Tales of the Heliosphere

This hawk is a regular visitor to my backyard, much to the dismay of the flocks of birds that use the five bird feeders set up there. You'll never see a more skittish bunch of finches, sparrows, pigeons, and doves, as those in my backyard. Only the crows and scrub jays seem not to care.

This visit the hawk went away with an empty stomach. Even the frightened little finch hanging on at the bottom of the photo survived. (Click photo to enlarge.) The finch didn't move the entire time the hawk was present. As soon as the hawk left, the finch resumed feeding, and the flocks returned to be hunted another day.

-tdr

Technorati: birds, birding, photography.

Labels: Animals, Birds, Nature, Photography

A group of Boulder, Colorado, high school students is protesting against the Pledge of Allegiance. The specific gripe is with the words "under God." The Bad Astronomer agreed with the protest in a recent blog post.

"The truth is, no matter how you slice it, is that [sic] America is not 'one nation under God'. It just isn’t. We have a Mormon running for President, and we’ve had a Catholic and various other flavors of Christians as President. They would disagree quite strongly over the nature of God. Moreover, we have Muslims in this country, and Jews, and (gasp) non-believers too.

So, which God is it we’re united under?" (Here.)

The question doesn't really seek an answer because it's posed as a rhetorical device to illustrate the blogger's point that religion divides Americans. But here's the answer, anyway, direct from Thomas Jefferson and the Founders in the Declaration of Independence.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, ..." (Here.)

The truth is, the mainstream of American political thought from the Founders to the present has held that our political rights come from a divine Creator. The phrase "under God" in the Pledge is merely an expression of that mainstream American thought.

Deal with it.

-tdr

Technorati: religion, Pledge of Allegiance.

Labels: America, Politics, Religion

The other day Leigh Robbins asked, "How can you overreact when it's your children?" She had overreacted at the presence of Arabic-speaking passengers who turned out to be consultants for the US Marines in the war. (Here.)

Today brings another example of the myriad ways in which America's parents overreact to protect children. San Diegan Anne Greenstone is upset at the new Carl's Jr. television commercial featuring a hot, hot teacher, dancing and gyrating on her desk to a rap tune, "I Like Flat Buns." Greenstone complains that the commercial promotes teacher misbehavior and sex with underage boys. "All to sell a stupid hamburger, as she eloquently puts it." (Here.) Actually, it's a patty melt.

You can see the Carl's Jr's ad on You Tube. (Here.) There is something to be said for flat buns.

-tdr

Technorati: children, Carl's Jr..

Labels: America, Loco Parents, Society

A passenger on a plane out of San Diego is apologizing for crying "wolf" over a group of Arabic-speaking passengers on her flight. She was frightened by the behavior of the men and demanded to be let off the plane. It turns out the men were leaving San Diego after helping United States Marines learn to fight the enemy in Iraq. Here's what one of the men, David Al Watan, 30, had to say about being singled out for suspicion: "While they sit in their air conditioning, I was out in the desert helping to save Marines' lives. I am an American. I love this country. I would die for it." (Here.)

The woman, who was traveling with her children, is apologetic but defensive. Figuratively hiding behind her children, she defends her actions as those of a concerned mom trying to protect her kids. She asks, "How can you overreact when it's your children?"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the country in Connecticut, "A lawyer who stabbed his neighbor to death because he thought the man had molested his 2-year old daughter was sentenced yesterday to 12 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter." (Here.)

That's two.

-tdr

Technorati: children, Iraq, terrorism.

Labels: America, Loco Parents, Society, War on Jihad