I have never placed much value on sticking to beliefs. I like changing my mind and I do it frequently. The way I see it, beliefs inform you personality as much as they are determined by it.
Some ideas stay with me longer than others do. Are they better, smarter opinions? Am I just more stubborn about them?
Sometimes I think that it is the long-standing convictions that people are the most irrational about. The more important the idea is to us, the less we want to subject to the rigors of reasonable debate.
In the spirit of making things more reasonable, (a dubious enterprise, I know)here are some convictions that I have settled onto at this point in my life. How did I come to them? The same way most of us do; some emotional experience, conviction borne of debate or just a half hearted settling on to a conventional opinion. I use a patented mix of carelessness, inattention, the desire to be right and some modest analytical skills.
I'm pro-choice. There is the technical knowledge of the Doctor and the knowledge that the mother possesses about her abilities to raise the child, what is it that the state is supposed to add to make this situation better? What rule will consistently make the outcome better? This belief springs from my general antipathy towards the idea that people should have their decisions made for them by The State or some other remotely interested party. I have an emotionally libertarian (or 'liberal' as I like to call it) streak.
I do not believe in God. I realize that on a topic such as this, certitude is truly reckless and debate is only debate in a formal sense. I do not think there are any decisive logical or empirical turns that could convince either parties one way or the other.
Still, there comes a time when you must place your bets and I know where mine is placed. I do not think God is necessary to explain any of the particular fact I know about the world, from psychology to physics. I do not desire to live by any narrow set of moral rules. The only thing religion has going for it, as far as I can tell, is a sense of community and some pretty okay music (Gillian Welch and Bach are all I really want from any religion).
I am a computationalist, I suppose. I do believe that even if the mind is not really a computer program implemented on the brain, it is an awfully lot like one. I believe that Darwinism is going to one day tell us an awful lot about human psychology, even if it hasn't done much yet.
I am a legal pragmatist. The constitution does not contain a surefire recipe for good government. It is contradictory, incomplete. People of good sense must interpret it, with a steady eye on the consequences. I don't think any legal decision should be made without some sort of consideration of the consequences.
I am not a Socialist. Large state owned companies have, almost everywhere, been disastrous engines for nepotism. I do believe in government, and when it comes to enforcement of corporate crime I think we are far too lenient. Hang the bastards. All in all, they do more than any petty thief to undermine confidence in our systems of government, our economy and our trust in each other. Hang the bastards.
There's plenty more where that came from. I'll stop now, for your sake, gentle reader.
oops.
deleted a post. and Michelle's comment with it.
sorry.
anyway. This will be last time I change locations. I swear.
Posted by: ~o at January 18, 2004 02:51 PMvery very good writing.
i also like the new layout of the page...but am i the only one who's having problem with the display of the post?? some lines are jam up together and some paragraphs disappear.
yeah it just happened to me.
I'll fixit.
Amoxicillin information.
Posted by: Amoxicillin at October 4, 2004 07:35 AMCialis information site.
Posted by: Cialis at October 8, 2004 04:20 PMInfo on Levaquin online.
Posted by: Levaquin at October 12, 2004 04:13 PMSeasonale online site.
Posted by: Seasonale at October 14, 2004 10:58 AMSo What Tramadol- Fioricet Called Your Momma Out and Ultracetwas laughin at Ultramand Vioxx. Dada - Lipitor?No Momma Imitrex!! Stop Being Fat and use Xenical!If your a women use Diflucan http://www.online-prescription-pharmacy.com/
Posted by: Online Pharmacy at October 15, 2004 02:48 AMPoker is The Shiznit - http://www.poker-rules-texas-holdem.com/ - http://www.online-texas-holdem-tips.biz/ - There Once Was a Dog From Around The Way - EZ! http://www.free-online-texas-holdem.biz/ - Big Pimps Roll Big Money! - http://www.internet-texas-holdem-poker.biz/ - http://www.online-texas-holdem-strategy.info - http://www.party-poker-player.com/ - Texas Holdem Rocks Bro! Double Up!!! http://www.texas-holdem-poker-casino.com/ texas holdem rules @@ free texas holdem @@ online texas hold em@@ texas holdem poker @@ texas holdem tips @@ party poker @@ texas holdem
Posted by: Party Poker at October 15, 2004 02:52 AMInkjet Cartridges - Inkjet Cartridge
Posted by: Inkjet Cartridges at October 15, 2004 02:57 AMBleep! Poker Games !Bleep - Poker - Bleep Ding Dong - Texas Holdem - Bu Ya Video Poker ! Poker Strategy!!! My Momma been at the Online Poker Room! Play Poker Now! http://www.party-poker-player.com/
Posted by: Party Poker at October 15, 2004 03:06 AMGeneric Fioricet online site.
Posted by: Generic Fioricet at October 15, 2004 01:05 PMFioricet prescription info site.
Posted by: Fioricet at October 18, 2004 05:45 AMLevitra - Buy Levitra
Posted by: Levitra at October 18, 2004 08:25 PMProzac online info site.
Posted by: Prozac at October 19, 2004 04:20 AMOnline Ionamin information.
