Transitions: education

I got that job. The job is a project with the goal of spreading awareness about the vast amount of money that is available to help kids pay for college. And my first day of class is tomorrow. I'm taking this class with the idea that it might put me on a path to going back to school full time next fall. So I'm at a transition point in my life and the theme is education.

Inspired by the moment, here is a list of things that everyone should learn in school that few people do.

1. How our federal, state, and local governments actually work. Why they are set up that way. How they are different than other current and past systems. What are strengths and weaknesses of those systems, and how different people and organizations contribute. I think this used to be covered in "civics" class. I had the option of taking Government as an Advanced Placement class my senior year but I picked economics instead.
   
2. That the human mind is a product of evolutionary biology. This would require that students have close to a decent understanding of evolution, which is clearly not the case in America. So once you somehow clear that biology education hurdle, you get to use it to answer the really interesting and very useful questions. Why do people act the way they act? Why do they think the way they think? Why do they believe what they believe, and why do they feel the things they feel? I last look a biology course my freshman year of high school. I didn't like dissecting things, and so I never took biology again. I don't think evolution was covered in any academic course I've taken since then, and I was certainly never exposed to ideas from evolutionary psychology. I'm very glad I stumbled upon it on my own. Learning to see human behavior through that lens has probably been the most satisfying intellectual experience of my first 25 years.
   
3. How to win friends and influence people. There's a playbook on how to interact with other people to get what you want from them. Everyone should read it. Social interaction is just one of those things we figure that everyone has to figure out for themselves. And to some extent, most of us do. But considering how important our social lives are to our emotional, financial, and ultimately our physical well-being, shouldn't we address this kind of subject matter in basic education? Absolutely everyone would benefit from reading this book.
4. That observation and sound reasoning are the source of knowledge. Basically we need to train people how to think skeptically. It is much much harder to write a single page of useful, accurate information than to write a volume full of bullshit. And it can take a volume full of accurate information to fully debunk a single page of bullshit. The information we all encounter in our daily lives is fully reflective of that imbalance, and people need to know how to tell the difference. My first semester at UMD I randomly signed up for an honors seminar called "Science and Pseudoscience." I had no idea what I was going to get, but that best I could figure was that we'd be like Dana Scully debunking Fox Mulder's crazy theories. The course was taught by a statistician named Chip Denman, and it was my favorite class I've ever taken. It introduced me to skepticism as a way of approaching the world and gave me some powerful bullshit-detection tools.
   

That's all for now. I listed those off the top of my head, but the thoughts have been building up for a while. I might expand on some of this if I have time in my newly busy schedule.

progress?

I still don't have a job, but now I'm officially a part-time graduate student. I'm registered to take this course at the University of Maryland College Park starting Thursday.

My schedule now looks like this,

TuTh......11:00am-12:15pm
F.........12:00pm- 1:45pm

which is going to make getting a "real" job impossible. I interviewed for an internship at a marketing company in Chevy Chase that looks interesting and would provide some desperately needed income and allow me flexibility to work 20~35 hours/week on my own schedule and often from home. I hope that works out, otherwise I might have to deliver pizzas or something.

Denver's strange ambitions

I saw these two stories at my new blog obsession, Orcinus.

Denver wants to host the 2018 winter Olympics.

A Denver geography teacher has been suspended for refusing to remove a classroom display that includes Chinese and Mexican flags, based on a state statute that says, "Any person who displays any flag other than the flag of the United States of America or the state of Colorado or any of its subdivisions, agencies or institutions upon any state, county, municipal or other public building or adjacent grounds within this state commits a class 1 petty offense."

In related news, I'll be visiting Denver in a few weeks.

Prison Break!

Whoa, the new season of Prison Break started and I didn't even realize it. I saw that my tivo recorded a show and I foolishly assumed it was a repeat and deleted it. Luckily the first 3 episodes of the season will be available for a week after their initial air dates, so I just got caught up here. Pure escapist joy.

I might be up to something else. More info later.

Snakes on a Man Beard

[copied from Man Beard Blog]

A Man Beard doesn't sneak around and try to be something he's not. He just comes right out and tells you what he is, usually by way of the visual spectacle adorning his face. After all, a beardless man can always wear a fake beard, but it is pretty damn hard for a Man Beard in full regalia to appear clean-shaven.

And a Man Beard doesn't apologize for what he is either. He doesn't give a shit if you like him or not. A Man Beard is comfortable in his own skin (unless his skin is surrounded by poisonous snakes). A Man Beard is always rated R, even when its production studio tries to make it into a PG beard, because a Man Beard will get all the beard blogs to rally for more T&A and profanity. Man Beards love T&A and profanity.

