Back to logic class today. I'm learning a lot from these lessons. Now I listen more carefully when people argue, trying to discern a fallacy.
Ignoratio Elenchi (irrelevant conclusion): the fallacy of proving a conclusion not pertinent and quite different from that which was intended or required.
The ignoratio elenchi is usually considered slightly narrower in focus than the non sequitur. Strictly speaking, any time a conclusion does not follow from its premises, the non sequitur fallacy occurs. Other similar fallacies include diversion, red herring, subject changing, and ignoring the issue. In law, such a response given to a question can be called "nonresponsive."
In general, the ignoratio elenchi occurs when an argument purporting to establish a specific conclusion is directed, instead, to proving a different conclusion.
The key in evaluating argument is determining whether or not the appeal used in the argument is relevant to the conclusion or not. Relevance is established by either logical or evidential connection.
One quick way to establish relevance is to ask yourself if the premises were false, would that fact imply that the conclusion is false also? It it would not, then the premises can be considered irrelevant to the conclusion.
Consider the following example:
"The 52 former hostages are seen as national heroes. I consider them survivors. A hero is one who is admired for his achievements and qualities. Therefore, the true heroes are those servicemen who volunteered for the failed rescue mission."
Irene Coyne, "Letters" Time (Vol 117, No. 7), 4.
Ms. Coyne is arguing that the servicemen who failed to rescue the hostages are heroes for the reason that heroes are admired for their achievements and qualities. For this premise to be relevant to the conclusion, we must assume that the servicemen who failed are admired for their achievements and qualities. If this assumption were to be supported by further reasons, the ignoratio elenchi need not have occurred.
In other words, in order to determine relevance, we would ask Ms. Coyne, "Would those servicemen be true heroes if they had not volunteered, and if they would have rescued the hostages?" Doubtless, she would agree that they still would be considered heroes; hence, the fallacy of ignoratio elenchi occurs. (Note how this ignoratio elenchi is coupled with ad populum consideration.)
Sunday, 31 May 2009
Beautiful Sunday afternoon
Sat outside this afternoon enjoying another beautiful day in England. Here are my sweet peas:
I was trying to read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys but gave up and just watched the clouds pass by over my rose bushes:
Going to go out for a little ride on my bicycle now. See you later.
I was trying to read Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys but gave up and just watched the clouds pass by over my rose bushes:
Going to go out for a little ride on my bicycle now. See you later.
An alcohol topic
I was idly musing in a topic about guns the other day. I said:
I was thinking today that if there had been more gun control in the US, Phil Spector's date in 2003, Lana Clarkson, might still be alive today.
Marty came back with this comment:
And if there were more alcohol control Ted Kennedy's date Mary Jo Kopeckni might still be alive today.
I said that we could debate alcohol control in another topic because we were doing guns in that post.
So here is the alcohol post. Should we try to control it? But if we bring back Prohibition, shouldn't we get guns under control first as that really did us in the 1930s?
Binge drinking is a problem in the UK. But many of the problem drinkers are in the middle and upper classes. I suppose if they want to risk major organ failure, that's their lookout? At least they can't kill anyone else with their boozing.
I was thinking today that if there had been more gun control in the US, Phil Spector's date in 2003, Lana Clarkson, might still be alive today.
Marty came back with this comment:
And if there were more alcohol control Ted Kennedy's date Mary Jo Kopeckni might still be alive today.
I said that we could debate alcohol control in another topic because we were doing guns in that post.
So here is the alcohol post. Should we try to control it? But if we bring back Prohibition, shouldn't we get guns under control first as that really did us in the 1930s?
Binge drinking is a problem in the UK. But many of the problem drinkers are in the middle and upper classes. I suppose if they want to risk major organ failure, that's their lookout? At least they can't kill anyone else with their boozing.
Redneck opinions
Have you ever read Joe Bageant? He is a professed Southern redneck. I read his book Deer Hunting with Jesus that contains really interesting essays -- except he's a rabid gun owner/defender and that put me off a little.
Here's an example of his writing:
"When it comes to expressing plain truths, few are as gifted as American rednecks. During recent travels in the Appalachian communities of West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky I've collected scores of their comments on our national condition and especially President Barack Obama.
In America, all successful politicians are first and foremost successfully marketed brands. In fact, the Obama campaign was named Advertising Age's 2008 marketer of the year. George W. Bush's brand may have "collapsed," as they say on Madison Avenue, but things don't change much. Rednecks instinctively know this:
"It don't matter who gets to warm his butt in the White House chair," says a West Virginia trucker. "The top dogs eat high on the hog and the little dogs eat the tails and ears. That's what them bailouts is all about, and that's the way it is no matter who's president. So you might as well vote for the guy who looks like the most fun because you gonna be watching his ass on television for the next eight years."
Here are some cute Redneck photos I was sent this week:
Here's an example of his writing:
"When it comes to expressing plain truths, few are as gifted as American rednecks. During recent travels in the Appalachian communities of West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky I've collected scores of their comments on our national condition and especially President Barack Obama.
In America, all successful politicians are first and foremost successfully marketed brands. In fact, the Obama campaign was named Advertising Age's 2008 marketer of the year. George W. Bush's brand may have "collapsed," as they say on Madison Avenue, but things don't change much. Rednecks instinctively know this:
"It don't matter who gets to warm his butt in the White House chair," says a West Virginia trucker. "The top dogs eat high on the hog and the little dogs eat the tails and ears. That's what them bailouts is all about, and that's the way it is no matter who's president. So you might as well vote for the guy who looks like the most fun because you gonna be watching his ass on television for the next eight years."
Here are some cute Redneck photos I was sent this week:
Saturday, 30 May 2009
Techies make the best lovers -- who knew?
From Fudzilla.com:
"A study of British men and women has concluded that techies make the best lovers. They were found to be the most selfless in the sack, the most adventurous and more likely to use gadgets.
Seventy-eight per cent of techies that were questioned also claimed that sex toys were part of their love life. Unusually they didn't care if they were Open Sourced or proprietary. Eighty-two per cent of IT workers also claimed to consider their partners sexual needs above there own, the highest result from all of those asked.
While IT workers were often not so hot at networking they knew their way around their partner's schematic. It probably comes from downloading gigabytes of porn every day. In comparison, those who who worked in the fitness industry were found to be least likely to use sex toys, with just three in ten using them regularly and were the most selfish lovers.
However IT workers fall fair behind the fitness freaks when it comes to the number of times they get to use their joy stick. IT workers have sex much less than three times a week, well behind office workers and the fitness fanatics."
"A study of British men and women has concluded that techies make the best lovers. They were found to be the most selfless in the sack, the most adventurous and more likely to use gadgets.
Seventy-eight per cent of techies that were questioned also claimed that sex toys were part of their love life. Unusually they didn't care if they were Open Sourced or proprietary. Eighty-two per cent of IT workers also claimed to consider their partners sexual needs above there own, the highest result from all of those asked.
While IT workers were often not so hot at networking they knew their way around their partner's schematic. It probably comes from downloading gigabytes of porn every day. In comparison, those who who worked in the fitness industry were found to be least likely to use sex toys, with just three in ten using them regularly and were the most selfish lovers.
However IT workers fall fair behind the fitness freaks when it comes to the number of times they get to use their joy stick. IT workers have sex much less than three times a week, well behind office workers and the fitness fanatics."
Kay Francis, big movie star and debauched too
I love 1930s movies. Kay Francis was a huge movie star then. I would watch her movies on television when I was growing up. Now I find out that she had a colorful private life. Read more about it below:
A combination clotheshorse/workhorse, Kay Francis made 67 films from 1929 to 1946. Her life and career are a splurging record of indulgent consumption and extravagant dissipation....She usually drank a tumbler of gin for breakfast, got bored very easily, and slept around indiscriminately [with both men and women], racking up a high number of abortions... Kear and Rossman's book quotes liberally from Francis' diary, even using pull quotes from it on many of the pages, so that you feel their subject is talking directly to you. Kay repeatedly calls herself a bitch and a slut, proclaims her pooped-out boredom, and runs down her list of conquests. "Had merciless afternoon with Maurice (Chevalier)," she reports. "Four times in two hours." Her taste ran to talented directors too, like Goulding, Mamoulian, Lang, and Preminger. She could be generous: "Had to sleep with her because she wanted me," says one entry.
A combination clotheshorse/workhorse, Kay Francis made 67 films from 1929 to 1946. Her life and career are a splurging record of indulgent consumption and extravagant dissipation....She usually drank a tumbler of gin for breakfast, got bored very easily, and slept around indiscriminately [with both men and women], racking up a high number of abortions... Kear and Rossman's book quotes liberally from Francis' diary, even using pull quotes from it on many of the pages, so that you feel their subject is talking directly to you. Kay repeatedly calls herself a bitch and a slut, proclaims her pooped-out boredom, and runs down her list of conquests. "Had merciless afternoon with Maurice (Chevalier)," she reports. "Four times in two hours." Her taste ran to talented directors too, like Goulding, Mamoulian, Lang, and Preminger. She could be generous: "Had to sleep with her because she wanted me," says one entry.
Texas senate votes to let college students shoot each other
Saw this today on gawker.com:
Hey college students! Want to shoot your friends? Transfer to one of Texas’ many fine public universities! MAYBE, soon, once this diddly gets passed on to the Texas House and the secessionist state president Rick Perry: “AUSTIN — A bill to allow college students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus won final passage today on a 19-12 vote in the Senate.”
Hey college students! Want to shoot your friends? Transfer to one of Texas’ many fine public universities! MAYBE, soon, once this diddly gets passed on to the Texas House and the secessionist state president Rick Perry: “AUSTIN — A bill to allow college students and employees to carry their concealed handguns on campus won final passage today on a 19-12 vote in the Senate.”
Friday, 29 May 2009
Trashy or what?
From the Daily Beast website:
Has Nadya Suleman's soulmate been discovered? Desmond Hatchett, a 29-year-old Tennessee man, set a U.S. record by fathering a whopping 21 children with 11 different women. Hatchett is unable to pay child support for his offspring with his minimum-wage salary, apparently causing some residents in his hometown of Knoxville to call for his castration.
After Hatchett's name appeared on court documents 11 times representing 15 of his children whose mothers demanded child support, local authorities ruled that half of his salary be given to each child. Unfortunately, that only factors out to about $1.60 a week each. Hatchett is due to appear in court next month, but it sounds like he's seen the benefits of contraception at last. "I'm done," Hatchett said when asked if he'd father a 22nd child. "I'll say I'm done."
Has Nadya Suleman's soulmate been discovered? Desmond Hatchett, a 29-year-old Tennessee man, set a U.S. record by fathering a whopping 21 children with 11 different women. Hatchett is unable to pay child support for his offspring with his minimum-wage salary, apparently causing some residents in his hometown of Knoxville to call for his castration.
After Hatchett's name appeared on court documents 11 times representing 15 of his children whose mothers demanded child support, local authorities ruled that half of his salary be given to each child. Unfortunately, that only factors out to about $1.60 a week each. Hatchett is due to appear in court next month, but it sounds like he's seen the benefits of contraception at last. "I'm done," Hatchett said when asked if he'd father a 22nd child. "I'll say I'm done."
Women's happiness declining
Interesting paper published by a couple of economists this week:
"By many measures the progress of women over recent decades has been extraordinary: the gender wage gap has partly closed; educational attainment has risen and is now surpassing that of men; women have gained an unprecedented level of control over fertility; technological change in the form of new domestic appliances has freed women from domestic drudgery; and women’s freedoms within both the family and market sphere have expanded. Blau’s 1998 assessment of objective measures of female well being since 1970 finds that women made enormous gains.
Labor force outcomes have improved absolutely, as women’s real wages have risen for all but the least educated women, and relatively, as women’s wages relative to those of men have increased for women of all races and education levels. Concurrently, female labor force participation has risen to record levels both absolutely and relative to that of men (Blau and Kahn 2007). In turn, better market outcomes for women have likely improved their bargaining position in the home by raising their opportunities outside of marriage.
...
By many objective measures, the lives of women in the United States have improved over the past 35 years, yet we show that measures of subjective well-being indicate that women's happiness has declined both absolutely and relative to men. The paradox of women's declining relative well-being is found across various datasets, measures of subjective well-being, and is pervasive across demographic groups and industrialized countries."
To read the whole paper, go here:
Female Happiness Study
"By many measures the progress of women over recent decades has been extraordinary: the gender wage gap has partly closed; educational attainment has risen and is now surpassing that of men; women have gained an unprecedented level of control over fertility; technological change in the form of new domestic appliances has freed women from domestic drudgery; and women’s freedoms within both the family and market sphere have expanded. Blau’s 1998 assessment of objective measures of female well being since 1970 finds that women made enormous gains.
Labor force outcomes have improved absolutely, as women’s real wages have risen for all but the least educated women, and relatively, as women’s wages relative to those of men have increased for women of all races and education levels. Concurrently, female labor force participation has risen to record levels both absolutely and relative to that of men (Blau and Kahn 2007). In turn, better market outcomes for women have likely improved their bargaining position in the home by raising their opportunities outside of marriage.
...
By many objective measures, the lives of women in the United States have improved over the past 35 years, yet we show that measures of subjective well-being indicate that women's happiness has declined both absolutely and relative to men. The paradox of women's declining relative well-being is found across various datasets, measures of subjective well-being, and is pervasive across demographic groups and industrialized countries."
