- They have finally announced
Project Steve. The National Center for Science Education, which has been battling creationists for years, created a campaign to honor Stephen J. Gould by requesting scientists named "Steve" if would be willing to subscribe support to a brief statement about evolution - Evolution is a vital, well-supported, unifying principle of the biological sciences, and the scientific evidence is overwhelmingly in favor of the idea that all living things share a common ancestry. Although there are legitimate debates about the patterns and processes of evolution, there is no serious scientific doubt that evolution occurred or that natural selection is a major mechanism in its occurrence. It is scientifically inappropriate and pedagogically irresponsible for creationist pseudoscience, including but not limited to "intelligent design," to be introduced into the science curricula of our nation's public schools.
I was pleased to play a role and even got a T-shirt. If you're a scientist named "Steve" (or "Stephen" or "Stefan" or "Stephanie) you can still participate. Unfortunately D-ro Istvan Bierfaristo wasn't asked.
Yesterday, I printed out the pictures from the Baghdad Snapshot Action and made a display on the bulletin board of the BCRC. I've received several positive comments from people who have seen the display and today someone who is involved with anti-war efforts locally stopped in to ask where the pictures came from and to get the URL. It would be nice to see them used locally. I feel like such a rabble-rouser.
A couple of weeks ago, I realized I was running low on homebrew. Last summer, I decided to try making homebrew again after Charlie encouraged me upon discovering that "Brewer" meant beer-maker. I first made homebrew with my mom when I was in college. We didn't really have the right equipment and so, although it worked alright, it wasn't really very good. Since trying Buzz Hoagland's homebrew, I had a sense that it was possible to do much better, so I decided to get a kit and try again. When we sampled it (StevenBrewer.2002-09-28), I was pleasantly suprised. Therefore, when I realized I was down to the my last few bottles, I knew it was time to act. I checked our local beer making supply store and decided to get Steve's No Equal ESB which seemed about perfect for me. On Sunday I got it started, but discovered that, with the arctic weather, the basement was too cold for fermentation to go at any reasonable pace. I moved the primary fermenter upstairs and now the little yeasts are hard at work making alcohol. Plato has been worried about the fermenter. He kept pestering everyone in the house yesterday, leading them over to the fermenter, and pointing. Alisa thought he didn't like the smell, but I think its more likely the bubbling noise that worries him. It certainly has a wonderful smell -- nice and hoppy. In another day or two, it will be time to transfer it to the secondary fermenter. Hopefully with warmer weather, I can leave the secondary fermenter in the basement. I'm sure that's what Plato would do, anyway.