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Theo Todman's Web Page
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Dear Theo,
I was thinking of you the other day when I was having a spirited debate with my 16year old daughter, Rebecca, about altruism and religion. Although I've been atheist as long as I can remember, and my wife has been agnostic, Rebecca 'found' Christianity in the form of the US Presbyterian church a few years ago and has fully immersed herself into it. It's a little ironic, because as a political 'Libertarian', I happily defend her right to 'be' anything she wants, but I can't help myself from being a bit cynical on the religious front especially living in the US during this age of TV-evangelism, which includes our President with his fundamentalist cronies.
As usual our discussion veered off into a basic argument on providing proof on God's existence, and your 'Tractatus' sprang to my mind. My daughter's view seems to be that: "if you can't prove he doesn't exist, then he must exist". Of course my position is the exact opposite. Having reached stalemate on that front, the more interesting question is "why do so many people need to believe in something"? I have never felt this 'need', being content with: "when I'm dead, I'm dead". But anyway our argument stalls at my sudden childish desire to have a fish symbol with legs as a bumper sticker – of course it's deliberately antagonistic.
But back to the argument… So we get to her point: "If people didn't believe in God and heaven and hell then they'd all do bad things". Now this is more like it. The question then circles back to altruism and whether we are able to sustain any form of civilization without a 'greater power' keeping us in fear and hence in check? I offer: "Well I'm atheist and I don't murder or rob people?", to which she delivers her best counter-argument: "Well not everyone is like you, Daddy"… And that Theo, is where my argument for spreading atheism breaks down…not on the question of whether God exists or not, but on whether [a] God is needed, to ensure order and ultimately our survival.
So I do hope that you have been able to progress your argument further and haven't pulled a '360'. I especially need you to recommend a book with a title such as: "Daddy, are you going to hell because you don't believe in God?" I could put it on the bookshelf next to: "Stay out of my life, but first can you drive me to the church?"!
Simon (2nd January 2007)
Theo's Response1.
Footnote 1: (Simon - T1)
Apologies for the very delayed response. Your carefully-crafted email raises so many issues that I hardly know where to start. I think I'll try not to deal with everything in one go, and just provide pointers for further correspondence.
Firstly, I'm sure you're aware there are worse things that can happen to a 16-year-old than "finding Christianity". My wife Julie remains a staunch Christian, but my children don't seem to have caught on. I think they belong in varying degrees to the confused and non-committal in this regard. So much for Sunday School and a house-full of books; my fault, no doubt. Depending on the stripe, there are many more unwholesome isms for one's children to embrace. I think a yearning for finding out "how it all hangs together" is what I'd have liked my children to catch on to, and a first step can be for them to latch on to some package deal. Then one hopes there'll be a serious investigation into whether this "solution" really works, followed by a realization that package-deals aren't likely to be the whole truth. Of course, you have to be careful of saying this to your children lest they suspect you of being patronizing.
Sadly, Christians often seem to have a very flimsy grip on what it is they're supposed to believe, and why it should seem reasonable, but have instilled in them a massive urge to pass this flimsy notion on to others. It's usually bolstered by a feeling either that someone else has worked out all the details, or that such details don't matter, as we'll be let into all the secrets "in heaven". This begs quite a few questions in my view.
You doubt whether people ought to want to "believe in something". I presume you're thinking of the package deal here (whether it be Theism, Marxism or Republicanism). But isn't a dispassionate search for truth one of the things that makes life worth living?
As for me, I've not pulled a 360-degree turn recently (or even a 180-degree one). However, because most of my closest friends, and most of my wife's friends, are Christians of one sort or another, the issue is rarely out of my mind. I have been re-considering the matter yet again of late, though I wonder whether it's a bit of a waste of effort.
Returning to the big issue, my opinion remains pretty much as it was. Again, depending on the stripe, Christian beliefs seem to me to be either too insubstantial to be worth bothering with, or else most likely false. I usually find that reading anything by radical theists inclines me towards atheism, while reading the radical atheists makes me more sympathetic towards theism. This is symptomatic of a universal 2 x 2 matrix:-
In our case, we have the opposition of naturalist versus supernaturalist worldviews.
Case (1) is important but involves the whole of scientific knowledge, and much else besides, so can only really be addressed in response to case (2).
Case (2) usually involves arguments against "scientism" or "science falsely so-called". I'm currently reading a bunch of books on this debate. The waters are muddied somewhat by disputes as to whether there's a conflict between science and religion, and if there is, what the key issues are. Darwinism seems to be a favourite turning point. Some Christians seem to think evolution "leaves God with nothing to do", and are therefore against it. Others think it just explains how God did it. There's a similar divide amongst atheists as to the importance of the issue with respect to theism.
As to the books, firstly there's a rather annoying "Strobel (Lee) - The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God". This seems to latch on to Darwinism as the root of all evil, and polls a selection of sympathetic scientists in an attempt to debunk the theory. My objections, other than to the journalistic style, are firstly that any claim to objectivity goes out of the window when you only select people who agree with you, and then claim this as a consensus. Secondly, that even if the Darwinian theory (of evolution by natural selection) turned out to be incorrect, evolution itself might still be a fact. After all, any scientific theory is subject to revision and improvement or replacement as new knowledge or insights come along. The second book is "Alexander (Denis) - Rebuilding the Matrix: Science and Faith in the 21st Century". Any connection with the film (as suggested by the cover) is a complete con, but otherwise it seems a reasonable book, Alexander being a respected scientist - chairman of the program of molecular immunology at the Abraham Institute and a fellow of St. Edmund's College, Cambridge. It takes a more eirenic approach of avoiding any conflict between science and religion at least on the issue of origins. Incidentally, there's "Gould (Stephen Jay) - Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life". Though an atheist and evolutionist, Gould is an advocate of the "No conflict" view; he calls it NOMA (Non-Overlapping MAgisteria). It's still in my queue, but I don't expect to be impressed. If we take the no-conflict view too far, religion has nothing substantive to say except some vague hand-waving at a remote prime-mover, which isn't the God of the Christians.
Case (3) represents the case for Christian supernaturalism. There are numerous attempts at this. I have a couple: "McDowell (Josh) - Evidence That Demands a Verdict - Historical Evidences For the Christian Faith: Volume 1" (2 Vols) and "Kreeft (Peter) & Tacelli (Ronald) - A Handbook of Christian Apologetics". These tend to be a bit smug, because they can't admit to any issues. So, they tend to be more encouraging to the perceptive atheist than intended (though this perception has to be informed by reading around the subject, which atheists seldom want to do). That's not to say there isn't a case to be made (I wouldn't be worrying about the issue if there wasn't); it's just that there's more than one side to the story and these books are highly partisan, being for the support of the faithful.
Case (4), the case against supernaturalism, is good swashbuckling stuff, but tends to underestimate the opposition, and also to be rather ignorant of the issues. Hence, it can be accidentally supportive of theism. The latest offering is "Dawkins (Richard) - The God Delusion". If you check out the reviews on Amazon by the non-partisan, you'll get an idea of its shortcomings. I've just ordered a pretort (since it came out first) "McGrath (Alister) - Dawkins' God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life" which seems interesting. Unfortunately, his actual retort ("The Dawkins Delusion") seems to be a too-brief stinker. See also "Wolpert (Lewis) - Six Impossible Things Before Breakfast: The Evolutionary Origins of Belief". For a critique of "Intelligent Design" see "Shanks (Niall), Dawkins (Richard) - God, the Devil, and Darwin: A Critique of Intelligent Design Theory", though I've not read it yet.
You asked about ethics. It's been known since Plato's day that there's the "Euthyphro problem" (from the dialogue of that name). Is God prior to the good? Ie. Are things good because God says they are, or is (a good) God himself bound by the good. Would boiling babies be good if God said it was? I doubt it. So positing God as the authority behind ethics doesn't help.
A quotable quote: "So in saying that things are not good by any rule of goodness, but sheerly by the will of God, it seems to me that one destroys, without realizing it, all the love of God and all his glory. For why praise him for what he has done if he would be equally praiseworthy in doing exactly the contrary." Leibniz, Discourse on Metaphysics.
I'm reading yet another book at the moment, entitled "Oderberg (David) & Laing (Jacqueline) - Human lives: Critical Essays on Consequentialist Bioethics". It's ridiculously expensive, so I've only borrowed a copy, especially as I disagree with everything it says. It is arguing against consequentialism – basically, the seemingly obvious view that avoidable actions are good if their consequences are likely to be good, and bad otherwise (with loads of caveats). The anti-consequentialist line is that some things are wrong under any circumstances. Essay 2 "Is Anything Absolutely Wrong" takes this line, using the entertaining example of "buggering babies". My view is that if the future of the planet depended on you doing this rather distasteful act (probably worse for you than the baby), then it would not only not be wrong, but a duty. And the same goes for boiling the wretched thing. It may sound a bit like Himmler encouraging the Einsatzgruppen, but in their case the ends did not in any sense justify the means because the ends were utterly mistaken. And almost always the ends don't justify the means where the means are normally immoral, but in extreme cases they must. There's no necessary slide from "anything goes sometime" to "anything goes anytime". Anyway, the point of all this is that, while the authors of the papers in the book are (I either know or suspect) uniformly theists, the editors deny in the introduction that there is "something essentially religious about anti-consequentialist thinking". So, there can be absolute prohibitions and commands that don't involve divine sanction. Incidentally, if you read this book, skip the first essay, which is difficult and of only academic interest.
On proofs or disproofs of God's existence, there seems to be a dispute amongst philosophers as to whether belief in God can legitimately be a "basic" belief – ie. one that doesn't have to be justified on the basis of other beliefs. This has always struck me as a crazy idea. How could such a complex (and disputed) concept possibly be basic? It is interesting, though, that often one can get sucked in to justifying "unbelief", when it's really beliefs that need justifying.
I've just remembered another book that's on hold at the moment. It's "LePoidevin (Robin) - Arguing for Atheism: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion". He's an atheist and a good philosopher, and this is a cracker of a book (at least as far as I've read), and not too detailed. It's probably the book for you. Unfortunately, if you want to get alongside your daughter, you might have to read a Bible. It's mostly quite a good read.
I hope all this isn't too simple-minded. I also feel I've not addressed all your questions. In fact, I didn't understand the book-suggestion request, though I understand the tension that ought to be felt be Christians who believe their nearest and dearest are in for an eternal roasting. Of course, I never believed any such thing; one of my many heresies was "conditional immortality". My studies in personal identity incline me to the belief that any sort of continued existence after death is logically impossible, though I may of course be wrong.
Theo (19th February 2007)
Simon's Response1.
Footnote 1.1: (Simon - T1S1) (CORRESPONDENT)
Dear Theo,
I have written and re-written a reply and almost given up because I'm arguing with myself. However it occurred to me (actually while luxuriating in the bath) that you didn't really tackle my core questions, which admittedly were not well defined. Here's a better recap:
And this, for me, is where an atheist/evolutionary6 point of view breaks down.
Don't get me wrong, I don't believe in a god or any other omnipotent being. I look upon the religious texts as terrific stories – equivalent to soap operas of their day – but essentially a tool7 of the ruling class to create fear and to be used to control the masses.
But something is awry; evolution doesn't seem to have an explanation for why there is such apparent diversity in the living world, but no other8 animals that have developed our ability to be 'self aware', conscious of ourselves.
