Pleasantville

This morning my chosen method of procrastination has been browsing some articles on Boundless.org. In an article on how cheaply our culture views sex, I found the following description of the movie Pleasantville:

The plot revolves around a teenage brother and sister whose TV remote control magically transports them into the peaceful, black-and-white world of a Fifties TV sitcom. The sister promptly seduces the captain of the high school basketball team, and before long, the once-innocent teenagers of Pleasantville are all engaging in sex. Soon, their dull, black-and-white world turns to glorious color. The director's message is obvious: Sexual promiscuity will lead to freedom and happiness.

I should say from the outset that I love the movie Pleasantville - it's one of my favourites. I know that a lot of Christians complained about it, but I'd never actually read any articles or reviews about it. Here's some more from another Boundless article:

While some film critics, notably USA Today’s Mike Clark, found [director Gary] Ross’ style preachy and his attacks on the 1950s “specious” and “simplistic,” even they bought into the notion that sex was a metaphor for something else: creativity, freedom or nonconformity what have you.

Perhaps these critics bought into the notion that sex was a metaphor for something else because sex WAS a metaphor for something else. But even if it was a metaphor, this reviewer still doesn't like it:

They fail, however, to understand why directors like Ross rely almost exclusively on this metaphor. For them, sexual freedom is synonymous with personal freedom. You see, at the heart of the 1960s, when many of these directors grew up, was a rebellion against traditional sources of authority: government, moral standards and the church.

True, in our society, sexual freedom is viewed in this way, and that's exactly why it works as a metaphor. But it was just a metaphor. To me, it seems crazy to think that the director was advocating sexual promiscuity in this movie. And to focus solely on the teenagers' sexual exploits leading to the colouring of their world ignores most of the movie and, to be honest, makes me wonder about the preoccupations of such reviewers. To be sure, Jennifer (the sister in the film) seduces the captain of the basketball team, and he starts to see the world turning coloured after this experience, but she herself doesn't change into colour until she ignores the basketball team captain in favour of reading. And her brother David, the geeky one, doesn't change into colour until he stands up to a bunch of nasty guys to defend his mother (well, his mother in Pleasantville).

Other changes that take place in the movie:

• The books are initially all blank, but the pages gradually fill with text, and going to the library becomes a popular pastime for the kids.
• The town is completely closed off from the outside world - the people can't even understand the question "what's outside of Pleasantville?" At the end of the movie, there are mountains and trees to be seen outside of the town.
• Things are not perfect anymore - people don't always get strikes in bowling; the basketball team loses a game; the firemen need to do more than just rescue cats stuck up trees; and it actually rains from time to time.
  
• People show emotions - good emotions, such as love, and bad, such as anger.
• Jennifer decides not to even go back home. She's done with being a "slut" as she puts it, and decides to go to college instead.
  

There's so much in this movie, and I find it very narrow-minded for people to look at it and condemn it as a bad movie because it "clearly" promotes sexual promiscuity.

To be fair, this article did have some good things to say about the way Hollywood views romance as identical with sex. For example, in Shakespeare in Love, the only reason we know that the two main characters are in love is that they can't keep their hands off each other. I felt the same way about Moulin Rouge. It was supposed to be some great love story, but there was nothing between them except lust.

It is good, and right, to challenge the world views that we are bombarded with by Hollywood. We should understand love as being much more than just lust - it involves sacrifice and commitment as well as fun and pleasure. But I think sometimes Christians can go too far in the movies they condemn. I'm not saying that Pleasantville is some incredibly deep, philosophical movie with an ultimately redeeming message, but it's fun and does make some interesting points about challenging the status quo (whatever that might be - not just the conservative status quo). And I just don't see that it's out to promote the destruction of all morality.

Amigurumi Ninja

I want one!

I hate Mondays

Where did the weekend go?

Friday night

Matt and I went to see Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. It was very well done, and I enjoyed it, but I did leave feeling just a little queasy. I'd been warned that it was very bloodthirsty. The blood didn't bother me too much - it was so fake - but one of the characters being thrown alive into a furnace at the end - that was a little harder for me to deal with.

Saturday

Matt had stayed at my place Friday night, and on Saturday morning we spent some time searching for a cottage in the Peak District to stay in while we're in England. My parents were both out, so we went to Oatley for brunch and then I drove Matt to Hurstville to catch the bus back to Wollongong (the trains weren't running). When I got home I read the paper then went back to bed for a nap because I was so exhausted. I was disturbed twice: once by the phone (I picked it up and there was no answer, so I hung up quickly - I hate those telemarketing calls!) and once by by neighbour who thought he might have lent my dad some kind of gadget for cleaning out gutters.

I finally dragged myself out of bed mid-afternoon, but didn't have much energy to do anything. I watched Down with Love (very cute) then finally mustered up enough energy to vacuum the kitchen. Last weekend I'd had to put a collar on my poor cockatiel because he was chewing at the skin under his wing, and when I took it off this weekend, he had a week's worth of grooming to catch up on, which resulted in a lot of feathers and dust on the kitchen floor. Then I played piano for awhile - something I don't do very often these days. My mum got home about 7pm, and we had a nice quiet girls night, drinking red wine and watching Firefly. And then I went to bed early, but didn't sleep very well.

Sunday

I had planned to go to the gym, but I was too tired, so I read the paper over breakfast and then managed to tidy my room a little. I picked up Lynley (my future sister-in-law) at 11am, and we drove to Miranda to look for a dress for her to wear at the wedding (she's "best maid") and to see 27 Dresses. We followed that with very naughty but very tasty churros and chocolate. We shared, so it was only half bad!

I got home around 4:30pm, feeling very much in need of a nap before church at 6pm. I knew, though, that if I had a nap, I probably wouldn't get up in time for church. So I made a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table trying to edit my current draft of chapter 3. I wasn't feeling very well, though, and as time went by, I was just feeling worse. I decided I wasn't well enough to go to church, so I had a rest, and got up an hour later feeling worse still. I had dinner with my parents, watched Grey's Anatomy, and went to bed early. And couldn't sleep. Grr. So I finished reading Atonement. I enjoyed it, though I did feel a little let down at the end.

Monday

Where did the weekend go? I'm so tired, and it's only the first day of the week! It took me over an hour to drive to uni this morning - an incident in the tunnel, slow traffic on Southern Cross Drive, traffic lights not working at Todman Ave (I waited for nearly 10 minutes before getting out of the right-hand turning lane and going straight ahead), a breakdown on Alison Rd, cars blocking the intersection where I wanted to turn right at Wansey St. Then an email saying I'd exceeded the volume of my account on my uni computer - we've gone from having the whole hard drive of the eMac to having a 5GB mobile account - so I've been sitting here deleting files.

