So there is this "classic Moby Dick Joke" that goes something like this;
A young smart person will be reading Moby Dick, and then a Prim and proper much older person comes by and says "oh my you are reading A Dirty Book!" ... and then hilarity ensues.
This is a funny joke because the prim and proper person is assuming that the Title must refer to male genitalia, and is supposedly ignorant that it is the Title of Herman Mellville's epic whale hunting adventure novel.
I used to laugh at these sorts of jokes, however I recently read Moby Dick and it is a great book. It is also full of sexual content. I no longer can laugh at those sorts of jokes because it really is a book full of disturbing, deviant, and even predatory sex.
So this "classic Moby Dick Joke" is really only funny for people who;
1. Know that Moby Dick is a classic piece of literature
2. Have not read it
3. Think it is about Whaling
Book review:
The book begins with QueegQuay having relations with Ishmael in the 'Spouter Inn'. There is implied rape at first, but just as the two friends learn to eat both Clam and Cod chowder, Ishmael learns to be "not so prejudiced" and he and Queegquay declare themselves "married" then spend all day in bed together where, as Ishmael says, "he would throw his legs over mine in the most friendly manner", Afterwhich Queegquay gives Ishmael some money.
Yeah.
Here I began to suspect that Ishmael was perhaps inviting us to read between the lines to catch the real meaning of the story. As the story progresses, the sexual scenes become more explicit and awful.
The history and science of whaling are described extensively. Every type of Whale is described, as well as their harvest and useful parts. Notably absent is the fact that at this time, the valuable spermaceti found in the forehead of the Sperm whale was believed to be the Whale's sperm. This helps us understand the double meaning, not so secretly concealed in Chapter 94, The men are said to sit around and squeeze the spermaceti with their hands, Then they sqeeze each others' hands..... then they say they should squeeze their hands into each other. As you have probably guessed, they aren't really talking about hands.
In addition to their regular group sex, The men are often portrayed as being mean to a fellow crew member, and ganging up to make fun of him. The implied meaning is that they gang rape their fellow crew members, including the elderly alcoholic blacksmith, the cook, and the brain-addled Pip. Eventually the brain-addled Pip becomes Ahab's sexual partner, after a rather disturbing conversation about Ahab's "old rope".
There is a lot of biblical imagery in the book. The ship eventually becomes a floating Soddom and Gomorrah. The final sin is when the ship has a chance to help save some fellow sailors and it refuses. The crew has then become so hopelessly sinful, that the Whale comes and justly destroys them.
The book was well written. It is absolutely brilliant. I felt drawn in, and though the sailors on the ship were bad people who hurt each other and didn't help others, I still wanted them to live and be successful. Perhaps this illustrates how we tend to justify our own sins as well as those of our friends and family.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
the stench of a giant carbon footprint
I often run with my jogging stroller, and I like to run to the store or the park, but I am self conscious about this practice because I smell sweaty when I arrive. I look around at the other Moms, usually wearing matching clothes and fun looking shoes, and I feel conspicuous.
I like to think of myself as morally superior because I am exercising, however I am about 20lbs overweight so the sweatiness would be the only clue that I am physically fit. My own smugness is only so effective.
To get my courage up to, I say to myself that I have a sweaty smell, but those who drive cars have the stench of a giant carbon footprint. And if we all had to drag around a record of our environmental impact, more people would be inclined to bike, run, take the bus, recycle, etc. Perhaps instead of me feeling silly for wearing sweaty spandex at the park, nicely dressed, recently showered people would make excuses like "oh yeah, well I am feeling sick to day, and I had to drive the carpool, hence the gasoline guzzling car."
If this model could be expanded, perhaps we could acknowledge our actions in other areas of our lives. Perhaps clothing made in countries with fair labor practices (like Laos) could become a huge fashion trend and have a special label. People who wore anything else might be publicly shamed by their non-progressive shopping choices.
I am not sure exactly how to bring about a fashion revolution, but this sort of thing has been done before. Public pressure against the cruelty of the fur industry has pretty much shut it down. People who wear fur have to make an excuse for their choices. Perhaps it is ironic that our culture is so anti-fur while we eat chicken nuggets and sit on leather couches, but it is a step in the right direction.
When the consuming public has a compelling reason to be environmentally conscious, real change can take place, and it could take place quickly.
I like to think of myself as morally superior because I am exercising, however I am about 20lbs overweight so the sweatiness would be the only clue that I am physically fit. My own smugness is only so effective.
To get my courage up to, I say to myself that I have a sweaty smell, but those who drive cars have the stench of a giant carbon footprint. And if we all had to drag around a record of our environmental impact, more people would be inclined to bike, run, take the bus, recycle, etc. Perhaps instead of me feeling silly for wearing sweaty spandex at the park, nicely dressed, recently showered people would make excuses like "oh yeah, well I am feeling sick to day, and I had to drive the carpool, hence the gasoline guzzling car."
If this model could be expanded, perhaps we could acknowledge our actions in other areas of our lives. Perhaps clothing made in countries with fair labor practices (like Laos) could become a huge fashion trend and have a special label. People who wore anything else might be publicly shamed by their non-progressive shopping choices.
I am not sure exactly how to bring about a fashion revolution, but this sort of thing has been done before. Public pressure against the cruelty of the fur industry has pretty much shut it down. People who wear fur have to make an excuse for their choices. Perhaps it is ironic that our culture is so anti-fur while we eat chicken nuggets and sit on leather couches, but it is a step in the right direction.
When the consuming public has a compelling reason to be environmentally conscious, real change can take place, and it could take place quickly.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
fall is great!!
I love the fall because....
Football
I love college football, I could watch it all day.
Running
My kids are back in school, so I can run during the day. Also, it is cooler so I need less water to run long distances. I can get some major miles in. This year I am desperately trying to 'build my base' or get in lots of miles so I can do marathons in the spring.
Canning
Canning is pretty fun, and jam makes great gifts.
Fewer Mosquitoes
I hate mosquitoes because they bite me and bite my kids so they do not like to play outside. In the fall they decrease, and we can play outside a lot more.
Leaves
I like raking and playing with my kids in giant piles of leaves.
Halloween
I love costumes, and dressing up. Halloween is my favorite holiday by a long shot. Also, no presents or cards are expected. Mandatory presents ruin the fun of other holidays.
So I love the fall! Yeah!
Football
I love college football, I could watch it all day.
Running
My kids are back in school, so I can run during the day. Also, it is cooler so I need less water to run long distances. I can get some major miles in. This year I am desperately trying to 'build my base' or get in lots of miles so I can do marathons in the spring.
Canning
Canning is pretty fun, and jam makes great gifts.
Fewer Mosquitoes
I hate mosquitoes because they bite me and bite my kids so they do not like to play outside. In the fall they decrease, and we can play outside a lot more.
Leaves
I like raking and playing with my kids in giant piles of leaves.
Halloween
I love costumes, and dressing up. Halloween is my favorite holiday by a long shot. Also, no presents or cards are expected. Mandatory presents ruin the fun of other holidays.
So I love the fall! Yeah!
Friday, August 13, 2010
Parents' rights ammendment
I have a friend who really believes that the Parents' Rights Amendment is an important thing. She has a T-shirt and everything. So I decided to check it out.
The United Nations is trying to get the United states to pass the Convention of the Rights of the Child, which is widely available online, and is basically a child's Bill of Rights. It includes things like the right to a good education, access to information, and a right to recreation. I really like the idea of a right to play.
The Parents' Rights amendment is a group that wants a new amendment added to our constitution. This amendment would guarantee the right of parents to control and direct their children, and would specifically prohibit the United states from making any treaties that would interfere with Parents' rights.
Because of the structure of United States Law, if the United states were to approve this convention, then we would have to abide by it as well. The Parents' Rights group believes that this would be a bad thing.
I read through Parentalrights.org, the site for this group and I was very disappointed. The site mentions several cases o Parental rights being taken away, but further investigation reveals that these examples are all exaggerations or outright lies. If this is a major issue, than they shoudl choose better examples for their website.
This Amendment has no chance of passing, or even being put out for a vote. It is redundant and supercillious. The 'threats' to parental rights seem to involve medical records, sex education, removing children from their parents because of religious differences, and of course homeschooling.
