tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-204937992024-03-20T03:57:13.593-04:00The Digital CuttlefishThe new home of The Digital Cuttlefish is at http://freethoughtblogs.com/cuttlefish . I hope to see you there!Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.comBlogger807125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-73633237879772884612011-10-24T12:04:00.001-04:002011-10-24T12:04:01.488-04:00Testing something.Nothing to see here, really.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-22866861125442113182011-08-01T00:04:00.000-04:002011-08-01T00:04:59.169-04:00The Official AnnouncementHey, it's past midnight here. Time for a press release.<br />
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Please, if you are a member of a forum, or own a major newspaper or television network, feel free to post the following:<br />
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<div align="CENTER"> <span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><b>Freethought Blogs debuts Aug. 1 </b></span></span> </div><span style="font-family: Calibri, Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> <br />
A new blog network is hitting the web on August 1. Led by two of the most prominent and widely read secular-minded blogs in the country – PZ Myers’ Pharyngula and Ed Brayton’s Dispatches from the Culture Wars – Freethoughtblogs.com <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/</a></u></span>> will, we hope, quickly become and important gathering place for atheists, humanists, skeptics and freethinkers in the blogosphere.<br />
<br />
Freethoughtblogs will be more than just a place for people to read the opinions of their favorite bloggers. It will be a community of like-minded people exchanging ideas and joining forces to advocate for a more secular and rational world. <br />
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The network will launch Aug. 1 with a handful of blogs with many more to be added after the first three months of operation. Here are the five blogs that will lead the way:<br />
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Pharyngula <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/</a></u></span>> . PZ Myers has built one of the most popular atheist blogs in the world. Never one to shy away from controversy, Myers has built an astonishing following over the last few years and has traveled around the world speaking to skeptical audiences. As a PhD biologist he is the scourge of creationists everywhere but he takes on a wide range of subjects in his blogging, including religious criticism, women’s rights and progressive politics. <br />
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Dispatches from the Culture Wars <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/dispatches/</a></u></span>> . Ed Brayton was raised by a Pentecostal and an atheist, sealing his fate forever as someone who is endlessly fascinated by how religion intersects with other subject, particularly science, law, history and politics. He is a popular speaker for secular organizations around the country, has appeared on the Rachel Maddow show and is pretty certain he’s the only person who has ever made fun of Chuck Norris on C-SPAN. <br />
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The Digital Cuttlefish <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/cuttlefish/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/cuttlefish/</a></u></span>> : Cuttlefish are shy and elusive creatures; when necessary, they hide in their own ink. This particular cuttlefish has chosen as its habitat the comment threads of science, religion, and news sites, where it feeds on the opinions of those who are emboldened by the cloak of internet anonymity. Cuttlefish is an atheist, a skeptic, and is madly, passionately in love with science. The Digital Cuttlefish has, since October of 2007, been a repository of commentary and satire, usually (but not exclusively) in verse and now moves to Freethoughtblogs. <br />
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This Week in Christian Nationalism <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/rodda/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/rodda/</a></u></span>> . Chris Rodda is the author of "Liars For Jesus: The Religious Right's Alternate Version of American History." Since the release of her book in 2006, Chris has been blogging at Talk2Action.org and Huffington Post about the use of historical revisionism in everything from education to legislation. Chris is now launching her own blog on Freethoughtblogs.com that will accompany her weekly podcast, This Week in Christian Nationalism.<br />
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Zingularity <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/zingularity/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/zingularity/</a></u></span>> . Steven "DarkSyde" Andrew is a 40 something former stock and bond trader and one time moderate conservative. He grew up in the Southwest and has long been fascinated by science, particularly evolutionary biology, physics, and astronomy. He is a frequest contributor to the popular progressive website Daily Kos and now blogs at Zingularity, where legit science disappears forever down an event horizon of petty snark and cynicism.<br />
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Comradde PhysioProffe <<span style="color: blue;"><u><a href="http://freethoughtblogs.com/physioprof/">http://freethoughtblogs.com/physioprof/</a></u></span>> . The pseudonymous PhysioProffe is, as the name suggests, a physiology professor at a private medical school who blogs about politics, academia, food, booze and sports. Not necessarily in that order. <br />
This is only the beginning. Over the next few months we will add many more blogs to the network, including Greta Christina’s brilliant blog, a new companion to the award winning Reasonable Doubts podcast and many others.<br />
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<br />
</span></span> <!--EndFragment-->Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-33690997362434334162011-07-31T11:11:00.000-04:002011-07-31T11:11:04.529-04:00Headline Muse, 7/31The verdict was certainly binding<br />
But the pathways to justice are winding<br />
Though “an eye for an eye”<br />
Was the law to apply<br />
Now the victim has pardoned a blinding<br />
<br />
Headline: <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-14356886">Iranian sentenced to blinding for acid attack pardoned</a><br />
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Ameneh Bahrami, after years of fighting for "justice" (read: for her attacker to be blinded with acid, as he had done to her), has pardoned Majd Movahedi, her attacker, at the last minute. She is still, quite understandably, seeking compensation for medical fees.<br />
<blockquote>The state television website reported: "With the request of Ameneh Bahrami, the acid attack victim, Majid (Movahedi) who was sentenced for 'qisas' was pardoned at the last minute."<br />
