Well, it’s officially Spring (sometime today), but it’s still winter here. Currently 36 degrees.
We had temps in the 70s earlier this week, so it make the near-freezing readings feel that much colder.
Oh well, let’s look ahead to generally warming weather…
Roger and MePowerful, painful, funny, not really going anywhere.
But – today (2009) resonates even more.
This is the first Michael Moore film I saw, and that was back in the late 80s, when GM was bailing out of Flint, MI (Moore’s whole story).
Was funny/sad then.
Today – with GM poised on the brink of bankruptcy for the entire company – not just Flint – it’s sobering.
Yes, the “Roger” in the title (GM CEO Roger Smith) gave himself a big raise (2 million) while plants were closing (moving to Mexico). Ouch, but whatever.
Today, we have the auto execs in front of congress to beg for bailout money, and no one can raise their hand and say, “Yes, I flew here commercial.”
Nope. Private planes.
Yes, we have private jets, but please give us money….
Michael Moore – like him or hate him – needs to revisit this subject. Born in Flint; first major film there; big (current) disasters there.
Time for a Roger Redux….
The Darwin Awards, a tongue-in-cheek site, to quote: “Honoring those who improve the species…by accidentally removing themselves from it!” is a fun (if macabre) site, but it points to a deeper issue: The concept behind the site (survival of the fittest/natural selection) is a non-starter for way too many Americans.
Darwin was a scientist whose 200th birthday was celebrated earlier this week, Feb. 12. For reasons I understand – but really don’t fully understand – Darwin is the picture on the dart board many religious folks aim their darts at.
OK, now I can get how some who are deeply religious might still believe the Bible to be factual – the world was made in seven days. Or those pushing creationism, who are claiming dinosaurs and humans co-existed. Science doesn’t back this up, but these folks are not looking at science. OK.
But here we are 150 years after Darwin published Origin of the Species, and in America, only 39% of Americans believe in the Theory of Evolution. The numbers go up with one’s level of education, but, of those with a college degree, only a slight majority – 53% – believe in the Theory of Evolution. (See here or, especially, here)
And we’re one of the most educated countries in the world. The best is a bare majority of our educated masses?
Eep!
No one is really – from a religious point of view – discrediting quantum physics, the theory of relativity or James Clerk Maxwell’s electromagnetic theories. I’m sure some are, but not like Darwin’s findings.
Why not?
Because those other theories don’t really challenge – directly – the Bible.
Evolution does.
But the theory of evolution is based on science – it can be predictive, tested, and tossed aside if found deficient. That’s Bacon’s idea of science. That’s what science is: Based on empirical evidence, not just something that is comfortable or well-worn.
If you dis-believe in evolution (for whatever reason), work to disprove it. I highly encourage this. Skepticism is a tool of progress in any scientific field.
One of the greatest science experiments ever conducted – the Michelson–Morley interferometer experiment – was an historic failure: Its failure to discover the “ether” through which the universe moved. The influence of this failure reverberated through to Einstein’s time, and – at the time – was in direct odds to the expected outcome. This was the experiment to cleverly prove ether existed; instead, it pointed to a lack of same (and the concept of ether went back to the ancient Greeks, it wasn’t some new idea).
Science changed. And this “failure” won Michelson the Nobel Prize in 1907.
Take Newton – with Einstein the greatest physicists ever: His classical theory (note: in science, it’s always a theory – there are no proofs as there are in math) of physics reshaped our understanding of the universe.
Yet, today, we know it is – at least at atomic levels – inaccurate. Quantum physics holds sway. That may be upsetting to some, but it holds up (currently) to scientific rigor.
But Evolution seems so black-or-white to so many. Yet I don’t see how believing in evolution makes one not believe in god. Sure, it changes at least one book of the Bible – Genesis – from truth to story to explain things, but – again – I don’t think this is a deal-breaker for most.
The deeper I look at science – astronomy in particular, but just about any field could work – well, the closer one looks, the more bizarre and complex things become. And one is often left with a “how is this even possible?” feeling.
For the religious-minded, why not a complex world designed by a very powerful god? Who designed a world that we just don’t completely understand; that we may never understand.
For the agnostics, just a physical world we don’t yet understand – and may never understand.
To my knowledge, there is no empirical proof of god.
