text:
Mat. Sb. (N.S.), 1985,	Volume 128(170),	Number 2(10),	Pages 216–229	(Mi msb2124)
This article is cited in 30 scientific papers (total in 30 papers)
On the asymptotics of the ratio of orthogonal polynomials and convergence of multipoint Padé approximants
G. L. Lopes
Abstract: A theorem is proved on the asymptotics of the ratio of polynomials orthogonal with respect to varying weights (that depend on the degree of the polynomial).
Bibliography: 10 titles.
Mathematics of the USSR-Sbornik, 1987, 56:1, 207–219
MSC: 30E10, 33A65
Citation: G. L. Lopes, "On the asymptotics of the ratio of orthogonal polynomials and convergence of multipoint Padé approximants", Mat. Sb. (N.S.), 128(170):2(10) (1985), 216–229; Math. USSR-Sb., 56:1 (1987), 207–219
\Bibitem{Lop85}
\by G.~L.~Lopes
\paper On the asymptotics of the ratio of orthogonal polynomials and convergence of multipoint Pad\'e approximants
\vol 128(170)
\issue 2(10)
\vol 56
E. A. Rakhmanov, "On asymptotic properties of polynomials orthogonal on the circle with weights not satisfying the Szegö's condition", Math. USSR-Sb., 58:1 (1987), 149–167
Nevai P., "Freud,Geza, Orthogonal Polynomials and Christoffel Functions - a Case-Study", J. Approx. Theory, 48:1 (1986), 3–167
Nevai P., "Orthogonal Polynomials, Measures and Recurrences on the Unit-Circle", Trans. Am. Math. Soc., 300:1 (1987), 175–189
A. I. Aptekarev, "Asymptotics of simultaneously orthogonal polynomials in the Angelesco case", Math. USSR-Sb., 64:1 (1989), 57–84
G. L. Lopes, "Convergence of Padé approximants of Stieltjes type meromorphic functions and comparative asymptotics for orthogonal polynomials", Math. USSR-Sb., 64:1 (1989), 207–227
G. L. Lopes, "Relative asymptotics for polynomials orthogonal on the real axis", Math. USSR-Sb., 65:2 (1990), 505–529
Herrera R. Lagomasino G., "Relative Asymptotics of Orthogonal Polynomials with Respect to Varying Measures .2.", Lect. Notes Math., 1354 (1988), 140–154
Lopez G. Rakhmanov E., "Rational-Approximations, Orthogonal Polynomials and Equilibrium Distributions", Lect. Notes Math., 1329 (1988), 125–157
Knopfmacher A., Lubinsky D., Nevai P., "Freud Conjecture and Approximation of Reciprocals of Weights by Polynomials", Constr. Approx., 4:1 (1988), 9–20
Nevai P., "Characterization of Measures Associated with Orthogonal Polynomials on the Unit-Circle", Rocky Mt. J. Math., 19:1 (1989), 293–302
Lagomasino G., "Asymptotics of Polynomials Orthogonal with Respect to Varying Measures", Constr. Approx., 5:2 (1989), 199–219
Adhemar Bultheel, Pablo González-Vera, Erik Hendriksen, Olav Njåstad, "The computation of orthogonal rational functions and their interpolating properties", Numer Algor, 2:1 (1992), 85
Pan K., "On the Convergence of the Rational Interpolation Approximant of Caratheodory Functions", J. Comput. Appl. Math., 54:3 (1994), 371–376
Lagomasino G. Finkelshtein A., "Rate of Convergence of 2-Point Pade Approximants and Logarithmic Asymptotics of Laurent-Type Orthogonal Polynomials", Constr. Approx., 11:2 (1995), 255–286
A. Bultheel, C. Díaz-Mendoza, P. González-Vera, R. Orive, "Quadrature on the half line and two-point Padé approximants to Stieltjes functions. Part III. The unbounded case", Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 87:1 (1997), 95
Totik V., "Orthogonal Polynomials with Respect to Varying Weights", J. Comput. Appl. Math., 99:1-2 (1998), 373–385
Hernandez M. Lagomasino G., "Ratio and Relative Asymptotics of Polynomials Orthogonal on an Arc of the Unit Circle", J. Approx. Theory, 92:2 (1998), 216–244
A. I. Aptekarev, "Strong asymptotics of multiply orthogonal polynomials for Nikishin systems", Sb. Math., 190:5 (1999), 631–669
Ysern, BD, "Weak convergence of varying measures and Hermite-Pade orthogonal polynomials", Constructive Approximation, 15:4 (1999), 553
Lubinsky, DS, "Asymptotics of orthogonal polynomials: Some old, some new, some identities", Acta Applicandae Mathematicae, 61:1–3 (2000), 207
Baratchart L., Stahl H., Wielonsky F., "Asymptotic Error Estimates for l-2 Best Rational Approximants to Markov Functions", J. Approx. Theory, 108:1 (2001), 53–96
J. Van Deun, A. Bultheel, "Ratio asymptotics for orthogonal rational functions on an interval", Journal of Approximation Theory, 123:2 (2003), 162
A. I. Aptekarev, G. López Lagomasino, I. Alvarez Rocha, "Ratio asymptotics of Hermite–Padé polynomials for Nikishin systems", Sb. Math., 196:8 (2005), 1089–1107
Bultheel A., Gonzalez-Vera P., Hendriksen E., Njastad O., "Orthogonal Rational Functions on the Unit Circle: From the Scalar to the Matrix Case", Orthogonal Polynomials and Special Functions: Computation and Applications, Lect. Notes Math., 1883, eds. Marcellan F., VanAssche W., Springer-Verlag Berlin, 2006, 187–228
Garcia, AL, "Ratio asymptotic of Hermite-Pade orthogonal polynomials for Nikishin systems. II", Advances in Mathematics, 218:4 (2008), 1081
Adhemar Bultheel, Leyla Daruis, Pablo González-Vera, "Quadrature formulas on the unit circle with prescribed nodes and maximal domain of validity", Journal of Computational and Applied Mathematics, 231:2 (2009), 948
U. Fidalgo Prieto, A. López García, G. López Lagomasino, V. N. Sorokin, "Mixed Type Multiple Orthogonal Polynomials for Two Nikishin Systems", Constr Approx, 2010
de la Calle Ysern B., "A Walk through Approximation Theory", Recent Trends in Orthogonal Polynomials and Approximation Theory, Contemporary Mathematics, 507, 2010, 25–86
A. I. Aptekarev, V. I. Buslaev, A. Martínez-Finkelshtein, S. P. Suetin, "Padé approximants, continued fractions, and orthogonal polynomials", Russian Math. Surveys, 66:6 (2011), 1049–1131
A. I. Bogolyubskii, "Strong Asymptotics of Diagonal Frobenius–Padé Approximants and Nikishin Systems", Math. Notes, 99:6 (2016), 938–941
Full text: 74


There is a blessed combination of heaviness and softness within the three parts of the 24 minutes long Delusions of Grandeur by Ef. As it happens, I find the music, and also the singing, to be as mellow and forgiving as humanely possible at times, bringing northern chill of fresh winter days to my dry spine. As these times pass, and music shifts, Ef turns heavy and massive. Not crushing, but much more intense and blunt. Still, Ef seems to know very well how to keep their gentle message through the rough storms they conjure as well as through the soft lullabies they make.
The first song, bearing the name of this E.P, caught my attention the most with the perfect way in which Ef had orchestrated sadness through their music. The minimal, almost completely silent moments only set the ground to a massive guitars and drums. Remember the brilliant Sigur Ros video with the kids who play in the radioactive, now destroyed park? I think this song should have serve as the music to that beautiful production.


Is your skin feeling dry and dull? It is itchy and flaky? Winter may have taken its toll on your skin so now is the time to get that glow back. Here are 5 tips to get your largest organ feeling healthy and hydrated before springtime.
It's natural. We all think that a long, hot shower will be the perfect remedy for a cold-winter day but hot showers actually pulls moisture away from the skin and dehydrates it, leaving it dry and dull. Keep your showers short and as cool as possible in order to lock in as much moisture as you can naturally. Think about it this way; short, cool showers will save the environment and your skin.
Using regular bars of soap not only gets rid of dirt and grime, it also removes the body's natural oils too. This can leave the skin very dry and susceptible to itching and eczema. So, it is best to use a gentle, soap-free wash that does not contain fragrances that can cause allergy and eczema over time. Examples of these washes can be found in your local pharmacy.
This may seem obvious but without replenishing moisture and helping to restore the skin barrier with a moisturiser, your skin will almost certainly dry out over winter. It is best to use creams rather than lotions because creams stay on the skin and penetrate the layers of the skin more effectively. If something comes out of a pump-pack, its usually a lotion. Creams are usually packaged in tubes and tubs.
Newer moisturisers containing special 'ceramides' are now available for people who are prone to eczema (ask your dermatologist about these). Always look for pharmacy-grade moisturisers and ask your doctor or dermatologist for advice on which ones are best for you.
If your fingers and toes (and sometimes ears and nose) are not protected with clothing and you step out into a damp, cold atmosphere, the blood vessels will shut down to preserve heat. If this happens regularly, you may be susceptible to developing chilblains. This is more likely in the young, elderly and those with circulation problems. For more information on chilblains, click here. To prevent chilblains, don't forget your gloves, warm shoes and may be even your ear muffs!
With the winter chill, it is inevitable that we will turn on the heaters in our homes, cars and offices. If you are the type of person that likes to turn the heat up, putting a humidifier in your room will add moisture back into the environment and will help prevent your skin from drying out.
People with skin of colour are more likely to have dry skin because of they lose more water from their skin to the environment (called transepidermal water loss) and have a lower ceramide-to-cholesterol ratio which makes the winter just a little bit harder to handle in this population.
Sometimes dry, itchy skin is a sign that the thyroid gland is not working properly or that there is some other underlying medical issue that needs to be treated. It is important to consult your doctor or dermatologist if your dry skin persists.


