Washington on $85

I couldn't resist posting this...

Taking Science on Faith

I read an interesting Op-Ed in the NYT this week. Entitled Taking Science on Faith, Paul Davies argues that scientists who insist science is faith-free are kidding themselves. He notes,

Science, we are repeatedly told, is the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based on testable hypotheses. Religion, by contrast, is based on faith. The term “doubting Thomas” well illustrates the difference. In science, a healthy skepticism is a professional necessity, whereas in religion, having belief without evidence is regarded as a virtue.

The problem with this neat separation...is that science has its own faith-based belief system...

He concludes,

...until science comes up with a testable theory of the laws of the universe, its claim to be free of faith is manifestly bogus.

Good stuff. It seems to be that almost no matter a person's views, there is some level of faith involved.

Disappearances

TrueHoop pointed me to this disconcerting summary of some strange disappearances basketball players have encountered.

Pro basketball has had some truly bizarre disappearances of several athletes over time. And I'm not talking about players just leaving the game or losing their talent at the drop of a hat. I'm talking about guys literally disappearing.

The most recent bizarre disappearance involves former Washington State University player Tony Harris...

It seems that Tony Harris has disappeared in Brazil where he travelled to play basketball.

This year he decided to return to Brazil to get a "financial cushion" before the birth of his first child with his wife.

[She] said her husband left Seattle for Brasilia in central Brazil on Oct. 31. She last heard from him early November...

The other disappearances cited are those of John Brisker and Bison Dele. Each story is very strange in its own way.

Now, news in the latest story involving Harris has come in and it is not good.

How should America protect its borders?

Former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas answers this question in his presidential campaign's first TV ad:

Farm Bill Rancor

Right now in the US Senate, debate on the future of our farm bill is ongoing. The farm bill sets the policies for US agriculture. Not a big deal you say? Au contraire.

Time Magazine notes the bill is in fact important to all of us, even if only 1% of residents in the US are farmers anymore (down from 50% 130 years ago and while 36% of world residents are still farmers),

But farms still cover most of our land, consume most of our water and produce most of our food. If you eat, drink or pay taxes--or care about the economy, the environment or our global reputation--U.S. agricultural policy is a big deal.

Time writes that as always, bringing reform to the farm bill has been tough, but it's worth fighting for. The biggest issue is subsidies for our large cash crops, especially cotton and corn. So, I would encourage you to read this excellent article, and depending on your perspective, let your congressman know your thoughts. Speaking of which, do you have any?

The Real Da Vinci Code?

The history...

...of Veterans Day.

War on Poverty

Anthony Bradley writes,

“There is nothing new under the sun.” The oft-quoted saying from the book of Ecclesiastes is especially true of John Edwards’ well-intentioned but misguided “poverty tour.” Edwards’ proposals to help the poor are nothing more than a remix of Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal” and Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty” and, like those previous initiatives, miss the mark.

Government wealth redistribution schemes, larger labor unions, and expanded government social programming have never helped the poor in the past and will continue to fail the truly disadvantaged in the future.

Do you agree? If not these schemes, what is the best strategy for solving the problems of poverty within our country? How about globally?

"Not My Job" Awards

Back in college, I first saw the below picture and I thought it was pretty classic. It was described as the winner of the "Not My Job Award" from ADOT in Litchfield Park, AZ 85.

How could this have possibly happened? Okay, maybe they overlooked it. And the actual source of this picture and the supposed award aren't clear. Regardless, not something that happens often. But then last year, I saw this.

It was described as the winner of the 2006 "Not My Job" Award. Hmm, I was beginning to sense a theme. First of all, what are the chances of this happening again? In this case, there was no argument that it wasn't noticed. Sheer utter laziness was at fault. Were these pictures real? The only references to so called "Not My Job" awards seemed to come with these pictures. Where were they from? Surely this sort of thing couldn't keep happening.

But yes, this fall, yet again some road painting crews have been caught. And this time the location was verified. Right here in suburban Chicagoland crews painted over a roadkill racoon. Yikes.

Any others out there?