Reason Prevails

Anti-Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and all the Other Contrivances

2011-12-12T15:30:00.000-08:00

While the gullible and sheep-like were out shopping after Thanksgiving, Heike and I went for a hike in the Morgan Territory. Much better option than battling the hoards of crazed, consumer-obsessed people. Beautiful day in nature wins out every time. I also got in a nice game of pickup hockey in the morning.

In addition, we had a nice 'widows and orphans Thanksgiving this year hosted by Cheryl and Scott Hayes.

Canoeing in Michigan

2011-11-22T11:12:00.000-08:00

I've been returning to Michigan in the autumn for the past few years. One of the highlights of the trip is what has become an annual tradition: a short paddle with my friend George Laetz on the Huron River. We usually take a short day trip, followed by a meal at the Dexter pub.

Every year there are some surprises, particularly in terms of wildlife. We've seen a variety of deer, wild turkeys, great blue herrons, osprey, hawk, ducks, trout, pike, turtles, and many others. This year we even saw a beaver lodge, though didn't see the builders.

Photos by, and courtesy of George Laetz.

Snoopy Hockey Tournaments

2011-11-22T10:48:00.000-08:00

Ok, it has been a really long time since I've posted, but I've decided to start doing this regularly again, so prepare for a flood of posts.

First let's start with the Snoopy Senior Hockey Tournament. I played with the Michigan 50s for the past two sessions. We took silver both times, losing the gold in overtime in 2010, and losing another close one in 2011. Already looking forward to 2012. Here are pics of the 2010 and 2011 teams.

First, the 2010 team in blue, 2011 in white.

Here is a pic of me with Snoopy.

Finally, the 2011 tourney was great time, but it was also sad because we lost one of our guys during the year. Gerry Andal died unexpectedly, and we missed him greatly during the week. He was a great guy, and a prime mover of our guitar sing-alongs around the pool and at the BBQ.

Witch Doctor

2009-03-18T10:08:00.001-07:00

It is tragic that the Pope is in Africa telling people not to use condoms. When are people going to wake up and stop listening to witch doctors and charlatans? I count the Pope and all such religious leaders among those groups of con men.

Let's see, the Pope feels his opinion on this is valid, yet he knows nothing about biology, public health, genetics, disease prevention and control, CONDOMS, or even sex. Where does he get the nerve to spout this drivel? Why do people defer to him and even consider his opinion valid on this point? It's as if he were to say you should smoke 10 packs of cigarettes a day because the church recommends it and claims there is no link to disease. Never mind what the medical community says. Never mind what research and reason indicates.

This isn't just wrong, it's outright dangerous and will cause the death of many more people and increase the misery and suffering in a part of the world that certainly doesn't need any more of that.

It's time for people to stop granting respect where it isn't earned or deserved. Africans should be telling him to pack up his medieval attitudes and opinions and get the hell out.

Bill Maher

2009-02-13T23:45:00.000-08:00

I don't generally agree with anyone 100%. I think if you do, you've probably stopped thinking for yourself. I've found, however, that I do tend to agree with Bill Maher on most things. I also appreciate the boldness and fearlessness with which he states his positions. No couching an opinion in sugar-coated terms so as not to offend. Say it straight up.

Bill was recently on Larry King and he covered, however briefly, many of the topics of the day. It's worth a listen even if the 'interviewer' is Larry King.

This calls for side comment. Larry King has to be the worst interviewer in the history of American media. He basically just takes a topic from the newspaper and says, "what do you think about X?" A trained monkey could do that. Furthermore, he asks no insightful follow up questions, nor does he challenge any assertions of his guests. Maybe that's why people like to be guests on his show: he does nothing but lob softballs to them.

Compare his style with that of Terry Gross on NPR. She may be the best interviewer I've ever heard. She has a rare talent for drawing interesting material out of even the most recalcitrant or mundane guest. She asks insightful questions, and although she isn't exactly confrontational, she isn't shy about challenging an assertion. She also seems quite knowledgeable about a wide variety of topics.

Anyway, back to Bill. Have seen him do some standup. Very good. Always liked his shows Politically Incorrect and Real Time too, though I don't get HBO, so I haven't seen either in a long time (PI is no longer on the air). Keep up the good work Bill.

Happy Birthday Mr. Darwin

2009-02-10T11:34:00.000-08:00

February marks the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin. I regard the formulation of the theories of evolution among the most important scientific discoveries in history. It ranks right up there with those of Galileo and Newton. Evolution gave us so many insights into our origins and our place in the ecosystem of earth.

I've read a lot about evolution over the years, from Darwin's original work to that of contemporary scientists like Richard Dawkins. (Anyone who knows me or follows my blog knows how much I admire RD.) It is an eternally fascinating subject.

Darwin is the more famous, of course, but on his birthday we should not forget the contributions of Alfred Russel Wallace, who conceived the theory of natural selection concurrently with, but independently of, Charles Darwin.

Being more of a wannabe physicist than a wannabe biologist, I've also been fascinated by the writing of Eric Chaisson. He takes a look at evolution much before biological evolution was possible--from the big bang forward. How did matter coalesce from energy? How did matter form structures that enabled life to exist? After all, for biological evolution to even be possible, the structures that enable it had to come from somewhere. (And since I don't believe they sprang fully formed from the head of Zeus, Odin, Yahweh, Allah, Shiva, or GOD, I think Chaisson makes a pretty compelling argument in his book, The Life Era.)

I'll also use this time as an opportunity to plug the recent publication of my friend Eric's book, Darwin Slept Here. This is not so much an account of the science of Darwin as the adventures he took that led to his scientific discoveries. Let's not forget that Darwin was not cooped up in a lab conceiving of natural selection through Aristotle's notion of discovery through pure reason. Charles was out in the field, exploring the world, living and breathing nature and adventure.

But back to my original subject. For those interested in things Darwinian, there are lots of activities celebrating this bicentennial. You can find events in your area here.

This anniversary sadly reveals the decline in science and general intellect in this country. When more people believe in angels (for which there is precisely zero evidence) than evolution, you know we are doomed.

And here's another reason NOT to be a republican: they are dumb-asses.

Worst Ever

2009-01-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Many people (myself included) have long been saying that George W. Bush was the worst president in U.S. history. George and his apologists keep saying that history will be the ultimate judge and that he will be vindicated. Possibly, but there is little evidence to support that theory. Every aspect of his presidency has been an utter failure from the economy, to the wars, to foreign policy and relations, denial of human rights, flouting the Constitution and Bill of Rights, torturing prisoners, hindering science and suppressing it in favor of superstition, increasing the income disparity between rich and middle class, etc. The list is almost endless. Some will say well, he deposed Saddam Hussein. The problem with that argument is that it assumes that invading the country and occupying it interminably was the only solution to the problem.

The Onion has a great recap of George's final hours. Surveying the damage of his presidency.

Doonesbury piles on as well.

Badminton

2009-01-20T12:55:00.000-08:00

Many years ago, when I lived in Atlanta, a colleague--Leighton--taught me how to play badminton. Well, he did his best. I'm not a great student perhaps. There was a regular group that used to play at a college gym in downtown Atlanta. After moving to Dallas I stopped playing.

In '97 I moved to the Bay Area and began playing again occasionally. There are a lot of badminton players in this area, and I found a good place to play at a local school near my office. I also discovered that my old friend Leighton had moved to the area, though he and I live some distance apart, unfortunately, so we aren't able to play together regularly.

Once again, though, for no particular reason, I let things slip and stopped playing for about 3 years.

Recently, however, I decided to start playing again, and after a bit of research, discovered two new dedicated badminton clubs in the East Bay: one near my office in Dublin, the other in Emeryville, not too far from my home in Oakland. I've been out twice now, and plan to start playing regularly again.

Those that don't play badminton or are not familiar with the competitive version of the sport think it's just a casual backyard activity. At a competitive level, however, it is an astonishingly fast game. In fact the shuttle travels faster than any object in any other sport (when stuck by the top players). It is a fast-paced and enjoyable game to play, even at the club pickup level. Now I have another activity in addition to ice hockey to keep me from getting too fat.

Badminton is most popular throughout Asia, though there are a few countries in Europe in which it is popular, notably Denmark and Great Britain.

Here are a few links to some badminton sites for those that might be interested in learning more about the sport:

http://www.badzine.info/

http://www.internationalbadminton.org/index.asp

http://www.badmintoncentral.com/forums/

See you at the gym. Smash!

Ozumo

2009-01-10T09:34:00.000-08:00

My friend Fred visited San Francisco this past week, and we were able to get together at Ozumo in San Francisco. Ozumo is an exceedingly hip Japanese restaurant. Very nice place with excellent food and a extra-modern decor and atmosphere. The only negative (in my view) was the relentless and loud techno-disco permeating the place. It made conversation challenging. I'm not so hip.

Enough about the location. The point was to meet up with a friend. I hadn't seen Fred in about 4 years, but it was nice to catch up, talk a bit about politics, our jobs, the economy, current events, etc. Other friends of Fred also attended, and it was pleasant seeing them too. Wes and Reg I'd met before, Matt and Wes's friend Jackie were new to me. Good folks all.

Is it 1929?

2009-01-06T16:03:00.001-08:00

During the great depression, it was famously reported that stock brokers were leaping to their deaths from skyscrapers in New York. The scale of this was overblown, but it did happen.

Now it seems the latest financial collapse is reviving the practice of suicide.

German tycoon kills himself
Investor suicide from Madoff affair
General report on the trend

"We are in the throes of the worst recession since the early 1980s," said Kevin Flanagan, fixed income strategist for global wealth management at Morgan Stanley. "Factory orders are getting hit again. The economy is really not receiving any support from any cylinders of the engine."

Wait, the early 80s, wasn’t that the time of the “Reagan Miracle”. You remember, when Ron spent more than the Dems, cut taxes anyway, just ran up huge deficits. Who was the VP during that administration? Oh yeah, George Bush senior. Now junior’s administration, following in the footsteps of his father and mentor and helping create another disaster.

These neo-con policies fail over and over again, but they just keep regurgitating them anyway, to the detriment of us all. If at first you don’t succeed, fail fail again.

Goodbye Ozzy

2009-01-02T21:14:00.001-08:00

When I was a kid, and during the time I was growing up, we had always had dogs. I like dogs, and I never considered myself a cat person. When Heike and I got together, however, I inherited (was adopted by) a couple of dogs and a couple of cats that Heike owned.

Ozzy the cat became my favorite. He was a wonderful little fellow, affectionate and friendly, with a distinctive personality. He was happy and playful and liked being around us. When I returned home from work, he would come running across the yard to greet me. When I watched a movie on television he would sit with me and put his paws on my arm. He was a talkative guy, and told me when he was happy, peeved, curious, whatever. He occasionally caught a bird or mouse and brought them to us, almost as a present. When we worked at home he would hang out in the office as if interested in what we were up to.

During the past month Ozzy's health began to deteriorate seriously. He lost appetite and couldn't retain any nutrition. We tried many things, as did the vets, but his illness was too severe. He became thinner and weaker, until the past two days when he wouldn't eat at all. He was uncomfortable, and a shadow of the joyful little man we knew. We came to the painful realization tonight, at the vet, that he would have to be put down.

It was emotional and painful, but I stayed with him as he went to sleep and shed his mortal coil. I wanted to help make his final moments as comfortable as possible, and I wanted him to have a familiar friend with him during his last moments. My only consolation right now is that he is no longer suffering. Also, I'm comforted somewhat knowing that he had a good life with us.

Goodbye Ozzy, I'll miss you very much, and will never forget you my little friend.

Cold in San Francisco

2008-12-27T16:59:00.000-08:00

Mark Twain is famously quoted as having said, "the coldest winter I ever spent, was a summer in San Francisco. Amusing and based in reality, at least to some extent. Summers often bring the fog, which can make it pretty cold. Even more strangely, though, it can be cold and foggy in the sunset neighborhoods, but warm and sunny on the bay side of the city, with the fog trapped west of the hills.

It's winter now, but the temps are usually not very cold here. Today was downright chilly, however. Heike and I took the ferry to SF to pick up some veggies at the Farmers Market. We always enjoy the ferry ride, but today's voyage was like an antarctic crossing from Patagonia. (Ok, it's not that bad, just below normal.) One can get spoiled by the weather here.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T16:29:00.000-08:00

I may be an atheist, but I still enjoy the traditions of the holiday: friends gathering, giving gifts, the music, etc. This year we hosted a gift exchange with friends, which included a nice dinner.

On Christmas eve (Frohe Weinachten), Heike and I had dinner together, opened our gifts, and watched a terrible movie. It was a fine evening (apart from 'Tropic Thunder').

Here are some pictures of both the party and our dinner.

Life Expectancy

2008-12-09T13:35:00.000-08:00

A friend recently sent me this life-expectancy calculator (on-line). It's kind of interesting. Of course it can't predict a terrorist attack or getting hit by lightning, but it's fun to review.

I'm nearly 53 in actual years, but according to the calculator:

My virtual age is 42
My life expectancy is 87

Not sure I want to live that long. I don't want to be a Struldbrug.

