Port Angeles, WA

September 10, 2008

Crisis in Cosmology Conference Two, or CCC2 A gathering of many scientists and researchers, observers and theorists from around the world, who have been documenting and studying phenomena which cast doubt on the prevailing theory of the origins of the universe, the Big Bang. Each of them has taken a bit of evidence, or several bits, and has come up with a theory or speculation based on those facts, which they now feel fit the evidence more closely than does the Big Bang. They also have made predictions as to what will be discovered in the future that will prove their theories, or have made structured cosmological and mathematical proofs, or other logical progressions backed up with current observations and established maths. This conference was a bit competitive, a bit comradeship, a bit egotistical, a bit resentful of establishment publications and schools which refuse to entertain the theories they propose in favor of the "consensus" of the Big Bang. It was truly enlightening and quite entertaining, if a bit pompous at times, and frequently just a bit over our heads. There was a banquet arranged for the observers to take a friendly meal with the presenters, to get to experience personal talks and gather autographs. Some entertainment was also arranged. The Mark Twain impersonator was wonderful, and the Local Historian had an amazing narrative about the extremely unusual, and very 'American Spirit' community efforts of Port Angeles, Washington and the hardships they endured to fight the elements and turn a profit at the same time. If you get a chance to delve into that turn-of-the-century history, you will be amazed. My brother and I had not spent any time together since he was 4 years old and I was 20, when I went off and got married and he grew up without me present. But we still have an amazing amount of common interests and common attitudes, we never ran out of things to talk about, we enjoyed the conference and the sight-seeing in the Olympic National Forest that we did, and we found each other to be friends as well as siblings as adults together. We sat on the beach, we climbed mountains, we clambered about the base of a waterfall, we took pictures and collected odd specimens. It was marvelous to have that chance, since we do not live very close to each other, and to date had only said "Hi" and "I love you" to each other at Christmas and Easter gatherings. I missed a lot of my younger brothers and sisters while I was away, but getting to know them now is a gift I intend to partake of as often as possible.