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Beer Nirvana [Jun. 29th, 2009|03:38 am]
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Yesterday, I had the pleasure of going to the anniversary celebration at the Brick Store Pub in Atlanta. It was absolute nivana. The place's atmosphere is fantastic, the smell of good food and great beer permeates the walls, the crowd was beyond huge and tolerable even for me. I had been there once, last year, and it was even better than I remembered it. The food was first class, the spicy mustard beyond words wonderful, and the burgers and pretzels were fantastic. But I wasn't there for the food and the comments on it were just to keep the stomach from being totally empty when the beer came. They were popping a keg every hour starting and noon and going till midnight. I left after the 9 o'clock broke and feeling wonderful after getting there right at noon. Now for the actual beer reviews.

First up was from Duck Rabbit, "Paul's Day Off" was an American Strong ale. Pretty heavy on the alcohol and I would have said just reading the descriptions, much too heavy for summertime in GA. The mouthfeel was very viscious and coating, the flavors were dark and heavy. A lot of dried fig type taste, very heavy on the sweet without much bitterness to back it. It sat heavy in the stomach, but matched wonderfully with the spicy mustard. Definatly a drink again if possible, but know the chances of that are thin.

Second up was Sweetwater Creeper. A local take on a Belgian IPA aged in bordeaux barrels. Belgian IPA's are a style that are completely hit or miss for me. And this was one of the better ones. The aging gave it a lot of characteristics of a wine. The smell was quite vinous and grassy, could tell the belgian yeast influence there. The taste wasn't nearly as hoppy as I was expecting, with a juicy grapey middle taste and a very dry finish. It was quite refreshing and one that grew on me the more I tasted it. The mouthfeel was similar to a carbonated white wine, very light but with the deffinate carbonation there that set it apart from a wine.

Third beer was Highland Cattail Wheat made with a trappist belgian yeast. Not a huge fan of wheat beers, so Rob had most of this one, although I found it quite good. Very refreshing, without the overwhelming sweetness that kills most wheatbeers for me. Wish I had more of this one, but Rob really enjoyed it.

The 3 o'clock beer was from Allagash, one of my favorite brewries, and was called Interlude. It's an American wild ale, aged in merlot and syrrah barrels. I had thought that the Sweetwater Creeper was very winey in it's taste, but this redefinated that postition for me. It was smooth and light and easy to drink, with the yeast, hops and essence of the wine barrel forming a synergistic reaction. It was very lightly carbonated, which died quickly in the mouth, and it tasted like drinking a wonderful wine with all the good characteristics and none of the sour grape taste. It was an intoxicating brew in every way possible. I will have to keep my eye out for this one just because I have a hard time believing it was this good.

The next beer was the only one for the day that was a huge disappointment. It was from ABC, their Red Brick winter ale aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels. Dark Belgian ales are one of my favorite styles, but ABC should stick to more English style ales. I almost couldn't finish this one. It had a very cloying, cola type sweetness to it that was awful, and then the finish was like cheap burbon and coke. It was sticky and heavy and almost unpalatable. In winter it might have been a different story, but in June, it was awful. And I hate to knock on a local brewer, especially one that does other stuff I like. But yeah, a look around the pub showed that this one went unfinished on alot of tables.

The sixth beer was another one from Allagash, of the same general style as Interlude, called Confluence. This one the yeast character really came out, with the slightly sour, fresh farm cut hay taste and smell. It had more of the taste of a belgian saison than a lambic which was a bit surprising. It was extremly refeshing and very easy to drink. It didn't have as much of the wine like characteristic of the other, but it was definatly unusual for a beer. Another one that I'm going to have to try in the bottle to see if it is as good as I remember. Refreshing and a good beer for a hot day, quite a relief from the last.

6 o'clock brought one from a brewery that I hadn't had before. Ballast Poin'ts Victory at Sea was a porter flavored with coffee and vanilla beans. Very creamy mouth feel, and the scent was beautiful. But the taste was a bit bland, very much what you would expect from the description. Coffee and Vanilla layered on the base of a fairly easy drinking porter. Nothing to really write home about, although it would have been really good with a quality vanilla ice cream.

Next was another Allagash, Victor this time. A dark belgian mashed and fermented with chancellor grapes added. The result was another amazingly wine like beer. But even more fruity, sweeter than either of the others, with the hop background to stand up to the grapes. This was an interesting beer to taste just because it was so different from anything I had ever tasted. The grapes imparted a character that I struggle to find the words to describe. It wasn't as refreshing or as light as the other ones, but could image it matching wonderfully with cheeses or deserts.

Ninth on the lineup was probably the biggest surprise and my favorite beer of the night. Oscar Blues Gordon IIPA aged in Stranahan whiskey barrels. Gordon is a beer I've had before, and it's alright, but there are better IIPA's out there. But this was a complete surprise in a wonderful way. It poured out the colour of dark maple syrup, dark burnt amber highlighs when held up to the light, but when away deep and dark. The scent was of a double IPA, lots of citrusy and grassy hops that jumped up and raped your nose, curling hairs and preparing you to get slapped in the face. But when it passed my lips, the taste was smooth as silk, deep vanilla flavors hidden in the background of a good burbon. It flowed down my throat like honey, warming deep inside, with the hops there but muted, adding a spicy citrus note at the very end. It was exquist to drink and I would definately drink it again if given the chance.

The tenth and last beer of the night was a surprise treat. Terripan Wake and Bake is one of my favorite beers of all time, and they had a barrel aged version of it. It was thick and heavy and felt like you had to chew it it had so much body. The taste of coffee and chocolate was there behind a strong roasted malt presence and the hits of vanilla from the barrel aging. It was a pinacle of brewing arts and I had to leave because the experience was almost orgasmic. It was as good as I was expecting, and then some. It's not one that I could drink regularlly, but it was a wonderful treat, a taste of pure heaven.