Why is someone putting together this mass campaign for a lost cause? Why pretend that parenting is under attack with exaggerated and inaccurate legal cases?
btw..there are legitimate parenting laws out there. I was hoping for a discussion of Pennsylvania vs. Yoder which established the precedent for allowing Amish families to remove their children form school at 14 . There is also the California law that allows 13yr old children to get birth control servcices including abortions without their parents' knowledge.
This movement is not about actually passing an amendment or opposing a UN treaty. It is meant to scare people so they will become more politically active. This is a cheap right wing trick to stir people up and make them angry so they will show up at a TEA rally. It is shameless political pandering and it is disgusting. I am not that smart, and I saw right through it.
Is this just a Left-Right Issue? a democrat/republican deal? Oh no, plenty of people on the right "fringe" oppose it as well. Including Home Ed Magazine.
We are on the same side of this issue, and probably not any other, as Home Ed Magazine is sort of crazy, as is evidenced by this "parenting tip" from their website;
under the heading "avoid preschool, mental health and other screenings whenever possible"
we find this gem of paranoia;
"Testers, school staff, public schools, schools of education, social workers, testing companies, drug companies, family and juvenile court systems, psychologists and psychiatrists, police, and prison systems benefit when children are screened, labeled, and then treated for an alleged disability, often with drugs such as Ritalin. "
That's right people. Bring your kids in for a hearing check, and the Prison officials will give them Ritalin.
And we wonder why the children of homeschooling parents have trouble blending into society.
The United Nations is trying to get the United states to pass the Convention of the Rights of the Child, which is widely available online, and is basically a child's Bill of Rights. It includes things like the right to a good education, access to information, and a right to recreation. I really like the idea of a right to play.
The Parents' Rights amendment is a group that wants a new amendment added to our constitution. This amendment would guarantee the right of parents to control and direct their children, and would specifically prohibit the United states from making any treaties that would interfere with Parents' rights.
Because of the structure of United States Law, if the United states were to approve this convention, then we would have to abide by it as well. The Parents' Rights group believes that this would be a bad thing.
I read through Parentalrights.org, the site for this group and I was very disappointed. The site mentions several cases o Parental rights being taken away, but further investigation reveals that these examples are all exaggerations or outright lies. If this is a major issue, than they shoudl choose better examples for their website.
This Amendment has no chance of passing, or even being put out for a vote. It is redundant and supercillious. The 'threats' to parental rights seem to involve medical records, sex education, removing children from their parents because of religious differences, and of course homeschooling.
Why is someone putting together this mass campaign for a lost cause? Why pretend that parenting is under attack with exaggerated and inaccurate legal cases?
btw..there are legitimate parenting laws out there. I was hoping for a discussion of Pennsylvania vs. Yoder which established the precedent for allowing Amish families to remove their children form school at 14 . There is also the California law that allows 13yr old children to get birth control servcices including abortions without their parents' knowledge.
This movement is not about actually passing an amendment or opposing a UN treaty. It is meant to scare people so they will become more politically active. This is a cheap right wing trick to stir people up and make them angry so they will show up at a TEA rally. It is shameless political pandering and it is disgusting. I am not that smart, and I saw right through it.
Is this just a Left-Right Issue? a democrat/republican deal? Oh no, plenty of people on the right "fringe" oppose it as well. Including Home Ed Magazine.
We are on the same side of this issue, and probably not any other, as Home Ed Magazine is sort of crazy, as is evidenced by this "parenting tip" from their website;
under the heading "avoid preschool, mental health and other screenings whenever possible"
we find this gem of paranoia;
"Testers, school staff, public schools, schools of education, social workers, testing companies, drug companies, family and juvenile court systems, psychologists and psychiatrists, police, and prison systems benefit when children are screened, labeled, and then treated for an alleged disability, often with drugs such as Ritalin. "
That's right people. Bring your kids in for a hearing check, and the Prison officials will give them Ritalin.
And we wonder why the children of homeschooling parents have trouble blending into society.
Blooming Butterflies
Blooming Butterflies exhibit. They let a bunch of butterflies loose inside the Bolz conservatory. There are butterfly identification cards, that show each of the species. Caleb was able to identify this lovely tigerwing butterfly. He was very excited to match the butterfly with the picture. Hee told everyone around us the name of the butterfly.
Everyone enjoyed the butterflies. We will come back next year!
Everyone enjoyed the butterflies. We will come back next year!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
hannah szene
- I listen to the stuff you missed in history podcast, and I recently learned about Hannah Szene, Hungarian Jew who successfully emigrated to Palestine, then volunteered to parachute back into Hungary just days before the Nazis invaded and began their brutal systematic murder.
- I had always thought of stories like this as a double tragedy, the needless murder of the Innocent people and the needless death of those trying in vain to rescue them. Because of this poem, I think that I better understand how a person could do such a thing. I love this poem and it is my next memorization project.
- Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.
- Blessed is the flame that burns in the secret fastness of the heart.
- Blessed is the heart with strength to stop its beating for honor's sake.
- Blessed is the match consumed in kindling flame.
Friday, July 9, 2010
I don't eat crow- I'm a vegetarian
I am long loathed the idea that 'danger is everywhere! Everything is bad for you and will kill you give you cancer/diabetes/alzheimers/arthritis/badbreath and is probably the only cause of said disease therefore we ought to ban it to make the world a safer place and only eat special food grown by happy elves and sold at Whole foods for 10X the normal price...........Oh what do you say? all can not afford that? poor people all over the world are hungry? Americans are greedy to begin with? carbon foot-what? Never mind all that the marginal health benefits and made-up nutritional advantages are worth all that.
...Because deep down you know that you are actually better than people who have less money....
Along with this mindset is the infamous" food dye debate". Some claim that the food dyes can cause behavioral and allergy reactions in children and adults. Allergies are not nearly as widespread as is widely believed. 5% of the population has an allergy, 20% believe that they have an allergy. I am in the 20%, perhaps the 5%, as I am allergic to something in Dark colored gatorade and store-bought cupcake frosting. I suspect a preservative not listed on the label, or perhaps it is dependant on quantity, and I allergic to some dark purple dye.
SO I am off to whole foods where I will sefl righteously buy natural food coloring. and I will sneer y at the cars full of little people parked at the Nearby Copps.
Sorry for not believeing all of you people. You may still be crazy, just not about this.
...Because deep down you know that you are actually better than people who have less money....
Along with this mindset is the infamous" food dye debate". Some claim that the food dyes can cause behavioral and allergy reactions in children and adults. Allergies are not nearly as widespread as is widely believed. 5% of the population has an allergy, 20% believe that they have an allergy. I am in the 20%, perhaps the 5%, as I am allergic to something in Dark colored gatorade and store-bought cupcake frosting. I suspect a preservative not listed on the label, or perhaps it is dependant on quantity, and I allergic to some dark purple dye.
SO I am off to whole foods where I will sefl righteously buy natural food coloring. and I will sneer y at the cars full of little people parked at the Nearby Copps.
Sorry for not believeing all of you people. You may still be crazy, just not about this.
Friday, June 4, 2010
denialism and the Gospel
http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20627606.100-living-in-denial-why-sensible-people-reject-the-truth.html?full=true#bx276061B1
so, what can I do about this??? how can I act? By denouncing false beliefs, and proclaiming the truth.
I wonder how this sort of thing relates to the gospel. I believe that all knowledge comes from Christ, that truth does not deny Christ but testifies that he lives. Truth adds to the gospel, and that God is pleased when we learn and grow and discover things.
I believe that part of our eternal progression is to learn how to learn, to achieve and study and expand our thinking. We cannot be saved in our ignorance as to spiritual or temporal matters. Though we do not all need to get PHd's to live good lives, we ought to be engaged in good causes and learning and study. The issue is to learn how to discipline our minds and enjoy learning.
