Gay marriages, Israel, Intelligence, Music and Ethical Eating?

[tcpip]

Marriage is love.

Also, you can sign a petition here: http://www.hrc.org/millionformarriage/index.shtml

Have finished my response to Jared Israel's
claims that Israel is not an apartheid state. It's often a tiring debate, especially when confronted by those (not in this instance, I must admit) who place their religion above universal human rights.

On a strongly related issue, the problem of the US and cultural studies definition of "ethnicity" and "race" has led to a new whites-only scholarship:
. The concept follows through in other places as well. In Singapore, a Judge defends ban on oral sex on grounds that it is contrary to "Asian values".

In the "told you so" department:

Government 'warned' on intelligence. The politicisation of such bodies has
dire consquences. The following is particularly close to home: And a 1999 intelligence report predicted the result of the East Timor referendum and the probable Indonesian reaction, but then "senior policy-making officials refused to believe it because it so starkly contradicted their own opinions and desired policy outcomes".

On a amusing related note, a competition to
Huttonise history.

Two pleasant social occassions over the last few days: Last friday eve was spent with severina_242 at horngirl's birthday drinks at Polly's. Enjoyed seeing many people who I hadn't had the chance to chat in person to for pretty much two years, including lj entities adricongirl, blithespirit, damien_wise, drzero, frou_frou, insinceritylj, seedy_girl, thorfinn and usekh. It was a great night - thanks horngirl!!

Saturday eve was a nice picnic with caseopaya at the Sidney Myer Free Concert. Despite the heat and crowds it was a fairly good performance and a nice opportunity to wander through the gardens after the concert. This things should happen more often.

Whilst on topic of musical things, I'm still working away at the violin. I suspect however this this is just a lead to something that I'm reasonably sure that I'll be better at - composition. A musical instrument is a tool, and I've always been better as a generalist rather than a specialist in technical matters. It's the reason why I am, for example, a systems administrator rather than a C/C++ programmer.

Annoyance section: I was earmarked as a guest speaker - indeed, the guest speaker at the CERES/Timor Leste Permaculture fundraiser this weekend. However the person who left a message on my mobile spoke in a garbled tone and returned calls indicated a complete lack of knowledge of when and where I was supposed to turn up. Face it: Email is superior to voice communication

Once again, for the third time in my life, I'm considering vegetarianism or semi-vegetarianism on a ethical basis. The basis of my moral decisions is not from a book (legal or religious) but rather on intersubjective consensus. To be sure, this has an improbable ideal - the fully informed and complete communication - which also means that they are rational, capable of falsfication and improvement, rather than absolute. But does that mean, to the degree that other species can express their wishes - that moral behaviour means not eating/using animals? And if so, which animals? And does Eating oily fish lower hostility?

Comments

[caseopaya.livejournal.com]

But does that mean, to the degree that other species can express their wishes - that moral behaviour means not eating/using animals? And if so, which animals? And does Eating oily fish lower hostility?

Which animals is something I still have a problem with myself.... especially crispy quail type things LOL. As for fish oil and hostility I have no idea, but eating fish lowers triglyceride levels - so maybe that has something to do with it.

PS - Read and reply to your emails ;P

[kraant.livejournal.com]

Face it: Email is superior to voice communication

I call bullshit.

Only if you can't read a persons tone and you don't know how to control yours. Face to face is even better. I can convince almost anyone to see things my way face to face.

Neutral or dominant posture, even tone, lower the pitch, phrasing at around 50BPM, and hold and keep eye contact.

There you go. Communication.

[p-cat.livejournal.com]

Does the awareness or sentience of animals really need to come into it? That line of argument can be followed through to suggest that you could exploit a person so long as they were unaware of their rights, for example. I'm of the same opinion regarding the 'which animal' question. Why should we spare animals to which we can relate and not those that are profoundly different?

Ultimately, any 'line in the sand' is arbitrary to an extent - not eating red meat, eating no meat but still eating eggs and dairy, eating a vegan diet but still wearing wool, living a totally vegan lifestyle.

Do you need to have an intellectual moral line of argument or can you have a visceral belief in what's right? I personally think it's better to live morally, even if that morality is not based on a water-tight logical argument, than logically justify an amoral existence.

[horngirl.livejournal.com]

Was good to see you the other night (although I wasn't aware you knew my friend Matt!), and as I said, I'm sorry I barely had a chance to talk to you. We should organise dinner sometime soon.
:-)

Terminology

[erudito.livejournal.com]

If Israel's laws are not based on race, then clearly apartheid is not the correct term. Particularly as Arab citizens of Israel can vote (Nelson Mandela was particularly cutting about indigenous Australians who claimed they lived in an apartheid situation, pointing to the right to vote and stand as candidates). The analogy you want surely is dhimmi. Except Israel's laws are much less discriminatory than that.

Discriminatory laws are rife in the Middle East (Jordan bans Jews from being citizens, Saudi Arabia bans Jews from entering without special permission) and wider (e.g. German and Japanese nationality law). Why pick on the democracy?