Rose-Colored Americans

Honor Code
Is the honor code an American phenomenon?  I had assumed it was the commonly understood standard by which all people expect themselves and others to live up to; however, a friend from France/Belgium/Angola told me the idea of an honor code is an American concept.  She tells me for the rest of the world if you can get away with it while advancing yourself, the ends justify the means.  A crude definition of the honor code: honestly taking credit for your own work (giving credit where credit's due).  Friends from India corroborate the lack of this "American" code by pointing out the rampant cheating that occurs in schools, particularly note passing during exams.  My Indian friends somewhat rationalized it by saying how difficult tests are in India; everyone there is doing it and you are at a disadvantage if you don't do it yourself.  Another way to look at this is the opposite of honor: what is shameful?  According to the honor code, dishonest gain is intrinsically shameful.  In a society where such a code is not commonplace, the only shame is getting caught in the dishonest act.  So my Indian friends tell me if you choose to not advance yourself for the sake of honesty, you are considered a fool.

Why is this is so important?  Society cannot be sustained by perceptions.  We need concrete, usable production and real results.  Without the honor code people will try to and have cut corners.  An example of this is the melanin-milk scandal in China:  Use watered-down milk mixed with melanin to give the impression of "normal" protein content.  Sell this pseudo-milk to families which feed it to their babies, whom then suffer permanent kidney injury and death.  Whatever happened to taking pride in the quality of the work you do?  Is this how things devolve when there is no one to answer to?

Perhaps it is not American per se as reflected by past European discourse on virtue.  Instead it looks "American" because the erosion of the West's Judeo-Christian ethic ("Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor") has not penetrated the U.S. as deeply.  A universal outcry still arises when we catch someone taking credit for another's work.  So in may places there remains an expectation of honor in others but not of yourself because you want to keep your vices.  This is also is hypocrisy.  "Hypocrisy is the compliment vice pays to virtue." (Francois de la Rochefoucauld)


Win-Win
Is the concept of win-win also an American phenomenon?  At least in the West, it is an understood bargaining position.  A manager in manufacturing went to Korea to help set up a plant.  In his efforts to bargain he found they never heard of win-win.  He tried to provide a "win-win" compromise however the Korean negotiators said they didn't understand win-win.  So he explained it meant both his company and their company benefited from this setup.  Their response was, "We don't care whether your company wins. I want to win. I want to win."  I want to think this is an issue of something loss in translation; otherwise, how could negotiations proceed?

These two ideas of honor code and win-win make me think there is a sort of naivety that American's have of the world around them.  People do not play by the same rules.  This isn't a call for cynicism but a look at our assumptions.  The U.S. is not above greed nor selfishness but our cross-cultural discourse need such awareness.

Hitchens Lennox Debate

The debate on "Is God Great" between atheist journalist Christopher Hitchens and Christian pure mathematics professor John Lennox at University of Alabama Birmingham was an event where two individuals not only appealed to reason but also to emotion. I found Lennox more capable of grasping philosophical and logical angles. Hitchens' arguments hinge not on debating creation vs. evolution but on two main posits:

1. God is cruel for creating all things while allowing suffering and designating individuals for Hell; and,
2. Individuals claiming to follow or represent God commit atrocities.

Responding to the first posit, Lennox also plays the "cruelty" card. Atheism permits only the impersonal forces of material interactions. For Lennox, the random forces of chance are cruel in rendering all things meaningless and worthless: you are just a combination of programmed responses to physical stimuli and chemical reactions.  As for the second, Lennox points out that, logically, a purely atheistic system precludes any objective morality, thus the system is permissive of atrocities. He keenly points out that, yes, people identifying as Christians have committed atrocities but this is in violation of Christianity; whereas, atheists commit atrocities without violating atheism.  The amoral atheistic system results in an endgame where Might does make Right; the fittest do survive; and Nietzsche's Übermensch–a superior race–should dominate.  The fallacy in Hitchens' worldview then, is the absence of objective goodness, which if Hitchens is to remain consistent, he could not deign something or someone as "not great"–as his book title proposes.  In this debate Hitchens partially concedes this lack of objective morality in Atheism, but he still admits that he still thinks morality does exist.

What is considered cruel then? For both individuals, cruelty takes on forms of determinism.  Hitchens essentially asks: If God is [omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, perfect, good and loving], does He orchestrate the entire composition and circumstances of an individual, knowing full well that this very person is thus fated to commit evil, reject God, and be sentenced to Hell?  Is one unavoidably faced with harm and folly?  Does God orchestrate the suffering of millions over time?  Such questions address the problem of evil and destiny that any worldviews should attempt to answer.

Lennox counters by portraying the cruel determinism of atheism.  Under such a system we are irrevocably compelled to act and behave because we as electrochemical-soup-sacks are all "dancing to our DNA" (quoting Richard Dawkins).  No matter how terrible our actions or their consequences, everything and everyone is just moving, colliding, and drifting for no reason at all.  Disaster strikes, suffering happens without any explanation.  Life is meaningless.  Atheism doesn't allow you to "make your own meaning" because you're just fooling yourself.

Coming from a Christian background, I propose the overlooked characteristic in [blue list] is that God is also just.  If God's measure of goodness is perfection then His measure far exceeding human standards.  Bring justice in and everyone is left guilty and at fault with God.  Does this then remove choice and free will?  Not necessarily, a choice is to be had but the reward and consequence are in stark contrast: eternity with God or eternity separated from God.  Is such an opportunity to choose even offered?  According to the Christian worldview, the Book of Acts shows that, "Yes," this is the offer:

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. -Acts 17:26-27

Such questions seem much more critical than the question of origin (creation-evolution debate). It is ironic then that Hitchens claims solace only in science but directs his efforts at philosophical issues removed from science. My minor gripe for Lennox is that he states that God bestowed on humans "infinite value."  Yes, we cannot put a price on human life, but are humans of infinite value?  Wouldn't that warrant redeeming everyone?  By Lennox not providing further justification, I believe he actually meant intrinsic value.

Steve Jobs

An orphan, dreamer, dropout, Steve Jobs became an icon in business, innovation, marketing, design, music, art, education.  He was opinionated, driven, emulated, visionary, and inspiring as a futurist.  He lived and spoke as if every moment of each day mattered and every decision informed by uncompromising quality (and aesthetic).  His intensity and attention to detail resembled Howard Hughes' days of brilliance also burning bright and ending too soon.  Disney's Iger put it well in noting: "...it feels like he was just getting started."  His commencements speech at Stanford best showed an understanding and familiarity in his struggles.  With Pixar and Apple, Steve Jobs built company cultures of pursuing greatness, never less, and always moving forward.  Consumers remain in continual anticipation of the next wonder.  And for the tech industry, Jobs seemed to have exclusive access to the "crystal ball" to when and which new ecosystems were to spawn.  Forgoing market research groups, Steve was uniquely attuned to the human experience.  He looked past the digital and worked in ideas, emotions, and meaning to somehow distort reality and captivate.  Ultimately he was so effective in connecting and leading because he loved and was a true believer in what he did.

Grizzly Man - Movie Review

Grizzly Bear
Originally uploaded by blmiers2.