To read the whole paper, go here:
Female Happiness Study
NOOO! Archie is going to marry Veronica, not Betty
This is terrible news. I read Archie comics all through my childhood, and then my daughter read them (and I read her copies on the sly) and poor Betty never had a break with Archie. It went back and forth for years but now Veronica has finally won. Archie is going to ask her to marry him this summer. It's so unfair. Poor Betty, she has suffered so much and now this final humiliation.
Archie Andrews has finally made his choice. In the upcoming 600th issue of Archie Comics, he will propose to brunette bad girl Veronica, leaving Betty, his sweet, blonde lady-friend, heartbroken. For students of pop culture, the fact that gentlemen actually prefer brunettes should come as no surprise.
Archie Andrews has finally made his choice. In the upcoming 600th issue of Archie Comics, he will propose to brunette bad girl Veronica, leaving Betty, his sweet, blonde lady-friend, heartbroken. For students of pop culture, the fact that gentlemen actually prefer brunettes should come as no surprise.
Intro to Logic: Argumentum ad Baculum
Here's our logic lesson for today:
Argumentum ad Baculum (fear of force): the fallacy committed when one appeals to force or the threat of force to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion.
The ad baculum derives its strength from an appeal to human timidity or fear and is a fallacy when the appeal is not logically related to the claim being made. In other words, the emotion resulting from a threat rather than a pertinent reason is used to cause agreement with the purported conclusion of the argument.
The ad baculum contains implicitly or explicitly a threat. Behind this threat is often the idea that in the end, "Might makes right." Threats, per se, however, are not fallacies because they involve behavior, not arguments.
Often the informal structure of argumentum ad baculum is as follows.
Person L says accept argument A or event x will happen.
Event x is bad, dangerous, or threatening.
Therefore, argument A is a good argument.
Examples of ad baculum fallacies:
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Chairman of the Board: "All those opposed to my arguments for the opening of a new department, signify by saying, 'I resign.'"
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The Department of Transportation needs to reconsider the speed limit proposals on interstate highways for the simple reason that if they do not, their departmental budget for DOT will be cut by 25%.
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I'm sure you can support the proposal to diversify into the fast food industry because if I receive any opposition on this initiative, I will personally see that you are transferred to the janitorial division of this corporation..
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The basis of an ad baculum is the story of Giordano Bruno. Bruno (1548-1600) envisioned a multitude of solar systems in limitless space and believed in the astronomical hypothesis of Copernicus. The Church threatened his life unless he changed his views. Bruno refused to be convinced by the ad baculum as so was burned at the stake in 1600).
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On October 10, 1971, Secretary of State William P. Rogers cautioned foreign ministers that Congress might force the United States reduce its financial contributions to the United Nations if Nationalist China is expelled. As a logical argument, Rogers caution is fallacious; as a political maneuver no argument is being adduced.
Argumentum ad Baculum (fear of force): the fallacy committed when one appeals to force or the threat of force to bring about the acceptance of a conclusion.
The ad baculum derives its strength from an appeal to human timidity or fear and is a fallacy when the appeal is not logically related to the claim being made. In other words, the emotion resulting from a threat rather than a pertinent reason is used to cause agreement with the purported conclusion of the argument.
The ad baculum contains implicitly or explicitly a threat. Behind this threat is often the idea that in the end, "Might makes right." Threats, per se, however, are not fallacies because they involve behavior, not arguments.
Often the informal structure of argumentum ad baculum is as follows.
Person L says accept argument A or event x will happen.
Event x is bad, dangerous, or threatening.
Therefore, argument A is a good argument.
Examples of ad baculum fallacies:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chairman of the Board: "All those opposed to my arguments for the opening of a new department, signify by saying, 'I resign.'"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Department of Transportation needs to reconsider the speed limit proposals on interstate highways for the simple reason that if they do not, their departmental budget for DOT will be cut by 25%.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm sure you can support the proposal to diversify into the fast food industry because if I receive any opposition on this initiative, I will personally see that you are transferred to the janitorial division of this corporation..
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The basis of an ad baculum is the story of Giordano Bruno. Bruno (1548-1600) envisioned a multitude of solar systems in limitless space and believed in the astronomical hypothesis of Copernicus. The Church threatened his life unless he changed his views. Bruno refused to be convinced by the ad baculum as so was burned at the stake in 1600).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
On October 10, 1971, Secretary of State William P. Rogers cautioned foreign ministers that Congress might force the United States reduce its financial contributions to the United Nations if Nationalist China is expelled. As a logical argument, Rogers caution is fallacious; as a political maneuver no argument is being adduced.
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Like I needed an excuse to retire to California eventually
Researchers found that increased levels of vitamin D, obtained from exposure to sun or eating oily fish, could help keep our brains in top condition as we age.
The findings suggest that retirement to warmer climes or taking dietary supplements could boost your brain's ability to stay active later in life.
Scientists at the University of Manchester discovered that higher levels of vitamin D are linked with improved mental ability in middle-aged and older men.
The researchers found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better than those with lower levels.
Dr David Lee, lead researcher from Manchester's School of Translational Medicine, said: "Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings.
"But we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D."
The findings suggest that retirement to warmer climes or taking dietary supplements could boost your brain's ability to stay active later in life.
Scientists at the University of Manchester discovered that higher levels of vitamin D are linked with improved mental ability in middle-aged and older men.
The researchers found that men with higher levels of vitamin D performed consistently better than those with lower levels.
Dr David Lee, lead researcher from Manchester's School of Translational Medicine, said: "Previous studies exploring the relationship between vitamin D and cognitive performance in adults have produced inconsistent findings.
"But we observed a significant, independent association between a slower information processing speed and lower levels of vitamin D."
Sitting around
I'm always 'gently suggesting' to my husband on weekends that he sits around too much watching multiple sports events on TV. He keeps up with important developments in cricket, golf, football, snooker and tennis on the weekends. (I tell him that maybe there are other channels on the TV besides the sports ones but I don't think he believes me.) Maybe he'll read this (below) and move around more.
"Sedentary behavior is becoming an important component of the exercise and health equation. There is new evidence that prolonged, unbroken sitting time is related to people's risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a lecture presented today at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Seattle. Examples of sedentary behaviors include watching television, playing video games, using the computer, reading, and doing homework.
"At the basic-science level, it appears that there are unique physiological processes and pathways associated with sedentary behavior, particularly prolonged sitting," said Neville Owen, Ph.D., lead presenter. "There are some promising studies that point to what is likely to be a unique 'sedentary physiology', which is distinct from what is known about the physiological processes generated by working muscle."
Owen highlighted work done by the Genevieve Healy, Ph.D. and David Dunstan, Ph.D. with Australia's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. These scientists used accelerometers to measure sedentary behavior in order to confirm their studies showing harmful metabolic relationships with blood fats and blood glucose, associated with large amounts of television viewing time.
"Healy's research has identified the importance of breaking up sitting time," said Owen. "People who stand up and simply move around more have healthier blood fat and blood glucose levels than those whose sitting time is not broken up by these transitions."
"Sedentary behavior is becoming an important component of the exercise and health equation. There is new evidence that prolonged, unbroken sitting time is related to people's risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, according to a lecture presented today at the 56th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) in Seattle. Examples of sedentary behaviors include watching television, playing video games, using the computer, reading, and doing homework.
"At the basic-science level, it appears that there are unique physiological processes and pathways associated with sedentary behavior, particularly prolonged sitting," said Neville Owen, Ph.D., lead presenter. "There are some promising studies that point to what is likely to be a unique 'sedentary physiology', which is distinct from what is known about the physiological processes generated by working muscle."
Owen highlighted work done by the Genevieve Healy, Ph.D. and David Dunstan, Ph.D. with Australia's Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. These scientists used accelerometers to measure sedentary behavior in order to confirm their studies showing harmful metabolic relationships with blood fats and blood glucose, associated with large amounts of television viewing time.
"Healy's research has identified the importance of breaking up sitting time," said Owen. "People who stand up and simply move around more have healthier blood fat and blood glucose levels than those whose sitting time is not broken up by these transitions."
Help me figure out the fallacy in this statement
The great minds on this blog have been trying to help me learn logic so I can argue better. I'm hopeless at this. Anyway, we are having big problems in Great Britain now with corrupt MPs who have been bilking the taxpayer with extravagant claims for expenses. One female MP has let her brother live rent free in a house we taxpayers were paying for, and she employed her sister as a secretary at taxpayers' expense even though the sister lives hundreds of miles away from the MP's constituency and the Houses of Parliament in London. (Have you ever seen a job advertisement for a secretary that said living a hundred miles away from the office was completely fine with the employer?)
The MP (Julie Kirkbride) is now desperately trying to hang on to her job and the gravy train. Today she has a column in the Times and is trying to make her case. Now I know that what she says (below) is fallacious (she is trying to get an emotional reaction out of readers by saying she is only trying to be a 'good mum and a good MP' but what principle of logic does it violate? Any insight welcome.
I try to be a good mum and a good MP
"Like millions of women I am a mother who works. Like millions of other working mothers I have put in place networks to ensure that my child enjoys security and consistency while I work demanding hours and do the best job I can.
...
I've laid out these details to show my constituents and everyone else why I have involved my family in my professional arrangements. It's not about profit, it's about keeping the family together while being available for my constituents.
But a wider issue gives me great concern. What effect will stories like mine have on mothers who aspire to be MPs? We want Parliament to be more representative and that includes women with school-age children.
Just before this story broke, I spoke to a woman journalist thinking of entering Parliament. Her main concern was the effect it would have on her children. I assured her it was possible to combine an MP's life with being a good mother, as long as she organised her support structure well.
That must continue to be the case - or Parliament risks taking a step backwards."
Eliz again: What I'm hearing her say is that if we don't continue to fund her lifestyle with our tax dollars, then working mothers will conclude that you can't be an MP and have children then no more women will stand for Parliament and we will return to the Dark Ages. We can't have that! We need to give Julie Kirkbride EVEN MORE tax dollars to stop this from happening!
Below is a pic of Julie and her husband, also an MP who is having to leave Parliament because of expenses corruption. Somebody clever has altered the photo to give them pig noses because they are Pigs at the Trough (of taxpayers' money).
The MP (Julie Kirkbride) is now desperately trying to hang on to her job and the gravy train. Today she has a column in the Times and is trying to make her case. Now I know that what she says (below) is fallacious (she is trying to get an emotional reaction out of readers by saying she is only trying to be a 'good mum and a good MP' but what principle of logic does it violate? Any insight welcome.
I try to be a good mum and a good MP
"Like millions of women I am a mother who works. Like millions of other working mothers I have put in place networks to ensure that my child enjoys security and consistency while I work demanding hours and do the best job I can.
...
I've laid out these details to show my constituents and everyone else why I have involved my family in my professional arrangements. It's not about profit, it's about keeping the family together while being available for my constituents.
But a wider issue gives me great concern. What effect will stories like mine have on mothers who aspire to be MPs? We want Parliament to be more representative and that includes women with school-age children.
Just before this story broke, I spoke to a woman journalist thinking of entering Parliament. Her main concern was the effect it would have on her children. I assured her it was possible to combine an MP's life with being a good mother, as long as she organised her support structure well.
That must continue to be the case - or Parliament risks taking a step backwards."
Eliz again: What I'm hearing her say is that if we don't continue to fund her lifestyle with our tax dollars, then working mothers will conclude that you can't be an MP and have children then no more women will stand for Parliament and we will return to the Dark Ages. We can't have that! We need to give Julie Kirkbride EVEN MORE tax dollars to stop this from happening!
Below is a pic of Julie and her husband, also an MP who is having to leave Parliament because of expenses corruption. Somebody clever has altered the photo to give them pig noses because they are Pigs at the Trough (of taxpayers' money).
Wednesday, 27 May 2009
A well-regulated militia
Have you ever read Paul Fussell? He's a brilliant writer. The Great War and Modern Memory is one of my favorite books. He also wrote an essay that suggested that the National Rifle Association adhere to its touted Second Amendment prerogative by assuming the obligations of “a well regulated militia” in the form of perpetual boot camp for its members. What do you think of that idea?
Here's another opinion along those lines:
From a blogger at the Baltimore Sun:
"If you don't want to acknowledge that the firearms industry and the National Rifle Association have put guns beyond our control and contributed to the firearms violence and death in the United States, fine. And, what's more, you've won the argument. Not only is the gun-control movement in this nation dormant-to-dead, but there are now far too many guns for us to presume to try and control them. You've won the argument. Have a nice life!
There's really only one more other thing I wish to say, particularly to the Second Amendment purists. As the scholar Paul Fussell has argued, only a bit facetiously: What do you say we enforce the Second Amendment as written? That is, you own a gun, fine. Keep it clean and ready because here's the deal: Your gun ownership makes you part of a well-regulated militia, that is, the National Guard. You must show up for training and exercises on a regular basis and, at the moment, be eligible for service in Iraq. That's what the amendment says: A well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. What do you say? Are you ready to march on Tehran?"
Here's another opinion along those lines:
From a blogger at the Baltimore Sun:
"If you don't want to acknowledge that the firearms industry and the National Rifle Association have put guns beyond our control and contributed to the firearms violence and death in the United States, fine. And, what's more, you've won the argument. Not only is the gun-control movement in this nation dormant-to-dead, but there are now far too many guns for us to presume to try and control them. You've won the argument. Have a nice life!
