Capitalist Pig vs Socialist Swine

New Blog, and This Time It's Gonna Stick!

2008-07-08T15:49:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone, it's been about two years since I've blogged but I got a new one and I have a good feeling about actually keeping it running. Check it out:

Randomtacularity

What do you think: Hanging Saddam Hussein.

2006-12-29T15:58:00.000-07:00

If the news reports are right Saddam Hussein should be executed at around 10PM EST. I'm curious as to what everyone thinks about the impending hanging. While I'm a pretty ardent opponent to capital punishment, I must admit that if there might be case in which capital punishment would be justified, it would be with someone like Saddam Hussein.

Errr... I'm still alive....

2006-12-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

I just realized it's been far longer than a month since I last posted. Such being the case, I thought I would mention to everyone that I am in fact still alive and kicking. It's just that I've been rather busy the last few weeks. Working on a PhD takes up far more of my time then I would have expected. Though, last quarter I did have a class load that resulted in a larger amount of work than I think I'll have in subsequent quarters. Between the proseminar that I was enrolled in and the class in Aristotle I had I think in the past 11 weeks (before last week that is) I wrote over a hundred pages, which is equivalent to the amount of work that I put into my master's thesis (which was written over the span of an entire year).

After doing all that I was somewhat disinclined to do anything except for sit there and stare at a wall for a while. I've done that now so I'm ready to move back onto doing stuff. So I think, while making no promises of any kind, that I will post a little more on here. Though, I will warn everyone, it's likely that my posts, at least until I get back into the groove of things, will be a little lighter and fluffier than you might be accustomed to. That and it's been kind of a dull period in terms of politics and current events.

Oops, I've been forgetting to post.

2006-11-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

With the whole PhD thing I've been getting to be an increasingly bad blogger. I really need to start finding more time to put some stuff up here for you guys. I was going to post something last night but I got sucked into listening to the election coverage down here on NPR. I have to say, I'm pretty excited by the outcome. While I'm not a particularly huge fan of the Democrats, I'm much less of a fan of the Republicans. It's nice to see that there's actually some check on the President now.

It's sweet to see the Congress shift back left a little. Also, hopefully things will turn out in Virginia and perhaps the Senate will get back into the hands of the more reasonable party. Now, if I can only convince the people down here that public healthcare is in their best interest....

BBC's The Ascent of Man, episode 1

2006-10-22T09:23:00.000-06:00

I've just discovered that Google Video has the entire The Ascent of Man series on it. It's a great little series of documentaries made in 1973 about cultural evolution. Seeing this movie years ago made me take an anthropology class. Indeed, it made me consider studying anthropology for a couple of days. In the end I decided I had to stay true to philosophy.

That all being the case, for the next few weeks I think I might put an episode or two a week onto this blog for you all to see.

Chronicles of Cincinnati: I guess some people believe Plato is right.

2006-10-18T20:07:00.000-06:00

For those of you who've taken any substantial number of philosophy courses, you'll know that Plato, in his Republic, decides that in the ideal benevolent tyranny of the philosopher king holds a kind of wacky view that poetry needs to be censored. Well, it seems that around these parts some people might agree. This past weekend poet Nikki Giovani has raised a bit of a furor in a poem she recited at the reopening of Fountain Square. Now admittedly I'm actually joining into this discussion a little late. I've been a little out of touch with local news, for some reason I still have the habit of checking up on what happens back in Calgary more regularly than what happens here. However, the way I see it, it's better late than never.

It seems that Ms Giovani got into hot water because she decided to suggest that the Republican gubernatorial candidate, Ken Blackwell, is a "son of a bitch". Now to be fair, I'm pretty sure Ken Blackwell's mom isn't a canid. However, in a recent debate he decided to step into the gutter and suggest that his opponent backed legislation that was applauded by NAMBLA. This doesn't seem to me to be the actions characteristic of someone who isn't a son of a bitch.

Also, I really tend to dislike when people want to suppress artistic expression (I still stand by my earlier argument that people republishing the Danish cartoons that raised such a big stink a few months back should have reconsidered what they were doing, not as a matter of offense but because they led to violence), so I figured I would reprint Ms Giovani's poem, "I am Cincinnati" on here.

I am Cincinnati

I ran from the whips and the dogs

Across the frozen pond

I made my home in the West End

When the Civil War came I dug the trenches

Showing the South

Free men live here

Who are unwilling to yield

I kept the city safe

I am the Seven Hills

I am the neighborhoods

Community centers

Shopping malls

Churches

Libraries

I am the Bengals

The Reds

The incomparable Underground Railroad Museum

I am history

I am Findlay Street market

I am the best 3-way chili in the world

I am Montgomery ribs

I am the University of Cincinnati

I am Xavier

I am Sister Jean Patrice Harrington bringing Mount St. Joseph into the 21st century

I am Eden Park and the Conservatory of Music

I am Symphony Hall and the oldest opera company and one of the world's greatest teaching zoos

I am Spring Grove Cemetery

My dead rest in beauty and peace

I am Marian Spencer

I have watched segregation reign and have built a bridge between that island and the city

I have watched policemen

Shoot young black men in the back

And have watched my community respond, a people who once saved this city

. . .

I am the Cincinnati Western and Southern Tennis Championships, though I am played in Mason

. . .

I am not a son of a bitch like Kenny Blackwell

...

I will not use the color of my skin to cover the hatred in my heart

I am not a political whore jumping from bed to bed to see who will stroke my need

I am Mark Mallory

Talking to everyone

Walking with everyone

Listening to everyone

Leading by consensus, not fear

I am Cincinnati

I slaughter hogs and make soap

I am the biggest Oktoberfest outside Munich, Germany

Though I have been boycotted

I am not shirking my responsibilities to the next generation

I am finding a way to be great again

I am the lady in the fountain

Let my waters cleanse and refresh you

Let my waters heal

Together we can still save this city

This version of the poem was found in the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Oops, sorry for disappearing.

2006-10-17T08:36:00.000-06:00

I just realized that it's been more than a week since I posted anything. I've been a little busy. However, I thought I'd check in just to let everyone know that I'm alive and kicking, just a little bit swamped at the moment. Also there hasn't been things on the news that've got me all hot and bothered. Though, admittedly I haven't been paying all that much attention to the news lately. I think that I'm going through one of those cynical periods when I just suspect that despite everyone's best efforts the government of Canada is just going to screw us. I just looked at the news and I already see stories that I think are great examples of how the Canadian government fails us. For example, it seems that the government has been profiling people who make access to information requests, which, I agree with the Toronto Star, is clearly a violation of the spirit of access to access to information legislation. That's something that someone should say something about. I might later actually but right now I need to get back to working out a proof that I'm convinced is insoluble.

The second story that I would like to see gain a little more traction involves Corrections Inspector Howard Sapers' announcement that those of aboriginal descent face discrimination in Canadian prisons. It would be nice if the Tories would actually try to address these sorts of issues rather than denying them. Seriously, who actually thinks that Stockwell Day is more sensitive and informed when it comes to discriminatory practices in the prison system than a guy who's job is to spend all day examining the strengths and weaknesses of jails? I mean Stockwell Day thinks that once upon a time people hung out with dinosaurs. How ridiculous is that?

UPDATE: I finally solved the proof but it involved four layers of subproofs. Really, I don't know how that made it as a "practice" questions. Really, this is my fifth class on formal logic (not counting the two that I taught) and this took me some thinking and employing some pretty counter intuitive moves. I pity the fool who's in this class and hasn't had as much experience as I have with the material.

It's Thanksgiving isn't it?

2006-10-09T06:20:00.000-06:00

I've been so busy that I completely had forgotten that Thanksgiving was today (at least back home that is). Anyhow, happy Thanksgiving everyone. I'm thankful for the fact that the opposition parties were able to circumvent the Tories and vote for legislation supporting meeting the Kyoto targets. Hopefully, the opposition will continue to work together to be able to circumvent the Tories for all sorts of other things. That would be ideal.

Sometimes you just need an inspirational speech.

2006-10-08T12:27:00.000-06:00

How come there aren't great orators like Mario Savio anymore? How come?

Chronicles of Cincinnati: I think I hate hippies even more now.

2006-10-07T19:45:00.000-06:00

The music hippies next door are badly playing bongo drums and screeching. If there weren't laws against such a thing, I think I would already be going over there with a chair to throw at them.

Don't get me wrong I actually don't mind kind of loud neighbours. I mean my last ones used to sit in the backyard shirtless blaring AC DC until 4:30 in the morning and that really didn't bother me so much. Indeed, I saw it as an opportunity to blare ska music all through the night.

However, I do have a problem with tone deaf "music students" who have no sense of rhythm banging away and making tortured dying animal sounds. You would think music students would be able to keep 4/4 time. I guess not. And they said that there's a world class conservatory program here.

Just a Quick Thought: New environment plan.

2006-10-06T05:42:00.000-06:00

Has it struck anyone else that the Tories new plan to cut greenhouse gases is just to go around saying that they have a new plan? Indeed, their supposed plan will definitely not have targets, they've made that clear, and as of yet they have refused to provide any details as to how they're going to manage CO2 emissions.

If I were to use an analogy, I would say that the Ambrose plan to deal with greenhouse gases would be like someone saying they're going to quit smoking one of these days as they light up their 17th unfiltered Camel of the day.

1500 Posts!

2006-10-05T08:04:00.000-06:00

According to my blogger "dashboard" CP vs SS now has 1500 posts on it (well I guess 1501 with this one). I've really come a long way since I asked CP three years or so ago, "what's a blog?"

I think Stephen Harper is trying to do to the office of the Environment Minister what Ralph Klein did to health care.

2006-10-05T07:35:00.000-06:00

Here's a trick question for you. Imagine that you're at the helm of a fairly newly elected rather weak minority government and you hear that one of your party members is a publicly outspoken homophobe (and indeed is a lobbyist for a conservative Christian group intent on doing away with same-sex marriage). Indeed, he does things like publicly declare that supporters of gay rights are Nazis. Moreover, he has offended a major religious group by suggesting that their religious views breed terrorism. Now what do you do with this guy?

If you were Stephen Harper, you'd give him a job as chief of staff for the Environment Minister.

Now that just strikes me as asking for controversy. I mean, does the Harper government even have a vetting process for its appointees?

A documentary about the 82nd Airborne in Falluja.

2006-10-03T15:03:00.000-06:00

Since I'm pretty much just sitting around being sick today I was looking up random shows on google video and found this documentary, which seems to be made from footage shot by some embedded reporters with the 82nd Airborne during the beginning of the insurgency in Iraq. I thought some of you might like to watch it. I always find it interesting how the people actually involved in a conflict view their role in the grand scheme of things.

I hate being sick.... Though being sick does allow me to kvetch.

2006-10-03T11:33:00.000-06:00

Okay, well maybe they aren't killer germs but they really do have me feel like I'm dying. That might be an exaggeration but they make me feel like I want to be in a coma for the next few days. However, I've found one of the best remedies to feeling unwell is to kvetch incessantly. Since all my family and most of my friends are still back in Calgary. I've decided that I'm going to complain here.

My sinuses are congested to the point where it feel like there are little homunculi in my head and they're kicking the inside of my face trying to get out. Also said homunculi are impeding my airway so it's really hard to breath comfortably, at least through my nose. That being the case, I'm reduced to being a slack-jawed mouth breather, which really is an affront to my dignity. I mean after 100,000+ years of evolutionary history, you would think that the human race should be able to breath from their noses whenever they want to. Stupid germs.

Also I think I'm running a slight bit of a fever and whenever I run fevers I find that I can't think particularly clearly. I figured that since I was sick and unable to really do anything anyways, I could at least try to read ahead for my classes but my brain is foggy that I can't get any of the material I've gone over to stick. I spent the last three hours reading Aristotle over and over again and all I can remember is the word "graspiness". I don't even know what it applies to other than it is on the extreme of some spectrum regarding something or other. It's really not fair.

Also I've got a seriously bad cough and muscle aches. Two things that really don't go together well. I hurt and then I cough and the muscle spasms when I cough make me hurt more. All in all I feel like a victim of some sort of random beating by a unruly mob of little kids. It's not the kind of pain that one would have after being beaten by a full sized adult but the kind of pain that would result when a mob of 7 year olds overwhelm you and start kicking you with their little feet. Fucking rug-rats, always kicking my ass.

Ahhhh.... That was cathartic, I feel all sorts of better about myself now. That said, I think I'm going back to bed.

Just a Quick Thought: Sex toys are obscene?

2006-10-02T20:08:00.000-06:00

Earlier today I read an article in the Washington Post regarding the US Supreme Court refusing to hear a case regarding the illegality of anthropomorphic sex toys in Texas. Now it seems in some states, such as a Georgia, Texas, and Mississippi, you can only sell sex-toys that look like human parts for educational purposes.

I guess in those states it's viewed as obscene that you could use those things to pleasure yourself.

All I could think to myself was, what kind of educational purposes can a twelve inch dildo have? I want to find out so I can bring one in as a teaching implement for my recitations. I bet that would get my students to pay attention.