The antithesis to livelong learning is willful ignorance, Cherry picking information to support a self-serving and self congratulating belief system that consists of false beliefs and has at its center a jealous prideful rage against anything that contradicts. This is where I see the creationist movement. It is false, and it cherry picks information. It is not scientific. When presented with new contradictory information, it does not change. That is why I believe that any such belief is of the devil. If we believe information that is not true, and think that it is part of the gospel, we are wrong, and any testimony we lend to such beliefs is misplaced. We are worshipping a false god of our own making.
I just need to be able to say this is a nice way so I don' get kicked out of playgroup everytime vaccinations are discussed. Here is an excerpt from a potential future conversation;
random Mom" I read on Facebook that autism and the MMR vaccine are linked. So we are opting out. its our right."
ME "actually the anti-vaccination movement is of the devil. You are worshipping a false god, a coddling beguiling self serving false god that will lead you to hell with a flaxen cord of anti-science propaganda. The Old Testament has a lot to say about people like you....Whoring after other gods..... pretty much just like Jezebel; you might as well perform some fertility rites in that grove of trees over there. You better repent quickly."
I guess my approach need some work.
so, what can I do about this??? how can I act? By denouncing false beliefs, and proclaiming the truth.
I wonder how this sort of thing relates to the gospel. I believe that all knowledge comes from Christ, that truth does not deny Christ but testifies that he lives. Truth adds to the gospel, and that God is pleased when we learn and grow and discover things.
I believe that part of our eternal progression is to learn how to learn, to achieve and study and expand our thinking. We cannot be saved in our ignorance as to spiritual or temporal matters. Though we do not all need to get PHd's to live good lives, we ought to be engaged in good causes and learning and study. The issue is to learn how to discipline our minds and enjoy learning.
The antithesis to livelong learning is willful ignorance, Cherry picking information to support a self-serving and self congratulating belief system that consists of false beliefs and has at its center a jealous prideful rage against anything that contradicts. This is where I see the creationist movement. It is false, and it cherry picks information. It is not scientific. When presented with new contradictory information, it does not change. That is why I believe that any such belief is of the devil. If we believe information that is not true, and think that it is part of the gospel, we are wrong, and any testimony we lend to such beliefs is misplaced. We are worshipping a false god of our own making.
I just need to be able to say this is a nice way so I don' get kicked out of playgroup everytime vaccinations are discussed. Here is an excerpt from a potential future conversation;
random Mom" I read on Facebook that autism and the MMR vaccine are linked. So we are opting out. its our right."
ME "actually the anti-vaccination movement is of the devil. You are worshipping a false god, a coddling beguiling self serving false god that will lead you to hell with a flaxen cord of anti-science propaganda. The Old Testament has a lot to say about people like you....Whoring after other gods..... pretty much just like Jezebel; you might as well perform some fertility rites in that grove of trees over there. You better repent quickly."
I guess my approach need some work.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Immigration and American Greed
Arizona has passed a very controversial Immigration law. Trite as it may be, I do some sociological research by reading angry statements on Facebook. Its a bit more juvenile than talk radio, but unfortunately I also get to find out which of my 'friends' espouse said beliefs/mantras/bigotry.
My thoughts on this matter are mixed; If Arizona is doing this to force action by the federal government, it is a great move. The immigration system as in currently stands is broken. the tough at the border policy allows an underclass of illegal immigrants to live and work in our country, yet not live with the same rights and protections of citizens.
I think the anger directed at 'illegal immigrants' is misdirected. These are honest people who want to work and earn money. When I stand next to a citizen of Mexico, I can not see any difference, any real reason why I should earn $10/hr while my Mexican Neighbor earns $2/hr for the same work. Am I a better person, morally superior or of a better class to deserve such benefits as social security, good schools, and the government safety net if my earnings were to fail? On the contrary, I am a stay at home Mom, I don't even work. Lots of people work harder than me, are smarter, and better people.
Furthermore the Laws as they now stand are broken. In the early 1900's they were outright bigoted. They favored light skinned western European immigrants over the darker, poorer Eastern Europeans. I say that our laws today are inefficient and convoluted. Perhaps a historian of the future will look back and call them bigoted.
How will this situation look to historians of the future? We live in this rich country, yet we get incredibly angry when people come in and work, because we are afraid they might dilute our wealth, furthermore we punish them with deportation and anti-immigration militias but the business owners who profit from their work are not a part of the national outrage. The blame lies conveniently upon those least able to defend themselves.
A well-managed guest worker program is the best solution. As proposed by Lant Pritchett in
Let Their People Come, available in its entirety here;
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/10174
Another question is this; The Western World is rich, the developing world is poor, as economies change, or as in the case of Iceland explode, is this divide sustainable? It is not fair for us to have such excess while so much if the world has so little. I know it is more complicated than just sending food and money, that economies and cultures have to develop. How can we justify 8 cars for every 10 people, while half the world lives on less than $2.50/day.
Is there an end to our greed? When we have 20% of the world's population with 75% of the money, That 20% is unlikely to share but rather will make up all sorts of reasons why sharing would actually be bad for the lower 80%. The most common lie is that the rich have some how earned their money through work and sacrifice and that the poor by default have not worked hard and do not deserve to have money. I have observed that this lie in various forms, grows stronger as the wealth increases.
I do not have a happy solution for this situation. I am frustrated and saddened by reports from Unicef like this;
According to UNICEF, 24,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.
I think that being aware of this problem and its possible causes is one of the steps towards formulating a solution.
My thoughts on this matter are mixed; If Arizona is doing this to force action by the federal government, it is a great move. The immigration system as in currently stands is broken. the tough at the border policy allows an underclass of illegal immigrants to live and work in our country, yet not live with the same rights and protections of citizens.
I think the anger directed at 'illegal immigrants' is misdirected. These are honest people who want to work and earn money. When I stand next to a citizen of Mexico, I can not see any difference, any real reason why I should earn $10/hr while my Mexican Neighbor earns $2/hr for the same work. Am I a better person, morally superior or of a better class to deserve such benefits as social security, good schools, and the government safety net if my earnings were to fail? On the contrary, I am a stay at home Mom, I don't even work. Lots of people work harder than me, are smarter, and better people.
Furthermore the Laws as they now stand are broken. In the early 1900's they were outright bigoted. They favored light skinned western European immigrants over the darker, poorer Eastern Europeans. I say that our laws today are inefficient and convoluted. Perhaps a historian of the future will look back and call them bigoted.
How will this situation look to historians of the future? We live in this rich country, yet we get incredibly angry when people come in and work, because we are afraid they might dilute our wealth, furthermore we punish them with deportation and anti-immigration militias but the business owners who profit from their work are not a part of the national outrage. The blame lies conveniently upon those least able to defend themselves.
A well-managed guest worker program is the best solution. As proposed by Lant Pritchett in
Let Their People Come, available in its entirety here;
http://www.cgdev.org/content/publications/detail/10174
Another question is this; The Western World is rich, the developing world is poor, as economies change, or as in the case of Iceland explode, is this divide sustainable? It is not fair for us to have such excess while so much if the world has so little. I know it is more complicated than just sending food and money, that economies and cultures have to develop. How can we justify 8 cars for every 10 people, while half the world lives on less than $2.50/day.
Is there an end to our greed? When we have 20% of the world's population with 75% of the money, That 20% is unlikely to share but rather will make up all sorts of reasons why sharing would actually be bad for the lower 80%. The most common lie is that the rich have some how earned their money through work and sacrifice and that the poor by default have not worked hard and do not deserve to have money. I have observed that this lie in various forms, grows stronger as the wealth increases.
I do not have a happy solution for this situation. I am frustrated and saddened by reports from Unicef like this;
According to UNICEF, 24,000 children die each day due to poverty. And they “die quietly in some of the poorest villages on earth, far removed from the scrutiny and the conscience of the world. Being meek and weak in life makes these dying multitudes even more invisible in death.
I think that being aware of this problem and its possible causes is one of the steps towards formulating a solution.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
I need to run
Today I sacrificed my run so that my husband could pick up some stuff from the hardware store. He can not know the depth and breadth of such a sacrifice, and did not value the time as I did. He left later than he expected and returned without the stuff.
SO I gave up my morning run, and He did not get the stuff he wanted.
GRRRRR.
SO I gave up my morning run, and He did not get the stuff he wanted.