I watched the documentary Grizzly Man narrated and arranged by filmmaker Werner Herzog. The film is a character study of Timothy Treadwell, the self-proclaimed protector of grizzly bears, one of which violently tore apart and ate both Timothy and his girlfriend. The last character-study-type film I saw was There Will Be Blood, also a tragedy but I find myself reacting so differently. This was reality. Timothy Treadwell was both lost, wanting to get lost, and became lost in such different senses. A back injury had ended his college diving scholarship; thus his schooling and the path of life became so easily unhinged. Acting pursuits fizzled and many relationships were fleeting. He so desired and sought after a significance he could not find in humanity.

Treadwell was an unconventional naturalist, an emotionally mixed up nature worshiper and who became increasingly paranoid and angry at human beings. Most naturalists would work to preserve by minimizing the human footprint, and acknowledged a difference in the nature of man and the nature of animals. Treadwell repeatedly wanted to and did become entangled in nature and thus many say he lacked a healthy respect for nature and the boundary that separates humanity from nature. He had an acute sense of loneliness and did not have answers and was drawn towards nature which cannot choose to reject you in its indifference. Instead, nature became idealized, fantasized, and creatures were anthropomorphized as innocent children. Treadwell seemed to voice both the danger he put himself in while simultaneously overlooking or ignoring its savagery.

It is here we are offered some insight into Werner Herzog whom says the common denominator of existence is not innocence but violence. Herzog was visibly shaken on hearing the audio recording of the two individuals being mauled to death and told a former girlfriend of Timothy's to destroy the tape. Herzog also interjects to differentiate himself from Treadwell when Herzog observes bears as examples of the soulless indifference of nature.

Herzog touched lightly on the psychiatric medication that Timothy was once prescribed, a move likely to minimized additional ammunition to those calling Treadwell "crazy." However, there is enough description of the medication to suggest that bipolar disorder may have been a diagnosis. The film's depiction could also suggest a borderline type personality. Such individuals are characterized as having such a deep sense of emptiness that they are driven to be charming or possessive out of a fear of rejection. Their relational emotions are dialed to express either love or hate but not the in-between. Such diagnoses are only hypothetical musings.

Contagion - Movie Review

I recommend the movie Contagion. I admit, I approached the film with some cynicism: "How many ways can you make an outbreak-type movie?" I was pleasantly surprised. This is Steven Soderberg's treatment of cocaine in his 2000 movie Traffic now applied to diseases. It has less action but is better pacing. Again we have a star-studded ensemble cast, and the aim was realism over melodrama (keeping it true to Soderberg form). What would really happen if humanity faced another race-killing pandemic or at least bring it on the verge of dystopia? The writer Scott Burns did his homework regarding epidemiological investigation and in identifying major players. Well done Burns in laying out a plausible scenario.

Without providing any spoilers, some questions to address after seeing this movie are:

1. From public health/safety/security perspectives, how can we promote the good and minimize the harm?
2. How can we deal with issues of motivating/controlling human behavior?
3. How do we choose whom to protect/save when resource, time and options are limited?
4. How can we disseminate information and resources in a trustworthy manner that would not create mass panic/riot and infrastructure breakdown?

This movie also got me thinking about the greed and idiocy that informed the behavior of many during the recent London riots. Perhaps the further we are removed from suffering and tragedy, the less prepared we are to effectively confront crises.

 Addendum:  It turns out the pathogen antagonist in the movie is based on actual emerging virus.

Origami - ASICS Commercial

Well done origami commercial.

Origami In the Pursuit of Perfection from MABONA ORIGAMI on Vimeo.

Increasing Sophistication of Scammers

China-based website bitlifesciences.com (Bit Life Science) has been e-mail targeting researchers and physicians with fronts of conferences that have attendance fees from the hundreds to thousands of dollars. The victims are invited as guest speakers however there is no mention of honorarium or stipends in the invitation. Credit card information is transferred and the conference does not seem to ever materialize.

These conferences often go by some grand global title involving the words: Annual, World, International, Congress, Con, Conference. The heading is completed by a pairing with various fields, such as Vaccine, Forensics, Genetics, Protein and Peptide, Molecular Biology, Cardiology, Cancer, Stem Cell, Microbes, Drug Discovery, Immunodisease, Environment, Greentech, Carbon, Biotechnology. Such Internet hording of conference names is akin to patent trolling or more like domain squatting.

The sophistication is that the webpages of these bogus conferences will feature guest speakers whom are actually known figures in their respective fields. The Scientist investigated by contacting these speakers and uncovered that such speakers were unaware they were being pegged to speak at conferences they never heard of. In addition, the webpages provide apparently convincing conference schedules. The Scientist also contacted the conference centers and found that they too were unaware of themselves hosting such conferences and the bitlifescience contact person was neither in their database nor schedule.

A quick check of bitlifesciences.com by Norton Safe Web and McAfee SightAdvisor both show a clean profile; however, the absence of malware does not mean you are safe from being scammed.

Love & War & The Sea In Between

I'm really into Josh Garrels' music right now :)
Here's some stuff:
•playlist of songs: YouTube Mix for Josh Garrelsby YouTubePLAYLIST25 videos

•A live acoustic performance:


and
•Finally, Josh's homepage offers a FREE download of his latest album in its entire 18-song wonderfulness.

Quiet Desperation

Henry David Thoreau wrote "Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them."  It appears as if such quiet desperation repeatedly plays out among undergraduates and graduate students. Away from the moorings of home, undergrads conform to the "Animal House" mythology for parties where alcohol flows freely, weed and experimentation is accessible, peer pressure is at an apex. For most with still developing identities, escapist hedonism appears the most ready answer; but hedonism is unrealized. Pleasure is sought but, devoid of substance, many are left searching without a compass.

For post-college days, many have given up this search and settled for an unsatisfying morass of just being in the presence of others. Perhaps it is the atmosphere of economic downturn and job scarcity but they've entered a haunted insomniac pursuit: over-entertained but lacking introspection. There is no patronizing here but a observation of many contemporary young adulthood. The light in all this is that being young and educated there remains room for hope.

Tulmultuous Times for Christians

2010 ended sadly for the rights and lives of many Christians and their sympathizers:
1. The Alexandria, Egypt Coptic Christian Christmas and New Year holiday church bombing drew attention once again to the threat faced by many Christian minorities.

2. Pakistan's ambiguous blasphemy law allows for continued persecution of Christians. The woman Asia Bibi was accused by fellow farm workers for insulting the Prophet Mohammad during an argument. Imprisoned since November 2010, she has been sentenced to death. Expressions of sympathy or leniency towards her have led to violence, in fact 37 people have been murdered for having any implied support of this woman. Among these deaths is the brutal assassination of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer by his own bodyguard after Taseer appealed for this woman's pardon. By this act, his bodyguard, Malik Mumtaz Hussein Qadri, garnered popular support from the public, attorneys, and clerics. With many Pakistani officials being mum on the assassination or siding with clerics, Islamic extremism continues to be on the rise and the hunt for "blasphemers" continues to expand.

