Here is a discussion I had with a supporter of cops a while back. It may be educational to see the lengths people will go to when they are desperate to excuse the inexcusable and justify that which can’t be justified.
Tag: science
Anatomy of a Tax Cut
I’ve watched the debate over the vanilla Republican tax bill closely during these many months. It’s been fascinating at many levels, not least sociologically. People reveal much about themselves — and their views of personal autonomy — in how they discuss taxes.
A Crowdfunding Proposal: UFOs Deserve Better and More Public Investigation
Among the public, opinion on UFOs runs the gamut from belief that the whole idea is a product of fevered imaginations to conviction that Earth is frequently visited by extraterrestrial beings possessed of technologies beyond our ken. But all along that spectrum there remain good reasons to investigate UFOs.
No Other Coin But Justice
William Faulkner wrote, in Absalom, Absalom — ” … what conscience to trade with which would have warranted you in the belief that you could have bought immunity … for no other coin but justice?” This reveals to me the greatest failure of the idea of justice — it is incomplete, indelibly so.
In Case You Missed Out on Bitcoin
I’ve heard many people say they wish they had bought just a little bit of bitcoin 5 years ago. I hear ya, but that train has left the station and there’s nothing you can do about it besides get smarter for the next opportunity you’ll need the intelligence to recognize.
Finesse
As my EVC colleague and cyberfriend, Danilo Cuellar said recently on his podcast, “there are no warp zones in the real world.” In my academic world, we called the phenomenon “hand waving.”
Making People Unhappy
I guess I shouldn’t point out ways in which people who call themselves “libertarian” don’t live up to the label they claim in certain areas. I shouldn’t point out inconsistencies in what they advocate that could lead observers to the wrong conclusion.
What Are You Running From?
Too many people treat the process of “finding what you love” or “following your passion” as if it’s some kind of golden ticket that exempts them from the otherwise normal human experience of self-doubt, temptation, stress, risk, and adversity.
Five Reasons to Consider Homeschooling Your Child
Why are a majority of parents choosing to homeschool their children today? Research has shown that the number has doubled over the last ten years. In any case, if the trend continues, which it should, the number of students studying from home in 2018 will be more than 2 million.
The Flynn Effect vs. the Greatest Minds in History
What do rising IQs really show? I remain undecided, but here’s an argument that strongly inclines me to pessimism. To wit: When I read the smartest thinkers from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, they seem roughly as smart as the smartest thinkers from the 20th century. In fact, the same goes for the smartest Greeks from the 4th and 5th centuries B.C.