OBL, the Death Penalty, and Targeted Killings by Eduardo Penalver
The Strike Against Bin Laden as a Military Operation, Not Law Enforcement by Greg Sisk
Moral Clarity and Targeted Killing: Operation Valkyrie as a Test Case by Greg Sisk
Imminence, Unlawful Aggressors, and Proportionality in Self-Defense by Marc DeGirolami
Wednesday, May 04, 2011
I'm a Runner: Bear Grylls
The sixth season of Man vs. Wild tests Grylls's survival skills in remote areas of Arizona, Scotland, and Borneo.
His website and blog. Man vs. Wild.
The sixth season of Man vs. Wild tests Grylls's survival skills in remote areas of Arizona, Scotland, and Borneo.
His website and blog. Man vs. Wild.
Items of Interest, 4 May 2011
Herman Daly, Not production, not consumption but transformation
Israel Shamir, US Knew Where Osama Was Since 2005
Mike Whitney, American Savagery
Robert Fisk, Why are We Still in Afghanistan?
There's a lot more on Osama Bin Laden at Counterpunch...
Blackwater’s New Ethics Chief: John Ashcroft
Japan should look to satoyama and satoumi for inspiration
Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, Kazuhiko Takeuchi and Carmen Scherkenbach, Our World 2.0
The practices of satoyama and satoumi refer to traditional Japanese land-management methods in inland (satoyama) and coastal (satoumi) areas. The concepts, which comprise not just agricultural techniques but entire socio-ecological systems, have provided in the past for sustainable, high-biodiversity areas that produce a range of “ecosystem services” — from timber, rice and fish to energy (biomass and hydropower for instance) and tourism. Although not quantifiable in purely economic terms, the concepts have provided residents and visitors with significant cultural and social benefits.
A wallet full of scrambled eggs
Gene Logsdon, The Contrary Farmer
For some reason, no doubt because I am a child of the money economy, my biggest distress was over my billfold. It was covered in yellow slime. I hurried over to the machine shed where I knew some rags were hanging, and commenced to clean up my proud symbol of capitalism. Then I tried to wipe the yokes and white stuff out of the pocket although by now much of it was all sliding lasciviously down my leg.
China as Number One? Don’t bet your bottom dollar
by Tom Engelhardt
Israel Shamir, US Knew Where Osama Was Since 2005
Mike Whitney, American Savagery
Robert Fisk, Why are We Still in Afghanistan?
There's a lot more on Osama Bin Laden at Counterpunch...
Blackwater’s New Ethics Chief: John Ashcroft
Japan should look to satoyama and satoumi for inspiration
Anantha Kumar Duraiappah, Kazuhiko Takeuchi and Carmen Scherkenbach, Our World 2.0
The practices of satoyama and satoumi refer to traditional Japanese land-management methods in inland (satoyama) and coastal (satoumi) areas. The concepts, which comprise not just agricultural techniques but entire socio-ecological systems, have provided in the past for sustainable, high-biodiversity areas that produce a range of “ecosystem services” — from timber, rice and fish to energy (biomass and hydropower for instance) and tourism. Although not quantifiable in purely economic terms, the concepts have provided residents and visitors with significant cultural and social benefits.
A wallet full of scrambled eggs
Gene Logsdon, The Contrary Farmer
For some reason, no doubt because I am a child of the money economy, my biggest distress was over my billfold. It was covered in yellow slime. I hurried over to the machine shed where I knew some rags were hanging, and commenced to clean up my proud symbol of capitalism. Then I tried to wipe the yokes and white stuff out of the pocket although by now much of it was all sliding lasciviously down my leg.
China as Number One? Don’t bet your bottom dollar
by Tom Engelhardt
The happiness fix by Caitlin Howlett
Another piece dealing with The Economics of Happiness; at the end of the article the author provides this list of recommendations:
Related:
Cecile Andrews - Slow is Beautiful(blog)
Another piece dealing with The Economics of Happiness; at the end of the article the author provides this list of recommendations:
14 ways to chase your happiness
It takes only the simplest of ideas and actions to start fostering a sense of contentedness in your life.
1 Buy your food locally. More conversations happen at farmers’ markets and the local bakery than big supermarkets, so make grocery shopping a social outing rather than
a chore.
