"Seufzer. — Ich erhaschte diese Einsicht unterwegs und nahm rasch die nächsten schlechten Worte, sie festzumachen, damit sie mir nicht wieder davonfliege. Und nun ist sie mir an diesen dürren Worten gestorben und hängt und schlottert in ihnen — und ich weiß kaum mehr, wenn ich sie ansehe, wie ich ein solches Glück haben konnte, als ich diesen Vogel fing."
"I caught this insight in mid-flight, and quickly seized the nearest rather poor words to pin it down, lest it fly away again. And now it has died upon these words, and hangs and flaps in them -- and I know not any more, when I look at it, how I could have had such joy when first I caught this bird."
I have begun to write again -- though I repeatedly feel it is just an exercise in the brutal science of torture. I seize upon something so vibrant and compelling that my mind becomes a steaming, churning mill of conceptual activity. And the greater and more beautiful the thought, the more eager I grow to put it into writing. And so I sit down and tie my ideas to the chair, and begin to cut at them, tear at them, and beat them with poles. So it is that after a time, I have completed my thought -- and offer a written corpse, bloodied and broken. Sometimes I look back at it, and wonder how I could ever have been so thrilled. Nietzche's passage has always been, for me, one of the most resonant statements ever penned. His corpses are more lovely than mine.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Friday, October 19, 2007
Head for the Hills!!
Two recent media items caught my attention as prime examples of the willful ignorance that seems to pervade our culture. There seems to be a toiling, sweating, grunting, fighting effort to ignore traditional rational human thought. Day by day, the modern atheists walk around, seeking truths to turn on their heads, like so many stones.
First, there is the case of the Maine Middle School that has garnered national attention by approving a plan to allow birth control to be provided free of charge by medical personnel to students. The specific mode of the contraceptive is “the pill.” Further oddity – the school physicians authorized to distribute this pill are not required – nay, not authorized – to inform the parents of the 11-to-13-year old child, and hence, the child’s regular physician may never know that his patient is being medicated.
Forget, for a moment, the obvious medical wisdom issues at stake, such as the one above, and the fact that there is robust evidence that prolonged use of the pill is, if not dangerous, at least possibly detrimental to the overall health of a woman – so let’s start them on it at the age of 11.
Forget, if you must, that there is no legal way that an 11 or 13 year old can engage in sexual intercourse that I am aware of. At least, there is no one who can legally engage in intercourse with a child of that age.
One of the main proponents of this measure said the following (my paraphrase): “We can keep our heads in the sand about whether or not these young people are having sex, or we can do something to decrease the instances of teen pregnancy.” No one bothers to put any serious energy into stopping the culture of sexual immorality. We just hide (or kill) the “symptoms.” The institutions of sexual license and death – and do not presume that to be a hyperbolic epithet – such as Planned Parenthood continue to peddle their wares.
The second instance is that of a proposed plan (and I do not remember the location) in a U.S. hospital, pending probable court approval, to have a druggie “safe room.” This concept is already in practice in parts of Canada. The idea is that heroin addicts can come to the free clinic, (BYODrugs), and shoot up in the presence and supervision of a nurse, who can monitor the needle stick, and the dosage used.
The justification? This will prevent dozens of unnecessary drug overdose deaths.
Both issues use the “women-will-seek-an-abortion-anyway” justification.
These issues are not worth argument, not at all. There is no need to pick them apart. I feel as though our society is sinking further and further into this weird mire, and I find myself dissecting issues, coming up with arguments against certain things, until I realize exactly what I am trying to argue against.
And with that realization, I increasingly wonder why anyone should ever have to make this argument at all.
First, there is the case of the Maine Middle School that has garnered national attention by approving a plan to allow birth control to be provided free of charge by medical personnel to students. The specific mode of the contraceptive is “the pill.” Further oddity – the school physicians authorized to distribute this pill are not required – nay, not authorized – to inform the parents of the 11-to-13-year old child, and hence, the child’s regular physician may never know that his patient is being medicated.
Forget, for a moment, the obvious medical wisdom issues at stake, such as the one above, and the fact that there is robust evidence that prolonged use of the pill is, if not dangerous, at least possibly detrimental to the overall health of a woman – so let’s start them on it at the age of 11.
