02/12 Open Thread: International Darwin Day

We are getting ready to head out on yet another multi-week adventure in the near future. This means that I need to write, post and schedule a whole bunch of OTs for the period of my absence, as well as some to bridge the gap between now and the start date. This means, among other things, that you shouldn't expect too much from them and will need to provide content as well as commentary yourselves (as if you don't already, heh). So, here we go ...

I recall being amazed in 10th grade that my high school biology still spouted that "you may be descended from monkeys, but I'm not" crap, but I have long ago ceased being surprised that it is still parroted today. For the record, everybody (and everything) is "descended" from a chain of common ancestors. Also, it isn't necessarily progress. There is no built in directionality. It isn't survival of the fittest, but simply natural selection, and nature needn't always side with the fittest, by any measure for any envornment. Even if it did, what constituted the fittest in one given place and time might not be anywhere else or any other time. Really, just about everybody knows that we didn't evolve from apes, but from cavemen  

But there are those who are certain that we've gone or are certainly going in the other direction entirely. The question is, I guess, as of when and from whence.  

The sad truth is that it isn't genetics, but simply ignorance, stupidity, and illogic combined with hubris:  

So, our poor maligned simian brethren need a simian awareness and appreciation day. Today is as good as any, n'est ce pas? Run Red Run  

The Monkey and The engineer

The Monkey Time  

Can Your Monkey Do The Dog

Monkey Man

So think about it, next time you don your Monkey Suit  

Alrighty, now, officially on the road, gone, done gone and, hence, in absentia today.

Title Image is evolution  

It's an open thread, so have at it. The floor is yours .

Cross posted from caucus99percent.com