Baby
The Marshall baby photo moves me immensely. Those of us who don't have babies may have forgotten, or may have never known, the immense joy of a new family member. There is nothing like a baby. The wonder of a baby is a sheer joy that has no parallel. Yes, it deprives the parents of sleep and demands much of parents, yet it is a gift that has no parallels. To hold a baby in your arms is to experience absolute love, a love that we should, but generally do not, feel for all humanity, including repugs. Babies are our hostages to the future; they require more of us than we can possibly give. This baby, and all babies, should remind us to think beyond our lifespans and our prejudices and to love all unequivocally..
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That photo moved me too. I loved Josh's header. Made me laugh and almost made me cry. I hope to start a family within the next two years.
hear, hear!
June 29, 2008 1:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Every time I start to grumble about lack of activity here, I remember the pictures of Josh's babies and realize the guy has a life beyond this web site.
June 29, 2008 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good of you, Judith to do a post about Josh's newest. I have always loved the pictures Josh posts of Sam and now those of the second baby, too. He is so beautiful!
June 29, 2008 11:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
My baby boys are 13 and 16 now. It seems like just yesterday they were as small as that picture. Now they are both over 6 ft and have man voices. It goes by so quickly. I hope Josh cherishes every minute.
June 29, 2008 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Judith, there are many times I would agree with you, but last night, between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00, I'd have to say "absolute love" was not the experience I was having.
(Sorry Mag--this comment isn't really a response to yours, but seeing that Clearthinker has decided to grackle this thread, I thought I'd try to push him down the page.)
June 30, 2008 12:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
If you really want to think beyond your lifespan, consider this:
The carbon footprint of an American is 4x the size of the average person in the world.
Even a homeless American has a 2x sized footprint.
The biggest issue today is overpopulation -- it's the reason we are straining our energy and food resources.
The industrial revolution brought about by cheap energy is the only thing supporting the current world population. Without cheap energy (as we are now are transitioning for), the world's population will collapse.
There are only two ways to reduce the strain of humans on the planet: kill people and stop having babies.
Is it a sacrifice not to have children? It would be hard to argue it's worse than being asked to die by going into a war.
Hard choices? Yes.
But if you really are thinking globally, those are the facts.
June 29, 2008 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Do you wear a t-shirt like this?
http://gifts.cafepress.com/design/20649052
June 29, 2008 2:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bee: you always like to change the topic.
Bottom line: You have kids. I don't.
If that makes you feel like you aren't as green as you want to portray yourself, that's an issue for you to deal yourself with in private.
June 29, 2008 2:27 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, I have kid, singular.
I was making a joke at your expense, as it does seem to me that a person who would have to poor taste to make that comment in this thread is most certainly setting themselves up for ridicule.
Of course you have had a vasectomy, since you presume to lecture others on fertility. If not, that would be extremely hypocritical.
Right?
June 29, 2008 2:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
Bee:
Yes, I am familiar with your "jokes" like when you referred to someone as a "child pornographer".
For someone trying to maintain decorum here (who offered you that position by the way?), you are one of the biggest offenders of name calling, wild personal speculation, and unkind remarks.
You pride yourself in being a progressive. Most progressives I know abide by the notion that every action has political consequences.
As for lecturing about what people should do: I didn't. The blogger talked about future generations and I pointed out what that meant. If your actions are different than your own political philosophy that is an issue I can't help you with.
This is a political board. My comment is politically grounded. If you don't like it, you are welcome to scroll past it.
June 29, 2008 3:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
PS It's clear you disagree with me. That's fine. But apparently you can't articulate why you disagree (as is often the case), so you resort to ridicule (your word) rather than have an intelligent discussion.
June 29, 2008 3:34 PM | Reply | Permalink
Your argument is predicated on an entirely false choice, and one which ironically enough pretty much sums up a conservative world view. Social Security is strained, so cut benefits. Education is strained, so make it more selective. The planet is strained, so have fewer people using it.
