Thursday, April 27, 2006

Death row antics

A U.S. death row inmate is legally challenging the ingredients in the lethal cocktail he is to be injected with, citing they may cause him to die a painful, unusual and cruel death. Interesting. You're not exactly on death row cause you gave your victims a pleasant sendoff into the afterlife, buddy. How arrogant to think you deserve any better. This is almost as bad as another case where the inmate delayed his own execution by complaining that the needle was not sterilized properly. Hmm, I guess Satan reviews blood test results now before granting access to newcomers.

Yes, their complaints may seem trivial and are probably just desperate attempts to delay the inevidable, but I guess there is some merit to them. Whether you believe in the death penalty or not, do even the worst criminals not deserve to die with dignity? To not grant them a dignified death would be hypocritical of our society, and make us no better than the murderers themselves. Well, maybe not my society, as Canada has no death penalty, but some states in the U.S. still do. And although I can certainly agree with the notion that some people have committed acts so heinous that they do not deserve to live, and that even a lifetime in prison is not torturous enough because some simply do not feel remorse and never will...I still wouldn't want to be the one to pull the trigger, or administer the injection. I wouldn't want the blood on my hands. Fortunately, (an odd word to use here) some states implementing the death penalty recruit volunteers for just such things, and there are plenty of sharp-shooting marksmen lining up to take part in justice-executing firing squads. Now that's a hobby!

Friday, April 21, 2006

Where on Earth will we find another...

...Earth? April 22nd is Earth Day. To commemorate the event we had a city-wide 20 minute make-over. Everyone was to stop what they were doing at 2pm on Friday, and go pick up scattered trash for 20 minutes. I didn't join in, and know of few coworkers that did. Instead, I was in a meeting, where we all shuffled through our own personal copies of the same documents discussing how our organization can protect the environment. Occupational irony I call it. I'll make up for it this weekend, I swear.

The whole thing got me thinking though, maybe we as humans are just too lazy and arrogant to clean up the mess we've made. Why even bother? It's not like we can ever undo all the damage we've done anyway...seems like the amount of effort required vs. overall benefit to us just doesn't add up, and we're too brilliant a species to invest in such a futile venture. We're also too dependent on luxury to change our polluting ways, so why even try, right? And it's not like we don't have other choices. We're the only species here capable of packing up and relocating on a cosmic scale. Can't we just do what spoiled wealthy folks do and move into a new place when we mess up our existing home? Allow me to be your cosmic agent...let's have a look at some of the options we have for our future home, shall we:

Our first stop, the Moon. Well, since the late 1960's we've had an open-house on this property. A dozen individuals came by to look at the place, strolled around and quickly left, leaving some of their garbage behind, never to return. Not sure why. They promised to return and build cities but that never happened, and the Moon is still vacant, airless, with some potential for water, and just a three day trip from mother Earth. Although, as breathtaking as the view of Earth from the moon would be, living on the empty grey satellite would make us all long to be back home.

Next we have Mars. Probably the most earthlike of any place in the solar system. It once had flowing water, an abundant atmosphere, warmer weather, and a 28 hour day. Perfect. Well almost...it no longer has the first three desirable characteristics. The water has dried up or frozen at the poles. The atmosphere has thinned out, and the weather is much colder, although mid summer temperatures at the equator can reach a comfortable 10 degres celsius. It's a bit of a fixer-upper, but Mars has homely potential. Infinite resources, centuries of time, and a technique known as terraforming, could see Mars turn more earthlike. Terraforming involves the gradual intruduction of plants to Martian soil, to feast on the CO2 atmosphere, slowly pumping O2 out. Over the passing centuries, more plants would grow, more oxygen released, and the resulting thicker atmosphere would begin to warm up the planet's surface, melting the frozen water...making it almost liveable. Still not Earth though, so let's keep looking.

