loyalty and duty even as a five year old boy when I first read about the World War One flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. He was a great hunter, had keen eyesight, and what could be called situational awareness. While most men in aerial combat were lucky if they could even just look out for themselves, he was able to keep track of what all the men in his squadron were doing at all times.
After they landed, the others were amazed that von Richthofen could tell them in detail what they had done right and what they had done wrong in the previous combat. I always wanted to be like von Richthofen, somebody respected for outstanding abilities at what they do but even more, somebody that others could count on. I have always tried to be that type of friend.
As for duty, von Richthofen was seriously hurt in aerial combat on July 6, 1917 but survived to fight again. He never should have seen combat after that serious head wound, and he was urged to take a job as an instructor behind the lines. He didn't want any special treatment just because he was famous. He said that if any ordinary soldier had suffered the same wound, that soldier would have been sent back to the front to fight as soon as possible. Also, he didn't want to abandon his comrades at the front. He had a sense of obligation to his comrades and to his country. For some reason that really struck a chord with me, and he has always been one of my role models.
Yes I know there were bad things about him. He enjoyed hunting, even if the prey was other people. But he was loyal and courageous, and he exemplified almost as much as it is possible for any human to do, the twin concepts of loyalty and duty so highly praised by that popular science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein.
I wrote an informative speech about the Fokker Triplane (made famous by the Red Baron) that is one of the better concise sources of information about this aircraft on the internet. I even wrote a song about the character and career of the Red Baron and posted a music video on YouTube. The song lyrics are historically accurate, focusing mainly on the day he was wounded July 6, 1917. The images used in the video are also historically accurate. Several noted aviation artists gave me permission to use images of some of their artwork in this video.
The science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein wrote in The Notebooks of Lazarus Long that "The two highest achievements of the human mind are the twin concepts of 'loyalty' and 'duty.' Whenever these twin concepts fall into disrepute -- get out of there fast! You may possibly save yourself, but it is too late to save that society. It is doomed."
I wonder if I recognized and identified with the concepts of loyalty and duty even as a five year old boy when I first read about the World War One flying ace Manfred von Richthofen, better known as the Red Baron. He was a great hunter, had keen eyesight, and what could be called situational awareness. While most men in aerial combat were lucky if they could even just look out for themselves, he was able to keep track of what all the men in his squadron were doing at all times.
After they landed, the others were amazed that von Richthofen could tell them in detail what they had done right and what they had done wrong in the previous combat. I always wanted to be like von Richthofen, somebody respected for outstanding abilities at what they do but even more, somebody that others could count on. I have always tried to be that type of friend.
As for duty, von Richthofen was seriously hurt in aerial combat on July 6, 1917 but survived to fight again. He never should have seen combat after that serious head wound, and he was urged to take a job as an instructor behind the lines. He didn't want any special treatment just because he was famous. He said that if any ordinary soldier had suffered the same wound, that soldier would have been sent back to the front to fight as soon as possible. Also, he didn't want to abandon his comrades at the front. He had a sense of obligation to his comrades and to his country. For some reason that really struck a chord with me, and he has always been one of my role models.
Yes I know there were bad things about him. He enjoyed hunting, even if the prey was other people. But he was loyal and courageous, and he exemplified almost as much as it is possible for any human to do, the twin concepts of loyalty and duty so highly praised by that popular science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein.
I wrote an informative speech about the Fokker Triplane (made famous by the Red Baron) that is one of the better concise sources of information about this aircraft on the internet. I even wrote a song about the character and career of the Red Baron and posted a music video on YouTube. The song lyrics are historically accurate, focusing mainly on the day he was wounded July 6, 1917. The images used in the video are also historically accurate. Several noted aviation artists gave me permission to use images of some of their artwork in this video.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
46th anniversary of the Beatles recording Help!
The Beatles recorded the song Help! the evening of April 13, 1965, in twelve takes during a four hour recording session at Studio 2, Abbey Road Studios, London, England. The producer was George Martin. The engineer was Norman Smith.
This is one of John Lennon's favorite songs from his time with the Beatles. I like it too. I usually only play my own original songs; this is one of the few "covers" I do of songs by other artists. I have listened to it and played along to it on guitar literally thousands of times the past five or six years. I play both John's rhythm guitar parts and George's lead guitar parts in my arrangement, trying to get the sound and timing as close as possible to the original version. Sometimes I add extra verses of my own derivations of this classic song.
