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On 9/11/01, nearly 3,000 people were murdered at the hands of people with a twisted view of the world. I was in study hall that day, studying for an English class vocabulary test, when another teacher came in to the room and spoke briefly to the study hall monitor. The monitor then turned on the TV, and I watched the coverage in shock and disbelief. I seem to remember not doing too well on my test. I then spent most of the rest of the day watching the coverage on TV.

It is people like these terrorists who have absolutely no concern for the lives of human beings. Every time they send out some taped message, they claim to be doing it for Allah, or for the Muslim people, but that is a lie. The terrorists would use their own people as shields if they has to. I’m not religious, but for lack of a better term, these people have no souls. To that extent, while I support the war on terror in purpose, but I think more effort needs to be focused on finding the likes of Osama. While this would not be a major blow to terrorism (someone would just step up to lead al-Queda), but he must face justice, if he has not done so already (due to bombings). But until we know for sure, that search must not end.

While I don’t think we should dwell on this day forever, we should never forget the people, and we should not forget that day. Never forget 9/11.

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I am back up at school now, and among other classes, I’m taking one called “Culture and National Security.” For our first reading assignment, the professor gave us a text copy of an interview from a television show called Think Tank with Ben Watterberg. The episode, entitled “When Cultures Collide” features an interview with Samuel Huntington, known for his theory that post-Cold War conflicts would no longer feature nation-states, but rather civilizations. The basic thesis is that no longer will two or more nation-states, say the United States and Russia, battle for ideological dominance in the world, but rather that this fight will return to clashes rooted in antiquity, say Christianity against Islam, or Western values against the value system from other parts of the world.

I like to think that Huntington’s theory is starting to prove true. Yes, the current conflicts of our time officially have been the U.S. (and its allies) against Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and to a small extent, Cuba (though we don’t actively engage them in conflict anymore), but for most of these conflicts, I think it represents something deeper. The Korea and Cuba conflicts are still ideological for the most part, but what about that of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Iran? Here we have three countries where the norms and traditions are very foreign to somebody who lives in a Western nation. There are traditions and laws that somebody coming from the Americas or Europe might consider old fashioned, sexist, racist, or just plain barbaric. The fact that many do not understand the differences and why they exist already place a barrier between us and them, without creating any physical conflict at all. Likewise, people in the predominantly-Muslim nations may view our culture as something they do not understand.
Continue reading →

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Just realized I never blogged about the New York trip.

We got into New Haven around about 9:30 in the morning. We stopped by Dunkin Donuts, and took the 9:57 train, and got to New York around 11:30.

It would had been faster just to subway to 49th street, but instead we walked down 42nd until we realized we were going the wrong way. So, we then turned around and finally got to 6th Ave, and worked our way up to 51st street, then crossed over to 7th Ave. Couldn’t pick much of a better spot. We were right up the road from Times Square, and right down the road from Central Park.

We were able to get in to our room right away, which was good given the time of day. After we were settled, we got a taxi to the dock from where the cruise took off. We all got hot dogs, and then went on the cruise. It was nice, and the tour guide was knowledgeable, and apparently a geology geek . 😛 Some bridge was broken, so we weren’t able to go up to the Harlem River, so they turned back and went as far north as possible, before returning to dock.

After the cruise, we went up 42nd Street and to Times Square, and looked around in that area for shopping, etc. Oh, did you know that 1 Times Square is a vacant building and they still make $20 million a year off it? That’s what that advertising will do for you.

After shopping, we went back up toward the hotel to look for some food. We finally found this deli, where our waitress kinda sucked. However, the food was good, and there was plenty of it, so that kind of made up for sucky service. After we ate, we hung around the room a bit. Then we took the subway to 34th street and went to the Empire State Building. I’ve never been to the 86th floor, so it was an experience, even if it was windy and chilly. I got some decent pictures, which can be found on my Flickr account.

The next day, we got up at 9:00am, and showered, then me and Amber went down to the pool while Aunt Anne got some breakfast. Afterward, we made our way to Central Park and walked around there a lot, went on the carousel, etc. We kept trying to find the zoo that’s there. We finally got to it, and it started pouring. So, we took a subway to 34th and went to the Manhattan Mall, and other smaller shops.

Around 4pm, we hopped on a subway, and went back to Grand Central Terminal. We did some shopping there, and were able to get a 5:07pm train back home, getting to New Haven around 6:30 or so.