After that day of drinking, Rob and I came home. And to finish the night cracked open a bottle that I had been looking for for months and finally found last week. Stone's Sublimly Self Righteous is everything I had come to expect from Stone. Strong and hoppy, with a heavy mouth feel, it is definatly a beer more suited to cooler weather. But had to get it while I could, and the name was just too perfect to pass up. The label design as well. Will get another bottle when I can and save it for later, prehaps the time will mellow things a little bit and make it more drinkable.
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Upset for the wrong reasons [Jun. 26th, 2009|06:03 pm]
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After disappearing for a week, the Governor of South Carolina came out and admited to having a affair. People were outraged at this, here was a bright star of the Republican party caught in an affair, selling out his core beliefs. He made the tearful press conference and appology, to the state, to his party, to his family. And this set off a lot of discussion of what makes politicians, especially male politicians, think they can get away with affairs. Many theories were thrown around the newscasts, alot of politicians and people are riled up about the affair, calling for resignations and the whole 9 yards. But the fact is that the major problem has been completely brushed under the table.

While it is something that is interesting to theorize about, the reasons for an affair, the affair itself, and most things about it are completely irrelevent. The problem that has been so carefully ignored in most discussions is the fact that the Governor spent state money on the affair, neglected his duties, and totally betrayed the public trust. Not because of where he wanted to stick his dick, but for the use of money that was not his to spend for personal reasons. That is what more people should be raising hell about.

In cases of public officals having affairs, there should be two questions asked before any other. Did it affect his job proformance for the worse? Did he use public money in conducting the affair? All other questions are much more secondary. Even in cases of blatent hypocrisy. If it affected his job performance, made him less compentant, or do foolish things, that is where the criticism should fall. And if he spent public funds to conduct the affair, then that shows a person that should not be trusted with such power.

For a comparison to the South Carolina governor, look to Elliot Spitzer in New York. Yes, he spent a ton of money on a hooker, but it was his money, not the state's. And there is no evidence that fucking around with her made a negative impact on his job performance. Therefore his affair should not have become the major scandal that it was. The Governor of SC (yeah, should probably look up his name) left his job, flew out of the country and out of contact from his office, turning his back on the duties that he was sworn to uphold. He has admitting to using public funds for this most recent trip and in conduct of the affair. This betrayal should be the focus of criticism. Not the fact that he was fucking around.

American politics is filled with great men having affairs. Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Hamilton, Clinton...the list goes on and on. What set most of these men apart was the ability to seperate the affairs from their job performance. They were able to do great things in most cases while banging men and women who weren't their wives. There is no damage inheirant in that. The problem comes when people allow their affairs to interfer with the conduct of their jobs. But this problem is ignored by the media and the public. And it disgusts me. People, if you're going to get upset over things, then get upset over thigns for the right reasons.
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This just has to be shared [Jun. 17th, 2009|01:30 am]
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Neil Gaiman, one of my favorite authors, was commisioned to do stories for a set of stamps issued by the Royal mail. They are wonderful little stories that need to be read. Just to make you wonder what happened to children's stories? They may be found here, along with the stamps.

http://www.royalmail.com/portal/stamps/content1?catId=32300676&mediaId=98700760
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On Greatness [Jun. 7th, 2009|12:30 pm]
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Today history was made in Paris when Roger Federer won the French Open for the first time. It sets him as one of 6 men in history to accomplish this feat. He is only the second to win the titles on 4 different surfaces. It was his 14th grand slam title, tying the record for me. And to keep adding to the amazement, he has made it to 15 out of the last 16 grand slam finals. He has also made it to 20 grand slam semifinals in a row. The next person on that list made it to 9. He is the greatest tennis player that I have ever seen, and I was a Sampras fan from the word go. I never thought that I would see his career title record even approached, but it is now tied and will soon be surpassed. And it amazes me.

Federer is the perfect example of why people make heros of athletes. When he plays well, it is an example of the perfection that anyone who does anything endevours for. He is an artist on court that glides around with the grace of a dancer and the power of a boxer. Blow after blow of devistating power with the perfect balance and beauty that makes him seem inhuman. It gives people a chance to witness the human form in perfection when he plays well. It makes us long to have the reflection of that much grace in our lives.

And when he struggles on court, it is painful to watch. We realize he is human and that he does struggle. It isn't as easy as he makes it look. We can all see the struggle of our own existence played out on the court. Our own struggles are seen in reflection, and we wish that we could bear it with such powerful grace. This tourny was the perfect example of that. For most of his matches he did not play with the ease that fans have come to expect. He struggled. Mistakes flew from his racquet the way they seem to flow through our bodies at times. Three times there were five sets on the scoreboard. Each time Federer found a way to win though he was down. When he could have given up, like so many do, he kept focusing, thinking, fighting, figuring out a way to win. And we can find hope in that as well.

Was today's match the best ever? Far from it. Would I have liked to have seen him beat Nadal? Of course. Does it cheapen the victory? Hell no. Federer has cemented his place atop a chain of players that streches back over 100 years. He has done it with class and gentlemanly grace that must be respected. And he did it on his own. That is what sets tennis apart from most other professional sports. There isn't a team for support out there. In an era when most professional atheltes play on teams and come off like whiney primadonnas who overestimate their own importance and bitch about their millions of dollars, Federer stands alone, facing opponents with a stoic joy that lives for the moment. Yes he is well paid, but when he plays the furthest thing from his mind is the money.