2 Join a community garden. Grow your own vegies, green your neighbourhood and learn from the other green thumbs in your area.
3 Build meaningful relationships. Make time for family and friends and inspire them by helping to brainstorm ideas, solve a problem, or make a connection with another friend of yours.
4 Be near nature. Just getting out into the park will dramatically lift your mood, so make a regular habit of a walk in the outdoors.
5 Declutter. The more we have, the less we seem to savour, so remember that less is actually more and donate your excess goods to someone who will use them.
6 Sleep. Get into a regular sleeping pattern and don’t burn the midnight oil too often – that way you’re getting enough rest and vitamin D.
7 Cook for friends. Share good food and good conversation with appreciative people who make you laugh.
8 Get some chickens. Being around and caring for pets helps to keep their owners happy and healthy; and chickens are a very eco-friendly addition to any household.
9 Donate your time where it’s needed. You could visit the elderly, remove weeds from bushland or clean up the local river.
10 Join or start a local group. It could be anything from a community choir to a book club. But allow for flexibility and don’t overload your schedule.
11 Help organise a local fête. Recreate vibrancy in your local community and celebrate what’s special about your area.
12 Ride your bike. Exercise is a great mood-booster, plus it’s an emissions-free transport option.
13 Write to your local MP. Share your ideas about what you’d like to see happen to make your local area even better.
14 Attend a political rally challenging consumer culture. Or get involved with groups such as Global Trade Watch, The Australia Institute, Cultivating Community, or Pigs Will Fly.
Related:
Cecile Andrews - Slow is Beautiful(blog)
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Gordon Biersch in San Jose
Tonight the family had dinner at Gordon Biersch in downtown San Jose. I ordered the mushroom swiss burger -- the surface of the burger tasted burnt, and I would have to say that as a result, the burgers at BJ's are better. My brother-in-law ordered another beer, having forgotten that he was going to finish KK's beer, so I had some (actually, all) of it. It is my brother in law's favorite, Märzen. The last beer I had was Chimay, so I thought its taste was mild in comparison with that. Would I have it again? Drinking beer is probably not for me -- I was feeling sleepy about 10 minutes after I consumed the beer, and I was having a bit of a headache. Low alcohol tolerance.
The restaurant does have a nice friendly atmosphere, even if the interior is a bit dark; I can see why professionals working in the area might want to visit.
Walking through downtown SJ though, I found that it doesn't really appeal to me, though I would like to walk through it again late at night, when the clubs are open.
The restaurant does have a nice friendly atmosphere, even if the interior is a bit dark; I can see why professionals working in the area might want to visit.
Walking through downtown SJ though, I found that it doesn't really appeal to me, though I would like to walk through it again late at night, when the clubs are open.
Chapel veils
WDPTRS
Is it for the sake of humility? Or modesty? And if a veil causes you to stand out because no other woman is wearing one, should you refrain? Some dismiss the argument that women should not dress out of respect for the weakness of men because it is a problem for men not women, and they may even try to use a reductio argument targeting with a slippery slope objection -- how much modesty is enough, if a man can be stimulated even by ----.
I think the argument could be made that St. Paul was not giving a precept for a specific culture or in reaction to something (only prostitutes were unveiled, etc.). If it is the case that hair is a marker for health and vitality and a sign that a woman is a suitable mate, something that men instinctively look at when judging whether to pair with a woman or not, I don't now if I would call this a weakness or attribute this to original sin. I think a man may be attracted or look at a woman without any sexual concupiscence, though it could be said that being moved by nature, without will, to look at an attractive female may be a part of general concupiscence. Weakness in the sense that it is not wholly voluntary, then, taking notice of an attractive women.*
It may be easier for a man to stop looking if he can't see the hair (just as if a woman is wearing modest clothing). Uncovered hair, on the other hand, is something that men will "naturally" look at, not because of some sexual fetish but because it is an indicator of health. While a chapel veil may be an oddity at an OF liturgy, I think most men will get used to it after a while, and they won't stare at a veil just because it is there -- it doesn't have the same sort of significance as hair. (Though it may signal that the woman wearing it has traditionalist tendencies and may be the sort of woman he would want to marry... and then she'll be a source of distraction of him as a result.)
