tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50861692011-04-21T13:51:52.782-04:00"I believe I am not mistaken in saying that Christianity is a demanding and serious religion. When it is delivered as easy and amusing, it is another kind of religion altogether." --Neil Postmanehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.comBlogger8731100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1150320408471713752006-06-14T17:25:00.000-04:002006-06-14T17:26:49.406-04:00

The posts have all migrated to WordPress.com. So far everything is running smoothly. Unless unforseen difficulties arise, I won't be posting to this blog anymore. But I won't delete it, either. Partially because I'm paranoid about not having a Plan B if the other blog doesn't work out; partially because I'm a sentimental pack-rat that can't let anything just go; partially because I don't want

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1150249318245709602006-06-13T21:41:00.000-04:002006-06-13T21:41:58.520-04:00

You've been warned. Go here before it's too late. For what, you ask, since I can always click on the link much later and still go to your new blog. Um..., I say. What's that? you say. Snnnh, I say. Buuuurf, I say. Those aren't words, you say.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1150117664937824512006-06-12T09:05:00.000-04:002006-06-12T09:07:45.196-04:00

hundreds of posts, thousands of insightful comments: all moved over to the new blog, which has a much easier to remember URL. After Wednesday, there will be no more posts over here. All new posts will be on Uncle Screwtape's new home--over at Wordpress, the free, opensource blog site. And yes, I am a dork.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1149931057453488092006-06-10T05:12:00.000-04:002006-06-10T05:30:37.223-04:00

Once I forgot to change my pants for several days. There was a very good reason why I couldn't...I just can't remember what it is. But in other news: it's been...I dunno...over a year (?) since I messed with the appearance of this blog. And, well, there's stuff that I want to do with it that I can't because I don't know enough code. Plus I want to go to open source stuff and away from the

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1149451391237877962006-06-06T15:06:00.000-04:002006-06-07T09:06:41.976-04:00

It's been awhile since i posted one of these. [I can imagine either sighs of relief or groans and eyes rolled upwards, depending.] The Feeling. Once upon a time, I was the poetry editor of Wooster's literary magazine, The Goliard, and a poem called "Spirituality" came across my desk. It wasn't a great poem, but I thought it good enough to make at least the first cut. I guessed that it wouldn't

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1149517882357000922006-06-05T10:24:00.000-04:002006-06-05T10:33:48.423-04:00

well, we finally made it. or it made us, i'm not sure. in retrospect, driving to chicago, flying to LA, driving to SF and back to LA, flying back to Chicago and driving back to SB from Chicago was probably too much traveling for a toddler and a preggers wife. we're tired. there are bills piled up, etc. but its great to be home. and then we get an email that friends of ours from church have a

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1149297927897668952006-06-02T20:06:00.000-04:002006-06-02T21:32:26.213-04:00

We're in the southeast corner of Hollywood again, but at a different hotel. It's hot, the traffic is unbearable, its dusty and smoggy; but I'm not complaining: the palm trees are pretty and the coffeeshops are interesting. However, Greta and I are ready to go home. Today's like-we-live-here siteseeing included a visit to the well-known farmers market at 3rd and Fairfax. Having driven through the

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1149283922903833572006-06-02T17:07:00.000-04:002006-06-02T17:36:32.136-04:00

I've ranted about this before. And I'm sure I will again; I'm pathetic like that. Here's the thing: good music deserves to be listened to by good people. I'm a good person. Why can't I listen to this good music? Yes, that would be because tickets to any show are going for more money than I make in a month. So Birdmonster at Bernies? I'm saving up my pennies for gas money.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1149087357104247992006-05-31T09:58:00.000-04:002006-05-31T10:55:57.243-04:00

Rich is right about SF... ...and yet...and yet. True confessions: Part of me wouldn't be that sad to learn that, in the aftermath of a major seismic event, the majority of California fell into the Pacific Ocean. Or became its own country. Or both. The whole state is so strange, but I can't quite get my finger on why it feels this way. I have a hypothesis that has everything to do with the

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1148834219314732282006-05-28T12:08:00.000-04:002006-05-28T12:36:59.390-04:00

day six of our trip to visit family in california finds us in san francisco, a city i've never visited. If I get a job at one of the 1324-908213457y-0124th schools they have in the area, I'm moving here. And there's really one reason. The reason should be family: my sister lives in Cole Valley, a ten minute walk from Haight-Ashbury, my sister-in-law lives somewhat near the Presidio by the

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1148573883907238902006-05-25T12:00:00.000-04:002006-05-25T12:18:03.980-04:00

This is the beginning of day three of our 12 day California trip (8am here). Through the generosity of my mother, who travels every day for her job, we were able to stay at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn right off the 101 in Hollywood. We are less than a mile from the Hollywood Bowl and the filming of last nights' American Idol. Unknowingly, we were actually caught in the traffic jam on Highland

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1148509103072858152006-05-24T18:06:00.000-04:002006-05-24T18:18:23.106-04:00