The central argument of whether God exists, seems to be an unnecessary use of brain-power. Expending energy on 'does he/doesn't he' is a bit like Schrödinger's Cat; we won't know until he/she has been observed9 – so for now God exists in both states, so get over it!
So let me tackle a central question that you pose, albeit from a lay-person's perspective….
Q: "But isn't a dispassionate search for truth one of the things that makes life worth living10?"
You know, I suspect less than 1% of the population would think this way. If you ask an 'omnibus person' the question: "what makes your life worth living?" I believe the answers would include:
a. "Freedom from oppression"
b. "Pursuit of happiness" {21st century hedonism}
c. "My mum/spouse/lover/child/etc."
d. "My friends"
e. "My job"
Possibly a response might also include:
f. "To serve God's purpose" {which I think is just a roundabout alternative to b.}
There is no question in my mind that religion is a 'catch all' answer that people can use to explain away and rationalize bad things that happen to them, such as the tragic loss of a child, etc. How often do we hear 'he's in a better place' or 'It was God's plan' etc. For people who can't rationalize suffering, belief in religion provides an escape route from their torment, it's the consolation11 prize for failing to get to b. (above).
Buddhism has a saying that "Suffering is an ocean with no beginning and no end". If suffering is a universal and ever-present feature of our animal-planet lives, then religion can provide a crutch for many people. As an aside, I find my daughter and her generation to have a real problem with the concept of 'suffering'. They have grown up in a media world that pushes the belief that all problems are surmountable; that the achievement [not just the pursuit] of happiness12 is an inalienable right; and that suffering is wrong and unnecessary.
So our children's generation may have significant problems when they are our age. They have largely lost the notion of the 'pearly gates' as representing an acceptable consolation prize; they have little to fall back-on when things go wrong, so consumerism and serotonin inhibitors have attempted to fill the void.
This isn't intended to be an argument for religion. I'm merely trying to think through why religion has been so attractive to both the ruling classes and the down-trodden for such a long period in history. Again whether God actually exists or not, is probably moot until he/she is actually observed13. When I think about radical Islam14, I'm again reminded that it's particularly attractive to its adherents because they generally have no other options or economic consolation prizes; they need something to believe in so they can answer the question: "What's my life all about?"
That's it for now; sorry to ramble. To tie together my central questions:
Simon (5th May 2007)
Theo's Response18
Footnote 1.1.1: (Darwinian Altruism)
If I am an animal that has evolved through random mutations and Darwinian selection, what benefit is there to me from committing random acts of kindness?
I'm not sure what your question is really asking. There's no necessary connection between the origins of a trait and its current use. Presumably the skills we have that enable us to solve abstract mathematical puzzles (or financial ones) evolved for other reasons, but that doesn't present a paradox (though Plato got into a muddle about how we know mathematical truths, and thought we recollect them from a previous disembodied existence when we were in direct contact with them). Similarly, the fact that we've evolved from ape-like ancestors doesn't mean we ought to carry on acting like them. After all, we don't live like hunter-gatherers any more.
But evolutionary theory can at least attempt a solution. Basically, evolution will favour any gene that enables its possessor to survive and reproduce. There are at least two possibilities.
None of this is any use if the altruistic-gene is novel-to-you, but genes "sleep" for generations before their usefulness arises, or something like that.
Kin Selection is also wheeled out to explain the evolutionary origin of homosexuality.
There has been a lot written on this subject recently. An excellent book on the topic of the evolution of altruism (though one I've not finished reading) is "Sober (Elliott) & Wilson (David) - Unto Others - The Evolution & Psychology of Unselfish Behaviour". The classic text on evolutionary psychology generally is "Barkow (Jerome), Cosmides (Leda) & Tooby (John), Eds. - The Adapted Mind: Evolutionary Psychology and the Generation of Culture". A less demanding text is "Sterelny (Kim) & Griffiths (Paul) - Sex and Death - An Introduction to Philosophy of Biology".
See also the three,, following remarks.
Footnote 1.1.2: (Hunter-Gathering Psychology)
Shouldn't I have an overwhelming desire to just hunt, steal and procreate?
Again, I'm not sure of the point here. If we do have these desires, that's no reason justify our acting on them, or for their being "a good thing" because they are "natural". There's been an attempt by right-wingers to use evolutionary psychology to justify the analogues of presumed hunter-gatherer practices in modern commercial life and societal relationships generally. However, while we may have these drives to some extent, that's no reason why we should act on them. The issue is that evolution works very slowly by the standards of human lifetimes. So, we are stuck with the psychological and physical lumber that evolved for environments we no longer live in. But we can use capacities (notably our rationality) that evolved for one purpose for others. We can see that a society in which unrestricted competition is allowed will not be the happiest for anyone (except possibly the top dog, but even that is doubtful – because that top dog would not enjoy the fruits of cooperation that have been built up). After all, if everyone pillages and no-one produces, there's soon nothing left to pillage.
I'm doubtful that stealing is something that non-human (ie. non-moral) animals can do, though they are certainly acquisitive.
As for the desire for procreation, I'm not sure whether the males of any species have much of a desire for this, which is too remote from the pleasurable activity of sex. I've been reading recently about non-human animal culture, and the use of sex for non-procreative purposes in bonobo societies ("De Waal (Frans) - Bonobos and Fig Leaves: Primate Hippies in a Puritan Landscape", in "De Waal (Frans) - The Ape and the Sushi Master: Cultural Reflections of a Primatologist") – mostly for bonding following a squabble.
We are often too harsh in our negative evaluation of animal societies. It's not the case that dog eats dog. See the later note on human uniqueness.
Footnote 1.1.3: (Darwinian Altruism 2)
Outside of protecting my [family] genes, what possible [selection] benefit is there to helping another human being?
This – the insistence on no genetic relationship between the altruist and the person helped – is more difficult to explain on evolutionary terms. But I have two comments.
Footnote 1.1.4: (Darwinian Altruism 3)
Can natural selection alone explain why I sometimes feel the need to help another person with no apparent return or benefit to me?
This has been covered above. It probably can, but even if it can't, this isn't a problem for evolutionary psychology or an argument in favour of theism.
Maybe your point has to do with feelings? If so, feelings (positive or negative) reflect evolution's preferred strategy for implementing advantageous traits.
Footnote 1.1.5: (Darwinian Altruism 4)
Why do I risk my own life to save a drowning child when the risk/reward is apparently so poor?
This is complicated. I'm not sure, personally-speaking, whether I'd attempt this act of heroism as I'm a weak swimmer, and we'd both likely drown; best to leave the task to someone competent. However, even though this would be the rational approach, this wouldn't stop me feeling like a cowardly weasel. So, the question is, why, from an evolutionary perspective, would I have this feeling? If I were a certain sort of female, no doubt I'd feel some emotional rush that would make me want to save the child, rather than simply feel I ought to. Again, the question, from an evolutionary perspective, is why should I feel this way, if this child is not one of mine?
I dare say that our emotions are so tuned by evolution that they work in the likely hunter-gatherer scenario, which would be that if a child is drowning near you, it's likely to be yours or that of one of your kin, so go for it and preserve your genes. After all, this is an emergency, and it might be hard to determine patrimony in the rolling deep (not that there are any rolling deeps on the savannah – so substitute "murky water-hole"). That would explain the emotional rush, and then the weasel-feeling when the emotion is not discharged by action.
But I admit that this is a bit of a just-so story (but then so is the whole field of evolutionary psychology).
Footnote 1.1.6: (Evolution - Problems)
And this, for me, is where an atheist/evolutionary point of view breaks down.
Well, I think you've given in too easily. Evolutionary psychology does have the resources needed of it, though it cannot prove that any of the stories that might have been actually were what happened. But it doesn't need to.
Footnote 1.1.7: (Religion as State-Control)
Religion a tool of the ruling class?
I strongly disagree with this contention, at least at one level. Religions certainly weren't devised by the ruling class (though there have been wealthy religious reformers – eg. Buddha, Francis of Assisi – but they have tended to divest themselves of their wealth and political power in the course of their religious reforms), and they often started off as movements with highly subversive political repercussions.
But no doubt for them to co-exist with the state, an accommodation has had to be reached, with the risk that the religious elite can be manipulated into controlling the populace for the benefit of the political elite. And in a theocracy, where the political and religious elites coincide, there's the danger of mixed motives on the part of those in authority.
That said, and popular though this idea is in atheist circles, I think it's a mistake to consider religion as merely a means of political control. In what sense is this true of the US, one of the world's most religiously-inclined countries?
Footnote 1.1.10: (Life Worth Living)
Sadly, you may have a point here. Most people have no concern for truth, whether searched for dispassionately or otherwise. I suspect they've no great interest in freedom either - bread and circuses will keep them happy, provided they don't actually feel oppressed. However, I was speaking between ourselves, including anyone who's ever cared to ask the "what's it all about then" question and wanted to receive the right answer (rather than any old comforting twaddle).Note last updated: 21/08/2007 15:04:19
Footnote 1.1.11: (Consolation of Religion)
This contention, that religion is a crutch or consolation for losers, seems of only partial application. If all religious people are or had been on the fringes of society I might agree with you, but empirically this suggestion seems to be false. It is difficult to generalise about "religion", but it does seem to be for people who think there's something wrong or unsatisfactory about the world that needs fixing (or maybe has been fixed in some way known only to the initiate), or just that there's something missing or unfulfilling about our routine lives. And such people can be from the top or bottom of society.
While this seems to me to be a fair analysis of the situation, the questions are, is "there a solution?", and "what is it?". The various religions have different answers to the second question, but naturally agree on the first.
While suffering can incline some people in a religious direction, personal catastrophes can move others in the opposite direction, so that they "lose their faith" or rail against God (though in the latter case they still believe there's someone "up there" for them to shake their fist at, though they can't logically believe this or they wouldn't do it). It all depends on what their concept of God is (if their religion is theistic), and what they think the bargain God has struck with them is.
In sum, there are many motivations, both intellectual and emotional, for religious belief or unbelief and we should be chary of broad generalisations.
Footnote 1.1.12: (Happiness and Suffering)
There are several interesting points here. Firstly, do we have a right to the achievement of happiness? Secondly, is there anything wrong with a world full of suffering?
Personally, I don't think we have a right to anything, except in a legal sense where something is promised and delivery can be enforced. It seems silly to suggest that one has a right to something that no-one can deliver and that no-one has even promised to provide. I'd prefer it that people have duties, and that these duties are rationally incumbent on one by principles of reciprocity and a realisation that things will work better for all (and hence oneself) if we all make some effort to fulfil them. But this is a complex matter which I won't pursue further here. Anyway, I agree with you that we (and not just our children) have unrealistic expectations of life, because our experience of it has been (despite various difficulties) unreasonably positive by historical standards and our inductive reasoning makes us expect these things to continue. There are always drawbacks to growing up and finding your own feet in the world, whatever base you start from. But there are likely to be more requests for help if it is obvious that help is available.
I think so much suffering is unnecessary and fixable, that it is good to have a view that suffering is in some sense "wrong". But it's also clearly an inescapable part of the natural order, so railing against all instances of it is irrational. Also, while any one thing might be fixable if it were the only problem, the fact that there are so many instances of suffering, but the whole resources of the state can't be devoted to each of them, means that there needs to be a lot of realism about what is practically achievable. While many complaints about "the government's not doing enough about X" may be true, many such complaints are irrational because the full consequences of what would be required were the government to act in this way are not considered.
