Clearly the weekend news programs are hurting for material these days. I mean what is there to talk about outside of the failing economy, the new President's agenda, the occupation of Iraq, the civil war in Afghanistan, and global warming. With so few interesting things to choose from it should come as no surprise that our radar like media chose none of the above.
No, what our ever vigilant media representatives thought it best for the American people to hear was Dick Cheney talking. The fact that his 9% approval ratings indicate a certain loathing for the man by the American people doesn't seem to register on their media minds. Perhaps all a person of former power needs to to is crook his little finger and the media can't help but come running.
Sooooo, what are we left with? The Today show opens on Monday with the most venerable of newsmen, Matt Lauer, trumpeting his opening news headline 'Dick Cheney says we are not as safe as we used to be because we don't torture anymore.'
May I offer this alternative as an opener for the Today show, "The Vice President who said we were going to be nuked by Iraq says we need to keep torturing. More on the Chicken Little story later in the show."
A diary about the trials and tribulations of the sailboat Skookum in the Pacific Northwest.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Thursday, May 7, 2009
The Science is called Evolution not Darwinism!
I don't want to beat an old horse but there are just some things that I can't let slide. Shocking it may be but this time my beef with the View is not with Ms. Hasselbeck but with her co-host Sherri Shephard. Now Sherri seems like a very nice person whom I also find quite amusing at times. I've wanted to give her the benefit of the doubt but Monday was the last straw.
In a bit of irony I spent some of my Saturday washing floors while listening to the NPR on the radio. I regret that I don't remember the name of the book or the author that was being interviewed but it was about science. The author has written a book about scientific theory in a way that is simple for everybody to understand. The interview was lively, entertaining, and informative. One of the many scientific topics that were touched upon was evolution. The scientist pointed out that even though the media tries to make it an issue the debate about evolution is over in the real world.
Perhaps the ladies on the View should spend some of their time listening to informative and informed people rather than twittering their "friends." To my utter and total disgust on Monday Ms. Walters brought up the recent case in California where a teacher was held responsible for noting to his class that creationism is pseudo science. She then proceeds to talk about this as if it was an open question. Really, Barbara, according to who? If you mean the Christian fundamentalists who are trying to force their religion down everybody's throats then I guess you're right but since when do we take our cues from them?
This discussion is not valid for a public program unless it's Billy Graham where you know your viewers all share your beliefs/delusions. I mean, what is next for the great brains on the View? Maybe we can have Sherri weigh in on whether the earth is flat or not? (Oh wait, she already did that and she wasn't sure???!!!!!) Or how about whether certain types of people of particular shapes and colors have smaller brains than white people? Perhaps a lively discussion about whether or not blood transfusions will change you as a person?
These suggestions are all previously held beliefs that have been scientifically debunked just like this new fake creationism. In the case of creationism as science all I can say is that if your equation has "then a miracle occurs" somewhere in it then it's not science. For these women to indicate otherwise on a major network is both stupid and irresponsible.
When Whoopi popped out with "I just don't know why we can't teach both," apparently nobody from the group was able to point out that we have a separation of church and state and creationism is religion so it would be illegal. I've known Republicans who are more informed than that. But I think Sherri's ignorance and hypocrisy are the most annoying.
Perhaps she should explain to the viewers of the View how she can trust science to operate on her child's eyes and not trust them in the area of Adam and Eve? If the surgeon had told her before the operation that I'm going to do A., B., C., and then I'll hope a miracle occurs because I never bothered to learn it myself, and then if that works I'll proceed to D. Do you think Sherri would have sent her child under the knife based on some kind of hopeful, miracleish kind of operation? I can only assume the answer would be no considering she spends the rest of the time talking about what a wonderful mother she is.
At least Joy Behar had the good sense to point out to her that if she didn't allow her child to learn about evolution then he probably wouldn't get in to college. That pretty much sums up where we are on the debate. It's over everywhere except in some parts of the South and on The View.
In a bit of irony I spent some of my Saturday washing floors while listening to the NPR on the radio. I regret that I don't remember the name of the book or the author that was being interviewed but it was about science. The author has written a book about scientific theory in a way that is simple for everybody to understand. The interview was lively, entertaining, and informative. One of the many scientific topics that were touched upon was evolution. The scientist pointed out that even though the media tries to make it an issue the debate about evolution is over in the real world.
Perhaps the ladies on the View should spend some of their time listening to informative and informed people rather than twittering their "friends." To my utter and total disgust on Monday Ms. Walters brought up the recent case in California where a teacher was held responsible for noting to his class that creationism is pseudo science. She then proceeds to talk about this as if it was an open question. Really, Barbara, according to who? If you mean the Christian fundamentalists who are trying to force their religion down everybody's throats then I guess you're right but since when do we take our cues from them?
This discussion is not valid for a public program unless it's Billy Graham where you know your viewers all share your beliefs/delusions. I mean, what is next for the great brains on the View? Maybe we can have Sherri weigh in on whether the earth is flat or not? (Oh wait, she already did that and she wasn't sure???!!!!!) Or how about whether certain types of people of particular shapes and colors have smaller brains than white people? Perhaps a lively discussion about whether or not blood transfusions will change you as a person?
These suggestions are all previously held beliefs that have been scientifically debunked just like this new fake creationism. In the case of creationism as science all I can say is that if your equation has "then a miracle occurs" somewhere in it then it's not science. For these women to indicate otherwise on a major network is both stupid and irresponsible.
When Whoopi popped out with "I just don't know why we can't teach both," apparently nobody from the group was able to point out that we have a separation of church and state and creationism is religion so it would be illegal. I've known Republicans who are more informed than that. But I think Sherri's ignorance and hypocrisy are the most annoying.
Perhaps she should explain to the viewers of the View how she can trust science to operate on her child's eyes and not trust them in the area of Adam and Eve? If the surgeon had told her before the operation that I'm going to do A., B., C., and then I'll hope a miracle occurs because I never bothered to learn it myself, and then if that works I'll proceed to D. Do you think Sherri would have sent her child under the knife based on some kind of hopeful, miracleish kind of operation? I can only assume the answer would be no considering she spends the rest of the time talking about what a wonderful mother she is.
At least Joy Behar had the good sense to point out to her that if she didn't allow her child to learn about evolution then he probably wouldn't get in to college. That pretty much sums up where we are on the debate. It's over everywhere except in some parts of the South and on The View.
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