I've recently been writing a philosophical piece for the local journal of conservative and liberterian thought. The piece in question is about philosophy, and to a lesser extent, imagination (the two are utlimately related). One thing that I have been thinking about as I write this columns (it's still not finished) is the lack of philosophy and imagination in the sciences (and really, of most displines).
This lack of contemplation is manifest in many ways-- the gradual displacement of ethics from the field of science, the disconnection of many scientists' research interests from the possible outcomes of their research, etc. The development of fusion gives us a new energy source, but what else does it do for us? There is little discussion as to whether this new source of virtually unlimited energy will reshape the way in which we live;I think that it's generally assumed that life will go on much as it has before, with electricity being produced with fusion instead of other means. No one considers that by making energy more abundant, fusion may change many aspect of our civilization-- namely, because we won't have to worry so much about a "power budget" or about air polution. Will we begin to develop more "automated" means for housing? If electricity isn't a concern, then can we have the "computerized and integrated" house systems sometimes imagined in science fiction stories?
Part of the result of the divorce between philosophy/imagination and the technical aspects of the many disciplines is that the former becomes ignored entirely. In other words, we see more and more "science, for the sake of science" (with a few or a single application for any one piece of research), with little or no thought as to how such research may change civiliztion. Too often, the overarching end of science is that it "betters mankind's understanding of nature."
Granted, it does do that, but I am increasing driven to ask, "In what manner?" Science has becom so specialized that only a the experts can actually understand most (if not all) of the significance or ramifications of a new discovery. If a new discovery about blackhole physics can only be fully understood by 10 people worldwide, and only be hundreds or thousands in its "important form", then is humanity's knowledge really truly expanded? If those ten men were to die, then that knowledge would be lost with them.
One physicist said it in a different maner. He said that it is exciting to be able to learn something new about the universe, to know something that he didn't know before. This is quite true, but he could have done that without doing research (in the sense of developing a new theory or performing a new experiment). If he were to cease performing experiments, he would be able to learn more by reading the experimental notes of other physicsist for the rest of his life-- and there are likely enough published papers for him to do this.
I do not mean to speak out against science for its own sake-- so long as it is not divorced from ethics, it is wonderful to learn new things about the universe. And we have certainly seen many good developments that have coem from the sciences (even in recent times). The problem is that sceience has become cold, with the flame of imagination becoming only a dull glow. Are we really furthering mankind's understanding of the universe, or are we merely satisfying our own lusts for knowledge, or worse, mere information?
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Monday, August 21, 2006
Road Trip!!!
Well, I made it to Austin in one piece (and my car survived the trip). Just for kicks, I kept a log of my trip, which I'm going to transcribe here. I should note here that all of the times listed are Pacific times.
Wednesday--
This is my last night in Livermore. I went to dinner with my roommates, Ian and Scott at the Casa de Orozco. I had a "Chile Coloroda" and a strawberry Daqiri. The only reason why I'm actually counting this as a part of the trip is that Scott and I convinced Ian to drink a beer (albeit a Corona). Interestingly enough, he said that he liked it. After all those wonderful McMennimen's microbrews that he disliked, we find that he likes the piss beer (granted, the best of the piss beers, but still...).
Thursday Night--
8:00 Having packed all of my stuff into the car and taken a brief nap, I'm now out of the chute. With luck, I'll be able to get past LA tonight and maybe even not have to deal with too much traffic. This should take around 6 hours of driving.
9:00 Stopped at a rest area. It's dark and uneventful so far. Not very scenic, as there's no daylight.
11:00 Stopped at a rest area somewhere south of Fresno. I'm over 1/3 of the way to LA. I'm feeling a little sleepy, but I have a caffeine source (Pepsi). It's too dark to be taking pictures, and the lights from the Californians are annoying. These stupid people have a wierd herd instinct when driving, wherein they will speed up until they get right behind (as in, tailgating) the car in front of them. Then, instead of just passing the car (using the open lane), they will slow down and follow the car with their annoyingly bright lights. I thought at first that this was just one idiot in his raised truck. It turns out that most people from this state will drive like this. I should note for the record that the only reason that I didn't know this before is that I haven't done much driving in rural parts of California, let alone at night. Northern californians (north of Redding and Chico) don't do this, in any case. On the up side, the stars are really pretty.
