Something about God I don't get.

Happy murdered children reach for Jesus

I don’t mean to get into some kind of a pissing contest with my Christian friends, but there is something about the religion or the perception of some of the religion that I just don’t understand. There have been several Christian statements on Facebook since the tragic killing of children and adults in Connecticut, some of which just ask for prayer and others get more pointed. One asserted through a graphic of Jesus holding out his hand to happy children who were killed, but now are with him. Another asserted that the Devil walks the earth and this was his work (or something close to that). Yet another simple asserted that although this was a tragedy it was God’s will.

Let’s take these one at a time.

 Prayer. No problem there except in many Christian sects God is portrayed as having started free will and won’t interfere with human affairs. So what good is done by a prayer to a God who doesn’t listen? In other sects God is seen as directly intervening in human affairs, thus prayer should help. Those Christians can pray and hope that God is listening (he is by definition) and cares enough about the specifics to do something. Many times prayers go unanswered.
Jesus wants children with him and they will be happy for ever. If that is true, why not take them all? Why wait until some madman murders them? Will they be happy if they never grow up? Who wants to spend eternity as a 6 year old? Are their parents suffering for some arcane reason (karma coming down?)? Doesn’t make any sense to me.
The Devil walks the Earth. If the Devil is a fallen angel then he should be subject to God’s will like all the rest of us. So why does God let him roam the earth doing evil things to innocents? Just so Jesus can have them to play with? Why doesn’t God just take him out?
Just God’s will. Ok, I know the assertion that we can never know the mind of God, so we can never know why he would do something completely mean and cruel. I thought God loved us so much that he can’t stand to see us suffer. Really? Cancer? War? Rape? Murder of children? This is love? I don’t get it. Really, I don’t get it. And if all those children, and the thousands of other children killed each year in wars and by diseases and by starvation and by murder are killed because it is God’s will, who wants a God like that?
Which brings me to this point: I certainly don’t want one like that.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQuJLXiH-dUEnEfiCQ9qRE0_TDwhCN8o4O6tcu0554rrUd6CtFEB79-jbhL2jSrOcLZwNCvnXG4wWuFa7yF5vkMXr6rPZrsMdWf_G7Wn7Da_EuYhzju8AULmMfgB7aAwhw2x0Vj8Vrfo/s1600/children+reaching+for+Jesus.jpg

Not a Ball or Ovary in Sight.

 
Fiscal cliff? What a crock! Pure showmanship at work when the SOBs should be at work getting the mess in the country straightened out. Of course we have a massive problem, brought on by decades of neglect of responsible governing. Of course we have huge debts and not enough income. Nobody denies that. But we also have gutless politicians (and have had for decades) always willing to “kick the ball down the road” and instead go for the pork. For themselves of course.
Well boys (and girls) it is time to cut the crap and get it right. Cut spending and raise income. What does it take to get this simple point over? Look at your own situation: you get in debt, either on purpose or accidental and what do you have to do? Cut spending and/or increase income. The “and/or” here is important. If you cannot cut enough spending then you MUST increase income. Get a part-time job. Get a better job. Something to raise income.
So the government should cut spending but cannot cut enough spending to cover the nut. Income must be raised. How? Now that is the question. Close loop holes; raise taxes; increase tariffs; stimulate the economy to increase production/sales/jobs.
I don’t know what they should do, but my gut tells me all of the above and more will be needed before this mess is over. My gut also tells me that the mess will never really be over. My gut also tells me that the rich will make out like the bandits they are and the rest of us will get screwed somehow.
 My gut also tells me that the gutless bastards in Congress don’t have the balls or ovaries to really do it right. Very, very sad.

What is 2014 for???

An old friend reminded me that I haven't posted for a while. No worries. Just got a bit burned out from the election furor. Like everyone else, I thought that the election was over, and my guy as it turned out, won. By a pretty good margin. He ran on a few simple to understand ideas, one of which was to increase the tax rate on the richest Americans. That resonated with many Americans from both parties. In fact polls show that something like 65% of Americans think taxing the richest people at the Clinton era rate is a good idea. Remember the Clinton era? Higher taxes and growth, prosperity and a balanced budget?
So how come the Republicans in the House and Senate act like Romney won? How come they say things like "We are here to do the People's business" and then ignore the people? Even Fox news agrees that more revenue is needed to get back to fiscal safety. And cuts too. And even Fox news agrees that closing "loop holes" won't generate enough money to do the job.
I actually thought the election was over, but it is obviously not over. What remains is to kick out the remaining conservatives who insist on blocking the real will of the people. That is what 2014 is for.

Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwK5T7Uo8rSNJMXeoQmsBuxBwmYOXcCJ79tZO4YSNqPj5UKcWqITW3md5AFgIFhVeMTXy_3YDFj6jkYbL4T4LhhcTTGeRMuPYKpt3vS6S1B_P4QPs_-N9SWOrnGnanAT0n_fkVFhtauQ/s1600/GOP+Cockroach.JPG

Unprecedented Storm. Surprise?

We can all take a lesson from these guys.

No, not really. The world can expect storms, more powerful storms and more of them as a direct result of climate change. The Northeast got hammered. They had some notice from the National Weather Service but no one could be prepared for this magnitude of disaster in a short time. So we come to the aftermath. There were 8.5 million people without power, now 1.7 million. The mass transit of several states was off or nearly off. Now many are running, albeit with reduced schedules. Houses in coastal areas are gone, damaged beyond repair or somewhere in between. It is a terrible mess, but getting better.

Brings me to the response. A grand combination of public and private organizations has mostly cooperated to maximize help and minimize delay. FEMA was on the ground early and began doing what they do as soon as they could. What they don’t do is restore power or water or sewer or transportation. They provide disaster relief and coordinate disaster relief with private agencies. The Red Cross, Salvation Army (a religious organization that is for disaster relief and against gay marriage), many social organizations, churches, corporations and individual people have all jumped in to help. Relief after a disaster of unprecedented damage should be a National, State, City and Town, Corporation, Religious and Social group activity. So what pisses me off is for someone to take on one of the groups and claim things are going badly because of them. Case in point: FEMA gets blamed for the slow restoration of power when in fact the restoration has been amazingly fast and restoration is being done by private contractors and municipal units. Not the purview of FEMA to fix power lines. Or the City of New York Mayor being blamed for the time it takes to get water out of the subway. There are only so many pumps.

Blame? Oh Yeah. Blame the politicians for being asleep when 30 years ago they were warned that seas would rise and eventually be swept ashore. They were told that storms would get worse and that a more robust defense should be mounted, like sea walls, and a more robust response plan should have been funded. They didn’t and now the Northeast is in the crapper. Let’s pull together and thank all the participants and put the blame squarely where it belongs: Lazy, partisan, uneducated and shallow politicians. Not the ones in office now, the ones who kicked the can down the block 30 years ago.

Image: http://images.politico.com/global/2012/10/121031_obama_christie_ap_605.jpg

Human-Neanderthal Mating.

Neanderthal family from forensic reconstructions

For starters I resent the separation. I just can’t get around what seems obvious that both “humans” as we are called, though there are a lot of “inhumans” out there, and “Neanderthals” share many traits probably including language ability, art, spirituality and others. I read somewhere somebody saying that if you took a Neanderthal, give him a good shave and haircut and  put him in a suit nobody in New York would notice him. I have personally interacted with several people who seemed to have an unusually heavy concentration or expression of Neanderthal genes.
I have also observed human nature both up close and at a distance, and will assert that under a variety of circumstances, human males will mate with just about anything with an orifice. To put it bluntly, if a hunter will screw a dead deer do you actually think he wouldn’t screw a hairy woman?(Look at the second image of reconstructed Neanderthal female. She remind you of someone you know?) Human conflict is rife with tales of “rape and pillage” with emphasis on the rape part. So why would anyone with a brain not think that after humans kicked the crap out of a band of Neanderthals they wouldn’t rape the women left alive? Of course they would. And did. End of story. (And vice versa too I imagine) I have taught this “theory” for decades, all the while the experts have waffled back and forth. Anatomical and genetic evidence has been piling up for decades as well and once again the world has caught up with Woody. About time, too.

