Archive for March, 2006

Birthday!

It’s my birthday! Yahoo!

Shout out to Ma & Pa Johnson for doing their part in my creation. Wouldn’t be here without you two. Thanks.

I’m 22 now. Unlike 21, it’s not as triumphant a birthday. All the same, I’m pretty stoked about an anagram age. It’s been damn near 11 years since I had one of those. (And it’ll probably be another 11 years until my next one.)

In case anyone missed the announcement, we’ll be playing whiffle ball in the park tomorrow to celebrate my birthday. I figure someone has to remind us of America’s true past time, what with all the current hullabaloo over “basketball”.

I guess this post really marks a new era in tadfad.com. I can’t deny it anymore: it’s a blog. Oh well, might as well embrace the truth. I know I’ve been delaying the substantial post about Costa Rica–don’t worry, it’s in the works. Check back next week for some real CR stories.

Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 30th, 2006

Costa Rica, Part II

Here’s a short excerpt from my journal:

Over the last 10000 years, Man has been engaged in the constant struggle to explain his surroundings. Some do it through mystics and magic, others through research and science. Ultimately, we’re all playing the same game. Modern science has made a lot of cool discoveries, but we still have a long way to go. How do we explain the head/heart connection? Where is the other intelligent life in the universe? How can we live sustainable on Earth?

. . .

Costa Rica made me think a lot about the connection between religion, science, and spirituality. I don’t subscribe to the concept of organized religion, and I’m not a very spiritual person. I place a lot of faith on the principles of science, reason, and logic. At the same time, I respect the principles of spirituality and can appreciate the calming power it holds. Studies show that meditation and relaxation are tools to promote good mental and physical health.

My beef with religion is that it is used for harm more often than good. Religion is often used as a tool to motivate people to act out harm on others (either directly: violence or indirectly: voting). It is a divisive tool that easily separates people into “us” and “them”. Even the religious organizations that don’t actively promote doing evil things provide justification for those who do. The minority of radicals & fundamentalists are supported by the majority of non-radical/fundamentalists. They lend credibility and justification to groups who would otherwise be just a bunch of crazies.

As such, I cannot in good conscience associate myself with any organized religion. The Costa Rica trip, with its emphasis on spirituality was an excellent opportunity for self reflection and inspection. I am now even more confident in my atheist beliefs.

Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 27th, 2006

Costa Rica, Part I

I have returned safe and sound from my excursion to Costa Rica. I’m going to devote a few tadfad posts to the subject, since I have a lot stuff to say. I’m still trying to decompress and reflect on everything, so here is a quick overview:

Highlights

  • Visiting a rain forest, cloud forest, and beach, all in ten days!

  • Helping a local farmer press sugar cane the old fashioned way: with two oxen and a giant mostly-wooden press that could have been built in 1850.

  • Learning from a wise man about the forest, the human condition, and the future and history of our world.

  • Speaking with women from the Monteverde Women’s Co-op who have transformed the relationship between men and women in their communities to empower women.

[I could go on, and I will in subsequent posts. This is just to whet your appetite.]

Lowlights

  • Putting used toilet paper in the trashcan instead of flushing it. Any way you slice it, it’s weird.

  • The beer, while very reasonably priced, is pretty mediocre. (Yes, I am spoiled by living in Wisconsin.

  • We could only stay for 10 days. I would have loved to stay for 10 more.

As you can see, the lowlights are pretty minor. This is because the trip was incredible. I felt so relaxed and peaceful while there. I can’t think of any better way to spend my last spring break.

Finally, shout-out to the fellow Questa Ricans. You people are wonderful and getting to know all of you was a real treat.

That’s all for now. I need to read over my travel journal before getting into the in-depth subjects. Check back in the next few days!

Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 22nd, 2006

Off to Costa Rica

It’s spring break time in Madison! I will be departing in about 25 hours for lovely, warm, Costa Rica. As you could imagine, I am rather excited. I’m going with a group of fellow students (our fearless leaders: Dustin and Ana) and we’ll be doing some volunteer work along with learning and relaxing.

Spring break comes at the ideal time this semester. I’m about ready to explode after 3 weeks of stress. Fortunately, midterms will be done after tomorrow so I can forget everything for a few weeks before learning it all again in time for finals. (Who knew that 12 credits could be so demanding?)

Check back here sometime after March 21 for photos and maybe some more detailed description. (In case you haven’t noticed, you can click on my Flickr banner down at the bottom of the page to see lots of photos.)

Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 8th, 2006

Tad’s Book Club

Tad’s book club, installment number one. [If Oprah gets one, I do too!]

I really like to read books. I tend to focus on contemporary non-fiction to further my goal of knowing everything. (I still have a ways to go on that goal). I’ve had some good luck recently in finding good books, so I want to share them with you.

See No Evil: See No Evil: The True Story of a Ground Soldier in the CIA’s War on Terrorism by Robert Baer

Having read Baer’s account of his time in the CIA, I now understand how the Bush administration could be so wrong about Iraq, and know so little about terrorists worldwide. The book serves as his catharsis after watching first-hand as the CIA moved away from real information gathering and towards satisfying Washington bureaucrats. He is as critical of the Clinton administration as to Bush Sr. and Jr, as all three failed to address the growing concerns in the post Cold War Middle East. The most infuriating part for me was Baer’s description of a failed coup against Saddam Huessein. Instead of supporting the coup at the time, the U.S. waited ten years to remove him at great cost.

Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and its Consequences by John Allen Paulos

I’m in the middle of this book right now, but I can already vouch for its quality. Paulos’ goal in the book is to explain the oft-misunderstood properties of numbers, probability, and averages. He starts with the observation that many otherwise intelligent people lack even a basic understanding of common mathematical concepts. What else explains the popularity of lotteries, casinos, astrology, televangilists, and stock scams? The writing style is excellent–he breaks down the somewhat difficult concepts into very approachable sections. Even if you consider yourself math savvy, pick this one up for a quick enjoyable read.

. . . but don’t take my word for it, read the books!

Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 5th, 2006

Why I Run

It is no secret that health care is a huge problem in America. First, it is a problem because millions of people don

Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (0) : Mar 1st, 2006