amywithlemon

It’s Iran.

I am pretty much only using Facebook to look at pictures of my new nephew, to keep up with 3 international friends, and to occasionally be entertained by crazy people (they seem to congregate around “Fan” pages of things like coffee! and join groups like Sleeping with the light on!! and Crazy for Jesus!!!1!).

People who uses status messages to make asinine and unintelligible comments about politics and world events are crazy. Although I do find it especially entertaining when they use status messages to display their overreactions to things people say or to display their passive aggressive behaviours.

People who complain incessantly about their life on Facebook don’t get the irony.

And if you know what “Farmville” is, but have no idea what country is directly east of Iraq or directly west of Afghanistan, then you are your own worst punishment.

Now stop acting so gosh danged surprised.

When I was 10, I was banned from giving my oral report on the occult to my 5th class.

Presumably because of the witch sex and cannibalism.

My favorite lines are:

“Many people believe witches ride on brooms or farm animals.”

“Cults live all over the world and maybe in your town!” (So cheery!)

“The cult followers usually do and usually die.”

Point being, I was a damn awesome 10 year old. Props to my mom who did the typing. At work. Also, people should stop acting so surprised when I say something scandalous or base.

I was talking about witch sex and cannibalism at 10.

Ivy, still can’t believe it sometimes.

Last night, I dreamt of my childhood best friend, who died almost 3 years ago. Ivy. He was the friend I had that was so close to family (my mom and his mom are still best friends), we never admitted we loved each other. I knew him before kindergarten, and he left us much too soon. It never gets easier, knowing he’s gone. It gets busier- time marches forward. But never the same.

Last night, we were young, and openly in love. It was…amazing.

I miss you, Ivy. Love you.

You’re welcome, Zion.

Just because I think Israel was a bad idea doesn’t mean I’m anti-semitic. I don’t support New Jersey, but I love “Jersey Shore”.

Free idea for Israel: “Israel Shore”.

The Origins of the Mistrust of Science

This is not a criticism so much as it is a statement of fact: The reason many people mistrust science is that they do not understand it. Either they are not properly educated, are too young and have not completed their education, or have not continued their education to the point of an expertise required to understand certain abstract sciences. As such, they very often cannot understand. And, further complicating the issue: if there is an inability to accept that people first must be properly educated in order to understand many deeper facets of science, they will be inhibited from achieving any hint of understanding. Any understanding without education that they assume they already possess is at best a good guess or estimation; at worst, a misleading error to those who firmly believe it without regard to contrary evidence. Most often, if there is contradictory evidence to a firmly held religious belief, the individual will question the evidence rather than questioning and possibly reframing his beliefs. This is often the case for the individual despite the fact that people have re-framed their spiritual beliefs in light of new evidence and understandings for centuries. But, if he cannot understand the science that contradicts what he already believes, he will mistrust it. Without proper education, he will reject rather than accept knowledge in the face of contradiction to his current understandings. He will reject what he cannot grasp because he assumes to already know, despite the fact that he is ignorant.

For someone such as that, science is consistantly rejected when it contradicts what they believe to be true.

Or is it?

These same people accept and trust many things that contradict what they believe while they remain ignorant, for example:

• They book flights without understanding Bernoulli’s principle.
• They pop popcorn, despite the fact that they do not understand microwaves.
• They book cruises without understanding Archimedes’ principle.

In conclusion, it is science that concerns itself with discovering truth, educating masses, and reaffirming knowledge; not religion. It is science that offers education with the possibility of deeper understanding. Religion offers blind belief and promises to be beyond understanding. Scientific theories are continually questioned and refined in light of new evidence and understanding. Eventually, among many, a theory rises above the doubts, and answers questions wondered from the beginning of time. It becomes a subject studied in greater and greater depth, being further refined and precised. Religions consistently question, compete, and contradict one another. Despite being studied in great detail for ages, they are not refined, and ultimately become more entrenched and entangled in their competing theories rather than more precise. Religion has only trumped science for as long as it has because religion continues to offer punishment to those who disbelieve and rebuke for doubters. The only punishment for disbelief science offers is ignorance or deeper understanding. The only rebuke it offers is towards those accepting theories without evidence or in light of proven contradiction. Ignorance and misunderstanding will always favor religion unless education prevails. Education provides our only proven hope in furthering our search for truth and overcoming the mistrust of science.

Sure, why not? Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan.

Russia came into Afghanistan because it liked warm water, but we were all like, “no.” And basically, Afghanistan was all, “we need help, y’all!” and we were all, “I don’t know, we got some guns, maybe some money.” Then Afghanistan was all like “thanks, but not enough.” Then we decided to give them some other stuff, “yo, here’s some ‘copters.” And then the Russians were all, “oh no you di’int!” and then China, Pakistan, and some insurgents were all, “OH YES WE DID.” And Carter was all like, “I’m not President anymore, LULZ!” but first the Mujahideen were all, “omg. y’all we got Operation Cyclone!” and then Reagan was all like, “I kicked ass like this before you were a twinkle in yo’ daddy’s eye.” and the Russians left. And the Russians were left feeling all like, “crap, we ain’t got no money, just guns and shit.” and Afghanistan was all, “LULZ WE CAN HAZ LEADER?” and so then that’s how Afghanistan ended up with the Taliban and all, and Russia was all like, “LOL, Reagan, let’s be BFF’s!”, the end.

Oh, and Tom Hanks did something.