Freedom of Stupid

Here in the United States, we treasure our freedoms. Our Constitution (well, actually, the Bill of Rights) enshrines a long series of cherished freedoms that make this country the one that people will risk death to enter illegally. You don't see a serious illegal immigration problems in garden spots like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, after all.

We have entire organizations devoted to defending our freedoms: the ACLU strongly defends freedoms in general, the NRA strongly defends the freedom to maintain a personal arsenal, and the Congress strongly defends the freedom to contribute vast amounts of money with which to buy elections. Unfortunately, we don't have an organization which strongly defends the concepts of responsibility and ... for want of a better term ... smart.

By now, you have heard of the latest outpouring of religious insanity from the Middle East, sparked by a shadowy moron who produced a silly and insulting film he had to know was going to cause a violent reaction in large parts of the world where "freedom of religion" means "freedom to believe this religion only." Someone named "Sam Bacile" (evidently one alias used by a person with a criminal record who has many other aliases), claiming (falsely, as it seems) to be an Israeli Jew living in America, financed a low-budget film that was both sophomoric and - this is the key point - extraordinarily insulting to Muslims ... who in any case are quick to take offense - frequently of a very violent nature - at perceived insults to their religion.

We cherish our freedom of speech. We pride ourselves on our right to worship God (or not) in any way we choose. Unfortunately, much of the rest of the world doesn't see things that way. In many places, freedom of worship means only the freedom to worship according to the approved religion, and freedom of speech is constrained by the requirement to avoid insult to the nation or to particular groups.

Across the Middle East, people who are unlikely ever to have seen the film produced by Mr Bacile (or whoever he is) are burning our embassies and murdering Americans. They are motivated more by blind religious fervor than by love and compassion for their fellow man.

They, like all who react violently against those of different faiths, are every bit as disgusting and reprehensible as Mr Bacile.

They are exercising their Freedom of Stupid.

I don't think you can view your religion as "merciful and compassionate" when it serves as an excuse to resort to violence in the face of perceived insult. The Bible (Luke, Chapter 6, Verse 29) encourages peaceful response to insult, saying

"And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also."

Christians ... and all people of good will ... are encouraged to turn the other cheek. Unfortunately, there are those who live by another version of the Biblical injunction ...

"He turned the other cheek, so I hit him with my other fist."

I'd like to think that we could all agree to live together peacefully, regardless of how we choose to worship God (or not). Sadly, this is unlikely to happen. As long as people of any religion are motivated more by blind faith and a spring-loaded violent reaction to insult than by love for their fellow man, we will continue to see inexcusable acts like those unfolding in Egypt, Libya, Yemen, and other places.

We'll continue to be driven by blind defense of our cherished Freedom of Stupid.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity, Applied to the Selection of Politicians

First, put on your tinfoil hats ...

I would like to draw your attention to this wonderful-for-an-election-season article by Mark Abrahams, pointed out on the website of the inimitable Miss Cellania: The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity Suggest a Better Way to Choose Politicians.

In an essay published in 1976 by Italian economist Carlo M. Cipolla titled "The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity," Mr Cipolla saw four essential laws (with my comments added):

1. Always and inevitably everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation. I can't argue with that.

2. The probability that a certain person be stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person. There are plenty of members of Congress who are personally likable, but professionally brain-dead.

3. A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or to a group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses. This suggests to me the scorched-earth tactics of the most extreme hard-liners of the political right and left.

4. Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging power of stupid individuals. In particular non-stupid people constantly forget that at all times and places and under any circumstances to deal and/or associate with stupid people always turns out to be a costly mistake.  This may explain why Congress is so utterly useless nowadays ... because the partisans of both parties consider each other to be stupid, and thus don't want to deal with them. And they'd be right.

That sums things up pretty nicely, doesn't it?

The article by Mr Abrahams goes on to show how these laws have been applied by other scientists to the selection of politicians, suggesting - among other things - that when a certain number of politicians is  

"... selected at random—owing no allegiance to any party [emphasis is mine] — the legislature’s overall efficiency improves. That higher efficiency, the scientists explain, comes in 'both the number of laws passed and the average social welfare obtained' from those new laws."

I cannot add anything else of significance ... at least at 5AM, as I write this ... to the wonderful observations of Mr Cipolla and the other individuals cited in the longer article by Mr Abrahams. Read the original essay and the Abrahams article for a thought-provoking new take on our political mess.