Are you a biology teacher? Do you know one? Did you know that all biology, chemistry, and physics teachers in the US are now required to teach a fuzzy concept known as "the nature of science" in their courses? Do you also know that almost no universities in the US offer courses on the nature of science for those going into sciences? If you're fortunate enough to belong to teaching colleges at USC

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1148050656927718692006-05-19T10:25:00.000-04:002006-05-20T13:39:22.796-04:00

This morning I discovered the following comment attached to my ill-posed and half-crazed diatribe on the DaVinci Code movie (which is getting absolutely panned in reviews, btw). The big issue for this blogger is (as was said on earlier posts) authority misplaced in the Catholic Church. Please note that I did not say the Christian church--the blogger wants to make a distinction between the two. "

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1147963202778717812006-05-18T10:03:00.000-04:002006-05-18T10:40:02.886-04:00

What is up with South Bend--blandest in the land--Indiana? It's no secret me likey the spicy food. I once had a contest with a friend to see who could eat the spiciest jumbalaya. Actually that's not exactly true--he spilled most of a container of cayenne pepper into his bowl and was about to throw it out when his wife said, "just give it to e. he'll eat anything." i did; though i (barely) lived

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1147960285703096962006-05-18T09:29:00.000-04:002006-05-18T09:51:25.876-04:00

just wanted to point out two new patients, er, cool dudes uncle screwtape has his eye on: alex and chris. get to know them. and don't let their philosophy jedi mind tricks scare you.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1147800201772885902006-05-16T13:22:00.000-04:002006-05-16T13:23:21.776-04:00

haven't checked around to see if anyone else has posted about this already but here's an interesting response to DVC by a theologian i respect more than pretty much any other.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1147553106486364392006-05-13T16:37:00.000-04:002006-05-13T16:45:06.500-04:00

So I'm trying to get some tickets to see Radiohead in June. They've not toured for a while, but they don't have a new album out either. I figured they might have some tickets available for (gasp) $50 a pop. Fat chance. The cheapest tickets I could find were for $130 EACH. And these were in the gallery--back row, behind a pole (no joke). You want something on the floor, say 10 rows out? $1000 a

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1147362198204762492006-05-11T11:37:00.000-04:002006-05-11T17:02:12.250-04:00

(pardon me if this sounds too much like a paper--i just finished writing a 50 pager) Poaching back from Andy's poach. I think all the comments are insightful and thought provoking. You (plural) seem to be pointing to an important underlying framework for McLaren's article. There are two things going on here: (1) a conversation about a popular book, regarding why it's popular; (2) a criticism of

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1147200628017371452006-05-09T14:48:00.000-04:002006-05-09T14:50:28.033-04:00

Q: So you think The Da Vinci Code taps into dissatisfaction with Jesus as we know him? Brian McLaren: For all the flaws of Brown's book, I think what he's doing is suggesting that the dominant religious institutions have created their own caricature of Jesus. And I think people have a sense that that's true. It's my honest feeling that anyone trying to share their faith in America today has to

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1146848353711279912006-05-05T12:57:00.000-04:002006-05-05T12:59:13.720-04:00

If we win, I'll share the prize money with you! Here's the contest: _______________ WHO CARES? To celebrate the rebranding of the British Society for the History of Science website and the foundation of the Outreach and Education Committee, the BSHS is proud to announce a new competition. We are offering a prize of £250 for the best 500-word answer to this question: WHY SHOULD ANYONE NEED TO

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1146701753012447632006-05-03T20:07:00.000-04:002006-05-03T20:15:53.026-04:00

We all, we humans, want death for ourselves and others. It is the Thanatos Syndrome--self-destruction mixed with self-preservation. If someone inhibits us, we wish to destroy them. We impact them in some negative way, they want to destroy us. Jesus' words aren't just counter-cultural; they're counter-human: 38"You have heard that it was said, 'Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.'[g] 39But I tell

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1146578137407512672006-05-02T09:54:00.000-04:002006-05-02T09:55:37.423-04:00

Is perfectionism simply a mild form of obsessive-compulsive disorder? Or Why can't I just turn my papers in without wringing my hands?

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1146342604710134972006-04-29T16:04:00.000-04:002006-04-29T16:31:51.153-04:00

I led our small group discussion last night on number 7 of the Seven Deadly Vices--Sloth. Or, in the Greek--akedia. Why, you ask, do I bother to put the Greek in there? We know what sloth means in the English. Ah, but do we? We typically think of busyness or industriousness or utility as the opposite of sloth. Sloth, we think, means laziness. And in this age of over-busyness (over-business?)

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1146147225779849032006-04-27T10:10:00.000-04:002006-04-27T10:13:45.793-04:00

The Grt is two today. Her mousy (pictured here) is one. And it's only been vomited on once.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1145885933098436392006-04-24T09:27:00.003-04:002006-04-24T10:06:37.016-04:00

Hello there, blog world. Hope you're having a relatively allergy-free day. I've been praying for rain more this past week than ever in my life, I think. Rain's the only thing that will get this tree pollen, o bane of my existence, out of the air. But in much more significant news: who wants to name our offspring? It's a new contest we just thought up. The winner will get to be remembered for

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1145457374296156402006-04-19T10:33:00.000-04:002006-04-19T10:36:14.310-04:00

That's right folks. I learned my lesson. Don't propose to do something radical...even in academia. So I'm biding my time.... Lurking....

