Musings in Search of a Muse

If you've got iTunes, check out my newest iMix of Christian music recorded live, in concert. Great stuff in here, including some recently acquired hot tracks from David Ruis and a very traditional sounding piece from Passion Band.

My first Christian-themed iMix, "Praise Thru Music" was getting a little unwieldily. Essentially it contained all the Inspirational music on my hard drive and then some so I decided to start specializing.

Something that bugs me about iTunes, though, is that tracks not purchased via the service are filtered out when creating an iMix even if they are available. However, in the instance of Audio Adrenaline's "Big House (Live)" as ripped from the Festival Con Dios, Volume One disc that I bought long before I had iTunes being missing from the list, well, only volumes two and three can be downloaded. So sometimes it's a minor gripe.

"Chris? This is your pesty neighbor. You don't have any ice cream, do you?" My wonderful neighbor Betty won't be calling me for ice cream any more. She passed away this morning from complications related to an on-going illness.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away (Revelation 21:4).

Betty M. Bressler, 83, of Mechanicsburg, passed away Friday, September 30, 2005 at the Carolyn Croxton Slane Residence, Harrisburg.

She was born October 28, 1922 in Lykens, to the late William H. and Cora A. Shaffer Forney. She was a member of Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Enola. She was preceded in death by her husband, James S. Bressler. Betty is survived by her sister, Dorothy M. Scheibelhut of Mechanicsburg; and several nieces and nephews.

A funeral service will be held on Monday, October 3, 2005 at 11 a.m., in the Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, 4685 Mt. Zion Drive, Enola, with the Reverend David A. Watkins officiating. A viewing will be held from 10-11 a.m., at the church, on the day of the service. Interment will be in the Calvary United Methodist Cemetery, Wiconisco.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Carolyn Croxton Slane Residence, 1701 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17110 or to her church.

Arrangements are being handled by the Hollinger Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc., 501 N. Baltimore Avenue, Mt. Holly Springs, PA 17065 (www.pennlive.com/obits - Published in the Patriot-News from 10/1/2005 - 10/2/2005).

(Update 10/01/05) Well, I guess I don't need to keep ice cream on hand any more but I did mow her lawn one more time today. A few minutes after that another neigbor who would mow the lawn if I didn't came right over and mowed, too, despite knowing that I had just finished.

"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from a religious conviction." - Blaise Pascal (1623 - 1662)" (The Quotations Page)

Insurgents Kill Nine in Baghdad Market - Yahoo! News: "BAGHDAD - Sunni-led insurgents killed at least nine people with a car bomb in a crowded vegetable market on Friday, the Muslim day of worship, in the second blast against Shiite civilians in as many days, police said. The death toll rose to nearly 100 from the previous day's attacks in another Shiite town.

Elsewhere, in the southern city of Basra, an Iraqi police convoy was ambushed late Thursday, killing four policemen and wounding one, said police Capt. Mushtaq Khazim."

The quote showed up in my e-mail the same day the story hit the news. Quite apropos, isn't it. However, I take exception to the word "insurgents" as used in the article. A true insurgent has a political goal and generally follow the rules of warfare (as silly as that sounds). Those involved in murdering civilians -- particularly children -- in Iraq and other conflict areas are terrorists, pure and simple. Behavior such as theirs does not merit polite titles and kind references.

Honestly, I am surprised that I haven't written more about John Roberts news reports considering how closely I usually follow US Supreme Court news. But a USATODAY article caught my eye.

"John Roberts, a well-regarded legal insider who has said his passion for the law transcends his personal ideology, was sworn in Thursday as the nation's 17th chief justice and the youngest in 204 years."

Perhaps the choice of words developed through second-hand comments or numerous rewrites, but if they did not then I have to ask Is his 'passion for the law' fierce enough to override his moral convictions? Very little has been in the press about said beliefs so I suppose this could be a good thing, but I certainly hope that Mr. Roberts considers the deep moral standards upon which this country and it's laws were founded rather than look at the letter of the law as the final word.

It is the word of Senator Arlen Specter, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, that I will take. Mr. Specter is known as a just and trustworthy man so if he shows his faith in Mr. Roberts then it is good enough for me. The benefit of long tenures in the judiciary is that individuals must plan for the future while acting upon the present. As a former clerk for the late Chief Justice, I'm sure Mr. Roberts understands this fully and will accord himself with this wisdom.

I've also been known to bedew the dishes with disinfectant spray so they don't smell too bad until I can get around to them.

Here's another reason to hit the Next Blog >> button now and then ...

Some blogs are entertaining, some are informative, and some (like the one above or the one below) are enlightening. The world of free-speech publishing is good. Try it yourself at Blogger.

It has occurred to me that I might have collected more than my fair share of cartoons about Evolution and Intelligent Design (ID). But here's another ...

It is beginning to dawn on me that my penchant for cartoons in this vein is an indication of how seriously I take the current debate, i.e., not very. Another clue is that I have increasingly difficulty writing on the topic in any style other than bullet-point. Without seeing any sort of actual reason in the debate I am not sure that I can sort my thoughts with reason. So on with the bullets. Er, points. Bullet-points. The focus in part will be on the Dover Area School District which is currently in federal court having it's decision to teach ID challenged.

• The statement read to Dover students states in part, "Because Darwin's theory is a theory, it continues to be tested as new evidence is discovered." A critic of ID, Brown University biologist Kenneth Miller, said the words are "tremendously damaging," falsely undermining the scientific status of evolution. "What that tells students is that science can't be relied upon and certainly is not the kind of profession you want to go into," he said. (citation).
• Yes, Darwin's theory is a theory. That didn't need repeating. And theories are tested by scientists. Perhaps Dr. Miller forgot Science 101 or even 8^th grade science. These tests are usually done when new evidence is discovered. You might even say that this process helps the investigated topic evolve. Now how does that statement damage the Theory of Evolution (hereafter abbreviated ToE)? I hope this is simply a case of poor articulation.
• In all that I've read about Intelligent Design, there has been no testing as there can be no testing. So is it a science at all? Darwin's idea, in it's purest form, makes remarks about a creator - though the title Origin of the Species can lead one to think it does - where as ID is all about a creator.
  
• Attention ID proponents: You aren't fooling anyone by saying the 'theory' could refer to an advanced extraterrestrial or extrasolar species, especially when you carry your Bibles into the courtroom.
• Is ID even a theory?
• Let's examine a couple definitions
• theory noun (pl. theories) ¹ a supposition or a system of ideas intended to explain something, especially one based on general principles independent of the thing to be explained. ² an idea accounting for or justifying something. ³ a set of principles on which an activity is based (source).
  