P.S. Also I thought it was rather ridiculous that places still have those kinds of obscenity laws. I mean if someone wants a big rubber penis for recreational purposes, so what?

Just a Quick Thought: Pat Buchanan on the Daily Show.

2006-09-30T14:47:00.000-06:00

I was watching some recorded episodes of the Daily Show from earlier in the week and I think I just heard Pat Buchanan say:

"They (Mexicans) cheer Osama in the stadiums there, they have a project and a plan, they are good folks, hard working folks, they're desperate. It's a dangerous situation."

There I just rewinded it and watched it again and that is what Pat Buchanan said. All I have to say is:

"Huh?!?!"

Jesus and Mo.

2006-09-27T04:25:00.000-06:00

Thanks to PZ Myers I've discovered what might be the funniest cartoon on all the tubes of the internets. Jesus and Mo amused me so much that last night was pretty much written off (instead of reading ahead for my classes as I had intended to, I spent the entire evening browsing the Jesus and Mo website). Now at the risk of getting people from two of the world's major religions wanting to stone me (and really since my time as an undergraduate I don't like getting stoned the way I used to) and at the risk of having all you kind folks wasting your time as well, Jesus and Mo:

Just a Quick Thought: The Republicans must really hate reality's liberal bias.

2006-09-25T19:37:00.000-06:00

Last night after I got home from Jackass 2 and had a moment of rest to allow my laughter induced headache to go away, I ran across an article in the New York Times discussing an intelligence report where 16 US intelligence agencies all agree that the war in Iraq has actually worked against the "War on Terror" (the NYTimes link requires a subscription so instead take a look at what ABC has to say). Apparently, as everyone but Republicans has been saying all along initiating the conflict in Iraq has actually given extremist groups a rallying point for recruitment. According to the folks talking to the NYTimes the national intelligence report has found that since the Iraq war begun terrorist organizations have actually been able to increase their numbers and their support.

When I read all that I couldn't help but think, the Bush administration and the Republicans more generally must seriously hate reality's liberal bias right about now.

You have to see Jackass 2.

2006-09-24T18:12:00.000-06:00

I just got back from watching the second Jackass movie with some of my colleagues. And I laughed so hard and so long that I now have a terrible headache. You know a movie is funny when you laugh so hard it feels like you've had a minor stroke.

P.S. I would venture to say that Jackass 2 is the funniest movie I've seen in two maybe even three years.

P.P.S. It's two hours later and my head and sides still kind of hurt from laughing. My face is also kind of crampy feeling. I must have laughed the entire length of the movie, and I don't don't mean I kind of chuckled. I mean, I laughed until I cried. If I hadn't voided my bladder immediately before stepping into the theatre I might have left a mess.

Just a Quick Thought: Isn't the presumption of innocence the fundamental principle of our legal system?

2006-09-23T14:26:00.000-06:00

I recently read that the Tories are planning to introduce a version of a "three strikes" law in the upcoming session of parliament. Now unlike the California law, being convicted of three felonies will not automatically lead to life imprisonment (and thank the Flying Spaghetti Monster for that) but what it will do is reverse the burden of proof regarding dangerous offended hearings. Instead after three felony convictions a suspect will be considered guilty unless proven innocent at dangerous offender hearings (which I guess could actually lead to people serving indefinite terms for perhaps a fairly minor crime like the California law).

Now, I'm not a legal expert, indeed I tend to have a fair amount of disdain for the legal profession, but I do, oddly enough, have a fair number of friends who are lawyers, in law school, or are legal scholars (I guess philosophy kids and law kids run in the same social circles). And many of them have expressed to me that the two things that set apart our modern judicial system from archaic, and often barbaric, ones are 1) trial by jury and 2) the presumption of innocence.

This makes some sense, it's hard to give someone a fair trial if you assume from the get go that they committed the crime. Indeed, isn't the idea of a trial nowadays to prove that someone is in fact guilty of what you are charging them with? If that's the case then starting off with the assumption that they're guilty is, as well as being a case of begging the question, seems to undermine the entire purpose of having a trial.

Furthermore, it is unclear that "three strikes" type laws are effective in doing anything other than leading to badly overcrowded prisons. So I'm not entirely sure why the Tories would suggest such legislation. It seems to me that this is one of those laws that will likely be ineffective and will cause more problems then it might possible ameliorate. I would go so far as to venture to predict that, if the Tories pass a three strikes law, it will be their version of the gun registry.

Universal HIV testing.

2006-09-23T14:03:00.000-06:00

Now normally I don't have much to say about the state of health care in the US. The fact that millions of Americans are without health insurance and as such unable to access the medical care they might require is something I find abhorrent. However, that said, I think there are some times when the US might happen to get it right. One thing that the health care system does get right is that it's much more efficient. I've had the opportunity (well I'm not sure opportunity is exactly the right word) to avail myself of the services of the health care system here and moreover I did go to a public clinic. When I was there I was surprised to hear my fellow patients complaining that they had to wait 15 minutes to see someone about their complaints. I, on the other hand, was just quite happy that I wasn't in the waiting room for three hours just to get a script for some antibiotics. So I will give the US system that, they are fast at providing service.

Another thing I think that the US healthcare system might be getting right will be the institution of universal voluntary HIV testing. Now universal HIV testing isn't in fact official public policy yet but the CDC has recommended universal testing and this apparently, while not legally binding, will pave the way to have such testing become standard and covered by healthcare insurers.

There might be some issues regarding possible invasion of privacy, especially considering that healthcare insurance down here is private and non-universal and that HIV infection still does carry along with it social stigma. That said, the spread of HIV is one of those things that can be easily managed when people are aware that they are infected. So having people be more aware of whether they have been exposed to HIV or not will likely do wonders in reducing the number of new infections. Moreover, antiviral treatments used to control AIDS, from what I read, are far more effective when they are used early on after HIV infection. So knowing whether one is HIV positive or not also would serve the interests of patients. Indeed, it could mean the difference between dying of AIDS or being a chronic HIV carrier.

Anyhow, I'm curious as to your thoughts regarding this issue.

A Quick Thought: UN and Darfur.

2006-09-19T20:02:00.000-06:00

The other day I read an article discussing Romeo Dallaire's suggestion that Canada should begin to set aside funds, mobilize troops, and lead an international effort to end the violence in the Darfur region. After reading the article it struck me that the situation in Sudan is one of the biggest failures of the UN. For years there's been an increasing trend of violence and conflict which has largely been ignored. Finally, in the last couple of weeks the UN has finally passed a resolution that will, if all works out, send 20,000 peacekeepers to the Darfur region. So hopefully some semblance of peace will be restored to the region in the near future.

However, I think Darfur still leads us to some interesting questions. For example, whether countries should act independently when it comes to peacekeeping. Now, normally I'm a guy who strongly opposes unilateral military action. Yet, when I think about Darfur, it seems to me that if countries with the inclination to help end the Sudanese conflict had acted prior despite the lack of a UN mandate that a great deal of suffering might had been averted.

So I wanted to ask you folks, what are your thoughts on the matter?

Does it ever strike anyone that the whole anti-smoking thing has gotten a little out of hand?

2006-09-19T19:51:00.000-06:00

I just read in the Toronto Star that Globe General Agencies, a company in Winnipeg that manages a fairly substantial number of apartment buildings, has decided that they will no longer allow smoking in their buildings. Now, I will grant that it's Globe General Agencies' business whether they want to allow smoking or not in their buildings and I'm sure there is a market out there for smoke free apartments. Also, I think it is kind of nice that people have the option of being able to get a place where they know they won't have to deal with any second hand smoke.

However, that said, it seems to me that on a more general sense the whole anti-smoking thing has gotten a little out of hand. It's one thing that people aren't allowed to smoke in public spaces but it's another when people are starting to lose the ability to smoke within their own residences. I remember Denis Leary once told a joke about how one day you'll have to hide in your bed under a blanket to be able to smoke (or something to that effect) and it's seeming like his prediction might come true for some folks.

Whatever your stance on smoking, doesn't it seem to anyone else that it's going a bit far when people lose the option of smoking in their own places?

I don't know anything about physics...but I won't let that stop me!

2006-09-18T17:30:00.000-06:00

In my last post Consigliere, one of the longest time readers of this blog (though one who seems to disappear for extended periods of time), left a comment asking me for my thoughts regarding a review of Lee Smolin's new book on Slate. Well, actually I think Consigliere was more interested in what I think about Smolin's argument that String Theory in physics fails to be a proper scientific theory and is more of a conjecture or is mere speculation.

First, I haven't read Smolin's book and, to be completely frank, I don't think I will anytime in the near future. Second, let me say that I know next to nothing about physics. Physics is just not my bag, I was always a bio and chem kid. I can't even remember if I took a single physics class in highschool. I know I didn't take any at the university level. However, what I do have access to are friends who are physics kids and philosophy of physics kids and I've actually talked to some of them about this topic. So I will comment more upon what I've garnered from my conversations than from anything written by Smolin or any direct knowledge I have about String Theory.

From what I've been told, some critics of String Theory, such as Lee Smolin, suggest that String Theory should be rejected for the reason that it should not be considered a legitimate scientific theory. Their argument goes something like this:
String Theory, while being mathematically consistent and providing explanatory value, makes claims that are in principle untestable. What these particular claims are, I don't know. The Slate article mentions the multiple dimensions posited by string theorists but there may be more things, I have to beg ignorance as far as this goes. However, I think that the charge against String Theory must cut deeper and go on to further argue that String Theory makes no novel falsifiable predictions.

Now, for those of you familiar with the work of people like Karl Popper, one of the most important properties that sets apart scientific theories from other kinds of claims is falsifiability. That is scientific claims and theories are things that can be proven false by potential/possible/actual evidence. A legitimate scientific claim is one that makes predictions which can be shown to be false by states of the world. This is important because falsifiability allows authentic scientific theories and claims to be tested. While we might not be able to get hard proof that scientific claims are true, we do have ways of discarding the crappy ones that are false.

Testability means that we don't have to take things by faith, that science doesn't simply become a system of doctrine and dogma, and that we have some means of keeping out appeal to occult forces when we don't have adequate explanations. For example, while in Freudian psychoanalysis you can appeal to the magical unknown desire to hump your mom to explain everything, you can't do that sort of thing in neuroscience. While pseudo-scientific psychoanalysis allows one to posit unfalsifiable entities (such as the desire to hump your mom that you are by definition unaware of) the legitimately scientific neuroscience doesn't allow such a thing.

Now, back to the main point, if it is in case the fact that String Theory makes no novel falsifiable predictions, then yeah it should be discarded as junk "science" like creationism or at least be down graded to a mere conjecture requiring more work before it could potentially be considered as a full bore theory. So if Smolin is right that String Theory is unfalsifiable (and some of my more physics oriented friends have expressed similar views) then he's right that String Theory should be discarded and it's proponents in the field of physics should be chided for spending so much time engaging in non-scientific speculation and arm chair conjecture.

I just had a bit of an unscheduled hiatus.

2006-09-17T13:47:00.000-06:00

For some reason I found myself to be particularly busy last week and never got around to updating the blog with new posts. Sorry about that everyone. I will endeavour to get back into a blogging routine.

Chronicles of Cincinnati: 5 hours that I'll never get back.

2006-09-12T11:37:00.000-06:00

I just got home from what could have been the absolutely worst experience I've had in Cincinnati so far. I'm talking about the orientation I had to go to as an international student (actually, I'm supposed to still be there but I just couldn't handle it anymore). First of all, it started at 8 in the friggin' morning. Who starts anything that requires attention that early? I mean, at least two-thirds of the people there looked completely shell shocked (especially considering that most of the people there are still dealing with jet-lag and adjusting to a new time zone).

Second, I felt like I was in the orientation for the special education students rather than the international students. The first presentation took half an hour to tell us all that the United States is different from our home countries. What?!?! You mean Cincinnati isn't like New Delhi, Taipei, or Rabat? Fuck off! Really?!?! The next session took about the same amount of time to tell us that life would be easier if we could speak English. You mean American's can't speak Mexican or Indian? Then they had a fifteen minute video with past international students who had to be mildly retarded talking about how glad they were to be in the US and how they could get jobs because of their excellent English skills (and how suprised they were when somebody said "That totally knocked my socks off"). Then we played volley-ball. Because, as you all know, volley-ball is the universal language in American academia.

Then they suggested that we go to a camp this weekend where we can talk to people from Latvia and line dance, because line-dancing with Latvians is going to make our experience in the US complete (they actually said that; I'm not making it up). Next they explained football to us. I guess if we didn't understand football we'll never be able to make it through our studies.

The only session that seemed like it might actually be of use for me was the one regarding US immigration policy. However, that video consisted primarily of someone saying, "blah, blah, blah but if you're a Canadian or a Mexican that doesn't apply to you, go talk to an international student advisor to find out what the regulation is for you."

