Greetings the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank! I’m out here for a week working hard with collaborators on our awesome low-frequency radio astronomy project, when I fall victim to some weird cold virus. I lost a whole day in bed, flipping between the Sci-Fi Channel and Discovery Channel when I wasn’t sleeping, and slowly recovered today, such that I could actually sit at my computer and catch up on email while I sipped on some fabulous, home-made chicken soup. Other than encouraging you to check out the link above to learn more about this fabulous scientific haven, here are some things that piqued my interest today:
From July 1, 2008 to December 31, 2009, biologists will be celebrating the 150th anniversary of “Origin of the Species.” Olivia Judson of the New York Times writes a fabulous piece about the celebration dubbed “Darwinmania.” It’ll be one big science-bash as 2009 is also the International Year of Astronomy!
I miss the big office couch at the astronomy department. No matter what time of day or night it was, a good nap on that couch could really kick the brain into gear. The Boston Globe offers some science-based hints on napping, why it’s good for us mammals, and how to do it properly.
Now for some “yick” a blog that I stumbled upon called “We Want a Christian President.” This particular blogger has no shame in the fact that he/she wants a president that bows to the right-wing conservative Christian agenda “…Not because we want a theocracy, but because we want a God-honoring democratic republic.” Say what-now? In this God-honoring republic of yours, do non-believers and believers of other faiths really get any representation? I didn’t even bothering trying to post any comments on this blog, since the latest post which calls for support of a federal marriage amendment ends with “No presumptuous comments accusing me of religious bigotry and hatred will be posted. Those are just so boring and intellectually dull.” My apologies to all those that I have bored with my intellectual rhetoric on individual rights. Silly me. Sir, or Madam, your ignorance baffles me.
The blogger is clearly pro-Huckabee, and as a Paul supporter I understand the woes of having to vote for the lesser of two-evils or trying to bolster a third party vote, I have entirely different reasons. But here’s an argument I never heard before, in response to Obama’s allegedly elitist statements a while back:
This sounds like something straight out of a secular humanist strategy book: the deification of government. When government cares for all our needs like a loving, “heavenly” father (or mother—let’s be politically correct), God can be relegated to a small, comfortable, controllable “box.”
Okay, I’m as anti-big-government as the next libertarian, but huh-what? Secular Humanist strategy book? How come I missed out on that! Darn, I need to find one of those. Seriously, this blogger has not heard the notion that getting secularists together is something like herding cats. We are far, far away from a strategy my friend. And if that was indeed a secular strategy, I’d be the first one up in arms against it! Why do we need a loving, protecting, parental figure, whether it be god or government, anyway? All I can say to this is, yick. But hey, if this person is right and McCain can’t rally the conservative Christian base, then that’s one score for the anti-war crowd.
Now that I’m all fired up, it’s back to work. And looking forward to all the fun podcasts bound to come out of “The Amaz!ing Meeting 6” in Vegas!
Nicole
Tim