There's really only one more other thing I wish to say, particularly to the Second Amendment purists. As the scholar Paul Fussell has argued, only a bit facetiously: What do you say we enforce the Second Amendment as written? That is, you own a gun, fine. Keep it clean and ready because here's the deal: Your gun ownership makes you part of a well-regulated militia, that is, the National Guard. You must show up for training and exercises on a regular basis and, at the moment, be eligible for service in Iraq. That's what the amendment says: A well regulated militia, being necessary for the security of a free state, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. What do you say? Are you ready to march on Tehran?"
What we would wear in 2000 as seen by the 1930s
Check this video out. It was made in the 1930s to predict what we would be wearing in the year 2000. I would love to wear a glass dress, and having a flashlight on your head to search for an honest man seems like a good idea too.
Wisdom from my desk calendar
The graveyards are full of women whose houses were so spotless you could eat off the floor: Remember, the second wife always has a maid. Heloise Cruse
It's a man's world
From the Economist magazine. A woman reader has labelled this yet another "No Shit survey."
DESPITE changing attitudes and even laws to promote equality between the sexes, it appears that women still have their work cut out. Men enjoy more leisure time than women in every one of 18 countries examined by the OECD. Italian men have it easiest in comparison with women, lazing around for nearly 80 minutes more each than women who, apparently, clean the house. Other staunch Catholic countries also see big gaps between the sexes, and even in egalitarian Norway men manage to sneak an extra four minutes more to themselves.
DESPITE changing attitudes and even laws to promote equality between the sexes, it appears that women still have their work cut out. Men enjoy more leisure time than women in every one of 18 countries examined by the OECD. Italian men have it easiest in comparison with women, lazing around for nearly 80 minutes more each than women who, apparently, clean the house. Other staunch Catholic countries also see big gaps between the sexes, and even in egalitarian Norway men manage to sneak an extra four minutes more to themselves.
Tuesday, 26 May 2009
Women prefer feminine-looking men
I thought this study was interesting. I've always wondered why women love homosexual male singers like Barry Manilow. I thought it was because they were non-threatening but maybe it's because of this (below).
"Single women prefer feminine looking men when judging them for long term relationships, this is the finding of a study published online, in the British Journal of Psychology.
In the study carried out at the University of Aberdeen, 449 heterosexual women were presented with a series of men's faces manipulated to look either feminine (with high arched eyebrows, small jaw, large eyes) or masculine (with pronounced brow ridges and jaws).
Lead researcher of the study, Dr Ben Jones from the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen said: "We found that a preference for eye contact - signalling social interest - was very sensitive to the type of judgment we asked the women to make, and the type of men they were judging.
"Preferences for direct eye contact from feminine looking men were strongest when we asked the women how attractive the men would be as a long-term partner. We know from previous research that women perceive feminine men as honest, kind and even as 'good parents'. So it makes good sense that women find attention from these caring and sharing men attractive when they are thinking about who would be attractive as a long-term partner."
You can assess your own face preferences and find out the types of faces that you find attractive by taking part in some short online tests at http://www.faceresearch.org. Be sure and let us know at the blog what you discover about yourself.
"Single women prefer feminine looking men when judging them for long term relationships, this is the finding of a study published online, in the British Journal of Psychology.
In the study carried out at the University of Aberdeen, 449 heterosexual women were presented with a series of men's faces manipulated to look either feminine (with high arched eyebrows, small jaw, large eyes) or masculine (with pronounced brow ridges and jaws).
Lead researcher of the study, Dr Ben Jones from the Face Research Laboratory at the University of Aberdeen said: "We found that a preference for eye contact - signalling social interest - was very sensitive to the type of judgment we asked the women to make, and the type of men they were judging.
"Preferences for direct eye contact from feminine looking men were strongest when we asked the women how attractive the men would be as a long-term partner. We know from previous research that women perceive feminine men as honest, kind and even as 'good parents'. So it makes good sense that women find attention from these caring and sharing men attractive when they are thinking about who would be attractive as a long-term partner."
You can assess your own face preferences and find out the types of faces that you find attractive by taking part in some short online tests at http://www.faceresearch.org. Be sure and let us know at the blog what you discover about yourself.
Don't use those socialist beaches
This is a cute YouTube video.
Here's the comment on it from a political blog:
The first thing wrong with this video is it shows a mixed-race couple, which must still be illegal somewhere in the “Real America,” maybe Alabama or Texas? But the rest teaches our children a valuable lesson about why they can’t have nice things: Because that’s socialist! So if you want to go to the beach, try the “American way” and earn millions of dollars, and buy some beachfront property, and shoot any mixed race couples you catch trying to use your beach, the end.
Here's the comment on it from a political blog:
The first thing wrong with this video is it shows a mixed-race couple, which must still be illegal somewhere in the “Real America,” maybe Alabama or Texas? But the rest teaches our children a valuable lesson about why they can’t have nice things: Because that’s socialist! So if you want to go to the beach, try the “American way” and earn millions of dollars, and buy some beachfront property, and shoot any mixed race couples you catch trying to use your beach, the end.
God of the Gaps argument
Thanks to regular commenter Steve B for mentioning the God of the Gaps argument in a comment to Marty recently. This expands my education even more, thanks. Here's the info:
The phrase, God of the gaps, refers to a view of God being limited by scientific knowledge. It is not considered a valid argument for the existence of God.
The concept involves an interaction of religious explanations of nature with those derived from science.
"God of the gaps" is sometimes used to describe the retreat of religious explanations of physical phenomena in the face of additional scientific explanations.
An example of the line of reasoning starts with the position that early religious descriptions of objects and events (such as the Sun, Moon, and stars; thunder and lightning) placed these in the realm of things created or controlled by a god or gods. As science found explanations for observations in the realms of astronomy, meteorology, geology, cosmology and biology, the 'need' for a god to explain phenomena was progressively reduced, occupying smaller and smaller 'gaps' in knowledge. Since the domain of natural phenomena previously explained by God is shrinking, theistic or divine explanations for any natural phenomenon become less plausible.
The phrase, God of the gaps, refers to a view of God being limited by scientific knowledge. It is not considered a valid argument for the existence of God.
The concept involves an interaction of religious explanations of nature with those derived from science.
"God of the gaps" is sometimes used to describe the retreat of religious explanations of physical phenomena in the face of additional scientific explanations.
An example of the line of reasoning starts with the position that early religious descriptions of objects and events (such as the Sun, Moon, and stars; thunder and lightning) placed these in the realm of things created or controlled by a god or gods. As science found explanations for observations in the realms of astronomy, meteorology, geology, cosmology and biology, the 'need' for a god to explain phenomena was progressively reduced, occupying smaller and smaller 'gaps' in knowledge. Since the domain of natural phenomena previously explained by God is shrinking, theistic or divine explanations for any natural phenomenon become less plausible.
What are your bookmarks?
A reader made a comment yesterday that intrigued me:
"I took a look at my Bookmarks and, sure 'nuff, they are mostly nutrition, exercise, health, and culinary sites. EBay, of course, and the Rottan Tomatoes movie review site, and some French and Italian pages."
It made me wonder what other readers' bookmarks are.
My most used are:
The Huffington Post (I'm a news junkie)
The Daily Beast (ditto)
Wonkette (DC women-related political news)
Medical News Today (need to find all the latest medical studies)
TMZ (craven goss needs)
Now tell me yours. And don't edit them! We want to see you as you really are.
"I took a look at my Bookmarks and, sure 'nuff, they are mostly nutrition, exercise, health, and culinary sites. EBay, of course, and the Rottan Tomatoes movie review site, and some French and Italian pages."
It made me wonder what other readers' bookmarks are.
My most used are:
The Huffington Post (I'm a news junkie)
The Daily Beast (ditto)
Wonkette (DC women-related political news)
Medical News Today (need to find all the latest medical studies)
TMZ (craven goss needs)
Now tell me yours. And don't edit them! We want to see you as you really are.
Monday, 25 May 2009
American Eve
I finished reading American Eve by Paula Uruburu in the back yard just now, instead of doing the weeding. It's the story of the Stanford White murder in New York City in the 1900s. You know about this if you read or saw the movie Ragtime. This book tells the story of Evelyn Nesbit. What a sad life she had -- her mother let her go on the stage when she was just 15, out with rich evil men, because she was the breadwinner of the family and the mother didn't want to stop the money coming in.
"BY THE time she was 16, Evelyn Nesbit was the face of her age, a stunning beauty with a "heart-stopping scarlet stare," a famous artist's and photographer's model whose image, in the earliest years of the 20th century, was used to sell everything from soap to chocolate, sewing machines to powdered toothpaste. She was the mistress of Stanford White, New York's celebrated architect. White, the builder of an earlier Madison Square Garden and other grand Romanesque wedding-cake structures, was himself the focal point of obsession and crazy social envy of a young millionaire named Harry K. Thaw, heir to a Pennsylvania coke and railroad fortune.
Thaw was mad, a sadist who set about pursuing Nesbit as he had various other of White's many young mistresses. Thaw more or less kidnapped Nesbit, whipped her habitually and forced her to tell him the nitty-gritty of her relationship with White. Nesbit, so young, couldn't break free of either man; seeing no alternative, she married Thaw, and tension built and built until the inevitable tragedy occurred. On the baking night of June 25, 1906, Thaw approached White in White's own backyard -- that's to say on Madison Square Garden's splendid roof terrace -- and calmly shot him three times in the face."
A weekend in Wales
We went to visit Simon, a school friend of Mel's, and his wife Jane in a rural village in Wales this weekend. They have bought an old rectory next to a church and are renovating it. What a change from Reading it was. Not a single car or person in sight for miles and miles.
This is the view from their house:
I sat under the willow tree here and read a book:
How idyllic it all was. The only sound you could hear were the birds singing and the sheep baaing:
Jane showed us around the rectory, then showed us the Little House (Ty Bach in Welsh). It's the outhouse -- this one had different sides for men and women. Here's Jane on the women's side:
The church next to the rectory was very pretty. I took this picture coming out of the doorway. (That's Simon and his dog Arthur.) Imagine seeing such a view after an hour spent listening to a sermon:
I spent some time in the graveyard one morning throwing a stick around for Arthur. We had a lot of fun:
But then I noticed a little lamb had found his way into the graveyard:
He was busy eating all the flowers on the graves and trampling down floral arrangements. We had spoken to a woman just the day before who'd been to the graveyard to see her cousin who had only been there for about a month so I knew the flowers on his grave were in danger. Also, the lamb's mother noticed he was gone and started calling to him from the other side of the fence:
Mother and son bleated at each other for a bit then I began to walk over to the lamb. He didn't like that and tried to get away from me -- this had the happy effect of sending him over to a stone wall that he could hop over. Soon he and his mother were reunited:
What a lovely weekend we had. I am dismayed to find myself back at home now and having to do laundry and cooking again. We were waited on hand and foot by Simon and Jane. We didn't have to lift a finger - beautiful meals appeared as if by magic.
But now I have to cook for myself again. Reality is so hard sometimes....
This is the view from their house:
I sat under the willow tree here and read a book:
How idyllic it all was. The only sound you could hear were the birds singing and the sheep baaing:
Jane showed us around the rectory, then showed us the Little House (Ty Bach in Welsh). It's the outhouse -- this one had different sides for men and women. Here's Jane on the women's side:
The church next to the rectory was very pretty. I took this picture coming out of the doorway. (That's Simon and his dog Arthur.) Imagine seeing such a view after an hour spent listening to a sermon:
I spent some time in the graveyard one morning throwing a stick around for Arthur. We had a lot of fun:
But then I noticed a little lamb had found his way into the graveyard:
He was busy eating all the flowers on the graves and trampling down floral arrangements. We had spoken to a woman just the day before who'd been to the graveyard to see her cousin who had only been there for about a month so I knew the flowers on his grave were in danger. Also, the lamb's mother noticed he was gone and started calling to him from the other side of the fence:
Mother and son bleated at each other for a bit then I began to walk over to the lamb. He didn't like that and tried to get away from me -- this had the happy effect of sending him over to a stone wall that he could hop over. Soon he and his mother were reunited:
What a lovely weekend we had. I am dismayed to find myself back at home now and having to do laundry and cooking again. We were waited on hand and foot by Simon and Jane. We didn't have to lift a finger - beautiful meals appeared as if by magic.
But now I have to cook for myself again. Reality is so hard sometimes....
Women value weight over physical health
I think this article (below) is probably true. What's wrong with us women? If I could claim back every minute of life that I have spent worrying about my weight -- well, I'd probably have an extra 20 years to enjoy beautiful things like sunsets or spring days.
I am going to try and do better and quit fretting so much over 10 pounds.
WASHINGTON - Scan the breathless headlines at any magazine rack — Fight Flab in Minutes! Get Beach Ready! Add the skinny yet buxom model, and it should be no surprise that the average woman feels insecure if not downright unhappy with her real-world figure.
Hang on: Are we worried just about appearance, or about whether our size signals a health problem?
There's a big disconnect between body image and true physical condition, an Associated Press-iVillage poll suggests. A lot of women say they're dieting despite somehow avoiding healthy fruits and veggies. Many others think they're fat when they're not.
The priorities are flipped," says Dr. Molly Poag, chief of psychiatry at New York's Lennox Hill Hospital.
She points to women athletes as much better role models than supermodels: "There's an undervaluing of physical fitness and an overvaluing of absolute weight and appearance for women in our culture."
Postscript:
I wrote this post a couple of days ago but haven't put it up yet. I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who is very careful with her weight and diet, and she told me how determined she was to lose five pounds that were really bugging her. After I read her mail, I started to fret about my weight AGAIN and ate more today than I have in weeks. I'm sure what she is doing has affected me. How can I become mentally tougher??
