Jumping to Conclusions

I am always troubled by the logic of unnecessary extrapolation based on single phenomena. Take the Ferguson shooting. I don’t know whether the police officer, Darren Wilson was a racist. Many thought George Zimmerman was, but there was no evidence for that (in fact if anything Zimmerman had openly opposed racism in his personal life history). What I do know is that Wilson had no prior record of racist activity, he did feel threatened, was injured in the confrontation, shot Brown four times in the right arm and twice in the head. We also know that Brown was not ‘just visiting his grandmother’ but had robbed a convenience store. What we also know is that a 292lb man charging towards you with the intention of attacking you is a fearsome sight. Unarmed attackers can kill especially if they carry with them the full punch of such a weight. Wilson does owe the public and the family an explanation. He is an officer of the law. What he doesn’t deserve is to be convicted and sentenced without a trial and due process consideration of the facts. The great Democrat Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said ‘You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts’. Unfortunately too many have forgotten the central theme of common law that a person is innocent until proven guilty, and have condemned Wilson with a visceral response bordering on a modern day lynching.There may or may not be racism involved in this altercation but poisoning the well from the get go does nobody any favours, least of all the necessity for fair and colour blind justice.

Remember what you stand for

It is my experience that if you wish to live a life of meaning that you also have beliefs that are well thought out, clear, non-intentionally hurtful and are based as best as possible on sound reasoning and logic. Now I can’t say that you should divorce emotion from your beliefs, as we are human after all, but this emotion should not override the judgement that is formed along rational lines. In the day-to-day chaos of life, we often sideline our conscious realization of these beliefs, even if we act sub-consciously with the same ideals in mind. This promotes somewhat of a sleepwalking approach to life that we should eschew. To escape such a pathology (and on one level it is such a phenomenon) I would suggest a daily cataloguing and listing of both one’s primary and secondary beliefs. This does not have to span volumes, but should be both succinct and encompassing in such a manner that it brings to mind the core of what we are as agents of free will (one of my key beliefs). I have followed such a course of action for sometime now and find it to be both refreshing and re-affirming of my role as an active player in life.

Getting to the Crux of the Matter

The problem with Islam is that it sees itself as the final revelation that replaces and thereby supersedes the monotheistic understandings of earlier theologies (Judaism and Christianity). While Christianity went through a similar phase during the dark, medieval and early renaissance periods this initiative lost steam with the passage of the reformation, enlightenment and nationalistic phases that characterized western history.

 The Religious Wars, the French Revolution and Germany’s Kulturkampf negated clerical zeal replacing it temporarily with excessive nationalism and destructive socialism that culminated in the two world wars. However it also allowed as well in the long term for the necessary growth of liberal democracy and free markets that have guaranteed the standard of living and openness to debate that we enjoy today.

 Islam in a sense remained frozen in time, wedded to an ideology grounded in medieval simplicity, it essentially escaped the age of reason and now struggles as an unwanted anachronism in the modern world. Unlike Judaism and Christianity, which have opened themselves up to critical intellectual interpretation, Islam continues to resist this trend.

 While there are a select few who have tried with an honesty to breach this barrier, the bulk of the discourse and certainly its mainstream voice is dominated by an orthodoxy not far removed from the expansionist belief that characterized Islam’s rapid ascendancy in the latter part of the first millennium. However as a belief system, Islam does bring in some positive attributes from Judaism and Christianity. It incorporated into its ethos charity and prayer both of which have origins in the Torah and it does champion equality before God.


 Where I think Islam deviates most from the other two religions is in its central core teaching of submission. In fact the word Islam means submission. This is a dangerous tenet, in that it discourages questioning of God, the necessary wrestling with the higher power that Abraham, Jacob and Moses exemplified. It is in this wrestling that we most exercise our free will, the philosophical notion that makes us human.

 The first great initiative in a real Islamic revolution would be to reject the submission notion, a necessary step towards clear thought and enlightenment.

Oil Dependency spurs on the Islamist Threat

The spread of Islamofascism will not abate so long as the world keeps pandering to the duplicitous oil regimes of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and Iran. Arabists and their ilk in the US state department have seen to it that this trend will continue and certainly have allies on Capitol Hill and the White House.The Keystone pipeline and some of the Fracking initiatives will reduce foreign oil dependency, that seem to be at the root of this overt blind spot but it is imperative that energy alternatives are looked at more comprehensively. Both Democrats and Republicans have let America down by their partisan politics in this regard. What is needed is urgent investment in super capacitors, a return to the hard science and a de-emphasis on the global warming hysteria that has poisoned debate and detracted from the here and now of practical solutions.

Support for Israel

One must be cautioned into believing that support for Israel is strictly a right/left issue. In the US it is convenient to break down into such a dichotomy that is expressed in the Republican/Democrat divide and there is a risk that support for Israel should be split along such a meridian. The survival of Israel as the only true democratic country in the middle east transcends such classification and hinges on a moral clarity that is expressed by members of each party and opposed by others. Those eager to champion the Republicans as bearers of the positive torch should note that many in the GOP fold viz. Eisenhower, Reagan, and Bush Sr had mixed records with respect to Israel while Kennedy, Johnson and Clinton stood out from the crowd. Granted Obama appears to be lukewarm on the issue but then Dubya was quicker to criticize Israel on the Jenin raids than Obama has been in Gaza. While there are Democrat congressmen who have been stood out with their rhetoric against Israel, Dennis Kucinich and Keith Ellinson come to mind, the Republicans have the equally vile Darrel Issa and Walter Jones to bring to this context.

Philip Weiss - Useful Idiot Supreme

The internet is awash with a cacophony of Jews who feel that they need to add to the anti-semitism of the world by spewing venom against Israel. One of the top offenders has to be the loathsome Philip Weiss, who never has a kind word to say about Israel but is full of cheer for Israel's enemies. At his cesspool of a site, Mondoweiss, Weiss trumps his bile to the approval of rabid israel haters who can barely contain their enthusiasm when Jews are killed. While Weiss likes to portray himself as an independent voice on the Middle East (something the 'critical thinkers' at Salon Ragazine have fallen for), the reality is that the only phenomenon that Weiss' one sided analysis is not dependent on is REASON. He presents an orgy of misconceptions and skewed analysis that does nothing to promote understanding and must take credit like other useful idiots such as Max Blumenthal, Richard Silverstein and Noam Chomsky for making anti-semitism acceptable again. Well done Philip...You have truely earned your spurs as a modern day Kapo.

World Cup Final

The World Cup has had more than its fair share of twists and turns but the final features two teams whose odds of reaching the ultimate stage were high. As much as I would like Messi to shine, and earn the accolades that he deserves, the Germans seem the more likely team to walk away with the trophy. For one the Europeans are strong in every position and have an attacking zest that arises from their midfield which has proved unstoppable. While the Argentinians are better defensively than they were four years ago they are still vulnerable to a strong attack and are often too reliant on Messi for creativity up front. I am predicting a German win but we will have to wait and see.

Palestinian Psycopathy revealed by gutless murders

There is a definite evil, a psychological darkness, that runs through the collective consciousness of Palestinian Society.The abduction and subsequent execution of the three Israeli teens represents a depravity that is so cold in its deliberation that it can only be described as sickening. The Itamar massacre in March of 2011 was another example of such a psycopathy as were the numerous suicide bombings directed at civilian targets throughout the last decade. As much as I would like to see a peaceful resolution to this crisis I am extremely pessimistic about such an outcome. The Palestinians seem to be driven by hatred of Jews, which seems to be in grained in their psyche from a young age. The killings are a manifestation of this cradle-to-grave loathing that seems to be impermeable to reason and despite the smokescreen of diplomacy lurks behind the actions of even the so-called 'moderates'.