Footnote 1.1.13: (Observing God)
We won't know whether God exists until he/she has been observed.
Well, in a sense I agree:
Footnote 184.108.40.206: (Jonathan Harrison)
However, I subsequently looked up "God, Freedom and Immortality" by Jonathan Harrison, who is a recognized philosopher who has published in all the recognized philosophical journals from 1952 – 2004, and I have four of his papers. The only reference to this book I could find was a review in 2001, though I couldn't find the text of this review. I presume the review (by Louis Pojman, a conservative Christian) was negative.
The book's available second-hand on Amazon at £24.99, with a summary as follows:-
This text offers a comprehensive treatment of the Philosophy of Religion. Its overall conclusions are that, though there is no reason to suppose there is a God, doing something that is not quite believing in god, who, as some mystics think - neither exists nor does not exist, may be valuable for some people.
This sounds rather condescending, and may be a misunderstanding on the part of the person who provided the synopsis for Amazon. It would be interesting to know why the law of excluded middle fails for the existence of God.
Footnote 1.1.14: (Islam)
When I think about radical Islam, I'm again reminded that it's particularly attractive to its adherents because they generally have no other options or economic consolation prizes; they need something to believe in so they can answer the question: "What's my life all about?"
I've underlined "radical" in the above quotation, as non-militant Islamists don't seem to fall under this heading. To be honest, I know little about Islam (I've not even read the Koran from top to toe), and have hardly discussed the subject with the adherents of that religion known to me, but then they are hardly radical (as far as I know). They certainly have other options.
I suspect that history has a lot to do with this matter. The Western / Middle- and Near- Eastern Islamic states were once part of a world-leading culture, and now "the West" doesn't take them seriously, or make any attempt to understand them. There is a lot of anger and frustration, and their governments tend to take advantage of the populace's disgruntlement and manipulate them to direct their anger elsewhere. But much of western culture is offensive to pious Muslims (and to pious persons of any religion), and there hasn't been such a segregation between mosque and state as there has between church and state (though I speak mostly from ignorance and am open to correction), so political action comes more naturally to Muslims than to Christians, it may be.
I'm probably agreeing with you, except that prosperity is not a solution but a distraction that the radical manage to shake off. As has often been pointed out, the dangerous radicals are the educated not the peasants. But then the educated are always more dangerous, because they have more options – including taking their religion seriously - which is why dictators are suspicious of education (properly so-called: indoctrination with state or religious dogma isn't education).
I had something brief to say on the subject of Islam in another blog1, point 8.
Footnote 220.127.116.11: (Sylvia)
I had a long discussion on Saturday 8th July 2007 with Sylvia, a Christian friend of almost 30 years standing, on "my doubts". Useful though these discussions are, they suffer from a number of general defects. I've rehearsed these as a preamble which raises important general issues, though I think we touched on some of these questions on the day.
I have to add that on this particular topic, I feel that I suffer a disadvantage. I'm not a militant atheist, but (I think) one who has believed and would believe again if it were intellectually possible for me to do so. Also, my wife and most of my dearest friends are committed Christians. Most of them are intellectually fairly robust, but I still have to be careful. So, because I don't weigh in with the usual atheist swagger, I can appear to cavil somewhat, to be a fence-sitter, to ask too much, or to be "over-complicating things".
The bottom line of all this is that I agreed to write it up Saturday's discussion. It's probably ended as a partisan piece, with my side of the argument polished up and expanded. But it will, I hope, be something sufficiently clear and concrete to be taken further.
Summary responses from Sylvia:
So, away we go.
Sylvia's Responses,.
Sylvia's Response.
Sylvia's Responses: Closed System, Supernaturalism.
Sylvia's Response.
Which led on to …
Sylvia's Response.
Footnote 1.1.15: (Justification of Religious Belief)
Is belief in a god justified because it's the only freely available antidote to the natural ocean of [Darwinian] suffering?
What do you mean by "justified"? If you mean "psychologically intelligible", maybe so. However, nothing can be intellectually justified simply because it is comforting. And it has to be belief in a certain kind of god. The Incas believed in a vengeful god that resented the life of his creation. I've read somewhere that an Inca, after some famous victory, contemplated suicide as this was an opportune moment to return his life to the one who gave it. I can't remember the rationale behind all this. A priori, there's no reason why the god who actually exists isn't of this sort (and maybe even a posteriori, given the state of the world).
Footnote 1.1.17: (Human Uniqueness)
This seems to me to be another popular error.
Footnote 1.1.18: (Simon - T1S1T1)
I'm sorry to have taken so long to get round to this reply. The bulk of my time in the interim has been spent developing some technology for my Website (see this link1 for an explanation). I find that I continually want to refer to thoughts I've had previously but which aren't easily accessible. The site is supposed to remedy this deficit. So, there's been a lot of infrastructural work going on in the background. I need to write to you now as I re-start my PhD2 shortly, and then I'll be even more stuck for time than I am now.
Enough to say here that I'm using my new technology to respond to your latest thoughts, though I've not yet been able to link it properly to related stuff I've written before. I hope you don't mind this being on-line. Not many will even look at the site, and even fewer will know who this particular Simon is. And I think we're discussing important issues, which needn't be hidden in a closet. However, maybe you'd prefer it if your daughter wasn't mentioned. If so, send back an expurgated version as explained below.
Follow the hyperlinks to find my latest thoughts. To respond, go to the printable version, paste it into MS Word, annotate in place and email back. That'll make it easier for me to add your comments to the site in the right place. You could do this directly if I had a Wiki, but I don't think Wiki's do everything I want them to do, so I've not set one up.
Best wishes,
Theo (21st August 2007)
Footnote 184.108.40.206: (Status: Web-Tools (2019 - September))
Rationale for this Project
Summary of Progress during July - September 2019
Website (Total Hours = 97.25)
Website Others (Total Hour = 1)
→ See "Admin - Bridge - Admin" (17 hours)
→ See "Admin - Bridge - Admin" (8 hours)
→ See "Software Development - Website - Development" (35.5 hours)
→ See "Admin - Website - Admin & Maintenance" (4.75 hours)
→ See "Software Development - Website - Development" (17.25 hours)
→ See "Admin - Website - Admin & Maintenance" (3.75 hours)
→ See "Admin - Website - Admin & Maintenance" (8.75 hours)
→ See "Admin - Music - Administration" (0.5 hours)
→ See "Admin - Sophie Botros Website - Creation, Admin & Maintenance" (0.5 hours)
Plans for the Near Future
While I've planned to increase my weekly allocation of effort to this project 8 hours, in order to allow for other commitments I'll have to restrict myself to items on my development "priority list", rather than focusing on updating my technical competence. While I'd like to do this, I just can't see how to fit it in. The Plan below is taken automatically from the Priority 1 items on my Development Log, as published in my Outstanding Developments Report.
I've re-opened the case!
Summary of Progress to Date
This is hived off to various separate documents, which have now been harmonising and / or consolidated:-
In-Page Footnotes
Footnote 4:
Footnote 5:
Footnote 7:
Footnote 9:
Footnote 10:
Footnote 11:
Footnote 12:
Footnote 16:
Footnote 17:
Footnote 18:
Footnote 22:
Footnote 188.8.131.52: (Status: Personal Identity (2019 - September))
Rationale for this Project
Summary of Progress during July - September 2019
Thesis (Total Hours = 151.25)
→ "Sagan (Carl) - The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candel in the Dark".
→ "Al-Khalili (Jim) & McFadden (Johnjoe) - Life on the Edge: The Coming of Age of Quantum Biology",
→ "Hanson (Robin) - The Age of Em: Work, Love, and Life when Robots Rule the Earth",
→ "Tegmark (Max) - Life 3.0: Being Human in the Age of Artificial Intelligence",
→ Discovered Michael Madary,
→ Dug out more papers by Nick Bostrom, and
→ Started serious investigation of "Searle (John) - Minds, Brains, and Programs" and fallout therefrom.
→ "Hofstadter (Douglas) & Dennett (Daniel), Eds. - The Mind's I - Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul",
→ A few papers on Aeon,
→ Philos-List
Thesis Background (Total Hours = 37.75)
→ See "Todman (Theo) - Thesis - Current Position" (2.75 hours)
→ See "Interaction - Philos-List" (0.25 hours)
→ See "Admin - Thesis - Outline & Initial Research (July - Sept)" (3.75 hours)
→ See "Admin - Thesis - Outline & Initial Research (Oct - Dec)" (0.75 hours)
Thesis (Aeon)
→ See "Admin - Thesis Planning+Admin (April - June)" (2.75 hours)
Plans for the Near Future – Top Priority Tasks
→ "Duncan (Matt) - I Think, Therefore I Persist", Complete Write-up
→ "Maurer (Nicholas) - Too Many Persons, or None At All?", Write-up
→ "Strawson (Galen) - 'The Secrets of All Hearts': Locke on Personal Identity", Read
→ "Strawson (Galen) - 'Where our responsibility lies': Locke on personal identity", Read
→ "Noonan (Harold) - Identity, Constitution and Microphysical Supervenience", Write-up51
→ "Robinson (Denis) - Human Beings, Human Animals, and Mentalistic Survival", Read and Write-up
→ "Johnston (Mark) - 'Human Beings' Revisited: My Body is Not an Animal", Complete Write-up
→ "Olson (Eric) - Ethics and the Generous Ontology", then …
→ "Eklund (Matti) - The Existence of Personites",
→ "Johnston (Mark) - The Personite Problem: Should Practical Reason Be Tabled?",
→ "Johnston (Mark) - Personites, Maximality and Ontological Trash",
→ "Kaiserman (Alexander) - Stage Theory and the Personite Problem",
→ "Pautz (Adam) - Johnston's Puzzle about Personites".
→ "Baxter (Donald L.M.) - Temporary and Contingent Instantiation as Partial Identity"
→ "Colen (J.A.) - In Memoriam Derek Parfit (1942-2017)",
→ "Funkhouser (Eric) - Notes on Parfit, 'Personal Identity'",
→ "Korsgaard (Christine) - Personal Identity and the Unity of Agency: A Kantian Response to Parfit",
→ "Perry (John) - Time, Fission, and Personal Identity",
→ "Parfit (Derek) - Personal Identity",
→ "Parfit (Derek) - Prudence, morality, and the prisoner's dilemma", Note58
→ "Parfit (Derek) - Who do you think you are?",
→ Complete run-through of the Parfit reading-list
→ "Duncan (Matt) - A Challenge to Anti-Criterialism"
→ "Duncan (Matt) - A Renewed Challenge to Anti-Criterialism"
→ "Duncan (Matt) - Dualists Needn't Be Anti-Criterialists (Nor Should They Be)"
→ "Broome (John) - Indefiniteness in Identity",
→ "Hawley (Katherine) - Almost Identical, Almost Innocent",
→ "Noonan (Harold) - Vague Identity Yet Again"
→ "Botros (Sophie) - Truth, Time and History - A Philosophical Inquiry with Dr Sophie Botros"
→ "Deng (Natalja) - One Thing After Another: Why the Passage of Time is Not an Illusion",
→ "Dorato (Mauro) - Presentism / Eternalism and Endurantism / Perdurantism: why the unsubstantiality of the first debate implies that of the second",
→ "Dorato (Mauro) - Presentism and the Experience of Time",
→ "Dorato (Mauro) - The Irrelevance of the Presentist / Eternalist Debate for the Ontology of Minkowski Spacetime".
→ "Doyle (Robert O.) - Change (Being and Becoming)"
→ "Doyle (Robert O.) - Persistence (Perdurance and Endurance)"
→ "Doyle (Robert O.) - David Wiggins" (part)
→ "Noonan (Harold) - Review of Wiggins's 'Continuants'"
→ "Wiggins (David) - Identity, Individuation, and Substance", and
→ "Buchanan (Rachael) - The battle to separate Safa and Marwa"
→ "Campbell (Tim) & McMahan (Jeff) - Animalism and the Varieties of Conjoined Twinning"
→ "Olson (Eric) - The Metaphysical Implications of Conjoined Twining"
→ "Stone (James L.) & Goodrich (James T.) - The craniopagus malformation: classification and implications for surgical separation"
→ "Wikipedia - Craniopagus twins"
→ "Finn (Suki) - Bun or bump?",
→ "Kingma (Elselijn) - Lady Parts: The Metaphysics of Pregnancy", and
→ "Kingma (Elselijn) - Were You Part of Your Mother?".
→ Update my Note on Conjoined Twins.
→ "Zimmerman (Dean) - Personal Identity and the Survival of Death",
→ "Olson (Eric) - The Nature of People",
→ "Badham (Paul) - Christian Beliefs About Life After Death",
→ "Baker (Lynne Rudder) - Death and the Afterlife",
→ "Corcoran (Kevin) - Dualism, Materialism and the Problem of Post Mortem Survival",
→ "MacIntosh (J.J.) - Reincarnation and Relativized Identity", and
→ "Noonan (Harold) - The Possibility of Reincarnation",
→ "Various - Papers on Desktop", and
→ "Various - Papers in Desk Drawer"
are either addressed or re-filed.
Summary of Progress to Date
This was hived off to a separate Note back in 2010, and hasn't changed much since.
In-Page Footnotes
Footnote 5:
Footnote 11:
Footnote 12:
Footnote 14:
Footnote 16:
Footnote 51:
Footnote 58:
Footnote 72:
→ "Craig (William Lane) - McTaggart's Paradox and the Problem of Temporary Intrinsics",
→ "Kuhn (Steven) - Prisoner's Dilemma",
→ "Lewis (David) - Prisoners' Dilemma is a Newcomb Problem",
→ "Nozick (Robert) - Newcomb's Problem and Two Principles of Choice",
→ "Wikipedia - Newcomb's Paradox"
Text Colour Conventions
Return to Home page
Timestamp: 01/12/2019 15:43:35. Comments to firstname.lastname@example.com.


