tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85907562011-09-06T05:18:46.231-05:00Christianity, Ethics, Bike Racing, and current events from right of center.Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.comBlogger4301100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109470760296780642005-02-26T20:18:00.000-06:002005-03-05T11:44:43.430-06:00

For new essays from me, go here

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109439480372282312005-02-26T11:33:00.000-06:002005-02-26T11:38:00.373-06:00

I promised two posts on abortion, and haven't delivered, the first is partially complete. But I haven't been idle. Last night I signed up for an account on a web hosting service and have installed (and purchased Movable Type). I'm setting it up, and starting to work on moving there. I'll be migrating there when I have that site set up (at least well enough). I should be done by the end of the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109376780300611462005-02-25T18:11:00.000-06:002005-02-25T18:13:00.300-06:00

My next to essays are going to be on abortion. The first will by my position on it the second how my "Christian Moral Rights" project speaks to this issue. Comment away!

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109350492898746142005-02-25T10:54:00.000-06:002005-02-25T10:55:43.603-06:00

Now I've admitted in the past that I am a uninformed outsider when it comes to discussions between the ID (Intelligent Design) supporters and those who follow "Darwin" and common descent. Jim (of Decorabilia) points to a a paper 29+ Evidences for MacroEvolution by Douglass Theobald which at the outset seem to indicate to me that two groups are talking past each other. Mr Theobald points out that

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109338164043915562005-02-25T07:29:00.000-06:002005-02-25T07:29:41.980-06:00

Today's visiting feature takes us to lawreligionculturereview which is authored by Richard J Radcliffe. The motto for this blog is Exploring the intersections of law, theology and ethics. Recent posts which caught my eye include: Book Reviews, Part IV (Showtime). Mr Radcliffe reviews Tod Bolsinger's book Showtime. Mr Radcliffe draws our attention to the two main points of the book, and ends with

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109296557713341752005-02-24T20:00:00.000-06:002005-02-24T19:55:57.716-06:00

About a year ago, an acquaintance introduced me to using fountain pens. Fountain pens are not a high tech invention, but are very often finely crafted mechanical marvels. Just not from the 20th (or 21st) century. In the age of the iPod, PDAs, and cell-phone/cameras I find they still have an (increased) attraction. If you can keep track of and not lose your pen, you can refill and re-use a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109294770373404992005-02-24T19:27:00.000-06:002005-02-24T19:26:10.376-06:00

In the distant past ... (December) ... I proposed that our educational system was on the wrong track. In those essays, I proposed a sweeping set of reforms for our K-12 educational industry. One of the changes proposed, was my "four pillars" of education, which are all we really need to work on in those years (besides a small "core" of skills we all need to master to survive). Those skills were

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109267138644834312005-02-24T11:44:00.000-06:002005-02-24T11:45:38.646-06:00

Somehow anything said about evolution rubs some peoples fur the wrong way. At any rate, I thought this essay by Shannon Love worth reading.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109251672360014412005-02-24T07:25:00.000-06:002005-02-24T07:31:26.526-06:00

Today our we visit, ...in the outer..., brought to us by an anonymous blogger. The motto for this blog is: ...i thought i was "in"...but it was "the outer"... so there i stand... Recent posts which caught my attention include:What is the read purpose of prayer? Spurred on by Jeremy Pierce's essay on prayer we are asked to wonder about the purpose of our prayers Is Blogging and Addiction Hmm, I

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109219781764667392005-02-23T22:30:00.000-06:002005-02-23T22:36:21.766-06:00

In considering ethical teachings from the Old and New Testament, do considerations of Creation and Eschatology enter? However while reading Jim's response (here) to my admittedly shallow musings about evil, it occurred to me that my initial thoughts on this (that the beginnings and endings do not have direct bearing on ethics) might be wrong. Jim provides a quick little syllogism showing that

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109210113288016402005-02-23T19:47:00.000-06:002005-02-23T19:55:13.290-06:00

Matthew Yglesias (of the eponymous blog) has a short post on "intimate partner murder" in which he decides:The data seems to suggest that there is, in fact, a silver lining to the "decline of marriage" and a dark side to its promotion. Uhm, one wonders if Mr Yglesias has ever heard of children? Perhaps he has met one once or twice? Put on the way back machine and he might even recall being in

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109198162480695222005-02-23T16:34:00.000-06:002005-02-23T16:36:02.483-06:00

Today I noticed that Ann Althouse and I have mutually exclusive dietary habits. Althouse: "I'm always using the Atkins diet. I love it for precisely the reason stated in the post: it's excitingly transgressive!"My cycling/(slightly) high cholesterol diet emphasizes carbohydrates very much so over exclusion of fats and protein. I've joked in the past that this diet is the anti-Atkins diet.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109183970207676942005-02-23T12:37:00.000-06:002005-02-23T12:39:30.206-06:00