World Cup Predictions III

I hit 7 out of 8 on the Round of 16 Projections (I erred on the Costa Rica Result) but I am predicting that both Argentina and the Netherlands will win today. It looks as though Neymar will be out for the rest of the tournament but I can still see Brazil reaching the Final. Brazil v Argentina next Sunday...if that is the case I will be cheering for the latter. It would be incredible to see Messi lift a World Cup Trophy to re-confirm his status as the Greatest Player in the History of the Game.

World Cup Predictions II

Round of 16 looms huge on the World Cup stage. In the pool that I am entered in I predicted that a Suarez-less Uruguay would come up short against Colombia as the brilliance of James Rodriguez continues to astound and so it was to be.The Golden Boot battle will continue to electrify the footer world with Messi, Robben, van Persie and Neymar solidly placed in the mix as well. Brazil were disappointing and I really expected them to defeat the Chileans in regular time. In fact it was Chile that was unlucky not to win after the power shot from Mauricio Pinilla rattled the cross bar. Brazil will really have to up it if they hope to beat Colombia in the quarters. Neymar had a mediocre game and Hulk was clearly their best offensive threat. For the rest of the round I believe that the Dutch will beat Mexico, Greece should see off Costa Rica, Argentina will beat Switzerland, Belgium will end the run of the US, Germany will send Algeria packing and the French will bid adieu to Nigeria.

More from Terror Inc.

It appears that ISIS is being funded by sources in the Gulf States. The US State Department has been a bit hush-hush on the issue as it historically is loathe to rock the boat with the Saudis or Qataris (money talks after all). Yet the tentacles of Riyadh and Doha are not too far away. Duplicity is a key theme in Middle Eastern Politics and the Saudis/Qataris while pretending to be American 'Allies' (remember the Scorpion on the back of the frog tale) are at the same time using ISIS as an extended force to weaken Iranian influence in both Syria and Iraq. The US should back up Baghdad with arms support (not troops) if only to stave off further ISIS success. At the same time it should pressure the Saudis to come clean about their actions. The first plan of action may yet see the light of day, the latter seems unlikely.

Sell Suarez...A Plea from a Liverpool fan

As much as I admire Luis Suarez's goalscoring skills (he surely is one of the top five players in the world today) his biting behaviour in the otherwise dull Uruguay v Italy game must be wholeheartedly condemnded. This is the third time in his career that Suarez has been guilty of such stupidity and I hope that Liverpool (the club I support) will see fit to sell him to either Real Madrid or Barcelona. The Reds could do with the cash, especially if it is sweetened by a pot that may include Karim Benzema or Alexis Sanchez. Liverpool will also benefit by ridding themselves of the headache that characterizes the actions of this manboy and the added money could be well spent by investing in a plethora of young stars viz. Lallana, Shaw et al.

IRS...Missing E-mails

The lost IRS E-mails/Lois Lerner scandal is both tragic and hilarious. I wonder if you could use the same argument when your tax file goes 'missing'? Not sure which IT departments are worse that of the IRS, the consultants developing the Obamacare website or those responsible for safeguarding the computer accounts for The University of East Anglia climate science crew?

The Left was wrong..WMDs did exist in Iraq

The ongoing ISIS advance in Iraq has revealed that Saddam Hussein did indeed possess Weapons of Mass Destruction(WMDs). The terror group is now in control of the Al-Muthanna facility that is less than one hundred kilometers north of Baghdad. Al-Muthanna is believed to be a site that developed both sarin and mustard gas for use by Iraqi troops in the Iraq-Iran War. How this site escaped inspection prior to the US invasion of Iraq is anyone's guess? Will the left apologize for this error on the WMD front? Not likely...they never apologized for being wrong on the Petraeus driven Iraqi surge to begin with so holding one's breath here is most certainly futile. For more read http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/06/20/isis-now-in-control-of-saddams-notorious-1980s-chemical-weapons-complex-with-sarin-and-mustard-gas/

World Cup Update June 23

As predicted Brazil and Mexico are through in that respective order. The Dutch did well although they left it late to beat Chile and Spain salvaged pride by mauling the Aussies who return home with a record that does not do justice to their otherwise admirable performance (they led the Dutch 2-1 at one point in their clash). Portugal kept Iberian hopes alive yesterday but look like a shadow of the 2006 team that made it to the final four eight years ago. Ronaldo is not fully fit and it shows. The US could do some damage and may put a wrench in my predictions on this front (I had Germany and Ghana going through from the so-called Group of Death). Neymar now has four goals to his credit and if Brazil go far he could be the most likely Golden Boot winner. I am not a huge fan of this Brazilian team. It pales in comparison to the team of 2002, let alone 82 or 70 and seems like a facsimile of the 94 squad that groaned their way to victory. Nevertheless it is results that count and this Brazilian squad seems likely to trudge on to success carried on by the inertia of home field advantage,

PIty the Nation...Pity the Fools who run it...

The countdown to the end of the worst US Presidency in history is on..if one still had doubts on the positive efficacy of this current administration in the foreign realm the trade of five high profile terrorists for a deserter must put this to rest. The US appears weaker than ever in international eyes...it bungled the gains of the Iraqi surge, dropped the ball in Afghanistan, helped spread Jihadist aims via an ill-conceived endorsement of the Arab Spring, set up an Islamist group in Libya, allowed itself to be duped by Pakistan, and has shown itself to be inept at clamping down on tne stealth campaign by Islamists in the US, who have used political correctdness and a compliant mainstream media to checkmate anti-Jihadist efforts across the country. However I am not convinced from what I have seen that Republicans would be much better...they too have bought into the narcotic of political relativism and have allowed the Saudi snake to undermine the moral credibility of the party. The Obama administration is a disgrace but until the US wakes from its slumber...chooses right from wrong and stops giving a free pass to evil one can expect more of the same to follow.

Iraq...let it transition to a three state 'stability'

The rise of ISIS in Iraq brings the country closer to a Shi'ite/Sunni War. I don't have sympathy for either side but I do not wish for the country to slide into a war. Should the US intervene? I don't believe that it is in American interests to do so. While it is clear that Obama's premature evacuation of American forces, folllowing the gains of the 2007 surge, may have exasperated the condition it is in everyone's interest to allow local parties to sort this out themselves. Iran will do their best to support Shi'ite interests and will most likely supply enough ground support to nullify the Sunni Jihadists (as they did in Syria). The end result may be the division of Iraq into three sectors: Kurdish (which is already de facto), Sunni and Shi'ite which seems to be the most natural breakup of this region anyway.

Suarez to Barcelona for 50+ million pounds + Alexis Sanchez

As a Liverpool fan I would take this in a second. Sanchez is worth about 30 million pounds and comes with less baggage than Suarez. Liverpool can buy three players with that cash. A forward line of Sanchez, Sturridge, Lambert and Borini should be more than a threat next year. I can't see this being a great move for Suarez...he will have to play third fiddle to Messrs. Messi and Neymar in Catalonia. Not only that but Barcelona are a team in transition..it looks as though they have lost Xavi and Iniesta is on the downside...without an adequate supply line it doesn't matter who you have up front.

