The things you can find on Darwin Day

Well, it is a Darwin Day event. It's just not a very good one.

Too bad no events in sunny Stellenbosch, South Africa. We had an event last year here in our student town, sadly nothing this year :(

I just want to know where I can get a signed DVD copy of the ex-atheist girl who so proudly explicated the fallacy of evolution. Gotta see it one more time on the big screen with my digital converter before I sit down to a bowl of steaming stupid soup.

I guess we should feel pleased that Darwin Day is a big enough event that they feel the need to mount a response. On the other hand, these opportunistic cretins seem to pollute science wherever they can.

We are having a series of events in Vancouver, including a Darwin Birthday Cake contest!
http://www.vanevo.ca/

There seem to be no Darwin Day events within 100 miles of me. Or 500 miles, for that matter....

Guess that's the trade-off of living in Mississippi. Still, I'd think University of Southern Mississippi, where I am, would have something going. Maybe it's just not on that calendar.

Man, this is tough...

Going all the way to that hellhole Santa Ana and having my brains sucked out of my head from so much stupid, or staying in San Antonio and enjoying our Darwin week celebration that gets capped off with a performance by Roy Zimmerman.

I'll take San Antonio for $500, Alex.

You're way too picky. It's a quality line up. I want answers about those "ape-men" - there's one who lives me near me and I think he's...evolving. And just in case I feel a little ill, all those doctors will be able to treat me with that ole Genesis medicine.
Your trouble "Professor" - and I bet you're not a medical Professor - Myers, is that you just can't bear to see your "religion" challenged by real experts.
Rationalist.
I'm still cross because you made my brain more stupider with that video earlier today.

Well, we need those people as evidence of the evolutionary prediction that perfection does not arise by evolving.

They're only too happy to example the many flaws that evolution produces. But do they really have to appear so stupid as to make us wonder what value intelligence has in evolution?

Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592

Uh oh -- the first annual, "War on Darwin Day" has begun. They should just be silent for this month and a half instead of mocking our beliefs with this bigotry.

Yeah, they impose themselves everywhere in government, including public schools, and even on such websites as are intended for us to advertise our secular events. Once time a Christian signed up with my atheist group, where membership is by approval (she lied to get in... Christian morals, you know), and spend an entire morning posting nonsense on every thread on our message board. It took me all of five minutes to delete all of it and bump her out, but it was still rude. There was a bunch of hubbub about a gay protest inside a California church a while back, but if there's no refuge for us, why should there be for them?

I haven't found any Darwin Day events in Los Angeles, besides a UU Church that's having a meet and greet chat and chew dinner where they talk about Gawd and Science.

Also the Skirball cultural center is going to have a "discussion" where a non-biologist and a Rabbi talk about how there's no conflict between science and religion or somesuck.

I just wish I could get some actual science on Darwin day, and leave the Gawdtalk to dominate the other 364 days of the year.

Oh, and plus can we just talk about nothing but science on Christmas? Thanks!

I actually went to the site last week looking for some Darwin Day celebrations in Southern California. I though this was a joke, but I guess not. I think they're goint to have a discussion about the "theory" of gravity as well....

I don't see the problem with listing this. The kind of people who would use the Darwin Day website's Calendar of Events to find a local celebration are quite likely to be sophisticated enough to first, spot what this is, and second, think it would be a hoot to go as a group and ask difficult, probing, intelligent questions after each lecture.

The folks who should be complaining about the listing are the home schooling folks who are planning on attending, yet were educating their kids in isolation just so they wouldn't have to encounter real live evil-lutionists and get all confused.

saaah-wheeeeet

"Darwin conference"? Anti-Darwin conference.

Free? It would want to be.

I hate to go off topic, but there is a survey on American Atheist that seems to be going awry.

Should the Stimulus Package include funding for Faith-Based programs that Discriminate?
Yes: 772 - 77%
No: 217 - 21%

There was a bunch of hubbub about a gay protest inside a California church a while back, but if there's no refuge for us, why should there be for them?

I thought our refuges were laboratories.

I haven't found any Darwin Day events in Los Angeles, besides a UU Church that's having a meet and greet chat and chew dinner where they talk about Gawd and Science.

