Why I Do What I Do

Just a quick bit of info...
As of this morning, The Obscuritan Journal has received 927 hits. When you consider that as of Sept. 11th, the count was at 676, that's saying a lot.

1,000 hits has been a goal of mine since I started. My reason for this is that once I crossed that line, I knew I would have reached a point where I could feel good in really pushing outwards with this project in terms of advertisement and content.

Just remember: I might be the one doing the writing, but it is you, the reader, who makes this blog what it is. And while I certainly live by the adage that I'd still be doing what I do regardless if anyone is looking, I can't overstate the point that having people, some of which from points literally thousands of miles away, are the reason I continue.

So thank you for everything.

Design Flaws?

In May of 2005, the Kansas State Board of Education held a series of hearings regarding science curricula. While the process of review and revision educational standards and teaching methods are not new, these specific hearings were highly abnormal. Recent elections had given six of the ten available seats on the Board of Education to socially and politically Conservative Christians who wanted to change how the Theory of Evolution, as proposed by Charles Darwin, would be presented.

These members of Board wanted to present a concept called Intelligent Design as a scientific theory that offers an opposing but plausible explanation of life on Earth. Intelligent Design, since entering into public consciousness, has been a cause of major argument. It’s proponents contend that Evolution is a theory that is still hotly debated by the majority of the scientific community, therefore in it’s place Intelligent Design could offer an explanation that uses God (the “Intelligent Designer”) in place of the seemingly random or chaotic forces of Natural Selection and Mutation.

Scientists, on the other hand, contend that there is no real debate over Evolutionary Theory’s veracity and that Intelligent Design and it’s related movement is pure pseudoscience; Intelligent Design cannot be backed by physical evidence nor be proven by the Scientific Method, given that it deals exclusively in the realm of the Metaphysical.

During the hearings, Bobby Henderson, a graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in Engineering, sent a letter to the Kansas Board of Education arguing that there may be a third argument to be had. Henderson’s letter stated that alongside Darwin’s Theory and Intelligent Design, a creation myth regarding an god known as The Flying Spaghetti Monster should also be taught. (Yes, you read that correctly.)

It must have been difficult for Henderson to predict that his letter, written as an absurdist criticism of the Intelligent Design debate, would balloon into an Internet sensation as well as a sold criticism of Religious Fundamentalism. Calling his faith “Pastafarianism,” Henderson argues that he has “written accounts” of The Flying Spaghetti Monster creating the world, as well as altering any attempts at Carbon or Nitrogen Dating materials used by scientists with the power of “His Noodly Appendage.” When word broke of this incident, it spread quickly causing many Internet users who were critical of Intelligent Design (and a large portion of those with an unusual sense of humor) to proclaim themselves “Pastafarians” and that they too believed in the power of The Flying Spaghetti Monster. In short order, Henderson launched a website as The Church of The Flying Spaghetti Monster, as well a book comprising it’s gospels. In the spirit of his original letter, The “About” section of his website claims “Some claim that the church is purely a thought experiment, satire, illustrating that Intelligent Design is not science, but rather a pseudoscience manufactured by Christians to push Creationism into public schools. These people are mistaken. The Church of FSM is real, totally legit, and backed by hard science. Anything that comes across as humor or satire is purely coincidental.”

So what can be said of Henderson’s “Church?” The website presents itself with tongue planted sharply in cheek, but the use of satire as an antidote to the sometimes venomously grim world of religion is not new. Organizations such as “The Church of The SubGenius” have made this a stock-in-trade. Venerating the clip-art image of a salesman called J.R. “Bob” Dobbs, The SubGenius aspire to a transcendent state called “Slack” and claim that they are the descendants of the Yeti (a mythical Tibetan form of Sasquatch.) The Church of the SubGenius has been making mockery of religious and social Evangelism for more than twenty years, and use their unique brand of surreal mockery as an effective, if not hilarious skewer against social and religious institutions. In the world of Religious Parody (or depending upon your worldview, Parody Religions,) The Church of The SubGenius are a sort of Dadaist gold-standard by which to be measured. The Pastafarians and could easily reach that sort of absurd pinnacle. Like anything else in life, a parody can only ultimately be as strong as it’s subject matter. In the end, The Flying Spaghetti Monster needs Intelligent Design as much as Intelligent Design needs Natural Selection.

Preview of Sept. 17th

Can anyone tell me what this has to do with the nature of all living creatures on this planet?

Anyone?

No?

Then come back this Friday so I can explain.

I'll see you then.

The Obscuritan's State Of The Union

I began writing here at The Obscuritan Journal in May of this year, and I have to admit that I am having a great time doing so. I owe everyone who has taken a second to stop by and read my posts, so I thought I throw a little something different this week at you, just so you know what is going on here.

I've stated previously that my goal here is to eventually parlay my work here into something bigger. After taking into consideration the advise of some of my readership and close friends, I have a rough plan for the next year as to what I want to do here, and how to improve this blog to make it something more noteworthy.

