Saturday, February 21, 2004

Science Fiction Authors and Evolution

Razib at Gene Expression has a post up titled “The evidence against evolution." Razib links to a Montana publication in which the author, who knows the correct “buzzwords,” argues against evolution.  Razib tackles the erroneous postulations within the Montana piece and critiques the "style of science" versus the "reality of science" in certain science fiction writers works.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/21 at 06:56 AM
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Driving Old Vehicles

William McGurn, The Wall Street Journal‘s chief editorial writer has penned a column in praise of what he calls “My ‘Train Station’ Car It’s old, dented, ugly, loud and . . . perfect." I enjoyed reading it.  I drive old vehicles.  My 94 Burb has 120 miles short of 210,000 miles on the odometer.  No 2 to 3 mile jaunts to the train station for this vehicle.  It still makes runs to Idaho, Ohio the UP of Michigan and what not.  My 82 Jeep Wagoneer has 149,800 some odd miles on it and its dented, loud, and is far from ugly in my eyes, though the looks it gets on the streets aren’t cast its way for its beauty.  This is my fishing vehicle.  It burns some oil but I’d run it to Alaska it has so much heart.  I love old vehicles.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/21 at 06:17 AM
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Channeling Benjamin Constant

Brian Micklethwait has posted Book IV, Chapter Two,"The Idea Which Usually Develops about the Effects Which the Proliferation of the Laws Has and the Falsity of That Idea" of Constant’s book Principles of Politics Applicable to All Governments. Portions I found particularly noteworthy follow.

"People normally think that when the government allows itself to multiply prohibitive and coercive laws at will, provided that the intention of the legislator is clearly expressed, provided that the laws are not in any way retroactive, provided that citizens are told in time of the rule of behavior they must follow, the [84] proliferation of laws has no drawback other than cramping individual freedoms a little. This is not the case. The proliferation of laws, even in the most ordinary of circumstances, has the bad effect of falsifying individual morality."

and

"The rule of the just and the unjust is no longer in the consciousness of man but in the will of the legislator. Morality and inner feeling undergo an unfathomable degradation through this dependence on an alien thing, a mere accessory—artificial, unstable, and liable to error and perversion."

Just read the whole thing over at Samizdata, it’s not that long.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/21 at 06:05 AM
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Energy, Source Unknown

Einstein’s ideas and thinking can boggle the mind.  A clerk in a Swiss patent office is still getting it right.  “Measurements Support Cosmological Constant."

Via Google News.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/21 at 05:50 AM
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Friday, February 20, 2004

Spreading Faster Than The Asian Bird Flu and Killer Bees Combined

“N.M. County OKs Gay-Marriage Licenses"
“Kent Protest Brings Home Drive for Gay Marriages" Grand Rapids, MI
“Same-sex marriage divides NU Chicago, IL

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 05:10 PM
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Fishy Hardware?

I served in the peacetime Navy, as a submariner on the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN688).  I didn’t earn any hardware (medals), but I did earn some cabbage (ribbons) and qualified to wear the submarine insignia, the Dolphins. I’ve also heard tell that I could get a certificate from the government stating that I served in the Cold War.  But, I digress, what I really want to bring your attention to is this.  FrontPage Magazine has an article posted titled “A Vet Questions John Kerry’s Military Service." The Master Sergeant’s observations are quite direct.  Here’s the statement which fronts the article.

"The following was sent to a Marine chat net by a retired Marine Master Sergeant who was in S-2, 3rd Bn, 1st Marines, Korea in 1954. It calls into serious question John Kerry’s military actions in Vietnam. We present it to give our readers another perspective to the media’s one-sided “war hero” adulation, and to open his actions to the light of public discourse.—The Editors.

Unfortunately, the retired Master Sergeant’s name is not provided, which would give more weight to the statements made in the article following the above.  Be that as it may, is Kerry’s “war hero” persona simply that, a persona?