The Carnival is posted at Wallo World. I recently was alerted to Mr Wallo's excellent blog by Jollyblogger a few weeks ago. I've become a regular reader (which should serve as a reminder to update my links sidebar). Anyhow, go check it out and read some of his other essays while your there.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109165116096605082005-02-23T07:27:00.000-06:002005-02-23T07:25:16.100-06:00

For today's visiting feature, we go to The Regulator brought to us by J A Greer. The motto is an explanation of the title. Who were the frontier regulators? In Colonial South Carolina, the Regulator movement was an organized effort by backcountry settlers to restore law and order in the 1760's. In a digital world, this blog is attempting to bring some order to a little corner of the world. Come

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109123568631505402005-02-22T19:53:00.000-06:002005-02-22T19:52:48.636-06:00

See this for a summary of this series of essays thus far. In this essay, I intend to concentrate more on the differences between "Life, Liberty and ..." and my more wordy 7 moral rights derived from scripture. One of the key differences is that in that list there is no specific right to "liberty". If freedom is not a right, how might it be constrained? Do the specific rights I've listed guarantee

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109108817217459922005-02-22T15:45:00.000-06:002005-02-22T15:46:57.220-06:00

I've been searching for the Social Security "dialog" and coming up empty. On the few "Left" leaning sites I visit regularly I've only seen defenses of Social Security describing how "it isn't broken" and which go deeply into economic forecasting for the future. What I haven't seen is any defense of it on principle. That is to say, explaining Why the government should be in the retirement business

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109076865228300572005-02-22T06:56:00.000-06:002005-02-22T06:54:25.233-06:00

Today's visiting feature takes us to The Happy Husband brought to us by Curt Hendley. The motto of this blog, is celebrating marriage in a hostile world. Recent posts which caught my eye include:Marriage villains at the blog party in response to a challenge by some of Mr Hendley's blog neighbors, he is naming the top five villains. In keeping with the theme of his blog, they are the top five

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109040568366215792005-02-21T20:52:00.000-06:002005-02-21T20:49:28.370-06:00

Recently in a comment attached to an essay in this series (an exchange between myself and Mr Moderate I think the urgency behind this project is underscored.I had written: I am not trying to create a pseudo-theocracy (for the umpteenth time). My project is different. I have derived a "different" set of moral rights (from a different source). Having done so, I am wondering what sort of government

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109038242451710122005-02-21T20:11:00.000-06:002005-02-21T20:10:42.453-06:00

It just struck me that judging by many of the essays I've read earlier, those of my Gentle readers with a philosophical bent would very much enjoy a book I read a few years back (if they haven't already read it). I enjoyed it enough that I inflicted it on several co-workers who also enjoyed it immensely. The book I refer to is ... (drum roll) ... Sewer, Gas and Electric : The Public Works Trilogy

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1109007815191661082005-02-21T11:39:00.000-06:002005-02-21T11:43:35.193-06:00

Dodging association and repudiating questionable statements made by allies seems to be the rage these days. From moderate Muslims not distancing themselves vehemently from their extremest brethren, Democratic congressmen not distancing themselves from the leftist "moonbat" conspiracy theories, to GOP leaders not repudiating extremists in their own camp. Why all the dodging? Especially by the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108993019885567062005-02-21T07:36:00.000-06:002005-02-21T07:36:59.890-06:00

Today's visiting feature takes us to a ticking time blog, brought to us by (perhaps) Byron Harvey. A description of our author in the sidebar informs us that his title refers to "ticking people off, one blog at at a time". Recent posts which caught my eye include: Just a Post Before I Go… Byron has gone on vacation, guest bloggers are filling in. His last post asks us, Here’s my question: how

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108946909387388702005-02-20T18:48:00.000-06:002005-02-20T18:48:29.390-06:00

I'm going to start a series on this topic. I am prompted by the series of essays I did for the Challenge series, there both by questions I posed about the existence of diseases like Parkinsons (Awakenings) and direct (befuddled) reasonings of Mr Smith in Atheism. Also, in the wake of the Boxer Day Tsunami, I had written an abortive post on that topic and want to correct that lapse. Alas, what I

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108876521453164552005-02-19T23:03:00.000-06:002005-02-19T23:17:51.553-06:00

Lefties like to remind everyone that they are in the 48% of the country that didn't vote for Mr Bush. Those on the right point to the mandate that 51% of the vote in an election that saw record turnout gives them. What neither side likes pointing out is that 48% is a lie as was the 51%. The 48% was actually 29% of the qualified voters and that the 51% was really 31% because only 60% showed up.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108824685176717182005-02-19T08:52:00.000-06:002005-02-19T08:51:25.176-06:00

Powerline has a good joke up. Heh. RedHunter provides some historical parallels for the Iraqi war. David Mobley has a good essay on faith. He also has some links to view. The Hatemongers in their special way warn us about students proclivity to binge drink.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108774825650255672005-02-18T18:57:00.000-06:002005-02-18T19:04:43.926-06:00

