click pic to source
pre-greek-electiontime-fun, via αόρατη μελάνη, who has uploaded another funny one, too.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
4 more years?
click pic to source
pre-greek-electiontime-fun, via αόρατη μελάνη, who has uploaded another funny one, too.
not 271/365
this isn't tuesday's photo -- i took a few but eventually decided against uploading them.
instead, i'm uploading a shot from another day, and posting it in this position 271/365, because i wanted to jot down a story from tuesday night... not extraordinary, just for me to remember:
like it? click it!
after a 20-hour stay, i felt shattered as i left the hospital. i wasn't paying too much attention to things around me, when i became conscious of a voice.
'excuse me, do you have the time?'
it dawned on me that it was the second time i heard the question, but i hadn't realized it was directed towards me.
i turned and saw a young gypsy woman with a little boy, leaving the hospital grounds, headed towards the rest of her family.
'i'm sorry -- i didn't realize you were talking to me... i was lost in thought. it's 10:11.'
'were you in the hospital?'
'yeah.'
'what for?'
'my mom.'
'what's wrong with her?'
'she's in pain.'
'i'm sorry. my husband is there too.'
'what's wrong?'
'trouble with his pancreas.'
'i'm sorry -- i think that's a difficult situation.' immediately, i wished i hadn't said so.
'everyone i've mentioned it to says the same thing. he's in pain, too.'
then she looked at me tensely... 'do you think he'll be all right?'
i fought my innate pessimism and said, confidently, 'of course he will!'
i guess i wasn't very convincing because she said, in an emotional voice, 'i don't understand why god lets these things happen.'
i was so tired and considered letting it go, but, no, i couldn't... 'if there was a god, he wouldn't.'
she turned to me and said, 'you know, that thing you said.. you're right.'
i smiled and said, 'good night, and perastika*'.
she turned to leave ... 'perastika to you too.'
*greek meaning, loosely, 'may the illness pass.'
instead, i'm uploading a shot from another day, and posting it in this position 271/365, because i wanted to jot down a story from tuesday night... not extraordinary, just for me to remember:
like it? click it!
after a 20-hour stay, i felt shattered as i left the hospital. i wasn't paying too much attention to things around me, when i became conscious of a voice.
'excuse me, do you have the time?'
it dawned on me that it was the second time i heard the question, but i hadn't realized it was directed towards me.
i turned and saw a young gypsy woman with a little boy, leaving the hospital grounds, headed towards the rest of her family.
'i'm sorry -- i didn't realize you were talking to me... i was lost in thought. it's 10:11.'
'were you in the hospital?'
'yeah.'
'what for?'
'my mom.'
'what's wrong with her?'
'she's in pain.'
'i'm sorry. my husband is there too.'
'what's wrong?'
'trouble with his pancreas.'
'i'm sorry -- i think that's a difficult situation.' immediately, i wished i hadn't said so.
'everyone i've mentioned it to says the same thing. he's in pain, too.'
then she looked at me tensely... 'do you think he'll be all right?'
i fought my innate pessimism and said, confidently, 'of course he will!'
i guess i wasn't very convincing because she said, in an emotional voice, 'i don't understand why god lets these things happen.'
i was so tired and considered letting it go, but, no, i couldn't... 'if there was a god, he wouldn't.'
she turned to me and said, 'you know, that thing you said.. you're right.'
i smiled and said, 'good night, and perastika*'.
she turned to leave ... 'perastika to you too.'
*greek meaning, loosely, 'may the illness pass.'
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
jupiter and its moons
like it? click it!
up on lycabettus hill on sunday, the night was getting darker and my sights started to wander to other bits of the view than the acropolis. it was then that jonathan shock offered to lend me his 300mm lens to try and capture jupiter.
well, i jumped at the chance and was thrilled to get a shot of the planet and its moons! (the second shot on this post)
that whet my appetite and on monday night, i mounted my little white on the 40D, set it on a tripod, hooked it up to the computer and started EOS utility's remote live view. i got the top shot with this setup, which is not too shabby.
