DJ Grothe gave this very thought-provoking lecture on secular ethics in December of 2006. Can we be good without a god? Where does our sense of morality come from? What are the biological foundations for ethics?

The introduction is a little long. DJ's lecture starts at 2:40.

Darwin Made Me Do It: Secular Vs. Religious Ethics

Enjoy! :)

DJ Grothe gave this very thought-provoking lecture on secular ethics in December of 2006. Can we be good without a god? Where does our sense of morality come from? What are the biological foundations for ethics?

The introduction is a little long. DJ's lecture starts at 2:40.

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The moon will be at its lowest point on the horizon tonight, giving us a chance to see a very cool optical illusion, so don't forget to go outside and take a peek at moonrise (about 9:30 p.m. here in Columbus). I used an empty paper towel roll to look at the moon last year and was able to make the illusion disappear.

More info here.

Um, does anyone have an extra 1 or 2 million I can borrow? I'll pay you back. I promise.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/science/10auct.html?ex=1370750400&en=c9d19e51a82df186&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Thanks to Phil for the heads up.

Have you guys been following the Phoenix mission? The lander touched down on Mars yesterday, and some of the first pictures have been posted here and here. All of the pictures are amazing, but Phil Plait, my favorite astronomer, posted a video describing what this one in particular shows. Have a Kleenex handy and watch this video.

The skies here in Columbus were crystal clear last night, and the eclipse was beautiful. These pics don't do it justice, but they're the best I could get with my little camera and no tripod. I hope you guys got a chance to see it where you are.

(You can just make out Saturn in this one.)

Jen:)

UPDATE (01/30/08):

We just got back from the vet. Gabs' cancer is not really treatable. With conservative radiation therapy (4 to 6 treatments), she will live for another 4 to 6 months but with some side effects, the most major of which is losing sight in her right eye. With no radiation treatment, she will live for about 2 to 3 months.

We don't think it's worth it to put her through the radiation therapy, so the vet is just going to give us medication when she needs it to help with her pain and inflammation. We're just going to spoil her rotten and make sure that she's happy and comfortable for the next couple of months.

This stinks.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Hi all. I need some help. I'm looking for some quick fundraising ideas. My little Gabi has had two recent dental surgeries, one in November and one in December, to remove abscessed and loose teeth. She was still having problems with bleeding from her gums and swelling of her cheek, so she had a biopsy taken from her upper jaw last Tuesday. The biopsy came back on Friday as squamous cell carcinoma.

I made an appointment for a radiation oncology consultation this Wednesday. The SCC is in her upper jaw and maxillary sinus area, and I was told by her regular vet that radiation would probably be our only treatment option. It's an aggressive cancer, as you can see from the pictures, so we'll find out on Wednesday whether treatment is possible or whether we should just keep her comfortable and happy with pain medication and anti-inflammatories for as long as she has left.

If treatment is possible, it's going to be expensive. The estimates that I've found online for radiation therapy for animals are anywhere from $900 to $3000 depending on how many treatments are necessary. I'm trying to get some fundraising ideas together in case we go that route. I'm going to be doing a lot of online research before Wednesday, but if any of you have personal experience with fundraisers, I'd love to hear your ideas.

I know that she's "just a cat," but she's a very important member of our family, and I'm ultimately responsible for making the right decisions regarding her health. If her cancer is too far advanced or if radiation would be too hard on her, I won't put her through it, but I don't want money issues to be the deciding factor on whether she gets treatment or not. She's my girl, and I would do anything for her. Her nose and cheek are swollen and distorted, so she has a little difficulty eating and grooming herself, but she is still very happy and affectionate and has a good appetite, so I'm hopeful that her prognosis will be good.

Gabs-November 2007

Gabs-January 2008

Thanks for any ideas you can give me.

Jen:)

Okay. That may not be fair to say.

Is Tom Cruise mentally ill, or did Scientology make him delusional? Or a little of both? Watch this video for yourself while it's available. The Church of Scientology is trying to get Gawker to remove the video by claiming copyright infringement. I don't think they have a case, but we'll see.

Scientology Promotional Video

If you don't have 9 minutes to spare, here is a 1-1/2-minute clip of The Top Five Creepiest Moments of the Scientology Video.

Do any of you personally know a Scientologist? I'd love to know if they understand what he's saying. Maybe he's just using Scientology lingo that a non-Scientologist wouldn't understand. I checked a couple of Scientology glossaries to see if I could make sense of what he's saying, but I'm still at a loss.

Thoughts? Ideas? Opinions? Discuss.

Jen:)

It's a little late, but just for fun, I thought I'd post my top five favorite YouTube/Google videos of 2007. (Sorry, I'm having trouble embedding the videos, so you'll have to follow the links.) Enjoy!

5. Two Hundred Horses Rescued After Being Stranded in a Flood (Very touching)

4. Stairway to Heaven with a Spanish Twist (Great version! Thanks, Jeffrey!)

3. The Evolution of Dance (Six minutes of nostalgia - So funny!)

2. The Amazing Mimicry of the Lyrebird (This smart, goofy-looking bird mimics the calls of other birds as well as the TV crews cameras, a car alarm, and the sounds of chainsaws and handsaws that he's heard nearby!)

...and my 1 video of 2007...

Rachmaninov Had Big Hands! (Genius!)