Bill Wallo reviews Elliot Currie’s The Road to Whatever. If you don't read the book, read the review. If you don't then go out and get the book ... well you probably aren't raising kids.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108748168480735292005-02-18T18:46:00.000-06:002005-02-18T18:43:09.480-06:00

Keying off of Mr Herzog at Right2Left and my ongoing essay series on Christian ideas and government. The question arises, does the first moral right on my list, of a right to worship my God include a right to worship other Gods (or no God at all)? Do any of the others on that list speak to this as well?To cut to the chase (that is presenting my conclusions first), I think that a Christian theory

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108749083526434862005-02-18T11:51:00.000-06:002005-02-22T19:53:44.470-06:00

This blog post is a linkfest/collection of my essays on this subject. I'm going to put a link to it on my sidebar and keep updating as I continue to add essays to this "project". The current list of scriptural-based moral rights is: A right to worship my God, or freedom of religion. A right to raise my family in a righteous manner A right not to be killed A right to property A right to a fair

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108733543494341492005-02-18T07:21:00.000-06:002005-02-18T07:32:23.496-06:00

Today's visiting takes us to The Wardrobe Door brought to us by Aaron. The motto for this blog is "Passing through the door of the mundane into a world full of adventure, fulfillment and hearing me rant." Recent posts which caught my eye include: Coming Soon Aaron tells us what some of his future posts will be on, including the exclusivity of Christianity and the doctrine of hell. A chance to

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108697025572879202005-02-17T21:15:00.000-06:002005-02-17T21:23:45.573-06:00

I want to go on record early to say that from what I understand the new "office of National Intelligence" (now headed by Mr Negroponte) is a mistake. Just like the UN, an beauracracy is being created with responsiblity but no power. When it fails to accomplish its goals (being mainly powerless) it will be a lightning rod for blame, but being basically powerless will be ineffectual at actually

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108696133431249522005-02-17T21:10:00.000-06:002005-02-17T21:11:04.783-06:00

Given the previous post, I have a new set of "guidelines" to consider living by and to align how we view our neighbors and community. The task before me is to highlight the differences in a community set up along these guidelines as opposed the one Mr Madison and company designed. Again, I will repeat that this is a theoretical exercise and is not meant as a replacement for our current legal

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108658372376908042005-02-17T10:39:00.000-06:002005-02-17T10:40:54.793-06:00

Yahoo! News - Tutankhamun Murder Mystery Hangs on March Report: "A team of experts expects to announce in March whether the latest test results on the mummified body of Tutankhamun will provide evidence for the theory that the boy pharaoh was murdered." One might suspect that a few millenia would suffice? Well, I didn't do it! :)

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108656796373241472005-02-17T10:13:00.000-06:002005-02-17T10:13:16.376-06:00

Now I am no legal expert, and the following proposal will probably make that clear. It is my understanding that government and municipal employees do not have to contribute to SS because the government agency has it's own plan. One might wonder if a municipality (town or state) might choose to attract business to its area by providing a shelter from SS taxation. One way in which to do this is

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108648599043654392005-02-17T07:48:00.000-06:002005-02-17T07:56:39.050-06:00

Today's visiting feature takes us to Mentor Mark Memoirs brought to us an anonymous blogger who goes by MMM. The motto for this blog is Running thoughts from what is referred to as a "very scary place" it's a "horrible thing to waste"...yes, I talking about my mind! Some recent essays which caught my eye include: PAUL Mc or Apostle After the superbowl halftime performance, MMM asks why we put

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108612901108598302005-02-16T21:59:00.000-06:002005-02-16T22:01:41.110-06:00

Is up and seeing double. It's here and here. For some reason, at the first (Sharing Spirit) we're getting one post every half hour.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108606730278776552005-02-16T20:18:00.000-06:002005-02-16T20:18:50.280-06:00

In a bike shop earlier I was asked, "Why do you race?". Having answered, I have a short ready made essay (by merely regurgitating my reply). Why do I put myself through the rigors of training, doing intervals, piling on base miles, and watching my diet and all that stuff? Well, pull up a chair, freshen your drink, set a spell and I'll tell you why at the age of 43 with a job, wife, and two kids .

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108600337152370882005-02-16T18:27:00.000-06:002005-02-16T18:32:17.153-06:00

Decades ago (to be more precise) the 70s, some high school friends and I would play war-games. The old fashioned hex-board strategy games (Avalon Hill) were popular in our crowd. Avalon Hill also sold a set of Go, the Chinese strategy game which was sold as the Eastern variant of Chess. Now I will freely admit that I have very little skill at strategy games and never got to play Go more than a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108581894728823592005-02-16T13:24:00.000-06:002005-02-16T13:24:54.730-06:00

Here. As Mr Reynolds might say, heh.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108562279281308142005-02-16T07:51:00.000-06:002005-02-16T07:57:59.283-06:00

