Sending a letter to my representatives about the “gaming” bill going through MA. April 15, 2010 To Whom It May Concern I am writing to oppose the “gaming” bill being considered by the Massachusetts legislature. As I understand it, the proposal is to license a…
Here are the basic rules for reasonable conversation on hot button issues. * Address the person you are talking to, not the bystanders. If you’re playing to the crowd, you’re doing it wrong. * Address people by the name that they choose, rather than the…
The health care reform bill brought the bogus demonization of “socialized” programs by conservatives front and center. It bugs me when people whine about how we shouldn’t have “socialized” medicine – and it bugs me more when they claim that every dollar they have is…
Based on the river of vitriol and/or gloating in my facebook friends feed this morning, I see that Team Obama (AKA the Democrats) managed to get some sort of legislation passed in the face of near universal opposition from Team We Hate Obama, No No…
I lost an argument the other day – and it’s bugging me. It’s not so much that I lost, since we weren’t really arguing – as that I let it get away from me because I was pushing on two different ideas at once. I…
I think that the most dangerous idea in modern America today is this: Educated, intelligent, and successful people are unsuited to positions of political power and leadership. This is a meme that could actually take us down, and I think that we need to meet…
Thinking about numbers, fairness, and justice lately. Consider nut allergies. Exposure to various sorts of nuts can cause anaphylactic shock. The person (victim? potential survivor?) gasps, unable to breathe. Without help (usually epinephrine), they can die. That’s pretty bad, right? The question is “To what…
In light of the Christmas Day “hot pants” would-be plane bomber, I would like to make a couple of comments about security – both for air travel and in general. First off, I like security. I used to be annoyed by bag checks and the…
Just got back from my second appearance on Freethought RI. This is a radio show that my good friend Dan started a year or so ago as part of his work with the RI Atheist Society. I find myself all amped up and excited about…
For the record, here’s what I think we should do to improve health care in the US: Public Clinics: I have no interest in providing or mandating insurance to the whole country. Insured or uninsured really makes no difference to me. What I care about…