Just one of many references: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345517/title/Human-Neandertal_mating_gets_a_new_date

Image: http://www.daynes.com/en/reconstructions/neanderthal.php
Image: And check this one out. http://www.daynes.com/en/reconstructions/neanderthal-4,1.php

Response to a Friend on Discourse and Disrespect

Believing isn't the point. Being able to explain your beliefs in a way that makes sense is the point. All of us can be swayed by argument (in the philosophical sense) that is well reasoned and clearly presented. My pointing out the discrepancies in some religious statements is a way of presenting a chance for believers to articulate their beliefs. For example, you are clearly not a Muslim, but probably have challenged the idea that Islam is a peaceful religion when all you ever see is violence and death coming from Islamic countries.  For you not to challenge Muslim friends to explain/support the contention that theirs is a peaceful religion would be ignoring a festering reality. The same with Christianity. Challenging beliefs is the best way to strengthen them. Discourse is the best way to clarify your own thoughts as well as persuade others of the value of your opinion. So rather than disrespect, which is never intended in a rational discussion, you should see opportunity to educate. The example I cited from the Old Testament is a good one to start some discussion of the way religious thought has changed over the time since the “good books” were first written. No one with a rational brain would think that a wife should be stoned to death at her father’s door for not being a virgin is acceptable. But they did just that in the old days, and in many fundamentalist countries where Mosaic Law is practiced they still do. And they use the Bible to justify it. So if one asserts that the Ten Commandments are truly the word of God, and should be followed without any thought, then how can one deny the word of God as articulated in Deuteronomy? See? Here is where the discourse comes in. And you know that many Christians claim that with the coming of Christ, the rules of the Old Testament were no longer valid. The question is “which rules?” In an earlier posting I said that I agreed with Scott, not because I thought he was right, but because his argument was well reasoned and based on a premise he held deeply. No disrespect at all. And I have none for you. To answer the other two points in your posting, I think you do not know what my religious beliefs are. They are certainly not Christian or any other named religion, but even I don’t call myself an atheist. I have had a personally fulfilling relationship with an entity you call Jesus for many years, yet think the mysteries and rules attributed to him are mostly man-made and wrong minded. So I take exception to the people who use “him” to support an agenda that is clearly not at all what “he” is about. Your other point is also worth a mention: Christians do impose their religious beliefs on everybody, or at least try to. Many of the laws we have in this Nation, while supposedly secular are Bible based. Look at all the fuss about stem cell research and abortion and teaching creationism in schools. Behind every one of these is the Biblical argument about what “God” said and wants. Well, many people don’t believe in God, and thus should not have to follow those teachings. For example, if a woman believes that life begins at conception, she shouldn’t use an IUD for birth control. Nor should she make another woman become pregnant by making IUDs illegal to use. That is imposing a religious belief on someone else. Same with abortion. Same with stem cell research. Same with creationism. You probably don’t agree. So explain how outlawing abortion is a secular thing and not a religious thing. In other words what is the basis for outlawing abortion that is not based on a religious belief? If you can’t think of a good and rational reason, then you are in favor of imposing a religious belief on a non-believer.

Whew. See what happens when I get up early?  


Image: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx6qXC26ZzmFviyMhE9lyJ7hn2ExVCDGxoizzIZBLC84cFcsHggkSF80rv675P7H_dPhpVvFhRR9gRsAeQDk1EMAFdcXmWttMmP0BY2xFzW4qjtJyLTk-AnxYq_biTj9ihtsX7SQ5g9unMnZ6Q/s1600/discourse-into-the-night.jpg

Big Texan and Big Beer(1)

Amarillo started out as a cattle and ranching town. Over the last century it has become a modern city with a broad economic base. And now, finally, it has a craft brewery. Situated in the Big Texan steak ranch, brew master Tom Money crafts a number of memorable brews. The list includes a variety of drinkable beers from a nice honey blonde ale to a tasty "whiskey barrel" stout.

