God's Brain - The neuroscience of devotion

Besides his intriguing name (Lionel Tiger is as close to an oxymoron as one could hope for) I found this book idea to be a most interesting idea and hope to read it ASAP (added to recent one by Ezra LEVANT - Ethical Oil). Here are some clips:

• He estimates that religious systems have lasted 70,000 years and are practised by 80% of the world's adults.
• Prof. Tiger is best known for his 1969 book, Men in Groups, which coined the term "male bonding." 
• Prof. Tiger said he and his co-author Dr. Mc-Guire, a California researcher and psychiatrist, on God's Brain, released last week - were compelled to look more deeply at religion because of the spate of books by such high-profile atheists as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins, which were gaining huge readership for their anti-religious notions.
• "We wanted to understand the mechanism in the brain that fosters religion," Prof. Tiger said during a stop in Toronto. "We're really interested in what is going on in humans that stimulates, permits and codifies the endurance of religion. It's a major scientific mystery. Our intent was to describe what might animate and support this notion of the sacred in such a complex set of different societies and circumstances."
• The main arguments of these HITCHENS & DAWKINS is that no religion is backed up by scientific fact and therefore religious believers are deluded, if not outright morons.
• "That was disrespectful and also not scientific," Prof. Tiger said. "You can't have a viable society in which 80% of adults are morons."

How intriguing.

Paradoxes of Our Time (redux)

The paradox of our time is we spend more, but have less, We have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, We have more degrees, but less sense, We have more healthcare, but worse health, We spend recklessly, drive too fast and rise quickly to anger, We've been to the moon and back, We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've done bigger things, but not better things. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We communicate faster but connect less. These are times of fast foods, disposable diapers and more divorce We hear from tall men about mean character,	live in bigger houses, with smaller families. wider freeways,  but narrower viewpoints. more knowledge, and less judgment. more experts, yet more problems. yet we rarely laugh, smile less and forget to pray. but can’t cross the street to meet a new neighbour. We have higher incomes, but lower morals. We've added years to life, not life to years. We've become long on quantity, but short on quality. We talk too much and listen too little. We've conquered outer space, but not inner space. but less nutrition, slow indigestion and throw away morality. and read of steep profits from shallow relationships.
	NASA animation of Black Hole star Apologies to George CARLIN

Israel/Gaza - Operation Cast Lead

On Dec 26, Israel launched its military response to the relentless Hamas-directed missile/mortar attacks into adjacent Israeli territory (about 2-3 attacks per day over past 6 months) - code-named "Operation Cast Lead".

Without any precise targeting intelligence, Hamas's rockets they fall where they may. Such indiscriminate tactics allows Hamas to disingenuously claim they are not targeting civilians! Luckily for Israelis, their sophisticated military defenses/counter-measures are able to intercept most of the incoming ordinance - rendering it harmless. Nonetheless, these missile/mortar attacks have continued unabated since the June 2008 truce was abandoned by Hamas and have created a queasy climate of fear in the Israeli City of Sderot, situated on the boarder with Gaza. Not all counter-measures have been successful and some rockets have caused causalities but they only amount to a handful - compared to what they could be.

The Israeli Air Force highly targeted retaliation against Hamas rocket launchers - most of which are rapidly moved about by pickup trucks - has been devastatingly effective. (see youtube video below) Hundreds of deadly accurate strikes have been carried out against Hamas operatives. Scores of sites have been demolished. Hamas claims (as of Jan 18, the beginning of the Israeli ceasefire) thousands1 of causalities, many of them civilians.

However, in order to gain a propaganda advantage Hamas diabolically sets-up its rocket-launchers close to civilian schools, mosques, hospitals and parks in Gaza. They fire with impunity and when Israel Defense Forces (IDF) retaliate against such sites, the gruesome "collateral damage" is paraded about for the TV cameras. It is no longer debatable that many of these "photo opportunities" are actually situations faked or orchestrated by Hamas for the benefit of the captive Press Corps (who are only allowed to go where Hamas permits them to go - always accompanied). Hamas is funded by Iran.



On January 10, after significant air operations destroyed much of the public infrastructure of Gaza, the IDF moved-in with tanks and ground troops to "mop-up". They engage in house-to-house search missions to eliminate any lingering Hamas insurgents.

On Jan 18, Israel declares a truce brokered with the assistance of France and agreement of Egypt and the U.S. Hamas continues to fire at least 30 rockets but suffers instant retaliation before agreeing to cease hostilities 6hrs later for one week to allow IDF troops to withdraw.


Footnote:
1. Hamas claims 5,000 casualties (including civilians?) in Gaza. IDF places 1,300 Hamas casualties in Gaza and 13 IDF soldiers during the operation - half of which were "friendly fire" incidents. I have read that estimated civilian casualties in Israel are under 100, but I can not be sure of the time frame and so may be overstated. Clearly though, Hamas was pummeled. I understand Gaza population is 1.5 million.
2. "Why Israel Feels Threatened" by Benny MORRIS, 2008DEC08 NY Times. Hezbollah has re-armed since the 2006 war with Israel. The PA has an estimated arsenal of 30,000 to 40,000 Russian-made rockets from Syria and Iran. Inside Israel 1.3 million Israelis of Arab disent live and are growing rapidly (15% of population) - in fact projections have these Israeli Arabs constituting a majority by 2040-2050. This is also a reason why jewish immigration is highly encouraged.


[Update: 2008JAN20 Jerusalem Post "Palestinians are being rounded up and eyewitnesses said the detainees were being held in school buildings and hospitals that had been turned into make-shift interrogation centers". Oh my, call the UN! Oh - it's ok it's just Hamas having "fun" with Fatah.]