Now it's 9:30am, and I really should do some work on my PhD...

Superchic(k)

One of my favourite Christian bands. A little bit of "girl power" with the acknowledgment that although life is not always good, God has a plan. I've actually only heard one of their albums, but there are so many songs that seem to capture perfectly how I feel at times.

Beauty From Pain

The lights go out all around me
One last candle to keep out the night
And then the darkness surrounds me
I know I'm alive but I feel like I've died
And all that's left is to accept that it's over
My dreams ran like sand through the fists that I made
I try to keep warm but I just grow colder
I feel like I'm slipping away

After all this has passed, I still will remain
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain
Though it won't be today,
Someday I'll hope again
And there'll be beauty from pain
You will bring beauty from my pain

My whole world is the pain inside me
The best I can do is just get through the day
My life before is only a memory
I wonder why God lets me walk through this place
And though I can't understand why this happened
I know that I will when I look back someday
And see how you've brought beauty from ashes
And made me as gold purified through these flames

Here I am, at the end of me
Trying to hold to what I can't see
I forgot how to hope
This night's been so long
I cling to Your promise
There will be a dawn

After all this has passed, I still will remain
After I've cried my last, there'll be beauty from pain
Though it won't be today,
Someday I'll hope again
And there'll be beauty from pain
You will bring beauty from my pain

Fortunately I haven't felt like this for quite awhile, but there was a time in my life when this song described exactly how I felt, particularly the second verse: it did seem like all I could do was make it through the day. When you're in the depths of despair like this, it is hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel (and if you can, it's probably a train!!), but it helps to have this promise to hold on to - that God really can bring good from the worst situation.

Stand In The Rain

She never slows down
She doesn't know why
But she knows that when she's all alone
Feels like its all coming down
She won't turn around
The shadows are long
And she fears if she cries that first tear
The tears will not stop raining down

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain

She won't make a sound
Alone in this fight with herself
And the fears whispering
If she stands she'll fall down
She wants to be found
The only way out is through
Everything she's running from
Wants to give up and lie down.

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it's all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won't drown
And one day, what's lost can be found
You stand in the rain

This is how I feel about my PhD. Sometimes it just seems so huge and I wish I could just curl up in a corner and wait for it to go away. But, of course, it's not going to go away until I get it done. The only way out is straight ahead, through the PhD, through everything I'm running from and want to escape.

Courage

I told another lie today
And I got through this day
No one saw through my games
I know the right words to say
Like "I don't feel well," "I ate before I came"
Then someone tells me how good I look
And for a moment, for a moment I am happy
But when I'm alone, no one hears me cry

I need you to know
I'm not through the night
Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light
I need you to know
I will be ok
Together we can make it through another day

I don't know the first time I felt unbeautiful
The day I chose not to eat
What I do know is how I've changed my life forever
I know I should know better
There are days when I'm ok
And for a moment, for a moment I find hope
But there are days when I'm not ok
And I need your help
So I'm letting go

You should know you're not on your own
These secrets are walls that keep us alone
I don't know when but I know now
Together we'll make it through somehow

I need you to know
I'm not through the night
Some days I'm still fighting to walk towards the light
I need you to know
I will be ok
Together we can make it through another day

Obviously this song is about anorexia, something that I've never experienced and don't imagine I ever will (is it bad that I wish I lost my appetite when I'm depressed rather than turning to food for comfort?!) But it still expresses something I feel. "There are days when I'm ok, and for a moment, I find hope. But there are days when I'm not ok, and I need your help." Most of the time I feel fine, and I'm generally pretty good at putting on a good show, so most people wouldn't know how much I struggle with stress and anxiety and panic attacks and feelings of complete defeat. But sometimes I really do feel like I'm fighting to walk towards the light.

Suddenly

She feels lost in her own life
Treading water just to keep from slipping under
And she wonders if she's where she's supposed to be
Tired of trying to do it right
Her dreams are just too far away
To see how steps she's making
Might be taking her to who she'll be

And suddenly it isn't what it used to be
And after all this time it worked out just fine
And suddenly I am where I'm supposed to be
And after all the tears, I was supposed to be here

She feels locked in her own life
Scared of what she might lose
If she moves away from who she was
And she's afraid of being free
There's a way she knows is right
And she can't feel the things she knows
And so each step she's taking
Is a step of faith towards who she'll be

And here where the night is darkest black
She feels the fear
And the light is farthest back
And through her tears
She can see the dawn
It's coming, skies will clear
And the light will find her where she's always been

And suddenly it isn't what it used to be
And after all this time it worked out just fine
And suddenly I am where I'm supposed to be
And after all the tears, I was supposed to be here

Treading water just to keep from slipping under - yep, that's how I feel. I'm still looking for the positive element of this song, and though I know it will come, it's still hard to believe it sometimes. Things will work out just fine. Not perfect, but fine. The will of God will be done. I know that he works in all things for the good of those who love him, even if we don't always see the results as "good." But like any parent, he knows what's best for us, and all these difficult experiences of life are a chance to grow in faith and learning to trust him more.

Amen!

130 days to go!

But really, I'm not counting...

Doing well

Two days in a row of PhD productivity! Hurrah!

Yes, it's not even 11am yet, but for me at the moment, working solidly since before 9am is an achievement. Unfortunately I do have to leave uni early today for a personal training session at the gym, but I'm actually looking forward to coming back tomorrow and getting stuck into my thesis again. Unbelievable!

Still got about 90 minutes to do some more solid work today... Best get back to it!

140 days to go!

But who's counting?!

A good start to the week

Today has been the most PhD-productive day I've had all year.

True, I've been a little distracted by wedding planning stuff, but I've still achieved a bit on my PhD, and at least I wasn't sitting at my computer, staring at my notes, feeling like crying all day.

It's a start, and it's only Monday! Woohoo!!

Only five months...

...until Matt and I get married!!

Preparations for the wedding are going well.

• I've ordered my dress
• We've decided on bridesmaid dresses (I think)
• We've booked the photographer
• We're closing in on a reception venue
• The church & ministers are sorted
• We start marriage prep on Saturday
• Invitations have been designed
• We've decided on music for the processional and recessional
  

Next steps:

• Finalise reception venue
• Decide whether or not to hire fancy wedding cars
• Talk to florist
• Finalise guest list
• Decide on music and musicians for the ceremony
• Order stationary and make invitations
• Organise honeymoon

It's all very exciting!!

Please pray

I'm not coping well with life at the moment. I feel that everything is just too hard for me. Especially my PhD. It's evil, I hate it, and I want it gone. NOW!

