The Care And Feeding Of Dragons

“A blog is like a dragon. You have to feed it all the time and sometimes you get burned”
unattributed quote, collected here by Scicurious.  (if you know who, let me know.)
If you want to own a dragon, there’s some things you ought to know
Though they’re cute when really tiny, if you feed them, they will grow—
And it’s fun to feed a dragon—well, it’s really fun at first,
Till you’re bleeding from the bite-marks and the blisters that have burst!
Finding food, at first, is simple, cos it’s laying all around,
And a dragon, when it’s little, eats whatever you have found.
As the months and years continue, dragon-feeding can get tricky,
As it’s eaten all the easy finds and now is getting picky
But you’ve got to feed the dragon, though it’s taking all your time
(And it really doesn’t help, should you decide to feed it rhyme)
All the dragon owners tell you, cos it’s something that they’ve learned,
That no matter how you feed it, there are times that you’ll get burned.
If you see I’ve written something, and you really wonder why…
Well, I have to feed the dragon, or it’s gonna up and die.

The Care And Feeding Of Dragons

“A blog is like a dragon. You have to feed it all the time and sometimes you get burned”
unattributed quote, collected here by Scicurious.  (if you know who, let me know.)
If you want to own a dragon, there’s some things you ought to know
Though they’re cute when really tiny, if you feed them, they will grow—
And it’s fun to feed a dragon—well, it’s really fun at first,
Till you’re bleeding from the bite-marks and the blisters that have burst!
Finding food, at first, is simple, cos it’s laying all around,
And a dragon, when it’s little, eats whatever you have found.
As the months and years continue, dragon-feeding can get tricky,
As it’s eaten all the easy finds and now is getting picky
But you’ve got to feed the dragon, though it’s taking all your time
(And it really doesn’t help, should you decide to feed it rhyme)
All the dragon owners tell you, cos it’s something that they’ve learned,
That no matter how you feed it, there are times that you’ll get burned.
If you see I’ve written something, and you really wonder why…
Well, I have to feed the dragon, or it’s gonna up and die.

Uncovering Nakedness In Leviticus

Cos wicked men are easily led
From here to there, from bed to bed,
By orders from their smaller head
We’ve had to ban the quadruped.

Uncovering the nakedness
Of relatives, we will not bless;
The major reason, I confess–
It makes reunions such a mess.

Thou shall not mark upon thy skin;
It is, of course, a wicked sin
As bad as if a man begin
To bed a sheep, or sleep with kin.

We read the bible, and we choose
Which laws to keep, and which refuse;
Not Godly Law, but human ruse…
As old as time, so hardly news.

Context here, and especially here.

Uncovering Nakedness In Leviticus

Cos wicked men are easily led
From here to there, from bed to bed,
By orders from their smaller head
We’ve had to ban the quadruped.

Uncovering the nakedness
Of relatives, we will not bless;
The major reason, I confess–
It makes reunions such a mess.

Thou shall not mark upon thy skin;
It is, of course, a wicked sin
As bad as if a man begin
To bed a sheep, or sleep with kin.

We read the bible, and we choose
Which laws to keep, and which refuse;
Not Godly Law, but human ruse…
As old as time, so hardly news.

Context here, and especially here.

The Strong Anthropic Principle Song

When an ancient star collapsed about ten billion years ago
It didn’t have you in mind.
When its elements were scattered so that newer stars could grow
It didn’t have you in mind.
It’s a cyclical progression of destruction and rebirth
That eventually led to the creation of the earth,
And the chemistry of life itself, but still, for what it’s worth
It didn’t have you in mind.
It didn’t have you in mind.
When a replicating molecule turned into RNA
It didn’t have you in mind.
When eukaryotes emerged, the way we see them yet today
They didn’t have you in mind.
And when these began to merge in multicellular arrays,
When selection honed their features in so many different ways
When a multitude of species showed it’s more than just a craze
It didn’t have you in mind.
It didn’t have you in mind.
You may not want to hear it, but it’s true
The universe is not here just for you.
You really think you’re special, I’m aware
But the universe itself, it doesn’t care.
When a fortunate amphibian first crept upon the land
It didn’t have you in mind
When a fin became a lobe, became a foot, became a hand,
It didn’t have you in mind
From the big bang to the present, you’ve examined every clue
And imagine there’s a god somewhere who made it all for you
Well, you might not want to hear it, but I’m telling you it’s true
It didn’t have you in mind.
It didn’t have you in mind.
My muse today is a long-haired redhead with heavy mascara… that’s right, Tim Minchin.  No, he didn’t say anything in particular to inspire this, but I hear it sung with his voice.  Sort of a “not perfect” or “if I didn’t have you” combined with Tony the fish.  
And yeah, I’m not in his league–if I was, I’d be doing this for a living–but fortunately or unfortunately, that doesn’t stop me from writing.  And Tim, if you ever see this and want to steal it, it’s yours. 
And yeah, I know the title is not a perfect fit–once I thought of it, though, I couldn’t help myself.

