More Non-believers than you may have thought

The Times in the UK published an article yesterday that says non-believers are now the third largest group in the US, after Catholics and Baptists. Third! It's a surprising rank, and makes it sound a bit better than it really is, unfortunately, but hey, it's a start.

Disneyfication in a Positive Way?

Disney will release Earth this month in theaters. It looks to be a re-editing of Discovery's amazing Planet Earth series into a family-friendly collection of stories that should appeal to children. I guess that means less hunting scenes, and more baby polar bear antics. I seldom find myself applauding Disney, mainly because they are one of those giant super-power corporations. In this case, I have to nod approvingly. There is a big need for nature-enthusiasm among American kids. Disney knows what kids like, and I think an increased love for our planet and all its amazing animals can only be a step in the right direction.

Here's one of my favorite clips from Planet Earth featuring a couple of New Zealand's unreal birds of paradise.

Note To Self

I need to get that Smashing Pumpkins song from the trailer to Watchmen. I thought it was on a Batman soundtrack previously and I was right: Batman & Robin. The song title is The Beginning is the End is the Beginning. According to Allmusic, it never showed up on a SP album, just that soundtrack. Whoever did this trailer made a wise musical choice. Dark, compelling, different but still familiar.

The Day is Near

The boys are back in 6 days. Rapids at Chivas on Saturday March 21st, and then the home opener vs KC on Saturday March 28th. New kits, a new striker, and hopefully a new era. The Rapids are running a new promotion this year that I love: the so called "Lads' Night Out." It entails 2 tickets to the game, plus 2 beers at Fado's downtown, and a free party bus ride to and from the Dick! 39 bucks. Not bad.

A Moment I Almost Forgot

Hawks in San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina. Picture taken by D. Mueller on Jan 10, 2009. We saw them hanging out on the beginning of our canopy tour.

Radiolab: Darwinvaganza

Radiolab is an excellent radio program from WNYC. Jad and Robert, the hosts always put together an interesting conversation about the many ways science can meet culture, and how it matters to us. Last week they posted Darwinvaganza, a special evolution episode, to celebrate Darwin's bday, and it has some great thoughts on what it means to believe in evolution. I need to listen to it again because I was distracted the first time, but it had some great ideas, and really is an example of why i love public radio (PRI in this case). Radiolab is on NPR every week; 90.1 fm in Denver. Have a listen.

God makes the laws 'round these parts

Two Colorado Senate Republicans are letting their true colors show. I call those colors "Bigotry Brown" and "Holy-BS Red."

• Senator Dave Schultheis (R- Colorado Springs- big surprise) voted against a bill to get pregnant women tested for HIV (he was the only "no"vote). Why? Because he thinks HIV comes from promiscuity, and that those women and their children deserve to suffer the consequences of that promiscuity. A direct quote from him: "What I'm hoping is that yes, that person may have AIDS, have it seriously as a baby and when they grow up, but the mother will begin to feel guilt as a result of that."

• Greeley's R Scott Renfroe quoted scripture in the senate to explain why gay partners shouldn't be able to share health benefits: "We are taking sins and making them to be legally OK, and that is wrong. That is an abomination, according to scripture.
  "And I'm not saying that this is the only sin that's out there. Obviously we have sin, we have murder, we have all sorts of sin. We have adultery ... and we would never think to make murder legal."

The saddest thing is that these people probably actually reflect the opinions of their God-crazy constituents in the bible-black-holes of the Springs and smells-like-Greeley. Seriously people- all this religious lawmaking stuff is getting old. You are acting like children. Grow up.

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and by the way... So long to the Rocky Mountain News. I grew up with that paper every morning, and was always annoyed any time I got stuck reading a giant Post. Now our fair city takes a small step backwards and we have one newspaper. Great.