text:
Pro Sports Club (in Bellevue, Washington) is apparently the largest health club in the world. It has many excellent players and has hosted the Washington State Singles Racquetball Championship, which I've competed in (for a while, I also had a national ranking). I've twice beaten the Washington State singles champion (an open-division player), although I think he was hung over one of those times. I've also played against such professional players as Cliff Swain and Rocky Carson (no, I didn't win!). I've also been the racquetball instructor at the Redmond Athletic Club, teaching workshops for beginners and the more advanced, plus women-only workshops. Racquetball continues to appeal, offering a fast-paced game mixed with strategy and finesse. You can review United States Raquetball Association rules, and also visit the Wikipedia page on racquetball for more information.
For a taste, take a look at this racquetball video, featuring Kane Waselenchuk, the world's #1 professional player, versus Cliff Swain, who I've had the privilege to play in California. This video is useful because it shows replays of key rallies in slow motion. Let me know if you ever want to play. Go, racquetball!
—9 November 2012
Digressions >

subset: commoncrawl


text:
- Destinations
- Italy
- Campania
- Sant'Agnello
- Grand Hotel La Pace
Things to do in Sant'Agnello
Tuck into Italian food with a Campania wine
You've got 3 clusters of restaurants here. For starters, there's Corso Italia with its cheery, rustic pizzerias. Then...Read More
Pick up some Italian threads on Corso Italia, Sorrento
There are plenty of places in Saint Agnello to pick up picnic staples, plus there's souvenir shops selling embroidered... Read MoreRead More
Take a bus along the Amalfi Coast
Take a bus along the Amalfi Coast
The Amalfi Coast runs along the southern edge of the Sorrentine Peninsula. The best way to see this famous strip of... Read MoreRead More
Go swimming at Meta Beach
Go swimming at Meta Beach
A completely sandy beach on the Sorrentine Peninsula is rare, but there's one at... Read MoreRead More
Watch a show in Herculaneum
Watch a show in Herculaneum
The pace of life is slow in Saint Agnello, but next-door Sorrento has lots of pu... Read MoreRead More
Ristorante La Marinella
Ristorante La Marinella
This beachside restaurant serves up expertly prepared and beautifully presented ... Read MoreRead More
The Wine Bar
The Wine Bar
This little bar, watched over by Saint Agnello Church, is an encyclopaedia of Ca... Read MoreRead More
Gastro Festival
Gastro Festival
This modern-day harvest festival sees thousands come to taste dishes made from l... Read MoreRead More
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text:
The future of management consulting is just like any other sector of business. It is highly competitive and has a global reach. No longer can you rely on your reputation in your local region for you to sustain a continuous revenue steam from this line of work. You need to be able to reach out and gain the trust of clients from around the world in order to increase your client base.
In the past, the use of management consulting professionals relied on the experience of the consultants. This still has some value to it but with the economic changes that have gripped the world, what worked in the past is, to a point, not relevant any more. Today's modern businesses need help with the latest innovations, and then incorporating them into their daily business routines. This is why so many consultants are looking for help themselves.
The processes and approaches needed to stay relevant in the management consulting profession is not something that is commonly known. It takes research and knowledge on how to find the best sources for this type of information. It also takes the right approach to entice the global clients that will be the future source of revenue for many. This is where specialized training in the latest ways to make a proposal can be very beneficial. This will allow you to win more clients and retain their business for longer periods of time.
Just like every other part of business, the management consulting professional needs to have the latest tools available to them. This makes completing the necessary tasks more efficient so they can concentrate on other important matters. By utilizing tools to help you create more compelling proposals, and having sales pitches and marketing approaches that produce results, is the key to your success.
Above all of the skills a management consulting professional needs is to be able to show clients their services' add value to their business. This is how you can attract and maintain a client base that will not only increase your revenue stream but also your credibility in this highly competitive field. Stress the value you bring, and you will see a positive difference in the response from clients.


