Category: editorial

What We Need

There’s a lot of focus these days on the need for STEM education and programs (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

That’s not enough though.

We still need poets. We need artists. We need writers. We need philosophers. We need musicians. We need dancers. We need historians. We need teachers. We need plumbers. We need electricians. We need good journalists. We need witty, smart, fun, interesting public intellectuals.

We need good urban design. We need literacy. We need critical thinking. We need peace.

We need creativity in all things. Without creativity, STEM is useless. Without creativity, life is not really worth living.

Without creativity, we’re just ants.

Just my two cents.

Nephews

My nephews and me.
In the coming years these moments will become rare.
As they grow up they’ll no longer sit up against me.
They’ll need more time to themselves.
It’s cool. That’s natural. That’s normal.
But in our hearts it will always be like this.

the Thankfulness Report

Thanksgiving is once again at our throats, which means the stress and antics of the holidays have started. As an adult, I have to admit I’ve grown to be not such a huge fan of the holiday season. I kind of wish we had it every other year. Didn’t we just do all this shit?

Really, once all the “Black Friday” bullshit subsides and I have a little time to think about the holidays, I guess they are OK in my book. I just wish they were a bit more relaxing.

Still, while I am not a huge fan of Thanksgiving food, even as a non-religious person I appreciate the sentiment of Thanksgiving. You don’t have to be thankful to “someone upstairs.” It’s just a time to be aware of the good things.

So here it is — my list of people, phenomena, and ephemera to be thankful for…

  • I am thankful there is something rather than nothing.
  • I am thankful that an asteroid hasn’t destroyed civilization (yet).
  • I am thankful for skateboarding.
  • I am thankful for Aikido.
  • I am thankful for my lovely and intelligent wife, who makes life worth living and lights every day.
  • I am thankful for my family.
  • I am thankful for my friends.
  • I am thankful for my job, which allows me to make a modest living while helping others.
  • I am thankful for my health, and the health of my family and friends. It can’t last, but is good while it is there.
  • I am thankful especially for my nieces and nephews, who are the stars in my sky.
  • I am thankful for the internet.
  • I am thankful for my education and relative intelligence, and thus far my adaptability.
  • I am thankful for smart people, but even more, for good people.
  • I am thankful for the Strong and Weak nuclear forces, Gravity, and the Electro-magnetic force, and their strengths relative to each other. Wouldn’t be here without them.
  • I am thankful for the phenomenon of consciousness, even if it is an illusion of some kind.
  • I am thankful for our cats.
  • I am thankful for creativity, without which life would indeed be a bore.
  • I am thankful for literacy.
  • I am thankful for funny people.
  • I am thankful to have a President who gives a damn.
  • I am thankful for peaceful transitions of power.
  • I am thankful that humans can experience pleasure.
  • I am thankful for the Law of Identity. A → A
Well, I think that just about covers it for this year.

Halloween

OK, Halloween is a few days away, and I keep seeing all this “Fall Harvest Celebration” and/or “Fall Festival” stuff.  This is bullshit!

C’mon folks…where’s the outrage? It’s Halloween, dammit!

Where’s the harm? First off, there is no such thing as “the Devil”. No such thing as spirits, ghosts, demons, etc. I don’t care what your Sunday school teacher told you.

I repeat. There is no such thing as the supernatural. It is all make-believe shit. It doesn’t exist.

Thus, by making the effort to change Halloween into some non-evil “Fall Festival”, you are simply demonstrating your own infantile notions regarding the nature of reality.

That’s all for now.

Hail Satan!  \m/  \m/

Climate

I will be watching this episode of Frontline tonight — Climate of Doubt.

The total lack of discussion of climate change during the Presidential debates has been disappointing. Climate change remains probably the greatest threat to human civilization. One of the candidates, Romney, doesn’t even think humans have affected the climate. Obama does, but isn’t talking about it. At least Obama has taken some actions on the energy front that might help reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Romney would simply drill more and burn more. What a stupid asshole.

I’ve done quite a lot of reading on this topic, and frankly I think we are past the point of no return. If we haven’t already gone beyond our ability to stop the increasing in global average temperature, we certainly (as a country and a species) don’t seem to have the will to do what is necessary. Essentially, I think we are fucked. It makes me glad I don’t have kids, though I don’t feel good about the planet we’ll be leaving my beloved nephews and nieces. Sorry guys – some of us tried, but ignorant Republicans and greedy business men stopped us from doing anything.

One of the better books for the non-scientist lay person I’ve read is Hot: Living Through the Next Fifty Years on Earth.  I recommend it. The author spent a lot of time on research, and documents the effects that climate change has already had on various societies.