• hypothesis noun (pl. hypotheses /hipothiseez/) ¹ a supposition made on the basis of limited evidence as a starting point for further investigation. ² Philosophy a proposition made as a basis for reasoning (source).
• No, I'd say that based on these definitions, that ID is simply a hypothesis, particularly considering the terms 'limited evidence' and 'philosophy' present.
• ToE is a hard science as it deals with quantifiable data within the larger scope of the hard science of biology.
  
• This is where my latest round of thoughts has been leading: I don't believe that Intelligent Design can be taught as a hard science, but rather should be relegated to the social sciences with other cultural concepts of origin.
• Consider: Can we teach the Mayan origin story as a hard science?

There were four gods in heaven and each of them sat on his chair, observing the world below. Then the yellow lord suggested that they make a man to enjoy the earth and offer praise to the gods. The other three agreed.

So the yellow god took a lump of yellow clay and made a man from it. But his creation was weak; it dissolved in water and could not stand upright.

Then the red god suggested that they make a man out of wood, and the others agreed. So the red god took a branch from a tree and carved it into a human shape. When they tested it in water, it floated; it stood upright without any problem whatsoever. However, when they tested it with fire, it burned.

The four lords decided to try again. This time the black god suggested making a man out of gold. The gold man was beautiful and shone like the sun. He survived the tests of fire and water, looking even more handsome after these tests. However, the gold man was cold to the touch; he was unable to speak, feel, move, or worship the gods. But they left him on earth anyway.

The fourth god, the colorless lord, decided to make humans out of his own flesh. He cut the fingers off his left hand and they jumped and fell to earth. The four gods could hardly see what the men of flesh looked like as they were so far away. From the seat of the four lords, they looked like busy little ants.

But the men of flesh worshipped the gods and made offerings to them. They filled the hearts of the four lords with joy. One day the men of flesh found the man of gold. When they touched him, he was as cold as a stone. When they spoke to him, he was silent. But the kindness of the men of flesh warmed the heart of the man of gold and he came to life, offering praise to the gods for the kindness of the men of flesh.

The word of praise from the previously silent creature woke the four gods from their sleep and they looked down on earth in delight. They called the man of gold "rich" and the men of flesh "poor," ordaining that the rich should look after the poor. The rich man will be judged at his death on the basis of how he cared for the poor. From that day onward, no rich man can enter heaven unless he is brought there by a poor man (citation).

• No, there is no quantifiable data.
• Well, if it was hard science, then why has it been kept out of the biology classroom and left to be glossed over in Social Studies or History texts?
• When I was student teaching 7^th grade Social Studies I taught many origin stories but wasn't allowed to show more than a few minutes of The Ten Commandments (1956) on video when teaching Middle Eastern history because of the potential religious uproar.
• What makes Christianity different from other religions in the eyes of agnostics and atheists? Would raise the same ruckus if Mayan origin 'theories' were proposed in Biology class?
• How about other origin stories? Answer this question yourself by Googling the term Origin Myths. Yes, anthropologists call all origin stories myths. Just don't say that in front of the wrong Christian because though the term is correct in the strictest sense, it carries certain preconceptions. Wouldn't want to offend anyone.
  
• My thoughts circle back around to a singular 'origin,' so to speak.
• It is entirely reasonable to suppose that Our Lord (or yours, depending on the mythology you follow) is capable of using ToE as part of His Creation, thus making it an implement in the Intelligent Designer's tool box.
• At the risk of violating the 5^th Commandment, I like to think that God, with whom I have a personal relationship as any devoted Christian does, would likely do this.

In my vision, there's a theory and a hypothesis co-existing peacefully. And it is a frequent prayer of mine that both sides can work beyond the rhetoric and the personal blindness that each is demonstrating to find a position that would best let all peoples develop and grow.

For your consideration:

• Dr. Miller's own home page
• Dr. Miller's book - Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground Between God and Evolution
• Darwin's book - The Origin of the Species (I dare you to read it - online!)
• NOVA Online
• Discovery Institute
• Ken Miller's Evolution Page
• TechNews World
• Slate - "Darwin's Sanitized Idea"

I never could get into video games, even with such great systems as the Atari 2600, Atari 5200 (or something like that) and the Fairchild (the model of which I can't recall but it had a fantastic controller). These days games are hyper-realistic and hyper-expensive. And from what I hear they are hyper-difficult, too, for folks like me that have trouble with "Okay, left foot ... now right foot ... then left foot ... " or fear walking down a staircase. There's no way I'm going to remember "Jog dial left, Button A, Button B, jog jog jog, Button A (twice)" just to do the same thing. Maybe I'm getting old.

And of everyone I've ever met that owns one of these itty-bitty Sony PSP game players has done one thing right off the bat ... shown me how it plays movies. It looked sharp, it sounded okay, and certainly seemed handy, but the screen was tiny and you have to buy the movies (no Netflix). Oh! I hear it plays games.

Old fogey thinking abounds: My employer holds a regular drawing for a Sony Playstation2 machine and my recurring thought is "I wonder if Circuit City will take it for an in-store credit?" should I win the silly thing. Not coincidently, everyone to whom I've mentioned this thought replied "You know, it plays DVD movies, too!" Yup, must be some great gaming machine.

What I miss are board games, but living alone it's a little tough to play them. Sure, I have Monopoly and Scrabble for my computer and from a box of cereal I got a CD-ROM with Bicycle Card Games, but it isn't the same. If it weren't for Spider Solitare and Nu Jongg (a Widget game) I probably wouldn't play games at all.

Of late I haven't even touched that nifty computer-based chess game I wrote about recently, Pawn. Little time passed before I realized I don't like the beginning of the game, but throw me in at mid- or end-game and I'll have some fun.

Put me in an arcade with a pocket full of quarters -- or better yet, in a room with pinball machines -- and I have more fun than sitting in front of a TV or my computer. Maybe that's what I need to do this week. Hit an arcade. Too bad I know of but one in a 30 mile radius.

Click here to read the CNET story about the game picture at top.

No, I don't believe it. Actor Don Adams passed away today. He's one of those actors that just seemed so timeless, whether he was seen in his signature role as secret agent Maxwell Smart in TV's Get Smart or heard as the incomparable Tennessee Tuxedo from 'toon fame. Younger folk than I will recall him giving life to another personna from Toontown, Inspector Gadget.

So long, Mr. Adams. See you in reruns.

Also see:

• AP News
• Photos from IMDB
• Bio @ The Unofficial Get Smart Page
• Wikipedia article
• Tennessee Tuxedo Lyrics

Raised by a Navy man and a patriot then immersing myself in Colonial and Revolutionary History, it is easy for me to recognize the following as a standard for what America is all about.