I am going to try and do better and quit fretting so much over 10 pounds.
WASHINGTON - Scan the breathless headlines at any magazine rack — Fight Flab in Minutes! Get Beach Ready! Add the skinny yet buxom model, and it should be no surprise that the average woman feels insecure if not downright unhappy with her real-world figure.
Hang on: Are we worried just about appearance, or about whether our size signals a health problem?
There's a big disconnect between body image and true physical condition, an Associated Press-iVillage poll suggests. A lot of women say they're dieting despite somehow avoiding healthy fruits and veggies. Many others think they're fat when they're not.
The priorities are flipped," says Dr. Molly Poag, chief of psychiatry at New York's Lennox Hill Hospital.
She points to women athletes as much better role models than supermodels: "There's an undervaluing of physical fitness and an overvaluing of absolute weight and appearance for women in our culture."
Postscript:
I wrote this post a couple of days ago but haven't put it up yet. I got an e-mail from a friend of mine who is very careful with her weight and diet, and she told me how determined she was to lose five pounds that were really bugging her. After I read her mail, I started to fret about my weight AGAIN and ate more today than I have in weeks. I'm sure what she is doing has affected me. How can I become mentally tougher??
Sunday, 24 May 2009
The Role of Women today in the Church of England
Do you remember the post I did about the misogynist vicar who said women had no place leading a church? He put his opinion in his monthly column in a local village magazine.
Here's a link to my post: A vicar's musings
He was blasted afterwards with many angry letters. Now the magazine is ending the letters about it and have chosen to finish the discussion with this one:
"The Rector’s Letter in The Villager in February 2009 expressed the concerns that many evangelical members of the Church of England share about the prospect of having female bishops making decisions and ruling dioceses which will negatively affect the life and witness of their church.
It is a fact that we now have a growing number of female clergy (and declining number of male clergy) in the C/E. I see this as a consequence, in part, of male abdication of the responsibility of husbands and fathers to be the moral and spiritual Leaders in the home which the Bible clearly teaches that we should be.
So the increase in female clergy is partly a default situation, increased by a common attitude that morality and religion are for women, while men’s proper pursuits are money making, sport and socializing with other men. It is also influenced by a much more aggressive Feminist movement among us (again aggravated by male failure).
So I have great respect for women clergy who “fill the gap” caused by male failure, in this country and also on the mission field (where many teachers, doctors and nurses are single women). But ideally they work under male indigenous church leaders.
Do you know the excellent little book entitled “Leadership is Male” whose author lives in Sherborne St John?
We may be successfully led by a female Prime Minister or by well educated and wise ladies in other secular fields. But where leadership and authority are concerned the
Church of Jesus Christ is modelled in the Bible on marriage. The 1662 Prayer Book beautiful ceremony of Holy Matrimony makes clear at its outset that the marriage service signifies “unto us the mystical union between Christ and his Church”…
When my wife and I were married (over 52 years ago) we together affirmed that she would obey me and I would love her in the same (self-sacrificing) way that “Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for it.” Easter celebrates this!
In conclusion would it surprise you to know that when my wife and I moved to this village nearly 12 years ago we did so (as have several others whom we know) in order to belong to the Gospel believing, Bible preaching church of St Andrew’s which John Hamilton and his Team lead? Perhaps the criticism of him which readers of The Villager have expressed is unaware of the real growth in numbers, finance and activities of their local church.
Why not come and witness it first-hand?
Yours sincerely, Mr. W G Silk"
Do you know, if my husband told me to obey him, I would probably hit him over the head with a frying pan.
Here's a link to my post: A vicar's musings
He was blasted afterwards with many angry letters. Now the magazine is ending the letters about it and have chosen to finish the discussion with this one:
"The Rector’s Letter in The Villager in February 2009 expressed the concerns that many evangelical members of the Church of England share about the prospect of having female bishops making decisions and ruling dioceses which will negatively affect the life and witness of their church.
It is a fact that we now have a growing number of female clergy (and declining number of male clergy) in the C/E. I see this as a consequence, in part, of male abdication of the responsibility of husbands and fathers to be the moral and spiritual Leaders in the home which the Bible clearly teaches that we should be.
So the increase in female clergy is partly a default situation, increased by a common attitude that morality and religion are for women, while men’s proper pursuits are money making, sport and socializing with other men. It is also influenced by a much more aggressive Feminist movement among us (again aggravated by male failure).
So I have great respect for women clergy who “fill the gap” caused by male failure, in this country and also on the mission field (where many teachers, doctors and nurses are single women). But ideally they work under male indigenous church leaders.
Do you know the excellent little book entitled “Leadership is Male” whose author lives in Sherborne St John?
We may be successfully led by a female Prime Minister or by well educated and wise ladies in other secular fields. But where leadership and authority are concerned the
Church of Jesus Christ is modelled in the Bible on marriage. The 1662 Prayer Book beautiful ceremony of Holy Matrimony makes clear at its outset that the marriage service signifies “unto us the mystical union between Christ and his Church”…
When my wife and I were married (over 52 years ago) we together affirmed that she would obey me and I would love her in the same (self-sacrificing) way that “Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself up for it.” Easter celebrates this!
In conclusion would it surprise you to know that when my wife and I moved to this village nearly 12 years ago we did so (as have several others whom we know) in order to belong to the Gospel believing, Bible preaching church of St Andrew’s which John Hamilton and his Team lead? Perhaps the criticism of him which readers of The Villager have expressed is unaware of the real growth in numbers, finance and activities of their local church.
Why not come and witness it first-hand?
Yours sincerely, Mr. W G Silk"
Do you know, if my husband told me to obey him, I would probably hit him over the head with a frying pan.
Death at La Fenice
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon would be a good book to take to the beach this summer. It was recommended in a list of the best mysteries published in the Sunday Times so I ordered it.
Great literature it isn't, but it's an entertaining read, and I'm enjoying it.
The twisted maze of Venice's canals has always been shrouded in mystery. Even the celebrated opera house, La Fenice, has seen its share of death...but none so horrific and violent as that of world-famous conductor, Maestro Helmut Wellauer - poisoned during a performance of La Traviata. Even Commissario of Police Guido Brunetti, used to the labyrinthine corruptions of the city, is shocked at the number of enemies Wellauer has made on his way to the top - but just how many have motive enough for murder? The beauty of Venice is crumbling. But evil is one thing that will never erode with age.
Great literature it isn't, but it's an entertaining read, and I'm enjoying it.
The twisted maze of Venice's canals has always been shrouded in mystery. Even the celebrated opera house, La Fenice, has seen its share of death...but none so horrific and violent as that of world-famous conductor, Maestro Helmut Wellauer - poisoned during a performance of La Traviata. Even Commissario of Police Guido Brunetti, used to the labyrinthine corruptions of the city, is shocked at the number of enemies Wellauer has made on his way to the top - but just how many have motive enough for murder? The beauty of Venice is crumbling. But evil is one thing that will never erode with age.
Saturday, 23 May 2009
My cat stares at pigeons all day
My new three-legged foster cat sits on my bed and stares at a pigeon that lands on the top of a lamp post all day. She growls at it fiercely, like she thinks she is a dog.
I can see why she would be so alert if the pigeon were within attacking distance but I wonder why she continues to growl at it even though it is far away and the wall of a house separates them? I am not too experienced with cats, as you can see.
Teachers must challenge myths
Athenian judges, like some parents today, would have students accept myth without question, because myth is the foundation of their parental, political and/or religious authority.
Thanks to the reader who sent this article in.
"Over 2,000 years ago Socrates faced a court for refusing to recognize the gods acknowledged by the state, importing strange divinities and corrupting the young. The judges sent Socrates to his death. He accepted the sentence of the court and committed suicide by drinking a cup of hemlock.
The only virtue for Socrates was "knowledge." He reached it by questioning the most deeply held beliefs of his students by which I mean all of Athens and ultimately all of us. What troubled the Athenians about Socrates, however, was not listed in the charges. His crime was that he prompted people to think.
His provocations exposed the Athenians' shallowness of belief and mindless deference to myth. Socrates was judged because he was successful in provoking his students "examine their lives." [his words] Those who guard the myths must try and strike down any who teach young people to think and question, because myths often shrink in the light of reason, draining power from those in authority who benefit from belief.
(By JAMES CORBETT
Teacher at Capistrano Valley High School. A federal judge ruled recently that Corbett violated the First Amendment's establishment clause by disparaging Creationism.)
Thanks to the reader who sent this article in.
"Over 2,000 years ago Socrates faced a court for refusing to recognize the gods acknowledged by the state, importing strange divinities and corrupting the young. The judges sent Socrates to his death. He accepted the sentence of the court and committed suicide by drinking a cup of hemlock.
The only virtue for Socrates was "knowledge." He reached it by questioning the most deeply held beliefs of his students by which I mean all of Athens and ultimately all of us. What troubled the Athenians about Socrates, however, was not listed in the charges. His crime was that he prompted people to think.
His provocations exposed the Athenians' shallowness of belief and mindless deference to myth. Socrates was judged because he was successful in provoking his students "examine their lives." [his words] Those who guard the myths must try and strike down any who teach young people to think and question, because myths often shrink in the light of reason, draining power from those in authority who benefit from belief.
(By JAMES CORBETT
Teacher at Capistrano Valley High School. A federal judge ruled recently that Corbett violated the First Amendment's establishment clause by disparaging Creationism.)
Friday, 22 May 2009
Going to Wales
We're going to Wales this weekend, as it's a three-day weekend in England. I'll still have posts go up, but I won't be commenting on them for a day or so. I hope you all keeping talking while I'm gone and maybe get into a nice big fight. Those comments are fun to read.
Thanks again for all the time you spend at this blog. Don't think I don't appreciate it.
Thanks again for all the time you spend at this blog. Don't think I don't appreciate it.
Last night at rehearsals
I went to London after work last night to go to rehearsals for a concert in Salisbury Catherdral on the 4th of July. We are singing Faure's Requiem, among other things. I had stopped going to rehearsals because it was so hard to get up to London after a full day at the office but then I missed the singing.
But I was woefully unprepared. We had to sing Mendelssohn and not only could I not read the German without glasses (which I couldn't find -- I have everything known to man in my bag except the thing I need -- one time my friend Elise asked me to fish out some nail glue from my purse because there's so much stuff in there. 'But I've never used nail glue in my life,' I protested. Elise responded, 'You know it's in there somewhere -- everything else is.') but I couldn't pronounce the words and then I realized, I didn't even know what I was singing. What does this mean? This is the title of the song.
Herr, nun lassest du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren
I'm going to go wiki it and try to find the song on YouTube so I can learn it before next week's rehearsal.
Singing update:
I just got an email that we will be recording something for a British TV show at Abbey Road studios in August. I will have to try and recreate the Abbey Road photo for my blog when I'm there...
But I was woefully unprepared. We had to sing Mendelssohn and not only could I not read the German without glasses (which I couldn't find -- I have everything known to man in my bag except the thing I need -- one time my friend Elise asked me to fish out some nail glue from my purse because there's so much stuff in there. 'But I've never used nail glue in my life,' I protested. Elise responded, 'You know it's in there somewhere -- everything else is.') but I couldn't pronounce the words and then I realized, I didn't even know what I was singing. What does this mean? This is the title of the song.
Herr, nun lassest du deinen Diener in Frieden fahren
I'm going to go wiki it and try to find the song on YouTube so I can learn it before next week's rehearsal.
Singing update:
I just got an email that we will be recording something for a British TV show at Abbey Road studios in August. I will have to try and recreate the Abbey Road photo for my blog when I'm there...
Cheeseburger in a can
From Switzerland - Cheeseburger in a Can! A Swiss company has created this easy eating solution. It's an all-beef patty, lettuce, tomato and cheese on a sesame seed bun - sold in a can that retails for about 5 bucks and can stay fresh for up to a year!
I know what my husband would be getting for dinner if I were Swiss....
I know what my husband would be getting for dinner if I were Swiss....
Don't swap friendships for inane Twittering says bishop
Roman Catholics have been warned against substituting real friendships with ‘inane chatter’ on social networking websites.
In a message that will be read out at every Catholic mass in Scotland this weekend, Bishop of Paisley, Rt Rev Philip Tartaglia, criticises an ‘obsessive’ reliance on new technology such as Facebook and Twitter.
“In dialogue with others we need to be wary of the inane chatter that can go on in the digital world which does nothing to promote growth in understanding and tolerance,” he wrote.
Editor's note: This looks like a trivial issue to raise on the same day that the report on the church's abuse of children in Ireland was released. And also the bishop looks silly ranting against Twitter in the light of these facts:
The Vatican now has its own dedicated channel of video sharing website Youtube.
Cardinal Sean Brady, leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, recently suggested posting prayers on microblogging service Twitter, or sharing them with other Christians via text message or email.
The Church of Scotland has announced that it will be using Twitter to issue regular updates on its annual General Assembly, which opens tomorrow.
In a message that will be read out at every Catholic mass in Scotland this weekend, Bishop of Paisley, Rt Rev Philip Tartaglia, criticises an ‘obsessive’ reliance on new technology such as Facebook and Twitter.
“In dialogue with others we need to be wary of the inane chatter that can go on in the digital world which does nothing to promote growth in understanding and tolerance,” he wrote.
