SerPolUS_IDES

Says presence or absence of belief in moral absolutes tends to be philosophical argument with little influence on everyday life of an individual.

>"Between 1979 and 2005 the inflation-adjusted, after-tax income of Americans in the middle of the income distribution rose 21 percent. The equivalent number for the richest 0.1 percent rose 400 percent. For the most part, these huge gains reflected a dramatic rise in the super-elite's share of pretax income. But there were also large tax cuts favoring the wealthy. In particular, taxes on capital gains..... >"Few of the 0.1% are in professions in which there is a clear relationship between someone's income and his economic contribution.... [So we] But they should ignore all the propaganda about "job creators" and demand that the super-elite pay substantially more in taxes."

Light boxes for seasonal affective disorder

LEDs can produce light in a narrower, more targeted wavelength. LEDs are also more efficient and lighter weight. Some light boxes give off blue light with a shorter wavelength. Some research shows blue light may be slightly more effective at reducing seasonal affective disorder symptoms than other types of light, but more research is needed. Look for a light box that emits as little UV light as possible at high intensity.

Proving that homosexuality is genetically determined isn't critical to respecting individual's right to gayness. There may be a mixture of genetic & environmental influences.

"[I]f our brain's chemistry does affect our moral behavior, the question of whether that balance is set in a natural way or by medical intervention will make no difference in how freely we act. If there are already biochemical differences between us that can be used to predict how ethically we will act, then either such differences are compatible with free will, or they are evidence that at least as far as some of our ethical actions are concerned, none of us have ever had free will anyway. In any case, whether or not we have free will, we may soon face new choices about the ways in which we are willing to influence behavior for the better.

Liberalism should be popular, but isn't, because people don't perceive that government is honest or helps them. Liberals haven't worked on cleaning house.

"It's a Wonderful Life," 2011 version - in Cattaraugus, NY: state's smallest bank treats individuals as known persons, not subjects of risk-algorithms

3-d retreat at Jesuit Ctr, Wernersville, PA, w/ spiritual direction ($540)

>THE DIVINE COMMANDS to commit genocide found in the Old Testament are some of the most difficult and disturbing parts of scripture. Consider God's decree against the Amalekites: "Totally destroy everything ... Do not spare them; put to death ... children and infants" (1 Samuel 15:2-3). Such passages have been used repeatedly to justify bloodshed in the name of God, beginning with the Crusades and continuing right up through U.S. history, where texts were used in sermons to justify the slaughter of American Indians.... I'd like to propose that there is a better way-a way found in learning to read our Bibles as the apostle Paul read his. >Paul has removed the references to violence against Gentiles, and recontextualized these passages to instead declare God's mercy in Christ for Gentiles. This constitutes a major redefinition of how salvation is conceived: Instead of salvation meaning God "delivering" the ancient Israelites from the hands of their enemies through military victory (as described in Psalm 18, above), Paul now understands salvation to mean the restoration of all people in Christ, including those same "enemy" Gentiles.

Marilynne Robinson, on how biblical narratives influenced realist fictions' honoring of "common" human experiences (consciously or unconsciously)

N.Carolina eugenic sterilizations of 1930-1977

Quality of living & dying

Successful theist philosopher - & book against Dawkins, et al.

Translating biblical criticism from seminary to laypeople in the pews

The Bible advocates for the poor & oppressed

Poor analysis of mis-spent $ at EOL

Growing, young, innovative society has economic advantages over contracting societies of Europe & Japan

For-profit corporations' amorality (profit = #1 goal) can be dangerous in free society.

'"Being unable to stop filibusters can make the party in power look ineffective," said Julian Zelizer , a professor of history and public affairs at Princeton University , who's written extensively on the filibuster. "The Republican goal now is to make Obama look like an ineffective leader." Although minority Democrats used the filibuster extensively from 2006 on, 'Republicans appear to be taking the filibuster to a new level. They've filibustered 15 nominees to mid-level jobs that formerly got routine approval;' all but one ultimately were confirmed.