GRRRRR.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
placebo effect
I love to see stuff like this on the web
http://holfordwatch.info/
Holford watch.com is a site devoted to debunking A psuedo Scientist in the UK, a Man named Holford who claims to be a nutritionist. It looks like he promotes nutritional treatment of disease, but with little to no evidence to back up his methods.
There is legitimate nutritional medicine, legitimate nutritional supplements that can help a person. Fake science, psuedoscience hurts people by
1. Taking the money of people who are sick and often desperate for a cure.
2. Alternative medicine can replace legitimate medicine, interfering with a legitimate cure.
3. Alternative medicine by its very nature suggests that regular medicine is somehow not legitimate. It promotes other remedies and cures that can be potentially harmful, as they are unregulated and untested.
4. This culture is related to the anti-vaccination and anti-science movement, which are harmful to the public health at large.
5. Elements of the anti-science community reject the teaching of evolution and natural selection in public schools. This is one of the major reasons for the poor quality of science education in public schools.
OK, nothing new here. But some of this stuff 'works' and now we are to the placebo effect. It is powerful, it is real, and now perhaps to curtail some of this craziness we ought to have doctors prescribe sugar pills.
check out this article on the new role of placebo in medicine.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124367058
Perhaps the current role of non-legitimate alternative medicine is fulfilling the role of the placebo and the placebo needs to have a real place in modern medicine. Certainly a regular doctor prescribing fake medicine is better than a greedy quack. Of course there is a lot of placebo effect in regular medicine, and real medicine in legitimate alternative treatments, I just get excited about stuff that takes advantage of the sick and desperate, and costs a lot of money, especially stuff like chelation therapy which has been studied by the FDA and found to be ineffective.
Cheap fake medicine is fine.
http://holfordwatch.info/
Holford watch.com is a site devoted to debunking A psuedo Scientist in the UK, a Man named Holford who claims to be a nutritionist. It looks like he promotes nutritional treatment of disease, but with little to no evidence to back up his methods.
There is legitimate nutritional medicine, legitimate nutritional supplements that can help a person. Fake science, psuedoscience hurts people by
1. Taking the money of people who are sick and often desperate for a cure.
2. Alternative medicine can replace legitimate medicine, interfering with a legitimate cure.
3. Alternative medicine by its very nature suggests that regular medicine is somehow not legitimate. It promotes other remedies and cures that can be potentially harmful, as they are unregulated and untested.
4. This culture is related to the anti-vaccination and anti-science movement, which are harmful to the public health at large.
5. Elements of the anti-science community reject the teaching of evolution and natural selection in public schools. This is one of the major reasons for the poor quality of science education in public schools.
OK, nothing new here. But some of this stuff 'works' and now we are to the placebo effect. It is powerful, it is real, and now perhaps to curtail some of this craziness we ought to have doctors prescribe sugar pills.
check out this article on the new role of placebo in medicine.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124367058
Perhaps the current role of non-legitimate alternative medicine is fulfilling the role of the placebo and the placebo needs to have a real place in modern medicine. Certainly a regular doctor prescribing fake medicine is better than a greedy quack. Of course there is a lot of placebo effect in regular medicine, and real medicine in legitimate alternative treatments, I just get excited about stuff that takes advantage of the sick and desperate, and costs a lot of money, especially stuff like chelation therapy which has been studied by the FDA and found to be ineffective.
Cheap fake medicine is fine.
Monday, May 10, 2010
facebook, I hope, is not a reflection of america
Facebook has made me lose faith in my country.
I have used it to reconnect with some old freinds, including my old room mate Melissa, who is as awesome and smart and funny as I remember. I am glad that I have some contact with her again. Unfortunately I have also seen many other friends, and I have seen some ugly ugly opinions and ideas.
1. 'Death prayer for the President' This horrendous group on face book advocates praying for the president's death in a funny witty way. Obama is a scapegoat in so many ways, He is facing one of the most difficult presidencies in recent history and has performed, so far in an exemplary way. He is not making everyone happy, but that is not his job. No one really wanted to be president this term, The republicans chose McCain, who was as much a democrat as they could get, and the Democrats narrowed it down to Clinton (who was unelectable due to her husband) and Obama. There really wasn't a choice. He was put in this crazy situation and now he is doing the best job that anyone else so situated could do. I HATE how health care is pinned on the president (though I am glad that it passed) when every detail of the plan is a compromise between the white house and the senate.
2. 'Drug test everyone on welfare!' and other such ill-formed political minded groups.
Rife with misspellings, these groups are full of lots of resentment and hate, but are not directed in a rational direction. There are no welfare recipients who sit home and do nothing all day long. There is a welfare to work program. I am afraid that the old system that attracts so much ire and hate may have actually been better. A full-time mom taking money from the government to support herself and watch her kids is at least able to raise her own children in a decent secure way. When government subsidized childcare, and insists the moms work to 'earn' their living, the children are shuffled off to substandard care.
I am not saying that every mom is better than every babysitter (I do not want to get into the mom wars) but rather that the average low income Mom loves her children and takes better care of them than the average low-income childcare center.
I saddened to think that people I know may actually subscribe to such false ideas and racist, classist ideology.
3. "Vaccinations/Hospital birth/Modern science is very possibly a government conspiracy"
ACK! I have had to block some friends because they kept posting stuff like this and then other people would agree with them. I know that there are crazy people out there with bad ideas, but now because of facebook I know who they are. I have lost so much respect for so many people because they are just so incredibly stupid. There are real problems in our country right now, actual gaps in the education system, environmental challenges, and sociological issues that need attention and public understanding. Wasting our time on fake problems (which conveniently can be solved by products sold by these same friends' multilevel marketing businesses) wastes our collective time and mental energy.
4. wanton idolatry
bedazzled, farmville, kidnapped game, foodfight
they are all silly time wasters, and now I know who wastes their time. so sad.
5. breast cancer/heart disease/skin cancer/infertility awareness
clicking on a button may make you think that you are supporting the said cause, but in reality it just makes you feel good. If you really want to help, donate money or go to the website and explore ways to volunteer. Joining a facebook group may be counter productive in that it may fulfill your need to do real good thus preventing some real action.
Most of these 'causes' are fairly benign. Cancer is bad, but also highly cureable. It also tends to strike randomly, thus eliminating any guilt or blame for any action or inaction. There are far fewer groups devoted to potentially controversial disease such as diabetes, lung cancer, type2 diabetes, or obesity. These afflictions are preventable and to care about them presupposes action and activism. But actually doing something is not a part of the facebook culture. People sitting at home trolling their friends statuses are not, in their hearts, wishing to be people of great action. So these more active causes are less popular.
I have used it to reconnect with some old freinds, including my old room mate Melissa, who is as awesome and smart and funny as I remember. I am glad that I have some contact with her again. Unfortunately I have also seen many other friends, and I have seen some ugly ugly opinions and ideas.
1. 'Death prayer for the President' This horrendous group on face book advocates praying for the president's death in a funny witty way. Obama is a scapegoat in so many ways, He is facing one of the most difficult presidencies in recent history and has performed, so far in an exemplary way. He is not making everyone happy, but that is not his job. No one really wanted to be president this term, The republicans chose McCain, who was as much a democrat as they could get, and the Democrats narrowed it down to Clinton (who was unelectable due to her husband) and Obama. There really wasn't a choice. He was put in this crazy situation and now he is doing the best job that anyone else so situated could do. I HATE how health care is pinned on the president (though I am glad that it passed) when every detail of the plan is a compromise between the white house and the senate.
2. 'Drug test everyone on welfare!' and other such ill-formed political minded groups.
Rife with misspellings, these groups are full of lots of resentment and hate, but are not directed in a rational direction. There are no welfare recipients who sit home and do nothing all day long. There is a welfare to work program. I am afraid that the old system that attracts so much ire and hate may have actually been better. A full-time mom taking money from the government to support herself and watch her kids is at least able to raise her own children in a decent secure way. When government subsidized childcare, and insists the moms work to 'earn' their living, the children are shuffled off to substandard care.
I am not saying that every mom is better than every babysitter (I do not want to get into the mom wars) but rather that the average low income Mom loves her children and takes better care of them than the average low-income childcare center.
