Interesting little bit on translations...
Re: Erasmus, "The concept of evangelicals rejecting careful 20th Cent. evangelical scholarship in favor of a 16th Cent. liberal humanist is really ironic"
I went to the woods...
Monday, February 28, 2005
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
even if you don't agree with him, when the pope's talking, you probably want to listen...
Slate does a good little article on why we shouldn't be focusing quite so much on social security
before I comment, I gotta post anything on separating the state from marriage
and something for all you males out there who have criticized irrationality and/or emotion
also, some thoughts need to get going
1. what are the actual scientific implications of the criticisms of intelligent design
2. where does religious principle interact with the boundary of a free society
3. try to combine the two - how does the educational system fit into this template
Slate does a good little article on why we shouldn't be focusing quite so much on social security
before I comment, I gotta post anything on separating the state from marriage
and something for all you males out there who have criticized irrationality and/or emotion
also, some thoughts need to get going
1. what are the actual scientific implications of the criticisms of intelligent design
2. where does religious principle interact with the boundary of a free society
3. try to combine the two - how does the educational system fit into this template
Sunday, February 20, 2005
It's about time for the debate to get going...but who's listening.
The conservative attack on liberal education seems more Leftist every day. Essentially, it's payback for the last half-century in public school education.
I thought that material seemed to be skipping past the rating...
The conservative attack on liberal education seems more Leftist every day. Essentially, it's payback for the last half-century in public school education.
I thought that material seemed to be skipping past the rating...
Friday, February 11, 2005
A new issue of NPQ!
The need to talk about a lack of improvement is readily evident. Ok...I'm listening.
The art of naming television characters.
Is it just me, or does "Princess Consort" just not have the presige of being Queen? It sounds more like the position of Princess Irulan pushed Chani into taking the title after...I told you I was a geek.
On being offended and living with it. Whether or not you like it, there's no rule against it that can live with the First Amendment. Although this was movement was earlier pushed by liberals moving 'offending' objects/ideas out of government-involved places, it is now propounded via conservative groups looking to purify/Disney-fy modern culture as much as possible. Interesting...but ultimately foolish (this goes to both of them).
BTW - How do people judge America? Many liberals like looking towards the Republican controlled Congress and claim that America is more conservative. Many conservatives like looking towards Hollywood/media or other supposed beacons of modern culture and noting the liberal slant. I wonder if foreign groups with the same biases would see the same. Looking at the jihadists' understanding of God-less America versus a German/French understanding of a near unilateralist religious control, I think so.
The need to talk about a lack of improvement is readily evident. Ok...I'm listening.
The art of naming television characters.
Is it just me, or does "Princess Consort" just not have the presige of being Queen? It sounds more like the position of Princess Irulan pushed Chani into taking the title after...I told you I was a geek.
On being offended and living with it. Whether or not you like it, there's no rule against it that can live with the First Amendment. Although this was movement was earlier pushed by liberals moving 'offending' objects/ideas out of government-involved places, it is now propounded via conservative groups looking to purify/Disney-fy modern culture as much as possible. Interesting...but ultimately foolish (this goes to both of them).
BTW - How do people judge America? Many liberals like looking towards the Republican controlled Congress and claim that America is more conservative. Many conservatives like looking towards Hollywood/media or other supposed beacons of modern culture and noting the liberal slant. I wonder if foreign groups with the same biases would see the same. Looking at the jihadists' understanding of God-less America versus a German/French understanding of a near unilateralist religious control, I think so.
Thursday, February 10, 2005
A beautiful article describing some questions behind (or sometimes in front of) the scientists. Here are some of my favorite quotations:
"He pondered it for a while, and then confessed that he was now deeply confused about why things happen and needed to think more about it. Exactly so." This is something way too many people skip over way too easily.
"...my father-in-law remarked that economics had been terrific until they made it into a science." His father-in-law is a wise man.
"Seeing our understanding of nature as a mathematical construction has fundamentally different implications from seeing it as an empirical synthesis. One view identifies us as masters of the universe; the other identifies the universe as masters of us."
"The search for new things always looks like a lost cause until one makes a discovery. If it were obvious what was there, one would not have to look for it." Which is strikingly similar to Cap. Picard's response to Data (and yes, I know that I'm a nerd) "...things are only impossible until they're not."
