…and this is a 
Kevin Beck tells us that finally, Florida has the right spokesman for the creationist situation down there: Carl Hiaasen has written an editorial. If you don't know Hiaasen, you should — he writes hilarious comic novels that highlight the absurdity of politics and culture and crime in Florida. I'm wondering if he doesn't see the recent creationist shenanigans in his state as an opportunity for more local color and background research.
He is taking an ironic approach though: it's all about "boldly going against the flow, in defiance of reason and all known facts," and you can see that he's in a win:win situation. If evolution is supported, the state provides better education. If evolution goes down, the state provides more fodder for his books and columns.
Comments
Posted by: Glen Davidson | February 19, 2008 10:42 AM
Xianity is all about loving your neighbor as yourself. Floridians are perhaps the most Xian of all, willingly forgoing economic opportunity and respect, just so that others will have more money, as well as mirth at their expense. (So long as they don't spread their self-causing idiocy as they wish to do, of course).
Keep it up, good Floridians. A state that's going to be underwater soon anyhow hardly needs to be concerned about their economic future and respect.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: James F | February 19, 2008 10:44 AM
Speaking of Florida, the public hearing before the Board of Education just wrapped up - Brandon blogged it here: http://www.flascience.org/wp/
Posted by: David Wilford | February 19, 2008 10:44 AM
As if Florida wasn't a fountain of eternal weirdness already.
Posted by: Bryson Brown | February 19, 2008 10:52 AM
I love it-- this kind of satire is so much more effective than the spluttering rage that comes over me when I hear creationists' lies and nonsense and sheer, unending, ineducable idiocy: they're all thumbs and unopposable, to borrow a phrase.
Posted by: G | February 19, 2008 10:52 AM
I can only hope that they teach concepts like sarcasm and wit in Florida schools, otherwise people might believe him.
Posted by: Eric | February 19, 2008 11:02 AM
It's the Daily Show Dilemma: do you hope the right guy gets elected and turns our country around, or hope that another buffoon gets in from whom you could cull a half-hour entertaining show each night out of video clips of them?
Posted by: Lorax | February 19, 2008 11:05 AM
Do not read the comments! or at least bring a bottle of Tums with you if you do.
Posted by: Nate | February 19, 2008 11:09 AM
Paul, I would love to see an upcoming post from you regarding Rat-bats.
Posted by: ice9 | February 19, 2008 11:55 AM
I thought the comments were a disappointment. I was expecting more lunacy and barking at the moon, but most were sensible and supportive, including this nugget:
It is said that manatees are not very smart animals, but they're looking brighter every day in comparison to these folks. Save the humans!
Why do I so love to hear the morons speak? Why do we listen? What is so entertaining?
ice
Posted by: Chris P. | February 19, 2008 12:00 PM
"...but who needs Newton or Copernicus when you've got the Corinthians?"
HA! What an awesome little statement. What a great read.
Posted by: Glen Davidson | February 19, 2008 12:13 PM
Places like Miami and Orlando aren't the god-drugged hallucinating areas of the South (and let's not kid ourselves, too much of the North) that we're so used to. Much of Florida is a transplantation of the North into the South, with the good and ill that that brings to the South--at least we can say that creationist lunacy is diminished by the migrations from the North.
The panhandle and northern portions in general are, I gather, the hotbeds of anti-science delusion--or anyway, they produce most of the anti-evolution school board resolutions.
So it's not especially surprising if we're getting pro-science editorials and reviews from Miami and Orlando, respectively. They are hoping that the Florida they live in won't be the illiterate laughing-stock of the nation, and perhaps, if they continue to oppose IDiocy, they'll succeed. But the delusion and religious tribalism pushing creationism is not an easy foe to overcome.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/2kxyc7
Posted by: Will E. | February 19, 2008 12:15 PM
I've been reading Hiaasen for years. Whenever something particularly heinous or outrageous would happen in one of his novels, I'd think, "This *has* to be something that really happened. No one could think up this crazy shit." With his background as a journalist, I'm sure I'm right.
What the Coen Brothers used as the horrifying gross-out climax for Fargo (i.e., the woodchipper) Hiaasen used as just another crazy criminal stunt in his '80s classic Skin Tight. Check it.
Just wanted to give props to Carl Hiaasen. Now I head over to read the article.
Posted by: Bruce Almighty | February 19, 2008 2:13 PM
I agree with Lorax - don't read the comments, at least some of them, unless you have a strong stomach. There are evidently some badly-informed people down there...
I'll add my props for Carl Hiaasen. I've been reading him since his first, "Tourist Season." It was the sort of book that left you wanting many more, and for the most part he hasn't disappointed.
Cheers,
Bruce
Posted by: firemancarl | February 19, 2008 2:20 PM
Well, the new science standards just passed and the funides almost got their way. They were sucsessful in getting "scientific theory" added before evolution
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/S/SOU_SCHOOLS_EVOLUTION_FLOL-?SITE=FLDAY&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-02-19-12-31-01
Posted by: DanioPhD | February 19, 2008 3:25 PM
If only they could successfully DEFINE 'scientific theory', they would realize that this isn't nearly the compromise they think it is...
Posted by: False Prophet | February 19, 2008 5:01 PM
On the one hand, some of the fellow librarians I work with adore Hiaasen. On the other hand, it's because of him that Christopher Paolini got a major publisher behind the excreble Eragon and its sequels. What to think?
Posted by: raindogzilla | February 19, 2008 6:08 PM
Makes one wax nostalgic for the days of Governor Skink.
Posted by: C. M. Baxter | February 19, 2008 6:17 PM
The Florida creation crowd falls back, shielding their ears and screaming, "Oh no! They're saying the WORD! Quick, we must bring them some shrubbery and even a herring to make them stop!"
Posted by: cellphone | January 9, 2009 4:47 AM
I agree with Lorax - don't read the comments, at least some of them, unless you have a strong stomach. There are evidently some badly-informed people down there...
I'll add my props for Carl Hiaasen. I've been reading him since his first, "Tourist Season." It was the sort of book that left you wanting many more, and for the most part he hasn't disappointed.
Posted by: Spy Devices | February 13, 2009 9:23 PM
The Florida creation crowd falls back, shielding their ears and screaming, "Oh no! They're saying the WORD! Quick, we must bring them some shrubbery and even a herring to make them stop!"
Posted by: Mobile phone | June 5, 2009 3:39 AM
You should no longer be charged after that. I don’t think the cell phone companies can help you.