Soldier who saved POWs to receive medal

By Emily Bazar, USA TODAY Thu Sep 22, 6:55 AM ET

Tibor Rubin was 14 when his family was rounded up by the Germans during World War II. His mother and a little sister were killed in Auschwitz, his father in Buchenwald.

Rubin survived Mauthausen, and when Americans liberated the camp in May 1945, he took a vow.

"It was like angels coming," he said. "That's why I promised, 'If I go to the United States one day, I'm going to join the Army and try to pay back that beautiful country.'"

Rubin followed through. He joined the Army, fought in Korea and spent 30 months as a prisoner of war.

Friday, President Bush will award Rubin, whom he has called 'one of the greatest Jewish soldiers America has ever known,' the Medal of Honor.

Rubin is credited with saving as many as 40 American lives in POW camps run by North Korean and Chinese captors, U.S. Army spokeswoman Maj. Elizabeth Robbins said. At the camps, he nursed the sick and raised morale, she said.

He also stole food for his fellow soldiers, hopping fences and crawling on his belly for handfuls of barley and bunches of turnips.

"What else could I do?" asked Rubin, now 76 and living in Garden Grove, Calif. "They (American soldiers) were weak and dead and dying. I was taking care of them like a mother."

It has taken more than five decades for Rubin's heroics to be recognized by his adopted country, partly because one of his superiors didn't want the Medal of Honor - the nation's highest award for valor - awarded to a Jew, Robbins said.

"He answered the call of duty in gratitude to the nation that rescued him," Robbins said. But "within his company, the first sergeant was not amenable to a Jewish soldier receiving the Medal of Honor."

For your consideration:

• Story from Yahoo! News
• Picture from Yahoo! News
• "Meet Tibor Ruben" from the Mudville Gazette
• Official page from the US Army
• Jewish Heroes in America
• Listen to the NPR story by Michele Norris
• Another take from USA TODAY
  

Leaving the hospital today after trying to visit someone who snuck out a few days earlier I followed a car used by a clergyman and had a licence plate that read John 8:12 - "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." What a nice way to perk up the day.

Yes, there are still people out there who don't know what blogging is or, if they do know, what the basics are. Long-time tech journalist John Dvorak comes to the rescue with a primer posted at his site. With this in mind I'm getting closer to turning on the Comments feature of this blog. Among the thoughts holding up the change is I'm just a bit afraid to find out how few people really read this publication.

But what the heck! Let's do it! Just keep your comments clean or they will be deleted. Further guidelines for comment posting will be added soon.

SKU: 1674L

Product: "Masonic Walking Cane - 42"""

Description / Options: " Handcrafted from your choice of Ash. Protected with polyurethane to assure continued years of enjoyment. Rich in Masonic allegory. (The two hand-carved balls represent ""Tubal Cain,"" King Solomon's Metalmizer). This item is a collector's masterpiece, teaching aid, conversation item as well as a functional cane. Individually hand-crafted, no two canes are alike."

In the movie Lord of War, take note of the cane that dictator Andre Baptiste, Sr. carries. It looks rather like a cane sold by Klitzner for use by Freemasons. I doubt that it is one, but the resemblance is remarkable. The one in the movie has one transparent, amber-colored sphere in the center while these canes have two wooden spheres. I haven't looked for a similar cane anywhere else, but I might have to do so. I'm not aware of any Freemasons in Liberia and if there were then a dictator certainly wouldn't be allowed to be a member. Uprightness of character is highly valued in the Masonic community.

I'm adding to the Widgets! This is a cool one: "Scriptures" by J. Rick Adams, M.D "is a Widget that allows you to access The Bible via the Bible Gateway web site." By default it pops up a scripture of the day but it can be used to search the Bible, too. So far it isn't as simple or as useful for me as looking in a Bible or using the source Website directly. One feature that is helpful, though is that several translations can be viewed at the same time. It probably won't stay on my desktop like the to-do list does, but it will get its due screen time.

Not since Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ have I seen a more deeply profound and disturbing movie as Lord of War, though the latter doesn't have a happy ending. What kept me from breaking down during this movie like I did during The Passion, I don't know. The violence was less graphic but no less disturbing but the immediate social impact is several magnitudes stronger.

It may be the "#1 Action Movie in America" but it is far from being entertainment. Nominally, it is the story of Yuri Orlov (a composite real people and portrayed by Nicholas Cage), an international arms dealer, and the affect that his occupation has on his life and family. The only 'action' in the film involves crimes against humanity as Orlov's weapons are brutally used to senselessly murder innocents and the impoverished. That is what the film is really about -- man's inhumanity to man as one of the Four Horsemen prepares for the Apocalypse.

The tone of the movie is set by the titlecard sequence. At the risk of spoiling the movie for some, this is what happens: The audience experiences the lifecycle of a bullet from the munition's point of view. This clever sequence (eagerly anticipated by someone I work with) educates as it proceeds to it's logical conclusion, but said end happens in the skull of a young boy in a nameless village somewhere in Africa. It is bloody, messy, and the first of many upsets. For me, the shock was enhanced by some exceptionally immature 20-somethings that were sitting behind me and cheering!

It is a mindset like this that permits such atrocities to happen. And that is why part of me wishes that viewing this movie be a requirement for all citizens with a discussion to follow. No, that is not very democratic or politically correct, but the film has many important lessons to teach, not the least of which is while there may or may not be such a thing as a just war, inhumanity is at the core of every war and, indeed, is the basis of most behaviors in wars.

Interestingly enough, as I write this post, Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast" is playing through iTunes and the opening monologue seems scarily appropriate:

The Beast is always near and, intended or not, Lord of War shows us his wrath is immutably foul and cruel. By not loving our fellow children of God with the same love that Jesus demonstrated by giving his life on the cross we invite the Beast to tear and shred at the God-shaped hole in our hearts until it fits his ends. Then he has won the most important war there is: The war for a soul.

Some characters in the film realize this, perhaps too late in some instances and perhaps without the religious overtones, but nonetheless the message that the insanity is evil and must stop is clear. Anyone who leaves a screening of this movie without this conclusion must have not paid much attention.

Other conclusions and impressions that the viewer might leave with include the abject poverty that exists in West Africa courtesy of the wars ignored or even fueled by other nations; corruption is an evil that can happen in the most unexpected of places and sometimes with deliberation; a man (or woman) of conscience that does nothing to thwart evil is no better than those without conscience; sacrifice for the greater good can be painful, difficult, and ultimately deadly but is well worth the price even if it fails.

Something I read at the IMDB foreshadowed the film's impact and made certain scenes all the more disturbing:

According to Andrew Niccol, the filmmakers worked with actual gunrunners in the making of the film. The tanks lined up for sale were owned by a gunrunner who had to have them back to sell to another country. They used a real stockpile of over 3,000 AK-47s because it was cheaper than getting prop guns. The gunrunners were more cooperative and efficient than the studio or the crew.