Posted by: Ionamin at October 20, 2004 09:31 AMHi
Posted by: soma at October 20, 2004 05:36 PMpenis enlargement pills penis enlargement pills done right! at http://www.usa-penis-enlargement.com penis enlargement
Posted by: Penis Enlargement Pills at October 21, 2004 02:34 PMRemeron information.
Posted by: Remeron online at October 22, 2004 02:03 PMEffexor online information site.
Posted by: cheap Effexor at October 23, 2004 04:35 PMSearch Engine Cloaker - Cloaking Software
Posted by: Search Engine Cloaker at October 23, 2004 09:56 PMcigarettes - buy cigarettes
Posted by: cigarettes at October 24, 2004 03:22 AMWhat's Crackin! - Just need to go Play Bingo - for my Online Bingo Habit! But I cannot Find a Good Bingo Online website to cover my bingo addiction!
Posted by: Bingo at October 25, 2004 02:54 AMCheck Celexa info.
Posted by: Celexa at October 25, 2004 06:54 AMTramadol related info.
Posted by: Tramadol online at October 27, 2004 07:18 AMCialis are the most popular and safe means of every-day life solvers.
cialis
www.41b.net
Elidel online site.
Posted by: Buy Elidel at November 2, 2004 02:39 PMPenis enlargement - Feel a bit interested? Read more revealing columns!
Posted by: penis enlargement at November 2, 2004 02:48 PMValium is the best muscle relaxant and ant-anxiety
medication.Shipping is quick,secure,and direct.
valium
www.41b.net
Codeine is a centrally acting analgesic
used for relieving pain ,shipping is quick,secure,
and direct.
codeine
A power so great, it can only be used for Good or Evil!
-- Firesign Theatre, The Giant Rat of Summatra
Xanax is the most popular product on our online store.
xanax
Posted by: xanax at November 4, 2004 06:34 AMWellbutrin cheap source.
Posted by: Wellbutrin at November 5, 2004 10:50 AMThe state law of Pennsylvania prohibits singing in the bathtub.
Texas Holdem http://www.texas-holdem-poker-casino.com
Check Cheap Xenical diet pills online
at http://www.xenical-web.com
All the world's a VAX,
And all the coders merely butchers;
They have their exits and their entrails;
And one int in his time plays many widths,
His sizeof being _N bytes. At first the infant,
Mewling and puking in the Regent's arms.
And then the whining schoolboy, with his Sun,
And shining morning face, creeping like slug
Unwillingly to school.
-- A Very Annoyed PDP-11
Online Dating http://www.online-dating-com.com
One difference between a man and a machine is that a machine is quiet
when well oiled.
Credit Report http://www.credit-report-x.com
No good deed goes unpunished.
-- Clare Boothe Luce
Auto Insurance http://www.auto-insurance-com.com
A girl and a boy bump into each other -- surely an accident.
A girl and a boy bump and her handkerchief drops -- surely another accident.
But when a girl gives a boy a dead squid -- *____that ___had __to ____mean _________something*.
-- S. Morganstern, The Silent Gondoliers
Refinance Mortgage http://www.refinance-mortgage-com.com
Vote anarchist
Home Equity Loan http://www.home-equity-loan-x.com
Paydayloans.com - Cash Advance
Posted by: Paydayloans.com at November 8, 2004 08:59 PMxenical
Cialis
Xenical
levitra
Viagra
Tramadol
Soma
Celebrex
Zoloft
I have best online store to buy:
Phentermine online
Adipex online
Ionamin online
Meridia online
Tenuate online
Diethylpropion online
Xenical online
cheap cialis online
cheap cialis online
cheap cialis online
levitra
Cialis
Xenical
levitra
Viagra
Tramadol
Soma
Celebrex
Zoloft
I cannot read the fiery letters, said Frito Bugger in a
quavering voice.
No, said GoodGulf, but I can. The letters are Elvish, of
course, of an ancient mode, but the language is that of Mordor, which
I will not utter here. They are lines of a verse long known in
Elven-lore:
This Ring, no other, is made by the elves,
Who'd pawn their own mother to grab it themselves.
Ruler of creeper, mortal, and scallop,
This is a sleeper that packs quite a wallop.
The Power almighty rests in this Lone Ring.
The Power, alrighty, for doing your Own Thing.
If broken or busted, it cannot be remade.
If found, send to Sorhed (with postage prepaid).
-- Harvard Lampoon, Bored of the Rings
Mortgage Refinancing http://www.refinance-mortgage-com.com
cialis forum
cialis forum
cialis forum
I found the best online pharmacy for buying:
Generic Viagra online
Meltabs
generic Cialis
Generic Lipitor
generic Zoloft
Dish Network Satellite Yep - Free Dish Network Satellite TV
Posted by: Satellite TV Dish Network at November 15, 2004 04:20 AMWhy is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
Mortgage Refinance http://www.refinance-mortgage-com.com
Now buy cheap Tramadol online at
http://www.tramadol-drug.net/
Go climb a gravity well!