Forget, if you must, that there is no legal way that an 11 or 13 year old can engage in sexual intercourse that I am aware of. At least, there is no one who can legally engage in intercourse with a child of that age.
One of the main proponents of this measure said the following (my paraphrase): “We can keep our heads in the sand about whether or not these young people are having sex, or we can do something to decrease the instances of teen pregnancy.” No one bothers to put any serious energy into stopping the culture of sexual immorality. We just hide (or kill) the “symptoms.” The institutions of sexual license and death – and do not presume that to be a hyperbolic epithet – such as Planned Parenthood continue to peddle their wares.
The second instance is that of a proposed plan (and I do not remember the location) in a U.S. hospital, pending probable court approval, to have a druggie “safe room.” This concept is already in practice in parts of Canada. The idea is that heroin addicts can come to the free clinic, (BYODrugs), and shoot up in the presence and supervision of a nurse, who can monitor the needle stick, and the dosage used.
The justification? This will prevent dozens of unnecessary drug overdose deaths.
Both issues use the “women-will-seek-an-abortion-anyway” justification.
These issues are not worth argument, not at all. There is no need to pick them apart. I feel as though our society is sinking further and further into this weird mire, and I find myself dissecting issues, coming up with arguments against certain things, until I realize exactly what I am trying to argue against.
And with that realization, I increasingly wonder why anyone should ever have to make this argument at all.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Beer Reviews
Last night I splurged a little and got two four-packs of beer that was supposed to be extraordinary.
First, there was the Wexford Irish Cream Ale (in a can). Not a particularly bad mug of beer, but it seemed to be nothing more than an uneventful coffee stout with a fairly good head. The flavor was bitter, but not smooth or intense. It did look nice, when poured down the side of a mug -- it looked like creamy coffee, until I realized that was millions of tiny bubbles, which took 3 whole minutes to form the inch-thick head, leaving a deep amber beer beneath. But overall, it was a disappointment, especially for the $7.99 paid for a four-pack. I won't buy again.
Second, there was the Dogfish Head Midas Touch. The recipe is supposedly based on the chemical residue found in vats in the tomb of an ancient Turkish king, perhaps the man behind the Midas legend. At any rate, it's not fit for king or peasant. I should not have paid $11.99 for four of these. I would not pay $.99 for ten of these! It's supposed to be a unique creation, blending malted barley with Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. I am not averse to sweet beers, but the taste is best described as what one would achieve mixing some cheap malt beer with concorde grape juice. It was horrible. And I consider myselve blessed that two of the four beers broke on the ground as I carried them inside.
First, there was the Wexford Irish Cream Ale (in a can). Not a particularly bad mug of beer, but it seemed to be nothing more than an uneventful coffee stout with a fairly good head. The flavor was bitter, but not smooth or intense. It did look nice, when poured down the side of a mug -- it looked like creamy coffee, until I realized that was millions of tiny bubbles, which took 3 whole minutes to form the inch-thick head, leaving a deep amber beer beneath. But overall, it was a disappointment, especially for the $7.99 paid for a four-pack. I won't buy again.
Second, there was the Dogfish Head Midas Touch. The recipe is supposedly based on the chemical residue found in vats in the tomb of an ancient Turkish king, perhaps the man behind the Midas legend. At any rate, it's not fit for king or peasant. I should not have paid $11.99 for four of these. I would not pay $.99 for ten of these! It's supposed to be a unique creation, blending malted barley with Muscat grapes, honey and saffron. I am not averse to sweet beers, but the taste is best described as what one would achieve mixing some cheap malt beer with concorde grape juice. It was horrible. And I consider myselve blessed that two of the four beers broke on the ground as I carried them inside.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
The Important Business of Government
I find two recent declarations of Congress, both of which have received loads of media attention, to be not only ridiculous, but distressing.
The first declaration was one strongly condemning the ad taken out in the NYTimes by MoveOn.org featuring the now infamous statement "General Petraeus or General Betray-Us?" The second declaration, not yet passed, condemns remarks by Rush Limbaugh in which he used the descriptive "Phony Soldiers," apparently meaning to describe soldiers who lie about having been in combat in an effort to discredit the war.