It is fantastic to see a player of Federer's talent, ability, and manners be celebrated in the American press and worldwide. Sampras never was. There are those in the foreign media who didn't like him because he was an American, and the American media didn't like him because he played with such stoic manners that he didn't feel American. It was a joy to watch him play and to bask in the beauty of the moment today. And I probably could have written a much better factual blog had my own dreams last night not been plagued by nightmares. But watching Federer play is a blam that, at least for the moment, soothes a restless mind.
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In memory of things past [Jun. 5th, 2009|05:19 am]
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I could start this blog with the Beatles quote, "It was 20 years ago today" and only be lying a little, that tanks rolled into Tiananmen Square in Beijing and crushed a democracy protest. When they mentioned it on the news the other day, it hit like a ton of bricks. I can remember watching the films on the news, the tanks rolling into the students, not understanding what was happening when the one student wouldn't surrender to the tank. I was 9, almost 10 at the time. And it just doesn't seem like that long ago. Some memoriest stick, and that was one of them. The world is so different now, I'm different now, or at least I hope that I am, but so much is still accepted that is just wrong.

I remember asking my dad about why didn't the guy just move? I dont' remember his response, but I remember his voice cracking, trying to explain it to me. It made me think, it made me wonder what could upset my father so much. The only other time I could remember that much of a reaction was when the Challenger blew up. Slowly the realization dawned on me, like it had before, that people were dying across the world, but this time for the kinds of things that we took for granted, not a tragic accident. I don't remember when I first started learning the constitution, specifically the 1st amendment, but free speach, free thought, those were ideals that were drilled into my head with the subtilty of a jackhammer. Ideals that even today, I cling to like a drowning man to a lifeboat. The visual of the person there, paying the price that it costs scared me. I do remember having nightmares afterwards.

It aches to think about it now. To realize how much the world has changed, how much has happened, and how much some things have remained the same. My youngest brothers wouldn't even have been 2. Now they are legal for anything in the 50 states. The world was divided between "us" and the Russians. Communism was the menace that was going to rip apart the American way of life. Less than 4 years later, the Berlin Wall was down, the USSR was collapsing, and we had won the conflict that dominated the world for the second half of the 20th century. The World Wide Web wasn't even a glimer in anyone's eye, much less the greatest tool and worst nightmare the world has ever produced. Hubble hadn't been launched. The Higgs boson was barely even theorized. So many changes that the world and it's people are still trying to adjust to.

Yet the world ist still defined by the constants. Now we are still the "us" and they are muslim extremists. Now I am older, but still in the same situation I was then. Now the country is again on the verge of an economic collapse after years of deregulation. China is still Communist in name, although the martyrs of Tiananmen would find many of the changes they rallied for in place. Would they be happy with this? I'd like to think not, but as so many studies have shown, people sell out for comfort when they get older. Maybe the fiery passion would have burned itself out and settled for that which came along. I don't know.

Yeah, sorry for the tone of several blogs lately, if anyone still reads them. I have been feeling quite introspective and retropsective and that is what has moved me to write. And while I may wish to spin worlds of wonder from the flashing cursor of a computer screen, my talent lies in thought, in rolling things around in my mind and hopefully letting those balls bounce off someone else. I seek no pity, not to sound like an emo bitch about my life, but to stimulate thought, memory, the intangibles that most strive for. However, given my style, I know it can come off as a load of self indulgent twadle. If it does, feel free to call it that and leave a bit of hate. If not, then leave your own thoughts.
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Bullshit term of the week: Judicial activism [May. 29th, 2009|05:38 pm]
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With the upcoming retirement of Justice Souter and the announment of Judge Sotomayor as a possible replacement, there has been more discussion about the role of the court in the upcoming years. The Judiciary is probably the most misunderstood branch of government, by both politicians and the average citizen. And yes, I'm being generous in calling it misunderstood by policticians. It's better than flat out saying they are either idiots and don't know what they are talking about, or manipulative bastards who know exactly what they are doing when they start talking total bullshit. And one of the terms that has become most popular in the bullshit sector lately has been "judicial activism" or "legislating from the bench." The effectiveness of winding people up with these terms comes from the average person's, hell, even the abover average person's, lack of understanding of the purpose of the Supreme Court. The terms are complete and total bullshit and need to be outed as such so that the most important branch of government can go on doing it's job

People see courts simply as for trials. It is the way that things are portrayed in movies and television, and it is quite dramatic to see courts like that. The high court doesn't hear everyday trials of crimals or speeders. They are the final link in interpretation of the constitution of the United States. Every day judges must decide what evidence should be admited, how lawyers should handle things, and a billion other things that most people don't associate with a trial. They are the buffer between the rule of law and the rule of the mob. Where the Legislative branch makes laws, and the Executive branch enforces laws, the Judicial branch must stand and interpreate the meaning of laws. They decide whether a law conforms to the restrictions set up by the Constitution and the way that they should be enforced. They are integral in maintaining the balance between the other branches of government as part of the system of checks and balances laid out over 200 years ago.

The Court is suposed to be byond the petty short term politics of the day and age. Justices are appointed for life and not elected by popular vote. They are suposed to be byond the simple sway of public opinion. They must be able to make decisions based on thought and the Constitution and it's interpretation. Their impact will be felt long after the current President and members of Congress have been voted out. Justices must be willing to make decisions that are unpopular with the public and law makers but in line with the broadest interpretaion of what is ment in the Constitution. That requires saying what police and the President can and cannot do, and that some laws that are passed by Congress are illegal by their very nature and not in line with the highest law of the land.

The Supreme court is therefore the insturment by which the greatest social injustices can be righted. Civil Rights, Women's rights, Gay rights...all issues that the Court made extremly unpopular decisions on that were right and light years ahead of the popular laws. Without a court that was willing to look beyond popular opinion, Brown-v-Board of Education, Loving-v-Virginia, Griswald-v-Conneticut, Miranda-v-Arizona, would have all turned out differently. Schools would never had been desegrigated, marriages would never have taken place, condoms would be illegal, and police would have the power to rule without people ever knowing their rights. Respect for these decisions, despite personal disagreement, is what keeps the President and Congress in check. The Court should stand by the highest ideals, the greatest dreams of the founding fathers, and look beyond immediate concerns to making a more perfect future.