12:00 Stopped at a rest stop and talked to my parents. I've made good time, only about 120 miles until I reach LA. With a little luck, I'll make it through.
2:00 Passed the LA city limits sign. I can't believe that LA's city (not the metro area, just the city) has the same population (~3.3 million) as the entire state of Oregon. Why would you want to live like that?
2:30 Stopped for gas. Virtually no traffic (I got lucky there), but I'm still in the city/suburbia-- it seems to go on and on and on. There's even a Grand Avenue (why is it always "Grand Avenue," and never "Grand Street" or "Grand Boulevard?"). If this comment doesn't make sense, ask Ian about taking Grand Avenue in Portland (and about how evey city has their own Grand Avenue). Needed to pee, the bathroom was locked, but I saw a Planned Parenthood building, and so I thought, ah, what the heck. ok, I didn't go urinate on their window, but I did shake my fist at that cursed building, and then went on my merry way.
3:15 Stopped for the night in Banning. I'm hoping that this is outside of the suburbia hell that is LA. I'm going to get some shut-eye at the Day's Inn, and then start again tomorrow morning. 400 miles down, 1300 to go!
Friday--
10:00 Depart from hotel. It's already fairly warm. Palm Springs is about 25 miles from here.traffic is ok, so I must be close to the end of LA. I'd like to try and get some distance before it gets to hot. I have taken some pictures of some of the mountains in the area.
10:50 Stop for gas in Palm Springs. I've hit desert-- it's hot, dry, arid, and there are lots of rocks and few trees. I also see lots of windmills.
11:30 Rest stop in the California desert. It's quite hot and arid. Took some pictures, including a couple of self-portraits. I should have about 2-2.5 hourse left befor it gets too hot to continue. I should stop for lunch soon.
12:30 Stopped for lunch in Blythe. I'll be in Arizona soon. It took a while for them to get me my food (I ended up getting a free peanut buster parfeit out of it). I'm going to try to get to the second rest area from here and then stop and wait out the heat. I have a little over 120 miles to go before I reach Phoeniz. According to the weather forecasts, this will be the hot leg of the journey-- reaching up to 106 or so degrees. After Phoenix, it's supposed to be a lot cooler for the rest of the trip. I talked to my fatehr for about 10 minutes, and will call again when I stop to rest. I also saw a sign that said "State Prison This Exit." Under it, another sign added "Do no pick up hitchhikers."
1:30 Welcome to Arizona.
2:20 Stopped at a rest area. Will wait 3-4 hours before starting up again. The weather should be cooler by then. I started to see cacti within 5 miles of the Arizona border. I'm pretty much in the middle of nowhere, as evidenced by the road signs giving distance to Phoenix, Tucson, and next nearest rest area (from 20+ miles away). It's about 80 miles until I hit Phoenix (a little less, actually). FOr a while there I thought that I may have been in Mexico-- I couldn't find any radio stations in English, but found a couple in Spanish.
6:00 It's colled down quite a bit, so I'm getting back on the road again.
6:30 Stopped for dinner.
7:30 I've made it through Phoenix. I'll be in Tucson in about 80 miles, and am now at a rest area. I've said a little prayer and made some phone calls (one to my parents, to let them know that I'm still ok, and another to Madison, my friend stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso).
9:00 Lightning storm begins.
9:30 Stopped for gas-- I was almost out. I got lucky though, as the price was "only" $3.10 per gallon. Still, it's less than the prices have been since leaving Oregon two months ago. I'm about 260 miles from El Paso, and am planning to try and make Las Cruces tonight (will stay there, it's about 50 miles from El Paso). Will probably see Madison tommorrow morning. I've also passed the "halfway there" mark: 860 miles.
11:30 Stopped at a rest area. I have 82 miles until Las Cruces. The Lightning storm is now in full force, and I even got a few short video clips. It is very odd to see lighning striking the area ahead of me while at the same time seeing stars above and behind me.
1:30 Have arrived at Las Cruces. All of the hotels are full. There are some motels in a more run-down part of town, but I'm a little afraid to stay in them-- there are a few suspicious-looking characters walking around the area. I've decided to sleep in my car near the hotels in the nicer part of town. My P-111 is close at hand, thogh, just in case. The weather outside includes very bright lightning and a monsoon. There is little visibility, so I can't really go to the next town to find lodgin there. On the bright side, I did meet my 650 mile goal for the day, putting my on schedule to make Austin by tommorrow (late night). As and aside, I found an interesting radio station that plays a bunch of music in English, with the occasion al mariachi band in Spanish; however, the dj's were all speaking Spanish.