Monday, September 28, 2009
towards the acropolis -- that-a-way
like it? click it!
oh, yay... another shot of the acropolis from lycabettus hill. imagine every tourist visiting the hill takes exactly the same shot -- it was hard just finding a place to shoot among the crowd.
we missed the sunset itself but the blue hour was spectacular. the night was clear after bad weather on saturday -- this view includes the acropolis, syngrou and piraios streets leading towards the shore, faliro and pireaus to the right edge, the sea with a necklace of boats, and far off, glimpses of aegina island and the peloponnese.
i've added this image to the map.
btw, i didn't use a tripod for this -- i used my nifty little green pod!
inside the téléphérique
like it? click it!
i was very pleased to meet up with my friend, jonathan shock, in athens today. a mixture of friends and family enjoyed a kebab lunch, coffee and a visit to lycabettus hill to take pictures of the acropolis at sunset.
you can walk up the hill, i guess, and supposedly you can drive as well... but we took the ride on the téléphérique, or cable car, which is accessed from kolonaki. there are two small cars, dodging each other midway, that climb the slanted tracks for a short ride up (or down, as the case may be). the tunnel is painted blue and the light and dark alternated beautifully.
i placed this image on the map.
next to the car wash, yeah
like it? click it!
saturday was yet another especially trying day and i had little time for photos. the only chance i had was while i was waiting for my car at an emergency visit to the car wash -- a patch of pretty flowers next door.
this texture is max f. william's doriath texture from his layered textures set.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
i got moo too 2
like it? click it!
this is my second moo order -- the previous one was minicards... this is normal size business cards. and best of all, they were free!
happy 3rd birthday, moo.
gigagalaxy zooms!
credit: ESO / serge brunier, frederic tapissier - copyright: serge brunier (TWAN)
click pic to source at apod
credit: ESO / stéphane guisard - copyright: stéphane guisard
click pic to source at apod
at gigagalaxy.org
a glorious dawn - cosmos remixed
from carl sagan's cosmos and stephen hawking's universe.
lyrics:
if you wish to make an apple pie from scratch
you must first invent the universe
space is filled with a network of wormholes
you might emerge somewhere else in space
some when-else in time
the sky calls to us
if we do not destroy ourselves
we will one day venture to the stars
a still more glorious dawn awaits
not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise
a morning filled with 400 billion suns
the rising of the milky way
the cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths
of exquisite interrelationships
of the awesome machinery of nature
i believe our future depends powerfully
on how well we understand this cosmos
in which we float like a mote of dust
in the morning sky
but the brain does much more than just recollect
it inter-compares, it synthesizes, it analyzes
it generates abstractions
the simplest thought like the concept of the number one
has an elaborate logical underpinning
the brain has it's own language
for testing the structure and consistency of the world
[hawking]
for thousands of years
people have wondered about the universe
did it stretch out forever
or was there a limit
from the big bang to black holes
from dark matter to a possible big crunch
our image of the universe today
is full of strange sounding ideas
[sagan}
how lucky we are to live in this time
the first moment in human history
when we are in fact visiting other worlds
the surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean
recently we've waded a little way out
and the water seems inviting
the epitome of awesome!
lyrics:
if you wish to make an apple pie from scratch
you must first invent the universe
space is filled with a network of wormholes
you might emerge somewhere else in space
some when-else in time
the sky calls to us
if we do not destroy ourselves
we will one day venture to the stars
a still more glorious dawn awaits
not a sunrise, but a galaxy rise
a morning filled with 400 billion suns
the rising of the milky way
the cosmos is full beyond measure of elegant truths
of exquisite interrelationships
of the awesome machinery of nature
i believe our future depends powerfully
on how well we understand this cosmos
in which we float like a mote of dust
in the morning sky
but the brain does much more than just recollect
it inter-compares, it synthesizes, it analyzes
it generates abstractions
the simplest thought like the concept of the number one
has an elaborate logical underpinning
the brain has it's own language
for testing the structure and consistency of the world
[hawking]
for thousands of years
people have wondered about the universe
did it stretch out forever
or was there a limit
from the big bang to black holes
from dark matter to a possible big crunch
our image of the universe today
is full of strange sounding ideas
[sagan}
how lucky we are to live in this time
the first moment in human history
when we are in fact visiting other worlds
the surface of the earth is the shore of the cosmic ocean
recently we've waded a little way out
and the water seems inviting
thank you, my dear clara!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Thursday, September 24, 2009
more interviews with richard dawkins
richard dawkins interviewed at macleans.ca:
"
Q: the book does lay out, in great detail, the case for evolution. what is the most compelling piece of evidence?
