November 2005 Archives
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November 30, 2005
Be Even More Cautious About 1.3 Million Year Old "Footprints" from Mexico
Perhaps you remember the supposed 40,000-Year-Old "Footprints" found in Mexico that I wrote about back in July. Well, perhaps not. At that time, I said, we need to be cautious. In fact, my post was titled, "Be Cautious about the...Read all of "Be Even More Cautious About 1.3 Million Year Old "Footprints" from Mexico"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:06 PM
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The Minimum God and Religion that They Can Get Away With
Yesterday, afarensis called my attention to a post by William Dembski on Uncommon Decent that was unusually strange even by Dembski's standards. Here is the part of Dembski's post I want to focus on, God, as understood by the world’s...Read all of "The Minimum God and Religion that They Can Get Away With"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:27 PM
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November 29, 2005
A Little Cultural Tidbit
Although it is a couple of weeks old, I was reminded of this story today and I thought I would pass it on because it is funny and it says something interesting about both marketing and human nature. The company...Read all of "A Little Cultural Tidbit"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:50 PM
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A Strange Answer to a Simple Question
I first heard about this on our local all news radio station while I was driving home from work this afternoon. (Yes, I do go into work once a week.) It seems that the European Union's Commissioner of Justice and...Read all of "A Strange Answer to a Simple Question"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:46 PM
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November 28, 2005
I Passed 8th Grade Science
You Passed 8th Grade Science Congratulations, you got 8/8 correct!Could You Pass 8th Grade Science? Via evolgen...Read all of "I Passed 8th Grade Science"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:16 AM
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November 27, 2005
Through the Eyes of Faith
I first heard about this earlier in the week when there was a short spot on the local news, but now that AP and ABC News (and The Huffington Post) are carrying the story, I thought I would put in...Read all of "Through the Eyes of Faith"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:08 PM
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November 26, 2005
Write Truth and Justice with Capital Letters
lie and oppression with small. Tim Rutten, writing in the Los Angeles Times this morning, reminds us of the poem, "Incantation" by Nobel laureate Czeslaw Milosz. Milosz' poem begins, Human reason is beautiful and invincible. No bars, no barbed wire,...Read all of "Write Truth and Justice with Capital Letters"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:27 AM
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November 25, 2005
Friday Reading List
It is becoming clear that if you don't have any new cute cat pictures for Friday Cat Blogging, it is almost as good to list what you have read in the previous week. I will not bore you with this...Read all of "Friday Reading List"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:18 PM
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November 24, 2005
Happy Thanksgiving
In many ways, Thanksgiving is the best of the holidays. With the exception of the cook, and it is a significant exception, the only obligation is to talk and eat. There are no worries about inappropriate or unwanted gifts or...Read all of "Happy Thanksgiving"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:22 AM
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November 23, 2005
The Path of the Pink Camel
(as remembered by Dan P. Cole) The Pink Camel was one of the memorable finds of the 1968 season. Like some other discoveries (such as the Dead Sea Scrolls), the potion came to light quite accidentally. Dan Cole and Randy...Read all of "The Path of the Pink Camel"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:32 PM
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It Looks Like I Was Right - The Administration Does Favor a Withdrawal Schedule
Yesterday I speculated on the possibility that the decision at the Iraqi leadership conference in Cairo calling for a deadline for withdrawal of US troops from Iraq had the support of the Bush Administration. Well, it just may be a...Read all of "It Looks Like I Was Right - The Administration Does Favor a Withdrawal Schedule"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:06 PM
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The Gezer Reunion
I guess I'm caught up enough to give a report on the Gezer Excavation Reunion at the American Schools of Oriental Research meeting in Philadelphia last week. The reunion, like the Hebrew Union College/Harvard Semitic Museum Tell Gezer excavations, had...Read all of "The Gezer Reunion"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:28 AM
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November 22, 2005
Why Christopher Heard is Not a Creationist
While I was at the ASOR meeting, Christopher Heard posted "Why I am not a creationist" on Higgaion. His whole post deserves to be read and digested. Here is his conclusion: . . . it seems to me that creationism...Read all of "Why Christopher Heard is Not a Creationist"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:46 PM
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Does the Iraqi Leadership and the Bush Administration Support the Murtha Proposal for Withdrawal?
AMERICABlog has a post headed "Iraqi leaders adopt Murtha proposal for withdrawal." And the Guardian article on which the post is based seems to imply this same thing. I have no doubt that a significant portion of Iraqi leadership wants...
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:22 AM
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November 21, 2005
We're Back!
Shirley and I are back from the Gezer reunion at the ASOR meeting in Philadelphia and visiting our daughter in Kent, Ohio. I will post a report on the Gezer reunion and Philadelphia as soon as I recover from getting...