Snakes on a Plane is like the Man Beard of movies. Aside from its in-your-face beardesque title, SoaP has everything a Man Beard wants in a movie: snakes, planes, Samuel L. Jackson, as well as beardloads full of gratuitous nudity, violence and F-Bombs.

Plus at the end there's a music video featuring Sam Motherfuckin' Jackson with a sweet black and white beard. Oh and Julianna Margulies is on the plane too. She's ok I guess.

links adspar likes 6

Here is the 6th installment of a recurring feature, creatively titled links adspar likes. These should keep you busy with good reading material while you're bored at work, and it makes me feel productive because most of the links are educational and/or thought-provoking.

This is the Church-free and State-free edition of links adspar likes.



Felicia Lee
by Felicia Lee

adspar's quick summary:
Poker blog of Felicia Lee.

why you should read it:
This is a great poker blog for people who love poker but are sick of all Hold'em all the time.


Wearing blue-blocking eyeglasses a few hours before bedtime resets the internal clocks to an earlier hour.
by Coturnix

adspar's quick summary:
Article suggests the blue light causes suppression of melatonin, a chemical that is important in sleep regulation, and that blocking blue light in the evening might help you fall asleep earlier.

why you should read it:
I have a terrible time falling asleep, so this might be worth trying.


It's a nursing thing
by Intelinurse2B

adspar's quick summary:
Some blog by someone in nursing school.

why you should read it:
Because you're in nursing school too... aren't you?


Peanut butter concoction reverses malnutrition one spoonful at a time
by Science Blog

adspar's quick summary:
Meds and Food for Kids (MFK) uses a "a nutrient-rich mixture of peanuts, sugar, oil, vitamins, minerals and powdered milk" to help nurse chronically malnourished children back to health. "If we dig the children out of the deep immunologic and nutritional hole they are in, they are not very likely to fall back in," Wolff said. "We can't treat all of the congenital diseases they have, but we can treat malnutrition, which makes the kids healthier, smarter, taller and better able to contribute to society."

why you should read it:
A 6 week course of treatment with this stuff, which seems to be enough to get them back in shape to develop normally, costs less than $100. Interesting thought for the charitably inclined.

That's all for links adspar likes 6 (Church-free and State-free edition). This turned out pretty boring. Links for 6. Preview of 7.

I'll end with a video that is just very very cool. Messing with intuitive physics makes weird things happen.

Faith vs Reality: The Poison Challenge

In a sad but amusing rant, Alonzo Fyfe suggests that if his gut told him to, President Bush would drink a glass of liquid that scientists say probably contains poison.

In sad but amusing real life, thousands of people in India drink toxic seawater because it tastes unusually sweet and they believe it will cure illnesses.

I noticed this story here.

god's tree water

8/12/06 Woman finds "God's water" gurgling from tree:

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AP) -- Is it an artesian spring, a broken water pipe or an abandoned well?

Lucille Pope's red oak tree has gurgled water for about three months, and experts can't seem to get to the root of the problem.

Pope, 65, has sought answers from the Texas Forest Service, the Edwards Aquifer Authority and nurseries.

They have taken pictures and conducted studies, but none have arrived at a firm answer.

"I got a mystery tree," Pope said in Friday editions of the San Antonio-Express News.

"What kind of mystery do I have where water comes out of a tree?"

Her son, Lloyd, 47, discovered water leaking from the tree in April. He said it was cool, like it came from the tap.

The only damp spot around the tree trunk is where the water lands.

Mark Peterson, a regional community forester from the Texas Forest Service said he believes it could be a spring, but pointed out that would be rare with the drought conditions this summer.

"If it is a burst pipe their monthly bill would be enormous," Peterson said.

Lucille Pope has started to wonder if the water has special properties.

Her insurance agent dabbed drops of the water on a spider bite and the welt went away, she said.

"I just want to know if it is a healing tree or blessed water," she said. "That's God's water. Nobody knows but God."

8/17/06 Tree's real miracle now can be seen:

Curiosity seekers flocking to water bubbling from the tree in Lucille Pope's East Side backyard are getting a warning from her son before they pass through the chain link fence.

San Antonio Water System workers turned off the water to his house at the street Wednesday morning, and when they did, the flow from the tree ceased, he tells them.

The tree tapped into an active water line that runs to a sink in a shed in their backyard, SAWS spokeswoman Anne Hayden said. The water also tested positive for chlorine residue.

