tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35210722656404270722024-02-08T13:18:18.648-05:00Atheist Physics TeacherIdeas and rants from a high school physics teacher.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-30907853543306219112011-03-31T20:50:00.001-04:002011-03-31T20:52:34.402-04:00Should NPR Receive Federal Funding? Maybe not.Follow this link to NPR's Planet Money website and listen to Friday's podcast: <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/03/28/134863998/the-friday-podcast-economists-on-federal-funding-for-npr">The Friday Podcast: Economists On Federal Funding For NPR</a>. Seriously. Go listen to it, and then come back here.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.npr.org/blogs/money/planet_money_BH.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.npr.org/blogs/money/planet_money_BH.gif" width="350" /></a></div><br />
Interesting stuff, right?<br />
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There is no way that the House bill to prevent federal funding to NPR will get past the Senate, let alone the president's veto, but it is still an interesting discussion. We should be able to question, and have the chance to justify, the funding of anything with our tax dollars.<br />
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In case you didn't listen to the podcast (<a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/03/28/134863998/the-friday-podcast-economists-on-federal-funding-for-npr">GO LISTEN TO THE PODCAST!</a>) they start by defining public radio as a "public good". There are two criteria for something to be considered a public good:<br />
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<ul><li>It must be non-excludable - there is no way to stop people from using it.<br />
<li>It must be non-rivalrous - its use by one person does not prevent its simultaneous use by another person.<br />
</ul>Other common goods include roads, national defense, police, and so many other things that we take for granted. Not all public goods, however, are actually "good". One of their guests uses the facetious example of a stink bomb as a public good. There's no way you can prevent someone from enjoying the odor, and any number of people can enjoy the odor at the same time. The decision to use tax dollars to fund public goods has to be based on what we value as a community. <p>Their conclusion is, well, inconclusive. On the one hand NPR could probably get along without federal funding. I know that if NPR lost funding and couldn't find it elsewhere I would do my part by increasing my monetary support of my local station, and I think there are many other listeners and underwriters who would do the same thing. Local stations in areas with smaller populations might suffer, however, and that would be a shame. <p>On the other hand, if federal funding remains, or, dare I say it, increases, there's no doubt that they will continue to report interesting, objective stories that you can't hear anywhere else. Like <a href="http://www.npr.org/2011/03/17/134604533/army-revising-purple-heart-rules-for-soldiers">this</a> recent report by NPR and ProPublica about the military's diagnosis, treatment, and tracking of traumatic brain injuries (or lack thereof), which has resulted in the Army reevaluating its policy and practices regarding Purple Hearts for victims of concussion injuries.<br />
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I certainly hope that NPR stays on the air. I don't know how I would get through my commute without it.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-16471266947353241232010-07-02T12:22:00.000-04:002010-07-02T12:22:39.004-04:00QuarkNet 2010: Day 4Today we built a very important part of the cloud chamber apparatus: the magnetometer. This instrument will allow us to measure the strength of the magnetic field on the surface of our plate where the cosmic rays will be detected.<br />
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It's important to know the strength of the magnetic field so that we can calculate the momentum of the particles. The greater the magnetic field strength, the more the charged particles will curve.<br />
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The construction of this apparatus required a lot of soldering, at least for someone who has never soldered before, like me. Not to toot my own horn too much, but I think I did a pretty darn good job. Decide for yourself:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCzcu246AKI/AAAAAAAACos/_lJQ3PeUWOE/s1600/106_0058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCzcu246AKI/AAAAAAAACos/_lJQ3PeUWOE/s320/106_0058.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The magnetometer has a Hall Effect Sensor which has current running through it. The sensor is attached to a voltmeter, and when the sensor is inside a magnetic field the voltage changes, depending on the direction of the magnetic field. A change in 1 mV in the voltage is equal to 1 guass. The difference be the normal voltage and the experimental voltage gives you the magnetic field strength. I found the max field strength near the center of the magnet to be about 740 gauss (the Earth's magnetic field is about 0.5 guass).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We had a picnic lunch outside the physics building, and when we came back in we were ready to cool down our chambers for the first time. I didn't put enough alcohol in the ice box or in the reservoir in the tank, so I didn't see anything at first, but when I fixed those problems I started to see some tracks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I wonder if a lot of the particles are being blocked because we are in the basement of a large building. Maybe when I take it home or use it at school we will get more tracks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Someone decided we needed a radioactive source so we would be able to see a lot of tracks. We used the calibration source of a geiger counter to shoot gamma rays into one of the chambers. Here's what it looked like:</div><br />
<center><br />
<object height="258" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/E9CTNiO__Ck&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/E9CTNiO__Ck&hl=en_US&fs=1?color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="400" height="258"></embed></object><br />
</center><br />
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In that clip you should see the "cloud" which looks like fog or rain. If you look carefully you will see wisps in the cloud, which is caused when a cosmic ray ionizes the alcohol.<br />
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This isn't my chamber, but they are all basically the same. This video was shot at 720p, and I wish it could be a little clearer, so the next time I'll try 1080p, and probably 720p at 60fps after that.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-24520600295612256052010-07-01T09:43:00.000-04:002010-07-01T09:43:35.963-04:00QuarkNet 2010: Day 3Yesterday we didn't do much building at QuarkNet. On Tuesday there weren't enough supplies for each of us to build two alcohol reservoirs, so many of us spent a few minutes in the morning building or second reservoir. <br />