I saddened to think that people I know may actually subscribe to such false ideas and racist, classist ideology.
3. "Vaccinations/Hospital birth/Modern science is very possibly a government conspiracy"
ACK! I have had to block some friends because they kept posting stuff like this and then other people would agree with them. I know that there are crazy people out there with bad ideas, but now because of facebook I know who they are. I have lost so much respect for so many people because they are just so incredibly stupid. There are real problems in our country right now, actual gaps in the education system, environmental challenges, and sociological issues that need attention and public understanding. Wasting our time on fake problems (which conveniently can be solved by products sold by these same friends' multilevel marketing businesses) wastes our collective time and mental energy.
4. wanton idolatry
bedazzled, farmville, kidnapped game, foodfight
they are all silly time wasters, and now I know who wastes their time. so sad.
5. breast cancer/heart disease/skin cancer/infertility awareness
clicking on a button may make you think that you are supporting the said cause, but in reality it just makes you feel good. If you really want to help, donate money or go to the website and explore ways to volunteer. Joining a facebook group may be counter productive in that it may fulfill your need to do real good thus preventing some real action.
Most of these 'causes' are fairly benign. Cancer is bad, but also highly cureable. It also tends to strike randomly, thus eliminating any guilt or blame for any action or inaction. There are far fewer groups devoted to potentially controversial disease such as diabetes, lung cancer, type2 diabetes, or obesity. These afflictions are preventable and to care about them presupposes action and activism. But actually doing something is not a part of the facebook culture. People sitting at home trolling their friends statuses are not, in their hearts, wishing to be people of great action. So these more active causes are less popular.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
how to behave in church
Last week, a silly converstaion in a church class left me sad, discouraged, and feeling like m ytime was being wasted. I left the room when my kid started ating up, and jsut didn't try that hard to go back inside.
What I shoud have done; r5ised, my hand, and voiced my problem. I am sure I was not the only person annoyed with the message of the conversation,s and perhaps a more helpful lesson could have ensued.
When I don't agree with stuff st church, my job is to contribute to the action, steer it in the right direction. I am a part of this church, it means that I need to contribute and I will. This is the proper way to conduct my life.
This could lead to some interesting conversation, we will see.
What I shoud have done; r5ised, my hand, and voiced my problem. I am sure I was not the only person annoyed with the message of the conversation,s and perhaps a more helpful lesson could have ensued.
When I don't agree with stuff st church, my job is to contribute to the action, steer it in the right direction. I am a part of this church, it means that I need to contribute and I will. This is the proper way to conduct my life.
This could lead to some interesting conversation, we will see.
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
The great debate
THis week in sunday school , we discussed leviticus 23, teh story of Balaam and the talking Ass. This Balaam was a non-0Israelite prophet, and probably was not such a bad guy. The fact that he couldn't wee the angel that his Ass saw, was probably due to the Lord removing his prophetic sight from him, that he was only able to communicate with god intermittently. I feel that I am only able to communicate intermittently, but this is not due to God removing the means of our communication but rather my own intermittent worthiness. That being said, Balak, who is tryign to get Balaam to curse Israel thinks of God as soemone who can be bought or manipulated into doing the will of man. Balak may not be such an awful person in general, be just has a very wrong idea of how God works.
ANyhow, Balak builds 7 altars, sacrifices a bunch of animals, the Balaam goes to curse Israel, then ofcourse God tells him to Bless Israel, and he does that instead. Then Balak, not being one to give up, builds 7 more altars, and offers up a bunch more animals. Balaam is again constrained to bless Israel.
The big question that our wonderful teacher brought up at the end of this lesson is this;
How much of our church service is done like Balak, building 7 altars and offering animals so that God will do our will?
This brought up some introspection. What exactly is God's will concerning my life? I want my life's master plan to include a 3:30 marathon, possibly a few 100milers and being a seminary teacher. I also want to serve my fellow man by teaching high school math, after raising my 4 wonderful children. I also want to spend every saturday evening watching Dr. Who with my Husband who will continue being my faithful spouse well into eternity. I want to be a democrat who works towards real change in this country's foreign policy.
I am afraid that my life might contain some difficulties. If my marriage were to prove undesirable, I would be uncomfortable. Perhaps my political ideas will develop into something more than heartfelt wishes and half formed ideas and I will actually have to take drastic action to live a life in accordance with what I believe to be right. Financial devastation could occur in the form of job loss, or a family member could die, or I might have to talk to my parents about serious matters and watch them face their own craziness.
I wish they would separate. Marriage is not about being chained to the albatross forever. This is the bad side of temple marriage. When there is abuse -especially emotional, which is harder to see and often perpetrated by the woman- the abused spouse feels extra obligation to stay in the bad relationship and the abuser can use that to guilt them into staying.
So far my strategy has been to ignore their craziness and move far away. I also have a lot of kids, so if they are on the phone I can just pretend that someone needs me and hang up. This will not work when they kids are older, but because my Mom is so self destructive she will probably be dead by then.
I am so not visiting them this summer.
ANyhow, Balak builds 7 altars, sacrifices a bunch of animals, the Balaam goes to curse Israel, then ofcourse God tells him to Bless Israel, and he does that instead. Then Balak, not being one to give up, builds 7 more altars, and offers up a bunch more animals. Balaam is again constrained to bless Israel.
The big question that our wonderful teacher brought up at the end of this lesson is this;
How much of our church service is done like Balak, building 7 altars and offering animals so that God will do our will?
This brought up some introspection. What exactly is God's will concerning my life? I want my life's master plan to include a 3:30 marathon, possibly a few 100milers and being a seminary teacher. I also want to serve my fellow man by teaching high school math, after raising my 4 wonderful children. I also want to spend every saturday evening watching Dr. Who with my Husband who will continue being my faithful spouse well into eternity. I want to be a democrat who works towards real change in this country's foreign policy.
I am afraid that my life might contain some difficulties. If my marriage were to prove undesirable, I would be uncomfortable. Perhaps my political ideas will develop into something more than heartfelt wishes and half formed ideas and I will actually have to take drastic action to live a life in accordance with what I believe to be right. Financial devastation could occur in the form of job loss, or a family member could die, or I might have to talk to my parents about serious matters and watch them face their own craziness.
I wish they would separate. Marriage is not about being chained to the albatross forever. This is the bad side of temple marriage. When there is abuse -especially emotional, which is harder to see and often perpetrated by the woman- the abused spouse feels extra obligation to stay in the bad relationship and the abuser can use that to guilt them into staying.
So far my strategy has been to ignore their craziness and move far away. I also have a lot of kids, so if they are on the phone I can just pretend that someone needs me and hang up. This will not work when they kids are older, but because my Mom is so self destructive she will probably be dead by then.
I am so not visiting them this summer.
Friday, April 30, 2010
math in these united states
help. the quality of math education in this country is abysmal. I have been reading math teacher blogs in preparation to go back and get certified, then teach high school math. this has been a goal of mine for some time. However the more I read, the more discouraged I get. Teaching is hard, and our standards are so low, children are not challenged. My 3rd grader is top of his class, working at a very high level, and yet, is probably behind compared to kids his age from any other country.
This summer I am engaging in an intensive three-month long math discovery summer boot camp for my kids. I do want to teach math to all children, improve the abilities of kids everywhere, but for now I am teaching my own children. The best learning is done when children build the math concepts themselves. This is difficult to implement in a classroom, but I hope to achieve this with a series of hands on activities and projects this summer.
I am also doing other projects too, here is the master summer school plan;
personal weather station;
we will record the daily weather on the weather underground and become an official station.
Probability and statistics; ratios
figure out most common letters in the language by finding them in print
collect data and graph it in various ways collect info from the weather station, track growth of grass vs. amount of rain.
learn the bones of the body and Muscles via anatomy coloring book.
geometry-
learn shapes, polygons, platonic solids, types of triangles, why shapes work the way they do, measuring angles, area and circumference.
This summer I am engaging in an intensive three-month long math discovery summer boot camp for my kids. I do want to teach math to all children, improve the abilities of kids everywhere, but for now I am teaching my own children. The best learning is done when children build the math concepts themselves. This is difficult to implement in a classroom, but I hope to achieve this with a series of hands on activities and projects this summer.
