Musings of the Mind

There is no order to these realizations…which is exactly how I want it for now….. if one must call it a stream of consciosness

1. I am a compassionate person but not a bleeding heart. Bleeding hearts sicken me.

2. I become bored very easily. Challenge me or else I drift off.

3. The five areas of science that interest me the most are: Modern Physics, Psychometrics, Mechanics, Evolutionary Theory and Kinesiology.

4.Stupid People annoy me… and I mean really annoy me.

5. What the world needs is more intelligent generalists. What it has in abundance is a cacophony of half-witted specialists.

6. Logic and Reason are paramount to my thinking. On observation though it seems to be a peripheral issue with most of humanity.

7. I enjoy following politics – especially analyzing election results and proposed policy.
I am a strong opponent of Islamo-Fascism, Communism, Marxism, Fascism, Leftism and the various incarnations of radicalism. I champion the conservation of the Western Tradition of excellence and believe that the gains of the enlightenment and scientific rationalism must be guarded at all costs.

8. I support a women’s right to choose. However I am opposed to late term Partial Birth Abortion which I consider to be ethically unsound.

9. I take much pride in the Jewish gifts to humanity. These include the vast and disproportionate (with respect to population size) contributions to:
Physics, Chemistry, Music, Art, Medicine, Mathematics, Philosophy, Theology, Economics, Social Sciences etc.

10. I believe in G-d but I also believe that G-d is not definable and is essentially unknowable (the Kabbalistic concept of Ein Sof makes much sense). I do see G-d as omnipotent but also unknowable. I reject deism as I believe that it is more logical to believe that G-d continues to influence the universe. In short I am a scientific theist.

11. I reject intelligent design and see it as an instrument of selective scientific cherry picking.

12. Global warming appears to be a real phenomenon however I am skeptical with respect to the notion that humanity is the chief driver of the trend. Nevertheless I still believe that it is imperative that humanity reduce its Carbon footprint. I am opposed to Kyoto as I see it as an economic sell out to China and India that will make environmental conditions worse. I consider myself a realistic environmentalist and I am not at all supportive of the Green Movement hysteria that has engulfed so many in the West.

13. I am a strong supporter of the State of Israel but have accepted the fact that it is only a matter of time before a likely Palestinian State will exist in the West Bank . Only time will tell if the West Bank State will be viable. I am moderately pessimistic as I have little faith in the Arab political mindset.

14. I support the death penalty for special cases – serial killers for example. The execution should be carried out by firing squad as I believe it to be a more humane alternative to lethal injections, gas and the electric chair.

15. I would classify myself economically as a Classic Liberal – I support Free Enterprise, private ownership of property and low taxes. I do however see the ever important need for government regulation of some industries especially health, utilities, mass transportation etc. I therefore am not a libertarian although I can relate with earnest to what they have to say.

16. I am an opponent of dogma although I am fully aware of the danger of my own views becoming a personal dogma.

17. Mathematics is a very useful tool in understanding the universe (or modeling it rather). It is ultimately limited in that it is not verifiable in and of itself. All practioners of mathematics including physicists, economists, engineers, ecologists and chemist must constantly remind themselves of this inherent bias. Having said this, I do not believe that thgere is any other tool other than rigorous empiricism is more suited to advancing human knowledge.

18. I am extremely passionate about teaching but realistic nevertheless. I have very little patience for students who do not wish to learn, are loathe to think and consistently choose the path of least resistance in their studies.

19. The Cult of Self-Esteem and its twin sister ‘the-blame-others’ mentality has probably done more harm for education than any other movement in the history of pedagogy.
Education schools are for the most part nesting grounds for second grade intellectuals.

20. Capitalism and Free Enterprise systems are not synonymous. The former rejoices in oligarchy. The latter detests it.