In my last post about politics, I mentioned three core values in the current Republican running:

• Looking backward
• Fear
• Ignorance

I'm going to highlight the last one again, even though the first could arguably (and only in a literal interpretation) be relevant here:
The last core value is to try to remain ignorant.  For example, Santorum has been  ( Read more... )

Truthout published an article this weekend.  I'm going to post the thing in its entirety here so you don't have to deal with their browser-crushing awful, slow website. Oh, and so I can share with you one of the more disturbing images I've seen in a long time.  You know you want to see it under the cut!

( Read more... )

 The myopic, bleeding-heart, science-backed(?), anti-abortion folks are stirring the pot again.  There is a wing of people who want to redefine personhood at fertilisation.  The problem with this is two-fold: Unintended consequences and a religious fallacy.

Let's attack the latter issue first.

The religious Right use their conservative ( Read more... )

In a follow up to my post on faith, and my lack of it, I just listened to this.  I was so excited, that I needed to post it right now ( Read more... )

So, big surprise, the Rapture didn't happen.

I know, RIGHT?!

But this whole thing really resurrects my notion and scepticism on faith.  But in order to even have this discussion (which it may inevitably be if someone is reading this and disagrees with me slightly), I think I owe it to everyone to characterise my definition of faith.

I'm pretty much ( Read more... )

One of the most common anti-government slogans I hear from the Right is "Does the government know how to spend your money better than you do?"

Most people answer "no" emphatically.  But I should propose this to you as a potential rebuttal.

Do you value a well-stocked grocery store? 
Would you pay 500$/month for a bridge that you've never crossed in a ( Read more... )

Last night, I was hanging out with some friends.  One of my friends is a very intelligent, but in my now-opinon, cynical conservative.  He was arguing last night that he believed that people are only motivated by money in their career: "It is human nature".  He was also arguing that cancer would be cured except that researchers, with their system ( Read more... )

Wha' wha' whaaaa?

From NPR's Wikileaks: were I an alien

Newt Gingrich is a former speaker of the House. He is also the author of over 20 books.

An alien watching the most powerful nation in the world allowing itself to be humiliated and crippled by a handful of irresponsible, destructive fanatics would consider it an amazing exercise in self- ( Read more... )

Most of the time, I keep these sorts of meditative insight posts quiet.  But today, since it is Bodhi Day, I'm going to let it all hang out.

What is Bodhi Day?  Bodhi Day is the day that Siddharta (the first 'buddha' or enlightened one) supposedly 'reached' or realised enlightenment.  It was done under a Bodhi tree, according to the mythology.   ( Read more... )

Apparently I have a fever.  It is not jungle fever, but a European fever.  It may be a short-term fever, I'm not sure.  But I'm a bit smitten.  I'm interested in almost everything that is different-but-sort-of-works.  And that's my read on Europe.

M sent me a couple of articles today.  I will share.

First off, food safety.  Tell me what makes the ( Read more... )