Ilomilo and Little Big Planet 2 are two games I would look forward to playing. They both have that cute positive vibe with a handmade/craft look:

"Take Out" and Illegal Immigration

I saw Take Out, and it really opened my eyes to the harsh life of the illegal immigrant. It's one thing to know of it, another to see it. There isn't a good solution to how to deal with the estimated 11 million (mostly Latino) illegal immigrants in the U.S. There is no legal obligation to citizenship owed to illegal immigrants. Many argue that they have become integral to the U.S. economy in shouldering many menial positions. Mass deportation is not feasible and for many who arrive by costly one-way tickets (smuggled), there aren't opportunities or means for return. The links between smuggling and organized crime further places such individuals in precarious financial debt. There is a level of desperation and dreaming in coming to the U.S.

If it is a matter of fairness then one might claim it is unfair to legal immigrants to automatically grant citizenship to or employ illegal immigrants. If it is a matter mercy then to whom should the nation grant rights and what level of support should be offered? As of now we have a system mixing fairness and mercy. Many fly under the radar and others gain entrance by seeking asylum or refugee a status which virtually guarantees legal entrance and residency in the country. Thus many illegal migrants circumvent the system by claiming asylum/refugee status or by document forgery. Is this fair to those who truly need asylum/refugee?

Mosque Debate

The religious freedoms that the Pilgrims sought and found in America translate over to the debate over the mosque to be built two blocks from Ground Zero. Legally we should allow the construction and I am inclined to agree with Mayor Bloomberg's speech. Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a Sufi (of the mystical branch of Islam) who grew up in a family that worked to dialogue with different religions. I believe he continues in his father's work to represent a moderate Islam still willing to dialogue. Some American Muslims find this mosque debate characteristic of the umbrella of hatred that many Americans have towards them. Opponents of the structure find this offends what has become "sacred ground" of those who died at the hand of extremist Islam. I agree the victims should be honored. But does this dishonor them? I have to think more about this.

I doubt the opponents of the mosque would describe or recognize their stance as hatred; fear or distrust is more likely the emotion. We see in Europe the growing Muslim populations and unrest. We hear Muslim leaders speak of populating the West so as to eventually bring all under Sharia law. We read of sleeper cells training and plotting to bring the downfall of America. That is what this proposed building has come to represent in many American eyes. If we are to chose a representative or authority of Islam, Imam Rauf would be ideologically closer to American ideals, a counter to that extremism. As all atheists are not Pol Pot and Stalin, nor all Christians witch hunters and pedophiles, so also not all Muslims are terrorists. I want this to be a step in the right direction to allow free speech, assembly, freedom of religion. Am I misinformed?

Blast the Senses Until Nothing Tastes

Unexpectedly while reading WIRED magazine review of DC Comic's zombie epic, I came upon some interesting social commentary:

Blackest Night is one of our new millennium’s finest examples of humanity’s excessive thirst for fear, violence and consumption, as well as a stellar document of our continuing distraction. Unlike the Twilight franchise, the I Am Legend blockbuster film and other terribly boring undead apocalypses, it’s a steadily riveting experience shot through with mind-numbing artistry. But like other culturally revealing horror and torture-porn exercises of our still-new 21st century, it’s serious sound and fury signifying a great big hole where our souls used to be.

Let’s hope we can get them back before we all turn into the mindless undead in search of the next overkill.

Regarding the (intentional?) Sound and the Fury reference, William Faulkner's novel is described by Wikipedia as an "examination of the corrosion of traditional morality, only to be replaced by a modern helplessness." Perhaps this WIRED magazine contributor is expressing a realization that our continual existential and escapist pursuits are ultimately nihilistic. This may also be an example of Ravi Zacharias' observation on our culture's hunger for entertainment and fantasizing on what is in reality banal: evil.

MMR Autism Link Based on Conflicting Interests

Slate has a good article on Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield recently lost his medical license after pursuing various avenues to link the measles vaccine to various diseases, links which were either never found true or proven wrong. In addition his unscientific publications and campaigning were tied to actual or potential personal monetary gain (huge conflict of interest!). His efforts of preying on the fears of parents have led many U.S. and UK parents to refuse immunization for their children and, not surprising, caused an increase in the number of measles cases. What the lay population does not realize is that vaccination not only protects our own children but also the community immunity prevents the spread of viruses to the developing fetuses of pregnant mothers who cannot receive certain vaccines. Thus a refusal of vaccine is a lose lose option.

Bon Appetit

My friend gave me a free subscription to bon appetit. Here's some cheddar bacon biscuits, yum! Click on the picture for the large version.

Poem

Heard this poem on the RZIM Let My People Think.

In No Strange Land
(The kingdom of God is within you)

O world invisible, we view thee,
O world intangible, we touch thee,
O world unknowable, we know thee,
Inapprehensible, we clutch thee!

Does the fish soar to find the ocean,
The eagle plunge to find the air--
That we ask of the stars in motion
If they have rumor of thee there?

Not where the wheeling systems darken,
And our benumbed conceiving soars!--
The drift of pinions, would we hearken,
Beats at our own clay-shuttered doors.

The angels keep their ancient places--
Turn but a stone and start a wing!
'Tis ye, 'tis your estranged faces,
That miss the many-splendored thing.

But (when so sad thou canst not sadder)
Cry--and upon thy so sore loss
Shall shine the traffic of Jacob's ladder
Pitched betwixt Heaven and Charing Cross.

Yea, in the night, my Soul, my daughter,
Cry--clinging to Heaven by the hems;
And lo, Christ walking on the water,
Not of Genesareth, but Thames!

Francis Thompson

Queen Cover

A good cover of a Queen song. Recording is not the best as the drums obscure the violin near the end. This is the song that Shen & Zhao skated to in the 2009 Vancouver Olympic pairs figure skating short program.

Marshmallow

This was a very amusing example of the famous marshmallow test.

Educating Ignorance and the Denial of AIDS

The article Beyond Critical Thinking, Michael S. Roth evaluates the current state of education in the humanities. He praises the efforts to teach critical thinking but decries the direction it has taken in fostering counterproductiveness (or counterproduction?). In the current climate of humanities:

A common way to show that one has sharpened one's critical thinking is to display an ability to see through or undermine statements made by (or beliefs held by) others. Thus, our best students are really good at one aspect of critical thinking­—being critical. For many students today, being smart means being critical...But this participation, being entirely negative, is not only seriously unsatisfying; it is ultimately counterproductive.

The skill at unmasking error, or simple intellectual one-upmanship, is not completely without value, but we should be wary of creating a class of self-satisfied debunkers or, to use a currently fashionable word on campuses, people who like to "trouble" ideas. In overdeveloping the capacity to show how texts, institutions, or people fail to accomplish what they set out to do, we may be depriving students of the capacity to learn as much as possible from what they study. In a humanities culture in which being smart often means being a critical unmasker, our students may become too good at showing how things don't make sense. That very skill may diminish their capacity to find or create meaning and direction in the books they read and the world in which they live.