Today we visit the blog entitled Church of the Acronym, brought to us by Norma. Some recent posts which caught my eye include: Two services, one faith Norma visited two churches. She compares the services and how they affected her. Barna's top stories of 2004 Norma chides those Evangelicals who seem to support a national church. Good. Peace.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108525842954868672005-02-15T21:47:00.000-06:002005-02-15T21:50:42.956-06:00

With the Kipling post I linked we had evidence of a classical education (gone awry?). Here's what damage a little math can do. :)

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108514912037972952005-02-15T21:25:00.000-06:002005-02-15T21:27:26.353-06:00

Ages ago, I worked out a list of moral rights (go here for a start on where I got these from). These rights I would take to be the fundamental rights, that we as Christians might take in place of a right to "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness". I want to stress that this project is both in its infancy and is quite theoretical. What I mean by infancy is that for example, in claiming to

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108512152756889732005-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:002005-02-15T20:02:05.420-06:00

My eldest daughter informed us this morning that she had "something" tonight at 7pm at school. She is supposed to be there at 20 minutes prior to the performance. I don't exactly know what's going to occur, but it is somewhat customary for fathers to be a little clueless. In any case, I will not be toiling over essays until the show is over.Update: It was called a musical, but was really a choral

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108500941106160092005-02-15T14:53:00.000-06:002005-02-15T14:55:41.106-06:00

One wonders how long it will take for Mr Bush and the American Imperialism to be blamed for the Lebanon/Syrian situation?

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108476134565237862005-02-15T07:50:00.000-06:002005-02-15T08:02:14.570-06:00

For today's visiting feature, we come to Through a Glass Darkly, brought to us by David W Opderbeck. The motto for this blog is the quotation from which the title was drawn, For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face; now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known - 1 Cor 13:12 Some posts which caught my eye include: Remembering Our Place Quoting Isaiah 40:6-8,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108440113612246372005-02-14T21:57:00.000-06:002005-02-14T22:01:53.613-06:00

A cute java app here (bandwidth is required to load database).(HT: The Brain Spur via Jim (of Decorabilia))

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108338202072570892005-02-14T20:28:00.000-06:002005-02-14T20:25:02.173-06:00

In the past month or so, I've been pondering how a Christian formulation of government might seem. In doing so, I took from Scripture moral teaching, usually in the form of laws or responsibilities, and re-interpreted them as rights by assuming that I must have those moral rights required to either carry out those responsibilities and laws. Instead of a right to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108432311964601652005-02-14T19:52:00.000-06:002005-02-15T19:59:04.200-06:00

The final section of Atheism (by George Smith) concerns "the harmful effects of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, upon morality and the attainment of man's happiness and well-being on earth". Now, I admit, I approached these chapters with a small amount of hope, after all it is in the field of ethics where I think the claims of Atheists so often fall short. But I was, alas,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108414519993851002005-02-14T14:54:00.000-06:002005-02-14T14:55:19.996-06:00

This is the day set aside (by our balladeers and Hallmark) for secular worship of Love. For the last century and a half Western society has decided that love should be the primary reason for marriage. This seems to be a good as a day as any to consider if this is as good a thing was we might suppose.Has this made us (collectively) a happier more contented people? Are our marriages improved over

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108388498145290952005-02-14T07:41:00.000-06:002005-02-14T07:41:38.150-06:00

Today's Visiting feature takes us to Be Bold, Be Gentle brought to us by Glenn Brooke. With the motto: Christian encouragement for men -- an evangelical perspective on current events, Scripture, and coming up the husband and father learning curve. Boldness without gentleness is tyranny; gentleness without boldness is not Christlike. Jesus was both tough and tender. You can reach Glenn Brooke at

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108336479469499602005-02-13T17:13:00.000-06:002005-02-13T17:14:39.470-06:00

A physicist, a biologist, and a mathematician were observing an empty house. As they watched, two people entered the house. Shortly after, three people left the house.The physicist said, "Aha! Our initial assumption was invalid."The biologist said, "No, I believe they simple multiplied."The mathematician said, "You know, if one more person enters that house it will be empty again."(passed on by a

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108247533358718262005-02-12T16:31:00.000-06:002005-02-12T16:32:13.360-06:00

Eugene Volokh points to this. The things you can do with a good liberal education, eh?

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108180822150673182005-02-11T22:00:00.000-06:002005-02-12T21:58:08.386-06:00

My two preliminary post on whether not smoking (tobacco) in the home can be grounds for either termination or bear on a hiring decision has engendered varying comments. To my idea that employers should expect those employees to bear the higher costs of their own health insurance, opinions differed. Sue Bob (web site here) thinks that medical insurance should be contracted by individuals, not your

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108129254705777442005-02-11T07:40:00.000-06:002005-02-11T07:40:54.710-06:00

Today's visiting feature is Sounding the Trumpet, brought to us by three anonymous bloggers, "coyote", "raccoon", and "falcon". The motto is Cutting edge conservative commentary from Cornell University. Recent posts that caught my eye include: Baroness Chapman of Leeds"They sent me home to die" Raccoon writes against euthanasia, wondering about the "medical criteria" used to decide peoples fates.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108090272805059052005-02-10T20:50:00.000-06:002005-02-15T19:57:51.926-06:00