For those with a need to know, here is the site:

http://www.sonnyradio.com/realage3.swf

Autumn in San Francisco

2008-11-29T19:59:00.000-08:00

Today was just another beautiful day in San Francisco. Almost December, and it's about 70f. Heike and I enjoyed the day walking around the city. Starting at the Farmers Market at the Ferry Building. We then strolled along Embarcadero and climbed the Filbert Steps to Coit Tower and Telegraph Hill. We've done this many times, but never tire of it. Today the wild parrot flock of Telegraph Hill were out in full force. We saw at least fifty (probably more) birds. Bright green, calling loudly, enjoying the day just as we were.

From there we walked down to North Beach (little Italy), then over to Chinatown. We decided on dinner in SF, so we walked back to Michelangelo's in North Beach for some pasta. Tasty.

Finally, we took the train back to the East Bay for home and rest.

Here are some pictures from our day.

Widows and Orphans

2008-11-28T12:23:00.000-08:00

Some friends have an annual Widows and Orphans Thanksgiving day dinner. This event is for those of us that are ex-pats of sorts, and don't have family nearby to spend with on the holiday. We all get together and cook a nice dinner, drink plenty of wine, and eat too much. They say that turkey-as-a-sleep-inducer is a myth, but I dropped off to dreamland anyway.

The food turned out great, Tim and Sandee made the trip from Chicago, and everyone had a pleasant time.

I got up early the next morning for some post-turkey ice hockey to skate off the excess calories consumed the night before. Not a bad start to the 4 day weekend.

Supercapitalism

2008-11-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

Many Americans have long confused the economic concepts of Capitalism with the political concepts of Democracy. They often see them as the same thing, or a least that they are dependent upon each other (one cannot exist without the other). This is false, of course. Capitalism is an economic system in which control of enterprise is performed by the private sector rather than being controlled by the state or public institutions. Democracy is a form of government in which power is held by people via a free electoral system. There are varying subcategories of democracy. In addition, there are varying degrees of each system practiced by states throughout the world. Some have free elections, but provide the state with a greater degree of control over the economy, thus having, at least to some extent, a form of democratic socialism. Other countries don't have free elections, but their economy is largely controlled by private interests rather than the government.

So why the confusion? Education or position don't seem to have anything to do with this erroneous perception. We often even see senators expressing this confusion. Republicans in particular seem to equate freedom with 'getting the government out of our way', but only in the economic sense. They want less regulation, less legal oversight, less government influence on economic policy in general. At the same time, these same people advocate the government becoming closely involved with people's private lives. They advocate strict government control over what we can read, see in movies or tv, and whom someone chooses to marry. They often couch their arguments on 'protection of children' or some other equally specious argument as justification for government intervention. (As if freedoms described in our legal system are predicated on palatability to children).

Although economic and political systems are distinct, they obviously have a great deal of influence on each other. And yes, democracies tend to be more free in the capitalist/economic sense. As we are seeing, however, systems can evolve where one threatens the other. In his book Supercapitalism, Robert Reich provides a cogent account of how and why this is happening today, not just in America, but around the world. I recommend this book highly. It doesn't just identify the problems, but describes a plan for promoting rich and vibrant capitalism along with a rich and vibrant democracy.

In a nutshell, Reich dispels the notion that corporations have the rights of citizens. He argues we must stop treating corporations as if they were individual people. Stop taxing corporations and only tax the owners (shareholders). Stop expecting corporations to be patriotic or socially responsible. This isn't what corporations are designed to do. Don't hold corporations responsible for criminal conduct, only people within them.

Only people can be citizens and have the rights of citizen (as well as the responsibilities). Only citizens should be allowed to participate in democratic governmental decision making.

Somali Pirates: I'm Perplexed

2008-11-19T14:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm perplexed by this Somali pirate situation. Everyone knows who's doing it. They know where the pirates are going once they hijack a ship. Dozens of countries are affected by this. Somalia is not some indomitable superpower.

Why don't the affected countries just tell the Somali government, "We know you are either participating in this or you are harboring the pirates." "You either turn over all the crews, all the vessels, and all those responsible, or we'll obliterate your country starting with the port city that harbors them." "In the mean time, we are putting up a naval blockade and cutting you off from all maritime trade."

Seems pretty simple, and the U.S. doesn't have to be the only sheriff in this.

Michigan 2008

2008-11-16T22:08:00.000-08:00

I was able to visit Ann Arbor again this fall, much as I did last fall (similar time of the year). I had a wonderful time again this trip, seeing family and lot of friends.

In addition the normal activities, I was able to attend a couple of UM hockey games during my visit. UM defeated Niagara and Ohio State in some good, close, exciting games. Michigan once again has a fine team this year despite losing several of their top players to injury and one to a pro contract. They would be an odds-on frozen four favorite if everyone were available. Their prospects are still pretty darn good, though.

I also had the opportunity to skate in a top-notch pickup game. Kip Mauer, a friend with whom I've played in the Snoopy tournament, invited me to play in a UM alumni game. The level of speed and skill in that game was far above anything I've experienced. I was the only one on the ice that wasn't a former UM hockey player. Everyone there was much better than I, but it was a fun experience, and it was nice meeting the boys. I also played a game with a great group of 60s, who have a regular pickup. They let me skate with them although I'm a 'young' nearly 53.

My buddy George and I were able to do what I hope will become an annual trip: an autumn paddle down the Huron River from a ways above Hudson Mills down to Delhi. We had a great time once again. The trout were running strong, the weather was perfect, and we were treated to a special show: an osprey took a trout from the river right in front of us. He even followed us down the river for awhile with the fish in his talons. We saw lot of other fowl including blue herons, ducks, and so on. Last year we saw some wild turkeys and a huge buck, but they were shy this year. We also stopped at the Dexter Cider Mill, which now offers wine tasting. I picked up some wine and cider there. Some time I'd like to canoe the entire river from the chain of lakes down to Lake Erie.

Hooked up with my friend David and his girlfriend Jill, my friend Steve, and my friends Melita and Jim. It's just nice seeing these fine people. Wish I could do it more often.

Steve and I also attended a physics lecture at the UM Natural History Museum. The speaker was Aaron Pierce, a young physicist who presented on the Large Hadron Collider, something in which I have great interest.

Family is important, and I was able to visit mom, brother Mark, sister Meg, cousin Sue, aunt Gretchen, and all my nieces (but one): Meredith, Lydia, Jenna, and Jessica. (Missed Kelsey, who was away at college.)

Hope I'm able to make it back there soon. Check out pictures from my trip here. (Pics from last year are here.)

GAS Attack

2008-11-10T12:46:00.000-08:00

Among guitarists, GAS stands for Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. As a victim, I've added yet another guitar to my quiver. The latest is the innovative Voyage Air Guitar. Invented by Harvey Leach, a California Luthier, this guitar is conventional in all respects except one: It has a hinged neck that enables it to fold in half! Thus it can be carried on planes in its cool custom backpack, eliminating the hazards of checking one's guitar as luggage and putting it at the mercy of brutal and careless baggage handlers.

The nice folks at Fine Fretted Friends in Livermore, CA lent me a prototype of this cool guitar last summer to use for a week. That convinced me that this is the best travel guitar out there by a long way. Most travel guitars must compromise sound or playability to accommodate the restrictions of carry-on sizing. The Voyage Air solves these problems and provides not only a great sounding guitar, but a one that gives you the same feel and playing experience of a normal guitar. No more short scales, no more wedging a small body under your arm to effect a reasonable playing position, no more thin or tinny sound from reduced body cavity.

I can see taking this guitar many more places than I would a conventional guitar, not just for air travel but for day-to-day activities. It's just that much easier to port around.

I got the VAOM1-C. Will post pictures of my guitar in actual use at some time in the near future.

Election as metaphor

2008-11-04T16:11:00.000-08:00

This election illustrated many things, but one thing it showed clearly: how completely screwed up our values and priorities are in this country. The fact that a witless religious fanatic could be even remotely considered a viable candidate to assume the presidency is beyond absurd. I don't care if you are conservative, is this the best candidate? The only towering intellect and experience that conservatives can offer up? They are bereft of any values if true. It is nothing more than a cynical appeal to the boneheads and the stupidly uninformed (the "values" voters).

Am I being sexist? Of course not. All intelligent women I know are insulted by this candidate as should any reasonable, thinking person regardless of gender.

But back to my original point--our values. Let's do a little comparison. The U.S. considers someone like Palin. An intellectual lightweight. Uneducated. Lacking experience. A superstitious religious fanatic. But gosh, she's pretty. As I said, this is a metaphor for our culture. We value appearance over substance. The physical over the intellectual. Style over accomplishment.

Compare our choice with Germany's, for example. They have a woman chancellor, Angela Merkel. She has a doctorate in physics. She spent years in government and was eventually elected Chancellor. This is a woman of intellect and accomplishment. Could she be elected here? No, she's not pretty enough.

This is why I'm pessimistic about the future of my country. It goes to fundamentals. We are becoming more ignorant, less competitive, more complacent, and willing to accept shit if it's packaged attractively or comfortably. Another variation of this is the homily that many people used when voting for Bush despite his obvious shortcoming and failings: "He's the kind of guy I could have a beer with", was a phrase one often heard. Let's forget for a moment that I'd rather have a beer with someone really smart over a moron. Since when is beer consumption and bar patronage a reasonable qualification for running the country? Wouldn't we be better served by electing someone with an understanding of economics? Foreign affairs? History? Public policy? No, in the U.S. people now fear, or are envious of, intellectual or scholastic achievement.

V

2008-10-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

They've been playing the movie V (for Vendetta) on cable lately. Appropriate timing given the political situation in the U.S. These days. For those not familiar, the movie takes place in a future fascist version of Great Britain, in which the government uses a terrorist attack to frighten the populace into accepting a veritable police state in order to insure their "safety and security". Sound unpleasantly familiar?

When I first saw the trailer for this movie back in 2005, I thought it was just some comic book adventure without any significant message. I was wrong. It's quite a good film if a bit obvious and heavy handed. Maybe that is what is needed. As I've posted before, I believe the U.S. is creeping toward fascism. We may never reach the state of society depicted in the movie, but as V points out, complacency and lack of vigilance can lead to such a situation, and it has in other countries.

Tag lines from the movie include:

"Remember, remember the 5th of November, the gun powder treason and plot. I know of no reason why the gun powder treason should ever be forgot."
"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

The second is a paraphrase of Thomas Jefferson, who is famously quoted as saying, "When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty. "

Now I don't advocate violent revolt as portrayed in the movie, but then the U.S. hasn't yet devolved into the state of government and society depicted in the movie either. Who knows how people would react if that came to pass? In the film, the character V is called a 'terrorist' by the government. But as we've seen, this can be a matter of perspective. One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. If the government is abducting people, imprisoning them without trial, and executing them (for disagreeing with administration policy), who is the terrorist?

Anyway, if you can't find this film on your local cable stations, rent it. It may at least inspire you to go vote this November.

Basic Math

2008-10-15T14:44:00.000-07:00

Since so many Americans are poor at mathematics and don't do very well with civics either, let's do a little basic math lesson here:

Supporting the troops =/ supporting the president’s foreign policy
Wrapping one’s self in the flag =/ patriotism
Extreme Patriotism + Ignorance = jingoism
Military adventurism =/ patriotism
High percentage of economy devoted to military spending =/ strong economy
High percentage of economy devoted to military spending – lack of competitiveness in engineering and science = weakness, vulnerability, poverty
Questioning the administration =/ disloyalty

Let's be clear about something. This isn't a slam on the military. Neither is it some attempt to argue that the military isn't needed or isn't valuable--the military is both. Rather, it means that the military should be employed ONLY for its intended purpose: defense of this nation. Not empire building, not nation building, not one administration's foreign policy extensions and imperial aspirations, not world police.

Thomas Jefferson is widely regarded as the most brilliant of the founding fathers. He excelled in almost every endeavor of life. It’s worth recalling some of his quotes at times like these:

We did not raise armies for glory or for conquest.
When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.
War is an instrument entirely inefficient toward redressing wrong; and multiplies, instead of indemnifying losses.
The spirit of resistance to government is so valuable on certain occasions that I wish it to be always kept alive.

And finally, Mr. Jefferson has a good assessment of why we are in our current predicament:

“Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.”

Doesn't seem to be the case these days, does it?

"I guess I picked the wrong day to quit drinking"

2008-10-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

These immortal words were uttered by the late, great, Lloyd Bridges in the movie, Airplane!

Recent economic news makes Lloyd's words seem timeless. Everyone is aware by now of all the problems in the financial sector: the bank failures, the mortgage problems, etc. As bad as all that is, the worst problem emerging is rising unemployment. Most people can survive fluctuations in their investments if they have income. No job--big problems. This has a cascading effect.

I wonder whether the middle class--all species of middle class from white- to blue-collar--will finally start questioning whether Bush and the supply-siders might have been wrong? Will they question whether trickle-down economics is healthy for them and for the overall economy? Is massive debt a good thing or bad?

Or will they fall for the usual right-wing ploy: blame everyone but those responsible (liberals, gays, secularists, sunspots, etc.)

To paraphrase another movie character, John Vernon (Fletcher) in The Outlaw Josey Wales, "Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining."

You are no more than a monkey

2008-10-13T11:20:00.001-07:00

My friend Buckley posted this video on his blog a while ago, and I liked it so much, I felt like posting it here as well. For those of you anti-evolutionists out there, you might not want to click the link, as it will only make you angry or send you into a paroxism of denial, but probably won't encourage you to pick up a copy of The Origin of Species or The Blind Watchmaker. More is the pity. Just dance, monkey.