text:
Pompeo says US to impose "strongest sanctions in history" on Iran
Date: May 27, 2018Author: Demilade Samuel
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issues a steep list of demands that he said should be included in a nuclear treaty with Iran to replace the Obama-era deal, threatening "the strongest sanctions in history" if Iran doesn't change course.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Monday threatened to impose the "strongest sanctions in history" against Iran if it did not accept a sweeping series of US demands, including effectively giving up its nuclear ambitions, curtailing its ballistic missile program and ending its expansionist behaviour.
Weeks after the United States pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran, Pompeo spelt out a hardline approach towards the Islamic Republic, potentially setting Washington and Tehran on a deeper confrontation course.
"The sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen for itself and the people of Iran," Pompeo said in his first major foreign policy speech since becoming secretary of state.
"These will be the strongest sanctions in history by the time we are done," he added.
Pompeo took aim at Iran's policy of expanding its influence in the Middle East through support for proxy armed groups in countries such as Syria and Yemen.
He warned that the United States would "crush" Iranian operatives and allies abroad and told Tehran to withdraw all forces under its command from the Syrian civil war where they back Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad.
Iran is unlikely to accede to the US demands. President Hassan Rouhani accused Washington of 'sham' democracy.
The tension between the two countries has grown notably since US President Trump this month withdrew from the 2015 nuclear agreement aimed at preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
Pompeo warned that if Iran fully resumed its nuclear programme Washington would be ready to respond and said the administration would hold companies doing prohibited business in Iran to account.
"Our demands on Iran are not unreasonable: give up your program," Pompeo said, "Should they choose to go back, should they begin to enrich, we are fully prepared to respond to that as well," he said, declining to elaborate.
'No alternative' to Iran deal
The EU's foreign policy chief warned there was "no alternative" to the Iran nuclear deal, after Pompeo vowed unprecedented sanctions against Tehran.
"Secretary Pompeo's speech has not demonstrated how walking away from the JCPOA (nuclear deal) has made or will make the region safer from the threat of nuclear proliferation or how it puts us in a better position to influence Iran's conduct in areas outside the scope of JCPOA," the European Union's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said.
In a statement, she stressed "there is no alternative" to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, as the deal is officially known.
Mogherini also called on the US to keep its commitments as part of the agreement signed under Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.
"The JCPOA is the result of more than a decade of complex and delicate negotiations, based on dual track approach and therefore the best possible outcome, striking the right balance," Mogherini said.
"This deal belongs to the international community, having been endorsed by the United Nations Security Council. The international community expects all sides to keep the commitments they made more than two years ago."
She reiterated that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had confirmed already 10 times that Iran has implemented "all its nuclear related commitments" under the agreement.
Iran leaders
The speech did not explicitly call for regime change but Pompeo repeatedly urged the Iranian people not to put up with their leaders, including President Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.
"At the end of the day, the Iranian people will get to make a choice about their leadership. If they make the decision quickly, that would be wonderful, if they choose not to do so we will stay hard at this until we achieve the outcomes I set forward," said Pompeo.
He laid out 12 demands for Iran and said relief from economic sanctions would only come when Washington had seen tangible shifts in Iran's policies.
He called on Iran to stop uranium enrichment and never to pursue plutonium reprocessing, including closing its heavy water reactor.
It also had to declare all previous military dimensions of its nuclear program and to permanently and verifiably abandon such work, he said.
Pompeo's demand that Tehran stop uranium enrichment goes even further than the nuclear deal. Iran says its nuclear work has medical uses and will produce energy to meet domestic demand and complement its oil reserves.
Previous Previous post: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE – FINAL 3-1
Next Next post: Nigeria records $83 billion investment commitment in 15 months

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A large abstract painting canvas record a kindness.People come and go in the streets, cars are running ans the sirens are ringing.
At this time, one of the old people suddenly fell,but the people of the surrounding view did not dare to step forward to help.It is possible that there are too many porcelain-to-ceramic events,which leads to a constant concern. Suddenly, a man-in-the-one man helped the old man, and before that, the man who was begging, he had no fish to think so much, even if he touched the porcelain,he was just a begging,and the others had nothing to do.
When he got up, he called 120 on his old man's cell phone. Almost a week later, one day,the old man took his children to the place where it happened in search of the good man who had helped him. It took a long time to find out that it was a man begging by the side of the road who had saved him, and they went forward to thank him, but the old man gave the money,he didn't accept.They had no choice but to go back.
The next day, the old man came again with a abstract painting canvas,because the man confiscated the red packet of thanks and intended to give his painting to the good man. It's also a gift of heart.He saw the old man so determined, so he took it.He don't think much about anything else.
Later,time passed day by day, and the man lived a begging life day after day.On that day,he suddenly remembered the old man's oil painting, and opened it up to enjoy it.Although I am uneducated, I still know more or less that the painting should be very strong. At this point, a passer-by passed by and saw the abstract painting canvas, and asked him where did he come from.
The begging man told him the causes and consequences of the painting. When they heard it, the passer-by asked, "can you sell me this abstract painting canvas? it's a painting by the old man. It's really rare.I've been looking for it."After listening to the beggar,he saw that what the passer-by said seemed to be sincere, unlike a writer,thinking that the painting had been ruined in his own hands anyway,and that it was better for those who loved it to appreciate it.
After that,the extra large abstract wall art was sold to the passer-by,the begging man received a large sum of money,the man thought carefully, this is also their own luck, originally,when he helped others,but also helped themselves.
Then,the begging man was made up and determined to stick to himself and to help those who needed help, although the current status of his life was well relieved because of that amount, but he knew that it was because the old gentleman was given his abstract painting canvas.And then,the man's life is getting better and better, and don't know if it's because of god's favor of good people?


