A Semblance of Sanity

But What if He's Right?

2007-10-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/10/18/science.race/index.html

In the News Again...

2007-08-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

I'll post about this every time a new story comes out. Once again, some scientists are suggesting that there is significant evidence of life on Mars - primitive, microbial life, but life none-the-less. Settling this question once and for all should be one of the first and foremost scientific pursuits of our times. If there is life on Mars, a serious blow will be struck to the psuedo-sciences of creationism and intelligent design.

NYC to Pay for Grades

2007-06-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Apparently, in an effort to improve their standing in the "No Child Left Behind" system of education, New York City is going to pay students for regular attendance and good grades and test scores. This is a seriously bad idea. It will completely institutionalize cheating, grade inflation and any variety of other unsavory behaviors in schools amongst both students and educators. Surely there is a better way.

They Keep Going and Going and Going

2007-06-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

I was looking back at some old posts that I had done, and I came across a post I made in September of 2005. It was about the Mars rovers - the little robots that NASA landed on Mars in January of 2004. The thing is, when I re-read that post I realized that I hadn't heard anything about the rovers in quite some time, and I wondered if they had finally died. The rovers were designed to fulfill 90 day missions on Mars. By the time I made my post in 9/05, they had lasted for more 500 days - extraordinary. So I figured, here it is, June of 2007, surely they must have finally been done in by the harsh conditions on Mars. I did a quick google search and found NASA's rover home page and was astonished and delighted to discover that, in fact, the little rovers are still going strong and making remarkable discoveries.

Go Spirit and Opportunity - keep on chugging!

Math Never had this Effect on Me

2007-06-07T07:51:00.000-07:00

O.K. I don't know what is going on, but I've been administering final exams this week, and I've noticed in 2 classes, boys quite blatently groping themselves while taking their final. In one class in particular, a young man kept rubbing himself and it was clear from the sizable bulge in his pants that he was hard as a rock (an apparently quite well endowed too)!

I love math, but taking a math test never had that effect on me.

OK - I'll Stop Bitching

2007-03-28T09:41:00.000-07:00

FINALLY! A decent movie. I'm not saying it was brilliant, award winning cinema, but it was coherent and entertaining for close to 2 hours, and really, that's all I'm asking for. It probably isn't all that good, but after a string of terrible movies, I REALLY enjoyed this one. Which one? The Shooter with Mark Wahlberg. Tight plot, decent acting, good action. A little violent, but not over the top. Like I said, at this point, I'll take it.

What's Up With the Movies?

2007-03-26T10:22:00.000-07:00

In the past 10 weeks or so, I've gone to see 6 movies and each and every one of them was awful. What the hell is going on? We're talking different genres, different styles, academy award nominees, etc. and with out exception every single one of the last 6 movies I've seen has been terrible. So here goes, the last 6 films I've seen:

Babel - O.K. this was the least awful of the lot, but also one of the most painful. This attempt to be an international "Crash" just doesn't hold together. The stories never really mesh (particularly the tale of the young, deaf Japanese girl. It is so incidental to the rest of the movie that it doesn't really feel connected at all). But the real problem with this movie is that it just relentlessly beats the viewer up. As we were leaving the theater, my friend Chris turned to me and asked, "why does that movie hate me?" That is really what it feels like.

23 - Oh the trailers really made this one look good didn't they? This was going to be a taught, suspenseful psychological thriller - right? It turns out to be 2 movies poorly woven into 1. See Jim Carey gets this book called 23, so half the movie is a film noir version of the book about a man who gets involved with this woman who is obsessed with the number 23. Jim Carey plays the heavily tattooed main character of this book. The other half of the movie is Jim Carey geting obsessed with the number 23. "Oh look," he says, "the numbers in my birthday add up to 23." "Oh look," he observes, "The numbers in my license plate add up to 23." Boring. Boring, boring, boring. The supidest moment in the film is when Jim Carey is talking to a priest or something (I can't even remember - the film was so boring) and the priest ominously says 2 divided by 3... .666 the number of the devil. WRONG! 2 divided by 3 is .66666666.... repeating infinitely. If you want a reasonable estimate of the number out to 3 decimal places, you need to round off, and of course you get .667. This movie just plain sucked.

Zodiac - What potential - right? This is the story of the Zodiac killer who terrorized San Francisco and northern California in the 60's and early 70's. A fascinating tale of a serial killer who was never caught. Well this dog of a movie is a 2 hour and 40 minute (it feels like 40 hours and 2 minutes) snooze fest focusing in the obsession of a political cartoonist at the San Francisco Chronicle or Observer or Examiner or what ever over the Zodiac case. It's based on the cartoonist's book about the case, and it is so unbelievably dull. How could you take such an interesting topic and so completely wreck it? I don't know.

300 - Perhaps the greatest military tale of all time. 300 Spartan soldiers confront the army of the Persian Empire - 250,000 men strong. And the Spartans hold off the Persian army at a narrow mountain pass for 3 days. 300 men vs. 250,000! This ought to be an awesome film, right? Well visually is IS stunning. Done using revolutionary real action/animation technique, the film is visually amazing. But the story (particularly the narration) is turned into an ultra right-wing propaganda tale glorifying war. It really feels like a Republican campaign pitch for sending more troops to Iraq and going to war with Iran. The message is so heavy handed that it takes away from what could be a really good movie. Oh, and the acting is absolutely terrible. The main character playing King of Spartans - Leonidas must be Scottish, because repeatedly during the movie he slips into a Scottish accent and it is really distracting.

Premonition - What a great premise! For some reason (it's a movie, the reason doesn't need to be explained) a woman starts living her days out of order, and at some point during this mixed up interval of time, her husband is killed in a car accident. The first hour or so of this movie is actually very good, as we watch the woman (Sandra Bullock) in a rather (understandably) terrified and bewildered state figure out what is going on, and try to piece together the circumstances surrounding her husband's death. But the writers can't sustain the story or the premise and the entire movie unravels in the second hour. The ending is not satisfactory and there are too many holes, inconsistencies and unanswered questions to be forgiven.

The Last Mimsy - Another movie with tremendous potential, that goes no where. Worse than going no where, much of the movie feels like a spacey, drug induced hallucinatory trip. I'm sure the writers thought they were being cute and whimsical, but instead, most of the movie makes no sense and the film just becomes a frustrating bore. Once again, the acting is terrible and the ending is completely implausible. Yeah, I'm sure FBI agents, after witnessing the opening of a space-time wormhole are just going to apologize to the people they were interrogating, let them go free and just walk away. WhatEver!

I just want to see a decent movie! I'm not asking for a soul wrenching, belief altering, life changing experience; I just want to be entertained. I'm beginning to be concerned that Hollywood will never again make a good film. Has anyone out there seen a good movie lately? Let me know!

Word of the Day

2007-02-23T15:17:00.000-08:00

I am addicted to web boggle, and I've gotten pretty good at it. I almost always break into the top 20 scores each round and from time to time I get into the top 10. Unfortunately, an addiction to web boggle is a very bad thing right now, because the server is almost never working these days. The guy who manages the site is, by his own admission, too busy to properly manage the server and programming.

Anyway, the server was working pretty well today so I got to play a bunch of games. At the end of the game, the program puts up a list of all the possible words that could have been found within the boggle grid. It actually posts this as 2 lists - one being a list of all the words that you didn't find, but that other players did find, and the second being a list of the words that no one was able to find. Generally the words in that second list look like complete gibberish, because they are words that know one has ever seen before, and in fact I'm pretty sure they aren't really words at all.

But today's word comes from the list of words that I didn't find on the board, but apparently at least one player DID find. That word is AROYNT. The definition?

aroynt - (v.) a variation of aroint.

OK....so what the hell does AROINT mean? Never heard of that word either.

aroint - (v. imperative; obsolete) be gone. as in "aroint ye beggar!" [uh huh - sure]

yeah....apparently it was a real popular word in 1610. I'm guessing it fell out of favor just a few years later.

So my question is, how the hell was there a boggle player out there who knew this word. And not just this word, but its variation - aroynt. W H A T E V E R....freak!

On This Day In History

2007-02-15T08:42:00.000-08:00

On February 15, 1898, The U.S. Battleship Maine blew up in Havanna harbor. 260 U.S. Sailors were killed in the explosion. This incident exacerbated already tense relations between the U.S. and Spain, gave birth to the rallying cry of the day, "To hell with Spain! Remember the Maine!" And was one of many factors that sparked the Spanish-American War.

The city of St. Louis was founded on this day in 1764.

On this day in 1879, President Rutherford B. Hayes signed a bill that allowed female attorneys to argue cases before the Supreme Court. This was 4 decades before women even won the right to vote in this country! Incidently, February 15th is the birthdate of Susan B. Anthony

On February 15, 1965, the modern flag of Canada (the red maple leaf on a white vertical stripe between 2 red vertical stripes) was unfurled for the first time at a ceremony in Ottawa.

Many other famous people were born on this date in history. Galileo was born in 1564; Henry Steinway (of the famous pianos) was born in 1797. Melissa Manchester's birthday is today, as is Matt Groening's (creator of The Simpsons) and Jaromir Jagr (once a player for the Pittsburgh Penguins).

But to me, the most important thing about this day is that it is the birthday of my very best friend Betsy whom I love dearly and would be lost without.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BETSY!!

What is News?

2007-02-08T10:19:00.000-08:00

For three days it was the number one story on cnn.com - right there, front and center on the screen when you loaded the page. It's still the first story listed in the "top stories" list at the right of the page today. The local news broadcast here covered the story yesterday in their 5:00 report, their 6:00 report and their 11:00 report. It was the first story reported on during the ABC Nightly News and was the main story for Nightline last night. I just don't get it. A woman, romantically obsessed with a male co-worker, goes after a female co-worker who she perceives as a rival - what makes this front page, national news? I don't care that she is astronaut. Sure - it is a prestigious and honorable profession, but so what? Can anyone explain this to me? Because I just don't get it.

What Am I Missing?

2007-02-07T12:40:00.000-08:00

I know this post is going to get me in trouble with my 2 1/2 readers, but oh well, this has been bothering me and I need to get it off my chest.

I like football. I'm not a fanatic, but I love my hometown team the Steelers and I always watch their games. And I watch an occasional non-Steeler game as well. Certainly, I watch the Superbowl every year regardless of who is playing. So this year it is the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears. And it is historic, because, for the first time ever, a team coached by an African American head coach is going to the Superbowl. And, as it turns out, not just one team, but BOTH teams going to the Superbowl are coached by African American head coaches. This is historic and I can appreciate that. This is the big story of the Superbowl. This is the story that for the two weeks leading up to the Superbowl every news cast mentions at least two or three times. It's all the commentators can talk about, even some of the Superbowl commercials alluded to this historic occasion. This is fine. It seemed a little bit overkill to me, but I could appreciate the historic nature of the accomplishment, so I didn't think too much of it. Until a couple days before the Superbowl I began to hear some statistics that then got replayed over and over and over again, including several times during the Superbowl itself. And it got me thinking.

First, here are the numbers: In 2006 there were 7 African American NFL head coaches (7 Assistant head coaches, and 190 coaches in other positions). This, in a league of 32 teams. That means that 22% of all head coaches and assistant head coaches in the NFL in 2006 were African American. In the United States, African Americans make up about 13% of the population.

Now here is where I get a little lost. The spin given on these numbers (universally - every news and sports cast that reported these numbers gave the same "interpretation") was as follows. Apparently, while 7 African American head coaches (22%) is evidence of progress in the NFL, the league has a long way to go. It turns out that 65% of all players in the NFL are minorities and of those, the vast majority are black. So, according to the analysts, until at least 65% of all coaches in the NFL are black, the implication is that the NFL will continue to be a bastion of racism, prejudice and inequality.

Am I missing something here? I did a little checking. The minimum rookie salary in the NFL is $285,000. The average NFL player salary is $1.26 million dollars. The median NFL player salary is $557,000. We aren't talking about jobs that no one else wants here. The competition for these positions is intense.

So the suggestion that because more than 60% of the players in the NFL are black, but only 22% of the head coaches are black, NFL management is racist seems absurd to me. The problem doesn't seem to be that "only" 22% of head coaches are black. If anything, clearly the NFL isn't doing a very good job of attracting and recruiting white players into the league.

Yes, that last little bit was facetious. Well 90% so anyway. But the analysis still seems off to me. We are talking about a billion dollar industry here in which the majority of the visible, extremely well paid employees are minorities, and a significant percentage of the middle-to-upper level management (coaching) positions are held by minorities.

It seems to me that the real problem that no one seems to want to talk about are the other minorities that are almost entirely unrepresented in the league. Did you know that there aren't any female players, much less coaches (head or otherwise) in the NFL? Talk about inequity in the workplace! Same thing with openly gay players or head coaches. And apparently the industry completely discriminates against the disabled as well. Not a single blind, deaf, wheel-chair bound, mentally retarded or otherwise physically or mentally disabled player or coach in the bunch. What ever happened to the Americans with Disabilities Act?

Yeah, yeah, I've gone onto an absurd rant here. But I don't think it's any more absurd than the stupid things newscasters and sportscasters were saying about the so-called racism in the hiring of coaches in the NFL.

Am I missing something here?

Welcome Petie!

2007-02-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

She was born November 11, 2006 and we adopted her when she was 6 weeks old. She is an American Bull Dog - more commonly known as a pit-bull. Don't believe what you hear; yes, they're extremely strong, powerful dogs, but they have to be trained to be aggressive. We already had an 11 year old pit bull named Zena. Hands down, the best dog I've ever had. Affectionate, loyal, sweet tempered, very protective. I can tell you right now, I have never felt the slightest bit unsafe when walking her around the block at night to do her business before bed, and I don't live in the best neighborhood in town.

So now we've got Petie. Know why we named her Petie (well, really, Ron named her Petie - it wouldn't have been my first choice)? Think for a bit - it will come to you.

She's so cute! And she's smart too. She's only 12 weeks old now, but so attentive. She will sit on the floor watching me or Ron or Zena or one of the cats so closely - studying us, and taking everything in. I love the way she cocks her head to one side when I speak to her. Her face is so expressive.

Zena isn't thrilled to have a new dog in the house. We were hoping that Petie would bring out the maternal instinct in Zena. Instead she's just annoyed. Ah, well. We've made it clear to Zena, that Petie isn't going anywhere and so must be tolerated. Zena's an old lady now - she has no patience and no interest in sharing her space with another dog. She has always tolerated the cats pretty well, but that's mostly because they leave her alone. Petie pretty much wants to play all the time - biting Zena's ears and tail and neck and so on. Zena just growls softly (for the most part) and looks up at us with doleful eyes. Well, I said for the most part. When she gets really tired of it, she growls louder and then snaps at Petie. We keep them apart as much of the time as possible - particularly at meal time. Zena's always been real protective of her food - she doesn't share with anyone.

So enjoy the pics. Feel free to download them and make them the wall paper on your computers etc....well, edit me out - you don't want my picture. Petie is the cute one. Cute??? Please, she is the cutest puppy that ever existed in all of history. How can you resist?

Hometown Pride

2007-01-11T09:19:00.000-08:00

I've lived in the city of Pittsburgh since I was 4 1/2, so I pretty much consider myself a native. I love Pittsburgh. I've lived elsewhere, and there are lots of places in this country that I love to visit and vacation in, but Pittsburgh will always be "home". Pittsburgh is a unique American city that engenders a rabid loyalty in its citizenry. There is no question that Pittsburgh has its issues, and the people who live here bitch and complain about the problems all the time. But let an outsider come in and complain about those very same problems, and he or she will be mobbed by crowd of natives who will defend the city to the bitter end. A higher proportion of people born in this city will settle here and die here than just about any other city in this country.

Recently, a teacher who works in my building sent me a link to the quiz below. Not surprisingly I scored 100%. If you're not from Pittsburgh, give it a try.

You are 100% Pittsburgh.

Great job! There's nooooo doubt about it. You're from Da Burgh. You deserve a reward, so go have an Ahrn City or two. And GO STILLERS!

