Daily Kos and Texas Kaos

I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: "O Lord make my enemies ridiculous." And God granted it.
- Voltaire

I have posted blog posts about my testimony at Daily Kos as Messin' with Texas Education, and at Texas Kaos - where it's currently on the recommended diary list.

Please go and add a comment at Daily Kos, or recommend me in the Tip Jar (the first comment) so that it gets on the Recommended List!


Clare Wuellner, Director of Center for Inquiry-Austin, dressed in a 1860-era getup to make the point that the only scientific controversy over evolution ended around 1860 after Darwin's theory was first introduced on the scene.


Dinosaur Barney and Clare Wuellner (as 1860-era woman) were some of the characters who showed up at the Texas State Board of Education hearing.


At the Texas Freedom Network press conference prior to the hearing, someone holds a sign of the earth, asking "How old am I?"


Gail Lowe, one of the creationist board members.


The audience looks riveted. ;)


Notice all the "Stand Up for Science" stickers on everyone?

In Austin

The view from on top of Enchanted Rock, a giant batholith. Enchanted Rock State Park, Texas. I visited this for my Top of Texas cover story for Texas Parks & Wildlife Magazine. It was dusk and the light was gorgeous!
Copyright (c) 2006 Wendee Holtcamp

I'm sitting in the Texas State Board of Education hearings for their Board meeting, which will today allow for public testimony over the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills). Just wanted to mention a Houston Chronicle Evosphere blog that is updating the situation in real time. At 11am there was a press conference in which Texas Freedom Network Director Kathy Miller first spoke followed by a couple UT professors including Dr Andy Ellington whose talk was great. I'm going to get it and put it online when I get a copy. The weather today is gorgeous!

Last night I stayed with Debbie Pagell, documentary producer from the Cultural Film Fund, which is producing It's Your World, the ecotravel series which was being filmed on my trek through Nepal with Tim Gorski, Jon Kane and Mei-Ling McNamara. We went to eat at this awesome restaurant Vivo, which has margaritas infused with hibiscus... yum! And at the end of the meal, they delivered to each of us a wonderfully fragrant long-stemmed pink rose! Apparently they do that for every single person who eats there. How cool is that? Check out this Youtube video created from footage filmed on the trek I was on!! I have photos of these exact same shots they video'd (at the above link back in history on my blog...)