Check out the new M&M's Dark Chocolate commercial featuring the Addams Family!

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No Armenian genocide, huh?

Tell that to my grandparents.  Tell that to my Dad's stepmother, who saved her seven children by WALKING from the mountains of Turkey all the way to Beirut, dressed as an Arab widow.  WALKING.  With seven children.  Hundreds of miles on dirt roads with no shoes, cutting across country to avoid the soldiers.  Stopping and doing sewing jobs for money whenever they could.

You pigs say that 4 million Turks died?  Could that be because you're counting the Armenians born in Turkey?

Whole villages, rousted from their beds in the middle of the night. All of the men and boys made to line up in the town square, and then SHOT one by one.  The women and girls raped by turkish soldiers.  The survivors starved to death slowly.

I'll have more on this on April 24, Armenian Martyr's day.  Until then I leave you with the words Adolf Hitler used to justify the holocaust:

"Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"

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Courtesy of Denny:

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all
ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it
would go something like this:

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

The fifth would pay $1.

The sixth would pay $3.

The seventh would pay $7.

The eighth would pay $12.

The ninth would pay $18.

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

So, that's what they decided to do.

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with
the arrangement, until on day, the owner threw them a curve. "Since you
are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of
your daily beer by $20."Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so
the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free.
But what about the other six men --- the paying customers? How could
they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair
share?' They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they
subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the
sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.So, the bar
owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by
roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each
should pay. And so:

The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33%savings).

The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28%savings).

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four
continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men
began to compare their savings. "I only got a dollar out of the
$20,"declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man," but he got
$10!"

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too.

It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night
the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had
beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they
discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between
all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, is how
our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most
benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being
wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might
start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

Posted by: caltechgirl at 05:15 PM | Comments (6) | Add Comment
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You Are the Middle Finger

A bit fragile and dependent on your friends, you're not nearly as hostile as you seem. You are balanced, easy to get along with, and quite serious. However, you can get angry and fed up with those around you. And you aren't afraid to show it! You get along well with: The Index Finger Stay away from: The Pinky

You Are the Index Finger

You are ambitious, driven, and capable. You aren't afraid to take responsibility for your actions - or place the blame on whoever deserves it. You are honest, free thinking, and objective. You see things in your own way - and you aren't afraid to let everyone know about it. You get along well with: The Thumb Stay away from: The Ring Finger

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ESPN.com's Jemele Hill apologizes to the Duke Lacrosse players wrongfully accused of rape (it's a long passage, but well worth the time and bandwidth):

My being a black woman, my knowing too many athletes who treat women like items to be purchased in a vending machine, and my witnessing enough athlete rape trials where accusers are overwhelmed by their fame and fortune -- it all tainted my perception and made me doubt your innocence.

I feel stupid now.

I could blame Durham County district attorney Mike Nifong, but that would be too easy. Oh, he's a lout, no doubt. He played upon the emotions of a community and its long-held hostilities, and put his reelection bid above morality and common sense. He played all of us and should be punished with nothing less than disbarment.

I could blame Jesse Jackson, who I have hoped for years would disappear to a faraway land where CNN wouldn't follow. As usual, Jesse showed up and showed out. He incited the masses and then left everyone else to sort out the wreckage. And if Jesse wants to gain an ounce of the credibility he no longer has, he would find the nearest camera -- and we know he's good at that -- and express sorrow with all the sincerity he can muster. But the day Jesse apologizes for causing a scene is the day Rosie O'Donnell wears a muzzle.

But if there is anything to be learned from Don Imus' fall, it's that real apologies are never accompanied by rationalizations.

So to Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, the three Duke lacrosse players whose lives were mangled by an unsupported rape accusation, I say two of the hardest words in the English language:

I'm sorry.

It's not enough, and I won't pretend that it is. For the last year, your lives and those of your families have been more difficult than any of us can possibly imagine. I'll never know what it was like walking around normal society labeled a rapist. I'll never know what it's like to lose everything -- your school, your program and your life -- because of one unproven accusation.

