Jul 2008
Gates vs Jobs
26-Jul-08 10:14 AM
LET THE BATTLE BEGIN AND MAY THE BEST NERD WIN!!!!
(thanks to AI for this hilarious clip)
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I Am, I Said...
14-Jul-08 11:10 PM
In my previous post, I listed a series of principles and beliefs that came directly from "The Affirmations of Humanism: A Statement of Principles." As I mentioned in the previous post, slight alterations were made to the list in order to disguise the word "humanist". Why, you may ask, did I dedicate a post to this list? And the answer, simply put, is to clarify a point - namely, that the words "humanist" and "humanism" are words that have been sabotaged by those who have attempted to alter the general perception and the meaning of the words. We find that the true meaning and nature of these words, and those who claim the label of "humanist", are not the demons and monsters that they've been portrayed to be. Just as "liberals" are not the vile, cruel and insufferable creatures that they have been portrayed to be; the subject of previous posts here on TD3k Speaks. The purpose of this article is to open up for discussion and understanding the true meaning of these words and what the people stand for who subscribe to the views and principles of liberal, secular humanism. Wow - three of the ugliest words ever created since the dawn of man, and here I’ve gone and used them in one sentence!! I hope some of you have not passed out from horror. The fact is, there is no better way to cut through the misinformation and understand something, than to go directly to the source and read for yourself the ideas and principles that are central to the existence of that thing. Thus I presented the list.
Except for only the most religious people who will no doubt take extreme exception to the unthinkable notion that somebody could actually not believe in the supernatural nor in the concept of a supreme being, I cannot fathom any of the other items that would serve as a point of contention, or that would cause anyone undue alarm or dismay in the concepts of the ideals and principles laid out by Humanism. While many humanists may in fact be either athiests or agnostics from a religious viewpoint, it can be seen that lack of a belief in the supernatural does not automatically negate the belief in the need for morality, ethics and responsible living. And that is really the main point I would like to make clear, and to quash the notion that only people who aspire to a religious doctrine, or profess a belief in a supernatural being, can be considered morally upright and honorable. That is simply not true - and it never has been true. There are many examples of people through out history who were stalwarts of morality and sound character and who never professed a particular religious dogma. While there are certainly many people who are religious, and who profess a belief in faith and the supernatural, and who live fine examples of moral fidelity and are of strong personal character, the virtues of morality are not mutually exclusive to them. It seems to exist at the core of every man, those who are driven by faith as well as those who are focused by reason. But no one will argue that there are prime examples of people on both sides who do not live moral lives - such is the complexity of human behavior.
It is my earnest hope and desire to expose some light on the issues that have been such points of contention in our society, and hopefully some will begin to understand and reject the narrow and hateful definitions sometimes applied by those who seek to alter the reality of the human experience because of differing viewpoints and opinions. I do not advocate that we all need to agree with every idea and principle out there for the sake of getting along, but rather to examine what the principles in question really are and to analyze them based on sound logic and reason, and not on hyperbole. I believe that debate and discussions on ideas and principles are healthy and productive so long as they are done with respect and dignity by all parties. Just because you disagree does not mean the other person is necessairly wrong.
For those who may have held a negative viewpoint of "humanists" and "humanism", I ask you to read through their Affirmations and Statement of Principles if you have not done so, and examine them closely. Other than the clearly stated objections to accepting any explanations that lie beyond the natural world and focuses on explanations that exist in the mysteries of the supernatural, what concepts and principles in the list could be attributed to vile and repulsive ideals? The point is, once you examine the facts and understand the real reasons that define a concept or a principle, you may well be surprised that the true content of the facts are entirely different from the preconceived perceptions that had been assigned to it by others. I would love to hear any opposing views or thoughts on this one - to me, it is a clear cut case of examining the evidence based on facts, and not on somebody else’s opinion.
Except for only the most religious people who will no doubt take extreme exception to the unthinkable notion that somebody could actually not believe in the supernatural nor in the concept of a supreme being, I cannot fathom any of the other items that would serve as a point of contention, or that would cause anyone undue alarm or dismay in the concepts of the ideals and principles laid out by Humanism. While many humanists may in fact be either athiests or agnostics from a religious viewpoint, it can be seen that lack of a belief in the supernatural does not automatically negate the belief in the need for morality, ethics and responsible living. And that is really the main point I would like to make clear, and to quash the notion that only people who aspire to a religious doctrine, or profess a belief in a supernatural being, can be considered morally upright and honorable. That is simply not true - and it never has been true. There are many examples of people through out history who were stalwarts of morality and sound character and who never professed a particular religious dogma. While there are certainly many people who are religious, and who profess a belief in faith and the supernatural, and who live fine examples of moral fidelity and are of strong personal character, the virtues of morality are not mutually exclusive to them. It seems to exist at the core of every man, those who are driven by faith as well as those who are focused by reason. But no one will argue that there are prime examples of people on both sides who do not live moral lives - such is the complexity of human behavior.
It is my earnest hope and desire to expose some light on the issues that have been such points of contention in our society, and hopefully some will begin to understand and reject the narrow and hateful definitions sometimes applied by those who seek to alter the reality of the human experience because of differing viewpoints and opinions. I do not advocate that we all need to agree with every idea and principle out there for the sake of getting along, but rather to examine what the principles in question really are and to analyze them based on sound logic and reason, and not on hyperbole. I believe that debate and discussions on ideas and principles are healthy and productive so long as they are done with respect and dignity by all parties. Just because you disagree does not mean the other person is necessairly wrong.
