Obama Gal

I love my Liz!

'Heat the Hornet' by Richard Dawkins - RichardDawkins.net

'Heat the Hornet' by Richard Dawkins - RichardDawkins.net:

"A scientist arrogantly asserts that thunder is not the triumphal sound of God’s balls banging together, nor is it Thor’s hammer. It is, instead, the reverberating echoes from the electrical discharges that we see as lightning. Poetic (or at least stirring) as those tribal myths may be, they are not actually true. "

"Coyne is right to identify the most widespread misunderstanding about Darwinism as the idea that, in evolution, “everything happens by chance”. This common claim is flat wrong – obviously wrong, transparently wrong, even to the meanest intelligence (a phrase that has me actively restraining myself). If evolution worked by chance, it obviously couldn’t work at all. Unfortunately, instead of working out that they have probably misunderstood evolution, creationists conclude, instead, that evolution must be false. This one misunderstanding, single-handed, accounts for much of the uncomprehending opposition to evolution that made it necessary for Jerry Coyne to write his book in the first place. The need was great; the execution is superb. Please read it."

I am reading this book (Why Evolution Is True, by Jerry Coyne) and am enjoying it a lot. Every High School Senior should read it before going to college. :-)

Moon and Venus

I tried last night to capture the beauty of the Moon and Venus last night with my camera and telescope. Semi-successful. Through the telescope, they were too far apart to get in one frame, through just the 55mm lens, it was big sky-small moon/planet. But it was fun trying to get them.

Also spotted the comet Lulin, but very hard to get a photo... nothing came out. I might try again tonight without the telescope. Just camera on tripod.

Annual Inspection Time

44D is in the shop for its annual inspection for 2009. So far so good. Just need to replace the engine mounts and a little carb tuning. The fuel pressure guage needs some refurbishment, but that is a lot of labor to get to. The needle moves but the face behind it is gone. There was a wasp nest in the tail, but no wasps. That would have been fun if they had come forward on some flight. Otherwise 44D is sound and ready for another year of Young Eagle flights.

"You're afraid to look at both sides"

I've always wondered how to attack that statement. This helps me a lot! Don Quixote! Of course! They might be dragons! There might be a god! The obvious has to have some say. Teach the controversy? What controversy? There is none. Ignorance of a subject doesn't make a crazy alternate any more likely.

International Year of Astronomy 2009

International Year of Astronomy 2009

Understanding Evolution

Understanding Evolution: "What is evolution and how does it work?
Detailed explanations of the mechanisms of evolution and the history of life on Earth"

Not worrying, enjoying life

I got my Atheist Bus t-shirt and had to have a picture enjoying life.

One way I enjoy life is getting into my airplane and flying, enjoying the view, enjoying the skill necessary to fly right, enjoying the science and engineering it takes to make the plane fly, enjoying the nature of weather and and geology that makes flying interesting.

Another way I enjoy life is to give kids rides in my plane. The hat I am wearing comes from the EAA Young Eagles program through which over a million rides have been given, 120+ in my plane. Our EAA chapter also does a Young Eagles type event where special needs kids and people get rides for free. It gives them and their families a fun day where everyone is the same and all are having fun. The facial expressions on the kids and parents is worth every cent.

Send me your picture enjoying life and not worrying and I'll post it here. With or without the T-shirt.

YouTube - Composite Audio Timeline - Cactus Flight 1549 Hudson River Crash

YouTube - Composite Audio Timeline - Cactus Flight 1549 Hudson River Crash




No miracle. Everyone kept their cool and did as they were trained.