Via Greg Ranson at PrestoPundit.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 10:42 AM
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Crying Wolf Twenty Years Too Late or A Fading Star

Aaroooo.  Hark, isn’t that the sound of a lone wolf out on the tundra?  Nope, it’s just Naomi Wolfe verbalizing a possibly repressed memory from her student days at Yale. It appears, according to the linked article, that Wolfe, just recently, has recalled an alleged incident where a professor put his hand between her legs when he was supposed to be reading poetry.  Not just any professor though, the eminent Professor Harold Bloom.  Was it allegedly his right hand or his left hand?

Fame is so fleeting, infamy is what Wolfe is aspiring to, now.  Oh, and earth tones are out.

Via Arts & Letters Daily.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 10:18 AM
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It's Cheerleading for Pete's Sake

I enjoy the aesthetics of a good cheer routine as much as the next guy.  In fact, maybe I enjoy a good cheer routine more than some next guy because I have a high appreciation for the female form.  There’s just something about a perky young lady jumping around, kicking up her legs and yelling “Go team go,” that registers with some mammalian instinct within my mind.  Or maybe its just that I enjoyed dating a few cheerleaders during my highschool basketball days.  Ah.

Today, in the New York Times, I come across an op-ed penned by one Jennifer Allen titled “The Athlete on the Sidelines." Within Miss Allen’s piece she laments the “derision” cheerleading has taken over the years and applauds the University of Maryland’s recognition of cheerleading as a true NCAA sport, even going so far as to offer 12 scholarships for cheerleaders.  Yeah, go cheer.  Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar, all for competitiive cheer scholarships stand up and holler.

Now don’t take me wrong.  Cheerleaders on the sidelines are wonderful and can add to one’s enjoyment of the game, but, seriously, scholarships?  What will one do upon completion of university with this free ride?  Apply for a dancing girl position in Vegas?  How about for a position as a cheerleader for one of the NFL teams?  The Vegas dancing girl position would be more profitable, income wise at least, when compared to an NFL cheerleader position, since many teams pay just a stipend or nothing at all.

The real reason for Miss Allen’s cheerleading for cheerleading though is this.

"Pushing colleges to recognize competitive cheerleading as a sport will surely help to cut down on injuries."

Rah, rah, rah.  Sis, boom, bah.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 08:49 AM
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Tom Palmer in Iraq

I was only recently introduced to Tom Palmer’s blog tomgpalmer.com. Palmer is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute and he is currently in Iraq.  Yesterday he visited the University of Baghdad and the Green Zone for pizza and beer.  He has been posting from Iraq for the past week, plus or minus, and if you have any interest in following his travels and reading his observations, click on the link.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 06:24 AM
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I Hate Arizona Nazis

In fact, I hate all Nazis.  The rational mentality of such individuals, is, to be polite, lacking.  But I have to respect the cojones of this kid.

"Aryanfest’s gates opened at noon, and about an hour later, the gathering assemblage gradually hushed as all eyes turned upon the young man who had just paid his entrance fee and was casually perusing the hate-rock compact discs, swastika flags and white power watch caps at Panzerfaust Records’ merchandise booth.

He was in his late teens or early 20s, had a shaved head and sported Nazi and white power tattoos on both arms, in addition to wearing the white tee shirt with bold, black script.

He would have fit in just fine, except for one thing: He wasn’t white. Not even close. There was at least half a cup of Kahlúa in his cream."

He was asked to leave.  I take a perverse delight in this news item.

Via Hit & Run.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 06:06 AM
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Another Troubling ism

Religious fundamentalism is dangerous, there can be no question about this.  Here’s an interesting article titled “Ending Biblical Brainwash" which is subtitled "For better mental and cultural health, it’s time we classified religious fundamentalism as a psychological disorder." The article mentions Richard Dawkins, some of whose ideas I find, out there, Ayn Rand, Freud, the author doesn’t realize Freud is being discredited, Nietzsche and Daniel Dennett.

The piece makes one very important point which is the root of the problem with religious fundamentalism.

