Yearly Quote Round up
Every year on this day, I present quotable sayings that I came across in the previous twelve months. “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” ~ A.A. Milne “The first job of a teacher is to make the student fall in love with the subject. That doesn’t have to [Read More…]
The Time To Protest Trump Is Now.
It is time for a negotiation, not a coronation. [Read more…]
Don’t Assume Trump Will Be A One Term President.
During their first terms, I never understood people who scoffed at the idea that George W. Bush or Barack Obama could possibly win a second term. To me they were always odds on favorites. Incumbents always are. In the last one hundred years going back to the election of 1916 a sitting president has lost only a [Read More…]
My Thoughts on Social Justice Activists on Campuses and Why Philosophy Matters
I’m delighted that I just got the chance to go on Trav Mamone’s Bi Any Means podcast! The first half is about who I am and how I got where I am and why I named my blog what I did. In the latter half of the issue Trav asked for my thoughts on social [Read More…]
On Steelmanning Arguments and Personally Customizing Them
When you straw man someone’s argument you present an easy-to-refute misrepresentation of their reasoning rather than countering what they actually think or the actual reasons that they have for thinking it. Rob Talisse coined the term “weak man” to refer to a related but distinguishable tactic of focusing on someone’s weakest arguments for their position [Read More…]
After Orlando: An Open Letter To Conservative Christians About Loving Gay People
Conservative Christians, if you loved gay, bisexual, lesbian, and transgender people you wouldn’t erase or minimize the fact that Orlando was a persecutory act against them. You also wouldn’t love them only for their potential to become conservative Christians like you. Your typical attitudes show you not only don’t love gays, but you don’t even give them the basic civic respect that you give others you think are at least as equally displeasing God. And you certainly don’t treat them as you would tolerate being treated for one solitary second. [Read more…]
The Year in Quotable Finds
“When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.” ~ Maya Angelou “Ethics is basically the study of Nazis in convoluted, improbable scenarios.” ~ Paul Keith “My rule of thumb: if at first you don’t succeed, try again until your failure is statistically significant.” ~ Melissa Chen “If you only read the books that everyone [Read More…]
Help For Academics Thinking Beyond The Professoriate
Dr. Jennifer Polk, PhD is an academic, career, and life coach who specializes in helping people who are transitioning out of academia or who are contemplating doing so. Her transitioning clients include everyone from graduate students to tenured professors. She runs the website From PhD to Life and is running a conference the next two Saturdays (May [Read More…]
My Podcast Tour–Rationally Speaking, Life After God, Secular Sexuality, Naked Diner, and The Phil Ferguson Show
I recommend you check out one of these podcasts a day, Monday through Friday this week. [Read more…]
Virtues, Values, and Meaning In Life (New Class)
I am delighted in this post to announce and explain my new classes, “Virtues, Values, and Meaning in Life” and a revamped and relaunched version of my Philosophy for Atheists class. Both will start as soon as students are ready in March 2016 and run year round as students are able to continue or join midstream. Contact me at camelswithhammers@gmail.com or, preferably, on Facebook to express your interest and help me nail down the schedule around your availability. [Read more…]
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