Strange Associations

There is a cool music website, Pandora, that lets you build your own stations. You put in an artist and it will play a song from that artist and then play music from similar artists. Most of the time it seems to work well; the artists make sense. I put in Metallica and I got Maiden, Priest, etc. Flogging Molly gave me a bunch of Celtic punk music.

Today, though, I got a rather odd selection. I put in Jim Steinman, he of Bat Out of Hell fame (the first two). First up, it played a song from his solo album, Bad for Good. Okay, good. Next, though, it chose a song from Dragonforce.

WTF?

I happen to like Dragonforce. They are an awesome European power metal band with some crazy fast guitar work. But they really are in a different category from Steinman's Wagnerian rock. Both are good and both are over the top, but that's really where the similarities end.

Religion Fact of the Day

Satan was not always the cosmic force of evil he is usually portrayed as now. In the Old Testament, Satan makes very few appearances and he is a member of God's court, as in the Book of Job. There it is clear that he is one of God's functionaries, tasked with roaming the Earth and testing human morality and faith. The tempting serpent in Genesis is just a snake. It was only much later that people linked Satan with the serpent. Not until the Intertestamental Period (200 BCE - 200 CE) does Satan become the eternal opponent of God.

Happy Birthday

Happy 29th birthday to my dear friend, Jeromy. I believe that this is the 20th birthday of his that I have known him. I certainly could not ask for a finer friend. Actually, I don't even think of Jeromy as a friend any more. He is a brother. I feel lucky, blessed in fact, to have someone like him in my life. We should all be so lucky. I know that if I ever need anything I can count on him to help me out no matter what. I also know Jeromy will accomplish great things in his life and I am excited to see where his path lies. So, Jeromy, I hope you had the best of days.


Jeromy having some quality time with his son, Elijah.

By the way, Jeromy, your present is in the mail, though it will probably be a few weeks before you get it. Sorry.

Magic is Real

At least that's what my daughters tell me. I had another talk with them this weekend about why they don't want to read any more fantasy books. I asked them where they got the idea that magic (even the fictional kind)is bad. They told me they had never heard anything about it at church; only their mother and grandmother had ever said anything about it. I asked them if they were told why it was bad. "Because it opens a door for demons to come in."

Sigh.

I asked them if they had ever seen me doing anything evil (aside from reading evil books). They had not. Whew. I then grabbed my copy of the Bible and set it in front of them. I asked them to find a passage in there that said magic is evil. Amazingly enough, Erica was able to find a couple that she said supported her. Both of them were in the book of Acts. First up:

Acts 13:7-12

7He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8But the magician Elymas (for that is the translation of his name) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9But Saul, also known as Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11And now listen—the hand of the Lord is against you, and you will be blind for a while, unable to see the sun.’ Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went about groping for someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord.

Erica was adamant that Elymas was bad because he was a "magician." I asked her if the problem was that he was a magician or that he was opposing Paul and trying to "turn the proconsul away from the faith." She said both, but I said that magician is just his job description. It could say "the blacksmith Elymas." The problem isn't that he is a magician. It is that he is trying to lead people from the faith. She grudgingly agreed.

Her next example was Acts 19:13-19

13Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims.’ 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this. 15But the evil spirit said to them in reply, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ 16Then the man with the evil spirit leapt on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. 17When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. 18Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices. 19A number of those who practised magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books* was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins.

I told her that the problem here seemed to be that these people were claiming to have powers that they didn't have. I also said that many of these people who claimed to be magicians deceived people and conned money out of them. I said magic wasn't any more real then than it is now, but that people would make fraudulent claims about magic (or anything else) to deceive people. Erica and Shaena both agreed that the problem was deceiving people and taking their money. However, Erica hit me with this:

"I believe magic is real."

What? She didn't know anyone who had done "real" magic. She didn't know anyone who knew someone who had done "real" magic. She didn't know any stories of "real" magic being done. But, she "knows" magic is real. I told her that aside from one or two crazy people in the world, no one believes magic is real (yeah, yeah, I know that there is a lot more than one or two. I wasn't going to get into that with her).

I also tried to explain to her the difference between faith and reason. She tried to tell me that it is "obvious" God exists. When I told her that there is no proof for God's existence, she just reiterated her point that it is obvious because "how could everything be alive" if it were not for God. I tried to say that you can't prove God exists and that if there was solid proof there would be a lot fewer atheists in the world. I told her you have to take it on faith that God exists, but that faith is not a bad thing. I told her that my friend, Jeromy, has said he has grown more through faith than reason. She nodded and seemed to think about that.

I left it at that. The whole talk probably lasted a little over an hour. These conversations always seem to leave me mentally drained. Erica was crying a little bit by the time we were done, but she doesn't seem to have hard feelings over these talks. Two minutes later, she gave me a big hug and said, "I love you."

I love you, too, Erica. That's why I won't give up on you and your sister.

One Hip Daddy-O

I mentioned a few months ago that I went to a 1950s theme party for our summer student volunteers at the hospital. I believe I posted a picture as well. Well, one of the adult volunteers, Doug, who was there took a bunch more pictures.

Here I am with my boss, Linda.



And here I am with Linda again and Doug.



This is my co-worker, Jamie.



It was a lot of fun. Many of the kids dressed up and they had some great costumes. I think next year I'll suggest a Star Trek theme, though...

Learning HTML

I am not an HTML expert by any means. I've picked up a few bits here and there, just enough to get me by. I've been wanting to figure out how to add a background color to blockquotes to better set them apart and today I finally learned how. I think it looks much better. Let me know what you think about it.

What To Do About Islamic Terrorism

In a comment to my post about Islamofascism Awareness Week, Muslims Against Sharia said:

And a better way would be?

This was in response to my remark that IAW was not an effective tool for teaching anyone about this serious situation.

I went to their website and it seems like they have a noble purpose namely wanting to reform the current state of Islam. Here are their goals.

* to educate Muslims about dangers presented by Islamic religious texts and why Islam must be reformed
* to educate non-Muslims about the differences between moderate Muslims and Islamists (a.k.a. Islamic Religious Fanatics, Radical Muslims, Muslim Fundamentalists, Islamic Extremists or Islamofascists)
* to educate both Muslims and non-Muslims alike that Moderate Muslims are also targets of Islamic Terror

I agree that Islam is in a bad state today. Many Muslims have failed to adapt to modernity and are lost in our world. There also seems to be a lack of leadership amongst Muslims to carry them forward and lead them boldly into a new state of existence with the rest of the world.

I applaud the Muslims Against Sharia for trying to change this. I disagree with them, however, that Islamofascism Awareness Week is going to help matters. Despite their intentions, events like this only serve to create more division and anger. I know too many people who would hear something about this and it would only serve to increase their notion that "all Muslims are terrorists." They wouldn't look any deeper. I think also that many Muslims would see this and, without looking any deeper, chalk it up as one more reason the West is the enemy of Islam.

Words are important. I'm not saying we have to be cuddly and call Islamic terrorists some p.c. term like, oh, "disgruntled and misunderstood persons who just happen to follow Islam." I think we should have conferences on this subject, but call them something more bland, "Muslims in the Modern Age" or something. Save the harsher words for the actual speeches at the conference where the speaker can give context to his words.

I also think that terms like Islamofascism do the disservice of blending all Islamic terrorist groups together. There are huge difference between al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, the PLO, and all of the other terrorist groups. While they may use similar tactics, they often do not have similar goals. We can't conflate them into one big bunch and expect to be able to deal with them. Each group has to be understood as a separate entity so that we can more properly evaluate their motives and power structure and goals.

To close, I think Muslims Against Sharia have a good purpose. I just don't think they are going about it in the right way.

BoRhap Humor

This video is great. Comedian Rick Miller sings "Bohemian Rhapsody" in 25 different famous voices. He nails not just the voices, but the mannerisms of the singers from Neil Young to AC/DC.

A Secret A Week...

PostSecret

The Theodicy Question

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Christianity is the theodicy question. Why is there evil in the world? Steve over at An Evangelical Dialogue on Evolution writes about it and includes some good links for some various explanations.

This is the problem of theodicy, and it still perplexes modern Christians today. It perplexes me. Over the centuries, Christians have provided many lines of reasoning to address the theodicy issue. However, no single argument has captured Christian minds, probably because none comes without its flaws.