Editor's note: This looks like a trivial issue to raise on the same day that the report on the church's abuse of children in Ireland was released. And also the bishop looks silly ranting against Twitter in the light of these facts:
The Vatican now has its own dedicated channel of video sharing website Youtube.
Cardinal Sean Brady, leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, recently suggested posting prayers on microblogging service Twitter, or sharing them with other Christians via text message or email.
The Church of Scotland has announced that it will be using Twitter to issue regular updates on its annual General Assembly, which opens tomorrow.
Our finished poem
Yesterday, I proposed we write a community poem. A poet in England provided the first line and our commenters did the rest. Here's the result. I don't think our new poet laureate, Carol Ann Duffy, should lose any sleep over this literary work, but I think the poem is cute:
I opened the curtains and felt the morning on my face
But I wiped it off, and put makeup in its place.
(Causing lots of wrinkles that no potion could erase.)
And I wondered, "Why must liberals always be such a disgrace?"
....I trotted off to work
Then took a sharp left turn and headed to outer space.
It felt so creepy that I jumped back into bed with all due haste.
Poem by Michigan Mom, Brenda and Marty
Editor's note: I think the part where she goes off into outer space is like a Beatles lyric. If someone sets this baby to music, there could be a Number 1 Hit for you guys.
I opened the curtains and felt the morning on my face
But I wiped it off, and put makeup in its place.
(Causing lots of wrinkles that no potion could erase.)
And I wondered, "Why must liberals always be such a disgrace?"
....I trotted off to work
Then took a sharp left turn and headed to outer space.
It felt so creepy that I jumped back into bed with all due haste.
Poem by Michigan Mom, Brenda and Marty
Editor's note: I think the part where she goes off into outer space is like a Beatles lyric. If someone sets this baby to music, there could be a Number 1 Hit for you guys.
Cartoons in art
Someone has started a project for putting cartoons into works of art (using Photoshop, I guess).
This one is nice, don't you think?
This one is nice, don't you think?
Thursday, 21 May 2009
Building a community poem
It's National Poetry Month or something similar in England. The airwaves are full of poetry now. The radio station I was listening to as I drove to work this morning is building a poem together with all their millions of listeners.
A poet comes on the radio, gives his first line, then the listeners write the next one. Then he writes the third line, the listeners do the next line and so on.
That sounded like fun. Shall we try it?
This is the first line from the poet:
I opened the curtains and felt the morning on my face.
Tell me your suggestions for the next line. I hope you all are feeling poetical today and don't make me have to write the whole poem by myself.
A poet comes on the radio, gives his first line, then the listeners write the next one. Then he writes the third line, the listeners do the next line and so on.
That sounded like fun. Shall we try it?
This is the first line from the poet:
I opened the curtains and felt the morning on my face.
Tell me your suggestions for the next line. I hope you all are feeling poetical today and don't make me have to write the whole poem by myself.
Intro to Logic: Argumentum ad Misericordiam
Here's our logic lesson for today:
Argumentum ad Misericordiam (argument from pity or misery) the fallacy committed when pity or a related emotion such as sympathy or compassion is appealed to for the sake of getting a conclusion accepted.
Hence, assent or dissent to a statement or an argument is sought on the basis of an irrelevant appeal to pity. In other words, pity, or the related emotion is not the subject or the conclusion of the argument.
The informal structure of the ad misericordiam usually is something like this:
Person L argues statement p or argument A.
L deserves pity because of circumstance y.
Circumstance y is irrelevant to p or A.
Statement p is true or argument A is good.
Some typical ad misericordiam fallacy examples follow.
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Georgia Banker Bert Lance should be excused from conflict of interest divestiture problems, former President Jimmy Carter asserted, because Lance's promise to sell his stock so that he can serve his government has depressed its market value.
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Oh, Officer, There's no reason to give me a traffic ticket for going too fast because I was just on my way to the hospital to see my wife who is in serious condition to tell her I just lost my job and the car will be repossessed.
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Members of Congress can surely see in their hearts that they need to vote in favor of passage of the Gun Bill allowing concealed weapons because their constituents who lobby for liberalizing firearms will be greatly saddened if they do not do so.
Argumentum ad Misericordiam (argument from pity or misery) the fallacy committed when pity or a related emotion such as sympathy or compassion is appealed to for the sake of getting a conclusion accepted.
Hence, assent or dissent to a statement or an argument is sought on the basis of an irrelevant appeal to pity. In other words, pity, or the related emotion is not the subject or the conclusion of the argument.
The informal structure of the ad misericordiam usually is something like this:
Person L argues statement p or argument A.
L deserves pity because of circumstance y.
Circumstance y is irrelevant to p or A.
Statement p is true or argument A is good.
Some typical ad misericordiam fallacy examples follow.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Georgia Banker Bert Lance should be excused from conflict of interest divestiture problems, former President Jimmy Carter asserted, because Lance's promise to sell his stock so that he can serve his government has depressed its market value.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Oh, Officer, There's no reason to give me a traffic ticket for going too fast because I was just on my way to the hospital to see my wife who is in serious condition to tell her I just lost my job and the car will be repossessed.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Members of Congress can surely see in their hearts that they need to vote in favor of passage of the Gun Bill allowing concealed weapons because their constituents who lobby for liberalizing firearms will be greatly saddened if they do not do so.
Photo psychic
I blogged earlier about a silly feature in a British trashy magazine where people send in photos to a psychic and ask her questions she couldn't possibly know the answer to.
This week, a gullible woman asks why her cat doesn't seem to like her.
This is my cat, Bob. My son got him from his local cat rescue after my other cat, Tinker, died. Even though I've had him a while, he still runs away when he sees me. Why does he not like me after all this time, and seem to prefer my friend, who took this photo of him?
Doris, Selby, North Yorkshire
Mystic Mary replies:
Cats can be contrary creatures, and Bob's no exception. Even though he's got a loving, caring home, I think he's been sensing Tinker around you still, and that's why he's been running off.
As time goes by, I think you'll find he'll settle, and even surprise you one day by jumping on your lap. Just persevere.
This week, a gullible woman asks why her cat doesn't seem to like her.
This is my cat, Bob. My son got him from his local cat rescue after my other cat, Tinker, died. Even though I've had him a while, he still runs away when he sees me. Why does he not like me after all this time, and seem to prefer my friend, who took this photo of him?
Doris, Selby, North Yorkshire
Mystic Mary replies:
Cats can be contrary creatures, and Bob's no exception. Even though he's got a loving, caring home, I think he's been sensing Tinker around you still, and that's why he's been running off.
As time goes by, I think you'll find he'll settle, and even surprise you one day by jumping on your lap. Just persevere.
Wednesday, 20 May 2009
How to get a bigger brain
I read the headline of this article online and wanted to know what I could do to get a bigger brain. I figured the answer was to study a foreign language, exercise more, eat better so I was suprised to read the answer. Especially as I have just decided to abandon going to the Buddhist temple down the road from me as I am uncomfortable with the service ('Hail Buddha' and all that). I don't want any semblance of religion in my life.
Anyway, here's the article:
Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain?
Meditate.
That's the finding from a group of researchers at UCLA who used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of people who meditate. In a study published in the journal NeuroImage and currently available online (by subscription), the researchers report that certain regions in the brains of long term meditators were larger than in a similar control group.
Specifically, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus all regions known for regulating emotions.
"We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behavior," said Eileen Luders, lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging. "The observed differences in brain anatomy might give us a clue why meditators have these exceptional abilities."
Anyway, here's the article:
Push-ups, crunches, gyms, personal trainers people have many strategies for building bigger muscles and stronger bones. But what can one do to build a bigger brain?
Meditate.
That's the finding from a group of researchers at UCLA who used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan the brains of people who meditate. In a study published in the journal NeuroImage and currently available online (by subscription), the researchers report that certain regions in the brains of long term meditators were larger than in a similar control group.
Specifically, meditators showed significantly larger volumes of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus all regions known for regulating emotions.
"We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behavior," said Eileen Luders, lead author and a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging. "The observed differences in brain anatomy might give us a clue why meditators have these exceptional abilities."
Tuesday, 19 May 2009
Head in the clouds
Thank you for all of your comments and helpful insights lately. I was out last night and will be out for most of the day so haven't had time to digest them all yet. I have to put up our next lesson in logic soon too.
Yesterday my boss called me in to a completely unscheduled little meeting. That is usually bad news so I braced myself. We are having layoffs at Nokia, and I have been worried. But not as worried as I should have been because I think he was basically telling me that there was a lot of discussion over my role and whether it should continue in the new org, and to'ing and fro'ing between management. In the end I think I'll be OK for now but to hear I almost lost my job and didn't realize that the situation was so bad made me go weak in the knees briefly. I felt like I needed a whiskey the minute I left the meeting. That must happen regularly in life -- you are under a threat and you haven't realized the seriousness of it but then you have a lucky escape.
I went to a Pilates class after work at the office gym then made my way to my friend Elise's house to see an American friend who is over here for a short visit.
I thought I would just pop in, have a chat with her (Jan) then go home but that's not the way it works in Elise's Social World. There she is below, looking very cute:
I caught up on my American friend's news -- she's from North Carolina like Elise -- then was going to go when suddenly other people arrived, Elise made an entrance in her black designer duds and opened the dining room door and there was the table set with all her finery and new Rooster china (bought in honor of her new chickens in the back yard). And dinner appeared. And later a homemade Pavlova with fresh fruit. I kept saying I needed to go but there was no leaving with that spread and the delightful company.
During dinner, we had some great discussions. I found that one man at the table had completely opposite views to my own. Instead of not really disagreeing with his positions as I would usually do, I found myself trying to listen carefully to his arguments and analyze them, based on the insights I've gained into logic from this blog's commenters. It was so good -- I'm learning so much from everyone at this blog and it's actually helping me in my normal life. I am so grateful to you all for teaching me so much every day.
Anyway -- this morning I am going to slip off to the spa for some R&R. I love to relax on the heated loungers and read a book, or just doze. I have this cool treatment booked at 10 -- it's called Head in the Clouds and is a fab head/shoulder massage. Can't wait.
See you all later!
Yesterday my boss called me in to a completely unscheduled little meeting. That is usually bad news so I braced myself. We are having layoffs at Nokia, and I have been worried. But not as worried as I should have been because I think he was basically telling me that there was a lot of discussion over my role and whether it should continue in the new org, and to'ing and fro'ing between management. In the end I think I'll be OK for now but to hear I almost lost my job and didn't realize that the situation was so bad made me go weak in the knees briefly. I felt like I needed a whiskey the minute I left the meeting. That must happen regularly in life -- you are under a threat and you haven't realized the seriousness of it but then you have a lucky escape.
I went to a Pilates class after work at the office gym then made my way to my friend Elise's house to see an American friend who is over here for a short visit.
I thought I would just pop in, have a chat with her (Jan) then go home but that's not the way it works in Elise's Social World. There she is below, looking very cute:
I caught up on my American friend's news -- she's from North Carolina like Elise -- then was going to go when suddenly other people arrived, Elise made an entrance in her black designer duds and opened the dining room door and there was the table set with all her finery and new Rooster china (bought in honor of her new chickens in the back yard). And dinner appeared. And later a homemade Pavlova with fresh fruit. I kept saying I needed to go but there was no leaving with that spread and the delightful company.
During dinner, we had some great discussions. I found that one man at the table had completely opposite views to my own. Instead of not really disagreeing with his positions as I would usually do, I found myself trying to listen carefully to his arguments and analyze them, based on the insights I've gained into logic from this blog's commenters. It was so good -- I'm learning so much from everyone at this blog and it's actually helping me in my normal life. I am so grateful to you all for teaching me so much every day.
Anyway -- this morning I am going to slip off to the spa for some R&R. I love to relax on the heated loungers and read a book, or just doze. I have this cool treatment booked at 10 -- it's called Head in the Clouds and is a fab head/shoulder massage. Can't wait.
See you all later!
Intro to Logic: Argumentum Ad Populum
Thanks to Steve B for suggesting the next logic lesson for our blog. He wrote yesterday:
Elizabeth - don't forget Argumentum ad Populum another favourite with our religious brothers and sisters, i.e. if millions of people believe it then it must be true.
The classic response is, well millions of people believed the sun went around the earth once too.
Argumentum ad Populum (popular appeal or appeal to the majority): The fallacy of attempting to win popular assent to a conclusion by arousing the feeling and enthusiasms of the multitude. There are several variations of this fallacy, but we will emphasize two forms.
"Snob Appeal": the fallacy of attempting to prove a conclusion by appealing to what an elite or a select few (but not necessarily an authority) in a society thinks or believes.
Person L says statement p or argument A.
Person L is in the elite.
Statement p is true or argument A is good.
"Bandwagon": the fallacy of attempting to prove a conclusion on the grounds that all or most people think or believe it is true.
Most, many, or all persons believe statement p is true.
Statement p is true.
Here are some examples:
Shell was charged with misleading advertising in its Platformate advertisements. A Shell spokesman said: 'The same comment could be made about most good advertising of most products.'" S.S. Baker, The Permissible Lie (ASIN), 39.
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"To his dying day, Governor Marvin Mandel will never understand what was wrong in accepting more that $350,000 worth of gifts from wealthy friends who happened to engage in business ventures that benefited from his gubernatorial influence. The governor has lots of company ... And to a man they have cried in bewilderment that "everybody does it,' that politics survives on back scratching." New York Times, Aug. 5, 1977, 1-A.