Saturday--
8:00 Woke up in my car feeling a little cramped. Decided to go for a walk/stretch break, as I am not planning to meet up with Madison unti laround lunchtime. Went to a coffe shop and got a tea/smoothie. I also used their restroom to give myself a sort of sponge bath.
10:30 I'm on the road again. I should be in El Paso in about an hour.
11:30 I've stopped in El Paso and am wating for Madison and her friend to come meet me. While waiting for them to meet me, I saw a Driver's Ed car pull into the parking lot. My first thought upon seeing the student driver was, "Wouldn't it be funny if Jon (my little brother) or somebody else jumped on the hood of the car as if they'd been hit at high-speed and then, screaming in pain, pressed his/r faced agains the front windshield and then began to make faces." Nobody did, though.
2:15 I've had a nice little visit with Madison. I don't think I've seen her since she joined the army. We had lunch at a little steak house, and then she gave me a tour of Ft. Bliss. THere were lots of decorative (gutted) vehicled (artillerry, APCs, and a couple of tanks). No bombs, though (thus, no "Slim Pickens" pictures; I wore my hat...). Madison also let me use her shower, so I feel a bit more refreshed. I'm now on the road again, fighting El Paso's traffic, and I probably won't see Madison again until around Christmas time. Her son will have been born by then. I still have about 600 miles to go unitl I reach AUstin.
3:15 Stopped at a rest area. I've made it through El Paso; there's still lightning storms,so I should probably try to get some miles before nightfall. Interesting signs in the last hour include that there is a different speed limit depending upon whether it is daytime or nightime, and that El Paso has a posted minimum spee of 45 miles per hour. Now that El Paso is behind me, it should be most dessert, fields, and mountains between me and Austin-- very few people. Only about 550 miles to go.
5:00 I've stopped at a rest area. There have been maybe 2 towns in the last 100 or so miles. The speed limit out here is 80 miles per hour, but that falls to 65 after nightfall, so I should try to get as much distance as possible befroe then. I found a Catholic radio station. They were discussing the connection between euthanasia, abortiopn, and birth control. One item mentioned was that birth control requires abortion as a "backup" option-- this is a good point, and all too true.
7:00 Stopped at a gas station to refuel. The station was empty, derelict. The pumps were active, but they wouldn't read my car, so me and some others headed to another station about 6 miles up the road. Lucky thing that the next station was so close, they've been over 30 miles apart on average.
7:30 Stopped for dinner at Ft. Stockton. My lastest estimates would put me in Austin at around
3:00 AM (local time; 1:00 AM P.T.). Jon says that he's on duty (as a Resident Hall Assistant) tonight, so he may still be awake, and I'm planning to stay with him for tonight. I talked briefly to my parents and my brother, but since I didn't get to charge my phone last night, the battery is nearly dead.
8:30 Stopped at a rest area. Haven't been able to use my phone, because I'm saving that last call for an emergency or to call my brother when I get to Austin. A little over 300 miles to go.
12:30 I stopped at a rest stop, got out, and heard a hissing sound. Not good. I grabbed my flashlight and found that my rear driver's side tire had been puntured and was going flat. I had to dig all of the stuff out of my trunk to get to the spare, and some guy at the rest stop helped my change tires. I'm about midway between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. I won't be able to do anything more about it tonight, so I'm going to sleep in my car at the rest stop. The P-111 will be close at hand again. Ugh, two nights in a row sleeping in my car, which is full of stuff. I don't even get to stretch across the entire seat or recline my seat! Luckily, there are power outlets on the lamps at theis rest stop, so I can recharge my phone. At least there's that.
Sunday--
5:30 I woke up stiff and cramped. It's time to limp my car to Johnson city to get that tire fixed (or replaced).
6:15 Made it to Johnson City, and stopped at a gas station to aks for directions. The attendant says that the only place in town that might be able to help me is closed today, so I'm going to have to backtrack to Fredericksburg, about 30 miles away. Ouch.