Those who wish to expose Christianity as a sham delight in highlighting the problem of evil. For atheists it is a good strategy since, in my opinion, it is their best (and maybe only good) argument. The other arguments frequently put forward (eg. “I can’t see any evidence for God, therefore he doesn’t exist.”, “There are lots of errors in the bible, therefore Christianity must be wrong”, and “The scientific evidence supports evolution, so God didn’t create the world”) pale in comparison. But theodicy is very difficult, and I suspect that a debate limited only to theodicy would prove very uncomfortable for any Christian.

UPDATE: Fixed spelling error.

Congress Isn't Popular, But Then It Never Is

A new poll shows that 75% of Americans are not satisfied with Congress right now.

"The ratings for Congress overall have been mired in the mid- to low 20s for several months, but for most of the year, Americans have had a positive view of the Democrats in Congress," said CNN polling director Keating Holland. "That's not true any longer -- this poll is the first time we have found majority disapproval for the Democratic leaders' track record since they took control of Congress."

"I think it is important to remember that when Congress performs well, when it actually addresses the big issues of the day, it tends to be rewarded in the public's view of Congress," Binder said. "If today's approval ratings are down in the dumps, we probably shouldn't be surprised. On the big issues of the day, Congress doesn't seem to be doing very much."

The Congress almost never gets very high approval ratings. They don't have the luxury the President gets of being judged on their own since they have to be judged with everyone in Congress including such paramounts of service as Max Baucus. Interestingly (or aggravatingly), though, individual Senators or Representatives tend to rank fairly high with their constituents. "It's the other people in Congress who are screwing up, not the hard-working, selfless person I voted for."

We need to move past that mentality. If Congress isn't doing enough, stop blaming it all on the other States' representatives. Hold your own representatives accountable. If they can't get the job done, vote for someone else. Besides, shaking up Congress more often would probably be good for us all. It's too easy for people who have been in Congress for 20 or 30 years to get complacent and sucked into the mire of the money in Washington.

Religion Fact of the Day

The Five Pillars of Islam are the foundation of the faith. They are:

1) Shahadah - This is reciting the basic creed of Islam. "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is his prophet."

2) Salah - Prayer five times a day at fixed times. The Muslim must face Mecca as he or she prays.

3) Sawm - This is fasting which is most commonly ritual fasting as during the month of Ramadan but can also be done as penance or for ascetic reasons.

4) Zakah - Giving charity to the poor.

5) Hajj - At least once in their lifetime, all Muslims of able body must make a pilgrimage to Mecca.

How Not to Inspire Confidence

So FEMA staff now pose as reporters to ask other FEMA staff "tough" questions. You'd think they would have been a little less obvious about something like this.

Silence is Golden

Someone doesn't understand that freedom of religion does not mean freedom from religion (or moments of silence).

Poetry Time

How about another poem? This is one of my favorites.

Annabel Lee by Edgar Allen Poe

It was many and many a year ago,
In a kingdom by the sea,
That a maiden there lived whom you may know
By the name of Annabel Lee;
And this maiden she lived with no other thought
Than to love and be loved by me.

I was a child and she was a child,
In this kingdom by the sea;
But we loved with a love that was more than love-
I and my Annabel Lee;
With a love that the winged seraphs of heaven
Coveted her and me.

And this was the reason that, long ago,
In this kingdom by the sea,
A wind blew out of a cloud, chilling
My beautiful Annabel Lee;
So that her highborn kinsman came
And bore her away from me,
To shut her up in a sepulchre
In this kingdom by the sea.

The angels, not half so happy in heaven,
Went envying her and me-
Yes!- that was the reason (as all men know,
In this kingdom by the sea)
That the wind came out of the cloud by night,
Chilling and killing my Annabel Lee.

But our love it was stronger by far than the love
Of those who were older than we-
Of many far wiser than we-
And neither the angels in heaven above,
Nor the demons down under the sea,
Can ever dissever my soul from the soul
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee.

For the moon never beams without bringing me dreams
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And the stars never rise but I feel the bright eyes
Of the beautiful Annabel Lee;
And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side
Of my darling- my darling- my life and my bride,
In the sepulchre there by the sea,
In her tomb by the sounding sea.

Finally

Genarlow Wilson, the young man imprisoned for having consensual oral sex with a 15 year-old girl when he was 17, has been freed from prison. The Georgia Supreme Court ruled his punishment was cruel and unusual. That's good news and I am very happy for him. Still, he lost two years of his life because of this. I'd like to think that this whole incident would be a wake up call for people and make us rethink our laws pertaining to issues of teen sexuality, but I'm not holding my breath.

Thank You

A big thanks to the people giving me rides these last two weeks while I have been without a vehicle. My sisters, Sharie and Shawna, have made sure I got to work every day. My father loaned me his car for a day so I could go to a couple of appointments. Jeromy picked me up and gave me a ride to his place so I could join the radio group. Last, but certainly not least, my co-worker, Brenda, has given a ride home everday. It's even been nice enough to put the convertible top down on her Mustang a couple of times.

So, thank you very much to all of you who have been helping me out.

Religious Fact of the Day

The speech Pope Urban II gave to the Council of Piacenza in November 1095 was the spark that lit the fire of the crusades to recapture the Holy land from the Muslims. Though his remark "God wills it!" became very famous and the rallying cry of the crusaders, it is not known if Urban actually said it during that speech or if it was invented later.

The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Condoleezza Rice sounds skeptical that a two-state solution can be reached. Of course, it may have been easier if the Bush administration had made this a priority from the start. As it is, it seems too little, too late.

The Monetary Cost of War

Iraq will end up costing $6,666 per American, all 300,000,000 of us.

A Disaster

That's what we would get if we elected Guiliani. He's not sure if waterboarding is torture. It's "liberal newspapers" that are making this a big deal, because Bush and the torturers are just trying to keep America safe. I wonder what Guiliani thinks of Benjamin Franklin's statement.

They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security

I think the right to not be tortured is an essential liberty even if you are not an American citizen and may be a terrorist.

Homosexuals and Evangelicals

An Evangelical reader of Andrew Sullivan's blog emails him about his thoughts on homosexuality and his experience with a friend who came out.

What made the exchange more poignant is the fact that I’m an evangelical Christian who believes homosexuality is wrong. He knew I was an evangelical Christian, and for some reason, chose to test the waters of tolerance with me. Later, I was on the phone with my sister—a Christianist if ever there was one—I told her the story, and she immediately asked if I’d told him homosexuality was wrong

“Of course not,” I answered, “Do you think, at one of the most difficult moments in his life, I was going to turn it into a nightmare?” I stood squarely for my friend and against my sister.

And yet, my conscience neither condemned nor condoned me for not speaking out.

This is the dilemma for many evangelical Christians. We are passionate about Biblical inerrancy and strongly believe Revelation when it says that those who practice homosexual behavior will not be allowed into heaven. And yet we are also (some of us, anyway) passionate about “speaking the truth in love.” For us, the Bible is the Truth and from that standard everything flows.

Read the whole thing. It is an insightful look at a respectful Evangelical and how they feel about gays.

I have no problem with somebody believing that homosexual acts are a sin. What I do have a problem with is people who take it a step farther and don't treat gays with respect. They are still human beings. Homosexuality is not a choice; people are born that way. Of course you can argue that they have a choice whether or not to act on their feelings, but that is a different matter. Demonizing them isn't going to make them any more likely to come around to your thinking. It will lead, though, to people like Larry Craig and Ted Haggard desperately trying to pretend to be something they are not and acting out on their inner turmoil by oppressing the very people like them.

I also feel that ultimately, if you feel that homosexuality is a sin, it is between the gay person and God. What two consenting adults do is between them and not the business of anyone else. No one is being hurt, so there is no need for anyone else to step in. I guarantee that there is not a gay person in the country who doesn't know what many Christians think about the fate of their souls, so preaching to them about it probably isn't going to make a difference.

What do I know, though? I don't even believe in Hell.

Ron Paul

He may be crazy, but he is a principled crazy.

Indifferent or Overwhelmed

Catherine Martin counters Thomas Friedman's claim that the current generation of 20-somethings is complacent and passive.