How Pittsburgh Are You
See All Our Quizzes

Ooops....got to go redd up (*) my room before my next class arrives!

(*) redd up - to straighten up or tidy a space, often before guests or visitors arrive.

Pneumonia - I Don't Recommend It

2006-12-11T12:33:00.000-08:00

It all started a few days before my birthday - around November 13th or 14th. I started coughing. Now I would say that 90% of the colds I get are head colds; I rarely get chest colds. When I do get a chest cold, it's usually because I've had a head cold and it moves to my chest. But that's not the norm for me. Anyway, here is it middle of November and I have this chest congestion and I'm coughing away, and I'm thinking, "this is weird, I NEVER get chest colds." But I don't think too much of it, and continue on with my ordinary life.

Fast forward to a week later, and I'm not feeling any better, in fact I'm feeling a whole lot worse and Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. Ron and I are going to be spending Thanksgiving in Las Vegas with my sister and her partner, so I'm really unhappy about this bad chest cold I've got, but hey I'm not going to let it get in the way of my having fun in Las Vegas - you can count on that! As a teacher, I get 5 days off for Thanksgiving - from Thursday 11/23 to Monday 11/27. But I'm feeling so lousy the week leading up to that, that I do something very unlike me. I call off on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I hate calling off work and I almost never do it, unless I'm feeling half near death. I wasn't actually feeling that bad at this point, but I wanted a day to really rest and try to recuperate before leaving for Vegas. It didn't help.

Went to Vegas anyway, and although the "cold" got worse and worse, hey I was in Vegas, and how can you not have a good time in Vegas? We went to see "LOVE" the new Cirque du Soleil show which is a wonderful Beatles Tribute show, and Ron and I went to see Blue Man Group which I love. Ron hit for $800 on a slot machine (woo hoo!!) and I won $145 playing poker. So truly, we had a great time in Vegas; but I was REALLY sick and I was starting to get worried that this was not just a chest cold.

We flew home on Sunday and I promptly went to bed. Feeling no better on Monday, I finally called the doctor. I was connected to a physician's assistant - Deb and Deb had me describe my symptoms to her and asked me a whole litany of questions. Several times she asked if I had been running a fever which I had not. I was having chills and hot flashes, but no fever. She then said she would consult with my doctor and call me back. A couple hours later she called back and reported that she and my doctor agreed that I had a severe case of the flu. Now the problem with flu is that it is viral and can't really be treated. You just have to treat the symptoms (with over the counter rememdies) and get lots of rest and fluids and such. Deb faxed me a doctor's note to let me stay off school for Tuesday and Wednesday to rest and recuperate. So I called off work for those days, crawled into bed and didn't emerge until Thursday morning when I had to go back to work. Let me tell you, I felt like crap. It was now November 30th.

I slogged through work Thursday and Friday in a stupor - I'm sure the kids enjoyed my delerious lessons; I know I can barely even remember what I did those days. Once again, I was miserable all weekend and spent most of it in bed. I swore that if I wasn't feeling better on Monday I was going to call the doctor again. This just didn't feel like the flu to me. Sure enough, Monday comes (December 4th) and I'm feeling no better. It had been 3 full weeks of feeling lousy at this point and I had really had it. I went to work on Monday, but at lunch I called my doctor's office. Once again I spoke to Deb and once again we ran through the symptoms and the litany of questions. Once again she really focused on whether or not I had a fever and I was beginning to suspect something. But since I wasn't running a fever, I told her, no, I did not have a temperature. Well after consulting with the doctor again, Deb called me back and said they were perplexed with my condition and they both agreed I should come in for a exam. She managed to get me an appointment for the following day.

I called off work for Tuesday and went to the appointment at 10:00 a.m. The nurse at check in took all my vitals and not only wasn't I running a temperature, but the thermometer persistently kept giving a reading of 97.0 degrees (the nurse thought it must not be working properly - but it was). The doctor then came in and gave me an exam. First going through all the questions I had answered the previous day with Deb and 5 minutes earlier with the nurse. Then he did a physican exam - the regular stuff: checking my ears and nose and throat and listening to my chest telling me to take deep breaths (each of which caused me to go into violent coughing fits). He noted that I had diminished lung capacity (uh....duh!) and then proceded to say that it looked like I had a really bad cold or flu and that I would need to treat it symptomatically...blah....blah....blah. Fortunately, before I could reach out an throttle him, he amended with comments with the magical, "but just to be certain, I'm ordering a chest x-ray so that we can rule out pneumonia." He was quick to add that he was certain I didn't have pneumonia because I didn't have a fever, but he just wanted to be sure. He told me that he was ordering a "stat read" on the x-ray which means that the technician who took the x-ray would read it immediately and call him with the results. So he told me to come back to the office right after the x-ray was done.

I walked over to the hospital to which my doctor's office is connected and amazingly, radiology took me immediately and within 5 minutes I had a chest x-ray done. And so I walked right back over to my doctor's office. 30 minutes later (he was with another patient) he came out to the waiting room and said, "good news! you don't have pneumonia. The lower lobes of your lungs have collapsed because you aren't taking deep breaths, and that explains your diminished lung function. Just treat your cold symptoms with over-the-counter meds, get lots of sleep, take a few more days off of work and practice taking deep breaths and you will be fine." And he wrote me a note to take off the rest of the week and sent me on my way.

Practice taking deep breaths huh? Hello! The very act of breathing causes me to go into severe coughing seizures, but yeah, what ever, I'll get right on that. So home I go, call off work for the rest of the week, and crawl into bed. Along comes Wednesday (December 6 and we're moving into week 4) and I'm feeling absolutely no better. Around about 3:00 in the afternoon the phone rings. Hooray for caller ID because you know I have been ignoring the phone all day, but I happen to roll over in bed and look at the ID box and see that it is my doctor's office calling. I pick up the phone and cough a hello into the mouth piece.

"Hi Adam, this is Deb from Dr. Veldkamp's office. How are you feeling?"

"Lousy *cough* *cough* *cough*"

"Yeah, wow, you really don't sound too good. Well I'm calling because the radiology department sent your chest x-rays over to us today and the doctor just finished taking a look at them. Looks like you have pneumonia."

"What? *cough* *cough* But yesterday *cough* *cough* *cough*"

"Yeah, the x-ray tech totally misread the x-ray. You have pneumonia. Really strange though - you never had a fever. That's what kept confusing us. Most pepole with pneumonia run a fever."

Anyway, the phone call ends with Deb telling me that they are calling my pharmacy and and putting in a prescription for antibiotics for me and I can pick up later that afternoon. It's a simple 5-day course of Zithromax and Deb assures me that within 3 days I'll be feeling much better.

I took the first dose Wednesday evening and by Thursday I was already feeling better. No more chills or body aches and I was coughing half as much. Friday comes and the cough is almost all gone - I actually got out of the house for a little bit. By the weekend I felt like myself again. And here it is Monday and I'm back at work and I feel great. Modern medicine is a miracle - I love drugs.

But pneumonia - no, I definitely don't recommend it. I'm basically a healthy person, certainly I've never felt that sick before - even when I had appendicitis (well, that's a totally different kind of sick really). It was a miserable experience and I'll be more than happy if I never have to go through that again!

No Surprise There

2006-11-30T07:43:00.000-08:00

Yet another web-quiz (I love these things). This one gave absolutely accurate results.

What mental disorder do you have? Your Result: ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) You have a very hard time focusing, and you find it difficult to stay on task without your mind wandering. You probably zone in and out of conversations and tend to miss out on directions because you cannot focus
Manic Depressive
Paranoia
OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder)
GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder)
What mental disorder do you have?

I was actually diagnosed with ADD when I was in college. I had applied for an undergraduate teaching assistant position at the university's "Learning Skills Center" and during my interview the woman who ran the center (Dr. Ann Massey - I still look back and think of her as my mentor) asked a number of questions about my experiences in school before getting to college. At the end of the interview she told me that from my experiences it sounded as if I might have Attention Deficit Disorder. Now this was 1985 mind you, and ADD wasn't well known (and totally over-diagnosed) then. I certainly had never heard of it. I remember teachers telling my parents that I was hyperactive and day dreamed a lot (I always thought those two things were sort of contradictory, but apparently not). Dr. Massey told me that the LSC had the means of testing for ADD if I was interested. So I went through a battery of diagnostic tests and sure enough, I suffer from ADD. After all that, Dr. Massey informed me that it appeared as if I had developed sufficient coping mechanism on my own and didn't require any intervention. So in essence I got tested for nothing. On the other hand, I got the TA job, so I was happy.

A Study in Contrasts

2006-11-14T15:09:00.000-08:00

In the past 4 weeks, there have been 4 cases of prominent people coming out as gay. Mark Foley, a Republican representative to Congress from the State of Florida; T.R. Knight, an actor on the ABC show Gray's Anatomy; Ted Haggard a prominent evangelical minister and national leader of the Conservative Christian right; and Neil Patrick Harris star of the 90's sit-com Doogie Howser M.D. and currently an actor in How I Met Your Mother on which, incidently, he plays a sleazy, womanizing, VERY straight character. What a contrast we've seen in these assorted revelations.Mark Foley comes out after being caught making inappropriate sexual advances toward Congressional pages some of whom were underage at the time. T.R. Knight on the other hand comes out to confirm rumors that had been floating around that he was gay. In a press release the actor said matter-of-factly, "I hope the fact that I'm gay isn't the most interesting part of me." Ted Haggard didn't even really come out, rather, a male prostitute exposed the evangelical preacher after a three years of "providing services" to the right wing Christian leader. Although Haggard initially denied any sexual wrongdoing (he claimed he had just received massages and bought drugs that he never took) he was suspended from his church for sexual misconduct and has since entered one of those ex-gay therapy facilities where, it is claimed, people can be "cured" of being gay. Finally we have Neil Patrick Harris who also was responding to circulating rumors regarding his sexuality, and is quoted as saying, "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest...."

So what's the difference in these cases? In two cases we have two men who have accepted their sexual identity, are well adjusted to it and are leading happy, healthy, productive lives. In two other cases we have men who have supressed, repressed and/or denied their sexual orientation and the results of doing so are clear. Supression, repression and denial are dangerous, damaging responses to sexual identity. As seen in the cases of Foley and Haggard, they lead to self-loathing, self-destructive behaviors and dysfunctional (often dangerous) manifestations of sexual expression.

Who have led the better, more righteous and upright lives? Mark Foley and Ted Haggard by living lives of self-loathing and deception or T.R. Knight and Neil Patrick Harris by living honestly, openly and happily as gay men? I think that question pretty well answers itself.

300 Million and Counting

2006-10-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the population of the United States of America reached 300 million people. The United States is the third most populous nation in the world behind only India and China. Don't worry, we won't be catching up to them anytime soon, both of those countries have over 1 billion residents.

I have some rather radical views about procreation. If the human race had any kind of moral terpitude at all, we would stop procreating immediately. We are destroying our planet and we can't stop ourselves. We are going to kill ourselves off and we are going to take most every other species of life on this planet with us as we do so. If we were at all moral or responsible, we would take ourselves out of the game gracefully and give the rest of nature a chance. But the human race is nothing of the kind, and so we are racing headlong into species suicide and in the process we will bring about mass extinction of tens of thousands of other species.

At least now the mechanism that seems most likely for our species suicide is global warming which most likely wont result in the complete annihilation of life on this planet and will give mother nature a base with which to start over. For me growing up, the much more likely threat was nuclear holocaust which would have been much more devastating to life on this planet. Though even there, scientists suggested that some life would survive even a full blown thermonuclear war. Cock roaches were often mentioned as a species likely to survive such an eventuality.

The problem with the means by which it appears mankind has chosen to commit its suicide is that it is a slow and painful process and is going to cause a whole lot of long term suffering for our species and the other species inhabiting this planet. As far as species suicide goes, global warming is slow. It will take generations to complete while in the meantime, the planet will become more and more inhospitable to human habitation. Drought, famine, disease and other severe conditions will make this planet a pretty miserable place to be. Nuclear holocaust oh the other hand is relatively quick. Kill off 50% of the worlds population in just a few hours and everyone else dies within a year from radioactive fallout and nuclear winter.

Still, I think a voluntary cessation of procreation is really the way to go. It is less destructive of the other creatures that share this planet with us. It isn't as long a process as extinction by global warming (we're all gone in a 100 years or so). And it would be a whole lot more comfortable for the human race as we go out since a radical decline in population like that would certainly go a long way in reversing the human made phenomena that are causing global warming.

Look, we're gonna kill ourselves anyway - don't you think we should at least be responsible about the way we do it?

A Note to a Fellow Blogger

2006-09-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

We live in strange times, and technology has only made life stranger. There are people in this world that I only communicate with through the blogosphere by leaving messages on their blogs and reading the messages they leave on mine. That's bizarre. And communicating this way is sometimes really weird and awkward. You can leave a comment for a blogger expecting to hear back from them and - nothing - for weeks or even months because the other blogger just doesn't get around to posting for a while. Not that I am ever guilty of such a thing. *cough* *cough* Or a blogger may use moderated comments and then, when you leave a comment it feels like it has just disappeared into the ether. Again, if the other blogger isn't around, it can take weeks or longer for the other person to get the comment.

Any way, the following message is for one such blogger. He will know who he is.

* * *
Adam (no, this is not a message to myself),

I just wanted to let you know that I'm around and have been reading your blog. I have to admit I'm a little bit worried about you. I've tried leaving messages on your board, but I noticed that you switched to moderated mode for messages and as I said above, I just don't feel certain that you have necessarily gotten them. So I've resorted to this - a message directly to you on my blog.

If you're still around and you get this, drop me a line. Remember, you can always e-mail me direct: adeutsch1@pghboe.net.

Hang in there my friend.
* * *

O.K. that's that. One of these days I'll get around to posting for real.

Summer Reading Review

2006-08-31T15:53:00.000-07:00

One of the things I do to fill my summer is to catch up on reading. I love to read. It can be hard for me to do it during the school year because I come home every day so mentally exhausted that I can't focus on reading. During the school year I tend to veg out in front of the television at night. Watching TV doesn't require nearly the mental energy of reading a book! So during the school year it generally takes me 2 to 3 weeks to read a book. During the summer, it takes me 3 to 5 days. I read over 20 books this summer. Here are a few reviews/comments.

Naked by David Sedaris - Sedaris is absolutely one of the funniest writers around right now. This book is really a compilation of essays he wrote which when put all together form a memior of sorts. The first 2/3 are laugh-out-loud funny, the final 1/3 is still great reading, and still often very funny but is a little grittier and edgier than the first portion of the book. I bought Me Talk Pretty One Day but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.

Light Before Day by Christopher Rice - Christopher Rice is the son of Ann Rice of Interview with a Vampire fame. I read his first book, A Density of Souls, which was dark, brooding and very powerful. So I was looking forward to his new book - plus it was being marketed as a thriller: murder mystery, serial killer hunt, betrayal and intrigue and all that. And the truth is, Rice is a good writer. The book was compelling enough that I finished it, even though there were many times when I thought about putting it down and walking away. The problem is, as good a writer as he is, Rice has gotten very preachy, very arrogant, very condescending to his readers. And this book has a plot more convoluted than anything I've read in a good long time. Definitely not satisfying.

Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey - From the sci-fi genre (one of my favorites) comes this book from a relatively new author. This book is the first in a second "Kushiel" trilogy and all I can say is, if you are a fantasy fan and haven't read Carey's stuff yet - go get it. The Kushiel books are superb. Carey is a great story teller, creating real characters and painting gorgeous detailed imagery with her words.

A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggers - This was the second memior I read and may very well be the best book I read all summer. I picked it up just from seeing the title. (I mean heartbreaking? staggering genius? how could I pass it up?) This book has won all kinds of awards and accolaydes and deservedly so. A quick summary...guy in his early twenties loses both parents to cancer within 6 weeks of each other....guy assumes responsibility (a word I [and the author would no doubt agree] use in the loosest of senses) for 7 (or 8 or 9) year old brother. This book is uproariously funny and powerfully angry and an excellent read. Plus the book starts (first page - I kid you not) with the presentation of 6 suggestions on how to enjoy the book and must include 20 or so pages of acknowledgements. How can you not like this guy?