Home Equity Loan Rate http://www.home-equity-loan-x.com
An apple every eight hours will keep three doctors away.
Cash Advance http://www.paydayloans.be
Shamus, n. [Yiddish]:
A shamus is a guy who takes care of handyman tasks around the
temple, and makes sure everything is in working order.
A shamus is at the bottom of the pecking order of synagog
functionaries, and there's a joke about that:
A rabbi, to show his humility before God, cries out in the
middle of a service, Oh, Lord, I am nobody! The cantor, not to be
bested, also cries out, Oh, Lord, I am nobody!
The shamus, deeply moved, follows suit and cries, Oh, Lord, I
am nobody! The rabbi turns to the cantor and says, Look who thinks
he's nobody!
-- Arthur Naiman, Every Goy's Guide to Yiddish
Payday Loans http://www.paydayloans.be
Nirvana? Thats the place where the powers that be and their friends
hang out.
-- Zonker Harris
Mortgage Loan http://www.refinance-mortgage-com.com
RULES OF EATING -- THE BRONX DIETER'S CREED
(1) Never eat on an empty stomach.
(2) Never leave the table hungry.
(3) When traveling, never leave a country hungry.
(4) Enjoy your food.
(5) Enjoy your companion's food.
(6) Really taste your food. It may take several portions to
accomplish this, especially if subtly seasoned.
(7) Really feel your food. Texture is important. Compare,
for example, the texture of a turnip to that of a
brownie. Which feels better against your cheeks?
(8) Never eat between snacks, unless it's a meal.
(9) Don't feel you must finish everything on your plate. You
can always eat it later.
(10) Avoid any wine with a childproof cap.
(11) Avoid blue food.
-- Richard Smit, The Bronx Diet
Credit Report http://credit-report.se.com
The more we disagree, the more chance there is that at least one of us
is right.
Online Casino http://www.online-casino-topez.com
levitra
Cialis
Xenical
levitra
Viagra
Tramadol
Soma
Celebrex
Zoloft
Buy Skelaxin online cheap now at
http://www.skelaxin-online.net/
The trouble with superheros is what to do between phone booths.
-- Ken Kesey
Poker http://www.party-poker-x.com
cialis forum
cialis forum
All extremists should be taken out and shot.
Cash Advance http://www.cashadvance.be
Helping individuals who have suffered a heart attack or stroke from the prescription drug vioxx
vioxx class action suits
vioxx recall lawsuit
florida vioxx lawyers
florida attorneys vioxx
vioxx lawsuits
vioxx litigation
vioxx recall
vioxx news
viox class action
viox lawsuit
viox heart attack
viox lawyer
viox law suit
viox settlement
texas viox attorney
viox law firms florida
viox class action suits
viox recall lawsuit
<a href="http://
Confession is good for the soul only in the sense that a tweed coat is
good for dandruff.
-- Peter de Vries
Cash Advance Loan http://www.cashadvance.be
Alprazolam
Posted by: Alprazolam at November 23, 2004 11:20 PMIf I have seen farther than others, it is because I was standing on the
shoulders of giants.
-- Isaac Newton
In the sciences, we are now uniquely privileged to sit side by side
with the giants on whose shoulders we stand.
-- Gerald Holton
If I have not seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing
on my shoulders.
-- Hal Abelson
In computer science, we stand on each other's feet.
-- Brian K. Reid
Direct TV http://www.direct-tv-com.com
Alprazolam|buy Xanax|xanax xr|xanax online|Cheap xanax
Posted by: Alprazolam at November 25, 2004 02:03 AMAlprazolam|buy Xanax|xanax xr|xanax online|Cheap xanax
Alprazolam|buy Xanax|xanax xr|xanax online|Cheap xanax
Posted by: cheap xanax at November 25, 2004 08:47 AMAlprazolam
buy Xanax
xanax xr
xanax online
Cheap xanax
Don't worry over what other people are thinking about you. They're too
busy worrying over what you are thinking about them.
Video Poker http://www.video-poker-com.com
xanax xr
Alprazolam
buy Xanax
xanax xr
xanax online
Cheap xanax
Alprazolam|buy Xanax|xanax xr|xanax online|Cheap xanax
Posted by: xanax online at November 25, 2004 11:21 PMNow buy Buspar online cheap at
http://www.cheap-buspar.com/
Scientists are people who build the Brooklyn Bridge and then buy it.
-- William Buckley
Dating http://www.online-dating-com.com
Posted by: Dating at November 27, 2004 09:19 PMVigRX is proven to be the safest, most effective and completely noninvasive method for increasing the pleasure of your reinvigorated sexual health.
Posted by: penis enlargement pills at November 28, 2004 08:33 AMAfter I asked him what he meant, he replied that freedom consisted of
the unimpeded right to get rich, to use his ability, no matter what the
cost to others, to win advancement.
-- Norman Thomas
Phentermine http://online-prescription-pharmacy.com/Phentermine.htm
The human race is a race of cowards; and I am not only marching in that
procession but carrying a banner.
-- Mark Twain
Tramadol http://online-prescription-pharmacy.com/Tramadol.htm