The "footnotes" before the closing credits are of a similar vein, but I wish they had added the paragraph above. It, more than most anything in the film from start to end, brings home the tragedy of the real story behind the movie. Considering the elements in whole I still might find myself breaking down. I'll finish with my prayers first.

Thanks go to Robert Burns for the inspiring phrase from "Man was made to Mourn: A Dirge."

Gotta love Widgets! One of the things that I was looking forward to having when I finally bought a Macintosh was their Widgets feature. These are mini-apps sit on your desktop and perform various functions like the calendar, clock, weather station, and to-do list shown in the pic at right (damsel not included). I started with them via Yahoo! when they were recommended on the TWIT podcast.

Apparently they own Konfabulator, the company that invented them. The list of Widgets available seems nearly limitless and range from the silly (a werewolf monitor) to the valuable (electronic sticky notes) to the merely handy (Wi-Fi signal strength monitor). Many of the functions that the widgets do for me were once done by the sidebar of Google's Desktop Search. It's gone now as I seldom used the program's main function and the widgets are much, much cooler.

As mentioned, I learned about this from TWIT - This Week in Tech - the podcast by Leo Laporte and a few of his ultra-geek friends that even a geek-in-decline such as I can enjoy. It's become a regular staple of my podcast playlist. I listened to a few minutes once or twice, but I didn't give it a serious whirl until Mike Norton of the GiT -- God in Tech -- podcast recommended it. I may not understand all of it, but it is amusing at times and I learn new things in almost every show. For example, did you know that you can hack an elevator? Yup, you can.

Right now (i.e., as I write this while listening to some podcasts), Mike is recommending in GiT Episode 1o that techie folks should check out Digg. It's one of the geekier sites I've seen. I'm not surprised as it is run by one of the regulars Laporte's podcast. This is why I sometimes wonder why I have a television. I like exploring and learning and having a generally good time with this stuff.

Go to 100 Most Often Misspelled Words from yourDictionary.com right now. Come back when you are done bookmarking it, but go now.

"I have more Longaberger baskets that a straight, single man should have."

That's how I described to a co-worker how many of those rather expensive tchochkes I've acquired. Thinking about it later, though, I wondered the statement would offend someone. After all, a stereotype is involved and that often means trouble. Just because I don't know any other heterosexual men that own baskets of that brand doesn't mean there are not some.

So at what point does a stereotype go from being a potentially handy thing to be aware of to being offensive? That's an answer that I just don't have so the working premise that I adopt is "if it might offend, don't say it but be ready to apologize for anything." Probably not the safest outlook, but it will do for now.

But the statement was clear and succinctly illustrative, wasn't it? Thus the power of stereotypes will ensure that they will forever exist. It is up to us to either co-exist or remove the need.

Just the other day I came across a slip of paper on which I wrote "She's as shallow as a cookie sheet." Every now and then I manage to write something I feel is clever and that was of my better achievements. Simile isn't hard, really. But I don't normally think that way.

Then the thought struck me - Why did I write "she" as the object of the preposition? That's rather sexist! Within that same chastisement, though, I found myself wondering if a man or a woman would be more likely to utter such a denigration? After all, a cookie sheet is something we traditionally associate with women in the kitchen.

Today that was all moot because it struck me that society in general has about the same depth of most bakeware. Consider the following:


Who really cares if her breasts are natural or not. Certainly they are beautiful (from what I've seen -- and who hasn't), but is that really a pressing issue? Just today we've got gridlock in Texas as people evacuate before Hurricane Rita hits; terrorism is alive and well in Pakistan; and the Vatican is on the verge of banning gay men from the priesthood. And yet we worry about the presence of silicone.

Of course, then there's the advert for The Apprentice, probably the height of quality tele in America -- not! Don't think I believe that thoughts of elitism tease me. One of my favorite shows on the tube is far from high art or drama: MythBusters, where grown-ups take inordinate pleasure in blowing up things even if it has no bearing on the myth they are trying to bust. And any reader of the this blog knows that I find nothing wrong with women's breasts. My point is that there are larger issues for us to consider.

For example, that story from the Vatican. If I properly recall, the Bible says homosexual activity is a sure ticket to the netherworld. Romans 1:26-27 tells us

²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

So why was the Vatican letting gay men into the brotherhood in the first place? That would be like letting an arsonist work at the Zippo factory. There shouldn't have been any such allowance in the first place. In my opinion. Others will readily take the node to my anode. Debating important issues was once the mainstay of encouraging our nation's growth yet we increasingly allow shallow discourse to steer our social course.

For that reason I'm debating opening this blog to comments. Hmm ... not sure yet as a sliver of an elite streak does taint my vanity. I rather like having my own forum. And it is silicone free, if you were wondering.

In several previous posts you've read my rants about the F-word and its inappropriate over-use in today's society. Other than that nitpick, I rather of like the word. The power it has to hurt, stimulate, offend, and express is tremendous.

Very, very seldom is it a word I use, however. There aren't many situations where I find it useful. Without it I can still get my point across, though perhaps with less vigor than the listener might require, but quite a few more talented individuals have managed to find impressive ways to employ the word than I could.

The master, of course, is comedian and curmudgeon George Carlin. His infamous 1973 monologue "Filthy Words" is still the penultimate treatise on the use of the F-word in everyday life. The work was so good that when it was aired on WBAI-FM radio it led to a landmark court ruling via FCC v. Pacifica Foundation 438 U.S. 726 (1978). If it hadn't had been riddled with truth it probably wouldn't have made a ripple in the legal pond.

More than a few years ago, one of my brothers sent a .WAV file to me that does much the same thing as Carlin's routine, but with a twist. Against a background track of Vivaldi's "Spring," a deeply baritone voice gives a brief etymology then executes an extensive grammar lesson with examples. Then it winds up (in part) with "Use this unique, flexible word more often in your daily speech. It will identify the quality of your character immediately." Absolutely hilarious and it gets the point across that the word can be over used ... or properly used. I guess that depends on your point of view.

Then comes Eric Idle and his date in court. Apparently he was fined for using the F-word on a radio broadcast. His retaliation for the $5000 fine? Why it's "The FFC Song" and its 14 sometimes-cleverly placed uses of the word. This witty ditty from 2004 is a left-wing slap at some deserving right-wing targets and some not-so-deserving ones, too. This Brit ex-pat is now a Californian, so go figure. But it effectively reminds us that there are worse evils -- such as hypocrisy -- on this planet.