Most importantly, the Court must be able to look at the past, realize its mistakes, and work on correcting them. And one mistake the Court has never made has been to verify rights of the individual. As society advanced, laws advanced much slower, but the Court stood like a star, dragging law towards the future. The right to privacy that was confirmed by the Court that granted women the right to decide what they could do with their bodies is an issue that is truly a nonissue. Politicians like to push the hot button of abortion rights regularly. It's easy to get people fired up over such an issue while completly obscuring the point. The court must realize that a right once given is not to be taken away.

And that is why judicial activism is a total load of bullshit. It is the duty of the court to say you can't do that to the most powerful people in the country. To uphold the ideals embodied in a 200 year old document is a grave responsibility and one that must be face by those who are willing to look beyond the current situation and to the future, and try to make the best of it. If it requires saying that a law is unjust, then so be it. It forces the legislature and the president to make and enact better laws. The world is flawed, but we can all make it better, the Justices on the high court even more so. It is their duty, their obligation to make it so.
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Clay court metaphor for life, or the loony ramblings of a crazed tennis fan [May. 26th, 2009|12:57 pm]
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The deep ochre colour of the court is more beautiful than any other surface that the game is played on. It shifts constantly from blood red to orange and the other colours of a sunset. The surface shifts throughout the match and is constantly changing, adding it's own life to the points that are played. The dust sticks everywhere, grinding it's way into the smallest openings, flavoring everything from the ball to the clothes the players wear. The surface is cratered throughout the match, footsteps, ball marks, and the inevitable slammed racquet leaving their scars across the clay. But at the end of every set it is wiped clean and the world starts over.

The players slip and slide, some struggling and working harder than they need to right themselves, others moving as graceful as a figure skater across the court. Hard work is rewarded more than the other surfaces. Matches grind for hours and those who are willing to fight and work for everything gain the laurels. Patience is a virtue and depth with shifting angles are necessary. Raw unadulterated power is blunted by the dirt, and those who stand on it's edge fall hard, burried by those who understand the life of the earth that they play on.

While hard work and patience are rewarded, to truly master the surface a natrual talent is needed. The grace, the patience, can be molded from a young age, but the ability to grok is inate and can't be taught. But that talent is meaningless without honing the other skills. Sound and fury with no significance whatsoever.

While the general pace is slow, the momentum changes are faster than the blink of an eye. One shot left short changes the dynamic of the point. One game pushes the pendulum of the set back on itself. And one set can make or break the match. And the moment may not be immediately visible, but only found through long study. Matches may drag, but change is past before it is noticed.

Yeah, it was much nicer in my mind, but I had to let it out. Laugh and let it go. Just felt the need to myself.
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Movie Review: Angels and Demons [May. 20th, 2009|02:45 pm]
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Went and saw this movie yesterday after much debate of whether to see Star Trek again or not. End result was this was chosen and it was a very plesant surprise. There were problems with it, but overall it was very watchable and enjoyable.

Alright, gonna go ahead and start with the problems. One, pacing....went from feeling super rushed to slow when the action started. And the first 20 minutes or so it seemed like Hanks was phoning in his performance. It picked up after that. And I really hated one of the things they changed from the book. Won't give it away because it's a bit of a spoiler, but yeah, I didn't like the last brand.

On to the positive stuff. The cinematography was beautiful. The shots of Rome just made me drool and swoon. The art and satues were beautiful as well. Always fun to see that sort of stuff on screen. Makes me kick myself for not majoring in art history. Hanks after the begining was wonderful. Ewan McGregor was amazing to watch as always. The rest of the performances were solid as well. But the scenery was the major draw.

Overall it was far from the best movie ever made. It was also equally far from horrible. It was fun and enjoyable, over the top escapism. Much more over the top than DaVinci Code, which took itself way too seriously. This one avoids all that and asks for suspended belief from the begining, which gives it the freedom of fiction. It made it an enjoyable romp. Some of the scenery is good on screen, but probably worth the wait for the dvd if you have a decent Tv.
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A reminiscence blog [May. 15th, 2009|11:24 am]
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One of the highlights of the news lately has been the most recent shuttle mission to do the final upgrades on the Hubble space telescope. It has sent me thinking and remembering things and just generally feeling old. But as opposed to old in the bad way, old in the good way.

I think that they said the Hubble was launched in 1990, making it 19 years old this year. It blew me away becaues I didn't realize it was that long ago. I remember hearing about it and being excited when they launched it. And the bitter sting of when it didn't work right. I paid attention to the news then and can remember the rants and raves against fixing it. That it was a mistake that cost millions and should be abandoned. Those are arguments that people won't admit to now, but that's the way it was then.

And I remember staying up late and watching them when the shuttle went up to repair it. It was exciting to watch. The astronauts delicately moving and manipulating the objects in space. Could almost feel them trembling as they reached down into the bowels of the the telescope and made the adjustments and add ons. It was reality TV at it's best. It just amazed me when I was...hell...I had to be in my early teens when that happened. It made me feel like a little kid again.

Then the first clear pictures began to come it and it was amazing. Space was beautiful again. Filled with black holes and quasars and galaxies smashing into other galaxies. It was fantastic. New data began streaming in and some of the secrets of the universe were unlocked. Beauty became truth and the truth was more beautiful than we could ever have imagined. I didn't understand alot of the physics stuff, those of you who have known me for a while know that math is far from my strong point, but the sights that were beamed down from the heavens were breathtaking, even without truly understanding their meaning.