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:03 PM
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November 20, 2005
The Cuneiform Short Alphabet: Part 4.
Inscribed Votive Nail Head: KTU 7.60 (RS 9.496; Sryia 19, 1938, 140, CTA 206): This is the fourth in my series of studies of the texts in the short cuneiform alphabet. You can find the first study, "Amurriyu's Sacrifice to...Read all of "The Cuneiform Short Alphabet: Part 4."
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:08 AM
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November 19, 2005
A Little Confession
Last week we had a school board election in Pomona. It was part of the special election in which we told Governor Schwarzenegger to stop playing games and get to work. We were supposed to vote for three from a...Read all of "A Little Confession"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:20 PM
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November 18, 2005
Friday Cat Blogging
The other night I was looking for Socrates our cat. As you can see from the picture, I found him. Well, I found at least part of him. So I looked for the rest of him under the blanket Shirley...Read all of "Friday Cat Blogging"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:53 AM
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November 17, 2005
New Government Mental Health Program for Seniors
Shirley is a couple of years older than I am so she gets to blaze the trail into the labyrinth of programs available to the more mature members of our society. Since the period to sign on to what is...Read all of "New Government Mental Health Program for Seniors"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:24 AM
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November 15, 2005
Off to the Gezer Reunion
Blogging will be a little light for the next several days. Before the sun rises tomorrow, I will be on my way to Philadelphia and the American Schools of Oriental Research meeting. While some of the papers and sessions may...Read all of "Off to the Gezer Reunion"
Posted by Duane Smith at 4:33 PM
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Jimmy Carter on Torture
I've already reported on Jimmy Carters Op Ed piece in the Los Angeles Times . I want to take this opportunity to highlight one topic he touched on that I didn't quote or reference previously. Of even greater concern is...Read all of "Jimmy Carter on Torture"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:39 PM
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What Kind of a Humanist am I?
Anne's Anti-Quackery & Science Blog led me to New Humanist's website and test to see what kind of a Humanist I am. Here is the results: Hardhat You are an atheist, a rationalist, a believer in the triumph of science...Read all of "What Kind of a Humanist am I?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 2:32 PM
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November 14, 2005
New Linear A and B Texts Found
Kathimerini is reporting that Archaeologists have recently uncovered text in both Linear A and Linear B at a site near Hania in western Crete. The Linear B text was written on an amphora. Also found were two terracotta tablets containing...Read all of "New Linear A and B Texts Found"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:50 PM
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More on the Tell es-Safi Potshard
Jim West directs us to a web page set up by the Tell es-Safi seems to reinforce the opinion that the potshard has something to do with Goliath. Incredible. They do have a great picture of the shard where the...Read all of "More on the Tell es-Safi Potshard"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:31 AM
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Jimmy Carter on the Current State of Affairs
As part of the promotion of his new book, Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis, Jimmy Carter has an Op-Ed piece in this morning Los Angeles Times. I will reproduce its beginning and end. Please go and read the middle...Read all of "Jimmy Carter on the Current State of Affairs"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:00 AM
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November 13, 2005
The Goliath 'lwt wlt Ostracon
The other day I wrote about a potsherd that some claim refers to Goliath. Yigal Levin has posted on this sherd, First of all, I should say that I was not personally involved in either the discovery or the publication...
