PBS has launched a downloadable TV program called NerdTV. You can download it as video or audio, or get a "USA Today" version that just has the most interesting parts of the interview. It is being distributed via the Creative Commons license, so you are free to re-edit it and re-distribute it, as long as you include a link back to the site, and don't charge for it. How refreshing.

Anyway, the link is here. Download the video or audio (it is good car listening) and give it a shot.

Melissa and I had an interesting debate on evolution last night, and I think our perspectives were colored by our backgrounds. Neither of us is particularly religious. Our relationship with God is pretty low-key. But we found ourselves arguing about the issue from opposite sides, and pretty passionately.

I went to a private school, which was affiliated with the Episcopal Church. Melissa went to a public school. Since we were not bound by church/state issues, we were able to have Bible classes, and a class that looked at religious philosophies. Our biology class taught evolution as How Things Happened. But our religion classes taught us about Why Things Happened.

Melissa did not have that option. Public schools have to tread a very fine line on religion. Which is a shame. I think people could benefit from a Comparative Religions class, which looks at different religions and belief systems from all over the world, and discusses them in a philosophical way. If you give a good sample, then it seems to me the state would not be promoting "the one true religion", and thus the church/state issue would never come into play.

The one flaw in this plan is that some people take extreme positions on both sides. So you have a group of people who want NO religious philosophies taught or discussed, and then you have others who are OK with that, as long as you limit it to their particular religious beliefs, and no others. There is no way to satisfy everyone here, which is a shame. Intelligent Design or Creationism would fit in nicely with a religious philosophy class. It would be painful to teach it as a biology subject.

And does anyone really want to use themselves as the poster child of proof that a higher intelligence directed our evolution? I mean, come on, you are not that fantastic.

Further reading: Darwin Goes To Church, Washington Post, Sept. 18, 2005

I love The Onion. It usually makes me laugh. In this case, it seems, the parody has become real life. From January 21, 2001:

Mere days from assuming the presidency and closing the door on eight years of Bill Clinton, president-elect George W. Bush assured the nation in a televised address Tuesday that "our long national nightmare of peace and prosperity is finally over."
"My fellow Americans," Bush said, "at long last, we have reached the end of the dark period in American history that will come to be known as the Clinton Era, eight long years characterized by unprecedented economic expansion, a sharp decrease in crime, and sustained peace overseas. The time has come to put all of that behind us."
Bush swore to do "everything in [his] power" to undo the damage wrought by Clinton's two terms in office, including selling off the national parks to developers, going into massive debt to develop expensive and impractical weapons technologies, and passing sweeping budget cuts that drive the mentally ill out of hospitals and onto the street.
During the 40-minute speech, Bush also promised to bring an end to the severe war drought that plagued the nation under Clinton, assuring citizens that the U.S. will engage in at least one Gulf War-level armed conflict in the next four years.
"You better believe we're going to mix it up with somebody at some point during my administration," said Bush, who plans a 250 percent boost in military spending. "Unlike my predecessor, I am fully committed to putting soldiers in battle situations. Otherwise, what is the point of even having a military?"

From today's Washington Times:

House Majority Leader Tom DeLay said yesterday that Republicans have done so well in cutting spending that he declared an "ongoing victory," and said there is simply no fat left to cut in the federal budget.
Mr. DeLay was defending Republicans' choice to borrow money and add to this year's expected $331 billion deficit to pay for Hurricane Katrina relief. Some Republicans have said Congress should make cuts in other areas, but Mr. DeLay said that doesn't seem possible.
"My answer to those that want to offset the spending is sure, bring me the offsets, I'll be glad to do it. But nobody has been able to come up with any yet," the Texas Republican told reporters at his weekly briefing.
Asked if that meant the government was running at peak efficiency, Mr. DeLay said, "Yes, after 11 years of Republican majority we've pared it down pretty good."

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