Arbitrary Marks

If anyone’s name was not found written in the bokk (sic) of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire!!! REVELATION 20:15

As I write this, the number one emailed article on NYTimes.com is “Hopes for a Renaissance After Exodus in St. Louis.” Reading this story was bittersweet for me, as I realized just how much I’ve grown to love the city, and how short a time I have left here.

From Washington University: Lord Colin Renfrew, an influential and innovative archaeologist for more than three decades, will present this year’s John and Penelope Biggs Lecture in the Classics as part of the Assembly Series at 4 p.m. March 22 in Graham Chapel. Titled “Becoming Human: The Cognitive Archaeology of Humankind,” the talk is free and [...]

On Wednesday night, the Schlafly Bottleworks in Maplewood, Missouri hosted “Science on Tap”, a discussion and lecture with Ursula Goodenough, author of Genetics and The Sacred Depths of Nature.  The topic was “Is It Natural to be Moral?” and Goodenough took the position that yes, it is.  A slight woman of about fifty, Goodenough energetically [...]

01.30.07 - I’m moving this up to the top as a reminder.  Should be a good time.  And they have the new Scotch Ale available now…mmmm.
For any of you readers in St. Louis, Ursula Goodenough will be at the Schlafly Bottleworks on January 31 at 7:00 PM, as part of the Science on Tap series.  [...]

The question of whether taxes ought to be levied on certain groups of citizens, to benefit others, is an ethical (and arguably, religious) one.  Jesus famously responded to a question about taxation, saying that the Jewish people should “render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”  Of course, this does not solve the problem of what is [...]

In the interest of applying ethical discussion to some live issues, I’m going to go through the amendments currently on the ballot for the state of Missouri this November 2006. After all, I need to decide how to vote, right? I won’t be endorsing a vote one way or the other, merely laying out some [...]

I’ve had enough blogosphere drama for the day.  Tonight there will be no philosphical or religious musings, except those that I might have in conversation with my darling Liz as we go to the Botanical Gardens Chihuly exhibit.  Wandering through moonlit gardens looking at glowing glass–that’s the way to spend an evening.  My best wishes [...]

For local readers, take note of this event occuring tonight at 7 pm.  McGreevey will not only be signing, but speaking and taking questions.  This is a divergence from his normal procedure of only signing books.  I watched the former governor on Oprah and was struck by his distancing of himself from the events of his [...]

I’m trying to get a meetup group going again, after chickening out from the previous incarnation quite a few times.  (I always meant to go, just got intimidated by the idea of meeting strangers.)  Click here to see details and to join us tomorrow evening.  My thesis is–if I want to do this and I’m introverted yet fun, probably [...]