Question of the Day

Should convicted felons, having completed their sentences, have the right to keep and bear arms? Why or why not?

Pop Culture Alignment

This chart shows the moral alignments of nine pop culture characters using the Dungeons & Dragons alignment system. Rorschach as Chaotic Good? I think that Chaotic Neutral is more likely. And Neutral Good for John Locke at best.

Top row, left to right: John Locke of Lost, Dwight from Sin City, Rorschach of Watchmen.
Middle row: Indiana Jones, Niko Bellic of Grand Theft Auto 4, Tyler Durden of Fight Club.
Bottom row: Darth Vader, Anton Chigurh of No Country for Old Men, and the Joker.

I'm not sure who's responsible for this chart -- it's been floating around the net. I found it via Jeremy Barker's Popped Culture.

Way back in my gaming days, I often thought of Palladium's alignment system, which accepted selfishness as a factor in human behavior, instead of a pure good-evil duality.

A couple of years ago, I would have thought of myself as Neutral Good. Right now, I'm moving firmly in the direction of Chaotic Neutral. Appropriately, Fight Club to be a movie that spoke to me in a powerful way.

What's your alignment?

On the Value of the Ph.D

(YouTube Link)
Professional skeptic James Randi speaks at CalTech about the value (or lack thereof) of the doctorate, much to the amusement of the students in attendance.

Randi is noted for his standing offer a $1 million award to anyone who can demonstrate a psychic ability under laboratory conditions.

Things People Say But Don't Really Mean

How Superman Defeated the Ku Klux Klan

Mark Juddery of Mental Floss brings us a fascinating story from American history. After World War II, the Ku Klux Klan was thriving. Writer Stetson Kennedy infiltrated the organization in the hopes of writing an exposé about its activities and beliefs. Unable to find a outlet willing to publish the story, Stetson approached the producers of the Superman radio show:

In a 16-episode series titled “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” the writers pitted the Man of Steel against the men in white hoods. As the storyline progressed, the shows exposed many of the KKK’s most guarded secrets. By revealing everything from code words to rituals, the program completely stripped the Klan of its mystique. Within two weeks of the broadcast, KKK recruitment was down to zero. And by 1948, people were showing up to Klan rallies just to mock them.

via io9

SpatSolver

(YouTube Link)

SpatSolver is a handy gadget for resolving marital arguments. Just tap on it to activate.

HT: Bits & Pieces

Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America by Barbara Ehrenreich

I'm intrigued by Barbara Ehrenreich's new book, which attacks the positive thinking movement in American culture. Below is a 43-minute interview that Hanna Rosin of Double X conducted with Ehrenreich about it. The interview really whetted my appetite. In it, Ehrenreich discusses the long history of positive thinking in American history and its influence in corporate culture, psychology, and theology.

Ehrenreich first encountered positive thinking in a meaningful way when she was diagnosed with breast cancer eight years ago. At a support group website, she expressed her feelings of anger at the disease. Commentors rebuked her and urged her to think positively, rather than negatively, if she wanted to recover from cancer. Thus began her journey to this book, which included an exploration of idea of the modern CEO and a visit to Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church.

It sounds quite fascinating, and I will probably read the book when it becomes available.

Darth Vader Conducting an Orchestra Performing the Imperial March

(YouTube Link)

Darth Vader did not approve of how the conductor of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra was leading a performance of The Imperial March, so he stepped in to do the job himself.

via Topless Robot