Without significant comment on the incidents (I think the one comment by MoveOn was very stupid and wrong, and the comment by Rush was pretty stupid, but probably right), one concerns me is this: as the nation is in two agressive wars, faces a possible economic crisis, has no long term budget plans passed, etc., our glorious legislative body -- which keeps trying to convince us of how important they are -- concerns themselves with condemning the statements of private U.S. Citizens or Corporations, purely for political capital.
Yes -- both resolutions are equally bad. I understand one of them, supporting a senior military commander, has more merit, but both are bad government business. Even if we stop short of saying that this kind of government condemnation of the free speech of individuals strikes close to the heart of what this nation was founded to prevent -- the unnecessary intrusion of government into the private lives of its citizens -- we can still say that it only discredits the Congress, if it has nothing better to discuss.
The first declaration was one strongly condemning the ad taken out in the NYTimes by MoveOn.org featuring the now infamous statement "General Petraeus or General Betray-Us?" The second declaration, not yet passed, condemns remarks by Rush Limbaugh in which he used the descriptive "Phony Soldiers," apparently meaning to describe soldiers who lie about having been in combat in an effort to discredit the war.
Without significant comment on the incidents (I think the one comment by MoveOn was very stupid and wrong, and the comment by Rush was pretty stupid, but probably right), one concerns me is this: as the nation is in two agressive wars, faces a possible economic crisis, has no long term budget plans passed, etc., our glorious legislative body -- which keeps trying to convince us of how important they are -- concerns themselves with condemning the statements of private U.S. Citizens or Corporations, purely for political capital.
Yes -- both resolutions are equally bad. I understand one of them, supporting a senior military commander, has more merit, but both are bad government business. Even if we stop short of saying that this kind of government condemnation of the free speech of individuals strikes close to the heart of what this nation was founded to prevent -- the unnecessary intrusion of government into the private lives of its citizens -- we can still say that it only discredits the Congress, if it has nothing better to discuss.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Babette's Feast
Last night we watched Babette's Feast again -- it's been probably 8 years since I've seen it. What a lovely film. I was particularly struck by the words of the ederly General Lorens Lowenhielm as he stands following the meal. It is a beautiful thought:
"Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another. Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness believes he must make choices in this life. He trembles at the risks he takes. We do know fear. But no. Our choice is of no importance. There comes a time when our eyes are opened and we come to realize that mercy is infinite. We need only await it with confidence and receive it with gratitude. Mercy imposes no conditions. And lo! Everything we have chosen has been granted to us. And everything we rejected has also been granted. Yes, we even get back what we rejected. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another."
"Mercy and truth have met together. Righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another. Man, in his weakness and shortsightedness believes he must make choices in this life. He trembles at the risks he takes. We do know fear. But no. Our choice is of no importance. There comes a time when our eyes are opened and we come to realize that mercy is infinite. We need only await it with confidence and receive it with gratitude. Mercy imposes no conditions. And lo! Everything we have chosen has been granted to us. And everything we rejected has also been granted. Yes, we even get back what we rejected. For mercy and truth have met together, and righteousness and bliss shall kiss one another."
Monday, September 24, 2007
The Most Dangerous Man in Politics
I will take anyone 10-1 odds that Elliot Spitzer will run for president (and probably be elected) in 2012 if a Republican or an unpopular Democrat is elected in 2008, and in 2016 either way.
He'll also be a major contender for Clinton's Veep, for sure.
He's not a good man for the job. But he's one of the most deft, powerful, and sharp men in politics, with a shrewd outlook. He's a shark, most certainly.
He'll also be a major contender for Clinton's Veep, for sure.
He's not a good man for the job. But he's one of the most deft, powerful, and sharp men in politics, with a shrewd outlook. He's a shark, most certainly.
Death and . . .
I was listening to NPR, which was offering a special discussion of tax reform, and possible plans for re-hauling the progressive income tax system. Most especially discussed was the fair tax plan, specifically the National Sales Tax -- a broader-based consumption tax of all products, including consumer goods, health care, and real estate -- which would be a lead to a 25%-38% tax rate, creating a mid-40% markup on products.