Australian Atheist

An interesting exchange over on Craig's blog. I particularly like this comment from John H:

Oh, and what is it with atheists these days saying "god" in lower-case all the time? It wasn't like that back in my day. I'm not a Buddhist, but I can still bring myself to use a capital "B" for the word "Buddha". Ditto "Allah", "Krishna" and "Flying Spaghetti Monster". :-) What next? Dropping the typeface a couple of points to show you really, really don't believe in God?

Wedding dress shopping!

I'm about to set off on my first ever wedding dress shopping expedition!

Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved looking at wedding dresses and dreaming about what my wedding would be like. Now that the time has come, I'm a little nervous. In general, I don't like shopping. I've never been completely comfortable with my appearance, and at the moment I'm quite a bit rounder and squishier than I would like to be. I've been trying to lose weight, but I'm not very good at it - I like my food and wine too much!

So I'm a little apprehensive about trying on dresses. I was going to wait a little while, but two of my bridesmaids suggested a shopping trip before we all go back to work next week.

It's pretty exciting that I'm finally getting the chance to find and wear a wedding dress, but even more exciting is the prospect of being married to my wonderful fiance!

A Witty Title and some exciting news

I've been planning for awhile to write some posts about my blogroll - who all the people are, how I know them, why I read their blogs, etc. I was going to save the best for last, but Matt's blog is first on the list in alphabetical order, and I do have a special reason for writing about him now...

I first came across Matt's blog, A Witty Title, through his brother Duncan's blog, which I discovered through Karen's blog. Karen was a friend from UNSW, and when I discovered that her newsletters also appeared online on her blog, I started reading regularly. Doing a PhD means that new avenues of procrastination are always appealing, so I started reading all the blogs in her blogroll, including Duncan's blog, Drawn From Still Water. I also decided to start my own blog.

After a little while, Duncan posted that his brother had started a blog called A Witty Title, so I began reading that too. I liked what Matt had to say - always interesting, thoughtful and challenging. I'd been reading his blog for about a month when he first commented on my blog. Again, an interesting, thoughtful and challenging comment. I kept reading.

I'd always suspected there was something pretty special about Matt, even though I'd never met him in real life. I met Duncan once or twice, and was hoping for a chance to meet Matt. Late last year, Matt left a comment on my blog asking me to email him. Ooh! As it turned out, one of Matt's "friends" had insulted me on A Witty Title, and Matt wanted to explain the situation - that this guy was just being a jerk, annoyed at Matt and taking it out on me. I was really impressed by Matt's thoughtfulness - I hadn't even seen the insult when Matt emailed me! This turned in to a moderately lengthy email exchange, talking about a bunch of stuff.

In January 2007, Matt suggested I come to the Word by Word literary dinner at Karen and Ben's place. I'd been to one Word by Word meeting years ago, and had been thinking about getting involved again, so I decided to go. The added bonus - the chance to meet Matt in real life! I remember we didn't get much of a chance to talk, but we did spend some time exchanging very bad jokes, which was all good. I was hoping he might offer to walk me to my car or something, and maybe, just maybe, ask for my phone number (I've always been a hopeless - hopeful! - romantic!) Not this time, though.

A couple of weeks later, Matt emailed me to ask if I wanted to catch up for coffee in the city one night. Of course I said yes. Among other things, it was the first time I'd ever actually been asked out on a date! We went to the Cortile at the Hotel Intercontinental, and despite my unsociable mood (I'd had a bad day) we talked for about three hours, then walked to Martin Place to catch the train together. He was getting off at Hurstville, and when he left without giving any indication of future plans or asking for my phone number, I was left rather confused. Fortunately he emailed me again on the Monday to suggest catching up for a movie. We weren't able to find a night we were both free until the Thursday of the next week, so we were reduced to an email conversation. He was dropping all these little hints, but I was getting more and more confused, so finally I sent an email saying "Do you find it at all strange that we've exchanged so many emails yet we've only met twice in person?" In response, Matt sent me the most beautiful email I've ever received. I printed it off, and it's still in my wallet! Basically he said that he liked me and wanted to get to know me better so he could see if his interest was just friendship or something more.

I was totally swept off my feet at that point, but unfortunately it didn't last long. I got myself all confused and convinced that it wasn't going to work out and that I should end it sooner rather than later, so a couple of weeks later I acually broke up with Matt. Two days after that I was having doubts. Three days after that I'd decided I wanted to get back together with him, but thought I should wait a little while to be sure. Four days after that, I decided I couldn't wait any longer, so I called him, said that I'd made a terrible mistake, and asked if he would give me a second chance. Fortunately for me, Matt is a wonderfully understanding and generous person, and so we got back together. We date the official start of our relationship from that night - April 2.

If you've been committed enough to read this far, well done! Here comes the exciting news...

Fast forward 8 months of spending time having fun, getting to know each other, talking about marriage, experiencing angst, talking some more, working through a book called 101 Questions to Ask Before You Get Engaged, some more angst, and more marriage talk...

On Sunday night, I visited Matt's church down in Wollongong. I had decided not to drive back to Sydney that night because it was rainy and foggy and not particularly nice weather for driving alone at night. Good choice! After church, we drove up to Bulli Tops and while we were standing there, looking out over all the pretty lights, Matt told me that he had been very deceptive, started fumbling in his pocket, drew out a small box, got down on his knees in the wet grass, said some extremely beautiful things and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! Easiest question I've ever had to answer, though not the easiest answer to actually get out. I was crying and giggling at the same time - I was quite hysterical for about an hour!

So, to cut a long story short, I am now engaged to be married to the most wonderful man I have ever known (close call - perhaps he ranks equally with my dad!) I have been so blessed by God - Matt came into my life at a rather difficult time, but it seems that God knew just what I needed. It's been a fantastic year - many ups and downs, but a fabulous time of getting to know Matt and growing closer together. I don't think I can find the words to describe just how wonderful it has been.

I knew it was coming - we'd been talking about getting engaged for awhile, and had even visited a jeweller together to talk about a ring - but the timing did catch me by surprise. Matt did a fantastic job of convincing me that he didn't have the ring yet, and despite a few inklings, threw me off by suggesting dinner on Wednesday night. He said that he had thought about waiting and trying to make it more romantic, but found he couldn't wait. Fine by me! It was such a special night and incredibly romantic, and I'm so excited to be able to tell people that I'm engaged!!

So, now I'm looking forward to 6 months of marriage preparation, wedding planning, (finishing the thesis), and growing even closer to my dearest fiance before our wedding day in June. Hurrah!