Yes, Hubble was expensive to build, fix, and maintain. But it became the symbol of what the quest for knowledge can provide. Is the knowledge useful in any meaningful, profitable way right now? Hell no. But that isn't the point of mankinds quest for knowledge. Science, philosophy, art, history...all expensive endevours that are worth pursuing because they are there. The persepctive that it can give all of us is worth more than monetary value spent on its quest.
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Continuation of the blog on education [May. 14th, 2009|03:29 pm]
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Look back before the Star Trek review and you'll get the starting point of this blog.

One question I didn't get around to is why are people so willing to believing a link between autism and vaccines? Why are they so willing to believe that science is out to get them? I believe that this is a sign of both one of the weaknesses and strengths in the current version of mass education. People see reports every day of drug reactions, side effects, unintended consequences of drug prescriptions, massive drug recalls and are therefore skeptical of traditional medicine and science. Everyday there is a new commercial for a miracle drug and the reasons why they should go and ask their doctor about prescribing them this new treatment. When drugs are advertised like candy to a market with no real understanding of what goes into developing a drug, then consumers should be extremely leery. When so much is put on advertising, it makes it seem like the company is in it solely for the profit, without regard for the consequences.

There was a time when people accepted what a doctor said without thought because they were doctors. This contributed the experimentation on blacks and poor people throughout the last century. The fact that people are willing to ask questions, are willing to challenge doctors, scientists and various other experts is a shining example of the success that the past century's advancements in education have been successful.

Drug companies themselves also contribute to this image of being nothing but money grubbers without regard for the population in general. In the past 30 years there has been a major shift towards deregulation of all types of financial markets. This would include the drug companies. The current economic problems reflect the dangers in this. Creative thinking has allowed drug companies to jump through the hoops that were set up to regulate them. Yes, there are more regulations that companies have to go through to get a drug to the market than there are any other in any sort of financial market. And they have been more and more enforced and codified than elsewhere. But companies have increasingly gotten around this through bad science and fudging of what had been sacred protocol until very recently.

According to a November 2005 issue of Discover magazine (the most recent numbers I could find from a reliable source) in 1991, drug companies funded 70% of the research going into the development and trial of new treatments. Of this overwhelming amount of funding, 80% of the research was taking place in public university labs. In university labs there are a massive amount of checks and balances to make sure research is done thoroughly and done well. There isn't a direct relation between profit and the research. It kept things moving and made sure that side effects, outcomes, and the whole range of issues were recorded and reported. By 2000, only 34% of the industry sponsored research was being done at universities where the old system of checks and balances and academic credibility held sway. The rest was being done by labs owned and operated by the companies with a direct investment in the outcome. There was pressure to make drugs that passed through the regulatory hoops and the scientists that were once considered paragons of intelligence where pressured to turn out a product like a factory line worker. The rush to profit sets off alarm bells in consumers. And this is a proper reaction for a intelligent and educated public.

But this is where education has also failed. Yes, it has created a public that doesn't believe everything it is told, but it also has sent people searching for alternatives and willing to believe anything as long as it is an alternative to classic scientific medicine. There are intelligent people who will believe in the healing power of crystals, acupuncture, natural health substitutes without putting these to the same skepticism that made them reject scientific medicine. It is a failure in education that they are unable to apply the same through processes across the board. People are taught that options and alternatives are to be valued whether or not they have credible evidence at all. It doesn't force people to think critically at all times. Especially if something is marketed on faith alone. People are willing to believe this because faith is something that is understandable and comprehensible on a basic level. As opposed to real scientific research that is garbled in a language that flies over most people's heads. Thus the appeal of "natural" medicine and the willingness to see connections like vaccines and autism.

Contributing to this lack of thought is also the belief in faith healing and holy medicine. People refuse to put their beliefs to the same kind of scrutiny that they reject medicine with. Thus people like Peter Popoff and Benny Hinn who have been shown and outed as con men make resurgences every few years. Then on a more serious level there was a case in I believe Minnesota or Michigan, where a girl died because her family refused to call a doctor and prayed by her bedside while she suffered from diabetic kinoacidosis (not sure about the spelling here, but pretty sure about the disease). The parents are being brought up on charges of abuse and rightly so. There is no excuse for that kind of ignorance and stupidity in this day and age.

The goal of education, from kindergarten to college should be thought. Kids are pampered to, spoken down to, and not treated as intelligent beings. They should be pushed, not coddled. Questioning should be encouraged, doubt should be instilled. And the tools of reason and thought that are innate in most of us should be honed to a razor's edge from the beginning. They should be taught how to disseminate truth from lies, to evaluate claims that are made equally and from all sides. Yes, opinions are wonderful things to have, but they should be held up to scrutiny not just accepted. And that is the difference between fact and opinion that is lost in much of today's education system. To paraphrase an episode of House, despite what you have been told right and wrong do exist and you have to make those choices. Developing the tools to make these choices should be the point of education, even above training for work. The use of these tools is what makes someone a valuable member of society, not how much work they contribute.

And how does this relate back to the point I was making earlier? If the public, consumers, demanded research to be done properly then drug companies would be more prone to conduct more complete studies. And the charlatans who believe that grass shavings will help cure cancer would find their market quickly dried up. And thus the world is made a better place. But the first step is learning proper thought. And education is the way that happens.

Alright, long rant over. Probably not as well stated as I need it to be if I really want to make a difference. But that is the failing of the author, not the ideas. There are some fantastic sites out there that make many of these same points better than I could ever dream of. Phil Plait's Bad Astronomy blog is wonderful. The James Randi Education Foundation site is also great. As is Skepticblog.org. I don't agree with everything that is stated on these sites. I disagree with their authors as much more than many of you probably disagree with me. But they are out there for anyone willing to look them up.
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Couple of movie reviews: Wolverine and Star Trek [May. 8th, 2009|12:32 pm]
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Alright, this past week I splurged a little and went twice to the movies. First time I saw Wolverine. Then last night went to a first showing of Star Trek. Yeah, probably shouldn't have done but one but...the only thing that I can't resist is temptation.

