I love autumn once again. Today was an exemplary day. Sunny, crisp, vigorous. Voted and -- hot diggety damn! -- Tim Armstrong won! Madison has a Democratic mayor for the first time in a long, long while. The guy has absolutely no experience. But it was time for a change. After voting, in the gym of Anderson Elementary School, went to the library and got books and DVDs.
Also requested a book that I learned about on the New York Times blog by Stanley Fish, this post with the title, "Suffering, Evil, and the Existence of God." The book of interest is There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind, by Antony Flew.
I also wanted to obtain another book (Bart D. Ehrman, God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question – Why We Suffer) wrestling with the conundrum of God's attributed benevolence and omnipotence in the face of evil. Epicurus wrote: “Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence, then, evil.” I learned a new word: "theodicy," meaning "the defense of God’s omnipotence and goodness in view of the existence of evil." I can see why they call defenders of the faith "apologists." Ehrman's book will be available in February 2008.
Made two CDs from new music I recently imported. I especially love the organ toccatas by Jongen, Widor, and J.S. Bach. (Psst! It's too easy to buy music from iTunes!)
No new comedy shows tonight because of the writers' strike, so will watch some of Countdown, which I taped.
4 comments:
You made me laugh with your comment about the mayor having no experience. Sometimes however, that's just what we need.
Congrats on your new finds!
I have an iTunes card that I've never used. I need to take time out and use it.
Oh I cringed over my vote last night.
I want this town to move forward so bad, but after talking with Tim for 20 minutes last night I'm still not sure if he can pull it off.
On one hand, there was a lot he should have known after months of campaigning that he did not. On the other, he has a great attitude.
His whole idea is to surround himself with good people. I just hope he chooses communitarians and not libertarians.
So many people scream "you will not tell me what to do." But, there are some things you can only do together as a community. We need the latter in City Hall, not the former.
For example, if the new Democratic mayor-council tries to repeal the smoking ban or the Historic District ordinance you will NOT get me off my soapbox and I will NOT back down.
However, it was indeed a beautiful day though!
Nor will I. Especially with regard to smoking. Keep it out of public buildings, please. Nor do I want to see the downtown crapped up the way the hilltop "Miracle Mile" is and the way the downtown was when I was a kid. I remember when the riverfront and the Broadway fountain were garbage dumps. Let's not move backwards. Your communitarian vs. libertarian remark goes back to the homely illustration of the right to swing the fist ending where other's noses begin. And the thought that Tim will be swayed by anarchists -- let's go one step further than libertarians -- is frightening. I say let him have people from both ends of the spectrum and listen to all of them and I hope and pray he then decides wisely. A good attitude will take us far, I hope. I do like to hope that he will be a little more populist than elitist. It's a tough call. I could never lead because I'd be buried in thought all the time.
See what we're getting ourselves into, Cheryl?
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