You deserve all of that back and then some, but unfortunately, you won't get it. You have every right to not trust anyone and think less of people. Duke University abandoned you. An overzealous prosecutor tormented you. A community, a nation, didn't believe you. Journalists everywhere, sensing ratings and salivating over the salaciousness of black strippers and white athletes, chose to keep you under attack.

Not that this is a contest to see who was wronged the most, but the Rutgers women's basketball team at least received justice, because Imus was suspended and dropped by MSNBC, which simulcasts his morning show. Plenty of people are outraged on their behalf.

But who is outraged on your behalf? What justice will you receive? Will the same networks that willingly aided in destroying your reputations now give you airtime to vent your frustrations? Will Jesse Jackson now offer the three of you a free scholarship like he did the "victim," since he helped assist in your battered reputation?

Maybe the only modicum of fairness you have received is that the News & Observer in Raleigh decided to print the name of your accuser. I don't normally advocate that the names of alleged victims be printed, but it feels right in this instance.

I know I'd certainly like to ask your accuser a few questions, even though she stood by her story as North Carolina's attorney general vehemently proclaimed your innocence. Does she understand she has tanked not only her credibility, but that of other women, too? Does she understand the next time a woman comes forward with an allegation this serious, all of our minds will scroll back to this case, and we will be less inclined to believe her? Does she know women with legitimate sexual-assault complaints will look at this furor and decide silence is best?

I can't deny that your race, gender and class have everything to do with how you were treated then and how you are treated now. Some people believe white men are exempt from sympathy and incapable of being maligned, so they will not swallow their pride and offer you the decency you should have received in the first place. Yes, you made an unwise decision to entertain strippers at a residence, but that just makes you guilty of being like 90 percent of college males.

Bravo to Ms. Hill, who put politics and BS aside in the face of what is right, and my best wishes to these three young men, who have learned a very painful lesson about race, class, and sex in this country.  I hope that they are able to pick up where they left off, and come to a place where people don't know their names except based on their accomplishments and kindnesses.

h/t Goldstein

Posted by: caltechgirl at 06:28 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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It's hard enough to find a bunny sized chair, dammit.

And for the record, PETA can still kiss my ample ass.

h/t Cowboy Blob

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Marie has chosen me as one of her favorite "Thinking Bloggers".

Wow, I'm honored!

More details later, including MY choices for the best "Thinking Bloggers"!

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As you all know, I am a scientist. Most of my friends are scientists, my colleagues are scientists, and I have had the privilege of meeting many of the world's deepest and most renowned scientific thinkers.

And again and again, I am struck by the depth of faith to be found in the scientific community. While laypeople bitch and moan over Evolution, Creation, and Intelligent Design, many scientists simply don't see the incongruity.

The more you know about the amazing intricacies of the world around us, the easier it is to believe in an omniscient supreme being as designer and creator. It's all just so smart you know?

Anyway, the point of this post is to share with you a bit of this piece from CNN, where Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project at NIH, discusses his faith and how one can be a scientist AND a believer.

So, some have asked, doesn't your brain explode? Can you both pursue an understanding of how life works using the tools of genetics and molecular biology, and worship a creator God? Aren't evolution and faith in God incompatible? Can a scientist believe in miracles like the resurrection?

Actually, I find no conflict here, and neither apparently do the 40 percent of working scientists who claim to be believers. Yes, evolution by descent from a common ancestor is clearly true. If there was any lingering doubt about the evidence from the fossil record, the study of DNA provides the strongest possible proof of our relatedness to all other living things.

But why couldn't this be God's plan for creation? True, this is incompatible with an ultra-literal interpretation of Genesis, but long before Darwin, there were many thoughtful interpreters like St. Augustine, who found it impossible to be exactly sure what the meaning of that amazing creation story was supposed to be. So attaching oneself to such literal interpretations in the face of compelling scientific evidence pointing to the ancient age of Earth and the relatedness of living things by evolution seems neither wise nor necessary for the believer.

I have found there is a wonderful harmony in the complementary truths of science and faith. The God of the Bible is also the God of the genome. God can be found in the cathedral or in the laboratory. By investigating God's majestic and awesome creation, science can actually be a means of worship.