text:
John has been with Unilever Canada since 1992. He is a member of Unilever Canada's board of directors as well as the Canadian Leadership Team, and is also chair of the company's Pension Committee.
John is well known for his leadership in corporate sustainability. He is a passionate activator of the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan, designed to help Unilever deliver its objective of growing the business while reducing its environmental footprint and increasing its positive contribution to society. John is Executive Chair of the Board of Canadian Stewardship Services Alliance, Inc. and is a director of Evergreen. In addition, John is co-chair of the Partners in Project Green steering committee, a major environmental initiative of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority. He is also director and past Chair of Stewardship Ontario. In 2013 John was recognized for his leadership in corporate sustainability by being named by Clean 50 as one of Canada's top sustainability leaders. Last year, John was appointed as a member of the Ontario Government's Climate Action Group advising the Ontario Minister of the Environment on effective climate change actions that will help Ontario meet its greenhouse gas reduction goals and transition to a prosperous, low-carbon economy.
John also works closely with industry groups and other organizations. He is Chair of the board of Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Foundation and is director and past Chair of the Association.


text:
Poster Book
ROCKIN AUSTRALIA – Concert Posters 1957-2007$299.00
A mind-tripping visual history of Australian concert posters. Contained in a custom designed slipcase this 3 Volume box set features 2252 full-colour posters across 1200 pages of rock'n'roll memories. A Rock n Roll Poster book that will probably not be repeated.
Spanning 50 years, these three books are the definitive word on Australian poster art. Included are classic Aussie acts, legendary overseas bands (and those not so well known), indie bands and much more. Artists like Johnny O'Keefe, Billy Thorpe, Easybeats, Masters Apprentices, Daddy Cool, Skyhooks, Bill Haley, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, T Rex, Alice Cooper, Frank Zappa, Queen, AC/DC, Cold Chisel, Midnight Oil, Clash, Kiss, Beasts of Bourbon, Scientists, Nirvana, Metallica and literally 1000's more. A Rock Poster Book not to be missed.


text:
Medicine Sun
Brilliance Series Pendant
Regular price $45.00
Silver-plated wire woven pendant with an enchanting Labradorite cabochan from Etched Amethyst Creations. Comes with matching 18" sterling silver chain.
+ + +
Please review our Store Policies before completing your purchase.
Locals Only - please use the code LOCALPICKUP to remove your shipping costs.


text:
At atomic 40% of moms are agriculture their breed solid foods far too early, according a new abstraction appear in the medical account Pediatrics, and that may advance to problems for their accouchement after in life.
Researchers capital to apperceive how abounding babies were actuality fed solid foods (including atom and babyish food) eventually than recommended, whether -feeding or blueprint agriculture fabricated a aberration and why debris were actuality alien early. Back the abstraction began in 2005, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which additionally publishes the account Pediatrics, recommended introducing solid foods back babies were amid 4 and 6 months old.
In 2012, the AAP afflicted those recommendations. Now it says babies shouldn't be bistro solid aliment until they are about 6 months old.
Study and findings
As allotment of the two-year study, 1,334 mothers filed out account questionnaires about what their babies ate during the aftermost week, says Kelley Scanlon, an epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and one of the abstraction authors. Scientists again analyzed the abstracts appear by the mothers to actuate at which age babies were actuality fed solid food.
They begin 539 moms, or 40% of moms, gave their babies solid aliment early. Previous studies had put that appraisal at 19% and 29%. Advisers accept based on this study, they may absolutely be underestimating
14 Baby Food Starter Chart That Had Gone Way Too Far | Baby Food Starter Chart – baby food starter chart
| Allowed for you to our blog, on this period I'm going to show you regarding baby food starter chart


text:
Smoking a great cigar in your own home is easy. You just go to your humidor and remove your cigar. However, if you're traveling, it can be a bit more difficult. Sure, you can put cigars in a cigar box, but they're no longer as protected from the elements, and they're no longer kept at that perfect temperature and humidity. However, there are a number of travel humidors you can purchase that guarantee your cigars will be kept at the perfect temperature and ready for you to smoke. All of these travel humidors are, of course, waterproof, and all of them are designed to keep your cigars fresh and ready to smoke for weeks at a time.
When selecting a travel humidor, there are several things you must take into consideration. The first is use. If you're going to be taking many week-long or longer trips, you may want a travel humidor that can hold a number of cigars. One of the largest travel humidors you'll find holds around 100 cigars, but you most likely won't need that large of one. You'll find many travel humidors that hold 30 cigars, and that's usually about right for most people who travel a lot.
There are actually many smaller travel humidors that can be used for various things. There are some that only hold two or five cigars. These small travel humidors are designed for the man on the go. Many take them out to the club or to the golf course so they can have a smoke while relaxing. For those who love their golf and their cigars, these small travel humidors are a great investment.


text:
Friday, March 19, 2010
nOir New York at Glitzern.
Glitzern is now stocking nOir NY ... sure celebrities love it, but more importantly WE love it and hopefully you will too! So many good pieces, my favourites are The disco ball earrings, I had a similar pair in the 90s made out of foam balls,pins,beads and sequins. They got squashed on a dance floor, nOir has made them to last and with far more finesse, and so SHINY and SPARKELY.
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What is the "Ultimate cup of coffee"?
Baristas go to origin to understand coffee better but there is more we can do to create favours that you can not get in one single origin
Rather than blending coffee I will be using 2 single origin coffees in "Interweaving coffee"
Not to hide faults, but bring out the best qualities of both coffees. Great balance from precise idea
Using two coffees
- 90+ Ethiopia Margokkoro (Shakiso ) Had body
- 90+ Panama Geisha Estate – Hard to express tactile, lacked body
Both are very similar and Naturally processed
Normally called heirloom variety in Ethiopia
Focusing on sensory notes when dialling in, then interweaved
Screen size can be different so mixed after ground separately as you cannot be certain of the mix if using the same grinder
12g Ethiopia (body acidity)
8g Panama (sweetness, floral)
- High sweet
- Low Bitternes
- Medium body
- Cream mouth
- mango
- blackberry jam
Clean finish
Sweetness is important in milk beverage
Fruity sweetness
Sugary sweetness in after taste
- Vanilla
- Banana
- Melon
65% Panama 35% Ethiopia
Signature Beverage
Cool espresso shots especially for signature beverage
10g Passionfruit syrup
- Manderine
- Peach
- Cacoa


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Saskatoon Trampoline Park – Apex Trampoline Park
Apex Trampoline Park is a Saskatoon Trampoline Park located in the North End of the city. They opened in 2014 and the first trampoline park in Saskatoon. They have over 10,000 square feet of trampolines.
They have open jump, toddler time, groups, birthdays, corporate events, a dodgeball league and private bookings.
Their trampoline park is super safe, is constructed using world class, Canadian made trampoline equipment and is rated commercial grade. While you can have loads of fun at the Apex Trampoline Park and but not have to worry about the quality of equipment.
Saskatoon Trampoline Park – Apex Trampoline Park
Looking for something to do this weekend? Try jumping around at Apex Trampoline Park! You can book online!http://saskatoonupclose.com/2015/saskatoon-trampoline-park-apex-trampoline-park/
Posted by SaskatoonUpClose on Friday, May 15, 2015
Interact with the only Saskatoon Trampoline Park by using the links below.
Visit their website
Book your next trampoline visit online
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text:
Cityway will be attending the European Mobility Exhibition
Paris 12/14 June 2018
The major European event for all key players in sustainable mobility
Transports Publics, the European Mobility Exhibition, is the not-to-bemissed biennial exhibition for all the key players in public transport and sustainable mobility from across Europe. Over 11,000 highly qualified participants come together over three days in Paris to discuss the latest innovations for urban, interurban and regional transport, as well as green mode transport.
Transports Publics is recognised as the leading European showcase for innovations in equipment, services and policies relating to the entire mobility sector, bringing together leading European decision-makers from transport and politics.
Cityway will be attending the exhibition
Come and meet us at our Booth
Let us know if you are also attending the event and want to plan a meeting with us!


