The Year in Review (What I Can Remember, Anyway) January 2, 2009
Posted by John Moeller in Blog, Internet, Personal, Politics, Science, atheism.2 comments
I’ve run out of things to do, so I guess I’ll write a blog post.
So, a bunch of stuff happened in 2008. It’s been a pretty eventful year in the world as a whole. This is what it’s been for me:
Going to school
Much of my time and effort has gone into attending school this year. It’s been interesting, and I didn’t really give myself much of a reprieve over the summer. I finished my application, all of my recommendations from endorsers are in (finally!), and now I just get to wait for the result. I decided that I’m going to take two classes again, but it’s going to be easier this time because I only go to class 3 days a week instead of 5.
Less atheism, more secularism
I kind of dropped off the atheism scene, simply because the meetup times just didn’t work with my schedule. I didn’t really start going again since. I’m not less of an atheist, really. Just less of an active atheist. My interests in that area have really shifted more toward science education, separation of church and state, and science policy. Though my total activism output has lessened since I’ve been attending school.
Politics
You’d have to live under a rock or in a remote village not to have followed politics at all this year. What a ride! This has to have been the most exciting election in my memory. Plus, in issues that I’ve been following, Obama has made a commitment to better science education and better science policy. We’ll see if he follows through on that. On the more unfortunate side, we’ve seen Proposition 8 get passed in California. This is a vile stain on our country, and I predict that it will propel the issue of gay rights farther forward than we’ve ever seen it.
2008 is also the year that I really got into Twitter. Twitter is a really odd beast. I don’t think that you can really get the power of Twitter unless you have a mobile. It really became obvious to me how cool it was after I connected my mobile to my account (I also get free unlimited texts). I was one of the many people who followed MarsPhoenix. It was really cool to find out firsthand when the lander found ice. I’ve since added all of the other NASA missions that use Twitter.
Sometimes Twitter’s tedious, when someone decides that they need to go on about something, but when all is said and done, tweets like this make it all worthwhile. When you can watch your friends descend into a drunken stupor without being there to see it? ‘Nuff said.
Obama can’t Legally be President? Really? November 28, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics.Tags: fact-checking, hoax, Obama
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I think that it’s pretty sad that there are still people who question whether Barack Obama may legally be president because of his country of birth. Ed Darrell, writer of Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub, skewers this idea pretty fatally (emphasis his):
Fourth, Obama is a U.S. Senator. As a matter of standard operating procedure, the FBI does a thorough background check on every elected Member of Congress, to certify that they are eligible for top secret clearance, since every member will be seeing national secrets. Occasionally these checks produce questions, which are usually resolved by the Rules Committee of each house. There is no record of any proceeding dealing with any irregularity in the background check for Sen. Obama. This means that there is a rebuttable presumption that the FBI was satisfied with Obama’s citizenship status, as well as his patriotism and ability to keep state secrets.
Basically, it comes down to six reasons why no reasonable person should question his eligibility for the presidency (“rebuttable presumptions,” as Mr. Darrell puts it *):
- He has a passport,
- For him to have a passport, they’d have to check his Selective Service status,
- He’s a lawyer (read the article to find out why that fact is additional evidence),
- He’s a senator,
- He receives daily National Security briefings from the CIA as of November 4th,
- Obama publicly posted his birth certificate.
I might just be up in the night, but the last one seems like a pretty solid reason to trust that his country of origin is the United States. This doesn’t even include another fact that Ed Darrell has blogged about before, that being that each state’s Secretary of State is the entity responsible for challenging eligibility of candidates. We probably would have heard about such a complaint being investigated by at least one state SoS if it were serious.
* [Apparently, this is also a legal term, so it's probably not just as Mr. Darrell puts it.]
Decision ‘08 Presidential Results November 4, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in News, Politics.Tags: election 2008
1 comment so far
Vote! October 31, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics.Tags: vote
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I voted! Did you? No? You should get on that.
Biden Searches October 27, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics.Tags: Biden, search terms
2 comments
I watch my blog stats every day. I may not post every day, but I watch the stats. I’ve noticed that a non-trivial amount of incoming traffic has to do with people looking for dirt on Joe Biden:
- biden lacks discipline
- biden unstable?
- biden contradicting himself in the debat
Look, you aren’t going to find it here. In fact, I have neither seen nor heard anything about Biden since the Veep debates. It’s probably because Biden is doing what he should to support Obama during the campaign. I’ve been paying a lot of attention to McCain and Palin, though. If you want to hear about lack of discipline, instability, and contradictions, I’d be more than happy to oblige, although I get the feeling that I won’t give you exactly what you were looking for.