The last time I was recorded playing this song was in December 2009. I play and sing it much better now than then, but have not yet been re-recorded. I got most of the song the first few days of playing along to it. Sometimes months go by without my learning anything new to improve my playing of it, but once in a while my ears and brain pick up something that I hadn't heard before. Listening to the studio takes helps a lot, also the live versions. I hope to re-record this song sometime in the next few months (maybe a lot sooner). If so, it will be posted on my web site and possibly also on YouTube.
This is one of John Lennon's favorite songs from his time with the Beatles. I like it too. I usually only play my own original songs; this is one of the few "covers" I do of songs by other artists. I have listened to it and played along to it on guitar literally thousands of times the past five or six years. I play both John's rhythm guitar parts and George's lead guitar parts in my arrangement, trying to get the sound and timing as close as possible to the original version. Sometimes I add extra verses of my own derivations of this classic song.
The last time I was recorded playing this song was in December 2009. I play and sing it much better now than then, but have not yet been re-recorded. I got most of the song the first few days of playing along to it. Sometimes months go by without my learning anything new to improve my playing of it, but once in a while my ears and brain pick up something that I hadn't heard before. Listening to the studio takes helps a lot, also the live versions. I hope to re-record this song sometime in the next few months (maybe a lot sooner). If so, it will be posted on my web site and possibly also on YouTube.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Lego my ego
Compare the Lego model of me to the other photograph taken some years ago when I used to hang out with Peter Griffin of the Family Guy TV show. It's actually quite a good likeness!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
U.S.S. Saratoga torpedoed on this date in 1942
The U.S.S. Saratoga was one of our first fast aircraft carriers. She was converted while building from a World War I design battlecruiser under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. In the years before World War II the Saratoga was distinguished from her sister ship and class leader Lexington by a large black vertical stripe down her funnel and was known as "Stripe-Stacked Sara."
On January 11, 1942 the U.S.S. Saratoga was hit by a single torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-6. She limped into Pearl Harbor where a temporary patch was applied, then went to the U.S. West Coast for more extensive repairs and modifications. These included the replacement of the 8" guns by the more efficient 5"/38 guns that doubled as antiaircraft weapons.
Saratoga arrived at Pearl Harbor just too late for the Battle of Midway in June 1942, fought in the Solomons campaign later that year when she was torpedoed again by another Japanese submarine, helped the British Far Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean in 1944, and was damaged by kamikazes off Japan in 1945. She was sunk by atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946 and today is a popular destination for scuba divers.
On January 11, 1942 the U.S.S. Saratoga was hit by a single torpedo from the Japanese submarine I-6. She limped into Pearl Harbor where a temporary patch was applied, then went to the U.S. West Coast for more extensive repairs and modifications. These included the replacement of the 8" guns by the more efficient 5"/38 guns that doubled as antiaircraft weapons.
Saratoga arrived at Pearl Harbor just too late for the Battle of Midway in June 1942, fought in the Solomons campaign later that year when she was torpedoed again by another Japanese submarine, helped the British Far Eastern Fleet in the Indian Ocean in 1944, and was damaged by kamikazes off Japan in 1945. She was sunk by atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in 1946 and today is a popular destination for scuba divers.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Merry Kitzmas!
Humans share common ancestry with other living things. Overwhelming evidence of many different types clearly shows this is so, but many people have been lied to about this subject and try to say evolution doesn't happen. It's just as crazy as if half the adults in the USA were to insist the earth is flat in spite of all evidence to the contrary. It really is that obvious.
This is the fifth anniversary of the decision by Judge John E. Jones III on the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial. This 2005 trial clearly showed that so-called "intelligent design" is not a scientific idea because it is NOT supported by ANY scientific evidence in spite of claims by its advocates to the contrary. Intelligent Design as presented at that time was in fact a thinly disguised repackaging of so-called "scientific creationism" which is a religious belief and therefore has no place in a public school science classroom. In his decision, Judge Jones basically called the defendants liars and referred to the "breathtaking inanity" of those who push the teaching of intelligent design. This was a major victory of truth and reason over the forces of fear and ignorance.