Continuing the challenge, I turn now to the third section of George Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God (previous essays here and here). In this section, Mr Smith, in his mind having disposed of the Christian faith, turns to other "natural theistic" theories, although still mainly concerned with Christian theology, because there hasn't been a lot else in the last dozen or so centuries.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108087320426695802005-02-10T20:00:00.001-06:002005-02-12T09:59:56.786-06:00

David Mobley (of A Physicist's Perspective) asks if we as a people are becoming more anti-science. The anti-science movement has been in the culture for some time. I'm going to splash some thoughts into the water, with the dreaded bullet points. Hopefully, something will come out of the fog and I'll try to draw a conclusion at the end. Back in the 70's there was a strong anti-science movement in

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108045289553030312005-02-10T08:19:00.000-06:002005-02-10T08:21:29.553-06:00

I'm going to be on the run (I think) for most of the day. I don't know if I'll have any net access or much time. I'm going to get my Atheism #3 essay out tonight and I'll try to get to one of the other loose threads.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108043904480904762005-02-10T08:00:00.000-06:002005-02-10T07:58:24.480-06:00

Today, in the visiting series I am taken to one of the more well known God blog sites of the 'sphere. Stones Cry Out, brought to us by Drew, James Jewell, Mark Sides, Matthew Stokes, and Rick Brady. Some recent posts of note include: Blogging and Journalism A short discussion about whether we bloggers are journalists. Answer: Sometimes. Links to more discussion are provided. "God can use those

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1108042118193387402005-02-10T07:20:00.000-06:002005-02-10T07:28:38.193-06:00

With respect to those "home-smokers", who wish to work at a company with a non-smoking policy. It seems to me that the fair solution would be the following:Smoking is a health risk. Smokers do have higher health costs. As such, since in our current system, the employer provided medical (and often some life) insurance, it seems fair that an employer desiring to hire from the pool of non-smoking

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107974029508954612005-02-09T21:00:00.000-06:002005-02-09T20:57:49.020-06:00

Talk radio locally was blathering on today about a Michigan court case in which an employer let go some employees on discovering that they smoke (tobacco), not on the job but at home. The NYTimes mentions the story as well. The Michigan ACLU is protesting the action in court, citing the workers private life. Several moral rights are in conflict here. It remains to be seen if the arguments which

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107983777765038322005-02-09T15:15:00.000-06:002005-02-09T15:16:17.766-06:00

Mr Motl has good news on Nuclear Fusion (here).

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107976057529527642005-02-09T13:06:00.000-06:002005-02-09T13:07:37.530-06:00

The protomonk has the Christian Carnival up (here)

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107975183693778752005-02-09T12:52:00.000-06:002005-02-09T12:53:03.693-06:00

Today is the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday. A day we remind ourselves of our mortality. I recall still quite vividly an Ash Wednesday 10 years ago when our ritual of the imposition of ashes, struck a deep chord with me. The note it sounded was not perhaps the message intended, but I think it was a good note nonetheless. On that Wednesday, my eldest daughter was just a few months old. She had

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107955868256087632005-02-09T07:30:00.000-06:002005-02-09T07:31:08.256-06:00

For today's visiting feature, we come to worship naked, brought to us by an anonymous blogger. The motto for this blog is, "David danced before the Lord with all his might." 2 Sa. 6:14. Some recent posts of note include:not for wimps -- but you ain't a wimp, right? we are implored to head over the Anchoresss for she has reprised her satire of the Vagina Monologue. If you missed the first time,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107919989362509792005-02-08T21:32:00.000-06:002005-02-08T21:33:09.363-06:00

Joe Carter over at Evangelical Outpost, notes that Discovery channel has a poll to pick the five greatest Americans. Go post your pick. I've picked five. Drop a comment, let me know who you picked. Click "more" for mine. George Washington John Adams Abraham Lincoln James Madison Edward Witten It's hard to pick just five isn't it? I have to admit I did if fast, and may have missed someone. I will

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107878718358944712005-02-08T09:58:00.000-06:002005-02-08T10:05:18.356-06:00

Abortion proponents claim that the conservative anti-abortion crowd has no compassion for the "poor". It is unfair for the "rich" (or at least mostly middle class) conservatives to insisting that these poor babies be born into disadvantaged households without being able rely on abortion to ease their burdens. It seems to me they would have to search far and wide for that poor person who in

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107870176925487592005-02-08T07:42:00.000-06:002005-02-08T07:43:12.376-06:00

For today's visiting series, we come to Philosophical Poetry brought to us by an anonymous host, but the URL is "danweasel.com" so I'll take a guess and call him (or her) Dan. This site is very different from most blogs I've seen in that all the entries are poems. Few notable entries include: Snake Skin Wishing won’t change your skin, Still less what lives within; Undoubtably the instinct to