Also the Skirball cultural center is going to have a "discussion" where a non-biologist and a Rabbi talk about how there's no conflict between science and religion or somesuck.

I just wish I could get some actual science on Darwin day, and leave the Gawdtalk to dominate the other 364 days of the year.

Oh, and plus can we just talk about nothing but science on Christmas? Thanks!

Apparently, there is nothing happening within a 500 mile radius of me. I'm assuming it's miles. The site isn't very specific.

Well, no wonder the Lucy exhibit in Seattle is losing money. They're not even smart enough to get it listed as a Darwin Day event. I've been planning to see it since PZ mentioned it months ago. maybe that will be the day...

Nothing (else) in a 500 mile radius of Seattle. maybe I'll do a public reading from Voyage of the Beagle.

Ham and Co (is he not in prison?) seem to be scheduling all answers and no questions.

also, i like how the "lunch break" is for "all ages", (presumably the maximum age is 6000).

How could they?
They hurt my feelings.
I'm offended.

Dan Dennett is speaking at Framingham State
For Darwin Day (that's what I'm told);
The talk starts at seven, so don't you be late
Or we'll lock you outside in the cold.

I can't find anything in Wisconsin at all :/

Nothing in Toronto ? *sigh*

Darwin Conference (Free)
Location: 3800 S. Fairview St
Santa Ana/CA 92704

Of course it has to be in Orange County...

Ugh "Answers from Science and Scripture on the Real Age of the Earth (Ages 11 & Up)"- get 'em when they're young....

Well, on the slightly upside, that address is a christian academy/middle school, in spitting distance of the grotesque TBN building (405 fwy and Bear). So I doubt anyone looking for a legit talk on Darwin will happen upon it accidentally.

I wrote this up to send to the DarwinDay.org people via their "contact us" submission form. Is it worth sending, or should I just leave it be?
--
DarwinDay.org,
First of all, thank you for providing this great resource for those planning on holding Darwin Day events and those who wish to attend such events. That said, I wonder if you are aware that you are listing events which are being held for the purpose of promoting and perpetuating lies and ignorance regarding Darwin and his profound contribution to our understanding of life. The 3800 S. Fairview St, Santa Ana event which includes outspoken creationist and anti-Darwinian Ken Ham, among others, is not a celebration of Darwin Day, but quite the opposite. It seems to me rather inappropriate, to say the least, to promote events attempting to distort, discredit, and demonize the very things that Darwin Day (and likewise this website) are celebrating! I hope you will consider removing the listing, or at least warning would-be attendees of the true nature and goals of those speaking at this event. Thank you.
--

The Search feature only seems to work for certain cities. I plugged in Boston, MA and got nothing withing a 500 mi radius. Same for Philadephia, PA and Providence, RI. If I plugged in New York, NY (well within a 500 mi radius of all the afore mentioned) I got dozens of hits.

This kind of search engine is not exactlt alien technology. Shame on them again.

Darwin Day is coming! Circle the wagons of ignorance!

Sounds like DarwinDay.org needs to evolve.

How about a DarwinDay's Eve anti-atheist "Evolution, Transcendence, and the Nature of Faith: Reassessing Darwin's Impact on Science and Society on the Occasion of His 200th Birthday" panel from the soi-disant Center for American Progress?

Siamang, check out CFI-West in Hollywood. They usually have events scheduled for Darwin Day. They did last year, and I think I remember seeing something in the newsletter for this year. I'm sure there will be somthing posted on their website at www.cfiwest.org

OT but only slightly. On my way to work this morning I saw a giant billboard ad for 'eden', a tv channel for nature progs, allegedly.
I kinda doubt they'll be showing much of David Attenbourgh's work.

In addition to KWVE (Christian) FM Radio, Maranatha Christian Academy and "Word For Today (radio broadcast)," this location is home to Calvary Chapel (Chuck Smith, Greg Laurie).

Hell yeah, they started it. I think we should crash church services and shout out rude stupid comments when they're trying to teach their bullshit. Of course, being Christians, the don't understand cause and effect so they'll claim we started it.