The plan, as of now, looks something like this. In no specific order, I need to achieve the following goals:

1. I would like to purchase "The Obscuritan Journal" as my own and get away from using a third-party group to host my site.
2. I would like to spread the site via syndication and dead-tree advertising. If anyone would be willing to help me create and spread flyers/business cards, it would be deeply appreciated.
3. I'm thinking it's nearly time to create a Facebook page for The Obscuritan Journal, primarily as a dedicated point-of-contact for those people who are already Facebook users to help spread the word.

In short, The Obscuriatan Needs You!
(And yes, it is fun to refer to myself in the 3rd Person by a different name)

So what am I getting out of all of this, other than a creative outlet? Thanks to Blogger's "Stats" feature (which I will miss dearly once I do leave Blogger) I have been able to see what is actually happening in terms of readers and web-hits. So let me hit you with some facts:

- As of this posting, I have had 676 views, 307 of which in the past month.
- "Four Gods," posted on July 16th, has had the most viewers, followed by "Among The Ruins."
- Google and Facebook are the primary sources of hits for my site.
- The following countries are the highest ranking in terms of readership: Untied States (572 hits,) Canada (17 hits,) United Kingdom (14 hits,) and Germany (9 hits.) I have also had hits from The Czech Republic, Indonesia, and Ecuador.
- 40% of my readers are using Firefox. 38% are using Internet Explorer.

I can't say enough how much I appreciate everyone who has commented, emailed, called, or sent text messages in response to my work. I intend to keep this up for some time...so if you keep coming, I keep writing and researching.

Quick Update Sept. 10th

This weeks blog may be delayed by 12 to 24 hours while I am collating some information. For your information, the information I am collecting has less to do with a new topic, and more to do with this blog. You'll hear from me shortly when I am ready to present.

Talk to you soon, and enjoy your weekend!

A Dark Mystery

Arguably one of the most ubiquitous beverages in the world, Coffee is arguably a cornerstone to the lives of millions of people, from farmers all the way to consumers. Coffee has such a place in the cultural heritage of so many, that even people who don't drink it will often speak fondly of the aroma while it's brewing or refer to taking a "coffee break" from an activity.

But how did such a humble shrub become one of the world's largest agricultural powerhouses? What magic does a tiny bean contain that can lead to true international trade?

The history of coffee is generally traced back to Ethiopia in 850 AD. A goat-herd named Kaldi once found his flock munching on a bush with red berries, after which they behaved with an unusual amount of energy. Perplexed, Kaldi decided to sample the berries himself and experienced the world's first case of "coffee jitters." Shocked by his discovery Kaldi took some of the berries to a local elder, who roasted the berries over a fire and added them to boiling water, creating the world's first "cuppa Joe."

Whether or not there is any truth to the "Myth of Kaldi" is a matter of speculation. What is known, on the other hand, is that coffee beans were traded and passed through Sudan into Yemen's port of Mocha around 1400-1500, where it spread throughout the Arab world. Given the Koran's prohibition on Muslims consuming alcohol, coffee became a beverage at social gatherings, a trait that it still holds as true today as it did during the 16th century. By the mid-1500's, three coffee shops had opened in Constantinople. By 1650, coffee had fund it's way into Venice where Europe's first cafe' was opened in 1654.

As Europe began exploring and colonizing the "New World," coffee invariably followed. From it's mythical origins to today, coffee has lost none of it's power. According to the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization, global coffee output should reach seven tons by the end of 2010, with an estimated 6.9 tons consumed in the year. As of 2008, the countries consuming the most coffee per day per year are Finland, Norway, and Iceland (The United States ranks number 26 of 181 in terms of daily consumption per year.)

While the history and current usage of coffee does shed some light, the question still remains: Why is coffee popular? At a glance, it can be hard to fathom how a dark, oily fluid, served piping hot, and known for it's bitter, acidic flavor could have crossed so many cultural borders. The obvious answer would be caffeine. But this idea falls apart when the the wide-spread popularity of tea is figured into the equation.

Perhaps the historical connotation of the educated and intellectual class being fond of coffee explains it. In England, coffee shops were historically referred to as "Penny Universities," since a potential patron only needed to pay a small charge at the door to cover the beverage cost, thereby allowing them to take part in animated discussions or impromptu lectures. However, there is an equally strong modern connotation of coffee being the a blue-collar beverage, symbolized by the seemingly omnipresent thermal-sealed containers of strong black coffee in factories and job sites.

In most major cities, one can find at least one coffee shop with very little effort. Most major grocery chains now have at least half an aisle devoted to coffee and related items. While the reasons for coffee's popularity may be intangible, it is nearly guaranteed that the thirst for it will never pass.

An Apology

To my readers, I want to say this:

My last article sucked. Yes, you read that correctly.
Sucked.

For that, I apologize. After re-reading the piece, I realized how half-cooked and rushed it was, not only as piece but as a concept.

With that, I will be moving on to another topic this week, one actually worth reading.