I suspect there is a niche for a vibrant grassroots "spiritual atheism", mostly free of institutions. This would be distinct (though not disjoint) from most existing atheist groups and churches. Some flavors of Buddhism probably fit the bill, as do some other humanistic religions. But growing this sort of culture and belief system isn't at all ( Read more... )

A friend from church and from work came in today and told me to type his name into Google News. That pulled up 212 fresh news articles. He and the campus student atheist group (of which Andrew was the president until he started as a postdoc with us last year) were profiled in an AP story -- which has been picked up by venues from the Washington ( Read more... )

I am happy to post an essay from a special guest: Mom!

The start:
"Why," I've been asking myself lately, "do I feel as if I've been kicked hard in the solar plexus? Why do I feel sad and helpless, when my life is blessed and these autumn days have been so arrestingly beautiful?" One answer I found came by way of re-reading of Lincoln's Second ( Read more... )

A few noteworthy things today. (Saying nothing of the afternoon's news of "12 Dead, 31 Wounded in Base Shootings ( Read more... )

Thank you, Mom and Dad! Makes me feel like a toddler again ...

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We live on a busy street, but the house also overlooks a draw or ravine that leads to the Squaw Creek drainage. That means we get a lot of wildlife coming up through the yard. That sometimes makes me happy, and sometimes not so happy. Today we counted the kinds of mammals (not domestic ones) that we've seen in the yard this year ( Read more... )

While I'm posting (and catching up): another item ( Read more... )

September has been a month to catching up and recuperate for me. Although the summer has been pleasant and full, it hasn't been without strain: some papers to finish; a conference; some lectures to prepare and give; a large new project to start with collaborators in New Mexico; some administrative tasks. The trip to Utah in mid-August was unusually ( Read more... )

12th - 17th: I was in Asilomar at the Model Legume Congress. This ranks among my favorite of conferences. Good science. Opportunity to talk lupins with Claire. Discovered two neat sand-adapted Lotus species with Shusei. The people the group have become friends over the last 10 years (the time that I have been in this field), and the place is ( Read more... )