It wasn't very busy when I stopped by to have a pint of my favorite, Rattlesnake IPA. This hoppy ale pours a nice hazy golden color with a creamy head and good lacing. The bitterness is obvious on the front and lingers after the swallow. Exactly the way I like it. Tom was in the middle of getting a boil of Honey Blond going and I joined him in the kitchen where the kettle lives. Remember, this brewery is built within a restaurant, so some of the brewing process takes place alongside grills, stoves and setup counters. Not ideal, but tom has conquered the problems. Anyway, we talked about brewing and what was new or different while the kettle came to a boil. Tom showed me some changes in the brewing room, a reefer box attached to the back of the building. Then, back to the kitchen to begin hopping.

We moved to the bar and I sampled some of the other (besides the IPA) creations currently on tap. First the 1836 Chocolate Bock Ale. It carries a healthy 7.2 ABV and an 18 IBU and has a dark, rich color. The head is fairly thick and leaves fine lacing behind. The serving temperature is a bit low and carbonation level of all Tom's brews is a bit high for my taste, but drops to a pleasant level after sitting. I know that many people like the tingle of cold beer and I have no problem with that. My taste runs to British style cask ales that are served at cellar temperature and pumped from the cask with little carbonation. Back to the ale. It has a solid malty base with bitterness derived from the Belgian cocoa as well as mild hopping. Slight flavors of coffee, also from the cocoa, add to the complexity. The texture is typically of ales, but the color and taste couple easily be found in a porter.

I was looking forward to the Whisky Barrel Stout and was not disappointed. At 9.22 ABV and 26 IBU this stout holds its own. It pours with a creamy head and has a smooth feel as it is sipped. Yes, sipped. The echoes of oak and Whisky are complemented by a caramel base, no doubt from the roasted barley and some possible caramelization during the boil, and a hint of vanilla. Overall a fine brew and one with which I would end a robust meal.

Next up was the Texas Red Amber Ale. This is a quaffable ale that would be a great pairing with a hot Texas (or Florida for that matter) bar-b-que afternoon or a fiery curry. Easy drinking with a crisp taste and here the carbonation is a real plus. This is exactly what you want after a hot day of work. That feeling in the throat from the first long pull, really refreshing.

I finished up with a glass of Pecan Porter. Here is Tom's description: “Dark ale dominated by the rich malty aroma of pecans. Light notes of chocolate, molasses and brown sugar. Northern brewer, Williamette, and Hallertuer hops provide a moderately spice earthy component. 4.5 ABV – 28 IBU”. I usually stay away from beer made with fruit or nuts so I wasn't actually planning to try this one. But as luck would have it, I had a long conversation with a trucker, a regular at the bar, who stopped in for lunch. He had a big mug of this brew with a BBQ plate and raved about both. I didn't try the BBQ but he was right about the Porter. It delivered Tom's expectations nicely, and with an IBU of 28 had enough bitterness for me. The lesson learned was not to pass up a brew because it has strange things in it.
So, after the Pecan Porter I bid Tom goodbye and returned safely to my room for a nap.

All in all a very good day and, I will be back in Amarillo again and back at the Big Texan. Thanks, Tom, for a lovely day. See you soon and on Facebook.

1. Origionally posted on the Southern Beer Magazine site.

A Tale of Three Visits

I was botany graduate student living in a douche bag apartment off of Red Road in Miami. I worked hard and partied hard. Saturday mornings were sleep in times except for early Everglades field work or fishing. So one Saturday the doorbell rings, I get up, look out the window and see an older woman with a younger one standing behind and off to the side. I open the door, wrapped in a towel, politely say “no thanks” and close the door. Next week same people same thing. But I tell them I am not interested. Next week, same thing same people except I answer the door, open it all the way, completely naked. I ask them to tell me about their religion, they turn and walk away. Never saw them again. I hoped the younger one would come back, but she didn’t.

Two Mormons. Different apartment same deal. I was only a couple of years older than these guys and enjoyed talking to them from time to time. Different guys each time. So this one morning I was in a rush to get out when the bell rang. I answered in a towel, told them I was going to take a shower, get dressed and leave because I had something to do. One of them asked if it was OK to come in and talk to while I got ready. Sure, I said. So they followed me into, INTO the bathroom where I dropped the towel and got into the shower. They talked, I washed. I got out, dried off with then still there, went into the bedroom, with them following and talking, got dressed, walked out with them following, got into my car, said “bye” and drove off, leaving them on the curb with their bikes. Never answered the door for 2 young men in white shirts and bikes again.