Overall, the trip was fun because the last two times I’ve been there, it was as part of a school trip, or it was very cold. However, the rain could have held up for us. 😛 That put a bit of a damper in our second day plans, but we still had fun. If you want to see some more pictures, click on the picture of the Statue of Liberty.

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Well, I was going to write a long-winded entry about Katrina, but I think this guy’s entry pretty much sums it up for me. Small amount of profanity, so be warned.

I think the screw-ups are not limited to the federal government, as much as some people would like to think. There were problems from all levels of government, including the hundreds of NO buses sitting there doing nothing. Apparently, Nagin says there were no drivers, but surely, some of the buses could have been rounded up?

Another side I’m a bit angry at are these people who think they’re made of steel and can survive every hurricane. Do they not read? This thing was predicted to land as a Cat 5. It ended up being a Cat 4, but regardless, no matter how strong your leeves are, if you can get out, GET OUT. That should not be a question for these kinds of storms.

Katrina also showed that racism indeed in still rampant in that part of the country. The amount of stories I read by black citizens who were barred (mostly by police) from leaving the city is astonishing. I meant to post up a link to a recent story citing the reason the authorities didn’t allow some people to leave because they feared crime in other neighborhoods, but I’m having trouble finding it now. I’ll post it up next time, since I’ll hopefully have found it by then. Apart from any during-Katrina immorality, the city’s Lower 9th Ward, among other sections, still has yet to be rebuilt, meaning thousands are stranded in other cities…still! A year later!

So I’m not viewing all this in a pessimistic way, at least the resolve of those who have returned to NOLA couldn’t be shattered by the hurricane. It is good that the historic city was not completely lost in the storm. I have hope that it will return to its former prosperity, albeit gradually (even if I do think that remaining on that pile of sand is not too wise for what could happen in the not-too-distant future if another storm hits).

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I had meant to post this entry yesterday, but didn’t find the time to do so.

So, the definition of planets has, for the first time, been explicitly defined, and Pluto has lost its status as a planet. I’ll give a short explanation for those who didn’t follow the progress of the past week in the astronomy world.

As you might know, the debate has been raging on for years as to whether or not Pluto is or is not a planet. It’s eccentric orbit, more oval than round, on a different plane than the other planets, and passing through the orbit of another planet (Neptune), things none of the other planets have in common. Then there is the fact that is so much unlike the other planets, with a very thin atmosphere. That, and not much seems to be known about its innards, whether or not it has a mantle or a core. It shares much more with the other objects in the Kuiper Belt than with the planets.

I thought I was always so right. Then I found out that Mercury is much closer to the Moon or Pluto than I had originally though. However, at least with Mercury, we know it has the features of a planet.

So, after the discovery of objects such as 2003 UB313, astronomers apparently decided that now was the time to decide how to define a planet, and whether or not Pluto should retain that status. The first definition they came up with was very controversial, and as I’ve already made an entire entry about it, I won’t go into it anymore here.

Well, it would appear that the scientists who study planet composition were responsible for the first definition. The people who study planety movement didn’t like it, so they were somehow able to get their own definition on the table. You can see the Wikipedia article for more on the second draft of the resolution, but here is the definition in its final form:

The IAU…resolves that planets and other bodies in our Solar System be defined into three distinct categories in the following way:

(1) A “planet” [1] is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

(2) A “dwarf planet” is a celestial body that: (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape [2], (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.

(3) All other objects [3] except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as “Small Solar System Bodies”.

Well, this effectively clears out Pluto, Sedna, 2003 UB313, and any others that were considered and puts them in a different status called “dwarf planets.” I’m happy about that, however, I do agree with those who say the whole “clearing the neighborhood” is a bit vague. It also may compel scientists to disqualify a planet from another solar system that is perfectly capable of supporting humans, if something happens to be in the way of its orbit. So, I would agree that the definition still needs some fleshing out.

Now, I know I said this was going to be a more philosophical entry, but Stargate SG-1 rings, and I’m off to New York City this weekend. So, this is an entry in progress, but I put it up now for you to see. Have a good weekend. Many pictures when I return!

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Well, today is a huge day for astronomy. It may very well render all the astronomy books currently being ordered by schools and college students around the world as obsolete, even before they’re used. For those not caught in the whole debate, a final proposal has been submitted for vote this afternoon:

A planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.