We are not apathetic. What we are, and perhaps this is what Friedman was picking up on, is totally and completely overwhelmed. One of the most critical questions of our time is one of attention. In a 24-7 news climate, it is all but impossible to emotionally engage all of the stories and issues you are taking in, and then act on them in some pragmatic way. So instead, young people become paralyzed. (It seems that all of us are a bit paralyzed. After all, what are Friedman's peers really doing? And aren't his peers the ones with the most straightforward kind of power?)

My generation tries to create lives that seem to match our values, but beyond that it's hard to locate a place to put our outrage. We aren't satisfied with point-and-click activism, as Friedman suggests, but we don't see other options. Many of us have protested, but we -- by and large -- felt like we were imitating an earlier generation, playing dress-up in our parents' old hippie clothes. I marched against the war and my president called it a focus group. The worst part was that I did feel inert while doing it. In the 21st century, a bunch of people marching down the street, complimenting one another on their original slogans and pretty protest signs, feels like self-flagellation, not real and true social change.

I do see some of this amongst my own peers. I wonder if the feeling of being overwhelmed couldn't be partially overcome by banding together with like-minded people. A group of friends can come together to discuss things that are important to them. Perhaps one or two who are really into international affairs can focus on the goings on of the world. Another person who is a law junkie can keep up on legal affairs in our country. Someone who has some knowledge of agricultural practices in America can keep everyone updated on the latest in that sector. Monthly meetings can be held for everyone to come together and talk about issues with ideas for how people in the group can help or effect change. Maybe I'm being a bit idealistic, but I think that with the "overwhelming" number of issues we have to face, it only seems logical that a group can better do something about them than an individual.

Knights Templar

I have always been intrigued by medieval knightly orders, including the Knights Templar. I did a paper on them for a class a few years ago (before The Da Vinci Code made them a pop culture icon). Now the Vatican is about to release a document, a papal report, on the Templars that had been misplaced. While it isn't likely to confirm any conspiracy theorist's ideas, it should be very interesting nonetheless.

And while on the topic, I should mention that for those who want a good conspiracy novel involving the Templars, you should check out Foucault's Pendulum.

Religious Fact of the Day

Martin Luther may have begun the Protestant Reformation in 1546 with his 95 Theses, but it was not his intention to break away from the Catholic Church. Luther wanted to reform the Church in many ways, but primarily by ending the sale of indulgences and returning to the idea of justification by faith alone.

Daily Laugh

An excerpt from a conversation I had yesterday at work.

Me: Non-physician staff members are only allowed to have one ID badge.
Employee: What's a non-physician?
Me (trying not to say 'What?!'): Anyone who isn't a doctor - nurses, office workers, engineers...
Employee: Oh.

I had a hard time not laughing. It's a good thing this was over the phone or the look on my face would have given me away.

Islamofascism Awareness Week. Wait...Huh?

This looks like a great way to deal with the problems we are facing.

The purpose of this protest is as simple as it is crucial: to confront the two Big Lies of the political left: that George Bush created the war on terror and that Global Warming is a greater danger to Americans than the terrorist threat. Nothing could be more politically incorrect than to point this out. But nothing could be more important for American students to hear. In the face of the greatest danger Americans have ever confronted, the academic left has mobilized to create sympathy for the enemy and to fight anyone who rallies Americans to defend themselves. According to the academic left, anyone who links Islamic radicalism to the war on terror is an "Islamophobe." According to the academic left, the Islamo-fascists hate us not because we are tolerant and free, but because we are "oppressors."

The "greatest danger Americans have ever confronted?" I guess the Axis Powers were just a bunch of sissies. Well, okay Italy was, but you get the point.

Seriously, the two problems with things like this are that it a)conflates the terrorists into a bigger threat then they actually are thereby giving them more credibility than they deserve and b)it increases the division in our own nation by playing partisan games thereby making the terrorists' jobs easier because we are not standing together as a nation. Terrorism from Islamic radicals is an issue our country needs to face, but that doesn't mean we need to panic about it and have events like "Islamofascism Awareness Week." We raise the terrorists up to our level when we do things like this because we are presenting them as a credible, serious threat. They are not. Yes, they are making plans to kill our citizens and damage our interests around the globe. They are not a nation-state with the money, people, and industry to stage any sort of sustained or serious threat to us.

The three things we need to combat terrorism are solid police work, credible diplomatic efforts, and standing united as Americans. These will eliminate 99% of the problems we face in Islamic terrorists.

The Absurdity of College Rankings

Being inefficient can increase your ranking.

Church Politics

The competition is heating up.

Jesus: Wrong for America

Bill Maher's thoughts on "value voters".

And I know that if you can look at the war in Iraq, the melting environments and the descent of America into "idiocracy," and still think our biggest problems are boobies during the Super Bowl and the "war on Christmas," then you don't have values, you have issues.

If you had "values," you'd draw the line at torture. But a startling number of people who call themselves Christians don't. And I'm pretty sure if you asked, "What would Jesus veto," it wouldn't be health care for sick kids.

Why, it's almost like "values voters" don't really believe Jesus was right about anything. [in mock attack ad voice] "Jesus Christ: wrong on gays, wrong on taxes, wrong on torture, and wrong for America."

I wonder if Beliefnet would let Bill Maher join their blog discussion of Evangelicals. Yeah, probably not. I'm not sure I would want him too, either. He's more amusing when he can wear his comedian hat.

American Evangelicals

Beliefnet has a great roundtable blog discussion about Evangelicals in America. It's not one-sided, either. Jerry Jenkins, a famous evangelical and co-author of the Left Behind series, is one of the bloggers. Also taking part are Hanna Rosin, author of God's Harvard; former Bush aide, David Kuo; sociologist Michael Lindsey; and reporter Jeff Sharlet.

Some excerpts:

Hanna Rosin says:

I disagree with evangelicals on most political issues, so it's hard for me to welcome this development. But what makes me uneasy is not so much the issues as the effect on the political culture. Political disagreements are great - healthy for a democracy, fun for a journalist. But not when those disagreements are loaded with the weight of sin and evil. This generation grew up thinking of Republicans and Christians as twins, and in my experience it's hard for them to separate between those two. Supply side economics is a staple of the Republican party platform, not something dictated by the Bible. Ditto on tort reform, and even gay rights. I would bet that some part of Bush's brain confuses his commitment to the war with his commitment to God.

Jeff Sharlet says:

[Evangelicals are] not "just" anything -- they're the mutant strand of DNA that makes American politics so different from those of other developed nations, the genes that tilt American democracy toward messianic empire. And yet to say that they're "bad" for America is to suggest that there's an America to be neatly distinguished from evangelicalism. I don't think so, and neither do the conservative evangelical leaders -- elite and populist -- I've spoken with over the years. The smartest among them recognize that it's not evangelicals who are becoming more like secular America, but secular America that's becoming more like evangelicals. The example with which Hanna closes -– Hillary's penchant for theological talk -– goes right to the heart of elite evangelicalism's success. Not in the trenches of culture war, but behind the lines.

Jerry Jenkins says:

Before I speak to Hanna's cogent comments re Hollywood, let me say that I have long been uneasy about Evangelicals in positions of political power, largely because I see this as antithetical to the very teachings of Jesus. He was a preacher of paradoxical truth. If you want to be rich, give your money away. Respond to anger with kindness. Love your enemies. Do good to those who spitefully use you. Want to be exalted? Humble yourself? Want to be a leader? Become a servant of all.

The whole discussion is very fascinating especially for someone like me who is very intrigued by the growth of the Evangelical movement. Check it out.

Torture Is Wrong

And it doesn't work. Stuart Herrington, a retired Army colonel and interrogator, writes about torture.

Forty-plus years ago, as fall winds coursed across the Bluff, ethics professor Dr. Arthur Schrynemakers, in a voice of Dutch-accented English that still rings in my memory, declared to my freshman class that ethical principles were absolute. Right was right; wrong was wrong. When he pointed his finger at those of us in the front row and thundered that it was ethically impermissible to commit an evil act and attempt to justify it because that evil act might lead to some future good, we listened -- and some of us remembered.

Coming from this background, it has been disappointing to observe the ongoing debate about torture in interrogation, usually carried out be people who have never interrogated a soul. Nor is it easy to accept that the current debate is framed pragmatically by the question, "Does torture work or not?"

...

One can almost hear the late Dr. Schrynemakers expound on this question. Wagging his finger, he would note that government sanctioning of mistreatment of prisoners by its intelligence officers is an essentially evil act committed in the name of self-defense, which has propelled our great country down a slippery moral slope and imperiled us further.