Progressives believe that by the strength of our common effort, we achieve more than we achieve alone. We believe that the solution to new problems can be found through new ideas.
So: you say that to solve the strain on energy and food is to have fewer people needing it. Let me be really bold: how about we produce more food? More energy? You yourself mention the Industrial Revolution. I'm pretty sure that there are more revolutions yet to come - perhaps a second Agricultural Revolution, or an Energy Revolution. Stop staring down at your fist, thinker, and broaden your horizons.
June 29, 2008 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
You sound like you know nothing of science and technology.
Do you know that the Green Revolution is totally predicated on oil inputs for fertilizer?
Do you know that the end of cheap energy is nigh?
By the way, who defines the "common good"? Most progressives I know want socialism. That's fine -- let's just make sure that everyone bears an equal share of the responsibility and worry -- which most people can't handle. (For example, most people prefer the consistency of a regular paycheck rather than the risk taking of an entrepreneur. Most people would rather trade security for liberty. Etc.)
You speak of broadening horizons: I suggest you read William Catton's OVERSHOOT.
It's available on Amazon.
Most intelligent people recognize that overpopulation is the key to all of the world's woes. There are only 2 ways of lowering the population. Unless you advocate killing people, or letting them die more easily if they are old, then cutting births is your only option.
I recognize this goes counter to the "selfish gene" that wants to propagate endlessly -- but if humans are really so much smarter than animals, we should be able to curb those selfish impulses.
Else these children that everyone is so eager to have will have a far lowered lifestyle than you currently enjoy.
June 29, 2008 5:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
I agree.
There are entirely too many of us.
The current population is unsustainable.
This is a slow motion catastrophe.
June 29, 2008 6:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm not oblivious to the challenges we face going forwards. But I think you frame it in reactionary and apocalyptic terms. You're a big proponent of expansion of rail networks.... me too. But why? Because we believe that through innovation and perhaps some radical changes, we (as a nation, a planet, whatever) can find improved ways to continue our existence.
Also, you seem to contradict yourself. I'd argue that taking a paycheck job working for a company, or whatever, is an example of a willingness to surrender individual responsibility in favor of the security of shared responsibility. Not, as you seem to suggest, the purely selfish human instinct. Working for a larger organization, rather than working for yourself: isn't this a microcosm of socialism?
June 29, 2008 7:24 PM | Reply | Permalink
You've proposed a political solution to a scientific problem.
Best of luck in your solution.
June 29, 2008 7:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Nah, he effectively Barbequed your strawman.
Population growth in this Country is below replication . It was a silly and crass point to make on this thread.
(shrug)
June 29, 2008 8:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
As you will note in my original post above, bee, American's have 4x the carbon footprint of the world citizen.
And American's use 25% of the world's energy.
An, in addition, the population in the US continues to grow:
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/fields/2002.html
The fact is creating new life isn't helping the environment or future generations.
June 29, 2008 9:01 PM | Reply | Permalink
Two words: Soylent. Green. (Though Soylent Red is pretty tasty too.)
June 30, 2008 11:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I gotta say, did you see the film Idiocracy? Not the best movie, I'll admit. But quite frankly, do you want the vast majority of the world's population in the future to be descended from people who were not bright enough to be "responsible"?
I agree with you that mass carnage is impending, most likely through huge food shortages. And not to be conceited, but it's for precisely this reason that I have kids: because I trust them to deal with the repercussions of future disaster better than Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel.
June 30, 2008 11:58 AM | Reply | Permalink
Heh
June 30, 2008 10:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
Not to mention... that is one gorgeous baby! Very Gerber.
June 29, 2008 1:03 PM | Reply | Permalink
Congrats Josh! That is one beautiful baby!
June 29, 2008 1:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
But every life that exists is precious. A beautiful baby he is.
June 29, 2008 6:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
God bless you, Josh, and your family.
June 29, 2008 11:15 PM | Reply | Permalink