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The magnets arrived yesterday, and after lunch we installed them. Each magnet is about 6 cm by 12 cm, and I am pretty sure Helio said they are about 500 gauss. It was a simple install. They had brackets already made and holes already drillled. All we had to do was add a little silicone adhesive to help hold it in place and screw the bracket to the underside of the plate. See?<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCyaGHSXCRI/AAAAAAAACok/gzpUyZNEOcs/s1600/104_0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCyaGHSXCRI/AAAAAAAACok/gzpUyZNEOcs/s320/104_0040.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This magnet will create a magnetic field (duh) in the alcohol fog, which will cause the charged particles to travel in a curved path. Negative particles will curve on way, and positive particles will curve the other way. The amount that the particles curve depend on the mass of the particle, so by studying the particles path we will be able to calculate the momentum of the particle.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The rest of yesterday was taken up by a very interesting lecture by Helio, and a Q&A session in the afternoon. Helio's lecture was great. He is a soft spoken man, with a good sense of humor, and he is incredibly knowledgeable. Better still, he is good at explaining things and is very patient. We learned a lot about particle physics, which is my favorite aspect of physics.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Today we are going to build the magnetic field sensors, and I really hope we'll get to make some clouds today. I saw someone bring in some dry ice, so that's promising.</div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-51255739500386952162010-06-29T15:55:00.001-04:002010-07-01T09:33:13.254-04:00QuarkNet 2010: Day 2Today at QuarkNet we built a reservoir for the alcohol. One of the teachers who has been involved with QuarkNet for a while had the PVC already cut for us, we just needed to assemble it. The reservoir has magnets on each end, which will be attracted to magnets on the outside of the tank. The magnets are offset a little, so that as the tank is turned upside down the top of the reservoir always points up. This is going to make it incredibly easy to load alcohol into the chamber.<br />
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Here's the reservoir:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpM_6BcnqI/AAAAAAAACnw/SNFSVOjBJzM/s1600/104_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpM_6BcnqI/AAAAAAAACnw/SNFSVOjBJzM/s320/104_0026.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There's felt inside which will increase the surface area of the alcohol to aid in its evaporation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After lunch we assembled the light strip that we'll use to illuminate the fog, making the tracks easier to see. Another QuarkNet veteran prepared the wood and provided us with excellent instructions. We had to do a little wiring and soldering, but it was pretty easy. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the light strip:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpOGpw6hlI/AAAAAAAACoA/S7Jtk4q3lv4/s1600/104_0022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpOGpw6hlI/AAAAAAAACoA/S7Jtk4q3lv4/s320/104_0022.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">and illuminated:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpOSLjQYaI/AAAAAAAACoI/oFmGs4aLcrI/s1600/104_0024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpOSLjQYaI/AAAAAAAACoI/oFmGs4aLcrI/s320/104_0024.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Added to the setup from yesterday we have:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpPPWEoC2I/AAAAAAAACoY/yLb-fowXRJI/s1600/104_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCpPPWEoC2I/AAAAAAAACoY/yLb-fowXRJI/s320/104_0025.JPG" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tomorrow we'll build sensors to measure the magnetic field on the surface of the plate. I guess we'll also add the magnets. Maybe we'll even be able to make some clouds.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="goog_1061891112"></span><span id="goog_1061891113"></span></div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-73348268876926729162010-06-29T10:14:00.002-04:002010-07-01T09:32:35.654-04:00QuarkNet 2010: Day 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;">I'm participating in QuarkNet 2010 this week at Stony Brook University. QuarkNet is a workshop they have been running since 1999 (I think) for high school physics and chemistry teacher, and pre-service teacher as well. This year each participant is building a cloud chamber which we'll use to measure the momentum of cosmic rays.</span></span><br />
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I took class at Stony Brook while I was a grad student there with the same professor who is running this workshop, <a href="http://www-mariachi.physics.sunysb.edu/wiki/index.php/User:Takai">Helio Takai</a>, and in that class we were working to improve a previous cloud chamber design. It was a really fun class (for which there were no assignments or homework) but there was only one cloud chamber. In this workshop we are each building one, and we get to bring them back to our schools for demonstrations next year.<br />
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Here's the basics about how the cloud chamber works:<br />
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A metal plate is placed above a styrofoam cooler filled with dry ice and alcohol. Metal feet/legs extend down from the plate into the solution to conduct heat out of the plate. On top of the plate is an upside down fish tank, with a reservoir of alcohol in the top of it. There is a temperature gradient between the cold metal plate and the top of the fish tank at room temperature, which causes the alcohol to evaporate and then condense in a layer about an inch think at the plate. <br />
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This "cloud" is supersaturated, and when cosmic rays (electrons, positrons, protons) pass through the fog you can see their trail. A magnet is added under the metal plate to create a magnetic field, which affects the path of the charged particles that pass through the cloud. By filming the cloud chamber in operation for a while we will be able to extract frames during which an interesting event happened and calculate the momentum of the particle.<br />
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Yesterday was the first day of the workshop, and there were two main activities: (1) Learn how to edit/publish movies, and (2) build the ice box and assemble plate/legs.<br />
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I took a quick video of the room with my new Kodak Zi8 digital camcorder, and quickly cut it up and added titles and sound effects in iMovie. Here's the result:<br />
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<center><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7pgUCzVuP6k&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7pgUCzVuP6k&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
</center><br />
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I know, I know...totally lame. Here's the ice box:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCn_TZXtIBI/AAAAAAAACnY/bOcb1B7KggY/s1600/icebox.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCn_TZXtIBI/AAAAAAAACnY/bOcb1B7KggY/s320/icebox.JPG" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">And the plate:<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCn_j_6DJ5I/AAAAAAAACng/nOkizbqYUVQ/s1600/plate_top.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCn_j_6DJ5I/AAAAAAAACng/nOkizbqYUVQ/s320/plate_top.JPG" /></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCn_oYCnyUI/AAAAAAAACno/bZTpwqH2CiM/s1600/plate_bottom.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TCn_oYCnyUI/AAAAAAAACno/bZTpwqH2CiM/s320/plate_bottom.JPG" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Look for more updates as the week progresses.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-85390203129182793322010-06-17T11:25:00.000-04:002010-06-17T11:25:14.272-04:00God Prefers Atheists<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/XESVJ.jpg"><br />