A Dirty Job by Chistopher Moore - Another completely off-the-wall screwball novel by the same author who brought us The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove, Practical Demonkeeping, Lamb (The unauthorized biography of Jesus by his childhood pal Biff), and other nutty books. This one is just as good as the previous books. Another laugh-out-loud funny read. I was reading this one at the beach and kept cracking up. I was getting some pretty strange looks I can tell you....but then again, those looks may have had nothing to do with my laughing or what I was reading....but anyway, go get this book - it's great.

Back to School (Again)

2006-08-29T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well, it's that time of year....

My 9 1/2 weeks of summer vacation are over and I'm back at school. We had 3 days of some of the worst "professional development" meetings I've ever had to sit through and now we are in our "clerical days" which are the days we teachers get to set up our classrooms and the like. The kiddies come back on Thursday.

Anyway, with the start of the new school year, I will begin blogging again. Stay tuned.

What's on my mind....

2006-06-08T09:53:00.000-07:00

Some random thoughts, musings and reactions....

Yesterday the Senate voted 49-48 against ending debate on a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage. Bill Frist, the leader of the Republican Party in the Senate brought the debate to the floor of the Senate despite the fact that he knew there weren't enough votes for it to pass. You see, this is an election year and the Republicans aren't polling well. Apparently the Republicans have gotten all the mileage they're going to get out of the abortion issue, so the new issue of choice to really get the far right-wing conservative base fired up is gay marriage. Nothing gets those "Christian" right-wingers going like a little hatred and bigotry. And Frist needs to whip up that base because he is planning on running for president in 2008.

Did you here that scientists have finally discovered extra-terrestrial life? Well maybe they have. How the hell did this story just slip through the cracks? Check out the story on CNN.com. It seems these mysterious red cells which don't resemble any life form on earth fell during sporadic rain showers across India during the summer of 2001. One scientist has theorized that the cells are extra-terrestrial bacteria that came from a comet or meteor that broke up in the earth's atmosphere and got caught up in rain clouds. If true, this is the biggest scientific discovery since fire. And this is the first we're hearing about it.

With just 5 student days and 2 professional days left in this school year, I'm seeing light at the end of the tunnel. There are 9 weeks of "free" time waiting, and I'm just itching to get there. This has been a rough school year for me, and I'll be relieved to have it behind me. Next year is a huge question mark (new district administration, new school principal, new curriculum), but I don't need to worry about that for another 2 1/2 months.

Ursprache

2006-06-02T09:10:00.000-07:00

Did anyone else watch the National Spelling Bee last night? I never would have guessed, but boy did that make for good television! I was on the edge of my seat. It was dramatic and gripping, and most surprisingly the pace was good. I thought it would be slow and tedious, but they really keep things moving. Anyway, the bee came down to a battle between 2 eighth grade girls, one from Canada and one from New Jersey. They went back and forth like 4 or 5 rounds, each spelling their words correctly - and I really thought it was going to end up as a tie. I didn't realize this before, but apparently they only pick a set number of words each year. If they run out of words before the contest gets down to a single speller, then the contest ends in a tie. But apparently that hasn't happened in like 40 years. So these two girls are going back and forth, totally unflappable, spelling these crazy words until the Canadian girl got the word 'weltschmerz.' You could see by the look on her face that she had never heard the word before, and as her time was counting down you could hear panic creeping into her voice as she repeatedly asked for the definition and pronunciation. She ended up spelling the word with a 'v' rather than a 'w.' A mistake I found surprising since she knew the word was of German origin. The girl from New Jersey won the competition with another Germanic word: 'ursprache.' In contrast to her competitor, it was obvious from the expression on her face that she HAD heard the word before and she knew how to spell it.

So all in all it was a very enjoyable evening of entertainment. I'll watch again next year.

KK vs. GZ - The Answers

2006-05-05T10:58:00.000-07:00

The correct answers:

- Despite what the movie shows, Godzilla wins this battle hands down. He's a dinosaur for goodness sakes!

- I DO love chocolate chip cookies, but honestly, a really good oatmeal raisin cookie may be one of the most glorious foods ever created.

- You can always put on more layers of clothes when you're cold, but once you're naked, what can you do? plus getting naked means sunburn all over, and who wants that? the wind swept ice-scape beats the wind swept sand dunes hands down.

- As if this was even a contest. Coke. Period. End of discussion.

- Lion vs. Tiger is a tough one, but ultimately I've got to go with Tiger. There's just something about them. Plus in the wild, lions are a lot lazier than tigers.

- I do like white chocolate, but white chocolate is better when its had on an occasional basis - like special events. You don't want white chocolate all the time. When it comes to chocolate bunnies, well you only have them once a year, so that's a special event. So I've got to go with the white chocolate bunny.

- DUH! Saturn. It doesn't matter that Jupiter is bigger and has the giant red spot, Saturn has those spectacular rings and way more interesting moons.

- Superman - he's super.

- Hurricane. Yes, a tornado packs more destructive force, but Hurricanes are huge and last a whole lot longer. As natural disasters go, they're way more interesting.

And Adam - I love them both, but in the contest
vs.

I've got to go with Where the Wild Things Are. That was a work of sheer genius.

King Kong vs. Godzilla

2006-04-24T15:22:00.000-07:00

Some random and fleeting thoughts in my brain inspired by the classic "King King vs. Godzilla" conundrum....

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

vs.

The correct answers in the next post....

What are some of your favorite matchups?

A Scape Goat

2006-04-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

Isn't placing blame fun? This one is easy. Why haven't I blogged over the past couple of weeks, you ask? Well, I blame it entirely on April who, in a short little post a while back included a link to Boggle on the web. Well now I can do nothing else. Yes April, it's all your fault, and so I make you, pissed off woman that you are, my Scape Goat of the Week.

And thanks for being there for me!

101

2006-03-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

My last post was post 100. Yippe. Let's celebrate....big party....right? Whatever.... I've been blogging for about 10 months now, or 300+ days. So that means I'm posting at the rate of about 1 post every 3 days. Well o.k., the truth of the matter is I've slowed down significantly from those heady, early days when I thought I had a lot to say. I was posting almost every day, and occassionally I posted more than once a day! Now I'm posting about once a week or so. I still have a lot to say, but the truth of the matter is, I'm lazy. Plus, I tend to have some rather "strong" views on things, and I'm pretty sure I've completely offended the 3 people who used to read my blog and run them off entirely. Which means that I'm now posting to absolutely no one - which is rather like talking to yourself, isn't it? And we all know what they say about people who talk to themselves.

I never was very good at keeping a diary when I was a kid. I always lost interest after a while and the journal just gathered dust until I went back and read it, realized what complete dreck it was and threw it away.

I don't know....I didn't start this blog with the expectation that anyone would actually read it. I started it as a little bit of therapy for myself. And I think I still need that. I need a place to vent and write about things that mean something to me, even if they don't mean anything to anyone else. So I'm not going anywhere. I'll just post when I feel like it - I just hope I feel like it more often that I have lately. I don't know we'll see.

Random thought going through my head as I typed this: I started 12 sentences in this post with the word "I". My English teacher in 11th grade would have been appalled.

On First Causes

2006-03-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

The "Quick Vote" Poll question on CNN today asks, "Do you believe science can explain how the universe began?" The question is being asked because scientists released findings today about the so-called background radiation that is believed to be the remnants of the Big Bang. Scientists collected data from a satellite observatory launched in 2001 and designed specifically to detect that radiation. Apparently, the results allow scientists to describe the conditions of the universe
one one-trillionth of a second after the Big Bang. That's as close to the Big Bang itself as scientists have gotten. But the question, "what caused the Big Bang?" (or "how did the Big Bang happen?") remains unanswered.

This is the question of First Cause (or Original Cause). It is the question of the existence of God/a god/a creator/a creative force. Do someone/something set everything into motion, or did the universe come into being randomly, or is there some great unknown law of physics that requires that universe exist? If someone "caused" the Big Bang did that someone continue to have a hand in the development of the universe (and in particular in the development of life here on earth) or is everything that has happened since the Big Bang just the pre-determined events that the laws of physics require?

I think ultimately this where the our knowledge and understanding of the universe reaches its limits. My feeling is that the laws of science can't answer the question of first cause. That here we must cross the line of science and rationality into the realm of faith, spirituality and metaphysics.

I do believe there is a "creator" who set things in motion and influenced the course of events that shaped the universe thereafter. I do not believe this creater continues to influence our little corner of creation.

And that is what I believe, and I have nothing more to say on this matter. For now anyway.

More From the Science Geek

2006-03-10T09:42:00.000-08:00

I just can't help it - I LOVE this stuff! It really brings out the kid in me. So what is this a picture of? The sun during an eclipse? Nope. I'll give you a hint. The ethereal white streaks in the lower right hand corner - they're not (strictly speaking) rays of light. Rather they are gigantic plumes of water vapor being ejected from powerful geyesers. So what are we seeing in the picture? Give up? Well, it's a picture of Saturn's moon Enceladus of course. Or, to be fair, how could you possibly have known? This is the first time such a phenomenon has been captured. In fact this is the first clear evidence of the present existence of liquid water any where in our solar system other than right here on earth. There is plenty of evidence that liquid water once flowed on the surface of Mars, but it's not there anymore. Scientists suspect that Jupiter's moon Europa is covered by a great water ocean, but it is covered by a solid layer of ice. But now, here are images of liquid water erupting from the surface of a moon of Saturn. Apparently, although the surface temperature of Enceladus is about -300 degrees Celsius, there are large pockets of water below the surface that, due to the tidal forces of Saturn's gravity, and radiation energy, are warmed up to a toasty 0 degrees Celsius. And because of the pressure the water is under, it remains in liquid form. There is so much pressure in fact that from time to time apparently, geyesers are formed and water explodes from below the surface to create the plumes captured in this photo.
A closer view of Enceladus's surface reveals big fissures that scientists believe are cracks created by this liquid water underneath the moon's surface.

What is so impressive about this? Well, where there is liquid water, there is the chance of life. Life exists on earth in water in conditions much more severe than those that seem to exists underneath the surface of Enceladus.

We're getting closer folks. I'm beginning to strongly believe that we are going to discover extra-terrestrial life in my lifetime. Sure, most likely it won't be much more than some VERY primitive bacteria-like organisms, but it's coming. And when it does our view of the universe will never be the same.

71 - a Good Age to Die

2006-02-16T15:05:00.000-08:00

I've always had a real fear of growing old. The thought of losing my faculties, growing infirmed both physically and mentally terrifies me. One of my favorite movies of all time is Harold and Maude. The movie presents what to me is an honorable and dignified solution to this problem. Maude, a 79 year old woman, recognizes that, while she has lead an exceptional and wonderful life, she is moving into an age at which her quality of life is going to rapidly deteriorate. So on her 80th birthday she celebrates her life and then ends it. She sets the terms, she chooses the time and place - everything is in her control. The scene in the movie is handled with real beauty and dignity. I look at my grandfather in comparison. In July he will turn 103. Once a talented painter, he is nearly blind and Parkinson's disease causes his hands to shake so badly he can't write his name much less paint. He is nearly deaf. He has had prostate cancer and skin cancer. Though he still has all his mental faculties, what is the quality of his life? Now I'm biased here. Even as a young boy I remember my grandfather to be one of the most miserable, mean, spiteful and hateful people I even knew. I know he continues to live simply out of spite to everyone. But I wouldn't want to live his life. I don't want to be 103.

So what was all this about? Oh yeah - finding a time to gracefully and peacefully end my life in a dignified manner in a way I choose. Well it turns out I might not need to plan out all the details. You see, there is a rather massive (50 million tons give or take a dozen) meteor headed out way. It is scheduled to pass percariously close to the earth in the year 2036. That's 30 years from now. I'll be 70, on my way to 71. Now apparently there is a small but real chance that this meteor will not just pass close to our planet, but that it will actually hit the earth. According to NASA, the chance is somewhere between 1 in 5000 and 1 in 10,000. Those numbers may seem small, but considering the vast emptiness of space that's a significant chance. Let's put this in perspective. If there were a 1 in 5000 (or even 1 in 10,000) chance of a plane crashing everytime it took off, would anyone in their right mind fly anymore? Hell no. We'd be talking about at least one major airline crash every day. No one would be willing to take that risk.

That being said, I'm surprised to just now be learning about this. It was mentioned as sort of an aside to an article I was reading on CNN.com. Maybe NASA doesn't want to cause unnecessary and unwarranted panic. After all the chance really is quite small. I can understand that. But still, this kind of doomsday scenario has gotten such popular play in movies and sci-fi novels and the like - that I would have thought somebody would have gotten their hands on this little tidbit of information and played it up for all its worth. Look at what the media has done with the bird-flu. Trust me - 25 million dead from the bird flu would pale in comparison to the death toll from a 50 million ton meteor.

Anyway, my whole point in all this is, the more I think about it, the more I kind of like the idea of my life ending at the ripe old age of 71 at the hands of a meteor strike. Having led a long, fulfilling life, still in possession (I hope) of most of my mental and physical capabilities, a death by meteor seems to me a great way to go. Oh sure it will be tragic and awful for hundreds of millions of others on this planet. But as you know, if you've read even just a few of my postings, I'm not a big fan of the human race. So fuck 'em - a meteor hitting the earth causing the near or complete extinction of the human race serves us right. As a race we have been terrible stewards of this planet and are really undeserving of it.

I would feel bad for the animals though.

Bring on the Sun

2006-02-15T11:25:00.000-08:00

I am currently taking a class that meets Tuesday evenings from 4:30 to 6:30. As I was leaving class yesterday evening, it occured to me that there was actually still some light left in the sky - it wasn't completely dark. That cheered me up.

The City of Champions - A Good Memory

2006-02-06T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well the Pittsburgh Steelers won Superbowl XL last night. I'm not a huge sports fanatic but I DO enjoy football and I watch the Steelers faithfully. The Steelers defined the city I grew up in. Between 1975 and 1980 (ages 9 through 15 for me), the Steelers won 4 Superbowls. That kind of dominance in a game that has been a national obsession for 4 decades had a huge effect on the city I grew up in and thus on me. As a kid, as a Pittsburgher, it was impossible NOT to be influenced by the media hype, the bigger than life players like golden boy/maveric QB Terry Bradshaw, and Lynn Swann, the ballet-taking wide receiver great, and Franco Harris whose Immaculate Reception is a single moment in time that this city will forever have imprinted in its memory. There were so many others....all household names that came up daily in conversation at home, at school, among friends: The Steel Curtain - Dwight White, Ernie Holmes, Mean Joe Green, L.C. Greenwood - considered by many to be the best defense ever in professional football; and a just as impressive offense with running back Rocky Bleier and wide receiver John Stallworth among many others.

The Steelers hadn't been to a Superbowl since 1995 (losing to Dallas) and hadn't won since 1980, so last night was an exciting night. Yeah, the Steelers didn't play the best game they've ever played, but the won, and they brought the Championship back to Pittsburgh for the first time in 25 years. In place of all those names I mentioned above this year it was Ben Roethlisberger and Jerome Bettis, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, Joey Porter and Antwaan Randle El - but it was the same old Steelers. It was great to watch and the nostalgia felt good.

I don't have many memories of my childhood. And when I say I don't have many, I really mean I have next to none. I truly have almost 0 memories of specific events or occasions and only even a few lasting impressions. Nearly all of my specific memories and my impressions are bad ones - abuse at the hands of my father are at the center of most of them. But my memories of the Steelers in the late 70's - mostly names and impressions, are good. I do recall feeling very proud to live in the City of Champions. So last night was one of those rare times when I could look back on growing up and feel good. For that one little gift I'm so thankful. Last night was a really good night.

When's the First Flight?