World Cup Predictions I

This tournament is all over the place. I thought England performed as expected in Group C and were unlucky not to take at least one point from their opening two games. I am still picking them to beat Costa Rica with Uruguay and Italy playing to a draw. Final standings - First Place Costa Rica...Second Place Italy. Brazil and Mexico should emerge from Group A with the hosts topping the group (sorry Croatia fans..I know the win against Cameroon got you all excited). The Dutch will top group B at the expense of Chile while the Spaniards will salvage some pride when they beat Australia. Colombia and Ivory Coast will move through from Group C, with the tournanent's most boring team (Greece) relegated to the nether regions Group E has France written all over it but Ecuador will pip Switzerland to the second spot. In Group F Argentina will emerge with Nigeria following close behind. The Iranians will seize third spot with a win over Bosnia (who can pride themselves on a decent rookie campaign) Group G will favour Germany who will beat the US to capture top spot. Second spot will be a toss up. I am picking Ghana to take it after they arise from the dead to defeat a limp Portugal. Group H..the group of sleep...Belgium to win with Russia in second place.

12 Great Questions to think about

An oldie but a goldie.... 1. Why is there something as opposed to nothing? 2. What are the limits of science? Has Cartesian Reductionism neared its level of usefulness? How do we incorporate the whole into our thinking? 3. How does complexity arise? Why is the sum of the parts so often less than the whole? 4. Is Randomness an illusion? 5. How are the Laws of Physics carried? 6. What is the relationship between consciousness, free will and the Anthropic Principle? 7. To what extent are we boxed in by our definitions of scientific terms? Discrete versus Continuous understanding of nature. 8. Why and how are we bound by perceived linearity? 9. The Subjective versus the Objective….Will Objectivism disappear altogether? 10. Why do systems become stable? How is this stability rocked? Is there an overall march toward a new zone? Is stability real or imaginary? 11. Why is our Mathematics limited? 12. What is an event? What comes together to make an event?

Quick Comment of the Day 2

There is no knowledge so powerful that an incompetent teacher can’t ruin it for their students.

Words from a Maverick

I live in a milieu, as an educator, where I am exclusively surrounded by individuals who hold views to the left of me. This is hardly surprising as modern liberalism has shifted in a direction that makes it more akin to social-democracy than anything else and most teachers are modern liberals by self-imposed definition.I have maintained my course even as the centrist paradigm has gravitated leftward. Detractors would say that I sam a slave to inertia but I choose to reject this categorization.I identify as a Classic liberal as it balances, with the required skepticism, both the excesses of each wing of the political spectrum. It is a philosophy rooted in reason, true to the enlightenment but scornful of the anarchism of the Romantics. It champions measured change and flies roughshod over unproven radicalism. Classic liberalism is not a flavor of the day philosophy, it has a proud history that originates from English liberalism and at its very core is the cherished concepts of freedom of speech, thought and action. Modern liberalism, in contrast, dances with dialectic materialism and is therefore corrupted by the veil of socialist groupthink. It has lost the essence of what it is to be liberal by exchanging the primacy of the individual for that of the collective. It is not a philosophy of tolerance, as is evidenced by the hysteria that is all too often directed against those who deviate from its dogma. Maybe one can see Modern Liberalism as a cacophony of nanny state voices, but what cannot be denied is the success of this idealism in broad swiping opposition, to establish its almost universal acceptance in education. This is a tragedy as it has blighted the diversity of opinion that should be a source of our intellectual strength. Sadly there are a few who see it this way. Perhaps it's the suffocation of the medium that has done it to them, or maybe it's the comfort of accepting the 'IS'.......I am not sure. Whatever the cause I am grateful the light has not been snuffed out so myself, like a few others, can with our hearts and deeds still resist the predominant orthodoxy.

FDR - Going beyond the myth

Why is FDR so lionized as a President? He subverted democracy by loading SCOTUS with his cronies, forced through the New Deal which actually delayed the economic recovery (many New Deal type programs were also the brainchild of the previous Hoover administration), interned Japanese Americans, clamped down on giving refuge to Holocaust victims and refused to bomb railways to the death camps. In addition he underestimated the both the brutality of Stalin and Uncle Joe’s ambitions, thereby dooming most of Eastern Europe to brutal Soviet domination. Yes, he did go to war to save the West but in reality he didn’t have much of a choice after Pearl Harbour. Hitler also made is easy for FDR by declaring war on the US only four days after this (arguably one of the biggest follies of the war). I will give FDR credit for Cash-and-Carry and Lend Lease but I think his status has been blown out of proportion by apologists such as Arthur Schlesinger. I believe that Harry Truman was a far superior president.

The US needs to let the Arab World solve their own problems

While there are some holding out for a long term improvement in Middle-East politics as a result of the Arab Spring, what is most evident is that the gains that have accrued to date have have come at too high a price. One could very easily argue that the Middle East is in fact worse now than it has been with both Syria and Egypt emeshed in Civil War. With his Cairo speech and his cheerleading of the Anti-Mubarak drivers, Obama must take on some responsibility for the debacle (his lack of common sense and political street knowledge were abysmal)and the arena is worse now for his ill-conceived interference.

Quick Comment of the Day 1 - Topic Obamacare

Obamacare is so convoluted that it makes the Byzantines seem like a bunch of Anarchists. It is the political equivalent of trench warfare. In WWI hordes of soldiers with much casualties were used to overwhelm a position with brute force alone. In Obamacare the public is beaten into a punch drunk acceptance by a level of bureaucracy that no sane human can be expected to figure out.

Star Wars is Evil....There I said it

I grew up in the generation that Star Wars was custom made for. At the age of eight I remember sitting with my jaw at ground level, mouth drooling, fixated on a universe that was simply unbelievable. If I had been moved to a utopia, this was it. That was then. My enthusiasm continued as I submerged myself in the somewhat duller Empire Strikes Back and the trilogy’s concluding episode Return of the Jedi. Years later when Lucas released these three with a few modifications I sat through them again with a healthy nostalgia. Jedi had taken over from a New Hope as my personal favourite and Empire seemed a slightly less disjoined than the time that I saw it as a kid. However the series had dropped remarkably in my overall esteem, the magic was tarnished and I couldn’t believe how insipid both the plot lines and acting were. Of course I was of an older age – one cannot dismiss that variable – but compared to the Science Fiction of the British Comic World – Judge Dredd and Rogue Trooper – not to mention the alternative Blade Runner or Dystrophic films, Star Wars looked remarkably inferior - at least by a parsec or two. In fact it was downright awful. I watched the prequels (hoping for a broader salvation) but loathed all three. The second was particularly bad and I cursed the fact that I had been duped, even at a young age by Lucas’ space odyssey of junk. Alec Guinness, who played Obi-Wan, was dismissive of Star Wars in his personal writing and rightfully so. The series was a gigantic con job, that used the brilliance of special effects to hide its glaring flaws. Nothing of substance emerges from the Star Wars – it is a massive cliché but worse than that is morally questionable something the masses who bathe in its sub-culture almost never admit. In A New Hope, Darth Vader carries out an unspeakable genocide, the destruction of the planet Alderaan. I remember even as a kid being shocked by that. Lets put this in context for a second – History is replete with its evil despots – Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot – all of them carried out massive genocides but none of them destroyed a planet and all of its inhabitants….not even close. Yet Vader does this in a matter of minutes… and we are exposed to it as a matter-of-fact. Of course its part of the story but get this …once Vader comes clean and has the dark side’s hold over him broken (in Jedi)..we are now supposed to cheer for this villain, sympathize with him as he takes his place alongside Obi-Wan and Yoda in the pantheon of Jedi. In fact Luke Skywalker ceremonially honours this genocidal lunatic in a funeral ceremony…Talk about turning your back on evil….What about all his victims? Was this monster not responsible for destruction in the billions (a likely estimate range for planetary populations)? But Lucas wants us to forget this because he (Vader) did the honourable ‘thing’ and saved his son. Frikkin Hell…story or no story!…fiction or not!…Does this not show how morally decrepit Lucas’ universe is? Now one could argue that I am wasting too much bytes on this line of thought (ink is so 20th century) …but unfortunately the Star Wars super meme has infected our collective conscious in a manner that is extremely pervasive… Kids know more about such asinine lines… as ‘I am your father Luke’ and ‘Use the force’ than the words of Churchill, Schweitzer or King. Adults dress up in Vader costumes…and when questioned about this will retort with a line such as Vader is the ‘ultimate bad ass’….which begs the next question where does that leave Genghis Khan who ‘only’ redrew the face of Eurasia?…A third-tier bad ass perhaps. Ideas drive action and Lucas has a twisted calculus that he has sold to the rest of us. Disney and Lego will of course further entrench this nonsense in the next generation’s mind set. It’s a further statement on the sad reality of a truism that we overlook as we amuse ourselves to oblivion. Now where did I put my son’s double headed light sabre that his grandparents got him.