We need more voices such as Col. Harrington's telling our government we do not want torture to be a part of the American way even if it is terrorists.

In Memoriam

Patrick Roy Kramer: May 6, 1977 - October 22, 2006









In Memoriam A.H.H.

by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Strong Son of God, immortal Love,
Whom we, that have not seen thy face,
By faith, and faith alone, embrace,
Believing where we cannot prove;

Thine are these orbs of light and shade;
Thou madest Life in man and brute;
Thou madest Death; and lo, thy foot
Is on the skull which thou hast made.

Thou wilt not leave us in the dust:
Thou madest man, he knows not why,
He thinks he was not made to die;
And thou hast made him: thou art just.

Thou seemest human and divine,
The highest, holiest manhood, thou:
Our wills are ours, we know not how;
Our wills are ours, to make them thine.

Our little systems have their day;
They have their day and cease to be:
They are but broken lights of thee,
And thou, O Lord, art more than they.

We have but faith: we cannot know;
For knowledge is of things we see;
And yet we trust it comes from thee,
A beam in darkness: let it grow.

Let knowledge grow from more to more,
But more of reverence in us dwell;
That mind and soul, according well,
May make one music as before,

But vaster. We are fools and slight;
We mock thee when we do not fear:
But help thy foolish ones to bear;
Help thy vain worlds to bear thy light.

Forgive what seem’d my sin in me;
What seem’d my worth since I began;
For merit lives from man to man,
And not from man, O Lord, to thee.

Forgive my grief for one removed,
Thy creature, whom I found so fair.
I trust he lives in thee, and there
I find him worthier to be loved.

Forgive these wild and wandering cries,
Confusions of a wasted youth;
Forgive them where they fail in truth,
And in thy wisdom make me wise.

1849.

Another Stupid Lawsuit

A guy who bought a used truck is suing every previous owner of the truck after an axle broke and caused a serious accident. One previous owner tried to have the case thrown out, but the judge said "no way." Wow. The guy owned the truck for a year before this. How ridiculous.

What's next? You sell a copy of The Catcher in the Rye at a garage sale to a guy who goes on to kill someone. Does that mean the person's family can sue you for selling the book? The outrageous nature of lawsuits in the county is getting out of hand.

Unhappy Conservatives

Andrew Sullivan has blogged a lot about his dissatisfaction with the direction of the current party. Many of his readers feel the same way and one has written about what conservatism should be in his opinion.

Which is a roundabout way of saying that the coalition I'd like to see now would have two or three main pillars.

One piillar would be rooted in the idea that less is better than more when it comes to government -- that less regulation is better than more regulation, that decisions ought to be made by people close to problems, that markets ought to sort things out when possible.

Another pillar would be rooted in the traditional processes of our constitutional system, It would be based on an appreciation of the wisdom built into our system -- the value of checks and balances, the necessity of spreading power around, the importance of oversight, and even a real commitment to collegiality and a rejection of smears and ad hominem attacks in political discourse.

The third leg of the tripod, though, is the interesting one, because it's something that comes out of the far left. In fact, it's so far to the left that it wouldn't fit into today's Democratic party. I'd like to see an acknowledgment and rejection of some of the brutality of American foreign policy. I'd like us to explicitly own and reject what we did in places like Iran before the Shah, and in Guatemala.

That sounds good to me, though I would be happy with a lot less partisianship and demonizing of anyone who disagrees with you whether it is on the left or right. We will never accomplish anything great as a nation if we are constantly playing these games of right and wrong. Disagreeing with someone is fine; in fact it is healthy. Calling your opponents traitors or fascists is only going to lead to division and bickering.

One of the Greats

A moving tribute to one of the greatest stars of our generation, Jean-Claude Van Damme.

To celebrate the occasion of his 47th birthday, I sat down with five of his movies I'd never seen, looking forward to a long evening of maximum Van Dammage. It turns out that I'd seen them all. Three of them I'd seen twice. And that's the magic of Jean-Claude Van Damme. Whether he's playing a character named Chance Boudreux, Jack Robideaux, Edward Garrotte, William Guile, Phillip Sauvage, or Gibson Rickenbacker, he's always the same. Some action heroes need a gimmick to stand out. They need quips, a catchphrase, a bullwhip, or a .44 Magnum, but not Jean-Claude. He doesn't stand out at all. He's like the wallpaper.

This is due to his natural limitations. His physical limitations he's overcome through hard work. Jean-Claude Van Damme started out in life as a baby, which was tremendously frustrating for him because babies are, by their very nature, skinny and weak. In adolescence, a thick pair of enormous glasses were added to the equation, and in photos of him at this age he looks like an annoyed duck. Finally, his dad couldn't take it anymore and enrolled him in karate classes. Jean-Claude trained fanatically, took up bodybuilding, and then, realizing that he would never be as big as the other karate students, he trumped them by becoming more flexible, and he took up ballet.

Read the whole thing. It will bring a tear to your eyes.

Cold Medicine Isn't For Kids

The FDA is now saying kids under 6 should not take any cold medicines.

"The data that we have now is they don't seem to work," said Sean Hennessy, a University of Pennsylvania epidemiologist, one of the FDA experts gathered to examine the medicines sold to treat common cold symptoms. The recommendation applies to medicines containing one or more of the following ingredients: decongestants, expectorants, antihistamines and antitussives.
...
Some of the drugs — which include Wyeth's Dimetapp and Robitussin, Johnson & Johnson's Pediacare and Novartis AG's Triaminic products — have never been tested in children, something flagged as long ago as 1972 by a previous FDA panel.

An FDA review found just 11 studies of children published over the last half-century. Those studies did not establish that the medicines worked in those cases, according to the agency.

For the most part, the results from tests in adults have been extrapolated to determine whether the medicines work in children. But even that evidence is "modest at best," said panel chairwoman Dr. Mary Tinetti of Yale University School of Medicine. Indeed, all but one of the 22 panelists then voted to say that extrapolation is unacceptable.

The speed at which people run to the cabinet for drugs for the slightest little thing is amazing to me. Whatever happened to staying home and getting some rest when you didn't feel good? We seem to have developed the notion that we should never have to face bad things so if we don't feel good, get doped up even if the evidence that the medicine does anything is shaky. Until a cure for the common cold is developed, I think people need to learn to live with the symptoms.

Secrets Are My Life

PostSecret

Car Shopping

I'm not sure which is more painful, shopping for a vehicle or the hokey-pokey room. I hate car shopping. Hate, hate, hate it. Car salesmen are pretty close in level to gas chamber attendants as far as I'm concerned. I was stalked around a lot by one salesperson while he talked on his cellphone. Another cornered me and went on and on about his company and their mission. When I found a car I was interested in, I had to sit around playing the back and forth game. "Okay, I'll take this offer back to my manager and see what he says." After about four times of that I got up and walked out when he went to talk to his manager. Then I had to deal with him calling me over and over and leaving multiple voicemails. "I don't know what happened, Shane, but call me." I never answered when he called and I certainly didn't return any of his calls.

Why does shopping for a car have to be such a pain in the ass? Car salesmen have to know most people think they are slimy spawns of Satan. I bet a lot of people, myself included, would pay more for a vehicle if they didn't have to deal with a salesperson. I'm going to have to find a private seller or else I'll never get another car out of sheer annoyance with the whole process.

Who Says Money Isn't Everything?

'Cause it is in poltics. Senator Rockefeller of West Virginia is pushing to give telecoms retroactive immunity for turning over their records to the government. He has also been receiving large amounts of money from them. Big surprise, eh?

American Monarchy?

Slate has a scary article about a Presidential directive to keep the country running in case of a disaster. It is called NSPD-51

I don't want to be alarmist, I have no evidence there's a coup brewing. But I think the American people and their congressional reps deserve some say in how they will be ruled when the ordinary rules go out the window in a national emergency. For one thing, what will happen to the Bill of Rights' guarantees of individual liberty and the courts that are supposed to enforce them?