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The Isna news agency quoted Tehran prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi as saying: "Today in hospital the blinding of Majid Movahedi was to have been carried out in the presence of an eye specialist and judiciary representative, when Ameneh pardoned him."<br />
<br />
Isna quoted Ms Bahrami as saying: "I struggled for seven years with this verdict to prove to people that the person who hurls acid should be punished through 'qisas', but today I pardoned him because it was my right.</blockquote>Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-36591992969896626292011-07-31T09:21:00.000-04:002011-07-31T09:21:50.630-04:00Rumor Has It<iframe width="560" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/yJ6GlkY5R2o?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
So, I’ve been <a href="http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2011/debut-of-new-blogging-group/">hearing</a> <a href="http://furiouspurpose.me/2011/07/30/say-hello-to-freethoughtblogs/">rumors</a>. Rumor has it The Digital Cuttlefish will be part of a new blog network, freethoughtblogs, as of tomorrow. Actually, most of the rumors talk about the new network, but somehow leave my name out of it. For some reason, the rumors focus on Ed Brayton and P. Z. Myers.<br />
<br />
But the rumors are true. Same Cuttlefish, different address. I am a very little cuttlefish in a big pond already, and this gives me the opportunity to be an even smaller fish in an even bigger ocean. I suspect that I am the smallest name among the new collective. <br />
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So, if all goes well, I soon will have successfully lured them all into a false sense of security, at which time I will spring my trap. <br />
<br />
Or not.<br />
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Either way, I will be sinking or swimming (as a cuttlefish, it’s all the same to me) at a new address as of tomorrow.<br />
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And, once more as so many times in the past… I need your help. There will be (with a bit of luck) more eyes on my site than ever before, and I’ll need to introduce myself. You, my regular readers, are already the sort of people who read comments and follow links, or you wouldn’t have found me. But there are a great many people who have no idea what I do.<br />
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So I plan to post some of my old stuff over the next couple of weeks or so, to introduce myself to these new people.<br />
<br />
My question is… which ones? Which of my oldies should I dredge up? I have my own favorites, which I know I will post, but what are yours?<br />
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This blog (the one you are reading right now) will not disappear. This one is home, for me. I love my readers, and owe them too much to raze the old joint. I hope to see you all at the new digs, though, as my honored guests. No… as my family.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-25822636562180630502011-07-30T13:52:00.000-04:002011-07-30T13:52:32.289-04:00Headline Muse, 7/30Seems the picture that’s drawn is too hazy<br />
Or my brain has gone summertime lazy<br />
We could blame his religion<br />
Which tweaks things a smidgeon<br />
But, really: just “<i>partially</i> crazy”?<br />
<br />
<br />
Headline: <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/30/earlyshow/saturday/main20085807.shtml">Ex-FLDS member: Warren Jeffs "partially crazy"</a><br />
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In an "objection" lasting nearly an hour, Warren Jeffs, polygamist and alleged child molester, threatened his prosecutors with "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/30/us/30brfs-POLYGAMISTWA_BRF.html">sickness and death</a>". He wasn't making a threat; he was simply delivering a message he got from God.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-23642095377949135932011-07-30T07:50:00.000-04:002011-07-30T07:50:04.427-04:00God Is Love, Right?The Old Testament god of the bible was liable<br />
To torture and kill you, as if at His whim;<br />
His ardent believers were therefore a scare for<br />
The heathens who dared have doubts about Him<br />
<br />
The New Testament hoped to appease us with Jesus<br />
Whose death on the cross was the end to our fear;<br />
Now Christians are always, while living, <i>forgiving</i>…<br />
Unless we say something they don’t want to hear<br />
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<a href="http://digitalcuttlefish.blogspot.com/2011/07/headline-muse-729.html">Yesterday's "Headline Muse"</a> referred to the American Atheists' <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/nyregion/atheists-sue-to-ban-display-of-cross-shaped-beam-in-911-museum.html?_r=1#">WTC cross case</a>. It's a story worth keeping an eye on, for those of us who love reading commentary. As is often the case, the worst of the comments are censored before we can read them... but this time, <a href="http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-atlanta/loving-christians-respond-to-american-atheists-wtc-case">some have been archived</a>, and serve as testimony to Christian Love. (The ones that remain range from supportive to vile, but fall short of death threats.)<br />
<br />
Now, I've received death threats--against me, and against my family. But these have been from a solitary, troubled individual. He needs psychiatric help, and he knows it; the more he threatens, the more obvious his illness is. These WTC threats appear to be quite different. These are normal people*, perhaps buoyed by internet anonymity, perhaps assuming they are in the company of like-minded individuals. This is far more frightening than a pitiable, pathetic spammer.<br />
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Oh, but clearly this is an extreme minority position; the vast majority of Christians would be horrified by such comments. If you find some examples of religious leaders decrying these comments, be sure to let me know.<br />
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* as an aside, I wonder whether the names attached to the comments are their real names. Google+ appears to be on a bit of a crusade against pseudonyms--if these are real names, then certainly horrible language does not depend on anonymity; on the other hand, if these are not real names, then the crime of pseudonymous writers is simply that they chose a name that wasn't normal enough for Google.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-73412406469492228772011-07-29T15:44:00.000-04:002011-07-29T15:44:51.587-04:00Cuttlefish's GardenI'd like to see<br />
Ten types of bee<br />
In the Cuttlefish's garden in the sun<br />
See what I've found<br />
Buzzing around<br />
In the Cuttlefish's garden in the sun<br />
...<br />
<br />