On Intellectual Myopia

I often give more credit for the human intellect than it deserves. A friend of mine, who I have not seen for some time, but who I remain connected to through the medium of Facebook recently posted on his wall a link showing an outrageous act performed by religious Christians (the details are not important right now but suffice it to say it involved crucifixion). The act was either denounced or ignored as insignifican by the mainstream Christian world. He then argued, that if the world can see that such an isolated act is clearly that of fanatics and is not representative of Christianity itself, then why does the world not apply the same line of reason in judging Islam, with respect to the 911 attacks for example. . While the fact that Islamists have committed over 20,000 violent attacks since 911 was not evidence enough that the dreadful events of that day was not isolated, the existence of Islamist related groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, the Iranian Twelvers, the Salafists, Hezbollah and Hamas as poweful forces within the Islamic World poured cold water on his poorly thought out argument. But as I pondered further upon the issue, what was more frightening is that my friend, who is highly educated, could draw such a faulty parallel that was so easily deconstructed. How was it that he was duped? Was he operating with wishful thinking? Was he in denial? or as a liberal - does he just not want to give credence and admit that anti-Islamist voices have been correct all this time. Either way he is either intellectually dishonest or just plain naive...but if this is the case with him...how many others are following suit? Its no wonder that Jihadists have been so successful in their propaganda strategies to date.

Obama's Folly

While there are some holding out for a long-term improvement in the Middle East’s smoking cauldron as a result of the Arab Spring, what is most evident is that the gains that have accrued to date have come at too high a price. One could very easily argue that the Middle East is in fact worse now than it has been with both Syria and Egypt enmeshed in civil war, and Turkey heading down a similar path perhaps in the not-too-distant future. With his Cairo speech and his cheerleading of the Anti-Mubarak drivers, Obama must take some responsibility for the debacle (his lack of common sense and political street knowledge were abysmal) and the arena is worse now for his ill-conceived interference than it was prior to his foibles.

Now it looks as though the US will be more actively backing the anti-Assad forces in Syria despite the reality that this apparent ‘lesser of the evils’ is aligned with the serpent head of Al Qaeda. While it is true that Assad and co. are in bed with the Iranian Mullahs such policy will not bear fruit for the US, it certainly didn’t in Libya where Obama’s short sighted approach in backing the anti-Gaddafi insurgency led directly to the Benghazi embassy attack –one of America’s worst foreign policy disasters in years (made worse by Obama and then Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s cover-up).

The US would be advised to stand back and let both sides in the Syrian conflict beat each other to a pulp. The same is true in Egypt despite the fact that the military offers a better alternative to regional stability than do the thugs of the Brotherhood. US interference has done enough damage – Obama needs to tread lightly.

If he is tempted to involve himself in the region’s politics then he should offer his support for the Green Revolution in Iran. He let down the revolution early in his term while later on paving way for the Brotherhood in Egypt. To say that he got it ass backwards is an understatement. Smart vision can help but I doubt whether his team of Kerry, Hagel, Brennan and co. are blessed with such insight. If they do I have yet to see the evidence.

Race relations deteriorate..this is a tragedy

Front Page Magazine has an interesting article on how race relations have worsened under Obama. http://frontpagemag.com/2013/arnold-ahlert/obama-back-to-the-future/

Debbie Schlussel - Reality Check

Debbie Schlussel has done a great job in the past exposing the Islamist threat, illegal immigration and the degradation of American society. Her research is for the most part very thorough and her writing at times hilarious albeit poisonous. However she has a nasty habit of throwing under the bus those who disagree with her in the very slightest. The following is a list of some of those on the right who have earned her scorn (note that Schlussel is a Conservative Commentatator) and have been vilified by Schlussel in one form or another.
Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Bill O' Reilly, Dennis Prager, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Jonah Goldberg, Neil Cavuto, Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer, David Horowitz, Pat Buchanan (deservedly so), Aaron Klein, Daniel Greenfield, Andrew Breitbart, Ben Shapiro, Walid Shoebat, Brigitte Gabriel, John Hawkins, Mark Levin, Jenn Q. Public and Matt Drudge to name a few.
It seems that Schlussel has gone to great lengths to isolate herself as she continues to play the lone wolf card...I pity her as she has much to offer in the cultural war but her methodology of bashing so many of her potential allies is short-sighted and plays into the hands of her ideological foes, such as the Jihadist chorus at loonwatch.

United and Chelski drop points

Never thought I would be so happy to watch a goaless game but when these two teams drop points then I have to smile. United looked better than the Blues and Rooney was clearly the best player on the field but its the score line that counts.

Racial Violence...The rest of the story

The Big Question: Why does the MSM conveniently ignore black on white crimes? Here are the stats: http://www.examiner.com/article/federal-statistics-of-black-on-white-violence-with-links-and-mathematical-extrapolation-formulas

- 45% of black crime is against whites - Blacks commit murder at as rate that is seven times higher than other races - Blacks are 39 times more likely to commit a violent act against whites than vice versa.

White Aussie jogger, Christopher Lane, was targeted and gunned down in Oklahoma recently. There was the brutal twin murders of Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom. Why have these acts of violence not received the same media outrage as the Trayvon Martin story?
This is not to diminish in any way the significance of white on black acts of racial violence but it is important in the ongoing fight against racism that all issues of hate are equally addressed.

Season starts off well...lets hope the train doesn't derail.

Liverpool are off to their best start in several seasons. Two games played, two wins, zero goals conceded. This may end on the weekend against United but it doesn't harm to dream. All of City, the Scum, Chelski and the Arse have dropped points. So far so good. There is still however an urgent need for another forward plus a central defender. Selling Suarez for 45 million pounds could solve both issues. The Reds have to move quickly.