First up...Wolverine. Yeah, spent a couple of days trying to think of what I could say to make this one seem not horrible. But I can't do it. It was extremly bad. But it was enjoyably bad. If you go in expecting something the level of X1 or X2, then prepare to be disappointed. If you go in expecting something like Van Helsing, then you'll enjoy it. It made me laugh really hard several times and some of the big explosions were quite enjoyable. That being said, probably would be just as enjoyable to rent or watch on TV when HBO gets it. It was fun to watch, but not the game changing movies that the first two X Men movies were. It was however much much better than the train wreck that was X3.

Now, onto the biggest surprise of...hell, probably my life. Star Trek was amazing. They took a huge budget and gave enough action to keep nonfans of Star Trek happy, but also spent enough of writing to make hard core fans love it. I went in expecting to be let down by the movie, and I left completely and totally satasfied in a wonderful afterglow. Didn't write the review last night because my brain was still leaking from my ears because of the awesome.

The acting was first rate from all of the main characters. The choices to fill the shoes of iconic roles were all amazing. Christopher Pine was a wonderful choice for Kirk. He was able to capture the essence of Shatner but put enough of himself into the role to gain credibility for himself. It was fun to watch. Quinto as Spock was the next step of completely amazing. He had the look and mannerisms, if not the voice of Nimoy down. In one scene, they are on screen together and he looks like a 30 year old Nimoy and it just takes your breath away. But when it came to completely stealing the spotlight, Karl Urban and Simon Pegg blew everyone else off the screen. Urban's entrance as Bones is the best on screen introduction since Jack Sparrow in the first Pirates movie. And Pegg's Scotty was spot on the essence of the original. The two of them were perfect casting that truly surprised me.

The writers where amazing. They took a story which could have fallen apart into a steaming pile of crap, like most which take the path they went down, and made it into something that would please die hard Trekers, casual fans, and people who wouldn't be caught dead watching the old Trek movies or shows. And that was the most surprising thing. What was a dead franchise was given new life, pulled from the tomb and made walk. As I have said before, both die hard fans and people who have sworn off Star Trek will enjoy this movie. Mucho laude to the writers for making that happen.

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm saying go see this movie. I mean you. It is worth it.

Alright, next blog will probably be a continuation of the last one I wrote since I got interrupted during in. You have been warned.
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Opinions, Fact, Free Speech, and Education [May. 6th, 2009|03:18 pm]
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Have been building this blog for a long time in my mind, so most likely it will be a long one. You have been warned.

Free speech, freedom of thought, and of expression is the cornerstone of all other freedoms. To limit that in any way would be a sin greater than any I can think of. However, just because everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that does not mean that all opinions are of equal value. And that is the point that is lost so often these days in the media and in public perspective. Just because two opinions are differing does not mean that they deserve equal attention or are equally valid. In this world of relativism, there is still right and wrong and that is what must not be lost.

Yes, I will admit, there are a lot of things where both viewpoints need to be covered. In politics, in philosophy, even in science, debate is necessary and how things advance. But there are some areas, especially in science, where debate is not necessary, where there are facts that are proven and the debate is over. These are the areas that do not need equal coverage or equal respect. One of the main goals of education should be to teach people how to distinguish one from the other.

Two of these areas have been recieving way too much attention lately. The evolution-v-creationism debate is running strong. Here are two links that really inspired this blog. The first is about a court case in California of all places. The second is about the Texas State School Board. http://current.com/items/90019811_creationism-as-superstitious-nonsense-violates-first-amendment.htm
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/05/06/texas-is-only-6000-years-old/

The second area that has recieved undue media attention is the antivaccination movement. This is a much more troubling area. It shows that there is as much a problem with more liberal openmindedness as there is with ultraconservative relgious dogma closemindedness. Secondly, this is a life and death situation. Children are dying of preventable diseases because some people want to link vaccines with autism. To show how far this problem has spread Oprah has endorsed it, and Huffington Post, one of my personal favorite news sites, published a long editorial by Jim Carrey lambasting a judicial decision that said vaccinations didn't cause autism. Links in order of mention. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2009/05/04/oprah-drinks-the-antivax-kool-aid/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jim-carrey/the-judgment-on-vaccines_b_189777.html

The problem in the case of creationism is there is absolutly no scientific proof of creationism. There is proof of evolution. Just look at the current swine flu outbreak. And the problem with the judge's logic in his ruling is blatent. If the teacher calling creationism mumbo jumbo was defamation of religion and therefore a violation of the establishment clause, then creationism is religion and not science. If it is religion, then it has no place being taught in a public classroom, under the same seperation of church and state. If however creationism wants to be classified as a science, then it should be treated as such and classified with the other theories which have no basis in scientific fact. Things like the flat earth hypothesis or hollow earth theory. And that leads us to the Texas school board's attempts at infusing creationism into classes. If theories must be examined on "strengths and weaknesses" then all of the other foolish pseudoscience theories must be taught as well.

Scientific education is about the use of what can be proven. It is about the thought process of separating what is useful information and what isn't, and what can be used and what cannot be used. Just because science can't prove something doesn't exsist, does that mean it does? No, of course not. Anyone who works in a scientific field can tell you that science cannot prove a negative. It can only offer theories that best support what is known. That is why debate is important, but also why there is a burden of proof on science theories. Things that cannot be proven have their place in science, but things that have no basis in any sort of proven fact do not belong in any branch of science.