Ok, enough of that. So, these are onion flowers. Each is about the size of a grapefruit (like grapefruit, some are larger and some are smaller) and made up of about a gazillion separate florets (very unlike a grapefruit). I spent some time, the past couple of days, just watching them. The amount of traffic these flowers get is remarkable; I counted at least 8 different species of bee or wasp, two species of butterfly, and some really fast things I could not identify, just on these onion flowers alone. I have a really bad shot of 5 species on the flower at one time, but most are blurred with motion or focal plane.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5e4OApPpEvSuT5IFtFryytU-ZsO-uRXArqgUvdJQdzpL9PQ2tdsLdhegvSEf5vQOETdLRGcHhJ_6wjdY2lFm91sFy_bB9TV_Mnb3yM8s7vlVVc-nP7VVCshxSKHEwOm59LKx/s1600/DSC_0105_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5e4OApPpEvSuT5IFtFryytU-ZsO-uRXArqgUvdJQdzpL9PQ2tdsLdhegvSEf5vQOETdLRGcHhJ_6wjdY2lFm91sFy_bB9TV_Mnb3yM8s7vlVVc-nP7VVCshxSKHEwOm59LKx/s400/DSC_0105_2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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So I thought I'd test my readers' insect identification skills--just hymenoptera today. I know some of the answers, but certainly not all! For now, the flower is your guide to insect size; if you need numbers or any other information I can give, just ask. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EZKAKf3nfhlbxCUZZuoq0nyJ4TOLrxw1s56bb-lI60SAQEELoSK0tmGEh8_h8yOk7rfzhF2o1TWhTFrXFxTvZs05qa4-6ZhYJxC-yNfuUUB0IxiDq99pS1OQ3oXihlNWqsUB/s1600/DSC_0179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EZKAKf3nfhlbxCUZZuoq0nyJ4TOLrxw1s56bb-lI60SAQEELoSK0tmGEh8_h8yOk7rfzhF2o1TWhTFrXFxTvZs05qa4-6ZhYJxC-yNfuUUB0IxiDq99pS1OQ3oXihlNWqsUB/s320/DSC_0179.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0EZKAKf3nfhlbxCUZZuoq0nyJ4TOLrxw1s56bb-lI60SAQEELoSK0tmGEh8_h8yOk7rfzhF2o1TWhTFrXFxTvZs05qa4-6ZhYJxC-yNfuUUB0IxiDq99pS1OQ3oXihlNWqsUB/s1600/DSC_0179.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb_KQFamu9755G9y3YTFMFrPSsRM6W6zWlH-jt-cxzv77Bi_ti1ouQd48Yc5hWRC9NLACtRjOCsN0kqH3l7-FQF8ZD8BWT3CtHFA2p1Ed-iK1xOCWi9meekWBbwDLnApCcFw3/s1600/DSC_0175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHb_KQFamu9755G9y3YTFMFrPSsRM6W6zWlH-jt-cxzv77Bi_ti1ouQd48Yc5hWRC9NLACtRjOCsN0kqH3l7-FQF8ZD8BWT3CtHFA2p1Ed-iK1xOCWi9meekWBbwDLnApCcFw3/s320/DSC_0175.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">B</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLwi0TQ8DkSBnfGaRUR0wfl6mOmmaZLFFCPFflPuNAFdSDgLrtkqPcuJrqUyCseZTk7XZQ-jRn0SIRdlxM7zLv1rTa12Zf5dUD4edv2qVIhGiVRbqN3XxbttQFVrEPKeb8Gs_/s1600/DSC_0169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghLwi0TQ8DkSBnfGaRUR0wfl6mOmmaZLFFCPFflPuNAFdSDgLrtkqPcuJrqUyCseZTk7XZQ-jRn0SIRdlxM7zLv1rTa12Zf5dUD4edv2qVIhGiVRbqN3XxbttQFVrEPKeb8Gs_/s320/DSC_0169.jpg" width="237" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh2dZoxPJO5UsXF3Ti_ix3g0b3pfomqVA5thOqMWHNkGiAotegTtYRuOWUhc6EZgDMXEg-FvuugOE36VHxJAHKBG_IXYcHvaplHc8_-JRRmqI5VEvXE34NnnyQUjI2Voz1ea1/s1600/DSC_0166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNh2dZoxPJO5UsXF3Ti_ix3g0b3pfomqVA5thOqMWHNkGiAotegTtYRuOWUhc6EZgDMXEg-FvuugOE36VHxJAHKBG_IXYcHvaplHc8_-JRRmqI5VEvXE34NnnyQUjI2Voz1ea1/s320/DSC_0166.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">D (left) and E (right)</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RzziCaDxHrIdrwPh1VAwELpHmP7RweLgTHtdb4xTbRwktqq4Ct3IR4c4wa0RhPhh6HTcMnHClXnhWjZZUiquZOxz66P2EO6bX3baHrRsCuK-YCzfvkLwwLsaaOCwXg7KqP6E/s1600/DSC_0125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RzziCaDxHrIdrwPh1VAwELpHmP7RweLgTHtdb4xTbRwktqq4Ct3IR4c4wa0RhPhh6HTcMnHClXnhWjZZUiquZOxz66P2EO6bX3baHrRsCuK-YCzfvkLwwLsaaOCwXg7KqP6E/s320/DSC_0125.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">F</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8X3GUplfRmblgPqlUMh4IE2SNf6qkBD9hsuRCKjIhHOaQPsnt5ijKCR7EW9jC1McK8ihqtSaDuzwDAwtT2X6C_EdaPhMRXqc2lSI64AJ_pC-I85HjEbVoiGnyubJBdYRdD2F/s1600/DSC_0126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8X3GUplfRmblgPqlUMh4IE2SNf6qkBD9hsuRCKjIhHOaQPsnt5ijKCR7EW9jC1McK8ihqtSaDuzwDAwtT2X6C_EdaPhMRXqc2lSI64AJ_pC-I85HjEbVoiGnyubJBdYRdD2F/s320/DSC_0126.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">G</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sJU5DqrXkGeWJureiC-OFeaYMfDTehFXtvuBE-f-8FIqCMwVu9HSz9thPIv1WQKlcLuqLXLBgMQsmEtQBcl0TfwGGYNOE78ZVxT7VGFIbd3Qk5MqSh7oaxE8l0VG3ygjXKUB/s1600/DSC_0108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3sJU5DqrXkGeWJureiC-OFeaYMfDTehFXtvuBE-f-8FIqCMwVu9HSz9thPIv1WQKlcLuqLXLBgMQsmEtQBcl0TfwGGYNOE78ZVxT7VGFIbd3Qk5MqSh7oaxE8l0VG3ygjXKUB/s320/DSC_0108.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">H</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_NW7v1pqDlMyHi1FB419YDTf0D1EcSbXECoLt_SnDA0S_qBxaDxXS8H_l3Cs6HYRt8LZ8W1CjzIFyiqK8cv_SA9msZ37vEv5t4VfwLy0SlBlsUtSjg-KIXPXF6bwWLUTj1hv/s1600/DSC_0187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy_NW7v1pqDlMyHi1FB419YDTf0D1EcSbXECoLt_SnDA0S_qBxaDxXS8H_l3Cs6HYRt8LZ8W1CjzIFyiqK8cv_SA9msZ37vEv5t4VfwLy0SlBlsUtSjg-KIXPXF6bwWLUTj1hv/s320/DSC_0187.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I, on Cilantro flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPQ7tDVcl8pTRLwPt1EHqWw-qlWut9YwrlOAJbHTd2Q9reAyQ3wh_RMQpXb2R0G4aLVSUU7H1nHxYiqgign5XyVyFVHGH2n3v02eTRU1QIIMCLkHAFkATU-Lycb-0VVajx8oO/s1600/DSC_0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoPQ7tDVcl8pTRLwPt1EHqWw-qlWut9YwrlOAJbHTd2Q9reAyQ3wh_RMQpXb2R0G4aLVSUU7H1nHxYiqgign5XyVyFVHGH2n3v02eTRU1QIIMCLkHAFkATU-Lycb-0VVajx8oO/s320/DSC_0186.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">J, on Oregano flowers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-70463745299732500062011-07-29T09:25:00.000-04:002011-07-29T09:25:12.297-04:00Headline Muse, 7/29At the site of a horrible loss,<br />
The Memorial <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/atheists-sue-cross-world-trade-center-museum/story?id=14169830">now holds a cross?</a><br />
The community center<br />
Was told “do not enter”—<br />
Guess we know which religion is boss.<br />
<br />
<br />
Four individuals, represented by <a href="http://atheists.org/law/Ground_Zero">American Atheists</a>, are suing to either remove the Ground Zero Cross from the 9/11 memorial, or to force inclusion of non-Christian (including atheist) memorials of equal stature. As always, the fun reading is not in the article itself, but in the comments. I used to be astonished, now I am simply aware, that people have hugely varying ideas of what atheism is. And of what the First Amendment means. And, while it was important that a Muslim community center should not be built on 9/11 sacred ground because it would be special treatment for one religion, it is crucial (get it?) that the WTC cross remains, because it gave so many Christians comfort.<br />
<br />
I am told that, as an atheist, my taking offense at the WTC cross shows that a) I am actually a believer, b) I am illogical, because I shouldn't care, since I don't believe, c) I am unamerican, since majority rules here, d) not really an atheist but an anti-theist, e) remarkably thin-skinned, f) pushing my beliefs onto other people (this last, without a trace of irony). In truth, I don't find crosses offensive; if I did, I'd have a rough go of it, since they are all around us. <br />
<br />