This bring me to a terrifying and ridiculous example of this type of critical thinking and also the lack of critical thinking. A soon to be released "documentary" called House of Numbers (directed by Brent T. Leung) brings "evidence" towards proving that HIV/AIDS does not exist, or more specifically that HIV does not exist and AIDS is only an imaginary construct and conspiracy of the scientific and medical community used to gain more patients to treat. There is even suggestion that people with AIDS are being unnecessarily treated. This is the counterproductive critical thinking. Pair this anti-establishment "thinking" with those who lack critical thinking but trust media and you have a dangerous mix as reflected among video comments such as, "Oh so [this means] you can get exposed to it multiple times and not catch it." I say this is recklessness and verges on madness to subject the public to a mockery of a documentary with painful implications.

Here are example allegations used to discredit the scientific/medical community:

Allegation #1: HIV and AIDS are different.

Truth: it is true that HIV and AIDS are different and the scientific community agrees with this. HIV is the virus. AIDS is the syndrome that it causes.

Allegation #2: There are so many possible symptoms that can be associated with AIDS, it cannot be real.

Truth: The symptoms can be wide and varied because of how the particular virus operates. It debilitates your immune system, making it susceptible to other infections. Its like taking the roof off a house. The house is exposed to precipitation, but the lack of a roof does not dictate the type of precipitation that you will get.

Because I haven't seen this film yet I can only comment on what has been shown by the trailer and expressed by those who have seen it at film festivals and advanced screening.

Highest Parachute Jump Record

It is amazing that this occurred in 1959-1960.

Project Excelsior
by sonicbomb

Conviction Train

Cool vid.

Disney To Buy Marvel

If this will come to pass then I wonder if Disney could manage the edgier character set and maintain the older audience that Marvel draws upon. The marketing/distributing powerhouse that is Disney will help Marvel films but how much creative independence will Marvel be allotted? I guess since Warner Brothers already owns DC Comics it was a matter of time before Marvel was assimilated.

Remember Tianamen

"Iraq was a just war"

Excerpt from "Iraq the Model," a blog I have followed since 2004 and written by Iraqi, Omar Fadhil Al-Nidawi:

People of my generation who were born in democracies may take the freedom they enjoy for granted. This is certainly not the case for me or my people. I was born a decade after the murderous Ba'ath Party grabbed power in Baghdad in the sinister coup of July 1968. To us, the war brought an end to that 35-year-long nightmare and the beginning of an era of freedom, thanks to our friends in the coalition.

For me and many Iraqis, it was certainly worth it. Life is better today than it was before 2003. That is even though we were on the receiving end of this war in all its phases, from initial invasion through the bloody sectarian violence and terror that paralysed the country for years. Despite the high price in blood, today is brighter than yesterday. Above all, we have hope - something we did not have under Saddam's dictatorship - that tomorrow will be even brighter.

Thanks to our troops, the commitment of the coalition, and the endurance of the Iraqis for their continued efforts.

Fail

Found this funny blog:


see more pwn and owned pictures

Tesla Music

On Certainty - Part 2: Science and Religion (another look)

Among skeptics, many hold fast to science as the be all and end all of all things, as the means to direct, disprove and prove everything else. Yet it so often gives a whiff of patronizing or feigned humility to say, "no one can know anything," while at the same time trying to disprove religion by science and or history. If everything is a great "I don't know," how can you use anything to justify your stance on anything?

Just as skeptics claim that philosophy, more specifically religion is a "stop to thought," skepticism also risks putting a stop to thought. Religious institutions so often welcome explanations except those which challenge their religion. At the same time skeptics welcome explanations except those which challenge science and more specifically Darwinism. Another way of looking at this is well articulated by self-proclaimed Marxist, atheist, evolutionary geneticist, and Harvard professor Dr. Richard Lewington:

We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism.

It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is an absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door.

Therefore the conclusion is already drawn for many religious or evolutionist that God exists or does not exist and to consider otherwise is unacceptable and any data must be molded or spun to fit that presumption or presupposition. I do not say that it is necessarily wrong at the outset to hold to one side or the other. I do say to claim that religion is the sole stop to thought is to defy self examination and risks hypocrisy. I myself am not above this as I presuppose the existence of God whereas a friend of skeptical leaning presupposes the absence of God. My friend cannot accept or acknowledge even the consideration of God as on the same level of discourse as science. However he puts forth that, "the sad thing is that there are fools on both sides."

Because the denial of God is presupposed, it is not Reason that motivates the denial but often a dogged refusal to change or challenge one's presuppositions. Is science the be all and end all? Skeptics chalk religion and philosophy up to human constructs and science as reality. However I say science is also a human construct in that it is our attempt to describe and organize what we observe. Of the sciences, evolution may very well be the least empirical and most philosophical. Philosophy and science are efforts to grasp reality and are not mutually exclusive. Science attempts to answer the what and sometimes the how, while philosophy attempt to answer the why and sometimes the how. Even this is simplistic as there is overlap; however, it is a start to see how the two can coexist.

On Certainty - Part 1: Self Assessment

From my experience, skepticism is often synonymous with atheism or atheism in the guise of agnosticism--in other words, the denial of a God (usually singular) in the form of a denial of everything. The folly here is the claim of being certain about uncertainty. This is knowingly and even glaringly contradictory. So I want to direct attention to some certainties. From a pragmatic standpoint no average adult functions devoid of certainties. Everyone has a worldview/belief system/philosophy that they operate off of (whether they recognize or are able to articulate it is another question). Each system roots itself in a particular set of ideas that it assumes are truth. I find two means to start vetting out the certainties a person holds to at a given instance are the questions addressing "is" and "should":
1. What do you think you are or the state of the world is?
2. How do you think you or the world should be?

An honest assessment of how you answer these will quickly show, I hope, that you do hold to certainties. The next question that follows your answer to these first two questions is, "Why?" or "How do you know?" This will clarify the certainties that you assume and operate by.

In other words we live upon a foundation of understanding of our existence and purpose - the "is" and "should."

The Charity Revolt

Claremont

Adam Kimmel presents: Claremont HD from adam kimmel on Vimeo.

Quote

"The philosopher Socrates said, 'The unexamined life is not worth living,' but I find--particularly in North America, because of distractions, because of diversions, because of the 24-7 media--that many believe that, 'The examined life is not worth living.'"
-Stuart McAllister

Newsboys' Frontman Leaving the Front

Newsboys frontman Peter Furler will be replaced by former dcTalk member Michael Tait as the new lead singer of Newsboys. Peter Furler will assume a studio role. His lead will be missed. It'll take adjusting for fans to not see Peter. I wish Michael Tait and the Newsboys success though it'll be strange for a while.

Cute Dog

Cheerio, Pomeranian, attends the Westminster Dog Show

Hellzapoppin'

Movie to watch showcasing awesome swing/lindyhop.

Iraq War Movies

I recently watched to movies about the current Iraq war. In the Valley of Elah is a drama/mystery that drives home how "messed up" and "crazy" the Iraq war is. It implies that American soldiers are dealing with fear, pressure and chaos so profound that it leaves them returning home desensitized and amoral. The movie is interesting and well made.