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1145283652213204902006-04-17T09:55:00.000-04:002006-04-17T10:23:00.136-04:00

A few classes ago, my favorite history prof made this quip in the middle of class: "There are two types of history books: biography and covert autobiography." I want not to believe this. But I think it is closer to the truth than a lot of us want to admit. Take, for instance, two of the most highly acclaimed recent books about the American Revolution: Gordon Wood's The Radicalism of the American

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1145217490427382562006-04-16T15:52:00.000-04:002006-04-16T15:58:10.456-04:00

four holy week services later, i'm pretty tired out. but it's a good tired, an introspective tired. we talked a bit this week about good friday being the end of the christian year--the day of atonement--the realization that all human institutions, governments, businesses, even homes are hopelessly corrupted or corruptable. easter is the first day of the new year: what cannot be done by the hand

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1144932223744432712006-04-13T08:19:00.000-04:002006-04-13T08:43:43.773-04:00

Mention of another internet site found to be enjoyable by blogger. Link to said site. "Shout out" to blogger-friend who originally pointed out above site to blogger. Link to that blogger's site. Brief statement describing why blogger found the site so enjoyable. Comparison to past events in bloggers life, other insights engendered by above site. Injunction to visit site based on recommendation

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1144849871300401302006-04-12T09:49:00.000-04:002006-04-12T09:51:11.313-04:00

I do nay understand what be goin' on here. Here's a little game for yas. What random pirate phrase can you come up with?

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1144781996585750222006-04-11T14:48:00.000-04:002006-04-11T14:59:56.596-04:00

whatever that means. don't know what would qualify here, but i'm liking the following bands right now that have "happier" music, (also) whatever that means (i make no claims about how happy you might feel after listening--just me): 1. Destroyer, "Destroyer's rubies" (sounds like New Pornographers--mostly because the lead singer is one of them) 2. Explosions in the Sky, "Earth is not a cold,

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1144527749387064342006-04-08T15:05:00.000-04:002006-04-08T16:24:36.690-04:00

What's the worst thing you can do when writing a huge research paper? Listen to excellent music that makes you want to do nothing but listen to it again? Close. Blogging about such an experience--taking the time to tells your friends about your transcendent experience--this is probably the most time- and concentration-wasting thing you can do. But here I am. Writing a paper (or trying to). And I

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1144273870619014122006-04-05T17:49:00.000-04:002006-04-05T17:51:10.643-04:00

I received this from Sojourners. It's worth considering. "The House of Representatives is expected to vote this week on a budget that cuts human needs programs and enacts more tax breaks that favor the wealthy. But passage won’t be easy... Your voice last year helped moderate House members realize that these budget priorities do not represent your values. Many moderate Republicans are raising

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1144124120407127522006-04-03T23:52:00.000-04:002006-04-04T00:15:20.440-04:00

It was bound to happen someday. I just didn't think it would be today. The Gert hadn't been eating much--mostly a few bites of banana and handfuls of raisins (her favorite food). Applesauce, cheese, meat, veggies--she'd have none of these. B was getting nervous. But apparently I'm a Peterson through and through and have little to no sympathy for illness unless one's leg is being consumed by

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143913678317090402006-04-01T12:46:00.000-05:002006-04-01T12:47:58.333-05:00

DUBLIN - Anti-poverty activists were stunned today when U2's lead guitarist, The Edge, announced that he will be flying solo in activist efforts from this point forward. "Today, I am happy to announce the launch of Campaign Deuce, or The Deuce for short," said The Edge at a noontime press conference. "The Deuce will call for the United States to give an additional 2% of their budget to

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143745361372848912006-03-30T13:34:00.000-05:002006-03-30T14:02:41.393-05:00

I was encouraged by a history prof of mine not to spend all my time doing school work. So a friend here recommended that I start reading some of Walker Percy's social criticism works at night while I was trying to fall asleep. I started with Lost in the Cosmos: the Last Self-Help Book written in the early '80s at the height of the self-help movement. Wow. This is one of those books that I have

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143742452190241692006-03-30T13:12:00.000-05:002006-03-30T13:14:12.206-05:00

...hear the debate at the Capitol Theater? If not, hear it here.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143585177672579622006-03-28T17:22:00.000-05:002006-03-28T17:32:57.686-05:00

I don't want to divert attention from what is the far more significant event of palmer's passing. However, the arguments the US Supreme Court heard today covered some of the most important legal issues to come before the court in recent years. Namely, the court debated the extension of habeas corpus to military prisoners and others in our post 9/11 world. The debate is over whether the government

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143564735861540972006-03-28T11:46:00.000-05:002006-03-28T11:52:15.880-05:00