And consider voting for someone at random. You could do worse ... and you more than likely will.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Mid-Week Odds and Ends

It's a weird world ...

Representatives of a peaceful and merciful religion, filled with hysterical anger about an online movie they claim insults their primary religious figure, stormed the US embassies in Egypt and Libya yesterday, setting the Tripoli embassy on fire and killing an American. Libya's General National Congress condemned the attack, saying it "led to the regrettable injury and death of a number of individuals." In this photograph, a devout individual in Libya celebrates his religious beliefs by waving a gun and setting things on fire ...

Secretary of State Clinton said that the United States condemned the attacks "in the strongest terms." I might have recommended a substantially more kinetic condemnation ... but nobody listens to me.

Speaking of fires, in Karachi, Pakistan, a fire in a garment factory has killed at least 105 people. It's a good thing the owners of the factory weren't encumbered by all those job-killing^TM safety regulations that are crushing American businesses.

The election season is in full swing, and both parties are working together in a sober and productive attitude of bipartisan cooperation to present concrete measures to deal with the nation's problems. Ha, ha ... just kidding ...

Indeed, I am concerned about potentially life-threatening medical conditions affecting many of those in what used to be quaintly called "public service" ...

That's all. Things are weird enough, and I have a vacation to get ready for.

Have a good day. Even if you need a job, I recommend you not take one in a Pakistani garment factory.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Political Cartoons

Yes, I know it's not Saturday. Therefore, this is not Cartoon Saturday. However, I have a very large and ever-growing collection of political cartoons (this being an election year), and so I thought I'd share some of them with you by way of thinning the herd, so to speak. Here we go ...

Brewster learns a valuable lesson ...

Just to make sure you understand the difference ...

How we developed the language of politics (click it to read it) ...

There are migrant workers, and there are migrant workers ...

It's often a tough decision for hard-shell Republicans in Congress ...

Lemmings are always good for political analogies ...

I loved this recent Tom Toles cartoon, which pretty much sums up how I'm approaching the November election ...

Truth in advertising  ...

The campaign in a nutshell ...

And the art of choosing the right faction ...

And that's how it is. The election is just 56 days away ... take your phone off the hook to avoid robo-calls, put a dumpster next to your mailbox to collect all the attack flyers, and take a last look at the landscape before it's hidden behind all the "Vote for (Insert Name of Wannabe of Choice)" signs. And tune your TV to something other than C-Span ... Congress won't be doing anything for the rest of the year anyway. Not that you'd notice.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Language Problems

Every once in a while, I feel a burning urge to somehow put to use that degree in Linguistics I earned all those years ago. This time, it started with two articles that recently caught my attention ... the first was from yesterday's Washington Post, under the headline "Fairfax Schools System Faces Growing Budget Challenge As More Students Need ESOL Classes;" the other was this story from NPR which aired last Saturday: "Some Georgia Schools Make Mandarin Mandatory."

Here in Fairfax County, Virginia, which is a relatively affluent area, the well-regarded school system is facing the same sort of budget problems that are plaguing school systems across the country ... but with a bit of a twist: so many foreign families are moving to the area and enrolling their children in the public schools that budgets for training in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) are mushrooming, to the detriment of other subjects. According to the article,

"This year, about 31,500 students are projected to enroll in ESOL, representing 17 percent [emphasis is mine] of the total county student population and an increase of nearly one-third from last year."

The problem is compounded by the fact that ESOL teaching is mandated by the federal government, but the law prohibits federal funds from being used to pay for it. As a result, money that could be used to pay for vital education for all students in reading, math, science, and - yes - civics must be siphoned off to help teach foreign students the basic English they need to master everything else.

I strongly believe in education for all, but this is just wrong.

The other story strikes me as a classic example of a wonderful idea that makes no sense in current conditions.

The superintendent of public schools in Bibb County, Georgia (the area surrounding the city of Macon) has instituted a requirement for the teaching of Mandarin Chinese to every student from pre-Kindergarten through 12^th grade. The superintendent, Romain Dallemand, says,

"Students who are in elementary school today, by 2050 they'll be at the pinnacle of their career. They will live in a world where China and India will have 50 percent of the world GDP. They will live in a world where, if they cannot function successfully in the Asian culture, they will pay a heavy price."

In itself, this is not a bad idea. I firmly believe in the importance of learning a foreign language - more than one, if possible - and China is definitely a growing economic, military, and political power with which we must be able to communicate effectively. But at a time when schools are overrun with students who cannot function in English, it seems silly to mandate the teaching of a supremely difficult language like Mandarin, important though it may be.