NO on Prop 8 October 22, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics.Tags: California, gay rights, Proposition 8, same-sex marriage
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Greta has made a call for action: she has asked us bloggers to step up and defend her marriage.
Greta Christina, for those unaware (which may be many), is a writer who lives in California. It was found recently, by the California Supreme Court, that banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional in California. So she and her partner wed. Unfortunately, some people can’t leave well enough alone. Proposition 8 seeks to make that discrimination part of the state constitution.
You can help her and her wife, Ingrid, by donating $25 to No On 8, or if you live in California, vote NO on Proposition 8.
Who’s behind this mess? Why our local religious 800-pound gorilla, the LDS church. I don’t know why they’re pursuing this particular agenda, especially when they’re so fond of the government staying out of their business. As a resident of Utah, I’m mystified by the attitude that I see so often, of people terrified that their own marriage will be rendered meaningless by two happy people of the same sex getting wed. If the idea of other people doing something that is meaningful to them is damaging to your marriage, then I’m sorry, your marriage does not have a firm footing.
Olbermann on Divisiveness October 21, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics.Tags: Keith Olbermann, McCain, Michele Bachmann, Palin, Pfotenhauer, Republican, Rush Limbaugh, smears
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I think that Keith Olbermann is a good anti-Limbaugh. In this video, he rips into the Republicans that are trying to divide this country:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/27287363#27287363
Personally, I think that it’s revolting that members of our government are resorting to McCarthyism. Why would we want to go back to those days?
[Sorry for not having the video embedded; I can't quite figure out how to make that work.]
Atheism in Politics October 18, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics, atheism.Tags: activism
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Over at the Friendly Atheist, Hemant talks about a NYT article on atheist political isolation:
With their trust in the power of reason, atheists might also be ill-equipped for the gritty work of retail politics — the phone banks, the door-knocking, the car pools to the polls. If nothing else, they are coming late to the craft.
Sadly, I’ve found all that to be fairly accurate. We’re bad at organizing and we’re difficult to organize.
Until we can get enough atheists willing to band together on communal issues, we won’t get much done. The Secular Coalition for America is an anomaly in that sense.
Reading atheist blogs is fine. Reading atheist books is fine. But unless we can transform our thoughts into action, it’s all pretty useless.
Another problem that we seem to have is that while atheists seem to be connected to the Internet, we use it in many different ways. Many of the attendees of my local atheist group don’t even read blogs. They have a forum that gets a lot of traffic, but it seems like staying insular is the M.O. Only recently has a Facebook group started, and even then, there are few members.
I think that there are communities out there, just in different forms than what we’d like to see. I also think that until atheism stops receiving the stigma that it does, atheists will continue to protect themselves either by seeking insular groups or by calling themselves something else, like “agnostic” or “secular,” and continue to avoid becoming active.
(Please note that I’m not disparaging either of the terms “agnostic” or “secular”; I merely suspect that there are many people who are de facto atheists who eschew the atheist label for various reasons.)
I think that we also need to remember that while it’s now safe or even desirable for many of us to adopt the label, it’s not safe for many people still. In fact, it can be downright dangerous. All that means, though, is that the rest of us who are safe need to work hard to show that we belong in this nation and this world. What I think that means is that we can’t just stick to ourselves; groups like Americans United and the SCA are vitally important to us, but we also need to consider other, less secular-specific causes that we can attach ourselves to (Amnesty International or the ACLU might be good examples).
Why I’m Voting Obama October 15, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics, Science.Tags: atheism, McCain, Obama, Obama '08
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I’ve decided that I’m not going to blog the debate tonight. I may not even watch. If it’s really about the economy, there’s not much more that either Obama or McCain can say on that issue.
It’s not really a secret that I’m an Obama supporter. While Obama has problems, he has more direct responses on issues related to Science and Education than McCain does. While the Economy, Health Care, and Foreign Policy are going to be hot-button topics right now, our preeminence in Science is slipping rapidly. This is a bad thing for this country. We also need ways to encourage Education.
It may not have been as important while we were drifting into a service economy; Science isn’t that important in such a model. Unfortunately, that model doesn’t work in the long term. We don’t really produce anything, and when services can be provided just as easily in other areas of the world, we’re prone to competition. We need to be an exporter of high quality goods and technology. To do that, we need Science.
