Gleanin' & Thunkin' on a Grand Saturday

D-Day

June 6, 1944: 

In Remembrance

of the dead and wounded of all nations.

D-Day Casualty, June 6, 1944

O God, our Father, endless source of life and peace, welcome into Your merciful embrace the fallen of the war that raged here, the fallen on all wars that have bloodied the earth. Grant that they may enjoy the light that does not fail, which in the reflection of Your splendour illumines the consciences of all men and women of good will. You, Who in Your Son Jesus Christ gave suffering humanity a glorious witness of Your love for us, You, Who in our Lord Christ gave us the sign of a suffering that is never in vain, but fruitful in Your redeeming power, grant those who yet suffer for the blind violence of fratricidal wars the strength of the hope that does not fade, the dream of a definitive civilisation of love, the courage of a real and daily activity of peace. Give us your Paraclete Spirit so that the men of our time may understand that the gift of peace is much more precious than any corruptible treasure, and that while awaiting the day that does not end we are all called to be builders of peace for the future of Your children. Make all Christians more convinced witnesses of life, the inestimable gift of Your love, You Who live and reign for ever and ever Amen. ~ His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI

When I awakened this morning, I knew that today was going to be a wonderful day!

Yep! I have air conditioning again!

The other day I was reading the blog, The Goat Walk, and encountered this link to a speculative article on altruism. Since I think I am quite altruistic, I followed the link and was quite surprised. 

The author, Brandon Keim, suggests that the roots of altruism are quite bloody:

“Altruism will be strongly favored if it leads groups to win wars,” said Sam Bowles, a Santa Fe Institute economist and institutional theorist, and author of the study, published Thursday in Science. “That would counteract the way that selfish individuals usually dominate the altruistic ones in their groups.”

That the ability to put others’ well-being ahead of one’s own could have such brutal origins seems counterintuitive. Then again, so is altruism. Genes are supposed to be selfish, not self-sacrificing.

Hmmmm... so that means that those who willingly (altruistically) die for the community in battle in effect make wars possible? I have to thunk about this a bit more.

I really thunk that Flaubert has something here:

The whole dream of democracy is to raise the proletarian to the level of stupidity already attained by the bourgeois. ~ Gustave Flaubert

Let's close with a few KATZ.