This is the obituary in the Dispatch. PALMER Mark K. Palmer, age 31, Monday, March 27, 2006 at Riverside Hospital after a long battle with cancer. 1992 Graduate of Mansfield High School, PA and 1996 Graduate of Baptist Bible College, Clarks Summit, PA. Currently working on his graduate degree at Ashland Theological Seminary. Mark was Spiritual Director of the Landing Place Community, Columbus,

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143554856679309042006-03-28T09:03:00.000-05:002006-03-28T09:07:36.693-05:00

On a much happier note than last post, I was awoken this morning by my wife playing "We're going to the zoo...Zoo...ZOOOO" on her guitar and two toddlers (Greta and her friend Nathan) jumping up and down like monkeys. Hooting and hollering and the flat thump of four little feet pounding into the wooden floor. I think this is what pure joy looks like. It looks beautiful (and hysterically funny).

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143523390890861582006-03-28T00:09:00.000-05:002006-03-28T00:29:28.736-05:00

i hardly knew the guy but i still feel pretty sad about his death. i thought god would step in on this one and save him from the same fate as his wife jennifer that also died from an unusual cancer. it's enough to make you wonder if they hadn't been somewhere and been hit with a huge dose of radiation or something. very sad. what do we do with a death like this? what do we do with all the

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143333394487945132006-03-25T19:27:00.000-05:002006-03-25T19:39:20.140-05:00

First I chip a tooth by biting down on a fork really hard--you know, like any moron would. I hate my teeth. They're so jacked up. When I was 11, I had to get a skin graph to keep my bottom teeth from falling out--that's the scary greying thing on my bottom gum. Ugh. How can I not be totally embarrassed by my teeth? Next, squirrels busted into our house through a hole in the exterior wall that

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143223928973264502006-03-24T13:06:00.000-05:002006-03-24T14:19:03.850-05:00

Uncle Screwtape is...well...he's old. But this blog is now three. I guess it's been three for a few weeks now, but I'm just realizing it. In celebration, here's our lovely blog cloud. Thanks to Andy for the link. Perhaps we could impress upon the Uncle himself to give us an address.... But in the meantime, enjoy this video. Turn up the volume, pardner.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1143081409368328432006-03-22T21:33:00.000-05:002006-03-22T21:36:49.383-05:00

This is an excerpt from a Sojourner's article. Read the rest here. "When the same New York Times article, written in March 2005 by Laurie Goodstein, noted that 'A core group of influential evangelical leaders has put its considerable political power behind a cause that has barely registered on the evangelical agenda, fighting global warming,' the politics of global warming changed overnight in

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142870970850343562006-03-20T10:50:00.000-05:002006-03-20T11:13:16.263-05:00

Yesterday (Sunday) was my second attempt at leading church-school for the high schoolers. I'm leading with another guy who is getting his Ph.D. in math and philosophy here. I know, I know.... You're thinking: what high schooler would want to come to a group being led by two eggheads with nothing better to do with their lives than read about obscure topics of interest to only about a dozen people

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142802722872142192006-03-19T16:03:00.000-05:002006-03-19T16:12:02.886-05:00

B made it home, Greta lived, and I'm much the wiser for it. Brooke's sister's baby, Veronica, was born on Tuesday the 14th. She looks like...well...a baby.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142566277858920132006-03-16T22:30:00.000-05:002006-03-16T22:31:17.863-05:00

I remember once when I was driving across the Texas panhandle, past Amarillo, through Lubbock and down toward Roswell, New Mexico, that I had the thought that AAA roadmaps are the silliest things in the world. Sure they tell you where you're going. But they give you little else: you cannot possibly imagine how big the Southwestern US is until you've driven through it. It's interminable. The

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142437125956326322006-03-15T10:09:00.000-05:002006-03-15T10:38:45.980-05:00

Happy Ides of March! Hark, Beware toga'd Senators. Five days alone with a toddler teaches one many things. It might be a great setting for composing a zen koan or something. Except there can't be any meditation because there's never any silence. But I have learned some valuable information about my daughter that I didn't really get before. For instance, her top five albums--not including kid

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142346899084574592006-03-14T09:17:00.000-05:002006-03-14T09:34:59.100-05:00

Being a single mom is hard when you're a dad. That tightrope between disciplinarian and "comfortinarian" is terribly difficult to walk by yourself. Lesson I've learned over the last two days: (1) My daughter really does look and act like her mother in miniature. It's weird sometimes to see a "little Brooke" running around with her squeaky voice. (2) I never realized how much cleaning B and I

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142210027382369132006-03-12T19:22:00.000-05:002006-03-12T19:33:47.396-05:00

whew...being a parent is tiring enough. putting graduate work on top of that makes it exhausting. but then i also ended up leading high school youth group this morning. i'm ready to crash. greta hasn't freaked out yet and usually the second day is the worst, so perhaps we're getting out of the "i want mommy!" woods. the message this morning was so powerful that i didn't want it to end. i didn't

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1142099839217686332006-03-11T12:42:00.000-05:002006-03-11T12:57:19.236-05:00