Courage of his convictions

2008-10-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

Pete Seeger has shown courage of his convictions like few people of any political stripe over a long lifetime. From his support for civil rights and labor rights, environmentalism, to his anti-war activism, he's been a consistent progressive voice for a long time.

With the right-wing house of cards starting to fall apart, but with the simultaneous renewed vigor of the neo-cons to attempt to control the press and information in general, it's a good time to take a listen to Pete once again. He's 89 years old now, but recently released a new album. (You know how lazy those hippies are.)

Hope you live to be 189 Pete.

Praise Stupidity

2008-10-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

When did it become a BAD thing to be smart? To be educated? To be worldly? I've been asking myself this question since Bush was first elected and morons would come up with reasons why they liked George--something to the effect of "I could have a beer with him." To paraphrase a comedian, next time you are in a bar, look around and see how many presidents are there. I don't want some chuckle-head, regular guy to be president. I want the smartest person we can find. We NEED the smartest person we can find.

Now it's happening again with Palin and to a lesser extent McCain. If Obama seems smart or articulate, he's branded an elitist. The neo-conservatives have gone out of their way to convince the moronic population of this country (which is growing much faster than the intelligent population) that anyone that is smarter than they are is somehow a threat. You'll see this when a scientist describes something that knucklehead doesn't understand. Knucklehead immediately discounts or distrusts what was said. Rather than thinking, "that person has spent much of their life studying topic X, maybe I can learn something here" they dismiss them entirely.

Sam Harris wrote a brilliant article in Newsweek recently describing this phenomenon and how it's currently playing out--dangerously--in our political system. Read it and weep. (Thanks for the heads up Jack.) And by the way, read Sam's books, The End of Faith, and Letter to a Christian Nation.

HSB 8

2008-10-09T18:06:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Golden Gate park was once again the site of the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival. This is one of the premier music fests in the country (even if you prefer genres other than bluegrass). I attended two days this year, and was able to see some of my favorite musicians (Greg Brown, Richard Thompson, Dave Alvin) and some I was less familiar with. Here are some clips from last year's show. (Old clip of Richard T. doing Vincent Black Lightning - Youtube) (Dave Alvin doing Dry River at last year's HSB.) This year Dave Alvin performed with an all woman band (The Guilty Women) featuring some kick-ass musicians like Amy Farris and Cindy Cashdollar.) Killer chops.
This is a wonderful event, and I would encourage anyone that has a trip to Nor Cal scheduled for the autumn to plan your trip so you'll be here during the first weekend in October so you can catch this show.
If there is a negative aspect of the event it is that it is becoming a victim of its own success. It's getting too crowded. In the past one could set up one's blanket at a stage and wander around to various stages to catch a variety of acts. This year it was difficult to do that due to the size of the crowds at every stage. Nevertheless, it is still a wonderful time and I look forward to returning next year.

America has no problems

2008-10-09T18:05:00.001-07:00

George Bush has many intellectual shortcomings, but his utter lack of ironic awareness stood out in his interview with Bob Costas at the Olympics recently. When asked about human rights in China, GWB emphasized religious freedom. He said that once religion takes hold in a society it can't be stopped. Is that supposed to be a GOOD thing? There can be no doubt that a theocracy in America is what Bush and the religious right would prefer, at long as it's Christianity that is taking over.
Can it be that George doesn't see the downside of religion taking over in Afghanistan? Saudi Arabia? Iran? Oh, ok, that's Islam. Does he recall the horrors that afflicted humanity when Christianity was the law of the land in Europe? The repression, the slaughter?
For those of us that would rather live in a secular society of free thought and reason, the tyranny of Christianity is no different than the tyranny of Islam or any other religion.

I'm Voting for Palin!

2008-10-09T18:04:00.000-07:00

Not Sara Palin! What are you, on drugs?! I wouldn't vote for that witless religious fanatic for dog catcher. In fact, she is especially dangerous because she is too stupid and delusional to even realize that she is entirely unqualified to be president. Her apologists say she has 'administrative experience' and is therefore qualified. That is like saying the the assistant night manager at a small town Denny's is qualified to run General Electric because she has managerial experience.
No, I'm voting for Michael Palin for President! Sure he's not an American citizen, and is therefore not qualified, but neither is Sara.

Snoopy Hockey 2008

2008-10-09T18:03:00.000-07:00

Another Snoopy senior hockey tournament has come and gone. For the second year, I played with the University of Michigan old timers. As in the past, we brought two teams: 50+ and 60+. Both teams ended up with the silver in their respective divisions, the 50s having lost a tough tilt to the United Nations All-Stars, and the 60s to their rivals, the University of Denver. We won all our other games pretty decisively. I was on the 50s team. This tournament is about much more than hockey, though. When we weren't on the ice, we were playing golf, canoeing, hiking, BBQing, singing and playing guitar, and generally having a good time.
These teams are composed of a nice group of folks from an amazingly diverse cross-section of life. There are guys from just about every profession you can name, and everyone has an interesting story to tell. Already looking forward to next year.
Keep your head up!

The Poisoning Continues

2008-10-09T18:02:00.000-07:00

A cursory scan of the news today reveals more atrocities commited in the name of religion. It's happened since the dawn of time and it continues apace. People view such stories with horror and disgust, but until humanity is able to throw off its yoke of superstition, this will never end.
Church shooting
Suicide bombing
Some time ago, South Park did an episode that took place in the future in which religion had been eliminated and 3 factions of atheists were warring over their disparate views on life's great questions. Funny, in a sort of Animal Farm kind of way, but it ignores the fact that such events have never taken place and are not likely to -- ever. When have you ever heard of scientists killing each other over differing theories? Hasn't happened and won't happen. Why? Because science is fundamentally different in it's approach to discovery. Science relies on reason--and above all evidence--to establish facts. Religion relies entirely on dogma. There are a thousand competing religious views and they can never be reconciled because none can EVER prove their validity or primacy over another.

God is Angry

2008-10-09T18:01:00.000-07:00

California recently decided it was wrong to disenfranchise and discriminate against a large segment of it's population and has made gay marriage legal. According to delusional people like this and this, God is pissed-off about this and will soon be taking it out on our horrible, secularly-humanist state. I live in California, so I'd better prepare for some biblical-style revenge.
Well, what has happened since this law was enacted? Have heterosexual couples been forced to abandon marriage? Is it the end of the nuclear family (As predicted by the knuckleheaded right)? Has California fallen into the Pacific? No. What has happened is that storms are ravaging Iowa and the southern Midwest. Now, this part of the U.S. is perhaps the most Christian, the most devout, and most willing to believe in the wrath of god, yet they are apparently the ones being punished. Is this justice? A rational person can conclude one of the following things:
There is no god. The storms and floods are simply the result of meteorological conditions, exacerbated by human intervention (levee construction, wetland elimination, etc.)
God is a poor marksman. If the religious kooks are correct and god is angry, he missed the guilty parties and is taking out his anger on his allies and anointed representatives who claim to have a first-hand relationship with the deity, and know what he wants.
God exists but doesn't give a shit. He can't be bothered with trivial stuff on this little fly-speck called earth.
Being an atheist, I choose bullet one, of course. While it may be that California will someday fall into the ocean, it will be due to seismic activity and have nothing to do with gay marriage or any godly displeasure.

Risk and Reward

2008-10-09T18:00:00.000-07:00

The captains of industry, the titans of finance, and ne0conservative politicians and pundits all trumpet the virtues of the free market, deregulation, and reducing government intervention. They consistently say that if the government would only get out of their way, the "invisible hand" would result in unbridled prosperity. Those that assume great risk should reap great rewards. The economy should be a meritocracy with the strongest surviving and the weak being eaten. The invisible hand seems reasonable in theory, but...
Even the most ambivalent of the "lower" classes should notice, however, that when failure arrives and the ship founders, these same adventurous risk-takers are the first to grab for the life preserver. This has happened countless times. The adventurous take the big risk, if they succeed, they gather the big reward. If they fail, they leave us, the taxpayers, holding the bag. They then go on their merry way, free to try some new adventure, secure in the knowledge that they will not be held responsible for any incompetence or corruption--or simple carelessness. The most recent example is the Bear-Stearns bailout, but there are a stream of such events going back to the Savings and Loan bailout and beyond.
If I perform badly at my job, like most wage slaves I can expect a foot in the ass and nothing else but a dark spot on the resume. Shouldn't these people be held to some minimum standard of responsibility? I'm more of a hard-ass about this than the most staunch conservative. I think the government shouldn't bail these firms out. Period. If a bank goes under, the insurers should live up to their obligations and cover deposits (if they are insured), but beyond that, the bank should fail, and its officers should be on the street wearing a barrel. Investors are in the same boat. Take risk, invest in Bear-Stearns, and lose your shirt. You could have put you money in a CD, but no, you wanted the big reward. Maybe you listened to one of the experts and followed their infallible advice.
This happens frequently at the "C" level of business. A guy comes in, receives mammoth compensation, and if he fails, the company slides, but he walks with pockets full of money. It's time to insist on reward being commensurate with performance for these guys too. You fail, there's the door, no golden parachute. American management insists that if they don't offer such packages they won't attract the "best" people. But clearly they don't always hire the best people. If they hire a bum, why reward him at shareholders expense?

Guitar Fun

2008-10-09T17:59:00.002-07:00

As you may know from reading this blog, I've attended summer guitar camps/seminars several time in the past. They have always been informative and a lot of fun. I've recently written an article for Acoustic Guitar Magazine that serves as an intro to their annual Summer Study Guide. The article covers what to expect at camp, what to bring, how to prepare, and how to get the most out of your experience. The AG guide is a valuable resource for anyone considering attending guitar camp this summer. (If you play guitar you really should consider attending one, you won't regret it.)

Jeeves and Wooster

2008-10-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

I don't watch a lot of TV, but one show I particularly enjoy (my favorite?) is Jeeves and Wooster. It's a British period comedy about a well-to-do but not very active or accomplished British fellow and his remarkably adept butler, Jeeves. Jeeves knows just about everything there is to know about any subject, and he can solve nearly any problem or fix any predicament. This is fortunate, as his employer, Bertie Wooster often finds himself in difficult circumstances.
Hugh Lauri, who stars as Wooster is currently known more to American audiences as the star of the television show "House".
Stephen Fry, who plays Jeeves, has been in several movies and television shows.
Apparently I'm not the only one that enjoys this show, as there are several web sites dedicated to the show.
Here are a few clips on Youtube to wet your whistle. Look for the show on your local PBS station.

Michigan my Michigan

2008-10-09T17:56:00.000-07:00

Oh land of the sky blue waters,Oh land of the lakes and streams,Michigan, my Michigan,Home sweet home to me.
It's an old song I learned as a child. Wish I could remember more of the lyrics.
I hadn't been back to Michigan in four years. Shame on me. At the end of October I remedied that, however, with a trip back for two weeks. Heike joined me for the first week. It was a wonderful trip, and I really enjoyed seeing my family and friends on the visit. Made me homesick.
My brother Mark's birthday was coming up, so I took him to see a Michigan hockey game. College hockey is more fun than the pros, in my view. The atmosphere is great, the hockey is top notch, and heck, it's my alma mater. Michigan defeated Boston University (a highly ranked team) two straight, including the game Mark and I attended, which the Blue won 6-2. The Wolverines were impressive, especially considering they have 12 freshmen on the roster--more than half the team. Their passing and positioning was exceptional. At the game, I was also able to meet up with a couple of the guys I played with in the Snoopy Tournament last summer: Ross Childs and Frank Wilhelm (aka The Kaiser).
It was also great to see my good friend David. He is the kind of friend that, even if I don't see him for quite awhile, we can pick right up where we left off. David's girlfriend Jill was kind enough to lend me one of her guitars while I was in Ann Arbor. Very thoughtful. We got together one night for a little playing and singing, which was fun.
My friend George and I were able to get in a day canoe trip down the mighty Huron. The weather was perfect and the wildlife was out in abundance. It's amazing to see such fauna so close to civilization. We saw lots of wild turkeys, Great Blue Herons, hundreds of trout and pike, and most spectacular of all, lots of deer. One huge buck crossed the river right in front of our canoe. Canoes are so silent, the deer don't easily notice you coming. A fine autumn day in Michigan.
The trip would not have meant much without visiting mom, though. Although she is almost eighty, she is doing very well physically and mentally. In fact she has a better memory than I, which is great for her, but is not so great for me. She's a wonderful woman: thoughtful, loving, generous, kind, and rational. I was also able to visit with some of my cousins, Jon and Sue, as well as my aunt Gretchen. We hit a tavern on Whitmore Lake for beer and pizza. Was also able to rendezvous with Sue, my sister Meg and her daughter, my mom, and heike at the Zukey Lake Tavern. Fun place, decent food for pub grub.
Fortunately, I was also able to see all my nieces as well. Mark's girls Meredith and Lydia are sweet little girls. Meredith plays violin beautifully, and Lydia is a fine dancer. The visit with Meg's girls was briefer. Kelsey was on her way back to college, but at I was glad to be able to see her and her sister Jenna. I was long gone from Michigan when Jessica was born, but now she is old enough to get to know. She's a smart little lady. (You can see her in the group picture from the Tavern, above.)
Won't wait so long to return again. I'd like to make it a yearly trip if possible.