Yes, the face can also be diverting, but if a man is standing behind a woman, he won't be looking at her face, but he may be looking at her hair. Similarly, for a woman
I suppose the ancient Christians had reasons for separating the sexes -- some even drew up a curtain between the two groups.
What about the (over-)use of cosmetics by women going to church? Are they drawing too much attention to themselves, even if they are doing so mostly out of habit and unthinkingly? What about dressing up for church, as opposed to dressing "modestly"?
When did the wearing of hats become the dominant practice in the UK? I think many of the hats worn at the Royal Wedding last week were counter to modesty--another occasion for women trying to make a fashion statement or draw attention to themselves.
Anyways, I wasn't trying to give a final answer on the question on whether the precept to wear a veil in church was applicable to all human societies, but what people have written about hair as a signal to physical/sexual attraction got me thinking about the precept in relation to that.
Something from Ed Peters.
Edit. Alte has something on the topic.
*Postscript. After more consideration --
The looking at hair seems to be instinctual for men. That observation of hair (or the face, etc.) can lead a man to gaze upon a woman because of an attractiveness, or desire to do so though he should be occupied with other matters, is due to concupiscence. The difficulty in understanding this may be due to an erroneous association of concupiscence with only the sexual appetite.
Is it for the sake of humility? Or modesty? And if a veil causes you to stand out because no other woman is wearing one, should you refrain? Some dismiss the argument that women should not dress out of respect for the weakness of men because it is a problem for men not women, and they may even try to use a reductio argument targeting with a slippery slope objection -- how much modesty is enough, if a man can be stimulated even by ----.
I think the argument could be made that St. Paul was not giving a precept for a specific culture or in reaction to something (only prostitutes were unveiled, etc.). If it is the case that hair is a marker for health and vitality and a sign that a woman is a suitable mate, something that men instinctively look at when judging whether to pair with a woman or not, I don't now if I would call this a weakness or attribute this to original sin. I think a man may be attracted or look at a woman without any sexual concupiscence, though it could be said that being moved by nature, without will, to look at an attractive female may be a part of general concupiscence. Weakness in the sense that it is not wholly voluntary, then, taking notice of an attractive women.*
It may be easier for a man to stop looking if he can't see the hair (just as if a woman is wearing modest clothing). Uncovered hair, on the other hand, is something that men will "naturally" look at, not because of some sexual fetish but because it is an indicator of health. While a chapel veil may be an oddity at an OF liturgy, I think most men will get used to it after a while, and they won't stare at a veil just because it is there -- it doesn't have the same sort of significance as hair. (Though it may signal that the woman wearing it has traditionalist tendencies and may be the sort of woman he would want to marry... and then she'll be a source of distraction of him as a result.)
Yes, the face can also be diverting, but if a man is standing behind a woman, he won't be looking at her face, but he may be looking at her hair. Similarly, for a woman
I suppose the ancient Christians had reasons for separating the sexes -- some even drew up a curtain between the two groups.
What about the (over-)use of cosmetics by women going to church? Are they drawing too much attention to themselves, even if they are doing so mostly out of habit and unthinkingly? What about dressing up for church, as opposed to dressing "modestly"?
When did the wearing of hats become the dominant practice in the UK? I think many of the hats worn at the Royal Wedding last week were counter to modesty--another occasion for women trying to make a fashion statement or draw attention to themselves.
Anyways, I wasn't trying to give a final answer on the question on whether the precept to wear a veil in church was applicable to all human societies, but what people have written about hair as a signal to physical/sexual attraction got me thinking about the precept in relation to that.
Something from Ed Peters.
Edit. Alte has something on the topic.
*Postscript. After more consideration --
The looking at hair seems to be instinctual for men. That observation of hair (or the face, etc.) can lead a man to gaze upon a woman because of an attractiveness, or desire to do so though he should be occupied with other matters, is due to concupiscence. The difficulty in understanding this may be due to an erroneous association of concupiscence with only the sexual appetite.
Bruce Thornton on the CSU system
Mission Lost by Bruce S. Thornton
California’s state university system offers everything but a liberal education.
The California State University
Alas, the author seems to be a neocon classicist in the vein of his collaborator and CSU colleague Victor Davis Hanson.