But, years later I was living in Charlottesville, VA, about  a mile off the main road. One very cold and snowy morning I was under my truck attaching the chains so I could get out to the main road and two pairs of legs appeared. I said something and one of the pairs of legs asked if I had time to hear some news. I slid out from under the truck and saw two young men, winter coats with 2 bicycles. You guessed it. I told them I didn’t have time, got into the truck and backed out of the driveway. They pushed their bikes out and moved on down the hill. There was a foot of fresh overnight snow on the ground and they couldn’t ride. On the way out I passed a car with a bike rack on the back. You figure the rest. One of them was named Elder Romney. (Just Kidding).

Image:Mormons: http://www.fairfaxunderground.com/forum/file.php?40,file=33840,filename=mormons.jpg

Image: Witnesses: http://www.wordsoftruth.net/wotvol10/wotbulletin10252009_files/door-knockers-2.jpg

 

No time for the faint-hearted

U.S. Consulate Buildings Burn in Libia

I know many Muslims are peace-loving people who just want to get on with their own lives. But, and this is a very big “but”, there is obviously a fairly large population of Muslims who believe in the jihadist philosophy of attacking innocents for the perceived crimes of a few. These minorities form a dangerous and easily led core of radicals who pose a threat to the peace of many places in the world if not the entire world.

I have preached tolerance for a long time, but am coming around to the position that many of the governments who tolerate these minorities and their hatred are unfit partners for the free world to court. Further, I think that the world has probably passed another tipping point where the radical Islamists are uncontrollable in the short run and quite probably in the long run as well. So where does that leave us? In a very dangerous world where allies must be chosen carefully, and supported strongly. In a world where none of us would wish to be, but we are forced to be in it anyway. In a world where Islamic nations increasingly hate the “west” (whatever that means) and work for our fall.

I don’t have a proposal on how to navigate this world, but it scares me almost to death. This latest round of riots, lootings and killings are just one more reason to be seriously worried about what the more radical elements of the Islamic world are up to and how far they will go to achieve their goals. We are in serious trouble here people. No time for the faint-hearted.

 http://www.mole.my/sites/default/files/images/120912113709-us-embassy-attack-01-horizontal-gallery.storyimage.jpg

Where Were You When JFK Died?

I was just finishing up the leek and potato soup, having a sit and listening to a retrospective of 9/11, and someone was asked where he was when it happened. I stopped reading and thought "I know exactly where I was". Then thought hmmm, how many other events can I say that about? I came up with three: The assassination of JFK, the first moon landing and 9/11. Sure, there are others that are burned in memory, but mostly they are multi-events like the end of the Vietnam War or the invasion of Iraq.

            The assassination of JFK: I was in a class on fungi in the old botany building at the University of Miami. Someone from the lab came in and said "Kennedy has been shot in Texas. Don't know if he's dead" and left. We all went after him, prof too, and spent the next several hours listening to the lab radio and talking quietly.

            Friday July 20th, 1969, three something in the afternoon. All the grad students from the trailer park got together in my trailer complete with many quart bottles of Bud and lots of Charles Chips and watched the landing. We sweated and cheered. We waited for the moonwalk watched for 2+ hours while they walked and bounced around on the moon. The next day they lifted off safely and eventually landed safely. Wow!

            Tuesday September 1th, 2001 I was driving to Thomasville, listening to NPR, when they interrupted the programing to announce that a plane had hit one of the Twin Towers in New York. I was just outside of Beachton and hauled ass to campus. Faculty, staff and students were already gathered in the student lounge in front of the big screen TV. We watched as the second plane hit the second tower. And then we watched as each in turn came down. We stayed for hours, welded into a single grieving community. And then for days we watched the reruns of both of those hits.

            Some things you can never forget. Some good things and some bad things. And you know what? You better not EVER forget. Yet. Yet. I have students that look at me like I have two heads when I stop for a moment on December 7th. And many think the Vietnam War is in the dim past. They see the black wall as an artefact. I suppose someday 9/11 will be an artefact. But not in my brain, as long as it lasts.

 

Image: http://www.black-and-right.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/WTC-9-11.jpg