Kansas enters the 20th Century

The Kansas State Board of Education approved new education standards that put evolution as the pre-eminent standard for education and drops references to "intelligent design". An article here by the Houston Chronicle explains this further:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/4552346.html

The KSBE has the decision and the small print on their website. Heres the link:

http://www.ksde.org/Default.aspx?tabid=36&ctl=Details&mid=1030&ItemID=80

It is difficult to understand how public education anywhere could embrace the hokey "intelligent design" view as being scientific and as a more reasonable alternative to the internationally embraced standard of evolution. The disturbing thing is that the KSBE may reverse or abandon this decision once again in 2009. Lets hope that wiser heads and more enlightened voters don't allow this to happen.

Happy Valentines Day to All

We have a lot of different kinds of days throughout the year that we celebrate. Some have enormous significance and rightfully so: such as Christmas and Thanksgiving. A step down are New Years, Easter, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day. Next comes MLK Day, Presidents Day, and Veterans Day. Then comes Mothers Day and Fathers Day followed by Halloween, St Patricks Day, and Valentines Day. These last few, many people, particularly in families, celebrate and businesses advertise to get people to spend money but there is no extra reward for workers such as extra pay or a holiday. Nevertheless, these are days that can be a lot of fun particularly for children; and for young adults looking for an excuse to have a good time and party. I hope all the readers of my blog get to enjoy Valentines Day in their own special rewarding way and that day brings you all joy and laughter.





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My top 40 movie list turned into a project that will go on and on as I am up to over 180 movies that I have listed that I either greatly like or appreciate. I may add and delete a few to my top 40 and may expand the posted list to 50 or 60 to include more movies that I initially overlooked. The thought of doing this for songs, CDs, dream places to visit or live, foods, drinks, breeds of dogs, actresses and models, and any other kind of items may be somewhat challenging, perhaps overwhelming, but it will be good practice for the ultimate project I will eventually do---write my own biography with as much content and memorable anecdotes and memories that I can possibly include. I will not start on this until later this year or next year.



Maybe it would a good present to myself for my looming half-century milestone which amazingly is but only 472 days away which was just November 19, 2005 and that does not seem to be that long ago. Its true, the older you get, the faster time moves. I would guess this self-perception is due to all the things we think about, remember, and have to do and act upon.







Only 25 days until Daylight Savings Time starts and the six months of winter from Mid October to Mid April is now 67% complete. I have actually seen a few blades of green grass in the lawn here so there is hope that this long winter of my discontent and misery is making progress towards coming to an end.