Cui bono?

Making real science accessible

2008-08-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Educating the public is essential to the progression of scientific literacy. We should take the initiative (both as professionals and dilettantes) to actively engage the public at large, and to present (as accurately as possible) the ideas that are currently relevant in the scientific community.

We must also work to dispel any misconceptions that many individuals may have toward science. Not only should we disseminate solid, evidence-based scientific ideas (if we do manage to pique their collective interest), it's also imperative that we make a concerted effort to keep them in the proverbial loop. I know that this may seem like a Sisyphean task, but for what it's worth, I've added my two cents.

Darkness Reigns.

2008-07-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Darkness rains! Darkness reigns! Searching for the obligatory apologies that never come. She looks upon the silted landscape - hoping, pleading to whatever ear may catch her somber notes, that her savior will come to her, with promises of salvation: Lost.

She wonders! She wanders! She feels most inept; the death-throes are more frequent now. Guilt-ridden, blood-drenched - her eyes have witnessed the fiery destruction of humanity.
Oh, the humanity of it all!! The ashes have supplanted the air that she once breathed from her lungs; she gasps for it, like the proverbial "fish out of water".

She seizes! She ceases! She draws her last breath. He comes from there - that place - over there. He surveys the detritus; he turns in disgust! Her tears have yet to reach the ground: Suspended all!

George Carlin: 1937-2008

2008-06-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

The man! The myth! George Carlin has inspired more than one generation of comedians, actors, and freethinkers. He will be missed, immensely!!

George Carlin1937-2008

Recondite Meanderings.

2007-07-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

Abstrusive thought: negated once more. Paralysis of the netherworld ensued, whilst the knaves endured their perfunctory plights. Vitriolic pejoratives were the customary greetings from the hegemony; their contempt was ravenous and unrelenting.

"No more! No more!!!" exclaimed the chief of the sectarian hordes. "They've disgraced us for the last time!!"

They began in earnest by flaying their masters, thereby shedding their obsequious shells, and exalting themselves beyond their designed purpose(s).

A cataclysm ushered forth an affront from on high; then, and only then, could one stand with such sacrosanct zealotry. When did one truly abolish their allegiance? When did one truly stand, when once, one could only crawl? Fortitude had arisen in victorious fashion, like the phoenix, only the ashes served to poison the well of the righteous!

They imbued themselves with self-serving nihilism; destroying the temples that once demanded them to genuflect, humbly in awe. A voice crept forth from the detritus of the once expansive empire:

"From whence did they awaken the Kraken from its slumber?!", cried the inquisitive imp. "The creature was banished long ago from our realm; how could such an insurrection take place amongst the peasant class?!"

Betwixt the mangled corpses and conquered egos, stands a lone silhouette: devoid of conscience, now an exalted force. Its stolid countenance casts a shadow over the wasteland. Its laughter resonates throughout the valley, leading those who have yet to vanish, to shed tears of blood, and to cringe violently at the sheer evil that had been visited upon them, this day!!

Summer Reading...cont...

2007-07-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm nearly finished with Fyodor Dostoevsky's brilliant book entitled: The Brothers Karamazov; I highly recommend it to anyone interested in classic literature. Dostoevsky had the proclivity to inundate his novels with a copious amount of religious fervor (which reflects the years in which it was written:'circa 1878-1880 C.E.'); however, that does nothing to diminish the overall experience. Dostoevsky deserves my utmost respect, and now takes his place alongside such iconic figures as: Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Ludwig van Beethoven, James Joyce, George Orwell, and Edgar Allan Poe (as well as many others). My next selection will either be Niccolò Machiavelli's The Prince, or David Hume's A Treatise of Human Nature. I hope to enjoy them as immensely as I did The Brothers Karamazov!!

Summer Reading.

2007-06-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday (and part of Sunday), I was on a quest - a mission even. My objective: Books!!! Was my "mission" successful? You can bet your sweet ass it was! First off, I started in the science section (dwarfed by the Religion/Christianity section, of course), where I settled on Sean B. Carroll's: The Making of the Fittest, and Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Then, it was on to the Philosophy section, where I walked away with a copy of A Treatise of Human Nature by David Hume. Finally, (after what seemed like hours), I exited the store, books in hand, and boy, did I feel accomplished... well almost, but not quite. Later the next day, something kept nagging me, what did I fail to obtain from Barnes & Noble the previous day? Fyodor Dostoevsky's masterpiece The Brothers Karamazov, and The Prince and other writings by Niccolò Machiavelli. Now, there's a dilemma (or is there?), which do I read first? Any suggestions?

Much Ado About Nothing!!!

2007-05-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

I'm nearly finished with the book God: The Failed Hypothesis by Victor Stenger, it's a great read; I highly recommend it! I'm already looking for a new book to read, so feel free to make any suggestions that you may have. I recently rented the seven-part PBS series: Evolution from Netflix. Liam Neeson does a fantastic job of narrating this charming documentary; it's a must-see. Ciao for now!!

To Whom It May Concern:

2007-04-29T08:21:00.000-07:00

My main objective for starting (and hopefully maintaining) this particular weblog, is to convey my thoughts on various issues concerning (but not limited to): Science, religion, history, politics... etc!! There's no shortage of people articulating their own critiques and social commentaries online, these days. So, what do I hope to contribute? Who will/won't benefit (Cui bono?) from anything that I have to say? I'm not looking for a soapbox in which to condescendingly preach to the masses; in fact, being an atheist, I'll attempt to keep my secular brand of preaching to a minimum!! School shootings; celebrity airheads receiving posthumous fame; and political conspiracies (as well as other comparable media fodder) flourish in the United States. They reflect the zeitgeist of today's society (well, the aforementioned examples, reflect a parochial set of phenomena, exclusive only to America, but I'm sure you get the gist)! How will the conflict in the Middle-East be resolved? Will it be resolved? What will be the subsequent repercussions of our occupation(s) of countries that seemingly need to be liberated? Why has America taken it upon itself to be the liberator? Who, in fact, needs to be liberated? I can go on Ad nauseam about an idealistic world. Utopia? or Dystopia?; you be the judge!!