The 5Gs

I am working on a system of personal development known as the 5Gs that I have developed. The system is holistic but builds on a super-structure similar to the sefirot from the world of the Kabbalah. What are the 5Gs? In short they are Gains, Goals, Giving, Gratitude and Growth.
The first two elements pair together as do elements three and four producing the Growth hiatus. More to follow as I work on the details.

The following is a list of my influences.
· Judaic Philosophy: Kabbalah – Concept of the Soul – Extension of Self, Good Deeds - Unity of One.
· Classical Wisdom: Plato- Unexamined Life – not worth living, Aristotelean Logic + Rationalism, Seneca on Expectations – Stoicism
· Hume: Reasonable Skepticism, Descartes – Critical Reductionism
· Nietzche –Becoming a Superman – Exercising your intent/will
· Kierkegaard – Necessary Leap of Faith
· Frankl – Man’s Search for Meaning
· Four Agreements

The Obama Economy

The Fall of the US…..Some signs of the turmoil that has no doubt been expedited by the Obama Presidency….possibly the worst in American history

Sources: http://www.usdebtclock.org/#

1. The US has a national debt of $16.88 trillion and counting….No country in history has suffered such a staggering shortfall. The debt per US citizen stands around $53,300.00 or $148,027 per taxpayer. Total interest on the debt for 2013 is $2.88 trillion. $5.6 trillion dollars is owed to foreign countries.

2. Gross debt to GDP stands at 106% as the country continues building a bigger hole for itself.

3. There are over 11.5 million unemployed Americans officially. Almost double that for the actual number (22.2 million) and likely to grow.

4. Over 50 million Americans are living in poverty with close to 48 million using food stamps…..This is what happens when the mechanism for job creation is stifled by the regulation fanatics in government.

5. Over 19 million Americans work for state and local governments and a further 4.8 million are employed by the federal government. Talk about bloated bureaucracies….

6. Social security liability is almost $16.5 trillion, prescription drug liability is $21.8 trillion and the medicare debt is a whopping $86.8 trillion as Obamacare kicks in….Factor all this together and the liability per taxpayer is $1.096 million….I know that I have that money lying around. Assets per citizen is only $0.318 million… so those on left who see wealth distribution as a solution (which it never is) will fall hopelessly short of the mark.

7. Stimulus packages by the Obama regime has escalated the collapse by adding over seven trillion to the National debt – more than any other president in US history….think of this as a ‘gift’ to future generations of Americans.

Twitter Feed

Have re-activated my twitter feed. Several new tweets..yesterday was a busy day.

Skepticism

In many a way I am a skeptic. My strong adheherence to the efficacy of scientific rationalism makes this a natural position. However I differ from the strong skeptic positions advocated by Messrs Shermer, Carroll, Randi etc in that I believe in the presence of the God (Ein Sof) essence that transcends but encompasses all that there is. I reconcile these two beliefs (scientific rationalism and my own theism) with an understanding that the Ein Sof could but doesn't break the rules of physics. Asuch, I reject all of the paranormal (a position that was not the case when I was younger) and cast much doubt on New Age, Alternative Medicine, most conspiracy theories and other avenues of supposed reasoning that fail to measure up to the stringencies of critical thought.

Well Done Andy Murray

Although I am not a fan of Andy Murray (Roger Federer is my player of choice) he must be congratulated for winning his first Wimbledon title - the first by a Brit in 77 years (maybe the poms can shut up about that now....they are real-broken records in this department). The game seemed like the longest straight set victory on record with both players struggling in the service department. Novak Djokovic clearly had an off day, and is still in my opinion a better player than the Scot. Nevertheless the Djokovic-Murray rivalry promises much with the entire sport being the real winner in the future if such competition persists.

Barack Obama and the Demise of the US Space Program

It amazes me how so many in the scientific community have fallen in lock step behind Barack Obama. In fact its not uncommon to hear scientists describe Obama as a president who truly understands Science. Yet like so many other platitudes associated with the' Great One' the Obama-Science meme is lacking in substance.

The crown jewel of American Scientific brilliance since the 1960s has been the Space Exploration Program. Indeed JFK centralized it as such with his rousing speeches on the issue, which although framed in cold war swagger undoubtebly galvanized an enthuzed two to three generations of American high school science students. From such endeavours came breakthroughs in biomedical research, telecommunications, engineering and architectural design and looking back at such ab era one can only glow at its achievement. Many spin off technologies that we enjoy today can trace part of their genesis to such an initiative. Presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton and Bush II followed in suit with varying degrees of success but never veering from the primacy of the drive, Yes there were some awful moments (the explosions of the Challenger and Columbia) but all scientific advancements are not immune from setbacks. At the end of the day the successes far outweighed the failures (if indeed they are failures...another point to debate).

Yet it is under Barack Obama that historic role of NASA as an engine for American scientific passion has been all but neutered. No great missions appear on the horizon, a return to the moon is off the agenda (and with it a possible moon base), Mars exploration is dogged in bureaucracy, the space shuttle program has been left to rest while the US (the apparent winner of the Cold War) is forced to resort to Russian transportation to access the International Space Station. We are now further behind in our Global Space Initiatives. So why is it that Obama is still seen as the visionary Science President? For in this realm his record is one of abject disappointment.

British Lions Defeat Wallabies

It was wonderful cheering on the British Lions to their first tour series victory since 1997  The Lions, made up of a majority of Welsh internationals defeated the Aussies to record a 2-1 series truimph. Although the rubber game's final score, 41-16 in favour of the Lions,  appears to be one-sided the reality is that the Wallabies tested the full mettle of the Lions and only a late flurry at the end ensured the enormity of the outcome.

While victory is sweet, I am not convinced from what I saw that this Lions team would have defeated the All-Blacks (or the Springboks) in a similar series. Still its sweet revenge for the men in red who came out on the wrong side of the outcome against the Aussies twelve years ago. Well done.

On the Kabbalah

The Kabbalah has always attracted me - primarly as it offers a  model for understanding the interaction between the spiritual and physical (material) aspects of the universe. I really appreciate the logical structure of the ten Sefirot and believe that the Ein Sof conceptualization of G-d is brilliant in its description of this great intangibility. However the discipline is suffused with its fair share of nonsense mongers and charlatans who advocate a level of knowledge that exceeds their own grasp of the nuances. I am very much conscious of this pitfall. Therefore I approach Kabbalah study with a guarded caution - awareness of its dynamism coupled with a critical appraisal of its limitations and reach. Fortunately such a strategy is consistent with my overall life philosophy in the epistemological realm ie. moderate scepticism.