"I tell them all how it is, and they still want it," Lloyd Pope said. "I figure if they are still that strong in their faith, knowing all that, then go on."

Despite the logical explanation of why the tree started spouting water three months ago, many visitors still hinge hopes on water they say touches their soul.

Linda Cortinas, 56, soaked her hands in the streaming water after hearing the disclaimer, hoping for a miracle. Cortinas is legally blind, a result of leukemia that damaged her optic nerve.

She hugged Velia Garza, 59, like a long lost sister in the driveway before her sister Trini Ramon, 55, drove her back to the Northwest Side of town. It was the first time that the women had met. They prayed side by side under the sprawling branches of the great red oak.

"I pray it's from God," Garza said. "And nothing will be false here. How can water go up a tree?"

The faith that Garza and other visitors displayed is an essential component of the human condition, said Oswald John Nira, an instructor of religious studies at Our Lady of the Lake University.

"Everybody hungers for something to believe in," Nira said. "They're looking for answers to ultimate questions. This is just one little aspect of it."

Nira said according to Catholic tradition, there's a push to stay away from trying to determine miraculous phenomena, placing more focus on the individual.

By midday Wednesday, the stream of people continued, undaunted by the scientific explanation. They arrived with grandchildren in tow. Some came on their lunch break and for others it was part of a private pilgrimage.

"Do Not Enter" was spray-painted in black on a piece of plywood and propped against the chain link fence to the Pope's driveway.

The Popes say the steady stream of visitors usually starts about 7:30 each morning, when the water flow is stronger. But first they have to pass Lloyd Pope and Bubba Younger, a hulking ex-Navy SEAL sitting in folding chairs at a white, plastic table. Younger, 59 and Pope, 47, read scripture as the faithful make their way to the back of the property.

Maria Martinez of San Antonio made her second visit to the tree, hugging it and filling small perfume vials with its water.

"I could feel it, that it's about ready to bust," Martinez said.

At last count, the names of 100 people coming to see the tree were logged on a yellow legal tablet.

People who did an Internet Google search for "gurgling tree" found 606,000 results ranging from China to New Zealand. Opinions on blogs have numbered in the thousands.

For the sake of the family's privacy, the San Antonio Express-News is not publishing the address.

But as the story of the weeping tree made the rounds across the country, in newspapers and online, more and more people are doing what it takes to find the Popes' home.

Pope doesn't mind the visitors, so long as they steer clear of the histrionics. He won't tolerate fainting, shrine building or keeping a vigil.

"It ain't happening," he said. "You give God's credit or honor to no other."

Lucille Pope, 65, said the tree has been credited with healing everything from heart disease to a bad neck to her own ankle.

"They had put me in an air cast, then in a brace, with a cane," she said. "Since I've been drinking from the tree I've been fine."

Gone are the cane and therapy sessions — in their place are three daily glasses of water, straight from the tree.

The phone rings from morning until 9 p.m. when she stops taking calls from nearly every state in the union.

The first person to taste the water was Mary Barbara Todd, a friend of the family. She told the Popes it was good and cool to the taste.

The Popes have been flooded with out-of-state calls to ship individual orders to people looking for hope in a bottle.

Lucille Pope said shipping is not an option because of recent anti-terrorism restrictions.

At dusk, Maria Castanon, 46, and her sister Oralia Sanchez, 41, led their 81-year-old mother down the driveway arm-in arm.

Maria Sanchez said she doesn't venture from her South Side home these days, bound by her arthritis. That was until her two daughters saw the mystery tree on television and told her about it. They held her thin arms as Sanchez tipped her head back to look the oak over.

"You live by faith, not by sight," Castanon said. "If they shut it down tomorrow, that's fine. But it's faith that moves you."

My favorite part is this:

"Everybody hungers for something to believe in," Nira said. "They're looking for answers to ultimate questions. This is just one little aspect of it."

Nira said according to Catholic tradition, there's a push to stay away from trying to determine miraculous phenomena, placing more focus on the individual.

What ultimate question is answered by a tree that spits water at you? This is an aspect of what? What exactly does this tree make you believe? And then apparently Catholics don't want you to investigate anything unusual, prefering to let individuals make up whatever insane conclusions they want.

Something weird happens, and people turn into religious retards. Praise god!

Random Quotations Meme

I saw this a few places, so here is mine. The rules: "Go here and look through random quotes until you find 5 that you think reflect who you are or what you believe."