Merry Kitzmas!
December 20 has more personal significance in my life. That date in 1978 is what I have traditionally observed as the first time I played guitar. I have been a guitarist ever since, but I did not start doing it while riding a bicycle until a few years later in the early 1980s.
This is the fifth anniversary of the decision by Judge John E. Jones III on the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District trial. This 2005 trial clearly showed that so-called "intelligent design" is not a scientific idea because it is NOT supported by ANY scientific evidence in spite of claims by its advocates to the contrary. Intelligent Design as presented at that time was in fact a thinly disguised repackaging of so-called "scientific creationism" which is a religious belief and therefore has no place in a public school science classroom. In his decision, Judge Jones basically called the defendants liars and referred to the "breathtaking inanity" of those who push the teaching of intelligent design. This was a major victory of truth and reason over the forces of fear and ignorance.
Merry Kitzmas!
December 20 has more personal significance in my life. That date in 1978 is what I have traditionally observed as the first time I played guitar. I have been a guitarist ever since, but I did not start doing it while riding a bicycle until a few years later in the early 1980s.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Pearl Harbor day
As I write this, America was still at peace sixty-nine years ago. Oh, we had been supplying arms to Britain for a while. Our destroyers had been escorting convoys as far as Iceland. One of them had even been sunk by a U-boat. In a few hours that would change. I don't really think Roosevelt intended two thousand Americans to die as an excuse to enter the war, but I could be wrong. Politicians can be incredibly devious.
I never read the conspiracy books about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but as a boy I did read much about the attack. I memorized incredible amounts of information about the ships, aircraft and people involved that I still remember to this day. My family went to Hawaii and visited the U.S.S. Arizona memorial (among other places).
My knowledge of military trivia helped me find a place to stay after I moved to Oregon. My friend Dana and I met an elderly man at a public dinner who joked about having drunk enough alcohol in his life to float the U.S.S. Arizona. I mentioned that she had been 608 feet long and a conversation ensued. He had been born in 1917, grew up in Hawaii, and had stood on the deck of that battleship as a civilian guest when it was actively representing the U.S. Navy.
In spite of his jocular comment Henry was not a drunk but a very intelligent and active senior citizen. He had held a position of responsibility during the war that involved the hiring of workers for the Pearl Harbor shipyard. Dana and I were allowed to stay in his barn for several months until we finally found a house to move into. So far as I know, that is the only time any of my tremendous knowledge of military trivia has been of advantage to me.
Let us remember the people who died this day sixty-nine years ago. By the way, I still can't watch the 2001 Pearl Harbor movie because it sucks so bad. I have tried more than once to watch this turkey and can never get more than twenty minutes into it before giving up in disgust. The older film Tora! Tora! Tora! is more historically accurate and in my opinion is a better movie in other ways too.
I never read the conspiracy books about the attack on Pearl Harbor, but as a boy I did read much about the attack. I memorized incredible amounts of information about the ships, aircraft and people involved that I still remember to this day. My family went to Hawaii and visited the U.S.S. Arizona memorial (among other places).
My knowledge of military trivia helped me find a place to stay after I moved to Oregon. My friend Dana and I met an elderly man at a public dinner who joked about having drunk enough alcohol in his life to float the U.S.S. Arizona. I mentioned that she had been 608 feet long and a conversation ensued. He had been born in 1917, grew up in Hawaii, and had stood on the deck of that battleship as a civilian guest when it was actively representing the U.S. Navy.
In spite of his jocular comment Henry was not a drunk but a very intelligent and active senior citizen. He had held a position of responsibility during the war that involved the hiring of workers for the Pearl Harbor shipyard. Dana and I were allowed to stay in his barn for several months until we finally found a house to move into. So far as I know, that is the only time any of my tremendous knowledge of military trivia has been of advantage to me.
Let us remember the people who died this day sixty-nine years ago. By the way, I still can't watch the 2001 Pearl Harbor movie because it sucks so bad. I have tried more than once to watch this turkey and can never get more than twenty minutes into it before giving up in disgust. The older film Tora! Tora! Tora! is more historically accurate and in my opinion is a better movie in other ways too.
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