I don't find this particular cross offensive, and think an argument can easily be made for its inclusion in the memorial--it is, after all, a huge part of the history of the aftermath of 9/11. The thing is, context matters. If this cross were, say, part of an exhibit demonstrating that religious extremism may have dire consequences, including 9/11 type events, it would be quite appropriate... but I suspect that many Christians would balk at equating their religion with [their perception of] Islam. If the WTC cross is venerated as a religious symbol, though, it is only proper (and constitutional) to demand equal treatment for other affected groups.<br />
<br />
The 9/11 attacks were not an attack on Christianity. They were an attack on America, and were politically as well as religiously motivated. American Atheists is not going to make a lot of friends with this move (judging from the comment threads), but they are in the right. Context is everything; the cross can stay (and American Atheists agrees), if it is not exhibited in such a manner as to elevate one belief system over others.<br />
<br />
But hey, this is Headline Muse--your comments don't have to be about this story, if you have your own headline limerick!Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-32945717896893864752011-07-28T20:34:00.000-04:002011-07-28T20:34:41.071-04:00Headline MuseThe requirements just get insaner,<br />
Like a good triple twisting half-gainer<br />
If you do a good dive,<br />
You will surely survive—<br />
If you don’t, then you’re “pulling a <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2011/07/28/138799703/boehner-speakership-hits-rough-tea-party-waters">Boehner</a>”.<br />
<br />
<br />
(I'm trying out--subject to my time and other people's idiocy--a new occasional feature, kinda like Ed Brayton's "dumbass quote" and "badass quote" of the day. You are encouraged to add your own limericks in the comments. The rules are--look at the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/us/politics/29fiscal.html?_r=1&hp">headlines</a> of whatever news source you like, and write a limerick inspired by same. If your headline is local, small-town news, you might want to include a link, too.)Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-11143804009012755332011-07-28T12:05:00.000-04:002011-07-28T12:05:45.244-04:00One Last Dance<i>When Johnny was little, he played with his friends<br />
As the summertime slowly would pass<br />
They’d swim in the rivers; they’d hide in the woods<br />
And they’d frolic and dance in the grass, oh<br />
They’d frolic and dance in the grass<br />
</i><br />
But friendship is fickle in kids of this age<br />
So he had the occasional fight<br />
And names would be called, and fists would be thrown,<br />
In a world that was pure black-and-white;<br />
Johnny was smaller than some of the boys<br />
And the target, sometimes, of abuse<br />
He sometimes fought back, but too quickly he learned<br />
That his struggles were never of use<br />
<br />
<i>When Johnny was little, he’d played with his friends<br />
As the summertime slowly would pass<br />
They’d swim in the rivers; they’d hide in the woods<br />
And they’d frolic and dance in the grass, oh<br />
They’d frolic and dance in the grass</i><br />
<br />
Johnny was lonely, and Johnny was scared;<br />
He knew he would never be cool<br />
He knew all the names of the popular boys<br />
Cos they’d all kicked his ass after school<br />
They called him a faggot; they called him a queer<br />
And nobody cared if it’s true<br />
Cos the summers are long and the summers are hot<br />
And the bad boys need something to do<br />
<br />
<i>When Johnny was little, he’d played with his friends<br />
As the summertime slowly would pass<br />
They’d swim in the rivers; they’d hide in the woods<br />
And they’d frolic and dance in the grass, oh<br />
They’d frolic and dance in the grass</i><br />
<br />
Johnny told teachers, and parents and more<br />
That the bullies were out of control<br />
But the teachers were fond of the popular boys<br />
So they told him they’d pray for his soul<br />
He heard what they said, and he heard what they didn’t,<br />
And knew they were not on his side<br />
He wondered if, really, they worried at all,<br />
And would they be sad if he died?<br />
<br />
<i>When Johnny was little, he’d played with his friends<br />
As the summertime slowly would pass<br />
They’d swim in the rivers; they’d hide in the woods<br />
And they’d frolic and dance in the grass, oh<br />
They’d frolic and dance in the grass<br />
</i><br />
Johnny was tired of running and hiding<br />
And wanted his troubles to end<br />
Johnny might never have done what he did<br />
If he only had talked with a friend<br />
Instead, though, he talked with the school’s Parents’ League <br />
(There were lies that they had to dispel)<br />
They wanted the children to all know the truth—<br />
That Johnny was going to Hell<br />
<br />
They said he was sinful; they said he was wrong<br />
They told him the things he must learn<br />
They told him that God sends all sinners to Hell<br />
They told him that that’s where he’d burn<br />
When Johnny heard the things they said<br />
He knew he had no chance<br />
So Johnny got a length of rope<br />
For one last, special dance<br />
<br />
<i>They told him they’d pray for the sake of his soul<br />
They told him that, always, there’s hope;<br />
But never again will he dance in the grass<br />
Since he danced at the end of a rope, oh<br />
Since he danced at the end of a rope.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
Via PZ and others, a <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/07/the_kind_of_people_who_elect_m.php">terribly sad story</a> of Christian compassion, of anti-gay bullying, and the "<a href="http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/Home/ADFContent?cid=3308">Day of Truth</a>" (at that link, you can see evolution at work--click on "dayoftruth.org", and you will be brought to the "day of dialogue" website). The "Parents Action League" (weren't they in The Incredibles?) had worked with local churches to provide t-shirts for the day. <br />
<br />
<strike>Because of</strike> Despite the League's work, <strike>because of</strike> despite warning gays that they were bound for hell for their sinful lifestyle, it seems there has been an epidemic of teen suicide. Nine kids in two years, at present.<br />
<br />
Oh, yes. This is in Michele Bachmann's district. You remember her--her husband lies about doing ex-gay therapy. Cos it's better to make people think they are ill, broken, or sinful, than to have them love the wrong person.<br />
<br />
Oh--this poem is not about any one kid in particular. There were names that could easily have fit, but no way in hell am I going to do that to parents, siblings, friends, etc.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-4798359654707212011-07-27T12:36:00.000-04:002011-07-27T12:36:52.352-04:00The Lion Sleeps TonightOne year ago today my brother died. <br />
<br />
At his hospital bedside, I sang to him--music, I thought, affects so much of the brain, perhaps this will get through. A familiar song, a catchy song, one he had sung so many times. Maybe he'll open his eyes and join in on the chorus. <br />
<br />
He did not.<br />
<br />
<iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H__MPF1t0n0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