A dwarf planet is a celestial body that (a) is in orbit around the Sun, (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, (c) has not cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit, and (d) is not a satellite.

All other objects orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as “Small Solar System Bodies”.

A separate resolution will be voted on to decide whether Pluto should be included as a “dwarf planet.” Now, while this doesn’t tail exactly with my suggestions from a few days ago, I consider it compatible enough to work. It effectively (if voted in this way) stops Pluto and those others from being one of the big, major planets. Although I don’t know what “clearing the neighborhood” means, it seems likely that it will be explained in the coming days, if this resolution passes.

I don’t have much more to say about it at the moment. Later today, I’ll have my analysis of what the decision means for society and the future if the resolution passes. If not, I’ll have to see what I’ll write about once I know more information.

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I should have known, when I saw the CNN article referenced in the last entry, that the subject of polygamy would be brought up again by the media. Sure enough, CNN’s Anderson Cooper has a whole special on his show tonight about it. Of course, you can’t speak polygamy without somehow including fugitive Warren Jeffs, so he brought in a guy to give an update on the situation.

Must have been precognition that prompted me to write my last entry. Somehow, I must have known somebody was going to cover it this Monday night. Thus, it had to happen.

That is all.

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Update: I should probably have made it a little clearer that I do not support polygamy people like Warren Jeffs, who force people into it. If polygamy is to be accepted, it must be a consensual relationship between adults.

Ever since a series of articles and news stories flooded the media earlier this year about fugitive polygamy cult leader Warren Jeffs, I’ve noticed an increasing number of articles about polygamy and those seeking to have it supported by society (U.S. society, anyway). I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but then I noticed this article tonight.

CNN has an story about a recent polygamy rally in Utah. The main idea is that children of polygamists were speaking out to have their lifestyle supported by the Utah government, and how they are living happy and free lives. One quote in particular caught my attention:

We are not brainwashed, mistreated, neglected, malnourished, illiterate, defective or dysfunctional,” 17-year-old Jessica said. “My brothers and sisters are freethinking, independent people: some who have chosen this lifestyle, while others have branched out to a diversity of religions.

This appears to be a defense either directly or indirectly related to the flood of media attention on Jeffs. For those who don’t know, Warren Jeffs is currently on the run from authorities for committing statutory rape and conspiracy to commit such an act. Jeffs is the self-appointed leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the major religious sect in the U.S. practicing polygamy. Major polygamist communities tend to be clustered out west, especially in Hildale, Utah.

I believe that the attention on Jeffs has definitely brought about some more negative feelings toward something that has been already viewed highly immoral by many. This rally seems to be the polygamists’ and their childrens’ way of trying to reach out to the community around them. However, this may only be the start. One rotton apple can spoil it for the bunch, as they say. I forsee more functions of this type in the future, as polygamists try to get their lifestyle accepted, especially in places like Utah, where it’s illegal.

It definitely has some parallels to the on-going gay-rights movement. A group of people trying to get their lifestyle accepted amongst a sea of people who may or may not accept it. It would definitely be an uphill battle, perhaps moreso than gay rights. This one may be man and women, but here we have multiple woman or multiple men, depending on exactly what type is practiced. I can definitely see how even some in the gay community would be averse to this, a double-whammy, whereas gays only have to battle against heterosexuals for the most part.

Whatever the eventual outcome, these movements seem to go in waves, with the major actions separated by about 40 years or so (yes, I counted). The women civil rights movement in the 20s, the black civil rights movement in the 60s, and now the gay civil rights movement in the 2000s. Will the polygamists have to wait until the 2040’s for their movement? Only time will tell, but I’m guessing they will be the next major social rights movement. I can’t really think of another group that might be up for rallying for their civil rights, so the polygamists naturally seem to be the next (you can correct me in the comments if you wish). So, where am I on this? Well, I can hardly support the gay right movement without supporting their lifestyle, at least from afar. Neither I’d get involved in, but neither I particularly have problems accepting as a way people can live.

What are your views? I invite you to comment, but remember, no attacks.

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Time for some more plugging. Just found this guy out. He has some pretty awesome entries for the few I’vew read so far, and he loves to travel! Well, so I’m guessing, given the huge amount of places he seems to have visited. Check it out. It’s definitely going into the list at your right!