I am also doing other projects too, here is the master summer school plan;
personal weather station;
we will record the daily weather on the weather underground and become an official station.
Probability and statistics; ratios
figure out most common letters in the language by finding them in print
collect data and graph it in various ways collect info from the weather station, track growth of grass vs. amount of rain.
learn the bones of the body and Muscles via anatomy coloring book.
geometry-
learn shapes, polygons, platonic solids, types of triangles, why shapes work the way they do, measuring angles, area and circumference.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
greedy us....
If I were a person of all seasons, then I would not live in this house. As an american I am by definition using up way more than my share of world resources. I cringe when I hear people plan to build bigger homes, or to build, especially when these new housing developments are green-washed so that if the buyers don't look too closely they might actually think that they are helping the planet by building a 35,000 sq foor house on 1/2 acre of former prairie.
I criticize, yet I am guilty of the same crime. I had a comfortable apartment, and chose quite against all efficency arguments, to move into a large lovely home and I would have chosen a larger home If I had had more money at the time.
If I were a person of my social justice convictions, I would use my time and abilities to enrich the lives of others. I would send money to the poor and those who are in need, and I would do a lot of volunteerism.
I will be a teacher, and through this career I will bless the lives of my students by preparing them for the world and their future employment. I plan to teach math, which is a vital skill and can really make a difference in a young person's life.
Right now I am the mom to 4 lovely children and I hope that spending my time on their upbringing is good enough.
I criticize, yet I am guilty of the same crime. I had a comfortable apartment, and chose quite against all efficency arguments, to move into a large lovely home and I would have chosen a larger home If I had had more money at the time.
If I were a person of my social justice convictions, I would use my time and abilities to enrich the lives of others. I would send money to the poor and those who are in need, and I would do a lot of volunteerism.
I will be a teacher, and through this career I will bless the lives of my students by preparing them for the world and their future employment. I plan to teach math, which is a vital skill and can really make a difference in a young person's life.
Right now I am the mom to 4 lovely children and I hope that spending my time on their upbringing is good enough.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
castle---- it just doesn't work.
I have been watchign Castle, a crime/ writing drama starring Nathan Fillion (from FIREFLY) adn some other girl, anyways, the story line is that Kaet Becket is a crime fighting detective, and RICHARD Castle follows her around supposedly to get ideas for his crime themed detective novels. He also helps to solve crimes.
The sub themes are; Kate Becket and Castle sexual tension and secret jealousy. Richard Castle has a teenage daughter and lives with his Mother and there are some occasional firefly relicts sitting around the living room.
The problems with the show are;
1. Kate Becket is supposed to be a detective, an employee of the police department. She dresses like a teenager even when she is supposedly investigating crime scenes and interviewing witnesses. totally unprofessional and unbelievable.
2. Richard Castle is the comic relief, and the comedy factor leans too heavily on his facial expressions and reactions. I used to think that he wasn't a good actor, but I think that the writing is just really off. There is no way anyone could pull off his role well. He is just put in weird positions that make little sense. The character is not consistent.
e.g. There was an episode where they were looking for poisonous spiders that where part of a murder. Apparently Castle was scared of spiders. He was made to scream and be scared of spiders like 6 times. It was funny the first time.
3. The premise of a writer helping a real life detective is not super believable to begin with. I might be able to look past the shaky premise if the writing were middling. I might be able to excuse the writing if the characters were believable and consistent. Taken together its just not that great.
You know, Nathan Fillian starred in a nice show a couple of years ago that I really enjoyed, and watching the train wreck that is Castle begs the question
"WHY does junk like this get on Television while FIREFLY was cancelled??????"
I guess I'll just have to watch some episodes, work on my ZOE costume, and try to move on.
The sub themes are; Kate Becket and Castle sexual tension and secret jealousy. Richard Castle has a teenage daughter and lives with his Mother and there are some occasional firefly relicts sitting around the living room.
The problems with the show are;
1. Kate Becket is supposed to be a detective, an employee of the police department. She dresses like a teenager even when she is supposedly investigating crime scenes and interviewing witnesses. totally unprofessional and unbelievable.
2. Richard Castle is the comic relief, and the comedy factor leans too heavily on his facial expressions and reactions. I used to think that he wasn't a good actor, but I think that the writing is just really off. There is no way anyone could pull off his role well. He is just put in weird positions that make little sense. The character is not consistent.
e.g. There was an episode where they were looking for poisonous spiders that where part of a murder. Apparently Castle was scared of spiders. He was made to scream and be scared of spiders like 6 times. It was funny the first time.
3. The premise of a writer helping a real life detective is not super believable to begin with. I might be able to look past the shaky premise if the writing were middling. I might be able to excuse the writing if the characters were believable and consistent. Taken together its just not that great.
You know, Nathan Fillian starred in a nice show a couple of years ago that I really enjoyed, and watching the train wreck that is Castle begs the question
"WHY does junk like this get on Television while FIREFLY was cancelled??????"
I guess I'll just have to watch some episodes, work on my ZOE costume, and try to move on.
Monday, April 12, 2010
antiscience movement
So there was/is a movement to deny the existence of Aids, apparently soem people think that it is a government conspiracy.
http://denyingaids.blogspot.com/2010/04/another-tragic-case-of-aids-denialism.html
And these people are slowly dying, when their lives could have been made longer and more comfortable with the use of treatment and modern drugs.
This is absurd, of course, and these people are clearly a case of denialism in the extreme.
Let us compare them to parents who do not vaccinate their children for diseases.
There is clear science that vaccines are beneficial. There are some cases like extreme allegies, or a history of bad reactions in which a child should not be vaccinated, barring these exceptions, The analogy stands.
The negative effects of not vaccinating are not so great for any one individual, but the potential effect of a largely less vaccinated public are tremendous.
The anti-science movement is so bad in so many ways.
I am going to be a teacher just so I can work to promote science and the responsible reading of statistics and sound critical thinking skills. Seriously, when I see stuff like this it just make me angry, and all I can do is rage during playgroup (hence alienateing the homeopathic/homebirth moms) or write this silly blog that no one reads (except for YOU!). So, as soon as my youngest child gets off to school, I get certified and become a math teacher. I am sure that this will not lessen my frustration level in general, but at least it has the potential for making a difference in the world.
http://denyingaids.blogspot.com/2010/04/another-tragic-case-of-aids-denialism.html
And these people are slowly dying, when their lives could have been made longer and more comfortable with the use of treatment and modern drugs.
This is absurd, of course, and these people are clearly a case of denialism in the extreme.
Let us compare them to parents who do not vaccinate their children for diseases.
There is clear science that vaccines are beneficial. There are some cases like extreme allegies, or a history of bad reactions in which a child should not be vaccinated, barring these exceptions, The analogy stands.
The negative effects of not vaccinating are not so great for any one individual, but the potential effect of a largely less vaccinated public are tremendous.
The anti-science movement is so bad in so many ways.
I am going to be a teacher just so I can work to promote science and the responsible reading of statistics and sound critical thinking skills. Seriously, when I see stuff like this it just make me angry, and all I can do is rage during playgroup (hence alienateing the homeopathic/homebirth moms) or write this silly blog that no one reads (except for YOU!). So, as soon as my youngest child gets off to school, I get certified and become a math teacher. I am sure that this will not lessen my frustration level in general, but at least it has the potential for making a difference in the world.
Friday, April 9, 2010
The emancipation of women
I am currently reading a people's history of the United States by Howard Zinn, It is extremely interesting and well written. It is easy to decry, to poke holes in history, but Zinn does a great job explaining why the history of this country unfolded the way it did.
And though it is 60o+ pages of deep material, I feel that he does it in a concise to the point way. He refrains from presentism while at the same time pointing out what forces shaped policy. I like that certain people at all times seemed to fight against evil and resist things that today seem wrong. For instance, many people resisted the unfair treatment of blacks from the founding of the country. There was marked resistance to the expelling of Indians from their lands. This seems to me evidence that our country has been good, that the people in general are good and though our leaders are largely driven by money and misguided by the religion of consumerism, there has consistently been an independent fair-minded populace to check and question the actions of the elite.