25 Threats to Western Civilization

1. Public Indifference to the 11 Great Attributes listed in the previous post
2. Over regulation of Industry - barriers to small business
3. Anti-meritocratic policies eg. affirmative action
4. Collapse of Judeo-Christian Ethics
5. Corruption - Corporate, union + political
6. Weak and Poor Leadership
7. Political Correct constraints on thought and deed ie. the isms
8. Greed Capitalism
9. Inappropriate use of Technology
10. War on Freedom of Speech
11. Islamism and its apologists
12. Poor and ill-conceived immigration policies
13. The Rampant growth of private and personal debt
14. Chinese unilateralism
15. Culture of Victimhood - legacy of state socialism
16. Moral Relativism
17. Growth of the welfare state - culture of entitlement
18. Over deference to the Elite - loss of grassroot power
19. Weakening Education Structure - Grade Inflation, over emphasis on university education as a panacea, neglect of the trades, political indoctrination in the classroom
20.  De-emphasis on history and tradition - Loss of Identity - Inability to appreciate one's own
       exceptionalism
21. Russian meddling in foreign politics - made all the worse by their nuclear resolve
22. Global Arms Dealing
23. Ideology driving our legal system - Activist Judges
24. Growth of the no values culture - Hollywood et al.
25. Inability of post-Christian Europe to find direction and inspire itself - EU has been a dismal failure

11 Attributes that are key to the success of Western Civilization

1. Free Speech/Free Thought

2. Rule of Law

3. Education Excellence - Emphasis on Rationalism and Empiricism

4. Private Ownership of Property

5. Democracy and Representative Government

6. Human/Civil Rights

7. Judeo-Christian Ethics/System of Values - Dignity of Human Life and Charity

8. Commitment to its own defence

9. Strong Emphasis on Science and Technology

10. Culture of History and Tradition

11. Checks and Balance on Power

Now for the tough question.....How many of these are under threat?

Another Silly Trend in Education

What is it about teachers that they love dogma and simple solutions? In my area of teaching (Physics + General Science) the latest dogma that appears to be gaining ground is Peer Group Work (PGW). While such a mechanism of teaching physics through group work is not new and indeed it has manifested itself under the exotic newspeak term Collaborative Learning in an earlier era, the latest incantation of the phenomenon seems to be gaining a stronger clout largely driven by the zealotry of its followers. This is not to say that Group Learning is without merit, indeed it has its usefulness (I myself make use of it for certain aspects of the curriculum  viz. Hooke's Law and Linear Momentum) but the latest radicalism champions it as the panacea for all the woes associated with misconceptions in physics learning. In fact left to their own devices the PGW crew would use their teaching methodology exclusively in the classroom claiming the support of selective data interpretation of quasi-performance indicators, such as the limited force concept inventory for justification. A cursory glance at their reasoning evidently reveals an emperor without clothes but such a critique will hardly suffice for those who have chugged with passion on this pedagogical kool-aid.

The reality is that there is no single methodology that should be followed for teaching Physics or any of the scientists. Teachers have diverse strengths and skills and the myriad of learners types in a class are too varied to pigeon hole a class into a one-size fits all mentality. The best teachers will employ a variety of learning strategies from formal lecturing, to Problem Based Learning, to careful use of the Socratic and indeed will dabble with Constructivism. Misconceptions can be addressed effectively in such a millieu as I have personally witnessed, The Key is to know your learners and be prepared to differentiate. Approaches vary.

Binding yourself to a dogma - no matter how progressive it seems - ignores the reality of the learner (not all students are extroverted which is what PGW favours) and minimizes to its very detriment the powerful and critical role of the teacher in the classroom. PGW sees the role of a teacher changing to become that of a facilitator. This would be a tragedy especially for those who have traditionally learnt so much over the years from the active role of the knowledgeable other.

Stephen Hawking joins the league of Anti-Semites

In signaling out the Jewish State for boycott based on a selective reading of the facts on hand (while simultaneously ignoring the Human Rights violations of Iran and China - which he has pandered to over time) Stephen Hawking makes common ground with the many anti-semites who have poisoned debate on the Israeli-Palestinian issue in the last ten years. That his position was endorsed by the loathsome Noam Chomsky is not grounds for credance. What a shame that such a great mind has stooped to such poverty of thought. It really stains a legacy of ecumenical academic achievement.

Lawrence Krauss - Another atheist charlatan

Atheist Evanagelist and all around know-it-all  Lawrence Krauss is quick to write off the Old Testament (Tanakh) as a source of moral guidance (see Intelligence Squared Debate - Does Science refute God?). Such reasoning is both sloppy and intellectally dishonest. Charity,  employee-employer relationships, assisting your fellow human being in times of need, ethical treatment of animals, dealing with the sick and the old are some of the many topics discussed at length in the Tanakh with solutions that are more Just than those in vogue today. A study of the Tanakh would reveal this immediately. The fact that Krauss chooses to denigrate such a line of thought and ignore the vast wealth of study associated with the Oral Torah, is further evidence of a mental bankruptcy that typifies his straw man approach to this important pillar of Western ethics. To the converted atheists his approach brings plaudits but to anyone aware of a deeper philosophy his line of attack is nothing more than fraudulent sophistry.

Atheist versus Theist Debates

I have seen several of these debates on you tube and after a while they become tiring (both sides rehashing the same dogma over again). As a theist I have my bias but I do admit that I miss those debates where the atheist viewpoint was espoused by the late Chris Hitchens. I did not agree with Hitch on several issues but he certainly livened up the discourse with his wit and his combative rhetoric. Sam Harris is the best of the remaining New Atheists and seems far and away a more deeper thinker than the over-hyped self indulgent Richard Dawkins. Lawrence Krauss is nothing special as is AC Grayling while Daniel Dennett is a tad on the dry side. Michael Shermer's approach is overly reductionist and he lives by the art of the false dichotomy. On the theist side I have no time for Chris Hedges, Al Sharpton, Deepak Chopra and Dinesh D' Souza  but like listening to Ian Hutchinson, Dennis Prager and Rabbi Wolpe (all of whom are extremely logical in their arguments). The debate has lost some of its zest as of late but I am sure that it will resurrect itself when the Jihadists commit their next atrocity in the name of religion (something you can almost bet on).

A New Pope is Chosen

Its a bold move by the Vatican to choose a Pope from Latin America but in selecting Argentine Francis I the Holy See is reaffirming the international outreach of the Church and perhaps stop the post- modernist rot that has infected the faith in the Old World. Only time will tell if this was a shrewd move (which I suspect it is) but as I outlined in an earlier post the new Pope must place at the forefront of his agenda  an activist approach that still sees Catholicism as a vital entity in the ongoing survival of Western Civilization.

The better candidate drops out

Marc Garneau has dropped out of the Liberal Leadership race clearing the way for Justin Trudeau to move one step closer to heading the Grits. This is a sad day for those looking for a meaningful candidate from the Liebrals. Trudeau is rich on cheap glitz (a glance at his silly comments and his naivety with respect to radical Islam are testament to this) but critically short on substance and so far looks like a less adept version of his father -  arguably the most over-hyped politician in Canadian history. Still the Libs have a while to go before they storm Sussex Drive. They have much
sympathy in the Toronto area (who would vote for a muppet if he were a Liberal) but need to build goodwill elsewhere in Canada. Muclair and his socialists have a few minutes left on their fifteen but any Liberal leader needs to return to the pragmatism of Pearson if they wish to govern effectively . So far Trudeau being the latest incarnation of the party that gave us Dion and Ignatieff does not seem to be that man, Garneau from most accounts seems more likely to aspire to this role.    

A Message for the New Pope

I am intrigued like many as to who the next Pope will be but part of me cannot help but reflect on the irrelevancy that the position has fallen to in the new geo-politics. The Catholic faith has been in retreat for some time and has certainly lost ground in the Americas not to mention Post-Modern Europe. While John Paul II led with authority in opposing the evils of Marxist-Leninism (especially in his homeland of Poland) the church has largely sat back while Islamist regimes continue to persectute Christians in the Middle East. The previous pope Benedict XVI whimpered a bit about the insanity of Islamism but appeared to back down under pressure. The Eastern Orthodox churches are just as stilted  (although not as damaged by the cancer of liberation theology as are so many of the mainstream Western churches), while the Anglicans are caught in a never land crippled by the curse of accomodation, a dreadful doctrine  espoused by the feel good philosophy of new agers such as the former archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.