Yet, to my knowledge, there is no empirical proof (would probably have to be an indirect proof) that there is no god.
John Updike died today.
Updike is one of my favorite authors – his novels (the Rabbit series) and other works are great.
But my all-time favorite of Updike is his short story, “A & P.”
Brilliant. A coming-of-age story told small, with wonderful imagery and an ending that’s one of my favorites. (View classic opening/closing lines).
Brilliant writing, about…non-brilliant stuff.
Looking back in the big windows, over the bags of peat moss and aluminum lawn furniture stacked on the pavement, I could see Lengel in my place in the slot, checking the sheep through. His face was dark gray and his back stiff, as if he’s just had an injection of iron, and my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter.
This prose will be missed.
Well, it’s been 25 years since the Mac was introduced. (To clarify, today is the anniversary of the iconic Super Bowl commercial that introduced the product; two days later – Jan. 24 – the product became available.)
(Applause)
A little background:
To me, Macs – much like the iPhone/iPod/iTunes – have changed everything. Apple has that effect.
Kudos to everyone responsible for this shift, especially Steve Jobs. Like Bill Gates, love him or hate him – he gets shit done.
And that’s powerful.
Took the day off today to see the play Wicked at the Ford/Oriental Theater in downtown Chicago.
I enjoyed the play – almost three hours, but I never wondered about the time. However, it’s not something I’ll gush over. The most compelling aspect of this production was the staging – great costumes, sets and – especially – special effects. Not the acting/songs/story.
I really knew little about this play going in (which is fine), so I had no real expectations except to be “blown away.”
I wasn’t.
Whatever.
But I’m still amazed at singers: I can barely speak in intelligible sentences; these performers (especially both of the witches) have sets of pipes on them that I cannot fathom. Just, like, wow! Amazing and delightful.
First time in this theater, and we had great seats (first balcony, first row, almost dead-on center). Beautiful theater, very nicely restored (what? Ten years ago?). This is one of Chicago’s old theaters; very ornate. As I’ve said, first time here, but I’m glad it’s back. It’s a beautiful theater.
After the play, we hit a Cajun place up here in the burbs for dinner: “Gumbo a Go-Go.”
It should be called “Gumbo a No-Go.”
It wasn’t bad, but it just … wasn’t good. No flavor. No heat. No atmosphere.
Yep, we won’t be going back there. The lunch we had before the show – A Bloody Mary and a cup of (great French Onion) soup – beat the pants off this so-called Cajun fare.
Still, a very nice day. And I do always enjoy doing the cultural-type stuff; it’s just that we (for whatever reasons) don’t get to such as often as we should.
Today was a nice reminder that we should do this more frequently, OK?
Well, it’s official – we won’t have George W. Bush to kick around anymore.
Barack Obama just took the oath of office and is now the 44th President of the United States of America.
Photo from cnn.com
It seems as though our long national and constitutional nightmare is coming to an end.
I’m encouraged.
And – yes – more than a little hopeful.
I’m not one for posting videos (how long will they be here?? – Update 1/19/2009: HBO has already pulled it. *sigh*), but how can you go wrong with Pete Seeger, Bruce Springstreen singing a Woody Guthrie classic (with the subversive verses!) in front of the Lincoln Memorial as part of the Barack Obama pre-inauguration festivities?
Simply awesome.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-PCpRWqXv8]
The so-called subversive verse I’ve always loved:
As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.”
But on the other side it didn’t say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.
Well, it’s Friday and already looking to the weekend, but it’s going to be a weekend inside.
Why?
Well, here in Chicago it’s currently -15 degrees out there. Toss in some wind chill, and it looks like a good idea to stay inside all weekend.
And there’s over a foot of snow on the ground.
Why again do I live here?
Update 1/18/2009 – Just to clarify, the pic that accompanies this entry is not of recent weather. Old pic taken during an upstate New York ice storm in the 1970s. Picked to convey the cold…
I’m normally not one to link to emotional stuff, but today Hilzoy (poster at Washington Monthy and Obsidian Wings) reposted info on the one year anniversary of the death – in Iraq – of a former Obsidian Wings poster.
A post in his own words, that he entrusted to Hilzoy in case he didn’t make it out of his tour in Iraq alive.
Tragic, compelling, thought-provoking.
Please read. And read Andy’s words.
I wish I had read him before.