text:
Brick by Brick: Another parish implements Summorum Pontificum. Wherein Fr. Z rants.
Posted on 31 January 2015 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf
For your Brick by Brick file.
A reader sent me a link to a story in the St. Louis Review (a publication of the Archdiocese of St. Louis) about a parish which as started up a Traditional Latin Mass.
'Mysterium tremendum' | St. Barnabas begins offering the Traditional Latin Mass
With a single intoning of the bell, Mass had begun at St. Barnabas.
But this was no Ordinary Form of the Mass.
"In Nomine Patris, et Filii et Spiritus Sancti …"
For the first time in nearly 50 years, the Extraordinary Form of the Mass — better known as the Traditional or Tridentine Latin Mass — is being celebrated at the northern O'Fallon parish. In January, Father Raymond Hager began offering the Mass at 10 a.m. on Sundays, after a group of parishioners wrote a letter last January requesting it. [See what happens when you ask?]
"At the first Mass, people had tears in their eyes," said Father Hager. He said that all of this is "directed toward God and what's called the 'mysterium tremendum,' or the tremendous mystery. [the sort of "tremendum" which makes one shudder with awe…] The sense of the sacred, and the mystery of God becoming present in His most sacred Body and Blood is proclaimed profoundly in and through the Extraordinary Form of the Mass.
[This part might sound familiar to longtime readers here…] "In the Eastern Churches they have the iconostasis … where you can't see everything that's going on, because what is happening is so holy it should be veiled. When the elements of the bread and wine become Our Lord's Body and Blood, you're not seeing that at that moment, but you do see Our Lord and God at the elevation of the consecration in the Extraordinary Form of the Mass. It really speaks to that sense of mystery."
Ordained in 1997, Father Hager taught himself how to celebrate the Mass according to the 1962 Missal. Born in 1960, he has no memories of going to the Traditional Latin Mass as a child. As a seminarian, he would occasionally visit St. Agatha, where the Latin Mass was offered in St. Louis at the time. "I was blown away by the beauty and sacredness of the liturgy," he said.
The process of learning the language and rubrics took several months. Father Hager approached Archbishop Robert J. Carlson, who connected him with Canon Michael Wiener, rector of St. Francis de Sales Oratory, one of two churches designated specifically for the Latin Mass in St. Louis. Canon Wiener, the episcopal delegate for the implementation of the Traditional Latin Mass in the archdiocese, offered his guidance.
Father Hager also watched videos, read books and sought help from several others, including Sister Michaleen Vomund, CPPS, PSR director at St. Barnabas, and Bill Guelker of the Latin Liturgy Association, a local organization that promotes the use of ecclesiastical Latin in the liturgy. Several changes had to be made in the sanctuary, including moving the nearly 1,500-pound altar back four feet and adding a communion rail. [Well done! And it was worth all the effort.]
Read the rest there.
We need as many celebrations of the older form of the Roman Rite as possible in as many places as possible as soon as possible.
These are trying times, and there is a lot of confusion right now. Some people are showing signs of defeatism.
This is precisely the time to get to work. Let's keep our eyes focused on what is really going to make a difference. I think that is located in exactly the vision that Pope Benedict XVI offered us.
So, I will repeat what I have been saying for some time now.
Make things happen. Work with sweat and money to make them happen. If you thought you worked hard before, forget it. Work harder. Pope Francis wants some "lío"? We've got some "lío" right here. ¡Hagan lío!
Get involved with all the works of charity that your parishes or groups sponsor. If Pope Francis wants a Church "for the poor", then we will respond, "OORAH!!" The "traditionalist" will be second-to-none in getting involved. "Dear Father… you can count on the 'Stable Group of TLM Petitioners-For-By-Now-Several-Months" to help with the collection of clothing for the poor! Tell us what you need!"
Pray and fast and give alms. Have you been doing that? Do more.
Form up and get organized. Find like-minded people. Put in your request for the implementation of Summorum Pontificum. Raise the money to help buy the stuff the parish will need. Make a plan. Find people. Execute!
Get your ego and your own little personal interpretations and preferences out of the way. It is team-work time. If we don't sacrifice individually, we will stay divided and we won't achieve our objectives.
The legislation is in place. Young priests and seminarians are eager to get into this.
Give them something to do.
As I have written before, Pope Benedict gave us, boys and girls, a beautiful new bicycle! He gave us a direction, encouragement, and a running push. Now, take off the training wheels and RIDE THE DAMN BIKE!
Meanwhile, Fr. Z kudos to Fr. Raymond Hager and St. Barnbas parish!
This entry was posted in ¡Hagan lío!, "How To..." - Practical Notes, ACTION ITEM!, Be The Maquis, Benedict XVI, Brick by Brick, Fr. Z KUDOS, Just Too Cool, Liturgy Science Theatre 3000, Our Catholic Identity, Si vis pacem para bellum!, SUMMORUM PONTIFICUM, The future and our choices, Wherein Fr. Z Rants. Bookmark the permalink.
More from the mighty pen of Daniel Mitsui
"Who says Catholic Social Teaching requires us to follow the policy prescriptions of the hard left?"
Gratias says:
Money will also make a difference. If you can get to a Latin Mass make a strong donation. You can find their location at Wikkimissa. If you can attend periodically, register for parishioners' envelopes. Donating to your local Una Voce group also helps. Father Z is also a great investment.
Fr Martin Fox says:
About defeatism…
I'll steal a line from my homily this coming weekend — paraphrasing what our Lord said and did in the Gospel: "shut up, devil, and get out of the way!"
Recalling a project our genial host entertained some time back, my last remark might make a splendid episcopal motto. I wonder what it would sound like in Latin?
Roguejim says:
The traditional Catholics of southern Oregon, very recently, lost their only TLM. It was offered 6 times a year by a visiting priest from another diocese. We've been waiting since Abp. Sample's installation in the Portland Archdiocese for him to send us a priest to offer this Mass on a regular basis, but alas, nothing yet. Here is the Southern Oregon Una Voce's blog announcement dated Dec. 19, wherein, we learned we no longer have a TLM.
http://southernoregonunavoce.blogspot.com/
Fr. Fox: How about something like, "Tace, Diabole (Damnate), et Discede!"
Or, we could use the "Comic/Legal" or "Future" Imperative and say, "Taceto et Discedito!"
Rob22 says:
I think indeed those invested in the Traditional Mass should do 2 things. First, evangelize! Get converts/reverts into the Traditional Mass. Build large such communities.
Coming from an evangelical background I was shocked at the lack of evangelistic outreach by the Catholic church. Still am after 7 years.
I have not heard of large, growing SP communities. Even those with dedicated churches stall out at 400 or 500 members. I could be wrong on that as I am not an expert.
BTW, large traditional parishes can happen. I visited Phoenix a while ago and there was a beautiful new Southwestern style church about completed. Huge. A large boulevard stopped me from crossing to see it closer cause the sun was setting. I say a lot of men in long black cassocks in the front of the new structure. Next day I went by and up to it. I assumed it was an FSSP church but turned out to be a new SPPX church built to seat 1000 with plenty of room to grow and plans for grade and high school.
So it seems it can be done.
Second is to integrate into the larger parish community and get involved in whatever outreach there is.
When I joined the Catholic church the only outreach my parish had was through Catholic charities. Counseling lower income people on Medicaid, Medicare and their, if applicable, legal residency status. I got training in Medicare/Medicaid and helped many. I chose not to get involved in the immigrant stuff as, personally, I think a lot of it is fraudulent.
In any case, all the volunteers were liberal. This was a Catholic Charities site but on election day it was clear that supporting the Democrat candidates in this part of California was encouraged. This at a Catholic outreach! So orthodox Catholics need to get involved here as I have seen far too few of them compared to the progressive Catholics who, I have to admit, seem far more willing to give of their free time and volunteer.
Matt Robare says:
The Latin Mass Society of Boston College is trying to raise money to buy vestments, candlesticks, altar cards and other equipment neccesarry for the EF. http://www.gofundme.com/BCLatinMass
frjim4321 says:
I was confused for a minute thinking this was the O'Fallon on the other side of the river (Diocese of Belleville) where there is a stunningly church on a wide plane, visible for miles around (St. Claire).
If I was living back in the year of my birth when the the unreformed was the only game in town I probably would have appreciated it. Even now, if it all wasn't so much about throwback, I could probably appreciate it a little bit.
= "… stunningly beautiful church…"
jflare says:
1 February 2015 at 3:37 AM
" We've been waiting since Abp. Sample's installation in the Portland Archdiocese for him to send us a priest to offer this Mass on a regular basis, but alas, nothing yet."
I have the impression, roguejim, that Fr Z's thought is for we laity–and some of the clergy also–to make the effort needed to make it happen. I don't pretend to know much about Abp Sample, but my off-the-top guess is that a bishop of any variety has many responsibilities, many needs to address. If Abp Sample hasn't yet sent a priest, might he be able to accept some volunteers?
If you were to contact local priests, offering to make arrangements for their training and do what you're able to help fulfill other needs, I'm thinking you might manage to have a priest a little sooner. Just a thought.
"…if it all wasn't so much about throwback…"
I think, frjim, some of this rests in the eyes of the beholder, does it not?
I consider the degree of head-scratching moments I experienced with the Novus Ordo between ages 11 and 31 (roughly). I find most of the "throwback" to be..mostly something insisted upon by someone after 1980. Most of the time, the "old" stuff seems to me to make at least as much sense as the new, if not more. I attend Mass at a traditionally-minded Novus Ordo parish; if I had more time on weekdays, I'd attend a TLM offered at another parish.
I do so because I've grown weary of walking into the average parish, then, lest I should start critiquing things or people, keeping my mouth clamped shut.
Tougher to be in communion with others that way, sure, but considering how much most people seem to be willing to consider things seriously….
robtbrown says:
FrJim4321 says,
Even now, if it all wasn't so much about throwback, I could probably appreciate it a little bit.
Obviously, you prefer the throwback Protestantism of the new liturgy to the throwback Catholicism of the old.
Romuleus says:
frjim4321:
What an "interesting" post. I LOL when I read it.
I am a member (canonical and otherwise) of this "St. Claire" church. In the past, it called itself "St. Clare Catholic Community". I rarely go there unless a blizzard hits O Fallon IL and it is too dangerous to drive the 40 miles round-trip to my real spiritual home, the "throwback" St . Francis De Sales Oratory in St. Louis. Many from St. Clare do the same.
I avoid St. Clare because of the sketchy liturgy found there that is all too common in "suburban" Catholic parishes: Movable pews arranged "in the round", dancing Girls (comical Liturgical Dancers), bad (Haugen) hymns, crumbly "homemade" Communion bread of questionable validity distributed by armies of EMHCs (and frequently crumbs end up underfoot on the floor) and a "throwback" liturgy forever stuck in the 60s and 70s where we must greet our neighbor before this liturgy starts or we will be labeled "unwelcoming". BTW: There is so much emphasis on exhortations to be "welcoming" and "inclusive", God and the reason why we are there sometimes gets ignored.
Recently, when Cardinal Burke was attacked for telling the truth about the feminization of our parishes and liturgy, I thought of St. Clare. The majority of altar servers and banner carriers (what is it with banners at these Masses?) are girls and typically, when 12-13 EMHCs storm the altar at Communion, 8-9 are usually women. It is a decidedly woman-dominated parish from the liturgy to the parish councils. The whole parish life and culture does not speak to men.
To be fair, the pastor ("coincidentally" also named "Fr. Jim" … imagine that!) throws in a little incense on Sundays and some Latin in Lent and once a month provides overnight Eucharistic Adoration.
Concerning your "throwback" swipe: I suggest you go to St Francis De Sales sometime and look at the crowd there who are on the whole younger than the parishioners that typically show up at at "St. Claire". And you will see a plethora of men actively engaged in the Latin Liturgy in the pew and at the altar and at the service of this parish.
In an attempt to improve the accuracy of its decision algorithm, I added this entire column to NATOCATRANS' database this morning.
That may have been a mistake. Now when I feed it "throwback," all I get is some gripe in a hillbilly-Thomist accent about Modernism eating its young.
Missed the link to NATOCATRANS in the previous post. Sorry for the confusion, especially as I know that unchecked links are justly apt to rate a baleful glance from the blogmaster.
scholastica says:
" a group of parishioners wrote a letter last January requesting it. [See what happens when you ask?]"
Several months ago I wrote a letter to our pastor incorporating the thoughts and desires of a group of parishioners at our small rural Paris which politely requested the pastor to consider offering a first Saturday mass in which we could gather as a community to honor Our Lady's requests at Fatima. Many in our group had recently made or renewed their Marian consecration and were sincerely motivated. About a dozen people signed it from a parish of 60 families, many of the people representing their entire household. The pastor threw a spittle-flecked nutty, gave us the staredown and responded that he"didn't know petitions were the Catholic way". (The religious community which serves our parish normally has 2-4 priests conlelebratng the sat am mass at their main parish, so priest availability was not an issue.)
The pastor is very devoted to Our Lady himself, but clearly didn't consider this the proper way.Sadly, he was so rarely available, we didn't know of a better way to communicate with him. Months before this I had made a verbal request for a Latin rite Mass at a time when we had a priest who could pray this mass and only got an "I'll think about it". Thus it seemed better to make a formal request with some numbers hoping we would not be so easily dismissed. In these situations it is hard not to feel defeated, though I know that we are on Our Lady's side and she will not be defeated.
Father Z:
majuscule says:
1 February 2015 at 11:11 AM
Two bricks forward one brick back…
We have a priest who has been celebrating "private" EF Masses at random weekday times as his schedule permits. We have attendance from two to two dozen people and an email notification list of over 30 people with more being added all the time. Everyone is welcome to these "private" Masses.
His regular parish OF Masses are very reverent. I am not privy to the details but recently the new pastor has told this priest that he may not use the altar crucifix for his OF Masses (he was the only priest doing so). In previous conversations with said pastor I know he is not friendly to the EF either–his Masses are more casual and "friendly". (Not meaning to denigrate him. Some people like that type of OF Mass.)
So we are treading lightly with the private EF Masses at times and places (there is more than one church in this parish) that might be more inconvenient for those who love the EF.
I really really wish we could try a Sunday EF Mass just to see how many attend.
Kathleen10 says:
frjim, I'm glad you appreciate it that little bit. :)
Nothing to add here, except that today, coming out of a Whole Foods in Reston, VA, I spotted a "Save the Liturgy, save the World" bumper sticker in the lot.
It was a delightful sight!
Pingback: Pope Francis Can't Change Church Alone by Eamon Duffy
Just spotted in the "Official Appointments" column in the Catholic Times newspaper of the Springfield IL Diocese:
Three priests of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius in Chicago have been appointed (with approval from their superiors and the Chicago Archdiocese) to St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Springfield (a merged parish comprised of two churches in the inner-city neighborhood). The appointment will be effective July 1. One priest (Fr. James E. Issacson) will be pastor and the other two (Fr. Kevin Mann and Fr. Scott Thelander) parochial vicars.
"The priests will be introducing Latin Mass in the Extraordinary Form (also known as the Traditional Tridentine Mass) on Sundays at Sacred Heart Church of St. Katharine Drexel Parish, while continuing to provide English and Spanish Masses in the Ordinary Form at Sacred Heart Church and English Mass in the Ordinary Form at St. Patrick Church, starting in July."