Catholicism needs a strong pope who who will stand up to the belligerency of Islamofascism, call out moral relativism when he sees it and champion the Western Ideal against the impending barbarism that have moved too close to shore.  Right now it is only the evangelical Protestant groups who carry this  mantle - Catholicism is at a cross roads but to survive intact and continue its importance as one of the gatekeepers of Western Civilization (and indeed global history) it must rethink its pacifism and offer no apologies for opposing the all too many excesses of radical Islam. If it fails to do so then its inertia will carry it to obscurity along the road  which it currently travels.

Yawn...When is the EPL over???

I never thought I would say this (as a die hard English football fan) but I can't wait for the EPL to finish. No its not sour grapes over my team Liverpool's inconsistency (although I do think they are on the right path), but this season more than any in recent memory has lacked both excitement and high quality football that has defined the Premiership. Man U have pretty much led from start to finish playing the type of soccer which would barely garner them a fourth spot in La Liga or the Bundesliga. Manchester City have been anemic as is the case of Chelsea. While Spurs have have performed with style (perhaps more than any other team) its only a matter of time before their season unravels in typical faction allowing Arsenal (a euphemism for mediocrity) to edge ahead of them towards the last remaing CL spot (I hope that I am wrong on this account). Yes I have enjoyed the play of Southampton and that other minnow Swansea but the presence in the top half of the EPL of Stoke, Everton and West Brom (three team's genuinely lack creativity) does not auger well for a league that six years ago provided three out of the four CL Finalists. This year there will most likely be no English teams in the Champion's League Quarterfinals (Arsenal's chances of overturning Bayern are slim) and deservedly so. Spain, Italy and Germany all have stronger leagues and English footer needs a serious wake up call  for right now it appears as though it has jumped on the wrong side of the salary/performance utility curve. Lets hope that it can stop the rot soon.

Chavez is Dead....but its too soon to be optimistic

One shouldn't celebrate the death of another human being but I for one shall not shed a tear for this passing of this South American demagogue. Chavez destroyed his country's economy, cavorted with the vile Iranian leadership, commited himself to a philosophy of anti-semitism and greatly curtailed freedom of speech in Venezuela. While admired by many on the left (the usual voices who continue to show affection for Mao, Castro and Che) Chavez represented a regional menace who used simplistic populism to boost his status with the poorest of the nation while championing a statism that has ruined many an economy elsewhere. He should not be missed but I am not optimistic that his successor will curb the folly's of Chavez's realized egoism. We will wait and see.

Human Silliness

60 Memes that should have been put to rest  but haven’t yet

1.       Young Earth

2.       Faith Healing

3.       Reiki

4.       Utopias of any sort

5.       Homeopathy

6.       Ghosts   

7.       Illuminati Conspiracy Theories in all their myriad of forms

8.       Hollow Earth

9.       Afrocentrism as History

10.   911 Conspiracy Theories

11.   Birther Conspiracies

12.   Fake Moon Landings

13.    Fluoridation  Hoopla

14.   The Roswell Saga

15.   Men in Black

16.   UFO sightings

17.   Communication with the Dead

18.   New Chronologies of World History eg. The Invention of Rome, Greece and Egypt

19.   Ancient Astronauts

20.   Extra Terrestrial Origins of the Pyramids, Nazca Lines, Stonehenge

21.    Werewolves, Vampires and other demons

22.   David Icke and his Reptillian nonsense

23.   Scientology

24.   The evil Eye

25.   Zombies

26.   Holocaust  Denial

27.   Polio Vaccine  Conspiracy

28.   MMR Vaccine Conspiracy

29.   Jewish Blood Libel Accusations

30.   Denial of the Armenian Holocaust

31.   The goodness of all that is natural

32.   Creationism

33.   Astral Travel

34.   Kirlian Photography

35.   Near Death Experiences

36.   Philadelphia Experiment

37.   Ectoplasm Production

38.   The Bible as a book of Science

39.   Biblical codes

40.   Numerology – Numerical  coincidences

41.    Repressed memory

42.   Time Slipping

43.   Fortune Telling

44.   Possession by Demons

45.   Astrology

46.   Magical effects contradicting the laws of science

47.   The French Merovingian Dynasty originating from Christ

48.   Orgone Energy

49.   Chakras

50.   Mayan Armageddon Theory

51.   Indigo Children

52.   Hypnosis unlocking Past Lives

53.   Perpetual Motion Machines

54.   Recent Sightings of Elvis, Jim Morrison etc.

55.   Telekinesis

56.   Stalinist atrocities as Western Propaganda

57.   Alien Abduction

58.   Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot and the Yeti

59.   Hell and the Devil

60.   Atlantis

 

First 40 Songs on my Song list

1. Time – Pink Floyd
2. Ziggy Stardust – David Bowie or Bauhaus version
3. London Calling – The Clash
4. Sultans of Swing – Dire Straits
5. A Whiter Shade of Pale - Procol Harum
6. Lust for Life – Iggy Pop
7. Electricity – OMD
8. Highway to hell – AC/DC
9. Satisfaction – Rolling Stones
10. Spanish Train – Chris De Burgh
11. Sunday Bloody Sunday – U2
12. Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
13. True Faith – New Order
14. Bizzare Love Triangle – New Order
15. Suburbia – Pet Shop Boys
16. Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure
17. Bullet the Blue Sky – U2
18. People are Strange – The Doors
19. Lovecats – The Cure
20. Space Oddity – David Bowie
21. China Girl – David Bowie
22. Riders on the Storm – The Doors
23. We are the Champions – Queen
24. Our House – Madness
25. Goodnight Saigon – Billy Joel
26. Sometimes - Erasure
27. Angie – Rolling Stones
28. All Along the Watchtower – Jimi Hendrix
29. Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
30. Nena-99Luft Balons – Nina Hagen
31. One Night in Bangkok – Murray Head
32. Rock me Amadeus – Falco
33. Shout – Tears for Fear
34. A Little Respect – Erasure
35. Rebel Yell – Billy Idol
36. Me and the Farmer – Housemartins
37. Break on Through – Doors
38. Hotel California – Eagles
39. Eye in the Sky – Alan Parsons Project
40. White Rabbit– Jefferson Airplane

Recommended Books of Faith

Rick Warren's the Purpose Driven Life was an inspiring read even from the perspective of a non-Christian. It dragged on toward the ends (as do most books of faith) but his exercise-driven practical approach is worth considering for those seeking to renew their connection with G-d and improve their quality of life. Ranking (B+).

