On the Nature of God, or Wake Up and Smell the Sneakers

This is not about politics. This is about a fish.

Ergo:


This beastie was found on a beach in SE Asia after the tsunami, along with other assorted denizens of the deep who, I'm sure, have never (literally) seen the light of day before. The displacement of water at deepest levels had brought them to the surface.

Life, we're told, occurs in the most inhospitable places. (I can almost imagine creatures like these living beneath the surface of Mars or Titan.) It takes on strange and wonderful, even grotesque forms.

What combination of random chance and ruthless elimination came up with this critter? It's almost easier to believe that there is a god, if god were a troubled teenager with a drawing pad and a sick sense of humor. (And almighty powers--also a few stubborn zits, a nose ring, a bit of stubble and a t-shirt [black] that says "god".) Take that, Jerry Falwell. Take that, James Dobson. (What twisted evolutionary process came up with them?) Fall on your knees before the smelly sneakers of the almighty, dude.

For lo! the lord loves bottom-feeders, but there is no place in all creation for any such as you.

Update: Apparently these creatures were actually found as part of a joint Australia-New Zealand deep-sea expedition in 2003.