If you ask me, setting aside any paranoid fantasies, it is clear on the most basic level—read it yourself—that NSPD-51 is the creation of irresponsible incompetents, bulls in the china shop of our constitutional framework. It is a recipe for disaster. For a catastrophe of governance that would match whatever physical catastrophe it followed and threaten the re-establishment of constitutional democracy. It would make the partisan warfare over the 2000 election in Florida seem like child's play. We might recover from a disaster but we might never recover from the "continuity coordination" that followed, "coordination" that could forever undermine any faith in the actual continuity of constitutional liberty in America since it would put it at the mercy of any president who wants to "coordinate continuity" rather than govern legally.

As the author states, it is obviously prudent to plan for disasters. However, the President needs to bring in Congress on this issue. The go-it-alone approach isn't going to cut it. We also need the media to be harping on this more. Aren't they supposed to be the fourth estate? And while Republicans seem to have mostly supported the Bush administration's push for more executive power, I can't see them being so happy about it when a Democrat is in office. I also can't imagine some Democrats (read: Hillary) willingly turning over any power that Bush has so kindly acquired for her.

No matter who is in the White House, this is a nightmare. America is not supposed to be a monarchy.

UPDATE: Fixed typos.

Birth Order

Once the domain of folk wisdom and old wives' tales, birth order is now being seriously studied by scientists.

The importance of birth order has been known—or at least suspected—for years. But increasingly, there's hard evidence of its impact. In June, for example, a group of Norwegian researchers released a study showing that firstborns are generally smarter than any siblings who come along later, enjoying on average a three-point IQ advantage over the next eldest—probably a result of the intellectual boost that comes from mentoring younger siblings and helping them in day-to-day tasks. The second child, in turn, is a point ahead of the third. While three points might not seem like much, the effect can be enormous. Just 2.3 IQ points can correlate to a 15-point difference in sat scores, which makes an even bigger difference when you're an Ivy League applicant with a 690 verbal score going head to head against someone with a 705. "In many families," says psychologist Frank Sulloway, a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, and the man who has for decades been seen as the U.S.'s leading authority on birth order, "the firstborn is going to get into Harvard and the second-born isn't."

The differences don't stop there. Studies in the Philippines show that later-born siblings tend to be shorter and weigh less than earlier-borns. (Think the slight advantage the 6-ft. 5-in. [196 cm] Peyton Manning has over the 6-ft. 4-in. [193 cm] Eli doesn't help when he's trying to throw over the outstretched arms of a leaping lineman?) Younger siblings are less likely to be vaccinated than older ones, with last-borns getting immunized sometimes at only half the rate of firstborns. Eldest siblings are also disproportionately represented in high-paying professions. Younger siblings, by contrast, are looser cannons, less educated and less strapping, perhaps, but statistically likelier to live the exhilarating life of an artist or a comedian, an adventurer, entrepreneur, GI or firefighter. And middle children? Well, they can be a puzzle—even to researchers.

I think that as long as people remember that hard and fast rules are hard to come by in social sciences, studies like this are interesting and give parents something to think about when raising their children.

And for the record, I am a first-born. I guess that means I'm guaranteed brains, fame, and fortune.

Yeah, if only.

Not Just the White House

I've tried to make it clear before that it is not just the Bush administration that is signing off on torture. It is every member of Congress that has not stood up and made an effort to check the President's power (as our government is designed to work). People like Representative Rohrabacher of California who says that extraordinary rendition has saved "millions of American lives."

Even were it true, and none of the evidence I have read suggests it is, I would not support it. It's a slippery road when you say it is okay to hurt someone to save a few lives. How far do you go? Can you torture hundreds of people to save even more American lives? Can you kill people to save American lives? When does it stop?

If you haven't read it, I highly suggest reading the graphic novel Watchmen, which tackles in part the question of whether or not the ends justifies the means.

Religious Fact of the Day

Much of the tension between Jews and Muslims stems from the fact that Muslims have erected the al-Aqsa Mosque (the third holiest site in Islam) and the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount where the Jewish Temple was before being destroyed (first by the Babylonians and then the Romans). Many Jews (and fundamentalist Christians) would like to build the Third Temple there.

Kirk Has Been Cast

J.J. Abrams has found his young Kirk for Star Trek XI. Chris Pine will attempt to fill the boots of William Shatner as the famous Captain. I have not seen him in anything, so I have no clue what he is like as an actor. I'm also disappointed that Matt Damon will not be taking the role. When rumors started swirling that he was up for it, I thought he would be an excellent choice.

I'm still very nervous about this movie. I don't think it will be a complete flop as Abrams is quite talented. Still, I don't want it to be just good. I want it to be awe-inspiring.

The English and Torture

One of Andrew Sullivan's readers writes to him with some background on torture in English history.

But the key to all this litany of pain is that the English stopped torturing, at least officially. The last torture warrant dates from 1642, just before the start of the Civil War. Several reasons have been advanced for the forgoing of torture as a tool of investigation or the discovery of evidence. But the two most pertinent were the recognition that information under torture was not reliable, and even more significant, that the English jury system allowed for juries to find fact, thus eliminating the need to have a confession to prove guilt. In other words: if you trust the rule of law, you don't need to act in ways that would make Jesus weep.

Andrew also addresses one of his critic's notions that his beliefs on torture are "subjective arguments."

My view of what torture is is grounded in the plain language of US law, in the plain English of what torture has always meant, and in the clear precedents of American legal and military judgment. It is based on the Geneva Conventions, American law, American history and the consensus of the entire civilized world for a very long time. And it is grounded in what conservatives themselves used to say about the subject - when waterboarding was used by the Khmer Rouge, when hypothermia, sleep deprivation and stress positions were used by the KGB and when the exact techniques used by Bush were deployed by the frigging Gestapo.

Sigh. How far we have fallen as a nation when we can have serious debates about torture instead being able to stand united in condemning someone who thought it was the proper course of conduct. Sadly, it doesn't seem Bush's latest pick for Attorney General is going to fix things. He won't say whether or not waterboarding and other specific techniques are actually torture or not.

Mirror, Mirror

A group of scientists at Oxford believe they have proved that parallel dimensions do exist.

Too bad Star Trek is way ahead of them:

Dammit! What a Bunch of Shit!

A certain level of cursing may be good for the workplace. I'm not sure how well this would fly at my job (a Catholic hospital), although one of my coworkers and I do swear a bit when no one else is around more as a joke than anything. And the security guards do their fair share of swearing. Aw, hell. Fuck it! I'm swearing as much as I damn well please at my job because it's just a bunch of bullshit anyway!

Healthcare Plans

Whether you agree or nor with increased government funding for health insurance (ala SCHIP) or full on socialized medicine, it can be all to easy for opponents (many Republicans) to fall victim to attacks such as this. I haven't heard any Republicans make any good arguments for keeping our current system. The only thing they seem able to say is "government just makes things worse" or "it takes away personal choice." These may be true, but Republicans need to be seen as something other than best friends with big corporations and rich people, not to mention better articulation why they feel healthcare should remain in the private sector.

Does Anyone Have High Standards Anymore?

So much for Mukasey being a check on presidential power.

Improv Everywhere

I saw a post about these guys, Improv Everywhere, and checked out their website. It's a group of people in New York City who get people together, sometimes dozens, to stage giant pranks. Their latest one was getting over one-hundred guys to shop at at an Abercrombie and Fitch store without their shirts on (all at the same time). They have also had dozens of people riding the subway sans pants, had lots of people dress in blue polos and khakis and invade a Best Buy, stationed a bathroom attendant McDonalds, and planted a "suicide jumper" on a four-foot high ledge." There are lots of others, too.

It makes for some hilarious reading. They have lots of pictures and videos of the events. The reactions of the bystanders are priceless. Maybe I should try to organize something like that around here....

Evolution and Moral Relativism

Steve Martin over at An Evangelical Dialogue on Evolution disputes the notion that belief in evolution leads to moral relativism. It is amazing to me how fearful people can be of science (not Steve, but people such as those who wrote the article Steve comments on).

Religious Fact of the Day

The oldest books in the New Testament are the authentic letters of Paul, the oldest of which, 1 Thessalonians, was written between 50 and 52 CE, twenty years of the death of Jesus.

Church Secrets

Slate takes a look at what is in the secret Vatican archives.

An AG Against Torture?

Mukasey seems to be saying all the right things when it comes to torture. It must be remembered, though, that Alberto Gonzales said the right things in his confirmation hearings, too, though. Mukasey doesn't seem like he will be a Bush toadie, but I'm withholding final judgment until I see what does as AG.

