24 February 2011 pm

Workout notes
AM: yoga with Ms. Vickie (and Lynn) It is getting better but my poses are still terrible.
PM: weights:
Squats: Smith 10 x 45, 10 x 135 (good depth), 6 x 185 (not quite as deep)
Squats: Free: 10 x 135 (medium depth)
Incline presses: 10 x 115, 10 x 125, 7 x 125 (touch the chest each rep)
curls: 3 sets of 15 x 20 lb. dumbbells
rows; 10 x 190, 10 x 200, 10 x 200 (Hammer machine)
pull downs: 2 sets of 15 x 120 (careful, shoulder friendly grip)
sit ups: 4 x 25 (1, 2, 3, 4 inclines)
ball hamstring exercises 15, 10, 10
Stretches, etc.

Right now the shoulder feels better.

Local A strong snowstorm is on the way, 5 to 8 inches expected. We are all going to die!!!!!
(ok, we are going to die, but it is unlikely to be anytime soon and unlikely to be due to this snowstorm…)

Posts
Today’s posting is light due to my post about this calculus problem: pulling a rope up a cliff. It turns out that this problem can be handled two different ways: in one way, one moves small bits of rope different distances. In the other way, one performs small movements of the amount of rope that is still hanging over the side. A change of variable shows that both ways are equivalent mathematically.

Religion Why do religious liberals hang on to religion? Here is one answer from Jerry Coyne (who quotes a Rabbi):

The upshot: all is well, for we can find Him by reading sacred texts, keeping our eyes open, observing rituals, and acting like God (presuming, of course, that we know how God acts). But the final paragraph is telling:

All of this might be a little overwhelming, I say. But start somewhere. The search for God is frustrating and difficult, and it is never done. But with God, our lives have meaning and purpose; without God, we are reduced to being no more than a tiny speck in a vast universe.

There’s Abrahamic religion in a nutshell. Because we don’t like the truth—which is that all of us are just specks—we make up a god.

That is part of it. My guess is that many hang onto it because it gives some sort of emotional help with getting through the rough patches of life; and yes the “metaphor” part can be useful. But I think that the above quote really nails the reason that there is a “philosophical quest for god”; the “this religion helps me with life” doesn’t really require that…or any god at all.

Politics
No, there is nothing wrong with taxing the rich. Taxing the rich at Ronald Reagan rates is NOT communism. Communism? Dragging the rich out of their homes, impaling them on poles and nationalizing their riches would be “communism”. We are talking about returning to Ronald Reagan tax rates.

Of course, Republicans think that ordinary people are the problem; the outrageous concentration of wealth at the very top doesn’t bother Republicans.

History for Republicans God’s own (ex) Senator is upset that liberals have a negative view of the Crusades:

If you were worried there wouldn’t be a 2012 candidate touting the pro-Crusades platform, then today is your lucky day!

“The idea that the Crusades and the fight of Christendom against Islam is somehow an aggression on our part is absolutely anti-historical,” former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) told a South Carolina audience yesterday. “And that is what the perception is by the American left who hates Christendom.”

Santorum’s defense of the Crusades came in Spartanburg, S.C. reports Andy Barr of Politico. South Carolina is an early and important GOP presidential primary state, and Santorum is considering a presidential run.

Referring to the “American left,” Santorum observed: “They hate Western civilization at the core. That’s the problem.” Sanoturm also suggested that American involvement in the Middle East is part of our “core American values.”

“What I’m talking about is onward American soldiers,” Santorum continued. “What we’re talking about are core American values. ‘All men are created equal’ — that’s a Christian value, but it’s an American value.”

Remember Mr. Santorum is a “credible” candidate for the GOP nomination.

Republicans in Congress

Terror babies! That’s right…the terrorists are raising kids in America to commit terror acts 15-20 years down the road….that sounds like a sound strategy.

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