If we live on only in the memories and actions of others, he's doing better than most.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-83569704408692981302011-07-26T09:11:00.000-04:002011-07-26T09:11:47.643-04:00Should I Be Cross?I can’t really blame you; the pain is yet growing,<br />
With so many horrible losses<br />
But somehow it seems that your privilege is showing—<br />
You seem to have mis-placed your crosses.<br />
<br />
One of the reasonably local papers around Cuttletown had a political cartoon today that irked me a bit. <a href="http://davegranlund.com/cartoons/2011/07/24/norway-massacre/">Here's a link</a>--I won't show it here because, well, I'm cheap. Basically, the cartoon morphs the cross from the flag of Norway into the crosses at the graves of the victims.<br />
<br />
It's a clever concept, but it reinforces the position of privilege held by Christians (despite <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2011/07/those_poor_persecuted_christia.php">claims of persecution</a>) in the US. The crosses represent the victims (reminiscent of <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/geoffrey-r-stone/justice-scalias-cross_b_314752.html">Justice Scalia's view </a>that crosses are "the most common symbol of the resting place of the dead"), which is all well and good, except that <blockquote>According to Inglehart et al. (2004), 31 percent of Norwegians do not believe in God. According to Bondeson (2003), 54 percent of Norwegians said that they did not believe in a "personal God." According to Greeley (2003), 41 percent of Norwegians do not believe in God, although only 10 percent self-identify as "atheist." According to Gustafsson and Pettersson (2000), 72 percent of Norwegians do not believe in a "personal God." According to Froese (2001), 45 percent of Norwegians are either atheist or agnostic.</blockquote>(<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=tAeFipOVx4MC&pg=PA47&dq=%22cambridge+companion+to+atheism%22&psp=1&sig=xERpBqAy_zS2ZXsRyR0TaJOvDSk#v=onepage&q&f=false">source</a>: Phil Zuckerman's chapter, "Atheism: Contemporary Numbers and Patterns", in The Cambridge Companion to Atheism.)<br />
<br />
Ah, but we do know with certainty that there was at least one Christian involved. The shooter. Yes, it appears his extremist political views, not his religion, was his motivation. I'm sure American cartoonists would make the same distinction for Muslim terrorists as well.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-5964076658034107202011-07-24T10:12:00.000-04:002011-07-24T10:12:40.759-04:00My Marriage Is Gay Today<img class="alignnone" title="logo.png" src="http://www.marriageissogay.com/img/logo.png" alt="" width="332" height="150" /><br />
<br />
Half a lifetime ago<br />
As chronologies go<br />
I was married, in upstate New York<br />
There were family, friends,<br />
And some strange odds and ends<br />
When we, husband and wife, popped the cork<br />
<br />
But today it feels strange<br />
As if something has changed<br />
Though our vows are the same, to the letter<br />
Because, as of today,<br />
Why, “marriage is gay”<br />
And equality’s oh so much better<br />
<br />
When marriage was straight<br />
And the church barred the gate<br />
And kept part of humanity out<br />
They tried to define<br />
In society’s mind<br />
What a marriage was wholly about<br />
<br />
Though they struggled with words<br />
Their whole view was absurd<br />
And historically, simply untrue—<br />
And sanctified bigots<br />
Just opened their spigots<br />
Letting sewage and prejudice spew<br />
<br />
They poured this pollution<br />
Into <i>my</i> institution;<br />
My marriage was tarred by their brush<br />
But—long story short—<br />
I am glad to report<br />
They are getting their long-deserved flush.<br />
<br />
With this change in the laws<br />
I feel better, because<br />
I’m not part of a bigoted order<br />
So today, let’s have fun<br />
But there’s work to be done<br />
Cos equality stops at the border.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-82485390921541140172011-07-23T17:22:00.000-04:002011-07-23T17:22:10.082-04:00Bless This MessHiggledy-Pigglety<br />
Rochester's Officers<br />
Got themselves blessed<br />
For enforcing the laws;<br />
<br />
Didn't much care that it's<br />
Unconstitutional--<br />
Nobody likes the<br />
Establishment clause.<br />
<br />
The other day, PZ ran a photo of a <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2011/07/remind_me_not_to_do_anything_s.php">Sheriff's vehicle</a> with a "one nation under god" bumper sticker. I suppose the silver lining is, it was probably a decision made by an individual--the Sheriff or another--and not an official position.<br />
<br />
In the Live Free or Die state, where they take constitutional protection of liberties seriously, it's a different story. The <a href="http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110722/GJNEWS_01/707229939">second annual blessing of the police force</a> and its fleet, specifically. <blockquote>Chaplain Ron Lachapelle carried out the service, in which he emphasized the importance of the department's ability to work as a team for the betterment of the community.</blockquote>Lachapelle, it seems, was previously a police commissioner, a 30-year veteran. I would imagine that members of the force couldn't possible have felt pressure to go along with the magic spell-chanting. After all, they're probably all good christian boys, wouldn't you think?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=FD&Date=20110722&Category=GJNEWS_01&ArtNo=707229939&Ref=V2&MaxW=250" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="188" width="250" src="http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=FD&Date=20110722&Category=GJNEWS_01&ArtNo=707229939&Ref=V2&MaxW=250" /></a></div>Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-55786617470169823352011-07-22T11:12:00.000-04:002011-07-22T11:12:19.255-04:00Mc-Write?When Jen "BlagHag" McReight wrote, asking if I'd help spread the word about <a href="http://www.blaghag.com/2011/07/its-time-for-blogathon-2011.html">her annual blogathon</a>, I only had one question:<br />
<br />
"Does McCreight rhyme with “right” or “wait”... Or something else?"<br />
<br />
<br />
This Saturday, I think it might<br />
Be quite a slog for Jen McReight<br />
Throughout the day, throughout the night<br />
She’ll write, write, write, through dark and light<br />
<br />
What will she write? I cannot say;<br />
You’ll have to wait and see that day<br />
She’s doing good—this is her way—<br />
And you can help, so go and pay!<br />
<br />
So grab your wallet, or your purse<br />
And find some funds to thus disburse<br />
Remembering, it could be worse—<br />
At least she doesn’t write in verse!<br />
<br />
So, yeah, <a href="http://www.blaghag.com/2011/07/its-time-for-blogathon-2011.html">go help her smash her previous record!</a>Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-51165193239830066502011-07-22T07:46:00.002-04:002011-07-22T07:46:50.375-04:00Dog AlmightyThe biggest Dog had always been<br />
The biggest Dog He’d known<br />
He always barked the loudest<br />