The Strong Anthropic Principle Song

When an ancient star collapsed about ten billion years ago
It didn’t have you in mind.
When its elements were scattered so that newer stars could grow
It didn’t have you in mind.
It’s a cyclical progression of destruction and rebirth
That eventually led to the creation of the earth,
And the chemistry of life itself, but still, for what it’s worth
It didn’t have you in mind.
It didn’t have you in mind.
When a replicating molecule turned into RNA
It didn’t have you in mind.
When eukaryotes emerged, the way we see them yet today
They didn’t have you in mind.
And when these began to merge in multicellular arrays,
When selection honed their features in so many different ways
When a multitude of species showed it’s more than just a craze
It didn’t have you in mind.
It didn’t have you in mind.
You may not want to hear it, but it’s true
The universe is not here just for you.
You really think you’re special, I’m aware
But the universe itself, it doesn’t care.
When a fortunate amphibian first crept upon the land
It didn’t have you in mind
When a fin became a lobe, became a foot, became a hand,
It didn’t have you in mind
From the big bang to the present, you’ve examined every clue
And imagine there’s a god somewhere who made it all for you
Well, you might not want to hear it, but I’m telling you it’s true
It didn’t have you in mind.
It didn’t have you in mind.
My muse today is a long-haired redhead with heavy mascara… that’s right, Tim Minchin.  No, he didn’t say anything in particular to inspire this, but I hear it sung with his voice.  Sort of a “not perfect” or “if I didn’t have you” combined with Tony the fish.  
And yeah, I’m not in his league–if I was, I’d be doing this for a living–but fortunately or unfortunately, that doesn’t stop me from writing.  And Tim, if you ever see this and want to steal it, it’s yours. 
And yeah, I know the title is not a perfect fit–once I thought of it, though, I couldn’t help myself.

The Waters Here Are Rising

Long, long ago, Man’s primal sins
Were washed out in The Flood
Our modern sins are washed away
In Jesus’ precious blood.
The rainbow was God’s Promise
That He would not let us drown—
The waters here are rising…
But I’m sure He’ll bring them down.
The wisest words of science
May be changed from day to day
From one year to another,
No one knows what they might say
But the bible is consistent,
So we know it must be true—
The waters here are rising…
But I’m sure that He’ll come through.
The predictions of the scientists
Are coming true in droves;
Where we once had sandy beaches
There are inundated coves
I have faith in my Creator;
This must only be a test—
The waters here are rising…
But I’m sure He knows what’s best.
When the night is looking darkest,
That’s the time for faith and trust
I’ll surrender unto Jesus
As the Good Book says I must.
I could face annihilation
If the choice I make is wrong—
The waters here are rising…
From NPR, a story from the island nation of Kiribati.  This country is uniquely positioned to be concerned about the possibility of rising ocean waters due to global warming: 

The average height of the islands is approximately 6.5 feet. Already, land is scarce and drinking water can be in short supply. There’s nowhere to retreat.

So concerns about climate change are felt very acutely here. Though estimates are rough, scientists predict average sea levels could rise as much as 3 feet by the end of the century due to global warming.

Science, of course, tends to be conservative, moving forward only as it can supply strong evidence for each step.  As such, people looking for direct, solid links between global warming and the loss of land that is already happening in Kiribati are likely to find enough play in the evidence that they can deny it altogether if they have sufficient reason (paging Leon Festinger…).

