Haiti and the problem of suffering

I've seen many quotes recently about "Why did this disaster strike Haiti." You've probably seen some of them too. Many of us recoil at them, knowing instinctively that they are a poor attempt at explaining something that boggles the mind. One self-proclaimed Athiest put up a Youtube video claiming that the earthquake was proof to bible believing Christians that their faith was self contradictory. Either the loving God allowed the quake and disaster, or he caused it, or could have prevented it and did not. Either way, he was to blame for it, so there's no God, and you are all deluded.

I just finished reading the book of Job. Job, by all accounts a good, righteous man, is afflicted as a result of what could only be called a bar bet between God and Satan. The bet is that man worships God only when he is blessed, and a man in poverty and sickness will turn against God. Job loses his family, his wealth, his reputation, his social standing, and his health. His four "friends" tell him to find what he's done wrong, and confess it to get his state restored, but he refuses to plead guilty to something he did not do.

Finally, God shows up to answer Job's questions -- and what is the answer? God says "Where were you when created the world, the stars, the crocodile? " It's not much of an answer, yet Job says "I had heard of you, but now that I see you, I repent". Just seeing God was the answer to suffering for Job.


Interestingly, just today I ran across this quote from CS Lewis that echoes, I believe, the same sentiment:

"I ended my first book with the words 'no answer.' I know now, Lord, why you utter no answer. You are yourself the answer. Before your face questions die away. What other answer would suffice? Only words, words; to be led out to battle against other words."
— C.S. Lewis

Haiti is tragic, but is just a macrocosm of what happens to people around the world every hour of every day: accident, disease, and death do not take a holiday, they are part of our lives. This is just what happens all the time, except a lot of it at once. For those who seek an answer to "why" I would say, seek the face of God. And while you're at it, pray for the people of Haiti.

How Obama can save healthcare

This is how Obama should address the Joint Session of Congress if he wants to save healthcare:

Senators, Representatives, and the people of America: I am not one to give up a fight easily, but even I can see that the recent Republican victory in the state of Massachusetts was more than just an interim election, it was a message by the voters of that state that we are going the wrong direction on healthcare. And I believe that these voters are representative of what the rest of Americans feel.

During my campaign, I promised healthcare reform. There were to be no more back room deals. I promised open negotiations on C-SPAN. I promised no special favors. Well, I get the message. I know a lot of work has gone into the bills we have now, and as reluctant as I am to say this, as of today, I am instructing the Senate majority leader, and the House majority leader, to discard their bills and start over.

This time, we will truly work across the aisle, in open negotiations that WILL be on C-SPAN, to craft a bill that has the support of both Republicans AND Democrats. Healthcare reform is too important to ignore, and too important to divide our country on the basis of party affiliation. I ask the support of every Senator, every Representative, to bring your best ideas to the table, and together help to fashion a bill that we can ALL support -- one that doesn't depend on a filibuster-proof majority to pass. It will take time -- a year, even two years, but healthcare reform is something worth working for, not only to have quality healthcare for our nation today, but also to ensure that our system can stand the test of time for our children and their children."

SPEECH END

Oh, and in case you think this is just one lone voice:

Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.), one of the leading advocates for health reform in the House, said, "I don't think it would be the worst thing to take a step back and say we are going to pivot to do a jobs thing" and include elements of health care reform in it.

"If there isn't any recognition that we got the message and we are trying to recalibrate and do things differently, we are not only going to risk looking ignorant but arrogant,” he said.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0110/31693.html#ixzz0d90rdaqA

Ignorant and arrogant. You got that exactly right Tony.

Senate to debate "Cash for Couches" to help furniture industry

Aug 3, Washington DC

The US Senate today debated a new stimulus proposal dubbed "Cash for Couches" designed to lift the depressed domestic furniture industry. While the US auto market is only 50% domestic production, the Upholstered furniture market is over 90% produced in the United States, predominately in the North Carolina region.
"We would welcome the chance to put our laid off employees back to work," said Jim Leviton, CEO of Heritage Furniture. Heritage makes a furniture sold under a varitety of store brand names, and employs 350 people in its Winston-Salem plant. Earlier this year, 75 employees were laid off due to lack of demand.

The new "Cash for Couches" program would provide up to $500.00 trade-in for any couch or upholstered chair, regardless of condition. Like the "Cash for Clunkers" program, the couches would have to be destroyed to eliminate the possiblity of insect infestations from spreading. Unlike the car program, however, people trading in the couches would not have to provide any documentation of prior ownership for 6 months. Also, the dealer paperwork would be reduced to a single page.

Sen. Barney Frank (D) of Massachusetts said "This program will help get new couches in the hands of people who have been putting off purchases, and also get the furniture industry moving again." The program is proposed to be initially funded with just $200,000,000, which will allow 400,000 families to replace their couches at a reduced price.

Republicans initially indicated their opposition to the bill, but later agreed that nearly 100% of the money would be going to American companies, it was one way they could help stimulate the economy and show some bi-partisan support to be used as a bargaining chip in future health-care debates.

The Senate is expected to vote on the proposal shortly after coming back into session from their Summer recess. The House has not yet taken up a similar measure.

Do bikes even GO this fast?

This is a real sign. Found today 7/20/09 on the Sammamish River Trail at the south end by Marymoor park. Yes, there is some construction going on. NO, it wasn't going on when I rode by today. Unless you have to walk your bike over a 20 foot deep chasm on a 2x12 plank, I think we might be able to go through at least at WALKING speed, don't you think?

This way that way any way you want

You can get to 520 any way you turn. It's practically unavoidable!

Contractor awards, for doing what was in the plans even if it didn't make any sense.

Obama's science guy admits the sun causes global warming

In a recent article President Obama's science adviser John Holdren said that we might need to consider seeding the atmosphere with pollution to cut the solar gain from the sun, if global warming gets too severe. This, to my mind, admits that the sun is contributing to global warming right now. I have a few questions and commens for Mr.Holdren, and am awaiting his replies:

I heard about the plan to “research” what it would take to cut sunlight and curb warming by shooting pollution into the upper atmosphere, simulating a volcano eruption.

First off, I work in computers and we never do anything to a running system to improve it that we can’t reverse in case we don’t get the results we expect. In this case, please be sure that any such plans you have to tinker with the atmosphere include methods to completely UNDO your changes, should we decide that is advised.

Second, can you tell me of any experiment or project that has attempted to engineer weather or climate in such a scale that has been proven successful?

Third, your analogy of being in a car, heading toward a cliff, without brakes, in the fog is clever: we are headed for disaster, but we lack control of the rate of our movement, and in fact, we don’t even know how far away the disaster is; even if we try steering the car away from the disaster, since we lack visibility we don’t know if we will point ourselves toward or away from the cliff; our actions may actually hasten our demise. Although we can see the earth warming in places, we don’t yet know why it is warming; and in fact doesn’t shooting particles into the atmosphere admit that the SUN is one of the main causes of global warming, not human activity? If the sun is at fault here, it's not getting it's due. Most if not all of the current global warming solutions attempt to control CO2 production. What proportion of global warming is due to the sun?

I look forward to your answers to these questions.