text:
Few Nigerians Vote in Multiparty Elections
NIGERIA'S first contested local elections in seven years were held peacefully Saturday, but initial reports indicated a very low turnout. The elections, described by the government-owned New Nigerian newspaper as ``a referendum on democracy,'' were contested by two government-created parties - the left-of-center Social Democratic Party and the conservative National Republican Convention.
The parties are meant to represent a break with old regional rivalries. Nigeria has been under military rule for 20 of the 30 years since independence from Britain - years marred by ethnic and religious conflict, corruption, electoral fraud, and violence.
A vice president in the military government, Augustus Aikhomu, said the orderly election vindicated the government's approach. But the News Agency of Nigeria quoted him as saying that it was now necessary to address the issue of apathy among the country's 100 million people.
Under the planned transition to democracy, Nigerians will vote next year in state governorship elections, followed by presidential and national assembly polls in 1992.
The two parties have failed to generate much enthusiasm for their almost-identical manifestos, drafted for them by the armed forces' Ruling Council. Allegations of vote rigging have attracted more attention than policy issues.
``This election is a litmus test of how well they have been able to suppress the influence of the old brigade and establish their own political bases,'' said the Democrat newspaper.
One voter said ``If there is apathy, it's because people have been made aware of what the robber politicians are up to.''
With eye on economy, Nigeria girds for combustible election
Boko Haram attacks polling stations as voting continues in Nigeria
Nigeria election: Jonathan and Buhari set fresh tone with peaceful concession


text:
Der U-Space ist der europäische Begriff für ein Verkehrsmanagement für unbemannte Luftfahrzeuge (Unmanned Traffic Management UTM). Er beinhaltet eine Sammlung digitaler und automatisierter Funktionen und Prozesse in einem Luftraum, die zum Ziel haben, der steigenden Zahl ziviler Drohnenoperationen einen sicheren und effizienten Zugang zum Luftraum zu gewähren. Das "U" im Name steht dabei für Unbemannt, Urban oder auch Universell.

Ziele
Der derzeitige EU-Luftrechtsrahmen erlaubt bereits alle Arten von Drohneneinsätzen. Allerdings könnten diese Einsätze strengen Genehmigungsverfahren und Betriebsbeschränkungen unterworfen sein. Ziel des U-Spaces ist es, das allgemeine Situationsbewusstsein für den Drohnenbetrieb zu verbessern, das Fluggenehmigungsverfahren zu automatisieren, so viele Beschränkungen wie sicher möglich aufzuheben und die Entwicklung eines wettbewerbsfähigen EU-Marktes für Drohnendienste zu unterstützen.

Der U-Space wird zunächst in städtischen und vorstädtischen Umgebungen zum Einsatz kommen, da wo die Komplexität des Luftverkehrs spezifische Verkehrsmanagement-Lösungen erfordern.

Grundlage für einen U-Space ist, dass alle Luftfahrzeuge ihre eigene Position aussenden, so dass sie elektronisch sichtbar werden. Dies wird einerseits mit den schon bestehenden Transpondern von Flugzeugen erreicht, andererseits müssen für gewisse Bereiche wie die Leichtaviatik neue Systeme wie ADS-L entwickelt werden.

Aktueller Stand
Am 26. Januar 2023 wird die U-Space-Verordnung 2021/664 vom 22. April 2021 der EU-Kommission in Kraft treten, die EU hat damit die gesetzliche Grundlage für die Einrichtung von U-Space-Lufträumen geschaffen. Die Umsetzung der Durchführungsverordnung in nationales Recht sowie die konkrete Ausgestaltung der Prozesse, Akteure und Verantwortlichkeiten obliegt den einzelnen Mitgliedsstaaten. Bisher hat noch kein Staat die Verordnung umgesetzt.

Weblinks
 EASA U-Space Regulations
 Swiss U-Space Implementation SUSI

Einzelnachweise

Unbemannte Luftfahrt
Luftfahrtrecht

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Czatkowiella is an extinct genus of long-necked archosauromorph known from Early Triassic (Olenekian age) rocks of Czatkowice 1, Poland. It was first named by Magdalena Borsuk−Białynicka and Susan E. Evans in 2009 and the type species is Czatkowiella harae.

Phylogeny
Cladogram after Borsuk−Białynicka & Evans (2009).

