Came across a funny site via a Wired News article that is a stab at those folks who push for teaching intelligent design in public school science classes. It’s about a new ‘scientific theory’ known as the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and the author of this ‘theory’ sent an open letter to the same public schools that implemented intelligent design into their classes, demanding that the FSM theory was just as valid and should be included in their curriculum. The whole thing is great satire, and people all over are getting into it (check out the photos of people ‘spreading the word’)
The funny part here, is that the kinds of logic the Church of the FSM use is the same that the pro-intelligent design folks use. Odd, un-connected pseudo-scientific claims that they use as proof of their theory.
One of the amusing ‘facts’ on the Church of the FSM website is the graph labeled ‘Global Average Temperature Vs. Number of Pirates’. It shows an inverse relationship between the number of pirates and global temperature, specifically, that while the number of pirates has decreased, the global temperature has increased. So, in order to stop global warming, we need more pirates! Yarrrr!
In the Wired News interview with Bobby Henderson, the creator of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Mr. Henderson writes "Our theory is as much science — in fact much more so — than what the ID (intelligent design) guys are proposing. And, if you are going to redefine science to include supernatural explanations, you have to allow them all. To include intelligent design in a science classroom you have to first expand the definition of science to include supernatural explanations, rather than only natural ones, as it is now."
Amen brother! Praise be His Noodly Appendage!
Mr. Henderson is in the process of writing a FSM ‘bible’, and all proceeds from the sales of this and of the t-shirts, mugs, and other items on his website will go to building a PIRATE SHIP! With it, he will travel and ‘evangelize’ about the Flying Spaghetti Monster. 
Funny stuff.
Kelly and I just booked plane tickets to the U.K.! We fly out May 14th and return May 31st. Kelly was eager to go on another trip before she started back to school for her Master’s degree, and although I’m facing unemployment in my very near future, the tickets were the right price ($691 each, round trip) so we figured "what the heck!"