Or "The Night Tim Met My Ex-Wife," or "Tim Minchin's 'Dinner Of Enlightenment,'" or "If He's Going To Mention Oprah I Wonder If He'll Mention Obama?" or (our favorite:) "Wow: To Think Some Women Are Willingly Destroying Their Marriages, The Lives Of Other Loved Ones, And Society - And Everything Else In Their Path Like Even A Silly Party They'll Blame On Others For Having Disturbed - Because They're So Fucking Arrogant And Narcissistic (And Blindingly Stupid) They Can't Tell The Difference Between Their Oh-So-Cosmic Asshole Of A Brain And The Fact That What Any Quack, Guru, or Spiritual Leader Sells Is Just Another Cultishly Empty-Headed Hole In The Ground - Which Means, Even If They're So-Called 'Homeopathic Doctors,' They're Not Even Half-As-Smart As A Certain Stupid Fucking Drug-Taking Totally-Wigged-Out-By-The-Multiple-Deaths-And-Other-Damage-Done-To-Others-For-A-Whole-Packaged-Nazi-NewAge-Paradigm Musician!"
But then, upon further reflection, we're sure you can come up with a few more snappy titles of your own,...Storm's nice though. Short.
Here's the lyrics for the Frenchies.
Excellent! I have some quibbles, though. I don't think in such either/or terms and it is dangerous to rely on science as an authority. Science can be tainted by belief. Science is a method, a sensory synthesis. No scientist can prove the "big bang" theory. Yet many speak as though it is a fact.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of non-scientific people who are using "science" as a monolithic device which ultimately is another belief system. Look at how 'science" is used to bolster global warming theories and scientists are used as the new high priests. No one really knows, it becomes another belief system.
Many scientific conclusions have later been proven wrong, and as a result been proven that belief was the operative function - not science.
At some point many things that were believed to be true were ultimately proven true. Some things people believe in might be true, yet remain are unproven.
Other things have been pretty conclusively disproven.
And still other things are belief systems so devoid of evidence that they are as unlikely as anything, and the fact that more than one person believes in this same outlandish and unsubstantiated thing is scientific proof that it is a belief and not science. These are the obvious cults.
If I were transported back in time to a pre-electric culture. I would believe in electricity.
When lightening strikes, I would try to tell the villagers that this was not the result of angry Gods but electricity. Electrons interacting with positive and negative charges. Cold air meeting hot air - hell, I don't really know how could I explain, let alone prove this to them!
So would that be science or belief?
I only know most of what I know about science as hearsay. I believe most of it because I see the results.
I am seeing more and more that almost everything is a belief system. Then I have to begin to look at what belief systems seem to work better than other belief systems. I don't mean science vs. religion here, more like worldview.
I believe people are believers and we can't really get away from that very easily.
Franco, you have just demonstrated how little you know about the PROCESS of science, and apparently you may have embraced the NewAge/cult crap that science is just another opinion. If you’re able, consider this:
ReplyDeleteYour statement “No scientist can prove the "big bang" theory” is correct, and NO scientist claims it’s been proven or that it’s a fact.
The word used, even by you, is THEORY, and as such it is subjected to constant scrutiny, testing and revision, all subject to duplication and verification by others.
Science strives to self-correct and expand from the last known demonstrated fragment. The operating principal behind science is “here is what we know SO FAR, and we’re working on it”.
By contrast, the belief systems you mention claim to be unquestionably true as a mere act of faith (mind games), regardless of the absence of demonstrable verification.
Understand this Franco, because if you don’t, that’s what is dangerous; the very computer you used to write and send your comment is a result of science.
That your cell phone works is science. Air travel is the result of science, as is your microwave oven and the fact that your car starts when you turn the key. I could fill a million pages with examples.
Now it’s your turn, Franco. Tell me how I can tape a crystal to my elbow that will make me sing like Elvis. And if it doesn’t work, Franco, don’t tell me it’s because I don’t believe strongly enough. Remember, your computer worked whether you believed it would or not.
Joseph Nigro
I love your blog.
ReplyDeleteIt is truly awesome.
I was a card carrying member of the New Age for more than half my life. I have a masters degree in Oriental medicine and a doctorate in homeopathy. I spent 20 years studying the stuff. And stuff is a kind word. It's more like shit. That's right, after drinking the kool-aid for two decades, I finally drank the antidote and it wasn't a homeopathic one. It was a full potency cure called rational thought. I now believe that 99.9% of "New Age" hogwash (and that includes CAM) is nothing more than a poison arrow of quackery and sham aimed at the gullible and the weak. Like a cult member deprogramming themselves, I am slowly trying to make sense of myself and re-train my brain muscles. Your blog is like a deliciously strong cup of coffee after awakening from a very, very bad dream. Keep up the good work, the world needs people like you to cut through the bullshit like a samurai of sanity.
Did I also mention that I used to be a Democrat?
:o)