Cladogram after Spiekman et al. 2021:

References

Prehistoric archosauromorphs
Prehistoric reptile genera
Olenekian genera
Early Triassic reptiles of Europe
Fossils of Poland
Fossil taxa described in 2009


Stuffed eggplant, with all of its comforting and aromatic ingredients, makes for a wonderfully healthy and filling meal, complete with a lovely presentation—always a nice little perk when it comes to food!
Stuffed Eggplant, a Lovely Piece of Stuffed… Fruit?
Eggplant is one of my all-time favorite—wait, is eggplant a vegetable? A fruit? I suppose I could just call it a piece of "produce"—a nice general descriptor—and leave it at that.
But because I'd like to be as accurate as possible for you here, I researched what family eggplant actually belongs to. And believe it or not, it's considered a fruit, and part of the nightshade family.
So I guess I would say that eggplant is one of my favorite fruits, in that case.
But no matter its official classification, I treat it like I would a vegetable, and prepare it in all sorts of scrumptious ways to make for a savory meal.
I love my eggplant cut into chunks and drizzled with a touch of olive oil, plus some herbs and spices, and caramelized until charred and soft (perhaps with some tomatoes) to make a chutney. I also love it sliced, breaded and lightly fried, and turned into this delectable and crispy eggplant burger.
More recently I've fallen utterly in love with another tasty little presentation: stuffed eggplant.
But it's safe to say I enjoy eggplant any way I can get it!
Part of the joy of preparing a recipe like stuffed eggplant is that the sky's the limit when it comes to ingredients.
You can go completely vegetarian, or you can add a little of your favorite ground meat—beef, chicken, turkey, or even sausage. And it's up to you whether you'd prefer to use rice, quinoa, farro, barely, or another type of grain as part of the filling.
Mixing and matching filling ingredients for your stuffed eggplant is the fun and creative part. For me, I love the flavors of middle eastern cuisine—the warm spices and other interesting ingredients like tahini. So I created my recipe for stuffed eggplant with that flavor profile in mind.
I used a little lean ground beef in my filling for the protein, along with fragrant basmati rice, some ground cumin, coriander, a pinch of cinnamon, and paprika for color and kick. I also added some chopped cherry tomatoes for juiciness, and fresh herbs like mint and parsley for a fresh note.
And since stuffed eggplant can always benefit from a delicious sauce drizzled over top to tie all the flavors together, I used a little of that tahini to create a savory and spicy garlic tahini sauce with a kiss of lemon.
Served with some spicy greens on the side, this meal is one of my all-time favorites, and I hope it becomes one of yours as well—especially if you're a bit of an "eggplant head" like me!
What kind of eggplant to use: Use traditional eggplant for this, and look for ones that are medium-large and rather longer than rounder—these are easier to scoop and fill, and make for a pretty presentation.
Choose your protein: Ground beef is my choice for this, but feel free to use turkey, chicken, spicy or sweet sausage, or even ground lamb, another great option.
Go vegetarian: Feel free to leave out the meat completely if you'd prefer to go the vegetarian route.
Other filling options: I use basmati rice for my filling, but you could also use brown rice, quinoa, barley, or couscous—anything that you prefer.
Where to find tahini: Tahini is a sesame paste used in middle eastern cuisine, similar in consistency to almond or peanut butter, and is typically found with those nut butters, or possibly in the International Foods section of your local market. But if you can't find it, just leave it out and the sauce will still be super flavorful!
This savory stuffed eggplant with middle eastern spices and a garlic tahini sauce is a delicious and beautiful meal, one full of textures and healthy ingredients.
–Prepare your garlic tahini sauce by adding all of the ingredients into a food processor and processing until smooth; pour into a dish, and set aside while you prepare the rest of the recipe.
–In a small ramekin, combine the paprika, coriander, cumin and cinnamon, and set this aside this seasoning mix for a moment.
–Place the four eggplant halves, flesh-side up, onto the baking sheet, and drizzle about 3 tablespoons of oil (total) over the flesh side of the cut eggplant, and sprinkle over about 1/3 of the seasoning mix from your ramekin, plus a couple of good pinches of salt and pepper; place into the oven to roast until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 35 minutes.
–While your eggplant is roasting, prepare your filling by placing a pan over medium-high heat, and drizzling in about 1 tablespoon of the oil; once hot, add in the diced onion and saute for a few minutes until tender, then crumble in the ground beef and cook that for a few minutes with the onion; add in the remainder of the seasoning mix, along with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper, the garlic and the red pepper flakes (if using), and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through.
–Add to the cooked ground beef the cooked rice, the chopped cherry tomatoes, the chopped parsley and mint, plus the pistachios (if using), and fold together to combine; keep warm.
–Fill each roasted eggplant cavity with generous, equal portions of the warm filling, and place onto a plate; drizzle over some of the spicy garlic tahini sauce, and garnish with extra mint or parsley, if desired.
I love this recipe. I have one question. Did you scoop the eggplant before you roasted it or after? Did you use the middle in the filling?
Hi Linda! I scooped the middle out prior to roasting, but I did not use it. I didn't go too deep when I scooped it out, rather scooping mostly the seeded area. You can, however, use that center and chop it up and sauté it with the onions/ground beef, if you desire. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you. This is on the menu next week.
I think you'll really enjoy these, Linda! Happy cooking!
I just made your stuffed eggplant and didn't use the scooped out eggplant after I read the previous posts. Did you eat any of the eggplant or just use it as a boat to serve the hamburger and rice? I just ate hamburger, rice, tomatoes, spices… a little bland and thought it was going to be more of an eggplant dish. I usually love your recipes but was a bit disappointed in this one. It may totally have been my preparation!
I did like the tahini sauce.
Hi Maureen! Yes, you are definitely supposed to eat the eggplant, as it's an incredibly tasty part of the recipe. Because the eggplant is seasoned and roasted, the flesh becomes very tender and almost velvety, and is a pleasure to eat with the filling (I cut into it like I would a piece of meat…). I actually eat all of the eggplant "boat", skin included; but some folks don't care for the skin and eat only the tender flesh along with the filling. I do hope you try it this way sometime again, because it sounds like you missed so much of the good stuff! Thanks for sharing your experience.
ThanksIngrid. I definitely will try it that way! Thanks for your quick response!!!
Well I can not wait to make this one for the family. Thank you for the idea.
Hi Richard, I'm excited to read that! I hope you all enjoy.
This looks great! Cooking right now! I was cooking this ahead for myself to eat through out the week. How would say I re heat this? And do you think I could freeze these as well? Thank you!
Hey Emily, I'm so excited that you're preparing the recipe!
As far as freezing, I have not personally tried this—we've never had any leftover to freeze, lol! But I have the feeling they might get a little "mealy". Not certain this would be best for these. Hope you enjoy!
I have made this twice, the first time using hot Italian chicken sausage. For the second time around I used the scooped out eggplant and smokey andouille chicken sausage. Delicious both times!!!
Hey Gerrie, I'm so excited to read that you've now made this tasty recipe twice—awesome!
Glad you're enjoying it, and making it your own. The filling ingredients can be very versatile, and the smokey andouille sausage sounds delicious in it!
Thank you so much for taking a little time to come back and comment, and share your personal experience with the recipe!
Hi Reebs, yes, you got it! Your plan sounds spot on.
How long do you roast the eggplant?


