Having received my degree in Biology from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, I was schooled in the disciplines of scientific research in ways that are slightly different from students taught here. When I moved here, I learned of the concept of “consensus science,” and realized just how much the science in this nation is ruled by politics.
I know that the ubiquity of government grants and the mad scramble for research funding has something to do with the way the scientific culture has developed. While the casually scientifically literate are always a small portion of the populace no matter civilication, I expect more from Americans than I do other nationalities. It’s only right that I hold the citizens of this great nation to a higher standard than everyone else. (Read more…)
November 30 2009, 7:00 | Filed under: Science | 4 Comments |
Tonight I received my copy of Going Rogue, which I pre-ordered from Amazon the day it was available. I won’t be reviewing it tonight, because unlike Ana Marie Cox, who defrauded the Washington Post and its readers with a review wherein she admits to not having read a third of the book, I fully intend to read this book. (Read more…)
November 20 2009, 7:00 | Filed under: Politics | 2 Comments |
Last night on Twitter, Justin Kownacki said: “God’s rightful role for families is a patriarchy in which women submit to men? Thank god; I’m a shitty listener.” Now, I follow a number of people with whom I disagree, and I have said things that I’m sure are grating to them, so I tend to let things slide unless I have something greater to say. It was a short discussion, as the medium tends to promote, so now I’m blogging about it. (Read more…)
November 18 2009, 7:00 | Filed under: Culture | 2 Comments |
This is the day in which we celebrate those who have served and live among us. All I can say is “thank you,” to everyone who has served in the military. I do not know of anyone who doesn’t know a serviceman, and I hope you have spent a few seconds to thank this person for their service. This collection of videos of soldiers coming home to their dogs made me cry. And while I’m sure our servicemen would rather we don’t thank them vocally every darn day we see them, @cshaero strikes a great note with this:
While @JonHenke takes a turn for the disappointing:
How dare he deign to ascribe one intention on all of us? There were kids like these in high school, who’d speak “on behalf of the room” after being reprimanded by their teacher. Jim Treacher (@JTlol) perhaps issued the best response:
This is one of those patriotic holidays where even Google makes a custom logo, despite their ignoring Memorial Day, of all days. It’s the kind of day that only the most hardened of anti-American Americans don’t honor. Sourpussery, while certainly within one’s right to exercise, is within my right to ridicule.
Jeff at onQSM has similar thoughts.
November 11 2009, 23:30 | Filed under: Culture | 2 Comments |
Christian Lander already listed it as one of those things Stuff White People Like. Of course SWPL is a tongue-in-cheek critique not of white people but of a certain cultural aesthetic, and Lander does it well.
I may never understand why someone has to jump up and take offense at something being directly quoted. Too many people read into the idea of a retweet. Jake Tapper, journalist for ABC, had to clarify that before, too, when people would give him hell for retweeting something they disagree with. There’s a reflexive nature to the response in the screenshot, too. It’s psychologically intriguing to speculate about why this person would be so quick as to publish their “disgusted” feeling.
I write about this because I need to let everyone know: my silence on a matter is not endorsement. If I had to bloviate about everything that offended me, I’d never get anything done in my life. I don’t need to express offense in order to feel that I have not endorsed that which has offended me. I have my own ways of coping. One can only hope that the perpetually offended can do so, as well.
November 10 2009, 23:36 | Filed under: Culture | No Comments |
When I went to TEDx MidAtlantic last Thursday, I knew that I would have to keep an open mind to views that are different from my own. In the days that followed the conference, I have been vocal about my experience on Twitter as well as here. I have always said that I liked “almost all of them,” even the ones that I disagree with. Here and now, I share the speech that made me the most uncomfortable, and I set at alongside one of my favorites.
Naomi Natale was introduced as an installation artist and TED fellow. Since I tend to stick to the Classics, I have never heard of her before. As she walked unto the stage, without skipping a beat she started introduced her Cradle Project, which calls attention to the lost potential of millions of orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. It was at this point that I started rolling my eyes at the presentation. (Read more…)
November 9 2009, 23:50 | Filed under: Culture | No Comments |
Just a few photos of the things you get to see when you look down and not up, on the shores of the Severn River in Annapolis, MD
November 7 2009, 23:55 | Filed under: Photography | No Comments |
Yesterday’s TEDx was my first event of the genre. I have looked at the TED site itself before to get an idea of what kind of people attend these events, and moreso, who speaks at them. This Conservative bomb-thrower didn’t feel all that hot about the fact that the actual TED event has been “graced” by such “luminaries” as Bill Clinton, Al Gore, and U2′s Bono. I thought to myself, am I about to walk into a Liberal snakepit?
There’s no denying that the Baltimore-Annapolis-Washington triangle is a hotbed for Progressivism, but I also keep an open mind and engage my Progressive friends on the merits of their arguments and try not to make it personal. (Of course if all I get is “your belief in this makes you a bad person,” I just agree to disagree and just keep at being the Spawn Of Satan they so fear me to be.) So I decided to go through the application process and see if there’s anything I can take away from the talks. Besides, the organizers have made it a point to avoid pushing a specific religious or political agenda. (Read more…)
November 6 2009, 16:15 | Filed under: Culture | 3 Comments |
Generally referred to as a conference for ideas worth spreading, TEDx MidAtlantic was a day-long event featuring speakers of different backgrounds. The videos of today’s talks were streamed live and remain available as of press time.
I left the laptop at home despite the fact that I had the privelege of being able to liveblog the event. I took plenty of notes. I hung out with people I knew. I met people I know online for the first time. I made new friends. We were well-fed in mind and body. In the days to come, I will be posting commentary on most of the talks themselves, along with scans from my Moleskine.
November 5 2009, 23:30 | Filed under: Living fine | No Comments |
I went to Teavolve tonight for the TEDx Midatlantic pre-event party. Food and drink were served, and I had a great preview of the company to be had tomorrow. I made a few new friends and hung out with some folks whom I already know. And that was my night.
November 4 2009, 23:37 | Filed under: Living fine | No Comments |
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