Saturday, June 28, 2014
No, Billy Bob, You Probably Didn't get Abducted by Aliens
I admit I was unaware that there is a dichotomy of opinion on intelligent alien life between astronomers and biologists. My degree is in biology but I also love astronomy. I have always been suspicious of the statistical claims made by the astronomers, that because of the sheer number of stars there MUST be intelligent life somewhere else. And I agree that it is likely that some kind of sentient, intelligent beings probably do exist somewhere else. But I don't think the galaxy is full of them. I think that, because of the reasons outlined here, intelligent life is fairly rare, if not unique. Without empirical evidence one way or other, it goes to speculation.
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
How to Fix America
How to improve America in five easy steps:
1. Build up our failing infrastructure. What does that entail? Let's develop a plan to fix all our decrepit bridges and highways for one thing. Then, let's upgrade our railroad system to add more bullet trains and high-speed rail services. Let's also upgrade the mass transit systems in all cities where an upgrade is needed, and build new ones in cities that are lacking this service.
2. Fund higher education and increase funding for local school systems. Students need not only the best teachers money can buy, they also need proper books and supplies, including well-equipped science labs and music departments. States subsidize their public colleges and universities, but the Federal government needs to step in and fill the gap with a 100 percent subsidy of its own. Going to public college should be a no-cost endeavor. Students should be graduating debt free. If you want to go to a private school, then pay their tuition, otherwise, it should all be free to the student.
3. Increase scientific research in space exploration, climate change, medicine, and technology. The U.S. needs to be the leader in scientific research. This is where our future lies. We need to not only attract students from Asia and Europe, we need to make sure they stay here when they graduate by investing in the creation of technology jobs.
4. Develop a single-payer health care system so that all basic health care needs are met free of charge to the patient. It's important that we as a nation maintain the health of all citizens. It should be a basic human right.
5. Get rid of poverty. It's just bringing us down. But how to do it? Make sure the minimum wage is at least $12 per hour. Make sure everybody who is not able to work is paid by a federal program, such as Medicaid. And make sure those who can't find work get a government job making the minimum wage instead of paying them any form of welfare.
Who's going to pay for all that, you might ask? It doesn't matter. It's irrelevant. Paying for it is a detail. If a terrorist group or enemy nation attacked us, we would go start a war without hesitation. I can say that because we always have done so. George Bush did it twice, and once was without provocation. There would be few people against going to war with an enemy who attacked us, from either party. So let's just pretend we started a war and use the money we would have spent on that to build up our infrastructure and to fund education and scientific research.
Don't worry. The investment in science and education will pay us back over and over again. And the best place to start looking for the funding is by taxing the ultra-rich. Then borrow whatever else is needed. The borrowed funds can be paid back eventually through the return on our investment in higher education and scientific research.
There is only one fly in the ointment. Just one problem with this solution to fixing America - the GOP.
The solution to the GOP problem can be solved at the voting booth.
1. Build up our failing infrastructure. What does that entail? Let's develop a plan to fix all our decrepit bridges and highways for one thing. Then, let's upgrade our railroad system to add more bullet trains and high-speed rail services. Let's also upgrade the mass transit systems in all cities where an upgrade is needed, and build new ones in cities that are lacking this service.
2. Fund higher education and increase funding for local school systems. Students need not only the best teachers money can buy, they also need proper books and supplies, including well-equipped science labs and music departments. States subsidize their public colleges and universities, but the Federal government needs to step in and fill the gap with a 100 percent subsidy of its own. Going to public college should be a no-cost endeavor. Students should be graduating debt free. If you want to go to a private school, then pay their tuition, otherwise, it should all be free to the student.
3. Increase scientific research in space exploration, climate change, medicine, and technology. The U.S. needs to be the leader in scientific research. This is where our future lies. We need to not only attract students from Asia and Europe, we need to make sure they stay here when they graduate by investing in the creation of technology jobs.
4. Develop a single-payer health care system so that all basic health care needs are met free of charge to the patient. It's important that we as a nation maintain the health of all citizens. It should be a basic human right.
5. Get rid of poverty. It's just bringing us down. But how to do it? Make sure the minimum wage is at least $12 per hour. Make sure everybody who is not able to work is paid by a federal program, such as Medicaid. And make sure those who can't find work get a government job making the minimum wage instead of paying them any form of welfare.
Who's going to pay for all that, you might ask? It doesn't matter. It's irrelevant. Paying for it is a detail. If a terrorist group or enemy nation attacked us, we would go start a war without hesitation. I can say that because we always have done so. George Bush did it twice, and once was without provocation. There would be few people against going to war with an enemy who attacked us, from either party. So let's just pretend we started a war and use the money we would have spent on that to build up our infrastructure and to fund education and scientific research.
Don't worry. The investment in science and education will pay us back over and over again. And the best place to start looking for the funding is by taxing the ultra-rich. Then borrow whatever else is needed. The borrowed funds can be paid back eventually through the return on our investment in higher education and scientific research.
There is only one fly in the ointment. Just one problem with this solution to fixing America - the GOP.
The solution to the GOP problem can be solved at the voting booth.
Sunday, June 08, 2014
God Exists and He's an Ass
I have evidence that God exists, and that he is a cruel trickster. This article was the clincher. If you don't eat anything for 2 to 4 days straight it helps your body rejuvenate itself. Apparently, fasting for a long time kills off some of your white blood cells which are replaced by better ones when you start eating again.
That goes right along with what we've always been told is the best way to stay healthy. "Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and get lots of exercise." Why is it that humans can't stay healthy eating food that actually has flavor, like a good old bacon cheeseburger? Everybody knows that food dripping in fat and slathered in sugar tastes way better, but it's all bad for you. If celery is so good for us why don't we crave it? And why is it that exercise is best? Why isn't it better to just sit around and read or watch TV? Why is fasting a good way to rejuvenate the body instead of a nice buffet gorge every once in awhile?
Yep, it can't all be accidental. God must exist; and he's an asshole.
That goes right along with what we've always been told is the best way to stay healthy. "Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and get lots of exercise." Why is it that humans can't stay healthy eating food that actually has flavor, like a good old bacon cheeseburger? Everybody knows that food dripping in fat and slathered in sugar tastes way better, but it's all bad for you. If celery is so good for us why don't we crave it? And why is it that exercise is best? Why isn't it better to just sit around and read or watch TV? Why is fasting a good way to rejuvenate the body instead of a nice buffet gorge every once in awhile?
Yep, it can't all be accidental. God must exist; and he's an asshole.
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