And that leads us to why the antivaxx movement is so dangerous. Can science prove that there is no link between vaccines and autism? No, it cannot, because science doesn't work in proving negatives. Scientific research can however prove that there is a link between vaccines and autism. However, inspite of the millions poured into research, science has not been able to show a link between the two at all. And that is a point that those who spout antivaxx nonsense ignore. What scienece has shown is that vaccines do help in preventing diseases. Smallpox is the most known example of a vaccine completely wiping a disease from the world. They have been shown to be wonderful in preventing a million other diseases. And proper examination of the facts would show that more and more children in the industrialized world are dying of diseases which can be easily prevented by vaccines because their parents buy into a load of bullshit because a pretty face said it. Another fact that is completely ignored by the antivax community. Yes, the dig was at Jenny McCarthy whose apparent nude talents make her an expert on all things medical. Nothing against Playmates and Playboy, but I would prefer my doctor to have a Md, not a PMOY. Although I would probably go to a MD with a PMOY if I could find one. (Yes, a joke was needed)

But now we get to the real point of education. It is not only to train people for jobs, that is what apprenticeships and the first couple of years on any job is for. Education is about empowering people with the ability to think, to sort through facts, and to make decisions based on proper judgement of the facts. That however is lost among the scramble to teach standardized tests and the kind of foolishness that politicians dont' want to face. Because the problem is hard to solve. Hell, people themselves turn a blind eye to the problem because they want to see it as something simple that doesn't involve that kind of thought. But people need to be reminded that progress doesn't come from war or greed, it comes from knowledge. If greed should be a driving factor, then people should be greedy for knowledge.

Alright, that's the wrap up for now. Need to talk more about education but kinda lost my train of thought. Leave some love or leave some hate, whichever you think is more appropriate.
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I haven't decided if... [Apr. 29th, 2009|10:23 pm]
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If this is amazingly cool, or just really disturbing.

http://io9.com/5233053/fashion-designer-crafts-garments-for-the-harsh-conditions-of-arakis
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A quck look at a couple of definitions and an small rant [Apr. 28th, 2009|01:19 pm]
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Definitions from http://www.merriam-webster.com/


Main Entry: 1ep·i·dem·ic Pronunciation: ..ˌe-pə-ˈde-mik.. Function: adjective Etymology: French épidémique, from Middle French, from epidemie, noun, epidemic, from Late Latin epidemia, from Greek epidēmia visit, epidemic, from epidēmos visiting, epidemic, from epi- + dēmos people — more at demagogue Date: 1603

1: affecting or tending to affect a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time ..epidemic>2 a: excessively prevalent b: contagious 4 3: of, relating to, or constituting an epidemic ..epidemic proportions>



Main Entry: 1pan·dem·ic Pronunciation: ..pan-ˈde-mik.. Function: adjective Etymology: Late Latin pandemus, from Greek pandēmos of all the people, from pan- + dēmos people — more at demagogue Date: 1666

: occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population


The news media needs to learn the proper usage of these words. Yes, the swine flu outbreak in Mexico could possibly be the prelude to an epidemic. But it is far from a pandemic, or anything to truly worry about. Yes, it has killed over 100 people in a country whose medical practices reached their peek 50 years ago. Every case that has reached a first world country has been treated without incident. Yet the media throws around words in order to sensationalize the situation. It seems they belive that pandemic is a combination of panic and epidemic. It's just one of those things that really and truly does bother me. If it was something that is untreatable, or was truly to worry about, that would be one thing. But all the facts so far point to it being nothing to worry about. That is what the focus should be, not more panic about nothing.

Alright, that's just been bugging me lately. Hope that all is well with everyone else out there.
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A lump of book reviews, all related to Sandman [Apr. 20th, 2009|03:17 pm]
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Alright, I've read several full story lines of Sandman expansions, written mostly by Neil Gaiman and have writtne short reviews of each one. Here they all are, lumped together.

Endless Nights

Wow, just wow. A beautiful add on to the story that wrapped up in Sandman. Gaiman's writing is beautiful and touching. It disturbs and is extremly relatable. I got this last night, and stayed up all night reading it and just drooling in that way that Gaiman makes me. Each story gives wonderful insight into each of the Endless. Death was beautiful and patient. Desire was. Dream...we begin to understand. Destruction was fantastic. Delirium was delight. And Destiny was probably my favorite. Despair's was perhaps the most interesting just because of how different it was from anything else he has written. It was fantastic, disturbing, beautiful, and depressing all at the same time. If you liked Sandman, then go get this. Read it and enjoy the insight it gives you to the world, to yourself.

Death: The High Cost of Living

A fantastic addition to the Sandman series. If you like Gaiman's writing and want more Death, then here she is, in all her beautiful, optimistic glory. If you loved her before, your heart will ache now. It follows her on the one day in the last century that Death took human form, upholding her duties. The revelation is wonderful. The joy in all things that it means to be human. And how we can change ourselves and our ideas. It's wonderful. There are characters from various Sandman stories scattered throughout and it will make you flex your mind to remember where they fit. It's differnt from Sandman, but beautiful in it's own right. Doesn't have the depth of Sandman, but it's not ment to, and face it, what does?

Death: The Time of Your Life

Another wonderful addendum to Sandman. Again, like the other Death story, it's nto nearly as in depth as Sandman. But it works wonderfully, giving a glimpse into the mind of the Endless as imagined by Neil Gaiman. He is able to tell a moving story wonderfully in a way that not many others can. It's very simple, straightforward, but has a depth of it's own at the same time. If you're a Sandman fan, read it. But whereas Sandman is epic in it's scale, like Homer, this is more like Hemingway. Short, to the point, and beautiful in it's own way.

The Little Endless Storybook by Jill Thompson

This was...completely and wonderfully adorable. The art work was fun and beautiful and Delirium would be proud. The story was extremly cute and brought back a couple of my favorite characters from Sandman. So cute, and all parents should be required to read this to their children. The world would be a better place. For not being written by Gaiman, it's really good.