B left this morning for LA, where her sister T will be having a baby soon. (Yes, we all refer to each other by our first initials.) Today is day one of my spring break. So we thought, logically, that it would be a good idea for G to stay home with me and let B help T in LA. For the most part, this is a good idea. I like bonding with the Gert, even though she is not yet two. We watch Thomas the

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1141710975423048692006-03-07T00:06:00.000-05:002006-03-07T01:54:55.616-05:00

Happy Cashmir Pulaski Day. The fundamental issue at the bottom of atheistic/agnostic Darwinism is the age-old problem of evil. This issue seems irresolvable for modern day evo-evangelists like Richard Dawkins, as it was for T. H. Huxley and Darwin himself. Darwin and Huxley lost young children to nasty, brutish, and short diseases--Darwin a daughter, Huxley a son--and it was ultimately these

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1141659275207999242006-03-06T10:30:00.000-05:002006-03-06T10:35:02.516-05:00

I'm at the Starbucks on campus. I used to hate Starbucks. I still think their coffee is crap. But their labor practices are tops amongst large retailers. They are the antithesis of WalMart in this respect and I like that so much that I feel okay giving them my money for a double shot of espresso (which is what I'm "drinking" this morning). But today's observation is more of an ephemeral one.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1141266295981392152006-03-01T21:18:00.000-05:002006-03-01T21:24:55.983-05:00

what would be an event that would compel all of you blog readers--okay, most--to come here to south bend? i know that i am not a big enough draw. my wife and daughter likewise haven't lured many people this way. but what if there were a medium-sized musical event taking place somewhere in town? something that has appeared in not-so-many cities...but might be making its way to SB. would that

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1141227305795439802006-03-01T10:32:00.000-05:002006-03-01T10:35:05.813-05:00

Didn't we go through this already? Or was that just the movie The Day After Tomorrow?

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1141185515985991602006-02-28T22:57:00.000-05:002006-02-28T22:58:46.143-05:00

Is there a difference between historical novels (classified as fiction) and history books (classified as non-fiction)? (Other than their classifications, of course...)

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1141012750545905042006-02-26T22:33:00.000-05:002006-02-26T22:59:10.560-05:00

Among other things, I study the history and philosophy of eugenics in the US and UK from 1899 to World War 2. A person I met the other day told me this was a stupid thing to study. "Eugenics," he said (I'm paraphrasing), "was the upper classes trying to toy with biology without knowing about genes. Since we know about genes, we know we can't make a perfect human society." He had a good point.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1140915391030613142006-02-25T19:54:00.000-05:002006-02-25T19:56:31.043-05:00

"Under the current medical system, doctors, nurses, lab technicians and hospital executives are not actually paid to come up with the right diagnosis. They are paid to perform tests and to do surgery and to dispense drugs." From this Times article.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1140706517264054812006-02-23T09:47:00.000-05:002006-02-23T09:55:17.290-05:00

this plus this equals: Should'a had an exit strategy.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1140410365404330872006-02-19T22:55:00.000-05:002006-02-19T23:39:43.363-05:00

--Which won't be as intense as last time. I got tagged, whatever the hell that means. Sorry it took so long to respond, man. four jobs i've had in my life: * in the hizzy of jizzy (element) * high school youth quasi-pastor who also filled the coke machine * stinky, dirt-eating, jogging-in-front-of-roaring-bulldozers archaeologist * the midnight to 4am shift in the loading docks of Roadway

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1140117851707020992006-02-16T14:12:00.000-05:002006-02-16T14:24:11.726-05:00

I don't want to overstress the disconnect between rhetoric and policy at the White House...or all of D.C., for that matter. However, I feel led to post this blurb from a longer article. This wouldn't be such a big deal for me if it weren't for two things: (1) People listen and believe what comes out of the mouths of people who speak for the executive branch (including the president); and (2)

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1140016383296999052006-02-15T09:55:00.000-05:002006-02-15T10:13:03.316-05:00

I bet Uncle Screwtape is having a field-day with this one somewhere in one of the circles of Hell. John posted about a feeling that many in this country likely share: we have no idea what the fuss is about. And yet, as he also pointed out, we do. We have our pet issues. Some questions this topic raises for me: (1) is there a solution to the violence whilst the West holds onto a strong notion of

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1139847681164579382006-02-13T11:07:00.000-05:002006-02-13T11:22:02.463-05:00

i'm glad john posted a link to this account of an affair. as good as that blog was, this particular comment was even better. though it doesn't absolve the adulterer/ess of their crimes-against-family, we should keep in mind that affairs are as much a byproduct of an individualist, consumer-driven society as is massive credit card debt, teenage pregnancy, suicide, etc. what to do? i think not

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1139582726074594962006-02-10T09:41:00.000-05:002006-02-10T09:45:26.090-05:00

I'm finding it much more difficult to lead discussions right now. Perhaps it's the subject matter (US History from 1877 to the present). Perhaps it's the classroom size or format (18-20 students per class, cramped conditions, 30 mins. for discussion). Or perhaps it's because I didn't read these tips on how to lead a discussion. Or maybe it's just me. I'm not sure. Anyone have any suggestions?

