Monthly Archives: May 2009

Why Can’t Agnosticism Get a Break? Part II

Why can't agnosticism get a break? Is it our culture's insistence on certainty, either pro or con? Who knows, but here's another example of the obnoxiousness of so many atheists. As Charlotte Harris writes for the Los Angeles Times, atheists all too often turn off those they claim to want to convince with the obnoxiousnessContinue reading “Why Can’t Agnosticism Get a Break? Part II”

The Supreme Court Justice/Hiker

Tough Timothy Egan of The New York Times reveals what the right-wing D.C. establishment really thinks of retiring Chief Justice David Souter…that he's weird because he likes to walk in the mountains. Souter’s been painted as a strange, little man stranded in the wrong century…. At his 200-year-old family farmhouse — badly in need ofContinue reading “The Supreme Court Justice/Hiker”

Misreading (and Misunderstanding) Cheever

The reviews of the first major biography of this country's greatest short story writer, Cheever: A Life, by Blake Bailey, have been a bit glum. The late John Updike, who greatly admired his work, and knew Cheever about as well as Cheever would allow him to, called the book "a heavy, dispiriting read." The ChristianContinue reading “Misreading (and Misunderstanding) Cheever”

How to Communicate with Anyone

Yours truly has become convinced that John Cheever, the short story writer often called "the American Chekhov," is vastly underappreciated as a wit, and even (much like Chekhov himself) as a thinker: Here's an example of his thinking…more to follow soon from Blake Bailey's spectacular biography: You can't expect to communicate with anyone if you'reContinue reading “How to Communicate with Anyone”

Threat Against Americans Issued by Major Power

BURBANK, CA—Telling the movie-going public that it had "better start falling in line," executives at Touchstone Pictures announced Monday that if they do not immediately see a significant increase in box-office receipts they will not hesitate to produce a sequel to the 2000 film Coyote Ugly. The original movie—which follows a small-town girl who supportsContinue reading “Threat Against Americans Issued by Major Power”

A Scientist Offers a Positive Vision for Emissions Reduction

At the most recent meeting of the American Meteorological Society, the distinguished Warren Washington presented a paper by a team of scientists called Climate Change Projections for the Twenty-First Century and Climate Change Commitment in the CCSM3, which is about projecting our future climate with general circulation (computer) models. The news is not good, unsurprisingly,Continue reading “A Scientist Offers a Positive Vision for Emissions Reduction”

Why Can’t Agnostics Get Any Respect?

Most people lump atheists and agnostics together, which is just plain dumb, as simple-minded as lumping together Christians and Muslims, because they both believe in one God. Knowing there is no God and not knowing if there is a God are two completely different beliefs. Why is that so difficult for so many people toContinue reading “Why Can’t Agnostics Get Any Respect?”

Landscape with Arson

Off to visit the Sespe, which is still badly scared from the epic Day Fire of four years back…which brings to mind a memorable new poem from Jennifer Grotz at the New England Review, via Poetry Daily: Landscape with Arson Have you ever watched a cigarette released from a driver's fingers swim through the nightContinue reading “Landscape with Arson”

Geo-Engineering: Five Experts Debate

From Seed magazine, an excellent discussion of the pros and cons of geo-engineering the climate to avoid a potential disaster, by five recognized experts. Here's "the prompt," as the kids say: In June the National Academies’ climate panel will convene to examine whether geo-engineering fixes are technically and economically feasible—and whether they can be carriedContinue reading “Geo-Engineering: Five Experts Debate”