Marx was wrong

2008-10-09T17:55:00.000-07:00

Karl Marx was wrong about many things, but one thing he really got wrong was his lament that "Religion is the opiate of the people." It's pretty clear that religion is not used to sedate the masses, but rather inflame them. More accurately, we should say that religion is the crystal meth of the people. Muslims are most susceptible to this kind of unreasoning madness and violence, but Christians shouldn't be too smug or self-righteous either. Christianity has a long history of similar witless persecution. I can hear the replies now: "but that was in the Dark Ages, Christians don't do that anymore." Forget for the moment that Christianity was responsible for the Dark Ages. Anyway, sorry, but this kind of behavior is still going on. Christians deny (or try to deny) birth control or condoms in countries where people are dying of starvation or AIDS. In the US, evangelical preachers teach their followers to persecute gays or other 'sinners' or non-believers. No real social or intellectual progress will be made for mankind unless people can somehow escape the clutches of religion. All religion.
(By the way, notice that the story about the British teacher was authored by a guy name Mohamed. I wonder if the masses will advocate that he or his parents should be stoned.)

Romantische Strasse

2008-10-09T17:53:00.002-07:00

Once again on our trip to Germany we returned to the Romantische Strasse. The "Romantic Road," romantic as it may be in the English sense, actually derives its name from the route the Roman Legions took when they invaded Germany, principally under Augustus Caesar. The route begins in Fussen, most notably the location of Schloss Neuschwanstein, King Ludwig II's famous castle. I've written about previous trips there.
This trip took us north from Augsburg (named for Augustus) to Germany's primary wine region along the Main river. Along the way we stopped at several historic towns that dot the Romantische Strasse. Most of the cities still have some of their medieval buildings and fortifications in place. We've visited most towns on the route, but I'll just mention a few of our favorites here.
One of my favorites is Rothenburg (Ob Der Tauber--Literally, above the Tauber river). This ancient city still has many buildings that are several centuries old, and the ancient city walls still stand. It's very touristy, but somehow that doesn't diminish it's charm. On a past trip we stayed at an inn in town that was established in the 12th century.
Another highlight is Dinkelsbuhl, which was originally the seat of a Frankish monarch, and fortified as a major trade center at the intersection of routes that ran from the Baltic to Italy, and from Worms to Prague. I really like the beautiful gabled houses in this town. The center of most towns in this area is dominated by a church, and in Dinkelsbuhl, the huge gothic St. Georges church towers over the central square. It was begun in 1488, and took many years to complete.
Harburg is a small medieval town dominated by the Harburg fortress, which sits above it on the burgberg. The river Wornitz also runs through town. Hargburg is remarkably intact and historic tours of the castle are interesting. One remarkable aspect of this castle is that it was occupied by protestants, which is quite rare in overwhelmingly Catholic Barvaria. It was originally built by the Staufer emperors to secure a trade route, but was later taken over by the Counts of Oettingen. The same family still owns it.
Next: Our stay in the Main river wine region.

Franken Erleben

2008-10-09T17:53:00.001-07:00

At the northernmost end of the Romantische Strasse is the Franken region of Germany, noted for its wine. There are some scenic and historic towns here along the Main river. On this trip, we visited the towns of Sommerach and Volkach. We stayed at a small gasthaus called Winzerhof. Charming, family-run place. We drank a lot of wine and ate a LOT of food on this little excursion.
Living in northern California, I'm not easily impressed by wine regions, but I was astonished by the vastness of the vineyards there. Many go on and on as far as the eye can see. I haven't been a huge fan of German wine, as it's somewhat sweet for my taste, but some of them are very nice and go well with certain foods.
It was another fine portion of our Romantic Road tour.

Snoopy Hockey 2007

2008-10-09T17:52:00.001-07:00

I recently played in the big Snoopy Senior Hockey Tournament in Santa Rosa. This was the third year I've played in this event, and it was a wonderful time. In past years I've just driven up for the games and didn't stay over. This year, however, I got a room at a nice hotel and made a vacation out of it. Staying there for the entire tournament made for a fundamentally different and more rewarding experience, which I'll elaborate on in a bit.
Breaking out of the zone (I'm in the foreground)
This year I played with the Michigan 50s. It's a team composed primarily of ex-University of Michigan players, with the odd recruit added. I graduated from UofM, but didn't play hockey there, so I'm many levels below most of these guys. Despite that, they were all very nice folks and welcomed me generously. Unfortunately, three of the best players from last year's 50s team were unable to make it this year, so we were undermanned and shorhanded too.
Michigan brought two teams to the tournament, the Michigan 50s and Michigan 60s. I'm happy to report the 60s team won all their games and claimed the gold again this year. They had a great all around team with some highly skilled forwards, stalwart defensemen, and solid goaltending. They also had a full compliment of three lines, which is great to see. Next year we really have to do some recruiting and stock up the 50s team! They are also trying to field a 40s team, but have not been able to get enough players yet. Come on out you young guys, this is tremendous fun!
The Champions of the 60s division
The hockey is a great time, but it's only part of the enjoyable experience of this event. That why staying with the boys for the week was so much fun. There were sing-alongs pretty much every night at the hotel pool, BBQs, hiking, canoeing, golf, and a variety of other activities. Not much down time, as there was always something to do. There are always tailgate parties going on after the games, which is another great aspect of this event. Many of my friends from the local SF area hockey leagues and pickup games were playing on other teams, so tried to watch some of their games as well.
Gerry Andel performing
At the end of the week, we all had dinner together and talked about the experiences of the week. One thing that really struck me, particularly at that time, was what good friendships these fellows maintained over such a long time, fostered by their love of hockey. Some of these guys knew each other from juniors, yet they still get together, even as some of them near 70, to enjoy comradarie and sport. That made me appreciate even more how well I was treated as a newcomer and rookie of the group. I hope I'll be able to play with these guys for many years to come and build the kind of friendships I saw there.
I'm already looking foward to next year. Go Blue!

Deutschland, Deutschland

2008-10-09T17:51:00.001-07:00

My girlfriend Heike and I have just returned from 2-1/2 weeks in Germany. Heike is from Germany, so we visted friends and family on this trip. I really like Germany a lot, although for the sake of accuracy, I should say that I've only spent time in Bavaria, and the Schwaben and Franken areas. All very nice. Everything just works there. Things are clean, trains are quiet, smooth, and they run on time. Best of all, you can walk around even big cities without worrying about having someone stick a gun in your face.
The one downside for me is that I'm a borderline vegetarian, and a veg would starve in a few days there. I ate more meat in two weeks there than I've eaten in the past two years in California.
It was a long trip, so I won't try to cover the whole thing in one tedious blog entry. Rather, I'll write entries about different aspects of the trip in the next few days. I'll also post pictures from the trip in the near future.
DachauMost Americans only know Dachau as the site of a terrible concentration camp during WWII. (The camp remains as a museum, though I haven't visited it yet.) In fact, Dachau is a lovely city near Munchen (Munich). One night we went with our friends Stefan and Sabine to Dachau Musik Sommer '07. It was in the Altstadt (Old Town). This part of the city is especially historic and beautiful. It was a warm summer night and everyone was enjoying the music. Like some fests here in the US, they had several stages set up throughout the Altstadt, each with a band playing a different type of music. It was funny and entertaining to see six guys from Munich playing Zydeco music. Something unexpected at each turn.
Nymphenburg PalaceWithin the city of Munchen, this is an extensive palace, park, and complex of of residences, hunting lodges, and other sites. Munchen was the capital of Bayern (Bavaria) since the time of Maximillian and before (and still is). Bavaria is a province now, but was once a kingdom in its own right. The famous Ludwig II was born in this palace. The beauty and scope of this place and its grounds are astonishing. Worth a visit when you are in Munchen.
That's enough for today. Tomorrow: Salzburg, Austria and Andechs. Aufwiedersehen!

Austria

2008-10-09T17:50:00.001-07:00

In addition to visiting Germany, Heike and I joined our friends Stefan and Sabine for a trip to Austria. This was my first visit there, and I hope it won't be the last. Austria is in the heart of the Alps, and is just astonishingly beautiful. This was a short stay, but we had a fine time in Salzburg.
As the name implies, Salzburg was founded on... Salt. Historically salt has been an important commodity, and salt was mined here. Even the river that runs through the city is named for salt. Salzburg was also the birthplace of Mozart, and the city fathers employ this fact prominently to draw tourists as you might expect. I stopped by Wolfie's place, but he wasn't home.
Our main objective of the visit was Festung Hohensalzburg. Ich mag geschichte (I like history). This fortress/castle/palace was built during the 11th century on a mountaintop overlooking the town. It is simultaneously formidable and beautiful. One can imagine the powerful people of history looking out over the spectacular views of the town and countryside and perhaps it didn't look that much different.
We also strolled about the gardens and park of the archbishop's residence, but didn't have time to tour the residence itself.
There was also a classic car rally going on in the city while we were there. We didn't watch much of it, but it sure drew an impressive crowd. Interestingly, during the entire rally, a PA system was blaring 1950s-60s American classic rock music. Not sure how that related to all the Ferraris, Mercedes, Porches, and MGs whizzing about, but there is was.
I hope to return to Austria in the not-too-distant future. So much to see.

Einfach Leben

2008-10-09T17:48:00.000-07:00

For a long time now, I've tried to live a pretty simple and modest life.
I grew up in a small house, and my family didn't have a lot of money, but I loved my parents and my brother and sister. It sounds cliche, but they are good, honest folk. Everyone has problems, but overall, I feel fortunate to have the family I do. This goes for my extended family as well. It may be the upbringing, but I've never been the acquisitive sort. I've always lived simply, foregone ostentatious purchases, saved conservatively, and lived within my means.
These days my girlfriend and I have continued that tradition. We live in a small house, we grow many of our own vegetables, drive economical cars, and don't spend a lot on frivolous crap. In other words, we're bad consumers. I've sometimes felt odd about this, and society makes you feel like a loser if you don't have all the latest stuff. The messages are ubiquitous.
Today on NPR, I listened to a fellow named Bill Mckibben, who has written a book and is advocating this type of behavior for everyone. His thesis is that this lifestyle isn't a virtue, though, it's a necessity, or will be soon. I share that view. His brush is broad, and he talks about how our choices affect everything from global warming to our own personal happiness. How contemporary life has diminished contact with other people, cost us friendships, and generally made us less happy.
"In my new book, Deep Economy, I’ve set out to challenge the prevailing view of our economy. For the first time in human history, “more” is no longer synonymous with “better”—indeed, for many of us, they have become almost opposites. I want us to think in new ways about the things we buy, the food we eat, the energy we use, and the money that pays for it all. Our purchases need not be at odds with the things we truly value."
"The time has come to move beyond “growth” as the paramount economic ideal and begin pursuing prosperity in a more local direction, with cities, suburbs, and regions producing more of their own food, generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment. This concept is already blossoming around the world with striking results, from the burgeoning economies of India and China to the more mature societies of Europe and New England. For those who worry about environmental threats, there are solutions to work through the worst of those problems; for those who wonder if there isn’t something more to life than buying, I encourage you to consider your life as an individual and as a member of a larger community."
In Mckibben's discussion on NPR, he pointed to some interesting statistics. Polls have been taken for decades asking Americans how happy they are. According to those polls, American happiness peaked in the 50s and has trended downward ever since. What is interesting about this is that this trend has occurred while our prosperity has increased along with our disposable income and our acquisition of STUFF. If one accepts the prevailing philosophy in this country it should be the opposite. That is, more $$ and STUFF=more happiness. It's not working. Mckibben then made a comparison with western Europe, where people have less money, less stuff, but also work less and have more free time. Significantly, they also spend a more time with friends and family in meaningful interaction. They eat dinner together, they participate in activities together, etc.
Here is a web site that is focused mainly on climate change, but it also touches on what you can do, in your simple life that can have a great influence on pollution and global warming. You'd be surprised what an affect simply buying food grown locally can have. Wouldn't it be nice if this didn't prove to be a sacrifice, but actually made you happier?

Facism part 2

2008-10-09T17:39:00.001-07:00

A while ago I posted about the signs of fascism in any country. How many of these signs apply to the U.S. under the Bush administration? A lot, unfortunately. Now the FBI is trying to retain many of their counter-Constitution/Bill of Rights privileges under the "Patriot" act. (Subverting the Constitution has nothing to do with patriotism in my view.)
In pleading his case, director Robert Mueller said, "The statute did not cause the errors. The FBI's implementation did." So this is supposed to make us feel better? That the FBI oversteps it's bounds without oversight should make us want to give you unchecked authority? Not in a democracy.
Go back to those signs of fascism, and guess which one(s) applies in this case.

Another great article by Dr. Dawkins

2008-10-09T17:38:00.001-07:00

Since my finger is broken and I can't type worth a damn, today I'll post a link to another brilliant article by Richard Dawkins. This article clearly echoes my reasons for being 'Churchillian' in my approach to discussions with fundamentalists and less hidebound religious sorts--why I will no longer accept opinion without substantiation in discussions about religion, science, and public policy.

Calling all young republicans!