I spent way too much time on this. I probably read 300 quotes before deciding on these 5.


A great many people think they are thinking when they are really rearranging their prejudices.
- William James (1842 - 1910)

One can always be kind to people about whom one cares nothing.
- Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891

There is nothing worse than aggressive stupidity.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

The first step to getting the things you want out of life is this: Decide what you want.
- Ben Stein

I never cease being dumbfounded by the unbelievable things people believe.
- Leo Rosten (1908 - )

Poker on a resume

As I've pursued gainful employment the last few months, I've mostly used a resume that includes poker as work experience. As far as I'm concerned I was running an internet small business out of my home. I had to make instant high-pressure strategic decisions, perform in-depth statistical analysis, and make capital allocation decisions based on trending and forecasting. These are experiences and skills that I think a smart employer should value.

However according to a recruiter specializing in Montgomery county finance positions, a gaping hole in my resume is much better than mentioning poker. Poker, he claims, evokes images of "gambling, cocaine, and tattoos. Maryland is still in the Bible Belt you know." The Bible fucks me yet again.

The job search process has taught me that appearances are more important than honesty, so I'll be downplaying my poker career in all proceedings henceforth.

I am unfit for service in my home state.

Looks like I'm going to have to cancel my plans to run for office in Maryland. Apparently I am also incompetent to be a witness or a juror.

This is directly from the Maryland Constitution.

Art. 36. That as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to Him ... nor shall any person, otherwise competent, be deemed incompetent as a witness, or juror, on account of his religious belief; provided, he believes in the existence of God, and that under His dispensation such person will be held morally accountable for his acts, and be rewarded or punished therefor either in this world or in the world to come.

Nothing shall prohibit or require the making reference to belief in, reliance upon, or invoking the aid of God or a Supreme Being in any governmental or public document, proceeding, activity, ceremony, school, institution, or place.

Art. 37. That no religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God; nor shall the Legislature prescribe any other oath of office than the oath prescribed by this Constitution.

links adspar likes 5 (Church and State edition)

Here is the 5th installment of a recurring feature, creatively titled links adspar likes. These should keep you busy with good reading material while you're bored at work, and it makes me feel productive because most of the links are educational and/or thought-provoking.

My blog energy is being spread over a greater area these days, so I guess I'm slowing down a bit here. Man Beard Blog and Inertia Anonymous are occupying the bulk of my creative goofiness and self-loathing, respectively. My poker hiatus has limited my poker writing here and at Donk Bet, so that pretty much leaves politics and religion as the remaining focus here at See For Yourself. So, here is the Church and State edition of links adspar likes.



Non-Christians need not apply
by Robyn E. Blumner

adspar's quick summary:
The Bush administration is committed to reallocating social services funds from secular agencies to faith-based groups, including groups whose employment practices include discrimination on the basis of religious beliefs and sexual orientation.

why you should read it:
I found this article filed under Theocracy Watch over at God is for Suckers. Forget separation of church and state, this is church and state working hand in hand. The last sentence really got me: "Just another example of how, under this president, I hardly recognize my country anymore." I want to move to Antarctica.


Jesus Portrait Case to Go to Court
by Ed Brayton

adspar's quick summary:
A West Virginia local school board is fighting the ACLU in a lawsuit over a portrait of Jesus in a public high school. The locals are outraged at the ACLU trying to take away their precious Jesus, and Brayton shows how they make ridiculous arguments in support of their ridiculous position.

why you should read it:
This once again exposes how little respect the Christian community has for the establishment clause, and Brayton brilliantly demonstrates their hypocrisy by imagining how the same people would feel if the portrait was of Muhammed instead. These assholes are probably in Antarctica too, huh?


Christian Critic Blasts Talladega Nights' Anti-Christian Content
by Jenni Parker

adspar's quick summary:
Parker reports that Christian movie reviewer Ted Baehr didn't like Ricky Bobby, equating satire of in a comedy to Mel Gibson's drunken anti-Semitic rant.

why you should read it:
Baehr goes on to predict that the World Trade Center movie will overtake Ricky Bobby at the box office, and that movie will be "more meaningful and faith-affirming." Yeah, nothing like a story about a small group of terrorists killing thousands of people in the name of god to affirm my faith in god. Maybe in the movie, god comes down from heaven and cuts off the terrorists' heads before they hijack the planes. That would affirm my faith in god. Ok I'm not really going to move to Antarctica but can we send Ted Baehr there?