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"But officer, I don't deserve a ticket; everyone goes this speed. If I went any slower, I wouldn't be going with the stream of traffic."
Elizabeth - don't forget Argumentum ad Populum another favourite with our religious brothers and sisters, i.e. if millions of people believe it then it must be true.
The classic response is, well millions of people believed the sun went around the earth once too.
Argumentum ad Populum (popular appeal or appeal to the majority): The fallacy of attempting to win popular assent to a conclusion by arousing the feeling and enthusiasms of the multitude. There are several variations of this fallacy, but we will emphasize two forms.
"Snob Appeal": the fallacy of attempting to prove a conclusion by appealing to what an elite or a select few (but not necessarily an authority) in a society thinks or believes.
Person L says statement p or argument A.
Person L is in the elite.
Statement p is true or argument A is good.
"Bandwagon": the fallacy of attempting to prove a conclusion on the grounds that all or most people think or believe it is true.
Most, many, or all persons believe statement p is true.
Statement p is true.
Here are some examples:
Shell was charged with misleading advertising in its Platformate advertisements. A Shell spokesman said: 'The same comment could be made about most good advertising of most products.'" S.S. Baker, The Permissible Lie (ASIN), 39.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"To his dying day, Governor Marvin Mandel will never understand what was wrong in accepting more that $350,000 worth of gifts from wealthy friends who happened to engage in business ventures that benefited from his gubernatorial influence. The governor has lots of company ... And to a man they have cried in bewilderment that "everybody does it,' that politics survives on back scratching." New York Times, Aug. 5, 1977, 1-A.
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"But officer, I don't deserve a ticket; everyone goes this speed. If I went any slower, I wouldn't be going with the stream of traffic."
Why do Muslim men have beards?
I've noticed most of the Muslim men at work have beards. One of our newer workers arrived from Pakistan clean shaven but recently has grown a beard. I wanted to ask him why but it seemed weird to go up and ask him, so I consulted an Islam wiki. Here's the answer.
Q: Why do muslim men have beards?
A: To follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad(pbuh). All prophets from Adam(pbuh) through to Muhammad(pbuh), had beards, including Jesus(pbuh), Moses(pbuh), Noa (pbuh) and Ibrahim(pbuh).
Eliz: I'm also including the 'how to become a Muslim' question because it amused me that someone wrote, 'you take a shower, you become a Muslim.' I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but I admired the simplicity of the writing.
Q: How to become a Muslim?
A: You make the declaration, which is in two parts:
To bear witness that no one deserves to be worship except Allah.
To bear witness that Prophet Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah.
This makes a person Muslim. But it should be said in Arabic. Next a person takes a shower, and He/She is a Muslim.
Q: Why do muslim men have beards?
A: To follow the teachings of prophet Muhammad(pbuh). All prophets from Adam(pbuh) through to Muhammad(pbuh), had beards, including Jesus(pbuh), Moses(pbuh), Noa (pbuh) and Ibrahim(pbuh).
Eliz: I'm also including the 'how to become a Muslim' question because it amused me that someone wrote, 'you take a shower, you become a Muslim.' I'm sure it's more complicated than that, but I admired the simplicity of the writing.
Q: How to become a Muslim?
A: You make the declaration, which is in two parts:
To bear witness that no one deserves to be worship except Allah.
To bear witness that Prophet Mohammed is the Messenger of Allah.
This makes a person Muslim. But it should be said in Arabic. Next a person takes a shower, and He/She is a Muslim.
Monday, 18 May 2009
Getting rid of junk
Visited the dump last weekend (it's called 'the Civic Amenity site' -- always sounds like a coffee shop rather than a dump). I am trying to have less stuff in my life.
My mother kept everything, and when she had to go to a nursing home, I went to her house and started trying to sort through her stuff. I felt such guilt when I had to throw things away that she had cherished for years. But if you have to keep everything, then you end up with two or three generations worth of stuff and that can suffocate you.
I don't want my kids to go through that so I decided I would pre-throw my stuff out on their behalf. After all, you only need your treasures to get you through your own life -- no one should have to keep them after that.
Plus I want to travel lighter through the rest of my life because I want to go other places and do things -- I don't want to be stuck maintaining (dusting or fretting about it breaking) all my stuff until I go to the grave.
Sometimes I think about the section in The Fountainhead where Dominique throws one of her beloved figurines out of the window so she won't have be owned by it anymore. I could see her point and sometimes think about doing that too. (Otherwise, I hated The Fountainhead.)
Falsifiability
My education continues apace, thanks to commenters in this blog. I intended to learn a little about logic day-by-day and to share the knowledge with you all, but now commenter Steve B has hastened my learning by saying this in a comment today:
"I believe that as Popper correctly identifies, a proposition that is not falsifiable has no explanatory power; this doesn’t mean philosophically valueless to humans of course, but for me destroys the claim of objective truth that religious scholars like Mr O'Connor love to trot out when attempting to discredit Atheists."
Of course, I've never heard of Popper or this so I asked Steve to explain. Now I've decided I can't wait and found this explanation:
Falsifiability (or refutability) is the logical possibility that an assertion can be shown false by an observation or a physical experiment. That something is "falsifiable" does not mean it is false; rather, that if it is false, then this can be shown by observation or experiment. Falsifiability is an important concept in science and the philosophy of science.
Some philosophers and scientists, most notably Karl Popper, have asserted that a hypothesis, proposition, or theory is scientific only if it is falsifiable.
For example, "all men are mortal" is unfalsifiable, since no finite amount of observation could ever demonstrate its falsehood: that one or more men can live forever. "All men are immortal," by contrast, is falsifiable, by the presentation of just one dead man. Not all statements that are falsifiable in principle are falsifiable in practice. For example, "it will be raining here in one million years" is theoretically falsifiable, but not practically.
Going to have to ponder this one for a while. Thanks Steve!
"I believe that as Popper correctly identifies, a proposition that is not falsifiable has no explanatory power; this doesn’t mean philosophically valueless to humans of course, but for me destroys the claim of objective truth that religious scholars like Mr O'Connor love to trot out when attempting to discredit Atheists."
Of course, I've never heard of Popper or this so I asked Steve to explain. Now I've decided I can't wait and found this explanation:
Falsifiability (or refutability) is the logical possibility that an assertion can be shown false by an observation or a physical experiment. That something is "falsifiable" does not mean it is false; rather, that if it is false, then this can be shown by observation or experiment. Falsifiability is an important concept in science and the philosophy of science.
Some philosophers and scientists, most notably Karl Popper, have asserted that a hypothesis, proposition, or theory is scientific only if it is falsifiable.
For example, "all men are mortal" is unfalsifiable, since no finite amount of observation could ever demonstrate its falsehood: that one or more men can live forever. "All men are immortal," by contrast, is falsifiable, by the presentation of just one dead man. Not all statements that are falsifiable in principle are falsifiable in practice. For example, "it will be raining here in one million years" is theoretically falsifiable, but not practically.
Going to have to ponder this one for a while. Thanks Steve!
Dell's new patronizing ads
Loved this post from Fudzilla.com:
"Hardware maker Dell has decided that the best way to flog computers to women is patronise them into a coma.
A new marketing campaign has started which is targeted at women based around a computer called a 'Della'. This is because the people in marketing obviously thought the name Dell was too butch for wimmon.
According to the site the Della can change a woman's life "Once you get beyond how cute they are, you'll find that netbooks can do a lot more than check your e-mail." Yes you can “find recipes online” and you can use them to "to track calories, carbs and protein with ease, watch online fitness videos, map your running routes and more."
So it seems that Dell believes that women are just interested in things that are cute and watching their weight. There is also an instructional video about how to buy clothes online.
Yep it is a Geek's vision about what women are interested based on their experience of their mothers. Generally most women will find it completely insulting, patronising and backward."
"Hardware maker Dell has decided that the best way to flog computers to women is patronise them into a coma.
A new marketing campaign has started which is targeted at women based around a computer called a 'Della'. This is because the people in marketing obviously thought the name Dell was too butch for wimmon.
According to the site the Della can change a woman's life "Once you get beyond how cute they are, you'll find that netbooks can do a lot more than check your e-mail." Yes you can “find recipes online” and you can use them to "to track calories, carbs and protein with ease, watch online fitness videos, map your running routes and more."
So it seems that Dell believes that women are just interested in things that are cute and watching their weight. There is also an instructional video about how to buy clothes online.
Yep it is a Geek's vision about what women are interested based on their experience of their mothers. Generally most women will find it completely insulting, patronising and backward."
Argumentum Ad Hominem
There are many good debaters who make comments on this blog but I'm not among them. I don't know how to argue at all. I need to learn about it - I found this explanation of Ad Hominem attacks:
The fallacy of attacking the character or circumstances of an individual who is advancing a statement or an argument instead of trying to disprove the truth of the statement or the soundness of the argument.
Informal Structure of ad Hominem
Person L says argument A.
Person L's circumstance or character is not satisfactory.
Argument A is not a good argument.
Here are some examples:
A prosecutor asks the judge to not admit the testimony of a burglar because burglars are not trustworthy.
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Francis Bacon's philosophy should be dismissed since Bacon was removed from his chancellorship for dishonesty.
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Prof. Smith says to Prof. White, "You are much too hard on your students," and Prof. White replies, "But certainly you are not the one to say so. Just last week I heard several of your students complaining."
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I can't see that we should listen to Governor Smith's proposal to increase the sales tax on automobiles. He has spent the last twenty years in state government and is hardly an unbiased source.
That ends today's lesson. Stay tuned for more. I'm going to learn how this stuff works if it kills me.
The fallacy of attacking the character or circumstances of an individual who is advancing a statement or an argument instead of trying to disprove the truth of the statement or the soundness of the argument.
Informal Structure of ad Hominem
Person L says argument A.
Person L's circumstance or character is not satisfactory.
Argument A is not a good argument.
Here are some examples:
A prosecutor asks the judge to not admit the testimony of a burglar because burglars are not trustworthy.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Francis Bacon's philosophy should be dismissed since Bacon was removed from his chancellorship for dishonesty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prof. Smith says to Prof. White, "You are much too hard on your students," and Prof. White replies, "But certainly you are not the one to say so. Just last week I heard several of your students complaining."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I can't see that we should listen to Governor Smith's proposal to increase the sales tax on automobiles. He has spent the last twenty years in state government and is hardly an unbiased source.
That ends today's lesson. Stay tuned for more. I'm going to learn how this stuff works if it kills me.
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Why I will no longer argue with Marty
Firstly an apology. I'm abusing my position as the partner of the blog owner so that this will appear as a post and not a comment. I suppose I justify this by the fact that this doesn't fit into any other post.
Anyway, after some months of verbal jousting with Marty, I've decided to stop. Why? Because I don't think he's debating seriously any more. I'm fed up with carefully constructing logically sound rebuttals to positions that have become more and more flawed and incoherent, only for Marty to respond with even more ridiculous, often irrelevant arguments.
Basically, it's become like arguing with an opponent who asserts that black is white, and when questioned further, claims to sincerely believe the proposition.
I don't think Marty is stupid, so can only conclude that his principal objective is annoy and divert the "liberals" and "socialists" he believes to inhabit this blog.
So in the future I'll spend my energy on more productive pursuits. Online poker, maybe, or improving my bridge game.
Mel
Anyway, after some months of verbal jousting with Marty, I've decided to stop. Why? Because I don't think he's debating seriously any more. I'm fed up with carefully constructing logically sound rebuttals to positions that have become more and more flawed and incoherent, only for Marty to respond with even more ridiculous, often irrelevant arguments.
Basically, it's become like arguing with an opponent who asserts that black is white, and when questioned further, claims to sincerely believe the proposition.
I don't think Marty is stupid, so can only conclude that his principal objective is annoy and divert the "liberals" and "socialists" he believes to inhabit this blog.
So in the future I'll spend my energy on more productive pursuits. Online poker, maybe, or improving my bridge game.
Mel
Star Trek movie
I don't like Star Trek or science fiction but I went to this movie today with my husband and son, and it was very good. Give it a chance, girlies. Don't make the menfolk go to it all by themselves.
You can always just go for the popcorn.
You can always just go for the popcorn.
A duller spectacle this earth has not
It was a Sunday afternoon, wet and cheerless; and a duller spectacle this earth of ours has not to show than a rainy Sunday in London.
This is the quote of the day on my blog. How apt it is. Looking out the window at all the rain, and no where to go. (I did suggest to my husband that we go to the Star Trek movie this afternoon -- at least I can eat popcorn and get out of the house.)
I read an interview with a woman in her '40s in one of the Sunday paper's mags. I liked these things that she said:
"By 40, you know yourself better...yes, maybe the jawline in less taut, the waistline less defined, but life is less of a mystery...If I have one piece of advice, it's to be incredibly warm to everyone. People love it. It took me years to realize that you don't have to be edgy and difficult."
This is the quote of the day on my blog. How apt it is. Looking out the window at all the rain, and no where to go. (I did suggest to my husband that we go to the Star Trek movie this afternoon -- at least I can eat popcorn and get out of the house.)
I read an interview with a woman in her '40s in one of the Sunday paper's mags. I liked these things that she said:
"By 40, you know yourself better...yes, maybe the jawline in less taut, the waistline less defined, but life is less of a mystery...If I have one piece of advice, it's to be incredibly warm to everyone. People love it. It took me years to realize that you don't have to be edgy and difficult."
Atheists 'not fully human'
Thanks to Steve B in Reading who sent this YouTube of an interview with a cardinal in the Catholic Church who says atheists are 'not fully human.'