Ken Ham himself just came cruising through northern California and held one of his pseudoscience conferences in Modesto. I was too busy to attend, but other people were alert enough to offer the Modesto Bee some comments on the newspaper's related story. Someone using the handle "Deltaman" weighed in with this:

It is unfortunate that Mr. Ham and those who follow his "teachings" cannot see the trueness that it is actually the Flying Spaghetti Monster that created the universe and all that we see. It is with his Noodly Appendage that he plants artifacts and fossils, and alters scientific data to make it appear as though we share DNA with such creatures as fruit flies < http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2002/04/020423080642.htm > when in truth we do not. Anyone who has actually viewed the world with unclouded eyes will see that we are actually descended from Pirates, with whom we share over 99.9% of DNA genes. I pray that the FSM will open your eyes with His Noodly Appendage.

There's nothing on there for Canberra, but the National Museum has a Darwin Symposium on 26 February - www.nma.gov.au

And there's a good exhibit on there too.

I think we should crash church services and shout out rude stupid comments when they're trying to teach their bullshit.

An acquaintance of mine commented a while ago he was occasionally tempted, when going past churches with services in session, to open those big doors they usually have at one end and yell in 'Lies! All lies!' and then run for it. He's yet to do it, so far as I know. But I feel his pain.

In the spirit of this occasion, however, mebbe it might be a bit more appropriate to yell 'Teach the controversy! There is no god!'...

But either way's good, seems to me. Each to his own.

@ Sastra

An Orange County homeschooling parent myself, I've also been thinking that it'd be a hoot to attend. I might even pull my daughter out of isolation to join me. Since she's "11 or older," she could even ask her own questions. She also has her own camera. And blog :)

Mezzobuff at #26, two things in Toronto Area

1)CFI lecture by Larry Morin (friend of PZ's) Fri 13th 7:00pm http://www.centerforinquiry.net/ontario/events/darwing_week_activity_pr…

2)Mississauga Central Library
301 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W.
MississaugaON/ON L5B 3Y3
Dr. Jason Wiles on Feb 10th, 2009 at 7:00pm in the Noel Ryan auditorium of the Mississauga Central Library, will be speaking on the state of evolution education in our academic system today in Ontario and Canada.

I encourage everyone to go to Ken Ham's talk and ask,

"If evolution is true, then how come there aren't any man-goats?

Oh, never mind. I guess it's true after all."

Not only is Feb 12 Darwin's birthday but it's also Abe Lincoln's birthday. Why not have a Darwin/Lincoln party? How can the creationists agrue Old Abe's birthday? (I'll also be celebrating my own birthday, I'll be 29 years old for the 4th time):)

I've been trying to find an interesting Darwin Day (or week) event in NYC for about a month now... haven't had much luck. The Museum of Natural History doesn't even appear to have anything listed on their site.

I got pretty excited when I saw this post and figured the search would turn up many exciting things... but unfortunately it only showed one event for NYC.

If anybody knows of somethin that sounds cool up here, please share. Thanks.

Wow. Look at all the talks titled "Answers . . . ." I'm having a fit trying to figure out what the question is. Anybody? Bueller?

Orange County is a bastion of xtianity and insipidity. I'm glad I'm far away.

All these comments about being unable to find a Darwin Day event in one's area--astonishing. I was unable to find anything being done by the University of Illinois (using DarwinDay.org), which is just a few miles from me. Thinking that surely they must be having a program and it just wasn't listed on that website, I emailed a few of the biology profs there. I received 3 sheepish replies, all of which stated something like "Gee, no, we don't have anything at all planned, as far as I know."
Come on, U of I! The man who described a group of organisms so different from any others that a new taxon was created, Carl Woese, is a researcher at your institution, and you're doing nothing for Darwin Day? That's shameful!

I made some changes. I hope you like them.