"A belief becomes cognitively unhealthy when the believer’s free will and normal critical processes have been damaged by the belief system’s dialectic. I argue that fundamentalist religions, insofar as they cripple a believer’s ability to have free will, exhibit rational choice and appropriately assess the nature of the physical environment, have already passed this threshold."

Via J. Orlin Grabbe.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 05:41 AM
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Freudianism and Socialism - Two Ideas That Need to Die

I’ve wondered for quite some time why the two above isms are so tenaciously defended by their adherents.  Some of whom actually seem to have the minds that would allow them to rationally consider the ideas propounded by these isms.  This article, titled “Psychoanalysis Is Dead ... So How Does That Make You Feel?," which examines the "utter disappointment" Freud’s proponents must be feeling as his work is rationally considered in our day and age.  The answer, from the article, which I must state I find no fault with.

"You can always count on intellectuals to keep a candle burning for whatever idea they’ve invested long years, enormous sums of money and, perhaps above all, limitless ego promoting."

Sheila, at Sheila Astray’s Redhead Ramblings offers some interesting commentary on this also and I was led here by this post at Cold Fury.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 05:10 AM
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Swords into Plowshares and Nails into $$$$

Arthur Silber draws our attention to the marketing arm of The Passion. It appears, according to this article from the New York Post, that pewter nails, replicas of the type used in Gibson’s films, among other items, are flying off the shelves at $16.99 a pop.  A replacement of sorts for the WWJD bracelets which were so popular not so long ago.  The first sentence from Arthur’s post.

"I’m not sure Jesus would be altogether happy about this."

I’m not so sure about that statement.  Jesus may consider it a bit gauche, but I think He would consider the sound of ringing cash registers, in the private sector, more in line with individuals being responsible for themselves rather than wards of the state or the church.  Jesus didn’t propound individuals being impoverished, He propounded that those with more voluntarily consider assisting those with less.  Now, whether the dollars being pocketed from the sale of these items will assist others, on a voluntary basis, remains to be seen.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 04:41 AM
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"What if They Held an Election and Nobody Came?"

I do not know who first spoke or wrote the title to this post, but it is a good question.  I thought it was only appropriate to use it as the title to this post after reading the following article from the The Washington Times. “Evangelicals frustrated by Bush." Specifically, the following comment, uttered by Robert Knight, herr director of the Culture and Family Institute.

"If there is a rerun of 2000, when an estimated 6 million fewer evangelical Christians voted than in the pivotal year of 1994, then the Bush ticket will be in trouble, especially if there is no [Ralph] Nader alternative to draw Democratic votes away from the Democratic candidate,” added Mr. Knight, whose organization is an affiliate of Concerned Women for America (CWA)."

The evangelicals are only threatening to stay home, like a petulant child who doesn’t get its way.  They should definitely stay home and reevaluate the teachings they are so ardently attempting to shove down peoples throats utilizing the state as their ramrod.  If the evangelicals actually thought about the teachings of Jesus, rather than spewing dogma, they would stay home and acknowledge elections for the farce they actually are.

Via Drudge.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/20 at 04:10 AM
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Thursday, February 19, 2004

Tie a Rubber Band Around It

When I was a kid, still living at home, I can remember times when we were traveling as a family, all ten of us, Mom, Dad and their eight progeny, and having to take make water.  Now, this is no big thing you know, unless each kid needed to use the facilities at a different time.  There was no way this was going to happen.  Multiple stops just weren’t feasible when you were traveling with a Vista Cruiser full of kids, gear and what not.  The title to this post is what my Dad, and Mom, would tell us boys, and there were six boys, if the bathroom thing got out of hand.  Well, I wish I would’ve known the following at that time.  I maybe could’ve sued my parents.

"But some parents say… The right to go to the bathroom, they say, is a health and civil rights issue and as taxpayers, they think it is a freedom they pay for."

From an article titled “Parents attack bathroom policy."

I cannot quote any more from the article.  The absurdities contained within have caused me to need a cold beer.  I’ll make sure my bladder is drained prior to enjoying it.

Posted by John Venlet on 02/19 at 02:43 PM
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