Science also brings us better ways of doing things, especially when funded by the federal government. Philanthropy only goes so far, and corporate funding of Science, while exceedingly valuable, tends to be focused on technologies that give more immediate returns. When we, as Americans, decide that it’s important to fund things like cancer research, space exploration, and clean energy, we make the world a better place. None of these things have immediate returns, but they have been catalysts for industry.
McCain has shown no dedication to these issues, or has paid them only lip service. When Obama talks about supporting education for vets, McCain just pulls his “I’m gonna take care of you veterans” routine and offers only empty platitudes. Vets don’t need platitudes. They need care and support after the hell that we put them through. They deserve help with a college education so that they don’t have to be dependent on the Armed Forces for the rest of their lives.
Above all, Obama shows the humility and wisdom to look for advice from the best minds on the planet. He’s shown not only that he supports Science, but that he’s committed to it. The only area where McCain has shown commitment is to lengthen the Iraq War and to give more freedom to medical insurance companies. McCain has also slapped Science in the face by choosing a creationist as a running mate. I’m not going to go into my complete disgust and contempt for Palin; the rest of the Internet has done a fine job of that already. I will simply say that this folksy idea of “hey, this guy’s like me!” simply does not fly in arguably the most important office of this country.
Finally, on a personal note, Obama is probably the first presidential candidate in modern history even to acknowledge the existence of the secular voter, let alone their right to representation. While many of the secular don’t choose the atheist label, I do, and I wear it with pride, as I do my citizenship of this fine country. I’m proud of what our country has accomplished in this century. I’m proud that we’re a world leader in Science.
The Bush Administration, unfortunately, has completely undermined that effort. Instead of Science funding we have the Faith-Based Initiatives. Bush has encouraged a climate where divisive ministers feel entitled to break the law and endorse candidates from the pulpit. Where acceptable responses to real problems like drug addiction and depression are to treat with prayer, shame, and indoctrination. Where homosexuals still have to fear for their lives in some parts of the country, because of some idiotic notion that gay people threaten the foundations of marriage. I’m sick to death of letting the creationists, fundamentalists, and evangelicals run roughshod over the rights of everyone else who doesn’t agree with them, and the progress that we’ve made as a nation; the Bush Administration gave them far too much latitude.
Even if you decide that Obama is not right for the presidency and that you should not give him your vote, do the same for McCain. He deserves your vote even less.
McCain v. Obama October 7, 2008
Posted by John Moeller in Politics.Tags: debate, McCain, Obama
1 comment so far
Live-blogging, but not transcribing (:-)) the debate. Town-hall format.
0:04 — Obama’s already engaging the crowd. Jobs, middle class.
0:06 — McCain is also engaging the crowd; kind of doing it mechanically, though. economy, working Americans
0:08 — Brokaw is like Yahweh.
McCain — confidence in Tr. Sec.; experience
Obama — middle class, not just trickle-down, jobs
0:11 — Yahweh says, “keep it under a minute”
McCain — Main St. paid heavy price; being folksy, and now condescending, pointing finger at Obama for campaign contributions; buy bad loans, Fannie & Freddie are catalyst
Obama — Sm & Lg business can’t get loans, layoffs might happen; points at dereg., McCain a deregulator; never promoted Fannie Mae; strengthen homeowners;
0:16
Obama — confident about economy; but system needs updating
McCain — stabilize housing mkt, buy bad loans; American workforce is best
0:18 How can we trust either party?
Obama — lots of blame to go around; but Bush went into office with surplus, now there’s debt; McCain voted with Bush; need energy plan; college affordability; net cut
McCain — system is broken; consistent reformer, bipartisan; fought spending; compare records; drill offshore
0:23 Yahweh: What are your priorities?
McCain — reform entitlement; bipartisan blah blah; nuke power plants; nat gas, clean coal; money in terrorist hands; affordable health care; all three at once
Obama — prioritize; 1. energy, reduce foreign oil; 2. HC; 3. education; but need to get money back in the system
Yahweh says watch the time!
0:28 Economy?
McCain — eliminate programs; reform defense spending; scrutinize programs, spending freeze; pandered to vets; transparency; not rifle shots, but Americans (huh?)
Obama — 9/11 (really?); pulled America together; Bush said “go out and shop”; need to think about energy; drilling, clean coal; young people are interested in how they can serve, double Peace Corps
0:33 Debt/Easy credit?
Obama — starts w/Wash.; McCain’s plan doesn’t share burden
McCain — Obama’s tax proposals are “like nailin’ Jello to the wall” (ok?); Obama’s plan will increase taxes on 50% of businesses; not in favor of tax cuts for the wealthy; doubling tax exemptions for children
0:37 Obama — respond?