Still, it is a "gateway" word and its use could lead to more harsh, addictive language so best to avoid it, I'd say. Oh! Wait! It is at the top of the heap! The 'crack' of cuss words. Okay, go ahead and use it, but do so with the proper safety precautions and consideration for others.

Every now and then I manage to work into a conversation that women may appear topless in public anywhere in New York State. Why I do this, I don't know and I'd rather not explore that mindset right now. But seldom does anyone believe me. Now, I have proof!

Women take off tops to take on nudity law
Associated Press Sept. 19, 2005 02:10 PM
MORAVIA, N.Y. - Four women arrested in this Finger Lakes village after going topless on a downtown street last month say they didn't break any laws and want the charges against them dropped.

The women, each charged with exposure, are to appear Tuesday night in village court. If convicted of the violation they each face 15 days in jail and/or a $250 fine.

Charles Marangola, the attorney representing the women, said he's filed a motion to dismiss the case, maintaining that a 1992 state Court of Appeals decision allows women to go topless anywhere a man can.

"This thing should be dismissed outright," he said. "But if it isn't and these young ladies are found guilty at a trial ... if we have to go to the Court of Appeals, we will."

But Cayuga County Assistant District Attorney Charles Thomas said his office isn't convinced that the 1992 ruling gives blanket permission for women to go topless. Thomas said that in addition to the nudity violation, he'll argue that the women interfered with commerce.

The four women - Carol Clarke, 54, and Barbara Crumb, 61, both of Branchport; Claudia Kellersch, 40, of La Jolla, Calif.; and Madeleine McPherson, 40, of Rochester - were arrested Aug. 11 outside a grocery store in this village of 1,600 just south of Owasco Lake, 40 miles southwest of Syracuse.

Information from: The Syracuse Post-Standard: http://www.syracuse.com

Yup, I feel vindicated. Now I have to find that news story that enlightened me to the right to be completely nude in public in San Francisco as long as a public disturbance is not caused. I may know everything but I can't remember it all at once.

Every now and then I think about what makes a face beautiful. That was one of the topics we talked about at work today and we quickly turned to the idea of the Golden Ratio, also known as the Divine Proportion, as a measure.

"Standards of beauty may be related to natural mathematical proportions which have captivated humans across cultures since the beginning of time, such as the golden ratio (approximately 1.618:1). Some beautiful faces do seem to exhibit such geometric proportions" (citation).

Beauty quantified. Novelty, spontaneity, and atmosphere stripped away. Now plastic surgeons plot attractive stimuli to the millimeter by cold mathematics Thus beauty escapes the subjective by metamorphosiing through the chrysalis of science. Mores the pity. Until one considers the perfect proportion through the eyes of great artists and their works.

One of the most famous examples of this is the Mona Lisa. This work, aside from containing many elements that raise questions about its origins and the artist's intentions, is nearly every high school student's introduction to basic principles such as forced perspective, light, and history. What many never learn is that it is that "the Length and the width of the paint itself is already in Golden Ratio. A Golden Rectangle also can be drawn around Mona's face" (citation). Da Vinci wasn't a Master for nothing. I could post many examples as technically correct as the Mona Lisa, but could any be as inherently beautiful?

The answer "no" reinvigorates the subjective arguments. Many people are enamored of newborns but the casual stranger will as often as not see such a child and inwardly think thank goodness that's not my kid!

At this point I am tempted to look into factors that form the subjective but I'll leave that to your imagination for now and maybe come back to it in another post. Instead, I would like to ruminate on the beauty I see in actress Piper Perabo, pictured at left. Likely there are factors such as youth, fame, style, and a number of other intangibles that would take up a few essays on their own. But look closely at the photo (click on it to enlarge it but come back to keep reading).

Do you see how expressive she is? That is a primary subjective factor to beauty that I prize well and above many commonly held preferences or those that can me measured mathematically. Emoting and expressing has to be natural to be a part of beauty as the aphorism "you're beautiful when you are angry" reminds us. This tells me that there is a real, feeling person inside that package. When I wrote on this topic recently, the post featured pictures of actress Anne Hathaway and one of the things I mentioned is that she had the same, fixed smile in each photo that I found in my research. Pleasant, of course, but invariably without heart and uninviting. Expression without intent is not very satisfying, at least not for very long.

Perhaps it is true that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" and can't be successfully made, marketed, hyped, tweaked, or otherwise packaged. Now that's beautiful, isn't it?

Other links:

• Geometry of the Parabola
• In Search of Symmetry from AsianWeek.com
• The Golden Rectangle and the Golden Ratio
• The Golden Ratio in Architecture
• The Golden Ratio in Nature
• PDF file - Application of the Golden Ratio to 3D Face Models (in surgery)

Non-

Athletic

Sport

Centered

Around

Rednecks

According to Jeff Foxworthy, you Might Be A NASCAR Redneck If. . . . . .

• You think the last four words of the National Anthem are "Gentleman start your engines!"....
• You think heaven looks a lot like Daytona Beach, Florida....
• You've ever written Richard Petty's name on a presidential ballot....
• You're not actually able to read The Richard Petty Story, but you sure do like to look at the pictures....
• You have the word NASCAR in your wedding vows....
• You go to a stock car race and don't need a program....
• You have a lifesize cutout of Dale Earnhardt in your Living Room....
• You know who is actually leading the Winston Cup series....
• Your favorite NASCAR souvenir was a direct result of a crash in turn three....
• You spell out NASCAR in Christmas lights....
• You can remember the entire NASCAR series schedule but can't remember your wifes birthday, kids birthday, or anniversary....
• You can remember every NASCAR driver and their car number but can't remember how old your children are....
• You think the most effective form of advertising is on the side of a car going 200 mph.....round and round and round....
• The word "Bank" makes you think of turn three at Daytona....
• Your wife's nickname is "Lugnut"....
• You've spent more time on the top of a Winnebago than in one....
• You know the "Back way" to Talledega....
• You can change a tire faster than you can change a diaper....
• You hit the wall when Earnhardt hits the wall....
• You make engine noises while watching racing on TV....

I guess people at work forgot it was National Talk Like a Pirate Day and it was NASCAR all around. Something tells me I live far too close to the Mason-Dixon line -- about 70 miles, actually.

I am proud to admit that I am one of the few, the proud, the 40-something Lego builder. Okay, there are more than a few adults that enjoy this toy. Google the phrase Lego builder clubs and you'll see what I mean. I even keep a couple small sets - X-Pods - at work. I don't have any of the newer series (one pictured at right) but I'll probably pick them up when I do my Christmas shopping.

