This month, the Gantseh Megillah, bestows the shmuck of the month award to comedian and political speech writer, Ben Stein, and his new motion picture, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed.

While at times I have found Mr. Stein's observations to be amusing, with this particular film he has created a straw man, which he mercilessly beats to dust. His central point is that creationists are being victimized by the rigorous intellectual structure of the academic community. His puling plea of persecution is a sad defense for a theory, which cannot withstand scrutiny.

The straw man he attempts to beat down is his interpretation of Darwinism. Stein's major intellectual faux-pas is his contention that Darwin hypothesized on the origin of life, rather than species. He further indulges in muddled thinking when he claims that Darwinism fails to explain such unrelated concepts as gravity, relativity, and thermal dynamics. His thesis is so shabby that he is relying on high profile denunciation as a marketing ploy to sell his film.

For more information concerning Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, and how Mr. Stein attempts to slather fecal matter on it, read this excellent article in the current Scientific American.