And they have sufficient reason, in religious belief.

Tito says he believes in the Biblical account of Noah’s ark. In that story, after God devastates the world with a flood, he makes a covenant with Noah that he will never send another.

So while Tito does acknowledge that global warming is affecting the planet and that he has noticed some impacts, he says rising sea levels are not as serious a threat as Tong and others are making them out to be.

“Saying we’re going to be under the water, that I don’t believe,” Tito says. “Because people belong to God, and God is not so silly to allow people to perish just like that.”

Indeed, the current president’s religious faith has come under question, simply because he has (quite understandably, given their precarious position) chosen to draw attention to climate change problems!


The NPR story is part one of a two-part series.  I’m really looking forward to part two!

I Was Talking To God Today, Dennis

I was talking to God today, Dennis,
And the subject eventually changed
From how neither of us can stand tennis
To how both of us think you’re deranged.
He admitted he’d botched your creation
In his perfect and all-knowing view
He’d ruined the whole operation…
Then he shrugged, and said “what can I do?”
He had given free will to his creatures
And a conscience, to choose their own path
But you see, there were bugs in these features
And you’ve given him reason for wrath.
God thinks you’re an idiot, Dennis;
He was utterly clear on the point
You’re an absolute, pin-headed menace
And as God says, you stink up the joint.
Your behavior is wholly demented—
And believe me, He knows what you do—
Since thorazine first was invented
There’s been no better spokesman than you.
He’s powerful, awesome, and godly,
On a scale—any scale—He’s the top;
And He’s noticed you’re acting quite oddly…
God is telling you, Dennis, to stop.
I can’t imagine what might have inspired this verse.  It must simply be a message from god.

Wait… I’m The Black Sheep?

So my grand-dad was a monkey, and his grand-dad was a fish?
What a complicated, ancient family tree!
I can trace my mother’s side to amphioxus, if you wish,
Though they won’t admit they’re relatives of me.
Happy Darwin Day to you!  

Of Their Bones Are Coral Made

Full fathom five, or deeper still,
At rest within the ocean’s chill
The ocean currents may create
A home for fish and tiny krill
Where war machines have met their fate
The seascape changes, day by day
As predators now follow prey
To chase them into turret caves
And places they can hide away
In ships and tanks beneath the waves
A month goes by; the wreck conceals
Now, groupers, triggerfish, and eels
In every crevice, cave, and hole;
A shadow from above reveals
A shark or tuna on patrol
The algae fronds and coral fans
Have overgrown what once was Man’s,
Re-writing all his grand designs
And following their separate plans
They soften all the human lines.
Will corals act as Sandburg’s grass
As months and years and decades pass,
To cover death, and loss and grief
Until, through seas as clear as glass
We only view a coral reef?














Photos: David Doubilet/National Geographic (click to embiggen; you’ll be glad you did)

These gorgeous photos may be found in the February 2011 issue of National Geographic magazine, on newsstands January 25 (you can tell from the fact that Jan 25th has already passed, that this phrase is part of the contractual agreement with Nat Geo to use these wonderful pictures), in a photo-essay on a variety of artificial reefs—from deliberately sunken ships and tanks, to the supports of oil and gas rigs, to a cemetery where cremated remains, mixed into concrete, allow those who desire to spend their eternity sleeping with the fishes.  Over time, each artificial reef is transformed–“nothing of him that doth fade / but doth suffer a sea-change / into something rich and strange.”  There are more photos, and the accompanying essay, here: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/02/artificial-reefs/doubilet-photography

Parenthetically… I have been a National Geographic fan for as long as I can remember.  When I mentioned this fact to my fellow travelers two years ago in Greece & Bulgaria, it turns out that the vast majority of them, in their secret heart of hearts, had fantasized about taking the same amazing trip we did, seeing the same sights, talking to the same people… but with a NatGeo press pass.  So when the NatGeo rep contacted me with the offer to use some of their pictures for a blog post, there was no possible way I would turn that down.  And even if it were not part of the agreement, the idea that I could legitimately close my post with an official National Geographic magazine cover is just soooo coooool.  I know I’m not actually writing for National Geographic.  But I can dream.