text:
All posts tagged PZ Myers
How Far Should the Creationist Purge Go?
Is a creationist historian worse than a socialist one? That's the question science pundit Jerry Coyne is not asking. But he should be.
The 1941 report from the Guardians of American Education. Does Prof. Coyne really want to join this team?
Like a lot of people, I'm a fan of Jerry Coyne. His tenacious attacks on all things religious are witty and smart. But in this case, his historical short-sightedness has caused him to blunder into dangerous terrain.
Here's the story: In his continuing campaign against creationism, Coyne and his allies have singled out the creationist activism of Professor Emerson T. McMullen. McMullen teaches history classes at Georgia Southern University. Based on Coyne's evidence, it does seem as if McMullen injects a good deal of proselytization into his classes.
McMullen teaches classes about the history of science and evolution. And, as one student noted in her evaluation, he gives extra credit if students attend religious films. As she warned, "most of it is trying to convert you, but hey, free points!"
Coyne and his allies in the Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote to the administration of Georgia Southern. They urged GSU to "investigate" McMullen's teaching. They did not object to teaching about religious views, especially in a history class, but they did object to McMullen's practice of pushing those views on students.
This presents us with a difficult question: How far do we want to go in purging creationists from college faculties? We agree that McMullen's teaching seems to cross over into preaching. But there are a couple of ominous historical parallels that Professor Coyne seems to dismiss too breezily.
So, first, as Coyne and Co. acknowledge, there is no constitutional ban on teaching religion in publicly funded schools. As Justice Tom Clark made clear in his landmark 1963 opinion in the Schempp case,
Nothing we have said here indicates that such study of the Bible or of religion, when presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, may not be effected consistently with the First Amendment.
As Justice Clark specified, and as Professor Coyne acknowledged, the issue is not the teaching of religion, but the preaching of religion. As subsequent SCOTUS rulings have specified, public schools must not lend their imprimatur to religious preaching by either students or teachers. McMullen seems to be doing more than teaching about creationism. He appears to be using his authority as a teacher—dispensing grades and extra credit—to encourage students to repeat creationist-friendly ideas.
Does this mean we should actively "investigate" all such teaching? That universities have a constitutional duty to get rid of any professors or classes that move from teaching about religious ideas to preaching the ideas themselves? I think not, for two reasons.
First, university teaching is fundamentally different from K-12 teaching. The SCOTUS decisions about teaching and preaching have mostly dealt with younger students at public schools. Though Georgia Southern is a school that receives tax funding, its status as a university makes it a substantially different case from a high school, middle school, or elementary. The main issue in the Schempp verdict was that school prayer was something students could not evade. Such students were coerced, in effect, into listening to preaching. If, like the young Schempp himself, they have a pass to leave the classroom during prayers, they are still singled out by that action. In contrast, students in college have enormous freedom to select classes. The faculties, in most cases, are much broader and more diverse. In most public high schools, students are assigned to a teacher without much input. In college, on the other hand, students put together their own schedules.
More important, Coyne doesn't seem to grasp the tradition he would be joining if his McMullen campaign were successful, though Coyne nods to the importance of academic freedom. As I detail in my upcoming book, conservatives have conducted similar campaigns against leftist professors for decades. I doubt Professor Coyne wants to open up universities to allegations and investigations of ideologically suspicious professors.
In 1941, for example, a group of conservative leaders from the American Legion and the Advertising Federation of America teamed up to encourage Coyne-like investigations of college professors. Their main target was Professor Harold Rugg of Teachers College, Columbia University.
Should we guard the gate?
As the Guardians of American Education, they investigated Rugg's teaching. They polled students and obtained copies of syllabi and course descriptions. One of Rugg's courses, they alleged, featured what they called the "denial of certain natural and inalienable rights of man." They gave specific examples of the way Rugg used his position as a professor to proselytize. On page 59 of Rugg's syllabus for a course in Educational Foundations, for instance, Rugg pushed students to "admit the far too rottenness in our social, political, and financial life."
Is this the sort of club Professor Coyne wants to join? In his earlier campaign against Eric Hedin at Ball State, Coyne alienated allies such as PZ Myers and Larry Moran. Both Moran and Myers thought that Coyne had gone too far in ignoring the sometimes-uncomfortable need to respect academic freedom. And that case was stronger than this one, since Hedin was teaching intelligent design as if it were mainstream science.
So, back to our main question: How far do we want to go to punish professors for their views? What should we do?
The purge is not the right approach. Instead, we should follow the model of Portland parents. When secular parents found out about preaching in an after-school club, they did not shut the club down. They couldn't. The "Good News Club" had every constitutional right to do what it was doing. But the Portland parents realized that free speech and academic freedom cut both ways. They conducted a campaign to warn their fellow parents about the activities of the Good News Clubs.
That should be our model here. We do not want to slide into witch hunts and creationist-baiting. We do not want to encourage universities to investigate and purge faculty for their beliefs. Instead, we can let students at Georgia Southern know what goes on in McMullen's classes. The publicity campaign should not be targeted at the administration of Georgia Southern, but rather at its students.
How far do we want to go in purging professors? In this case, Coyne goes too far.
Posted in Evolution/Creation, Higher (Power) Education
Tagged Abington School District v. Schempp, Creationism, Emerson McMullen, Eric Hedin, Freedom from Religion Foundation, Good News Clubs, Jerry Coyne, Larry Moran, PZ Myers, School Prayer
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2014/10/30/how-far-should-the-creationist-purge-go/
A Trip to a Catholic-School Science Fair
Science Fairs are great. At their best, they allow students some freedom to experiment and learn on their own. At their worst, they still provide hilarious examples of wacky adolescent science. Recently, we saw a field report from the National Center for Science Education blog. Peter Hess asked the question: What passes for "science" at a Catholic science fair?
In these pages, we've eagerly read reports from the field as science mavens visit various sorts of science fairs. P.Z. Myers has argued that creationist students actively use science fairs to subvert the mind-numbing mental boundaries imposed by creationism. Greg Laden visited a creationist homeschool science fair and found that some of the science was not bad. At least not much worse, Laden thought, than the crappy science on display at non-creationist science fairs.
Cutting-edge science from a non-religious science fair…
Hess found to his great relief that his kids' Catholic school promoted mainstream science, without adulteration from theology. Students came up with ambitious projects, such as measuring the distraction levels posed by cell phones and texting.
How distracted are drivers? This kid was not looking to the Bible for answers…
Hess also talked with some of the teachers. Those teachers, too, did not see any conflict between Catholicism and teaching mainstream science in their classes. One teacher offered an opinion that echoed the view of the late Stephen Jay Gould. As middle-school teacher Joseph Nagel told Hess,
I sometimes consider science to be the constant investigation of the external world, a quest to analyze and understand the physical world, exclusive of human experience. Religion I see as the eternal internal investigation, a search to explore and understand what lies within and between us, an examination of the human experience. If science is our understanding of the world, religion is our understanding of us. Maybe science is the 'how' and religion is the 'why.'
Of course, different Catholic schools might have different approaches. But my experience matches up closely with that of Hess. I taught for a decade in Catholic schools in Milwaukee. Though we sometimes had arguments about the novels we'd teach or the theology we'd teach, there was never any glimmer of controversy over the science we'd teach.
In fact, at least one of our science teachers also taught biology (or was it chemistry?) at a local public, secular community college. When I asked him if he taught science differently at our Catholic school, he responded just as did the teachers Hess talked to: "Why would I?"
by Adam Laats on June 16, 2014 • Permalink
Posted in Evolution/Creation
Tagged catholicism, Creationism, Evolution education, Greg Laden, National Center for Science Education, Peter Hess, PZ Myers, Science fair
Posted by Adam Laats on June 16, 2014
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2014/06/16/a-trip-to-a-catholic-school-science-fair/
Creationist Kids Subvert the Bible
The kids are alright. That's the conclusion, anyway, of the Happy Atheist PZ Myers.
Myers took a tour of a recent creationist science fair. What did he find? Creationist kids seem to be using the tools of creationist parents against them.
Myers went to the smallish Twin Cities creationist science fair. Most of the student presentations, he found, seemed like regular science with just a required Bible verse appended. And that combination, Myers argued, undercut the intended creationist brain-washing of these young Minnesotans.
One student seemed to be comparing the absorbency of diapers to the spiritual absorbency of Jesus. Another seemed to disprove her Bible verse by feeding a wild bird out of her hand.
Myers' conclusion:
Whether they like it or not, these kids are being given the tools to kick their tired Christian ideology to the curb.
by Adam Laats on February 16, 2014 • Permalink
Posted in Child Parent State, Evolution/Creation
Tagged Creationism, Evolution education, PZ Myers, Science Fairs
Posted by Adam Laats on February 16, 2014
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2014/02/16/creationist-kids-subvert-the-bible/
To Debate or Not to Debate
Bill Nye and Ken Ham will be going a few rhetorical rounds next month.
The mega-popular science educator will broach the creationist lion's den of the Creation Museum on February 4th. The topic: "Is creation a viable model of origins in today's modern scientific era?"
Image Source: Answers In Genesis
Are these debates worthwhile? In the past they had decisive impact on the formation of American creationism and fundamentalism. But these days such debates are a different animal.
Science pundits don't like it. Jerry Coyne warned that Bill Nye will only be putting money and legitimacy in Ham's deep pockets. PZ Myers wisely concludes that each side will likely only speak past the other.
I agree. The audience at this debate will likely not be moved by either man's arguments. No matter how scientifically accurate or biblically flawless, logical arguments tend not to be the deciding factor in determining one's beliefs about human origins.
As David Long's ethnography demonstrated so powerfully, creationists can thrive in mainstream scientific environments without abandoning their religious ideas. Many creationists have simply been taught to regard mainstream scientists as deeply flawed and bumbling fools. It is easy to dismiss plausible-sounding talk from someone we have already deemed unreliable.
It's hard to imagine Ham's Cincinnati audience won't be prepared to dismiss Nye's mainstream science talk out of hand. I assume Nye is hoping that he may still plant a few seeds of science doubt in the minds of those who hear him. Not much reason to offer Ham such a plum chance to look like a reputable scientific authority.
At the start of America's public evolution/creation battles, this legacy of public debating functioned much more powerfully, since creationists had not yet set up alternative institutions. As I describe in my 1920s book, some of the most influential creationists of the 1920s received humiliating public trouncings in popular debates.
At a talk on the campus of the University of Minnesota, for example, fundamentalist leader William Bell Riley found himself surprised by a student prank. Someone lowered a monkey onto the stage as Riley tried to convince his audience that creationism was reputable science. "Every time I hear the argument that this is a controversy between experts on the one hand, and, as someone has said, 'organized ignorance,' on the other, I smile," Riley told the St. Paul Pioneer Press in 1927. "This is not a debate between the educated and the uneducated."
Similarly, in London, creationist godfather George McCready Price found himself hooted off the stage in the days following the 1925 Scopes Trial. He had tried to tell the merciless audience that the theory of evolution was doomed as mainstream science. Such flawed science, Price insisted, may have worked fine
for the times of comparative ignorance of the real facts of heredity and variation and of the facts of geology which prevailed during the latter part of the nineteenth century; but that this theory is now entirely out of date, and hopelessly inadequate for us. . . . We are making scientific history very fast these days; and the specialist in some corner of science who keeps on humming a little tune to himself, quietly ignoring all this modern evidence against Evolution, is simply living in a fools' paradise. He will soon be so far behind that he will wake up some fine morning and find that he needs an introduction to the modern scientific world.
The audience didn't buy it. Price found himself heckled so mercilessly that he could not complete his presentation. That London debacle was Price's last public debate. After that experience he focused his considerable energy on founding alternative scientific institutions to prevent future creationists from needing to convert mainstream scientists.
Back in those days, creationists and fundamentalist scientists still attempted to tell audiences that they represented the true mainstream of scientific discovery. Such early creationists eagerly debated in a variety of settings in hope of convincing middle-of-the-road audiences that evolutionary science was not real science.
In that context, public debates held promise for both sides. Creationists hoped to prove that they had better science. Evolutionary scientists hoped to demonstrate the scientific vapidity of creationism.
These days, both sides have hardened. Creationists these days are not unaware of the fact that their science does not represent the scientific mainstream. Evolutionary scientists are not hoping to relieve creationists of their naïve ignorance.
Rather, both sides in these debates enter and exit with the same set ideas. Each side knows who to trust on that stage and who to ignore. No matter how persuasive Ken Ham can be, he doesn't really hope to change Bill Nye's mind. Rather, this exercise merely serves to give each charismatic speaker the chance to gain a sliver of legitimacy and respectability in the opposite camp.
by Adam Laats on January 3, 2014 • Permalink
Posted in Evolution/Creation, In the News
Tagged Bill Nye, Creationism, Evolution education, George McCready Price, Jerry Coyne, Ken Ham, PZ Myers, William Bell Riley
Posted by Adam Laats on January 3, 2014
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2014/01/03/to-debate-or-not-to-debate/
Do Rich Creationists Deserve the Awesome Fossil?
Everyone agrees on one thing: It's an awesome fossil.
So awesome, mainstream scientists complain, it shouldn't be used to preach the anti-science on tap in Answers In Genesis' Creation Museum.
Not so fast, creationists retort. They insist the rare fossil helps make the scientific case for a young earth and a real global flood.
According to a news release from the young-earth creationist ministry Answers In Genesis, a wealthy benefactor donated the half-million-dollar Allosaurus skull fossil to the Creation Museum. That benefactor wanted the fossil to be used to help make the case for Biblical young-earth creationism.