I am no economist in the remotest sense, but the NST seems to me to be an exercise in the typical political game of false advertising. Everyone on the political spectrum is guilty of this when it comes to taxes -- proposing a system that sounds fair, even though anyone seriously considering this knows that it would be unbearable to the economy and impossible to enforce. Such a thing would be possible if it grew organically with a society, but simply applying it one day to the world's most complex economic player is ludicrous.
Certainly, though, some kind of flat tax -- however it is managed -- could be applied to replace our progressive tax. But, like it or not, we are going to have to remain income-based. The question of whether or not to tax income or consumption is much less significant than the issue of progressive tax (besides the fact that most people seem confused as to which -- taxing income and investment, or taxing consumption -- most stimulates capitalistic growth).
The progressive system strikes at the heart of democratic principles -- taxation and representation. When combining that revenue system with the government who spends that revenue, we have something akin to 9 Nazis and 1 Jew developing a racial policy. We have 80% of the voters getting to determine what to do with the 20% group's money. It's not hard to see where that's going to go. And in the midst of it all, the 80% claims that they have it hard.
Progressive tax stifles incentives for the lower and middle classes, while creating the largest burdens on the biggest capital contributions to the whole economy. So the worst and most putrid limbs of capitalism -- consumerism -- are still fed, and the roots -- entrepreneurialism and growth -- are continually being hacked off short.
I am no economist in the remotest sense, but the NST seems to me to be an exercise in the typical political game of false advertising. Everyone on the political spectrum is guilty of this when it comes to taxes -- proposing a system that sounds fair, even though anyone seriously considering this knows that it would be unbearable to the economy and impossible to enforce. Such a thing would be possible if it grew organically with a society, but simply applying it one day to the world's most complex economic player is ludicrous.
Certainly, though, some kind of flat tax -- however it is managed -- could be applied to replace our progressive tax. But, like it or not, we are going to have to remain income-based. The question of whether or not to tax income or consumption is much less significant than the issue of progressive tax (besides the fact that most people seem confused as to which -- taxing income and investment, or taxing consumption -- most stimulates capitalistic growth).
The progressive system strikes at the heart of democratic principles -- taxation and representation. When combining that revenue system with the government who spends that revenue, we have something akin to 9 Nazis and 1 Jew developing a racial policy. We have 80% of the voters getting to determine what to do with the 20% group's money. It's not hard to see where that's going to go. And in the midst of it all, the 80% claims that they have it hard.
Progressive tax stifles incentives for the lower and middle classes, while creating the largest burdens on the biggest capital contributions to the whole economy. So the worst and most putrid limbs of capitalism -- consumerism -- are still fed, and the roots -- entrepreneurialism and growth -- are continually being hacked off short.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Better is Beer, if Drink We Lack
Ten Beers Most Excellent.
1. Chimay Grande Reserve (Bleue): My favorite beer of all -- a Belgian abbey ale, brown, thick, creamy, with a bitter yeast and a good mouth of hops, but supremely well balanced with malts. -- I like at room temperature. 9% abv
2. Gulden Draak: a lovely, lovely spiced triple ale, rich amber or copper, very rich, full malts, very light hoppiness. The edge is more spice than yeast, and the beer is full of caramel and is sweet like honey. -- I like cold. 10.5% abv
3. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout: opaqe, black, full, but not bitter. Deep roasted malts are more coffee than chocolate. Excellent rich beer that even a beginner can enjoy. -- Cold or room temperature. 9% abv
4. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout: a great example of a stout that could be an Irish stout if it had come from the green Isle. Rich, fruity, hoppy, complex, with a lot of burnt malt flavor. The beer has a small head that is dense and sweet. -- I like this one room temperature. 10.6% abv.
5. Old Peculiar Theakston Ale: A rich, malty, sweet beer that is light on both yeast and hops, giving it a honey-like taste that is broadly masked by the powerful black chocolate of the malt. -- Room temperature. 5.6% abv.
6. Samuel Smith Brewery Taddy Porter: this really should be called a stout, since it can stand up to almost any stout out there. The malt is so dark and burnt that the coffee flavors ferment to a wickedly bitter finish that is only for the ambitious beer-lover. Only a touch of hops blend with the yeasty mouth. Not a complex beer, but certainly a rich one. -- Cooler temperatures help even out the dense coffee flavor. 5% abv.