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1139339616121702602006-02-07T13:13:00.000-05:002006-02-07T14:13:36.193-05:00

these links are primarily in response to brant's question about vegetarianism. sorry, man--my hard drive crashed in december and i lost your email address (along with almost everyone else's). Oxford Journal of Medicine (2000?) Rivista di Biologia/Biology Forum (2002) [this is a .pdf] Journal of Medical Ethics (2000) -->[you might be unable to access this. it's a book review of a book attempting

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1139245998892299252006-02-06T12:10:00.000-05:002006-02-06T12:13:18.906-05:00

I had a question that I never posted on Metafilter. Mostly because it seemed like such an easy question that I felt dumb for asking it. Thankfully, someone else did. Here it is: This may seem profoundly easy to some of you, but I'm perplexed. So I see that The President is asking for $2.77 trillion dollars for a budget. My question is this - if we're in a deficit where does the money

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1139001301556500982006-02-03T16:09:00.000-05:002006-02-03T16:35:25.326-05:00

mg already beat me to the punch on this wonderful story. you can read the full transcript on his blog (also pleasantly black) or go through the Sojourners site. here's the picture.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1138807120640119842006-02-01T09:29:00.000-05:002006-02-01T10:18:40.716-05:00

Last night, our Leader, Mr. President Bush alerted us, his humble subjects, to the fact that AMERICA IS ADDICTED TO FURINE EARL!!! This was the first I had heard of our widespead addiction. Apparently, Earl has been at the root of our conflicts in the Middle East and with Al' Qaeda. If only we would eliminate our addiction to Earl, America would be safe and liberty would be spread throughout

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1138588337166829692006-01-29T21:29:00.000-05:002006-01-29T21:32:17.183-05:00

it looks like this will be my busiest semester yet, and i haven't really had time to process or blog much. but i did want to say thank you to everyone for your kind words/comments to the last post. it felt unbelievably good to get that stuff off my chest--i was surprised that it made that much of a difference. but it also made me miss everyone. badly. why is it that we can't all be in the same

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1138207098477164642006-01-25T11:06:00.000-05:002006-01-25T13:49:29.300-05:00

I hate crying. It's not for some over-inflated sense of manly toughness or machismo. I just really don't like it. Some find weeping a release, a cathartic expression of intense grief or frustration that can't be bottled up any longer. My wife is one of these people. But I am not. Tears make my eyes burn. And loose snot trickling down into my mouth doesn't feel so hot either. I usually feel

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1138161841814189202006-01-24T22:55:00.000-05:002006-01-24T23:04:01.830-05:00

i've been exceedingly busy the last week or so, since classes are rolling again. sorry for not posting as regularly. tomorrow happens to be the tenth aniversary of the most massive event in my adult life--the trigger for all kinds of other events (including getting married, etc.) and i want to blog about that, but i need to think about it some more first. in the meantime, i leave you with a link

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1137715125935481102006-01-19T18:55:00.000-05:002006-01-19T18:58:45.960-05:00

Are Catholics and Evangelicals cut from the same cloth? by David Batstone Wheaton College pulled a shocker last spring by terminating the teaching contract of a professor following his conversion to Catholicism. Though popular among students and highly respected by his peers, The Wall Street Journal reported, assistant professor Joshua Hochschild became controversial once he shifted theological

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1137595190421658062006-01-18T09:27:00.000-05:002006-01-18T09:40:00.440-05:00

they've got a new tour scheduled. and thom is trying to save the world--in the kooky, awkward, creepy, non-Bono way. you gotta love it.

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1137165387912424062006-01-14T10:11:00.000-05:002006-01-18T09:21:59.040-05:00

sometimes these tests seem goofy--like they're describing someone else. this one seemed pretty reliable. so here you go. apparently, i picked the wrong field. should'a been an architect. (wait...does this mean i'm like that dude in The Matrix?!?!) anyone want to be my "romantic partner"? i am playful and start things with great energy, but don't follow through.... INTP - the Architect You

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1137167350974977882006-01-13T10:34:00.000-05:002006-01-13T10:52:24.823-05:00

mike has had his link to the ONE campaign for a while now. have you signed the petition? perhaps (if you're in columbus) you should join a local action group. like a new years' resolution or something. this kind of public pressure has made a difference, even at the highest levels. only continued attention to these issues by you and me will ultimately persuade our leaders (elected and not) to do

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1137088201142743372006-01-12T12:39:00.000-05:002006-01-12T19:40:05.836-05:00

so i can't help poaching from the excellent posts of john's and andy's. forgive me. they've both been great discussions and i feel like i've learned a lot. One thing that andy emphasized that i'd like to expand upon is the issue of power/privilage that goes along with money/wealth/mammon, etc. There's no doubt that all of us struggle with wanting more, "needing" every product or larger house or