Here's a photo of us just after getting engaged. It's not the greatest photo - we were both pretty exhausted, but so incredibly happy!

The gorgeous ring Matt gave me - a beautiful symbol of this step towards complete commitment to one another.

A close-up of the ring. I totally recommend Jason Ree Diamond Design!

Facebook defines relationships

"Yeah, we would have broken up last night, but the net connection was down..."

A creationist in heaven

H/t Nick.

I'm a feminist!

You Are 85% Feminist

You are a total feminist. This doesn't mean you're a man hater (in fact, you may be a man). You just think that men and women should be treated equally. It's a simple idea but somehow complicated for the world to put into action.

Are You a Feminist?

Long distance love

Sometimes an impulsive 2:00am cross-country trip is the only solution.

Crazy To-Do Lists

Click here.

I think this is the coolest to-do list I've ever seen!

English Summer

I was tempted to buy this totally adorable pendant, but shipping cost almost as much as the necklace, so I restrained myself.

We should probably talk about this before the wedding...

Click here.

A jedi buys a car

h/t Craig.

Don't look away

My father was the founder of the National Park in Rwanda, which is home to rare silver back gorillas. During the war here, just one silver back was killed. And when it happened, within 48 hours millions in funding was sent to ensure the rest of the gorilla population was protected. Why isn't the same done with our women? I'll tell you why, because in the eyes of the international community animals have more value than humans in this part of the world.

I told him what is happening here is a holocaust. I was very aggressive. I said, 'You are in the Congo, so what are you doing? You came to the hospital and like everyone you cry. Like everyone you leave. And like everyone, we never hear from you again.'

The world continues to look away. Don't.

Trippy

Singleness and marriage

Well, my decision not to blog on love, sex, marriage, singleness, dating etc has been well and truly blown out of the water... ;-)

Craig's blog is getting out of his control! But there are very interesting discussions to be found here and here.

He's back!!

I finally got around to updating my blogroll (both here and my RSS feeds), including deleting my brother's blog Christianity in a Democracy, and he starts up posting again.

Typical big brother. Always making a nuisance of himself!

Anyway, he's back with some thoughts on the upcoming federal election, so I suggest you go check it out.

RIGHT NOW!!

Nothing new under the sun

There really is nothing new under the sun.

“For if there is reason in the universe, if things have any cause and purpose, then there must be a God who embodies and expresses reason: for God is not to be thought of as an arbitrary despot.”

If God do all things at his pleasure,
Because he will, and not because it's good,
So that his actions will have no set measure,
Is't possible it should be understood
What he intends?
- Henry More, Philosophical Poems, 1647

"Just as reason in the universe implies a Divine Reasoner - and by the same token design in the universe implies a Divine Designer - so also reason within the creation entails the Creator's having a purpose, which is the good of his creation."

My Bloginality is ISTJ!!!

I'll sing Thy power to save

On this day in 1731, William Cowper was born in Great Berkhamstead, Hertfordshire, England. Cowper wrote one of my favourite hymns, "There is a fountain." Such beautiful words to be written by a "poor lisping, stammering tongue."

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins
And sinners plunged beneath that flood
Lose all their guilty stains

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day
And there may I, though vile as he
Wash all my sins away

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed Church of God
Be saved to sin no more

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply
Redeeming love has been my theme
And shall be till I die

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave
Then in a nobler, sweeter song
I'll sing Thy power to save

Click here to hear the hymn and read about William Cowper.

Hmm...

These are the kinds of arguments from Christians against Darwinism which I do not like at all.

Michael Craven, president of the Center for Christ and Culture, is writing in response to responses to his recent article on James Watson. Apparently evolutionists are outraged at Craven's suggestions that James Watson's apparent racism (I can't comment - haven't read the previous article) stems from his Darwinism. I'm not going to go through the whole thing, just mention one comment I found particularly amusing. Craven writes

Darwin’s theory of evolution does indeed have a “goal”—providing an alternative to the biblical explanation of origins. Darwin’s grandfather, Erasmus Darwin was a noted intellectual, physician and writer who, long before Charles, theorized an evolutionary alternative to biblical origins. The senior Darwin strongly opposed Christianity going so far as to include “Credulity, Superstitious Hope, and the Fear of Hell in his catalogue of diseases.”

Exsqueeze me? Baking powder? Erasmus Darwin wants to replace the biblical account and that makes Charles Darwin's theory of evolution a deliberate alternative to the biblical account? Hello! Wrong Darwin!

And then he suggests Answers in Genesis as an appropriate place for seeking further information. Not good at all. I'd check out the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion instead. Real Christians who are real scientists doing good work on this issue.

And that's all I have to say about that. For now.

(As an aside, I'm amused by the slogan for the Creation Museum advertised on the Answers in Genesis site - "Prepare to Believe.")

Imposter Syndrome

• Do you secretly worry that others will find out that you're not as bright and capable as they think you are?
• Do you sometimes shy away from challenges because of nagging self-doubt?
• Do you tend to chalk your accomplishments up to being a "fluke," “no big deal” or the fact that people just "like" you?
• Do you hate making a mistake, being less than fully prepared or not doing things perfectly?
• Do you tend to feel crushed by even constructive criticism, seeing it as evidence of your "ineptness?"
• When you do succeed, do you think, "Phew, I fooled 'em this time but I may not be so lucky next time."
• Do you believe that other people (students, colleagues, competitors) are smarter and more capable than you are?
• Do you live in fear of being found out, discovered, unmasked?

If you answered yes to any of these questions — join the club!

Dr. Valerie Young

I answered "yes" to all of those questions...

10 Steps to Overcome the Imposter Syndrome

I'm a fraud!

I can definitely relate to this.

More on the Imposter Syndrome here.

Right to life

One of the topics we consider in the online Science and Religion course I tutor is bioethics. Abortion, in particular, provokes much discussion. A common viewpoint is that it's ok to abort a foetus if it hasn't developed the ability to feel pain. This, to me, is a very strange argument. Does it mean that murder of an adult is ok if it's not painful? I'm sure most people wouldn't go there (unless it was euthanasia).

Abortion is a tricky topic. I revolt against it with every fibre of my being, yet I wouldn't want to see it made illegal. I think it's disgusting that a woman might decide to terminate just because she doesn't want a baby at that time, but I have nothing but compassion for women who feel that they have no other choice.

But I just don't see why unborn babies should be treated so differently to adults. If it's ok to abort a baby who is disabled because the family won't be able to deal with them, is it then ok to euthanase a disabled adult or even child, because they family can't cope with the burden of caring for them? Surely nobody would argue this!

Anyway, just a few random thoughts I've been pondering while marking journals...