7:30 Arrive at the only place in the area that can halp-- Wal-Mart. I'm really glad that there's a Wal-Mart in Fredericksburg, otherwise I would have beecn stuck until tomorrow. Yay for Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, they couldn't reapair the tire, and so I had to replace it. Apparently, the puncture was due to running over some animal-- the guy pulled some bones out of the tire. It must have been that roadkill that I ran over around the blind turn just before the rest stop. I ended up spending time reading the "Conservative Mind" by Russell Kirk while they changed the tire. Well, I've only got 70 miles or so to go, and I need to ge tthere after 1:00 (local time;
11:00 P.T.).
9:30 On the road again.
9:35 Saw a great anti-littering sign. The sign read: "Don't mess with Texas." It then gave the penalty ($1000) for littering.
11:30 Finally arrive at my apartment in Austin. Checking in took some time. It looks like my roommate has already moved in, but he is also out of town. Based on the calender that he had hangin in the hall, he probably lived here last year, too. And based on the books on his shelf, he is a business major (or possibly an economics major). I guess I'llfind out whenever he gets back, but in any case, it's time to go visit my brother.
Wednesday--
This is my last night in Livermore. I went to dinner with my roommates, Ian and Scott at the Casa de Orozco. I had a "Chile Coloroda" and a strawberry Daqiri. The only reason why I'm actually counting this as a part of the trip is that Scott and I convinced Ian to drink a beer (albeit a Corona). Interestingly enough, he said that he liked it. After all those wonderful McMennimen's microbrews that he disliked, we find that he likes the piss beer (granted, the best of the piss beers, but still...).
Thursday Night--
8:00 Having packed all of my stuff into the car and taken a brief nap, I'm now out of the chute. With luck, I'll be able to get past LA tonight and maybe even not have to deal with too much traffic. This should take around 6 hours of driving.
9:00 Stopped at a rest area. It's dark and uneventful so far. Not very scenic, as there's no daylight.
11:00 Stopped at a rest area somewhere south of Fresno. I'm over 1/3 of the way to LA. I'm feeling a little sleepy, but I have a caffeine source (Pepsi). It's too dark to be taking pictures, and the lights from the Californians are annoying. These stupid people have a wierd herd instinct when driving, wherein they will speed up until they get right behind (as in, tailgating) the car in front of them. Then, instead of just passing the car (using the open lane), they will slow down and follow the car with their annoyingly bright lights. I thought at first that this was just one idiot in his raised truck. It turns out that most people from this state will drive like this. I should note for the record that the only reason that I didn't know this before is that I haven't done much driving in rural parts of California, let alone at night. Northern californians (north of Redding and Chico) don't do this, in any case. On the up side, the stars are really pretty.
12:00 Stopped at a rest stop and talked to my parents. I've made good time, only about 120 miles until I reach LA. With a little luck, I'll make it through.
2:00 Passed the LA city limits sign. I can't believe that LA's city (not the metro area, just the city) has the same population (~3.3 million) as the entire state of Oregon. Why would you want to live like that?
2:30 Stopped for gas. Virtually no traffic (I got lucky there), but I'm still in the city/suburbia-- it seems to go on and on and on. There's even a Grand Avenue (why is it always "Grand Avenue," and never "Grand Street" or "Grand Boulevard?"). If this comment doesn't make sense, ask Ian about taking Grand Avenue in Portland (and about how evey city has their own Grand Avenue). Needed to pee, the bathroom was locked, but I saw a Planned Parenthood building, and so I thought, ah, what the heck. ok, I didn't go urinate on their window, but I did shake my fist at that cursed building, and then went on my merry way.
3:15 Stopped for the night in Banning. I'm hoping that this is outside of the suburbia hell that is LA. I'm going to get some shut-eye at the Day's Inn, and then start again tomorrow morning. 400 miles down, 1300 to go!
Friday--
10:00 Depart from hotel. It's already fairly warm. Palm Springs is about 25 miles from here.traffic is ok, so I must be close to the end of LA. I'd like to try and get some distance before it gets to hot. I have taken some pictures of some of the mountains in the area.
10:50 Stop for gas in Palm Springs. I've hit desert-- it's hot, dry, arid, and there are lots of rocks and few trees. I also see lots of windmills.
11:30 Rest stop in the California desert. It's quite hot and arid. Took some pictures, including a couple of self-portraits. I should have about 2-2.5 hourse left befor it gets too hot to continue. I should stop for lunch soon.