I am currently reading a people's history of the United States by Howard Zinn, It is extremely interesting and well written. It is easy to decry, to poke holes in history, but Zinn does a great job explaining why the history of this country unfolded the way it did.
And though it is 60o+ pages of deep material, I feel that he does it in a concise to the point way. He refrains from presentism while at the same time pointing out what forces shaped policy. I like that certain people at all times seemed to fight against evil and resist things that today seem wrong. For instance, many people resisted the unfair treatment of blacks from the founding of the country. There was marked resistance to the expelling of Indians from their lands. This seems to me evidence that our country has been good, that the people in general are good and though our leaders are largely driven by money and misguided by the religion of consumerism, there has consistently been an independent fair-minded populace to check and question the actions of the elite.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
yeats
william butler yeats;
TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Why do I just love to read stuff like this aloud? I mean for a person who claims to not like poetry I sure think, memorize, and quote it a lot.
Yesterday I was reciting the 'songs of innocence' and thought 'hey, maybe if I enjoy reciting poetry then that means I like poetry' nah.
Perhaps I like Poetry like I like running races; I like to be done, but in the moment it is hard work.
I am learning this, then its on to the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.
TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
Why do I just love to read stuff like this aloud? I mean for a person who claims to not like poetry I sure think, memorize, and quote it a lot.
Yesterday I was reciting the 'songs of innocence' and thought 'hey, maybe if I enjoy reciting poetry then that means I like poetry' nah.
Perhaps I like Poetry like I like running races; I like to be done, but in the moment it is hard work.
I am learning this, then its on to the Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
When bad people do good things.......
What makes us 'good' or 'bad' people? Is it our intentions or our actions? Membership in organizations, churches, service clubs, even the high holy station of parent, all of this can help us to achieve and learn and act, but we ourselves must be the agents of our own good character.
And what of that character? Is a lifetime of goodness to beundone by a few ill deeds at its end, or conversely can a life of sin be repented of in a few righteous actions?
Surely at the judgement will our eternal fates will not be determined by a preponderance of evidence, or even a 2/3 majority.
So where does this fit in?
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/nazi-scrapbooks-from-hell-3675/scrapbook-photos
National Geographic calls this the 'The Nazi scrapbook from hell' it is the scrapbook of Karl Hocker, a high ranking official at Auschwitz. It shows candid photos of outings with the ladies who worked in the office, and the german soldiers from the camp. The sunbath, eat blueberries, sing songs, and play the accordian. They look very normal, and this is what is disturbing. How can these young people work all day running a death camp, then relax and pick blueberries? They could not all be sociopaths to begin with, how did these seemingly normal people take on this terrible role.
More importantly, how can I be sure that I will never commit a major sin and all the while justify myself as these young people have done?
I imagine that in order to do such evil work a person would have to justify their actions. Perhaps they reasoned that they were following orders, or that the law called for such horrible acts. Some may have tried to convince themselves that God did not disapprove, or that there was a historical precedent for such actions.
I suspect one factor may have been racism taken to an extreme. The Nazis liked to believe that they were a special race of people, and that their crimes were justified by eugenics meant to ultimately benefit the world.
I don't know what the answers are, but I think this is important. People can be bad, commit horrendous crimes, and yet live among us or even become us. Hopefully the solution is a constant examination of ones ones' life ala Socrates.
And what of that character? Is a lifetime of goodness to beundone by a few ill deeds at its end, or conversely can a life of sin be repented of in a few righteous actions?
Surely at the judgement will our eternal fates will not be determined by a preponderance of evidence, or even a 2/3 majority.
So where does this fit in?
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/nazi-scrapbooks-from-hell-3675/scrapbook-photos
National Geographic calls this the 'The Nazi scrapbook from hell' it is the scrapbook of Karl Hocker, a high ranking official at Auschwitz. It shows candid photos of outings with the ladies who worked in the office, and the german soldiers from the camp. The sunbath, eat blueberries, sing songs, and play the accordian. They look very normal, and this is what is disturbing. How can these young people work all day running a death camp, then relax and pick blueberries? They could not all be sociopaths to begin with, how did these seemingly normal people take on this terrible role.
More importantly, how can I be sure that I will never commit a major sin and all the while justify myself as these young people have done?
I imagine that in order to do such evil work a person would have to justify their actions. Perhaps they reasoned that they were following orders, or that the law called for such horrible acts. Some may have tried to convince themselves that God did not disapprove, or that there was a historical precedent for such actions.
I suspect one factor may have been racism taken to an extreme. The Nazis liked to believe that they were a special race of people, and that their crimes were justified by eugenics meant to ultimately benefit the world.
I don't know what the answers are, but I think this is important. People can be bad, commit horrendous crimes, and yet live among us or even become us. Hopefully the solution is a constant examination of ones ones' life ala Socrates.
praise song for the day
Here is the poem read at Obama's inauguration, ans I love it and I think of it every time Something good happens in our government. Poetry can be described as condensed speech, that is the poet as opposed to the novelist must convey meaning and message in as few effective words as possible. It can be quite the art form, as is illustrated here;
Each day we go about our business,
walking past each other, catching each other's
eyes or not, about to speak or speaking.
All about us is noise. All about us is
noise and bramble, thorn and din, each
one of our ancestors on our tongues.
Someone is stitching up a hem, darning
a hole in a uniform, patching a tire,
repairing the things in need of repair.
Someone is trying to make music somewhere,
with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum,
with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.
A woman and her son wait for the bus.
A farmer considers the changing sky.
A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.
We encounter each other in words, words
spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed,
words to consider, reconsider.
We cross dirt roads and highways that mark
the will of some one and then others, who said
I need to see what's on the other side.
I know there's something better down the road.
We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce, built
brick by brick the glittering edifices
they would then keep clean and work inside of.
Praise song for struggle, praise song for the day.
Praise song for every hand-lettered sign,
the figuring-it-out at kitchen tables.
Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?
Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.
In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,
praise song for walking forward in that light.
fire is fun!
Martin has a new hobby, starting fires with a magnifying glass on sunny days. He has discovered that dryer lint is the easiest medium to burn, though he has been quite successful burning holes in white typing paper.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Healthcare
I love spring, and I love the change of seasons, this year it has brought with it a major overhaul of healthcare in this country. I am sure soem newly minted republicans will have a tea party, and talk show hosts will make some money filling the air with their sound and fury but this is step is needed. Political will for such an overhaul has been building for years, and finally the efforts of hundreds of thousands reaching back through decades has come to fruition. I am sure that this is the right direction for our country at this time, furthermore we have been heading this way for a long time.
This bill will go through several revisions and challenges, i am that it will eventually look very different from its current incarnation. I hope that we can ultimately evolve into a single-payer system.
For now it is the right thing and I am glad that our congress has taken this important step.
This bill will go through several revisions and challenges, i am that it will eventually look very different from its current incarnation. I hope that we can ultimately evolve into a single-payer system.
For now it is the right thing and I am glad that our congress has taken this important step.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Book Club dilemma
I have to choose the book for my book club in march, and I am undecided, here are the possible contenders, with their attendant problems;
The Dancing plague- library only has 3 copies
Year of Wonders- historically its pretty good, however it is too much like a romance novel (steamy sex scene begins by the protagonist performing the ultimate medieval foreplay of sucking on the guy's fingers- guess my husband and I have been missing out)
Lies my Teacher Told me
This book is a bit dry and also brings up politics, which isn't necessarily bad except the dryness of the writing means many will not read the entire thing, but may still argue about it, basically a recipe for disaster.
Wuthering Heights everyone has already read it.
black like me- I did diary of a slave girl last year, and people just aren't up for social justice two years in a row.
I have not given up; I know that a salient book exists, so here is what I am (quite literally) checking out -
Women of Africa, the biography of one of the first ladies of Egypt.
Savage Inequalities -yeah social justice!
The hunger games- all my goodreads friends think its the bee's knees
The Irregulars -Roald Dahl was a spy. Enough said.
