Welp, Ben Carson just lost my vote

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Not that there was a chance in Hell I’d ever vote for him for anything, but now in a rambling and dogmatic monolog, Carson explains how evolution is stupid, and exposes himself as someone who embraces ignorance.

In a Faith & Liberty interview posted last week, potential GOP presidential candidate Ben Carson discussed his rejection of the theory of evolution, arguing that the science of evolution is a sign of humankind’s arrogance and belief that they are so smart that if they can’t explain how God did something, then it didn’t happen, which of course means that they’re God. You don’t need a God if you consider yourself capable of explaining everything.

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Mary’s Monday Metazoan: Spot the Monarch!

I took an awful grainy cell phone picture yesterday, one where it’s hard to see the subjects for the sun glare. But really, this is amazing:

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Fifteen years ago when I started out at UMM, our intro biology course had an exercise where students were given butterfly nets and sent out to capture, tag, and release monarch butterflies. It was relatively easy: you’d find a tree with a swarm — and I do mean swarm, they’d be covered with butterflies dripping from every branch, and there’d be clouds of them flying about — and you’d swish that net and catch dozens. Then every year after that, we saw fewer and fewer, until it was an exercise that was frustratingly impossible to do. Most years of late I’d see only an occasional solo monarch, and some years I’d see none.

But yesterday, I was seeing scattered monarchs everywhere, and then I found this tree across the street with masses of butterflies hanging from a few branches. It was nothing like the glory days, but still…maybe they’re making a comeback?

John Oliver disappoints me

This is a deeply anti-intellectual message.

He’s telling people that school is irrelevant. He starts off with history, and actually makes a good point: that history is often taught poorly, with a narrow focus. That’s a complaint about the quality of the teaching, and I think it’s good to encourage students to demand better of their instructors.

But then it gets weird. He starts complaining about the subjects themselves: no one needs to know any math beyond addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, and how does he know? Because he’s a satirist on television who doesn’t understand logarithms, and he’s just fine.

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The incredible shrinking number

About four dozen people showed near the Judicial Building at the State Capitol complex in St. Paul to counter protest individuals who had planned on holding a rally in defense of the Confederate Flag on Saturday, September 5, 2015.  The Confederate Flag rally organizer BC Johnson, who had intended to rally at the State Capitol said the event was relocated to Savage Community Park. He estimates 10 people showed up. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

About four dozen people showed near the Judicial Building at the State Capitol complex in St. Paul to counter protest individuals who had planned on holding a rally in defense of the Confederate Flag on Saturday, September 5, 2015. The Confederate Flag rally organizer BC Johnson, who had intended to rally at the State Capitol said the event was relocated to Savage Community Park. He estimates 10 people showed up. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)

We have hateful loons here in Minnesota, too. A group calling itself the Minnesota 10,000 for Southern Heritage tried to organize a rally for the Confederate flag in the state capitol today. It turns out the 10,000 was a wee bit optimistic.

They applied for a permit to hold their rally, and had to estimate how many would attend: they guessed…25.

The rally was held this morning. A counter-demonstration was scheduled that brought in about 50 people, and when they heard about it, the chickenpoops waving the traitor’s flag ran away and held their rally in a park, instead.

About 10 people showed up.

I think they need to change their name to the Minnesota 10 for Southern Heritage.