12:30 Stopped for lunch in Blythe. I'll be in Arizona soon. It took a while for them to get me my food (I ended up getting a free peanut buster parfeit out of it). I'm going to try to get to the second rest area from here and then stop and wait out the heat. I have a little over 120 miles to go before I reach Phoeniz. According to the weather forecasts, this will be the hot leg of the journey-- reaching up to 106 or so degrees. After Phoenix, it's supposed to be a lot cooler for the rest of the trip. I talked to my fatehr for about 10 minutes, and will call again when I stop to rest. I also saw a sign that said "State Prison This Exit." Under it, another sign added "Do no pick up hitchhikers."
1:30 Welcome to Arizona.
2:20 Stopped at a rest area. Will wait 3-4 hours before starting up again. The weather should be cooler by then. I started to see cacti within 5 miles of the Arizona border. I'm pretty much in the middle of nowhere, as evidenced by the road signs giving distance to Phoenix, Tucson, and next nearest rest area (from 20+ miles away). It's about 80 miles until I hit Phoenix (a little less, actually). FOr a while there I thought that I may have been in Mexico-- I couldn't find any radio stations in English, but found a couple in Spanish.
6:00 It's colled down quite a bit, so I'm getting back on the road again.
6:30 Stopped for dinner.
7:30 I've made it through Phoenix. I'll be in Tucson in about 80 miles, and am now at a rest area. I've said a little prayer and made some phone calls (one to my parents, to let them know that I'm still ok, and another to Madison, my friend stationed at Ft. Bliss in El Paso).
9:00 Lightning storm begins.
9:30 Stopped for gas-- I was almost out. I got lucky though, as the price was "only" $3.10 per gallon. Still, it's less than the prices have been since leaving Oregon two months ago. I'm about 260 miles from El Paso, and am planning to try and make Las Cruces tonight (will stay there, it's about 50 miles from El Paso). Will probably see Madison tommorrow morning. I've also passed the "halfway there" mark: 860 miles.
11:30 Stopped at a rest area. I have 82 miles until Las Cruces. The Lightning storm is now in full force, and I even got a few short video clips. It is very odd to see lighning striking the area ahead of me while at the same time seeing stars above and behind me.
1:30 Have arrived at Las Cruces. All of the hotels are full. There are some motels in a more run-down part of town, but I'm a little afraid to stay in them-- there are a few suspicious-looking characters walking around the area. I've decided to sleep in my car near the hotels in the nicer part of town. My P-111 is close at hand, thogh, just in case. The weather outside includes very bright lightning and a monsoon. There is little visibility, so I can't really go to the next town to find lodgin there. On the bright side, I did meet my 650 mile goal for the day, putting my on schedule to make Austin by tommorrow (late night). As and aside, I found an interesting radio station that plays a bunch of music in English, with the occasion al mariachi band in Spanish; however, the dj's were all speaking Spanish.
Saturday--
8:00 Woke up in my car feeling a little cramped. Decided to go for a walk/stretch break, as I am not planning to meet up with Madison unti laround lunchtime. Went to a coffe shop and got a tea/smoothie. I also used their restroom to give myself a sort of sponge bath.
10:30 I'm on the road again. I should be in El Paso in about an hour.
11:30 I've stopped in El Paso and am wating for Madison and her friend to come meet me. While waiting for them to meet me, I saw a Driver's Ed car pull into the parking lot. My first thought upon seeing the student driver was, "Wouldn't it be funny if Jon (my little brother) or somebody else jumped on the hood of the car as if they'd been hit at high-speed and then, screaming in pain, pressed his/r faced agains the front windshield and then began to make faces." Nobody did, though.
2:15 I've had a nice little visit with Madison. I don't think I've seen her since she joined the army. We had lunch at a little steak house, and then she gave me a tour of Ft. Bliss. THere were lots of decorative (gutted) vehicled (artillerry, APCs, and a couple of tanks). No bombs, though (thus, no "Slim Pickens" pictures; I wore my hat...). Madison also let me use her shower, so I feel a bit more refreshed. I'm now on the road again, fighting El Paso's traffic, and I probably won't see Madison again until around Christmas time. Her son will have been born by then. I still have about 600 miles to go unitl I reach AUstin.
3:15 Stopped at a rest area. I've made it through El Paso; there's still lightning storms,so I should probably try to get some miles before nightfall. Interesting signs in the last hour include that there is a different speed limit depending upon whether it is daytime or nightime, and that El Paso has a posted minimum spee of 45 miles per hour. Now that El Paso is behind me, it should be most dessert, fields, and mountains between me and Austin-- very few people. Only about 550 miles to go.
