Derek Sorensen

This was originally posted in September, 2012 on ecademy.com, a site which no longer exists. I’m posting it again here because the topic has become current again.

I believe that in July 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon and Michael Collins remained in Lunar Orbit. These three men were my childhood heroes, along with the Russian Cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, the first human in space.

I believe that smoking causes cancer. That knowledge doesn’t prevent me from smoking, even though I know it should. I believe that AIDS is caused by the HIV virus.

I believe Lee Harvey Oswald killed JFK, although I admit I don’t know enough about it to know why I believe that. Nor do I know enough about the assassination of Martin Luther King to really form an opinion.

I believe the Illuminati are a fictional construct and there is no New World Order, although I also believe that people in power would like more power, and some will do practically anything to get it.

I believe that the attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941 was a cock-up of the grandest scale on the part of the US Navy. In particular I do not believe any government would purposely permit their people and particularly their materiel to be wasted in this way.

I believe that Area 51 is a US Air Force base. I don’t believe there are any aliens there, either living or dead (although I did thoroughly enjoy the recent Pegg/Frost film, Paul).

I believe that the attacks of September 11th 2001 were the work of Muslim terrorists.

I don’t know enough about SARS to form an opinion.

I don’t believe a Flying Saucer crashed at Roswell in 1947.

I believe Princess Diana’s death was a tragic accident, caused by pursuit by Papparazzi and her driver being under the influence of alcohol.

I don’t know anything about the Oklahoma City bombings and I’m not sufficiently interested to want to find out.

I believe Coca Cola is quite tasty, although I prefer lemonade. I hadn’t heard until recently that Coca Cola might have done some clever marketing related to changing the formula. If they did, then fair play to them.

I don’t know enough about CFCs to be certain one way or the other about whether they have a serious impact on the Ozone Layer. I have come across some bits and pieces in the past about CFCs and patents, and the timing of the discovery of the Ozone Layer, but I’ve not done enough research subsequently to form a definite opinion. I’m content that not using CFCs is, on balance, a good thing.

I believe that protection of the environment trumps financial concerns. The caveat is that I feel the Precautionary Principle as commonly stated goes too far and is harmful both to the economy and to the environment.

I believe that global average temperatures have increased during the past century. I believe that human activities have contributed to that increase. 97% of carefully selected Climate Scientists also believe this, as do most climate sceptics. I don’t believe that this is catastrophic, and I don’t believe it will become a catastrophe. I think that overall, warmer is better. I also believe that the climate has always changed.

I believe that Stephan Lewandowsky is a sincere CAGW activist, who believes that a gerrymandered survey aimed to paint anyone who doubts the CAGW thesis as a swivel-eyed loon will help his cause. I also believe his paper will be retracted.

I believe this will be my last blog on the CAGW meme. Mother Earth has decided not to play along any more, and the whole thing will come crashing down in a handful of years, to be replaced by another scare story as justification for emptying your wallet, and the whole thing has gone so far beyond ridicule no longer even holds any entertainment value. I believe I might comment on other people’s blogs on the subject, and I’ll continue to whinge about inefficient methods of energy production such as Wind and Solar.

I had a physio appointment today, first one since January as a followup to my recent back problems. Answered various questions, was pushed and pulled into various positions, poked and prodded and then the Physiotherapist tested my reflexes. He tested my right leg first (the good one), all fine. As he was about to test the left I remarked that I was most interested in this one as it had no reflex response when it was tested in January and I was hoping to see some sign of improvement.

When he tested it, as I feared, it was still unresponsive, at both the knee and the ankle.

Then he asked me to do somethng which I thought was a bit strange. First, he had me interlock my fingers in what I can best describe as a “fireman’s grip” and told me that when he said “go” to pull my arms apart as hard as I could without releasing my grip, and grind my teeth. It sounded weird, but I did it anyway, and while I was doing it he tested my reflexes again.

This time, both reflexes worked!

I was flummoxed, and asked what was going on. He explained that because I didn’t expect the reflex to work, my brain was overriding the proper response. The physical activity was enough to distract my brain from interfering with the test.

I’m aware of the nocebo effect, but didn’t realise it applied to things like reflexes, which I had no idea could be overridden mentally. Very strange.

I’m a Northerner. In many ways I’m atypical, but in one way I’m not - or at least I wasn’t.

In 29 years of marriage I think I cooked a meal possibly a dozen times. My wife is a marvellous cook, and over the past ten years or so my daughters have also become so, so there was never any need.

On Thursday morning, I noticed a strange artifact in my eyesight; whenever I moved my eyes, I’d get a faint flash just below the centre of my vision. When it hadn’t cleared after a couple of hours, and I was out in the town anyway, I wandered around to my Opticians to see if I could make an appointment to get it checked out. The sign on the door said “Closed for stock-taking, back tomorrow”.
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Someone said to me recently (paraphrasing) “I just don’t get poetry, never have”. I like to think I do “get” poetry, although I can’t claim to be an expert or even well read. Perhaps it’s like all Art: I don’t know much about it, but I know what I like. Although, if I’m honest, I don’t “like” any poetry. Some poems I love, and others do nothing for me whatsoever. But what *is* poetry, anyway?
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[NOTE: This was originally posted on ecademy, and refers to events on that site. Also, some of the terminology is ecademy-specific.]

Open. Random. Supportive.

I like to think I’m quite supportive a lot of the time, although it’s not always percieved that way. I know I can be quite random. I’m going to have a go at being open.
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