2008-10-09T17:36:00.002-07:00

I went to see Fahrenheit 9-11 when it first came out at a local theatre. Sitting next to me were a bunch of 18-22ish rich kids from the Piedmont area of Oakland. During the film they were generally scornful of its content, particularly during the segment that showed Marine recruiters trying to meet their quotas in poor, minority neighborhoods. I heard a lot of comments like, "they should join the military, it would really help them, and it's the best way out of their current situation." Meanwhile these brats are off to Yale and wouldn't consider joining the Marines.
Such thinking is hypocritical, of course, but why should they act differently? They are simply the next generation of privilege supporting military action while expecting others to do the fighting for them. These kids are no different than the current administration and their neo-con puppet masters. None (or very few) of them served in the military much less in combat, yet they are quite anxious to send others to do their bidding. For all their brave talk, they are the biggest cowards on the planet.

The "Debate" Rages On!

2008-10-09T17:36:00.001-07:00

As the Industrialist and politician William McAdoo said, "It is impossible to defeat an ignorant man in an argument." That applies to so many topics, but it works well with this little parody.
Damn that liberal media!
I'll trot it out again soon in the religion vs. science topic because it's even more relevant there.

Investing in the Market? Sucker!

2008-10-09T17:35:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I took most of my money out of equities. I have a little in index funds, but that's about it. There are a number of reasons for this:
Insufficient oversight and regulation
Conflict of interest among brokers, financial advisors, and their ilk
Absurd compensation for executives (of the issuing equities), brokerages, and financial advisors
This last one just made headlines again recently with the record compensation paid to a couple of Wall St. executives. Perhaps you don't mind paying for those salaries, but I do. That is money that could be part of the return on your investments, but instead it goes to making the obscenely wealthy even more obscenely wealthy. As sled dogs, we don' t have much to say about that, but we can say something by choosing not to invest with these people and companies, which is what I've done.
The argument is often made that such compensation is what brings in the best people, but time and again that has been shown not to be the case. As the Economist noted a few years ago, compensation for most execs has nothing to do with performance. In fact, they are guaranteed massive sums whether their companies perform well or poorly. There's the carrot, where's the stick? Most people I know can get kicked to the curb with nothing if they don't do a good job, but all too often in US industries, execs are granted large sums of money just for walking in the door. In my own experience I've often seen executives hired to run companies I work for do a poor job, and yet walk away with millions. Furthermore, those execs seldom play as important a role in the company's success as the top engineers and scientists, who are compensated much more modestly.
The fees paid to brokers and financial advisors is particularly galling given that it's been shown that they simply don't outperform basic index funds with minimal fees.
What are you doing with your money?

The Latest Bush "Change of Heart"

2008-10-09T17:34:00.002-07:00

And the neocons always accuse the Dems of flip-flopping.
Back in 2004, John Kerry proposed increasing the size of the military. Bush's response was that that would somehow make the country less safe. These days with Bush's adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan in shambles, he is proposing such an increase.
(Quote from above site) As recently as six months ago, President Bush was sticking to his guns. From a June 14, 2006, “Statement of Administration Policy“:
The Administration opposes increases in minimum active Army and Marine Corps end strengths in Title IV, because they could require DoD to maintain a higher personnel level than is needed. The restructuring of the Army and the Marine Corps, plus other initiatives, is enabling our military to get more warfighting capability from current end strength.
You may recall the debates between Bush and Gore for the 2000 election. Bush denounced the Clinton administration for assisting Europe in stopping the Genocide in Bosnia. He said he would "never use our military for what I call nation-building." Now, politicians have lied before. They have broken promises before. In fact George senior is famous for going back on his "read my lips, no new taxes" speech. George junior's bare-assed lie about using the military to create regime change in Iraq has to rank up there as perhaps the biggest broken campaign promise of all time.

Gerald Ford, Republican Unity

2008-10-09T17:34:00.001-07:00

When someone dies--anyone--there is typically a lot of testimony about what a good person he or she was, and tales of the person's accomplishments are recalled to honor them. Their shortcomings or errors are only mentioned in passing if at all. This isn't surprising and I'm sure we'd all like to be remembered in such a way.
In the case of former president Ford, most people recall his integrity, how he help the nation 'heal' during a difficult time (Watergate/Nixon, the Vietnam war). Though I personally don't believe pardoning Nixon did anything to heal the nation. All it did was point out that there are some people that are above the law.
What struck me as important in all the recollections of GF, however, was the revelation from Bob Woodward, including taped interviews, that Ford opposed the war in Iraq, and thought it was a tremendous mistake. This was said back in 2004, but was withheld by Ford's request until after his death. Now it's some kind of thunderbolt? Why was he reluctant to speak his mind when he was alive?
Such recalcitrance illustrates a general problem with Republicans, even moderate ones: they refuse to speak their minds if it rocks the party boat in any way. They put their consciences and principles in storage for another time when they can trot them out to become indignant at something more important, like a Democrat's sexual indiscretion.
Another recent example is John McCain, someone I've lost all respect for. Although I didn't often agree with him on policy issues (the exception is his support for campaign finance reform), I always thought he had integrity. Now he has completely caved on habeas corpus, the torture of prisoners, and various other neocon positions. I wouldn't vote for him for dog-catcher at this point.
Republicans are excellent at rallying the troops to get behind any party platform, even if some of the soldiers find some of the planks quite rotten. This is often seen as a political virtue, and I suppose it is, if you believe winning at the cost of your integrity is virtuous.

I was once but a lad

2008-10-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

Ever since I was a small boy, I've been an atheist. That sounds ridiculous, but I've always been sceptical, not just about religion, but about almost anything. I require evidence and reason as the basis for my beliefs. I can remember, even in grade school, being perplexed by the obvious inconsistencies in the Bible. My parents forced me to go to Sunday school when I was young, and later to catechism as a teen. None of this had any effect on my belief system. I even had an interesting conversation with my pastor at one time about why I didn't believe, and he explained why he did. Although I liked the man, I found his arguments unpersuasive.
The Bible is full of self-inconsistent tales, but even if one attempts to explain those away with twisted logic, a rational person cannot help but see that the bible was written by people (who thought the earth was flat) in an attempt to explain the universe and natural phenomena that they had no hope of understanding through other means.
Many of my friends and family are religious to varying degrees. Some very much so, and in fact they would be considered fundamentalists. Most of them are perfectly lovely people, and I don't love them less because we are diametrically opposed on this topic. I've never concealed my atheism, and when asked, I've always been truthful (with one exception, which I'll remark about later). I've never spoken so openly about it, and I've certainly never written about it until now, however. I realize that some of the things I may say, some of the notions I will posit, will offend or dismay some friends and family, but if they are able to state their belief systems with great conviction, then I should be able to state mine with equal conviction.
Although I'm an atheist, I've always been part of the tolerant faction that said, "others are free to believe as they wish, it doesn't bother or affect me. If it gives them comfort, fine." I've always tried to avoid conflict. I can even understand why some people that I once thought rational, might believe in a god. I no longer feel this way and will engage in a debate with anyone about religion at any time from now on. Why the change? I've come to the conclusion that religion (and lack of reason in general) is a virulent force for evil rather than good in the world and must be confronted. Not confronted violently, but must be challenged, argued against, and debated at every turn. This distinguishes the rational atheist and secular humanist from the believer: the devout are often willing to kill, segregate, or punish those that don't share their beliefs. That is only one manifestation of its evil.
I'll state my position clearly and unambiguously: religion is nothing more than superstitious nonsense. There isn't a shred of evidence to support belief in a supreme being in general, much less a Christian, Muslim, or any other specific species. There is no more reason to believe in god than in Bertrand Russell's teapot, or Henderson's flying spaghetti monster.
What we as a civil society needs isn't more superstition. We need more reason, more rational behavior, and more critical independent HARD thinking. We need an atheist manifesto. Fortunately Sam Harris has provided one. Read this thesis. It is cogently argued, and his logic is unassailable. Of course that won't make any difference to the devoutly religious. Their belief system is based entirely on dogma. No matter the evidence, no matter the logic, they will steadfastly believe what they've been taught to believe. But I must try.
I'll be writing much more on this topic in the coming days.

The Root of All Evil

2008-10-09T17:32:00.002-07:00

Some time ago, a friend sent me a DVD of Richard Dawkins' fine documentary for the BBC on religion. His thesis? Much the same as mine in the previous post--that religion is a pernicious influence on the world, not a force for good. Dawkins travels the world and documents all sorts of religious ceremonies from various cultures, interviews the most ardent and devoted followers of many faiths, and reveals all to be frightfully ignorant.
Fortunately, someone has posted this video on YouTube, so it's available to everyone. It's a terrific show, but it makes me think the world is doomed, and humanity doesn't have the capacity to emerge from intellectual dark ages into enlightenment.
Part 1
Part 2
This video has received some additional notariety lately because it contains an interview with recently disgraced minister Ted Haggard.

The One Progressive Voice

2008-10-09T17:32:00.001-07:00

Despite wailing from the right about the "liberal media", there is really only one progressive voice among the army of right-wing pundits and so-called journalists on television news commentary shows: Keith Olbermann.
The most thoughtful and articulate journalist since Edward R. Murrow, KO adds humor to the mix without degrading the seriousness of his reports or topics. Ok, there is some trivial bullshit on this show too with its mocking of celebrity scandal, but there is a mercifully small amount of that. The show covers the important stories of the day from a progressive's viewpoint, and doesn't confuse the objective with the subjective as many of its conservative counterparts do. Olbermann has a set of stones-- something that has been lacking from the progressive side for a long time.
Olbermann signs off his show with an homage to Murrow, using his famous "good night and good luck" line. If you haven't seen the movie about Murrow, you should.

The man behind Bush (NOT Karl Rove!)

2008-10-09T17:31:00.001-07:00

Have you ever wondered why the Prez doesn't have a good command of English? Why he seems awkward and bumbling? This video reveals the truth behind Bush's actions. We all thought GWB was just a puppet of the ne0-con idealogs, but it turns out to be much simpler than that.

Trival "news" and terror plots from the movies

2008-10-09T17:30:00.002-07:00

Well, now we can all rest comfortably knowing that the man allegedly responsible for the murder of Jon-Benet Ramsey has been caught. This s0-called story was the lead in all the local and national news broadcasts last night. Actually, for a couple of days now. This is a clear illustration that apart from worrying whether the media is biased toward the conservative or liberal sides, we should really worry that they are biased toward the trivial and sensational over the meaningful and important. To them, a 10-year old murder case is more important than the war in Iraq/Afghanistan, the economy, and the situation in Lebanon/Israel. Don't concern yourself with a judge ruling against the Bush administration's program of warrentless surveillance. Just check to see whether Brad and Anjolina are still together.
One recent story that actually is important is the one about the plot to bring down UK-US flights. Could they have succeeded? Here is an interesting article that pretty much illustrates the homeland security folks are, well, incompetent. But you already knew that. The only comfort is, most would-be terrorists seem to be pretty incompetent too.

Cut and Run Liberal

2008-10-09T17:30:00.001-07:00

The neo-cons use a lot of inflammatory terms like 'cut and run' to imply cowardice in their adversaries. (And of course those most fond of such terms never served in the military and have never been in any kind of danger, yet think nothing of putting others in danger.) Lately, however, even some of the republican faithful have been breaking ranks with the president's tiresome 'stay the course' message. After being confronted with overwhelming evidence that their 'strategy' isn't working (and their poll numbers are falling dramatically), they have adopted a new catch phrase: 'adapt and win!'. They don't really have a plan to go along with their phrase, but they don't want to admit failure, damage the prez, or give any credit to the hated liberals for being right, so they've come up with a new phrase that all flag-wrapped conservatives can get behind. How exciting.
Do you remember a few weeks ago when there was a offer from the insurgency to stop the violence if the US would present a time-table for withdrawal? Bush said no. Funny that there were no tough questions for the prez from the s0-called Liberal Media on that one.
In any case, as one who was opposed to the war in the first place, I support John Murtha's notion of redeployment. Am I a cut and run liberal? Damn right, and proud of it. But this guy says it much better.

The Ratchet of Progress

2008-10-09T17:29:00.001-07:00

Weird thoughts occasionally arrive at strange times and without apparent instigation. Such was the case when I was snowbound in a tent recently on Mt. Shasta. I was wondering why societies and civilizations tend to go through periods of enlightenment and progress, then slip into some benighted trend of superstition and irrationality. It made me wonder whether, as a species, humanity (as a whole) has an upper limit on collective reason and rationality.
Intuition suggests that this is not the case because we continue to see scientific progress despite forces (like organized religion) that seek to impede it. Scientific progress is only one aspect of what I'm talking about, though. We have iPods, cell phones, and a space program. We have more sophisticated computers and software. We have advances in medical science. Consider though: have we made much progress in philosophy, public policy, fairness and equality, human rights, eliminating disease and poverty? Have we made much progress in the area of pure reason? In creating a more rational, thoughtful culture? Regretfully, the answer seems to be no.
Robert Pirsig is one of my favorite authors despite having written only two books. In his second book, Lila, Pirsig talks briefly about how a society progresses. Many factors tend to keep a society from moving forward, but it takes someone to posit radical notions well past what society is willing to accept to promote progress. Society considers those notions and moves forward, near them, but ultimately falls back, like a ratchet, to a safer position, (while making some progress). Pirsig didn't talk about an upper limit, though, and I wonder whether he missed something.
Consider history from classical civilizations until today. The Greeks, Romans, Mesopotamians and others had advanced cultures in which reason, science, and the human intellect were valued. At some point, those cultures fell into darkness. Similarly, Europe went through about 500 years of the dark ages (in which religion was the dominant force) and emerged into an age of enlightenment, but I'm not sure it really stuck. In America today we have techno progress in a society in which about 45% of the population doesn't believe in evolution (and are too ignorant and poorly educated to even understand it). We have fallen backwards in terms of the disparity in the distribution of wealth, quality of public education, quality of health care, justice, and divisiveness and intolerance. I believe we are also inching closer to a more draconian, secretive, and facist-like government. Why?
Clearly individuals can make progress and be rational, but maybe societies have a upper limit on collective conciousness and their ability to act rationally. Individuals can discover quantum mechanics and conceive of micro-surgery, but the hive mind can't get beyond some level of superstition and prejudice. I tend to blame religion for a lot of the irrational behavior in the world, but perhaps religion is just a manifestation of humanity's inability to go beyond that upper limit. It's what society uses to ratchet things back.
Twill be sad if true.