A: i think the molecular genetic evidence. the distribution of genes right across the animal and plant kingdoms. before you could look at anatomy—things like bird wings and bat wings and human hands—and notice similarities. nowadays you can do the same kind of thing, but in hugely more detail. for a start we have the same genetic code for all living creatures. then we have a large number of genes that are manifestly the same, but with detail differences—they look like different drafts of the same book. in extreme cases, like a human and a beetroot, it’s like the difference between matthew and luke’s gospel—clearly they tell the same story, but with different words. whereas with a human and a chimp, it’s like two different printings of matthew, with a few typos in one. so you end with a beautiful family tree of resemblance, where very close cousins like humans and chimps have almost all their genes in common. slightly less close cousins like humans and monkeys still have recognizably the same genes. you could carry on right on down to humans and bacteria, and you will find continuous compelling evidence for the hierarchical tree of cousinship.
and on CNN:
"
Q: the book does lay out, in great detail, the case for evolution. what is the most compelling piece of evidence?
A: i think the molecular genetic evidence. the distribution of genes right across the animal and plant kingdoms. before you could look at anatomy—things like bird wings and bat wings and human hands—and notice similarities. nowadays you can do the same kind of thing, but in hugely more detail. for a start we have the same genetic code for all living creatures. then we have a large number of genes that are manifestly the same, but with detail differences—they look like different drafts of the same book. in extreme cases, like a human and a beetroot, it’s like the difference between matthew and luke’s gospel—clearly they tell the same story, but with different words. whereas with a human and a chimp, it’s like two different printings of matthew, with a few typos in one. so you end with a beautiful family tree of resemblance, where very close cousins like humans and chimps have almost all their genes in common. slightly less close cousins like humans and monkeys still have recognizably the same genes. you could carry on right on down to humans and bacteria, and you will find continuous compelling evidence for the hierarchical tree of cousinship.
"
and on CNN:
extraordinary image makers in science
the lennart nilsson award for 2009:
carolyn porco
'for combining the finest techniques of planetary exploration and scientific research with aesthetic finesse and educational talent.'
'for reclaiming a night sky that most modern people have lost, taking us to remote places where the stars still look like they did at the dawn of mankind.'
carolyn porco'for combining the finest techniques of planetary exploration and scientific research with aesthetic finesse and educational talent.'
'for reclaiming a night sky that most modern people have lost, taking us to remote places where the stars still look like they did at the dawn of mankind.'
4 fl oz
like it? click it!
i picked these on my way back home tonight, put them in a little beaker next to my computer, next to a simple lampshade... and proceeded to check my email and flickr.
i intended to do a quick, very closeup macro shot of one of them, but i liked the light on them from the lamp -- i decided to go with this.
i'm still posting and running... tired but feeling encouraged.
thank you.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
pz myers reviews richard dawkins' 'the greatest show on earth'
on seed magazine, on not just for fence-sitters:
snip again
'it's so readable and clear, i want some of those die-hard creationist fanatics to read it. really read it, and understand it. i don't expect them to be converted at all — they've drunk too much kool-aid to be cured — but jebus, i'd like to see some challenging arguments from the creationist camp, rather than these rehashed exercises in idiocy they always drag out. if they want to argue against evolution, that's fine…but please, argue against evolution, not these freakish fever dreams of crocoducks and linearity and hitler in a lab coat.'
about 'the greatest show on earth' on RD
snip
ah, if only the problem of creationism could be solved as easily as simply handing out copies of richard dawkins’ latest book…but it’s a necessary preliminary. most of the critics of evolution don’t have the slightest idea of the principles of the theory (i’m always being told that it’s entirely about chance conjuring complex organisms into existence, the old “tornado in a junk yard” canard) and certainly have no knowledge of the multiple lines of detailed evidence that support evolution. creationists assert that there are no transitional fossils, for instance, so we have to show them a few hundred. they don’t understand how the sequence data is only comprehensible if organisms are related, so we have to explain genes and genomes.