Then we had lunch. Lunch would have been okay except for the fucking marching band blaring trumpets in my ear at full blast inside an auditorium that's smaller than your average living room. Every time I tried to take a bite of my sandwich I would get deafened by a off key note blatted by a hyperactive trombonist. I swear, if I see that trombonist anywhere on campus he's going to get his horn shoved up his ass bell-side first.

Then they were going to tell us about staying healthy, at that point me and the fellow Canadian that was sitting at my table decided that we'd had enough of this gong-show and left.

Seriously, there is something majorly wrong with the international student's office folks. I think their office might be too close to the parkade and the carbon monoxide fumes have caused some severe brain damage.

I knew there was a reason I didn't like Pope Benny XVI

2006-09-11T13:53:00.000-06:00

As much as I might have disagreed with positions that the late Pope John Paul II had regarding issues such as contraception, abortion, and a myriad of other things, I always respected him as a man who appreciated reason. In the papacy of Karol Wojtyla we find events such as the pardoning of Galileo and the declaration that evolution provided the best explanation for the diversity of life. Indeed, John Paul II on occassion (such as his speech on the centenary of Einstein's birth) suggested that he deplored the lack of understanding between Christians and the failure of the Church to perceive the legitimate autonomy of science. He also endorsed the view that science had its own autonomy, and the collaboration between religion and science did not violate the autonomy of either.

All in all, it seemed that the previous Pope, despite his clear religious convictions, understood the value of secular scholarship and valued science and reason as tools to understand our world. The current Pope, on the other hand, seems to have taken a page from the Kent Hovind play book in a recent speech and has suggested that science and reason deafens us from God.

When it comes to religion, I tend to think that people can believe whatever it is that they want as long as they don't try to impose their views upon others. Admittedly, I'm not particularly religious and I don't really understand why some people think faith alone is sufficient for making ontological claims. However, if people want to believe in omnimax bearded toga wearing cloud dudes, it's their perogative.

What does get my goat is when people attack human reason, rationality, and science, the faculties and tools that has made our current civilization possible. If it wasn't for reason, rationality, and the scientific method we'd still be living in an agragian feudal society with no freedom and dieing of plague and be all crippled from polio. I mean even the early Christian theologians and philosophers back in the middle ages saw that reason was the greatest virtue endowed to humanity. St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine of Hippo, William of Ockham, Duns Scotus, and a numerous others all wrote on the value of applying reason to understand our world.

The fact that Pope Benny XVI in the 21st century, a time that is supposed to be enlightened, would say something as daft as that we should be wary of science and reason blows my mind. How could it be that the leader of one of the world's largest religious organizations is being more regressive than those who preceded him by 1800 years?

Discussion Thread: Senate report regarding the reasons for the Iraq War.

2006-09-10T09:29:00.000-06:00

I've spent the last couple of days reviewing the report (note: the report is in pdf format and takes a bit of time to load) released by the US Senate regarding the reasons provided by the Bush administration for the invasion of Iraq. After actually reading the report I'd have to say that the media let the Bush administration off rather easily.

The authors of the report, why they don't explicitly say it, are quite clearly suggesting that officials in the administration lied about intelligence reports regarding Iraq's possession of WMDs and the Hussein government's ties to Islamic extremists.

For example, in page 63-64 of the report it is noted that intelligence analysts, in the time leading up to the war, the Hussein regime had actively pursued, arrested, and executed Shia and Sunni groups to "disrupt their organizations and limit their influence."

This sounds like anything but having a cordial relationship and having a state policy of providing training camps for Al Qaida.

Moreover, the report goes on several times to suggest that the CIA operated in a "reasonable and objective" manner in its analysis of the Hussein regime. It seems to me then that instead of placing blame on an "intelligence failure", the authors of the report believe that the intelligence was in fact accurate and it was simply misrepresented when the case was being made for war.

Anyhow, the report is actually a decently interesting read (for a government report), and I'd like to hear what you folks think about it.

Open Thread: Euthanasia

2006-09-09T16:57:00.000-06:00

I just read an interesting article in the Globe and Mail about a DIY suicide pill. It then struck me that it's been quite some time since euthanasia has been discussed on this blog, so I thought I'd throw up a semi-open thread and let you all have at it regarding this topic.

I think the Calgary Sun doesn't understand what the word "opposition" means.

2006-09-06T11:27:00.000-06:00

Today, as I was doing my afternoon perusal of the news (it's my little way of procrastinating and extending my lunch a little before I get back to the oh-so-exciting work of digging through all the recent articles published in philosophy journals to mine for potential future research projects), I came across an article in the Calgary Sun that made me think that some people really don't understand how democracy works.

What I mean is, the goal of a democratic approach to politics is the prevention of tyranny. We vote, have constitutions, and establish checks and balances because we don't want any person or group to be able to gain too much influence. To be able to prevent tyranny, in a democratic system, there is required strong opposition groups. That is to keep the government from doing what it wants willy-nilly, there needs to be opposition parties that represent positions and views that are different than the governments.

This is nothing new or exciting, anyone who has taken an elementary school civics class is familiar with everything I just said. However, it seems to me that increasingly people in the Canadian media, especially the folks who write editorials at Sun Media Corp have forgotten those civics lessons.

For example, in the article that I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Roy Clancy goes has an apoplectic moment and calls the NDP and the Bloc Quebecois opposition to the war in Afghanistan (in light of the recent rash of casualties and the friendly fire incident) "galling opportunism". In the article he goes on to ridicule the position of the opposition parties as "absurd" and views of the "loony left" and castigates Gilles Duceppe for making "political hay".

However, when you consider that a substantial proportion of Canadians, indeed in June an Angus Reid poll found that 54% of Canadians opposed extending Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan. That being the case, given that we have a representative democratic system, that some of the opposition parties would oppose the war in Afghanistan. Indeed, they would be quite remiss if they didn't. If a large number of Canadians believed that some position of the government's is wrong, then it better damn well be the case that some, if not all, the opposition parties should voice concerns and propose alternatives.

Such being so, I would say that it's one thing to disagree with the proposals of the opposition parties and to argue that they are not better than the government's plan of action. It is something else entirely to suggest that the opposition parties shouldn't propose alternatives at all or to suggest that they are somehow acting inappropriately when they do so.

Really, the folks at Sun Media should take some remedial courses in social studies.

One of those things I don't understand: firebombing of Jewish schools in Montreal.

2006-09-05T16:41:00.000-06:00

I remember back in 2004 I was aghast to have read that some one had firebombed the library of a Jewish school in Montreal. Now two years later it seems to have happened again. That's something I don't get. Why are folks in Montreal so apt to firebomb Jewish schools. I find it weird that there's any anti-semitism in Canada, I find it even stranger when anti-semitism leads to violence/vandalism.

I've never spent any substantial time in Montreal so I don't know much about the city. So perhaps someone can try to explain to me why it is the case that there's been two incidents of people chucking Molotov Cocktails at Jewish schools in almost as many years in Montreal.

International Me Day!

2006-09-04T09:20:00.000-06:00

Well it's official two more years until people can't trust me anymore. The funny thing is if my mom hadn't e-mailed me this morning wishing me happy birthday, I would have completely forgotten.

Chronicles of Cincinnati: It's funny how different people view the weather.

2006-09-03T10:26:00.000-06:00

One of the things that I've liked the least about Cincinnati is the climate here. It's ridiculously hot and humid around these parts. It seems that since I've been here the normal temperature has been between 86-95 degrees farenheit (30-35 degrees Celcius) with the occassional day that's even hotter. Also the humidity here seems to not have dropped much below 80%.

That being the case I've been pretty uncomfortable when I've been outside walking around. Really uncomfortable. However, today the temperature has finally dropped down to the high 60s (which is about 20 degrees Celcius), so it's finally getting to the range where I actually like being outside.

That being the case, I decided that despite the fact that I still feel pretty unwell, I would go out for a walk and perhaps pick a few things up at the drug store and the grocery. But when I went outside I noticed something that I found rather funny. While I was cruising around in shorts and a t-shirt finally feeling comfortable everyone else was wearing coats and sweaters complaining about how chilly it was.

I found that rather amusing.

Quick Thought: Illegal Immigration in the US

2006-09-02T15:20:00.000-06:00

I just watched an episode of Morgan Spurlock's show, 30 Days, where a guy from the Minute Men lived 30 days with a family of illegal immigrants in LA. Now that show got me thinking and it occurs to me that it's rather strange how opposed that some Americans are to illegal immigration. I mean it strikes me that the United States is founded upon illegal immigration.

I mean, it's not like the folks on the Mayflower submitted to interviews by the INS or Homeland Security. They didn't fill out the proper forms and wait for approval from the Americans of that time. They just hopped on a boat and sailed over. I mean they were the original boat people and they didn't just take away jobs from the Americans that were already here. They killed them.

Really, I think most Americans should appreciate illegal immigration and what it has done for them. I mean without it they'd probably be still be in Britain getting persecuted for their religious views.

Chronicles of Cincinnati: It's no fun getting sick.

2006-09-02T13:39:00.000-06:00

So far my experience in Cincinnati has been one marked by fun times and general pleasantness. However, I've managed to catch a fairly impressive cold that's had me in bed for about 16 hours a day for the last half a week. I must say that's absolutely no fun at all. It's surprising how little you appreciate having people around who can lend out a hand when you're in too sorry of a state to fend for yourself until you move to the other side of the continent and catch a cold. What's worse is that the three friends I've made since I've come down here are all out of town visiting family before classes start.

Oh well, I'm sure that no one wants to hear me whine and complain but you should all learn from my example and appreciate the fact that you have loved ones at hand that can make you chicken soup or pick you up some NyQuil.

Friday Random Ten: September 1st, 2006

2006-09-01T11:01:00.000-06:00

1. Slayer - Hallowed Point
What an awesome way to start off this week's random ten. Ah, need a moment to get my Slay on. So very good.

2. Bob Dylan - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
Wow, this song seems remarkably slow after three and a half minutes of Slayer. I like Bob Dylan but I think I might have to hit that fast forward button. This plus a double shot of MyQuil is making me feel a little drowsy.

3. The Toasters - Shebeen
I've only recently discovered Tthe Toasters but they've quickly become one of my favorite ska groups of all time. Now though I've recently discovered them, apparently they've been a band almost as long as I've been alive. They're an outfit from New York and they play some really good old school horn driven ska. If you don't give them at least one listen you're missing out.

4. DJ Dangermouse feat. Jay-Z - Dirt of Your Shoulder
It's surprising how good it is when you mash Jay Z and The Beatles together. DJ Dangermouse's Grey Album has to be one of my favorite hip-hop releases ever. Too bad that EMI are such sons of bitches.

5. The Smalls - On the Warpath
Ah.... Good ole Albertan punk/metal. It's too bad that the Smalls aren't a band anymore. Well at least Corb Lund is still recording. A lot of people think that Canada's band is the Tragically Hip. Now don't get me wrong, I love the hip, but I always thought that the Smalls should really be the ones considered Canada's band. They're that good.

6. Beck - I've Seen the Land Beyond
Beck has a lot of good albums but I think his best is one that most people have never heard of. Back in 1994 when he released his breaking Mellow Gold he also released an indie record One Foot in the Grave. It's a really good folk album. People really should give it a listen.

7. Ramones - I Want to Sniff Some Glue
Ah the granddaddies of punk rock. Now, this is a band that everyone in the universe has to like. Well maybe with the exception of Pat Robertson but really what does he actually like besides hippies that die for our sins? Really, I don't want my soul saved by someone who never took a shower in his life. Yeah, I don't know what that has to do with the Ramones but it's been a while since I've offended people.

8. Bob Marley - The Heathen
How appropriate.

9. The Tragically Hip - Last American Exit
Yeah good but not Smalls good. I mean I really like their song Wheat Kings (I liked it enough that I learned how to play it) and they have some really good albums but I do think that the Smalls should be the musicians that represent Canada. Well the Smalls or Gordon Lightfoot. Gordon Lightfoot is awesome.

10. Grateful Dead - Whiskey in the Jar
HIPPIES! Take a shower! Cut your hair! Hemp isn't better than nylon!

How are you celebrating no more Ralph day?

2006-08-31T12:42:00.000-06:00

Today is officially Ralph Klein's last day in the Alberta legislature as premier! Are you all excited? I know I am! So how are you going to celebrate no more Ralph day? Personally, I'm spending it singing and dancing. Maybe I'll get a pinata or something too.

What a glorious day, after 14 straight years of King Ralph's cuts and shenanigans, Alberta will soon get a new premier. Hopefully it won't be Ted Morton. Actually hopefully quite soon there'll be a new premier who isn't a Progressive Conservative.

Quick Thought: Bush vs. Ahmadinejad debate?

2006-08-30T09:17:00.000-06:00

I just read that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad challenged George W. Bush to a debate. Does anyone else think that if this debate were actually held, it might be the funniest exchange ever? I can picture it now.

Ahmadinejad: "We believe that atomic energy is a blessing given by God."

Bush: "If the Iranians were to have a nuclear weapon they could proliferate."

Ahmadinejad: "Iran is ready to transfer nuclear know-how to the Islamic countries due to their need."