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24 Feb2009
Some Saturdays we feel really lazy and want to just buy our lunch and eat it in the comfort of home… in other words, not eat at a restaurant. And if I happen by the Salcedo market, I will almost always drop by at Tita Cely Kalaw's stall and I don't really have to think at all… a couple of orders of laing, several more of langka in gata, some bicol express, lechon kawali and occasionally a soup catches my fancy. Last Saturday, I was stunned by the size of the fish heads in her sinigang sa miso and I decided to try her soup. One order included half of a humongous fish head, several cups of broth and a nice amount of mustasa (mustard greens) and other veggies. The photos here were taken outdoors under the dapples sunlight in the shadows of a santol tree. The reheated soup was absolutely delicious. The broth had a wonderful balance of sourness, saltiness and murkiness or mouth feel. The fish was delicious and the whole bowl screamed simple yet delicious comfort food. If you will recall, I did a post on a similar dish, albeit made with dalag or mudfish, a couple of months ago, here.
I have never cooked this particular dish at home, but I sure want to learn how to. After all, this is yet another version of sinigang to add to the many versions I have featured so far on this blog, some soured with tamarind, others with green mango, batuan, kamias, guava, etc. If you want to see nearly a dozen different sinigang recipes, click here and scroll down the main post for links to other sinigang versions featured here on marketmanila.com. Oh, and while I am on the subject of sinigang, can you think of any other souring agents used in sinigang besides, tamarind, vinegar, kamias, green mangoes, unripe sineguelas, guavas, batuan, sampaloc leaves, alibangbang, unripe pineapple, santol, balimbing, kalamansi or dayap or other citrus?
Nagimasen! Souring agent? how about knorr or maggie.
Just kidding…Sarisa fruit?
Feb 24, 2009 | 5:46 pm
one thing i've always been curious and confused about: is filipino miso (as in sinigang sa miso) the same as japanese miso (miso soup)?
Feb 24, 2009 | 5:48 pm
MM used the souring agent filipinized miso, the Japanese miso soup is not sour.I think both are made of soybeans.
Feb 24, 2009 | 5:57 pm
this is our most favorite fish to make sinigang with, because it is consistently fat and tender and succulent. and sinigang sa miso with mustard leaves makes the best sinigang na maya-maya! we especially love the red maya-maya.
with lapu-lapu, you take chances with the fish not being fat, and the skin becomes very tough with cooking, and the fillets curl up.
Feb 24, 2009 | 5:58 pm
With Sinigang with Miso, MM …I use any miso I can find in the Asian Markets…red or white. I have used both. I also use salmon head…readily available. here. I just saute ginger and onion in the oil. then I add the miso. Saute a bit then add water and whole tomatoes, squished with my fingers. Season the broth with tamarind and let it come to a boil. Adjust seasoning…miso can be salty. Then I add labanos, eggplant and gabi. When tender, I add the salmon head and romaine letuuce if I don't have mustasa. This is comfort food for my siblings as well. Our dip…patis with calamansi.
Feb 24, 2009 | 6:05 pm
Mmmmm good….
Feb 24, 2009 | 6:29 pm
sinigang…ahhh- wala nang tatalo pa! except perhaps bulalo :-)
Feb 24, 2009 | 8:03 pm
You are a domestic goddess! Thank you for the wonderful sinigang sa miso recipe. I have been looking for one that my mom makes. And that's how she makes it. I'm copying it now and once again thank you so much.
Feb 24, 2009 | 8:20 pm
I saute garlic, onions and tomatoes then add long, hot pepper, frozen miso (made in the Phil., purchased at oriental store), sinigang mix and water and let it boil for about 10 minutes. I then add salmon fillet (no head as the kids won't it), cook a bit then add mustard green, labanos and patis to taste. Comfort food at its best!
Feb 24, 2009 | 11:05 pm
I used mustard greens before in my sinigang, and it turned out to be "bitter" Is it the kind that I bought? I don't remember mustasa back home as bitter…
Feb 25, 2009 | 3:09 am
hi Marketman,
I stumbled upon your site through Tony Bourdain's blog. Thank the food gods for people like you! I've been searching the net for credible Filipino food sites and up until this point was always disappointed. The recipes posted were amateurish as well as the blog posts. I guess the search is finally over.
I was born and raised in QC but moved to Chicago fourteen years ago. I'm very passionate about travelling and a self-proclaimed foodie, hence, the obsession with Bourdain's No Reservation. I'll be visiting Singapore and Manila in April and I'll try to retrace Tony's itinerary, sans the camera crew.
Anyway, more power to you. Keep up the good work. Again, thank you!!
Feb 25, 2009 | 3:52 am
I remember while vacationing in Occidental Mindoro as a kid, they use fresh ripe cashew fruit because it was plentiful there.
Feb 25, 2009 | 4:11 am
Like much fish sinigang with miso or no miso and belly fish part is also a good cut. You named all the souring agents that I know of. The other souring agent that I use in fish and shrimp sinigang that not mentioned above is stripped rhubarb stall.
Feb 25, 2009 | 4:22 am
Betty Q. we also have an abundance of salmon head here in my part of the states. I usually cook sinigang using this but most of the time the only vegetable I have is celery so this is what I use . What I do is just boil the water then I add the ginger the tomato and the onions then the fish then the pangasim either kalamansi or tamarind salt to taste then the sliced celery. I don't saute anything since the salmon head is already mataba. I just cooked sinigang a while ago with celery minus tomato because I wasn't able to buy some and this time I used catfish nugget (tiyan ng hito) not the salmon head. Still very good.
Feb 25, 2009 | 4:22 am
The japanese miso is a lot better for sinigang, however for pesa with onions/tomatoes as a side dish, the filipino miso is better.
The classic fish for this dish is kanduli. When we lived in the Philippines I used to volunteer to drive my mom to farmer's market so we can get the best kanduli. We used to get there before 6 am.
One bad thing though with this dish you end up eating mounds of rice. Bad for the diet. Pero ang sarap.
Feb 25, 2009 | 5:29 am
my favourite sinigang of them all! my mom makes a very good sinigang sa miso and i always have a hard time replicating it. so far, no success.
as far as i know, mustard greens can be bitter at times. hit and miss ako dyan pag gumagamit ako ng mustasa
Feb 25, 2009 | 8:06 am
Fish head and belly on Kamias with miso will definitely makes me eat more than usual. Give it to me anytime of the day I will take it. Use Japanese miso for more flavor.
Feb 25, 2009 | 8:50 am
Hi MM, you mentioned different souring agents for sinigang but I missed to see tomatoes in your list. In our part of Pampanga (Magalang), we cook sinigang with tomatoes called sabo kamatis in Capampangan or literally sabaw kamatis in Tagalog, it is usually great with pork liempo and ribs and even with dalag (mudfish) and for veggies you use the siling mahaba, cabbage and pechay. Actually its not that sour but if you use really high quality and ripe tomatoes its almost sweet to the taste!
This is a very unique dish that its almost a cross between pochero and nilaga, I've never encountered this version of sinigang outside Pampanga or non-Pampango households. This is also great with beef, especially kneecaps or short ribs it is really magnificent for slow cooking, simmering it for a couple of hours brings out the flavors of the tomato and your meat.
Feb 25, 2009 | 9:24 am
maybe mustasa is over cooked kaya bitter, i think it is better to add mustasa when you think you've got less minutes left na lang to cook the entire dish and it would also help if you add musta while on low heat.
Feb 25, 2009 | 9:44 am
my nanay use tomato for sinigang, she's not from pampanga. In our town back then, neighbors are very creative in their sinigang, some of them even use kalamansi.
Feb 25, 2009 | 9:54 am
Hi MM, please add the hyperlink on the line "click here" for the list of sinigangs made so far. Thanks!
Feb 25, 2009 | 9:59 am
Hi Marketman,
You mentioned using vinegar as a souring agent. I believe that by definition, vinegar is not used as a souring agent for sinigang; otherwise, magiging paksiw ito. For sinigang, a souring fruit or vegetable should be used. Or is there a different practice in some parts of the country?
Feb 25, 2009 | 10:07 am
Has anyone tried a very sour granny smith apple as souring agent for sinigang?
Feb 25, 2009 | 10:36 am
i hit the submit too fast. My sis-in-law had this granny smith apple growing in her backyard and it was so sour she uses it as souring agent for her sinigang….hehehe
Feb 25, 2009 | 10:38 am
I wonder if our "Inselar" in Pangasinan qualifies as sinigang. It is cooked with tomatoes, ginger, onion, siling haba and your choice of seafood and veggies. My all-time favorite would be inselar na hipon with ampalaya tops. The broth's subtle flavor goes pretty well with shrimps.
Feb 25, 2009 | 11:03 am
i use kamatis as a base for sinigang na buto-buto or spare ribs..this is the kind of sinigang that i grew up with in pampanga, love it especially with patani…
Feb 25, 2009 | 2:02 pm
I don't know if it has anything to do with it, really, but I noticed that the bigger mustasa leaves tend to be more bitter than the small-ish ones, so I pick up the smaller leaves when I'm at the supermarket.
Also, when I make salmon head sinigang, I saute garlic, onion, ginger, and add in the salmon heads so they can sweat a bit with the ginger, which supposedly makes it less "malangsa." With heat on low, I turn it gently after a minute — don't want to break up the head — then take it out after another minute. Then I add all the rest of the ingredients and make the salmon head and vegetables the last addition. Quick and tasty meal, my husband loves it.
Feb 26, 2009 | 11:42 am
Do visit Little India in Singapore for some food adventure.
It is sad that even the Filipinos who live and work there don't like to venture to that area. They're missing a lot, I think.
Feb 26, 2009 | 6:48 pm
What do people think about trying grapefruit juice?
Mar 2, 2009 | 2:15 am
Thanks for the tip Lava Bien.
I've actually been there during my first visit two years ago.
This will be my third time, I have a brother and quite a few friends who live there.
You're absolutely right, my brother and friends were all shocked when I told them I wanted to visit Little India. Needless to say, I dragged them all and forced them to eat Biryani with their hands, local style.
Mar 2, 2009 | 2:27 am
just have a trip to manila. Manage to find a native chicken (P340) live and slaughter in front of me and use a tamarind flower bud or usbong ng sampalok then I ask my sis to cook it in my service apartment which I purposely chose bec I want to cook hehehe. Wow it is really really nice !!!! I don't recall seeing it in any restaurant menu nowadays including dinuguan using usbong ng sampalok instead of vinegar.
Mar 2, 2009 | 4:33 pm
Hi Lava Bien/Fudcrml,
I'm station in singapore for 18 yrs now and unlike others I'm consider a local na so I've been to all the markets here and you'll be surprise that you actually find everything here to cook a mean filipino food which include bangus, isdang dapa, lapu lapu, dulong, galunggong, sting ray, kamias, bayabas, dayap, pirurutong, bulalo, etc…. Tekka Market is good as well as Tiong Bahru. They also have this wholesale vegetable market as well Woodlands and jurong fish port where you can buy fresh seafoods.
For imported hard to find ingredients you can go to Tanglin supermarket or Jones the grocer @ Dempsey hill who have an incredible selection of cheese. They have also jamon iberico now here
Mar 2, 2009 | 4:47 pm
In the province (Negros), we normally use batwan(batuan) as souring ingredient for pinamalhan and sinigang but here in Manila, I haven't batwan yet so I use fresh tamarind instead.
I recall my sister got hospitalized once when she ate too many batwan. She loves to eat sour fruits she could lay her hands on and so, upon seeing a plastic full of batwan in our kitchen, she grabbed it all, along with salt and sinamak, her favorite sawsawan and retired to her room to feast on it. In the middle of the night, she woke up with a severe stomach ache and so she was rushed to a nearby hospital.
On the side note, she was the best cook amongst us three siblings. She inherited my father's cooking skills that everytime she visits me here in Manila, I would send her to talipapa for some tilapya to be cooked into paksiw which is her signature dish.
Mar 5, 2009 | 2:58 pm
The secret is no artificial seasonings.
Aug 13, 2009 | 11:52 am
Yum! I saw the second photo in another blog.
Oct 21, 2010 | 5:15 pm