snip
ah, if only the problem of creationism could be solved as easily as simply handing out copies of richard dawkins’ latest book…but it’s a necessary preliminary. most of the critics of evolution don’t have the slightest idea of the principles of the theory (i’m always being told that it’s entirely about chance conjuring complex organisms into existence, the old “tornado in a junk yard” canard) and certainly have no knowledge of the multiple lines of detailed evidence that support evolution. creationists assert that there are no transitional fossils, for instance, so we have to show them a few hundred. they don’t understand how the sequence data is only comprehensible if organisms are related, so we have to explain genes and genomes.
snip
and on his blog, pharyngula, pz writes:
snip again
'it's so readable and clear, i want some of those die-hard creationist fanatics to read it. really read it, and understand it. i don't expect them to be converted at all — they've drunk too much kool-aid to be cured — but jebus, i'd like to see some challenging arguments from the creationist camp, rather than these rehashed exercises in idiocy they always drag out. if they want to argue against evolution, that's fine…but please, argue against evolution, not these freakish fever dreams of crocoducks and linearity and hitler in a lab coat.'
snip again
about 'the greatest show on earth' on RD
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
a real-life star trek
click pic to source
i've posted often about carolyn porco -- but this is a person who has done so much that i could have one blog dedicated to her and it still wouldn't be enough.
lucky for us the NYT has a synopsis of this scientist at work, giving us a brief glimpse into the life of a person that's living, in realtime, a thrilling chapter of human history.
i'd love to repost the entire article but there's no need.
here's a snip:
'“to my mind,” dr. porco said, “most people go through life recoiling from its best parts. they miss the enrichment that just a basic knowledge of the physical world can bring to the most ordinary experiences. it’s like there’s a pulsating, hidden world, governed by ancient laws and principles, underlying everything around us — from the movements of electrical charges to the motions of the planets — and most people are completely unaware of it.
“to me, that’s a shame.”'
go to the NYT for the rest.
the rite of spring
feast your eyes:
click to embiggen at ciclops!
'it is a drama as ancient as the sun, as unflinching as time ... a never-ending whirl of celestial movements, scripted and precise, in a silent show of cosmic force, played out in light and shadow. it is a drama called equinox.'
read on at the captain's log...
how's that for a happy equinox image?
click to embiggen at ciclops!
'it is a drama as ancient as the sun, as unflinching as time ... a never-ending whirl of celestial movements, scripted and precise, in a silent show of cosmic force, played out in light and shadow. it is a drama called equinox.'
read on at the captain's log...
how's that for a happy equinox image?
Lsquare
like it? click it!
i'm going to concentrate on someone's health right now so i'll be making myself scarce.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
cuppeh
like it? click it!
i like fall -- it's when i start to crave continuous supplies of black tea.
last time i tried bokeh from a cup, it flew away.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
neil degrasse tyson on UFOs.
'you go from an abject statement of ignorance to an abject statement of certainty.'
'they should call [optical illusions] brain failures'
'photoshop probably has a UFO button today'
'UFO sightings are not higher among amateur astronomers than they are in the general public. in fact, they're lower. you say, why is that so? well, because we know what the hell we're looking at!'
- neil degrasse tyson
via greg laden's blog
full video:
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
from freud to the cutting edge of brain research
the charlie rose science series, part one: the human brain
a riveting discussion -- this is part one of twelve:
a riveting discussion -- this is part one of twelve:
dreaming in blue bokeh
like it? click it!
i took my car for its yearly check-up -- and, bored of waiting, i found myself wandering around the neighborhood. my first target was some beautiful blue flowers on a fence, but then i spotted this little guy snoozing underneath and i had to shoot'im. well, i've done plumbago before.
carolyn porco awarded huntington science writer fellowship (and some star trek!)
click pic to source
here's a good part of the announcement:
"
carolyn porco, planetary scientist best known for
her work in exploring the outer solar system, has been awarded the
huntington library's science writer fellowship for 2010. the fellowship
brings an official association with the huntington as a science writer
and intermittent residency at the huntington library, art collections,
and botanical gardens. porco's appointment follows that of joe palca,
npr science correspondent, who was at the huntington as science writer
in residence from june through september 2009.