2006-01-25T15:05:00.000-08:00

Did you hear the good news? Scientists have announced the discovery of the first "earth like" planet outside of our solar system. Astronomers have discovered dozens of planets outside our system, but up till now they have all been giant, gaseous, Jupiter-like planets. But now, for the first time, astronomers believe they have sufficient data and evidence to show that a recently discovered planet in a system 20,000 light years from earth is in fact a smaller, rocky planet and just as significantly, this planet appears to orbit its star in an orbit that is in the "habitable" zone. In other words, in an orbit that is neither too close to the star, nor too far from it (in either case, temperature extremes would make the evolution of life extremely improbable).

Now we just have to figure out how to get there.

Big Balls = Tiny Brain

2006-01-24T12:25:00.000-08:00

Bad news for bats. It turns out that there is a tradeoff between sexual prowess and brain size. The bigger a bat's balls, the tinier its brain. But the real kicker is, this can all be blamed on the female bats (are we really surprised, gentlemen?) The problem appears to be that in some species of bats apparently the female bats are terribly promiscuous. So if the poor male bat wants his genes to be inherited by a new generation, he is forced to have lots of sex with lots of female bats. And to do that, he has to have really big balls. But in order to evolve those big balls, the male bat gives up brain size and thus intelligence. In other species of bats where the females are content to settle down into monogamous relationships, there is no such problem. Yes, the male bats have smaller testicles, but they also have much bigger brains. Well I suppose the question is, if you were a bat, which would you prefer: lots of sex but being dumb as a....well, I don't know, a bat maybe; or a whole lot less sex but being smart as a....well, a really smart bat? Maybe this isn't such a raw deal for the male bats after all.

Sure To Be A Hit

2006-01-18T16:29:00.000-08:00

Here is an idea for a movie script. A man and a woman (initially strangers) are thrown alone together, basically by accident, in a remote place on earth. So they're basicall isolated from the rest of the world. As time goes by, the woman develops an emotional attraction to the man (despite the fact that he is basically cold, aloof, and emotionally unavailable) and the man, naturally, becomes horny. So one night the man semi rapes the woman. Oh it isn't full out rape, because the woman, desiring the emotional bond is consenting, but the man is clearly in it just for the physical release, shows absolutely no affection, is rough in his technique, show no concern for his partner's pleasure, and rolls over and goes to sleep after. The next day, the man disavows the entire thing and lets the woman know it didn't mean anything and that nothing is going to come of it. Not wanting to alienate the man, the woman goes along with it. But of course the man gets horny again and sex happens again, and again and again. Finally events conspire to release our main characters from each other and they go their separate ways to live separate lives (both get married to other people and have children). Except the woman, not able to get this man out of her head, gets in contact with him and they start an affair. It's completely one sided. The man gets free sex and the woman gets emotionally abused over and over and over again. The man is a complete asshole and the woman is a coward who can't break free from the stranglehold emotional bonds the man has placed her in. This goes on for 20 years until finally....

Well I can't tell you that part because it might spoil the ending of this real winner of a movie. I mean the concept has blockbuster written all over it, doesn't it? Oh yeah, Golden Globe and Oscar winner for sure right? Or does this sound like a heaping load of stinking shit? It sounds really horrible - doesn't it? Who the hell would go to see such a movie? And wouldn't any respectable person who did go to see it be really offended by it?

O.K. now, in the first paragraph, replace every instance of the word "woman" with "other man" and you get an accurate synopsis of Brokeback Mountain that "epic cinematic masterpiece" getting all kinds of praise and awards and great reviews. What a load of crap! I can't even begin to tell you how angry this movie made me and how offensive I found it. This movie is not a love story, it's a movie about a dysfunctional and abusive relationship, that, like most dysfunctional and abusive relationships, ends badly. But worse, there is nothing redeeming in the film. The characters are not likeable (one is weak, and one is just a complete asshole), the events don't provide for redemption of either character, and basically the circumstances of both characters just get worse and worse and worse until....well until the movie ends. And that's it. Things start out badly and proceed to turn into a complete train wreck.

Great, now movies can tell the story of a closeted gay man and the abusive relationship he endures with a man who is so completely fucked up in the head that you can't even call him closeted. He's just abusive and emotionally closed to every person in his life. He's not straight, not gay, not bisexual; he is just a complete asshole. Yeah, this is real progress forward. What ever.

Truth on a Bumper

2006-01-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

This morning on my way to school I saw the most profound bumper sticker I've seen in a long time. It simply said, "If you aren't OUTRAGED then you aren't aware."

Enough said.

I Always Suspected....

2006-01-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Hey, interesting news. It turns out that ants can teach each other. This is the first time scientists have observed and verified teaching behaviors outside of the human species. Apparently most animals don't exhibit real teaching, they tend to display modeling/mimicry behaviors. For example a female lion will model hunting behaviors to her cubs who will mimic her behaviors. But this isn't real teaching. Apparently, according to the scientific definition, real teaching requires that the teacher modify his or her teaching behaviors in reaction to the learning rate and responses of the learner. And in all of the animal kingdom, only ant teachers demonstrate that kind of behavior modification in reaction to their student's responses.

All of this only goes to show what I've long suspected, ants are far more intelligent than many people who not only couldn't teach a rock to sit, but clearly aren't able to learn much either.

I Dont Know Why I Feel Compelled to Post on This...

2006-01-05T15:46:00.000-08:00

I see things and I feel compelled to comment on them. That was my whole reason for starting a blog in the first place. So I saw this article on CNN's website and I feel like I need to say something about it. This despite the previous post I made a couple weeks ago on the topic and over which I'm still smarting. I'm not kidding - my feelings were really hurt when I read some of the reactions to what I had to say. You will need to read the complete strands of postings on both sites to understand why, but suffice it to say I got a good verbal thrashing for what I posted and still feel it was unfair and based on emotion rather than logic.

Maybe I'm just a masochist (yeah, those of you who actually know me are rolling on the floor laughing over that one, I know) but I'm gonna post on this subject again, so here goes....

O.K., I support the death penalty. I'll say that up-front for anyone who was unwilling to go back and read the previous posts. But like that previous post (and ALL the subsequent comments) the purpose of this post is not to defend that position. That is the subject for a later, hypothetical post. Rather, it is the purpose of this post to attempt to provide some perspective on what was reported on in the CNN article referenced above.

So, the CNN article reported on an execution in Virginia that may have been a mistake. A man there by the name of Robert Keith Coleman was executed in 1992 for brutally raping and murdering his sister-in-law. To the death, Coleman continued to insist that he was innocent, and indeed, there were some strange twists to this case. The DNA evidence collected (sperm samples) came from two men, not just one, and another man confessed to the killing. On the other hand, Coleman had a history of violent sexual assualt, the DNA tests revealed that Coleman's DNA was consistent with the DNA collected (in 1992, this meant that Coleman fit in with the 0.2 percent of the population that could have been a match with the sample), and Coleman failed several lie detector tests about this case. Now I am the first to admit that those pieces of evidence do no conclusively prove guilt (they are however, pretty strong circumstantial pieces of evidence). In fact, there are enough questions surrounding this case that negotiations are underway to have the DNA sample re-tested. In 2006, with more sophisticated tests and better equipment, tests can now be performed to determine exact DNA matches, rather than just narrowing down a population. Not privy to the other evidence in the case, I have no choice but to concede that it is possible in this case that an innocent man was executed. A final DNA test should answer that question.

The question is, if it turns out that an innocent man was executed, will my support of the death penalty waver? That is the question raised by the CNN article. Apparently some people are resisting having the DNA retested because they are concerned that if the tests do reveal that an innocent man died, public support for capital punishment will waver. Well of course public support will waver....but should it? My position wont change and I would argue that a development like this shouldn't change the support of anyone else either. The reason for that is, if you are a person who supports the death penalty today, you must acknowledge that mistakes can and will be made, and that along with the death penalty comes the possibility that an innocent victim will be executed. That baggage comes along with support of the death penalty. It's one of the many concerns that makes the death penalty such a sticky, complicated difficult issue.

For some, this one issue - the possibility that mistakes can happen - is enough to push them into the anti-death-penalty camp. They argue that even one innocent life is too great an expense. And I really respect that opinion. I can very much understand why a person would be against the death penalty on the basis of this issue. For me though, it isn't enough of a reason to change my support. But I can understand why it is enough for some people. As awful as this is going to sound to some people, I do honestly believe that the cost associated with the death penalty (as awful and terrible as it is - and it IS awful and terrible) is worth the service and protections that capital punishment affords society.

But the point is, I understand and acknowledge that there is a terrible cost associated with the death penalty. I've weighed that factor into my thinking on this subject, and still, I come out of my personal deliberations steadfast on the side of capital punishment. And that ought to be true of anyone else who supports the death penalty; otherwise their position is not well formulated. It is impossible to take the stand, "I support the death penalty unless it results in the execution of an innocent man." Because those two things are completely contradictory. We live in an imperfect world, and mistakes are going to be made, given the death penalty, innocent men will be executed. But as forensic science and criminal investigations grow more and more sophisticated we can continue to make efforts at reducing the number of mistakes made to a bare minimum.

So why would public opinion waver if it is discovered that Robert Keith Coleman is discovered to have been innocent? If you support the death penalty then you've already factored this possible scenario into your stand on the issue. Right? Wrong!Because too many people out there have NOT developed well formed positions on this issue (and many other issues). They haven't really considered all the ramifications and nuances and subtle twists that are wrapped up in this issue. But here's the real outcome of all of this: the people who waver in their support of the death penalty because of a case like this - guess what? They are the very same people who will waver right back again when the next young woman is brutally raped and murdered in their home state and a convicted sex-offender is arrested and tried for the crime. They'll be right back there saying, "we need to kill this monster!"

Hey, wavering is the national pastime of the "enlightened" American public.

Return to Work

2006-01-03T15:04:00.000-08:00

Today was the first day back to school after the winter break. Generally this day would be a fresh new start, and usually the students are ready to get back into the swing of things and back to work. In other words, teachers generally get a little honeymoon period (3 to 4 days) before things revert back to normal - disinterested students, nagging parents, overbearing administrators.

Well today wasn't that day. Early New Years day, one of the students at the school I teach at was brutally beaten to death with a brick. The perpetrators of the crime were a former student and 2 current students from my school. I never taught the student who was the victim, but I knew him from seeing him around the halls of the building. On the other hand, last year, I taught the student who was the main aggressor in the incident. When I saw the news reports about the crime I was really shocked and saddened to hear about the students involved.

Now you need to understand, as a teacher in an inner-city high school, I've taught many students who "make the news" in similar fashion. I've taught students who were arrested for violent crimes. I've taught students who were murdered, and others who were arrested for murder. So this isn't a new experience for me. But this case took me off guard. The student I taught who was arrested for the crime was truly such a nice kid. He was respectful and polite both in and out of the classroom. And he was a very hard worker. This was a kid who always struggled at math - his entire life. And he really struggled in my class first semester as well. But he kept working away at things - he never gave up. Then, second semester, something happened and things really began to click for him. He really got what we were doing in class and he was clearly enjoying it too. This kid stands out because he was so demonstrative of his appreciation for what he was learning and of his enjoyment for the class. It was a joy to behold. Teaching is not a profession with many tangible rewards, but it is those kinds of experiences that make teaching the profession I love so much. So seeing this story on the news really threw me off kilter.

I don't know many of the details of the incident, so I have no idea what set this young man off to such brutal violence - not this boy who I always experienced as kind and gentle. I don't know in what way he was the "leader" in the aggression as the news media is reporting. I only know that this young man is in jail today, and is look forward to a lengthy prison sentence. Sure, lots of kids were talking today - but without any real information. Those students in a position to really know the details weren't in school today and that is probably a good thing.

As you can probably imagine, things were oddly quiet and subdued in school today on this, our first day back from the holiday break. Hushed conversations with rumors flying were the norm. Some students were oppenly weeping in class, while others were confused and were having difficulty dealing with their emotions in reacting to the weekend events. Meanwhile emotionally stressed teachers were working hard to keep everythign calm and running with the appearance of a semblance of normality. Over all it was a rather surreal process.

And now the job of getting things back to normal begins. Schools are resiliant institutions, and it wont take that long for it to happen. But for now I still feel a little bewildered, a little off my game. It's a bitter start to the new year.

as close as i'm going to get...

2006-01-02T16:35:00.000-08:00

Thanks April, for passing this on. Trust me, this is as close as I'm going to get to real resolutions.

Your New Year's Resolutions

1) Get a pet bunny
You know, I'm already spending way too much time petting other things.

2) Eat less tofu
Is it possible to eat less than none?

3) Travel to Korea
Korea?!?!? Could I get away with Fiji?

4) Study animal behavior
I certainly hope to study "pig" behavior in greater depth.

5) Get in shape with surfing
I don't know, channel surfing hasn't done a thing for me yet.

What Should Your New Year's Resoluton Be?

Happy New Year all.

Island of the Lucky Blonde Woman

2005-12-29T12:56:00.000-08:00

*** WARNING - THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS OF A PRETTY LOUSY MOVIE ***

I went to see King Kong last night with a group of friends. The sad thing is, it could have been a pretty good movie. The effects are awesome, and parts of the movie are actually enjoyable. But the movie is over 3 hours long - it didn't need to be more than 2, but I get the sense that Peter Jackson doesn't know how to make a movie that is less than 3 hours. There are scenes that go on interminably. Screaming and screeching natives preparing a screaming and screeching Ann Darrow for sacrifice to Kong seems to never end, and did I mention that it is filled with screaming and screeching? In an effort, I'm sure, to show off the great special effects being employed, a stampede of brontosauruses lasts forever, but at least it provides a theory to how the dinosaurs became extinct. Apparently they were the stupidest creatures to ever walk the face of the the earth and all died from stupidity.

And the movie is so over the top in places that is completely boggles the mind. Miraculous rescues ala deus ex machina happen so often that after a while it is hard to feel any real suspense. You just know that the cornered characters are going to be saved at the last minute by some minor (or major) miracle that will completely defy belief (like Jack and Ann hitching a ride on a flying bat/lizard thing). Ann repeatedly gets so lucky in escaping impossible situations that I think Skull Island should probably have been called Island of the Lucky Blonde Woman.

Then there are the places where Jackson drags out really over the top scenes to really unbearabble lengths. There is the scene where Kong battles not one, not two, but three tyranasaurus rexes for what seems like forever. At various times throughout that scene Kong is portrayed as boxer (he seems to favor the right hook), professional wrestler (he can really throw those dinosaurs around), black belt martial artist (who knew that a big gorilla would be so good at spinning jump kicks?) and cirque du soliel gymnast. Kong and rexes battle it out in the jungle (for forever), at cliff's edge (for forever) and in a maze of vines (for forever) that fortunately fills a deep gorge. Had it not been for those vines, Kong, the rexes and Ann all would have fallen to a gruesome death. Wait, maybe that wasn't so fortunate. If they had all fallen to their deaths, the movie would have been over in 90 minutes. That would have been a blessing. In another scene, several characters are attacked by barrage after barrage after barrage after unending barrage of really big, disgusting bugs. Huge grasshoppers and worms (with really big, sharp, menacing teeth that they never actually use) and spiders and centipedes and dung beetles and scorpions and so on and so on attack our heroes in wave after wave until clearly there is no way they can possibly survive, but of course miracle happens and they are rescued. In one of the most ridiculous scenes within that scene, one character (who it is repeated made clear to us, has never shot a gun before) actually shoots a mass of giant grasshoppers off of another character with a machine gun. He fires hundreds of shots and never once manages to hit the other man, he just miraculously manages to shoot every single one of the bugs attacking the man. And during all of this, for some reason, the other bugs all leave him alone. The real problem is, there is never any real tension in any of these scenes, because you know miracles will take place to save the heros and allow them to go on to the next belief defying danger.

Generally those two things (never ending scenes and outrageously over-the-top plot elements) combine to make the movie pretty unbearable. The New York portion of the movie is somewhat better and moves along more fluidly, but even it tends to drag. And by that point in the movie, I was so ready for it to be over, that I just couldn't care too much about what was going on.

