Demanding a god that thinks like a human

How often do we hear the critique, I cannot believe in a god that allows so much suffering to exist in the world. This statement actually expresses the thought that I can only believe in a god that thinks the way that I think (i.e. because I would end suffering if I were God). Show more ›

I Wore a Thobe Today

Nearly eight years ago I posted my first manifesto, Why I Wear Skirts. Skirts are still super awesome, but today I forge another counter­cultural path: the Arabian Thobe. Yet for all the wisdom and perspective gained through skirts, I find myself re-learning some of the same simple lessons all over again.Show more ›

NASA’s “Pluto Time”

Actually, the sunlight on Pluto reaches 3x the illumination of full moon on Earth. So that means other bodies like Jupiter’s moons are even more illuminated. Not at all what I expected. Could that be enough for genetically engineered photosynthesis? But wait, click now to calculate an equivalent ambient illumination experience at your Earth coordinates! Cool. NASA Pluto Time Calculator

Environmental Nonsense

A YouTuber so arguably wrong….due to (relative) youth and short-term myopia (at the expense of long-term memory). The 10% corn ethanol had nothing to do with sustainability, global warming, or “climate change.” Going back 30+ years, it was a seasonal additive to slightly reduce big-city air pollution in the hottest months. At least that was the claim. Show more ›

What does “women’s clothing” mean?

What does it mean to label garments as “women’s clothing”? One might (myopically) say that it means clothing uniquely suited to women. But does it really mean that? Women do not have extra arms or other anatomies that require special design. After accounting for sizing, every garment works on every human.Show more ›

On Disputation

The person who cannot refute a disagreeable position holds an indefensible position, lacks pathos, or lacks acumen. —‍Vox

He saw it as practical

Photo of journalist Adam GrahamWhile visiting Saudi Arabia, Adam Graham offhandedly confessed his admiration for the Arabian thobe. Adam’s friend immediately took him shopping. “To be honest,” Adam writes, “it never dawned on me that I could buy a thobe. […] I was so pleased with it that I decided to wear it for the rest of the day while touring the city.”  Show more ›

Fixing the Complaint Instead of Fixing the Problem

“The eternal temptation, of course, has been to arrest the speaker rather than to correct the conditions about which he complains. I see no reason why these appellees should be made to walk the treacherous ground of these statutes. They, like other citizens, need the umbrella of the First Amendment as they study, analyze, discuss, and debate the troubles of these days. When criminal prosecutions can be leveled against them because they express unpopular views, the society of the dialogue is in danger.” Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37, 65 (1971) Still true today, fifty-three years later!