<img border="0" height="138" qu="true" src="http://i.imgur.com/XESVJ.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I always figured that if God did exist, and if he was a reasonable God (a lot to ask, I know), that I'd be okay because I try to be a good person, for no other reason than I think it's the right thing to do.</div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-77810134823062668542010-06-16T09:38:00.000-04:002010-06-16T09:38:32.258-04:00Long Term Energy Plan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TBjSFW3jsHI/AAAAAAAACnQ/W_qks-NzwpQ/s1600/power.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" qu="true" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TBjSFW3jsHI/AAAAAAAACnQ/W_qks-NzwpQ/s320/power.JPG" /></a></div>People are not going to like this, but something has to be done.<br />
<ol><li>The price of gas has to increase. We can wait for the supply to diminish to the point that the market raises the price, or the government can levy higher taxes to manipulate the price at the pump. Gas should be at least $5 per gallon. The money raised by taxes can go to support R&D for alternative energy sources, and the higher cost of travel will encourage people to conserve by buying fuel efficient cars, car pooling, taking public transportation, walking/cycling more, or by simply traveling less.</li>
<li>Encourage the production of more nuclear power plants now that the moratorium is over. Nuclear energy is not the long term solution, but it is a major step in achieving oil/coal independence. There are so many reasons to build new nuclear plants:<br />
<ol type="a"><li>The moratorium didn’t shut down old plants, so now we have 104 nuclear power plants operating in this country that are at least 30 years old. </li>
<li>New nuclear technologies have been developed that are more efficient than old technology. This means that the energy they produce is cheaper. </li>
<li>Safety is the biggest concern of opponents of nuclear power. New nuclear technologies are safer than the ones currently in use. </li>
<li>The storage of spent nuclear fuel is not as dangerous as people make it out to be. Read Richard Muller’s book “Physics for Future Presidents” for more information.</li>
<li>In America, more people have died working in the coal industry this year than have ever died working in the nuclear power industry.</li>
</ol>Three Mile Island was a success, not a failure. Of course things might go wrong; people make mistakes and equipment malfunctions. That’s why there are so many backup systems and safety measures in place. The events at Three Mile Island showed us that those systems work. </li>
<li>Public and private sectors both need to invest in wind and solar energy. My money is on solar energy, but current technology is very expensive and minimally efficient. Over the next 50-100 years, solar cells will get cheaper and more efficient, and we will either incorporate them into structure we already have (solar shingles for instance) or build large solar farms, or both. After the initial investment this energy is essentially free, requiring fees only to maintain equipment and eventually replace it. No burning of fossil fuels, no storing or nuclear waste, just cheap, clean electricity.</li>
</ol>All of these steps need to be taken in order for us to have the energy we need. If we choose to start now, the process will be less painful. If we wait, times are going to be tough. Some countries are already on step two, so if we want America to be an important player in the energy market a hundred years from now we have to start playing catch up. I think we can do it if we stop letting politics get in the way of things that really need to get done. I fear this might be too much to ask for.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-68093828206707078482010-06-11T16:32:00.000-04:002010-06-11T16:32:36.698-04:00There Is No God (And You Know It)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://toddshammer.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/sam_harris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://toddshammer.files.wordpress.com/2006/07/sam_harris.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>Someone posted this old article on /r/atheism on Reddit today. It's Sam Harris and it's from the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/">Huffington Post</a> in 2005. Read the entire piece <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sam-harris/there-is-no-god-and-you-k_b_8459.html">here</a>. It's short and well written, like Harris' other works. Here are a couple excerpts.<br />
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On what atheism is:<br />
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"The entirety of atheism is contained in this response. Atheism is not a philosophy; it is not even a view of the world; it is simply a refusal to deny the obvious."<br />
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In reference to the "people of faith" that died during Hurricane Katrina: <br />
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"Only the atheist has the courage to admit the obvious: these poor people spent their lives in the company of an imaginary friend."<br />
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Why atheists can be the most humanistic and compassionate people:<br />
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"Because he refuses to cloak the reality of the world’s suffering in a cloying fantasy of eternal life, the atheist feels in his bones just how precious life is -- and, indeed, how unfortunate it is that millions of human beings suffer the most harrowing abridgements of their happiness for no good reason at all."jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-87954891475591413492010-06-10T07:57:00.000-04:002010-06-10T07:57:15.557-04:00How Are We Not Outraged?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-06/54133958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" qu="true" src="http://www.latimes.com/media/photo/2010-06/54133958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We have been hearing about this oil spill in the Gulf for almost two months now, and I just realized that I am furious about it. Up until now I have been reacting like I normally do to the news. I shake my head and scoff at the failure of our politicians, the corruption of government regulations, and the greed of CEOs and shareholders.<br />
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When I first heard about the spill I thought, “Wow! That sucks. They better get that taken care of soon. I’m sure they will.” I was fucking wrong. Seriously, how are we not outraged? People should be rioting outside BP’s US headquarters in Houston. I mean fucking rioting! Would rioting make the oil spill stop? No, but it might make us feel a little better.<br />
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I still see people buying gas at BP stations. WTF?!?!? Have they not been listening to the fucking news? How could you voluntarily give your money to a corporation that is single-handedly destroying the ecosystem in the Gulf? AAAAHHHHH!!!!!<br />