Activities: Saturday, February 07, 2009 8:30 AM to 8:55 AM Video: "I Don't Know Davey. I don't know anything" Davey and Goliath: You think children were fucked up by Teletubbies? Well watch this) (All Ages)
9:00 AM to 10:00 AM Ken Ham: How religiosity spawned Fascism and the KKK (Ages 11 & Up)
10:20 AM to 11:10 AM Michael Behe and The Discovery Institute will perform their research in the form of Interpretive dance (added extra: juggling snakes) (Ages 11 & Up)
11:25 AM to 12:15 PM Dr. David Menton: Darwin Schmarwin (Ages 11 & Up)
12:15 PM to 1:25 PM Lunch Break : Apples
1:30 PM to 2:40 PM Ken Ham: How about them apples? : Magical Fairy dust or Cinnamon?
3:00 PM to 3:50 PM Dr. Andrew Snelling: Fairies or Angels? Which makes less sense? (Ages 3 & Up)
4:05 PM to 4:55 PM Dr. David Menton: Evilution vs. my imagination and what I have been taught because my brain has evolved to accept what I have been taught by authority figures uncritically and I'm not smart enough to figure it out myself as an adult. (Ages 11 & Up)
6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Ken Ham: Genesis: Key to Reaching Today`s World as written by some bat-shit insane people who thought the earth was flat (I think I'm going to throw up!!)

Okay. It needs work I admit, but it makes more sense.

lol, what boneheads.

Pittsburgh has many interesting Darwin Day events sponsored by Duquesne University. Yes, it's a catholic university, but their biology department has been spearheading Darwin Day events for several years now and they keep getting better. This year they are unveiling Tree of Life displays at the Pittsburgh Zoo, Phipps Conservatory, the National Aviary, Pittsburgh Children's Museum, and Carnegie Science Center (where I work).

They are also hosting an evolution lecture series running January through April. Last year they brought in Judge John Jones III from the Dover trial!

I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my favorite popular science writers, Carl Zimmer, will be lecturing here in Raleigh at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences on Darwin Day. More info: http://www.nescent.org/news/Speakers_Zimmer2009.php

My son saw Ken Ham last year at a Campus Crusade for Christ do at Bellevue Community College. I had told him about the legendary Ken Ham. Well, my son says he sounded like a tottering old crank who is an embarrassment to himself and whoever sponsors him. He said Ham's continual use of really, really obvious logical fallacies made the cheering squad look like a bunch of fools. In fact, he said, it made the Campus Crusade for Christ a highly undesirable group of people to most anyone who was capable of college level thought.

My son was especially unimpressed with obvious distortions by Ham of his opponents' words. Ham was taking quotes out of context, misapplying them, and just making himself sound like a guy with a major intellectual impairment.

Ham helped turn my son from a quiet critic to an open scoffer about creationism. He says Ham is a young Earth creationist, really! Why not encourage people to hear him. He's a total self-parody.

11:25 AM to 12:15 PM Dr. David Menton: Answers about the "Ape-Men" (Ages 11 & Up)

Is this like a Johnny Weissmuller fanbio?

Jane: Oh, father, did you hear his cry when that ape was shot? He'd probably never been unhappy before.
Parker: Oh, my dear, he's not like us...
Jane: He's white.
Parker: Oh, whether they're white or not, those people living a life like that, they've no emotion, hardly human.
Jane (defending Tarzan): Human. He's human all right.

Re: Darwin Day events in Los Angeles, the NCSE is getting out word about two talks, one by Michael Shermer on February 10 and another by Maddalena Bearzi on the 12th. They're at Kelton Library at Animo Leadership Charter High School, 1155 W Arbor Vitae St. in Inglewood. They appear to both be free but require an RSVP to the science dept. head there.

I tried a year ago to get the local zoo to do something. I also went to the local science museum. Everyone was too busy to think about it. Now nothing.

Something finally showed up in the DarwinDay database: there is a little party being thrown by an atheist group way on the other side of town (Portland, OR). I may stay home and watch the rerun of Judgement Day on PBS.

I have found, however, that UofO in Eugene is having a lecture series this year. Later this spring Sean Caroll and Ken Miller will be featured (April and May?).

#6 University of Southern Mississippi

The clergy letter has two events in Hattisburg

Hattiesburg Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
Hattiesburg, MS
Nell Cobb, President
http://www.huuf.us/
Feb 15 "Darwin's 200th Birthday Party" Chris Werle

Trinity Episcopal Church
Hattiesburg, MS
The Rev. Dr. Bill Stroop

The second is likely to be quite religious but the first might know about any other events in the area or the event might be ok itself (especially since Chris Werle's myspace page says he would like to meet the Flying Spaghetti Monster).

Never mind. Go fly a kite instead.