Steve comments:
What a deluded buffoon, and what an outrageous thing to say by a supposed "leader" of his Church, isn't that what Hitler said about Jews in the 1930s?...
Steve comments:
What a deluded buffoon, and what an outrageous thing to say by a supposed "leader" of his Church, isn't that what Hitler said about Jews in the 1930s?...
Saturday, 16 May 2009
Who still uses the death penalty?
A helpful graphic (click to enlarge) for the discussion about the death penalty in another post:
Socialist countries have the happiest people
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (MarketWatch) -- Northern Europeans are the happiest people on the planet, according to a new survey.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says people in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are the most content with their lives. The three ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the OECD's rankings of "life satisfaction," or happiness.
There are myriad reasons, of course, for happiness: health, welfare, prosperity, leisure time, strong family, social connections and so on. But there is another common denominator among this group of happy people: taxes.
Northern Europeans pay some of the highest taxes in the world. Danes pay about two-thirds of their income in taxes. Why be so happy about that? It all comes down to what you get in return.
The Encyclopedia of the Nations notes that Denmark was one of the first countries in the world to establish efficient social services with the introduction of relief for the sick, unemployed and aged.
It says social welfare programs include health insurance, health and hospital services, insurance for occupational injuries, unemployment insurance and employment exchange services. There's also old age and disability pensions, rehabilitation and nursing homes, family welfare subsidies, general public welfare and payments for military accidents. Moreover, maternity benefits are payable up to 52 weeks.
Simply, you pay for what you get. Taxes in the U.S. have taken on a pejorative association because, well, we are never really quite sure of what we get in return for paying them, other than the world's biggest military.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development says people in Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands are the most content with their lives. The three ranked first, second and third, respectively, in the OECD's rankings of "life satisfaction," or happiness.
There are myriad reasons, of course, for happiness: health, welfare, prosperity, leisure time, strong family, social connections and so on. But there is another common denominator among this group of happy people: taxes.
Northern Europeans pay some of the highest taxes in the world. Danes pay about two-thirds of their income in taxes. Why be so happy about that? It all comes down to what you get in return.
The Encyclopedia of the Nations notes that Denmark was one of the first countries in the world to establish efficient social services with the introduction of relief for the sick, unemployed and aged.
It says social welfare programs include health insurance, health and hospital services, insurance for occupational injuries, unemployment insurance and employment exchange services. There's also old age and disability pensions, rehabilitation and nursing homes, family welfare subsidies, general public welfare and payments for military accidents. Moreover, maternity benefits are payable up to 52 weeks.
Simply, you pay for what you get. Taxes in the U.S. have taken on a pejorative association because, well, we are never really quite sure of what we get in return for paying them, other than the world's biggest military.
The front of the cat and coffee with the girls
I put a picture up of our three-legged cat last week, and people commented on how it just showed her backside (I was trying to show where the appendage was missing). So here's a photo of her front. She's sleeping on my daughter's stomach in this picture. Her name is very odd -- Provee -- sounds like some sort of medicine.
This morning I went to coffee with the girls. There's nothing like a vanilla latte and an almond croissant on a Saturday morning to improve your mood.
This morning I went to coffee with the girls. There's nothing like a vanilla latte and an almond croissant on a Saturday morning to improve your mood.
Eleanor's Philosophy of Life
"I have never given very deep thought to a philosophy of life,
though I have a few ideas that I think are useful to me:
Do whatever comes your way as well as you can.
Think as little as possible about yourself.
Think as much as possible about other people.
Dwell on things that are interesting.
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give."
Eleanor Roosevelt
though I have a few ideas that I think are useful to me:
Do whatever comes your way as well as you can.
Think as little as possible about yourself.
Think as much as possible about other people.
Dwell on things that are interesting.
Since you get more joy out of giving joy to others you should put a good deal of thought into the happiness that you are able to give."
Eleanor Roosevelt
Friday, 15 May 2009
Death Penalty: for or against?
A commenter raised a subject that we haven't discussed on this blog before -- the death penalty.
I'm taking two of the comments from an earlier post and putting them here so you can talk about this more if you want:
For
"...there are those people who are caught red-handed, or who confess. Like the guy with 25 bodies in his yard and house. In those cases the death penalty should be used, in my opinion. Whenever there is reasonable doubt, as has been the case as you point out, then it should not."
Against
"Whenever there is reasonable doubt, as has been the case as you point out, then it should not.
Exactly - that's how the system is supposed to work. The problem is that it doesn't. I've often heard the same view expressed, that when there's no doubt, then the death penalty is justified. So what are we to do? Introduce a new standard of evidence? Beyond doubt rather than beyond reasonable doubt? This has such obvious problems that I'm not even going to enumerate them here.
If you're going to have capital punishment, then in practice some innocent people are going to be murdered by the state. Which is far worse than those who really are guilty "only" being imprisoned for life."
I'm taking two of the comments from an earlier post and putting them here so you can talk about this more if you want:
For
"...there are those people who are caught red-handed, or who confess. Like the guy with 25 bodies in his yard and house. In those cases the death penalty should be used, in my opinion. Whenever there is reasonable doubt, as has been the case as you point out, then it should not."
Against
"Whenever there is reasonable doubt, as has been the case as you point out, then it should not.
Exactly - that's how the system is supposed to work. The problem is that it doesn't. I've often heard the same view expressed, that when there's no doubt, then the death penalty is justified. So what are we to do? Introduce a new standard of evidence? Beyond doubt rather than beyond reasonable doubt? This has such obvious problems that I'm not even going to enumerate them here.
If you're going to have capital punishment, then in practice some innocent people are going to be murdered by the state. Which is far worse than those who really are guilty "only" being imprisoned for life."
America's Most Depressing Places
Detroit, the Inland Empire, East St. Louis, Yuma (?!), some place in Ohio — these and other such grim spots have been named America’s Most Depressing Places, by the Business Insider website, which is apparently about depressing places. Did your hometown make the list?
Check the slideshow out here:
Most Depressing Places in America
PS
If they enlarge this list to include the world, I would nominate Reading, England, to be on the list.
Check the slideshow out here:
Most Depressing Places in America
PS
If they enlarge this list to include the world, I would nominate Reading, England, to be on the list.
Needing things to hate
I enjoyed this post (below) from another site. John Steinbeck is a writer I didn't appreciate until late in life :), and I especially enjoyed this book, Travels with Charley. One of my friends mentioned Steinbeck the other day, saying how much she enjoyed Cannery Row and East of Eden, and I haven't read those so need to get down to the library when I can, or else see if I can finda cheapo edition on Amazon.
"Your editor was just reading (re-reading, actually) John Steinbeck’s humorous snapshot of America in 1960, Travels With Charley. When your editor’s lunch (beer) was done, the bookmark was placed between pages 110 and 111 of the Penguin “Steinbeck Centennial Edition,” about how simple folk needed their two things to hate.
On these pages is a conversation between the author and a shopkeeper in a small Minnesota town, the conversation stimulated by Steinbeck’s wondering why everybody seemed to have no particular opinion about anything, or at least no particular opinion they were willing to share with a passing stranger. Steinbeck asked the shopkeeper what “channel” the frustrated people would use, for their simmering rage about basically everything.
“Well sir,” he said, “we’ve got a murder now and then, or we can read about them. Then we’ve got the World Series. You can raise a wind any time over the Pirates or the Yankees, but I guess the best of all is we’ve got the Russians.”
“Feelings pretty strong there?”
“Oh, sure! Hardly a day goes by somebody doesn’t take a belt at the Russians.”
…
I asked, “Anybody know an Russians around here?”
And now he went all out and laughed. “Course not. that’s why they’re valuable. Nobody can find fault with you if you take out after the Russians.”
...
“You think then we might be using the Russians as an outlet for something else, for other thing.”
“I didn’t think that at all, sir, but I bet I’m going to. Why, I remember when people took everything out on Mr. Roosevelt. Andy Larsen got red in the face about Roosevelt one time when his hens got the croup. Yes, sir,” he said with growing enthusiasm, “those Russians got quite a load to carry. Man has a fight with his wife, he belts the Russians …. Know what I’m going to do? Next time Andy Larsen come in red in the face, I’m going to see if the Russians are bothering his hens. It was a great loss to Andy when Mr. Roosevelt died.”"
"Your editor was just reading (re-reading, actually) John Steinbeck’s humorous snapshot of America in 1960, Travels With Charley. When your editor’s lunch (beer) was done, the bookmark was placed between pages 110 and 111 of the Penguin “Steinbeck Centennial Edition,” about how simple folk needed their two things to hate.
On these pages is a conversation between the author and a shopkeeper in a small Minnesota town, the conversation stimulated by Steinbeck’s wondering why everybody seemed to have no particular opinion about anything, or at least no particular opinion they were willing to share with a passing stranger. Steinbeck asked the shopkeeper what “channel” the frustrated people would use, for their simmering rage about basically everything.
“Well sir,” he said, “we’ve got a murder now and then, or we can read about them. Then we’ve got the World Series. You can raise a wind any time over the Pirates or the Yankees, but I guess the best of all is we’ve got the Russians.”
“Feelings pretty strong there?”
“Oh, sure! Hardly a day goes by somebody doesn’t take a belt at the Russians.”
…
I asked, “Anybody know an Russians around here?”
And now he went all out and laughed. “Course not. that’s why they’re valuable. Nobody can find fault with you if you take out after the Russians.”
...
“You think then we might be using the Russians as an outlet for something else, for other thing.”
“I didn’t think that at all, sir, but I bet I’m going to. Why, I remember when people took everything out on Mr. Roosevelt. Andy Larsen got red in the face about Roosevelt one time when his hens got the croup. Yes, sir,” he said with growing enthusiasm, “those Russians got quite a load to carry. Man has a fight with his wife, he belts the Russians …. Know what I’m going to do? Next time Andy Larsen come in red in the face, I’m going to see if the Russians are bothering his hens. It was a great loss to Andy when Mr. Roosevelt died.”"
Thursday, 14 May 2009
A scorned minority comes out of the closet
"A scorned minority comes out of the closet" -- I'm not talking about gays but atheists. Read the article from the New York Times below:
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Two months after the local atheist organization here put up a billboard saying “Don’t Believe in God? You Are Not Alone,” the group’s 13 board members met in Laura and Alex Kasman’s living room to grapple with the fallout.
Loretta Haskell, a board member of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, is also a church musician. “I am not one of the humanists who feels that religion is a bad thing,” she said.
The problem was not that the group, the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, had attracted an outpouring of hostility. It was the opposite. An overflow audience of more than 100 had showed up for their most recent public symposium, and the board members discussed whether it was time to find a larger place.
And now parents were coming out of the woodwork asking for family-oriented programs where they could meet like-minded nonbelievers.
“Is everyone in favor of sponsoring a picnic for humanists with families?” asked the board president, Jonathan Lamb, a 27-year-old meteorologist, eliciting a chorus of “ayes.”
More than ever, America’s atheists are linking up and speaking out — even here in South Carolina, home to Bob Jones University, blue laws and a legislature that last year unanimously approved a Christian license plate embossed with a cross, a stained glass window and the words “I Believe” (a move blocked by a judge and now headed for trial).
They are connecting on the Internet, holding meet-ups in bars, advertising on billboards and buses, volunteering at food pantries and picking up roadside trash, earning atheist groups recognition on adopt-a-highway signs.
They liken their strategy to that of the gay-rights movement, which lifted off when closeted members of a scorned minority decided to go public.
“It’s not about carrying banners or protesting,” said Herb Silverman, a math professor at the College of Charleston who founded the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, which has about 150 members on the coast of the Carolinas. “The most important thing is coming out of the closet.”
Polls show that the ranks of atheists are growing. The American Religious Identification Survey, a major study released last month, found that those who claimed “no religion” were the only demographic group that grew in all 50 states in the last 18 years.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Two months after the local atheist organization here put up a billboard saying “Don’t Believe in God? You Are Not Alone,” the group’s 13 board members met in Laura and Alex Kasman’s living room to grapple with the fallout.
Loretta Haskell, a board member of the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, is also a church musician. “I am not one of the humanists who feels that religion is a bad thing,” she said.
The problem was not that the group, the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, had attracted an outpouring of hostility. It was the opposite. An overflow audience of more than 100 had showed up for their most recent public symposium, and the board members discussed whether it was time to find a larger place.
And now parents were coming out of the woodwork asking for family-oriented programs where they could meet like-minded nonbelievers.
“Is everyone in favor of sponsoring a picnic for humanists with families?” asked the board president, Jonathan Lamb, a 27-year-old meteorologist, eliciting a chorus of “ayes.”
More than ever, America’s atheists are linking up and speaking out — even here in South Carolina, home to Bob Jones University, blue laws and a legislature that last year unanimously approved a Christian license plate embossed with a cross, a stained glass window and the words “I Believe” (a move blocked by a judge and now headed for trial).
They are connecting on the Internet, holding meet-ups in bars, advertising on billboards and buses, volunteering at food pantries and picking up roadside trash, earning atheist groups recognition on adopt-a-highway signs.
They liken their strategy to that of the gay-rights movement, which lifted off when closeted members of a scorned minority decided to go public.
“It’s not about carrying banners or protesting,” said Herb Silverman, a math professor at the College of Charleston who founded the Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, which has about 150 members on the coast of the Carolinas. “The most important thing is coming out of the closet.”