during her stint as a fellow at the huntington, porco will be working on
a book about the cassini mission to saturn, for which she serves as lead
researcher on the imaging team. for the past five years, the cassini
spacecraft has been orbiting the planet, gathering data about its
atmosphere, rings, and moons. in addition to serving as an effective and
ardent spokesperson for the project, porco has led the team responsible
for planning, designing, executing, and analyzing the imaging sequences
coming back to earth from cassini. many of cassini's most notable
discoveries can be credited to her and her team. one such discovery is
the presence of jets of tiny ice grains erupting from the surface of
enceladus, one of saturn's moons. cassini scientists have determined
that the spray accompanying these jets contains water vapor laced with
complex organic chemicals, leading to speculation that enceladus'
environment might be suitable for supporting primitive life forms. porco
is also a member of the imaging team for the new horizons mission to
pluto. that spacecraft is scheduled for a pluto flyby in 2015.
"we are delighted to have dr. porco join us," said robert c. ritchie, w.
m. keck foundation director of research at the huntington. "carolyn is
amazingly imaginative and passionate and is a real tour de force when it
comes to communicating about science to the public. we are thrilled to
have a role in her work in that arena."
porco will also be using the opportunity to work with individuals in the
film and video industry on projects aimed at increasing the public
awareness and understanding of science. "i look at the intersection
between hollywood and science and see it as yet untilled ground, a grand
opportunity to energize and excite people about scientific exploration
and discovery," she said. "the scientific enterprise is, at heart, a
magnificent and very human story, with all the drama, surprise,
heartbreak, and triumph of great theater. i am very much looking forward
to involving myself in telling this story. and i'm also tremendously
grateful to the huntington for their generosity."
porco was a scientific adviser for the movie star trek, which opened
last may. she was also a consultant on the movie contact (1997), based
on the novel by carl sagan. she has been a frequent commentator on
science for cnn and many other radio, television, and print media
outlets. her writing has appeared in the london sunday times, astronomy
magazine, the guardian, new york times, arizona daily star, sky &
telescope, american scientist, and scientific american. she was selected
in 1999 by the london sunday times as one of 18 scientific leaders of
the 21st century.
"
but it's all here.
BONUS!!
if you want to see a jaw-dropping rising of the starship, enterprise, a result of her gig as science advisor to the motion picture, click here!
carolyn porco, planetary scientist best known for
her work in exploring the outer solar system, has been awarded the
huntington library's science writer fellowship for 2010. the fellowship
brings an official association with the huntington as a science writer
and intermittent residency at the huntington library, art collections,
and botanical gardens. porco's appointment follows that of joe palca,
npr science correspondent, who was at the huntington as science writer
in residence from june through september 2009.
during her stint as a fellow at the huntington, porco will be working on
a book about the cassini mission to saturn, for which she serves as lead
researcher on the imaging team. for the past five years, the cassini
spacecraft has been orbiting the planet, gathering data about its
atmosphere, rings, and moons. in addition to serving as an effective and
ardent spokesperson for the project, porco has led the team responsible
for planning, designing, executing, and analyzing the imaging sequences
coming back to earth from cassini. many of cassini's most notable
discoveries can be credited to her and her team. one such discovery is
the presence of jets of tiny ice grains erupting from the surface of
enceladus, one of saturn's moons. cassini scientists have determined
that the spray accompanying these jets contains water vapor laced with
complex organic chemicals, leading to speculation that enceladus'
environment might be suitable for supporting primitive life forms. porco
is also a member of the imaging team for the new horizons mission to
pluto. that spacecraft is scheduled for a pluto flyby in 2015.