On marriage

Matt has written a very insightful (as well as very well edited and proofread!) post on marriage, inspired by the Stephen Sondheim musical Company.

Read it!

It's my life...

And it's rather stressful at the moment. This is what I've got to do over the next couple of months:

• Finish teaching for the session
• Mark 55 essays (in the next couple of days)
• Mark 47 journals
• Finalise tutorial participation marks for 47 students
• Conference proposals
• Alister McGrath's natural theology conference (due 15 November)
• Three Societies (BSHS, HSS, CSHPS) conference (due 3 December)
• Application for job in Cambridge (due 21 November)
• Finish thesis (by Christmas, just in case I get the job in Cambridge)
• Chapter 1 - Rewrite sections on natural philosophy and 17th century English theology
• Chapter 2 - Finish revising section on history of science treatments of natural theology
• Chapter 4 - Finish writing section on Henry More and write section on Ralph Cudworth
• Chapter 5 - Write entire chapter
• Chapter 6 - Finish draft
• Revise all chapters
• Write introduction to Part 2
• Write introduction to whole thesis
• Write conclusion
• Final editing and formatting

I think that's all. No wonder I'm stressed!

"My Father, Bertrand Russell"

Click here.

H/t Craig

Lame excuse for road rage

This article in today's Herald amused me. A man is claiming that he was "sexually assaulted" by a woman holding up her little finger at him. Sexually assaulted? By a woman in another car? With just a gesture? Even accusations of sexual harrassment require some kind of abuse of power. Assault? This is just crazy. And what does he do? Throws a water bottle at the woman's car. Clever.

"I just was angry and I threw it out the window, and I ended up hitting her car, and I get charged pretty much for being sexually assaulted by her, you know what I mean," he said.

Hmm.

And he tried to blame this ad campaign by the RTA.

I'm a sad pedant

John Gribbin says so. In his book about the founding of the Royal Society of London in the 17th century, he acknowledges that the people he is writing about would have regarded themselves as natural philosophers,

But as the old saying goes, if it looks like a duck, flies like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. In modern terminology, the people who are the subjects of this book were scientists, and what they did was science; only the saddest pedant would object to my use of the word science in this context.

J. Gribbin, The Fellowship: The Story of a Revolution, Penguin Books, London, 2006, p. xiii.

Classic title, by the way. Very dramatic.

When submission is good

I've been thinking a lot about marriage lately (no points for guessing why that is!) and particularly about submission and headship. I'm not sure exactly where I stand on these issues, and perhaps I'll write in a bit more detail about those things when I'm not so busy, but in the meantime, I've figured out an example of when submission is unequivocally a good thing.

Submission of the thesis!!

Oh, how I'm longing for that day!

Charity or intolerance?

What the New Atheists Don’t See, by Theodore Dalrymple

Let us compare Hall’s meditation “Upon the Sight of a Harlot Carted” with Harris’s statement that some people ought perhaps to be killed for their beliefs:

With what noise, and tumult, and zeal of solemn justice, is this sin punished! The streets are not more full of beholders, than clamours. Every one strives to express his detestation of the fact, by some token of revenge: one casts mire, another water, another rotten eggs, upon the miserable offender. Neither, indeed, is she worthy of less: but, in the mean time, no man looks home to himself. It is no uncharity to say, that too many insult in this just punishment, who have deserved more. . . . Public sins have more shame; private may have more guilt. If the world cannot charge me of those, it is enough, that I can charge my soul of worse. Let others rejoice, in these public executions: let me pity the sins of others, and be humbled under the sense of my own.

Who sounds more charitable, more generous, more just, more profound, more honest, more humane: Sam Harris or Joseph Hall, D.D., late lord bishop of Exeter and of Norwich?

No doubt it helps that Hall lived at a time of sonorous prose, prose that merely because of its sonority resonates in our souls; prose of the kind that none of us, because of the time in which we live, could ever equal. But the style applies to the thought as well as the prose; and I prefer Hall’s charity to Harris’s intolerance.

Is "sustainer" a real word?

Why isn't "sustainer" recognised by spell checkers? I first noticed this while writing my honours thesis about Rene Descartes. He viewed God as the creator and sustainer of the universe. Dictionary.com recognises it, so it must be a real word.

As a side note, while writing my honours thesis, I constantly had a song in my head - "Great High Priest", written by the super-talented Tim MacBride especially for a series on Hebrews we had a church a number of years ago. Great song - don't know why we don't sing it anymore! The reason I had it in my head is that it began with "Creator and sustainer, heir of everything..."

Ecclesial heretics

My wonderful dad was editing a chapter draft for me the other day, and objected to the use of the word "ecclesial" instead of "ecclesiastical" in a quotation about natural theology. Since it was a quotation, I'm not going to change it, but I thought I'd better double check that it is a real word. Dictionary.com always comes in handy for things like this. So, I look up "ecclesial" and along with the definition I find two sponsered links:

Religion is for the weak.
Its for the brain washed and vulnerable. Agree or disagree?
www.friction.tv

Heretics in Christianity
Who is a heretic in the Bible?
www.bjnewlife.org

And just in case you are wondering about the difference between "ecclesial" and "ecclesiastical":

Ecclesial - pertaining to a church or its functions, teachings, or organization

Ecclesiastical - pertaining to the church or the clergy; churchly; clerical; not secular

Big difference there.

A black hole ate my thesis...

I am convinced that there is a black hole somewhere in the vicinity of either my desk at uni or my desk at home that is eating important articles. There are several articles that I haven't been able to find lately - articles I know I have read and have made notes on, which should be carefully filed away in the folders above my desk, but which have inexplicably vanished. At the moment, I need to find one particular article - an excellent paper by Margaret J. Osler called "Mixing Metaphors: Science and Religion or Natural Philosophy and Theology in Early Modern Europe". I need it for the section of chapter 3 I'm working on right now - and I'm determined to finish chapter 3 today. I could go to the library and copy it again, but that would require effort. Where is it?!


Oh, you know what? I just found it...

Happy Reformation Day!!

I like this description of how Dan Phillips of Pyromaniacs marks Reformation Day with his family (h/t Craig).

Last year I gave Tim (one of our pastors and my bible study leader) some nails to nail his thesis to the church door.

Hmm. Why didn't I know that this hymn was written by Martin Luther? And it appeared in Gilmore Girls!

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

On Marriage

Robert Boyle (1627-1691) advised the woman who wanted to be a good wife "to deliberate much upon a choice she can probably make but once, and not needlessly venture to embark herself on a sea so infamous for frequent shipwrecks, only because she is offered a fine ship to make the long voyage with."