Polls show that the ranks of atheists are growing. The American Religious Identification Survey, a major study released last month, found that those who claimed “no religion” were the only demographic group that grew in all 50 states in the last 18 years.
Religious people are nicer people
From today's Times:
"Here's a report to gladden the believer and irritate the atheist. Religious folks are “just nicer”, better citizens and better people. Or at least that the’s story in Amazing Grace: How Religion is Reshaping our Civic and Political Lives, a book due out next year and co-authored by Robert Putnam, a professor at Harvard, and David Campbell, a scholar at the University of Notre Dame. Their findings, as reported on Beliefnet, include the fact that the religious are “three to four times” more likely to volunteer, give money to the poor, or get involved in community projects than the non believer."
"Here's a report to gladden the believer and irritate the atheist. Religious folks are “just nicer”, better citizens and better people. Or at least that the’s story in Amazing Grace: How Religion is Reshaping our Civic and Political Lives, a book due out next year and co-authored by Robert Putnam, a professor at Harvard, and David Campbell, a scholar at the University of Notre Dame. Their findings, as reported on Beliefnet, include the fact that the religious are “three to four times” more likely to volunteer, give money to the poor, or get involved in community projects than the non believer."
Slugging along
It's been raining all day but stopped briefly during lunch so I just 'nipped out to the shops' as they say in England. I needed cat and human food from the nearby supermarket.
I saw this little fellow crossing the path where I walk. I knew he was on his way to destroy someone's lettuce patch but he was working so hard to cross the sidewalk that I just let him get on with it.
On my way back, I saw him again but he was dead. Someone had ripped off his shell.
I saw this little fellow crossing the path where I walk. I knew he was on his way to destroy someone's lettuce patch but he was working so hard to cross the sidewalk that I just let him get on with it.
On my way back, I saw him again but he was dead. Someone had ripped off his shell.
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Jesus likes Starbucks
This photo was taken in Hollywood this week. I can't wait to tell my son that he and Jesus drink the same thing -- frappuccinos. (I think this will probably be the only thing they have in common, though.)
A three-legged cat
I foster homeless cats until they can be adopted. It is so much fun to have cats come and go. I don't any of the responsibility of owning a cat and get to know different sorts of cat personalities.
I got a new cat yesterday. The cat charity woman was telling me about her the day before, describing her loving nature, cheerful personality, etc.
"There's just one other thing," she said.
"Yes?"
"She only has three legs."
A cat with only three legs? "Will we adopt her at a discount?" I asked. I could just see the scenario -- "I paid full price for that cat! I want all four legs."
But the cat charity rep said the cat goes for full price. Apparently, she was run over by a car as a kitten so has spent most of her life without all her legs so she gets along fine as it is.
I put a pic up of her above. I'm sorry you have to see her backside but it's the only way I can show you her missing leg.
Will put up a picture of her front soon. She's been with us for one night, and she's adorable. She was already coming into my bedroom this morning demanding her breakfast.
Mormons baptizing dead people
Read this interesting post today and wanted to share it with you:
How many dead people have you known to reject anything? What a crock. Here's how the Mormons explain away their practice of baptizing people like Barack Obama's mother without the consent of the immediate family:
The practice is rooted in the belief that certain sacred sacraments, such as baptism, are required to enter the kingdom of heaven and that a just God will give everyone who ever lived a fair opportunity to receive them, whether in this life or the next. Church members who perform temple baptisms for their deceased relatives are motivated by love and sincere concern for the welfare of all of God's children. According to Church doctrine, a departed soul in the afterlife is completely free to accept or reject such a baptism -- the offering is freely given and must be freely received. The Church has never claimed the power to force deceased persons to become Church members or Mormons, and it does not list them as such on its records. The notion of coerced conversion is utterly contrary to Church doctrine.
If the Mormons weren't trying to pull a fast one by baptizing the dead relatives of Christians and Jews without the consent of their immediate family members, the Mormons would simply ask the immediate family members for permission before doing the deed, or even better, ask the dead people while they're alive. No, instead they ask the dead people while they're dead. And if nobody objects?
Maybe it's time we started baptizing Mormons against their will. Or even better, let's hold a ceremony and convert them gay - we can start with Joseph Smith, send him a toaster and all. After all, he can always object from the dead if he doesn't want to be queer.
How many dead people have you known to reject anything? What a crock. Here's how the Mormons explain away their practice of baptizing people like Barack Obama's mother without the consent of the immediate family:
The practice is rooted in the belief that certain sacred sacraments, such as baptism, are required to enter the kingdom of heaven and that a just God will give everyone who ever lived a fair opportunity to receive them, whether in this life or the next. Church members who perform temple baptisms for their deceased relatives are motivated by love and sincere concern for the welfare of all of God's children. According to Church doctrine, a departed soul in the afterlife is completely free to accept or reject such a baptism -- the offering is freely given and must be freely received. The Church has never claimed the power to force deceased persons to become Church members or Mormons, and it does not list them as such on its records. The notion of coerced conversion is utterly contrary to Church doctrine.
If the Mormons weren't trying to pull a fast one by baptizing the dead relatives of Christians and Jews without the consent of their immediate family members, the Mormons would simply ask the immediate family members for permission before doing the deed, or even better, ask the dead people while they're alive. No, instead they ask the dead people while they're dead. And if nobody objects?
Maybe it's time we started baptizing Mormons against their will. Or even better, let's hold a ceremony and convert them gay - we can start with Joseph Smith, send him a toaster and all. After all, he can always object from the dead if he doesn't want to be queer.
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Miss California says Satan tempted her
In the US, it's a big story about a beauty-pageant contestant who was asked about gay marriage by a gay judge and responded by saying marriage should be between a man and a woman only.
I'm interested in this radio interview she gave below because of how she makes her opinion into some epic battle between God and Satan. I wonder why she can't just assume that she gave her answer due to her cultural upbringing, the way her parents raised her, etc., but instead she has to make it into something grander. I think it's fascinating how humans think and behave, and how we justify our behavior to ourselves and to our communities.
Miss California says:
I started off by saying I want to win this pageant so bad, I've worked so hard, I wanted to sound politically correct but still stay true to my values. But I just knew at that moment that God was just telling me "Carrie, how bad do you want this? Are you willing to compromise your beliefs for a one year crown of Miss USA." And I just knew right there . . . And I said you know what and the switch went off. And I said, "A marriage should be between a man and a woman and that's how it should be. "
. . . . And I knew there was no way I was going to win Miss USA. No way.
Interviewer: So you put it on the line, that's what I mean when I said you're courageous because this was the goal of your life to that point. And yet you gave it up. And yet the Lord is using you all over this country.
Miss California: And we are all faced with that at times. And just by me being here, I want to encourage other people that when you're faced with an issue which you know in your heart what to say, but you're faced with someone asking it, don't ever compromise that just for pleasing them. Your goal should be to please God, not to please man . . . .
. . . I felt as though Satan was trying to tempt me in asking me this question. And then God was in my head and in my heart saying, "Do not compromise this. You need to stand up for me and you need to share with all these people . . . you need to witness to them and you need to show that you're not willing to compromise that for this title of Miss USA."
I'm interested in this radio interview she gave below because of how she makes her opinion into some epic battle between God and Satan. I wonder why she can't just assume that she gave her answer due to her cultural upbringing, the way her parents raised her, etc., but instead she has to make it into something grander. I think it's fascinating how humans think and behave, and how we justify our behavior to ourselves and to our communities.
Miss California says:
I started off by saying I want to win this pageant so bad, I've worked so hard, I wanted to sound politically correct but still stay true to my values. But I just knew at that moment that God was just telling me "Carrie, how bad do you want this? Are you willing to compromise your beliefs for a one year crown of Miss USA." And I just knew right there . . . And I said you know what and the switch went off. And I said, "A marriage should be between a man and a woman and that's how it should be. "
. . . . And I knew there was no way I was going to win Miss USA. No way.
Interviewer: So you put it on the line, that's what I mean when I said you're courageous because this was the goal of your life to that point. And yet you gave it up. And yet the Lord is using you all over this country.
Miss California: And we are all faced with that at times. And just by me being here, I want to encourage other people that when you're faced with an issue which you know in your heart what to say, but you're faced with someone asking it, don't ever compromise that just for pleasing them. Your goal should be to please God, not to please man . . . .
. . . I felt as though Satan was trying to tempt me in asking me this question. And then God was in my head and in my heart saying, "Do not compromise this. You need to stand up for me and you need to share with all these people . . . you need to witness to them and you need to show that you're not willing to compromise that for this title of Miss USA."
Awkward Family Photos
Check out this website when you can -- Awkward Family Photos. It has some hysterically funny photos on it. Here's another of my faves:
Checking with God before you do stuff
Here's Joe the Plumber interviewed in Christianity Today magazine:
When politicians start talking about being a Christian, I just worry, because a lot of them don't really follow through. I like to see real action in that area. I heard some stories about George Bush, and how he wrote an original letter to each and every soldier that died. And his prayer life was listed to be pretty intense. That kind of thing, it's awesome. I would love it to be true. I would love to hear our leaders actually check with God before he does stuff.
I enjoyed this comment by James Wolcott on the quote in his blog:
"I take a somewhat different position. I think that if God wants to meddle in domestic politics he should get off his throne and run for elected office Himself, instead of acting as a glorified Karl Rove or James Baker III whispering into our leaders' echo-chamber skulls before they "do stuff." Because as it stands, God gets the credit from a grateful politician when things work out after a dark night of the soul but never gets the blame when things go badly awry--human imperfection is his permanent plausible deniability. I'm sorry, that's just not good enough anymore. It doesn't suffice for God to now claim, "Sure I told George Bush to invade Iraq- Saddam had to go--but I had no idea he'd screw it up so bad." If God wants to run the show on earth, He needs to step up to the plate and take responsibility."
When politicians start talking about being a Christian, I just worry, because a lot of them don't really follow through. I like to see real action in that area. I heard some stories about George Bush, and how he wrote an original letter to each and every soldier that died. And his prayer life was listed to be pretty intense. That kind of thing, it's awesome. I would love it to be true. I would love to hear our leaders actually check with God before he does stuff.
I enjoyed this comment by James Wolcott on the quote in his blog:
"I take a somewhat different position. I think that if God wants to meddle in domestic politics he should get off his throne and run for elected office Himself, instead of acting as a glorified Karl Rove or James Baker III whispering into our leaders' echo-chamber skulls before they "do stuff." Because as it stands, God gets the credit from a grateful politician when things work out after a dark night of the soul but never gets the blame when things go badly awry--human imperfection is his permanent plausible deniability. I'm sorry, that's just not good enough anymore. It doesn't suffice for God to now claim, "Sure I told George Bush to invade Iraq- Saddam had to go--but I had no idea he'd screw it up so bad." If God wants to run the show on earth, He needs to step up to the plate and take responsibility."
Monday, 11 May 2009
A quick Botox jab
Waiting for my friend to come from the Foreign Office in London. She stays at our house sometimes so she doesn't have to go all the way home to Devon. She's late so I have a second to do a quick post.
After a hard day at the office, I stopped by a medical office by my house for a little Botox. I've been doing it for a while, and I think it makes a difference in my appearance. (It just makes you look a bit less haggard....)
A friend of mine has been complaining about her wrinkles for years so I got her to come with me. Was she nervous! My doctor is great and soon had her feeling better. Botox seems to have shot up (ha ha, little injection joke) in price recently, though, so we only had a little done.
Now I am worried that my friend won't notice enough difference to justify the price and secretly be resentful that I dragged her into this adventure. And what if she has some side effects? I have never had a minute's problem with Botox but maybe I am just lucky?
After a hard day at the office, I stopped by a medical office by my house for a little Botox. I've been doing it for a while, and I think it makes a difference in my appearance. (It just makes you look a bit less haggard....)
A friend of mine has been complaining about her wrinkles for years so I got her to come with me. Was she nervous! My doctor is great and soon had her feeling better. Botox seems to have shot up (ha ha, little injection joke) in price recently, though, so we only had a little done.
Now I am worried that my friend won't notice enough difference to justify the price and secretly be resentful that I dragged her into this adventure. And what if she has some side effects? I have never had a minute's problem with Botox but maybe I am just lucky?
I'm too poor to buy a vase
My daughter is a poor college student who tells me that she couldn't afford to buy a vase when her boyfriend gave her some flowers to celebrate her boat coming first in a race yesterday. So, she said she did a 'studenty' thing and used the blender as a vase. I think this is a fine quirky idea that could catch in in London.
Then Katie read in my blog where my friend Brenda was lavished with gifts by her family for Mother's Day so Katie said I could pretend the flowers were actually for me when I saw the photo.
(Really, I don't mind. Mother's Day is in March in the UK anyway.)
Then Katie read in my blog where my friend Brenda was lavished with gifts by her family for Mother's Day so Katie said I could pretend the flowers were actually for me when I saw the photo.
(Really, I don't mind. Mother's Day is in March in the UK anyway.)
Pigs at the trough
We are having a problem with corrupt politicans in England right now. They have been bilking the tax payer with outrageous expenses -- getting us to pay their mortgages on second homes, furnish them then the MPs sell their second home at a profit then buy something else, charge the taxpayer the mortgage and to fix it up.
Because government polices itself, Parliament passes laws to make what they do secret. It's really shocking what they have done.
Now jokes are appearing in London's newspapers like this one:
Because government polices itself, Parliament passes laws to make what they do secret. It's really shocking what they have done.
Now jokes are appearing in London's newspapers like this one:
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