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Posted by Duane Smith at 10:21 AM
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How Best to Spend a Saturday Morning
Yesterday I spent the morning with PZ Meyers, who was visiting Los Angeles for a science and blogging meeting at USC the previous day. Bruce Breece, John, Don Frack, Troy Britain, PZ and I wandered around the Natural History Museum...Read all of "How Best to Spend a Saturday Morning"
Posted by Duane Smith at 10:07 AM
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November 11, 2005
Changing History By Omission
President Bush gave a rousing speech at Tobyhanna Army Depot in Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. In it, he made this claim, While it's perfectly legitimate to criticize my decision or the conduct of the war, it is deeply irresponsible to rewrite the...Read all of "Changing History By Omission"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:48 PM
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November 10, 2005
The Punchline From Dover
Yesterday I wrote about the Dover School System electorate turning out the creationist school board members and replacing them with people who were sensible. Well, today was Pat Robertson's day to comment on this event. Here is want he said....Read all of "The Punchline From Dover"
Posted by Duane Smith at 6:59 PM
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A Goliath Ostracon? - Not Too Fast
Dr Cathy and Jim West direct us to two articles in Hebrew that describe the discovery of a potsherd at Tell e-Safi which may or may not have an allusion to Goliath written on it. The excavators sure think it...Read all of "A Goliath Ostracon? - Not Too Fast"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:20 PM
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November 9, 2005
A New and Rational School Board for Dover
If you haven't been following it, the Dover, Pennsylvania School Board is being sued by parents because they have introduced Intelligent Design Creationism into their science curriculum. Well, yesterday voters threw out every single creationist. There is a write up...Read all of "A New and Rational School Board for Dover"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:57 AM
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New Abecedary from Tel Zayit
In the light of the research I am doing on the texts written in the short cuneiform alphabet, the discovery of a 22 letter ABC on a stone from Tel Zayit. The so called abecedary is incised on a limestone...Read all of "New Abecedary from Tel Zayit"
Posted by Duane Smith at 9:43 AM
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It's Time for the Governator to Be a Politician Again
Every statewide initiative on the California ballot lost. And Governor Schwarzenegger's proposals lost by wide margins. In fact the more they seemed to be supportive of the tools he thought he need to govern the greater the margin of the...Read all of "It's Time for the Governator to Be a Politician Again"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:57 AM
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November 8, 2005
Headlines Remembered
I was looking around for election results and ran across a CNN report on the Kansas Board of Education's decision to modify their science curriculum to include the pseudoscience of Intelligent Design creationism. The entire piece is OK to fair...Read all of "Headlines Remembered"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:19 PM
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Two Questions; No Answers
At a joint appearance with President Torrijos of Panama, reporters asked President Bush three questions. He completely failed to answer two of them. You can read these two questions and the lack of answers at the Whitehouse website which I...Read all of "Two Questions; No Answers"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:27 PM
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November 7, 2005
Mosaics from the Church at Megiddo Prison
It's not exactly news anymore but a possible mid-third to early-fourth century Christian church was found on the grounds of Megiddo prison in Israel. If the dating holds up then it is among the very oldest churches found in Israel....Read all of "Mosaics from the Church at Megiddo Prison"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:53 PM
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November 6, 2005
The Cuneiform Short Alphabet: Part 3
Wheat and Olives for the House of Yatiru: KTU 4.710 (RS 22.03; Syria 58, 1981, 301; CRAI 1960, 85) This is the third in my series of studies of the texts in the short cuneiform alphabet. You can find the...Read all of "The Cuneiform Short Alphabet: Part 3"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:22 PM
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November 5, 2005
Dear Abnormal Readers
For a short time tomorrow, Sunday, November 6 and for a bit longer on the morning of Wednesday, November 5, (I sure hope it doesn't slop over into the afternoon) both Abnormal Interests and telecomtally.com (including email) will be down...Read all of "Dear Abnormal Readers"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:37 PM
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Teaching What Everyone Should Already Know
There has been some belly aching here and there on the web about Bush's decision to have his staff take ethics training. Remember, he is our first MBA President and this is exactly the kind of reaction that is very...Read all of "Teaching What Everyone Should Already Know"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:44 AM
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November 4, 2005
What do the American People Expect of Their President?
Well, President Bush knows the answer to that one. When asked how he would react to a close encounter with Chavez, Mr. Bush said he would be polite. "That's what the American people expect their president to do, is to...Read all of "What do the American People Expect of Their President?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 7:25 PM
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Debunking Michael Balter
Last month I wrote a rant about an October 2, 2005 op-ed piece in the Los Angeles Times by Michael Balter. Yesterday Gary Hurd posted an extensive review of that piece on The Panda's Thumb. Hurd makes most of the...Read all of "Debunking Michael Balter"
Posted by Duane Smith at 8:12 AM
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November 3, 2005
What is Your Position on Cancer Prevention?
If you are for it, keep reading. If you are against it, please go somewhere else. Most of my readers likely read Pharyungula or Mike the Mad Biologist or others that have addressed this issue but for the few of...Read all of "What is Your Position on Cancer Prevention?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:36 PM
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November 2, 2005
On Fundamentalism
Jean Franklin, writing for the Asheville Citizens Times reports of a conference on fundamentalism held at St. James Episcopal Church in Black Mountain, North Carolina of all places. She quotes Steve Wilkerson as saying, . . . fear of change...Read all of "On Fundamentalism"
Posted by Duane Smith at 11:20 AM
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November 1, 2005
Things Found
As I've said, over the last few weeks Shirley and I have been engaged in a top to bottom cleaning of our house. Well, yesterday was the beginning of cleaning the bedroom that we have elevated to a study. And...
Posted by Duane Smith at 3:56 PM
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What Has Become of the Methodist Church?
A long time ago, in what seems like a different life, I was ordained a Methodist Deacon. I have buried dead, baptized babies and married young (and not so young) lovers. And while my life's pilgrimage has taken me far...Read all of "What Has Become of the Methodist Church?"
Posted by Duane Smith at 1:34 PM
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