Lego bricks are not only entertaining, but they stimulate thinking and creativity. One of the reasons that I'm a spatial thinker today is that I started with this toy some 30+ years ago. Studies (and I haven't looked at any lately) have shown that exposure to building toys during early periods of cognitive development is quite beneficial. Maybe that is why I can fairly well visualize form and process relationships. So thank goodness my friend's children are now old enough to have Lego bricks. Now I can help them develop cognitively and have some fun playing with even more toys when I visit.

Recently I splurged and picked up Set 4888, "Ocean Odyssey." I fought and hesitated and procrastinated buying this. The money isn't really in the budget and my Star Wars Lego models have just been sitting around feeling ignored. But this looked so cool! And all the models shown in the picture at left can be built at once. Not bad for thirty bucks. Yes, and I have a thing for yellow. It has been a little bit of a depressing experience, however, as I keep coming across a clever bit of engineering now and then that I probably never would have thought up on my own. Still, it's been fun and I look forward to working through all of the models that have building instructions so I can get to my own creations.

Most of my building has focused on space exploration as a theme so it's time I broke out of that mold. I have a couple other non-space sets and lately the idea of putting together a town with a train and seaport -- and leaving it up -- has floated around my mind. Here's the start on the seaport part: Set 7045, "Hovercraft Hideout." It was sitting in the closet of my spare room when I went to put away the Star Wars sets so I could have room for the new set. Not sure when I bought it, but I remember having fun with it. Next three day weekend I'm getting them all out. Who needs to clean and do laundry?

According to the IMDB Biography for C. Aubrey Smith, "He played military officers, successful business men, ministers of the cloth and ministers of government. With the bushy eyebrows and stoic face, he played men who know about honour, tradition, and the correct path." Of such roles, the most typical was that of General Burroughs (ret.) in The Four Feathers (1939) wherein he was at his peak, in my opinion. Despite playing essentially the same character in nearly every film he still managed to bring a fresh performance and was always a delight to watch. With Wilfred Hyde White, Smith has to be one of best of the quintessentially British exports to Hollywood.

Proof is in the spoof as it is easy to tell that Smith "was the inspiration for the Commander McBragg character on the Tennesse Tuxedo and His Tales (1963) cartoon TV show (citation). Clearly he was, as movie critic and historian Leonard Maltin described, "Hollywood's idea of the archetypal English aristocrat" (Leonard Maltin's Movie Encyclopedia (1994)).

Some other movies which Smith's talents improved in include -- though aren't limited to -- are Tarzan, The Ape Man (1932), The Lives of a Bengal Lancer (1935), and Rebecca (1940), all of which you can find in his IMDB profile. Better yet, go rent them as they are excellent movies.

Not one to believe in coincidence of late, I still find it very interesting that I should have recently come across two rather good songs of faith about Dismas, the Good Thief.

³⁵ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God."
³⁶ The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, ³⁷ and saying, "If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself."
³⁸ And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹ Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, "If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us."
⁴⁰ But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? ⁴¹ And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong." ⁴² Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom."
⁴³ And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Gospel of Luke23:35-43)

One song, "Never Look Away" by KJ-52 should have been reviewed for it's musical characteristics in a post yesterday but I picked it up after the fact. It is a Rap song that takes the point of view of Dismas while he's on the cross and emphasizes his joy at redemption despite the sorrow of the event and his physical suffering. The song is tastefully though powerfully done with a slow, wrenching rhythm that kicks in after a Pop-style opening and a personal approach to the lyrics that creates the impression of a dialogue. With each listening I come closer and closer to breaking down in tears. Not sure if I should reflect upon why this is so I'll just be grateful for the moderation brought by the Pop-style chorus and back-up vocals. KJ's fervent performance is that good.

Reviewers at Amazon seem to feel the same way about Third Day's "Thief" from their self-titled album. One reviewer felt "torn up" and I can understand why as the story is filled out more graphically than in "Never Look Away" despite also treating the lyrics as a dialogue in the first person. Raw rhythm isn't used to build the power in this piece, but rather a contemplative approach is taken as more of the story is told. Third Day takes us into Dismas's thought processes as he take the measure of Jesus throughout the day. When I get past the impression that this is a song out of a Broadway production -- the melody, the vocal arrangement, etc., make me picture a Godspell-like experience -- I find the piece rather moving, though not as deeply as others do.

Additional Links:

• Dismas at Wikipedia
• Third Day on the Web
• KJ-52 on the Web
• Dismas the Catholic Saint
• Sculpture of Dismas (photo)
• St. Dismas medal at CatholicStore.com

One of the more interesting tasks that I have in my job as a Customer Service rep at the nation's largest wireless provider is to help people understand their bills. No, it is not ordinarily interesting, but once in a while I have to explain to a mom or dad how their little darlin' is downloading ringtones like "Milkshake," "Pump It," "Baby Got Back," or other sexually charged tunes.

Based on recent news, it looks like my job will soon become even more interesting

The cell phone, which already plays music, sends and receives e-mail and takes pictures, is adding a steamier offering: pornography.

With the advent of advanced cellular networks that deliver full-motion video from the Internet--and the latest wave of phones featuring larger screens with bright color--the pornography industry is eyeing the cell phone, like the videocassette recorder before it, as a lucrative new vehicle for distribution.

In recent months, that prospect has produced a cadre of entrepreneurs in the United States hoping to follow the lead of counterparts in Europe, where consumers already spend tens of millions of dollars a year on phone-based pornography.

For the carriers, it is a tricky proposition. Offering pornography would stir a tempest over indecency and possible pressure from regulators or Congress. But conceding the field to third parties would leave millions of dollars on the table.

At present, sales of pornography over mobile phones in this country amount to virtually nothing. But cell phone commerce is on the rise, with sales of ring tones alone expected to reach $453 million this year, according to the Yankee Group, a research firm. The company estimates that by 2009, sales of pornography for phones will hit $196 million, still meager compared with a projected $1.2 billion for ring tones. (citation)

Yup, quite a few pictures of scantily clad women are already available and that's fun to explain, too. But throw nudity into the mix ...

If any of the carriers are smart they will work in some sort of parental control. It's needed now to prevent the cherubs from using services the 'rents don't want them to have. Texting can be blocked, but doing the same with Internet is trickier, and keeping the little ones from other means of purchases are virtually non-existent.

Then there is the issue of morality. I don't want to judge others and the Bible tells us that it is not right to do so -- though Christians are given the right to judge other Christians -- but I am concerned about the spread of pornography and the ramifications this holds for the continued decay of our social fabric. Psychologists will tell you that continued exposure to a stimulus decreases one's sensitivity to it. Actually, the Romans could have told you this. One of the reasons gladitorial games were held is to blunt the impact of violence on the public psyche so war would be more tolerable. It also decreased empathy towards non-Romans or others with differing views. Continued exposure to pornography will make it seem less offensive and thus more acceptable.

