Home for the weekend

I had the opportunity this weekend to head home and catch up with my family and friends. Some of you know that my father recently broke his hip from slipping on ice - specifically, he split the greater trochanter of his femur. He went through surgery and now has a few pins in his bone. I'm very happy to report that he's seeing a physical therapist, and although it will take months to recuperate, he's quite mobile with a walker and is actively still teaching through the use of Skype and other video teleconferencing software. Isn't technology wonderful?

While at home, I was able to catch up with two very good friends, John and Martin. We had some great discussions that I wanted to share with you. First, we came to the conclusion that the cost of the Iraq war (approximately 504.7 billion dollars, or $1,721 dollars each U.S. Citizen is taxed) would much better be spent on other technological developments, such as space travel. It's time we evolved as a species and focused less on imposing our will on others on this pale blue dot and started seeing what else is out there. This discussion has further piqued my interest in astronomy, and if you're a budding astrologer like myself and live in a light polluted city, check out the free/open source Stellarium project and learn about the WorldWide Telescope project.

Second, Martin and his girlfriend gave me a copy of Robert Heinlien's The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, a science fiction novel about libertarian revolution. We had some great discussions about the function of government in societies, civil liberties, Ron Paul, and the Free State project. Traditionally when democratic societies (or in our case a constitutional republic) are faced with an ideological war (e.g., the cold war, terrorism) civil liberties are temporarily placed on hold in the name of national security or expediency of decision-making against an enemy. However with the introduction of instantaneous communication, losing these inalienable rights should be an antiquated practice. But it's not. Take warrant-less wiretaps, holding "detainees" for limitless time without trial, and other atrocities to our rights which are legal today. Elaine Cassel's article is a great introduction and the American Civil Liberties Union also has great information. As the famous quote often attributed to Benjamin Franklin goes, "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."