Anyway, that was 3 hours of my life I'll never get back. My recommendation? Time is precious....don't let this happen to you!

How Did We Become So Polarized?

2005-12-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

Over night last night Stanley "Tookie" Williams was executed by the State of California for murdering 4 people. And today the blog world is abuzz with commentary on the morality of the execution. I believe I would be safe in wagering a large sum on saying that it is a fact that approximately 95% of the postings are of the form, "The execution was a prime example the (worst crime)/(greatest service) a government can (perpetrate on)/(perform for) its citizenry because [insert mostly irrelevant and/or meaningless rhetoric here] and if you don't agree with me you are the densest moron ever to walk the face of the earth." Now for the most part, I try to avoid such blogs because they tend to be written by, well, for lack of a better phrase, some of the densest morons ever to walk this planet. But while browsing through the postings of some bloggers I generally respect and enjoy reading, I did come across a posting of this nature. I was surprised, and more, I felt like I needed to respond. Below is the text of my response in its entirety, though to really understand it, I do recommend that you click the link above and read the original post.

I'm not going to say a word about the morality of the death penalty in this specific case here, so perhaps in a lot of ways not a thing I say here is going to mean a whole lot, however I do feel that your presentation of Mr. Williams does call for a response to balance the scales. First of all, Mr. Williams was charged and convicted of ONLY 4 murders, because those were ones that the prosecutor had enough evidence to convict him on. In fact, as the founder and leader of the Crips gang, he was almost certainly directly or indirectly responsible for dozens of other killings. By literally fathering "modern" gang culture in the US he is responsible for thousands of deaths. Second, hundreds of people are nominated every year for Nobel Peace Prizes. It is almost completely meaningless to be nominated. Any politician or professor of history, sociology, or divinity is permitted to make a nomination and most of them do. Oprah gets nominated EVERY year. So does george Bush. The Nobel selection committee throws most of those nominations right into the dumpster. Finally, although he did indeed author many books for young people encouraging them to steer clear of gang life and what not, there is actually considerable evidence that right up to a very short time ago, Mr. Williams was still involved in and even directing the activities of the Crips in Southern California. He was, perhaps, not as reformed as he was often portrayed.

Does any of this mean that he deserved to die? I don't know. The death penalty is such a sticky, complicated issue. I don't agree that it is as cut and dry as you make it out to be. Obviously the words "State sanctioned murder" bring to mind terrible things - the words themselves are polarized. But war is nothing but State sanctioned murder on a huge scale, and as terrible as war is, no rational person can deny a State's right to wage war in its own defense.

Every civilized nation on this earth has "exceptions" to their laws against murder. Self-defense, defense of the life of another, Defense of the reasonable safety and well being of self or another, and the list goes on. The question is, are there times when we must except the State as well. In my opinion that is an extremely complicated question with no simple answer. And what astounds me is when seemingly perfectly rational people become so violently polarized on complicated issues like this one. As if there is one absolute, obviously correct answer; as if they possess the one real truth and anyone who doesn't agree must be stupid or blind. Because there isn't an obviously correct answer, and just because someone disagrees doesn't make them stupid or blind - it very possibly makes them thoughtful and worth talking to because geting other perspectives can often be useful in adjusting your own.

I'll come right out and say it now. I support the death penalty. I also believe capital punishment is a difficult, tangled issue, and I can appreciate that other people hold different opinions on this issue. I also think that executing criminals is an ugly, awful thing to do and in a perfect world there would be no such thing as the death penalty. Just as in a perfect world there would be no war. But we don't live in a perfect world, and I think that in the imperfect world we live in, the death penalty is necessary. I also think that way in which the death penalty is enforced in the United States is terribly flawed, almost certainly not equitable, and needs fixing. But I don't think it should be done away with. I think that the system should be fixed, not done away with.

That being said, I am not going to try to defend my position here. That is a subject for another post. Rather the issue I want to raise here is about the transition in the past 25 years (at least to my observation) in this country (and around the world apparently) in the press, in the media, in politics, and in society from a time when two individuals with opposing viewpoints on an issue could talk to each other; could reasonably discuss the contentious issue; could respect each other's point of view; could peacefully coexist, to now, when two people with opposing viewpoints feel compelled to condemn each other to eternal torment in the fires of hell in the loudest possible voices, if not do actual physical harm to each other. How and why did this happen?

Some of my very best friends oppose capital punishment. With nearly all of them I can discuss the issue calmly and rationally without calling them morons, without fear of them condeming me for my beliefs, with feeling the need to punch them in the face or shoot them in their heads for their beliefs. I can listen to their reasoning and appreciate it, and respect their opinions and AT THE SAME TIME, continue to hold my own beliefs on the matter. Why is this so difficult for the rest of the world?

Why, when a polician stands up and says we need to consider a new strategy in the war in Iraq do opposing politicians feel the need to call that man a coward and traitor? At the same time when a politician stands up in reasoned defense of the same war why does the other side do little more than shout out accusations of deceit, war profiteering and imperialism? How is it possible that a single woman in a vegetative state can literally reduce this nation to a civil war of violent, hateful, hyperbolic rhetoric? What happened to reasonable discussion and debate without getting angry or ugly or violent? I don't get it. But I'll tell you this - the loss in this country by so many people of the ability to respect those with different viewpoints is dangerous beyond belief. Slowly but surely the fabric of this nation is being ripped apart by this loss of civility and the consequences get uglier day by day.

Well, She IS Blonde After All

2005-12-08T09:33:00.000-08:00

A direct quote from Ann Coulter, "I love to engage in repartee with people who are stupider than I am." Well of course you do Ann. The only question is, how do you manage to find people stupider than you? I mean really, there just can't be that many of them. Perhaps she engages in frequent chats with Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, and well maybe she even gets to talk to the president from time to time. She must REALLY love that.

Down the Slippery Slope

2005-12-06T12:52:00.000-08:00

WOW....I haven't posted in a while, have I? Actually, that isn't entirely true. I've been posting, it just hasn't been here. I've been posting comments on other blogs and that is almost the same as blogging myself, right? Yeah, yeah, you say, what ever gets you through the day....

Well anyway, I have something to say, so here it is....

You've probably heard about this on the news - a number of right wing "christian" organizations have called for a boycott of Target stores this holiday shopping season because Target no longer uses the word "Christmas" in their advertising or promotional campaigns. Here are the exact words being used by the American Family Association to promote the boycott:

[Target management is] fearful they may offend a small minority who oppose Christmas, but they aren't concerned about offending Christians who celebrate the birth of Christ as the Reason for the season. Therefore, they banned the use of Christmas....[We are]offended that Target has banned "Christmas" in their in-store promotions and retail advertising. [We are] offended that they want to make money from those celebrating the birthday of Christ but are not concerned if Christians are offended.

Hypocritically, the AFA acknowledges that Target is not the only retailer to stop using the word "Christmas" in their advertising and promotions, but Target is the only retailer being targeted by the boycott. In fact the AFA explicitly mentions Wal-Mart as a retailer that has also adopted this "Christmas" ban, and yet Wal-Mart is immune from the boycott despite the fact that Wal-Mart is a bigger corporation than Target. Why the hypocrisy? Could it be because Wal-Mart has always pandered to the religious right and has financially supported numerous right-wing organizations? Or how about the fact that a huge percentage of the religious right's membership would be absolutely lost if, all of a sudden, they were told they could no longer shop at their favorite store and very possibly wouldn't go along with the boycott. Target was a safe and easy....well....target (excuse the pun).

Because the truth of the matter is, this whole to-do isn't really about a boycott or about "Christmas" or about Target specifically. It is about sending a message. Read the quote above again and notice two simple yet meaningful phrases: "small minority" and "oppose Christmas." You see this whole matter is about the fundamentalist Christian right reinforcing the message it has been getting more and more vocal in proclaiming.

Let's look at the message more carefully. The phrase "small minority" - what does it mean? Who does it include? Well it would include Jews, Muslims, Atheists, African Americans who have embraced the celebration of Kwanza and anyone else the fundamentalists hate (trust me you can lump homosexuals in there regardless of whether they celebrate Christmas or not), in other words, literally tens of millions of Americans. And how should we feel about this "small minority"? Well consider that this "small minority" apparently "oppose[s] Christmas." The AFA throws that phrase in there to vilify these groups. As if because a group does not celebrate Christmas or does not celebrate Christmas in the same way that the religious right does, means that they oppose Christmas. But you see if you can make that argument, you can go one step further: clearly those groups hate Christmas. See? Think about it - those Jews and Muslims and all the rest, they don't celebrate Christmas right? So of course they obviously hate Christmas and thus clearly they hate Christians. It's a twisted and insidious logical chain that leads to one clear imperative: they (those non-celebrating Christmas people) hate us (fundamentalist Christians) so we must, in return, hate them. This is precisely the type of rhetoric that breeds hatred, mistrust, suspicion, prejudice, violence and warfare. Hurt them before they hurt you is the philosophy of this type of thinker.

The religious right in this country has made it clear: They are in power now and it is open season to hate. Any semblance of toleration in this sub-culture has been thrown out the window (ironic considering that in name, they are an organization based on the teachings of a man who did nothing but preach tolerance and good will). They are actively targeting the groups they don't like and pushing an agenda of hatred and persecution.

I hate to make the hackneyed and cliched comparison, but doesn't anyone see that this is frighteningly similar to the road that Germany was traveling down in the late 1930's?

On Turning 40

2005-11-17T14:36:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me,
happy birthday to me,
happy birthday dear....

Oh. Hello. Yes, it's true. Today IS my birthday. And not just any birthday, today is the big 4-Oh for me. Not that that really means anything to me. I don't feel 40. I'm told I don't look 40. And I wouldn't have a clue what "acting 40" even means. The truth of the matter is, that increase by 1 in my age doesn't really phase me much. Well, actually, I have to admit, 35 was tough. But that's because of my bizarre "math teacher" brain. I just couldn't stop thinking about the fact that I was half way to 70! Somehow half way to 80 just doesn't have the same impact. But "half way to 70" really threw me for some reason.

Birthday's are strange occasions for me. I was raised as one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and as you may or may not know, Jehovah's Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays. Well they don't celebrate anything really. No Christmas, no Easter, no Thanksgiving or Halloween. Nada. It's not that Witnesses are against celebration on principle. They are, believe it or not, generally fun loving people. No, for each holiday, there is some specific reason why observing a holiday on that day is unscriptural or why a celebration is inappropriate. I won't bore you with the explanations for all the holidays, but since this is my birthday and I did bring the subject up, I'll tell you why Witnesses don't celebrate birthdays.

You see, there are only 2 birthday celebrations mentioned in the Bible. In the old testament we read of the birthday of Pharaoh. At that birthday party, Pharaoh's baker was beheaded (either that or his cup bearer, but I really think it was his baker). In the new testament we read of the birthday of King Herod. At that birthday party, John the Baptist was beheaded. Clearly the lesson to be learned here is that birthday celebrations are bad because people always end up being beheaded. And therefore, Jehovah's Witnesses do not celebrate birthdays. O.K., O.K., I admit that is a rather blithe over simplification of their reasoning, but hey, it's my birthday so I can explain it how I want to. And you need to realize that to a child's way of understanding things, that truly is the explanation. When I was little and my friends asked me why I didn't celebrate my birthday (or more importantly theirs) that was the reason I gave because that was how I understood it.

So anyway, now birthdays just feel strange to me. Though I walked away from the Witnesses in my early 20's, I still, to this day, have never had a birthday party. I wouldn't know what to do if someone threw me a birthday party. When people wish me a happy birthday I always feel awkward and slightly guilty.

What happens in reverse is even worse. I can NEVER remember other people's birthdays. I never had to when I was young, and I'm just not used to it. I've been with my partner Ron for 11 years. I always forget his birthday. I remember our anniversary no problem. But birthdays? I've just got this mental block. My best friend Betsy - same thing. I forget her birthday every year! Now when I say I forget their birthdays, I don't mean the dates themselves. Ron's birthday is March 19, and Betsy's is February 15 (well I'm pretty sure about that one - I'm nearly positive it's the day after Valentine's day. Either that or it IS Valentine's Day. But no, I think it's the day after. Oh man, she's gonna kill me when she reads this). It isn't the date I forget, it's the event itself. There is nothing in my past experience or upbringing to cue me in to the thought, "oh, today is March 19th, that means it is Ron's birthday today." Because birthdays never held any significance for me. My mom, my dad, my sisters, my friends who were Jehovah's Witnesses, their birthdays would come and go without notice or comment. We just didn't pay any attention because, to us, it wasn't anything special.

So where was I going with all of this? I don't know. I think I'm rambling. But you know, that can start to happen to a person when he gets to be my age! No, the truth of the matter is, I'm glad my birthday only rolls around once every 365 days. I'll be happy when tomorrow comes, and the strange, guilty discomfort I've been feeling today is gone.

Oh, and to my good friend Ro, the one person whose birthday I always remember, I would just like to say, Happy Birthday Ro!

A Bad Beat

2005-11-16T15:37:00.000-08:00

The rise and fall of a poker hand:

So I'm sitting at a $2/$4 limit table in Vegas. I'm on the button (dealer) and I am dealt the Ace and Queen of diamonds. That's a pretty good starting hand. Four people around to me call the big blind ($4), and I raise it up to $8. The little blind ($2) folds, the big blind calls and 2 of the remaining players call. For those who know the game and are paying attention, there is now $42 in the pot. The flop comes Queen of hearts, 9 of diamonds, 3 of diamonds.
That's a pretty fantastic flop for me. I have top pair, a great kicker, and the nut flush draw (since I have the Ace of diamonds, if another diamond falls on the board, my flush will be the highest possible flush). The big blind checks, a player bets $4, the next player calls, and I raise to $8. The big blind folds, the remaining 2 players call the bet. The pot is now at $66. The turn card is the 6 of diamonds. I hit my flush. Since there are no pairs on the board, I have the nuts, the very best possible hand. First player bets $8. I'm guessing she has hit a flush as well, but guess what, mine is better than hers. The next player folds, so now we are heads up. I raise the bet to $16. She re-raises to $24! I thought about re-raising to the limit, but decided that might scare her away. I'm guessing now that she is probably holding the King and Jack of diamonds. A good flush, but not the best flush. If I re-raise, she will know I have the Ace for sure. Best to keep her wondering. There is now $114 in the pot. Here comes the river. The card is the 5 of Diamonds. Bet, raise, re-raise, re-raise to the limit - $32. We've added a total of $64 to the pot which now stands at $178. $80 of it is mine. But that's o.k. I'm going to win this hand.

Now again, I have to say, those of you who know poker and have been paying attention to my tale know from the title of this piece what happened next. You have already guessed what my opponent - stupid bitch that she was - was holding. Yes indeed, we both turn over our cards, and there in front of my face are the 2 and 4 of diamonds. She has pulled out a straight flush on the river, in a hand she never should have been playing.

Now those readers out there who aren't as familiar with the game are thinking, gosh, he's being hard on her. He's just sore from being beaten, and he's being a bad loser. No. I've had my share of bad beats. I understand that they are part of this game. Because as much as skill definitely does play a role in Hold 'Em poker, luck also plays a role. But this wasn't just a matter of me being unlucky. Even a moderately informed novice to the game knows that you DO NOT PLAY 2-4, even if it is suited. It is a terrible starting hand. You CERTAINLY don't play it from early position (which she was in), and you ABSOLUTELY DO NOT continue to play it if you are raised pre-flop! 99.999% of the time you are going to be beaten on this starting hand under these conditions. You are throwing away your money, if you play the way this woman played. This was a person who did not know how to play poker, siting down at a poker table in Vegas and treating it like it was Black Jack or Craps. Like playing poker is about random cards or random rolls of the dice. I wasn't so upset about losing to her as I was about the fact that I WASN'T losing my money to her, because she was simply going to give it all away. And sure enough, an hour and a half later she left the table with no chips. She played every hand pre-flop and continued to play most of them right to the end. Just putting chips into the pot, one bet after another, whether she had anything or not. Sure I won some of my own money back from her, but a lot of it went to other players at the table.