Bush: "He was a state sponsor of terror. In other words, the government had declared, you are a state sponsor of terror."

Ahmadinejad: "Anybody who recognizes Israel will burn in the fire of the Islamic nation's fury."

Bush: "I was not pleased that Hamas has refused to announce its desire to destroy Israel."

Ahmadinejad: "no doubt the new wave [of attacks] in Palestine will soon wipe off this disgraceful blot from the face of the Islamic world."

Bush: "I would guess, I would surmise that some of the more spectacular bombings are done by al Qaeda suiciders."

Ahmadinejad: "We think the era of utilization of force and pressure in international relations has ended. Today, the will of the people will prevail, as it did in the election in Iran."

Bush: "I think -- tide turning -- see, as I remember -- I was raised in the desert, but tides kind of -- it's easy to see a tide turn -- did I say those words?"

Ahmadinejad: "Powerful Iran is the best friend of the neighboring states and the best guarantor of regional security."

Bush: "I'm the decider, and I decide what is best. And what's best is for Don Rumsfeld to remain as the Secretary of Defense."

Ahmadinejad: "Usually, you cannot prove that sort of thing. How can you prove that you are not a bad person?"

Bush quotes from: about.com
Ahmadinejad quotes from: thinkexist.com

Has anyone else thought that Ted Morton is stuck in the first half of the last century?

2006-08-28T16:25:00.000-06:00

I've been a little out of touch with Alberta politics since I've moved to Cincinnati so I'm a little late jumping in on this story, for which I apologize. But it seems that Ted Morton, the MLA for Calgary Foothills-Rocky View, has proposed a private members bill that, if passed, will allow marriage commissioners to refuse to perform same-sex marriages and allow teachers to refuse to teach the sections of the sex education curriculum that mentions homosexuality.

Now, considering that marriage commissioners and teachers serve as public employees when they perform their duties and that both the sex ed curriculum including material about homosexuality and the marriage act allowing for same sex marriage are facets of public policy, it strikes me that teachers and marriage commissioners, in their roles as public employees, should have to do their jobs in a manner that is in accordance to public policy.

It just seems ridiculously discriminatory to say that marriage commissioners have to marry any different sex couples who come before them and that teachers have to teach the parts of the sex education curriculum that applies to heterosexuals but when it comes to gays they can decide not to.

What's worse is that the bill has already passed two readings and, considering the overwhelming majority held by the Tories in the Alberta Legislature, I wouldn't be all that surprised if it passes its third reading.

Now, I know the Tories are calling this a freedom of expression and freedom of religion issue but it's really a freedom to discriminate issue. I mean from that kind of argument it seems that business owners can exercise their freedom of expression by refusing to serve black people. Being allowed to discriminate against a minority group shouldn't be protected by freedom of expression.

Aside from issues of discrimination one can extend Ted Morton's argument to cover things such as the freedom of social studies teachers not to teach the holocaust, or biology teachers freedom not to teach about evolution.

Seriously, I'm glad I moved out of that province.

Chronicles of Cincinnati: Is there any decent coffee?!?

2006-08-28T13:36:00.000-06:00

In the last few weeks I've come to fall in love with Cincinnati.

However, there's one thing about this city that has repeatedly disappointed me. Namely, the coffee here seems to be terrible. Indeed, I haven't had a decent cup of coffee since I've moved down here that I haven't made myself. I've checked out a number of the coffee houses around where I live and it seems that, while one of them has some really nice paintings for sale, none of them have palatable coffee. Indeed, if my tastebuds aren't deceiving me, it seems that all the coffee shops I've tried serve burned Folgers instant coffee mixed with ass sweat.

Granted I've never actually tasted ass sweat but if I had to guess what ass sweat would taste like it would taste like the coffee I've had minus the burnt folgers instant coffee mix. Furthermore, I can't even buy decent coffee beans, I've had to resort to taking the time to make my own blends so that I can drink some decent joe.

Now, to my reckoning, coffee is one of the pure pleasures in life (the other being sleep, it's too bad that the two are mutually exclusive; I would drink coffee in my sleep if I could). As such, I'm calling out to all the Cincinnati locals that might happen to visit this site. Tell me where there's some decent coffee to be had!

Open Thread: Blocking Internet Sites.

2006-08-28T13:11:00.000-06:00

I just read an article regarding the recent request made by the Canadian Jewish Congress to the CRTC to have an American neo-nazi website blocked in Canada. Apparently the request was denied by the CRTC.

This is one of those issues where I'm not sure where I stand. A part of me thinks that anti-semites are a bunch of scum fucks that deserve all sorts of bad things (such as punches to the private parts) to happen to them, the least of which is to have their shitty hate-mongering websites blocked. Another part of me thinks that internet censorship is a terrible thing and that everyone should have the right to express their views on the internet at least (though other people have the right to call them fuckmonkeys and start flame wars with them).

Such being the case, I was curious as to what you folks think about this.

The Root of All Evil.

2006-08-26T19:34:00.000-06:00

Replying to a post at Pharyngula a commentor made a quip about how Richard Dawkins' The Root of All Evil would never get shown on TV here in the States. He's right. I would doubt that the show would ever air in a country where something like 96% of the people declare to be religious. That being the case, I thought I would do my part and post the show on my blog for the handful of people who visit here. Here you go, it's in two parts:

Part I

Part II

Oh yeah, my Boston pictures.

2006-08-26T14:42:00.000-06:00

I had almost forgotten to post my Boston pictures until DOF reminded me. Here are a sample of them:

This first picture is just a picture of the street that my grandparents' house is on. It's nothing particularly spectacular. I just wanted to give everyone a feel for where I was staying when I was in Boston.

This is southwest of my grandparents' house in the South End heading towards Roxbury. Ten years ago this was an area filled with winos, crackheads, and drug-dealers. Now it's what I believe is Boston's gay (I noticed a great many guys walking hand in hand) district full of theatres, galleries, uber fashionable boutiques, streetside cafes, and coffee shops. I think this is one the neighbourhoods that really marks how much Boston has changed and improved in the last decade.

This is a view of downtown Boston taken from the Boston Common. It was always nice around here but even so, the buildings here still used to be kind of grimy. As you can see they all look shiny and new now. They're the same old buildings so my best guess is that the city of Boston had work crews going around sandblasting things to get rid of the grime.

Above is a view down Arlington Street. In the past this area used to be pretty abandoned. Though the UMass Boston campus used to be here, it was still a little sketchy. Now it's full of high end shops and restaurants.

Here's another picture I took while I was walking down Arlington. Remember this all used to be rather scuzzy and even a little bit scary. It's just really iPodish now.

Here's a picture where you can see the Tobin Bridge in the background. The bridge used to be an ugly metal monstrosity. It looks pretty cool now.

This is the building that used to be UMass' library. Now it's a steakhouse. This is perhaps the only bad change that I found in Boston. I mean who turns a library into a steakhouse? Sacriledge I say, sacriledge....

This used to be a red light district full of strip joints and "massage" parlours. Now it's a fairly nice shopping and theatre district. It's another one of those areas that really has changed for the better in the last few years.

All in all, I'm still rather blown away by how much Boston has improved in the last decade. While I've always loved the city, it used to be a little sketchy. However, now it's a rather nice place to visit with a great many sights and a ton of places to explore and wander around in.

The Differences Between Canada and the US: The Media Part I

2006-08-26T13:54:00.000-06:00

Being a Canadian that's freshly displaced into the United States, I thought that I would be in a particularly good position to comment upon the differences between the two countries that share the longest undefended (at least for now) border. While, I've actually been quite surprised by how similar Americans and Canadians are (other than peculiarities of speech it seems to me that Canadians and Americans really aren't that different), I've noticed that are some marked differences between various public institutions. One example is the media and it's coverage of politics, or lack thereof.

In the Canadian media one's almost inundated with coverage of the minutiae of the the Canadian political milieu. You often see articles or bits about the various debates that break out during question period and quite often you learn about various bills that are to be considered in various legislative bodies. Indeed, though Parliament is in recess in the Globe and Mail today you can read about the Liberals strategy for the next parliamentary session, an Alberta same-sex bill, and Ontario's ahead of schedule elimination of its deficit.

However, such is not the case down here. I've been here for a month and I have no idea what either the congress or the Ohio legislature is up to. And that's not for lack of trying to find out. Indeed, I regularly read the US Today, The New York Times, and the Cincinnati Enquirer. Yet, other than a handful of profiles on various politicos or the occasional passing of a controversial law somewhere I haven't seen any substantial coverage of what's going on in government. For example, in today's New York Times the only article regarding substantial political news is a piece regarding what issues will face the Democrats if they manage to retake Congress in November. All the other pieces in the politics section have to do with Hillary Clinton trying to find funding for Ned Lamont, Barack Obama getting a warm welcome in Kenya, or similar fluffy articles.

Moreover, if one just looks at the breakdown of the various stories that can be found in various news sources one can see a marked difference in the amount of coverage regarding politics. In the Canadian media, it does seem to me that political issues take up the most column inches. On the other hand, it seems that down here the topics that garner the most attention are sports, crime, and bad car accidents.

It strikes me that this lack in the media might explain a great many things, such as the apathy that so many Americans seem to have for the political process and the apparent ability of US governments to get away with things that would get a Canadian government thrown out of power.

Indeed, it seems to me that the traditional media coverage of politics down here is so weak that comedians like Jon Stewart or various political blogs are the sources you have to turn to if you want to have any idea about what's going on. Which really is a sad state of affairs in my opinion.

Friday Random Ten: August 25, 2006

2006-08-25T13:21:00.001-06:00

1. Goldfinger - Donut Dan
It's been quite some time since I've listened to Goldfinger. They used to be one of my favorite bands signed to a major label. However, for some reason I stopped listening to them. I really should listen to them a little more. They're still good even after all these years.

2. Bob Marley - Rastaman Live Up
Whenever I listen to Bob Marley it makes me want to live in Jamaica and be a rude boy. Now I'm fully aware that with my middleclass Canadian upbringing I would probably be the worst rude boy ever and would likely constantly get my ass kicked. Yet, that said, Bob Marley makes me want to be rasta and ride around on a vespa dressed all in black and white and cause havoc. I also know that Bob Marley really has nothing to do with the rude boy scene and really he should make me want to grow dreads and smoke weed but I've always thought dreads were kind of dirty and I grew out of my weed smoking hippiness years and years ago. Fucking hippies.

3. Sage Francis - Inherited Scars
Who would have thought that a slam poet/hippy would make such a good whiteboy rapper? Not me but Sage Francis proved me wrong. I really like how he combines hip-hop cadences with avant garde slam poetry wordplay sensibility to come up with political rap that would make Public Enemy proud. Really, there should be more politically driven rappers, I wonder when hip-hop went from being relevant to talking about bling and booty. I can't say that I think highly of the change.

4. Bad Religion - Change of Ideas
Bad Religion is my favorite band to see live. I've seen them play three times, each in large venues, but I would really love to see them play live again. I wonder when they're coming to Cincinnati next....

5. Corb Lund Band - Case of the Wine Soaked Preacher
It's surprising how good a country song about an alcoholic pedophile Catholic priest written by an ex-heavy metal bassist is. I would feel pretty safe arguing that Corb Lund is one of the best young Canadian musicians out there right now. Indeed, I think time will prove that Corb Lund (and John K. Samson of Weakerthans and Propaghandi fame) will be to this generation what Leonard Cohen and Gordon Lightfoot was to the baby-boomers.

6. Slayer - Here Comes the Pain
I need to take a moment to head bang and feel aggressive. Talk amongst yourselves.

7. The Velvet Underground - New Age
Velvet Underground is the band that I've consistently listened to for the longest. I think I first picked up one of their albums when I was 12 and I've liked them ever since. I'm not sure what it is about them that I like so much. I'm not sure if it's John Cale's discordant yet melodic guitar riffs or Lou Reed's story telling that gives VU their appeal. However, I know that there's few bands that can draw me in as much as they do.

8. The Weakerthans - Uncorrected Proofs
One of the things I like most about the Weakerthans is John K. Samson's tendency to make really obscure references. I kind of like having to figure out what it is that he is in fact talking about in his songs. It makes listening to The Weakerthans kind of a game for me.

9. Bob Dylan - I Wanna Be Your Lover
I always enjoy it when Bob Dylan plays songs that have a rockabilly feel. That could be because I like rockabilly music and I like Bob Dylan. Combine those things together and you can't go wrong.

10. Cypress Hill - Hand on the Glock
When it comes to Cypress Hill what I like has very little to do with the lyrics, which is sort of unusual when it comes to rap. Rappers are generally appealing because of their lyrical abilities. However, what I like about Cypress Hill are their backing tracks. There's something about strong bass lines mixed with a repetitive high pitched single note counterpoint that makes me want to nod my head along with the beat.

Friday Random Ten: August 25, 2006

2006-08-25T13:21:00.000-06:00

Blogging about Boston.