And He gnawed the biggest bone<br />
He’d been the highest jumper, too;<br />
He’d been the deepest digger.<br />
He’d always been the biggest Dog…<br />
And then He met one bigger.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-1692545572526572802011-07-21T10:45:00.000-04:002011-07-21T10:45:13.157-04:00A Brief History Of ReligionThe gods have taken many guises;<br />
Fathers, mothers, monsters, friends,<br />
Tricksters bent on their surprises<br />
Schemers bent on selfish ends<br />
That’s how we’ve known ‘em.<br />
<br />
We’ve done our best to try to please ,<br />
To understand as best we could;<br />
For eons we had bent our knees;<br />
Then questioned gods, then boldly stood,<br />
And now, outgrown ‘em.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6e76WSADLdC40Qlvmt2U_EJKwR03majD9TMpLflRMyPL0-bnMKVFs4t8oFQTvf_1cHNf1Lyv0dEPYi5QOOTibfgpFTlX3tiCjPyvXDQU3vyzt_HztRN4wFCE2PEFQ8KSIKMV/s1600/grass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style=""><img border="0" height="200" width="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio6e76WSADLdC40Qlvmt2U_EJKwR03majD9TMpLflRMyPL0-bnMKVFs4t8oFQTvf_1cHNf1Lyv0dEPYi5QOOTibfgpFTlX3tiCjPyvXDQU3vyzt_HztRN4wFCE2PEFQ8KSIKMV/s200/grass.jpg" /></a></div>Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-26984640716333968762011-07-20T16:17:00.000-04:002011-07-20T16:17:15.331-04:00Words, Words, WordsEach step we take; each word we speak;<br />
Each course we chart; each trail we tread<br />
Each tender phrase or sad refrain,<br />
And each unspoken<br />
<br />
Each path we take; each love we seek;<br />
Each faulty start; each sunset sped;<br />
Each wide-eyed gaze or cry of pain<br />
And each heart broken<br />
<br />
We cannot take a backward step<br />
We cannot choose to not have seen<br />
We cannot wish another chance<br />
We cannot sigh what might have been<br />
<br />
Another step might be more sure<br />
Another word might hold more sway<br />
Another end, this choice might bring,<br />
And I might miss one.<br />
<br />
A different word might sound more pure<br />
A different step, a different way<br />
A million ways to say one thing<br />
And I chose this one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Over at NPR, http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2011/07/19/138473791/words-hurt-the-world-poet-says, an interesting bit on an argument at a poetry conference (I doubt I'll ever be invited to a poetry contest; they look down on those of us who rhyme), which Robert Krulwich introduces with a lovely bit of video. The topic under discussion is whether using words helps our planet or hurts. <br />
<br />
One view (held by Yusef Komunyakaa) was that language distances us from experience; it names things as not-us, and allows--perhaps forces--us to separate ourselves from a world we would otherwise be imbedded in. We may harm the earth, then, without harming ourselves.<br />
<br />
Another view (Mark Doty's) is that "the more we can name what we're seeing, the more language we have for it, the less likely we are to destroy it." Naming each plant in a meadow, each star in the sky, each organism in an ecosystem, makes it more known to us, and more missed if it is gone.<br />
<br />
Krulwich states that "obviously both sides are right", but ultimately comes down in favor of words. I don't think it is so obvious. I think Komunyakaa's assumption is faulty; I think if we remove the words, we do not remove the distance, but rather remove the thought. <br />
<br />
It is true that choosing one word over another will bend the ideas of the reader or listener; politics gives us "spin", psychology gives us "framing", and used car salesweasels give us "certified pre-owned vehicles". It is as if there is a huge possible landscape, and these word-smiths are trying to show us one small corner of it, by focusing their flashlight beam very closely. The rest of the world is black.<br />
<br />
Komunyakaa's view, if I have it, is similar to that of the night hiker. A flashlight, for such an explorer, is a limiting tool. The world closes around you, and ends where the beam of light ends. Turn off the light, and in a few minutes the world is vast again, and if the stars are out then you can see much farther than you could possibly see by day.<br />
<br />
But that's the wrong metaphor. I was once in Mammoth Cave when the guide turned off the lights. I could have stayed there for hours, but would never have been able to see my hand in front of my face. Words are the light we see by; without them, we don't get the night-time sky, we get the utter blindness of the cave. <br />
<br />
Yes, each word may act as a focused beam. Fortunately, we have more than one word. In science (which, really, is where the debate about "helps our planet or hurts" can actually be answered, and not merely argued), we may have different schools of thought which use different operational definitions and different measurements for very similar concepts (I would say "the same concept", but either choice leads you on a particular path; now, of course, you have two views). A scientific community does not (especially at first) need to agree on one definition, but may explore several before finding one or more to be more useful. A verbal community, likewise, will toy around with words--many shades of meaning for one word, or a spectrum of words for one concept. <br />
<br />
This is why I think everyone should write poetry. (Except for me; I should write verse.) Being forced, on a regular basis, to spend time searching for just the right word, rather than using the first one that comes to mind, has got to be good exercise for the brain. If we want to see the whole world (and more), we have to be willing to try different lights and different lenses, and not just search where it is easy, where somebody else already shines a light and says it is trustworthy, or has low mileage, or is fair and balanced.<br />
<br />
Words can separate us from our world, but the remedy is more words, not fewer. And certainly not none.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-18082051202420912242011-07-19T09:17:00.000-04:002011-07-19T09:17:15.156-04:00Parthenogenesis"Dancing is the vertical expression of a horizontal desire"<br />
(attributed to Robert Frost, George Bernard Shaw, and others)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bio-nica.info/biblioteca/Schut2008Aves.pdf">Birds</a> do it; <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1209882/">Bees</a> do it<br />
<a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=3&ved=0CCoQFjAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ijdb.ehu.es%2Fweb%2Fpaper.php%3Fdoi%3D052030vl%26a%3Df&rct=j&q=nematode%20parthenogenesis&ei=mX4lTraBNoGx0AH4p7THCg&usg=AFQjCNH1zlvpJIdVLS2h53nA0y7iH_T4pg">Nematodes</a> and <a href="http://www.in.gov/dnr/files/spiny_and_fishhook_water_flea.pdf">water fleas</a> do it<br />
<br />
But if it’s all the same<br />
I think it’s quite a shame<br />
Cos dancing is more fun with two<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v444/n7122/abs/4441021a.html">Komodo</a> chicks, without dicks, do it<br />
Now we find <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(11)00553-7">Timema Sticks</a> do it<br />
