The two things that really made me angry yesterday:

1. I saw this machine at a mall near the in-laws' house and I instantly wanted to take a bat to it and throw it over the nearest railing, which, incidentally, wasn't too far from the machine itself. Like we go around putting earthquake simulation machines in the malls down south...I did see that a Hurricane Simulator is located at The Esplanade Mall, though. There are many others in malls in other Gulf states, judging from the website, and I just want to shake my head and wonder why there aren't at least some booklets with some information about the damage storms can do accompanying the machines. At least there's some of that with the 40-below simulator that was at the hotel we stayed in while in Denali. The hurricane ones simply have you pay $2 for the privilege of having your head nearly blown off in a person-sized container. Know what I now want? An oil disaster simulator. It may be the only way we get funding for the recovery of the Gulf of Mexico and its shores. I think we should begin by inviting Tony "Frodo" Hayward to cough up his pension for the privilege of getting dunked.
2. The Louisiana Science Education Act has ensured that this state can add urine to its education pool in the form of teaching creationism alongside science if a school district desires - and now that some in this state actually want to get it going, it makes me want to vomit. Link via Suspect Device.:

   At its July 22, 2010, meeting, the Livingston Parish School Board announced its interest in teaching creationism under the 2008 Louisiana Science Education Act. Actually, they did more than announce their interest. They proclaimed it. There are more Discovery Institute connections to this development than you can shake a stick at....If there was any doubt that people in Louisiana understand exactly why the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA) was enacted into law in 2008, those doubts have now been dispelled. Our citizens have clearly connected the dots that link the LSEA and creationism....

   How did they connect those dots? Barbara Forrest gives us the gory details.

Incidentally, one day the little guy had to get out of the swimming pool in which he was taking lessons a little earlier than usual, ostensibly for a safety lesson...which turned out to have been spurred on by someone vomiting in the other end of the same pool. We keep mixing water with too much crap these days. When will it stop?

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There's a few more Alaska journal entries to come, don't worry. Our trip didn't end in Anchorage. Hang with me, readers.