How to talk about books you haven't read

At the risk of sounding like the fusty old crank everyone does impressions of in the faculty lounge, I still believe in the private ecstasy of reading. It’s one thing to jockey for social position by saying that Dostoyevsky introduced psychology into the novel, or that Chaucer had a fuller grasp of humanity than Shakespeare. It’s another thing to experience, with your full attention, Raskolnikov wandering feverishly around St. Petersburg, or the young scholar farting in the face of his romantic rival in “The Miller’s Tale.” Real reading is not just hoarding fodder for cocktail chatter, it’s crawling, phrase by phrase, through a text and finding yourself surprised or disappointed or ruined or bored with every other line. This direct connection—the voice that enters your brain and mingles with your own internal voice—is the only way books really matter, and experiencing it requires a kind of deep surprise at the words in front of you. If anything, we’re already too good at talking about books we haven’t read. The challenge now is to preserve our ignorance.

Click here.

Awww...

Should I delete my Facebook?

Click here.

Will you respect me less...

... because I like Delta Goodrem? (I bought her new album yesterday on iTunes. I like it, but it's not as good as the previous one...)



And Kylie Minogue?



Plus I like two songs by the Rogue Traders?



And I'm not totally averse to Fergie?



But at least I don't like Justin Timberlake (although I'm happy to remain friends with people who do!)

Never let your mother do the wedding invites when she doesn't like your partner...

Pink Ribbon Day

Today is national Pink Ribbon Day, a campaign to raise breast cancer awareness and help fund research.

Check out the pink SMH and this article by Janette Howard.

It is expected that in Australia more than 13,000 women and 100 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, according to figures from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. About 2700 Australians die from breast cancer each year.

But more people are surviving it: 113,801 women and 730 men who were diagnosed with breast cancer in the past 20 years are still alive.

Early diagnosis is the key to survival. Your contribution today will help that cause.

From the Cancer Council:

Our goal is to defeat breast cancer. By supporting Pink Ribbon Day, you can help us toward reaching that goal. By raising funds - either through selling merchandise, purchasing a ribbon or pin from one of our retail partners, or making a donation, you can change the lives of women affected by breast cancer.

Your donation will help The Cancer Council Australia to:

• Fund breast cancer research.
• Help those affected by breast cancer right now, by offering support services to help them and their family through their cancer diagnosis and treatment.
• Educate women to be 'breast aware'.

Importantly, funds are spent where they are raised, directly supporting the efforts and needs of your community.

Some famous people who have suffered from breast cancer:

• Kylie Minogue
• Dusty Springfield (who died from the disease two days before my 18th birthday)
• Belinda Emmett (first diagnosed at age 24, suffered a relapse at age 28, and died last year at age 32)

As mentioned above, early diagnosis is the key to survival. Click here every day to help fund free mammograms for women in need.

I hosted a Girls Night In on Friday night. 17 girls having a great time with tasty food, girly chat, pink maison, Suddenly 30 and SingStar. We raised $400 for research into women's cancers. Well done girls!

Hurrah!

I'm going to have a massage this afternoon! Very exciting. My muscles are so tight! Darn stressful PhD...

Emergence

Matt, Lynley and I participated in "building our own being" on 25 August, 2007. Apparently our being, Bob, is in trouble. I received the email below:

Dear parent or well-wisher,

Your creation is dying! Due to negligent recent interaction and lax parental care from some of you, your being is in grave danger. If things do not improve, the Department of Bio-logical Sciences will be unfortunately obligated to step in and terminate your creation under the current legislation (G231).

If you have not had a chance to directly communicate with your being... NOW may be the time to begin. In the world of parenting, after all, it is better late than never.

Please find below an easy direct link to your (still) loving being. You may also find ALL the completed beings for the 2007 experiments in the Emergence lab under the "sort beings" section.

Yours Sincerely
The Head of the Department of Bio-logical Sciences
"Creating People for the People by the People"

P.S. If you do not wish to be kept informed of your being's developments or other news from the Emergence lab, please simply reply to this email with the subject header: "I quit. Put my being up for adoption."

And here's a list of all the beings created in Canberra, Sydney and Melbourne, along with their current status:

Canberra beings:
Hermione: 2nd August, 1pm - currently wrestling with her creativity
Sophia: 2nd August, 6pm - currently toying with the notion that ignorance is bliss
Maximus: 2nd August, 8.30pm - currently wishing he'd been given a childhood
Kate: 3rd August, 6pm - currently struggling with the sadness instilled in her
Hal: 3rd August, 8.30pm - currently questioning all in his fighting nature
Skye: 4th August, 7.30pm - currently in serious danger of losing her way

Sydney beings:
Astral: 21st August, 8.15pm - currently still hiding in the caves, afraid to appear.
Cottoya: 22nd August, 8.15pm - currently trying to integrate with strangers
Bob: 23rd August, 8.15pm- currently trying to enter politics
Robin: 24th August, 7.30pm - currently released from jail after stealing grapes
Aphrodite: 24th August, 9.30pm - currently self-healing her broken hand and experimenting with pain
Bob: 25th August, 7.30pm - currently recovering from a great fall. perhaps in love? (unconfirmed)
Sergei: 25th August, 9.30pm - (created as a mutant). Currently coming to terms with not ever having any parents - desperately needs caring!
Grace: 26th August, 5pm - currently trying to keep alive her pet animals, given to her as presents...and herself

Melbourne beings:
Dexter: 18th September, 8pm - currently overdosed on speed
Zay: 19th September, 8pm - currently lost in the outskirts of Melbourne
Jessica: 20th September, 8pm - currently trying to unravel all the contradictions of her creation
Adriana: 21st September, 8pm - currently trying to get to New York but feeling angry and confused
Joshua: 22nd September, 8pm - currently enjoying his new x-ray vision!
Halo: 23rd September, 2pm - - currently paranoid that we are trying to track her down [strongly denied by the DBS]

Christian pick-up lines

I like this one:

I used to believe in natural theology, but since I met you I've converted to divine revelation.

I wonder if I could work that into my thesis somehow...

Offensive or amusing?

On their way to get married, a young Catholic couple were involved in a fatal car accident. The couple found themselves sitting outside the Pearly Gates waiting for St. Peter to process them into Heaven. While waiting they began to wonder. Could they possibly get married in Heaven?

When St. Peter arrived they asked him if they could get married in heaven. St. Peter said, "I don't know. This is the first time anyone has asked. Let me go find out," and he left.

The couple sat and waited for an answer... for a couple of months.

While they waited, they discussed the pros and cons. If they were allowed to get married in Heaven, should they get married, what with the eternal aspect of it all? What if it didn't work? Would they be stuck in Heaven together forever?"