For those who may have held a negative viewpoint of "humanists" and "humanism", I ask you to read through their Affirmations and Statement of Principles if you have not done so, and examine them closely. Other than the clearly stated objections to accepting any explanations that lie beyond the natural world and focuses on explanations that exist in the mysteries of the supernatural, what concepts and principles in the list could be attributed to vile and repulsive ideals? The point is, once you examine the facts and understand the real reasons that define a concept or a principle, you may well be surprised that the true content of the facts are entirely different from the preconceived perceptions that had been assigned to it by others. I would love to hear any opposing views or thoughts on this one - to me, it is a clear cut case of examining the evidence based on facts, and not on somebody else’s opinion.
Who Am I?
09-Jul-08 05:56 PM
I am going to list the affirmations and principles associated with a certain group of people and see if you can guess which group of people I am describing. I am going to slightly edit and alter the wording of the list so as not to give the answer away within the list. Please refrain from using Google or any other web search tool until you've read through the list and have given it an honest guess just based on the list. The answer will follow in the next post and it should be obvious - no need to google this one. Here it goes:
- We are committed to the application of reason and science to the understanding of the universe and to the solving of human problems.
- We deplore efforts to denigrate human intelligence, to seek to explain the world in supernatural terms, and to look outside nature for salvation.
- We believe that scientific discovery and technology can contribute to the betterment of human life.
- We believe in an open and pluralistic society and that democracy is the best guarantee of protecting human rights from authoritarian elites and repressive majorities.
- We are committed to the principle of the separation of church and state.
- We cultivate the arts of negotiation and compromise as a means of resolving differences and achieving mutual understanding.
- We are concerned with securing justice and fairness in society and with eliminating discrimination and intolerance.
- We believe in supporting the disadvantaged and the handicapped so that they will be able to help themselves.
- We attempt to transcend divisive parochial loyalties based on race, religion, gender, nationality, creed, class, sexual orientation, or ethnicity, and strive to work together for the common good of humanity.
- We want to protect and enhance the earth, to preserve it for future generations, and to avoid inflicting needless suffering on other species.
- We believe in enjoying life here and now and in developing our creative talents to their fullest.
- We believe in the cultivation of moral excellence.
- We respect the right to privacy. Mature adults should be allowed to fulfill their aspirations, to express their sexual preferences, to exercise reproductive freedom, to have access to comprehensive and informed health-care, and to die with dignity.
- We believe in the common moral decencies: altruism, integrity, honesty, truthfulness, responsibility. * ethics is amenable to critical, rational guidance. There are normative standards that we discover together. Moral principles are tested by their consequences.
- We are deeply concerned with the moral education of our children. We want to nourish reason and compassion.
- We are engaged by the arts no less than by the sciences.
- We are citizens of the universe and are excited by discoveries still to be made in the cosmos.
- We are skeptical of untested claims to knowledge, and we are open to novel ideas and seek new departures in our thinking.
- We affirm there is a realistic alternative to theologies of despair and ideologies of violence and as a source of rich personal significance and genuine satisfaction in the service to others.
- We believe in optimism rather than pessimism, hope rather than despair, learning in the place of dogma, truth instead of ignorance, joy rather than guilt or sin, tolerance in the place of fear, love instead of hatred, compassion over selfishness, beauty instead of ugliness, and reason rather than blind faith or irrationality.
- We believe in the fullest realization of the best and noblest that we are capable of as human beings.
Stars & Stripes Forever!!
04-Jul-08 09:31 AM
Telecom Immunity
02-Jul-08 10:16 AM
The Senate will be voting soon on legislation regarding the Bush Administration’s illegal wiretapping program. It’s important that the bill not contain any immunity for the telecom companies that helped the President break the law.
The Senate is planning on voting on the measure on July 8 and as it stands right now, it appears that they are prepared to sweep this under the rug and look the other way. If you are concerned about this cover up and believe that the rule of law should be upheld and that the principles and rules of the Constitution should be upheld and protected, then please contact your Senators to let them know. There is nothing patriotic about breaking the law and snubbing the principles of our most important document that created this country. Have a Happy July 4th celebration!!
- Let a judge sort it out. If what the telecom companies did was legal, why shouldn’t we let the cases go to court? If it was illegal, that’s all the more reason not to grant immunity.
- This is about fundamental rights. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution explicitly states that the government needs a warrant to conduct a search — that includes wiretapping. Congress should err on the side of our Constitution and not bow to political pressure by signing off on telecom immunity. Americans deserve nothing less.
- When people break the law, they should be held accountable. When companies break the law, they should be too. Passing a bill that lets companies off the hook for spying on their customers isn’t fair and it doesn’t uphold the rule of law.
- The Bush Administration is trying to cover up its own illegal behavior. The President shouldn’t be able to hide the full extent of an illegal program by shutting down lawsuits. And Congress certainly shouldn’t help him to do it.
- This affects countless Americans. Telecoms need to testify in a court of law about exactly what happened and why. If telecom immunity passes, we may never know how big the scandal really was.
The Senate is planning on voting on the measure on July 8 and as it stands right now, it appears that they are prepared to sweep this under the rug and look the other way. If you are concerned about this cover up and believe that the rule of law should be upheld and that the principles and rules of the Constitution should be upheld and protected, then please contact your Senators to let them know. There is nothing patriotic about breaking the law and snubbing the principles of our most important document that created this country. Have a Happy July 4th celebration!!