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M U S T R E A D I N G S: a guide thereto

Must reads.  The articles listed below will on a whole be of greater interest to the typical reader of my sites.  These articles were selected on the basis of their reliance upon logic, their style, and the promotion of enlightenment.  This site is divided into sections, each with an average of 15 articles.  The numbers and headings refer to this division.   If you first go to the table of contents and then highlight and print, this will make both locating the articles easier, while at the same time allow you to zero in on additional articles that would be of interest. 

 

 

GUIDE  TO  MUST  READS

1.  Enlightenment:  (My gateway site the other gateway is #7, Webrings).  American Justice (both its synopsis and full article).  The Supreme Courts own published cases are used to show just far since 1975 the pro-government judges have gone in dismantling our Bill of Rights, and thus we have lost the protection of the prudent principles of jurisprudence, which are in essence followed by all other developed countries.  What Historians have deduced about the Historical Mohammed:  it shows that what has been written of the person Mohammed is so uncertain as to its accuracy, that the important events of his life are essentially unknown.  History of Christ (JK) comes to the same conclusion about Jesus, but with much more compelling arguments.  The German School of biblical scholars set down those argument at the end of the 19th century.   The Physics of Everything was not the product of a Designer, lays to rest the argument that Yahweh tinkered with the constants of physic so a to create a universe where life could evolve.  And finally, Exodus and Archaeology which reveals that the Exodus story is a myth. 

 

2.  On Ethics, On Politics, On Economics.  First would be On Ethics of Love of All things (JK).  It supplies the best answers provided by the Greek philosophers as to what choices one ought to follow in pursuing the good life.  Please make their answer (with my improvements) your own.  Two insightful articles on our government:  The most Powerful Lobby, and How Congress Works.  If one is interested in read a moving true story of American injustice, then read my friends, Professor Campbells, account of how his trial judge, who now has now clear and irrefutable evidence of his innocence, will not let him go, and the appellate court will not intervene.  Professor Campbells case is an example of what has happened when our politicians appoint judges who do not support our Bill of Rights, because they see justice from the prospective of a prosecutor.   Social Justice:  Eight Steps Forward (JK) addresses eight political and the economic problems.   This work continues where Plato left off in his Republic.   The Decalogue:  Greek Moral Philosophy Modernized (JK), the continued development of Greek moral philosophy through utilitarianism, made into 10 rules. 

 

3.  Utilitarianism.  Mainly historical and biographical articles.  There is an account of the theory:  Utilitarian Ethics:  an Introductory Explanation.  Jeremy Bentham:  His Life and Impact (JK) is dressed in style to entertain the reader.  He like Voltaire, a generation before him, labored life-long to spread enlightenment, and like Voltaire was exceedingly successful.  

His principle contributions are in law, ethics, and political reform.

 

4.                 4.   LOGICAL THREADS:  An odd lot collection.  How to evaluate Medical Discoveries is of obvious importance.   Logical Fallacies, a primer in clear thought (concepts and exercises).  Why strangeness of man--explained:  the best darn insight into why man does strange things (religion, obesity, tobacco, etc.).

 

5.  Cartoon-Satire:  A little humor, you can guess the targets.  My cartoon collection exposes the naked emperors and priests.

 

6.  Thinkers on Religion:  Excellent articles against religion mostly by famous authors.  All the articles are outstanding.  Select according to your interest.  My favorite is Pascals Wager (JK), which applies the tools of logic (philosophy) to show why the gods would reward a concerned, learned atheist (such as Bertrand Russell) before a person of faith such as Mother Teresa or the theologian Fredrick Copleston.  A second favorite would be Hocus Focus¸ on spiritualism and parapsychology, an example of journalism at its best.  It dices new-age crap, especially spiritualism, and is enjoyable to read. 

 

7.  Web Rings: The table of contents with links and this guide.

 

8.  Analysis of the Old Testament:  Hebrew Mythology (JK) lists the demigods, gods, and mythic tales found in the Old Testament.  The 5th century BC tales of the Old Testament ought to be as much an embarrassment to modern Jews and Christians as the Greek pagan tales about the Gods were to the Greek philosophers.  Tacitus on the Hebrews Origin is fun reading both for content and style (Tacitus was the best of Roman prose writes).

 

9.  Spiritualism:  Homeopathy:  Its History, Its Absurdity.  Its title says all.  The Illusion of the Ghost in the Machine (JK), explains how neural brain activity creates this illusion.

 

10.  Literary:  Famous authors who dared to write irreverent fiction.  Mark Twains Letters from Earth stands alone in effectiveness and perception.  Others posted are Dennis Diderot, Lucian, Nietzsche, Edgar Lee Masters, and Robert Browning,

 

12.  JKS Literary Works:  Assorted poems by JK, which are mostly rhymed and humorous, such as the one on tobacco smoking, which ought to be set to music.

 

14.  Literary Works JK:  Chance (JK), the delightful short story of life and love in Mexico.

 

15.  ANCIENT SACRED WORKS OF THE HEBREWS.  A collection of extra biblical tales and ancient articles. A larger body of works had been written with the same intent as the canonical works, but they were not included.  A number of them had been widely disseminated.  They are another window on the times, peoples and problems faced the people who were the foundation of the Jewish faith.  Also extra biblical Christian tales, including Peter versus Simon the Magician:  the account of how Peter before a crowd proved that his powers were greater than Simons.   

 

16.  NEW TESTAMENT:  Mark Describes Jesus Gay Affair (JK) is based on the discovery of Professor Morton Smith of a 2nd century letter by the Bishop of Alexandria, Clemens, which indicates that the Gospel of Mark had been edited and the Bishop quotes from the complete Mark (now lost) a passage about Jesus in Jericho in which Jesus laid naked with a young man whom he had risen from the dead.  The Gospel of Mark mentions Jesus going to Jericho with a brevity that suggests censorship.  (I hold that the Gospels are historical fictions.)   Catholic Theologians Acknowledge Gospel Myths:  what they know about biblical origins is different than what they preach.  Published in The Notre Dame, a university theological journal. 