Another month passed. St. Peter finally returned, looking somewhat bedraggled.

"Yes," he informed the couple. "You can get married in Heaven."

"Great!" said the couple. "But we were just wondering; what if things don't work out? Could we also get a divorce in Heaven?"

St. Peter, red-faced with anger, slammed his clipboard on the ground.

"What's wrong?" asked the frightened couple.

"OH, COME ON!!!" St. Peter shouted. "It took me 3 months to find a priest up here! Do you have ANY idea how long it'll take to find a lawyer???"

Tim Challies on coffee and writing

Click here.

Some classic comments too:

You wrote: I am convinced that it [coffee] is a vile, evil concoction and one that has cruelly enslaved much of the human race. I despise the stuff, even in what I am assured is its finest form. I can barely stand even the smallest taste of it. It curdles my tongue, makes my eyes water, and leaves me gagging. I find it utterly revolting.

Could you be a little bit more clear on that. I am not sure I really understand what you are saying.

When I think of Reformed, I think of coffee drinkers for some reason, but I know God in His grace allows non-coffee drinkers/lovers into the kingdom as well ;)

Tim, you know you were asking for all this grief when you decided to post about your dislike of coffee. And to add to the grief, I want you to know that from the depths of my heart, I will be praying for you that God, in His great mercy, will see fit to give you a new set of tastes and desires for this wonderful gift of His common grace to mankind.

Amen!

(H/t Craig)

Perhaps this is why teaching Science and Religion is like banging my head against a brick wall...

For some Men, that have but superficial, though conspicuous, Wits, are not fitted to penetrate such Truths, as require a lasting and attentive Speculation; and diverse, hat want not Abilities, are so taken up by their Secular Affairs, and their Sensual Pleasure, that they neither have Disposition, nor will have Leisure, to discover those Truths, that require both an Attentive and Penetrating Mind. And more than of either of these sorts of Men there are, whom their Prejudices do so forestall, or their Interest bias, or their Appetites blind, or their Passions discompose, too much, to allow them a clear Discernment, and right Judgment, of Divine Things.

- Robert Boyle, The Christian Virtuoso, 1690

Von Neumann's Axiom

This is what I want to write on most of my students' exams papers:

There's no sense in being precise when you don't know what you're talking about.

Actually, they're generally not precise - but they certainly don't know what they're talking about!

Why do you see right through me?

Not Pretty Enough

Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?

Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?

I live, I breathe, I let it rain on me
I sleep, I wake, I try hard not to break
I crave, I love, I've waited long enough
I try as hard as I can

I laugh, I feel, I make believe it's real
I fall, I freeze, I pray down on my knees
I hope, I stand, I take it like a man
I try as hard as I can

Am I not pretty enough?
Is my heart too broken?
Do I cry too much?
Am I too outspoken?

Don't I make you laugh?
Should I try it harder?
Why do you see right through me?

- Kasey Chambers

Reason and Religion

I like his style!

But some are so strangely prejudiced against Reason (and that upon sufficient reason too, as they think, which yet involves a flat contradiction) as that they look upon it not as the Candle of the Lord, but as on some blazing Comet, that portends present ruine to the Church, and to the soul, and carries a fatal and venomous influence along with it. And because the unruly head of Socinus, and his followers, by their meer pretenses to Reason, have made Shipwreck of Faith, and have been very injurious to the Gospel; therefore these weak and staggering apprehensions are afraid of understanding any thing; and think, that the very name of Reason, especially in a Pulpit, in matters of Religion, must needs have at least a thousand Heresies couched in it. If you do but offer a Syllogism, they’d straightaway cry it down for carnal reasoning. What would these men have? Would they be banished from their own essences? Would they forfeit and renounce their understandings? Or have they any to forfeit, or disclaim?

- Nathanael Culverwel, An Elegant and Learned Discourse of the Light of Nature, 1652

Henry More, but not Henry More, grandson of Thomas More

To me, this seems a strange way to begin a biographical chapter in a book on Henry More, "Cambridge Platonist":

From Sir Thomas More, the former Lord Chancellor of England executed in the Tower in 1535, descended two grandsons named Henry, who were cousinds and Catholics. Neither of these was the Cambridge don, born in 1614...

Hmm.

Militant atheists are wrong!

Click here.

Sentimental hymns lead to murder!

OK, not exactly, but Byron has commented on a great quote from Hauerwas.

Click here.

Canned Snoopy

Architects and engineers compete to see whose team can build the most spectacular structure using little more than cans of food at Canstruction, the 13th annual NYC Design and Build competition in New York.

All these cans will go to the food bank afterwards.

But I'm dating a geek!

What Kind of Guy Will You Fall For?
	You would fall for the gentleman. Keep an eye out for your love at your next formal or field trip to the opera. Watch out for bad boys who walk on the inside of the curb and don't hold the door for you, and you'll end up with the guy who's suave, sophisticated, and classy through-and-through.
Find Your Character @ BrainFall.com

Light

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the Sun has risen – not only because I see it, but because by it, I see everything else.

- C.S. Lewis

Against objectivity

What matters is our loyalty to other human beings clinging together against the dark, not our hope of getting things right.

- Richard Rorty (1931-2007)

Beware the killer bunny rabbit!

Or, How to make a Liberal Party scare campaign ad.

The Captain

Is this the least feminist song ever written?

Well I don't have as many friends because
I'm not as pretty as I was
I've kicked myself at times because I've lied
So I will have to learn to stand my ground
I'll tell 'em I won't be around
I'll move on over to your town and hide

And you be the captain
And I'll be no one
And you can carry me away if you want to
And you can lay low
Just like your father
And if I tread upon your feet you just say so
'Cause you're the captain, I am no one
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you

Well I have handed all my efforts in
Searched here for my second wind
Is there somewhere here to let me in, I asked
So I slammed the doors they slammed at me
I found the place I'm meant to be
I figured out my destiny at last

You be the captain
And I'll be no one
And you can carry me away if you want to
You can lay low
Just like your father
And if I tread upon your feet you just say so
'Cause you're the captain, I am no one,
I tend to feel as though I owe one to you

Did I forget to thank you for the ride?
I hadn't tried
I tend to run away and hide

You're the captain
I am no one
And I owe one to you

It's a beautiful song...

I'm a football team!

Click here.

It's a hard life...

BECAUSE WE ARE MEN

If you put a woman on a pedestal and try to protect her from the Rat Race, you're a Male Chauvinist Pig.

If you stay home and do the housework, you're a pansy.

If you work too hard, there is never any time for her and the kids.