The moral imperative against intelligent design
by Ed Darrell

adspar's quick summary:
In response to a series of specific back and forth arguments, a Christian blogger writes why Creationist/ID arguments against evolution are dishonest.

why you should read it:
You don't need to read all the background to understand his point. Lies and deception don't help your cause. I wish more religious people were like this guy:

It's a sad day for the church when atheists are leading the way to ethical behavior, and Christians resist. We have a duty to other people to stick to the truth. We have a duty to the integrity of the church not to advocate untruth in the church'’s name. We have a duty to God to get the facts right. [his emphasis]

The Pinkoski files
by PZ Myers

adspar's quick summary:
A collection of scathing rebuttals of the astonishingly illogical creationist nonsense flowing from this Pinkoski character.

why you should read it:
Pure train-wreck value. For example, in this one Pinkoski claims that biblical Adam was 15 feet tall and that Noah was 12 feet tall, and notes that modern man is only 6 feet tall. He backs this up with:

NOTE: If you doubt this is possible, how is it there are PYGMIES + DWARFS??

Viruses of the Mind
by Richard Dawkins

adspar's quick summary:
This essay examines the spread of faith by showing how religious ideas are very much like computer viruses infecting the computers between our ears.

why you should read it:
This was written in 1991, so the ideas here aren't new, but Dawkins is brilliant as usual. It is pretty long, but if you ever stop and wonder how religious delusion is so widespread, it is worth the 30 minutes to read this.


That's all for links adspar likes 5 (Church and State edition). Links here. Preview of 6 here. If anyone actually goes through the trouble of checking the preview, they'll note that I have like 4 or 5 links I've pushed from 3 to 4 to 5 and now to 6. I should get to them some day.

Analysis of religion, embracing reality

I've been thinking a lot about religion even more than usual lately as I read Pascal Boyer's Religion Explained. I'm not very far into the book yet, but an interesting approach the author seems to be using and that I've been contemplating is to break religion down into component concepts for more useful analysis.

Off the top of my head (the book might mention some or all of these, but these are my own thoughts here, not a summary of Boyer's approach), what we commonly call religion usually incorporates some or all of the following:

• superstitions - belief in supernatural forces or beings, like god(s), angels, voodoo, ghosts, ancestor spirits, reincarnation
• culture - ritual, literature, art, music, food
• ethics - a system of morals, right/wrong, laws, punishments
• explanation of the unknown - creation myths, afterlife (heaven and hell), cosmology, medicine, hygiene
• politics - social hierarchies, governments, taxes/tithes, compromises, wars
• sexuality - gender roles, rules about sexual behavior, marriage/reproductive practices
  

A religion that doesn't incorporate most of the major items on that list wouldn't really make much sense as a "religion." There's probably a few more categories I could list, but you get the point. "Religion" is a very complicated and muddled notion that combines most or any of a number of human interests and behaviors.

Looking at the religion I'm most familiar with, modern Catholicism, that framework might look a bit like this:

• superstitions - belief in an all-knowing and all-powerful deity who hears our thoughts and words, belief in a virgin birth and resurrection of a dead man
  
• culture - large cathedrals, stained glass, hymns, Sunday gatherings, Easter and Christmas holy days, self-loathing
  
• ethics - 10 commandments, "do unto others", anti-abortion, anti-stem cell research
  
• explanation of the unknown - Creation myth as allegory, Afterlife based on earthly merits, scattered belief in miracles and haunting, otherwise fairly extensive embrace of science
  
• politics - Vatican, rankings: pope/cardinals/bishops/priests/others, lots of money and political power, abuse of authority (sex scandals)
  
• sexuality -male priests, taboo on sex outside of marriage, anti-homosexuality, encourage reproduction, discourage birth control

Anyway it isn't any big deal to suggest that breaking something down into component parts can be a useful tool for analysis. Its kind of like how the accounting concept "Net Income" can be useful in some very general kinds of financial analysis, but to really understand how that number reflects on a company's financial health you have to look at all the other items that add up to "Net Income." I almost see "religion" as totally devoid of meaning in and of itself. It is just a sum of much more meaningful parts, at least when it comes to understanding human behavior. Understanding people's religious behavior requires understanding the right combination of psychology, sociology, ethics, political behavior, and sexual biology.

But someone deeply indoctrinated in their religion could never see it that way, because for them their religion is actually their understanding of reality. They don't see their belief in a god as a superstition, a cute anthropological oddity. To them, their god is reality. He exists just as much as you or I do. There is no attempt to explain the unknown in their religion, because the Bible explains how the earth was made, so it isn't an unknown. They haven't made decisions about sexual behavior in any strategic way (to make more baby Catholics, for example), they're living the only appropriate way and anyone who does it another way is just wrong.