2006-08-24T20:41:00.000-06:00

I haven't actually been following the news all that closely (other than my daily perusal of the New York Times, which really is more about the crossword than anything) so I'm not entirely sure what's going on right now. I figure that there's probably some sort of kerfuffle going on in the mid-east, the Democratic party is probably involved in a crap load of infighting, and there's probably a new reason to rail about Stephen Harper or Ralph Klein but that's not really news and not really worth commenting upon.

That being the case, I thought I would take a personal moment and talk about my trip to Boston. Now this isn't my first time to Boston, far from it actually. As a child I spent nearly every moment when I wasn't in school up in the northern wastelands down in Boston visiting my grandparents. Don't ask me why my parents decided to give up on living in the city to live the wintry Hell of northern Alberta. It makes no sense to me either.

But, this trip was the first time that I've been to Boston in ten years. Since I reached adulthood (it's surprising to me sometimes how old I'm getting, only two more years to 30) I've tended to wander a little more aimlessly and far a field than going back to the neighborhood in Boston.

It's amazing how much that city has changed in ten years!

When I first arrived I almost thought that I had gotten off the plane in the wrong city or something. The Boston that I remembered from my youth was a two hundred year old city that aged very poorly. My grandparents live in the South End Historic District (to be distinguished from the South Boston rowdy Irish district) and ten years ago that place was a little sketchy.

Indeed, I remember that I used to not like to walk outside because, after two centuries of collecting pollution and city grime, outside smelled an awful lot like unwashed hippy or something equally as distasteful. Moreover, I don't think that I'm the only one who used to find outside a little disturbing. Indeed, if my memories are accurate, the South End, and much of the rest of inner city Boston for that matter, really didn't have all that many pedestrians in it. There were the occasional wandering wino but that was about it (now don't get me wrong, I actually quite liked the wandering winos, they always had a good story).

However, it was amazing how clean, vibrant, and rejuvenated Boston has gotten in the time that I've been away. They must have had work crews out there even washing the buildings. I haven't seen 200 year old buildings ever look so shiny and new. I really have to give it to Mayor Menino, he has really turned Boston around.

What used to be kind of a grubby smelly place filled with wandering winos has turned into a place where you want to wander look at the historic buildings, have coffee at various streetside cafes, and buy t-shirts of marines erecting a McDonald's sign from little independent boutiques.

Anyways, this post has run on a bit so I'll stop now. Maybe tomorrow, after I've gotten a good night's sleep, I'll post some of the pictures I took or something.

Back from Boston

2006-08-24T17:43:00.000-06:00

I just got back from Boston and I must say that I had a very good time. Anyhow, I need food and a moment to gather myself after today's travels but I'll come back online later tonight and tell you all about how much I enjoyed myself.

On Hiatus Again.

2006-08-15T12:18:00.000-06:00

I'll be in Boston for the next week or so. I probably won't have ready access to internet. So for the next while the topic of conversation here is up to you guys. Have fun!

The Daily Show rocks my world.

2006-08-13T15:32:00.000-06:00

Via Uncertain Principles, I was lucky enough to discover what might be the funniest sketch (of many funny sketches) from the Daily Show. Enjoy:

Cheek pads are wickedly awesome!

2006-08-13T08:26:00.000-06:00

Cheek pads are still wickedly awesome!

New Links Added.

2006-08-12T23:06:00.000-06:00

I was looking through the links section and noticed that while I've linked a number of science blogs I haven't linked many philosophy blogs. So in addition to hpb etc and the Leiter Reports, I've decided to add three more philosophy blogs to the list.

The first of theses is LogBlog, which is authored by Richard Zach. Richard, in addition to being a solid logician and a philosopher of math has the biggest vinyl collection that I have ever seen. He also taught me about modal logic and modal semantics back in the day, so how could I not include his blog.

The next link I added goes to Obscure and Confused Ideas. Now while I don't actually know the author of that blog nor have I read his blog very long, he had me at his post about analyticity in model theoretic languages. There's some very good and very readable posts there about a range of topics such as phil of mind, phil of language, and logicesque stuff.

Finally I added Norm Gall's site, Spookyblog. Norm is a great guy, as much as he might refuse to admit it, and is as sharp as a tack. He also has the world's best beard and more stories about being a member of the Canadian forces than anyone else that I've ever talked to.

All three of these blogs are well worth reading and I'm a little sorry that it took me this long to put up links to them. I've been negligent. Also I'm going to add a few more links but I didn't get around to it tonight.

Just a quick thought: Iraq

2006-08-12T15:35:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm living in the States I hear a lot more about Iraq, including meeting people who have had loved ones activated and sent there to fight. Such being the case, I've been thinking more about that particular conflict in the Middle East and it struck me that perhaps the best way of ending the current sectarian violence is to allow Iraq to organically dissolve into separate Sunni, Shia, and Kurdish states. Indeed, Iraq as we now know it is an artificial nation largely constructed by the British during the post First World War era.

What do you guys think?

The triumphant return of the Friday Random Ten (albeit on Saturday).

2006-08-12T14:05:00.000-06:00

Orac at Respectful Insolence has inspired me to bring back the Friday Random Ten. So without further ado, heeeeeeere we go!

1. Busta Rhymes - Whoo ha!
This is one of those I have no idea why I like. Maybe it's because it's catchy. I mean Busta Rhymes isn't a particularly good rapper nor is the music framing his rapping particularly good. However, I've loved this song for more than ten years. Indeed, I would say that it is amongst my favorite hip-hop songs. Oh well, there's no accounting for taste, even my own.

2. Simon and Garfunkle - Sounds of Silence.
Now this song is a classic. Paul and Art for some reason remind me of my mom. I'm not sure what this says about either my mother or the two singer/songwriters. Anyhow, this is a great song about censorship and oppression. Though I guess it's a little pretentious in that hippy hold hands with me and together we'll make shit alright way. Stupid hippies.

3. Beethoven - String Quartet No. 1 in F major, Op. 18/1.
Now there's nothing in particular in this piece that I have to comment on. However, I should note that there's nothing better to listen to while reading than Beethoven's music for string quartets. It manages to stay in the background without distracting one from their reading but it's lively enough to keep you alert during an eight hour stretch of going through articles about random boring crap like various accounts of biological homology. Seriously I don't know how comparative physiologists don't spend their lives in comas.

4. Hayden - Hardly.
In my opinion Hayden is the best contemporary Canadian folk musician. It helps that he's the only contemporary Canadian folk musician that I listen to. Anyhow this is one of the first Hayden songs I learned how to play. It's a great song about being shy and not knowing how to talk to the ladies, something that a bookish geek like me can really relate to. He also likes to go out for coffee. Coffee is good. Which reminds me, I haven't had my daily sextuple shot of espresso today. This song also has cello in it!

5. Dropkick Murphys - Gonna be a Blackout Tonight.
What's better than a punk band who has a bagpiper named Scruffy Wallace and who wear scally caps? Not much. Stores with cheap old books. That's about it.

6. Big D and the Kids Table - Draw the Line.
It's too bad that there aren't many third wave ska bands anymore. There's something about horns that makes music better. That's why I'm glad that Big D and the Kids Table are keeping the Boston ska movement alive. I just heard they got signed. So everyone expect ska to make a resurgence. At least I hope ska makes a resurgence. It's so very good.

7. Mad Caddies - Macho Nachos.
This is the song that has the best use of rests in my opinion. Especially when its played live. These guys have some of the tightest musicians that one can find in contemporary punkesque music. Moreover, they use a lot of horns and you know how I feel about horns. I mean they don't just have the normal ska trumpets, they have a full horn section with tuba, trumpets, tombones, and everything!

8. Bad Religion - No Direction.
I like songs about not subsuming one's will to various movements. Especially ideological movements. It should be fairly obvious that people should make decisions by independently considering and weighing options but it seems that's one of obvious things that many people miss.

9. Dead Kennedys - I Like Short Songs.
I do like short songs.

10. The Weakerthans - Time's Arrow.
This is one of the Weakerthans more emoish songs but whatever, it's still good. Also it has good use of mixing fingerpicked guitar with the pedal steel, which is something you don't often find outside of old school country music. For that reason alone I appreciate this song.

Chronicles of Cincinnati: Duttenhofer's Books

2006-08-11T19:01:00.000-06:00

I've decided that since my life is pretty much consumed with getting adjusted to living in Cincinnati (which in the large part involves getting acclimated to the ridiculous heat here), I would blog about my experiences moving to a new city and meandering about attempting to discover the things that Cincinnati has to offer a kid from Western Canada.

During my wanders today I discovered the bookstore that might be my undoing. If there is such a place as Heaven it would be Duttenhofer's books. I've discovered a bunch of cool little shops in the past two weeks of meandering about Cincinnati but today I have found the best store ever. And I don't just mean ever in Cincinnati, I mean ever anywhere.

Imagine a store where you can find a 1915 edition of Charles Darwin's Power of Movement in Plants for only $20. Or where you can find a four volume set from the 1940s of noted scholars from the philosophy science, political philosophy, social philosophy, and speculative philosophy for only $25. Also imagine that in the store you can get a 1941 edition of the collected works for Aristotle for less than $5 or a 1800s anthology featuring Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, and Wagner for only $15. Now that is paradise. Especially when you consider that the store has two entire floors of books such as these. In the hour I spent there I only made it down two aisles!

As you might suspect, I came home today with a backpack stuffed full of books (and only spent about $50) and I plan on going back to the store very, very soon (like maybe tomorrow after I do my laundry and clean the washroom). This store is going to be worse than that crack addiction that I've done so well in avoiding.

I can't stop thinking about all those great books.....

Open Thread: should Iran and Syria be involved in ending the Israeli/Lebanese conflict?

2006-08-11T08:08:00.000-06:00

According to an article I read at the moment the Bush administration is split over whether Syria and Lebanon should be appealed to to place pressure upon Hezbollah to lay down their arms.

What do you think? Should Iran and Syria be involved in the negotiations to end the current conflict between Israel and Lebanon?

One of those things I don't understand: Cuba

2006-08-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

In the last two week or so I've read a fair bit about Fidel Castro's illness. In this coverage I've noticed that one of themes I've seen repeated (primarily in US papers and news sources) is concern regarding who might replace Castro. This fits into a pattern of US reaction to Cuba that I've never really understood.

Considering that Cuba is a tiny little country which really is inconsequential in the scope of global politics, I've never understood why it has drawn such ire from the US. Sure there was the Cuban Missile Crisis but that was a long time ago and more attributable to the Soviet Union than to Cuba. Is it just a matter of proximity?

Lessons to be learned from the Roman empire.

2006-08-10T09:36:00.000-06:00

I once asked my friend Scott, who's a historian interested in Roman military history, why he wanted to dedicate his life to studying a society that hasn't existed for more than a thousand years. His reply was that though the Roman empire has been dissolved for centuries there are lessons that can be learned from them that are still relevant today. After doing a little reading I think I might agree with him.

One aspect of the Roman empire struck me as being especially informative when considering the contemporary socio-political milieu. In particular I think understanding the formation of the empire can lend insights regarding a number of conflicts that are the current crises around the world.

The interesting thing about the early formation of the Roman empire was that it was unintentional. That is, the early Roman conquests weren't about expanding the territory of Rome. Instead, the early Romans were responding to what they believed were threats to the republic. After a number of clashes with the "barbarians" the Romans felt that they were surrounded by potential enemies who were threatening to destroy their experiment into democracy.

As such they sought to create a buffer zone around their territory by having a military presence in the lands that bordered Rome proper. However, as the buffer zones held by the Roman military became Romanized the buffer zones had to be stretched out. This continued until the point that Rome was in control of much of Europe, North Africa, and the near east.

What started as an attempt to preempt enemy attacks became an exercise in colonial imperialism.

Now, from my experience you guys, the readers of this blog, are a fairly bright bunch so I'll leave you to draw the parallels between the formation of Rome and some of the conflicts that are occurring today. However, that said, it does seem to me that Scott was right, when one considers the history of Rome one can draw conclusions that are pertinent to events happening today.

The triumphant return of the Swine!

2006-08-05T14:08:00.000-06:00

Hey there boys and girls, it is my pleasure to announce that I am again back in the land of the cyberspace. Now, I'm a little out of touch, in the last week of trying to get settled in, dealing with the University, and exploring Cincinnati I haven't really had a chance to keep abreast of current events. So it might be a day or two until I return to the political and social commentary that I normally bore you all with.

Instead, I thought that I would update you all with how I'm doing in my new digs. It's a little strange for me to get all autobiographical on this blog but if one doesn't push one's comfort zone then one isn't really living.

Anyways, the flight here was pretty good, smooth flying without any issues regarding customs or with my lay-over in Denver (I was able to navigate the airport there without any real difficulty). However, there was one catch upon my arrival to Cincy. All my luggage, which included my bike, almost all my clothes, and my personal belongings, was lost by the airline. Apparently it was held up in Denver and wasn't able to make it onto my flight. However, my landlady sprang to my rescue when she learned of my predicament. She graciously offered to take me shopping and even bought me dinner (really, if any of you ever plan to move to Cincinnati or are in Cincinnati but are looking for a new apartment, you should consider a property managed by Sonshine Rentals, the staff there is awesome).

