Stellar Ash

The Hudson plane crash "miracle"

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 02:40:51 GMT

The other day at work, a co-worker said to another that the crash landing on USAir flight 1549 on the Hudson river was a miracle. Paraphrased: "It was the hand of god that laid the plane on the river" while pantomiming the action of action of gently laying something down.

I bit my tongue and restrained myself to mumbling: "Yeah, the skill of the pilot and other flight crew had nothing to do with it".

It really pisses me off and I feel that it demeans the training and professionalism of the flight crew to call this a miracle.

A miracle would be everyone alive after a crash that left nothing of the aircraft larger than a half metre. A miracle would be everyone alive and the plane fully intact in the middle of a New York City intersection with the wings pointing up and down one street and the fuselage another with only centimetres to spare.

The fact that all passengers survived was due to a lot of training and skill of the part of the flight crew and more than a little bit of luck.

Some would say that it was the grace of god that put those people there were their skills were needed most and I say that this same god could not have moved those birds a few tens of metres above or below the plane?

Omnipotent indeed.

Today in American History

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:59:12 GMT

Today.

Today, I am proud.

Today, I am damn proud.

Today, this is the first day that I can say, in my adult life, that I am *proud*, without reservation, without qualification, to be a citizen of the United States of America.

Today, we showed the world that the words of the short documents of the Declaration of Independence and of the Constitution have real meaning that apply to all.

Today, the saying that, in America, with hard work and determination, no matter your background, you can do anything even become president, became true words.

Today, we, as a people, have done what other countries, with traditionally better race relations with their minorities, have not been able to do.

Today, a man who skin color a few short decades ago, would have relegated him to the back of a bus, to a dirty out of the way water fountain and to even espouse the idea the he could become the leader of the country, if uttered in the wrong place, declared a fool as best, given a beating or more at worst, became the President of these United States of America.

Today, Barack Obama became the 44th President of the USA.

Today. Today is a great day to be an American.

Today, I, an American of European stock such that newly fallen snow has a hard time being whiter than myself, I am proud of what my country has accomplished and how we've, no matter how fitfully, have grown.

Today.

reproduction

Mon, 24 Oct 2005 03:12:17 GMT

If I had Bill Gates' money, one of things I'd sponsor would be research into true genetic reproduction between two women, where the fertilized egg would the genetic mix of both women in the nucleus.

Note that this would not be a clone nor would it be like the recently announced therapy in the UK where the egg from one women has the nucleus replaced with a nucleus from an egg of another woman that was sperm fertilized (reference this BBC news article ).

While the possibility of a child having three biological parents present many wonderful opportunities for discussions, debates, for some, ethical concerns and the opportunity for the business world to really cash in on Mother's Day, I think the idea of a child having two biological moms, but no dad, is even more interesting.

I'm fairly certain that with the recent advances in reproductive services that this is probably feasible in the near future, if not now.

Besides the most obvious consequence of making men obsolete, it would render most arguments against homosexuality, at least for lesbians, null and void. It is for reproduction. It would not violate most translations of the bible, since the ban on homosexuality is directed at men (see Leviticus 18:22 here ). Note to religious right, no playing around picking which pieces of the bible or versions you want to obey. It is the word of god you know. So I expect you to demand the replacement of the US national bird with something other than an eagle ( Leviticus 11:13 ). I know, its talking about food, but surely an abomination in any case) and I hope you've given up shrimp, lobster and other shellfish ( Leviticus 11:12 ) and for you southerners pork ( Leviticus 11:7 ). Leviticus is great for all kinds of dos and don'ts.

For those that would say it's not natural reproduction, its as natural as any of the modern helpers of C-section, in-vitro fertilization, fertility drugs, canned infant formula, etc.

They would have to be allowed to marry. Wouldn't want to have a child out of wedlock (What would you call the offspring of two unmarried women? Bastard is typically a male reference and two women could only have another female, no Y chromosome.)

I wonder what the societal changes, if any, would be with no/few men since women are generally more social, cooperative and less prone to violence. Not that women can't be vicious. I remember a fight in high school between two girls that made most of the fights between guys look like slap fights. But I wonder if it might be a more peaceful society.

Religion would become more matriarchal I suppose, with god as a woman.

Would role would men have in such a society? Just the occasional sex toy?

Comments?

Hello

Sat, 22 Oct 2005 03:59:52 GMT

Welcome to my leased spot in cyberspace.

Why I'm I doing this??? I don't really have a clue as to why. Well that's not totally true. I have opinions and thoughts about life, the universe and everything (aplgs to Doug Adams) just like everyone else and this is my way of getting them out.

Whether they're worth reading, well, that's for you to decide.

I hope this page and its entries are intriguing and thought provoking.