Have a Blessed Easter, Passover, or whatever you choose to celebrate this weekend!

h/t John at Wait 'til Next Year

Posted by: caltechgirl at 10:43 AM | Comments (14) | Add Comment
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1 Happy Easter.

Posted by: vw bug at April 08, 2007 12:45 PM (cudDU)

2 Happy Easter, CTG.

Posted by: Marie at April 08, 2007 01:59 PM (ocfI9)

3 God is in the details... It all works for me! Happy Easter!

Posted by: Richmond at April 08, 2007 05:04 PM (e8QFP)

4 WELL SAID!!

Posted by: Marianne at April 08, 2007 09:01 PM (vEfFN)

5 I want to thank you for your thoughtful comments here. Having attended the most prestigious institutions for my undergrad and medical school, and having read works of the great current scientists, cosmologists, molecular biologists, quantum physicists, I have concluded everything you have stated. The historic person of Jesus Christ could have performed miracles, could be a visible part of the whole trinity (think the sphere which intersected the plane in Abbott's Flatland - was Christ the circle? Was the Father the part of the sphere above the plane? Was the Holy Spirit the part below the plane?) and, most importantly, have risen from the dead and appear to hundreds of eyewitnesses, could have been there in the beginning, etc. if there are more dimensions than our 3 (4), up to 11 as proposed by Witten's M-theory? Good enough for me. The acceptance of these other dimensions releases us from the need to "see", "touch", or experiment upon God. There are extra-dimensional entities to which our scientific method just can't apply (gasp!), and we have appreciated this fact as we reach the limits of our abilities to explore (think proving the Uncertainty Principle, how a deterministic model of the universe in which entropy is becoming maximal can't explain how in our corner the complexity of life is incredible!). Thanks again, and I look forward to reading other comments!!

Posted by: turbostar at April 08, 2007 10:58 PM (yIj6K)

6 Thank you. Thank you. Caltechgirl, I only wish that I could have written that blog post. Very well put. And Dr. Collins is 100% spot on about Augustine. One need only read the last several books of Augustine's Confessions, his search for God in the categories of memory, time and eternity, form and matter, and creation. From a somewhat different angle, Thomas Aquinas also concluded that language regarding creation is analogical language— remember Aquinas and the analogia entis, the analogy of being, which is referential, but neither literal nor figurative nor any combination of literal and figurative. I take a special interest in these matters, since before I became a Presbyterian minister, I was originally aimed to become a mathematician. BTW, a belated Happy Easter!

Posted by: Paul Burgess at April 09, 2007 05:54 AM (7EVyU)

7 And in math, most of my friends and colleagues were in math, physics, or engineering. Amazing how many of them, I remember, saw the matter in much the same light as you lay out here. BTW, I managed to comment this time without acquiring a new blog. You may recall, attempting to comment on one of your posts about faith and science was how I originally (and rather accidentally) acquired a blog of my own, way back when... :-)

Posted by: Paul Burgess at April 09, 2007 06:05 AM (7EVyU)

8 Heck, I'm an atheist, and I've long believed the same thing (about the compatibility of science and belief in God, that is). (It helps having been raised as a non-believer, I think, rather than the god-hating types who were brought up as believers and then had to go to extremes as a form of rejection. I have no dog in the fight, so I don't have any emotional investment.)

Posted by: Sigivald at April 09, 2007 03:58 PM (4JnZM)

9 Yeah, personally I'm agnostic, but I never understood the argument that it was either one or the either. It always seemed very apples and oranges to me.

Posted by: silvermine at April 09, 2007 07:10 PM (zqzYV)

10 Excellent post-- reminds me of the einstein quote: "Buddhism has the characteristics of what would be expected in a cosmic religion for the future: It transcends a personal God, avoids dogmas and theology; it covers both the natural and spritual; and it is based on a religious sense aspiring from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual, as a meaningful unity. -Albert Einstein I've often told my daughters that chemistry is the study of things; biology is the study of life; and physics is the study of God.