If you don't work enough, you're a good-for-nothing layabout.

If she has a boring repetitive job with low pay, this is exploitation.

If you have a boring repetitive job with low pay, you should get off your ass and find something better.

If you get a promotion ahead of her, that is favouritism.

If she gets a job ahead of you, it's equal opportunity.

If you mention how nice she looks, it's sexual harassment.

If you keep quiet, it's male indifference.

If you cry, you're a sheila.

If you don't, you're an insensitive bastard.

If you thump her, it's wife-bashing.

If she thumps you, it's self-defense.

If you make a decision without consulting her, you're a chauvinist.

If she makes a decision without consulting you, she's a liberated woman.

If you ask her to do something she doesn't enjoy, that's domination.

If she asks you, it's a favour.

If you appreciate the female form and frilly underwear, you're a pervert.

If you don't, you're a poofter.

If you like a woman to shave her legs and keep in shape, you're sexist.

If you don't, you're unromantic.

If you try to keep yourself in shape, you're vain.

If you don't, you're a slob.

If you buy her flowers, you're after something.

If you don't, you're not thoughtful.

If you're proud of your achievements, you're up yourself.

If you don't, you're not ambitious.

If you ask for a cuddle, you never think of anything but sex.

If you're totally whacked after a hard day's work, you don't give a stuff about other people's needs.

If she has a headache, she's tired.

If you have a headache, you don't love her any more.

If you want it too often, you're oversexed.

If you don't, there must be someone else.

Am I a feminist?

Craig referred to me as his "feminist reader" on his blog (nice that he linked to my post, though). I'm not sure I would consider myself a feminist. I'm not really into labels, particularly when the terms are not at all well-defined.

One of my friends once told me that I was "too Martha Stewart" to be a feminist!

Is feminism still needed?

(I wrote this a number of years ago. One of my friends from uni decided to start an email debate about whether or not feminism was still needed. As I recall, I was the only one arguing in support of feminism. I recall one of my female friends saying that feminism was no longer needed because in her workplace, there were more women than men. My thoughts on this topic are far from firmly settled, but I think it's an important issue to consider, so I decided to post this here to see if anyone has any thoughts to share...)

There is a problem with this topic, though. It assumes that there is only one feminist argument/movement. Feminism can not be characterized as a single viewpoint. There are many different views within feminism, from radical anti-male feminism, to a more moderate view that might not even be recognized as feminism. So, the question is, what feminism are we talking about? However, all these different viewpoints have something in common. As Kaz Cooke puts it, “The myriad variations on feminist belief all revolve around equality of opportunity and freedom of choice: choice to be a full-time parent, a rocket scientist, a labourer or a florist, and the freedom to be respected for any of those choices.”

This is something women still do not have, and this is partly the fault of feminism. Women are now often expected to be able to do it all – have a family and a successful career. It seems, though, that there is just not enough time in the day to do this. Also, women who try to juggle family and career are discriminated against. Employers prefer men who don’t have commitments outside work – who don’t have to leave by 5pm on the dot so they can pick up their kids from day-care, who can work more overtime because they don’t have kids to look after, etc etc. Employers in general are more likely to hire a man who won’t be requiring maternity leave at some point. Australia is also behind most of the world in offering compulsory paid maternity leave. Unfortunately, in some ways compulsory paid maternity leave would make things worse – employers may be even more reluctant to hire women. This is a real problem for women in the workforce. Women are often demoted after returning from maternity leave. Of course, women have to be the ones to give birth, but there is nothing wrong with a man taking paternity leave to look after kids while the woman returns to work. It does happen, and perhaps if it happened more, there wouldn’t be as much discrimination against women.

But then, men are generally paid more. Wages are not equal yet. The salary for women is often much less than for men – tens of thousands of dollars less in some cases, for the same qualifications and the same work. Rob said “There are many positions that socially only women (and homosexuals) can fill, whereas traditional male strongholds such as the construction industry are now falling under siege from female recruits.” Which positions are these? Describing the construction industry as being "under siege from female recruits" only continues the problem. Why shouldn’t women enter these industries? If they can do the job as well, what’s the problem? Is it that men feel they are losing their authority and exclusivity? Women should have the same opportunities as men, unless they are genuinely inhibited by physical aspects. Some form of feminism is still needed to fight for this. One workplace favouring women does not mean that the problem has been solved. And even if there is a ‘filter effect’ at work, feminism is still needed to make sure it happens!

Even if you think that women have equal opportunity in the workplace, there are still many other issues facing women today: domestic violence, pornography, rape, sexual harassment, ‘the beauty myth’, eating disorders…

In short, I think feminism still has its place. It depends on what kind of feminism we’re talking about, though. If feminism means that women are anti-men, and want to keep men under their feet as inferior beings, this is no different from what feminism is fighting against. However, if feminism is taken as a fight for equal opportunities and freedom of choice, then it is eternally valuable. I think feminism has a tendency to come in cycles. One group of women will rise up against the oppression of men and fight for their rights. The next generation, however, tends to take for granted what has been won for them, and feminism dies out a bit, and women become oppressed again. Then, the next wave of feminism comes, and fights for those rights again.

I think at the moment feminism has taken a bit of a down turn. We’ve all grown up taking for granted the rights that have been won for us – the right for education, equal pay etc. It’s perhaps not until these things are denied, or we come across some discrimination that we take up the cause of feminism again. However, I think it would be a good idea to keep in mind what feminism has done for women (although there are negatives) to ensure that things don’t go backwards.

Love

Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.

- C. S. Lewis

Does exercise really make us thinner?

Ultimately, the relationship between physical activity and fatness comes down to the question of cause and effect. Is Lance Armstrong excessively lean because he burns off a few thousand calories a day cycling, or is he driven to expend that energy because his body is constitutionally set against storing calories as fat? If his fat tissue is resistant to accumulating calories, his body has little choice but to burn them as quickly as possible: what Rony and his contemporaries called the “activity impulse”—a physiological drive, not a conscious one. His body is telling him to get on his bike and ride, not his mind. Those of us who run to fat would have the opposite problem. Our fat tissue wants to store calories, leaving our muscles with a relative dearth of energy to burn. It’s not willpower we lack, but fuel.

Read more.

Philosophers and science

Philosophers say a great deal about what is absolutely necessary for
science, and it is always, so far as one can see, rather naive, and
probably wrong.

- Richard Feynman

Arguing with Craig

I'm having an argument with Craig over at the blog formerly known as "These Infinite Spaces." Unfortunately, I'm about to go out, so I'll have to delay further responses until later.

I've been meaning to post on these issues for awhile. I'd be interested to know people's thoughts...