You're getting warmer... warmer... now you're hot!

2008-10-09T17:28:00.000-07:00

Went to see Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, recently. I thought it was quite a good movie that presented a lot of detailed scientific information in a form that lay people can understand. Unfortunately, lay people that don't WANT to understand it will not see the movie. And the usual suspects of nay-sayers have already come out condemning the movie without being able to condemn the science presented in it. Criticisms follow the usual character assassinations of Gore, offer contradictory pseudoscience, and generally play on the public's ostrich-like behavior. (There is a great quote from Upton Sinclair in the movie: "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his NOT understanding it.")
I recently engaged in an argument with a friend who thought that there was no consensus in the scientific community. Of course there is consensus among scientists who actually study this issue, and the movie illustrated one of the reasons the public is so misinformed about this: although 100% of peer-reviewed scientific studies conclude human action is affecting global warming, around 45% of the news stories published claim there is NO consensus. Small wonder that the public may not have a clear picture of the problem. The Daily Show has it's usual humorous take on the 'controversy' presented by the film. Those damn hippie scientists!
Anyway, go see this movie. Don't be afraid to face a little reality.

No more wanking at work!

2008-10-09T17:27:00.001-07:00

Really, work life is becoming unbearable in the modern world. It's demoralizing to contemplate what a person must do simply to put food in one's mouth and a roof over one's head. If you can't wank at work you might as well be picking cotton or working in a coal mine.
(Transbuddha is becoming a favorite web stop of mine. They collect an astonishing number of interesting and funny vids and such from around the world.)

How can we be obese?

2008-10-09T17:26:00.002-07:00

It's a strange culture that idolizes anorexic women and astonishingly buff men while the "normal" population grows ever fatter and less fit. Diets keep getting worse, and people become more sedentary.
The American diet is particularly interesting. Here's a healthy place that serves a hamburger containing three pounds of meat. It comes with one pound of fries and provides a life-sustaining 7,000 calories. If you are really lacking sufficient fat in your diet but want to go a little lighter, you may want to try this one: a bacon-cheesburger sandwiched in a Krispy Kreme donut.
These guys seem to be going for the record: a fifteen pound burger.
Back when I lived in Michigan, I visited a place near the Detroit airport called the Wheat & Rye. It served a ham sandwich containing two pounds of ham. It was served on a huge roll, and was about the size of a bowling ball. If you could eat 3 (and survive the impending stroke), they would give you $1000 from the till. I didn't want the ham, so I ordered something called the "turkey club". When it arrived, it was the size of a shoe box and contained two pounds of ham PLUS a quarter pound of turkey. I didn't get far into that monster. The astonishing thing about the W&R was how cheap their sandwiches were. I think mine was less than 4 bucks. The proprietor must have owned a pig farm. I wonder if it's still in business?

Why religious fundamentalists make good Neoconservatives (and vise-versa)

2008-10-09T17:26:00.001-07:00

It shouldn’t be a surprise that religious fundamentalists wholeheartedly support the neoconservative political movement in the U.S. Both groups share one characteristic that defines them at their core: faith.
There are several definitions of the word ‘faith’, but this definition applies broadly to many contexts and is particularly relevant here:
Faith = Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.
Faith is the absence of reason. While reason requires logic, evidence, and rational thought to draw conclusions, faith is the antithesis of critical analysis.
It’s obvious how this applies to religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalists’ arcane systems of belief, regardless of which religion you choose, are based entirely on dogma.
So how does this apply to politics, and why do so many religious fundamentalists flock to (neo)conservative politics? The neocon movement in the U.S.—especially as manifested in the current Bush administration--doesn’t require reason to support its beliefs. In fact its members shun reason. Much like the creationist crowd, they start with a premise and if some fact appears that contradicts their premise, they discredit the source. And much like the folk that believed (still believe?) in a flat earth, no amount of evidence, no apparatus of data, will ever compel them to change their path. No stark reality will ever convince them they were wrong.
The Iraq war is only the most obvious example where virtually everything they believed has been proved false, yet they persevere in their beliefs. The litany is long, but the obvious will suffice: WMDs? Nope. Will require only 30k troops for a few months to stabilize the country? Nope. We’ll be greeted as liberators? Nope. Will cost us only 1.9 billion, after which Iraqi oil will pay for the reconstruction? Nope. Thirst for democracy among Iraqis will overwhelm the tendency for sectarian violence and prevent civil war? Nope.
This type of benighted ignorance reaches into all parts of public policy in the Bush administration and the neocon movement in general.
So if these people have screwed up so royally, why hasn’t the electorate thrown them out? Well, partly because the electorate contains a significant number of “faithful” that think as the administration does, and cannot face facts. More ominously, though, I believe the reason lies here.
This is the same force that is at work in the Muslim world. It keeps them politically and scientifically in the dark ages. The ironic thing is that while Christian, Muslim, and Jewish fundamentalists hate and distrust each other, they are all governed by their common lack of reason—faith. They are exactly the same but can’t see it.

Domestic spying hearings

2008-10-09T17:25:00.001-07:00

I had a little time to listen to the hearings today, particularly Attorney General Gonzales' testimony. What a load. The more confrontational congressmen caught him in several inconsistencies, but he just kept coming back to the position that the president has the authority to do whatever he pleases. They claim that in 'time of war' this is essential. Well, Congress is the only body that can declare war, and I don't believe they've done so. The administration uses this excuse capriciously to justify any action the president might want to take.
Using the criteria of the fight (war?) against Al Qaeda and other groups who would do us harm, haven't we always been at war? After WWII we were in the cold war, the Korean war, the drug war, Panama, etc. Using the Bush administration's rationale, any president at any time should be able to claim we are at war and do whatever he pleases. It's a sorry excuse that Stalin and Saddam himself used to great affect. We've already seen that our government has spied on the likes of Dr. King, Greenpeace, trade unions, opposition political parties, and other terrible threats to national security.
One senator asked Mr. Gonzales what checks to abuse of power exist if the Prez doesn't have to obtain a warrant through FISA? He shucked and jived, but didn't answer the question. The administration's position is that we all must just trust them. Well, they haven't proven very trustworthy in my book. And gee, let's see, have any previous administrations abused their authority? Yes. Sorry George, I'm afraid I can't take you at your word.
Another interesting tack was taken by, I think, senator Hatch. As one might expect from a Bush apologist, he tried to give the AG an out by asking whether the Clinton administration had performed some similar warrantless surveillance. The AG replied that it had. This is unverified, but even if true, it's a specious argument. Let's see, a democrat broke the law, that makes it ok for a republican to break the same law?! So if the guy down the block robs the 7-11, I can do the same thing and claim it's ok because it was done before?! These guys need to study a bit more on logic and ethics.

What passes for free speech

2008-10-09T17:24:00.001-07:00

Muslims are outraged enough about some simple caricature to burn buildings. In the U.S., there are those that view these episodes and lament the lack of free speech in the Muslim world, ignoring their own efforts to censor. Now Iranians want to mock the holocaust as some sort of perverted revenge. Against the Danes????
Religious and political hypocrites of all stripes in all countries will never stop their violent, intolerant behavior. Their entire world view is based on dogma rather than fact, and their leaders cultivate an Us vs. Them mentality that results in such ridiculous actions. It is time for a new age of reason, but I think 'civilization' is actually backsliding instead.

Another Bush crony-appointee resigns in disgrace

2008-10-09T17:23:00.004-07:00

George Deutsch recently resigned from his appointed post at NASA. Seems he lied on his resume, but that should come as no surprise given his incompetence and lack of knowledge.
The bigger question is, when are people going to wake up to the fact that the incompetence starts at the top. How many unqualified, bungling, idiots does Bush have to appoint before people realize that he is an unqualified bungling idiot himself? A good administrator appoints capable subordinates, and Bush has not been able to achieve this.

No sense of irony?

2008-10-09T17:23:00.003-07:00

An awful lot of Muslims seem to be pissed off about a Danish cartoon depicting the prophet with a bomb in his cap. They scream that it's disrespectful to imply that the adherents of the religion are violent, and they then show their displeasure by burning embassies, brutally attacking people, and basically justifying the cartoonist's portrayal. The irony seems completely lost on these nut-jobs despite the fact that it's about as obvious as a heart attack.
If they really want something to be upset about, why not direct their anger against the Jihad-types that daily kill innocent Muslims and others? How about repressive Muslim governments that make life hell for those living under their rule? Oh, and by the way, Mohammed has been portrayed in art throughout the ages, so this crap about displaying his image as blasphemous is just another weak justification for violence.
Before Christian get all high and mighty, though, they should remember that there are radical Christians out there that are just as wacky if not as numerous. How about the guy that bombed the Atlanta Olympics? The folks that kill policemen, doctors, and nurses at Planned Parenthood? How about the Christian militias in Africa that are slaughtering thousands of 'non-believers'?
And then there are the threats to liberal cartoonists.

Syriana

2008-10-09T17:23:00.001-07:00

I saw the movie Syriana when it first came out, but I'm just getting around to posting about it now. This is an unusual movie in that it doesn't have a traditional plot or sequential storyline. Rather, it's a collection of events that are tangentially related, but in important ways. The film depicts the lives of people from the most powerful in Washington and the middle east, to the most lowly oil field workers. It illustrates how, as in Chaos theory, a seemingly insignificant person or action can have consequences in many places. Everything is connected.
The cast is terrific, and includes another stellar performance by George Clooney, who is rapidly becoming one of the best actor-director-producers. He's also one of the few that has not shied away from provocative political commentary.
There is political intrigue, with fine performances by Jeffrey Wright as an ambitious Washington attorney, and Chris Cooper as the head of a Texas-based oil company. Congress is involved in shady dealmaking with oil companies and foreign governments. Democracy in the middle east? In Syriana, an intelligent and political-reform-minded prince Nasir (Alexander Siddig) becomes a target when he grants oil rights to a Chinese company over an American competitor. Democracy is fine unless it gets in the way of (our) commerce.
Matt Damon provides a fine portrayal of an energy trader that engages in business with Prince Nasir, but with honesty and integrity, where most are just trying to take advantage of the prince and his country.
It is hard to note standout characters or stories in this movie because there are so many, but here are two that I found most compelling: 1) George Clooney as Bob, a dedicated CIA field agent that is betrayed by the agency. He's been nothing but a pawn throughout his career, and he realizes that too late. 2) Mazhar Munir as the young Pakistani oil field worker, Wasim. He gets laid off and is treated like scum by his employer. He's lost and disillusioned in a foreign land. The only place he's treated with dignity and comfort is in a local madrassa, which is where is is recruited into the jihadist fold. Although Wasim was not an ardent religious zealot, it's easy to see how he could be taken in. What I found interesting about these two stories in particular is their similarity. Both Bob the CIA agent and Wasim the lowly laborer were convinced to do the dirty work of others. Both thought they were doing good, but in reality they were merely tools furthering the agendas of more powerful and unscrupulous people.
This is a thought-provoking and compelling movie. Although it is fiction, it's easy to believe that it cleaves pretty close to reality. Go see it.
And while we're at it...

Protecting you from Al Qaeda and porn

2008-10-09T17:22:00.001-07:00

There are those that say it's ok for the government to eavesdrop on us 'for our protection'. There are those that say "if you haven't done anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about". Well, this little story makes for interesting reading. It seems a library patron was viewing some racy material on a web site when he was confronted by Homeland Security goons, and told that he couldn't' t view those web sites.
Now one might reasonably argue that viewing porn on a library's computers should be restricted because it's not private, and other patrons might be offended. I can accept that, but it's the library's responsibility to determine such policy, not the Department of Homeland Security. This illustrates why privacy laws are important. Something needn't be illegal for a person to want it kept private. It's not a stretch for the DHS to monitor what web sites you view at home.
The Department of Homeland Security: Protecting you from yourself.