The skull will be prominently displayed in the Creation Museum. AIG scientist Andrew Snelling claims that the skull helps prove the historicity of Noah's global flood. Since the skull was so well preserved, Snelling argues, it proves an extremely rapid burial, which fits with a catastrophic flood.
Mainstream scientists complain that the skull should reside elsewhere. Happy Atheist PZ Myers, for example, laments the fact that such a priceless scientific find should be "locked up in a non-research institution and used to gull the rubes."
In an Associated Press report, Kentucky paleontologist Dan Phelps worried that the Creation Museum would not let mainstream scientists use the skull for research.
This mainstream complaint raises an interesting question: Would mainstream paleontologists conduct research on the skull, even if they were invited? After all, the presence of scientists from non-creationist research institutions would be a huge boost for AIG's claims to be a legitimate scientific institution.
Would any mainstream scientists agree to work at the Creation Museum?
Tagged Allosaurus, Andrew Snelling, Answers in Genesis, Creation Museum, Creationism, Dan Phelps, Ken Ham, PZ Myers
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2013/10/20/do-rich-creationists-deserve-the-awesome-fossil/
Evolution: Beyond Science and Religion
Outsiders are telling public school families that we must follow the rich man's elitist religion of evolution, that we no longer have what the Kentucky Constitution says is the right to worship Almighty God. Instead, this fascist method teaches that our children are the property of the state.
–Matt Singleton, Frankfort, Kentucky, July 2013
Why do so many Americans oppose the teaching of evolution in schools?
The knee-jerk answer is that people fight against mainstream science for religious reasons.
A news story out of Kentucky reminds us that we need to say, "Yes, but…"
Opposition to evolution education in the United States incorporates ideas about religion and science, but we can't stop there. If we hope to understand creationism, we need to unpick the tangled skein of ideas that can make up anti-evolution ideology.
This is something that science pundits such as PZ Myers and Jerry Coyne seem unwilling to acknowledge. America does not face a clear-cut battle between "Science" and "Religion," between "Knowledge" and "Ignorance," but a much more stubborn conflict between convoluted collections of ideas, ideas that have grown together over time. Some science advocates limit themselves to berating creationists for ignorance of evolution, to ridiculing creationists for reactionary adherence to religion. Such attacks may satisfy our sympathizers, but by willfully mischaracterizing anti-evolutionism, these pro-"science" bloggers only compound the difficulties of healing culture-war divisions.
And those divisions are indeed more complex than activists on either side tend to admit.
Case in point: a notice recently in the Huffington Post drew our attention to this story from Kentucky's Courier-Journal. Reporter Mike Wynn described a public meeting over Kentucky's adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards. As Wynn reports, opponents of evolution offered comments to the state board of education. Those comments offer a window into the complicated thinking of anti-evolution activists.
Matt Singleton, for instance, read a statement to the board describing his opposition to the new evolution-friendly science standards.
"Outsiders," Singleton read,
Are telling public school families that we must follow the rich man's elitist religion of evolution, that we no longer have what the Kentucky Constitution says is the right to worship Almighty God. Instead, this fascist method teaches that our children are the property of the state.
As I argued in my 1920s book, anti-evolution activists have always made this sort of intellectual scattershot attack on evolution. This kind of anti-evolutionism can't be reduced to merely a theological or scientific argument. If we hope to understand it, we need to understand the broad intellectual and cultural implications of the argument. If we want to make sense of it, we must see it for what it is: an "anti-evolution" argument that moves far beyond the boundaries of religion or science.
Some evolution proponents might dismiss The Reverend Singleton's rant as merely ignorant. I admit, my first response when someone howls about "outsiders" and "fascist[s]" is to assume we have reached the territory of sea-monsters and sandwich-sign prophets.
But that sort of glib dismissal misses the point. It does not help us understand why this bundle of anti-evolution ideas remains so politically potent. Whatever we may think of the connections Singleton makes between region, religion, and rights, those connections make sense to significant numbers of Americans. It is worth our time to try to understand them.
As a start, let's try to list all the different reasons for opposing mainstream science education that Singleton packs into this paragraph.
1.) Evolution comes from somewhere else. ("Outsiders")
1a.) As an import, evolution is illegitimate.
2.) Evolution is for the rich. ("rich man's . . . elitist")
2a.) This elitism calls for popular opposition.
3.) Evolution is a religion. ("religion of evolution")
3a.) As a religion, it can't be taught in public schools.
4.) Evolution destroys traditional Baptist religion. ("we no longer have . . . the right to worship Almighty God.")
4a.) As an attack on religion, it can't be taught in public schools.
5.) Traditional religion is a Constitutional right. ("the Kentucky Constitution says is the right to worship")
6.) Evolution is dictatorial. ("fascist method")
7.) Evolution imposes illegitimate government control over children. ("teaches that our children are property of the state.")
The Reverend Singleton does not want Kentucky schoolchildren to learn evolution. But we woefully misunderstand his anti-evolutionism if we simply label him an opponent of "science" and move on. We also miss the boat if we say too simply that Singleton's opposition is due to "religious" reasons. Singleton's fight against evolution combines a complex bundle of ideas. That bundle implies certain attitudes toward science and religion. But it is misleading to say that Singleton is motivated only by "anti-science" attitudes. Nowhere in his statement—at least in the part published by the Courier-Journal—does Singleton attack science. And nowhere does Singleton argue that true Biblical faith demands belief in six literal days of creation.
In the American context, we might assume that Singleton believes such things. But his political argument here includes a much broader bundle of ideas and slogans.
Anyone who hopes to improve evolution education in the United States must start by understanding the complexity of that bundle. It is not enough to dismiss such arguments as "ignorant" or "irrelevant." They make sense to people such as The Reverend Singleton. They also make sense to the politically powerful voting populace who continue to support the teaching of creationism in America's science classrooms.
by Adam Laats on July 31, 2013 • Permalink
Posted in Child Parent State, Evolution/Creation, In the News
Tagged Creationism, Evolution education, Jerry Coyne, Kentucky, Matt Singleton, Mike Wynn, Next Generation Science Standards, PZ Myers, religion, Science
Posted by Adam Laats on July 31, 2013
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2013/07/31/evolution-beyond-science-and-religion/
Postmodern Creationism: A Better Story
Add a new category to the creationist bloc in America: postmodernists who don't "believe" anything.
Journalist Virginia Heffernan has caused a mini-uproar this week by explaining why she's a creationist.
In a recent essay on Yahoo! News, Heffernan argued that the stories of creationism are simply more "compelling" than those of mainstream science. In her telling, she wanted to embrace science, since she loves technology. But science just doesn't have the right stories. In her words,
I was amused and moved, but considerably less amused and moved by the character-free Big Bang story ("something exploded") than by the twisted and picturesque misadventures of Eve and Adam and Cain and Abel and Abraham.
Predictably, science pundits reacted with dismay. University of Chicago biologist Jerry Coyne lambasted Heffernan's "remarkable celebration of ignorance." University of Minnesota biologist PZ Myers noted Heffernan's anti-science history: "every time she meets a scientist she opens her mouth and says something stupid . . . ."
Also predictably, evangelical Christians defended Heffernan. In the Christian Post, journalist Leonardo Blair noted that Heffernan had become a "lightning rod for ridicule," but that she has also won support from religious people for "standing by her beliefs."
It seems to me, however, that both the fervent anti-creationist commentators and the evangelical pro-creationists ignore the central thrust of Heffernan's essay. Heffernan is not making a case for the truth of creationism. Indeed, as she explains, "I guess I don't 'believe' that the world was created in a few days, but what do I know? Seems as plausible (to me) as theoretical astrophysics, and it's certainly a livelier tale." This is not a full-throated defense of Biblical creationism. Instead, Heffernan is making a case for the plausibility of creationism.
And, as far as that goes, she's right. Creationism is more than just a religious belief. It is a convincing and intuitive way of understanding humanity's predicament. This is why leading science educators have recognized that simply pouring more science on Americans will never convince them of the truths of evolution.
Heffernan's attitude does not result from childhood brainwashing in the Bible. Heffernan does not howl at mainstream institutions from the wilds of San Diego or Northern Kentucky. She complains, instead, that it is hard to admit to creationism in New York restaurants, to acquaintances from her jobs, perhaps, at the New Yorker or New York Times. With her handy PhD from Harvard, Heffernan's attitude does not come from a lack of mainstream education.
Heffernan's avowed creationism, instead, comes from an over-abundance of mainstream education. Her attack on mainstream science comes not from Genesis, as she suggests elsewhere, but from Derrida.
Other creation/evolution commentators have made similar points, without going as far as embracing creationism. Jason Rosenhouse, for instance, in his book Among the Creationists, admits that creationist explanations of life and humanity are much more appealing than the messy truths of mainstream science.
Unlike Rosenhouse, Heffernan takes the postmodern leap. IF we have no Archimedean perspective from which we can judge competing truth claims, THEN we are forced to choose between competing narratives. BECAUSE creationism has the better narrative, Heffernan concludes, she must call herself a creationist.
Plus, it generates better headlines to say "I'm a creationist" than to say "Creationism tells better stories of humanity's origins, but I don't really believe those stories, but you gotta admit, they are better stories, plus scientists can sometimes be jerks."
Tagged Christian Post, Creationism, Evolution, Jason Rosenhouse, Jerry Coyne, Leonardo Blair, Postmodernism, PZ Myers, Virginia Heffernan
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2013/07/14/postmodern-creationism-a-better-story/
Eric Hedin and the Care and Feeding of Young Scientists
Scientists aren't necessarily stupid. Yet, as we've seen, some academic scientists demonstrate a curious ignorance or even proud self-delusion about important aspects of science and culture.
Perhaps the continuing kerfuffle over Professor Eric Hedin and Ball State University can shed some light on this puzzle.
The case began, it appears, with complaints by University of Chicago scientist and science activist Jerry Coyne. Coyne complained that the teaching of Eric Hedin at Ball State University represented the indoctrination of students by a religious zealot. Professor Hedin taught a course cross-listed as "The Boundaries of Science" or "Inquiries in the Physical Sciences." True enough, Hedin's reading list leaned heavily on old-earth creationism and intelligent design. Worst of all, Professor Coyne argued, Hedin's course proselytized for a specific sort of Christianity and called it science. The university and department reluctantly agreed to investigate Hedin's teaching.
Professor Coyne hoped the university would pressure Professor Hedin to stop his preaching.
Other leading science bloggers disagreed. PZ Myers argued that Hedin's teaching, though lamentable, must be allowed as an issue of academic freedom. "If we're going to start firing professors who teach things that are wrong," Myers insisted, "we're all going to be vulnerable."
The debate between these science activists on the boundaries of acceptable university teaching might help us understand why so many scientists are so strangely unaware of the cultural context of their work. Neither Professor Coyne nor Professor Myers seems to think that Professor's Hedin course might actually be of value to the scientists-in-training at Ball State. Myers defends the classes as a protection of Hedin's rights, not the protection of student interests.
Is it not possible that such intellectual diversity could be a positive good?
In issues of race, the US Supreme Court has ruled that diversity is a legitimate goal of university admissions. Racial diversity, in other words, is not only good for members of racial minority groups. Diversity is good for everybody who wants to learn.
Does not the same principle apply here?
Of course, we would want to avoid the absurd extension of this principle. We would not want to teach people things that were obviously not true only to give students some sort of intellectual workout. But the ideas taught by Hedin are not the ravings of some isolated madman. Rather, they represent an influential and important tradition in our culture. Though these ideas do not qualify as representatives of mainstream science, they are nevertheless ideas about science. Scientists should know about them.
Raising young scientists in an ideological or cultural hothouse produces fragile flowers. It helps explain why so many smart people emerge from this training so remarkably dumb about important ideas.
If we looked into this question as one of encouraging intellectual diversity, we could shift the debate in useful ways. Everyone can agree that students can benefit by being exposed to a diversity of ideas. The question becomes, then, at what level and in what format should students learn about heterodox ideas? What courses should count as requirements, and what courses should be elective? Most important, where are the boundaries of acceptable diversity? These are questions with which university faculties have long experience.
In my field, for instance, it would not make sense for introductory courses in American history to teach only a Marxist interpretation of the past. Students from all sorts of fields take those introductory courses. For many students, such a course may be their only collegiate exposure to American history. It would not make sense for those students to learn that history is the unfolding of the class struggle. But for history majors, students will benefit from having one or more advanced courses taught about specific interpretive traditions, whether or not the instructor is a Marxist. Even though I do not think a Marxist interpretation is the best approach, I support the inclusion of such courses in university programs. Not only to defend the teaching rights of professors, but more importantly, to ensure students experience a true diversity of intellectual approaches.
In the case from Ball State, it does not seem as if Professor Hedin's religion-heavy course should be the ONLY exposure students have to science. Nor should this course be taught as an introduction to science as a whole. But students who take a full course load of science classes could certainly benefit from considering such ideas. Even if taught by an instructor who embraces the theological implications. Other courses might study other aspects of science, and might usefully be taught by professors with strong intellectual commitments to a particular worldview.
Making the debate a question of when and how students encounter intellectual diversity is not as exciting as debating if religious ideas can be taught as science. It is not as exciting as arguing whether professors have the academic freedom to teach heterodox ideas. But it seems to me the most productive way to discuss Professor Hedin's case.
by Adam Laats on May 28, 2013 • Permalink
Posted in Higher (Power) Education, In the News
Tagged Academic freedom, Ball State University, Creationism, Eric Hedin, higher education, Intelligent Design, Jerry Coyne, PZ Myers, religion
Posted by Adam Laats on May 28, 2013
https://iloveyoubutyouregoingtohell.org/2013/05/28/eric-hedin-and-the-care-and-feeding-of-young-scientists/