However it leaves me asking, are our soldiers really desensitized and amoral? If so, then is this war so different from wars of the past? Are these soldiers so different? I want to say our military has a history or training people to be upstanding citizens and promoting such a culture. There is such thing as PTSD but this movie is showing something else: normal young men now left emotionally and mentally destabilized. Tommy Lee Jones portrays a retired army military police sergeant who maintains his fortitude, discipline and mental sharpness. Why then are the present day soldiers portrayed so different from Jones? The movie does not give an answer.

The other movies, Full Battle Rattle, is the documentary displaying the U.S. Army's simulation of an Iraq town in the Mojave desert as part of the Army's training before soldiers go to the actual war. The town and military outpost are made up of Iraqi refugees, dummies and military personel. I am thankful for the refugees volunteers. The movie is fascinating and honest and I will have to see the first half of the movie before I make additional comments. I would recommend it.

Harder, Faster, Better, Stronger

Daft Punk deconstructed by David Crowder - awesome.

First Sign of Intelligence

I engage in frequent discussions with a friend and in the last month I was told, "That was the first intelligent thing you've said," which gives insight into what his perception of me has been or has become, but I want to focus on what I said.

I said, "Your values are influenced by your parents. How they spend their time shows you what they value. If they don't go to church then they show that attending church or religion is not valuable." I think the weight of this statement lay in the simple truth of the statement and how the example literally hit home for my friend.

The lead up was a discussion on offending parents if a child chose a religion. If a son or daughter chooses to value something that the parents' don't value, would they necessarily be offended? I say, "no and even unlikely," especially in American society where there exists openness for exploration. What may change is the parents' perception of their child. I don't think offense plays much of a role here. Negative reactions would more likely be fear or confusion. I should ask another friend who had to deal with this very choice.

What my friend's comment informed me was that my conjectures and examples need to be relevant in order for our discussions to be meaningful.

A Take Away Show

Fleet Foxes - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

Objectified

I'm interested in this documentary on Industrial Design:

Video game Therapy

I first saw the use of video games as therapy at a bioengineering conference in 2001. Not surprisingly, Japan was using video games in physical therapy then. Here gaming is being used as adjunct pain management.

"Rigidity" of Liberals

The New York Times recently reported on an interesting study showing that conservatives enjoy all forms of humor and for even the humor that liberals enjoy, conservatives enjoy more. This was considered surprising because conservatives have consistently been painted as closed-minded and rigid and liberals as open-minded. However it is liberals who more often take offense at political incorrectness and are suspected by the Times as having a less cheerful disposition. Also the study and analysis was performed by sociologists, a group with Democrat to Republican ratio of 7 to 1, leaving the Times wondering if the findings should be surprising in the first place or were the initial assumptions subject to bias.

McCain's campaign has been portrayed as based on anger and fear but I can tell you that the Democratic machine has fed on anger for at least the last 12 years. And the last 2 elections have campaigned on fear of another Bush-like term and fear for our economic future. I was placed on the Democratic Congressional Campaign listserve which doles a constant meal of anger and fear. This anger has been rationalized as the sole work Nancy Pelosi, but it is an anger that existed before her rise to Congressional power.

After the elections which selected George W. Bush as U.S. president, liberals gave up on the United Sates and there was common talk and writing of moving to Canada or Europe instead of coming behind the president and supporting him. There was outright hatred of a man they did not know personally and depicted as stupid, backward and ignorant [though he had one of the most diverse cabinets (black, white, Latino, Japanese, Chinese)]. There was a refusal to acknowledge the Bush presidency in part because of voter discrepancy, even though President Clinton also lost the popular vote during his election to presidency. With the election of Senator Obama there has been general consensus on both sides to support him as President. Is this a sign of Obama's reach or the willingness of conservatives to remain, not give up, and help this country?

A Symbol Exalted

I've been thinking about the election of Obama and pose a hypothesis based on conversations, the news and the history of recent elections. For the majority of people who voted for Obama, the votes were cast not so much for a set of policies but for a symbol, a virtual blank slate by which they could ascribe their hopes and dreams. It comes at a time when America seemed to be in a slow decline in influence (politically, economically, culturally, etc.) and the world had stopped believing the American dream or that this young nation could live up to her ideals. Studies from this election and past elections have shown that most people vote with their gut--how do they feel about the candidates despite the candidate's policies? (A survey was done asking if people agreed with Obama's economic and health plans, but the plans described were those of McCain's and the consistent finding was they agreed with these "Obama" plans.)

The effectiveness of the Obama campaign was the creation of an image and a message of "hope & change" and McCain was a man essentially going against an amorphous symbol. Who can go against "hope"? McCain was not against hope nor change but he did not have any counter to it. What is interesting is these two ideas were never clearly defined (Hope in who/what? Change into what?) and the Obama campaign seemed satisfied with leaving it that way--up to our imaginations. But it strikes such an emotional chord. Just look at the "Yes We Can" music video by will.i.am. Other powerful images are his ethnicity (95% of blacks voted for him), oratory skill (mellifluous is the word thrown around), and youth (the younger the voter, the greater the proportion of votes went to Obama); but most powerful idea is the simple promise of hope and change which resonates around the world in a time when leadership is needed.

Warm Up

I've been stretching all wrong... need to do dynamic stretches according to NY Times.

Proud American

History is in the making in the United States and these are exciting times. There is a high expectation of renewal given the talk of "rebuilding" the nation. We are witnesses to a symbolic milestone. Yet I was initially put off by people's comments that almost negate or deny America's past accomplishments, comments such as: "I now think that America's so cool," "I can now be proud of America," or even "I can now travel outside the U.S." I suspect such people lack a sense of history or are ashamed of being identified with America, until now. But for others it may not be necessarily a matter of shame.

I never bought into the division of the "real" America versus unreal America but I think the Republican campaign was getting at patriotism versus shame. It leads me to wonder is it possible in this day and age to do right yet be unpopular even in the world arena? Are we not able to recognize the billions of dollars given out to aid countries whose constituents may even hate America? Are we not able to see the work we do to promote health, fight AIDS, fight genocide, rally to help in disasters, promote human rights and equality, provide excellent university education, allow for freedom of speech, fuel dreams? But for those who once lacked inspiration, Obama is an inspirational figure. I think there is something deeper at play in the form of people who never felt like they belonged to American now feel they are accepted and President-elect Obama is the embodiment of that vindication--one that allows them to be proud Americans because they are not lesser but equal and they belong. So for many it was not that they refused to be identified as American but they felt they couldn't until now. We can all be proud of the American system.

Apple Hardware

Apple seems to be getting in on serious hardware assets with the acquisition of chip designer P.A. Semi in the spring, Segway's CTO Doug Field in the summer, and now IBM executive Mark Papermaster (said to be privy to knowledge of IBM's Power microprocessor architecture). What is Apple building?

Addendum
IBM has filed a lawsuit to block Papermaster's move to Apple under a noncompetitive agreement.

Tactile Interpretation

Using sensory input to retrain the brain. This is something I can see myself getting involved in.

Self Discipline Begets Self Discipline

NY Times tips on self control/discipline is practice with little acts of self control (and avoid hypoglycemia).