5:00 I've stopped at a rest area. There have been maybe 2 towns in the last 100 or so miles. The speed limit out here is 80 miles per hour, but that falls to 65 after nightfall, so I should try to get as much distance as possible befroe then. I found a Catholic radio station. They were discussing the connection between euthanasia, abortiopn, and birth control. One item mentioned was that birth control requires abortion as a "backup" option-- this is a good point, and all too true.
7:00 Stopped at a gas station to refuel. The station was empty, derelict. The pumps were active, but they wouldn't read my car, so me and some others headed to another station about 6 miles up the road. Lucky thing that the next station was so close, they've been over 30 miles apart on average.
7:30 Stopped for dinner at Ft. Stockton. My lastest estimates would put me in Austin at around
3:00 AM (local time; 1:00 AM P.T.). Jon says that he's on duty (as a Resident Hall Assistant) tonight, so he may still be awake, and I'm planning to stay with him for tonight. I talked briefly to my parents and my brother, but since I didn't get to charge my phone last night, the battery is nearly dead.
8:30 Stopped at a rest area. Haven't been able to use my phone, because I'm saving that last call for an emergency or to call my brother when I get to Austin. A little over 300 miles to go.
12:30 I stopped at a rest stop, got out, and heard a hissing sound. Not good. I grabbed my flashlight and found that my rear driver's side tire had been puntured and was going flat. I had to dig all of the stuff out of my trunk to get to the spare, and some guy at the rest stop helped my change tires. I'm about midway between Fredericksburg and Johnson City. I won't be able to do anything more about it tonight, so I'm going to sleep in my car at the rest stop. The P-111 will be close at hand again. Ugh, two nights in a row sleeping in my car, which is full of stuff. I don't even get to stretch across the entire seat or recline my seat! Luckily, there are power outlets on the lamps at theis rest stop, so I can recharge my phone. At least there's that.
Sunday--
5:30 I woke up stiff and cramped. It's time to limp my car to Johnson city to get that tire fixed (or replaced).
6:15 Made it to Johnson City, and stopped at a gas station to aks for directions. The attendant says that the only place in town that might be able to help me is closed today, so I'm going to have to backtrack to Fredericksburg, about 30 miles away. Ouch.
7:30 Arrive at the only place in the area that can halp-- Wal-Mart. I'm really glad that there's a Wal-Mart in Fredericksburg, otherwise I would have beecn stuck until tomorrow. Yay for Wal-Mart. Unfortunately, they couldn't reapair the tire, and so I had to replace it. Apparently, the puncture was due to running over some animal-- the guy pulled some bones out of the tire. It must have been that roadkill that I ran over around the blind turn just before the rest stop. I ended up spending time reading the "Conservative Mind" by Russell Kirk while they changed the tire. Well, I've only got 70 miles or so to go, and I need to ge tthere after 1:00 (local time;
11:00 P.T.).
9:30 On the road again.
9:35 Saw a great anti-littering sign. The sign read: "Don't mess with Texas." It then gave the penalty ($1000) for littering.
11:30 Finally arrive at my apartment in Austin. Checking in took some time. It looks like my roommate has already moved in, but he is also out of town. Based on the calender that he had hangin in the hall, he probably lived here last year, too. And based on the books on his shelf, he is a business major (or possibly an economics major). I guess I'llfind out whenever he gets back, but in any case, it's time to go visit my brother.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Bishop Doran on the Left
Bishop Doran (Rockford, Illinois) has written an article about the left. Read it.
"The seven 'sacraments' of their secular culture are abortion, buggery, contraception, divorce, euthanasia, feminism of the radical type, and genetic experimentation and mutilation. These things they unabashedly espouse, profess and promote. Their continuance in public office is a clear and present danger to our survival as a nation."
My only comment here is that he forgot multiculturalism.
"The seven 'sacraments' of their secular culture are abortion, buggery, contraception, divorce, euthanasia, feminism of the radical type, and genetic experimentation and mutilation. These things they unabashedly espouse, profess and promote. Their continuance in public office is a clear and present danger to our survival as a nation."
My only comment here is that he forgot multiculturalism.