Who's Donating to Whom

A breakdown of candidate donations. Rich people are donating to Clinton. Not-so-rich people are donating to Obama. What does that say about each of them?

"No Pin" Gate

This is why I love Bill Maher. Though I disagree with some of his politics, few comedians have the irreverent sarcastic wit he does. Some things are just so stupid, condescending humor, not a calm and reasoned rebuttal is what is needed. We need people like Bill saying, "And they give cover to people like Sean Hannity, who reported on "no pin" gate and then had to call a doctor because his fake outrage hard-on lasted longer than 72 hours." I laughed my ass off when he said that on his show the other night. You should check it out if you haven't, though you need cable (it's on HBO). One of the few TV shows worth your while.

Can I Slam My Head Against the Wall Now?

I called a mechanic today about my car to see if I could get it in today. When I described what was going on he said he didn't need to see it. "Sounds like you blew a head gasket." He proceeded to tell me that it would cost about $1200 to fix.

So, I didn't bother taking the POS in because I'm not going to sink that much into a car that is 18 years old and has all ready cost me a ton of money and given me a mountain of grief. I really don't want to get into a loan for a car, but I don't see any other options at this point.

Only Tuesday?

I agree with the rest of the nation.

Ha Ha

A reader of Andrew Sullivan's blog compares Hillary Clinton to Galadriel. No, not the usually good, righteous elf, but the one that was tempted by the One Ring to become an all-powerful queen. That's one of the more humorous (and probably true) analogies I have heard for Clinton.

Religious Fact of the Day

Being that I am studying religion and want to teach, I thought it might be fun to have a religious fact of the day around here. Religious knowledge is seriously lacking in this country, so maybe some people can learn something and maybe it could spark some interesting discussions.

Note: I am not someone who believes the Bible is literally true and inerrant. That means you aren't going to see any facts like "God created the world in six, twenty-four hour days." That also doesn't mean that every fact is going to be completely indisputable. Even amongst secular researchers there is a wide variety of opinions on various topics.

If you want to discuss it further, please do so in the comments section or send me an email. Please, though, if you want to dispute a fact, offer up some evidence or a source for your counter-argument. And, no, "the Holy Spirit told me" is not evidence. Not unless you tell the Holy Spirit to come tell me the same thing.

Anyway, without further ado...

The Torah also known as the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) was compiled from oral stories and brief written accounts in the period after the destruction of Solomon's Temple by the Babylonians in 587 BCE. It was basically complete in the form we know today by 400 BCE.

Drug Use

An interesting article on Slate about prescription pill abuse.

That's because over the last two decades, the pharmaceutical industry has developed a full set of substitutes for just about every illegal narcotic we have. Avoiding the highly charged politics of "illegal" drugs, the pharmaceutical industry, doctors, and citizens have thus quietly created the means for Americans to get at substitutes for almost all the drugs banned in the 20th century. Through the magic of tolerated use, it's actually the other drug legalization movement, and it has been much more successful than the one you read about in the papers.

...

That's why drug legalization is happening in a wholly different way. Over the last two decades, the FDA has become increasingly open to drugs designed for the treatment of depression, pain, and anxiety—drugs that are, by their nature, likely to mimic the banned Schedule I narcotics. Part of this is the product of a well-documented relaxation of FDA practice that began under Clinton and has increased under Bush. But another part is the widespread public acceptance of the idea that the effects drug users have always been seeking in their illicit drugs—calmness, lack of pain, and bliss—are now "treatments" as opposed to recreation. We have reached a point at which it's commonly understood that when people snort cocaine because they're depressed or want to function better at work, that's drug trafficking; but taking antidepressants for similar purposes is practicing medicine.

Anymore it seems that the answer to any problem is medicine/drugs. When people get a cold, they drink cough syrup, snort decongestants, pop pain pills, and whatever else they think they need. It's a short jump from there to "I need a pick-me-up. How about some Ritalin?" Why do so many people feel they can't cope with their life without drugs, whether illegal or not?

Father Issues

PostSecret

Awesomely Bad Video

This lady must be competing for some sort of anti-talent show.





The Emperor feels a disturbance in the force.

What Kind of Reader Are You?

One of those silly online quizzes. I am...

What Kind of Reader Are You? Your Result: Dedicated Reader You are always trying to find the time to get back to your book. You are convinced that the world would be a much better place if only everyone read more.
Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
Literate Good Citizen
Book Snob
Fad Reader
Non-Reader
What Kind of Reader Are You? Create Your Own Quiz

Try it yourself here.

UPDATE: Obviously their html doesn't work too well. You are ranked in each of the categories listed above. While the percentages aren't visible, they are listed from highest to lowest, so my highest category was "Obsessive/Compulsive Bookworm." Sounds about right.

Interrogations

A former Army interrogator writes about some of his experiences including the slippery slope to torture and the need to understand our enemy rather than simply demonizing them.

Nearly six years after the 9/11 attacks, we've succeeded in killing a lot of people. We've invaded two countries, captured thousands of terrorists, and set up new, democratic-style governments in place of the dictatorships we ousted. It has been an incredibly therapeutic six years -- at least it felt good at the beginning -- but it hasn't been effective at stopping or even slowing terrorism.

The people who decide our counterterrorism strategy are far better informed than I, but I suspect that, when we are successful, it will be because we recognize our enemies as human and develop plans that recognize their humanity. We need to be tough, and we shouldn't back down from a fight, but we also need to learn that empathy can be as powerful a weapon as missiles.

I wish more of our leaders in the White House, Congress and the Courts would think like this. And act on it.

Cursing

Steven Pinker is a well-known psychologist who has done a lot of research in linguistics. Over at The New Republic, he has a fascinating article on swearing, why we do it, its history, censorship, and so on. I have always been interested in why some people make such a big deal out of it. I do not swear frequently, and I try to be careful about who is around when I do, but I have never found it personally offensive. As Pinker mentions in his article, I wouldn't want to take away all of the power of swearing by making it mundane and commonplace thereby losing something from our language, a way to stress something or express great emotion. At the same time, I do think some people make too big a deal out of it.

The Search for Self

At least this guy tried. Most people don't seem to get that far.

The Car Woes Continue

Readers may recall that I was having a lot of difficulty with my car a couple of months ago and two different shops could not figure out the problem. Mysteriously it went away and has run fairly well since then.

Alas, my respite is over and my car is now acting up again. I noticed over the last two days that is has been idling roughly. Last night, after eating dinner at Olive Garden with my mother and daughters, the car did not want to start unless I revved the gas. It felt rough all the way home and by the time we got there, it was smoking profusely from the exhaust. I tried to start it again an hour later. It wouldn't unless I revved it and then I got a huge plume of smoke from the back end. Needless to say I didn't drive it anywhere and now, once again, I have transportation issues to figure out.

I wonder if I have offended the car gods in some manner. Perhaps a sacrifice of some sort is in order to appease them and let them end their punishment of me.

Speaking Too Soon

I recently wrote about my excitement in sharing some of my favorite books with my daughters including the Dragonlance Chronicles. They have really been enjoying it and I've been thrilled that they haven't been preaching to me about the evils of books and movies with gasp, the horror...magic.

Well, it seems that horse has reared its head again. At dinner tonight, Erica told me that she did not want to continue reading those books because she realized she "wasn't setting a good example" of being a Christian, that the books are "evil," and she has a "strong feeling" God doesn't want her reading them. After some prodding, she admitted that this came about because she told their grandmother, Lisa, why they were late coming home last week (just one more chapter, Dad?) and she flipped out. Yes, she is my ex-mother-in-law, but she is genuinely mentally disturbed. Despite the verbal abuse my daughters take from her (a short time before this discussion, Erica told me about wanting to shake Lisa), they believed her (it's reinforced with their mother and church, too) and realized that, yes, fantasy novels are a tool of the Devil to lead people astray and into the pits of Hell.

I'm amazed sometimes that I am able to remain calm during these situations and not shout, "Think about what you are really saying!" but I do. I just question my daughters and force them to articulate exactly how they feel about the books. Why are they evil? Other than reading these books and believing something different from you, have you seen my, your father, doing anything evil? If you have free will, how can a book give you bad thoughts and make you evil? What, exactly, is a "good" Christian? Does your mom, grandmother, or church give you a reasoned argument for why these books are evil or is it just "they are because we said so?" Why is this fiction bad, but other types are not?