Healthcare Plan

I was quite impressed by a friend's argument against McCain's healthcare plan. He pointed out that, sure, McCain would allow people to shop around for cheaper insurance alternatives, but insurance agencies will not be willing to pick up those with pre-existing illnesses. He also brought up the argument that employers will cease to cover employees if employers were taxed to fund the McCain plan. Finally he argued that the uninsured population abuses emergency department visits, thus driving up costs for the public and hospitals. He proposes that with universal coverage would remove one reason they are inclined to visit the ED. Both candidates plan to increase the number clinics to improve preventative care and field non-emergent complaints. Even so there are several free clinics already available through county systems; yet the ED still is swamped with visits.

Nonetheless a question continued to linger was how could Obama pay for his version of universal healthcare. Faulty implementation has become a motif in Wall Street Journal's criticism of Obama's weak economic plans which appears to draw heavily upon "unverifiable" sources. One article showed that his own economic advisors have even up to 4 months ago admittedly advocated a McCain-like plan and that "Mr. Obama has offered no clue as to how he intends to pay for his health-insurance plans, or doubling foreign aid, or any of the other 175 programs he's promised to expand."

Addendum
Apparently McCain's plan actually accounts for those with pre-existing illnesses. His healthcare plan would fund insurance for those who have been rejected by an insurance company, i.e. those at highest risk.

China's Silencing of Parents

Oh China, you pain me! This is not justice. You placate your people now, only to build future unrest. Companies cutting corners leading to deaths of children are not brought to trial because they are too intertwined with government. It demonstrates fear of exposure and losing control.

Scare Tactic

Enough with rumor that Obama is Muslim as a scare tactic-- a tactic that is is somehow demeaning to a group of Americans and not true.

But most people understand this. I myself have been wary of the violence against Christians and against those who leave or criticize the Islamic religion. This however has not been the case for moderate Islam; extremism within any people group subsists in the fringes yet they can act as though speaking as representative. (So it is a sad that the Wahabist movement in Islam cannibalizes the rich, open culture widely found even as late as the 1970's.)

Capital Gains Tax

Obama now has a 6% lead (50% vs. McCain's 44%), mountains upon mountains of money, advertising spending at a 4:1 ratio compared to McCain, the endorsement of Colin Powell and Warren Buffet, a constant message of change and hope, and the often cited "steadiness" which on the side some wonder about a dullness or lack of passion but mostly it is read as confidence. Powell's opinion has been swayed by the current economic climate. So is Obama's economic plan sound? The Wall Street Journal and Investors Business Daily have both argue against his increase in the capital gains tax from 15% to 28% which would hit those who own stock. This was said in his debate in April but even now Obama is consistent with his plan to increase the capital gains tax for the sake of "fairness."

This is despite the fact that government revenue from taxes increased every time capital gains tax was cut and decreased when it was raised. It suggests that Obama still has much to learn about economics and that he is willing to stick with an ideology despite the evidence being pointed out to him. Either candidates will need to draw on a strong economic partners if they are to carry us through these hard times.

Powell for Obama

Colin Powell's endorsement for Senator Obama is huge, especially if Obama is elected and Powell is invited and agrees to come on staff. Powell is an iconic man whom everyone respects, has military and foreign relations experience, has served on staff under three presidents (Reagan, H.W. Bush, W. Bush), and was once considered for presidential candidacy (though declined). In my opinion, Obama's greatest weakness is a lack of experience but if he continues to surround himself with seasoned pros, that weakness is minimized.

Liberal Elite

The television political talk show satirists have pointed out the jaundiced eye Republicans have towards the Liberal Elite. I quote, "It is only in politics where being elite is a bad thing"; which was followed up by giving contrasting examples: elite athletes and elite scientists are considered good things. But this partially misses the point. There is a difference between being elite and elitist and the Republican party sentiment has been directed against elitism. But there has also been a neglect or antagonism towards the educated. The New York Times published an article that puts forth cogently that only in the last 15 years have Republicans spurned the educated class in an appeal to the regular Joe Six-pack. Educated conservatives are not lacking but the party has stopped appealing towards them.

World Gone Nuclear

India
President Bush and Congress have given India a huge vote of trust in the U.S.-India Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement which provides for trade of nuclear fuel and supplies. This has won over India as a longstanding ally but may threaten to destabilize the relationship India has with Pakistan, given their own arms race in recent history. India has not signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and though the Bush-Singh trade accord provides for nuclear energy it allows India to progress as "nuclear weapons state" without strings attached.

The accord seems to have wide support from India's left and right. Economically, both countries will benefit as India gains energy supply and U.S. receives needed funding. Strategically, the U.S. may have gained a partner in Asia with regards to Iran but also potentially regarding China.

Iran
Iran continues to scorn international overtures to cease its nuclear enrichment. According to Wall Street Journal it will have enough "low-enriched uranium necessary to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a bomb by mid-January" despite offers for "membership in the World Trade Organization to Western billions and backing for its energy sector, including civilian nuclear reactors. The mullahs mock those entreaties." Most pitiful is how the U.N. Security Council adopted a resolution calling Iran to abide by its previous three resolutions to stop enrichment. What evidence shows that a 3rd repetition would help? In turn Iran has threatened to limit the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) access to known nuclear sites.

It highly unlikely the U.S. would take military action; however this does not stop Israel from striking especially with past threats to destroy of Israel coming from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

North Korea
The Hermit State with the last standing Stalinist cult of personality, has turned back on its aid-for-disarmament deal and proceeded to rebuild its Yongbyon plutonium processing plant. The IAEA has completed North Korea's orders to remove surveillance camera and seals and no longer has access to the facility.

Addendum
North Korea agreed to stop rebuilding now that the United States has removed it from the terrorist list.

Support

If Obama becomes president we need to support him. If McCain becomes president we need to support him. I have been admittedly wary of Obama because of his inexperience, stance on abortion, and radical associates, but any U.S. president needs the support of his or her citizens. It is during campaign season that our differences are most acutely felt because our future seems so wrapped up in theirs. In one sense the influence of the U.S. President on the world is impressive in the direction of humanitarian efforts, trade agreements/sanctions, military campaigns, and ideals promoted.
I urge a focus on where each candidate stand on issues and determine what beliefs they hold. Past elections have shown people vote with their feelings whether they admit it or not. Being cool or likable do not determine leadership. What direction they take the country must be assessed at best by their words and what history we know about them.

Obama's Middle Class?

The recent post-debate commercial that Senator Obama ran pointed out that Senator McCain did not use the phrase "middle class" as a sign that McCain was disconnected. The New York Times mentioned Obama's own admitted adherence to Trinity United Church's Black Value System which disavows the middle class (see below #8). Obama later said it initially "stopped" him. What "stopped" meant Obama writes in his book Dreams of My Father was that this disavowal stood out from day one of visiting the church and he often thought about it. When interviewed about it last year, Obama says it is important to take it in as a whole. The description of the Black Value System has recently been removed from the Trinity United Church's website however it can still be found because this System continues to reflect a radical belief system that the blogosphere cannot forget. The Chicago Tribune reported that one of the Black Value System's drafters, Vallmer Jordan, designed it to "empower the black community and counter a value system imposed by whites." Obama notes the values espoused by the Black Value System are "necessary for black advancement." I believe it is understood that many blacks in the United States are disproportionately disenfranchised; however I believe there is a manner of promoting the black cause that can be extreme to a fault.