 

 17.  QUACKERY:  Fad Anti-aging Exposed, an article by concerned scientistsreprinted in Scientific American.  Homeopathy:  Its History, Its Absurdity.  Its title says all. 

 

18.  RELIGIOUS QUESTIONS:  Reasons for the Rejection of Religion (JK) outlines who absurd mass religions are.  Also outstanding is On Miracles by David Hume, a very compelling classic. 

 

19.  SKPETICISM:  Why Scientists are Skeptics about Psychic Phenomena is a very readable account.

 

20.  ANCIENT SACRED WORKS OF THE CHRISTIANS:  The infancy Gospel, during the Middle Ages as widely read as the Gospels, it is another example of how Christians invented the Christ story.  Among the most interesting is Peter versus Simon the Magician. 

 

21.  MUCKRAKING POLITICAL ARTICLES:   Pigs at the Trough by Arianna Huffingtons. A book on corporate democracy:  an account of how Congress lies with the corporate pigs. 

 

22.                 CHRISTIANITY:  Puritan Angry God & Evil Sermon, by Jonathan Edwards, an example of preaching in colonial times. 

 

23.                 SOCIALISM:  ABCs OF SOCIALISM, by 2 noted university professors.  The insight into how a socialist views capitalism and its cure. 

 

24.       BIBLE STUDIES:  ANCIENT HEBREW (TALMUD) ACCOUNT OF CHRIST:  The Jews had their own tradition concerning the life of Christ, and several ancient texts have survived.  Delightful reading.

 

 

JERRYMONDO SITE

31.  INDEX;   Table of  contents and links. 

 

32.  JERRYMONDO:  favorites, a short story, 2 rhymed satirical poems, and one biographical essay written with style. 

33.  PROSE SATIRE:  Prison Life:  a satire that reveals how counter productive incarceration when measured by character development. 

34.  RHYMED POEMS HUMOR:  JKs delightful collection of poems where sound contributes to sense. 

35.        HEALTH:  issues of health, life and death.  Clinical Evaluations of Herniated Lumbar Disc, an excellent serious article.  Obesity, its health Consequence (JK), facts and statistics everyone should know.  Diet, Techniques and Consequences (JK), the best article on diet; designed to put the reader in control of eating behavior.

 

36.  WOMENS MEDIAL ISSUES:  Hormone Replacement Therapy ReviewWomen (JK), one of the directors of the study which made headlines in the summer of 2002 attempts to correct the misinformation disseminated by the press about HRT.  The article shows why nearly all women should take hormone replacement therapy.  Why Women Live Longer, gives the reasons.  Keeping Your Beloved Centered on Love (JK), uncommon, common sense. 

 

37.   BIOGRAPHICAL:  David Hum. His autobiography, Lucian, Josephus, Pierre Gassendi, Voltaire, and links to biographical materials scattered through my websites.

 

38.  LINKS ELSEWHERE:  collection of links to articles on the ancient Greeks, and to skeptical sites.

 

39.       RHYMED ROMANTIC POEMS:  several of my favorites. 

 

40.  RHYMED POEMS MELONCHOLYThe Dreamer

 

41.  MEDICAL CRAP:  Bad Data from Drug CompaniesScientific American article.  Methaqualone:  How the Drug Companies Profited about how the drug companies mislead the FDA (and other regulatory agencies around the world) about the safe, low abuse potential to barbiturates.

 

42.  RHYMED SOCIAL MESSAGE:  To Thales:  A Diatribe on Folly.

 

43.  RHYMED SATIRE:  Two Brothers:  Christian vs. Scientist

 

44.   ON CANCER, ON TOBACCO:    Tobacco:  Number of Deaths and Causes, lets you know just what the risk factors are.  Cancer an Overview.   JK, explains why cells become life threatening, and other insights.   The Chemical Cause of Coronary Disease in Smokers (JK).

 

 

OVERVIEW: 

 

OVERVIEW: 

 

The 30 plus web addresses (all connected through Lycos Tripod) reflect my concerns and interests.  You will notice that an inordinate amount of space is for the disabusing of religious belief.  Religion is a great evil:  it restricts the mind, restricts sexual pleasures, promotes prostilization as the highest good, and is used to justify all sorts of cruelties.  Thus it is my primary concern.  After religion comes the topic of ethics.  Plato said:  "All people pursue the good, but they are confused about what it is."  Utilitarianism is the only type of ethics that is free of the superstitions generated by religions and also escapes the quagmires that philosophers contribute to this topic.  Third of my concerns would be the promotion of clear thought through exercise; therefore, nearly all the articles argue points.  Fourth concern (by volume), are articles that deal with the failings of our political-economic system.  After religion, the greatest area of false belief and befuddled thought is politics and economics.  

  

Paper is cheap.  I have set before you a book full of the best of what I have encountered in my life-long search for truth through the application of the rational faculty.  Like university studies (when it is free of the superstition of religion) that gives the student both knowledge and analytic tools, this collection of materials seeks to do the same.  I have the prospective of the scientific-analytic.  The Greek held that we are rational animals, and by properly training the rational nature the student could gain a prudent control of his animal dispositions, and by so doing live a much more fulfilling and happy life.  Just have an inquiring mind and the love of truth sufficient to grow thought the mental exercises I offer in these sites; you shall be changed for the better.  Enjoy!

 

JK--the gadfly, 7/14/02; updated 5/3/3, 4/16/4.