The GOP made a lot of noise during its convention about the importance of education. But when the party's program is based largely on cutting taxes - which, oddly enough, pay for public education - it makes one doubt the sincerity of their belief in education. But then, this is the party that ignores basic science and includes loud fringe groups that insist on teaching "creation science."

Education has always been important, but in the 21st century, it's more important than ever. We need to prepare our students with strong basic skills in math, science, critical thinking, and - yes - foreign languages. But if limited funds must be spent simply to teach basic English to students who exclusively speak another language at home, we will continue to fall behind other nations which recognize the importance of a well-rounded education.

If we don't spend money on elementary, secondary, and higher education, we'll find that there will be plenty of jobs for our young people in the future ... offering fries and dessert with the burgers ordered by the foreigners who prize education and are willing to make the necessary investment in it.

Have a good day. Learn a foreign language, but learn other things, too. And support the people who teach your children.

More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Seeing Things Differently

Last month, in a post titled Husbandly Duties, I talked about the sheer joy* of accompanying my Very Best Beloved on her clothes-shopping expeditions. As all married men, and those in significant relationships, know, this is one of the duties that's part of the small print in your contract. And ... as we all also know ... men and women don't see things quite the same way in a lot of areas, which adds to the joy of shopping.

But, it turns out, there's apparently a sound scientific and evolutionary reason for all that.

My friend Ed, via his Facebook page, pointed me to this fascinating article from National Geographic Daily News: Men and Women Really Do See Things Differently. According to the article, the results of experiments conducted by researchers at Brooklyn College reveal that women are better at discriminating among colors, while men are better at tracking fast-moving objects and discerning detail from a distance. The results seem to indicate that these traits are evolutionary adaptations which may have grown out of our distant pasts as hunters (mostly men) and gatherers (mostly women).

Men's ability to see things at a distance and track moving objects may be related to their higher percentage of testosterone, which contributes to the development of neurons in the visual cortex, which in turn boosts visual acuity. This would, of course, provide an evolutionary advantage conducive to spotting prey at a distance, picking it out of a natural background, and tracking it for the kill.

Women, on the other hand, may have adapted better to the discrimination of colors at closer ranges, which would help them distinguish, for example, ripe from unripe fruits or variations in colors which could signal spoiled or poisonous plants. A professor of optics and visual science at City University London who was quoted in the article noted that women are often deficient in terms of absolute color sensitivity as compared to men, but that they are better at noticing subtle differences among shades of colors. He said that, "If you're not dealing with the absolute sensitivity for color detection but the way in which colors are judged—such as the ability to describe a color, or what that color means, and so on, I'd say that females are definitely much better than males."

Since most of us are no longer hunters and gatherers, these evolutionary adaptations express themselves in other ways. My former co-worker Gwen used to be driven to apoplexy when we'd compliment her on a nice pink blouse that she insisted wasn't pink, but coral; and most women seem instinctively to know that ecru and aubergine are clearly not the same as dirty white or purple.

So, ladies, give us a break when you drag us out to go shopping with you. If we think it's pink, smile and nod and content yourself with knowing in your heart that it's really coral or fuchsia** or rose or salmon. We'll pick the tiger out of the tall grass at a distance and protect you from him ... you dress for the celebration in the color you think is best.

Have a good day, even if you have to look at the world through salmon-colored glasses.

More thoughts tomorrow.

 Bilbo

* I'm glad I'm typing this ... it's hard to talk with my tongue stuck so far into my cheek.

** And whoever decided to call it "fuchsia" obviously never considered the linguistic implications of various pronunciations.

Cartoon Saturday

It's been a long week, but it's finally over ...

An earthquake in southwestern China has killed about 80 people ... a tragedy, but better than the usual Chinese earthquake toll, which tends to be measured in the tens of thousands; the government of famously peaceable and tolerant Canada has severed diplomatic relations with famously belligerent and intolerant Iran; the Democrats have wrapped up their presidential nominating convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, having proved themselves nearly as adept at misrepresentation of facts and the application of unwarranted gloss to bad news as the Republicans; a suicide bomber has killed four people and wounded five others, including several children, near the Kabul headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force ... and the Taliban claimed "credit" for the carnage; and the Tablet Wars are heating up as Amazon introduces a new tablet device to compete with the toweringly successful Apple iPad.

Time marches on relentlessly, and it's time to deploy the cartoons in our mental defense ...