Trinity United Church of Christ adopted the Black Value System, written by the Manford Byrd Recognition Committee, chaired by the late Vallmer Jordan in 1981.

Dr. Manford Byrd, our brother in Christ, withstood the ravage of being denied his earned ascension to the number one position in the Chicago School System. His dedication to the pursuit of excellence, despite systematic denials, has inspired the congregation of Trinity United Church of Christ. Prayerfully, we have called upon the wisdom of all past generations of suffering Blacks for guidance in fashioning an instrument of Black self-determination, the Black Value System.

Beginning in 1982, an annual Black Value System – Educational Scholarship in the name of Dr. Byrd was instituted. The first recipient of the Dr. Manford Byrd Award, which is given annually to the man or woman who best exemplifies the Black Value System, was our brother, Dr. Manford Byrd.
These Black Ethics must be taught and exemplified in homes, churches, nurseries and schools, wherever Blacks are gathered. They consist of the following concepts:

1.Commitment to God. “The God of our weary years” will give us the strength to give up prayerful passivism and become Black Christian Activists, soldiers for Black freedom and the dignity of all humankind.

2.Commitment to the Black Community. The highest level of achievement for any Black person must be a contribution of strength and continuity of the Black Community.

3.Commitment to the Black Family. The Black family circle must generate strength, stability and love, despite the uncertainty of externals, because these characteristics are required if the developing person is to withstand warping by our racist competitive society.

Those Blacks who are blessed with membership in a strong family unit must reach out and expand that blessing to the less fortunate.

4.Dedication to the Pursuit of Education. We must forswear anti-intellectualism. Continued survival demands that each Black person be developed to the utmost of his/her mental potential despite the inadequacies of the formal education process. “Real education” fosters understanding of ourselves as well as every aspect of our environment. Also, it develops within us the ability to fashion concepts and tools for better utilization of our resources, and more effective solutions to our problems. Since the majority of Blacks have been denied such learning, Black Education must include elements that produce high school graduates with marketable skills, a trade or qualifications for apprenticeships, or proper preparation for college.

Basic education for all Blacks should include Mathematics, Science, Logic, General Semantics, Participative Politics, Economics and Finance, and the Care and Nurture of Black minds.

5.Dedication to the Pursuit of Excellence. To the extent that we individually reach for, even strain for excellence, we increase, geometrically, the value and resourcefulness of the Black Community. We must recognize the relativity of one’s best; this year’s best can be bettered next year. Such is the language of growth and development. We must seek to excel in every endeavor.

6.Adherence to the Black Work Ethic. “It is becoming harder to find qualified people to work in Chicago.” Whether this is true or not, it represents one of the many reasons given by businesses and industries for deserting the Chicago area. We must realize that a location with good facilities, adequate transportation and a reputation for producing skilled workers will attract industry. We are in competition with other cities, states and nations for jobs. High productivity must be a goal of the Black workforce.

7.Commitment to Self-Discipline and Self-Respect. To accomplish anything worthwhile requires self-discipline. We must be a community of self-disciplined persons if we are to actualize and utilize our own human resources, instead of perpetually submitting to exploitation by others. Self-discipline, coupled with a respect for self, will enable each of us to be an instrument of Black Progress and a model for Black Youth.

8.Disavowal of the Pursuit of “Middleclassness.” Classic methodology on control of captives teaches that captors must be able to identify the “talented tenth” of those subjugated, especially those who show promise of providing the kind of leadership that might threaten the captor’s control.

Those so identified are separated from the rest of the people by:

• 1. Killing them off directly, and/or fostering a social system that encourages them to kill off one another.
• 2. Placing them in concentration camps, and/or structuring an economic environment that induces captive youth to fill the jails and prisons.
• 3. Seducing them into a socioeconomic class system which, while training them to earn more dollars, hypnotizes them into believing they are better than others and teaches them to think in terms of “we” and “they” instead of “us.”
• 4. So, while it is permissible to chase “middleclassness” with all our might, we must avoid the third separation method – the psychological entrapment of Black “middleclassness.” If we avoid this snare, we will also diminish our “voluntary” contributions to methods A and B. And more importantly, Black people no longer will be deprived of their birthright: the leadership, resourcefulness and example of their own talented persons.

9.Pledge to Make the Fruits of All Developing and Acquired Skills Available to the Black Community.

10.Pledge to Allocate Regularly, a Portion of Personal Resources for Strengthening and Supporting Black Institutions.

11.Pledge Allegiance to All Black Leadership Who Espouse and Embrace the Black Value System.

12.Personal Commitment to Embracement of the Black Value System. To measure the worth and validity of all activity in terms of positive contributions to the general welfare of the Black Community and the Advancement of Black People towards freedom.

There is good in promoting education and progress, but why the mention of escaping middleclassness for the "fact" that it is an instrument of the "captors" as if the white community is still holding the black community captive. I believe this is a delusion that cannot be allowed to continue. There is an inherent racism in this document as it would be anathema in this society to have a church indoctrinate members towards a White cause, White progress, and allegiance to White leadership. In addition I do not understand why this holds such prominence for an entity that calls itself a church. The Black Value System illustrates the means as self-reliance and the goal as self-promotion which are both ultimately at odds with the Jesus of the Bible.

Music Online

For my personal reference - music online, courtesy of PC Magazine.

MP3 search:
SkreemR.com
SeeqPod.com
Sonza.com

Playlist:
IMEEM.com
finetune.com

Streaming:
Pandora.com
Last.fm
slacker.com

Recommended:
thesixtyone.com

An Eye for Annai

Cute Vid

Little Big Planet for PS3

This is a potential system seller.
Trailer:



Gameplay:

Watched the documentary Iraq for Sale. The approach has politically left leanings though any political bias does not mar the critical information presented.

The film targets private contractors funded by our tax money in a manner of war profiteering that is destroying "the war effort" in Iraq. Haliburton, KBR, Titan, Caci, Blackwater are the guilty parties served contracts without any competitive bidding and allowed unregulated spending and waste. These companies are pepper with ex-high ranking military and governmental types with tentacles apparently penetrating deeply into the federal government.

It portrays an infrastructure set up for American troop support that is essentially crap, has endangered all involved, and is leading to countless, unnecessary deaths. If this is the infrastructure for our troops, what of the infrastructure of the rebuilding effort? I believe it is one reason why the war is going on "for so long."

Private and civilian forces involved in security and interrogation operate apart from the U.S. military's chain of command and oversight, but are in positions to direct soldiers and blur service and profit.

An example of endangerment is Titan provides the bulk of linguists as interpreters for the military. However there is absolutely no grounds to trust the interpreters as these linguists are neither testing nor certified; there is no guarantee they know Farsi or if they are accurately translating versus just saying their opinion.

I do recommend watching it just to be in the know of what has happened and ensure it does not happen again. We need to have better oversight of private contractors, their selection and spending, and perhaps staffing, training and decisions. The last three may not be feasible as that would essentially take on the role of contractors. One unpopular but practical alternative is reinstate the draft, eliminate contracting and place everything under the jurisdiction of the military.