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What can we do about this?<br />
<br />
</rant>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-23339175246577171052010-06-09T09:00:00.000-04:002010-06-09T09:00:07.518-04:00Reddit Find - "Sorry atheist ladies. No luck for you."<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TA3B3LaRdKI/AAAAAAAACnI/Nesi10uPQgY/s1600/sorry+atheist+ladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TA3B3LaRdKI/AAAAAAAACnI/Nesi10uPQgY/s320/sorry+atheist+ladies.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm sure they're all <i>very</i> upset about it.</div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-63026812767482533212010-06-07T09:00:00.001-04:002010-06-07T09:00:06.592-04:00Observations at ChurchI had to go to church on Saturday for my wife's friend's wedding. A Roman Catholic church to be exact. Here are a few observations:<br />
<br />
1) For a Roman Catholic church, it was quite modest. It is surrounded by trees and large sections of the walls are glass. You seem almost to be in the forest yourself.<br />
<br />
2) It is fucking <i>scary</i> listening to people recite prayers or saying things in unison. It's like they've all been brainwashed into some sort of crazy cult...oh, wait...nevermind.<br />
<br />
3) The one part of mass that I actually <i>really</i> like is the "peace." If you are not familiar with Catholic mass (I'm not sure if other sects do this) at some point during the service everyone turns to the people around them, shakes hands, and says, "Peace be with you." I think this is great. Strangers turning to strangers and wishing each other peace in their lives. People really do seem sincere when they do this, and it is not necessarily a religious act. I would like to experience that more.<br />
<br />
4) Church etiquette for an atheist or non-Christian: When everyone rises for some reason, I rise. I don't do any of the praying or the crossing or anything, but I stand to be polite. When everyone kneels to pray, I just stay seated. There's no way I'm getting down on my knees for anyone. (insert gay joke here)<br />
<br />
What do you think?jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-75985490460493058052010-06-05T10:08:00.000-04:002010-06-05T10:08:03.815-04:00What a JackassYesterday we had an assembly at school 9th period (the last period). I appreciated this because 1) the auditorium is air conditioned and 2) because the auditorium is near the main entrance/exit. Once the final bell rang, I bolted out the front door to my car, hoping to beat the buses and traffic on the LIE. I get to the Northern State on the Sunken Meadow and there's fucking traffic already! It's only 2:30, what the fuck?<br />
<br />
Then I see this asshole:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TApZAMfLUtI/AAAAAAAACmo/tlBxjxVO3FQ/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TApZAMfLUtI/AAAAAAAACmo/tlBxjxVO3FQ/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I guess he didn't see the myriad of signs stating that commercial vehicles are prohibited on the parkways and that there are low bridges. He also failed to notice the sign right before the bridge (you can see it just to the right of the trailer) that says the bridge is only 11'6".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It's a good thing this happened so early. I bet the road was cleared within an hour, in time for the normal cluster-fuck on a Friday afternoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Oh! One time on the way home from college I sat in traffic for about two hours on the Cross Island Parkway, which is only 10 miles long, because some jackass rented a U-Haul and got stuck in the underpass at the Southern State. Some people...</div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-86097982161172022062010-06-04T16:25:00.000-04:002010-06-04T16:25:24.560-04:00Patchogue-Ecuadorian Relations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TAlhJDxgCYI/AAAAAAAACmg/BWYXevwu69Q/s1600/gualaceo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TAlhJDxgCYI/AAAAAAAACmg/BWYXevwu69Q/s320/gualaceo.jpg" /></a></div><br />
A lot of people have heard about the 2008 murder of Ecuadorian immigrant Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue, NY, my home town. It was on CNN, the NY Times, lots of places. The event shined a light on the anti-Hispanic sentiment that is common on Long Island. Recently the ring leader of the Patchogue-Medford High School students who went out looking to beat up "Mexicans" was sentenced to 25 years for 1st degree manslaughter.<br />
<br />
But that's not what this post is about. In this week's issue of <a href="http://www.longislandadvance.net/">The Long Island Advance</a> there was an article about the Mayor of Lucero's home town, Gualaceo, coming to Patchogue. Marco Tapia Jara met with the mayor of Patchogue Village, Paul Pontieri, and Deputy Mayor Steve McGiff. Mr. Jara also traveled around the village and had a chance to meet with some of the many immigrants from Ecuador.<br />
<br />
Mr. Jara said, "The people here are very grateful. We can say our villages are alike. This gives us the idea that Patchogue welcomes harmony." I am not quite sure about that, myself, but it is nice to hear this sentiment from a visitor. Mr. Jara was also able to reunite with his brother and sister who left Ecuador for Long Island when he was young.<br />
<br />
Mr. Pontieri is planning on visiting Gualaceo soon to visit Lucero's home town. <br />
<br />
I think this is a great way to share culture and ideas, and hopefully to promote tolerance. Although, the mayors of the towns are obviously already tolerant. Perhaps there should be an exchange program for young people in Patchogue and Gualaceo to see learn about each other's lives.<br />
<br />
Mr. Jara continued, "The politicians from the village of Patchogue support the families of Ecuador. We have confidence in Patchogue. From my heart I have a feeling of happiness."jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-78520375273771714012010-06-03T08:12:00.000-04:002010-06-03T08:12:04.392-04:00Atheist Blogs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://mojoey.blogspot.com/2006/09/join-mojoeys-atheist-blogroll.html" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="100" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger2/947/847/1600/Atheist.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>I definitely need to spend more time browsing the many great blogs on the Atheist Blogroll, but I have recently found a few blogs that look really cool. Rather, they found me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://laughinginpurgatory.blogspot.com/">Laughing in Purgatory</a>: It's all about Atheism, parenting, and comedy.<br />
<br />
This blog has only been around for a few months, but it is updated regularly. Andy runs the site, and it is interesting and funny. I'll be adding this to my new Atheist RSS feeds.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lsrwashijacked.blogspot.com/">Sober Without Gods</a>:An oasis of free thought and expression for those who seek to live a sober life based on reality & rationality with the support of people who've been there.<br />
<br />
This is another new blog, and I really like the idea of it. Fortunately I don't have any problems with drugs or alcohol, but even so I always resented the 12 step programs for excluding atheists and nonbelievers. Apparently AA is bullshit anyway (see Ed's post <a href="http://lsrwashijacked.blogspot.com/2010/05/aa-is-bullshit-well-it-was-on-bullshit.html">here</a>) but it still pisses me off.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.atheistrev.com/">Atheist Revolution</a>:Breaking free from irrational belief and opposing Christian extremism in America<br />