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1137028478141932522006-01-11T19:54:00.000-05:002006-01-11T20:14:38.156-05:00

in case you haven't heard--given the "more important" news out there these days (e.g., Angelina's preggers!!!)--as it turns out the south korean vet thought to have extracted stem cells from cloned human embryos faked his results. now whether or not you think cloning or embryonic stem cell research is a good idea in general (and I for one do not for a variety of reasons) I wonder if the public

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1136395358539109382006-01-04T12:19:00.000-05:002006-01-04T12:22:38.563-05:00

so now that i've recovered/replaced computer parts in both my mac g4 laptop and my 1999 do-it-yerself PC (a sum total of about $600), it's time to get to work getting together some 2005 christmas gifts. sigh. i'm thinking something along the lines of a mix--the best music of 2005. i figure i can fit about 15 songs and i don't want more than one song by any band. suggestions (in other words, i

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1135821035035820712005-12-28T20:29:00.000-05:002005-12-28T20:50:35.053-05:00

andy, mike, ray, josh, and others have already posted their "best of 2005" or links to their favs. while i liked all of those, the best "public" list i've found so far (by "best" i mean the one i agree with) is this one at glide. the gorillas and neil young made the list, the underrated hold steady's album is on there, illinoise and twin cinema made the list (as usual), and--perhaps most

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1135804826995905212005-12-28T16:17:00.000-05:002005-12-28T16:21:28.403-05:00

i stole this from here, thanks to ray. "It's got to be hard for you as an ex-President, with the customary code of conduct that you're not supposed to be too critical. Is that a tough balancing act for you?" "Yes. Yes. There are some seminal changes that are being made in the basic policy of my country with which I disagree. There are some people that really believe that to remove taxation

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1135608981895912682005-12-26T09:50:00.000-05:002005-12-26T09:59:39.566-05:00

i hope everyone had a feliz navidad, a cool yule, a happy holiday. on this, the greatest day of short tempers, long lines, and buyer's remorse, i stumbled across the following: Of course santa is real, even NORAD tracks him. With large corporate sponsors and a long list of b-class celebrities (except for Mickey Rooney), how could any child doubt that santa exists. How can mass societal lies

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1135452861397314282005-12-24T14:23:00.000-05:002005-12-24T14:34:54.086-05:00

If Jesus truly is the reason for this season, then we should find this time of year the best to reflect on our place as members of the Body of Christ, our individual communities, and as citizens. Feliz Navidad. ______ "I fear that this tragedy [9/11] will pave the way for needless and provocative military buildups and interventions that will spawn further spirals of vengeance. Already, the Bush

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1135347699377310172005-12-23T09:12:00.000-05:002005-12-23T09:21:39.390-05:00

airports are strange things. i'm in one right now (it's the first internet access i've had for over a week) in columbus. airports seem to epitomize all the things that make me feel weary of americanized western culture: the superficiality of airport relationships, the pure functionality of the architecture, the quick-in/quick-out attitude, the speed-speed-speed of the whole thing. in some ways,

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1134764586917883212005-12-16T13:54:00.000-05:002005-12-16T15:24:25.706-05:00

R.E.M. starts off their song "New Test Leper" with this verse: I can't say that I love Jesus. That would be a hollow claim. He did make some observations And I'm quoting them today. "Judge not lest ye be judged." What a beautiful refrain. The studio audience disagrees. Have his lambs all gone astray? When I first heard this song, I was in college. One of my friends, also a U2 fanatic,

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1134524011261889782005-12-13T20:25:00.000-05:002005-12-13T20:33:31.266-05:00

it's tuesday night. by the end of the day thursday, i must: 1) finish a 25 page philosophy paper (the equivalent of 100 pages in any other subject, 200 if you're talking about literature or journalism--just kidding andy); 2) take a 4-hour long in-class exam (only the second exam i've taken since 1997); 3) grade 24 final exams for my undergrad students; 4) submit final grades for this

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1134181636566102072005-12-09T21:22:00.000-05:002005-12-09T21:29:36.660-05:00

When I spoke with my aunt the other day, I told her what I'd used to decorate my Christmas tree this year: cigarettes. No, I told her that we used white lights and silver tinsel, but from the way she erupted you'd think I said "placentas on silver hooks" or "menorahs." "Tinsel?" she shouted."TINSEL?" My family does not use colored lights. That's for people who are warm-blooded. At most a sprig

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1133988560457273752005-12-07T15:27:00.000-05:002005-12-08T08:38:31.606-05:00

How to get started on this project...? John at least can't wait any longer. Okay, how 'bout this. I grew up thinking--like millions of evangelicals in America--that salvation happened like this. God tailored salvation for each individual. A lone pilgrim's progress. If I had been the only person on Earth, Jesus would still have died for me. I've come to question that. What I'm not saying is

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1133972723386391862005-12-07T11:15:00.000-05:002005-12-07T11:26:41.956-05:00

I was struck by a couple of similar-seeming comments that I've heard over the last few days. The first was by my wife, who said--as we were in the middle of a youth meeting for 9th-10th grade girls (we were talking very candidly about sex outside of marriage)--"yeah, I wouldn't have married you if I first knew you in middle or high school." The second was by Nate Davis, who after looking at