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
An Article on Evolution and Catholic Faith
Ignatius Insights has an article about (Catholic) faith and evolution. It's a quick read.
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Last Week in California
Well, I'm now entering into the home stretch. I'm going to be moving to Austin at the end of this week. Working at the lab has been fun, and I'll miss the people that I've spent time with this summer (most of who are students from all over the country, and who will therefore also be leaving the lab). I'll also miss those late Thursday nights at the 9:20 Special, and the masses at St. Michael's. And as I transition from National laboratory Technical scholar to graduate student, I'l miss my salary (which will be reduced to about a third of wht it is now) and my free time (which may cease to exist until I complete my degree, or at least until I complete the coursework and teching assistant duties thereof).
However, it will be nice to finally settle in an area for an exteneded time again. Thus will end my self-imposed dating ban (finally). Given my limited free time, and my track-record, I suspect that this will change nothing. But it will be nice to move into a place that will be more ong-temr than a few weeks, and it will be excellent to see my brother and a few other friends who live in the area.
In other news, I decided to not be a complete miser with the money that I've made this summer, and so I have bought a new computer. All the parts arrived yesterday; Newegg is quite prompt. However, we selected the wrong set of RAM (compatible only with intel, and I got an AMD processor); basically, we'd been comparing it to another set of RAM, then had looked at something else, had come back, and then selected the what we thought was the other set. This was remedied by a trip to Fry's (the original RAM will be returned to Newegg, but I don't have the time to wait, being as I'm moving soon). They also sent me a faulty power supply (it happens), but we didn't catch this until after returning from Fry's. Oh well. I would have waited on the whole thing, but decided that it would be better to get the computer up and running while I still have a couple of experienced roommates to help me with it.
Meanwhile, it appears that the Contumacy (UTA's CN Paper) may be up and running-- in any case, they sent out a request for articles. I've written one and sent it to Ariadne for editing, and will hopefully be submitting it at the end of the weekend. The topic is a play on the old adage about letting the ends justify the means (an excellent topic for writing in its own right). I discussed the much more seldomly broached topic of letting the means justify the ends. I'll likely post it up here after the Contumacy is published.
However, it will be nice to finally settle in an area for an exteneded time again. Thus will end my self-imposed dating ban (finally). Given my limited free time, and my track-record, I suspect that this will change nothing. But it will be nice to move into a place that will be more ong-temr than a few weeks, and it will be excellent to see my brother and a few other friends who live in the area.
In other news, I decided to not be a complete miser with the money that I've made this summer, and so I have bought a new computer. All the parts arrived yesterday; Newegg is quite prompt. However, we selected the wrong set of RAM (compatible only with intel, and I got an AMD processor); basically, we'd been comparing it to another set of RAM, then had looked at something else, had come back, and then selected the what we thought was the other set. This was remedied by a trip to Fry's (the original RAM will be returned to Newegg, but I don't have the time to wait, being as I'm moving soon). They also sent me a faulty power supply (it happens), but we didn't catch this until after returning from Fry's. Oh well. I would have waited on the whole thing, but decided that it would be better to get the computer up and running while I still have a couple of experienced roommates to help me with it.
Meanwhile, it appears that the Contumacy (UTA's CN Paper) may be up and running-- in any case, they sent out a request for articles. I've written one and sent it to Ariadne for editing, and will hopefully be submitting it at the end of the weekend. The topic is a play on the old adage about letting the ends justify the means (an excellent topic for writing in its own right). I discussed the much more seldomly broached topic of letting the means justify the ends. I'll likely post it up here after the Contumacy is published.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Gender and Marriage
Michael Medved has an excellent article today on townhall.com. It's a partial defense of the difference in genders, as well as another argument against the concept of a homosexual marriage.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Tax'd!!!
Well, today was PAYDAY!!! I got my paycheck (which is good, because I'm paid monthly, s it's been a while). And those greedy BA$TARD$ who work for the IR$, and the $tate of California, have decided that they are entitled to ~$1500 of it. Forget the "king's fifth," these guys were satisfied with little less than 30%. Now there's a crime for you.
Why Stop At Partial-Birth Abortion?
Stories like this really should come as no surprise to me. They're tragic, but then, the abortion industry does make it money by murdering (usually) unborn children, and it has been known to push for such things as partial-birth abortion. This is the logical consequence of any philosophy that can justify murder for the sake of convenience.
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