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107843015702681172005-02-08T01:10:00.000-06:002005-02-08T00:13:51.580-06:00

Earlier today I took a rhetorical shot at Mr Vellman's essay on abortion, to which he points out that "I'm missing the thrust" of his argument. He asked me to re-read all his posts more carefully and take them as a whole, before passing judgment, not pick a (regrettable) phrase here and there to lampoon. Well, it's late, but I skimmed the previous posts and will make a less acerbic pass at his

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107831072843072622005-02-07T20:51:00.000-06:002005-02-08T10:07:44.743-06:00

George Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God is the book I am reading as part of a challenge I made almost a month ago. My counterparts, are reading N.T. Wright's The Challenge of Jesus and producing their respective commentary on that. Mr Smith, in his book, has divided his polemic against God into four parts, and as a result, I have chosen to write four essays. In the second section, Reason,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107817209803676612005-02-07T17:00:00.000-06:002005-02-07T17:00:09.803-06:00

David Vellman over at Left2Right in a continuing attempt to codify and explain the left's ethical grounding and principles has brilliantly boxed himself into a corner vis a vis abortion. He writes: Hursthouse argues that many of our moral intuitions about abortion are best understood as judgments, not about rights and duties, but rather about virtue and vice. In some cases, choosing or

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107814643772432462005-02-07T16:15:00.000-06:002005-02-07T16:17:23.773-06:00

Recently (for example, here and here) discussions of Intelligent Design have come back to the forefront. Now, as I have claimed earlier, I don't really have a dog in this fight yet, as I'm worrying about other matters presently (Christian Ethics) and haven't got around to backing any particular theory, because I don't think creation/evolutionary questions have a bearing on ethics. But in the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107783366835823152005-02-07T07:34:00.000-06:002005-02-07T07:36:06.836-06:00

Today's visiting takes us to penguin ploddings with the motto The Miscellaneous Ramblings of a Pilgrim, brought to us by an Dennis Harris. His site has moved here. Recent posts of that caught my eye include: Psalm 1 for a meditation on the first Psalm It Takes A Church...: Blog, for Christ�s sake. provides a link to Pastor Tod Bolsinger's plea for pastors to start blogging. Mr Harris informs us

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107652534581267772005-02-06T19:30:00.000-06:002005-02-06T19:28:48.040-06:00

Well, on my charity project, I had tried to break up the task of clarifying our personal and institutional call to perform charity. In that I had tried breaking the question up into four questions (see this). For the first essay this worked. Which just meant, the question of who we should be owe charity can be addressed. As I worked on essays on the next question, I encountered difficulty. The

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107727210779196952005-02-06T15:58:00.000-06:002005-02-06T16:00:10.780-06:00

I've just completed my first (little) test of the season, an "indoor" 10k ITT. This for those living in more temperate climates, a odd affair. In a local community center, one of the local cycling club sets up 5 Computrainer stations for 10 cyclists to ride at time. We are weighed and the trainer calibrated to simulate a 10k (6.2 mile) ride. My time today was 15:33. My race "report" follows. I

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107656949584672332005-02-05T20:30:00.000-06:002005-02-05T20:29:09.583-06:00

Earlier last month, I issued a Challenge to Unbelievers. In this, I challenged some (up to four) unbelievers to read N.T. Wright's Challenge of Jesus and in return I would read a book of their choosing. After we read our book(s), we would post essays on what we thought about our reading. Rob Ryan suggested for my part, I read George H. Smith's Atheism: The Case Against God. For his part, if he

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107548098812285522005-02-04T14:14:00.000-06:002005-02-04T14:17:16.333-06:00

Elizabeth Anderson over at Left2Right makes the plea for "terminological honest" in a terminologically dishonest fashion. She says (here): Suppose you buy a $200,000 house by putting $100,000 down and taking out a loan for the remaining $100,000, to be paid off at 5.5% compound interest over the next 30 years. Would it be accurate to say that you had to pay only $100,00 for the house? Of course

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107525927994901102005-02-04T08:04:00.000-06:002005-02-04T08:05:27.993-06:00

Today in my Visiting series, we come to Unite Later (motto: Procrastinators of the world- Unite! (Later)). Our host seems to be anonymous. The link on the sidebar is old, our procrastinator got off his duff and moved his site to the above location. Recent posts which caught my attention include: Is Joel Osteen teaching a false doctrine? where we find a link and quotes from another blog (Michael

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107477923885809692005-02-03T18:14:00.000-06:002005-02-06T07:49:02.596-06:00

Update (Feb 5): Jeremy Pierce (of Parableman) has another long considered essay (here). As with David Wayne's essay, I'm a little leery of summarizing, so I encourage following the link and reading it. Some of the highlights include: Even stronger, I would say that we are in fact united. continuing this thought It's hard to read Ephesians 4, particularly the beginning of the chapter, without

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107439192316711502005-02-03T07:48:00.000-06:002005-02-03T07:59:52.316-06:00