Harold Kushner is always a hit with me - I read Who needs God about five months ago and recently completed Living a Life That Matters: Resolving the Conflict between Conscience and Success as a Theistic  Both books provide a needed boost for the reader constantly struggling with an understanding of the working of G-d. The former makes a great case for using G-d as a lens to see the universe while the latter challenges us to think clearly about our notion of success in a world that often seems chaotic.Kushner's prose (which is live with real life examples) adds an added dimension to his analysis in 'Living a Life' by juxtaposing our individual struggle against the challenge faced by the patriarch Jacob in Bereshit (Genesis).
Ranking for Each: (A-)

Canadian David Adams Richards, a past winner of the Governor-General's Award did much to justify his reputation with a wonderful defense of theism in God Is. His first fifty pages where he deconstructs the mocking-of-god cultural meme, that has been for some time in vogue amongst the intelligensia, resonates as one of the best treatments of this topic that I have read for some time.  Ranking: (A-)

15 Greatest Cricket Batsmen of All-Time

1. Don Bradman- Aus
2. Sachin Tendulker - Ind
3. Viv Richards - West Ind.
4. Brian Lara - West Ind
5. Gary Sobers - West Ind
6. Sunil Gavaskar - Ind
7. Sourav Ganguly - Ind
8. Ricky Ponting - Aus
9. Rahul Dravid - Ind
10. Graham Pollock - SAf
11. Len Hutton - Eng
12. Muhammad Yousuf - Pak
13. Javed Miandad - Pak
14. SteveWaugh - Aus
15. Jacques Kallis - SAf

Honourable Mentions: Graham Gooch, Adam Gilchrist, Muhammad Azaruddin and Yuvraj Singh.

15 Greatest Heavyweight Fighters of All-Time

1. Joe Louis
2. Muhammad Ali
3. Jack Johnson
4. Gene Tunney
5. Jack Dempsey
6. Rocky Marciano
7. George Foreman
8. Joe Frazier
9. Lennox Lewis
10. Mike Tyson
11. Larry Holmes
12. John Sullivan
13. Evander Holyfield
14. Vlad Klitschko
15. Ken Norton

Home Opener at Anfield

After last week's dreadful performance (a 3-0 loss to West Brom at the Hawthorns) Liverpool got their act together and tied 2-2 with Man City at  Anfield. The Red's passing was crisp (something that was missing last year) and one can clearly see Rodger's Tiki Taki strategy taking hold. Both the Skrtel header and the Suarez free kick goal were first rate and if it weren't for the habit of shipping cheap goals (especially the second one that tied the game finely) Liverpool would have been worthy winners, Nevertheless the match was a definite upper from the season opener and if Liverpool can keep up the style and solidify the lack of concentration weakness then they may indeed challenge for a Champions League Spot (not a title - City, United and Chelsea will fight over that). Still a concern though is the need for a striker to relieve some of the pressure off Suarez. I would suggest that the brass persist with Andy Carroll but somehow he doesn't seem to be part of Rodgers' bigger plan - expect Clint Dempsey to ship in by the trade deadline.

Top 10 Most Evil People

According to Listverse the ranking is as follows

1. Josef Stalin
2. Adolf Hitler
3. Ivan IV of Russia (Ivan the Terrible)
4. Vlad Tepes (Vlad the Impaler)
5. Pol Pot
6. Leopold II of Belgium
7. Idi Amin Dada
8. Ayatollah Khomeini
9. Maxilmilien Robespierre
10. Attila the Hun

My comments: Genghis Khan and Mao Zedong are conspicuously missing. I would place Mao ahead of Stalin (based on the number of people murdered). Genghis Khan would definitely be in the Top Five as well using the number murdered criterion as a reference. Robespierre, who initially started out with promise as a champion of the lower classes did play a major role in the Reign of Terror, but in terms of absolute numbers killed is properly a minor player. Tamerlane and several of the Mughal Emperors ought to be in this list as well.

In the News LXX

Obama and Romney are neck and neck
Its too close to call although in situations like this its normally the incumbent that will win out. Romney will pick up a boost with the RNC but he has to become more deliberate in his attack on Obama with respect to the economy. The Akin fiasco has not helped him out either.

Hugo Chavez threatens the UK
It seems as though he has invoked a Monroe Doctrine of his own to establish Venezuela as the guardian of South American interests. I doubt whether the Brits arre quivering in their shoes about this one. Despite Chavez's rhetoric Venezuela is still a marginal force and Chavez the caricature of the proverbial South American despot.

A Christian girl with Down's Syndrome is arrested for blasphemy in Pakistan
The 11 year old could face the death penalty. This is completely insane (as is all religious fundamentalism) but somewhat to be expected in the increasingly intolerant 'islamist' milieu of  the failed Pakistani state.

More bloodshed in Syria
This is one conflict that the US should definitely avoid getting involved in. On one side you have the Assad-Iran-Russia-Hezbollah alliance on the other you have Brotherhood-Al Qaeda- rebel alliance. Its really a no win situation. Assad has lost much credibility amongst his population and would be ousted if it weren't for foreign backing. He has also been hit by some high profile defections. Either way the outcome looks poor from Israel's perspective.  Although the weakening of the supply line to Hezbollah may help the Jewish state temporarily. The 'whining western left' doesn't know who to back either - where is the United Church boycott of Syria when you need it? 

Al Qaeda rears its ugly head
The Al Qaeda serpent is alive and well in Yemen. It blows up oil pipelines but the irony is, is that Al Qaeda has been built up indirectly from oil money. Such is the nature of the political beat in the middle east.

Aftermath of the Miner shootings reverberates throughout South Africa
This does not bode well for the ruling ANC which I have predicted for some time will eventually split.  The individual most likely to gain from this debacle is the former ANC youth leader Julius Malema. His star is on the rise against the falling profile of President Zuma. Interesting side line from the World Bank - South Africa is one of the most unequal societies in the world - 10% of the country controls 60% of the wealth and 20 million out of a total work force of 38 million are unemployed. The ANC is so riddled with cronyism that its collapse is more likely now than ever.

Last 30 Books on Judaism that I have read

The following is a list of the last 30 books on Judaism that I have read (not including the Garfinkle book - described in an earlier post) and their subsequent ratings.

1. Traces of God – Neil Gillman (B-)
2. Permission to Believe – Keleman (B+)
3. Why Faith Matters – Wolpe (B)
4. Soul Prints – Gafni (B)
5. God is a verb – Cooper (B+)
6. DNA & Tradition – Kleiman (B+)
7. Beyond a Reasonable Doubt – Waldman (C+)
8. Nine Questions People Ask about Judaism – Prager/Telushkin (A)
9. Fingerprints on the Universe – Pollack (B+)
10. I Asked for Wonder – Heschel (A-)
11. The Aryeh Kaplan Anthology – Kaplan (A-)
12. Immortality, Resurrection and the Age of the Universe – Kaplan (B+)
13. The Path of G-d – Luzzato (A-)
14. Endless Light Kabbalah – Aaron (B+)
15. Inviting God In – Aaron (B)
16. Discovering the Divine Within You – Aaron (A)
17. Kabbalah Inspirations – Rosen (B+)
18. Life’s Daily Blessings – Olitzky (B+)
19. More Answers to Questions of the Spirit – Bulka (B+)
20. The Hidden Face in God – Schroeder (B)
21. Ten Commandments of Character – Telushkin (B+)
22. Everyday Holiness (Path of Mussar) – Morinis (B-)
23. John Lennon and the Jews - Maghen (B+)
24. The God Upgrade – Korngold (B-)
25. Climbing Jacob’s Ladder – Morinis (B-)
26. Seeing God: Ten Life Changing Lessons of the Kabbalah – Aaron (A)
27. Finding God : Ten Jewish Responses – Sonsino & Syme (A-)
28. Why the Jews? The Reason for Antisemitism – Telushkin & Prager (A)
29. Genesis and the Big Bang – Schroeder (B)
30. We Have Reason to Believe - Jacobs (B+)