Derry, Northern Ireland

Derry, Northern Ireland
A book I'm working on is set in this town.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Why I left Texas...


Today in Stupid

by BooMan
Thu May 3rd, 2012 at 04:47:14 PM EST

When it comes to Stupid, Waco, Texas is never far behind:
Bill Nye, the harmless children's edu-tainer known as "The Science Guy," managed to offend a select group of adults in Waco, Texas at a presentation, when he suggested that the moon does not emit light, but instead reflects the light of the sun.As even most elementary-school graduates know, the moon reflects the light of the sun but produces no light of its own.
But don't tell that to the good people of Waco, who were "visibly angered by what some perceived as irreverence," according to the Waco Tribune.
Nye was in town to participate in McLennan Community College's Distinguished Lecture Series. He gave two lectures on such unfunny and adult topics as global warming, Mars exploration, and energy consumption.
But nothing got people as riled as when he brought up Genesis 1:16, which reads: "God made two great lights -- the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars."
The lesser light, he pointed out, is not a light at all, but only a reflector.
At this point, several people in the audience stormed out in fury. One woman yelled "We believe in God!" and left with three children, thus ensuring that people across America would read about the incident and conclude that Waco is as nutty as they'd always suspected.
Silly me, I hadn't even realized that this was a bone of contention. Does the Moon create photons now? What about the New Moon? Is that some kind of blasphemy?
I swear, it's like some people aren't getting any oxygen to the brain.
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People may think this is an aberration for the state, but it's not. I cannot tell you how many people I ran into those 15 months I lived there, recently, who make chimpanzees seem like rocket scientists. I think my favorite is an in-law (twice removed) who's Latino but supports the GOP. His parents are from Mexico and cannot even speak English. They may be citizens (I was too polite to do anything but assume they are), but the GOP would still happily kick them out of the country. Only try getting him to see that. No way, Jose. The GOP is great, good, and will help make him a millionaire.

As the saying goes -- "The Stoopid...it buurnnns."

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