August 2005 Archives

The New York Times is doing a series on the debate between intelligent design and evolution. So far it's been an interesting series, though clearly the writers take side with the scientists who believe in evolution. Yesterday's article was about the funding of the Discovery Institute, and the Maclellan Foundation got a mention. Today's article is more about the debate itself, and while it delves into different scientific explanations for things with which I am not familiar, since I am far from a science expert, it is clear that at the root of this debate is the supposed conflict between science and religion.

I don't want to go into what I think is right and wrong about both sides of the debate. What I do want to say is that our society makes too much of a dichotomy between science and religion, which is obviously a byproduct of the compartmentalizing of religion in our culture, and also the glorification of science as a completely objective discipline. If evolution is true, why couldn't it be that an intelligent designer is behind it anyway? If organisms have adapted gradually to different environments and multiplied into different species many times over the course of history, does that automatically discount the theory that a spiritual being was guiding these organisms?

Here are my Aunt Collyn and Uncle Rudy dressed in full garb for Covenant's 50th anniversary gala. Uncle Rudy's hat actually says "Hoover '28" on it. We joked that there probably wouldn't be too many disapproving Democrats at the party.

These are some of my cousins playing wiffle ball on the National Mall at a gathering we had there the night before my brother Andrew's wedding in Washington, DC. It seems to embody what is great about America.

According to an article in slate magazine online, the network news shows are not losing their profitability as fast we think. And it's because of the concentrated audiences of these shows: a big company would rather buy 3 ads than 60 in the fragmented media of today. We bloggers can get off our high horse now- it will be many years before online news sources garner the same advertising dollars that the older news sources (networks, newspapers) still get.

As you can see from my current reads list, I am reading too many books at once (I actually have more which are waiting to be opened by me). But there are too many good books out there for me to choose just one. And this list reflects quite a variety: the first is Irish literature (obvious); the second is Friedman's book about the Middle East, destined to be a classic; the third is a book about a Cardinals/Cubs series in August of '03, although it's more about Tony LaRussa's managing style than anything else; and the fourth is a classic on nonfiction writing, which I've barely cracked open.

Also, my blog description will be known only to those of you who are from and/or live in Iowa (todd, this means you).

The only thing worse than watching the St. Louis Cardinals lose to the despicable Braves is listening to it from another room in the house. Especially when it's our best pitcher against some no-namer. Ugh, sometimes it's hard being a fan.

EDIT 5 pm: I take that way back: After a frustrating game, the Cardinals loaded thebases in the bottom of the ninth for David Eckstein to hit a game and series-winning grand slam, giving the Cards 70 wins. Baseball is a beautiful thing.

This is my first post in the blogging world, but I have been reading blogs for a while and I know what I like and don't like about them. For my blog, I want to stick to posting links and commenting on different issues that I read about, as well as making comments about various books/movies/music, etc. Reflections on my personal life will be pretty much left out.

So here is my first link. The ever-optimistic David Brooks, one of my favorite journalists, talks about the virtues of virtue. I'm not sure what I think about American society getting better, or having a moral revival, since new problems always come in to replace the old ones, but I do appreciate a journalist focusing on the positive.