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October 10, 2005:
Authority:
I hope I never begin to think I am an authority on anything.
Authorities know, so they don't need to seek or listen to new
ideas. Authorities are useless. Once a person becomes an authority
they have no further value to the culture. It matters not if
they are religious authorities, government authorities, or authorities
in a field of knowledge. They are the defenders of the Status
Quo. They know so they must take a defensive stand. They must
build a citadel around their position. These people are always
blindsided by new truths and discoveries. It is always the seekers
who find these new things and come back to scuttle the proud
ship of authority. Unfortunately, it is also seekers, who once
they find something new are likely to become authorities.
Nuclear Stuff:
It is said that JC did some miracles in his time. Maybe so, but
if you want to discuss miracles, let's discuss a single universal
energy field that can manifest as particles so tiny (hadrons
and quarks) we can only deduce them by their effects in a supercollider.
Let's discuss an energy field that can arrange and build on these
energy particles so as to create a tree, a flower, a rock, a
star, or a human being. There may well be a miracle involved
in that, the true miracle of nature. The truth is, we have no
idea how that works, why it happens, or anything else about it.
That is the key. We know nothing about it except what the scientists
tell us, which is not much.
To contend that all of this occurs because of some fanciful
God is a trite comfortable mythology, but it is not useful for
understanding. So, rather than pretend we know, let us seek understanding.
In the meantime, let us try to control the miracle of the energy
field in a good and useful way. Let us try to invoke it in healing
and the creation of useful energy. Perhaps we can make cheap
energy available through some process that employs the effect
of this universal energy field. Perhaps we could build a modified
collider that would generate more power than it uses. It could
be the true perpetual motion machine.
Michigan State Police:
A madman sexually abused a 3 year old child. The judge had to
let him walk. Why? Because the Michigan State police did not
read him his Miranda rights before he confessed. Smart, real
smart!
Roberts:
22 partisan hardline political hack senators voted against his
conformation. Their rational? He did not hew to the dumbo democratic
party line. Shame of shame, this silly judge seems to be a constitutional
conservative rather than a political tody. How unusual! These
democratic buffoons have given new meaning to the word, unethical!
Establishing the Principle:
Judith Miller caved in. The magazine was beaten down. The editor
caved in. A George Bush chief of staff was picked to be the fall
guy. However, the lesson George wanted to give has been received.
The American press is not free and no one will talk to reporters
off the record about anything important again. There will be
no undisclosed sources and the public will be kept in the dark.
Hail, all hail to the chief!
Casey:
The General of the American ground forces in Iraq showed up on
the Stephanopolous show. He was articulate and George was persistent.
The General is a soldier and he was unable to speak politically
or misrepresent the truth. From what we heard, I get that he
expects to be in Iraq for about ten years. I think that is realistic.
It is more in line with what MacArthur had to do in Japan. Given
the lack of solid support and resources from our current government,
it could be even longer. The American people can whine and moan
forever, but they cannot change reality. We can put in the resources
and stay the course or we can wimp out. Those are our only real
options.
Bad Choice:
Of all the people George could have picked for the bench, he
ends up nominating a personal crony who has no experience as
a judge. Of course, the Republican majority may ram this fiasco
through even if they have to change the senate rules, but at
what cost? And Why? There are any number of highly qualified
people. Are cronyism and ideology really the final arbiters?
Have we really sunk that low in personal ethics? It seems George
has. George says she will still be the same person 20 years from
now that she is now. Is it a selling point, that she has no potential
for growth? It means she will still be as dull in 20 years as
she is now. If someone said that about me, I would be piqued.
The door opens inward:
Most of us spend our entire lives trying to get doors to open
to a better life by pushing on them. The only really important
door opens inward. Most of us never get to that one and most
of those who do think it opens outward. We think we are separate.
We are not separate and God ain't out there. Nothing is out there
and no angels can dance on the head of a pin either. The door
to the soul-self opens inward.
Ramadan:
I still like the idea. You must fast and pray from sunrise to
sunset. However, what you do at night does not count. Outstanding!
It sure beats that old time religion that was good enough for
my granddaddy.
A Spy in the White House:
Crap! I can see how the careless democrats would let a spy get
on the vice president's staff. I have a little trouble understanding
how the paranoid republicans let him stay on Cheney's staff.
Regardless, that guy was a Marine and is an American citizen.
What he did, if true, is treason. There can be only one penalty
for that.
A Research Puzzle:
Who was Nat Turner? What did he do? No more than two pages (120
lines double spaced). Due October 20, 2005. Thinking and creativity
count. Use a spell checker because spelling will also count.
It's too easy to get it right and no excuse not to. Don't send
them to me. Send them to your schoolmarm or mother, someone who
will appreciate your effort.
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