"He pondered it for a while, and then confessed that he was now deeply confused about why things happen and needed to think more about it. Exactly so." This is something way too many people skip over way too easily.
"...my father-in-law remarked that economics had been terrific until they made it into a science." His father-in-law is a wise man.
"Seeing our understanding of nature as a mathematical construction has fundamentally different implications from seeing it as an empirical synthesis. One view identifies us as masters of the universe; the other identifies the universe as masters of us."
"The search for new things always looks like a lost cause until one makes a discovery. If it were obvious what was there, one would not have to look for it." Which is strikingly similar to Cap. Picard's response to Data (and yes, I know that I'm a nerd) "...things are only impossible until they're not."
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
A lament to the dying of a mythic journalistic age that existed more in those minds who praised it than in reality.
Now that is economics. Greenspan, much as Hamlet, hearkens to the ghostly image thereof.
A reappraisal of the word "evil" in its true modern context.
A quick re-run of theology 101 questions for those of you who missed it the first time (or just don't care). Although the concepts miss much of the point, let us find this to be convicting. After all, how do we react to God? what is the proper response to disaster/misfortune?
Now that is economics. Greenspan, much as Hamlet, hearkens to the ghostly image thereof.
A reappraisal of the word "evil" in its true modern context.
A quick re-run of theology 101 questions for those of you who missed it the first time (or just don't care). Although the concepts miss much of the point, let us find this to be convicting. After all, how do we react to God? what is the proper response to disaster/misfortune?
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Michio Kaku demonstrates through scientifically valid (so he says) "science-fiction"-like ways that the human race could try to save ourselves (in the uber-long term). Anyone wanting to hear the current fringes of applied cosmological theory or just read about applications of advanced physics (or enjoys Star Trek type possibilities) will enjoy this article. As always, it is extremely well written.
Mr Bush's budgetary plans concern many. The largest budget ever (a paltry $2.57 trillion) is commented on in many newspapers. Drudge reports that this may shift the tax burden to the rich (I haven't seen any numbers yet). The Economist reminds one of the good, bad, and ugly. And speaking of economics, more on Galbraith and Friedman...defining the state of opposing economic thought. And for those politics-watchers, here's a nice article on Leftist duality.
Cheers! Don't be too excited, but appreciate the attempt. Meanwhile, Feldman writes a subtly insightful article reviewing books on the rather popularized topic: Policy/History of Islam. He rightfully beats up Horowitz. But as a small critique, I believe, out of an unconscious desire towards optimism he focuses on the movement of "techniques and ideologies" and less on a psychological analysis of Islam. After all, why has this movement spread to Islam but not to other religious groups "displaced". Is it a matter of opportunity? a confluence of technological access? effects of globalization? These are the questions that I would like to hear answered (in a reasonably more academic/balanced/not-stupid way than is approached in many accusatory books describing the nature of Islam. But as I said, this is a small critique. The article is good. But I don't think quite as useful as Clarke's policy prescience -- "we will have to look to nongovernmental organizations and other nations to lead the battle of ideas. "
And more annoying things about Summers making the mistake of actually trying to think outloud.
Also...Clifford Geertz's anthropological understanding of American influence (although semantically I think I disagree, his analysis is certainly interesting).
Mr Bush's budgetary plans concern many. The largest budget ever (a paltry $2.57 trillion) is commented on in many newspapers. Drudge reports that this may shift the tax burden to the rich (I haven't seen any numbers yet). The Economist reminds one of the good, bad, and ugly. And speaking of economics, more on Galbraith and Friedman...defining the state of opposing economic thought. And for those politics-watchers, here's a nice article on Leftist duality.
Cheers! Don't be too excited, but appreciate the attempt. Meanwhile, Feldman writes a subtly insightful article reviewing books on the rather popularized topic: Policy/History of Islam. He rightfully beats up Horowitz. But as a small critique, I believe, out of an unconscious desire towards optimism he focuses on the movement of "techniques and ideologies" and less on a psychological analysis of Islam. After all, why has this movement spread to Islam but not to other religious groups "displaced". Is it a matter of opportunity? a confluence of technological access? effects of globalization? These are the questions that I would like to hear answered (in a reasonably more academic/balanced/not-stupid way than is approached in many accusatory books describing the nature of Islam. But as I said, this is a small critique. The article is good. But I don't think quite as useful as Clarke's policy prescience -- "we will have to look to nongovernmental organizations and other nations to lead the battle of ideas. "
And more annoying things about Summers making the mistake of actually trying to think outloud.
