Tuesday check in

Workout notes 3.5 miles prior to yoga (13:37, 12:26 (on/off), 10:28). Then walked home (3.5 more miles, I went via the post office). I’ll send in my 12 hour race application today.

I felt a bit bad yesterday, but am perking up a bit.

Mathematics I’ve rewritten the article that I am working on; after I make some quality drawings I’ll see where I should send it.

Science I posted something about climate change and global warming. I should point out that, with respect to any science issue, there will always be varying viewpoints about the specifics of the issue. Unfortunately, the crackpots out there will take these discussions out of context to try to argue that the basic facts (e. g., that the climate is warming, that animals evolved from simpler life forms) are wrong.

Still, it might be interesting to see what some credible scientists have to say about climate change:

It’s been about a week since some global warming skeptic pointed me toward a recent piece from Freemon Dyson, claiming that if Dyson didn’t believe in global warming, no one should. Tip of the old scrub brush to whoever that skeptic was.

Dyson’s piece is online at The Edge, dated August 8, 2007: “Heretical Thoughts about Science and Society.” (If you are unfamiliar with Dyson, you should at least check out his biography there. A more comprehensive biography at Wikipedia reveals why you should be familiar with him as a great father, good physicist and astronomer who tends to work well in groups, and winner of the Templeton Prize. Then, next time you see the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode that deals with Dyson Spheres, you can nod your head as if you understand what’s going on.)

I read Dyson’s piece, and while he’s cranky, he’s not denying global warming. A good chunk of his piece discusses how to capture carbon dioxide to prevent further warming, or perhaps even reverse current atmospheric trends. Skeptics of warming who seize on Dyson’s piece as a rebuttal make a common error among the scentifically unquestioning ranters: They assume any criticism of part of an argument is a refutation of the whole. Dyson suggests we should spend time and money on figuring out how to get the microbiota in the soil to capture more CO2.

Much of the rest of the piece is hopeful. Dyson disagrees with hysteric concerns about melting glaciers; he doesn’t think they’ll all melt or cause dramatic rises in sea level. At the same time, he urges caution and study, noting the holes in our knowledge that most arm-chair global warming skeptics want to ignore, including the possibilities that global warming itself would trigger a dramatic shift to a new ice age, which would be at least as catastrophic.[...]

Hat tip (er, scrub brush tip? ) to Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.

You might also be interested to see what Ian Plimer (Geologist, famous for using heavy handed debating tactics with creationists and for his pro-evolution books) has to say. (note: this is a short “.doc” file). Basically, he says what is happening now is part of a natural cycle that will eventually reverse itself over a long period of time.

Nevertheless, given that the planet is heating up, I still say we ought to make changes to help things out. Think of it this way: suppose your natural blood chemistry is responsible for your high cholesterol. Would you continue to eat greasy cheeseburgers anyway?

Creationists: buying rights to nature programs, then stripping out mentions of evolution! Yep, that is one of their latest tactics, at least in the Netherlands. Another tip (hat, scrub brush?) to Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub.

CBS: short segment on atheism in the United States.

Hat tip to Friendly Atheist.

John Edwards: Senator Edwards owes “Old Scratch” (aka “the Devil”) a big apology for this slander.

Free Speech; Democratic Debate

As I type this post, I am listening to Coldshot with Nikki Nichols (an Eye on Hate radio broadcast).

A couple of days ago I heard a report on NPR concerning this high profile pedophile; what made this guy a bit unusual is that he has yet to commit a crime.

And, being a pedophile is not illegal; ACTING on one’s pedophilia is.

Never to duck a tough issue, Leonard Pitts explains:

Nobody in the greater Los Angeles area will have to ask what I mean. In the last month or so, McClellan has roiled Southern California by saying in effect: I’m a pedophile, and there’s nothing you can do about it.

The hell of it is, he’s right. You cannot, or in any event, should not, be arrested for what you are, only for what you’ve done. McClellan has done nothing. Or at least, nothing for which he should be prosecuted, there being no law against making people nauseous.

The story goes as follows. In late July, McClellan was confronted by police. They had been summoned by a woman who saw him loitering around the children’s section of a library in Santa Monica. McClellan, who, according to news reports, lives mostly out of his car, was cooperative even to the point of allowing officers to take his picture. He was also candid and unapologetic about his sexual attraction to little girls. But McClellan, 45, evidently has no arrest record or warrants anywhere in the country, so police had no choice but to let him go.

The bizarre encounter quickly catapulted McClellan onto the local news and talk show circuit, where people learned that he had a website (since taken down) featuring photos taken of little girls in public places and ranking the best places for pedophiles to see children. It was also said that McClellan was thinking of moving to the city of Santa Clarita.

Two Santa Clarita lawyers were sufficiently alarmed to seek a restraining order requiring McClellan to stay away from the city’s children. A judge was sufficiently alarmed to give them even more: an order prohibiting McClellan from coming within 30 feet of any child in the state. In effect, the judge imposed house arrest on a man who had committed no crime.

Predictably, McClellan was twice arrested last week for violating an order it would be almost impossible to obey. Just as predictably, legal experts are now saying the obvious: The order is unconstitutional.

Yes, Jack McClellan is a reprehensible freak. [...]

Even Jack McClellan enjoys the privileges of the First Amendment. He is free to say he’s a child molester. He’s free to say he’s a Satanist. He’s free to say he’s a racist.

You think it’s terrible that a man can say such things? I agree. Indeed the only thing more terrible would be if we lived in a country where he could not.

Mind you, Pitts HAS been harassed by neo-nazis who abuse free speech to spread their vile message.

Nevertheless, one of the prices we pay for a free society is that we have to put up with unpleasantness from time to time. And let us remember what happens when we try to over legislate things.

Democratic Debate

The candidates answer the question: can prayer directly avert a disaster? Personally, I liked Biden’s, Edwards’ and Obama’s answer. Richardson didn’t really answer the question but I agree with what he said, and Clinton and Dodd waffled. Hat tip to RichardDawkins.net.

For more on the debate, see this Crooks and Liars article. Obama had a good debate.

His best debate performance so far. Stood up to sustained questioning on his alleged inexperience, which led the first seven minutes of the event, without losing his cool or backing down. He even made a well-received joke about preparing for the debate by riding the bumper cars at the Iowa State Fair. Tripled down on standing up for his recent controversial foreign policy statements on nuclear weapons, meeting with foreign leaders, and hunting al Qaeda, with firmness and good humor. Drew audience applause for again playing the I-opposed-the-Iraq-War card to tout his judgment. Sounded almost (Bill) Clintonesque in talking about trade and merit pay for teachers. Displayed the confidence of a leader.

—Mark Halperin

Follow the link to see how the other candidates were graded.

Humor:

I absolutely LOVE this young woman! If I were single and 20 years younger (and if she were straight and available; I really don’t know), we’ll, I’d be on my knees asking her out!