<br />
But what a menace is<br />
Parthenogenesis<br />
Cos dancing is more fun with two<br />
<br />
To hold you close is such a treat<br />
And when we let our gametes meet<br />
That’s when I know you make my world complete<br />
And life is sweet… life is sweet.<br />
<br />
But if you find you have no need<br />
You’re fine without a single seed<br />
You’ve found a different way that you can breed<br />
I must concede… indeed.<br />
<br />
It’s been observed, <a href="http://www.livescience.com/10225-daddy-boa-constrictor-virgin-birth.html">boa snakes</a> do it<br />
<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v435/n7046/full/nature03705.html">Electric ants</a>, for goodness sakes, do it<br />
<br />
But if it’s all the same<br />
I think it’s quite a shame<br />
Cos dancing is more fun with two<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/14122050">Via the Beeb, a story</a> of Timema stick insects and genetic research, a confirmation of perhaps a million years of asexual reproduction in this ancient species. This confirms that asexual reproduction is not just an emergency strategy, an artificially induced anomaly, or confined to social insects. Now comes the fun part; looking to see how this strategy has succeeded, while other species (including closely related stick insects) have found success in sexual reproduction. As the BBC story puts it,<blockquote>The discovery could help researchers understand how life without sex is possible.</blockquote>A line which I am so not going to touch.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-56422194487805690042011-07-18T17:33:00.000-04:002011-07-18T17:33:55.258-04:00Lizard!A gecko walks up panes of glass<br />
And even on the ceiling<br />
But eating powdered gecko’s ass<br />
I would not find appealing.<br />
<br />
The ancient healers’ art, alas,<br />
Needs gecko parts for healing<br />
Among the superstitious class<br />
With whom these folks are dealing.<br />
<br />
Although I hear my views are crass,<br />
I get a funny feeling<br />
That watching where the dollars pass<br />
Would likely be revealing.<br />
<br />
And seeing how the funds amass…<br />
It’s little more than stealing.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ok, actually, it's quite a bit more than stealing. Stealing would be taking people's money for nothing. This is also lying, and killing lizards for no good reason.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/07/18/138157630/philippines-geckos-are-a-no-go-for-aids?ps=sh_sthdl">NPR reports</a> on a brisk, though illegal, trade in traditional gecko-based cures--significant enough that health officials in the Phillipines are actually issuing warnings. People are being told that gecko remedies can relieve asthma, or even AIDS.<br />
<br />
I like geckos. Mind you, I would throw geckos under the bus if they actually did cure AIDS, for such time as it would take to identify the active compounds... but. There is no evidence that it does.<br />
<br />
If any of my readers A)can read Chinese (Mandarin, I am assuming), and B) have PubMed access, please take a look at the NPR article--they link to a journal article that I would love to be able to read, but I am (alas!) American, and thus speak barely one language.<br />
<br />
Oh, and I was going to post the picture of the gecko from the article, except that it is dead, dried, and mounted on heavy-duty paper clips. I prefer my geckos alive and eating bugs.<br />
<br />
If traditional healers are to be respected, we must assume they are motivated by a desire to heal (thus the title), and not to profit without healing (they can profit <i>while</i> healing, of course). Healers who prefer getting paid to healing are known by other terms. If geckos can cure X, then let it be shown in trials, so that we can synthesize X as quickly as possible. If not, then dammit, true healers would look elsewhere. Those who foist <strike>snake</strike> gecko oil on their trusting patients are no healers. They are charlatans, and worse. They do not deserve respect.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-75490970968691459612011-07-14T10:08:00.000-04:002011-07-14T10:08:30.588-04:00The Bornean RainbowWhy are there so many<br />
Species endangered?<br />
For decades, they haven’t been spied<br />
Some may be hanging on<br />
But others departed<br />
Despite how the scientists tried<br />
<br />
So we’d been told<br />
And we mostly believed it<br />
Hoping we’re wrong, but we’ll see<br />
And sometimes it happens<br />
And everyone’s happy—<br />
The Bornean Rainbow and me<br />
<br />
Who said amphibians<br />
Could go into hiding<br />
And why should we go and look?<br />
Someone in Borneo<br />
Had someone believe them<br />
And somehow that’s all that it took<br />
<br />
It’s so amazing—successful toad-gazing<br />
Without knowing what we might see<br />
But sometimes it happens<br />
And everyone’s happy—<br />
The Bornean Rainbow and me<br />
<br />
All of us wishing it well<br />
To lose it again would be tragic<br />
<br />
Had it been half-extinct? <br />
Because of our choices?<br />
I think it’s more than a shame<br />
Is this the warning-bell<br />
We finally notice?<br />
Or will we point fingers and blame?<br />
<br />
I’ve watched it too many times to be hopeful—<br />
The odds are, we never will see…<br />
But sometimes it happens<br />
And everyone’s happy—<br />
The Bornean Rainbow and me<br />
<br />
Via <a href="http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/07/13/7077825-lost-rainbow-toad-rediscovered">MSNBC's Cosmic Log</a>, we hear that an endangered toad, not seen since 1924, has been rediscovered--and photographed for the first time! Check out the photos at the link; this is one beautiful toad, the Bornean Rainbow Toad (aka the Sambas Stream Toad), the second of the <a href="http://www.conservation.org/campaigns/lost_frogs/Pages/search_for_lost_amphibians.aspx">"top ten most wanted" missing toad species</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
(oh, yeah, for those of you who are still wondering, the verse is a parody of Kermit The Frog's "Rainbow Connection")Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-8682541137019033522011-07-12T21:10:00.001-04:002011-07-12T22:06:45.393-04:00R.I.P. Methuselah The Galapagos TortoiseOne person’s report is<br />
“Galapagos tortoise<br />
Is truly a creature of God”<br />
It’s made, or created<br />
By God, armor-plated,<br />
With shell-shapes distinct, which was odd<br />
<br />
Why God’s work might vary<br />
Made ministers wary—<br />
Perfection is what was expected!<br />
But with close observation<br />
Of type and location,<br />
Particular trends were detected<br />
<br />
The shells of some creatures<br />
Have saddle-back features<br />
Where cactus to forage grow taller<br />
Where food’s near the ground<br />
Different features are found<br />
Like a domed shell that’s quite a bit smaller<br />
<br />
What these features disclosed<br />
Is what Darwin proposed—<br />
That selection means shell shapes evolved!<br />
Though a biblical search<br />
Left the church in a lurch<br />