Uncommon Knowledge interview: part 1 and part 2 and part 3 and part 4
Fora.tv interview from 2008
City Journal has a new website dedicated to California issues.
California’s state university system offers everything but a liberal education.
The California State University
Alas, the author seems to be a neocon classicist in the vein of his collaborator and CSU colleague Victor Davis Hanson.
Uncommon Knowledge interview: part 1 and part 2 and part 3 and part 4
Fora.tv interview from 2008
City Journal has a new website dedicated to California issues.
Dr. Fleming on the killing of OBL and the Uhmerican celebrations
Rule by Assassination
It was initially reported that US forces tried to apprehend OBL, but he resisted and he was shot. It is now being reported that he was not armed but "resisted."
Related:
Joseph Bottum, The Mass Man
It was initially reported that US forces tried to apprehend OBL, but he resisted and he was shot. It is now being reported that he was not armed but "resisted."
Related:
Joseph Bottum, The Mass Man
Items of Interest, 3 May 2010
Andrew Bacevich, Arab uprising: The U.S. must take a nonviolent stance
Headstash: The Evolution of Bluegrass: From McCoury to Krauss
The context of Hubbert’s Peak in world oil forecast
Gail Tverberg, ASPO-USA
Hubbert's Curve still remains important because it provides something close to an upper limit to the amount of oil that can be produced. The reason I say "close to" an upper limit because there is still the possibility of technological advances, making new types of production economic. Experience to date shows that the role of these advances is likely to be fairly small, though.
Headstash: The Evolution of Bluegrass: From McCoury to Krauss
The context of Hubbert’s Peak in world oil forecast
Gail Tverberg, ASPO-USA
Hubbert's Curve still remains important because it provides something close to an upper limit to the amount of oil that can be produced. The reason I say "close to" an upper limit because there is still the possibility of technological advances, making new types of production economic. Experience to date shows that the role of these advances is likely to be fairly small, though.
Sarah Jarosz
NPR: First Listen: Sarah Jarosz, 'Follow Me Down'
Her official website and her MS.
With Steve Martin on Austin City Limits:
Her official website and her MS.
Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.
With Steve Martin on Austin City Limits:
Watch the full episode. See more Austin City Limits.
Complaining about mosquito bites while a crocodile bites our leg
Nate Hagens, Post Carbon Institute (EB)
Nate Hagens, Post Carbon Institute (EB)
Monday, May 02, 2011
A good post on humility by Jeff Culbreath: "I do not concern myself with great matters, or things too wonderful for me."
Something Borrowed
A romantic comedy, a chick flick, or emotional porn for women? It's based on the novel. Maybe men do have to put a foot down and say no when their gfs or SOs ask them to watch such movies with them -- they reinforce false notions of romantic love and the unrealistic ideal of companionate marriage. A soulmate = a woman who looks like a man on the outside.
The novel seems to be more feminist than the movie -- "It addresses the stigma against single women in their thirties and the pressure that society places on them to get married. 'This is a realistic situation that women face in today's society,' according to one book review." It is one thing for people to be judgmental of singles, especially when they do not know them, but on the other hand, the majority of people are probably called to marriage, and most women experience the desire to bond and to have children.
The book has received high ratings at Amazon. A woman's mind is too precious to be wasted on chick lit... I think Austen fans with any sense about traditional mores should be able to explain the difference between Austen's novels and the majority of today's fiction written for women.
Apple
Undercover Boss - UCR
Yesterday's episode of Undercover Boss featured the chancellor of UC Riverside, Timothy White. The only prominent white male in the episode was Chancellor White, I believe. I didn't watch all of it, it failed to hold my interest. One of the employees was a female Chemistry professor -- Asian? So we got the feminist spin on women in science, and how women need to be encouraged to go into the (hard) sciences. The episode seemed to be heavily slanted towards women and minorities, and there is no question in my mind that the chancellor had a hand in that -- I don't think this was due (entirely) to the show's producers. He may welcome the demographic changes in California and be a great believer in "diversity," but does he really have to live with the consequences? Does the chancellor have a nice residence on campus, like the chancellor of UCB? Academics with science backgrounds can be as dogmatic in their liberalism as their counterparts in their humanities, and the chancellor is probably a proud adherent and enforcer of the PC liberal orthodoxy. At the end of the episode, the chancellor promises that he will continue to innovate in order to keep the cost of (higher) education low. But does he even address the question of whether a college education is necessary for everyone? What about the higher education bubble? He doesn't, as far as I can tell. As I said, though, I didn't bother to watch the whole thing.