Posted by: Tony Iovino at April 10, 2007 05:12 PM (85Zmb)

11 Well, of course Dr. Collins is dead on. He articulates it so much better than I can though. Thanks for posting it, I hadn't seen it.

Posted by: Teresa at April 10, 2007 07:27 PM (gsbs5)

12 I'm still playing catch up on my blog reading... I LOVE this post and will have my husband, the atheist, read it. For some reason he sees a disparity between science and faith. Not being a person of science, I've never had that particular problem. Thank you for posting this!!

Posted by: pam at April 11, 2007 06:20 AM (l6NIn)

13 I've always felt like you but couldn't have expressed it the way you did. Thank you! (Faith and reason are like a pair of shoes...you can get a lot further with both than with just one or the other.)

Posted by: Mrs. Who at April 11, 2007 03:22 PM (9FXen)

14 You have no idea how long I've wanted to write this post myself. Of course, there are those who believe in a literal interpretation of the bible. They're nearly unreachable, of course. I've tried to question these types on the editorial process. It seems to me that unless a bible turns up, written in flaming letters, it was written by a human. There's bound to be interpretation in there somewhere.

Posted by: Aaron at April 13, 2007 08:59 PM (SbW5B)

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It's Tartan Day once again, a day to celebrate all things Scottish.

Remember, if it's not Scottish, it's crap!

For more on Tartan Day, see Ith's post, or check out the Tartan blogroll (near the bottom of the left sidebar on this page)

Last year's post recognizing my own Scots ancestry is here.

One of my favorite Scottish things is the music. There are TON of great bands from Scotland, both in traditional and popular music. Check out this list of Scotland's favorites. You might even know some of them.

Here are some Scottish bands that are DEFINITELY NOT crap:
(LOTS of YouTube vids below the Jump!) more...

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Let's put it this way, if I was the mama Billy Goat Gruff, I wouldn't go near this bridge myself, let alone the little BGG....

Paroled sex offenders living under Miami highway bridge

 

MIAMI -- Several paroled sex offenders are living under a noisy highway bridge and fending off rats each night, because they cannot find housing in compliance with strict county ordinances for violators, state officials and one of the men said Thursday.

At least three men are making their home under the Julia Tuttle Causeway, which connects Miami with neighboring Miami Beach, said Gretl Plessinger, a spokeswoman for the Florida Corrections Department. One of the men under the bridge said he was among five.

The state decided they could live under the bridge because the men were unable to find housing they could afford and that did not violate Miami-Dade county rules, which say sex offenders must live at least 2,500 feet from places children gather.

They must stay there between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. because a parole officer checks on them nearly every night, Plessinger said.

"This is not an ideal situation for anybody, but at this point we don't have any other options," Plessinger said. "We're still looking, the offenders are still actively searching for residences."

[...]

"This is an injustice," said the man who wouldn't give his name. "I completed my sentence."

The man refused to discuss the crime that landed him under the bridge, but state records show a host of offenses for the men who live there: sexual battery, molestation, abuse, grand theft. Many of the crimes are against children.

"Public safety is our main focus and we feel like public safety is being achieved in these individuals," Plessinger said. "But this is a problem that is going to have to be addressed. If we drive these offenders so far underground or we can't supervise them because they become so transient it's not making us safer."

Most homeless shelters won't take the men, Plessinger said, because they're sex offenders. One that would is within the prohibited range of a school or daycare center. She said one of the men, for example, found dozens of residences he was happy to live in, but parole officers vetoed all of them because they violated county rules.

Plessinger said she believed the state first authorized sex offenders to live under a bridge last June. Before the causeway, some of the men lived under a bridge in downtown Miami. They were forced to leave, Plessinger said, when it was determined they were within range of a daycare center.

The man under the causeway on Thursday said he had been there for about six weeks. He said he fears for his life.

Here's the creepy part:

Ironically, putting the men here hasn't kept them out of reach of children. On Thursday afternoon, down the concrete slope from the men's makeshift home, a family with young children played in the bay next to their boat, oblivious to the sex offenders who call a place under a bridge their home. (emphasis mine, --Ed.)

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