Damn it, it still pisses me off thinking about it. I have no patience for morons like that.

A Hint at What's to Come

2005-11-09T14:27:00.000-08:00

Comments from an anonymous reader have got me thinking. Many people (gay and straight alike) are ignorant about the leather community (gay and straight). In the days to come, I'm going to make some posts in an attempt to remedy that situation. But not now. Tomorrow afternoon I am leaving for a 4-day weekend in Las Vegas where I plan on spending most of the trip playing Texas Hold 'Em poker. I love the game, I find it relaxing, and I'm reasonably good at it. I can honestly say that I have never left a poker table in Vegas with less money than I started with (not counting tournaments - but if I total up all of my tournament winnings and loses in Vegas, I still come out ahead). After my last trip to Vegas it finally occured to me to ask myself why I was bothering to play anything else. Oh I'm sure I'll still wander over to the roulette tables from time to time, just because I absolutely love roulette, but the vast majority of my time will be spent in poker rooms.

Anyway, upon my return from that trip, I'll get back to work on my blog. So wish me luck

A Word From the 2nd Runner Up

2005-11-07T14:32:00.000-08:00

This weekend I competed (for the second year in a row) in the annual Mr. Pittsburgh Eagle Leather contest. Last year, in a field of 5 contestants, I came in as the first runner up. This year the field included 7 contestants and I came in as the second runner up. Seeing the trend, I think I'll cut my losses and I will NOT compete in the contest next year. I simply couldn't bear not placing at all. So there I am in the picture at the right standing by the 1st runner-up, Chad (I'm the one on the right). Hot man, isn't he? He really probably should have won the contest.

The contest consists of four rounds. The first round of the contest was "Casual" leather. I wore leather chaps and a harness. I looked good, but unfortunately none of the pictures came out - they were all blurry. The second round was the jock strap competition. Yes I have pictures, no I will not be posting any! Trust me, you don't want to see them. The third round was "Formal" leather, and that is what you see me in in the picture. The fourth round is the question and answer round - I have to say, I really kicked ass in that round. I picked a good question and I had the attention of the audience for the entire length of my answer. I had them in the palm of my hand! I'm sure that is the round that won me a 3rd place finish rather than my finishing further back in the pack.

So that's it. My career as a contestant in leather contests comes to an end. Hell, I'm turning 40 next week. I'm too old for this shit anyway.

Great News!

2005-11-01T09:50:00.000-08:00

Did you hear the news? Probably not, unless you are as much of a geek as me. But it turns out that Pluto (the celestial object, not Mickey's dog) may have 3 moons. I've always loved astronomy since I was a little kid, and how can you not love Pluto? It's the underdog of the 9 planets. The poor thing. Numerous attempts have been made to down grade its status to planetoid, or something else equally humiliating and demeaning. But Pluto keeps right on fighting for its right to be called a planet, and so far all the efforts of its detractors have failed. Now, with the possibility of additional moons, Pluto's status as a planet should be even more secure. And I for one am very happy. Go Pluto!

Cheating - A Teacher's Perspective

2005-10-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

It happens every year - I know that going in to a new school year. But it never fails to hit me like a kick to the stomach. I can't even begin to tell you how much it hurts me, how sick it makes me.

This year I am teaching a course called Advanced Topics in Mathematics. I basically developed this course and I love teaching it. The course is intended for high school juniors and seniors who, although they have managed to pass Algebra 2, still haven't had real success with mathematics throughout high school. Most of the students I am seeing just squeaked by in Algebra 2. They don't like math, and honestly, most of them aren't very good at it. This course is designed to give these some success in mathematics and hopefully spark some new interest in a subject they have come to hate. The course covers a survey of higher mathematical topics than those typically studied in high school. It includes units in mathematics in language, fractal geometry, game theory, discreet mathematics, probability and statistics and others. The students get to explore some of the most important historical results of mathematics and they gain exposure to some of the most important branches of mathematics in the modern study of the subject. So as not to overwhelm the kids, the course is humanities based, focusing more on mathematics as a mode of thought rather than on skills and procedures. We do a lot of reading and discussion, rather than page after page of problems.

So recently I assigned my students to read the 19th century novel Flatland by Edwin Abbott. It is a novel about a 2-dimensional world with lots of good geometry in it, and a great treatment of the concept of dimension. We read most of the novel in class together, I assigned some of the chapters for independent reading at home. At the end of our discussion, I asked the students to write a 2-page paper, a book review really, about the story. I really wasn't asking for much. I just wanted the students to give a brief summary of the story, tell me what they thought of the story and why, and explain what they believed the author's purpose was for writing the story and provide evidence from the book for their reasoning.

So far (I've read 35 out of 64 papers), I have already discovered 4 students who simply went on to Amazon.com and copied a user review of the book from that website. I don't think I can put into words how angry, offended and hurt I am by this. To me, this kind of behavior is a slap in the face. A student who does this kind of thing is saying to his teacher, "I have so little respect for you, that I can't bring myself to put a little time into writing my own thoughts and opinions for you. And you are so stupid and foolish, that you wont figure out that I just copied someone elses work and turned it in as my own."

That old adage about cheating that goes, "you're only cheating yourself"? What a crock of shit! Even worse, "you're only hurting yourself"! For a good teacher, a teacher who really puts his or her heart and soul into teaching, cheating hurts! It is the ultimate in disrespect, and we don't deserve it. It really saddens me now that tomorrow (after I've finished grading all the papers, and, being a realist, I know I'm probably going to find a couple more copied papers) I'm going to have to go to the Vice Principal and essentially turn these kids in. But I have no choice. I cannot, and will not stand this kind of disrespect. I won't tolerate it.

Another Real Shocker

2005-10-27T10:02:00.000-07:00

Oh what a surprise...Harriet Miers "withdrew" as a nominee for the Supreme Court. Wow, didn't that little development just really come out of left field. You didn't see that coming, now did you?

I wonder if Bush will nominate one of his daughters next.

Yet Another Personality Test

2005-10-27T09:58:00.000-07:00

I do love these things. I found this one at Kingdomality. It classifies your personality according to the medieval job you would be most suited for. It turns out I would have been most suited to be Prime Minister:

Your distinct personality, The Prime Minister might be found in most of the thriving kingdoms of the time. You are a strategist who pursues the most efficient and logical path toward the realization of the goal that you perceive or visualize. You will often only associate with those people who can assist you in the implementation of your plan. Inept assistants may be immediately discarded as excess baggage. To do otherwise could be seen as inefficient and illogical. On the positive side, you can be rationally idealistic and analytically ideological. You can be a bold decision maker and risk taker who can move society ahead by years instead of minutes. On the negative side, you may be unmerciful, impatient, impetuous and impulsive. Interestingly, your preference is just as applicable in today's corporate kingdoms.

The Do Bee

2005-10-21T09:35:00.000-07:00

This is a fable for a close friend.

The Do Bee
There once was a bee who was the nicest bee you could ever hope to meet, smart, creative, and industrious, she was also somewhat obsessive and quite a perfectionist. The little Do Bee would go out early in the morning to the clover field and would buzz around for long hours. She would only select the most beautiful and perfect clover flowers to land on and collect their nectar. Often she found herself hovering over a flower and looking down on it and thinking, "well it's a very nice flower, but I'm sure if I just fly a little bit more, I will find an even more perfect clover flower, and that would be so much better." And so she would fly on, and she would work long hours selecting just the most perfect flowers for her work. Then, when she got back to the hive she would slave over making honey from her nectar.

Now the simple truth of the matter is, the honey produced by the little Do Bee was absolutely the very best honey ever produced. Occassionally other bees would notice the extremely high quality of her honey, and might even sometimes remark, "oh Do Bee, you make really excellent honey!" But most of the time no one noticed, and more often than not, the little Do Bee heard comments like, "why are you so picky about the flowers you choose?" and "why do you spend so much time on your honey production? If you spent half the amount of time on it, it would still be the best honey in the hive!" But the little Do Bee just couldn't stop herself. She demanded only the absolute best from herself, and she couldn't accept anything less.

And so the little Do Bee began to grow tired and worn out. And the more tired she became, the less she was able to meet her own standards of perfection. And the more that happened, the harder she tried and the harder she became on herself, which just wore her out even more. She grew depressed and resentful of all the hard work she had to do. And even while she recognized that really she was the one making all the hard work for herself, she just couldn't back down. And the Do Bee grew more tired and more depressed and more resentful, and it was just eating her up inside.

Now the Do Bee lived in a hive that was inhabited, as all hives are, by some bees that were not as nice or as smart as her. Obviously most of the bees didn't work as hard as she did. And that made the Do Bee even more angry and resentful and depressed. She would look at all the other bees and she would look at her friends and family and even her husband bee and think, "why aren't they like me? Why don't they see the world the way I do, and only select the most beautiful flowers, and only craft the finest honey? Why don't they live up to my standards?" And of course that only made matters worse for the little Do Bee.

So in the end, the little Do Bee lived an unhappy life of angry, depressed desperation.

The End

This One is Funny

2005-10-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big fan of jokes. As in, while eating lunch in the staff lounge your coworker comes in and says, "oh I heard the greatest joke yesterday...." kind of joke. I prefer situational humor, something with a context. But a friend of mine told me this joke a few days ago, and it IS kind of funny, so I am printing it here:

George Bush was giving a talk to a class of 4th graders at a public elementary school. At the end of his little talk, he asked if any of the students had any questions. A little boy raised his hand and Bush called on him.

"My name is Timmy," the boy starts, "and I have three questions for you Mr. President. First, how did you get elected in the first place when Al Gore got more votes than you did? Second, where is Osama Bin Laden? And third, what ever happened to the weapons of mass destruction?"

Just as Timmy finished asking his third question, the recess bell rang. Bush apologized that he would not get to answer the question but told the kids to go to recess and have a good time playing on the playground. So all the students filed out of the room to go to recess.

Half an hour later the students came back to the room, and George Bush was waiting for them. "I'm sorry that we got interrupted by recess," the president said, "maybe now I can answer some of your questions."

Another boy in the class raised his hand and Bush called on him. "My name is Billy, Mr. President" the boy said, "and I have five questions for you. First, how did you get elected in the first place when Al Gore got more votes than you did? Second, where is Osama Bin Laden? Third, what ever happened to the weapons of mass destruction? Fourth, why did the recess bell ring 20 minutes early today? And fifth, where the fuck is Timmy?"

Crucified for the Truth

2005-10-03T22:48:00.000-07:00

O.K., this is going to be the most controversial post I've ever done, but since I have so few regular readers, I'm not thinking that that is going to matter much. If you have been following the scandal news of the US of late than you have been unable to escape the story of William Bennett. It seems this former Secretary of Education known for making hateful and bigoted comments was caught yet again spreading racism and prejudice on his nationally syndicated radio talk show. Bennett is absolutely being ripped apart in the press here, by politicians (both Democrat and Republican), commentators, talk show hosts, editorials, you name it, everyone wants to get in on this band wagon and rip this guy a new asshole. Now don't get me wrong here, I am NOT a fan of this man. He HAS said some very hateful, hurtful things in the past. But I think we need to take a closer look at what Mr. Bennett said in this specific case. Here are the comments that have spawned such a virulent backlash:

"If you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose -- you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down.
"That would be an impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down."

Look at the whole quote, look at the qualifying remarks, and now understand the context of the comments. Bennett was having a conversation with a listener of his show about the social and economic effects of abortion in this country. During the conversation, Bennett brought up some results published by an economist (Steven D. Levitt) with the help of a freelance writer (Stephen J. Dubner) in the book Freakonomics. Levitt's analysis of the data suggest that the most strongly correlated factor to the significant drop in crime during the decade of the 90's was the legalization of abortion in 1973 approximately 20 years earlier. Levitt doesn't stop there, he analyzes the data further to determine if the correlation suggests causality. To do this, he compared the crime rates of the 5 States that had legalized abortion prior to Roe v. Wade to those of the other 45 States of the union and discovered that indeed, the crime rates in those States had begun falling years earlier than the crime rates in the rest of the U.S. Then he compared the crime rates in the States that had the highest abortion rates in the decade after Roe v. Wade with those in the States with the lowest abortion rates, and once again discovered that crime rates fell faster in those States where abortions rates were highest. Other statistical analyses confirm these results.

Using this as launching point, Bennett makes the above "controversial" statement. So now let's consider his statement. Bennett suggests that if every black fetus were aborted in this country, we would see a drop in the crime rate. I think we have to assume that Bennett means first, that such a thing would have to happen on a sustained basis for many years, and second that we would see that drop in crime rates in approximately 15 to 20 years after such a scenario started. So, here's the question: is Bennett wrong? No, he isn't. Bennett is absolutely correct in his analysis, and I challenge anyone to produce a sound mathematical/statistical argument to prove otherwise. At the same time, I also think it is quite clear that Bennett is attempting to forward this notion as an absurd hypothetical and that he does not believe that the abortion of all black babies is a reasonable strategy for reducing crime. If Bennett were actually advocating such an idea as a solution to crime in this country, then I could completely understand the indignation and angry responses his statements have engendered. But clearly he isn't. Look what Bennett says next. He acknowledges that such an idea is "impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible." Bennett wasn't calling for the abortion of all black children, he was attempting to make a point with his listener. And while admittedly, he did so quite clumsily, the claim he makes is undeniably true. Further, he qualifies his remarks sufficiently to make it clear that he isn't advocating a policy of forced abortion for black women.

So why is this man being crucified in the public arena in this country? This is political correctness at its absolute worst - a monumental case of the ostrich sticking its head in the sand in order to deny eminent catastrophe. Rather than vilifying Bennett over his comments, we ought to examine what circumstances in this country account for the fact that Bennett's analysis is absolutely correct and reflect on the steps we need to take in this country to remedy those circumstances. It is a national disgrace and disaster that we have created a society and culture that has resulted in Bennett's words being true. Attacking the messenger doesn't do a damn thing to illuminate solutions to the problem.

I'll Spread the Dirt

2005-10-03T19:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not much of one for rumors, but I'll gladly help spread this one. It seems that that most esteemed paper of American Journalism, the National Enquirer, is reporting that President George W. Bush has fallen off the wagon. I had heard this rumor a few days earlier connected to the strange events surrounding Michael Brown, the former director of FEMA. Michael Brown was very much identified by the Bush administration as a scape goat for the complete Federal failure in response to hurricane Katrina. Days after the disaster Brown was removed as the coordinator of the relief efforts, and few days later Michael Brown resigned as director of FEMA. Now Brown was a controversial appointment from the start, he had absolutely no experience with disaster relief, or with management of such a large organization. So when the "big one" hit, it was no real surprise to anyone that he completely bungled the response. Now one would probably think then, that with Brown's resignation, the Bush administration would dust off it's hands and say, "good riddance." But just days after resigning from FEMA, he was rehired by the agency as a highly paid "consultant"! This led many to question what it was that Brown might know that he could hold over the administration to get this job. And the answer that numerous bloggers and commentators have come up with is that Brown has knowledge of Bush returning to the drink.

So here's the deal, I haven't seen solid evidence of either of these two things - either that Bush is drinking again, or that Brown is somehow extorting the administration to keep a cushy, well paying government job, but I'm not above stirring the pot and fueling the rumor mill on this one. This administration deserves it.

Join the Evil Genius Club

2005-10-01T16:08:00.000-07:00

April turned me on to the "Asshole/Bitch" test where I scored 58% asshole. No surprise there (except maybe that my score wasn't even higher). But from there I connected to the "Evil Genius" test. And here are my results:

I am 84% Evil Genius.

I am pure evil. I lie awake at night devising schemes of world domination, and I will not rest until all living souls bend to my will.

Take the
Evil Genius Test
@ FualiDotCom

Oh yeah! Was there ever any doubt?

Buy Your Time-Share Now!!