Other than the loss of my luggage (which has since been found and returned to me by the nice folks at United Airlines), my move to here has gone swimmingly. I had no difficulties having my electricity hooked up and my phone was set-up without any problems. I was also able to find affordable furniture without any issues (though I'm still short a table and bookshelves, if anyone in Cincinnati has an old table or bookshelves they want to sell, and are willing to truck it over to my place as that I no longer have a car, feel free to let me know).

Moving on, so far I'm finding that I'm quite rapidly falling in love with the city in Cincinnati. I had heard a number of horror stories regarding the crime rate and general sketchiness of the city but I've actually found this city to be quite beautiful and full of character. What I hadn't realized that Cincinnati is a city of hills and trees. If Canmore and San Francisco has a geographic bastard child, that child would be Cincinnati. Furthermore, Cincinnati has some beautiful architecture. Most of the buildings here and the houses seem to have been built either during the late 19th or early 20th century. They, unlike the prefabs that are the blight of Calgary, have the distinctiveness and character of structures found in the older cities of North America such as Boston, Philedelphia, and Halifax. When I walk down the street here I feel a sense of history and continuity that one doesn't get to experience in western Canada, and Calgary in particular, where it seems that there are very few buildings that survive for much more than 20 years before they're torn down in the name of progress.

However, it is the people that really make a city and I have to say that the people in Cincinnati are wonderful. I had assumed that with the crime rate and the American big citiness that people here would be fairly closed off but I was wrong. In the last week I've met some of the friendliest people that I've been lucky enough to encounter in my life. Most the people that I pass while outside walking and exploring have had a kind word to say and I've received an offer from a clerk at Target (which is a big box store down here for those of you unfamiliar with the US) to introduce me to some tattoo artists after I remarked that his tattoos were quite well done.

Also I've had to opportunity already to meet some of my fellow graduate students here at UC and some of the staff (I've been here less than a week and I've already been invited to a BBQ and taken for a trip to the local watering hole, a nice little place known as Christy's). And they've all been great, I've gotten to talk about fishing, shooting guns, random drunken silliness, and the ties between language, conceptual thinking, and notions of existence.

Really if there was a place that would be a paradise for me, it would be right here.

Anyways, I think I've ran on long enough and you all probably don't care about how much I'm enjoying Cincinnati, so I'll sign off now.

On Hiatus and One Quick Thought.

2006-07-29T23:32:00.000-06:00

In a couple of days I'll be heading down to my new digs in Cincinnati. That being the case I'll probably not have any access to the internet for a little while. I'm not entirely sure how efficient and prompt Cincinnati Bell is but if they're anything like the phone companies that I've had to deal with here in Alberta it may be a week or two until I get hooked up on the 'net again.

That being the case, I'll leave you with a thought that occurred to me a little while ago. I was driving down the street and noticed a 45-50ish looking guy driving rather rapidly in a convertible Mustang with the top down. When I turned my attention to him the first thing that struck me was that wind often serves to ruin one's comb-over and makes one appear more bald than one would regularly.

That being the case, it seems to me that while some might purchase convertibles later in life in a somewhat misguided attempt to recapture their youth. Driving a convertible only serves to make one appear old and somewhat comical.

P.S. Capitalist Pig said that she might post a few entries on the blog while I'm incommunicado.

It's scary when serious politicos borrow policy from satirical politicos.

2006-07-27T00:08:00.000-06:00

Today I read on Monsters and Critics that Washington D.C. is experimenting with installing rubber sidewalks.

Now, I'm not sure how many of you remember the Rhinoceros Party of Canada but they were a group of people who decided that it would be fun to run a spoof political party in federal elections (oddly enough in the early '80s the Rhinos did almost as well as the Greens have in the last few elections).

The Rhinos had all sorts of silly planks in their platform, such as instituting English, French and illiteracy as Canada's three official languages. However, one of the silliest ideas they proposed was that they were going to replace all the sidewalks in Canada with rubber ones so that drunks wouldn't hurt themselves when they fell down.

It's kind of scary that someone has picked up the idea that the Rhinos put down. Satire should imitate real life, not vice versa.

Just a Quick Thought: Middle East

2006-07-26T00:47:00.000-06:00

Stephen Harper said something that got me thinking. When he noted that he was against sending Canadian peacekeepers to help deal with the situation in Lebanon and said that he believed that a ceasefire would be better enforced by other countries in the region, I started considering the circumstances that face Middle Eastern countries.

Of course, Prime Minister Harper is right when he suggests that only other Middle Eastern countries would best enforce a ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel. One only needs to look at the insurgency in Iraq and Afghanistan to see examples of how outside involvement in Middle Eastern problems can lead to an escalation in violence.

However, that said, it strikes me that the Middle East often gets a rather mixed message from us in the west. We often do suggest that they should take more personal responsibility in dealing with security issues (which I think is right, peace in the Middle East requires the commitment and effort of Middle Eastern countries). But, it seems that whenever a Middle Eastern country displays a little too much independence (such as Syria, Iran, or the Palestinians voting for Hamas), they become international pariahs.

Four UN peacekeepers, including one Canadian, killed by Israeli bombing.

2006-07-25T17:18:00.000-06:00

In an earlier post I had suggested that it appeared from what I've read in the news that the Israelis have been a little indiscriminate in their attacks upon Lebanon (especially given the claim that they were specifically targeting Hezbollah). It seems, at least according to an article from the BBC that I just read, that it's getting worse.

Apparently, Israeli forces have killed a number of UN peacekeepers/observers by dropping a bomb into a bunker they were hiding in to avoid shelling (I guess the Israelis were previously shelling the UN troops.

I wouldn't go so far as Kofi Annan and suggest that the Israelis deliberately bombed the UN personnel. However, I will again note that it seems that the Israelis aren't particularly doing a good job of restricting their strikes to Hezbollah targets.

UPDATE: It seems that the bunker was actually on an established and marked UN base, which might explain why Kofi Annan has suggested that the attack was "apparently deliberate".

P.S. On a bit of a side note, it also strikes me that with all the attention turned to Lebanon people have seemed to have forgotten that Israel is also now involved in a military action in Gaza, which has resulted in much of the Gaza strip now being without water or electricity.

The Economic School of Thought Test

2006-07-25T16:59:00.000-06:00

This is a neat little test to see where you are on the spectrum in regards to economic policy. This is how I scored:

Mixed Market
30 Keynesian, 15 Chicago, 38 Austrian

You have some knowledge of economics, but believe the freemarket is unstable and/or unfair. You would make a good economics bureaucrat in a stagnating social democracy somewhere. You aren't hostile to freedom, though, and likely just want to make sure the right, just, decisions are made. In addition, you have just enough of a twinge of the "Austrian School" that you likely see some economic freedom as necessary. You like a mixed market, you have a concern for equity, but you're no radical.

My test tracked 3 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
You scored higher than 99% on Keynesian
You scored higher than 99% on Chicago
You scored higher than 99% on Austrian

Link: The Economic School of Thought Test written by WhigBrew on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

This summer's chart topper!

2006-07-25T15:25:00.000-06:00

George W. Bush singing "Sunday, Bloody Sunday".

Sometimes I listen to conservatives and can only respond with: "huh?"

2006-07-22T18:08:00.000-06:00

I think I just witnessed the worse example of fallacious reasoning that's been my misfortune to encounter. I was hiding in the basement to avoid the heat and was flipping through the channels. I stopped on CNN just in time to see some guy, whom I am unfamiliar with, say something to the effect of:

"By 2010 China will burn enough coal to produce the equivalent CO2 as 3.9 billion SUVs driving 15,000 miles per hour. The only solution that can effect change is a melding of capitalism and science."

How does China being environmentally irresponsible suggest that we should adopt a more laissez-faire economy? How would increased deregulation/less government involvement in the private sector lead to China not burning so much coal? Moreover, how will less government involvement lead to us burning less fossil fuel?

Really, I think the people hiring at CNN are doing an increasingly poor job screening applicants.

Name that tune!

2006-07-22T10:56:00.000-06:00

In the next little bit I'll be rushing around to get ready to move (I'll be heading down to Cincinnati in 9 days, which is an alarmingly short time to get everything together and ready). Such being the case, I'll probably not have the time or inclination to post all that many substantial entries. As such, I figure I would take this as an opportunity to put some fun stuff up on my blog. For example, this little meme that I got the idea for from Chad over at Uncertain Principles.

See if you can identify which songs the lines below come from. P.S. Using Google or any other search engine is cheating. Cheating is for chumps.

1. Til the men they couldn't hang stepped to the mic and sang and their voices rang with that Aryan twang.

2. Tonight the moon hangs low we walk it down on the country's death row.

3. The root of all evil is the heart of a black soul, a force that has lived for all eternity.

4. I was the luckiest 8-year old McCarthyist of 1979: I spent spring break on the flight line of a base in the Carolinas,

5. Winter dies the same way every spring as the sky tries on its uniform of turned off t.v. grey.

6. I can bench press a car, I'm an ex football star with degrees from both Harvard and Yale.

7. He's been all around the world on the big oil rigs with the welders and the trucks on the black gold rush and the diesel burnin' Cat motors growlin' in the mud.

8. All I know is you got no money but that's got nothing to do with a good time.

9. Early in the morning, risin' to the street, light me up that cigarette and I strap shoes on my feet.

10. Crooked was the path, and brazen was the walk: A cocky swagger, up the ladder, and could he ever talk.

I haven't memed for a while...

2006-07-21T17:44:00.000-06:00

...and I found a cool little one over a Pharyngula. Voici, c'est le free association meme:

The words to free associate:

# Video ::
# Fantasy ::
# Homework ::
# Crush ::
# Late ::
# Husband ::
# Soccer ::
# Wine ::
# Before ::
# Romantic ::

My answers:

# Video :: game
# Fantasy :: world
# Homework :: sucks
# Crush :: capitalism
# Late :: night
# Husband :: marriage
# Soccer :: ball
# Wine :: and dine
# Before :: after
# Romantic :: period

Conan is a hero for stem cell research?

2006-07-21T16:43:00.000-06:00

I just came across an article noting that Arnold Schwarzeneggar recently forwarded a $150 million loan to the embattled California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Apparently the Institute has been unable to access its funding as the result of, what seems to me to be, spurious litigation. This comes on the heels of the veto of the stem cell bill by George W. Bush.

It seems to me that it's a sign that the world is a topsy turvy when an ex-body builder/ex-crappy actor is more of a champion of science than someone educated at Harvard and Yale.

What I don't really get is why people get so upset about embryonic stem cell research. Now I could understand people might be upset if embryos were being created for the sole purpose of research. However, from all that I've read it seems that the embryos that are being used are left over ones from fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization. These are embryos that are destined to be discarded anyways. Either way they'll end up being destroyed. As such, why not have their destruction actually contribute to improving the lives of people that are suffering from various injuries or diseases?

Wouldn't that be the moral thing to do?

It seems that a fair number of people think so. Another article I read suggests that more than 70% of Americans actually support pursuing embryonic stem cell research. Moreover, from the poll cited in the article the support for stem cell research is in fact increasing. As such, I wonder why an ever shrinking minority has such power to hold up research that could benefit tens (or perhaps even hundreds) of thousands of people.

Something else I just don't get: Support for the Israeli attacks.

2006-07-18T23:11:00.000-06:00

I'm trying to get caught up on current events and I've read a few articles regarding the Israeli attack on Lebanon now. During this reading, I've come across a funny (not ha-ha funny but the strange kind of funny) duality in the response by world leaders to the attacks.

For the most part it seems that leaders of the ~~western~~ North American countries have expressed support for Israel. However, most those world leaders have also noted with concern that destabilization of the elected government in Lebanon might invite Syria to reassert its influence on the Lebanese government, which I guess is a very bad thing.

This seems a little strange to me, to in one breath support the attacks that are likely to destabilize the government in Lebanon and then in the next express concern that the Lebanese government might be destabilized to the point that Syria may regain control of Lebanon.

UPDATE: It seems that it's only really Canada and the US that are solidly standing behind the Israeli attacks it seems that the EU has called upon Israel to avoid a "disproportionate reaction" in regards to Lebanon.

Just a quick thought: Lebanon.

2006-07-18T23:03:00.000-06:00

I still haven't really made up my mind about what I think about the Israeli attacks against Lebanon (mostly because I've been fairly busy the last few days so I haven't been really following what's going on). However, it strikes me that it seems that the Israelis are being a little indiscriminate in their bombing. So far the claim is that they're not attacking Lebanon but are instead targeting only Hezbollah. However, it's been only been something like a week that they've been attacking targets in Lebanon and they've already killed 8 Canadians. I mean there can't be all that many Canadians in Lebanon and from what I've read about the people who were killed it sounds like quite a few of them are just tourists on vacation in what was one of the few countries in the Middle East safe for westerners nowadays.

There can't be that many tourists hanging out in Hezbollah strongholds can there?

