Heretic-Monkey

Please sir, may I have some more?, originally uploaded by IntangibleArts.

Gotta love the beer. Gotta hate when it’s on glug away from ending.

Acceptance without proof is the fundamental characteristic of Western
religion, rejection without proof is the fundamental characteristic of
Western science.

– Gary Zukav, “The Dancing Wu Li Masters”

Excellent observation by Zukav. I think this is the biggest problem I have with both religion and science. The dogmatic rigidity of thought, where one cannot break out of a pattern of thought established by the tenets of the prevailing dogma. All systems of belief take some idea, whether it be the reality of a messianic figure or the method of scientific inquiry, and hold it as a sheild to ward off all other ideas. More on this later as I gather my thoughts…

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.

– Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759

The classic quote. Unfortunately, it propagates the idea that freedom and security are on different ends of the same spectrum. I for one believe you can have both liberty and safety if we could just embrace both. If we stopped locking things down and allowing the government unlimited powers of spying without reciprocal powers of information given to us, the people who are spied upon. This idea informed by David Brin’s The Transparent Society, which posits a utopic place where everyone is given access to the technologies of observation and therefore keep each other in check.

I think this leads into another discussion of fear and its powerful hold on Americans’ psyche, and the manipulation of that emotion by certain centers of power that wish to profit from it. But I have to get to work, so more on this later…

These guys rock, in a bluesy kind of way. Great guitar & drums band.

Just picked up thickfreakness off of eMusic and it is excellent. I had previously gotten Rubber Factory from the same place.

Yeah, I know, I just posted about this webcomic, but this is a funny, funny bit.