2005-09-29T12:53:00.000-07:00

Excellent news! It seems that global warming caused by the excessive emissions of greenhouse gases is causing the arctic circle to melt. BIG TIME! In the past 30 years or so (as long as scientists have been taking satellite photos to document it) the arctic icecap has shrunk by about 30%. Now scientists are saying that if the trend is not reversed, by the end of this century the northern polar icecap will melt completely during the summer months. How fantastic is this?!?!? First off, buy your vacation property in Greenland, and the far northern coast of Canada now while prices are still reasonable. In a few years that is where people will be flocking for fun in the sun and surf. Forget Florida. In a few years it will be completely uninhabitable (I'm not convinced it is all that habitable now, as it is) - summers there will be 125 degrees and humid as all hell. Second, the area I live in (Western Pennsylvania) will be a subtropical wonderland; the emerald isles of Ireland and Brittain tranformed into balmy island paradises. No more shoveling snow for me; and end to shivering in February and suffering through pothole laden roads in March.

But what about the killer droughts you ask. What about the shortages of clean drinking water? The monster hurricanes? Crop failures and mass starvation? As my friend Fred the Monkey would say, "Eeh pah!" Who can be concerned with such human suffering? So I say, go out and buy your giant SUV's, your H2's. Continue burning fossil fuels at an exponential rate. Right about the time I'm sitting pretty on my sunny beach front property up on Baffin Island, is the time those non-renewable energy sources are going to run out anyway.

Get out your level 3000 SPF sunscreen folks, we're in for a sizzling future!

A Compatibility Test

2005-09-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Rowan for the link to this amusing little web-quiz personality test which will also let you determine your compatibility with others. Here are my results:
Our highly complex set of computer algorithms has determined you to be: an irredeemably eejitous, liberal, tight as fuck, pathetically simple-minded, dribbling child!
See how compatible you are with me!
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

And from these results their complex set of computer algorithms were able to determine that I was 80% compatible with Rowan. So there you go.

*UPDATE*
Just out of curiosity I went back and took the test again, this time giving completely different answers, and I got EXACTLY the same personality description, but was told that I was only 58% compatible with Rowan. *sigh* you just can't trust the content of some internet sites any more.

Sadists R Us

2005-09-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had to have physical therapy? Yesterday I had my first ever appointment with a physical therapist. I've been having problems with significant pain in my left shoulder so my doctor sent me to an orthopedic surgeon, and after tests and x-rays, the surgeon concluded I had torn my rotator cuff. He recommended a period of physical therapy. 3 times a week for 12 weeks to be exact. Well I now know the profession that all sadists should pursue. Physical therapists hurt you, and I swear they must get pleasure out of doing so. My therapist, Colleen, kept asking me, "does that hurt?" with a great big smile on her face. And when I would grimmace, do all I could to hold back from shrieking in agony, and say, "yes," I swear the grin on her face got ever so slightly bigger.

It's torture plain and simple and all perfectly legal. I don't know why my doctor couldn't have just given me a prescription for vicadin or percoset or something and send me on my merry way. Nope - it's 12 weeks of hell for me, and 12 weeks of secret pleasure for Colleen who gets inflict terrible pain on me for an hour a day, 3 times a week. Life isn't fair.

We're at it Again

2005-09-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

Yet again, a high level Federal court of this nation is hearing arguments in a case involving an issue that, (I'm not sure the English language has a tense appropriate for what I want to say here) was/should have been settled long ago - evolution versus creation in our schools. The question this time is should we teach creation/creationism/intelligent design as an alternative "theory" to evolution in public school science classes?

Each and every day I become a little more ashamed to admit I am a citizen of this country. How is it possible that this question is given the respectibility to be addressed by one of the high courts in this country? This makes me sick. Several years ago, the Dover Area School District board of education (Dover is a district in my own state of Pennsylvania) voted to require that high school biology teachers acknowledge that the "theory of intelligent design" is a legitimate alternative theory to evolution. They claim that this was in the interest of present a fair and balanced view of the subject and to promote "free inquiry" in education. The proponents of the cause continue to say that as a "theory" evolution is unproved science and so it is reasonable to consider alternative "theories" of how life came about. Of course that argument is seriously flawed and based on an incorrect understanding of the word "theory" in this context. The "theory of evolution" is a highly tested result of science and voluminous evidence exists to support it. It is established science right up there with Einstein's "theory of relativity" or the "big bang theory." Both of those models for understanding natural phenomena are well established and are the commonly accepted theories for the phenomena they describe.

The real problem with the "theory of intelligent design" is that it isn't scientific in nature at all. It can't be empirically tested. And the simple fact of the matter is, THAT is why we teach high school students science - to teach them scientific method. The systematic methodology scientist use to pursue their work and further human understanding of our world and universe. There is no room in a science class for consideration of "theories" which cannot be subjected to the scientific method. Exposure to such theories under the guise of legitimate science undermines the entire of science itselt. I'm not saying students shouldn't be exposed to the idea - but they should be exposed to the idea for what it is - a religious point of view. Bring it up in a humanities class - it definitely shouldn't be happening in science class.

And of course I don't need to say all of the above, because the truth is, the "intelligent design" camp doesn't really believe that they are presenting a valid scientific theory. These are people who don't believe science is even valid. These are people who condemn the scientific method as being secular and the label it "rationalism" as if, rational, scientific thought was evil and bad. It is absolutely their intention and goal to undermine the teaching of science in this country. "Intelligent design" is their way of getting the wedge into the door. Given the chance, they would love to see the Bible as the only textbook in schools. And slowly but surely, step by step, these people gain more and more power and influence in our nation. In local politics, at the state level and at the Federal level, they are winning more and more elections, school board seats, seats on town and county councils, in state legislature, even Congress and...oh my goodness, the Presidency!

Why doesn't this scare the shit out of more people?

Saved by the Television

2005-09-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

At last, something to talk about! So if you have been paying any attention to US network television this year as we head into "season premier" season you have noticed that each of the major networks is offering something either in the paranormal realm or alien encounter realm. Some of the networks are offering both. I like some of the paranormal shows out there. Patricia Arquette is good in "Medium" and I watch it if I have nothing better to do on Monday nights. But I wouldn't say I'm a huge fan of the show. But I do thoroughly enjoy a good alien invasion/encounter story. So I've been looking forward to this season. The three major offerings this season (in order of their premiers) are "Threshold" from CBS, "Surface" from NBC and "Invasion" from ABC. "Threshold" premiered on Sunday night, but I was away camping again, so I TiVO'd it. "Surface" premiered last night. So I got a double dose of aliens by watching the recorded premier of "Threshold" right before "Surface" came on. All I can say is WOW. If ABC's offering (premiering tonight) is as good as the other 2, I'm gonna be a serious television junkie this year. Both "Threshold" and "Surface" premiers were quite good. Good writing, gripping stories, and interesting characters. "Threshold"'s characters are really the selling point of the CBS show, while the story developing on "Surface" is its best feature.

Of course the problem now is, how long will they last? It's a fact that about half the new offerings from the networks at the beginning of the season don't make it to the end of the season. Networks need ratings, and the shows that aren't earning them get pulled real fast. Well, one can only hope that these intelligent and well crafted shows will attract the viewers and stick around for a while. My only concern is how much of a couch potato I'm in danger of becoming!

Blogging Blahs

2005-09-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

OK, so the thing is, I post when I have something to say. Well that makes sense, doesn't it. Posting gratuitous posts that have nothing to offer is silly, and is the precise problem with most blogs. And the truth of the matter is, usually there is a lot on my mind and I have a lot to say. So I don't know what it is lately, but I just haven't had much to post. And coincidentally, I've noticed this is true of a lot of the blogs I read regularly. There has been a real lull.

I'm sure this will pass soon, but it is a very weird feeling for me. I sit down and think, "what should I post about today?" and end up with nothing. And there is plenty going on that should be getting me worked up. The Roberts confirmation hearings, the continuing news of the fall out from Katrina, the Emmy awards (I'm a television addict, what can I say? I was happy that the Amazing Race won again, and absolutely ecstatic that Felicity Huffman won the Emmy for Desperate Housewives - she is an amazing actress. I've loved her ever since Sports Night), school starting up for the year, and on and on, but no...I sit, stare at the screen and have nothing to say.

See - here I am posting about having nothing to say. How desperate is that?

It Made Me Smile

2005-09-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine told me about this website where students can go and "rate" their teachers. So of course I had to go and check out my ratings. Sure, only 3 students have rated me so far, but it still brought a smile to my face.

"Based on a True Story"

2005-09-13T12:10:00.000-07:00

I went to see The Exorcism of Emily Rose last night. Aside from the fact that the movie is just a dressed up, 2 hour long, Law and Order episode, I just couldn't suspend my disbelief enough to enjoy the story. See, the problem is, this is one of those "based on a true story" movies which basically means that the film maker doesn't want suspended disbelief, he expects you to actually buy what is happening in the movie. Now I'm all for a good monster flick. I'm happy to sit through a demonic possession/battle for good and evil film and be scared and on the edge of my seat. As long as I'm allowed to say in the back of my mind, "this is fiction - of course this doesn't happen in real life." Because if I'm expected to actually believe any of it, then I'm gonna spend all my time picking holes in the story, and analyzing why it doesn't make any sense. And as a "true account," Emily Rose's story makes no sense.

I actually do believe in "angels" and "demons." That is to say, I believe that there are beings who exist on something other than the material plane - call it the spiritual realm if you like, that is just a matter of semantics. But I simply don't believe that there is evidence to suggest that those beings regularly manifest themselves in our physical realm. I'm not saying I don't think it ever happens. I just think it is extraordinarily rare, and I believe that when it happens, it happens for a reason. Emily Rose's possession appears to be completely random. The "demons" don't seem to have any reason to possess her other than to scare her silly and waste away to nothing until she dies. Why in the world would superintelligent spirit beings want to do such a thing - even if they are evil demons? It makes no sense.

The film really digs a hole for the story when it goes further and attempts to bring in the Virgin Mary and provide a rationale for why "God" would allow Emily to be possessed. The film suggests the "Job Syndrome." In the Bible book of Job, God allows the devil to torment Job, a faithful, god-fearing man, to demonstrate that the truly faithful cannot be broken. This line of argument leads to all kinds of contradictions. The most significant problem with it in the case of the story of Emily Rose is that it requires us to believe that the "demons" are doing God's work while at the same time being his enemies. Apparently Emily's possession is going to bring about a spiritual reawakening by making people aware of the fact that angels and demons really do exist. So aren't the demons happy that so many people have turned away from a spiritual path - isn't that their goal? Why would they want to attract more believers to God? Utter nonsense.

Want a fascinating and intelligent treatment (albeit fictional) of the battle in the spiritual realm and a conception of its manifestation in our plane? Read the "His Dark Materials" trilogy by Philip Pullman. Written under the guise of "young adult" fiction, this is a really well developed exploration of a theory I've had for quite sometime. I still can't believe he got away with marketing these books to kids. The ultimate message is sophisticated and radical.

A Real Shocker

2005-09-12T06:48:00.000-07:00

In the aftermath of Katrina, there is a huge amount of clean-up and reconstruction to be done. While the nation's economy took a massive hit from Katrina, many experts are now saying that the work involved in cleaning up, restoring and rebuilding will actually boost the economy in the long run. There will be thousands of jobs created and millions of dollars pumped into the economy from reconstruction efforts. Some of the early, profitable restoration contracts have already been awarded and you will never guess who is getting them.

I know this will come as a terrible shock and surprise to you all, but the winners are.....Bush's cronies and colleagues! Bush's campaign manager - big winner. Halliburton? Right there in the profit pool. Check out this article at CNN money. Well, at least we can be comforted to know that the Bush administration is consistent in this as it has been in the past. Some things never change.

It Finally Got to Me

2005-09-08T09:08:00.000-07:00

The news about hurricane Katrina has been inescapable here for 10 days now. I can understand that. This is the worst natural disaster the United States has ever experienced, and people want to talk about it. In the first few days after Katrina hit the reports coming out of the region were often sketchy and contradictory. The day Katrina hit and the day after reporters were saying that New Orleans had been spared the worst of the storm because the center of Katrina had actually passed slightly east of the city. Initial casualty reports indicated that perhaps 200 to 250 people had died - most of them in rural Mississippi. When reporters likened the event to the tsunami or worse, the bombing of Hiroshima (yes, a CNN reporter used those words) I was appalled at such comparisons. What American arrogance! What gall! Within a week however, it was clear that hurricane Katrina was truly a disaster. New Orleans was devastated - almost completely destroyed. Thousands, perhaps as many as 12 to 15 thousand, are now believed to be dead. I still don't agree with the tsunami comparison, but I do agree that this disaster is one of historic proportions.

But even with all that, I've felt detatched. I haven't had any kind of emotional reaction to the event. And then I saw this picture and I started weeping. This is a dog that for several days now has stood vigil over the body of it's owner - showed covered in a tarp in the background. My heart finally broke. Not for the person covered in the tarp, but for the dog. For all the animals. Look at the expression on that dog's face. When people were evacuated from New Orleans, as people are STILL being evacuated from the city, they are being told that they may not bring their pets. Tens of thousands of animals died in this disaster, tens of thousands more have been abandoned and are going to die - of neglect, of starvation, of exposure, of drowning. THAT is enough to make me cry.

What are We Waiting For?

2005-09-02T16:03:00.000-07:00

What are we looking at here? Images of the dessert of the American Southwest? A particularly desolate region of the Australian Outback perhaps? No, these are all pictures of Mars, taken by one of the Mars rovers. There are two of these little robots wandering around the surface of Mars, and for over 500 days now, they've been taking pictures and collecting data and sending it all back to the earth. As if all of that weren't remarkable enough, the rovers were only expected to last about 90 days! If they had only lasted as long as their mission were intended, the wealth of information they collected would still have made the program a smashing success, but these little robots have continued to operate for more than 5 times their expected life span. And they show no signs of stopping!

I've always been fascinated by space, ever since I was a little kid. I check NASA's sight regularly to check for updates about the Mars rovers, and another mission I am fascinated by, the Huygens/Cassini mission - this one to Saturn and it's moons. The things they scientists are discovering from these missions is amazing. And the images are spectacular. I admit, I'm a real geek when it comes to this stuff, and I've never been able to figure out why EVERYONE doesn't have the same gut level reaction to this as I do.

I grew up in a decade (the 70's) when there was incredible optimism about space exploration and travel. Coming off the success of the first mission to the moon, NASA and the nation were caught up with the idea of exploring and colonizing space. By 2000 we were going to have orbiting space stations housing hundreds if not thousands of people. There was going to be a permanent colony on the moon. We were going to send manned missions to Mars and possibly beyond. Space colonization was going to solve the problem of overcrowding on earth. I used to draw designs of space stations with self contained little cities on them where people lived and worked and played. As a boy, these ideas captured my imagination in huge ways. And here it is 2005, and those ideas are mostly dead. What a shame.

Do you know, that for the money that the US has poured into the Iraq war and occupation, we could have sent several manned missions to Mars. Imagine it! Human beings setting foot on another planet. Many politicians argue that manned space missions are too expensive and a huge waste of money. I don't know, I think a trip to Mars would have been a significantly better use of billions of dollars, then the debacle we are now engaged in in Iraq. "What benefits would we get out it?" the politicians ask. I think that is a stupid question. The truth of the matter is, I think it is part of human nature to want to explore. The drive to go out and explore the unknown has been a critical factor in the history of the human race. Maybe there is nothing there, who knows. But even to only find that out would make the trip worth it. To be able to say that the human race left the comfortable realm of the known to go out and explore the unknown and discovered that there wasn't much to discover would be huge!

My imagination isn't completely cold yet. I'm still hoping for a renewal of that spirit of exploration and adventure that so moved the country 30 and more years ago. I still believe that in my lifetime, we will send people to Mars - I just hope it is sooner, rather than later.

Who's to Blame?

2005-09-01T16:24:00.000-07:00

In the midst of the tragedy of hurricane Katrina it was only a matter of time before the reactionary religious right in this country would make this claim. So I've only got one question - if their god wanted to being his wrath to bear on homosexuals, why did he cause this great catastrophe on New Orleans a week BEFORE Southern Decadence, and not the week of? Their god missed all the gays. It's almost as if he spared them from destruction. What's this?!? The god of the reactionary right secretly loves homosexuals? That's an even better scandal than John Roberts doing pro-bono work for gay rights organizations!