text:
Gurley Man! Runningback "Mad As Hell" His Last-Second Touchdown Led To Weird Loss For Falcons.
By Tom Zenner • Oct. 26, 2020 • Ballers, Sports Biz, Weird Stories
Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley (21) scores a touchdown against the Detroit Lions during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Oh, 2020, you are such a strange year in SO many ways. Just when we thought and hoped we'd seen it all, something new comes along. It happened in an NFL game on Sunday, where a player scored a touchdown late in the game to put his team in front, and then after the game said he was "mad as hell" that he did it.
The player was Todd Gurley of the Atlanta Falcons. With his team driving and on the 10-yard line, the Detroit Lions defense appeared to let him have a clear path to the end zone. They did that because it would allow their offense to get the ball one more time and try to drive for a winning score of their own. The smart strategy would have been for Gurley to get close to the goal line and then fall down. They could let the clock wind down and then kick a field goal on the last play to win the game. It was a bizarre sight, watching him tightrope the end zone trying desperately not to fall in.
"I was trying not to (score). My momentum took me in," Gurley said. "It's kind of crazy, the last time I played Detroit, I went down. This time I end up scoring. It's like what goes around comes around. It's one of them unfortunate situations. I've been, I mean, plenty of those situations my rookie year, six or seven, and I've always got down. It was an unfortunate one right there."
Wouldn't you know it, the Lions get the ball, march down the field, and quarterback Matthew Stafford throws a touchdown pass on the final play of the game, and they kick the extra point to win 23-22.
Only in 2020.
Read Alert! Top 5 Ballers Stories Today
The Ultimate Baller Move. Tom Brady Defies His Coach's Orders To Earn Rob Gronkowski A $1 Million Incentive Bonus.
Today's Sports Stories
Entertainment & Pop Culture Stories
How Low Can You Go? Jennifer Lawrence Looking To Perfect The Creepy Voice Of Elizabeth Holmes For Movie.
The Last Blast
Baller! Phillip Anschultz Sold His 25% Stake In The L.A. Lakers But Still Is One Of The Most Influential Moguls In Sports And Entertainment.