Hurrah for reenacting!  Today was a living history day at our local fort—quite small compared to others we’ve been to, but still lots of fun.  I have way too much fun dressing up, I guess.

Anna and I, enjoying the chilly weather.

We were in charge of the “butter table.”  Fun stuff, that. (Please note sarcasm.)

I must say, we had the cutest helpers ever.

It was a good day.  I’m not sure why it is that chores around here are such a pain, but we can spend all day doing old-fashioned chores and find it enjoyable.  Odd what familiarity can do to a thing.

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The fighting at Lookout Mountain is often called the “battle above the clouds.”  If the weather back in 1863 was anything like it was the day we visited, I can understand the nickname:

The view behind us is supposed to be one of the top 10 views in the south.  If you squint, you can imagine Chattanooga somewhere down there…

Above the clouds, indeed.  On this side of the mountain we could catch a glimpse of the Tennessee River.

Posing in front of the…cloud.

And then it rained.  Which was perfectly exhilarating and inspiring, but didn’t help the view much.  Oh well…Lookout Mountain is still pretty cool.

Interesting Facts:

• Mary Walker remains the only woman to have received the medal.
• There have been nineteen double recipients.
• Surprisingly, it is not necessary to be a U.S. citizen to be awarded a Medal of Honor.  You must, however, serve in the U.S. military.
• William Carney was the first African-American recipient of the medal.  It was awarded for his actions at Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in 1863.
• It is illegal to sell a Medal of Honor.
• The last recognized recipient was Private Ross A. McGinnis, who was awarded on December 4, 2006.
• Arthur MacArthur was awarded a Medal of Honor for his actions in the Civil War at age sixteen.  Many years later, his son, General Douglas MacArthur, would also receive a medal.
• The youngest recipient was probably William Johnston, who earned the medal at age eleven.

Interestingly enough, the date which commemorates the events leading to the first Medal of Honor is fast approaching, so I’ll refrain from boring you with the story until then.  I find it incredibly fascinating, myself!

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On November 22, 1859, his book, On The Origin Of Species, hit the bookshelves.

On February 12, 2009, modern-day scientists still praise the man and his work, leaving the rest of us to wonder when “science” became “science fiction.”

Yesterday, Fox News published an article about Darwin’s anniversary.  “‘Missing Links’ Reveal Truth About Evolution,” they state.

With the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin this week, people around the world are celebrating his role as the father of evolutionary theory.

Events and press releases are geared, in part, to combat false claims made by some who would discredit the theory.

One frequently cited “hole” in the theory: Creationists claim there are no transitional fossils, aka “missing links.”

Biologists and paleontologists, among others, know this claim is false.

The article goes on to present an impressive list of ‘missing links‘–it was a very interesting read.  Let’s check out a few of their examples:

– Most fossil giraffes have short necks and today’s have long necks, but anatomist Nikos Solounias of the New York Institute of Technology’s New York College of Osteopathic Medicine is preparing a description of a giraffe fossil, Bohlinia, with a neck that is intermediate in length.

– Sinornis was a bird that also has long bony fingers and teeth, like those seen in dinosaurs and not seen in modern birds.

– A turtle on the way to becoming a turtle, Odontochelys semistestacea, swam around in China’s coastal waters 200 million years ago. It had a belly shell, but its back was basically bare of armor. Odontochelys had an elongated, pointed snout. Most modern turtles have short snouts.

Are you convinced?

Let’s get one thing straight:  We’re definitely talking about evolution here.  Microevolution is the term.

Microevolution:  The theory that natural selection can, over time, take an organism and transform it into a more specialized species of that organism. *

Ask yourself a question:  Is this the evolution Darwin propogated?

No.  Darwin taught macroevolution:

Macroevolution:  The hypothesis that processess similar to those at work in microevolution can, over eons of time, transform an organism into a completely different kind of organism. *

In other words, that monkey in the zoo is your great-great-great-grandfather, and some prehistoric goldfish may as well have been his great-great-great-grandfather.

When we talk about “missing links,” we’re obviously referring to macroevolution.  Microevolution is fact (despite the name that carries negative connotations for many of us); it doesn’t require “missing links,” since it is simply the belief that species can change over time within that species.  Such was the case with the finches Darwin studied on the Galapagos Islands, leading him to create his theory.  Macroevolution, on the other hand, has precious little support to back it up.  Have you ever seen a half-man, half-ape?  How about a half-dog, half-cat?

You’re not alone.

I don’t think the writers of that article have ever seen one, either.  Take a minute to re-read the examples of “missing links” above.

Giraffes with necks of varying lengths:  Macroevolution, or microevolution?  (Is it still a giraffe?)

A bird with distinct characteristics:  Macroevolution, or microevolution?  (Is it still a bird?)

Turtles with half a shell:  Macroevolution, or microevolution?  (Is it still a turtle?)

We still have giraffes, birds, and turtles today.  Giraffes haven’t sprouted wings and become birds.  Birds haven’t grown shells and become turtles.  Turtles haven’t started walking upright and become humans.  Obviously, their “evolution” didn’t get them far…or maybe, just maybe, giraffes and birds and turtles have always been giraffes and birds and turtles.

So where are those missing links?

They’re still missing.

In defense of Fox News, not all of their examples can rightfully be called microevolution.  Still, give them a good looking into before you accept their word as fact–there’s lots of angles to come at it from, and they just chose one.

So today, we can celebrate the anniversary of one of the greatest lies ever told to humanity.  Sound good?

*Credit to Dr. Jay L. Wile for definitions of macroevolution and microevolution.

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