<br />
This blog is amazing. Vjack has been running this site since 2005 and it's really well organized and written. One of the things I really like about the site is that Vjack enjoys giving advice to new bloggers, and there are a lot of tips and suggestions for improving your blog and getting more traffic. Better yet, the advice it tailored to atheist bloggers. Needless to say I'll be spending the next couple of evening perusing the Revolution.<br />
<br />
As always, check the <a href="http://mojoey.blogspot.com/2006/09/join-mojoeys-atheist-blogroll.html">Atheist Blogroll</a> for these and other great sites by and for atheists.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-54627827380524801942010-06-02T08:46:00.000-04:002010-06-02T08:46:38.589-04:00Bible for Atheists: Genesis 21 & 22<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://holygodblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/abraham-isaac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="313" src="http://holygodblog.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/abraham-isaac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><b>Genesis 21</b><br />
<br />
Not much happens in this chapter. Sarah bears Abraham a son, Isaac. Abraham sends Hagar and Ishmael out of his camp at the request of Sarah. Hagar and Ishmael are dying of thirst in the wilderness but the angel of god came to them and showed them where to find water. Again god says that he will make a great nation of Ishmael. <br />
<br />
I think this is interesting because it confirms to Jews and Christians that their god is also the god of Muslims, and that they are a legitimate Abrahamic religion.<br />
<br />
<b>Genesis 22</b><br />
<br />
This chapter is a real doozy. It exhibits one of the worst aspects of religion. God commands Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac and Abraham obeys without question. Of course, when Abraham gets Isaac on the altar and is preparing to kill him the angel of god stops him. It was all a test to see if Abraham “feared” god.<br />
<br />
This is a prime example of how religion is bad for humanity. People will commit crimes, murder included, because it is “commanded by god” or in the name of god. This chapter of the bible teaches us that this is good. The command of god is more important, even, than our very own children. <br />
<br />
This world would be much better off if people cared first for their fellow man and second for their invisible god.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-67897563439835448612010-06-01T08:02:00.000-04:002010-06-01T08:02:08.284-04:00Stairway to Heaven<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TAT2d-3DNvI/AAAAAAAACmY/vX-YOtK2bls/s1600/stairway.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" gu="true" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/TAT2d-3DNvI/AAAAAAAACmY/vX-YOtK2bls/s320/stairway.bmp" width="225" /></a></div>I was camping this weekend and Ramble On came on the iPod we were listening to. Ramble On, as you may know, has references to The Lord of the Rings:<br />
<br />
“In the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair, but Gollum and the evil one, crept up and slipped away with her.”<br />
<br />
There are other references to The Lord of the Rings in the Led Zeppelin songs “The Battle of Evermore” and “Misty Mountain Hop” and some people believe “Stairway to Heaven” is also about LotR, but I read somewhere that the band denied that.<br />
<br />
Even if the band wasn’t purposefully referencing The Lord of the Rings, listening to “Stairway to Heaven” always makes me think about Tolkien’s world.<br />
<br />
“In a tree by the brook, there’s a songbird who sings…”<br />
<br />
This line alone would not make me think of LotR, but taken with the others I interpret this to be about Tom Bombadil. Tom is the songbird because he sings everything, and the “tree” is Old Man Willow because that is where the hobbits first encounter Tom.<br />
<br />
“In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees…”<br />
<br />
Smoke rings, as far as I know, don’t occur naturally. Bilbo and Gandalf smoke their pipe weed and blow smoke rings together in times of peace. This line sounds like some character longing for those relaxing days.<br />
<br />
“…and the forests will echo with laughter.”<br />
<br />
Makes me think of the Ents, but they don’t laugh much. Not that strong of an argument for this one.<br />
<br />
“There’s a feeling I get when I look to the West, and my spirit is crying for leaving.”<br />
<br />
In Tolkien’s mythology/history of Middle-Earth, the elves awoke in the east and traveling west, toward Valinor where the gods lived. The elves that remained in Middle-Earth, and those that traveled back from Valinor, have a spiritual urge to return. Around the time of The Lord of the Rings the time of elves is fading and the era of man is beginning. Indeed, in both the books and the movies we have scenes showing the mass exodus of Middle-Earth by the elves.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-24368172542157217292010-05-28T06:00:00.000-04:002010-05-28T06:00:06.831-04:00Blog Traffic Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_7fKa0XlCI/AAAAAAAACmQ/IkqijyBeQos/s1600/Area+Chart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_7fKa0XlCI/AAAAAAAACmQ/IkqijyBeQos/s400/Area+Chart.png" width="400" /></a></div>So I've had my blog up and running again for six weeks, and I think I have posted something every weekday. I'm pretty proud of that, even if some days I just posted a funny picture or Youtube video.<br />
<br />
About a month ago I signed up at <a href="http://www.statcounter.com">StatCounter.com</a> to keep track of page loads and visitors. The graph above is of the past 30 days. It's interesting to see how the traffic fluctuates during the week. There is little traffic on the weekends because people are too busy living life to read my silly blog, and it picks up later on in the week (Thursdays have seen the most total traffic) as people become less and less motivated to do work at their job. I figure it usually slows down on Friday because people realize they have a lot of shit to do before the weekend.<br />
<br />
In total I have had 878 page loads, 482 visitors, and 58 returning visitors these past thirty days. And before anyone suggests it StatCounter.com does <i>not</i> count me in those numbers. <br />
<br />
I hope that some of those returning visitors are real-life friends of mine, but I figure most of them are coming in from the Atheist Blogroll. I need to spend more time reading the blogs that are often listed as *NEW* along with mine on the list. I have already spent time reading some of them, and I am thinking about reviewing some of my favorites.<br />
<br />
DO ME A FAVOR - If you are one of my returning visitors, or if this is your first time here, let me know who you are in the comments.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-33288327988902678092010-05-27T10:45:00.000-04:002010-05-27T10:45:47.447-04:00From the Archives: May 20, 2010In my local paper, <a href="http://www.longislandadvance.net/">The Long Island Advance</a>, there is a weekly (as is the paper) segment titled From the Archives of the Long Island Advance, in which they present some news clips from 100, 75, and 50 years ago. A lot of the news is so mundane that I find it to be very funny. I hope that you do too. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/Sm0cJTV8GKI/AAAAAAAACjg/WiPzIxTB28w/s1600-h/archives.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5362973677404821666" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/Sm0cJTV8GKI/AAAAAAAACjg/WiPzIxTB28w/s400/archives.gif" style="cursor: hand; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a><br />
