Procrastination = (Maladaptive) Perfectionism (plus my thoughts on Ben Stein's Expelled)

I've heard that procrastination is usually just a sort of misguided perfectionism. I believe it. It's why I haven't written anything new here since the first entry.

"Oooohh, but I'll have to edit." GAK!!! Of course I'll have to edit. So here goes....

K., my apartment mate, and I went to see the new Ben Stein movie last night. Running with the school metaphor, I give it a D.

Please don't misunderstand me, I agree with him. In my own limited experience, the academy is all about orthodoxy, not free thought. That's especially true (again in my limited experience) of the Left. Also, as a Christian who is not inclined toward young Earth creationism, I believe in intelligent design.

But I was hoping for a movie that not only told the story of some brave dissenters from the neo-Darwinist, but also actually talked about the weaknesses of their theory. It didn't.

It was 120 minutes of not so clever editing, mixing interviews with both sides with lots of shots meant (I assume) to invoke incredulity (over neo-Darwinian callousness) and patriotism. All of the fallacious arguments and ad hominem attacks just about made K., a philosophy major, burst a vein in his forehead. Thank God I'm not well trained in logic.

So, why not an F? It was just a culture war piece, an argument about an argument, not a real discussion or even presentation of ideas. It all also had a brief animated piece on cells moving about. I didn't learn anything from it, but it was awesome to see even the smallest representation of cells in action and saved the whole thing from being a waste of time. It really was that cool.

But don't waste your time with the movie, unless you want to wait and get it on Netflix.

It has to begin sometime.

I don't fear horror caused by irrational bigotry and its kin so much, at least in the sense of its effect on people over the long run. Eventually reason and good sense can touch it.

What I really fear is when reason itself is perverted or badly done.

It's ultimately why I fear the Left so much more than the Right. That is, neither side (nor any of the various sides) has special claim to any human faculty, but the Left takes great pride in being the party of reason and enlightenment. It's just they don't always do it well, but always think they do.