Today, in our visiting series we some to Semicolon, brought to us by Sherry (surname remains anonymous). Sherry tells us she is: You've reached semicolon--the blog of a 40-something homeschool teacher, foolish Christian, conservative Republican, bookreading fanatic, happily married mother of eight. I'm married to Engineer Husband, mom to Eldest Daughter(19), Computer Guru Son(17), Dancer Daughter

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107375901218064552005-02-02T18:40:00.000-06:002005-02-02T19:10:32.683-06:00

Our Christian community is not united. Hundreds of denominations dot our spiritual landscape. Yet among these communities many if not most, ascribe to the same core beliefs: the five Solas and profess a common creed. Our goal is to show the light of Christ to the world to live our life transparent to will of Christ. If we have this in common, what are those differences which vex us? My question

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107373257086384452005-02-02T13:38:00.000-06:002005-02-02T13:56:29.236-06:00

So head on over to Wittenburg Gate.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107312503781920392005-02-02T08:48:00.000-06:002005-02-02T08:48:59.993-06:00

This I think, unless inspired by comments will be the last in my series of posts on Awakening by Oliver Sacks. I think it will also serve (perhaps) as a good bridge to the next Challenge text, Atheism: The Case against God by George Smith in that I plan to discuss the theological and spiritual implications of the medical cases which arise while reading this book. After all, this book was

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107352352151093172005-02-02T07:36:00.000-06:002005-02-02T07:52:32.150-06:00

Today for our visiting series, I turn to On an Azure Field of Gratuitous Advice, hosted by David (no surname given). The motto of this blog is Taking on the academics, the media and profiteers in a world full of Gratuitous Advice. By What Authority? Ipse Dixit.. Recent posts of note include:Do Androids Worship Electric Gods? In this post, we discover that in the new Sci-Fi channel series,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107299343503054602005-02-01T19:44:00.000-06:002005-02-01T19:45:34.660-06:00

Over at Redhunter, had asked a number of questions (spread out in comments) from my five essays on Just War. I thought I'd just put my reply in one place. He asked, What about Actions in War, and Proportionality What about Israeli reprisals (revenge?) against terrorist camps after attacks? And what comments I might have on his series (so far)So to my replies:In my (in retrospect) abbreviated

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107269526913946382005-02-01T08:51:00.000-06:002005-02-01T08:52:06.913-06:00

Today's visiting feature takes us to (the) Darn Floor brought to us by Drew. Drew started blogging about the same time I did. The theme of his blog is Like spit to a spittoon -- The Anchoress, which is a little too obscure for me to decipher. At any rate, his recent posts include: A modern parable in which he retells the story of the Iraqi elections in the context of Matthew 22:1-14. Very nicely

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107184121397459242005-01-31T19:40:00.000-06:002005-01-31T19:38:45.273-06:00

In Awakenings, after the section of the book containing a long litany of medical case histories, Dr Sacks continues with some reflections putting it all in "Perspective" (which is how he coins the last sections). In this section he asks the philosophical questions so rarely asked by doctors today. Questions of sickness, health, and mental illnesses, are not simple. Mental illnesses perversions

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107208892442167852005-01-31T16:00:00.000-06:002005-01-31T16:01:32.443-06:00

This blog will never have any essays at all concerning celebrity legal trials and tribulations, be they current, past, or future.

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107203334197408902005-01-31T15:06:00.000-06:002005-01-31T15:05:36.363-06:00

Pre-season training has another two solid months to go. I'm aiming to peak in June, so my intensity still isn't too high. Twice a week, I'm scheduled for only two workouts with any high intensity effort, the rest is still devoted to building endurance. A few weeks ago, I obtained a new spinner (Indoor cycle) to train on, a CycleOps PT300. This is the first time I've had "real" power measurements

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107188123539916102005-01-31T10:12:00.000-06:002005-01-31T10:16:33.296-06:00

Mr Chrenkoff has another Good News from Iraq, which isn't just about the election. If you haven't read this series before, they consist of a thorough rounding up of all the news that was fit to put in the back corners, because it didn't seem fit to spread around. All news is referenced with links and pdf's to the original source material. It is especially important to read, if you have the (

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107177914417971202005-01-31T07:09:00.000-06:002005-01-31T07:25:14.416-06:00

After a hiatus on the weekend, we resume our Visiting series. Today we visit Revenge of Mr Dumpling who remains anonymous, but consists of the wild and meandering ravings of a 20-something Christian. Some recent (notable) posts of interest: VOX APOLOGIA III: EUTHANASIA Mr Dumpling hosted the last Vox Apologia, the carnival for Christian apologetics. Alas, I had meant to write an essay for this,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107122357995706322005-01-30T16:01:00.000-06:002005-01-30T16:03:56.313-06:00

A few weeks ago, I issued a challenge to "unbelievers". I challenged my readers to read N.T. Wright's The Challenge of Jesus and I would read any book of their choosing. After we read these books, we would pen essays concerning what we read and our impressions and comments. What follows is my first essay on the first book in fulfilling my part of the Challenge. I've read a bit more than half of