From 100 years ago:<br />
<ul><li>Ira Rogers’s bull dog Jumbo was run over and killed by<br />
an auto.</li>
<li>About a dozen Tungsten lights on Main Street, between<br />
the village limits and Swan River, were turned on by the<br />
Patchogue Electric Light Co. They are the first to be placed<br />
in the recently organized lighting district.</li>
<li>At the Unique the contest to decide the most popular<br />
young lady in town stood as follows: Esther Smith, 175;<br />
Edith Nugent, 239; Eunice Foster, 189; Fanny Smith, 49; Sadie<br />
Ginocchio, 61; Nellie Gibbons, 169; Hilda Webber, 32;<br />
Lottie Link, 100; Mayme Vanderpool, 51; Clare Marran, 54;<br />
Fanny Budd, 97; Lillian Davis, 2; Nellie Ackerly, 8; Roselle<br />
Daly, 5; Edna Webb, 4; and Virginia Ullman, 10.</li>
<li>Thomas B. Camidge has purchased a power vacuum<br />
cleaner on wheels, run by a gasoline engine. He will take<br />
orders for cleaning houses. This is an innovation that will<br />
be welcomed by the ladies.Mr. and Mrs. John Romanski left for a trip to Germany<br />
and expect to be gone three months.</li>
</ul>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-25022921248741165762010-05-26T06:00:00.000-04:002010-05-26T06:00:01.413-04:00Bible for Atheists: Genesis 20<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Abimelech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/73/Abimelech.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
In this chapter Abraham pulls a stunt we’ve seen him pull before, but it is still mind boggling. Abraham and Sarah settle in Gerar and Abraham tells the king, Abimelech, that Sarah is his sister. Abimelech sends for Sarah, even though she is at least 90 years old at this point. In a dream that night God tells Abimelech that he is in deep shit because Sarah is actually a married woman and demands he return Sarah to Abraham.<br />
<br />
Abimelech is confused and angry. He calls Abraham and says to him, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such great guilt on me and my kingdom. You have done things to me that ought not to be done.”<br />
<br />
Abraham tells Abimelech, “I did it because I thought, There is no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife. Besides, she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father but not the daughter of my mother; and she became my wife.”<br />
<br />
Well that’s the first we’ve heard of that. So Abraham wasn’t technically lying, but he was still being dishonest.<br />
<br />
Abimelech pays Abraham in sheep, oxen, and slaves and tells him to settle anywhere he pleases.<br />
<br />
Oh, and we find out at the end of the chapter that God had “closed fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech” but Abraham prays to God and God “heals” them. <br />
<br />
Here’s a similar situation:<br />
<br />
You see a speed limit sign that says 65 mph, so you drive that fast, but soon a cop pulls you over. He tells you that the speed limit is actually 30 mph, and revokes your license. It turns out that it was the cop who put the 65 mph speed limit sign up. You tell the judge about the misleading sign, but the judge already knows about it, and he demands you pay a hefty fine to have your license reinstated.<br />
<br />
Bullshit.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-85563470988218245612010-05-25T06:00:00.001-04:002010-05-25T06:00:07.723-04:00LOST / 24<center><br />
<img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_tCH7xO9gI/AAAAAAAACmA/jM0S8YHutIw/s200/lost-logo.jpg" height="150" /> <img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_tCLPzlQfI/AAAAAAAACmI/XdDMpUAZL84/s200/24-show-goes-carbon-neutral.jpg" height="150" /><br />
</center><br />
(beware: spoilers ahead)<br />
<br />
Sunday and Monday night saw the series finale of two shows that I've been following for a long time - LOST and 24. These are two television programs that really changed the way we perceive the medium.<br />
<br />
I think LOST should have ended a couple years ago. That being said, I was satisfied with the finale and the last few episodes. All of our questions weren't answered, but I didn't expect that and I wouldn't want that anyway. If all the questions were answered we would close the book on LOST and move on, never to think too much about the show again. Now, even after the show is ended, we can speculate and theorize about the unknown. LOST was about mystery and now it will be forever. <br />
<br />
For me, the finale of 24 didn't seem like a series finale, it seemed more like a season finale. With plans to make a 24 movie (or movies, more likely) the writers didn't have the freedom to provide the audience with a sense of closure. If you followed this season, especially the last 4 hours or so, you have to agree that Jack should have assassinated the Russian president and been taken out afterward by CTU. If the writers and producers of 24 wanted to make an even more lasting mark on television history, the final minutes of the series would have been Jack being taken out by CTU in a crazy firefight with Chloe crying on the sidelines, followed by a silent clock.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-20048719082593559172010-05-24T06:00:00.002-04:002010-05-24T06:32:51.096-04:00Kung Fu BearMost bears will kill you with teeth and claws. Some will kill you with kindness (see: Pooh, Winnie the). This bear will kill you with mad kung fu skills.<br />
<br />
<center><br />
<object height="364" width="445"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ptYTGTNiyQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-ptYTGTNiyQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x5d1719&color2=0xcd311b&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="445" height="364"></embed></object><br />
</center>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-21116277711676477372010-05-21T06:00:00.000-04:002010-05-21T06:00:04.337-04:00Maine After Nan Died<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_SJqDUNDzI/AAAAAAAACl4/Zn6pqnwA0vI/s1600/nan2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_SJqDUNDzI/AAAAAAAACl4/Zn6pqnwA0vI/s400/nan2.jpg" width="260" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My grandma died on July 10, 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a Thursday and I was planning on spending a long weekend in Maine with some friends from college.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad told me I should still take my trip because it would take a few days to make the arrangements and for his brothers to fly in from Arizona anyway.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">--------------<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