"we are delighted to have dr. porco join us," said robert c. ritchie, w.
m. keck foundation director of research at the huntington. "carolyn is
amazingly imaginative and passionate and is a real tour de force when it
comes to communicating about science to the public. we are thrilled to
have a role in her work in that arena."
porco will also be using the opportunity to work with individuals in the
film and video industry on projects aimed at increasing the public
awareness and understanding of science. "i look at the intersection
between hollywood and science and see it as yet untilled ground, a grand
opportunity to energize and excite people about scientific exploration
and discovery," she said. "the scientific enterprise is, at heart, a
magnificent and very human story, with all the drama, surprise,
heartbreak, and triumph of great theater. i am very much looking forward
to involving myself in telling this story. and i'm also tremendously
grateful to the huntington for their generosity."
porco was a scientific adviser for the movie star trek, which opened
last may. she was also a consultant on the movie contact (1997), based
on the novel by carl sagan. she has been a frequent commentator on
science for cnn and many other radio, television, and print media
outlets. her writing has appeared in the london sunday times, astronomy
magazine, the guardian, new york times, arizona daily star, sky &
telescope, american scientist, and scientific american. she was selected
in 1999 by the london sunday times as one of 18 scientific leaders of
the 21st century.
"
but it's all here.
BONUS!!
if you want to see a jaw-dropping rising of the starship, enterprise, a result of her gig as science advisor to the motion picture, click here!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
mr. deity and the skeptic
michael shermer faces mr. deity... typical skeptic -- never knows when to keep his mouth shut.
via pz
via pz
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
shops
like it? click it!
last time i went, i said i didn't ever want to go back to the mall -- the crowds, the hassle, the prices...
but i forgot.
and i went back.
next time just shoot me.
Monday, September 14, 2009
linear
like it? click it!
most of the time, i just wonder how things would look through a lens... like a needle and thread.
this thread's plasticized so it didn't have cool little fibers sticking out. maybe i should try it with yarn.
the bankruptcy of spiritual thought
recently, the wall street journal featured man vs god with karen armstrong, christian apologist on one side...
"
religion was not supposed to provide explanations that lay within the competence of reason but to help us live creatively with realities for which there are no easy solutions and find an interior haven of peace; today, however, many have opted for unsustainable certainty instead. but can we respond religiously to evolutionary theory? can we use it to recover a more authentic notion of god?
darwin made it clear once again that—as maimonides, avicenna, aquinas and eckhart had already pointed out—we cannot regard god simply as a divine personality, who single-handedly created the world. this could direct our attention away from the idols of certainty and back to the "god beyond god." the best theology is a spiritual exercise, akin to poetry. religion is not an exact science but a kind of art form that, like music or painting, introduces us to a mode of knowledge that is different from the purely rational and which cannot easily be put into words. at its best, it holds us in an attitude of wonder, which is, perhaps, not unlike the awe that mr. dawkins experiences—and has helped me to appreciate —when he contemplates the marvels of natural selection.
"
and richard dawkins on the other...
"
now, there is a certain class of sophisticated modern theologian who will say something like this: "good heavens, of course we are not so naive or simplistic as to care whether god exists. existence is such a 19th-century preoccupation! it doesn't matter whether god exists in a scientific sense. what matters is whether he exists for you or for me. if god is real for you, who cares whether science has made him redundant? such arrogance! such elitism."
well, if that's what floats your canoe, you'll be paddling it up a very lonely creek. the mainstream belief of the world's peoples is very clear. they believe in god, and that means they believe he exists in objective reality, just as surely as the rock of gibraltar exists. if sophisticated theologians or postmodern relativists think they are rescuing god from the redundancy scrap-heap by downplaying the importance of existence, they should think again. tell the congregation of a church or mosque that existence is too vulgar an attribute to fasten onto their god, and they will brand you an atheist. they'll be right.
"
armstrong's muddled thinking is what pz myers aptly described as the bankruptcy of spiritual thought in saving gods by making them even emptier of meaning. another great read on the feature is dawkins 17, armstrong 0, by jerry a. coyne.
... and this video from february, featuring matt dillahunty, describes the silliness of 'sophisticated theology':
articles via RD
"
religion was not supposed to provide explanations that lay within the competence of reason but to help us live creatively with realities for which there are no easy solutions and find an interior haven of peace; today, however, many have opted for unsustainable certainty instead. but can we respond religiously to evolutionary theory? can we use it to recover a more authentic notion of god?
darwin made it clear once again that—as maimonides, avicenna, aquinas and eckhart had already pointed out—we cannot regard god simply as a divine personality, who single-handedly created the world. this could direct our attention away from the idols of certainty and back to the "god beyond god." the best theology is a spiritual exercise, akin to poetry. religion is not an exact science but a kind of art form that, like music or painting, introduces us to a mode of knowledge that is different from the purely rational and which cannot easily be put into words. at its best, it holds us in an attitude of wonder, which is, perhaps, not unlike the awe that mr. dawkins experiences—and has helped me to appreciate —when he contemplates the marvels of natural selection.