Unexpected: Supreme Court upholds most basic personal freedom

2008-10-09T17:21:00.001-07:00

The Supreme Court just upheld Oregon's assisted suicide law. I'm surprised because of the conservative/religious leaning of the court. Of course if this case had come before the court after S. O'Connor retired, the vote might have been 5-4 instead of 6-3. Not surprisingly, Satan's minions Scalia, his boy Thomas, and new Chief Bush-lackey Roberts dissented. During his confirmation hearings, Roberts hinted that he would vote against assisted suicide. One of the few things he indicated any opinion about.
This is also a small victory for States' rights, something the Republicans claim to be for -- unless it doesn't suit their purposes. When it comes to topics such as education, environmental laws, employment regulation, etc., conservatives invariably sing the tunes: 'let the people decide!', 'local control is much more effective and just than intervention by the federal government!' This law was supported by an overwhelming majority of Oregonians, yet Bush/Ashcroft thought they should be able to impose their religious fundamentalism on the people of Oregon.
There is no more basic right than being able to decide what to do with your own life. Who but you, your family, and your physician should have a say in whether your life should go on? In fact only the individual should have the right to decide whether their life is worth living. Should a federal official have the right to decide how much pain you should suffer? How much money the medical industry can suck from your family just to preserve your torment? Should George Bush be able to decide whether your quality of life is sufficient to maintain it?
If Bush and Scalia some day contract brain cancer and face a long, painful, and expensive death, I wonder how they'd feel about the issue then. I doubt if Bush even understands the concept of irony.
Of course we are never out of the woods with these fundamentalist fanatics. They will certainly try some different approach to take away this most personal individual right.

A debt-ridden society

2008-10-09T17:20:00.000-07:00

The falsities and sunshine coming from the Bush administration concerning the economy can't conceal the fact that government debt is completely out of control. The current administration spends money like a drunken sailor on shore leave and pretends all is well. Apologists claim it's no big deal because the national debt is not huge as a percentage of GDP. Well, that's a joke, just like the GDP itself. Most people don't realize that the Gross Domestic Product, is a measure of spending, not production. Nice misleading term, huh? Consider this analogy: Suppose I take out 15 credit cards, borrow as much as I can, take on a huge mortgage, and buy all kinds of stuff. My friends and family might look at my life and all my acquisitions and think, "wow, he's doing really well." In fact, I may not be producing much of anything. I'd be living an illusion, and some day that would catch up to me (or the people that lent me money).
So why hasn't the US electorate held the government accountable for this behavior? When interviewed, a majority of people say they favor a balanced budget, but do they know what that means? Apparently not, and recent statistics show that the electorate is just as profligate as the government. The US public has reached a state of negative savings. We are actually spending more than we make on a regular basis. This is going to have disastrous consequences for the economy.
This problem is like second-hand smoke in that it will affect everyone, even those that are responsible and manage their money well. Unfortunately, responsible people's assets will be diminished in value when the government either defaults on debt or monetizes it (prints more money just to cover it). We are in for a rude awakening in this country.

How the world sees the U.S.

2008-10-09T17:19:00.002-07:00

The Bush administration and the neoconservatives at large have shown disdain for the opinions of the rest of the world, not just in terms of the Iraq war, but on issues of economics, the environment, trade, etc. The neocons have basically taken a fuck-you-if-you-don't-like-it approach to any country that questions anything we do. Such a foreign policy is incredibly short-sighted and will ultimately make us less safe, more vulnerable economically, and less able to respond flexibly to changes in the economic and social climate of the world.
If you don't share that attitude, or you just care what the rest of the world is thinking and saying, you might find this site interesting. It culls stories from around the world that relate the the U.S., and it gives one a good idea of how we are being portrayed and perceived around the world.

Breaking Ranks

2008-10-09T17:19:00.001-07:00

What caused George Bush Sr.'s best friend to turn against George Jr.'s administration and policies? Very interesting article here. It's getting more and more difficult for the right to claim that opposition to Bush's benighted foreign policy is strictly partisan carping from Dems and Liberals. There are finally some voices coming from right that are equally critical.

Live well, then die off?

2008-10-09T17:18:00.002-07:00

Many problems of scarce resources and threatened ecology that are facing us right now are the result of overpopulation. What are we to do? In some ways, I think humans are no different than locusts. That is, we will continue to over-populate our environment to the point that resources cannot sustain us, and there will be a massive and rather rapid die-off until the ecology recovers. Is that our fate? Our only option?
We could regulate our birth rate. Humans know how to do that now, but we have for some time and yet have not demonstrated the ability to intelligently regulate our population.
There is a somewhat extreme position advocating negative population growth until humans are extinct. Although they present an interesting case, I think a better solution would be simply to reduce birth rates and the world's human population to a level that is sustainable and ecologically sound. Don't know what that point is, but perhaps we'll know it when we see it. Maybe not. As mentioned above, we haven't shown such wisdom yet.
In many ways, this isn't simply about "saving the planet" or some such nonsense. Humans evolved on this planet like any other species and deserve to be here like any other. Rather, this is as much a quality of life issue as anything. Wouldn't it be better if the humans that live here have clean air to breath, clean water to drink, and enough food and other resources to sustain them without resorting to aggression? Wouldn't it be better if there was less congestion? Will future generations have a beautiful home or will they be doomed to a Soylent Green-type existence.
At the very least we should strive for zero population growth. We're down to our last 7 billion people. Do we really need to do more than just replace ourselves?

Censorship in Iran! How shocking!

2008-10-09T17:18:00.001-07:00

Seems Iran's leaders think western music is vile and evil and corrupts the morals of their country. Gosh are they misguided. Hey wait a minute, that is exactly what right-wing Christian groups and "pro-family" organizations are doing here in the U.S. Ah well, we're becoming more like Iran every day. Ironic that neither side sees this.
"A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices." - William James

Forgeries and the case for war

2008-10-09T17:17:00.001-07:00

The American Conservative has published another article by Philip Giraldi on the Bush administration's scheming to make a case for war in Iraq. One thing I find compelling about his articles is that they come from an ultra-conservative source. One cannot read this and deride it as liberal-bias or simple Bush-baiting. I also find it refreshing to see that at least some conservatives don't march along lock-step with every tune played by the Bush administration and it's ne0-con handlers. If only a few conservatives in the house and senate could grow a conscience and a set of balls.

Good Night and Good Luck

2008-10-09T17:16:00.003-07:00

Went to see this movie over the weekend. Terrific. One of the best movies I've seen in years. Well-written, wonderfully acted, thoughtfully presented, and just a damn good (true) story. Although it took place in the 50s, it's perhaps as relevant today as any time in the intervening years. What is the place of a free press in a democratic society? How do economic and commercial interests influence your ability to get the facts of a story (or whether a story is presented at all)? How much can politics or intimidation affect whether a story is presented? How much editorializing can a reporter (or their boss) inject before a story is biased?
Go see it. Support this movie.
Then consider a bit about how the press often works today.

Training legions of the ignorant

2008-10-09T17:16:00.001-07:00

"What we need is not the will to believe but the will to find out." - Bertrand Russell
The intelligent design/creationist advocates continue to spread their gospel, and are now forced to defend their position in court. Some parents are suing to keep ID out of schools because they claim it violates the separation of church and state. While I applaud that effort, it's not the most reasonable argument: which is, that ID has NO SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION WHATSOEVER. Of course that doesn't matter to it's proponents. In their attempts to introduce their unsupportable position, they find it necessary to rewrite the definition of science.
"Ah, this doesn't matter," you say. It does matter. When the fundamental principles of science are distorted into something useless, this country's ability to compete scientifically, and indeed economically, will be undermined. Do you care about that? Do you want to raise a generation of superstitious bumpkins that have no chance to solve the problems of the future? Challenges that will require HARD science to address?
The Greeks and Romans advanced science and medicine to the point that they were performing brain surgery over 2ooo years ago. When Christianity gained primacy and replaced science with superstition and dogma, western civilization entered the Dark Ages. During that time, diseases were treated with prayer, bleeding, and leaches. Galileo was persecuted for proposing (based on science) that the earth revolved around the sun. Prayer didn't seem to help with the plague, did it? Might have been better to use science to try and understand what was causing the disease. Europe experienced over 600 years of benighted ignorance and the suffering that accompanied it.
We are in danger of entering a new dark ages if we can't overcome this trend.
Here's an interesting take on the 'debate.'

The breakup of Iraq vs. Yugoslavia

2008-10-09T17:15:00.001-07:00

Since the most recent war in Iraq began, one overarching premise has been supported by almost everyone of all political strips in this country and others: that Iraq should remain a single country and maintain its "territorial integrity." Is this really the best plan? Might not the people of Iraq actually be better off if the country were split into three, roughly following its sectarian divisions?
A comparison with Yugoslavia may be instructive. Both countries had deep and ancient ethnic and religious divisions. Both were held together by a strongman/tyrant. When Yugoslavia dissolved, there were cross-boarder conflicts, but once Milosevic was deposed, they have achieved relative peace and stability. Yes there are still problems and the resulting countries are distrustful and sometimes hostile toward their neighbors and former countrymen. For the most part, however, each country and its residents are able to go about their business with autonomy and determine their own future.
I propose that a similar fate would actually be good for Iraq. The British created the country artificially decades ago. At that time, the people composing the population had the same divisions they do today. If Iraq were to dissolve into three autonomous regions: one Sunni, one Shia, one Kurd, would it really be so bad? They would each have their own state and be able to determine their own fates without interference or worry. There would be no reason for conflict.
Negative consequences are possible, of course. A radical theocracy could arise in one of the offspring countries. A tyrant could take control in another. I think the chances of these scenarios occurring are actually less likely now, though, and if either does occur, it will be much easier for the world to deal with, simply because of scale.

Already I don't like this guy...

2008-10-09T17:14:00.001-07:00

... and he's only been on the job for a few days. But it should come as no surprise.
Our new chief justice is trying to strike down state laws permitting physician-assisted euthanasia. In some ways this is or should be a more important and fundamental right than the right to an abortion. At least in this case there can be no debate about who's life is at stake.
So let's say you have some form of inoperable cancer. Every moment, every breath is agony, and what is left for you is nothing resembling life. At the same time, your family is being driven to destitution by medical bills. You and your family are basically being forced to pay people to torture you. And yet you can do nothing about it because of SOMEONE ELSE'S religious convictions. They get to decide for you whether your life is worth continuing. Your beliefs mean nothing. Your pain means nothing. Your family, your doctors' opinions don't matter. They are the righteous ones and get to decide for you.

Was Hillary right?

2008-10-09T17:13:00.001-07:00

Some time ago, Hillary Clinton used the phrase "vast right-wing conspiracy" to decry what she and Bill felt was a systematic and highly organized effort by powerful and influential ultra-right-wing conservatives to move the country to the right. Republicans and many in the media scoffed, while ordinary citizens reacted with scepticism or complacency. I put myself in the latter category. Events of the past eight years, however, have shown that she was on to something. Here is just one example. It's a quote from Robert Bork who you may remember was denied a seat on the Supreme Court. Check the last phrase:
-----
But conservatives said the disappointment and even anger are shared by a broad cross section of their movement. Appearing on MSNBC's "The Situation With Tucker Carlson," Bork complained that Miers "has no experience with constitutional law whatever" and called her selection "kind of a slap in the face to the conservatives who've been building up a conservative legal movement for the last 20 years." From SFGATE: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/10/08/MNGL9F4GHE1.DTL
-----
When one considers that Reagan abolished the fairness doctrine and how the conservative movement has subsequently taken over much of the media, along with Bush's ramming through extremist or agenda-driven judges, it makes Hillary look prescient.

Freedom ain't on the March (and it isn't free)

2008-10-09T17:12:00.001-07:00

Whenever anyone criticizes the Bush administration, they are summarily accused of being a traitorous liberal, an opponent of democracy and freedom in the middle east, etc. Well, for a conservative view of the war and the Bush administration's handling of it, read this article in American Conservative magazine:
http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_10_24/cover.html

Flight of the Chickenhawks

2008-10-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

Military service is not a prerequisite for being commander in chief, nor is it for serving in an administration at all. It shouldn't be. The Bush administration sets a new standard of ardent hawkishness, however, coupled with a steadfast refusal to serve in military. This great animated cartoon highlights that irony.

Kennedy and the separation of church and state

2008-10-09T17:10:00.002-07:00

With all the bible thumping going on in the White House these days, and the fact that the religious right has basically co-opted the Republican party, I thought it would be interesting to recall what JFK faced when he ran for president: religious bigotry. His response to this prejudice is worth re-reading in times like these.
It's doubtful that the RR would appreciate this anyway, since Kennedy was a philanderer and therefore immoral. Nothing he said could have any value.
Man, how I miss having a president who could actually speak above a fifth-grade level.
(A tip of the lid to M. Hayden)

Gas prices and Hypocrisy

2008-10-09T17:10:00.001-07:00

A few nights ago I was watching the local news (pre-hurricane). They were running a story about the increasing price of gas. The correspondent, attempting some strange verisimilitude, was 'reporting' from a gas station as she filled her giant SUV.
It occurs to me that the people complaining most vociferously about gas prices are the ones that have caused them to rise: those that perseveringly insist on driving gas-guzzlers despite all evidence that this is an economically and environmentally unsustainable thing to do. These people are also the most ardent supply-side conservatives, and yet they don't understand the most fundamental principle of capitalism: that (their) high demand causes prices to rise.
Furthermore, these same conservatives can't acknowledge the connection between oil revenues and the financing of radical Islam. Instead, I've seen ads admonishing people not to smoke pot, because that supports terrorism! Holy crap what a diversion.
On what do I base these assertions? I'll admit I haven't done an exhaustive scientific study to support these claims. However, I see enough Escalades and Excursions on the roads with pro-Bush, pro-war bumper stickers to form a reasonable generalization. Hey, lady with the "I support the troops"-yellow ribbon on the back of your behemoth: you are the reason they are there getting killed.
So what am I doing differently? I have a small car. I was carpooling almost every day, but my carpool companion is not working any more, so I'm resorting to a different approach now. I'll be taking the train as often as possible. We're also going to turn our guest bedroom into a home office, so I'll be able to work from home a fair amount too. Anything to avoid getting in the car.

