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Friday, October 3rd, 2008
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2008-10-03-00:06 - VP Debate
Palin put to rest any concern that she couldn't evade a question. All politicians do it but it was more painfully obvious in this debate than usual. I had to break out the Port to numb the pain.
It is really odd to see Republicans trying to pretend they are Democratic. Suddenly the Republican party is all about regulation. I recall reading that the instant polls of the first debate gave McCain the highest ratings when he talked about opposing his party. I guess that was the focus group result Republicans went with in this debate. Anyone who drank every time the word "Maverick" was repeated is dead from alcohol poisoning.
Did Palin actually come out in support of gay equality (civil unions or legal equivalence for gay relationships)? Should we expect a correction tomorrow or just Republicans hoping none of the social conservatives took her seriously? I think it would be too optimistic and take this as another social conservatives surrender.
5 comments | >>let me tell you this about that!
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2008-10-03-11:51 - The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality
I may have to buy this book. The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality.Gradually, however, the idea of the person one has lost evolves from gaping wound to piercing nostalgia, to moving memory, to gratitude, and almost to happiness… At first, you thought: “How dreadful that (s)he should no longer be here!” But as the years go by, you start thinking, “How wonderful that (s)he should have lived, that we should have met, and that we grew to know and love each other!” This is the mourning process: It takes time and memory; it takes acceptance and fidelity. At the moment of the death itself, it is obviously impossible — there is nothing but horror and inconsolable suffering. How one would like to believe in God at such times! How one envies, temporarily, those who do believe! Yes, it must be admitted, this is where religions are virtually unbeatable. Is that any reason to believe? For some people, it clearly is. For others, including myself, it would almost be an additional reason to doubt, either because the ploy seems too obvious or else out of pride, rage and despair. Despite the pain we must endure, mourning merely reinforces our atheism. In the face of terrible distress, we consider revolt more appropriate than prayer; horror, truer than consolation. For us, serenity will come later. Mourning is not a race. His description of the atheist grieving process matches well with my own. Lose of a loved one is hard it really sucks. But as the wounds heal the pain transforms to gratefulness. We only have a limited time to be alive and how glad we should be for having the opportunity to share it with those we love. As Richard Dawkins so eloquently said "We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born."
The first death I went through after losing my religion was the suicide death of one of my best friends. His name was Grant. We had become friends when we meet in elementary school when we were both living in Florida. My family only lived there for 3 years and his for 2 years. However, through the power of coincidence we both found ourselves living in Wichita during our Junior High and High School years.
We lived across town from each other and went to different schools so our friendship was constrained to hanging out on weekends. He later moved out of state and we drifted further apart, but he was one of the few people in my childhood I really felt close to.
Midway through my freshman year in college he shot himself. It was a pretty traumatic event for me. But I got through it without recourse to empty promises of resurrection or reincarnation.
The one thing I would disagree with the author about is his statement that I didn't envy the believers at the funeral. I didn't wish I had faith that I'd see him in heaven or in a future life. Those empty promises didn't ease the pain when I was a believer and I could tell they weren't easing the pain of the believers at the funeral either. We were all just sad and we had to get through it.
Today I feel lucky that I had his friendship even if it didn't extend into adulthood. He was the one I first played RPGs with, talked about the awkwardness of growing up, and felt was like me.
Hat tip to Friendly Atheist
>>let me tell you this about that!
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2008-10-03-16:02 - Stabbing and Shooting
This happened outside the office building I work at. I can hear the sirens but am otherwise oblivious.Boston police are investigating a double stabbing near the State Street MBTA station, police said.
The attack happened shortly before 3 p.m. on State Street. Police said the victims were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. A hunt is underway for possible suspects.
Meanwhile, police are looking into a report of shots fired on Bromfield Street near Downtown Crossing. No victims were found. Police are looking for shell casings on Bromfield and have called in the canine unit.
It's unclear if the two incidents are related.
>>let me tell you this about that!
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