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107055306304898072005-01-30T13:50:00.000-06:002005-02-01T09:49:49.360-06:00

To Who do we give charity? Toward which of our brethren amongst us should we be moved by our charitable impulse to act? We have broken our inquiry into Charity and how that fits in with our institutions into four questions (part one here). The first for us to attack is who might be the recipients of charity. In this investigation, we will begin with secular arguments, pass to those based on

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107113346332997412005-01-30T13:30:00.000-06:002005-01-30T16:08:53.640-06:00

In our past election record setting turnouts were seen, 60%. The Iraqis topped that against the threat of RPG, mortars, suicide bombers even the crippled and blind walked to the polling places to vote. Hugh Hewitt announces that 70% turnout was seen. That is astounding. In America we have said that the election results showed 48% for Kerry, 51% for GW, but that misses out on the 40% that didn't

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1107013828121329942005-01-29T09:50:00.000-06:002005-01-29T09:50:28.120-06:00

For a secular prayer regarding elections, visit UTI, who will be live-blogging the elections results early Sunday morning as well. The army chaplain offers this plea. This election selects a National Assembly which will pen the Iraqi Constitution to be followed by Constitutionally supported elections at the end of the year. More thoughts on the elections can be found at the Chicago Boyz (here). I

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106885461555612402005-01-28T19:15:00.000-06:002005-01-28T19:17:22.910-06:00

Just last week (here), I started ruminating about Charity and our human institutions, be they government, NGOs, or the church. In that essay, I managed to run off a half dozen bullet points considering ideas on those topics. Now in a previous series, on Just War, this (bullet point strategy) worked well only because I could fall back on Aquinas' masterful division of the question into Who, Why,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106938556459005112005-01-28T13:39:00.000-06:002005-01-28T12:57:43.856-06:00

Today as part of the visiting series, we come to Feeble Knees our host hails from somewhere in Massachusetts, but chooses to remain anonymous. Some recent posts include: The Postcard a long essay on visiting a "friendly" church as opposed to the "legalistic" one she now attends. If this story be true, I would think it wise to be visiting more churches. Almost One of 43 Million Ms Knees writes,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106932274469087362005-01-28T11:10:00.000-06:002005-01-28T11:11:14.470-06:00

Joe Carter, points to a recent announcement in the news of Chimeras being studies in various laboratories around the world, talk radio has also taken up the call as I heard discussion of this on my drive home last night (for I had no Book on Tape to listen to). Biological ethics have been at the forefront of public discourse a lot in the past year, but I think one line of thinking hasn't been

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106929448053833892005-01-28T10:22:00.000-06:002005-01-28T11:02:04.053-06:00

Joe Carter of Evangelical Outpost has pointed out several other blogs are discussing Just War. I just completed a series of essays on this topic and was engaged in a Just War discussion in an e-mail exchange. Many of the detractors of the Iraq War, who feel that this war was not Just confuse issues regarding the prudence of going to war with the justification or the ethics of whether the War can

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106795450468928612005-01-27T19:40:00.000-06:002005-01-27T20:35:38.143-06:00

Dissent in wartime is a sticky thing. Especially in today's conflict where the foe is not a classic standup established state with a proud tradition and standing army, but a motley crew of terrorists. Terrorism by its very nature feeds on public perception and information. So the situation is a little unusual, in that much of the media feel the war is imprudent, unjust, or wrong, but the enemy

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106872782383595742005-01-27T18:38:00.000-06:002005-01-27T18:39:42.383-06:00

From Best of the Web James Taranto tells us that Seymour Hersh has been getting a lot of airplay lately. He quotes Mr Hersh: The amazing thing is we are been taken over basically by a cult, eight or nine neoconservatives have somehow grabbed the government. Just how and why and how they did it so efficiently, will have to wait for much later historians and better documentation than we have now,

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106795819997060062005-01-27T08:10:00.000-06:002005-01-27T19:49:33.116-06:00

Today in the visiting series, we come to Ogre's Politics & Views hosted by Ogre (with a very cute picture on the header). Head on over and check it out. Recent notable posts by Mr Ogre include:The Liberation of Auschwitz On January 20th, we marked the anniversary of the 1942 Wannsee Conference. In the course of that Conference, the Nazi hierarchy formalized the plan to annihilate the Jewish

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8590756.post-1106794925178399212005-01-26T21:00:00.000-06:002005-01-26T21:04:29.563-06:00

Jonathan Rauch has responded to the "blog storm" of essays engendered by Mr Hewitt's project that he has provided the whole text of his essay, available on Mr Hewitt's blog, for review. He feels that when we read the paragraph excerpted for our scrutiny, we will relent in our criticism. His broad thesis in the article is that the divide our country faces is not as extreme as painted by the

Markhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10837999838469082203noreply@blogger.com0