"New" Is Nothing to be Feared

Abe Lincoln had 2 "life masks" made of himself in the 1860's, all the "vogue" back then. But its just now that scientists studying those masks have discovered a probable facial deformity in the former president known as cranial facial microsomia. The full story is here, but my point is not solely about Lincoln, but rather about various "new" discoveries. Discoveries that can sometimes scare people, scare em to the point of d enial, denial to the extreme in some cases. I myself for the most part hate having to learn or rather relearn
something "new," especially when I thought i already knew all about it.

Extreme examples of denial are usually over "matters of the heart" so to speak. Matters such as "new findings" or disconcerting "news" over ones chosen religion. Another "touchy" subject is the abortion issue, an issue that even ", pro choicers" would rather not argue. The reason is the "bottom line: to rid oneself of a unwanted "potential" child, or bring that unwanted child into the world only to put it at potential lifelong risk associated with being unwanted. Neither is a good "choice."
I personally know of one such person, who broached the abortion subject one day with me (a partially pro abortionist) and another friend ( a staunch anti abortionist). He was questioning his mothers staunch anti abortion stance. He couldnt understand her position given the fact that early in his life his mother walked out on him and his siblings, and he has spent a good part of his life wishing he had been aborted ( HIS exact words), and failing that, he has spent much of his life on a self destructive course, which has included drug and alcohol abuse and imprisonment. Our institutions are full of these unwanted, unloved children. Having worked in some of these "institutions," I know of this first hand.
A couple years ago my friend, the staunch anti abortionist, sent me statistics pertaining to birth, abortion etc
.along with the link to the site he got it from. i went to the site, found an updated stats page and I quoted from it, back to him. The same site he used, remember. He wrote back, basically telling me I don't understand what I'm reading.!? What the @#$%???
When the stats agreed with him i could read and understand, but when the updated stats disagreed with him, it was I that could no longer read
or understand!! It led to one of our more angry disagreements, which we've since gotten over, but we also try to steer clear of "the issue' of abortion.
Another "touchy" subject is the age of man and earth. Now this is one that many of you might not think is an issue, but for a select few "bible thumpers" it certainly is. At issue is, on the one side, science estimates humans to have existed for upward of a couple million years and the earth to have existed for a couple billion years, while on the "other" side, the bible thumpers say that the bible claims that earth and man are a mere 6,000 years old, give or take a little. Now this is a VAST difference, one that cannot be bridged
without compromise.
I've tried to show my "bible as fact" believing friends that even assuming science is 99.9 % wrong, that still leaves a HUGE difference in "facts"(?). I believe this discrepancy in one of the leading causes of home schooling. Yes i use "causes" as if it were a disease, because I believe it is in many cases. Dont get me wrong if your a recent college grad or have a degree in teaching, by all means home school your child, They may indeed be better off academically. Of course their social skills & ability to interact with others may still suffer. I also witnessed this in the Prison system, where the people hired from the "lily white" suburbs (where their interaction
with folks not of their color was limited) were often scared by the sudden presence of an overwhelmingly minority prison. This led to
unnecessary altercations between staff and imnates.

My belief is that the bible is a story, & a guide as to how we should live our lives. It was NEVER meant to be taken as fact. Science, while also not always meant to be taken as fact (hypothesis anyone?) is probably much closer to the truth. At the very least it gives "reasons" for its findings, something the bible can't say. Heck the bible may not even be an "original" work, but rather adapted from "The Egyptian Book of the Dead" or earlier works, which also co- insides with my belief that all religions were "adapted" from an
original simple belief that something or someone mighty powerful is in control of everything. Over the many millenia, various people, at
various times, adapted these beliefs to suit their needs and purposes and so we are today left with a hodge podge of religions, all claiming to
be correct, and each in their own way working successfully at what they were meant to do, control people, while offering "hope" IF they
conform.
Other recent ones are: the "supposed" finding of jesus tomb, the supposition that jesus and mary magdelene might have been married, might have had other kids, the interpretation of the last supper painting, the Davinci code, and on and on.
A less important issue is the recent "findings" that Pluto is no longer a planet! Having suddenly created "rules" science now claims Pluto no longer qualifies. Again I say what the $#%@!! is going on here. A belief we have ALL held for our entire lives is now no longer true! What gives them the right to all of a sudden create "rules" and thus take away from us something that has been a staple, a given in our
lives? That is my feelings on this subject. BUT does that make me right? Just because i "choose" not to believe something? does that change anything? Does what I or a select few think, change anything at all? No, I'm afraid not.

Just a few more of my "pet peeves:"

when weather forecasters refer the water accumulating on roadways as "ponding water." How did we ever figure out what they meant years ago before the word ponding came in to use? Anyone out there remember that word being used even say 10 years ago? Please let me know.How about the term "embedded" used to refer to media traveling with the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. I mean what were the media doing during Vietnam, when they were travelling with the troops and reporting on the war? They werent embedded back then. Anyone?? here's one I only encounter when in N.Y.C. Horn blowing. Not horn blowing during instances when it might actually help mind you. No, I'm talking about horn blowing when your in traffic backed up for blocks or miles; or horn blowng the instant, and i mean instant a light has turned green. They are seemingly quicker on the horn than is possible to be on the gas. I chalk this up to N.Y's selfish ignorance.

Well enough. Having reread this, i almost feel compelled to make a subtitle called ramblings or pet peeves. Should have probably made a separate entry entitled pet peeves instead of adding it to this one. oh well, whatever this will have to do until next time.