Of course, my daughters cannot give any good answers for questions like these. I know that, but I force them to really think about it. Erica was crying by the time we were done, but she did admit she liked the book before Lisa said anything to her. I was hoping our talk would be enough to convince them to read tonight, but they didn't want to, at least not Dragonlance. These battle are so wearying mentally, but I can't, won't, give up on my daughters. I owe them that.

Another Trek Flick

So, J.J. Abrams is delivering his take on the Trek universe next year. Apparently many fans are cautiously optimistic. I'm a little more ambivalent.

On one hand, I do think that the characters, especially the Holy Trinity (Kirk, Spock, and McCoy) are iconic enough that they have transcended their portrayals by Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelly. I don't have a problem with revisiting these characters. On the other hand, I don't think that a movie is the place to do it. Part of it is that it is going to contradict previous continuity while still ostensibly being a part of it. I also think that of the six Original Series movies, the only one that really lived up to the potential of the series was The Wrath of Khan. Even if you aren't a big fan of Star Trek, you can't really deny that it is a kick-ass movie. Sure, III and VI were decent, I and IV less so, but not bad. There's rumors of a fifth movie, but I'm sure that's all they are is rumors.

So, I'm not sure what to think about the new movie. I do think J.J. Abrams is talented and if anyone is going to pull it off, he can. I was excited about the prospect of Matt Damon playing Kirk. I think he would have been a damn fine James T. Kirk, but alas it won't be him. We'll see.

I've have actually fantasized for a long time about being the lead writer on a Trek TV show that remade The Original Series. As much as I love it, I don't think that TOS ever lived up to its full potential. I would kill to be the lead writer/producer on this show. It would be five seasons, with the broad arc plotted ahead of time, and a healthy mix of one-off episodes and multi-arc stories. It would retain the swashbuckling adventurism and exploration of societal issues that the best episodes had while being brought together into a cohesive whole. Sure it's perfect in my head, but I think I could make it a darn good reality. Are you listening, Paramount?

Titan Pictures

Titan is one of the more famous satellites in our solar system because of the presence of water. Since life as we know it requires water, Titan could be a source of life (not flying saucers and grays, but bacterial life or primitive plants). The Cassini probe has taken some new pictures of Titan. Very cool stuff.

Hellfire and Damnation

I see I'm not the only one who has to deal with stuff like this. My daughters are much better about it than they used to be. There is a lot less tears and saying "You're going to hell" than there ever used to be. Still it is galling to me that my daughters (and other children) are being raised this way. It is psychologically traumatizing for a child to believe that one of their parents is destined for eternal torment. Not to mention that it can put a huge wedge in a relationship. Is that what Jesus would do?

Guns. We Need Lots of Guns.

I caught part of a story on NPR driving home today about an Oregon teacher who wants her school to allow her to carry a gun on campus. She has a conceal-carry permit and is worried about her ex-husband doing her harm and all of the school shootings.

Now, leaving aside the actual argument of whether or not this is a good idea, I want to address one of the arguments she gives for allowing it. It is one I have heard frequently from gun-rights activists. "It's my second amendment right." These people seem to think that because it is a right, there can be no limits on it whatsoever. Unfortunately for them, that is not the case.

Free speech is a right, but we put limits on it. You can't shout "Fire!" in a theater just because. You can't tell deliberate lies about someone or something in a newspaper. I don't think anyone (well, I'm sure there is some nut who would disagree) thinks that these limits are bad. Why should it be different for the right to bear arms. Why shouldn't there be limits on it as well? The teacher in the story dodged the question when she was asked why she should be allowed to bring a gun to school when she couldn't take it into a bank or the federal building. She played the card of "we need to make sure our kids our safe" and "you never know what's going to happen."

Fear has become the basis for far too many decisions in America. I'm not saying we shouldn't take steps to be safe, but I am saying we need to stop making decisions based on "Oh, my God! What if?!"

Sue Crazy

A cop is suing a family she helped. She assisted in rescuing their one-year-old from a pool. The child survived, but suffered serious brain damage. The cop slipped in a puddle of water in the house (a puddle left by wet people who were trying to rescue the kid) and broke her knee. She is suing the family for "unspecified damages."

Eichhorn's attorney, David Heil, said she now has persistent knee pain and will likely develop arthritis. He said city benefits paid by workers' compensation and some disability checks helped with medical bills, but it wasn't enough. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.

"It's a situation where the Cosmillos have caused these problems, brought them on themselves, then tried to play the victim," Heil said.

When is the lawsuit insanity going to end?

Laws Against Helping People

This is appalling. How do people sleep with themselves at night when the pass laws against feeding people, e.g. the homeless. Oh yeah, it's because too many people see the homeless as lazy bums rather than human beings like them who have mental problems or have fallen on very hard times. These people typically don't have support networks. Making it illegal for people to feed them just makes it more difficult for the homeless. Ignoring them isn't going to make the problem go away.

I'm sure my friend, Jeromy, can offer some more thoughts on this as he has done a lot of work with the homeless.

A Couple of Poems

I came into work later than usual yesterday and today giving me a chance to hear The Writer's Almanac on NPR. It is one of my favorite features on that show and they didn't disappoint offering up two great poems.

"They'll" by Cheryl Denise

take your soul
and put it in a suit,
fit you in boxes
under labels,
make you look like the Joneses.

They'll tell you go a little blonder,
suggest sky-blue
tinted contact lenses,
conceal that birthmark
under your chin.

They'll urge you to have babies
get fulfilled.
They'll say marriage is easy,
flowers from Thornhills
are all you need
to keep it together.

They'll push you to go ahead,
borrow a few more grand,
build a dream house.
Your boys need Nikes,
your girls cheerleading,
and all you need is your job
9 to 5 in the same place.

They'll order you never to cry
in Southern States,
and never, ever dance
in the rain.

They'll repeat all the things
your preschool teacher said
in that squeaky too tight voice.

And when you slowly
let them go,
crack your suit,
ooze your soul
in the sun,
when you run through
the woods with your dog,
read poems to swaying cornfields,
pray in tall red oaks,
they'll whisper
and pretend you're crazy.

"The God Who Loves You" by Carl Dennis

It must be troubling for the god who loves you
To ponder how much happier you'd be today
Had you been able to glimpse your many futures.
It must be painful for him to watch you on Friday evenings
Driving home from the office, content with your week—
Three fine houses sold to deserving families—
Knowing as he does exactly what would have happened
Had you gone to your second choice for college,
Knowing the roommate you'd have been allotted
Whose ardent opinions on painting and music
Would have kindled in you a lifelong passion.
A life thirty points above the life you're living
On any scale of satisfaction. And every point
A thorn in the side of the god who loves you.
You don't want that, a large-souled man like you
Who tries to withhold from your wife the day's disappointments
So she can save her empathy for the children.
And would you want this god to compare your wife
With the woman you were destined to meet on the other campus?
It hurts you to think of him ranking the conversation
You'd have enjoyed over there higher in insight
Than the conversation you're used to.
And think how this loving god would feel
Knowing that the man next in line for your wife
Would have pleased her more than you ever will
Even on your best days, when you really try.
Can you sleep at night believing a god like that
Is pacing his cloudy bedroom, harassed by alternatives
You're spared by ignorance? The difference between what is
And what could have been will remain alive for him
Even after you cease existing, after you catch a chill
Running out in the snow for the morning paper,
Losing eleven years that the god who loves you
Will feel compelled to imagine scene by scene
Unless you come to the rescue by imagining him
No wiser than you are, no god at all, only a friend
No closer than the actual friend you made at college,
The one you haven't written in months. Sit down tonight
And write him about the life you can talk about
With a claim to authority, the life you've witnessed,
Which for all you know is the life you've chosen.

And the Hits Just Keep on Coming

This is not good news for those hoping the Supreme Court would put the brakes on the administration's torture policies. They are set to look at a related case involving Gitmo detainees. Maybe this one will have better luck.

Still, it is amazing to me that a president as criticized and unpopular as Bush is still seems to get his way on so many things. Congress can't (or won't) do anything to stop him. The Courts aren't checking his power much. It seems the politicians and judges are split between "torture is a-okay" and "I might get hurt politically if I make a real stand, so I'll just make a lot of noise without doing anything substantial."

George Washington would be proud.

