Keeping January Fresh

My two week vacation from work has come to an end.  More on what I've been up to in a later post (because I assume you're interested :)).  I suspect tomorrow is going to be rough.  In lieu of thinking of the return to reality, I'm looking forward to a fantastic January.  Looking for something a lil off the beaten path to do in January in Dallas?  I'm hoping to check the following off my list 'o fun things to do:

• A group of my friends and I get together every month for our DTF (get your minds out of the gutter!  It stands for Dining This Friday).  Basically, we check out a new restaurant in Dallas every month.  This weekend we're exposing our taste buds to Medina Oven & Bar serving Moroccan & Mediterranean cuisine.   Hopefully it's nom nom!
• Social Science at the new Museum of Nature & Science kicks off on Friday, January 18th.  The topic is "Ingenuity."  Honestly, the theme could be anything.  I've been wanting to go check out the new museum since it opened in December and this adult evening seems like a great opportunity to listen to some guest lecturers, check out the new exhibits and enjoy a drink or two with friends.
• I've pledged to myself to run a 5K a month in 2013.  I'm already off to a good start running the Turkey Trot and Jingle Bell Run in November and December of 2012.  The trickiest part will be finding runs that work with my work schedule.  I'm usually at work on Saturdays, when many of these runs are hosted.  Good thing January's Electric Run is on the evening of Saturday, January 19th.  It's a little pricier, but you can't go wrong with a glow necklace, glow sunglasses, an LED bracelet, lit displays along the course and music.
• Pegasus Theatre's XSR: Die! Black & White production.  We used to go see this annual performance with some family friends back in the day.  I remember it being awesome.  Back then it was hosted in a small theater near Deep Ellum.  Looks like they've grown to a larger venue.  If I can sucker any family or friends into coming along before the show ends on the 20th, I'll be there!

I missed checking ICE! and Chihuly at NIGHT off my December list (I DID squeeze in a beautiful afternoon of Chihuly, but evening tickets were sooooold out :(), but 2.5 out of 4 in the busy holiday month ain't too shabby.

Science. or Science...

Forgive me for oversimplifying the issue and painting either side in broad strokes, but it bothers me when people are inconsistent in their argument.  When the political left talks about controversial topics like teaching evolution in schools or women's health care or drugs or many many other social issues, they often cite "science."  Science is the reason we teach the theory of evolution in schools.  Science is the reason we do not teach creationism.  Statistics say x% of the population lacks access to basic health care services.  Studies prove this or that about pot.  You, over there, on the right.  You "cling to your religion and guns."  We've got science and facts.  We win.

Well fine then, what is it?  Science.  Period.  The end of discussion.  Or is it science........when I like what it tells me?

Cause when we're talking about gun control and mental health care there are scientific studies.  Lots of them.  They control for age, race, sex, socio-economic status, population size, environment, etc.  They span over the last few decades, depending what you're looking at and for.  They tell us the same story and it is not the same story we're hearing from the science loving talking heads on the left who are pushing an agenda based on pure emotion this week.  Namely:

• The 1994 Assault Weapon Ban didn't work.  Sure, you can ask WHY someone would need an assault weapon.  I don't know, I don't want one.  On the same token, I could ask WHY someone needs pot or an abortion. - http://www.sas.upenn.edu/jerrylee/research/aw_final2004.pdf
• Strong civil commitment laws result in 1/3 fewer homicides.  Want to decrease the crime rate?  Make it easier to commit mentally unstable people who are a danger to themselves or others.  Shhhhh!  Don't tell the ACLU! - http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00127-011-0450-0/fulltext.html
• "Gun-free zones" do not decrease crime.  In fact, the biggest deterrent to violent crimes is allowing the public to carry concealed hand guns anywhere they damn well please. - http://www.law.uchicago.edu/files/files/41.lott_.final_.pdf
• Every single public shooting since 1950, with the exception of the attack on Senator Giffords, EVERY SINGLE ONE has occurred in a "gun free zone."  The National Review points out nicely in this article that the Aurora Batman Movie Theater shooter did not pick the movie theater closest to him, but the only one within a 20-minute drive that posted signs banning guns.
• Depending on who you listen to and what studies you follow, the crime rate, including crimes involving guns, has gone down since the 1980s and continues to go down or has stayed relatively steady.  Increasing consequences for committing a crime decreases the occurrence of the crime.  Banning guns does not.  Surprise! - http://www.ncpa.org/pub/st229 and http://prospect.org/article/violent-crime-increasing

One of my bio professors in college said something in a lecture once that stuck with me.  He reminded us that scientific theories are often revisited, adjusted, refuted and replaced.  That is the nature of science.  Science is a method, not a set of facts, and adhering to the method was our responsibility, not preaching science as infallible because often the time comes when we find out that a theory was fallible.  His advice was to be careful standing on a high & mighty "science" horse.  As our understanding of our world and ourselves grows, our science evolves.  The best scientist is a humble and critical thinking one.

So perhaps all this science means little.  Perhaps a great portion of the population would find comfort in enacting gun control laws and that alone is enough.  Perhaps another brilliant scientific mind will come around and publish a study that refutes all of the above, but if we're standing on science, then the lefty gun control advocates lose today.  Period.