Good Med School Humor

Obama & Faith

I cannot shake the sense that presidential candidate Barak Obama has racist leanings and is, despite the hype, another typical politician.

Why racist?
Perhaps it's only an issue of guilt by association but I fear it to be more. Obama has had the cultivation and nurturing of 20 years at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and his mentor Reverend Jeremiah Wright. Obama's concept of American society and God must have been affected, and he must have assented or partook to have latched onto Wright for so long.
Wright preaches messages that:

1. are anti-Caucasians (including Europeans);
2. curse and vilify the United States;
3. honor Louis Farrakhan (leader of the cult Nation of Islam);
4. promote an imaginary black Jesus (not found in the Bible);
5. follow the teachings of James H. Cone (a founding father of black liberation theology and a man who calls white men the devil); and
6. perpetuate a delusion of government conspiracies (i.e. AIDS) against blacks.

In general, Wright stirs his congregation by painting nonblacks as enemies. In this way Trinity United Church is the Nation of Islam in the guise of Christianity. It is a message where the greatest sin is the poverty and oppression of blacks, and heaven is to be had now in the form of black power, influence, and wealth. Obama is a proactive accomplished man so I ask by which factor did Obama choose to follow Wright's message?


The typical politician
Only in the past couple weeks has Obama sloughed off association with Trinity when it threatens his political image. He has played a careful balancing act: defusing speculation of being Muslim (named Hussein, childhood in Indonesia) by claiming Christianity ("I attend a church"), but now distancing himself from church to deflect suspicions of racism. Like the majority U.S. politicians, Obama must reassure the middle America of his Christian "faith"; yet the faith he has followed turns out to be different from Christianity. Either he is misinformed or he tosses faith about as another tool for or obstacle to his rise.

These are days of mourning for China, the 12,000 dead and counting. The student bodies crushed in collapsed schools are made almost entirely of the sole children of family (due to the One Child Policy), the absolute devastation to parents cannot be fathomed.

The U.S. is giving $0.5 million to aid the earthquake effort which I believe is too small for the magnitude. The Yunnan province of China alone is donating $0.25 million in aid to the cyclone destruction in Burma - an even more terrifying death toll of over 30,000. Please pray and if possible offer aid, food, medicine.
(I am selfish to mourn more for the Chinese...need to grow in compassion.)


Suffering is not always the act of justice.

"He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." -Matthew 5:45b

Quote of the Day

"It's not like I'm a rocket surgeon!"

Prince Creepy

My sentiments exactly:

Beauty and a Beast by *JohnSu on deviantART

Lines of the Day

Carla: Are you familiar with the term "delusions of grandeur"?
Janitor: I believe I coined that term.

From Scrubs Season 7, Episode 9

Tibet as Polarizer

I often criticize the self-serving business practices and dangerous shortcuts that China has allowed or overlooked. This has been not out of malice or scorn, but always in grief towards the Chinese and hope that things will change with exposure to truth. The voice of media is accountability to the people.

I feel the Tibet-Olympics protests is a completely different issue. I cannot stand the irrationality of so many Chinese mainlanders and the hands-off attitude of the Dalai Lama. By consciously refusing to tell the Tibetan riots to stop or refrain from violence, the Lama effectively approves of violence demonstrated by Buddhists and Buddhist monks. Does anyone see the irony in ignoring their own tenets? I question the Lama's motive here even as he continually grins. And we see also the ugly Chinese (akin to the ugly American); the ugly Chinese now takes the form of rabid reactionary hyperpatriotism. If a Chinese person calls for dialog or rationality, many mainland Chinese turn on him or her, an act that confirms their irrationality by threating the victim's life and family.

The Chinese government and Olympic organizers believe the riots were timed to disrupt the 2008 Olympics and the actions of the world confirm it. If spectators continue to threaten the passage of the Olympic flame the ugliness will only be fed. The whole Tibet issue is out of proportion on both sides. Everyone is missing the point.

Don't destroy this event for which athletes world-over have worked so hard to reach.

Mom-ism

Searchme

Apparently taking cue from Apple's Coverflow interface, a new search engine interface arises in the form of Searchme as featured on Ars Technica.

Bad Dream

Had a nightmare:
I was driving a navy blue Volkswagen Beetle on the highway. My breaks went out and I started gaining speed towards 100 mph--crazy dodging traffic. I drove off a bridge (of course) and fell into a raging river. The car tilted downward and and rapidly started sinking but I had rolled down my window to climb out and leap off the roof of the car. The river tossed me along the current but I eventually made it to a side and pulled myself ashore... which happened to be next to my parents' house.

It was raining now but I didn't want to go inside because I feared that my parents would be angry I had lost the car. But someone with a crane happened to fish the Beetle out of river onto the opposite side. I felt so relieved but now I worried about how to salvage the wet upholstery and offer a solution that would satisfy my parents. I couldn't do anything about it now since the car was across the river so I headed inside and ... I woke up.

It is weird that I did not give a thought to my life but was overly concerned about the car and my parents' opinion. I don't drive a Beetle nor do I particularly like navy blue.

Half Empty

Despair.com has funny & mean Demotivator posters...but that's their point. Read the text for Persistence. Apparently "disaffected college students" are prime for such posters.

Edwards and Organ Transplants - WSJ.com

Edwards and Organ Transplants - WSJ.com

Nanking

Nanking, the movie, brought me to tears. As you may know it is a documentary on the Rape of Nanking (Nanjing). After seeing this, can one foolishly deny the historicity of this event? It was a history that the imperial Japanese military suppressed (even now so many revisionists deny it). Despite that, eyewitness accounts, photographs and videos of the atrocities survived and even reached the U.S. government of the 1930's. Yet the world stood by and watched the mutilation. I recommend this movie as this must be known.

This provided such rich examination into the human nature; a nature capable of unfathomably evil and so twisted as to call evil, "Good." Evil is a word used often these days, but there is such cruelty that sickens you to exhaustion.

The era encompassing WWII may well consist of the Greatest Generation to behold such vibrant heroes and villains. The rawness of existence and struggle of war is a testing ground that tears away any facade to reveal the beauty or ugliness that we are.

The Japanese Tradition

I found the following series called "The Japanese Tradition," a quirky tongue in cheek collection of lessons on Japanese culture. The videos in the series should run one after the other. However there is a part of the series missing: a three part on dating in Japan. There is a version on YouTube with English subtitles. which I cannot find now.

Richard Hitchens, author of god is not Great was recently interviewed at an atheist convention.  He says that Abraham Lincoln & Thomas Jefferson were atheists but I beg to differ as they often quoted God in a manner that accepts His existence.

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book." The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln edited by Roy P. Basler, Volume VII, "Reply to Loyal Colored People of Baltimore upon Presentation of a Bible" (September 7, 1864), p. 542.

I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that his justice cannot sleep forever. Thomas Jefferson

Once again, like his book, Hitchens' makes too many false generalizations.

Quote of the day: "Life's too interesting to be bored."

Surgery & ObGyn have eaten my time.

Quote of the day: "Your cervix is stone-cold closed."