I love science.
Growing up I also loved Star Trek, even higher quality shows like Buck Rogers and Battle Star Galactica. Through it all sometimes a small voice inside me, the skeptical little man inside my head would occasionally mutter "is using a sound beam the easiest way to break that?"
"Is it that likely that there are loads of sexy women who want to get closer to Captain Kirk on all these other planets? Well that question actually occurred to me a little later.
So I was watching Twilight with my wife and there was one little part to me that didn't ring true, I mean,
-undead people walking around -ok maybe.
-getting a virus and sucking out just enough blood to disinfect someone-ok maybe
-weird magical powers- ok why not!
But this collection of super baddies who kill and suck the blood out of old people and little kids, so moved by the love of a sweet teenager err sounds a little like wishing making it so. A teen in love might say,"m m my love was so strong it saved the whole world.... and it was really big and important too to the blood sucking ruling class of Volturie..." mmm I don't know sweetie you had me going there, diamond skin, vegetarian vampires, werewolfs in love -all sounded kinda reasonable. That puppy love warmed the hearts of the hardest undead not so much.
Finally to the GOP. Turning back the clock to times when we were younger doesn't actually make us younger. Letting people die in floods is not choosing life. Ignoring the reasons for floods doesn't make them go away. There's not much in the bible supporting more military spending than the next many countries all combined, or trickle down economics.
The nature of the internet and the choices people have seduces people into deeper levels of self referential world views. The good side of this is that people can come together for common good efficiently. The bad side of this is that hate and vitriol can reverberate in the space. Talking heads are paid for the red meat they put out. About a year ago I heard Sean Hannnity mentioning that he'd like to go into more specifics about Obama but
he didn't want a visit from the Secret Service. Gave just a little boost to the haters of Obama who'd like harm to come to him physically. Just a little nudge to let them know that was ok with him.
Epistemic Closure is the phrase for the closure of ideas the republicans allow in their media. Supporting ideas that killed over 500,000 Americans like secession of states doesn't give them pause. In this crazy worldview they actually believe in destroying America.
Fantasies can add a little magic to everyone's life who enjoys them. To have so much of America in the thrall of violent fantasies may yet unleash terrible suffering on our nation and the world. I can only pray people look about themselves and listen to a skeptical conscience... That the failures of the republican party force them to an accountability not entirely self referential.