Alright, that's it for now. Check out this and my thoughts on a wide variety of books at http://books.livingsocial.com/people/1707807399
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Happy Easter everyone [Apr. 12th, 2009|10:50 am]
And if you wonder why I make a blog post about Easter, go read American Gods. :)
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Just when you thought.... [Apr. 11th, 2009|04:16 pm]
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Joss Whedon couldn't get any cooler, this happens. http://io9.com/5207864/joss-whedon-accepts-award-drops-dollhouse-hints-names-winner-of-buffyriver-fight

And come on, as far as the last question goes, it's no contest. As much as I love Buffy, River would wipe the floor with her.
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Ever have one of those nights when... [Apr. 10th, 2009|03:42 am]
You close your eyes and fall asleep for 5 minutes. And the dreams in those 5 minutes of sleep are nightmares? So you wake up and you can't go back to sleep no matter how tired you are because of the things etched in your mind? Or is that just me?
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Too funny not to share [Mar. 31st, 2009|12:55 pm]
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A combination of two of my favorite things in the world. Star Wars and hating Rush Limbaugh. Who could ask for more?

http://current.com/items/89924638/jabba_the_rush.htm
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Thoughts on AIG and the Economy [Mar. 27th, 2009|03:51 pm]
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First, we start off with a funny. It encapsulates things much better than any of the news reports have. (All credit to XKCD)




Those of you who have been reading my blog for any amount of time know that my economic policies swing heavily towards the socialist side of things. But this situation has been blown completely out of hand. And people, both politicians and others, have been angered about the wrong things. Should people be upset? Yes. But what should they be upset about?

The simple answer to that is they should be upset about stupidity. AIG paid out however many millions in "bonuses" to executives and others in the company. Their stupid mistake was calling them bonuses. To most people a bonus is something that is paid in recognition of good service for a year or however long of work. AIG contracts apparently called for the "bonuses" to be paid out no matter what as long as a person completed the job. If the company had come out and said that it was simply fulfilling contractual obilgations, then the hot button word "bonus" would not have even come up. Yes, no company should be paying that much in salaries to anyone who is running the company into the ground. However, the superiorly stupid part was calling what they were paying bonuses.

The other problem with this whole fiasco is that the numbers that are being delt with are beyond the comprehension of 99.999% of the people in the country. Everyone, from politicians, businessmen, economists, to Joe Sixpack hears a number like a billion or a trillion and they see a lot of zeros and throw a dollar sign in front of it and people just start to drool. But it doesn't seem real. The human brain just isn't programed to understand numbers of that size and scale. It's possible, but scientists, astonomers and geologists especially, are about the only ones who really understand that scale of a trillion. Hell, not often will I readily admit being blown over by scale, but a trillion does that.

To try and throw some scale on things, the average human can expect a lifespan of somewhere around 80 years. A little over 500 years ago, Columbus discovered the Americas. 2000 years ago the Roman empire was at it's height. 50,000 years ago we were living in caves. 7 million years ago, or so, the first homonid ape was walking upright. 65 million years ago the Dinosaurs went extinct. There are about 6 billion people on earth right now. And the universe was created about 15 billion years ago. And that's much, much less than a trillion. A trillion is still 100 times bigger than that. See, the numbers are just really hard to imagine.

Now onto the Obama economic policies. It really makes me mad when people don't see the difference between wasteful spending and spending with a point. Yes, it is a lot to lay out for education, health care, the envirornment, and the other stuff. But there are things which need to be done in order to sure up the economy 20 or 30 years down the road. Yes, it is hard to think long term in the face of current problems. But throwing on a short term solution without taking into account long term effects won't solve anything. That's the kind of thinking that causes problems like the recession we are experiencing now.

Is now the best time for massive healthcare reform? Nope. The time for that was 15 years ago when Clinton first proposed it. It got bashed and shoved aside then as unnecessary because things were going good. Same thing with environmental policies that have been torn to shreads in the past 8 years. And the kinds of regulations that have been proposed as well. If it wasn't an economic regulation, then I would be against it. But too many people associate money with liberty. They are seperate areas that should not overlap.

The difference in long term thinking and short term is best described in the Vimes boots theory of economics. No joke for all your Pratchett fans, that's what the guy actually called it. But the idea that if you allow someone only enough to buy something that will wear out quickly it ends up costing more in the long run than putting out more at the begining for something of higher quality. This is the crisis facing the US right now. It's thin, but there is work that needs to be done and needs to be done well if we want to prepare for the future. When times were ripe, nobody wanted to look forward. That is the biggest change and the hardest one to make.

Humans are programed with the ability to look forward and to plan unlike any other species we know of in the history of the planet. But in the evolutionary struggle of day to day exsistence, the ability to truly plan ahead has been pushed aside. In the past, a year or two was as far ahead as we had to look. And we got really good at doing that. It allowed us to expand faster and more than any creature aside from roaches and rats. But now we have reached a point where what evolved as long term planning is now short term. We have to adjust ourselves, our attitudes to reflect this. It is not easy. It his extremly hard. But that is why we must do it. Humanity has a responsibility to itself. And the US has a responsibility in order to maintain it's place as a leader in the world.

Do I agree with everything that has been propsed by Obama? Nope. Far from it. But people crticize without offering a better solution. If we keep up the cycle of boom and bust, eventually things will bust beyond fixing. Congressmen, if you think you can make something better, then do so and offer that up as an alternative before criticizing. If you can't, or if you can't look forward to see the benefits in the long run, then why are you making so much noise?

Alright, that's all I've got for right now. Hopefully my brain will work again sometime soon and I will be writing more. If there is still anyone out there who readis this that is. lol
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