"
and richard dawkins on the other...
"
now, there is a certain class of sophisticated modern theologian who will say something like this: "good heavens, of course we are not so naive or simplistic as to care whether god exists. existence is such a 19th-century preoccupation! it doesn't matter whether god exists in a scientific sense. what matters is whether he exists for you or for me. if god is real for you, who cares whether science has made him redundant? such arrogance! such elitism."
well, if that's what floats your canoe, you'll be paddling it up a very lonely creek. the mainstream belief of the world's peoples is very clear. they believe in god, and that means they believe he exists in objective reality, just as surely as the rock of gibraltar exists. if sophisticated theologians or postmodern relativists think they are rescuing god from the redundancy scrap-heap by downplaying the importance of existence, they should think again. tell the congregation of a church or mosque that existence is too vulgar an attribute to fasten onto their god, and they will brand you an atheist. they'll be right.
"
armstrong's muddled thinking is what pz myers aptly described as the bankruptcy of spiritual thought in saving gods by making them even emptier of meaning. another great read on the feature is dawkins 17, armstrong 0, by jerry a. coyne.
... and this video from february, featuring matt dillahunty, describes the silliness of 'sophisticated theology':
articles via RD
Sunday, September 13, 2009
shallow
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'mystical explanations are thought to be deep; the truth is that they are not even shallow.'
- friedrich nietzsche
Saturday, September 12, 2009
you're just too blue to be true
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i created this using max f. william's radagast texture from his layered textures set.
Friday, September 11, 2009
an apology for alan turing
'the prime minister has released a statement on the second world war code-breaker, alan turing, recognising the “appalling” way he was treated for being gay.
alan turing, a mathematician most famous for his work on breaking the german enigma codes, was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ in 1952 and sentenced to chemical castration.
gordon brown’s statement came in response to a petition posted on the number 10 website which has received thousands of signatures in recent months.'
read the statement
alan turing, a mathematician most famous for his work on breaking the german enigma codes, was convicted of ‘gross indecency’ in 1952 and sentenced to chemical castration.
gordon brown’s statement came in response to a petition posted on the number 10 website which has received thousands of signatures in recent months.'
read the statement
a skeptic southpark
from science, reason and critical thinking:
it features ben goldacre, carl sagan, richard dawkins, simon singh, tim minchin! click pic for the full strip!
pinched from the friendly atheist
it features ben goldacre, carl sagan, richard dawkins, simon singh, tim minchin! click pic for the full strip!
pinched from the friendly atheist
Thursday, September 10, 2009
friends of gold
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i'm feeling a bit ill today and don't have the energy to process a whole lot of my more recent images -- the best i can offer today is this image of a tavern that's hidden away at the windmills area in chios (tolis has a beautiful gallery). i couldn't see it from the road -- i spotted it only when i was walking around the windmills themselves.
i don't know how, but my train of thought led me to imagine a huge party for flickr friends and contacts, with everyone holding a camera, shooting each other and looking for something interesting.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
help
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this was a helpful little rail on an abruptly sloped lane in my neighborhood in chios.
i noticed it because this is the kind of attention to detail and compassion for others that is lost and, unfortunately, not even missed by most in contemporary athens.
emerge
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driving to work later in the day gives me a chance to stop if i find something pretty to shoot. these are common flowers, but favorites of mine, i hadn't taken the time to capture them till now.
let's dance
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i spotted a patch of flowers on the sidewalk while driving and stopped to shoot a few.
... and then i heard a voice from a balcony somewhere...
she: 'can i help you?'
me: 'in what way?'
she: 'have you lost something i can help you find?'
(from her balcony??)
me, politely: 'no, thank you.'
after a bit, same voice....
she: 'are you from municipal services?'
me, visibly annoyed and starting to prepare for, perhaps, a terse exchange: 'no.'
i guess my tone was enough to get her to stop.
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