Also...Clifford Geertz's anthropological understanding of American influence (although semantically I think I disagree, his analysis is certainly interesting).
Friday, February 04, 2005
Hidden Equality of Socialism - In this article, Henderson does a rather critical examination of the data from pre-transition socialist areas and finds that the provided data cannot have the same level of validity as more modern reports (thus the oft-cited economic inequality argument does not have validity either.
One more stupid article bantering about how much this guy does not like Mr Bush (believe me, this is just the tip of that iceberg (I'll write with my complaints about the lack of CBO reports later).
A wonderful article specifying some of the difficulties that we are encountering in "bringing democracy" to the Middle East. Even if Paul Feldman disagrees. Interestingly, both articles articles see the same basic ideals and split tickets on the meanings. Perhaps Martin Kramer is right and Feldman is overly naive, but I really want Feldman to be right...and for now, I'll choose idealism. After all, Israel's trying:
"Israel approved goodwill gestures before Tuesday's Sharon-Abbas summit in Egypt. The cabinet voted for release of 900 Palestinian prisoner and a West Bank troop pullback. But attacks wounded five Israeli soldiers." (WSJ front page)
A new column that might be kinda fun.
A history: Have bureaucrats gotten "a poor deal"?
Oh yeah, and a star exploded.
One more stupid article bantering about how much this guy does not like Mr Bush (believe me, this is just the tip of that iceberg (I'll write with my complaints about the lack of CBO reports later).
A wonderful article specifying some of the difficulties that we are encountering in "bringing democracy" to the Middle East. Even if Paul Feldman disagrees. Interestingly, both articles articles see the same basic ideals and split tickets on the meanings. Perhaps Martin Kramer is right and Feldman is overly naive, but I really want Feldman to be right...and for now, I'll choose idealism. After all, Israel's trying:
"Israel approved goodwill gestures before Tuesday's Sharon-Abbas summit in Egypt. The cabinet voted for release of 900 Palestinian prisoner and a West Bank troop pullback. But attacks wounded five Israeli soldiers." (WSJ front page)
A new column that might be kinda fun.
A history: Have bureaucrats gotten "a poor deal"?
Oh yeah, and a star exploded.
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
History as Written by...Us
Howard Zinn speaks eloquently to the plight of the voiceless, an admirable fact that must not remain shrowded by the weight of commonly told history. My only concern with his understanding is that it loses its power when people do not know or even read the common history. How will knowing how the invaded Mexicans feel in 1848 properly inform your view on history if you don't even know what was happening in America in 1848? Zinn's History should be read more (and as far as I can tell, his focus on the underprivileged is shared by all of the history I was taught in high school -- college seemed to offer a more rounded and informed focus). For example, in high school I could tell you about the Trail of Tears and the gut-wrenching feel that permeated my body when reading about the treatment of slaves. However, any focus placed on what was done to any person with white skin was never treated emotionally, but just as an obvious reaction to some physical need. Ultimately, every wrong came back to the imperialistic Europeans and the evil Church that both wanted to hurt people different from them. I think that Howard Zinn is right, however, we need to start listening to everyone - with voices as well as those without. Otherwise, our own skew is as meaningless and as partisan-driven as before.Desperate Something
Here's an article (not really the best written) that makes a superb connection between the Desperate Housewives show many have seen on Sunday nights and Camus, the question coming back to "what's the point?" In the show, just as in the some factions of existentialism, there is no reaching purpose to what they do. As such, the humor (the plot) comes from an existence bereft of meaning; existing becoming an end in itself. Obviously, the priority of aesthetics is not too far behind. Perhaps, at the end of cultural adaptation, nausea wins...Tuesday, February 01, 2005
What if Bush is right?
Wow...I was really impressed with this guy's chutzpah and honesty. He looked at the situation, still believes that he is right, but is asking the difficult question, "What if I was wrong?" I think that anyone who believes himself a staunch anything (any and all sides of the political machine) should read this guy, marvel, and try to imitate his outlook (not necessarily his positions) as much as is humanly possible. If not just because being wrong is sociologically good...when you're willing to admit it.Just a little random philosophical wandering.
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