Obama's Religion

Andrew Sullivan has an upcoming essay for the Atlantic dealing with religion in politics which I am looking forward to. Today he gave a brief excerpt from an interview he did with Obama for the piece.

AS: This is I think one of the more (to me at least), the most interesting part of your candidacy. Because we live in a world in which atheism - militant, contemptuous atheism - is on the rise. Religious fundamentalism is clearly the strongest force. Your faith - this thought-through intellectual faith, in many ways, but also a communal faith – is beleaguered, isn’t it?

BO: You know, it doesn't get a lot of play these days. But, you know, reading Niebuhr, or Tillich or folks like that—those are the people that sustain me. What I believe in is overcoming - but not eliminating - doubt and questioning. I don't believe in an easy path to salvation. For myself or for the world. I think that it’s hard work, being moral. It's hard work being ethical. And I think that it requires a series of judgments and choices that we make every single day. And part of what I want to do as president is open up a conversation in which we are honestly considering our obligations - towards each other. And obligations towards the world.

AS: But you don't think we're ever going to be saved on this earth do you?

BO: No. I think it's a ... we're a constant work in progress. I think God put us here with the intention that we break a sweat trying to be a little better than we were yesterday.

Obama's faith comes off as genuine to me from what I have seen of him. Still, the marriage of religion and politics is scary to me and it is worse this campaign season. I think it is great if a politician has a particular set of religious beliefs that guide them in life. I don't think it should be paraded for everyone to see or as a litmus test of whether or not to vote for someone. Don't vote for Romney not because he's Mormon, but because he will say anything to get a vote and wants to "double Guantanamo." On the other hand, don't vote for Obama because he seems to be a good Christian, but because you like or agree with his policies.

Out of the Mouths of Babes

My niece, Alexis, three years old just came into my room. Shawna just bought her a new dress because they are going to visit West Yellowstone where my friend Patrick died in a car wreck last October. We started talking about her dad and had this exchange.

Me: "Patrick was my friend."
Alexis: "He's still your friend."

Yes, he is honey. Yes, he is.

Keychain Love

My daughter, Erica, gave me another keychain last weekend. She made one for me awhile back and I used it, but it broke, and I never got it replaced. Truth be told, I don't really like keychains. I don't like having anything in my pocket, and keychains just make it worse by making my keyring bigger. When I pulled my keys out of my pocket at work today, though, I looked at the keychain and got a big smile on my face. Thinking about Erica making that keychain and the smile on her face as she put it on my keyring and the look she gave me when she handed it to me filled me with so much joy. I don't like keychains, but I love this one as a reminder of her. I wouldn't give it up for anything.

So We Are Moving

My Mom talked to her realtor today. She had been exploring options for my Mom to keep this house or at least be able to purchase another one. Unfortunately neither option is going to happen. My mom can't get approved for a loan high enough to cover the remaining cost of the house and get my brother his equity. What she can get approved for is not enough to get her anything near what she would want.

I imagine it will be very soon. Shawn is desperate to get to Missoula not only to be with his "true love," but because he has it so rough here. *eye roll* He's been telling Shawna that he's got it rough here because he's sleeping in the laundry room with the cat litter box (I offered to give him his room back, but he declined). My cat knocks over his water glass (I've told everyone that it's something he's not going to be broken of, so don't leave 'em lying around). And he "has to" fix the basement bathroom sink (No one asked him to and Mom was going to hire someone to look at it). Shawn is a very unhappy person right now and it's just going to get worse the longer he is here. Of course, he is not self-aware or wise enough to understand that nothing here is making him unhappy, nor is his girlfriend going to make him happy. That comes from within. I just hope he learns that sooner rather than later.

In the mean time, Mom and I have to move. I hate moving because it's such a pain in the ass, but I hate more the pain my mom is feeling right now because of all of this.

It Ain't Easy Being Green

Barack Obama announced his plans today for dealing with global warming, and Matt Yglesias likes the looks of it.

The Uber-Family Circus

I never understood the appeal of The Family Circus. It was never funny or insightful. This is a version of the comic that I could get behind, though. The pairing of Nietzsche's words with Bill Keane's drawings makes for a strip that is actually very amusing.

Wow

A church sign I ran across:

"Reason is the greatest enemy faith has."

I don't know where to start. Weren't we given a brain by God? Doesn't it make sense that God would give us something he expects us to use? I suppose "making sense" is a product of reason, so I guess people that put signs up like this don't realize this.

Still Rockin'

It's great to see classic hard rock/heavy metal bands from the 80s coming out of hiding and touring. Somebody needs to show the darn kids these days what good music is.

Huh?

I understand "diff'rent strokes fer diff'rent folks" and all that, but sometimes I really wonder. Is this something that this couple will look back fondly on? Will they get misty-eyed thinking about the "magic" of the moment? Will they give each other that "look" while they recount their story of getting married at Wal-Mart to their grandchildren?

Whatever floats their boat, I guess.

Still...Wal-Mart? I feel dirty just driving by one of their stores.

Evangelicals and the Military

I believe that evangelicals end up doing more harm than good to their cause with stunts like this. Attempting to force your beliefs on others or at least making them uncomfortable in their own faith is a travesty and just makes you look like an inconsiderate bully. Yes, atheists do this, too, and it's just as unacceptable then. What ever happened to respect?

Science and Morality

Changes in science and technology come so rapidly anymore that we don't have time to understand the full ramifications of them before we are forced to deal with them.

Tony Frudakis, a molecular biologist, has been doing some groundbreaking work in DNA encoding. With a sample, he can predict someone's race with 99% accuracy, iris color with 96% accuracy, and is close to having accurate prediction of height and skin color. He has used this to help in a few forensic cases which is what he has been developing it for, but business is not booming. Many people are scared of the implications of this and fear it could lead to someone "proving" that one race is superior to another. Even the prosecutor from one of the cases he helped solve is uncomfortable with it.

But even the people one might think should be his biggest allies aren't supporting that, including Tony Clayton, the special prosecutor who tried one of the Baton Rouge murder cases. Clayton, who is black, admits that he initially dismissed Frudakis as some white guy trying to substantiate his racist views. He no longer believes that and says "had it not been for Frudakis, we would still be looking for the white guy in the white pick-up truck." But then he adds, "We've been taught that we're all the same, that we bleed the same blood. If you subscribe to the (Frudakis) theory, you're saying we are inherently unequal."

He continues: "If I could push a button and make this technology disappear, I would."

I understand some of the discomfiture, but I strongly disagree that Frudakis is saying people are unequal. I think his work shows that people are different and that some of those differences can be found in our DNA. The science of our DNA is plunging ahead rapidly and we need to have a national dialogue about it. People need to be educated on the topic to eliminate some of the misconceptions. It's going to go forward whether or not people are comfortable with it or like it, so people need to know what DNA is and what DNA tests can/cannot do in order to form at least somewhat informed opinion.

Another Week, Another Secret

PostSecret

Winter is Coming

We had some snow today. It only hit parts of town and not where I live, but I still was upset. Well, not upset, but certainly not happy. It's supposed to warm back up over the next few days, but it won't last. It's getting back to that time of year. I told a co-worker the other day that I can't wait to be living somewhere where people think it's cold when it's below sixty, it snows every couple of years (maybe) and the town just down because people don't know how to handle it. That sounds nice to me. If I get homesick for snow and cold (*snort*), I can look at pictures.

Dragonlance and the Next Generation

I've been reading the Dragonlance Chronicles trilogy to my daughters over the last couple of months. After tonight we have only one chapter left in the first book, Dragons of Autumn Twilight. They have been very excited about it, especially Shaena, and are constantly bugging me to read "one more chapter." I first read the series back in junior high and it is an enormous pleasure to share my love of these books with my daughters.

Sometimes I find myself really amazed at the impact a parent has on their children. Sure, most people understand the big things, teaching your children right from wrong and all that good stuff, but it goes down to the smallest things. I've introduced my daughters to Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Dragonlance, and many other things I enjoy. They like these books and movies now, too. If I had never shared these with them, would they even know about them or be interested in them? Will they share them with their kids in the future? It's almost scary thinking about these things. I hear them repeating phrases of mine or espousing opinions of mine (without fully comprehending them) and I just shake my head. There are two lives being shaped like clay in my hands (and their mother's unfortunately). Who am I to have that power?