* Chronicle of Love and Resentment ~ Eric Gans

The Journal of Generative Anthropology

Eric Gans, Editor
Anthropoetics, the Journal of Generative Anthropology

Why Do We Believe in Generative Anthropology?
April 7, 2007

Excerpt: If atheists and believers, instead of facing off against each other to defend their turf, sought to find their common point of reference in the human self-consciousness that alone permits them to debate in the first place, they would find themselves obliged, not to put away their various beliefs, but to bracket all those that interfere with this new conversation. As a result, they would move to the boundaries of their respective belief-systems, to the one common point on which all humans can stand: the hypothesis of our descent from a single originary event of representation.

* George Clooney ~ Birthday Today

George Clooney (born on this day, May 6, 1961) is an Academy Award- and two-time Golden Globe winning American actor, director, producer and screenwriter.

I don't believe in heaven and hell. I don't know if I believe in God. All I know is that as an individual, I won't allow this life--the only thing I know to exist--to be wasted.
~ George Clooney profile in Washington Post (September 28, 1997)

"Clooney is a self-described political liberal. Speaking about the Iraq war: "You can't beat your enemy anymore through wars; instead you create an entire generation of people seeking revenge. These days it only matters who's in charge. Right now that's us — for a while at least. Our opponents are going to resort to car bombs and suicide attacks because they have no other way to win.... I believe (Rumsfeld) thinks this is a war that can be won, but there is no such thing anymore. We can't beat anyone anymore."
...
Clooney is active in advocating a resolution of the Darfur conflict. His efforts include an episode of Oprah and speaking at the Save Darfur rally in Washington, D.C. on April 30, 2005."

More on George Clooney

Lou Dobbs interviews Christopher Hitchens, author of
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Brilliant show.
Click to watch the video or read the transcript.

* Time Magazine Snubs George W. Bush ~ He's Not One of the 100 Most Influential People for 2007

The "Time 100" was first published in 1999, when Time magazine named the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Based on the popularity of the installment, in 2004 Time magazine decided to make it an annual feature.

Time Magazine

The list includes 71 men and 29 women from 27 countries. George W. Bush is not among the most influential people.
Full List

* US Army Soldier Killed in Iraq Declared by Christian Reverend to be "Worm Dirt"

Patrick Daniel Tillman, Jr. (November 6, 1976 – April 22, 2004) was an American football player who left his professional sports career and enlisted in the United States Army in May 2002, along with his brother Kevin Tillman.

He served in Iraq and later in Afghanistan, as a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, where he was killed. His decision, and subsequent death, were the subject of much media attention. More controversy ensued when, on May 28, 2004, the Pentagon notified the Tillman family that he had died as a result of a friendly fire incident; the family and other critics alleged that the Department of Defense delayed the disclosure for weeks after Tillman's memorial service out of a desire to protect the image of the U.S. armed forces. Specifically, Patrick Tillman, Pat Tillman's father, told the Washington Post, "..all the people in positions of authority went out of their way to script this. They purposely interfered with the investigation, they covered it up."

Corporal Pat Tillman was, according to his mother, not religious.

"Regimental Executive Officer Kauzlarich [in Afghanistan], in a stunning display of Christian empathy, blamed the family for continuing to ask questions about the circumstances of Pat’s death, and suggested that the reason they’d found no closure was that infidels such as themselves (the Tillmans did not belong to a church), when they die, are only “worm dirt.” ...

“When you die,” the Reverend Kauzlarich explained to ESPN’s Fish, “I mean, there is supposedly a better life, right? Well, if you are an atheist and you don’t believe in anything, if you die, what is there to go to? Nothing. You are worm dirt."

The investigation is complete and the report on the death and awards for Corporal Tillman is in. Even though he was shot three times in the head it has been claimed that he was a victim of friendly fire and that there was no malicious intent. Corporal Tillman's chain of command, however, will be held accountable for regulatory violations and errors in judgement, i.e., something like a slap on the hand, perhaps.