Thanks to Darwin, the mystery’s solved!<br />
<br />
<br />
A sad report, on a few levels; <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/07/12/137803225/methuselah-a-well-loved-tortoise-dies-at-130-in-south-dakota">NPR's "The Two-Way" blog reports</a> that a 130-year old tortoise, a favorite at a South Dakota zoo, has died. Even for tortoises, this critter was <i>old</i>; grandparents showed it to their grandchildren, and told them of seeing it themselves at that age (Methuselah the tortoise was a respectable 73 when he arrived at the zoo).<br />
<br />
But that's not really why I'm writing. I'm writing because the very first comment at the NPR blog closes with "They are awesome creatures. A great God created them." Which, frankly, is amusing given the tortoise's role in providing Darwin with the evidence of evolution. Fifteen different subspecies of tortoise, each on a different island--my, what a capricious god must have created them! Oh, wait--the tortoises have saddle-shaped shells where the food grows higher, and round shells where it grows lower; perhaps characteristics vary, and those that offer an advantage are selected for by the environment!<br />
<br />
So, NPR commenter, you get an irony award. Not redeemable for cash, but you may wear it proudly.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-20828941948475278052011-07-12T10:31:00.001-04:002011-07-12T16:36:53.489-04:00Is There "Ex-Liar" Therapy?To heal yourself from being gay<br />
The clinic’s here—so call today<br />
We’ll blame your mom, and pray and pray;<br />
It’s therapy, the Bachmann way.<br />
<br />
Of course, when asked, we’ll just deny<br />
We care if folks are gay or bi;<br />
There is one simple reason why:<br />
A Bachmann cannot help but lie.<br />
<br />
<br />
So it turns out that Marcus Bachmann's clinic does, after all, practice "ex-gay" therapy, which is far more religious than psychological. The full story is <a href="http://www.truthwinsout.org/pressreleases/2011/07/17519/">here at Truth Wins Out</a>; a brief synopsis can be read <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2011/07/inside_the_bachmann_ex-gay_cli.php">here at Dispatches</a>.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-18432003689846612292011-07-05T10:27:00.000-04:002011-07-05T10:27:35.157-04:00Hey, You! Hang Up The Car Keys!It’s six in the morning, the start of your day,<br />
But you’re all out of coffee, and just want a cup<br />
It’s a ten-minute walk to the nearest café—<br />
Oh, quit fucking whining, and just suck it up<br />
<br />
You’ve got errands to run; you’ve got places to go<br />
We’ve heard the excuses; we’ve heard all the talk<br />
The store isn’t far—just a mile or so<br />
So hang up the car keys and just fucking walk!<br />
<br />
You’ve got classes this morning—that’s two towns away<br />
The drive is annoying; the parking’s a fuss<br />
The answer is simple, I really must say:<br />
Leave the car in the driveway and take the damn bus!<br />
<br />
You’ll be taking the car, and you always complain<br />
The buses aren’t perfectly synched to your classes<br />
Now cars will be backed up for miles, on Main,<br />
So your peers can collectively sit on your asses<br />
<br />
It’s not like I’m asking you too fucking much,<br />
Like to live in a house that’s as dark as a tomb<br />
Making way around furniture purely by touch—<br />
Just turn off the light when you leave the damn room<br />
<br />
There are so many things you could do, but you don’t,<br />
That could cut your expenses, conserve you some power<br />
They’re easy to think of, so how come you won’t?<br />
Do you shut off your brain in your long fucking shower?<br />
<br />
This isn’t too much to be asked, for fuck’s sake;<br />
There are hundreds, or thousands, of things we can do<br />
If you can’t look around and see changes to make<br />
Then the world’s got a problem, and the problem is you.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://scienceblogs.com/casaubonsbook/2011/07/get_the_fk_off_fossil_fuels.php">Sharon, at Casaubon's Book</a>, might just as well have waved a red flag at a bull, or red meat in front of a hungry dog. Fortunately, she already did it the hard way, with the repeated final rhyme, so I could just write this one.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20493799.post-74765723991087403222011-07-03T21:47:00.000-04:002011-07-03T21:47:29.766-04:00Atheist For A MonthIt’s good, sometimes, to see the world<br />
Through someone else’s eyes;<br />
To take another’s point of view<br />
And try it on for size.<br />
<br />
“<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13989013">Be Muslim for a month</a>,” perhaps,<br />
Be Sufi, or be Sikh;<br />
Try walking in their footsteps—<br />
You could start for just a week.<br />
<br />
You could try to be a Muslim<br />
Or a Christian, or a Jew<br />
But I’d like to see more people<br />
Trying atheism, too.<br />
<br />
Just try it for a month, or two,<br />
Or maybe for a year—<br />
Pretend there’s no use praying<br />
Cos there’s no one there to hear<br />
<br />
Pretend there is no god above<br />
To save us from ourselves<br />
Pretend there are no holy books—<br />
Just leave them on the shelves<br />
<br />
Pretend there is no heaven<br />
And pretend there is no Hell;<br />
Pretend we only get one life,<br />
And try to live it well<br />
<br />
And maybe, if you try it out,<br />
You’ll like the <i>you</i> you find<br />
Not member of a single tribe<br />
But all of humankind<br />
<br />
And maybe if enough of us<br />
Can wear each other’s skins<br />
We’ll understand our differences...<br />
And everybody wins.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13989013">Via the Beeb</a> (same link as above), an interesting piece on walking a mile (well, a month) in someone else's shoes. In this case, it's a bit like church camp, except that it is in Turkey, and the church is a mosque, and participants basically live life as temporary Muslims.<br />
<br />
Given the ignorance about other faiths, and the animosity toward Muslims in particular, I think the "Muslim for a month" idea has some serious potential for good. Yes, it could be a worthless exercise, but it can't possibly be as futile as simply praying for peace.<br />
<br />
Of course, after the <a href="http://www1.umn.edu/news/news-releases/2006/UR_RELEASE_MIG_2816.html">2006 University of Minnesota study</a>, I personally think we could use this concept on a group that is distrusted even more than Muslims. Atheists are distrusted; atheists are misunderstood; atheists are demonized. <br />
<br />
But it would be so easy to try to be an atheist for a month. You wouldn't even have to leave home. Wouldn't need to fly to Turkey, or to Israel, or Rome, or anywhere. I think (if memory serves) that Julia Sweeney's atheism began this way--just as a brief experiment, that proved successful. <br />
<br />
It's actually easier than <i>not</i> being an atheist. No rituals, no hymns, no call-and-response, no nothing. Well, you do have to do one thing. You do have to think. <br />
<br />
For yourself.Cuttlefishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12249250181650725088noreply@blogger.com6