Yahweh says NO! Medicare?
Obama — take on entitlements; <$200k, taxes will go down; Sm. businesses will see tax cut; McCain’s plan not fair
McCain — Reagan worship; bipartisan, maverick shtick; (aside: he just said he’d answer the question; he’s not); voting records; Grampa’s gonna help the economy
0:42 McCain: how will you make congress move fast?
McCain — Seen the effects of greenhouse gas emissions; nukes are clean, spent time on nuke vessel; Americans are great
Obama — clean energy will be the engine of economic growth; does support nuke as one facet; voting record; sustained effort by president; drilling not sustainable
0:47 Yahweh: TIME! How will we fund development?
McCain — votes against the goodies; oil will bridge gap; voting record
HC as marketable commodity is profitable. Should HC be a commodity?
Obama — met families w/o HC; work w/employer to lower cost; enlarge pool; McCain will give $5000 tax cred., but will tax health ins.
McCain — Obama will impose mandates, Obama will fine sm. bus.; HC consumer can cross state lines; hair transplant joke fell *flat*
0:55
Is HC a priviledge, a right, or responsibility
McCain — responsibility; mandates make Grandpa nervous
Obama — right; people going bankrupt on hosp. bills; you can keep the HC plan you have; sm. bus. will have no mandate; McCain voted against CHIP; govt. should crack down on ins. companies cheating their customers
Yahweh moves on!
McCain —
0:59
America’s role as peacemaker?
McCain — America greatest force for good (yawn); judiciousness about using force, need someone with judgment and experience; Kosovo/Bosnia; record; Obama wrong about Iraq & surge, OTJ training
Obama — why are we in Iraq when bin Laden is in Pakis/Afgh; troops are heroic; strain on the budget; spending going out of control, when Iraq has $79 bil surplus; strained economy; cost us ability to go to Darfur
1:04
Force for humanitarian crises?
Obama — moral issues at stake, holocaust? Rwanda? can’t sit idle; lots of cruelty around the world, can’t be everywhere, need to work with our allies, we could help AU forces in Darfur;
McCain — Obama taking dangerous course in Iraq, surge worked; troops will come home in victory, with honor; cool hand for intervention, Somalia went badly; more Reagan worship; troops first priority
1:08
Pakistani sovereignty?
Obama — difficult situation, made worse by going into Iraq before finished w/bin Laden; Taliban stronger than any time since 2001; pressure on Afghan govt, change policies with Pakistan, firmer hand; expand non-military aid; bin-Laden must be priority
McCain — T. Roosevelt is hero; Obama will attack Pakis (hm? he didn’t say that); washed hands of Afgh in 80’s w/Soviet retreat; get support of people of Pakis, like in Iraq
Obama — follow-up?
Yahweh is MAD!
Obama — no one calls for invasion of Pakis; McCain called for bombing Iran and annihilation of N. Korea; we were supporting Musharraf (Obama looking a little defensive)
McCain — vets; won’t telegraph punches like Obama is
1:16
Brit commander says we’re failing in Afgh; reorganize Afgh strategy?
Obama — withdraw in Iraq responsibly, some additional troops in Afgh; responsive to Afgh people
McCain — Petraeus will set tone; same strat as Iraq; (Pakistanians?)
1:19
Pressure on Russia?
McCain — no cold war, but Russia outside norms; KGB in Putin’s eyes trope; Ukraine in Putin’s sights; Russian actions in Georgia are not acceptable
Obama — we will need to deal with Russia; moral support to former Soviet satellites; anticipate problems; predicted instability of Georgian situation; rushed into Iraq, cost us; energy is key in dealing w/Russia
1:23 Russia evil empire?
Obama — still have nationalist impulses
McCain — maybe; yes means reigniting cold war; no means ignoring them
1:24 Support for Israel? Commit US troops in support of Israel?
McCain — pat on the back for CPO; (slurping? ew) Iran is threat to stability in entire ME; join with allies; can’t allow second Holocaust
Obama — we can’t allow Iran to get nuke weaps; won’t take military options off the table; need to talk with Iran, tough, direct message; Bush said no talking — Iran went from 0-4000 centrifuges;
1:30 What don’t you know, and how will you learn it?
Obama — challenges are immense; challenges that you don’t expect consume your time; came from modest means, scrimping & saving; will we pass the dream on to the next generation? Courage & nerve to move in new direction
McCain — challenges; we don’t know what unexpected will be (duh); spent whole life serving; know what it’s like to fight to keep hope; steady hand on tiller; put country first
Yahweh says, move away from my notes!