Does any "boss" ever go on to make himself or his company look bad? From the outset, how can it be anything more than propaganda for management, disguised as "reality TV"? That's the problem with reality TV -- who believes that it is genuine, instead of an opportunity for those appearing to use it for their ends, whether it to be to gain stardom (or notoriety) or to trumpet one's own virtue or the greatness of one's organization? Even big academic institutions need advertising, as they're all competing for students (and $).
Eventually, the episode will become available on CBS.com.
Washington Post article
Does any "boss" ever go on to make himself or his company look bad? From the outset, how can it be anything more than propaganda for management, disguised as "reality TV"? That's the problem with reality TV -- who believes that it is genuine, instead of an opportunity for those appearing to use it for their ends, whether it to be to gain stardom (or notoriety) or to trumpet one's own virtue or the greatness of one's organization? Even big academic institutions need advertising, as they're all competing for students (and $).
Eventually, the episode will become available on CBS.com.
Washington Post article
Sunday, May 01, 2011
Can we declare victory and bring the troops home now?
White House
Political Punch
I'm too ignorant to speak of the long-term consequences of his death (if it really happened) on the Global War on Terror. But I do think that smart terrorists who really wanted to cripple the United States would not have so much invested in one leader. What I wanted to draw attention to was the parts of Obama's speech that put forth various nationalist myths, especially that one line about unity and indivisibility. In another part he talked about community -- as if the living arrangements for many of us really embody that. These are the lies we are told and that we tell ourselves to make us feel better, even though we sometimes recognize that all is not right with our country and our way of life. And then there was the conclusion -- citing the killing of Osama Bin Laden as an example of American can do-ism, which is not due to wealth or power, but to our being American. What the hell does that really mean?
Inflated American pride? Some form of American exceptionalism? What exactly makes us American? Belief in the proposition nation -- but this isn't enough if it is going to give any substance to Obama's claims about our abilities. What sort of character do Americans really have?
No, we were able to get Osama (if we really did so) because we could violate another country's sovereignty at will and borrow money from others to finance our war-making. Let's be clear about that. If we didn't have our power and status, we wouldn't be able to do any of this, and who could describe the use of that power and status as being just, whether in Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Iraq? Only someone adhering to the Washington Rules, like President Obama.
A reaction to the news at Fabius Maximus.
Yesterday the family drove to SF Chinatown to have dinner at Enjoy, a Chinese vegetarian restaurant. I had gone to a Chinese vegetarian restaurant before, I believe it was with Hsin-Nan and her bf and the restaurant was in Berkeley. I hope it is the last time I have to go to a Chinese vegetarian restaurant. The imitation meat didn't taste like meat (and much of it was made from soy!); the meal was not as satisfying as lunch or dinner at Sweet Tomatoes, and the prices were rather outrageous -- as much as, or even more than meat dishes at the other Chinese restaurants in the area. And it was Chinese food, which generally is not appetizing to me, because of the vegetable oil or the sauces.
On the restaurant window? and in some of the literature it was written, "All life is precious." Is all life equally precious? Apparently not, since we can eat plants and fungi. Are animals less precious than humans? Or are they equally precious? If animal life is so precious, why isn't don't humans intervene to prevent animals from killing each other, just as they would prevent other human beings from injuring or killing each other? Is this such a simple-minded retort?
On the restaurant window? and in some of the literature it was written, "All life is precious." Is all life equally precious? Apparently not, since we can eat plants and fungi. Are animals less precious than humans? Or are they equally precious? If animal life is so precious, why isn't don't humans intervene to prevent animals from killing each other, just as they would prevent other human beings from injuring or killing each other? Is this such a simple-minded retort?
Peter Hitchens on the Royal Wedding
They wouldn't have thought much of this wedding back in 1953
The MD and her family are here this weekend, so I probably won't have time to write my reflections until tomorrow.
The MD and her family are here this weekend, so I probably won't have time to write my reflections until tomorrow.
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