OK, the next few options are a bit of a commute from the Sun, but the collosal size of neighboring Jupiter on the horizon will make you forget all about that overrated life giving star. The first home on this block, Io, may perhaps remind you a little of Hawaii. Sure its surface temperature is freezing by our standards, but compared to other moons in the area, it's tropical. The constant gravitational tug of war Io feels from Jupiter on one side and the other large Jovian moons orbiting beyond it, causes it to heat up and fracture more so than others. If the relatively mild weather doesn't remind you of Hawaii, the constantly erupting volcanoes sure will. Frequent eruptions spew all sorts of elements into Io's athmosphere, and with all that crap in the air, there's gotta be something of use to us...that is if we exploit it before the weak gravity of Io lets it all escape into space. Just a stone's throw away from Io is Europa...long thought of as the one other place, outside Earth, where life could actually exist. Aside from the suspected ocean of H2O below its frozen surface, Europa offers its residents other amenities such as a moon-wide ice rink and ski jumps.

Moving further out, we have a lovely home called Titan, the largest in the Saturn district. Although it sounds big, at 5,150km across it's still a bit snug for Earthling tastes, but hey what isn't? Plus, with an average surface temperature of -290 degrees fahrenheit, you're gonna want to snuggle up close. On the bright side, Titan may have frozen water below it's surface and is the only moon with a significant atmosphere, although consisting largely of nitrogen, argon and other lovely gases that kill. You wouldn't want to go out anyway. The long term forcast calls for unrelenting smog and haze, with thick clouds causing occasional rain...a slurry of methane and ethane. Your new home on Titan will provide you with a beautiful view of what a young Earth may have looked like, before it was hospitable to mankind. Further down on this same street we also have Enceladus...not much to look at, but rumor has it, it may have plumbing. It's all speculation, but this modest little world may have liquid water...hundreds of miles below it's frozen surface of course.
It sounds discouraging I know, but consider that those are but a few of our options (albeit by far our best ones). We still have 7 other planets and some 100 moons to look at. The market is teeming with vacancies and it's in the buyer's favour, but I guess you're beginning to see why. Although there's endless real estate out there, it's a tough sell...no one and nothing wants to live out there, and for good reason. The Earth is the place to be. So, as lazy and arrogant as we humans may be, taking the time to tidy up and invest in the future of our current home is going to cost us much less and benefit us infinitely more in the long run, than a move to any of those other forsaken places would.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Miracles

So what exactly is a miracle? I can't really say that I know, but I'm pretty sure I know what it isn't. Canada's "miraculous" comeback at the 1972 summit series against Russia for one, or Joe Carter's "miracle homer" in the bottom of the 9th with 2 strikes against him, that won the 1993 world series...non-sport examples escape me at the moment...what do you expect from a jock... but I'm sure you can think of a few situations where the word was misused.

Canada's 1972 comeback was nothing more than the result of Bobby Clarke breaking Russian superstar Kharlamov's ankle with a brutal slash, turning the tide in the series. Clarke would go on to have a successful NHL career, while Kharlamov never did, lived in poverty and eventually died tragically in a car accident 9 years later. What part of that story is a miracle...not to mention that Canada is the best nation in hockey and would need no miracle to beat anyone (except for maybe those Swedes...Czechs...Fins...well everyone but Russia and US). Similarly, Carter's homer was impressive and brought Torontonians much temporary joy, but poor Mitch Williams (loser pitcher) was almost lynched by an angry mob upon his return to Philly. So, none of the above are miracles if for no other reason but that I think miracles would never be a double-edged sword, with a need for clear cut winners and losers. True miracles then, cannot be affiliated with sports.

What about the role of technology (medical in particular) and acts of charity that bring about triumph in the face of potential tragedy? In other words, can human efforts induce miracles, and if so, can such achievements be considered true miracles? Is Apollo 13's safe return to Earth after all reason indicated the astronaut crew should have perished due to the explosion, a miracle? Are stories of people being brought back to life after being clinically dead thanks to modern technology, miracles? Maybe. Certainly the use of the term is more appropriate in this realm than in sports, but is it a true fit?