We lead off with the usual terrible pun cartoon ...

and follow it up with a few riffs on the "Hello, Dali!"* theme ...

and ...

Putting a different color on the theme of current popular "literature" ...

With a tip of the hat to my friend and co-worker Brenda, who does amazing things with all sorts of cameras ...

Who doesn't love dogs? And tablet computers? ...

Sometimes, I think the Big Guy may have the right idea ...

There are some people out there with relatively bizarre ideas on human history ... but at least they tend to be blissful in their own world ...

Strictly speaking, this one isn't a cartoon, but it does point out an interesting suspicion I've long held ...

And finally, in case you were wondering how evolutionary theory can explain the existence of lawyers (and their closely-related cousins, politicians) ...

And there you have it - Cartoon Saturday for the first full week of September. There are 59 days of lies, distortions, and disgusting attack ads remaining until the election, 108 days until Christmas, and 219 days until your 2012 federal income taxes are due.

There are also ten days remaining until my vacation starts ... not that I'm counting or anything.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* With apologies to Jerry Herman and Carol Channing.

Losing ... or Choosing ... My Religion*

There are several topics one is warned against discussing in polite company. Politics is one. Religion is another. Since this is an election year, and one party is wrapping itself in the righteous mantle of The Almighty, it's going to be tough to avoid either topic, even though it's a consummation devoutly to be wished**.

But what if you don't have a religion? How can you recognize and avoid discussions about that which you don't have?

Enter my co-worker Brenda, who yesterday sent me this useful chart which will help the undecided select the appropriate religious belief system ...

It's hard to read, but click on it and it will open larger in a new window ("click it to big it," as Mike would say).

Don't thank me, Dear Readers. It's all part of my efforts to keep you sane and out of trouble ...

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* With apologies to REM.

** With apologies to Hamlet.

Updated Sayings

My friend Bob (no, not that Bob, the other Bob) sent me an e-mail the other day with a list of cleverly updated aphorisms for the 21st century. I thought they were share-worthy, and so ...

- Home is where you hang your @.

- The e-mail of the species is deadlier than the mail (with apologies to Rudyard Kipling).

- A journey of a thousand sites begins with a single click.

- You can't teach a new mouse old clicks.

- Great groups from little icons grow.

- Speak softly and carry a cellular phone.

- C:\ is the root of all directories.

- Don't put all your hypes in one home page.

- Pentium wise; pen and paper foolish.

- The modem is the message.

- Too many clicks spoil the browse.

- The geek shall inherit the earth.

- A chat has nine lives.

- Don't byte off more than you can view.

- Fax is stranger than fiction.

- What boots up must come down (or just crash).

- Windows will never cease.

- In Gates we trust.

- Virtual reality is its own reward.

- Modulation in all things.

- A user and his leisure time are soon parted.

- There's no place like ( http://www.)home(.com)/

- Know what to expect before you connect.

- Oh, what a tangled website we weave when first we practice.

- Speed thrills.

- Give a man (or for that matter, anyone) a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him to use The Net and he won't bother you for weeks.

And, of course, the obligatory cartoon ...

Any other suggestions, anyone? Leave a comment.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

Faraday Cages, Revisited

Yesterday I was reviewing some of my old posts and found this one from back in August of 2007: The Unknown National Scourge of Faraday Cages. Amazingly enough, it's still topical.

In case you don't feel like following the link down memory lane, here's the Readers' Digest version: a Faraday Cage is an enclosure which prevents the entry or escape of electromagnetic radiation. Basically, it has two functions, one of which is to protect whatever is inside from the effects of unwanted external inputs. My theory at that time was that there was a gigantic Faraday Cage which covered both Capitol Hill and the White House, preventing the intrusion of unwanted facts and good ideas.

It's still there.

Republican pollster Neil Newhouse famously said a few days ago that, “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact checkers.”

Yep. Those damned facts are pesky things, aren't they? And both parties tend to think that the only real facts are the ones which support their respective campaign positions ... whether true or not.

We're seeing a campaign of lies, distortions, and half-truths ... of hot air and slime and vast amounts of money that could be spent on better things.

And it's all protected by the mental Faraday Cages of the True Believers*.

Remember Bilbo's First Law: Don't let anyone do your thinking for you. And if you have your own personal Faraday Cage, put it in storage until after the election ... you'll find that the world is a very different place without it.

Have a good day. More thoughts tomorrow.

Bilbo

* With thanks to Eric Hoffer.