Still don't believe? Talk to anyone that was in grade 6 or higher in the late 90s about how incessantly frequent news reports about Monica Lewinski's activities with our then-president affected their perception of certain activities. I know as I was teaching during that time and most students that I worked with said "Well, if the President says it isn't sex ... ." It was interesting to see the change in the relationship paradigm that students had negotiated. Open talk about sex increased, skimpier outfits for girls showed up more often, and there was a lot more casual touching. I guess some sensitivity increased, but not what I would have liked. Now imagine what greater access to porn will change.

Yesterday I downloaded some Hip-Hop/Rap tracks. Shocked? "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy" (Hamlet: Act 1, Scene V).

It's not like I didn't have any before then. The picture (which for some strange reason isn't loading, but I'll fix it) shows that hitherto now I had nine tracks.

Okay, my vocabulary is a clear indicator that I'm not a regular patron of the genre. About 50% of the collection (typified in "Wild Wild West" by Will Smith) until yesterday was far from the hardcore that you may hear shaking the environment when certain cars pass near by. The other 50% (typified in "What It's Like" by Everlast) are comparatively more hardcore, but if you've read any of my posts on these tracks you'll recall that they are like modern Aesop's Fables: they leave a moral to think about. The newest tracks are also about morals though lack the coarse language and gritty situations that characterize the second group.

These tracks from KJ-52 are better than the usual Hip-Hop/Rap I hear other people playing. The lyrics are more developed and fairly more clever than ordinary Rap I'm used to hearing, but certainly on par with Eminem. The real appeal is the Christian-themed topics. "Are U Real?" is another of the many "I'm struggling with something and I need help" songs in circulation but relates how finding God makes things better. Some nice Rock breaks are tossed in for variety and to compliment a nice drum line. A non-Rap chorus also makes this tune more mainstream.

More true to Rap style is "Champion." Anyone familiar with the genre knows that Rap battles are popular and this track imagines such a confrontation between Jesus, Satan, and the latter's Homies. These lyrics are tight, rich, and bring the Bible to life in a new way. Of all the tracks this is the one that gets me bobbing my head and moving my body. It's infectious enough to listen to over and over. I listened to samples from the rest of the album, Beatmart Recordings - Best of the Submissions (DJ Morphiziz Mixtape), and I was disappointed. One other track caught my attention but not strongly enough to download it.

"God" is a rip-off. Okay, that doesn't sound right. The track is a cover of Rebecca St. James's song of the same name and features the impressive chorus from her track in the choruses. It's not exactly a remix but it would you remind me of one. Overall it's a good track despite sampling flaws and uneven mixing levels.

Fourth and last for now is "Right Here" with its almost Country-like choruses playing leapfrog with the Rap-style dialogue lyrics. Nicely backed up with guitar work common to most Alternative recordings (and very reminiscent of the Jeremy Camp original), this song is a real blend of styles. That appealed to me along with the message that the "speaker" recounts time's he has relied on the Lord and will continue to do so. Songs like this put the 'praise' in Praise & Worship music. Nicely done, KJ.

My original intent of this post was to compare this music to a track that I've been keeping my eye on for the past few months. Trick Daddy's "Let's Go," with its brilliant sampling of the tease from Ozzy's "Crazy Train" sounds absolutely fabulous. Probably one of the best Hip-Hop/Rap tracks I've ever heard. It builds on that sample with subtle repeats of the same and really tight rapping. These guys are talented. Of the two problems that have kept me from downloading it, one has been resolved and one continues to offend.

In the uncensored version the F-word and the N-word are thrown a dozen times each but they are nicely removed from the "clean" treatment. Great! I'm not afraid of the F-word but no one -- and I mean no one -- needs to use or should use a word as offensive as the N-word. Its ugly and unbearable even as a colloquial between Homies and Bruthas. So problem number one is down if you buy the (Clean) version.

Problem number two is that the whole song is about violence, murder and the thug lifestyle. Not as in the moralistic picture that Everlast or Eminem often paint where the listener gets the idea that engaging in such activities is ultimately self-destructive. No, this is a celebration of thuggery. Consider:

What a waste of musical excellence. It makes me think of that line that has appeared in most superhero comics, "What would happen if he used his powers for good?" Normally I don't feel ill will toward strangers, but part of me hopes that this is a one-hit wonder for Trick Daddy if they don't pull away from "the Dark Side" and that their career goes down the toilet. Sorry.

Actually, I pray they straighten up and fly right, if only for their own salvation. Adding to that, I pray that whomever is responsible for the music portion of "Let's Go" can harness that genius and use it as a positive tool. The talent comes from God and it is an insult to waste it.

Decide for yourself after you watch the (Clean) video at iTunes. Or if you'd rather, check out these other excellent videos, also at iTunes:

• "When in Rome" Nickel Creek
• "Gimmie That" - The Resource
• "Us" - Soviet Kitsch
• "Just Lose It" - Eminem
• "Jesus Walks" - Kanye West
• "Here with Me" - MercyMe
• "I Can Only Imagine" - MercyMe
• "Go Round'" - Nicholas Payton
• "All At Sea" - Jamie Cullum

BBC News has to be one of the finest organizations of its type anywhere in the world. Professional, thorough, exacting, and now we can say "depressing."

States 'not run by people's will': "Sixty-five percent of citizens across the world do not think their country is governed by the will of the people, a poll commissioned by the BBC suggests."

"The figure is 55% for the US and Canada and up to 82% in EU countries - but just 24% in West Africa."

That's two stories today that the Beeb has brought to my attention that have managed to put me in a rather foul mood (see the 8:08 PM post below). I suggest you read the whole article anyway because it is rather enlightening. It made me hark back to the Five Themes of Geography, particularly place and region.

PLACE "Every place on Earth has special characteristics that make it different from every other place. Every place can be described in terms of its physical characteristics, including weather, land features, plants, and animals. Every place can be described in terms of its human features. These features include a place's peoples, their cultures, and their ideas" (4, Sager). The figures in the articles clearly show that place is an important factor in how much control people think they have. With the exception of the United States and Canada, mostly people in 3rd world nation felt powerless. But then again who controls many of those governments? Dictators, war lords, drug cartels, and puppets of the economic elite. That's an understandable feeling with all things considered.

REGION "A region is an area defined by common characteristics. Regions can be defined by more than one characteristic" (7, ibid). Ideas: language, climate, religion, etc. There are more commonalities than differences. A 'uniform region' is "an area distinguished by one or more common characteristics." A 'nodal region' "is an area distinguished by the movement or activity that takes place in and around it" (101, ibid). Examining the findings leads me to believe that the greater the uniformity and the greater in variety shared characteristics are the greater the sense of empowerment. The more people have in common the better they understand one another and the more secure they feel.