Fun facts:

Ken Ham makes $178,991 a year for spreading his gospel of anti-science:

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5214

Andrew Snelling writes geology papers that brazenly contradict his young earth creationism claims on the side:

http://www.noanswersingenesis.org.au/realsnelling.htm

Bruce Chapman, the president of the Discovery Institute rakes in $157,332 a year for his services to Evangelical millionaires who think evolution is the Gospel According to St. Darwin:

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=9757

One probably figures that Casey Luskin isn't exactly making minimum wage. Something between $100,000 and $125,000 would probably be a fair estimate. I'm not sure how much money it would take me to close my eyes on science, but for them, six figures seems to be enough.

Oh and an astute onlooker might notice that Ken Ham's salary represents nearly 1.5% of his organization's total expenses while Chapman's represents almost 4%. Looks like Ham should be asking his donors for a raise to stay competitive...

Well Dr. Moyers, thanks for a post that let me indulge my desire in journalistic research. *hat tip*

Brownian:

"If evolution is true, then how come there aren't any man-goats?

Abso-freakin'-hilarious.

Oh, nearly forgot: Fresno's doing it's part for Darwin Day. Check out our new consortium for evolution education: Darwin's Bulldogs!

I hope a bunch of well schooled scientists attend it and point out every flaw they make in their presentations. Get a biologist, geologist, astronomer, and a chemist in there for good measure with a mathematician. Basically let the experts do their thing for their respected fields. . . . I would actually pay to see that, Ken Ham and co jumped my bearers of reality!

Yes, Calvary Chapel-"Simply Teaching The Bible Simply", it makes since. I'm a long time resident of The OC well before it was The OC (we used to just tell people we lived in Los Angeles). I was once almost saved at Calvary Chapel (I thought it fun to get high and go to bible studies with my non-stoner friends). It's my perception that Calvary Chapel is much more conservative than evenSaddle Back Church.

eddie@36:

Eden is, in fact, a really good nature documentary channel which shows a heck of a lot of David Attenborough, actually :-)

I thought for Darwin Day I would go on a 'pilgrimage' to his house, and walk along the 'Tangled Bank', whilst listening to Stephen Fry narrate 'On the origin of Species...' on my iPod.

Beats listening to Ken Hamonster anyday.

This site gives the impression that not much is happening in London, but there is quite a lot: http://www.timeout.com/london/museums-attractions/features/6715/Darwin_… has a list; in addition the Royal Society has several Darwin related talks in it's current season (available as podcasts via iTunes) - I particularly recommend Prof. Steve Jones' talk, and the talk on Darwin's neighbour John Lubbock. The Natural History Museum has it's own Darwin 200 events http://www.darwin200.org/.

Not an exhibition, but the Linnean Society has published some Darwin/Wallace celebratory articles on it's website http://www.linnean.org/index.php?id=351 . The special issue of the Linnean produced for the anniversary is available as a free download

Kew Gardens (250th anniversary this year) also has a celebration of Darwin starting next week, as part of it's Tropical Extravaganza.

Ken Ham: Genesis: Key to Reaching Today`s World

... It sounds like he's trying to reconcile Genesis with the world all rational people have already achieved.

I should have mentioned that this special issue of the Linnean includes the article (Charles Darwin: Ghostbuster, Muse and Magistrate) by Richard Milner discussed on a recent Scientific American podcast, and more on Sir John Lubbock, including a picture of his famous pet wasp.

OFF TOPIC BUT OF VAST IMPORTANCE:

Unless the website has been vandalized, I think Sam Harris has converted to some kind of Christy-theism.

To quote: “The universe is rationally intelligible because the God of Abraham has made it so.”

See here for it: http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/coyne09/coyne09_index.html#tnr-coyne

You’ll have to scroll and look, but it is the closest link I could get.

I just have to say: WHAT THE FUCK! He even uses some kind of epithets for Dennet and Dawkins. But I guess, should we not have suspected something? I mean the last chapter in The End of Faith was quite cookoo.