Three years ago, inspired by and greateful for seemingly miraculous efforts of the medical community to save a friend's life, I decided to become a "Miracle Club" donor. Since I wasn't in the medical field myself I had a limited understanding of what exactly doctors were capable of doing, and I thought that was a good way to support their efforts, and why not focus in on kids. Now, several times a year Sick Kids sends me pictures and stories of how my continued contributions have helped them create little miracles...with a request to increase the amount, so as to produce these miracles a little faster and more of them. A real life miracle factory, wow! Their motto even used to be "Where Miracles Happen", until their Palliative Care Department pointed out issues of insensitivity and unrealistic expectations, since not every child unfortunately makes it. But, I relent, who wouldn't...they make it seem like you are an integral part of helping them make these miracles happen. Each year around this time, and as circumstances allow, whether attracted to the feeling of euphoria at making a little bit of a difference, or as an insurance policy so that fate brings nothing that bad to you and yours, you add to the list...Canadian Cancer Society, Lupus Canada, Unicef...the list grows, yet remains arguably insignificant, given the scope of needy causes. You ask yourself, is it better to focus on one thing, or spread it around? Is throwing money at the causes even the answer, or can another way help more? Has any of this really resulted in a miracle, or is it just a marketing gimmick? If it helps, I guess it doesn't matter.

Does a miracle have to be spiritual and divine, supernatural and conventionally unexplainable in nature to be considered genuine? Perhaps, but certainly that cannot be the only criterion either, yet often times it is. What was so miraculous about the Hindu milk drinking statues or the blood-crying likenessess of Virgin Mary? Again, they were fascinating events, officially dubbed miraculous, but I fail to see how wasting milk on a statue in a country where millions of babies go hungry everyday is meaningful. Maybe it helped a few people reaffirm their faith and they went away doing good from that day on...maybe...I hope.

Are miracles associated with certain words/phrases and thoughts/feelings? Can we induce miracles simply by wishing them, and if enough people wish for the same thing, will it be more likely to happen? Would a miracle happen if no one asked for it? . Exactly three years to the day I came across a novena*. Never knew anything about that before, but who ever posted it claimed it would help bring on a miracle. I saved the clipping and etchings indicate I put it to use immediately. Nine days passed, and I'd repeat the process. I would see more and more postings of other novenas, so I'd try them too. I tried them all the way into the summer that year, until the family I prayed for had their daughter home again and feeling better. Whether it was the novena, medical staff, the outpouring of support from all, or just a testament to the strength of the human spirit, I'm not sure...probably some combination of all, but in my experience it is as close to a miracle as I've been witness to...that, and the birth of a child...something seemingly simple and common place, but miraculous nonetheless. In each case, my level of participation and influence over the events may have been trivial, but the effect they left on me are lasting and I am grateful, even though it's not always evident on the surface.

What about places...can certain places associated with miracles induce re-occurrences? Religious pilgrims and the sick flock to these places in search for some sign of a miracle and to ask for help. How successful they are I do not know. I have visited one such place myself on several occassions...Medjugorje, BiH. The Virgin Mary appeared there to a group of children playing in the hills in 1980 (pot is not as popular there, so evidence suggests they were not under the influence). To each child she revealed between 7 and 10 devine secrets. I think they were told to keep them a secret until the right time, or to just live through example. Their bios are available, and each child is now an adult...they are cheritable, model citizens and family folk, with close church ties, but to my knowledge live otherwise normal lives. Still, the word of this event has spread across the globe, and although relatively remote, the little hill top community is always packed with tourists and pilgrims from everywhere. People gather water from fountains to take with them...hoping to be healed. They trek up the rocky slope to the actual site of the vision, to get closer to a miracle. Anecdotes exist of miraculous events after a visit to Medjugorje, I've heard some first hand, but can't say I've witnessed any personally. Still, it's always a place I make time for when in the area...there's a different feeling in the air there. Consider it. <--Promo plug brought to you by the BiH Ministry of Tourism.

Rare is a post of mine that has more questions than answers. Except to say that miracles cannot benefit one at the direct and unwanted expense of another, have elements of mystique and must serve some good purpose, I can't even bs through an explanation on this topic. Whatever the true nature and definition of miracles is, the one thing I hope they are truly not is finite...for all of our sakes.

Happy Easter!


* I've only known and used the Sacred Heart of Jesus, St.Jude and Mother Mary novenas, but there are apparently over 100, to different Saints and for different purposes. Full versions available on the net http://www.catholicdoors.com/prayers/novena.htm. Basically, it is a prayer you say repeatedly for 9 days, and ask for a miracle or help for a particular problem/person. At the very least, they are calming and comforting...and who knows what more could happen.