We weren’t surprised that she died.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had resigned myself to that fact months earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was heading home from an exam and saw an ambulance in front of me heading in the same direction. Somehow I just knew it was going to my house.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">My grandma was a stubborn old lady.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even at 81 she didn’t ask for help putting something on the top shelf in her closet, but instead decided to stand on a chair and do it herself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She fell off the chair onto the hardwood floor and broke her hip.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I entered the house to her screaming in agony.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I tried to see if there was anything I could do to help, but I just couldn’t listen to her cries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went downstairs to my room and started throwing shit around, which is what I am prone to do when I’m upset.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My grandma had survived multiple open-heart surgeries, but I knew she wouldn’t make it through this.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">When I was just a baby, my parents were having a house built and decided that my dad’s parents would move in with us, I think for financial reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My grandpa died when I was seven and my parents were divorced when I was eleven, and after that it was just myself, my sister, my dad, and my grandma in the house.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My dad always worked two or three jobs so we spent a lot of time in my grandma’s care.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She was one of my greatest influences in life.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I met Dan at the Ronkonkoma train station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He lives in the city and doesn’t have a car there so I end up driving when we travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know how to tell him about my grandma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It didn’t affect our trip, so I didn’t say anything at first.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We missed the first ferry out of Orient Point so we killed the time at a restaurant next door.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While we were there I stepped outside to call my sister, who was closer to my grandma than I was, to see how she was taking it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I used this as an opening to tell Dan the news.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Everything okay,” he asks.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was just calling my sister.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My grandma died this morning and I wanted to see how she was taking it.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Oh. Sorry.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Awkwardness ensues.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We met Mark, Oliver, Emily, and Nikki in Massachusetts. Dan and I went to college with Mark and Oliver, Emily was Oliver’s girlfriend (now fiancée), and Nikki is Emily’s friend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made it up to Maine in a few hours and were having a great time.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">On Saturday<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>we bought some steaks and lobsters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were planning a feast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan and I were manning the grill, drinks in hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had been drinking for a couple hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At some point Mark came out with fresh drinks for us, and I asked them if they’d mind a toast to my grandma.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how Mark found out she had died.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After this my recollection of the evening gets unreliable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have memories like snapshots. My friends have filled in the blank spots for me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">We were eating dinner on the screened in porch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had not stopped drinking and it was getting difficult to stem my emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I remember stuffing my face with food and I think I started crying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is how Oliver, Emily, and Nikki found out my grandma had died. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
I excused myself from the table and ran out the front door, disappearing into the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oliver and Dan found a couple flashlights and came after me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dan was quite drunk at this point as well. They were worried about me, I think, because they thought I had gone down to the rocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The rocks is where we would hang out around sunset, or sunrise if you were up that early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They could be dangerous, especially at night, and especially if you were drunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I didn’t go to the rocks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran up the dirt road toward the main road and at some point decided I should lay down in the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Oliver and Dan worked their way from the rocks toward me when Dan had to vomit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He got down on hands and knees and puked in the neighbor’s yard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oliver had both flashlights at this point, using one to keep an eye on Dan and the other to find me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Find me they did, and they led me back to the cottage, but I started running and escaped their view.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they got back to the cottage Mark, Emily, and Nikki said they saw me run past the house and into the back yard.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">They shined their flashlights into the woods, hoping I wasn’t being mauled by a bear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They thought they saw me but weren’t sure, so they gave up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had gone in the back door and up to my bed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was already sleeping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I woke up around 5:00 AM confused and thirsty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went downstairs as quietly as I could.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To get to the kitchen I had to walk right past Nikki, who was sleeping on the couch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I passed she woke up, and I gave her a kind of half smile as if to say, “Sorry to wake you, and sorry for the incredible awkwardness I created last night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now go back to sleep.”<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">After some water I sat in the recliner and stared at the ceiling for a while.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My pounding headache prevented me from falling back asleep.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually Dan came downstairs and I followed him down to the rocks for the sunrise.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I wasn’t done mourning for my grandma, but this weekend in Maine with my friends eased the pain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will be eternally grateful to them for putting up with my shenanigans, though they don’t mind, I think, because they enjoy retelling the story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-87216043584881748572010-05-20T06:00:00.000-04:002010-05-20T06:00:07.272-04:00Bad Religion Song of the Week: Atheist Peace<a href="http://www.badreligion.com/" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/87/BadReligionTheEmpireStrikesFirst.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 10px 25px 10px 10px; width: 200px;" /></a><br />