Would that we could spend more time with issues like this than with war and rumors of war. :::sigh::: Oddly enough, one of the songs playing in iTunes as I write this is singer/songwriter Randy Newman's "I Love L.A.," possibly one of the best interpretations of harmony despite differences as people celebrate shared values. Thank you, Mr. Newman for cheering me up.

Bibliography
Sager, Dr. Robert J. and Dr. David M. Helgren. World Geography Today. (Austin, TX: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1997).

'Virgin conception' first for UK

"Human embryos created using a so-called 'virgin conception' technique have been made in the UK for the first time.

The Roslin Institute, which also cloned Dolly the sheep, reported the so-called parthenotes at a Dublin conference.

They are made by stimulating a human egg to start dividing like an embryo without the addition of any genetic material from a male sperm cell.

The Edinburgh team has so far created six parthenotes to the stage at which they would hope to mine stem cells."(BBC NEWS)

Even if separating the religious 'flavor' from the social implications, this is still a deeply disturbing development. Male and female roles are the warp and woof of our social fabric. Even casual investigation of many social woes today shows that minor defects in this relationship have wide-ranging effects. Ask any child of divorce or of a one-parent household.

ABC News did a story related to this just the other night. They reported on a Columbia University survey that concluded "teenagers who eat with their families at least five times a week are more likely to get better grades in school and much less likely to have substance abuse problems."

Whether individuals reproduce asexually through parthenogenesis, sexually through egg or sperm donations, or even through the means by which people managed before all these developments, I would say that the odds of having a stable family environment that produces the results of the Columbia University study would be rather low. Our society needs to reevaluate the goals we which to achieve and the means by which we will attain them. Science such as this from the Roslin Institute is putting the cart before the horse.

New Google Search Engine Boosts 'Blogging'

"A new Google Inc. specialty search engine sifts through the Internet's millions of frequently updated personal journals, a long-anticipated development expected to help propel 'blogging' into the cultural mainstream. The new tool, unveiled Wednesday at http://blogsearch.google.com, focuses exclusively on the material contained in the journals known as Web logs, or "blogs." (Yahoo! News)

After a brief run around the test track I'd say it works rather well. I Googled myself with it and found that I variously wrote a book, died in the NY World Trade Center, carried a flat-screen monitor somewhere (alcohol was involved), turned out to be a doctor, watched one of the Kill Bill movies with a bunch of people identified only by the AOL names, visited an exotic restaurant in Brazil, and am member # 514 of De Tatton Lodge No.2144 in the Province of Cheshire.

Well, I am a Mason, but in another lodge; I've been to a doctor recently; have seen the first Kill Bill, though by myself; carried more than a few flat-screen monitors without alcohol involvement in any immediate fashion; have wanted to write a book but thus far haven't; but I've never been to the NY World Trade Center or Brazil.

None of these are really me, of course, but I hardly turn up with a regular Googling. One entry, really, and it involves NASA. That's all I'm saying.

And if I was one to believe in coincidence, I'd marvel at the news story that I came across shortly after finding that fantastic quote: "Russell Crowe Seeks Reduction in Charge" (citation)

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Russell Crowe's lawyers are working to win a reduction of the assault charge filed against him after he allegedly hurled a phone at a New York hotel staffer, an Australian magazine reported Wednesday.

The 41-year-old Oscar-winning actor, born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, was charged with felony assault after he was accused of throwing a malfunctioning telephone at hotel concierge Nestor Estrada in June.

If convicted, Crowe could lose his right to work in the United States and could face up to seven years in prison.

"If I'm an international menace like the (prosecuting) attorney is suggesting, then fine," Crowe said from his home in Sydney. "I'll just stay here."

Mr. Crowe needs to accept his fate not because he's an 'international menace,' but because he should be as accountable for his actions as the next person. Sure, it sounds trivial that just a phone was thrown, but it was thrown at a person, in anger, with intent to harm (go check the original story). That is assault. If Mr. Crowe is upset that this could make it difficult for him to enter the United States or to work then hopefully a character-building experience will ensue.

That Mr. Crowe has portrayed men of great character in The Insider (1999), Gladiator (2000) and Cinderella Man (2005) is more irony than I can stand at the moment. It's proof that he's a very good actor, I suppose. Perhaps he should act with more responsibility and foresight.

Lavish tastes of card-carrying lowlifes

"Profiteering ghouls have been using debit cards distributed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina - intended to buy essentials for evacuated families - in luxury-goods stores as far away as Atlanta.

'We've seen three of the cards,' said a senior employee of the Louis Vuitton store at the Lenox Square Mall in affluent Buckhead, who asked not to be named. 'Two I'm certain have purchased; one actually asked if she could use it in the store. This has been since Saturday.'

The distinctive white cards were distributed by the Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency and carry a value of up to $2,000.

'It doesn't say anything on the card other than alcohol, tobacco and firearms cannot be purchased with it,' the store employee told me. 'There's nothing legally that prevents us from taking it, unfortunately. Other than morally, it's wrong.'

The source told me that the two women who had made purchases with the card each bought a signature monogrammed Louis Vuitton handbag in the $800 range.

'They didn't look destitute by any stretch. You would never have said, 'They must be one of the evacuees.' … The one that I dealt with yesterday was 20. She'll be 21 next month.' The source described the reaction of other store-keepers in the mall - which includes luxury brands Ferragamo, Burberry, Judith Leiber and Neiman Marcus - as 'outrage.'

'It doesn't say anywhere on there, but it would have to be a good amount to be shopping in here,' the source said with a dark chuckle." (citation).

The photo above has been retouched to protect the identity of the card bearer and is not used to imply this person's actions reflect any of the behavior described in the news article reprinted here.

Somehow the Ads by Goooooogle panel on this page knew I was thinking about Evolution v. Intelligent Design again because just as I published the previous post each of the little buggers was about that topic -- and there was nothing on the page about it until this post.

I had a thought while watching a TV advert that featured elephants. Okay, maybe two thoughts. Or several. They all snuck up at the same time disguised as one. If mastodons are extinct largely due to climate change, where did elephants come from? Couldn't have been Evolution because there is no such thing. And the last I checked there were no elephants around during the mastodon era.

Ah! The fossil record is incomplete! Therefore it must be Intelligent Design!

But back to my topic. Someone either designed these adverts to read my mind or they have evolved to fit an environment that frequently discusses the controversy. Someone might have to explain that to me.

Editor's Note: Upon publishing this post a mere 10 minutes after starting to compose it the adverts devolved to their previous state of hawking fine-quality European personal weapons and cutlery at discount prices. And then when I headed off to read the funnies before hitting bed I found the following cartoon from Non Sequitur: