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A ramble on political fundamentalists

This is a really boring and poorly written rant on fundamentalism, rational argument, and specialization. Feel free to skip it.

You can't win an argument with a fundamentalist, because they don't argue. They have a fixed position that can't be moved by new information. 'I know the earth is 10,000 years old, therefore all evidence that the earth is a sphere must be incorrect.' Try arguing with that. It's the same with political fundamentalists. 'The government is bad at some things, therefore the government is bad at everything.'

People don't see any penalty for holding static views. A highly trained surgeon can safely believe that Obama is not a U.S. citizen because he receives no intellectual penalty for believing it. That belief suits his needs, so he believes it. He's not stupid, he's just chosen to cling to a debunked belief because it's intellectually easier for him to do that than to not.

There is still a small but frighteningly significant number of Americans who believe the moon shot was somehow faked. Do they honestly believe that? Yes, they probably honestly believe it because it's fun to believe it, or it confirms their suspicions of the government, or they are just contrarians. It doesn't matter. What's important is that their crackpot belief is possible for them because it doesn't effect their daily life. They can still perform surgery, trim trees, write software. What's the harm?

The harm is that it does effect their daily life in the long term. The fact of the matter is that the earth is very old, life has been evolving for a very long time, with humans appearing relatively late in the cycle. I can believe that the earth is 10,000 years old and dinosaurs are a hoax and every living thing was plunked down at once, but that doesn't make it true. And the only reason my belief doesn't do permanent harm to society is because there are enough rational people who accept the facts and progress with their work.

We all take intellectual shortcuts. I do it and so do you. We must. One person can not and does not need to personally research every corner of human knowledge. Modern societies are specialized with professionals pursuing their areas of expertise so that I don't have to. You research blind mole rats, I'll write some software, your neighbor will fill put out fires, and we'll progress.

If 98% of the mole rat researchers find that mole rats mate once every six years, I'll take their word for it. If most economists are telling me that spending money to reform health care is worth the short term it to the deficit, then OK then. They're the ones with the Nobel Prizes, not me. I expect the President to explain to me how that will work, but I'm not going to reflexively blast the notion.

But I will try not to glibly pop off on topics that are important or that I don't know about. If you want to cling to irrational beliefs to support your chosen identification group, root for a sports team. There's an entire media industry just for you to shout, scream, berate your opponents, and generally act like an uninformed ass. You can drop all the verbal hand grenades you want and do no harm.

A good sneaker is hard to find

I need new sneakers. These bargain bin white Vans are stiff and heavy and are killing my feet and I can't go on. Can anyone recommend a comfortable, attractive sneaker that will keep my feet and aesthetic sensibilities happy?

Here's are my requirements:

• Sneakers.

I already have running shoes. I'll likely play some tennis and soccer and such in my sneakers, but these are everyday shoes.

• Low tops.

I prefer high top sneakers, but I already have a pair. I need a set of low tops right now.

• Black or white.

The base color must be black or white. Trim and other colors are not important, but I can't wear red sneakers for the same reason I can't wear a red sport coat. It's just not me.

• Not hideous.

There is no accounting for taste, so I'll just say that I prefer classic models, but I'm not opposed to a squishy tongue or fat laces. If you've ever seen a set of Asics running shoes, those are exactly what I do not want to see. Great shoes, but u-g-l-y.

• Good quality.

I'm not looking for orthopedics here, but I do need my sneakers to treat my feet reasonably well. Yes, I know that soft, comfy, low top sneakers will never be the best thing for my feet, but let's do the best we can.

Potential mates

Here are some candidates for my feet:

• Adidas Samba Millenium

• PRO-Keds Royal Master Suede

• Puma Basket FS Clyde

Can anyone recommend a good sneaker?