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<b>Atheist Peace<br />
Bad Religion<br />
The Empire Strikes First</b><br />
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Maybe it's too late for intellectual debate<br />
But a residue of confusion remains<br />
Changing with the times and amphetamine tortured minds<br />
Are the average citizen's sources of pain<br />
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Tell me what we're fighting for<br />
I don't remember anymore, only temporary reprieve<br />
And the world might cease if we fail to tame the beast<br />
From the faith that you release comes an atheist peace<br />
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Political forces ran critical winds of discontent<br />
And the modern age emerged triumphantly<br />
But now it seems we've stalled and it's time to de-evolve<br />
And relive the dark chapters of history<br />
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Tell me what we're fighting for<br />
No progress ever came from war, only a false sense of increase<br />
And the world won't wait for the truth upon a plate<br />
But we're ready now to feast on an atheist peace</center><br />
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There are two levels of “atheist peace”: peace within oneself and peace in the world.<br />
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I think that atheism can be a great source of inner peace. One does not need to worry about the arbitrary rules of religions. Although trivial, perhaps, the various food laws of many religions are an extra thing to worry about. <br />
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An atheist also does not need to deal with the guilt associated with many religions. There is no “original sin” for atheists. We are responsible for <i>our</i> wrongdoings, but not those of our ancestors.<br />
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Also, theists have no solution to the paradox that “god is omnipotent”, “god is benevolent”, and “evil exists” are three statements that cannot all be true. Does God not care about us? Is he unable to prevent evil? Theists believe that the good things that happen to them are gifts from God, but what about the bad things? Atheists do not have these spiritual contradictions. Things happen, sometimes at the fault of no one, and we must deal with them. <br />
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In terms of world peace it is obvious, or at least it should be, that a world without religion would be a more peaceful place. Think of all the things that have been, are being, and will be done in the name of religion or because of peoples’ religious beliefs: crusades, witch hunts, fighting in Northern Ireland, wars between Israelis and Palestinians, destruction of the Twin Towers. The list goes on.<br />
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Religion is a label that divides people, just like race. We don’t need it.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-31992761778326007182010-05-19T09:00:00.000-04:002010-05-19T09:00:10.540-04:00Atheism Replacing Religion?I wasn't sure what to blog about today, so I spent 45 minutes trolling Reddit last night. Glad I did, because I found this:<br />
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<a href="http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-human-beast/201005/why-atheism-will-replace-religion">Why Atheism Will Replace Religion</a>, on the blog The Human Beast by Nigel Barber, Ph.D.<br />
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It's a short article if you want to read the whole thing, but he is basically saying that in developed social democracies, such as Sweden and Denmark, people do not rely on religion very much (Sweden is 64% nonbelievers!), while in developing places like sub-Saharan Africa nonbelief accounts for less than 1% of the population.<br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">It seems that people turn to religion as a salve for the difficulties and uncertainties of their lives. In social democracies, there is less fear and uncertainty about the future because social welfare programs provide a safety net and better health care means that fewer people can expect to die young. People who are less vulnerable to the hostile forces of nature feel more in control of their lives and less in need of religion.</span></blockquote><br />
Extrapolate these findings, and one can see how religion might eventually be marginalized as more countries are developed.<br />
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The United States would fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Obviously religion is much more prevalent here than in Western Europe, but we also do not have the level of social programs they do. <br />
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Perhaps increased atheism will be a pleasant side effect of healthcare reform. No? A guy can dream, can't he?jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3521072265640427072.post-39523138614675147882010-05-18T09:00:00.000-04:002010-05-18T09:00:10.067-04:00People Who Have Read the Entire Bible<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_HQmVMGbiI/AAAAAAAAClw/fvltv20WE2Q/s1600/atheists+and+the+bible+piechart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_DRuTjF7-sGI/S_HQmVMGbiI/AAAAAAAAClw/fvltv20WE2Q/s400/atheists+and+the+bible+piechart.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I can't disagree with this chart. I mean, it's completely unscientific, but that's beside the point. If you read the whole Bible, and I mean really read it, I don't see how you could believe everything some people believe. There are plenty of contradictions in there and lots of stories that have pretty ambiguous moral conclusions.<br />
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At the very least, any reasonable person would have to admit that the book was definitely the product of man, and not some divine word of god. That alone would prevent you from fully participating in many Christian sects.<br />
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I guess this infographic might also be a commentary on the mentalities of believers and non-believers. Many atheists I know (I hesitate to say most atheists) also have an insatiable thirst for knowledge, which leads them to learn about other people's beliefs, especially of the dominant religion in their country.<br />
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Religious people might be content to have the bible interpreted for them, and to be told what to believe and how to worship. In fact, for many years the Bible was only available in Latin, preventing all but the priestly class and other well educated people from reading it and developing their own interpretation.<br />
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tl;dr - Read the bible.jdkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15088370638675249900noreply@blogger.com2