Thursday 25 November 2010

Time to count the blessings

I am thankful for:

1. Making it through the first semester of law school - exams await but I'm up for the challenge.

2. Staying in touch with the outside world - law school has not become 24/7.

3. Having "Football Weekly" podcast today!

4. $2.99 pumpkin pie.

5. Patriots and Eagles winning.

I'm less thankful for:

1. Not having the opportunity to celebrate with family.

2. Thinking about the complicated and deadlocked politics today.

3. Arsenal, where have you gone?

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2010/11/25/on_thanksgiving_blessings_amid_the_broader_tumult/

Sunday 14 November 2010

Today's Boston Globe articles

1. Congress: http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2010/11/14/divided_congress_goes_back_to_face_tough_challenges/

I hope Congress does something, especially extending unemployment benefits and the Bush-era tax cuts for middle-class families. Nonetheless, I think both parties will not budge and will drag these issues until January.

2. Burma: http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2010/11/14/myanmar_dissident_freed_after_7_12_years_of_house_arrest/

Hooray for Aung San Suu Kyi! This is welcome news, finally. But she has many political challenges ahead of her, and the reality is that the military junta allowed her to be free.

3. Atheism & God: http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/11/14/created_by_god_to_be_good/

I disagree: the author's examples and citation to history are unconvincing. More than not, reason has supported morality and concepts of "goodness", independent of any religious rationales. Both pure reason and pure faith may lead people to err. Just because concepts of morality have historically been based upon the Bible, especially in Europe, does not elevate the importance of God or denigrate the role of reason.