People operate as if reality is a subjective thing and anyone's opinion is just as valid as anyone else's. What do I mean by "valid" in that context? Well, especially in America, we've got this attitude that basically says "I can believe whatever I want and that's my right, so screw you if you disagree." And if people think that way, there's probably nothing that could change their minds. But that doesn't mean their beliefs are reflective of reality. Reality isn't subjective, even if our perceptions of it are. Religious beliefs might be valid in the sense that people have a right to their own mind, but they aren't valid as an accurate understanding of how the world really is.

An example of this whole relativist approach, and something that annoys me is when a person of faith engages an atheist in debate and makes the claim that atheism is just another religion (like in the comments here). Aside from usually being irrelevant, it just doesn't make any sense to me. What would be the Atheist religion, broken down like I just did for Catholicism?

• superstitions - none, by definition atheists don't believe in god(s)
  
• culture - there is no atheist culture, they blend into their local cultures and just avoid the religious aspects
  
• ethics - there is no set of ethics that all atheists follow, but most have a strong sense of secular ethics
  
• explanation of the unknown - most would say to use the scientific methods to solve mysteries
  
• politics - no organization, just a strong support for the separation of church and state
  
• sexuality -no unified stance, although there is a tendency towards support individual sexual freedom and rights
  

Clearly its pretty stupid to call atheism a religion since most of those categories have no real answer, and it would be easy to fill them up with Hindu or Islam or any of thousands of other religions. Atheism just isn't a religion by any reasonable understanding of the terms.

After being rebuffed, they'll usually say something like the guy in that link:

Let me make it clear, that I did not mean that atheism is a religion by definition. Call it a belief, call it whatever you like, but don't ignore the fact that every time you relate to something, it is because of your personal belief system.

According to dictionary dot com, atheism is, a "disbelief in or denial of the existence of God or gods". When you disbelieve something, that means you BELIEVE IN something ELSE.

YOU believe in atheism, you BELIEVE in the evidence againsts the existencence of God, how are people who believe IN God any different?

First of all there IS a difference between saying "I don't believe in God" and saying "I believe there isn't a God." Atheists don't necessarily "BELIEVE in the evidence against the existence of God," rather they don't believe there is evidence for God. It is a burden of proof issue.

Regardless, even if we ignore all that and get to his question - what makes atheists and believers different? Evidence does. Logic does. Commitment to reality makes us different. We go out in the world and figure out what is real. Believers make up a story or read something in an old book and accept it without testing it against reality.

He goes on to answer his own question in his own way:

Well I can answer my own question. They differ because their views don't agree with yours. You can't accept the idea that people believe in something else. So what does it make people like YOU then?

No matter what you believe, there is somebody out there who would be considered an "atheist" to you, a non-believer.

He's basically saying that because people will always disagree, that means all views are equally valid, which is just relativistic nonsense. In some disagreements there is a wrong side.

Some people just literally don't understand reality. They are incapable of logical thinking, either because of limited cognitive ability, or because they've been so brainwashed by decades of relativistic and anti-science propaganda that they just aren't able to see reality.

I acknowledge that it is possible that it is I who can't understand reality and I've got the limited cognitive ability. Maybe the right way to understand truth is by ignoring what I swhollyd wholy embracing dogma. But I'll never believe that. I don't even have need of the concept of "belief" because I don't really form definite conclusions. I just have tentative ideas that seem to work well in predicting what is going to happen.

It is 3:30am and I've been writing for almost 2 hours now. I'm not sure if I made a coherent point overall, but I've touched on a lot of topics that I've been wanting to address. I'd welcome intelligent feedback on any of it. By the way if you click that book link and buy it, I get 4% of the price I think, which would feed me for an hour.

Americans are ignorant fundamentalists

"Human beings, as we know them, developed from earlier species of animals."




Ugh.

go

http://whywontgodhealamputees.com/

Beware the wrath of Cuban

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again, but I love Mark Cuban. His enthusiasm might sometimes cross the line into obnoxiousness, but so would yours if you were a billionaire. Mine does and I'm barely an $11,000aire. If I gave out high honors on this blog, Mark would be the See For Yourself equivalent of a Man Beard.

My latest source of Cuban-love is a project of his, Sharesleth.com. Basically he's trying to find a way to take down corporate crooks and make money while doing it.

