Fortune Favors Chaos

When I think of the Earth as something created by God, it is not impressive. Although it is beautiful, it is full of pain, suffering, destruction, defects. What god would allow such flaws?

However, when I think of the Earth as something that evolved by chance, it is an amazing, serendipitous place. Although it still contains pain and suffering, these are merely the result of an indifferent universe. And when I consider that the tremendous beauty of the world has largely come from chaos, that is when I realize how profoundly fortunate I am to be alive, to be a part of all of this.

Interesting Twitter Conversations (6/21 - 8/2)

Conversations I want to remember from my Twitter timeline from the past couple months:

Philosophy:

• "On the precipice of the period where we 'evolve' into a more cooperative species than we are now. I'll hold onto that." (@jaglister) 6/21/13

Politics:

• "'Should I give to the poor?' - 'No,' says #RepublicanJesus. 'They should get a job like everyone else!'" (@Dena_K_) 6/20/13
   
• "Republicans seem intent on downgrading America's middle class to 'peasant class'." (@IndigoSky @sailorboyj @LindaWildes @Lvci_frr @smartboyohboy) 6/21/13
   
• "Not making this up: Ted Nugent 'I have 9 children from 7 women, and I'm running for president'" (@padresteve @creditease @RustiResta @ChristiAnne67 @Yecora51 @mmdoty @Dena_K_ @CriminySTFU @BrianBuchbinder @taminespr) 7/5/13
   
• "I'm initiating a #Kickstarter to buy Texas and Florida, and then auction them off to some other country." (@nitpickette01 @MiekeInc @caracabe @picklestfc) 8/1/13

Morality and values:

• "Anti-abortionists aren't 'pro-life', they're 'pro-birth'—no concern for the development of the child's actual life." Part 2 (@CleveNole @AMFKNole @NoleFan86) 6/23/13
   
• "Truth is stranger than fiction: 'Gay cure' ministry closes down after its leader admits he's attracted to men." (@SingnPlay @thomasatmyporch) 6/23/13
   
• "Chief Justice Roberts says, 'Our country has changed.' Yes, it has. Racists have become much more adept at obfuscating their racism. #VRA" (@ModernSauce @kokobyrd @AaronWorthing @Teddyshouse2II @GregPiperMP @Edzones @Matthew_Barlow @ShivaKap @NerdKing52 @geo_love1 @jstines3 @JetNo) 6/26/13
   
• "Every morning, hundreds of thousands of workers show up for jobs that are unseen, uncertain & underpaid." (@Dena_K_ @EdDarrell @pfontes95) 7/2/13
   
• "This does NOT speak well of the profession: Court OKs Barring High IQs for Cops" (@Siiiimonsays @GodlessAndHappy @BombeRouge @vditucci @Green_fille) 7/15/13
   
• "Well. Doesn't Juror #B37 sound like a real class act."(@NANDEE218 @fgsweetdog @Bdreamer7Helene @mmboucher8 @SharonGibson3 @geekchicohio @mdrfl @mary73534 @lsalander13) 7/16/13
   
• "…aware of any study that correlates retailer locations by racial makeup?" (@thestile1972 @schmangee @lynnphares) 7/18/13
   
• "I work in #RealEstate, can confirm this: "Retail Redlining"—One of the Most Pervasive Forms of Racism Left in America" (@ShivaKap @jben1129 @alakshya2) 7/19/13
   
• "Most psychopaths don't become criminals they become CEOs & politicians" (@pfontes95 @SuSmithJosephy @cantata21) 7/25/13
   
• "'Crack baby' study finds #poverty is worse for child development than exposure to drug in womb" (@G_times @NicoleBonnet1 @nyzap) 7/25/13 

Non sequitur:

• "How to pretend you're Canadian when you #travel." (@De8or4h @SuSmithJosephy @tinacapalbo) 7/1/13
   
• "The unstoppable stupid: After Spending $11,000, Woman Sues Psychic For Not Lifting Curse On Her Love Life" (@tinacapalbo @G_times) 7/12/13
   
• "Behold the ineffable cosmos within the forest's cathedral" (@SisterBhugto @pjsirrah) 7/27/13

Health:

• "Quackery: About 50% of Americans use "alternative" medicine, and 10% use it on their children." (@tinacapalbo @RayChatie) 6/20/13
   
• "Study: Skipping Breakfast Could Increase Risk Of Heart Attack" (@ledfist) 7/25/13
   
• "I endorse this research 110%: Harvard study finds #coffee drinking tied to lower risk of suicide" (@Rebecca_Raphael @tinacapalbo @G_times @bombidil) 7/27/13
   
• "Inspiring: New #Alzheimer's blood test is 93% accurate in clinical trials" (@JRChristenson @MikeConundrum @ladyotomoofsaka ) 7/30/13

Religion:

• "Christian poll finds #atheists commit fewer crimes, divorce less, are better educated than Christians" (@amorYvida62 @joeman42 @gatheiststl @Lee123Sue @mksinsa) 7/3/13
   
• "I keep seeing these #Christian women on Twitter who are constantly posting semi-provacative #selfies with Bible quotes. Beyond weird." (@ShivaKap @Promethus_ @RayChatie @Dena_K_ @HollyTheNurse1 @Ms_PriyaS @BrightEyedDyer @MizMelly) 7/4/13
   
• "Ugh: Russia makes it illegal to insult the 'feelings of religious believers'" (@nais1998 @RedScareBot @Bonnieinchgo @pfontes95) 7/21/13
   
• "If we eliminated #religion & started from scratch, it would be different. If we rediscovered all scientific knowledge, it would be the same." (@ShivaKap @JonDrobny @SisterBhugto @HuntWithThimble @Resoguitar @ArtisanTheory @homesweetyeg) 7/24/13

Economics:

• "A goddamn sad state of affairs: #WalMart is the largest U.S. employer…and second? #KellyServices, a temp agency." (@YEGlifer @mierzwei @DesautelsLuc @pbtrue1 @GrainOfSands @Juicexlx @TheDavidMcGuire) 7/9/13
   
• "Now this is a damn good idea: Oklahoma City hospital posts surgery prices online; creates bidding war" (@taminespr @thomasatmyporch @RayChatie @CriminySTFU @bollbar) 7/11/13
   
• "Technology has boosted productivity without spurring job growth." (@milo9) 7/18/13
   
• "Due to low wages & employee reliance on government subsidies, a typical #WalMart costs taxpayers $904,542 per year." (@Princesswikki @diamondave13 @lfredsson @YEGlifer) 8/2/13

Media:

• "The illusion of choice: 6 companies control 90% of the #media in the U.S." (@Resoguitar @magda196 @Bdreamer7Helene @RanyhynRider) 7/14/13

Sustainability:

• "Trendy, pathetic, 'extreme' tourism: Mount Everest Is Now Covered in Litter and Human Poop" (@nitpickette01 @WilliamBDevittI) 7/25/13
   
• "Adaptive re-use: An abandoned #WalMart has become the largest single-floor public library in the United States" (@homesweetyeg @CriminySTFU @MindFreeZone @phunphunphun @YEGlifer @realtmo) 8/2/13

Social media:

• "I don't really have a schtick. Should I develop one? Twitter seems to like that. #SM" (@jlturpen) 7/24/13
   
• "I wish more people would use their real name & face on Twitter. Hiding behind anonymity gives a sort of 'hollowness' to one's voice." (@SingnPlay @YEGlifer @billraia @albertaadvocate @ElizabMcCormack @Truthseeker_013 @RedAnneBolynn @kma916) 7/28/13