A funnier video.

2006-07-18T12:28:00.000-06:00

Hugh Jackman makes me laugh.

18 neat tricks made possible by human physiology.

2006-07-17T23:37:00.000-06:00

I just found a rather interesting article via Fark.com. It illustrates 18 cool tricks that you can perform with the aid of a few quirks of human physiology. Below are a few of my favorites:

5. Clear your stuffed nose!

Forget Sudafed. An easier, quicker, and cheaper way to relieve sinus pressure is by alternately thrusting your tongue against the roof of your mouth, then pressing between your eyebrows with one finger. This causes the vomer bone, which runs through the nasal passages to the mouth, to rock back and forth, says Lisa DeStefano, D.O., an assistant professor at the Michigan State University college of osteopathic medicine. The motion loosens congestion; after 20 seconds, you'll feel your sinuses start to drain.

10. Unstitch your side!

If you're like most people, when you run, you exhale as your right foot hits the ground. This puts downward pressure on your liver (which lives on your right side), which then tugs at the diaphragm and creates a side stitch, according to The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Men. The fix: Exhale as your left foot strikes the ground.

16. Impress your friends!

Next time you're at a party, try this trick: Have a person hold one arm straight out to the side, palm down, and instruct him to maintain this position. Then place two fingers on his wrist and push down. He'll resist. Now have him put one foot on a surface that's a half inch higher (a few magazines) and repeat. This time his arm will fold like a house of cards. By misaligning his hips, you've offset his spine, says Rachel Cosgrove, C.S.C.S., co-owner of Results Fitness, in Santa Clarita, California. Your brain senses that the spine is vulnerable, so it shuts down the body's ability to resist.

I found the nose clearing trick works quite well.

What might be the funniest video on the internet.

2006-07-14T19:13:00.000-06:00

I just found what might be the funniest video on the internet. It's some dude from the Westboro Baptist Church talking about how much God hates America. It almost made me wet myself.

Open Thread: Reaction to the Israeli military action in Lebanon.

2006-07-13T22:44:00.000-06:00

As most of you probably know by now, Israel began a military action against the Lebanese several days ago. Considering that the Lebanese government is an elected one that is generally viewed as legitimate democracy in the Middle-East, I'm curious as to what people think about the escalating conflict between Israel and Lebanon.

Metablogging: Why do emo kids hate me so much?

2006-07-12T16:08:00.000-06:00

I normally don't blog about blogging. It just seems extra removed from reality. However, I was going through my hate mail, which is actually one of the most enjoyable aspects of having a blog, and I noticed something interesting. The group of people who has sent me the most hate mail are emo kids (mostly in response to an entry I posted about a year and a half ago). It's a old post but I continue to get hate mail over it (I think there's at least a brigade of the emo army that's gunning for me now).

I've said some rather mean things regarding a great number of people on this blog. I've poked fun at the current pope (which earned me 0 angry e-mails). Have suggested that at least a dozen people, some of whom I know read this blog from time to time, have inappropriate relations with various non-human animals (which also hasn't earned me any angry e-mails), and have even traded shots with bloggers who tend to send evil minions after people such as Vox Populi and Kate from SDA (I got about half a dozen angry e-mails and a number of angry comments over those incidents). However, it's emo kids that seem to get the most pissed off at me.

I don't understand why. I would think that emo kids would like the fact that I have in the past disparaged them. It gives them more reason to be sad. You'd think that they'd be grateful....

Sometimes I like to send traffic to better blogs.

2006-07-12T15:58:00.000-06:00

I just read a quite interesting post over at Uncertain Principles that I'd like to turn your attention to. In the post, Chad Orzel publishes a missive from a friend of his working in Baghdad as a journalist for a French wire service (I know at least one or two of you are probably chuckling as you read this). It's sort of neat to hear what someone on the ground over there has to say about the situation.

Open Thread: Fetal rights, a neutral issue or a round about way of banning abortion?

2006-07-12T00:00:00.000-06:00

Today I read an article noting that in several states there fetuses are conferred various rights. For example, in Wisconsin and South Dakota pregnant women can be arrested for drinking. In Utah a woman was given 18 months probation after she refused a Caesarean section and one of her twins died. Alabama has also enacted a law that allows the police to charge anyone who attacks a pregnant woman with two charges of assault. Finally Arkansas is considering passing a law that makes it illegal for pregnant women to smoke.

Even here in Alberta there's a law that allows children to sue their mothers if they were injured in utero as the result of a car accident.

What do you think about this kind of legislation?

Question for you: What does George W. Bush ranch?

2006-07-11T23:56:00.000-06:00

Today I was reading about George W. Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas and a I thought to myself, what does George W. Bush ranch? Does he raise cattle? From all the footage I've seen of the place there's never been any shots of livestock of any kind. If there's no livestock then can you actually call the place a "ranch"? I mean isn't it more of a really big acreage or an estate?

Open Thread: Geneva Convention rights for Gitmo detainees.

2006-07-11T23:44:00.000-06:00

I just read that the Bush administration has finally responded to both public and judicial pressure and has announced that they will grant the prisoners at Guantanamo the rights they are entitled under Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions.

I'm curious as to what you guys all have to say about this. Personally I think it's about time that the US government was willing to put their money where their collective mouth is regarding human rights.

I wonder what the religious right will make of this.

2006-07-10T16:59:00.000-06:00

It seems that researchers in Germany have demonstrated that one can grow sperm from embryonic stem cells. If the results can be translated to humans, the ability to grow sperm will provide a means for couples who suffer from male infertility to bear children that they are the biological parents of. This is all quite cool but what I'm curious about is how the religious right will react to this.

They've for quite some time opposed embryonic stem cell research because they believe it's a form of baby-killing. However, in this case the research is as much about baby making as anything. I wonder if the religious right will get all wacky about the use of discarded embryos from invitro fertilization procedures to make new embryos for people who otherwise wouldn't be able to have kids of their own.

I bet you they're going to have a total meltdown. It'll be awesome.

I've booked my tickets.

2006-07-10T16:49:00.000-06:00

Well I just booked my plane tickets for Cincinnati. I'll be moving on the 1st of August. It's actually starting to register now that I'm relocating half-way across the continent. It's a little intimidating but it should be an adventure. I've made a big move before, when I moved to Calgary from Fort McMurray 9 years ago. However, this move seems a lot bigger. When I came to Calgary I at least had several friends who were moving here as well. This time I'll be moving to a city where I don't really know anybody. Furthermore, while I've spent a fair amount of time in the US, I haven't actually lived there before. It should be quite interesting.

I think Adam Carolla might be my new hero.

2006-07-09T23:33:00.000-06:00

As most of you probably know, I'm not a particularly a big fan of Ann Coulter. I was never one to think all that highly of people who make a name for themselves by angrily screeching fallacious (and sometimes incoherently stupid) arguments about things they seem to know very little about. So you can imagine the joy that was brought to my schadenfreude filled heart (my schadenfreude filled heart was also quite joy filled the day she almost got pied) to hear that Adam Carolla, on his show, gave Coulter the treatment that she so deserved:

ADAM CAROLLA: Ann Coulter, who was suppose to be on the show about an hour and a half ago, is now on the phone, as well. Ann?

ANN COULTER: Hello.

CAROLLA: Hi Ann. You’re late, babydoll.

COULTER: Uh, somebody gave me the wrong number.

CAROLLA: Mmm… how did you get the right number? Just dialed randomly — eventually got to our show? (Laughter in background)

COULTER: Um, no. My publicist e-mailed it to me, I guess, after checking with you.

CAROLLA: Ahh, I see.

COULTER: But I am really tight on time right now because I already had a —

CAROLLA: Alright, well, get lost.

Yes, everyone should hang-up on Ann Coulter.

P.S. I found this over at Crooks and Liars, where they have an audio clip of this exchange.

Italy has won the World Cup!!!

2006-07-09T14:48:00.000-06:00

The team that I've cheered for throughout the World Cup has won! Though I was pulling for the Italians throughout the tourney, I did so more out of my love of the country (as long time readers of this blog probably know, I've always thought that I was meant to be an Italian) and never thought they'd actually win.

I had expected that Portugal or Brazil would take it. When both those teams were eliminated I thought that Zidane and Henry would lead the French to victory. However, through a late substitution and a moment of complete idiocy, both Henry and Zidane were removed from the game.

In the end, it didn't matter. Italy managed to capitalize on a terrible penalty kick from Trezeguet that hit the crossbar and pull through to beat the French for the first time in more than 30 years to pull off a stunning last minute win.

It was sweet.

Even I think that my geekiness might be getting out of control.

2006-07-08T23:18:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I got bored writing about how a capacity based account of biological function is one that better addresses intuitions had by physiologists and morphologists (which is already a geeky enough endeavour), so I decided to make a new blog for a bit of a distraction. That might have been the geekiest thing that I've ever done. I actually had fun slogging through and manipulating lines of HTML....

Anyways, if you care to take a look at what I created you can check out The Inanity Depot. I'm not sure if I'm actually going to do anything with it, but I found it kind of amusing (which is also quite geeky).

A Quick Thought: Historical Similarities.

2006-07-08T22:48:00.000-06:00

Today, after my run I watched a documentary on the founding of Rome. As I was watching the show, a thought struck me. There some interesting similarities between Rome and the United States right now. Consider that both states managed to maintain a nearly unopposed hegemony across the world. Both managed to control pretty much what happened outside of China and Russia.

However, despite all this power both seem(ed) to really have a hard time with dealing with religious zealots in the Middle East.

We should ignore Ralph Klein because he's about as far right as you can go....

2006-07-06T07:07:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I read an article in the Ottawa Citizen that reminds me of another reason why I don't particularly like Ralph Klein.

In the article Klein is noted as suggesting that we should ignore Al Gore's concerns regarding the environmental impacts of the Alberta oilsands industry because Gore is "about as far left as you can go." If you ask me, it's this refusal to address criticism, or to even acknowledge differing views that's been the greatest weakness of the Klein government.

It seems to me, regardless of how far left leaning Al Gore is, we should be concerned by the long term impacts of digging up hundreds of square kilometres of old growth boreal forest. We should also be a little concerned about the fact that removing the oil from the oilsands involves tainting millions of litres of freshwater which ends up in tailing ponds which either risks the polluting of ground water or at the very least results in the removal of water from the aquifers (in a time where fresh drinking water is in danger of becoming scarce). Again, completely independent of Al Gore's political views, it seems that there's reason for us to worry about things such as the unusually high cancer rates in communities, such as Fort Chipewyan, that are unlucky enough to find themselves down stream of the oilsands plants. Last but not least, with the ever increasing rates of climate change and the shrinking reserves of natural gas, we might want to think about the amount of it that gets burned by the oilsands plants to generate the steam required to refine bitchumen.

And how does the supposed leader of this province suggest that we should deal with these concerns? He suggests that we should ignore them because Al Gore is too liberal. Oh well, I guess at least Ralph Klein didn't get drunk, berate homeless people, used an official trip as an opportunity to go gamble at a casino, or threw any books at people on his trip to Washington.

Ask Vladamir Putin....

2006-07-05T00:38:00.000-06:00

It's kind of a slow news/politics day. Indeed, given that Parliament is on their summer holiday, it might be a slow news/politics several weeks. So today I decided that instead of commenting on things in the news, I'd aim you all towards a cool little feature at the BBC's website where you can post questions to Russian President Putin. Apparently, he's supposed to answer some of them on air on Thursday (though I guess with the time difference that's pretty soon).

On a kind of related note, if you could ask any political figure a question, who would you approach and what question would you ask them?

Open Thread: GST cut.

2006-07-04T00:22:00.000-06:00

It just occurred to me that for the last three days the GST has been only 6%. Has anyone noticed any difference yet? I must admit that I haven't at all....

Requested Post: separation between church and state.

2006-07-03T00:19:00.000-06:00

First I have to apologize to Jim for taking so long to respond to his request. I've spent the last couple of days formulating a discussion regarding Hox genes as being examples of well characterized genes with an important influence on the expression of complex structural traits. However, I finished that little project and now I have a little bit of time to respond to the article that Jim Calder asked me to.

Much of the article is spent providing the reasons the author believes that religion should be appealed to in the political arena. I'm not going to say much about this issue. The way it strikes me is that the author's main argument is that the state, like all institutions, is an instrument of some religious deity in its pursuit of yadda-yadda. That's just superstitious nonsense and I don't have much of a response to it other than to say there's no reason to buy an argument based upon divine intent unless you already buy that sort of argument beforehand.

What is interesting to me are a few comments made by the author of the article regarding the political left. I must admit as much as I do support the notion that church and state should remain as discreet as possible I on this blog, in the last election, endorsed a candidate who is a Franciscan friar. So am I, an opponent of the influence of the religious right a supporter of the religious left?