Autism's False Prophets- I am not sure that I want to tackle such a huge social problem in this venue, Perhaps no one will come to my book club and I will have no stage for my 'leftist agenda'. When we did Exodus, one girl with Jewish family didn't come just because she know she could not stand to hear anything anti-Jewish, the book is blatantly pro-Israel, to such an extent that it warrants a bit of criticism for the lack of balance.
Riding the Bus with my Sister- story of a sibling with down syndrome. A friend rated it very highly. I want to prompt some real discussion, can't wait to read it!
The Dancing plague- library only has 3 copies
Year of Wonders- historically its pretty good, however it is too much like a romance novel (steamy sex scene begins by the protagonist performing the ultimate medieval foreplay of sucking on the guy's fingers- guess my husband and I have been missing out)
Lies my Teacher Told me
This book is a bit dry and also brings up politics, which isn't necessarily bad except the dryness of the writing means many will not read the entire thing, but may still argue about it, basically a recipe for disaster.
Wuthering Heights everyone has already read it.
black like me- I did diary of a slave girl last year, and people just aren't up for social justice two years in a row.
I have not given up; I know that a salient book exists, so here is what I am (quite literally) checking out -
Women of Africa, the biography of one of the first ladies of Egypt.
Savage Inequalities -yeah social justice!
The hunger games- all my goodreads friends think its the bee's knees
The Irregulars -Roald Dahl was a spy. Enough said.
Autism's False Prophets- I am not sure that I want to tackle such a huge social problem in this venue, Perhaps no one will come to my book club and I will have no stage for my 'leftist agenda'. When we did Exodus, one girl with Jewish family didn't come just because she know she could not stand to hear anything anti-Jewish, the book is blatantly pro-Israel, to such an extent that it warrants a bit of criticism for the lack of balance.
Riding the Bus with my Sister- story of a sibling with down syndrome. A friend rated it very highly. I want to prompt some real discussion, can't wait to read it!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
I like Obama.
Barack Obama may be the scourge of many a conservative republican. Perhaps his left wing supporters feel that he has dropped the buck on abortion, gay rights, iraq war, deficiet spending, etc.
But to me he is a really great president. Exceeded my expectations and I am proud of my vote in '08 and I intend to vote for him in '12.
The president is not really in charge of everything that happens in the government.
Those potholes in the road that wren't getting fixed? not really his fault. High property taxes? totally out of the federal government's control. The majority of what affects yours and my everyday life has a lot to do with our local government and little to do with the federal goverment.
The big decisions about wars and trade and federal bail-outs they are the decisions that the President makes.
But really, how can one person, no matter how qualified be an expert in military tactics, economic policy, education, and international trade? He can't. What he must do is consult experts in those fields, weight their advice and then take the best possible course of action.
Obama has done this very well. I feel that his actions have all been well thought out and measured.
This is, I believe, the great mistake of George Bush.
The President is also a representative of our Country to the World. Obama does this extremely well. He can talk well, and he can hold conversations with foreign leaders. He is popular and personable.
The congress and supreme court can basicly hamstring the president, make it impossible for him to get any real work done. Obama hold beliefs that are far left of where I stand on many things. He is well countered by the congress and the ravenous republicans who are working hard to keep him and the 59% democratic majority in check. The result is fairly balanced. This is hoe government works and I feel that it is working out very well right now.
....I just wish the public option were still on the table.........
But to me he is a really great president. Exceeded my expectations and I am proud of my vote in '08 and I intend to vote for him in '12.
The president is not really in charge of everything that happens in the government.
Those potholes in the road that wren't getting fixed? not really his fault. High property taxes? totally out of the federal government's control. The majority of what affects yours and my everyday life has a lot to do with our local government and little to do with the federal goverment.
The big decisions about wars and trade and federal bail-outs they are the decisions that the President makes.
But really, how can one person, no matter how qualified be an expert in military tactics, economic policy, education, and international trade? He can't. What he must do is consult experts in those fields, weight their advice and then take the best possible course of action.
Obama has done this very well. I feel that his actions have all been well thought out and measured.
This is, I believe, the great mistake of George Bush.
The President is also a representative of our Country to the World. Obama does this extremely well. He can talk well, and he can hold conversations with foreign leaders. He is popular and personable.
The congress and supreme court can basicly hamstring the president, make it impossible for him to get any real work done. Obama hold beliefs that are far left of where I stand on many things. He is well countered by the congress and the ravenous republicans who are working hard to keep him and the 59% democratic majority in check. The result is fairly balanced. This is hoe government works and I feel that it is working out very well right now.
....I just wish the public option were still on the table.........
Monday, January 18, 2010
I dislike boy scouts
1. Merit badges are superfluous.
I feel that boys are awarded merit badges for things that they should do anyways, with out external motivation or pressure. Kids are naturally curious and this interest in science nature history and society should be encouraged and nurtured with classes and museums and books. This should be the bulk of a young boy's education, not an activity limited to a hours a week.
Less diligent parents might mistakenly believe that the scouting program with its limited scope is sufficient for their child's development. A sore mistake, nearly as bad as the mistaken notion that a few hikes and camping trips are enough to make their child an outdoors man without any further effort on their part.
Since the program itself is not enough to provide either education nor exercise to young boys, perhaps it ought to be eliminated and leave room for parents to continue their own schedules of learning and science set out for their children.
Alas every parent can not or does not do this, so it is better than nothing.
2. Eagle scouts are largely the product of pushy parents.
Every eagle scout I know has a parent who is very willing to push them to get their scout ranking done. I will not be such a parent and as a result my kids will probably not be eagle scouts. This pushiness is called by several euphemisms, most commonly 'support' I am sure that I will be described as 'unsupportive' but really I will be very supportive. I want a well rounded kid and that is my end goal. If scouting fits into that education I hope I can look past my prejudices to help my kid with it. unfortunately I have some prejudice against scouting which brings me to the next point;
3. There are a lot of bad people who are Eagle scouts.
I know some of them. When a person is labeled as an eagle scout it makes them seem to be 'trustworthy loyal courteous kind morally straight' etc. I have first hand experience with the opposite. I feel that there was a great desire to pretend that the aforementioned eagle scout was a good person who just 'made a mistake' but really this was all wishful thinking.
I now associate eagle scouts and the scouting program with other people who are evil, masquerading as people who are good. abusive priests, corrupt politicians, etc. I am afraid to set anyone upon a pedestal lest they will be trusted more than they are worth and are allowed to abuse because of that blind belief in their goodness.
I feel that boys are awarded merit badges for things that they should do anyways, with out external motivation or pressure. Kids are naturally curious and this interest in science nature history and society should be encouraged and nurtured with classes and museums and books. This should be the bulk of a young boy's education, not an activity limited to a hours a week.
Less diligent parents might mistakenly believe that the scouting program with its limited scope is sufficient for their child's development. A sore mistake, nearly as bad as the mistaken notion that a few hikes and camping trips are enough to make their child an outdoors man without any further effort on their part.
Since the program itself is not enough to provide either education nor exercise to young boys, perhaps it ought to be eliminated and leave room for parents to continue their own schedules of learning and science set out for their children.
Alas every parent can not or does not do this, so it is better than nothing.
2. Eagle scouts are largely the product of pushy parents.
Every eagle scout I know has a parent who is very willing to push them to get their scout ranking done. I will not be such a parent and as a result my kids will probably not be eagle scouts. This pushiness is called by several euphemisms, most commonly 'support' I am sure that I will be described as 'unsupportive' but really I will be very supportive. I want a well rounded kid and that is my end goal. If scouting fits into that education I hope I can look past my prejudices to help my kid with it. unfortunately I have some prejudice against scouting which brings me to the next point;
3. There are a lot of bad people who are Eagle scouts.
I know some of them. When a person is labeled as an eagle scout it makes them seem to be 'trustworthy loyal courteous kind morally straight' etc. I have first hand experience with the opposite. I feel that there was a great desire to pretend that the aforementioned eagle scout was a good person who just 'made a mistake' but really this was all wishful thinking.
I now associate eagle scouts and the scouting program with other people who are evil, masquerading as people who are good. abusive priests, corrupt politicians, etc. I am afraid to set anyone upon a pedestal lest they will be trusted more than they are worth and are allowed to abuse because of that blind belief in their goodness.
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