7. Sam Adams Pale Ale: A light, golden, almost orange beer that is one of the tastiest hop-heavy beers I've ever had. It's fruit, citrus, and herbs all pop out of the creamy beer without souring the tongue, and the malt -- almost undetectable -- just barely smooths the edges. The perfect pale ale. -- Nice and cold. 5.25% abv.
8. Fat Tire: A Belgian-style amber ale that has a brilliant balance of malt and hops, with no sourness from the ale yeast. The mouth is dry and has flavors of toast and biscuit from the malt, with plenty of herbs from the hops. A great evening beer. -- slightly chilled. 5.2% abv.
9. Sam Adams Black Lager: another success from Sam Adams -- deep mahogany, with a rich and creamy flavor that lacks any serious bitterness, but is rich in dark fruits, roasted nuts, and fresh bread. Figs, toast, and spices are especially prominant. -- slightly chilled. 4.9% abv.
10. Rolling Rock: a delightful, inexpensive, and traditional pilsner-style pale lager, tasty enough for the veteran, mild enough for the newbie. Some drinkers say it tastes like nothing, but it does have a very mild but complex hoppy edge. The perfect "cool-down" beer -- easy to drink and fun. -- Ice cold. 4.6% abv.
1. Chimay Grande Reserve (Bleue): My favorite beer of all -- a Belgian abbey ale, brown, thick, creamy, with a bitter yeast and a good mouth of hops, but supremely well balanced with malts. -- I like at room temperature. 9% abv
2. Gulden Draak: a lovely, lovely spiced triple ale, rich amber or copper, very rich, full malts, very light hoppiness. The edge is more spice than yeast, and the beer is full of caramel and is sweet like honey. -- I like cold. 10.5% abv
3. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout: opaqe, black, full, but not bitter. Deep roasted malts are more coffee than chocolate. Excellent rich beer that even a beginner can enjoy. -- Cold or room temperature. 9% abv
4. Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout: a great example of a stout that could be an Irish stout if it had come from the green Isle. Rich, fruity, hoppy, complex, with a lot of burnt malt flavor. The beer has a small head that is dense and sweet. -- I like this one room temperature. 10.6% abv.
5. Old Peculiar Theakston Ale: A rich, malty, sweet beer that is light on both yeast and hops, giving it a honey-like taste that is broadly masked by the powerful black chocolate of the malt. -- Room temperature. 5.6% abv.
6. Samuel Smith Brewery Taddy Porter: this really should be called a stout, since it can stand up to almost any stout out there. The malt is so dark and burnt that the coffee flavors ferment to a wickedly bitter finish that is only for the ambitious beer-lover. Only a touch of hops blend with the yeasty mouth. Not a complex beer, but certainly a rich one. -- Cooler temperatures help even out the dense coffee flavor. 5% abv.
7. Sam Adams Pale Ale: A light, golden, almost orange beer that is one of the tastiest hop-heavy beers I've ever had. It's fruit, citrus, and herbs all pop out of the creamy beer without souring the tongue, and the malt -- almost undetectable -- just barely smooths the edges. The perfect pale ale. -- Nice and cold. 5.25% abv.
8. Fat Tire: A Belgian-style amber ale that has a brilliant balance of malt and hops, with no sourness from the ale yeast. The mouth is dry and has flavors of toast and biscuit from the malt, with plenty of herbs from the hops. A great evening beer. -- slightly chilled. 5.2% abv.
9. Sam Adams Black Lager: another success from Sam Adams -- deep mahogany, with a rich and creamy flavor that lacks any serious bitterness, but is rich in dark fruits, roasted nuts, and fresh bread. Figs, toast, and spices are especially prominant. -- slightly chilled. 4.9% abv.
10. Rolling Rock: a delightful, inexpensive, and traditional pilsner-style pale lager, tasty enough for the veteran, mild enough for the newbie. Some drinkers say it tastes like nothing, but it does have a very mild but complex hoppy edge. The perfect "cool-down" beer -- easy to drink and fun. -- Ice cold. 4.6% abv.
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