The answer is no. I don't think that religious convictions should be appealed to influence public policy. Even when that influence is in favour of a position that I agree with. I think that religion should have no direct influence upon government. Policy should never be decided through consideration of religious viewpoints. This is because religious viewpoints (which are to be distinguished by views held by religious people) are in some manner based upon a nonrational belief structure. Faith at its core is not a matter of reason, evidence, argument, or anything of that manner. That doesn't mean that religious folks don't have rational beliefs about their religious views. It's just that views based upon a dogma or doctrine that has at its foundation a nonrational belief about the properties of some supposed deity, at the end of the day, are just suppositions based upon the brute acceptance of some religious position.

As such, even when people are finding support for what I believe to be the right course of action in their religious beliefs, I would argue that they are wrong. Perhaps not wrong about what they believe is right but wrong about the reasons they think it is right.

That being the case, drawing from the author of the article's own example, if the United Church supports same-sex marriage because they believe that God demands it, I would say that they are wrong. However, if the United Church supports same sex marriage because they thought that to prevent the tyrrany of the majority in a democratic system that all minorities must be allowed access to all the public institutions that the majority group can avail themselves of then I would agree with them.

Happy Canada Day!!!

2006-07-01T10:25:00.000-06:00

Requested Post: UN Reform.

2006-06-30T17:33:00.000-06:00

I know I took my sweet time doing it but now I'm actually going to post on the topics that you guys requested starting with the Impulsivecompulsive's topic of UN reform.

Actually this is a topic that I've thought about quite a bit. However, I'm not sure that I have any satisfactory answers regarding how I think the UN should be reformed to make it more effective.

The problem that I can see is that the UN has no means of enforcing its will independent of its member nations. In most cases, in the realm of international relations, countries deal with the intransigency of other nations through the use of either or both economic or military clout. The UN has neither.

This I think leads to the UN's greatest challenge, namely the Security Council. The UN, though its lack of real independent influence requires has to keep the world's more powerful nations, such as the US, Russia, China, France, and Britain happy (or at least needs them to lend their weight behind the UN's decisions).

The problem is that the above listed countries don't get along and furthermore some of them aren't particularly interested in protecting human rights. As such, I'm not sure how one might fix the UN. It just seems that their are some inherent constraints that work against any organization such as the UN.

The only thing that I think could remedy many of the problems regarding the UN is an increase in the willingness of the permanent members of the Security Council to cooperate and an increase in the Security Council's commitment to protect human rights.

How this is to be achieved is something that's beyond me.

A question for you all.

2006-06-28T00:23:00.000-06:00

There's something I don't understand. Why do libertarians support the Republican party? This makes no sense to me at all.

Six months ago didn't it seem that peace was about to break out?

2006-06-28T00:10:00.000-06:00

It always surprises me a little how quickly the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians can escalate. If I remember correctly not much more than six months ago Ariel Sharon's government and the Fatah party were talking peace. The Israelis were pulling out of Palestinian terrority and the Palestinians seemed to ready to stop the various attacks on Israeli border settlements. Now, it seems that all hell is ready to break loose. Hamas is refusing to acknowledge Israel, the Israelis have launched a major operation into Gaza.

It almost seems like the universe is conspiring against there ever being peace in the Middle East.

Now I get more letters to add to the alphabet soup after my name....

2006-06-27T16:22:00.000-06:00

I'm happy to say that I have passed my thesis defense. Moreover, it seems that my committee felt that there are only three revisions that I need to make, two of which are rather minor and would take me maybe an hour (one involves a little more but it just involves clarifying one of my positions a little more).

It feels surprisingly good to be done. Actually when I walked out of the room, even before I was notified of my committee's verdict, I experienced the kind of relief that must be kind of similar to what one must feel after successfully passing a kidney stone. Months of pain and suffering suddenly assuaged in an instant.

It's so good to be done....

Ahhhh.... I'm finally ready....

2006-06-26T03:40:00.000-06:00

As of this moment, I've completed all my literature reviewing and have written up my introductory spiel for my thesis oral defense. I'm actually a little impressed with myself, I managed to reread about 600 pages and write five in less than a week. Indeed, I still have 31 hours to spare before my defense starts.

Though I guess that's offset by the fact that I located a number of grammatical errors in one of my chapters that snuck past my proof reading.... And that I realized that also in that chapter my arguments require further fleshing out.... But on the brightside I get a ten minute spiel where I can include the stuff that I neglected to include in the draft of the written version that I submitted to my committee (the crappy thing though is that I'll probably have to include revisions after my defense).

UPDATE: 12 hours until my defense.... Wish me luck (I know the material down pat but now I just have to get over the stage fright and the nerves).

Open Thread: The Sears Tower Bombing Plot.

2006-06-23T14:12:00.000-06:00

I'm actually a fair bit behind on where I want to be for my pre-defense preparations so I'm a bit too busy to write the posts that you guys requested. I will write them as soon as I get caught up with my reading. So to keep everyone occupied I thought I'd post an open discussion thread regarding the seven guys who were picked up in Florida for planning to blow up the Sears Tower. One possible topic of discussion might regard racial profiling. I've heard a ton of people suggest that we need to employ racial profiling to prevent terrorism but in this case (as with several others) focussing on those of Arabic descent would have missed the suspected terrorists.

I should have started preparing earlier....

2006-06-22T12:54:00.000-06:00

Now that I'm into my second day of my intensive reading programme to prepare for my MA defense, I've come to realize that I really should have started earlier so I wouldn't have so much to read each day. As a matter of practicality I've decided that I can't actually review every single one of my references but even if I only go over the 20 or so that play a major role in my thesis, that's still 4 articles a day and I still have to come up with a 10 minute introductory spiel. Stupid procrastination.... It leads to so much suffering. I feel like I'm an undergrad again cramming for exam. I need more caffeine.....

Preparing for my MA defense is no fun at all....

2006-06-22T00:42:00.000-06:00

Next Tuesday I get to experience the Hell on Earth otherwise known as my MA oral defense. As such I've spent the day going through all the papers and books I referred to in my thesis so that I won't make any mistakes attributing views to people. These are all the articles and books that I referred to:

1. Allen C. (1995). Biological Function and Recent Selection. Philosophy and Science. 62:609-622.

2. Bigelow J. Pargetter R. (1987). Functions. The Journal of Philosophy. 84(4):181-196.

3. Boorse C. (1976). Wright on Functions. Philosophical Review. 85:70-86.

4. ------------. (1977). Health as a Theoretical Concept. Philosophy of Science. 44(4): 542-573.

5. Buller DJ. (1999). Natural Teleology. In: Buller DJ. (Ed.) Function Selection and Design. State University of New York Press. Albany, NY:1-27.

6. ------------. (1998). Etiological Theories of Function: A Geographical Survey. Biology and Philosophy. 13:205-527.

7. Cummins R. (1975). Functional Analysis. The Journal of Philosophy. 72(20):741-765.

8. Davies PS. (1994). Troubles for Direct Proper Functions. Nous. 28(2):363-381.

9. ------------. (2000). The Natural of Natural Norms: Why selected functions are systemic capacity functions. Nous. 34(1):85-107.

10. ------------. (2000a). Malfunctions. Biology and Philosophy. 15:19-38.

11. ------------. (2003). The Norms of Nature. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA.

12. Dial KP. (2003). Wing-Assisted Incline Running and the Evolution of Flight. Science. 299(5605):402-404.

13. Einstein A. (1905). On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies. Annalen der Physik. 17:891-921.

14. Eldredge N. (1970). Alternative Approaches to Evolutionary Theory. In: Schwartz JH. Rollins HB. (Eds.) Models and Methodologies in Evolutionary Theory, Bulletin of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. 13:7-19.

15. Friedman M. (1974). Explanation and Scientific Understanding. Journal of Philosophy. 71: 5-19.

16. Gale R. (1965). Why a Cause Cannot be Later than its Effects. Review of Metaphysics. 19: 209-234.

17. Galilei G. (1952). Drake S. (Trans). Dialogue Concerning the Chief World Systems. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA.

18. ------------. (1974). Drake S. (Trans). Two New Sciences. University of Wisconsin Press. Madison, WI.

19. Godfrey-Smith P. (1994). A Modern History Theory of Functions. Nous. 28(3):344-362.

20. Gould SJ. (1988). Trends as Changes in Variance: A new slant on progress and directionality in evolution. Journal of Paleontology. 62(3):319-329.

21. Gould SJ. Lewontin RC. (1979). The Spandrels of San Marco and the Panglossian Paradigm: A critique of the adaptationist programme. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. 205:581-598.

22. Gould SJ. Vrba E. (1982). Exaptation: a missing term in the science of form. Paleobiology. 8:4-15.

23. Griffiths PE. (1993). Functional Analysis and Proper Functions. British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. 44(3):409-418.

24. Halstead LB. (1969). The Pattern of Vertebrate Evolution. Oliver and Bord. Edinburgh, UK.

25. Hempel CG. Oppenheim P. (1948). Studies in the Logic of Explanation. Philosophy of Science. 15(2):135-175.

26. Hempel CG. (1965). "The logic of functional analysis," in Hempel CG. (Ed.) Aspects of Scientific Explanation and other Essays in the Philosophy of Science. Free Press. New York, New York:331-496 .

27. Kandel ER. Schwartz JH. Jessell TM. (2000). Principles of Neural Science: Fourth Edition. McGraw-Hill. New York, NY.

28. Kingsolver JG. Koehl MAR. (1985). Aerodynamics, Thermoregulation, and the Evolution of Insect Wings: Differential scaling and evolutionary change. Evolution. 39:488-504.

29. Lauder GV. (1994). Homology, Form, and Function. In: Hall BK. (Ed.) Homology: The hierarchical basis for comparative biology. Academic Press, Inc. San Diego, CA:151-196.

30. Long CA. Zhang GP. George TF. (2003). Physical Theory, Origin of Flight, and a Synthesis Proposed for Birds. Journal of Theoretical Biology. 224(1):9-26.

31. Mayr E. (1962). Accident or design: The paradox of evolution. In: Leeper EGW (Ed.) The Evolution of Living Organisms. Melbourne University Press. Melbourne, VIC:1-14.

32. Mellor DH. (1991). Causation and the Direction of Time. Erkenntnis. 35:191-203.

33. Mendel G. (1865). Experiments in Plant Hybridization. Internet: http://www.mendelweb.org/Mendel.html

34. Millikan R. (1999). In Defense of Proper Functions. In: Buller DJ. (Ed.) Function, Selection, and Design. State University of New York Press. Albany, NY:85-95.

35. ------------. (1999a). An Ambiguity in the Notion ‘Function’. In: Buller DJ. (Ed.) Function Selection and Design. State University of New York Press. Albany, NY:115-121.

36. Nagel E. (1977). Functional Explanations in Biology. The Journal of Philosophy. 74(5):280-301.

37. ------------. (1977a). Goal-Directed Processes in Biology. The Journal of Philosophy. 74(5):261-279.

38. Neander K. (1991). Function as Selected Effects: The conceptual analyst’s defense. Philosophy of Science. 58(2):168-184.

39. Newton I. (1999). Cohen IB. Whitman A. (Trans.) The Principia: Mathematical principles of natural philosophy. University of California Press. Berkeley, CA.

40. Oyama S. Griffiths P. Gray RD. (2001). Cycles of contingency: Developmental systems and evolution. MIT Press. Cambridge, MA.

41. Pautard FGE. (1961). Calcium, Phosphorus, and the Origin of Backbones. New Scientist. 12:364-366.

42. ------------. (1962). The Molecular-Biologic Background to the Evolution of Bone. Clinical Orthopaedics. 24:230-244

43. Preston E. (1998). Why is a Wing Like a Spoon? A pluralist theory of functions. The Journal of Philosophy. XCV:215-254.

44. Prum RO. Brush AH. (2002). The Evolutionary Origin and Diversification of Feathers. The Quarterly Review of Biology. 77(3):261-295.

45. Putnam H. (1970). Is Semantics Possible?. Metaphilosophy. 1:139-152.

46. Raven P. Johnson G. (1986). Biology. Times, Mirror/Mosby College Publishing. New York, NY.

47. Romer AS. (1963). The ‘Ancient History’ of Bone. Annals of the New York Academy of Science. 109:168-176.

48. Ruse M. (1996). Monad to Man: The concept of progress in evolutionary biology. Harvard University Press. Cambridge, MA.

49. Schwartz PH. (1999). Proper Function and Recent Selection. Philosophy of Science. 66(proceedings):S210-S222.

50. Tattersall I. (1998). Becoming Human: Evolution and Human Uniqueness. Harcourt Brace. New York, NY.

51. Van Fraasen B. (1977). The Pragmatics of Explanation. American Philosophical Quarterly. 14: 143- 150.

52. Wagner GP. (1989). The Biological Homology Concept. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 20:51-69.

53. Watson JD. Crick FHC. (1953). Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids. Nature. 4356:737-738.

54. Wright L. (1973). Functions. The Philosophical Review. 82(2):139-168.

Today I've read so much that my face has gone numb. Have you ever had the experience where you've consumed so much booze that you're on the border of alcohol poisoning? Well the strange tingly feeling you get in your face when that happens is how my face feels like now. And I stopped reading a couple of hours ago....