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1133765823980484252005-12-05T01:50:00.000-05:002005-12-05T01:57:03.996-05:00

I've learned that the Dutch love to cook. And being at a Christian Reformed Church, surrounded by Dutch people (mostly born in this country), I've learned that I really like their cooking. But there's one thing that's disappointed me--they find something they're good at and they stick to it, rarely venturing away from their recipe. So imagine my surprise when out of the twenty-or-so entries to

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1133191315881966332005-11-28T10:19:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:22:16.886-05:00

B and I were having one of our typical discussions of community, church, and what-does-it-all-mean. In this midst of the talking, these questions arose: What is the purpose of community for the Christian? What does it look like to "have community"? What does it look like to not "have community"? How does one go from having it to not having it, and vice versa? Answers anyone?

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1132941095048149672005-11-25T12:44:00.000-05:002005-11-25T12:51:35.063-05:00

I think this must be the only truly free day during the year. There's no religious or quasi-religious significance to ruin by over-commercialization. There's no (important) cultural activities, though avid shoppers would disagree. You get to recover from a food coma, escape extended family responsibilities (maybe) and revel in the fact that it's the beginning of holiday hoopla. Day After New

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1132451577144957042005-11-19T20:49:00.000-05:002005-11-19T21:08:32.580-05:00

...but i'm going to say it anyway. Go Bucks!!! What a great comeback! (And Go Irish...unless you're playing the Bucks, which you might be if you beat Stanford next week, forcing me to decide between my family and my school. Sigh.)

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1132248650428860972005-11-17T12:07:00.000-05:002005-11-17T12:30:50.446-05:00

Historians used to think that eugenics was a fringe science of the 1900s to 1920s practiced by a handful of quacks in marginalized areas like Indiana, rural Virginia, and the remote prisons of California. We now know that "race betterment"--the Nazi's called it Rassenhygiene--did not appear with or disappear with these quacks or their German successors. Four of the wealthiest, most conservative

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1132022380550797202005-11-14T21:26:00.000-05:002005-11-14T21:39:40.566-05:00

[1] Bush Declares: 'We Do Not Torture' http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/07/AR2005110700521.html [2] The Vice President appears on Meet the Press with Tim Russert http://www.whitehouse.gov/vicepresident/news-speeches/speeches/vp20010916.html _____ I'm unclear on all of this stuff. Do we support torture or don't we? If the answer is 'yes' or an equivocal 'no'--meaning

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1131927519739333532005-11-13T19:17:00.000-05:002005-11-13T19:20:57.023-05:00

I got this from the UK's Independent. God bless America. Or something. ___________ Powerful new evidence emerged yesterday that the United States dropped massive quantities of white phosphorus on the Iraqi city of Fallujah during the attack on the city in November 2004, killing insurgents and civilians with the appalling burns that are the signature of this weapon. Ever since the assault, which

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1131631555671147152005-11-10T08:54:00.000-05:002005-11-10T09:05:55.693-05:00

Potentially more threatening than aging stockpiles of nuclear weapons, Wal-Mart (yes, I'm comparing bombs and labor issues) is becoming more and more of an issue in the American economy. Read below. Then click on this link to do something about it. Right now. _____ Admittedly, we saw a glimmer of generosity in Wal-Mart's speedy delivery of desperately needed supplies to hurricane victims last

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1131546866535153142005-11-09T09:23:00.000-05:002005-11-09T09:34:26.550-05:00

Did you, like me, think that once the Berlin Wall fell and the USSR broke up that the threat of nuclear war was pretty much over? Turns out we were wrong. According to a lecture I heard last night, the US and Russia continued developing and increasing our nuclear arsenals until 1995. And then--a fact which absolutely shocked me--in 2002, the Bush administration decided that it would cease

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1131335115840100062005-11-06T22:41:00.000-05:002005-11-06T22:45:15.860-05:00

so i was at the history of science society conference in minneapolis this past weekend. all that stuff i wrote in the last post... ...yeah, it's sort of true. I was flabbergasted at how little good "scholars" paid attention to how they were "teaching." Now granted they were speaking to peers and therefore didn't need to dumb down anything. But when you're talking about minute events that

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1130985155598017592005-11-02T21:29:00.000-05:002005-11-02T21:32:35.613-05:00

(Seth... I'm sorry. I had to post this.) Two years and a week ago, I posted this. Seth has prompted me to rethink some things. I don't feel as confident about my personal statement as I did then. And in my re-ruminating, I believe I've come up with what we might call: "Things to ask myself before applying for graduate school." (1) Why the hell would I want to go back to school? (2) Am I

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5086169.post-1130864099658849262005-11-01T11:53:00.000-05:002005-11-01T11:55:55.386-05:00

This is what academia should be about. Here's an excerpt: "Any robot could rebel, from a toaster to a Terminator, and so it is crucial to learn the strengths and weaknesses of every robot enemy," author Daniel H. Wilson warns in "How to Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion." What makes the book cool -- and unlike some other survival books -- is that

ehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13724389911456722864noreply@blogger.com0