To further quote Harris (Again, this is with the disclaimer that I think it may still be website vandalism):

"And yet, there is more to be said against the likes of Coyne and Dennett and Dawkins (he is the worst!). Patrick Bateson tells us that it is "staggeringly insensitive" to undermine the religious beliefs of people who find these beliefs consoling. I agree completely. For instance: it is now becoming a common practice in Afghanistan and Pakistan to blind and disfigure little girls with acid for the crime of going to school. When I was a neo-fundamentalist rational neo-atheist I used to criticize such behavior as an especially shameful sign of religious stupidity. I now realize—belatedly and to my great chagrin—that I knew nothing of the pain that a pious Muslim man might feel at the sight of young women learning to read. Who am I to criticize the public expression of his faith? Bateson is right. Clearly a belief in the inerrancy of the holy Qur'an is indispensable for these beleaguered people."

I'm sorry to keep posting but I think this is a huge story if it turns out to be true. Here's another excerpt from Harris:

"I am confident that Randall's airplane adventure will mark a turning point in our intellectual discourse. Not only has she resolved all the contradictions between science and religion (and magic, voodoo, UFO cults, astrology, Tarot, palmistry, etc.), she has reconciled apparently conflicting religions with one another. Hindus worship a multiplicity of gods; Muslims acknowledge the existence of only one, and believe that polytheism is a killing offense. Do Hinduism and Islam conflict? Only "if your rules are logic." Just as paths ascending a mountain slope can seem discrepant at the mountain's base, and yet once we stand upon the summit, we find that all routes have led to the same destination—so it will be with every exercise of the human intellect! The Summit of Truth awaits, my friends. Simply pick your path...."

The link again: http://edge.org/3rd_culture/coyne09/coyne09_index.html#rc

Re:InTheImageOfDNA

Sam Harris is speaking sarcastically.

Very, very, very sarcastically.

It's Comedy Gold, frankly. He has a very dry wit.

ArcadeRuss

Well it seems, Harris tried his hand at being a Poe and won, at least against me.

#73

even if sam harris had turned to the dark side, i don't see the vast importance of it. we're lucky to have such a witty writer to resonate with, but i hope nobody is an atheist because of what mister harris says. or because of what any particular person says.

but it would be remarkable for sure. you just never know... maybe he saw a beautiful frozen 3-pronged waterfall during a hike, and felt the need to accept jebus as his savior.

@ InTheImageOfDNA. Your parody meter needs an overhaul mate:-)

There no WAY to mistake the excerpt below for anything but hilarious, albeit, fairly dark and gritty humour.

For instance: it is now becoming a common practice in Afghanistan and Pakistan to blind and disfigure little girls with acid for the crime of going to school. When I was a neo-fundamentalist rational neo-atheist I used to criticize such behavior as an especially shameful sign of religious stupidity. I now realize—belatedly and to my great chagrin—that I knew nothing of the pain that a pious Muslim man might feel at the sight of young women learning to read. Who am I to criticize the public expression of his faith?

Sam Harris may have strayed a little from the
reservation by attempting to set up a category
in which 'hypothetico-deductive rationalism' &
disciplined meditation techniques were equally
valid habits of thought, but it was a defensible
argument, IMO.

Good to see that there are lots of events taking place around the world to celebrate Darwin day, and many of them directly addressing creationism.

I'm going back to Shrewsbury (Darwin's birthplace, and my home town) this weekend, but unfortunately they aren't giving out Darwin's Birthday cake until the 12th...

There are so many events taking place in Shrewsbury, that the locals are really being spoilt with it. I was particularly amused to see:

Darwin & the Dinosaurs
Darwin & the Dinosaurs

A lecture about Darwin and dinosaurs.

Prof Benton reviews what was known about dinosaurs in 1859, how Darwin responded to the 'common knowledge' of the time and the work by his contemporaries. Finally Prof Benton discusses dinosaurs in evolution today.

Speaker: Prof. Mike Benton, Department of Earth Sciences, Bristol University

Location: Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury

Actually, a lot of events are in the town's churches... And Michael Shermer is giving a talk in an ex-church...

Darwin realises he may have missed a few pieces of the puzzle.

There's a Facebook group, "Can we find 200,000 by Feb 12 to wish Darwin a happy 200th birthday?, that is also keeping a list of Darwin Day events. I normally don't join the "I bet I can find X number of..." groups, but for ol' Charles I made an exception. There's surprisingly little creationist tripe - one guy just got smacked down for bringing up the 2nd law of thermodynamics.

They're nearly a third of the way there. Recommended for Phacebook Pharynguloids.

Maybe Ken Ham is a mad genius.

