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The Evolution of Intelligence

Last weekend my husband and I were driving home when we had to stop for a herd of goats in the road. Yes, goats! These goats were running down the road, not disturbed one bit by the cars all around them. You see, they had a mission! A billy and his harem were running together as one towards home. When they got there, as one, they turned into their driveway and then proceeded to jump back into the fence. Well, actually the billy crawled under the fence where he had dug himself a place to get through. I can just imagine the plans that billy made for their Saturday afternoon stroll. He paid attention to when the farmer would be away and when he would be around. Then, a crawl space was dug to get out. In a matter of days, the billy had the freedom to take his nannys for a walk around the block and get them back in time for supper.

There are many people that would say my theory was totally ludicrous. These are the same people that say that animals can't think or feel. But, I ask, how else would one explain unity instead of chaos? Of course, that's just what an evolutionist does. Chaos becomes unity and unity becomes superiority.

So, where does that leave the common man, homo sapiens? Well, lets see, where does that leave us? We have become so superior that we now have an obesity epidemic. Our technology is so great that we never get a break because we're always available via cell phone. Since we're always available we're always busy and our children are left behind. Fortunately, we have another great invention called the television, America's great babysitter. But did you know, children that watch an abundance of TV not only do poorer academically, but are also less creative, not as logical of thinkers, and have poorer social skills.

Now, I'm not antitelevison at all. I enjoy watching my favorite shows as well. But there is something to be said about how we balance our lives and place our priorities. Perhaps we could step down from our superiority and learn something from the goats. If we can do that, perhaps we are superior indeed.

More Election Trivia

Well, Kerry was very civilized and magnanimous in conceding the victory to Bush. It takes a great man to not be a poor loser and to want to continue to have a good working relationship with the winner.

Here's some more facts I found to be interesting: 1. About 120 million Americans voted. That's about 60 percent of everyone eligible to vote, and the highest turnout since 1968.
2. Bush won a majority of the popular vote (more than half of all votes cast), the first presidential candidate to do so since 1988. In the 1992, 1996 and 2000 elections, no one got more than 50 percent because other candidates in those races also won millions of votes.

I guess America really is solidly behind Bush. Let's use that strength and support our troops and those making decisions in this war on terror.

Election Day - part 2

It is the day after election day, and we actually know for sure who the president will be. I am so glad it wasn't a repeat of 2000, with all the lawyers waiting like sharks at the polls for the blood of injustice.

Each presidential race, as I grow older, I find the political process even more fascinating. This race, while important in itself for the issues our country faces, has become more like the game of Survivor. Stratigists figure the electorial math this way and that, so they know where they need to campaign. In Tennessee, it's most likely that I will ever personally meet the candidates. Maybe I should move to Iowa.... Then there's all these superstions and trivia that people bring up. Did you know that: 1. During wartime, the incumbent president has never been ousted? (Still true) 2. A president who is the son of a former president has never been reelected to a second term. (Not true anymore) 3. The highest Halloween mask sale has consistantly predicted who would be elected. (Still true: Bush's mask sold more than Kerry's, but it was close as well) Fascinating!

So, as Tom Brokaw said last night, America has decided who to vote off the island. (I wonder what he really means by that?) It's another four years for George W. Bush. I hope he picks a better cabinet this time and that God is with all of them, as well as our Senate and House, as they attempt to lead this country for the better.

Election Day - part 1

As we speak, the votes are being counted. I have cast my vote, and I hope everyone else has as well. (no matter who you voted for) Now, thanks to modern technology, I have the luxury of watching the votes come in state by state. As fascinating as that is, what does that really mean for states in the west? Could a voter be persuaded to vote for whoever is winning instead of who they think will do the best job? It reminds me very much of a high school race that is almost purely a popularity contest. Now, I know that most people would vote on the issues they're concerned about, but it often doesn't take that many votes to carry a state. Especially this year when the race is so close. I really think that people should be able to watch the race only after the polls have closed in their state, or at least the majority in their time zone. For swing states and perhaps other states, that could make the difference between one president or the other. For now, I will be content in just watching this year's race. May the best man win...

Book Review: The Good Earth

I was channel surfing the TV a few months back when I came upon Oprah. She was concluding the summer book and introducing the next book to read for her book club. I had thought about joining her book club now and again, but since the fall book was a classic and looked good, I determined to really get with the program. I was well rewarded.

The Good Earth, by Pearl S. Buck, is set in prerevolutionary China (early 1900's) and follows the life of Wang Lung, a simple, but shrewd farmer. The story begins with Wang Lung preparing to go to the house of Hwang (a rich family) to receive a kitchen slave, Olin, for his bride. Even though they are too poor even for a wedding, Wang Lung and Olin work hard and create a reasonable life for themselves until a terrible famine forces them into the city to beg. Fortune shines down on Wang Lung as he joins the people who make a rebellion against the rich families, and with the money he obtains, Wang Lung is able to go back to his land. With hard work and shrewdness of money, Wang Lung is able to prosper to the point of owning many servants, another wife, and even taking over the old house that the Hwang family had owned.

Throughout the book, no matter what Wang Lung faces, his land always brings him peace and happiness. Buck uses the symbol of the land to illustrate everything important in life. "Wang Lung sat smoking, thinking of the silver as it had lain upon the table. It had come out of the earth, this silver, out of his earth that he ploughed and turned and spent himself upon. He took his life from this earth; drop by drop by his sweat he wrung food from it and from the food, silver" p. 25. It is the land that gives him the wealth he desires and heals him from the depression of sheer poverty in the city. The land heals him from the lust of his concubine. And, when he is old, Wang Lung desires nothing more than to be back in his country house, watching the farming of his land. "It is the end of a family---when they begin to sell the land. . . .Out of the land we came and into it we must go---and if you will hold your land you can live---no one can rob you of land" p. 260.

My favorite character in this story is Olin. Even though China is very much a patriarchal society, it is really Olin that holds the family together in her quiet way. Women were seen as merely slaves to keep the house and bear sons. Wang Lung does not choose Olin as his wife, and believes her to be stupid and ugly. Yet, Olin not only does what is required, she goes out of her way to help her husband in the fields, give birth to her children quietly, and do whatever she can to make the family a success. Without Olin, Wang Lung would've starved in the city. Yet, it is not until Olin is dying that Wang Lung realizes he had a treasure that was as great as his precious land.

The Good Earth gives an intimate portrayal of preindustrial Chinese culture. Buck elaborately describes the houses, the cities, family life, holidays, and everything else so that one really feels he has been transported back in time. These pictures are descriptions of things she really saw and experienced during her many years living in China. Her storytelling language is easy to read, almost like poetry, yet provokes deep thought about what is really important in life. It is no wonder this novel won Buck a Pulitzer. I certainly recommend it.