RTFM

I'm a little disappointed that it won't be in bookstores by the time that pagan gift-giving holiday rolls around in seven weeks or so, but Valentine's Day is still a good choice for a release date. After all, Pastafarianism is all about love (well, love of beer and strippers, at least).

Bye Bye Charlotte101

When I moved to Charlotte 6 months ago, I was happy to find Charlotte101, a community blog modeled after Greensboro101 just up I-85. I added a link to it on my blogroll, and used to check it out every couple of days or so to see what was going on in the neighborhood.

I stayed patient when it stopped being updated this summer, but now that the front page is little more than a series of links about asbestos-related cancer, I'm taking it off my blogroll. Nothing against people looking for information on that particular subject, but the site has clearly been hijacked, and if the other admins don't care enough to do anything about it, I don't need to be promoting it on my blog. Too bad, too — the original site was a good idea.

I Just Want an Intelligent School Board

It's election day in Charlotte, so this morning I started doing my due diligence on the school board races. Normally I vote straight ticket, but the school board is non-partisan, so there are no helpful letters next to each name on the ballot.

Reading a Q&A of the candidates in my district, I was depressed to find that all four answered "yes" to the question of whether intelligent design should be taught alongside evolution.

[Jaye Maxx Alexander] "They need to both be taught equally, and it's up to the parents to expand what they want their children to believe in."

[Dwayne Collins] Initially said he would be "highly reluctant" because it's such an emotional issue, but later said it would be wise to teach both. Students should be exposed to all ideas so families can decide "which ideology they will embrace."

[George Dunlap] "We ought to educate people on all facets of what's going on in the world, and you leave it up to people to make up their minds."

[Lucille Puckett] Of course. "We are all here because of a higher being. It's not about a particular religion. It's a way of letting children know who they are and where they come from."

Look, I know that this is the Bible Belt, but the fundamental issue here really comes down to this: should science classes teach science, or not? I'm really disappointed that I can't vote for someone who believes they should.

P.S. While the Charlotte Observer is a really crappy paper with an even crappier website, I was surprised to find that they had quite a comprehensive and well-organized election section, linked this morning from the top of their front page. Good job!