This post tells you what they're all about:

• "independent Web-based reporting aimed at exposing securities fraud and corporate chicanery"
• "looking for companies that were built for fraud, for executives who are enriching themselves at shareholder expense, and for businesses whose behavior runs counter to their stated objectives or to the public interest"

and best of all:

Unlike mainstream media outlets, we'’re going to have a clear bias -– against deception and corruption. We'’re going to depart from the traditional "“he said, she said" model of journalism, with its false balance and toothless objectivity. We'’re going to name names and show our evidence, by linking to documents, photographs and other information. We think that approach provides greater transparency than most newspapers, broadcast outlets and Internet news sites currently offer.

Their first investigative piece is out. Check it out for yourself, but it sure looks to me like Xethanol Corporation is a huge scam.

If you ever invest money in the stock market, you really ought to take a glance at the story. There are tons of people out there trying to rip you off (and then after you pick your broker there are tons of companies like Xethanol).

15 Zs

Slept from 8pm to 11am last night.

MAN BEARD BLOG

MAN + BEARD + BLOG = MAN BEARD BLOG


I seriously get dozens of hits every week from people searching for "beard growing" on Google. So I might as well run with it.

links adspar likes 4

Here is the 4th installment of a recurring feature, creatively titled links adspar likes. These should keep you busy with good reading material while you're bored at work, and it makes me feel productive because most of the links are educational and/or thought-provoking.


The Ten Commandments of the Ethical Atheist
from The Ethical Atheist

adspar's quick summary:
1. Thou SHALT NOT believe all thou art told.
2. Thou SHALT seek knowledge and truth constantly.
3. Thou SHALT educate thy fellow man in the Laws of Science.
4. Thou SHALT NOT forget the atrocities committed in the name of god.
5. Thou SHALT leave valuable contributions for future generations.
6. Thou SHALT live in peace with thy fellow man.
7. Thou SHALT live this one life thou hast to its fullest.
8. Thou SHALT follow a Personal Code of Ethics.
9. Thou SHALT maintain a strict separation between Church and State.
10. Thou SHALT support those who follow these commandments.

why you should read it:
People associate atheism with immorality or amorality. But I can't imagine a more respectable and moral way to live than suggested by this list. Aside from explaining this list, there's a lot of other good stuff at this site.


Men Not Working, and Not Wanting Just Any Job
by Louis Uchitelle and David Leonhardt

adspar's quick summary:
Some dudes don't want to work.

why you should read it:
I guess I'm not the only one! If you ever thought maybe you'd be happier not working and just being poor, check it out.
The link requires a login, but you can use bugmenot.


Two Plus Two Internet Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 8
by Mason Malmuth and David Sklansky

adspar's quick summary:
Ed Miller unexpectedly quit as editor, so Mason had to throw together an issue with a bunch of essays from him and David.

why you should read it:
Lots of good essays. I liked "Why (Some) Morons Do Better Than You" because all the morons did better than me. I suck.


The Self-Perpetuating Cycle of Smoking and Drinking
by Emily Anthes

adspar's quick summary:
Cigarettes may dull you to the effects of alcohol. Also, there is some evidence that smoking is more rewarding when you've had alcohol.

why you should read it:
Its funny to read about research that confirms what everyone who's ever been in a bar already knows.


Ramen, Pastor Boyd!
by Raindogzilla

adspar's quick summary:
The God is for Suckers blogger gives props to a evangelical reverend who said that "the church should steer clear of politics, give up moralizing on sexual issues, stop claiming the United States as a 'Christian nation' and stop glorifying American military campaigns."

why you should read it:
Crazy religions are a whole lot more tolerable when they don't try to force their crazy beliefs on others. (Still crazy though.)


Can Wikipedia Conquer Expertise
by Stacy Schiff

adspar's quick summary:
The New Yorker on Wikipedia.

why you should read it:
I'm just including this because I'm fascinated by Wikipedia. I like the anecdote about Congressmen being blocked from the site because they keep altering their own entries.


Inanity Squared
by PZ Myers

adspar's quick summary:
PZ looks up a bible passage and finds that god says that loving nature is evil and gay.

why you should read it:
PZ: "You know, I really don't need to compose arguments against religion: just quoting scripture is damning enough."


Phony Outrage and Senator Schumer
by Jason Rosenhouse

adspar's quick summary:
Jason documents how the religious right-wing is "frothing at the mouth" in response to statements made on the Senate floor by Senator Chuck Schumer.

why you should read it:
I'm shocked at how flagrantly the Catholic website Fidelis misrepresented Schumer's remarks, describing them as a "hate filled attack on religious Americans." You can read them for yourself, and if ANYONE thinks his remarks can be reasonably interpreted that way, I'd like to hear how. I don't know why I'm so surprised that these people are so willing to lie to cast their political opponents in a negative light. I guess I just expect better from the Catholic community I grew up in.