What if he does not believe what he preaches, but has a cunning plan to destroy the American education system, by getting his brain dead zombie followers to push for teaching creationism.

Then Australia can invade the USA. Look out for those laser toting ninja kangaroos near the creation museum. Then you'll know I am right.

I'm on to your plan there, you upside down people!

By the way, if anyone does go to the Ken Ham thing, they might want to ask him about this:

  http://74.125.47.132/search?q=cache:https://www.answersingenesis.com/ar…

THE CHURCH IS DESPERATELY TRYING TO RETAIN AND REBUILD THE SPIRITUAL AND MORAL ASPECTS OF CHRISTIANITY, BUT IT REALLY IS A LOST CAUSE--UNLESS THE CHURCH RECOGNIZES THE FACT THAT THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE NO LONGER HAS A 'PHYSICAL REALITY' TO CONNECT TO.

[...]
In the late 1700s and early 1800s, the idea of long time periods for forming the fossil-bearing sedimentary rock layers was becoming popular. This, in essence, is where the idea of millions of years for the age of the earth really developed, and is the key to understanding Satan's strategy today. Sadly, many church leaders have succumbed to the idea of 'millions of years', and thus have reinterpreted the Bible to fit these eons of time into the biblical text. The Days of Creation were thus reinterpreted to mean long periods of time. And the Flood of Noah's day was relegated to being just a local event; the Bible's geology was replaced with secular geological history.

It's kind of implicit rather than explicit, but he certainly seems to be saying that anything that contradicts God and the bible is an illusion of Satan.

OT, but this story just appeared this morning:

Obama says faith shouldn't be used to divide
By NATASHA T. METZLER

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is telling the National Prayer Breakfast that even though faith too often has been used "as a tool to divide us from one another," there is no religion in the world that is based on hatred.

Obama, in prepared remarks, said, "There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being."

Obama is also telling the gathering that the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships that he is announcing Thursday won't favor any religious group, or favor religious groups over secular groups.

He says it will help organizations that want to "work on behalf of our communities," without "blurring the line" between church and state.

I have Emma Darwin's cookbook and will be cooking something from it next Thursday. Aren't you all totally jealous? If you're in Sudbury.....

There's something similar for Lynchburg, VA, near Liberty U, Feb. 15-17.

Liberty University will be holding an ID Symposium Fri 6, open to public!

Down in Evansville, Indiana, there are several events either on or near the 200th birthday date of Charles Darwin.

Dr. Kenneth Miller will be speaking at the University of Southern Indiana on February 17th.

http://www.usi.edu/newsinfo/release/press_detail.asp?num=2979

Dr. Jim Bandoli will also be providing a lecture free and open to the public at the University of Southern Indiana on February 12th.

https://www.usi.edu/webservices/calendar_03/index.asp?year=2009&month=2…

The Evansville Museum will be sponsering two events. On February 12th, the museum will be hosting a free screening of "A Flock of Dodos." Then, on February 28th, Dr. Eugenie Scott will be holding a lecture "Darwin's Legacy in Science and Society" that is also open to the public.

http://www.emuseum.org/

Indiana is often referred to as the bible belt of the north, so to be having so many events in this area is, frankly, astounding.

What's the difference between "all ages" and "11 and up?" I mean are there some concepts in "design theory" that are just too technical for your average ten year old to comprehend?

I am not surprised that Ken Ham (the Sham) would co-opt Darwin Day for his own pile of rot. Gays have had "coming out" day in October for some years when anti-gay Xian groups came up with "coming out of homosexuality day."

After all, anyone who parrots the Babble won't be a person with any kind of ability at original thinking.

Well, I certainly made an ass of myself this morning didn't I? Lesson learned - don't blog after drinking beer.

Does the prevalence of converging evidence for horizontal transfer of genes between evolutonarily distant species (even metazoans) warrant a revaluation of Darwinism? To what extent does the the scientific community accept Darwinism today?

Hey, since we're lacking in Darwin Day festivities here in LA, maybe we should all go crash their party!

santa ana california is all catholic hispanics. thats why darwin day at this location would be saturated in religion.

Oh no:

http://www.darwinday.org/events/listing.php?id=12910

Australia has hijackers too.

Cant find much in Sydney either.