And more on creation scientists…

The Creation scientists may be trying harder, but my pro-creationist readers are not…

Recently there has been a flurry of comments posted to a blog I wrote in February last year, I’ll give the Creationist’s this much: they’re certainly trying harder.

These comments are remarkable for one thing only: the utter deficiency of the basics of science. On the contrary, they’re crammed with non-facts, regurgitated from notorious Creation scientists… nearly all of which have been debunked at one time or other.

It is utterly astonishing that with the wealth of information at our disposal which demonstrate conclusively the authenticity of evolutionary science, these readers allow themselves to be drawn like zombies, to sources disseminating pure garbage. Attempts to point them to genuine sources of information such as TalkOrigins, are met with loathing and outright dismissal.

The distinct impression I get is that they don’t want to learn anything new, but rather seek the comfort of confirmation for their predisposed beliefs.

Anyway, I found this on my Facebook page today and leave it here for them to mull over… if that’s not asking too much.

 

Creeping vine has me stumped

While standing on the balcony of friends’ flat this weekend on a trip to the coastal Kwa-Zulu Natal town of Illovo, I spotted these beautiful bulbous flowers. They appeared to be growing on some sort of vine creeping up a tall tree alongside his townhouse flat.

I tried searching the internet, but have not been able to identify it. I have no idea what type of tree it is either. Anyone with answers?

Pope-eye the Sailor Man

I have a wicked mind. In high school I developed the knack of passing a quip at any commentary. These days I reserve that talent for anyone who has earned the ire of the people, by deed or speech.

Usually politicians are my victims. Today it’s the turn of Pope Benedict XVI. Reports suggest that he is going blind in one eye and due to a high blood pressure condition, is advised to limit air travel. I will leave the faithful to ponder why god’s emissary is being forsaken. Rationalizing is after all, their fortitude.

Pope Benedictus XVI (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What I’m musing over is whether his partial blindness is the reason why he turned a blind eye to the perverse sexual antics of his priests. Yeah, yeah, that’s really malicious, but let’s get even sillier…

Will Ratzinger now become Pope-eye the Sailor Man since he is restricted from travelling by air?

Freshly Played #16: Sarah Brightman

Sarah Brightman may well be better known for her roles in Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals, but she is an accomplished solo artist in her own right. And being able to sing in English, Spanish, French, Latin, German, Italian, Russian, Mandarin Chinese and Japanese is no small feat.

The duet Time To Say Goodbye with Andrea Bocelli is a well-loved and well-known classic, but I had all but forgotten that she fronted for the 70’s band, Hot Gossip, who had a disco hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper.

However, my favorite Brightman songs remain:

Nella Fantasia

Il Mio Coure Va

Rationalizing prayer

Hehehe! Saw this on my Facebook page and had to share…

So this is what the belief mongers have surrendered to? Rationalizing a totally ineffectual pursuit. It must be comforting playing heads I win, tails you lose.

One Billion Rising South Africa

I attended the Rising at Constitution Hill, Johannesburg, one of many held around the country. It was an emotionally charged evening of poetry, song and dance.

The poetry mostly spoke of personal experiences, and was very moving. It’s so sad and horrifying, this scourge of rape and gender violence. I’m left deeply mortified at how helpless woman, mostly, must feel at this onslaught.

Just a few pictures which don’t tell the real story…

May the rising continue until patriarchal attitudes are deemed a crime against humanity.

In response to a critic of V-Day

I read with dismay the article V-Day stands for… vapidity by Marelise van der Merwe in Daily Maverick, which dismisses the One Billion Rising campaign on 14 February 2013 as a mere “step, step twirl.”

On 14 February, “One Billion Rising” will take place – also known as the main project of the V-Day initiative. It’s a celebrity-endorsed attempt to get a billion activists worldwide to take part in a choreographed dance to end rape. The trouble is, it’s got bugger-all to do with rape at all. And it’s unlikely to achieve anything, either.

It’s a rather unfortunate, low snipe at both the event organizers and the potential participants. I happen to know some of the local event organizers and I can confirm with conviction that they’re not just looking for an opportunity to sway their hips for a few hours, in a bid to move “beyond armchair activism.” I happen to know that they’re actively involved in various initiatives to address violence against woman, gender equality and the patriarchal culture that dominates society.

It’s not just about protesting against rape as Marelise alleges. It is so much more. And it’s a much more civilized way to express outrage, than forming mobs and burning and looting, as is the norm with many protests around the world.

It’s no mean feat getting one billion people around the world to rise up and protest against oppression and violence in a coordinated effort. And to accuse these people of being vacuous and misguided is pretty shallow. Surely Marelise doesn’t think these people are stupidly expecting their protest to magically end the scourge of rape?

This campaign is meant to raise awareness which will hopefully go a long way to encourage greater participation in some of the good material suggestions Marelise herself mentions in her article. Because… silence is an act of complicity.

Farewell Reg Presley (1941 – 2013)

The 60’s is perhaps my favorite musical era. Sadly, one of that era’s musical greats, Reg Presley who founded and fronted for The Troggs, has passed away after succumbing to cancer.

Reg had a strange interest in the paranormal, Crop Circles and UFO’s, and even wrote a book about it, but like most people, we all have our little quirks. Who knows, he may be designing the mother of all crop circle somewhere in his beloved Hampshire, and plotting to prove us skeptics all wrong.

The Troggs will be perhaps be remembered most for that all-time classic Wild Thing, but  With A Girl Like You, is my personal favorite.

Take it away Reg… or should I say thanks for leaving this wonderful testament of your genius behind, for us all to enjoy in perpetuity.

 

More apparel madness…

Imagine fashion conscious Paris having a law on their statute books that bans women from wearing pants? Yep, the 1799 law requiring women to get special permission from the police to “dress like men,” and although revised over the years to allow women to ride horses and bikes, has for some unfathomable reason never been repealed.

I pity the poor sod who tries to enforce it though, in these relatively enlightened times.

Enlightenment has still not reached some corners of this world however. The debate about the wearing of burkas by Moslem women still rages hotly in many countries, Paris being one of them. Whatever your views on this religious edict, the extension of the requirement to babies, should be considered ludicrous by anyone, no matter how insanely religious.

Yet, that is what is being proposed by a cleric from Saudi Arabia. A lunatic by the name of Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, claims that young girls and even babies should be forced to wear burkas to prevent them from being raped. In a country where Sharia law is strictly enforced, the incidence of rapes are on the increase. However under certain circumstances, rapists are unbelievably not subject to criminal prosecution.

Seems this idiotic cleric has not quite worked out yet, that a piece of cloth is not going to prevent some perverted bastard from raping a child. Is it because like many others inspired by archaic religious texts, he thinks that men are not to blame?