Giving up seats is more than a moral dilemma. It's an act of subjective judgement. For me, there seems to be a hierarchy of giving up seats: pregnant women, old ladies, parent with infant-in-arms, guy with one leg. I'd almost never give up my seat for a parent with one child (about 1-2 yrs old). Cos you know that they'll ALWAYS ask their child to sit, and the proceed to try to bend over awkwardly and attend to him. I mean come on, if you had any brains you'd sit and make your child sit ON you, right? I never had such luxuries when I was a kid. The bloody kid can learn to behave and stand still.
So the other day i was confronted with an even more complex dilemma. I was seated in the corner, and this couple with not one but TWO 1-2- year olds came in. The "good christian girl" next to me immediately got up (I say "good christian girl" cos she was reading her bible and writing her reflections in a notebook. She was so focused on it that she even wrote while standing up, balancing the book upside down on her thigh while holding onto the bar with the other hand and trying not to bump into people in the crowded train. You have to admire anyone with such a conviction).
But i digress. So what happens? the lady plomps her child on the seat, OF COURSE. Then they proceed to crowd around me and I began to feel an acute sense of social pressure to give up my seat as well. But being the stubborn ass that I am i was just adamantly defending my right to choose who to give up my seat to. I even made a conscious effort to look up at them so that I wouldn't be branded one of those people who "fall asleep" when there might be a chance that you have to give up your seat. Eventually they got off 5 stops later.
So is being a consciencious, courteous person of good moral character (christian or otherwise) mean you have to give up your seat to everyone? Darling Andrea thinks I should just give up my seat when faced with uncertainty. But if i live by that mantra, there's ALWAYS someone you have to give up your seat for! If there's no subjectivity in choosing, then there's no meaningful act of giving up. Why not just stand magnanimously proclaim that you've just given up your seat to the ENTIRE train? Why put yourself in a situation where you might have to give it up anyway? And what's with those stickers above your head that says "give up your seat to those who need it more"? Is that added institutionalized social pressure and stigma for non-compliance???
BAH. Maybe even terrorists need to sit.
posted @11:49 AM
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Sunday, November 18, 2007
Stupid for you - Marie Digby
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posted @1:18 PM
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I've been reading this book and its absolutely scrumptious if you like reading about animals and life on our little blue planet. He gives a thousand and one examples of how evolution theory falls short in really explaining all the missing links between the so-called creation of superior species. Personally, i don't think this necessarily rules out the possibility of evolution, just that there are too many loopholes to account for the vibrant life we can see here. This book promotes Intelligent Design (not necessarily a "God" of any sort) and makes quite a persuasive argument. Here are some highlights.
excerpts from Billions of Missing Links, by Geoffrey SimmonsM.D.
As "science", Darwinism must be subject to the scrutiny of the scientific method. The Scientific Method requires essentially 4 steps: (1) Observation (2)Hypothesis Formulation (3) Prediction (4) Testing of Predictions
from page 18 This is not about the faster rabbits escaping predators more easily, or the breeding of different dogs into another shape, size, trait, quality or look. Genetically speaking, a rabbit is still a rabbit, and a dog is still a dog. Survival of the fittest, on a short time line, is universally accepted. This is more about major transitions. No scientist has ever observed [...] a clam escaping from its shell and becoming an octopus, or a fish evolving into anything remotely similar to an amphibian, or a bear developing a blowhole on the top of its head and an anus along its belly as it went for a millennium-long swim (This blogger's note: This is one of the examples Darwin gave to support his theory). If Darwinian research cannot get past step 1, then step 4 can never be fulfilled. Even if fossils can be counted as step 1, there are no proven transitional species - and therefore still no step 4.
Often, millions of steps - links - are needed to compete a process or move a species to a more complex level. Where are these missing links? from page 29 The bombardier beetle, for example, has many unexplained coincidences. This African insect can fire off two chemicals, hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone, from separate storage tanks and rear jets. When the chemicals combine, they form a new chemical that burns the predator. The beetle can shoot these chemicals with an uncanny accuracy, as well, to either side, backward, or even forward, by swinging its tail under its abdomen. [...] Yet these chemicals are benign when stored separately at the back end of these beetles. How did this happen by accident? "Oops those two chemicals didn't work" (spoken by an intermediate species). "Mind if i try two others before you eat me?" Or "Could you stand a little taller so I can get you with my nozzles?" Keep in mind there are hundreds of thousands of chemicals on this planet to choose from, And even if the combo turned out to be perfectly right the first time, the beetles still needed a way to make them, store them, and fire them off.
The real links seem to be missing.
posted @11:57 AM
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Tuesday, November 13, 2007
People do the darnest things when they're in a crowded train. Well, i guess, if you gotta go, you gotta go....
posted @12:13 AM
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Monday, November 05, 2007
... and we were all Yellow.
"We have laid down a policy that where books or films are detrimental to morals and come very close to being classified as "yellow culture", it follows logically that they will be banned" - S. Rajaratnam (The Straits Times, June 12, 1959)
"Yellow Culture... destroyed [young people's] sense of value, and corrode[d] their willingness to pay attention to serious thought" - Lee Khoon Choy (Speech delivered at the Rotary Club, 12 October 1967)
posted @3:26 PM
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Sunday, November 04, 2007
FINAL SCORE Arsenal 2:2 Man U
On the stroke of halftime, true to form Wayne Rooney slots one in past keeper Almunia who was beaten quite ridiculously at the near post after an absolutely blistering run down the right flank by Ryan Giggs.
Arsenal 0:1 Man U ---
Almost immediately after kick-off Eboue's run to the byline draws out keeper Van der Sar who is in no-man's land. A brilliant cutback gives Fabulous Fabregas lots of time and space to slot a low volley into the left corner of the goal, with Rio Ferdinand sticking out a right leg half-heartedly on the goal-line.
Arsenal 1:1 Man U
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A brilliant blind pass from Louis Saha sent the Arsenal backline in complete disarray. Almunia caught in no-man's land, and Evra slots an easy one into the back of the net. Arsenal defenders left for dead.
Arsenal 1:2 Man U (84th minute) ---
The goal that broke Man U hearts: In the 92nd minute, Arsenal frontline floods the six yard box, pummeling van der sar's goal with close range shots. As the Arsenal players continued desperately to put the ball into the net, the referee has already given the goal: Gallas' initial effort had already crossed the line when the Man U keeper pushed it back out into the six yard box. Apologies to all those Man U fans who thought an away win at the emirates was a foregone conclusion. In the end, a fantastic match between the two of the leagues top two teams.
posted @12:50 AM
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