Atheist activist meets top Washington officials
http://ping.fm/Bv0Yk

http://ping.fm/Lblte

Thomas Jefferson: “Atheist and Leveler From Virginia”

In a 1801 letter to Moses Robinson Jefferson wrote that "the Christian religion, when divested of the rags in which they have enveloped it, and brought to the original purity and simplicity of its benevolent instructor, is a religion of all others most friendly to liberty, science, and the freest expansion of the human mind."

Jefferson believed the propagation of religious dogma was the cause of much evil in the world, and he was convinced that reason alone could guide the moral life. In a 1787 letter Jefferson had this piece of advice for his nephew Peter Carr: "Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call to her tribunal every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of God."

Commit it then to the flames!

When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: For it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. "

-- David Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: For it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion. "

-- David Hume, Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding

20 possible reasons why you should question all your beliefs

20 possible reasons why you should question all your beliefs

1. Because many of them are based on convention or tradition, which may be untrustworthy and subject to change
2. Because the objects of your beliefs and what you think are the objects of your beliefs may not be one in the same
3. Because your reasons for believing in them may be flawed
4. Because your reasons for believing in them may not themselves have their own set of reasons, and so on
5. Because you may not know that you know or what it means to know
6. Because you are emotionally attached to them and may not be able to recognize that they unjustified or improbable
7. Because someone told you so, or you read it somewhere, but have no other reasons
8. Because you thought you could justify them by yourself, but you may not be qualified or knowledgeable enough to do so
9. Because you aren't perfect and it's possible that you could be wrong without knowing it
10. Because you have too much pride wrapped up them and you're afraid to admit that you could have been wrong all these years
12. Because you may not have thought them through in to any depth
13. Because a belief is just a state of mind and not a fact
14. Because someone much smarter than you believes the opposite
15. Because you've forgotten why you originally believed in them
16. Because they are too complicated
17. Because you can't conceive how they could possibly be false
18. Because you are annoyed or offended that someone would suggest you should question your beliefs
19. Because you've grown wiser and learned more since you first believed them
20. Because the world is much stranger than you realize

I am excited to announce my second release with my friend and percussionist, Robert Sterling, from Ventura, CA.

KRIBOPHORIC - "VISCERAL II"

BUY: http://www.papercutsrecords.com/Kribophoric.html
More information: http://www.kribophoric.com
Listen to sample MP3s or Buy MP3s individually: http://www.kribophoric.com/index.cfm?CFID=128224693&CFTOKEN=29820697
This CD represents the culmination of a six-month collaboration between drummer/percussionist Bob Sterling and electro-acoustic guitar player Krispen Hartung. Spontaneously improvised files were exchanged on-line, each player then responding to the previously recorded material. Sometimes just two tracks were ultimately utilized, while at other times several tracks were layered via further improvisations and then mixed in order to better balance the sound. The spirit of the CD lies in it spontaneity, each artist attempting to 'get into the creative head' of the other in order to develop compositions that reflect a mood, a setting, or an implied situation. Bob used a number of acoustic and electronic devices to fulfill his artistic intents, from acoustic and electronic drums to effect units, samplers, his voice, mini synths, and even small objects like plastic straws and twist ties. Krispen's instruments included mini electric and nylon string guitars, nylon string guitar, voice and laptop computer. Bob and Kris continue to collaborate this way and intend to release more CDs of their music on a periodic basis in the future. Their first CD, "Kribophoric-Visceral," will be premiered at the 2008 Boise Experimental Music Festival (BEMF 3) and will be available from the Paper Cuts Records website.

As usual, I have too many things going on at once. But somehow I manage to get it all done. Basically, I have three CD projects in the works right now. The first is with me and Robert Sterling (we call ourselves Kribophoric). We released our CD "Visceral" a few months ago, and now we are ready to release the second CD based on the same recording sessions. Plus we are now planning a third CD of brand new material, where I'll be playing primarily the nylon string acoustic guitar. The second project is with pianist, Reyn Ouwehand from Holland. We are just now starting to record tracks, after which we'll be passing them back and forth via the internet to create our pieces. The third project will be a solo CD of just me on nylon string acoustic and the laptop computer. I am really looking forward to playing the acoustic more now, after a long time playing mainly the electric guitar. Other than this, Robert and I play duo this October at the Y2K8 International Live Looping Festival in Santa Cruz, CA, where we'll be one of there headliners for the event. And then I hope to be playing at a new free jazz festival in Seattle, in January…no confirmation of that yet.

Kris

Crimeny! Has it really been since June 20 since I've posted on this blog? Crazy. Too many things going on.

My beer adventures continue upward and beyond, but first a brief instructional video on the technicalities of fermentation, by my three-year old son, Tristan:


So, since my last post, I've brewed several more batches of beer, including a few Belgian "lite" ales, a honey brown ale, etc. More recently, I have gone "all grain" and will not be brewing extract recipes moving forward. I am mashing all my own grain now, which allows more control and produces a higher quality beer. Check out my facebook beer brewing page, which has recipes, pictures of brewing, my gear, etc.

Three days ago I brewed my first all grain recipe of a Belgian ale, which I call St. Prunus Avium or "St. Sweet Cherry". It is a beer modeled somewhat after the St. Bernardus 12, but lower gravity and I added some cherry puree to give a hint of cherry flavor. It should be interesting. Here is a picture of some of the ingredients - cherry puree, hops, and Belgian candy syrup.
















On to the music. I will be playing at the Y2K International Live Looping Festival again this year at Santa Cruz, in October. This time I will be a headliner and playing with Robert Sterling on drums, who is from Ventura, CA. I look forward to the break from work.

I should also be playing at a new free jazz festival in Seattle called "Is this Jazz?". This will be in January, but I don't have the details yet.

Kris out...

Well, I was getting really irriated, but this morning I woke up (and this is after rocking the crap out of carboy at 3pm), 36 hours after I brewed this Chimay clone, and I can see fermenation starting. Whewww! I must have scared it into action. I was starting to think that all three viles of that WLP500 yeast were dead, perhaps from getting exposed to hot temperatures in transit. Weird. I guess this happens sometimes, at least from the literature that I have read, and it doesn't necessarily mean that the beer will turn out bad. I am just used to a real explosion within 12 hours.

...a few hours later.

It's totally kicking ass now. It's like a organic frenzy inside the carboy. Here is a video that I sent to my friend/neighbor who helped me brew this one. It was his first brew.

http://www.box.net/shared/lbw5pn7c44



I don't know why, but watching primary fermentation in the carboy has not stopped amazing me. It never gets old. It's just so intriguing to watch what starts as a static body of liquid turn into a frenzy of living activity. Yeast is awesome!!!

Kris