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2014–2015 Grants Awarded
Andele Tutors, $3000, Southern Dona Ana County. Summer program that trains and uses college students to serve as mentors and tutors in order to raise skills in reading and math for 200 children during an eight week summer program.
Asombro Institute for Science Education, $3000, Las Cruces. To promote science and leadership skills, fifth grade students acquire skills to present hands-on science activities for younger students at their schools.
Boys & Girls Club of Bloomfield, $4000, Bloomfield. Afterschool program provides Kidz Lit Reading, that increases motivation to read and builds literacy, and programs on healthy eating, internet safety and community service activities.
Boys and Girls Club of Roswell, $4000, Roswell. Project Learn engages young people in learning, en-courages them to succeed in school and helps them become lifelong learners.
Canones Early Childhood Center, $3000, Canones. Project Literacy Outreach brings early childhood ed-ucation, child development and early/emergent literacy services to the underserved population of rural, isolated, minority families in northern New Mexico.
Children's Grief Center of New Mexico, $3000, Central New Mexico. Provides free support groups for children, teens, young adults and their care givers that are grieving the death of a loved one.
Compassionate Touch Network, $3000, Santa Fe & Albuquerque Area. Trains facilitators for classroom presentations on mental ill-ness, to recognize its symptoms, get appropriate treatment, understand the importance of early diagnosis and treatment and pro-mote compassion and remove stigma.
Down Syndrome Foundation of SE NM, $2500, Roswell & Southeastern New Mexico. Summer day camps to strengthen children's physical skills as well as provide therapy opportunities including speech. Goal is to help support families of individuals with Down Syn-drome of all ages.
Eagles' Wings Youth Ranch, $2000, Mountainair. Summer camp and mentoring program focused on prevention and early interven-tion centered around relationships to help youth succeed.
El Rito Library, $2000, El Rito. Promotes literacy for 3-5 year old toddlers who come to the library twice a week for different activities that include math, science and story time. Pre-literacy is a key ele-ment of helping children enter school ready to learn to read.
Embudo Valley Library, $2000, Rio Arriba and Embudo Valley. Fizz, Boom, Read! Summer Reading Pro-gram combines free reading initiatives with activities that foster a love of learning. Events include presentations, field trips and hands-on activities.
Equine Spirit Sanctuary,$1000, Taos area. Horses helping kids combines therapeutic riding and equine-assisted learning to help spe-cial needs kids gain life skills.
First Born of Northern New Mexico, $3000. San Miguel, Mora & Guadalupe Counties. Provides sup-port for first time parents and their child from pregnancy up to 3 years old with weekly visitations to promote well-rounded children with developmental assess-ments and referrals when necessary.
First Tee of Santa Fe, $2000, Santa Fe. Through golf, youth are taught life skills to help them thrive socially, academically and athleti-cally with measureable results.
FEEDING Santa Fe, $2000, Santa Fe. Provides supplemental food on a weekly basis, year-round to hungry families with children.
Galloping Grace Youth Ranch, $2500. Rio Rancho. The ranch functions as a working, sustainable farm ranch where children are em-powered to lead, teach, work and play alongside others.
Gila Valley Library, $2000, Gila Valley in Northwestern Grant County. Promotes children's literacy through library programs developed by one paid staffer and community volunteers.
Gerard's House, $4000, Santa Fe. Provides emotional and psychological support for children who are experiencing a life crisis because of the death of a loved one. The long-term goal is to help end self-destructive behaviors because of unresolved grief and loss.
Interfaith Leadership Alliance of Santa Fe, $3,000. Santa Fe. Provides homeless families with the support they need to be-come stable and sustainable through a two year plan for independent living.
Imagination Library of Grant County, $3,000. Silver City and Grant County. Delivers books every month to children's homes promoting language and reading and establishing the basis for future learning success. Affiliated with Dolly Parton's Imagina-tion Library.
Junior Service League of Hobbs, $2,000. Hobbs. Project Superstar provides shoes to students in elementary, junior high and high school boosting self-esteem of needy, at risk students.
Keres Children's Learning Center, $2,000. Cochiti Pueblo. Preschool in which children learn native language of Keres and learn through culturally appropriate activities reflective of traditional practices to build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
Kirtland Youth Association, $2,500. Kirtland & San Juan County. Afterschool program serves chidren in a safe educational environment in which to grow and develop educationally and emotionally.
Los Alamos Arts Council, $500, Los Alamos. Through theatre program, offers children the opportuni-ty for self-exploration, development of social and communication skills, self-discipline, strong work ethic and understanding of team concept.
Mesa Prieta Petroglyph Project, $1000, Velarde. Creating a curriculum and materials on Mesa Prie-ta Petroglyphs to foster cultural identity and promote STEM, science, technology, engineering and math.
Mesilla Valley CASA, $2,500. Dona Ana County. Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) trains community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the foster care system.
NM Suicide Intervention Project, $4,000. Santa Fe and Rio Arriba Counties. Provides school based suicide prevention educa-tion and skills training to school communities through crisis teams which provide an organized response in the event of a youth suicide.
Northern Youth Project, $4,000. Rural Communities around Abiquiu. Program combines art, agriculture, community service and leadership to create a well-rounded and youth-centered organization that includes a productive, large garden
Oso Vista Ranch Project, $2000. Ramah Navajo and Zuni Reservations. Summer day camps for youth that include photog-raphy and personal leadership activities facilitated through rock climbing and challenge course activities.
Self Help, Inc., $4,000, Rio Arriba, Los Alamos, Taos and Northern Santa Fe Counties. Assists students in need with items such as pencils, calculators, notebooks and other essential items needed to succeed in classroom.
Southwest Youth Services, $2000, Albuquerque and Central NM Pueblos. Programming under Native Youth Wellness Corps promotes healthy and empowered youth through soccer clinics, soccer play and the Annual Indigenous Soccer Cup Tourna-ment.
Story of Place, $1000, Santa Fe Following citizen and community education, students conduct research in order to formulate and implement a project to benefit the community. Students learn youth civic leadership and job training skills.
Spirit of Hidalgo, $3,000, Hidalgo County. The Youth Leadership Team supports expansion and availabil-ity of donated food and fresh foods for children. Participants work to create a plentiful food supply and to build distribution projects.
Talpa Community Center, $1,000, Village of Talpa and Taos County. Children engage is ceramics, sewing, quilting and reading activities during this summer program.
Truchas Service Center, $5,000, Truchas. Provides a four day a week preschool for children 2 to 5 and is the only program in this area. Children 6 to 12 can attend the summer sciences and art program with science lessons and experiments in the morning and art activities in the afternoon.
Valencia County Literacy Council, $3000. Los Lunas. Family Literacy Pre-school provides child-centered instruction to de-velop literacy in children ages birth to 5 years with parents reading daily to their children and staff providing a lending li-brary and numerous educational activities.
Villa Therese Catholic Clinic, $2500, Santa Fe. The Clinic, staffed by volunteers and paid staff, provides integrated chil-dren's medical and dental services for the uninsured.
Wings of America, $2,000, Zuni and McKinley County. Running and fitness camps to promote healthy lifestyle choices among American Indian youth ages 6 to 18 years at Zuni Pueblo.
Wings for L.I.F.E., $4000, Roswell surrounding areas. Wings for L.I.F.E. (Life-skills Imparted to Families through Education) provides educational, behavioral and social skills to families (especially those with loved ones incarcerated) and to adults and juveniles in detentions.
Young Fathers of Santa Fe, $2000, Santa Fe. Provides young fathers with support in choosing healthy lifestyles for them-selves and their families and assists young fathers in sustaining stable and nurtur-ing relationships that promote their chil-dren's well-being.
Zona del Sol, SF Youth & Family Center, $3,000, Santa Fe. Provides low cost facilities in which youth and family serving agencies can provide collaborative programs in southwest Santa Fe which has thehighest percentage of low income fami-lies.