Thats all for links adspar likes 4, which is fast becoming all I do.

Today's links saved here. Preview of 5 here.

original content

I haven't felt much urge to write anything lately. I've been reading a lot online, hence all the links.

• Monday I went to the Legg Mason Tennis Classic and watched Agassi tank his match. We actually showed up without tickets only to find the event unexpectedly sold out, but Cliff Donkey used his mad tennis connections to somehow hook up 2 free passes. Deus ex machina!
  

• On the job front, I've had 3 interviews but none of them have gotten back to me, not even to say no thanks, which I find rather strange. I would think most companies would have some common courtesy. I guess it is possible that they're taking a long time to make hiring decisions. Maybe there's a typo on my resume and they've been trying to call me at the wrong number. Anyway, I'll have to step up my job search efforts, or lower my standards, because this isn't progressing at the pace I had imagined it would.

• In a couple weeks I'm seeing Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, which I'm pretty excited about.

links adspar likes 3

Here is the third installment of a recurring feature, creatively titled links adspar likes. These should keep you busy with good reading material while you're bored at work, and it makes me feel productive because most of the links are educational and/or thought-provoking.

I feel like if I was more ambitious I could form some grand thesis with all of these. Maybe someday it will turn into that. But for now I'm just linking up some cool shit for anyone who cares. On to it...


Freedom to choose won't make you happier
from Science Blog

adspar's quick summary:
Research shows that there is often no difference in how happy people are when they choose between options versus when the option is chosen for them.

why you should read it:
This is an idea I encountered recently in Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness. He actually takes it a step further and cites studies that indicate in many situations people are less happy when they have a choice than when a choice is made for them. This has important implications for the standard idea that an option is valuable by definition. Anyway, maybe next time you go out to dinner, just have someone else pick your meal for you.


How Cooperation Can Evolve in a Cheater's World
from Terradaily

adspar's quick summary:
Evolutionary biologists have developed a model that can theoretically explain how cooperation behavior can evolve.

why you should read it:
I'm not really sure that this is anything new. It reminds me a lot of the iterated prisoner's dilemma games that game theorists have played with for decades. But this study is applying it to biology instead of economics, which is useful to reference the next time I hear someone suggest that human altruism/cooperation is a challenge to the theory of evolution, which people often mistakenly see only as a "dog eat dog" kind of system. While eating your neighbor can be a good evolutionary strategy, teaming up with him can sometimes be better.



Government funding of studies you don't agree with
by Tara C. Smith

adspar's quick summary:
This is a good conversation about a general problem raised by the stem cell research debate. Should the government be conducting research that some people find objectionable?

why you should read it:
Some have made the point that people shouldn't have to see their tax dollars spend on something they find objectionable, excluding cases necessary for the maintenance of a well-ordered society (like military action). That sounds reasonable at first, until you consider that almost ALL scientific research is bound to piss off some tax-payer. How then should the government make its scientific funding decisions? Great discussion in the comments here.



Not cool: a brief rant
by Hume's Ghost

adspar's quick summary:
MTV's show My Super Sweet 16 is the most offensive show on television.

why you should read it:
I completely agree.



The Example of Fairness & Equality Being Exhibited by Representing Them at All Is, Of Course, Completely Lost of Them
from Godless Wonder

adspar's quick summary:
There is a church group that protests at military funerals. They say that God hates America because we're tolerant of homosexuality, and that death of troops is God's revenge on us. But there are laws that prevent picketing or protesting near funerals or cemeteries. The ACLU is representing this group in a lawsuit, claiming that such protest is protected free speech.

why you should read it:
First of all, those church people are scumbag bigotard assholes. I wish impotence upon them all. However I don't know what to think about the ACLU's position here. I'm generally supportive of the Voltaire (mis)quote: "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." But shouting hateful insults at funerals crosses some line of decency that I just can't agree deserves free speech protection. One of them had a sign that said "THANK GOD FOR 9/11." How do people become so twisted?



They make me feel like this angry German kid. Seriously, you need to watch that video, which contains insane displays of profanity.




Thus ends links adspar likes 3. All of the links for it are neatly available here. I actually had a lot more content, but I'm tired so I'll just push that all into link4.



RIP: APA