Nothing is Smooth

2008-10-09T17:09:00.001-07:00

Many years ago, I came upon a facinating book, Three Scientists and Their Gods by Robert Wright. The section I found most compelling described the theories of Edward Fredkin. This book also told the interesting tale of Fredkin's life and the path to his theories.
The foundation of Fredkin's theories describes a universe where all quantities in nature are finite and discrete. That means that nothing is smooth or continuous, that everything is grainy and particulate and that any quantity can be represented exactly by an integer. Also, in nature there can be no infinities or infinitesimals. There is a whole lot more, but everything depends on this principle.
I've recently found some interesting papers published by Fredkin and others. Check them out.
From the horse's mouth: http://www.digitalphilosophy.org/
A great resouce for papers on this and related subjects: http://digitalphysics.org/Publications/
A terrific site with some good explanations and examples: http://www.bottomlayer.com/bottom/finite-all.html
This stuff even wanders around between the worlds of physics, metaphysics, and philosophy, which is another reason I find it interesting. It attempts to address some questions that traditional physics has tended to avoid. I can't say that I've bought into all of it (yet), but it sure gives one lots to think about.

Intelligent Falling

2008-10-09T17:08:00.002-07:00

Back on the soapbox. The Onion came up with a good one recently that parodies the 'debate' over evolution: "Evangelical Scientists Refute Gravity with New 'Intelligent Falling' Theory". Like all good satire, it's close to the actual events.
The approach taken by religious anti-scientists is to take some principle, which although it has a vast body of evidence and proof supporting it, focus on one aspect that is unknown or not completely understood, and use that to refute everything about the principle. Of course they don't apply the same standards to their own positions.
Matt Hayden has some good posts on this subject in his blog. Here's an excerpt from one post:
"So, because the workings of technology are opaque, some people accept it as 'magic' or something like it. And the unwillingness to engage the world on an empirical, inquiring, 'how-does-it-work?' fashion leads to braod acceptance of belief systems that bear no relationship to reality. Who, in their right mind, believes that Jesus' mom was a virgin, really? Or that Mohammed literally had a flying horse? Or that a whole group of people descended from a group of desert dwellers in the near east three millenia ago are the chosen people of god? Indeed, who accepts that there is a beneficient deity at all? Who believes that a statue really has magical powers to heal, or whatnot? Well, obviously someone does. The Jesus-believers are in a war with the Mohammed-believers. Wherever there is religion, there is war. And there is no reason for any of it....just 'my words are better [holier, more sacred, more correct, addressed to the right mighty cloud-being, et cetera] than yours. That's sad. Human beings have a marvelous capability for reason when and if we elect to use it. But when we as a species fail to encourage - indeed, require - reason as the basis for governance and general interaction, we do destruction on a staggering scale. It just takes an act of will to ensure that children are taught to value experience before dogma, and that dogma is invariably suspect, no matter how trustworthy the source."
The Daily Show has devoted this entire week to their exploration of "Evolution Schmevolution", to hilarious effect.

That of which we shall not speak

2008-10-09T17:08:00.001-07:00

Mark Fiore wrote a good animated cartoon last week about our devotion to Petrotheism (virtual religion based on fossil fuel).
People in the US just love those enormous SUVs. Yes, personal choice is an important aspect of any free society, but benighted ignorance of the affects your choices have on the rest of society--indeed the entire world--doesn't promote freedom. It could be your personal choice to throw your trash on the side of the road, but most people don't do that because they realize it affects everyone's life negatively. Somehow, though, drivers in the US fail to make a connection between their purchase of a vehicle that gets 10 mpg, and the price of gas everyone pays. SUV sales are reportedly falling, but not because of a sudden growth of conscience by the American driving public.
Unfortunately, people also fail to make the connection between their choice of vehicle and global political realities. Buying that new Hummer indirectly affects US government political decisions and drives us into military conflicts where we need not be. It also makes us vulnerable to both natural disasters like the recent hurricane and terrorist or military attack. The fact that closure of one port city in the US had a global impact on the price and availability of petrol should serve as a wake up call to consumers and politicians. But of course it won't.

The Road to U.S. Fascism

2008-10-09T17:07:00.001-07:00

My friend Fred has an interesting post on his blog about this topic, so I'd encourage you to read his post. I'm stealing from him and posting here, because I think it's an important topic that deserves as much distribution as possible.

The predictable reaction to this post will be, "what alarmist claptrap", and "it's another liberal attempt to compare GWB to Hitler." This goes way beyond Bush, I'm afraid.
Just to whet your appetite, here's a list of attributes common to fascist regimes. This was published in an essay "Fascism Anyone?," by Dr. Lawrence Britt, a political scientist. He compares the governments of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco, Suharto, and Pinochet and identifies 14 characteristics of fascism. (The following article is from Free Inquiry magazine, Volume 23, Number 2. Read it here.

For those of you who scoff, see how many of these sound familiar to the situation in the U.S. right now:

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism. Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights. Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain case s because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause. The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
Supremacy of the Military. Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
Rampant Sexism. The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
Controlled Mass Media. Sometimes the media are directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media are indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
Obsession with National Security. Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
Religion and Government are Intertwined. Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.
Corporate Power is Protected. The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
Labor Power is Suppressed. Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.
Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts. Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
Obsession with Crime and Punishment. Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
Rampant Cronyism and Corruption. Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
Fraudulent Elections. Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

My own view is that we are far down the path on many of these, and getting started on others.
Fred's original reference to Britt's article came from another paper by Davidson Loehr, a unitarian minister. That interesting reading can be found here.

News Flash! The Earth is flat!

2008-10-09T17:06:00.001-07:00

The religious zealots are at it again, with tacit support from their moronic leader. Unfortunately, the president and too many people in this country are incapable of grasping the fundamental concepts of science and therefore cannot make an informed judgement. Instead they form twisted theories to support pre-conceived dogma. They want to teach creationism as science, yet have NO EVIDENCE WHATSOEVER to support their theory. Zero. More fundamentally, they don't even understand that 'theory' in the realm of science is not based on pure conjecture. They claim that Darwinian theories have too many holes, but don't demand any sort of proof to support creationist theories.
Ok, lets apply the scientific method to creationism.1) Observe some phenomena.2) Formulate a hypothesis to explain the phenomena. (A deity created everything.)3) Conceive experiments to test your hypothesis. (Oops, things are already starting to get tricky.)4) Evaluate the results of the tests. (Now we're really in trouble.)5) Publish results so others can reproduce the test to independently confirm your conclusions. (Our theory is dead if it ever got this far.)
That should result in a pretty short section in any textbook.
Several years ago, I engaged in a creationism/evolution discussion with someone at a previous employer. Part of our deal was that I would read two books she provided on creation science. I read those books, and made notes on every page. As you might expect, those texts were fraught with a lack of understanding of basic science.

GAS

2008-10-09T17:05:00.002-07:00

This is not a reference to fossil fuels or our dependence on them. GAS refers, in this case, to Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. The primary symptom is expressed as a need to obtain more guitars regardless of how many one may already own. The disease especially afflicts acoustic guitarists.
If you have GAS, Santa Rosa California was heaven this past weekend as it hosted the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. This was the third time I've attended this event. If you love acoustic guitars and guitar music, there was no better place on earth to be. The festival featured the work of about about 120 independent luthiers. The quality of the instruments being produced by these people is simply amazing. These are not just guitars, they are functional sculpture: beautiful designs in wonderful wood, that also happen to sound great and produce beautiful music (in the right hands). I played many guitars that were terrific, and although I didn't buy anything at the event, I may end up commissioning a new instrument from one of the builders that impressed me.
The gallery of guitars was the centerpiece of the festival, but there was some great music being produced too. There were feature concerts each night by famous players. In addition, however, there were demonstration concerts going on all day in which fine players would perform on the instruments being shown by the various builders. I really enjoyed these "mini-concerts" because one could hear the instruments from a listener's point of view (as opposed to what one hears as a player), while catching some good music.
Workshops were also offered on a variety of topics for both the luthier and the player.
On Saturday night there was a fun show at the Russian River Brewery. Several people came from the fest to perform. The brewery was pretty loud, but it couldn't squelch the fine music being produced. Great time. Thanks to Bill Hammond from Minnesota for organizing it. Next fest: 2007. See you there!

American Taliban

2008-10-09T17:05:00.001-07:00

No, I'm not talking about John Walker Lindh, the doofus from California that was captured fighting for the Taliban. I'm referring to the fundamentalist Christian tyrants in the U.S. They resent such comparisons, but that is because they are too ignorant to see the irony of their actions and that they are behaving exactly like Muslim fundamentalists in other countries. Let's take a look at what they want:
A theological government.
A judicial/legal system whose laws and decisions are based on their interpretation of the bible, and their morals.
Restricted rights or outright punishment and persecution for anyone that doesn't believe as they do.
Removal of the separation of church and state (as long as their church is running the state).
Outright war with other countries that they see as insufficiently Christian.
How is this any different than the Taliban or the Mullahs in Iran? It's no different.
This whole issue has come to the fore again recently because of the idiotic ranting of Pat Robertson. Of course he is only one of the many American mullahs advocating this sort of violent, jingoistic behavior. It fits nicely with Jerry Falwell and his advocacy that we seek out our enemies and "slaughter them in the name of our Lord." Because of course that is what Jesus would want. The right's wet dream, Ann Coulter, said something similar: "We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity."
I may not be a theologian, but I seem to remember in the Bible that Jesus advocated love and forgiveness for everyone, even those that oppose you.
Today I stumbled across a web site that chronicles the ranting of these ignorant xenophobes.
And then there is "Justice Sunday" (click the Prayback Time link), where the mullahs pray for bullet point two, above.

What defines stupidity?

2008-10-09T17:04:00.001-07:00

Biologists and psychologists have attempted, with their own criteria and methods, to define stupidity. Is it a matter of IQ? Anyone scoring below 80 on a standard test, for example? Since IQ is a continuum, how does one arrive at such a number? Is the method of measurement accurate and fair?

This brilliant thesis takes an entirely different approach. It categorizes a person by their actions and the results of those actions. It's pretty tongue-in-cheek and quite humorous, but it's also supremely logical.

A former colleague showed me this paper back in the late 80s, but since someone has had the good sense to put it on the web, I thought I'd present it to my friends and readers. Learn from it!
(P.S. -- Don't worry, it's not another political/cultural rant.)

Yurts!

2008-10-09T17:03:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend Heike and I recently took a short vacation on the Cali coast; something we greatly enjoy. On this particular trip, we headed south through Monterey and Big Sur, ultimately ending up on the central coast. We stayed at place called Treebones, which is a grouping of nicely outfitted yurts. More luxurious than a tent, but not quite a hotel room. They are on the ocean, so the views were terrific.
When on the central coast, one should always check in on the sea lions. At the time of our visit, only the males were present. They were beginning the moult and sparring a bit in preparation for the return of the females and the subsequent mating season.

Snoopy Hockey Tournament

2008-10-09T17:02:00.002-07:00

I've been playing in the Snoopy Hockey Tournament this week, which concludes today. This was my first tourney, and it was a great time. A friend from my local pickup game asked me to play with his team, mostly composed of guys from the New York area. Nice group of fellows. Thanks all, for letting me play with you. This tournament is more about drinking beer, tailgating, and meeting people than competition, which is the way it should be at my age.
Having said that, I must report that the level of competition was remarkable. Even in the advanced age groups, the skill exhibited was impressive. When you see guys in their 60s and 70s hauling ass up and down the ice it's inspiring.
This was the 30th year this tournament has been held. It was started by the late Charles Schulz of Peanuts fame. Apparently he was quite a hockey fan and enjoyed playing the game quite a bit.

Anyone care for a little Soylent Green?

2008-10-09T17:02:00.001-07:00

You remember the movie. It had that 70s schlocky quality and featured iconic actors Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson. Still, the story is a compelling one, and I believe it will prove prophetic, unfortunately.
The essential scenario of the movie was that microscopic sea-life that serves as the bottom of the food chain was dying. That caused a predictable ripple effect up the food chain until there was little to be consumed by any species at any level.
One thing that gets to me every time I see that movie is that one of the central characters, Edward G. Robinson, is my age in the movie. He was born on my exact day, month, and year. So it makes me wonder: will I meet his fate? I get misty every time I see that euthanasia scene, not for EGR, but for the world.
Have a taste of Soylen Green here

What Century is This?

2008-10-09T17:01:00.000-07:00

Are we entering a new Dark Ages? It seems that fundamentalist thought (of all stripes) has gained ground over reason and science. This is bolstered in the U.S. by a President that seems incapable of understanding modern science or simply ignores it if it doesn't suit his preconceived notions.
I'm just another deluded Darwinist, I guess.

Creating a new blog

2008-10-09T14:58:00.000-07:00

I've been blogging for a while, but have decided to create a new blog here on Blogger/Google. I'll eventually move everything from my old blog here, but in the mean time, you can read the old blog here. Lots more to come.