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Exit Your Lease
Car Lease by make
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For a while now, it has been my super unrealistic goal of becoming a National Geographic Photographer. While I am competing with so many extremely talented photographers all over the world who have access to more "interesting" subjects, better equipment, and have more experience, you gotta have goals, right? Much to my surprise and delight,… Continue reading National Geographic Educator Certification – Another Reflection
Tag: year of the bird
Beautifully Built Bird Beaks & Bills
You have a bird feeder out in your back yard, but you notice that not all of the birds you have seen are visiting it - Why might that be? Well, one answer might be that not all birds are designed to eat the same foods. By looking at the bird's beak or bill, you… Continue reading Beautifully Built Bird Beaks & Bills
Did you know that by 2050, roughly ⅓ of all bird species might be extinct? Protecting these animals is important if we want to not only keep these wonderful birds around for future generations to enjoy, but also to keep healthy ecosystems! Fortunately, 100 years ago, one of the most important pieces of legislation for… Continue reading #YearOfTheBird


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Our Employees
Around 3,000 people depend directly or indirectly from our company. We have 55 full time, around-the-year workers that earn in average 30% more than the legal minimum wage and have their health and pension programs paid for by the company. On top of that we employ 950 seasonal workers to collect the harvest.
These work six months a year (during both the principal harvest and the "traviesa" or "mitaca") and earn a daily wage between two and five times the legal minimum wage, depending in the amount they collect during the day.
Between 80% and 90% of these workers are from the Santa Barbara region. However, every year about a hundred plus come from all over the country to participate in the collection of the harvest. These stay in our newly reconstructed dormitories, which offer workers a free "room and board" well above industry standards. Working long days hand picking coffee in Santa Barbara's steep hills is not an easy task, and we understand the importance of a quality meal and a comfortable accommodation at the end of the day.
Social Responsibility Projects
We have concentrated our social responsibility projects on two key issues: education and individual land ownership.
We work with different primary schools around both estates in order to guarantee that they have the adequate infrastructure and resources to function properly. We also have a strong program to provide financial aid and full scholarships to the sons and daughters of the estate workers that want to get a higher education.
In terms of our land-owning program, we help (with low interest loans or subsidies) our workers that desire to have their own plot of land near our estate or in other parts of the region. We understand that most of the social problems in the large Colombian cities derive from a massive migration of people from rural areas. These migrations are due to different factors, most relating to violent displacement by illegal armed groups or to lack of economic opportunities. By fomenting landownership, and helping out with financial and technical issues, we believe that we can make a huge difference in our region.
The Santa Bárbara Community
Santa Bárbara is a small county in the southwest region of Antioquia. It sits atop one of the ridges in the central mountain range of the Andes. Popularly called "the balcony of beautiful views", visitors are normally awestruck by the astonishing view of the Andean mountain range and the fertile valleys below.
Santa Bárbara has a population of around 20,000, and an economy based primary around the production of coffee and fruits like mango and avocado. Its people are warm and nice folks, and have the discipline and strict working habits common to the region's inhabitants, also called paisas.
It is within this region that our estates are located, deeply integrated not only with its land but also with its history and its community. Colombia is a country that has suffered from chronic violence in the past, violence that most often than not finds its roots in rural poverty. It is with that in mind that we take our social responsibility very seriously.


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|Biosequences .. Software .. Molbio soft .. Network News .. FTP
S L Forsburg wrote: > > Check out the latest Nature (23 May 97 issue). There's a commentary > called "nepotism and sexism in peer review" about a study done in > Sweden on peer review for postdoc fellowships, which suggests > that women candidates must be substantially better than the men to > get an equivalent rating. > > What's sad of course is that Sweden is supposed to be enlightened > about equality between men and women; if they see evidence for > gender bias there, what's it like elsewhere? > I'm right here with you, I'm cross-posting my own alerts about this study in soc.feminism and all the major science groups. I think we should call for an investigation of the NSF right away. I'm very serious about this. Peer review decisions are often life-altering decisions, women are having their entire lives rearranged and deformed by this system. Last week's _Economist_ was wonderful here - they publicized the Swedish study with a full-page article under the title _Shameful_ for which I love them. :-) Let's all call our Senators and Congresswomen and -men and turn up the heat on the NSF to open themselves up to rigorous analysis of bias in peer review. I foresee class action lawsuits here. To work that hard, to sacrifice your life to the research track, and then get screwed by a team of irresponsible and under-accountable "peers" injecting their personal feelings about women into supposedly objective judgments about the allocation of PUBLIC funds.... arrrggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh We need the facts about American peer review now.


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- Chambers USA, Band 2 – Corporate/M&A & Private Equity, Eastern Pennsylvania (2019)
- Chambers USA, Band 3 – Litigation: General Commercial, Eastern Pennsylvania (2019)
- The Legal Intelligencer, Top Bankruptcy/Reorganization Practice, Pennsylvania (2015)
- The Legal Intelligencer, Best Law Firm Corporate Practices, Pennsylvania (2015)
Community Involvement
Since the firm's inception, the Philadelphia office has been dedicated to playing an active role in helping the surrounding community grow and flourish. Lawyers and staff regularly work with education-focused nonprofits and various local cultural and historical institutions.
Some recent community efforts include:
Philadelphia Reads
Philadelphia Reads is an education-focused, nonprofit initiative that recruits reading tutors to provide one-on-one attention to public school children who may need to "catch up and get ahead" on reading skills. The program's goal is to ensure that all children are reading at grade level by the end of third grade. The Philadelphia Reads program was established in 1997 by the Mayor's Office to help kids who were not provided a fair start in life due to poverty and struggling school districts. The "Power Partners" program matches corporations, law firms and other organizations with children from public school classrooms for weekly reading sessions.
Philadelphia Museums
In tribute to Philadelphia's cultural and historical significance, Drinker Biddle supports the efforts of three of the most renowned museums in the city: The Franklin Institute, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the National Constitution Center. The Philadelphia office is proud to have representatives on the various boards for all three of these cultural organizations and to continue to support their community events.
City Year Greater Philadelphia
City Year is an education-focused, nonprofit organization that brings together young AmeriCorps volunteers, ages 18-24, who commit to one year of full-time service at a selected school in a high-poverty community. Drinker Biddle's sponsorship of City Year Greater Philadelphia began in 2004. Our support has helped nearly 100 Corps members provide more than 100,000 hours of direct service to Philadelphia students in need. Many of our lawyers and staff also volunteer their time in support of City Year events annually, such as City Year Days of Service, Holiday Drives for School Supplies and more.
Career Wardrobe
The Women's Leadership Committee leads the Philadelphia office in support of Career Wardrobe, a nonprofit organization that empowers women in their transition to work by providing work attire, educational programs, networking tools and opportunities to help them achieve the next level of gainful employment. Through fundraising events and professional clothing donation drives, we look forward to providing many more years of support to Career Wardrobe in its efforts to help break the cycle of poverty for women.


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neomar GmbH
Development and construction of aquaculture water treatment units for marine land-based recirculating aquaculture systems worldwide. In the last few decades aquaculture developed into an alternative to cover the increasing human demand for fish. In the last decades marine aquaculture (mariculture) has grown at an average of 9% per year. Considering the rising demand for fish and the over-exploitation of global fish stocks, a further growth of mariculture is not in doubt. However, the growth of conventional mariculture systems along the coasts will be limited and the future demand can be only satisfied by new concepts and technologies. For the first time the oceanloop, developed by neomar, allows the inland production of seafish without access to natural seawater. It is an alternative to conventional fish farming in open water aquaculture systems. The specially produced seawater is continuously circulated and recycled. The water loss and the impact on the environment are minimal.
Company details
Find locations served, office locations, manufacturers and our distributors.
- Business Type:
- Manufacturer
- Industry Type:
- Aquaculture
- Market Focus:
- Internationally (various countries)
In terms of consumer protection and freshness the oceanloop technology will set new benchmarks. The fish is only taken from the production on demand, professionally anesthetized and cooled down in less than an hour to a temperature around 0°. Packed in ice, the fish reaches the customer with one-of-a-kind freshness. In doing so, the market value, the product safety and the shelf life at the customer is increased considerably.
Also the induced enrichment of toxins, such as saxi- and ciguatoxins, in marine organisms within food chains, which is developing into a growing problem in many parts of the world, can be safely eliminated. Similarly, the assimilation of environmental poisons, such as heavy metals or dioxins, which lead to problems in natural fish production, as well as open aquaculture systems, can be safely eliminated by the traceability of all operating supplies.
The oceanloop technology stands for an efficient use of natural resources, such as water, electrical and thermal energy and food.
neomar is currently the only company worldwide, which offers the inland production of seafish without access to natural seawater. The oceanloop does not require any seawater to dilute or discharge waste, as it is completely removed by the water treatment.
The oceanloop works, in contrast to many other recirculating aquaculture systems, with almost the same water level and without piping in the components of primary water circulation. By this, pressure losses are minimized in such a way, that energy-efficient flow pumps can be used. Furthermore, a sophisticated component design leads to synergies between the different units of water treatment and improves the overall filter efficiency of the system.
In terms of climate management, forms and amount of energy used in the farm have to be optimized, concerning ecological and economical factors. This has to be done in close cooperation with the customer, because investment strategy as well as site-related factors must be considered.
In particular, the use of renewable energy (such as geothermal or solar heat) and/or waste heat are in the focus of development. Biogas plants, steelworks and landfills can be named as examples here. For the first time, the unique feature of farming seafish wherever you are, enables a successful implementation of these concepts also for marine aquaculture.
In comparison to terrestrial animal husbandry, fish stands out for a very good feed conversion. This underlines the future potential and sustainability of aquaculture.
Furthermore, feed conversion in theoceanloop is as a rule better than in open aquaculture systems, as the environmental conditions can be well controlled.
The concept of flexible basin segmentation by moveable net walls enables modification of the aspired market size at short notice as well as a change to new species. Basin separations can be added, removed or changed in size easily. This is a significant advantage to use market niches or to react on the needs of the customers. Similarly, it is possible to switch a production module to a new target species.
Furthermore, the water treatment technology enables the highest water quality. From a technological point of view, there are almost no limits regarding the biological requirements of different fish species. This corporate flexibility leads to a competitive aquaculture production.