Green Oasis

more like “whenever I get around to it links”

Science

• Science, Evolution, and Creationism—“In the book Science, Evolution, and Creationism, a group of experts assembled by the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine explain the fundamental methods of science, document the overwhelming evidence in support of biological evolution, and evaluate the alternative perspectives offered by advocates of various kinds of creationism, including ‘intelligent design.’”

Freethought

• Tree of Knowledge Book List—Start reading.

Politics

• “You Don’t Understand Our Audience”: What I learned about network television at Dateline NBC—Anyone who thinks being informed about the world consists of watching television news should read this. (via Dangerous Intersections)
• Is Waterboarding Torture?—“At the time my lungs emptied and I began to draw water, I would have sold my children to escape. There was no choice, or chance, and willpower was not involved.… If I had the choice of being waterboarded by a third party or having my fingers smashed one at a time by a sledgehammer, I’d take the fingers, no question. It’s horrible, terrible, inhuman torture. I can hardly imagine worse. I’d prefer permanent damage and disability to experiencing it again. I’d give up anything, say anything, do anything.”

Sexuality

• Deaf Bunny (NSFW)—a fascinating, ahem, look into the sexual lives of the deaf. Yes, some of the sign language needs no translation (cf. Deaf Gone Wild).
• Nerdcore Calendar (NSFW)—I would be more interested in something like the MIT Girls Calendar. (via CV Rick)
• What’s Wrong With Lust?—an insightful definition of lust: sexual greed.

Religion

• Mr. Deity and the Murder
• The best article on Mormonism and politics that I’ve read all year—“Mormon doctrine consists in the Old Testament (except the parts that aren’t doctrine), the New Testament (except the parts that aren’t doctrine), the Book of Mormon (except the parts that aren’t doctrine), the Doctrine and Covenants (except the parts that aren’t doctrine), and the Pearl of Great Price (except the parts that aren’t doctrine). All of these, as augmented by statements from church leaders (except the ones that aren’t doctrine).… And how do we know which aren’t doctrine? Well, we rely on scripture (except the part that isn’t doctrine) and church leader statements (except the non-doctrinal ones) to determine which ones are doctrine. And finally, there is no one Rosetta Stone giving an explanation of which statements really matter, and which don’t.” Very well said.
• Saint Sorta—“A pagan woman [Hypatia of Alexandria] murdered by Christians for her beliefs was transformed into a Christian woman [St. Catherine of Alexandria] murdered by pagans for her beliefs.” A better definition of irony I can’t conceive.

Stuff

• keybr.com – Typing at the speed of thought—Typing is by far the most consistently useful class I took in high school. (via kottke.org)