Motus Mentis

We’re up at our little retreat on the far end of Cape Cod tonight, awaiting the arrival of the former Hurricane Noel, which is supposed to give these parts a pretty good thumping over the next 24 hours or so. I’m glad to be here for the storm — not only because I enjoy dramatic weather, which I do, but also because there’s a dead pine tree right outside that I haven’t got around to cutting down yet, and if it falls on the house I’d like to know about it sooner rather than later.

It’s been such a lazy day that I haven’t prepared anything much for tonight’s edition, so I’ll just pass along a couple of items that I happen to have lying around.

First, readers may recall the recent public flogging of Dr. James Watson for daring to suggest that there may be innate differences between ethnic groups. Those of you who gave that story any attention may also enjoy an item that our old friend Jess Kaplan sent us today: it argues that Ashkenazi Jews are a little smarter than the average h. sapiens. How did they get that way? Learn more here. (Of course, even to entertain such notions is pure thought-crime, so caveat lector.)

Also, the estimable Deogolwulf has posted a characteristically thoughtful and articulate musing on the psychological pitfalls of the materialist worldview. I, however, think he is far too gloomy — he seems downright chopfallen at the prospect that “this is all there is”, whereas I say there’s no need to be — so I am gestating a cheery response, which I shall whelp anon. I should have plenty of time to work on it tomorrow, when the only distractions should be the sound of roof-shingles tearing off, and the occasional airborne lobster-boat.