How can these people possibly be so hateful and so very, very stupid?

Back to School

2005-09-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

"Back to School" that should really say it all. I promise, I'll try to do better.

"That's Poker"

2005-08-24T20:33:00.000-07:00

I was playing a no-limit hold 'em tournament the other day. I had made the final table and there were 9 players remaining. I was "on the button" (dealer) and I was dealt a pair of kings, clubs and hearts. Pocket Kings - a damn good hand! Two or three players before me called the big blind so when the betting got around to me, I raised. The standard raise of 3 times the big blind. The small blind folded, but the player in the big blind called. One of the original callers called, but everyone else folded. Three players.

The flop comes 8 of spades, King of diamonds, 4 of diamonds. Woohoo! I've flopped a set of kings, this is certainly the best hand at the table. The player in the big blind checks, the player to my right makes a moderate sized bet. What does he have? Does he have the 4th king? That would be great for me. Maybe he has 2 diamonds. Well, I've got to at least call. Should I raise? If he's got two diamonds, and he's on a flush draw, I should raise. A flush would kill my hand, so I want to get him off the draw. So I raised a significant amount. The big blind folded, but my main opponent called my raise. Hmmmm....I'm thinking now it's more likely he's got that king. Maybe he was dealt Ace-King, Big Slick. Here comes the turn card - 4 of hearts. Now I've got a full house! And here comes my opponent - he bets enough so that if I call, I'm gonna be all in. But how can I lose? I've got a full house! So of course I call.

And anyone who knows anything about poker knows exactly what my grinning opponent turned over.

I won $279 for 9th place and the buy in was only $40. Not bad. Of course first place was around $1400.

Did You Know?

2005-08-22T23:17:00.000-07:00

Did you know that Olivia Newton-John's boy friend has been missing since June 30th? Why didn't I know this? How did I go the entire month of July and half the month of August not knowing that Olivia's boy friend is lost at sea? My heart goes out to her.... But in the back of my mind, I have to admit a hint of doubt. I have to admit that little voice in my head asked the question, "is it possible he had had enough, and staged his own disappearance to escape her world?" We would all understand if he had, wouldn't we?

What am I saying?!?!? I had such a huge crush on Olivia when Grease came out when I was in junior-high school. I'm sure I saw the movie at least 10 times that year, and it's still one of those movies that I guiltily watch every time I see it's on the television. So I suppose I'm still carrying a torch for her after all these years. I love you, Olivia, and I hope that your boyfriend realizes the errors of his ways and returns to you quickly.....ooooops, I mean I hope they find him safe and sound.

Camping and the Long Silence

2005-08-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I've been back from camping for a week now, and no posts. Well wait, I can explain (here come the lame excuses I can hear you mutter under your breath). O.K. so here's the thing. First of all I got back from camping late Sunday night and I was way too tired to do any posting then. On Monday, two things happened. First I checked my e-mail and discovered an urgent request from ETS to come to New Jersey on Wednesday to work on a national committee reviewing the Praxis exam (a test pre-service teachers in the US have to take in order to get their teaching credentials), so I actually ended up on a plane Wednesday morning bound for New Jersey. More on that later. I got back from New Jersey late Friday night. Yesterday I was at a pool party all day, so that brings us to today, and this very late post. So why didn't I post on Monday or Tuesday last week? Well on Monday as I began catching up on various blogs, I found an irresistible invitation from my fellow blogger Herge at Angry Chimp inviting other bloggers to create an "angrychimpesque" blog entry. And so I spent the next two days working on a submission which I am pleased and humbled to say that Herge posted on his blog. That left me no time for posting here, and I had to put it off until I returned from New Jersey.

Now I can tell you all about my adventures of the last week and a half. First the camping trip. I had a wonderful time communing with nature for 4 days, but most of the communing I did was from the pool as it was in the mid-90's the entire trip! I'm just not a big fan of taking long hikes in humid, 94 degree weather. In fact I'm not a big fan of humid, 94 degree weather period, and the pool was the only place to find relief. Not to worry though, at my campsite alone I saw 2 snakes, 3 toads, numerous chipmunks, and 3 deer. So that was plenty of nature for me. Now Herge wanted to know if I was mauled by any bears. I am a dedicated bear lover, and I can happily report that indeed, I encountered numerous bears and was mauled or perhaps more accurately molested by several of them in wonderful, hot, sweaty encounters in the woods, and in the "barn" that the campground owners have refurbished, to facilitate exactly those types of encounters. All in all, despite the muggy weather, I had a great time camping. I'm going back in September for their annual "bear weekend" and I am really looking forward to it. Even Ron is considering joining me for this weekend.

The trip to New Jersey wasn't nearly as exciting. ETS (Educational Testing Services) is the giant of testing companies in the United States. In comparison, the company I used to work for (and still consult with), Measure Progress, is about 1/20th the size of ETS. ETS is a not-for-profit company that makes a huge amount of money. All they money they make must be sunk right back into the company, and it shows. They have this 200 acre compound outside of Princeton, NJ (home of that world famous Ivy League University of the same name) which is absolutely beautiful, but also in the middle of no where. Fortunately the work was intense, and I was exhausted at the end of each day, so I didn't miss the lack of night life or other leisure activities. They do have a pool, and I just relaxed by the pool and read the newest Harry Potter cover to cover.

So now I'm back home for good. School starts in a week for me. I'm not ready to go back! Summer went way too fast. But that means I'll be around, and regular posts should be hitting this blog for the foreseeable future.

Going Camping

2005-08-10T23:09:00.000-07:00

Well I leave tomorrow morning for a long weekend camping trip. I love camping. Unfortunately for me, Ron (my partner) does not, so I haven't been camping in a long time. But some friends of ours said they were going on this trip and invited us along, and Ron was kind enough to say, "go, have fun, but please understand - I'm staying home." So I am leaving tomorrow for Roseland. It is a campground in the beautiful mountains of West Virginia, set on over 200 isolated acres of wooded land on one of the highest peaks in the area. Although there are about a dozen cabins on the land available for rental, I'm going rustic and pitching a tent and the whole 9 yards. At the center of land the owners have built up a very nice recreation area complete with heated pool, 2 hot tubs, a recreation hall with pool tables, darts and dance floor, a convenience store and a small luncheonette where you can get sandwiches and soda and snacks and beer. Now there are three things that set this campground apart from your run-of-the-mill campground. First, it is gay owned and operated. Second, it is exclusively male. And third, it is clothing optional. Woo hoo!! I'm gonna have some fun! And my wonderful partner who I love more than I could ever say, has given me his complete blessing. He told me, "go let loose and blow off some steam!" I think he was actually a little relieved to be getting some time away from me, to be honest. I've been a little wound up lately.

Anyway, I'll let you know how the weekend goes when I get back on Monday.

Future Headlines - Part 10

2005-08-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Massive Conspiracy Uncovered

Nation in Shock, GOP Rocked

(AP) Washington, DC – April 28, 2008

Three days after her husband’s death, the wife of a Senior Aide for the Vice President received a small package in the mail whose contents seemed like something right out of a spy novel. Inside the package was a letter from the dead man suggesting that his death was not a suicide and hinting at a conspiracy at the highest level of national government. Included in the package was a key to a safe deposit box the woman had no idea existed, and instructions urging her to contact a reporter and open the box with him. Following her husband’s instructions from the grave, the woman and a reporter from the Washington Post, opened the box and unlocked the biggest conspiracy in this nation’s history. The box contained several memos, some digital recordings, and disks containing computer records that would ultimately implicate some of the highest-level government officials in a conspiracy of horrific proportions.

After making numerous copies of the materials from the safe deposit box, the materials were turned over to two Senators, a Supreme Court Justice and two FBI agents all chosen by the Post reporter. An ensuing investigation provided enough evidence for warrants to be issued for searches of the offices of the Vice President, Karl Rove - Senior advisor to the President, and the majority leader of the Senate. The materials revealed that the 9/11 bombing of New York City in 2006 was masterminded by an extreme right wing organization as a way to ensure a conservative victory in the election of 2006. Further evidence suggested that a number of high level Republicans including the Vice President and other ranking advisors to the President had learned of the plot and actively worked to cover up evidence of the conspiracy in order to benefit from the political fallout from an apparent terrorist attach. In addition, other papers and records discovered during the searches revealed direct involvement by several high-level officials in planning the assassinations of two Supreme Court Justices in order to shift the ideology of the court to a more conservative state. Today, indictments were handed down and arrests were made of the Vice President, Karl Rove, two Republican Senators, six Republican Congressmen, and numerous officials from several departments of the Executive Branch of the government. Investigations by Congress, the FBI and the Justice Department continue and more indictments and arrests are expected. Although there was no evidence directly linking the President to the conspiracy, Democratic leaders immediately called upon the President to resign and take responsibility for the actions of members of his administration. The White House remained silent on the matter today refusing to comment on the scandal.

Across the country today, reaction among Americans continues to be shock and disbelief. Conservative groups and organizations scrambled to distance themselves from conspiracy and the politicians implicated while leftist groups called for more intensive investigation of the Republican Party and some of the very organizations that are denying knowledge of or involvement in the conspiracy.

See also:
Part 1 Part 2
Part 3 Part 4
Part 5 Part 6
Part 7 Part 8
Part 9

The 14 Traits of a Fascist Nation

2005-08-09T10:41:00.000-07:00

In 2004, a political scientist by the name of Dr. Laurence Britt published a paper now commonly referred to as "The 14 Points" which described the 14 traits of a Fascist regime. He studied the regimes of Hitler, Moussolini, Franco, Suharto and Pinochet and found strong commonalities in all of them. The 14 common traits are listed below:

1. Powerful and continuing expressions of nationalism

2. Disdain for the importance of human rights

3. Identification of enemies/scapegoats as a unifying cause

4. The supremacy of the military/avid militarism

5. Rampant sexism

6. A controlled mass media

7. Obsession with national security

8. Religion and ruling elite tied together

9. Power of corporations protected

10. Power of labor suppressed or eliminated

11. Disdain and suppression of intellectuals and the arts

12. Obsession with crime and punishment

13. Rampant cronyism and corruption

14. Fraudulent elections

Of course the really scary thing that immediately came to my mind when I first read the 14 points was how well they describe the current political climate in this country. Then I found the Old American Century site and an article detailing the parallels. This is really frightening stuff. The thing about fascism is that it generally begins as a populist movement and is ushered in through legitimate political means. It is insidious, and develops slowly enough that "the people" often aren't aware of how their own political system is changing until it is too late. This hits way too close to home.

Pro Gay Rights Supreme Court Nominee

2005-08-06T18:19:00.000-07:00

Here's an amusing little development. It turns out that John G. Roberts Jr., Bush's nominee to be the next Supreme Court Justice, did pro-bono work for a group in Colorado that was trying to overturn a Colorado ballot initiative that made it legal for employers and landlords to discriminate against gays and lesbians in housing and the workplace. The group won by the way. Now religious conservative groups are actually calling on Bush to withdraw Roberts's nomination. Apparently there is real concern that Roberts could turn out to be another David Souter who was appointed by Bush Sr. and has since drifted significantly to the left. I seriously doubt this - the guy's record in most matters is very solidly conservative. Still this whole "controversy" is really pretty amusing - it's always fun to see the religious right in panic mode. Stay tuned for further details.

And the latest polls show...

2005-08-05T14:12:00.000-07:00

A new AP-Ipsos poll reveals that the majority of Americans disapprove of how Bush is handling the war in Iraq (only 38% approve). For the first time since the question was included in public opinion polls, less than half of the American public (48%) still feels that Bush is honest. The overall approval rating for Bush's job performance? A tepid 42%. Six in ten respondents feel that this country is headed in the wrong direction. But when asked the question, "Do you feel that President Bush is a strong and likeable leader?" Over 60% of the poll takers said YES!!! Almost 2/3 of the poll takers think that Bush is a strong and likeable leader. They hate what he is doing in Iraq, they don't trust him, they aren't real impressed with his overall job performance, but strong and likeable? Oh yeah! What the hell?!?!

I've come to the conclusion that the problem is, many Americans don't understand poll questions and so they simply respond randomly.

Sorry (And a digression regarding my nose)

2005-08-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

I have to apologize for the erratic nature of my postings lately. I have been in the grips of a summer cold for the past 10 days, and just haven't been feeling up to posting regularly. I think it is finally loosening up, and I hope I will be back to my old self soon. I have chronic sinus problems and a simple cold can make me absolutely miserable - I got a nasty little ear infection from this one. Fortunately, a few doses of antibiotics take quick care of my ear infections, so that has completely cleared up. I just wish the head and chest congestion were completely gone as well. Just a day or two more should do it.

When I was 13 or 14 I had nasal surgery to correct the sinus problem. I had been suffering from sinus infections, and sore throats and congestion and severe colds since I was a child, and I had high hopes for relief. The surgery and subsequent recovery was one of the most miserable experiences of my life, and what's more, it didn't work. In fact, I'm pretty sure it made my sinuses even more screwed up. But I'll live with it. There is no way I am going through surgery on my nose again!

Anyway....keep checking in. Things should be back to normal (yeah, right!) soon.

Future Headlines - Part 9

2005-08-04T17:36:00.000-07:00

VP’s Aide Found Dead of Apparent Suicide

(AP) Washington, DC – April 14, 2008

____________________________, a Senior Aide working for Vice President Dick Cheney was found dead in his Georgetown home, late last night. According to the police report, __________’s wife came home last night after attending an evening business meeting and found her husband dead in his study, from a gun shot to his head. The police report went on to say that a gun was found on the floor next to the man, and a brief note was found on the man’s desk. The contents of the note, however, were not disclosed.

Commenting at an early morning press conference, the Vice President expressed his great sorrow over the death of a man he referred to as a friend and valued advisor. ______________ had begun working for the Vice President during the 2000 Presidential campaign. The Vice President did comment that he knew the man was undergoing considerable personal difficulty, and that in the past few weeks he had exhibited some behaviors at work that lead the Vice President to believe he might be suffering from depression. “I urged _______________ to seek counseling or professional help of some kind. But I had no idea the depression had grown so severe.” Vice President Cheney said. Cheney implied that the man’s mood change may have stemmed from difficulties in his marriage. _______________’s wife was unavailable for comment….

Supreme Court Assassinations Linked to NYC Bombing?

(AP) Washington, DC – April 14, 2008

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a former investigator in the case of the 2006 assassinations of two Supreme Court justices revealed today that the panel investigating the crimes had concluded that the methods employed in the assassinations were strikingly similar to methods developed by the CIA. The anonymous source said he was coming forth with this information after reading a report by the team investigating the 9/11 bombing in New York City which revealed that the bomb design appeared to be based on designs developed by the CIA during the late 90’s. “It seemed to be too close to be a coincidence,” the anonymous investigator told a reporter from the Washington Post, “and it scared me. If these two crimes are linked some how, if the same the group planned both acts, well, the implications are deeply disturbing.”

A Whitehouse spokesperson quickly dismissed the connection saying, “to date the President has seen no reports, no evidence, linking these two acts of terrorism. He has complete confidence in the bipartisan commission assembled by Congress to investigate the current state of domestic terrorism in this country, and sort out all the unanswered questions in these cases….”

See also:
Part 1 Part 2
Part 3 Part 4
Part 5 Part 6
Part 7 Part 8

I'm a Sucker for These Things

2005-08-02T01:46:00.000-07:00

They are basically stupid and certainly meaningless, but for some reason I find them entertaining. They are these goofy internet quizzes. You answer random questions, and then you get a "score" which is usually some kind of personality profile. Here are some recent results:

I just had to know, what kind of animal I was....

You're a Dragon!

Noble, regal, and highly misunderstood, you're a bit of a loner at
heart. You like caves, the sky, and other vast expanses of air where you can blow
off steam. You and people like you got a lot more respect in the past. As long as you believe in yourself, and don't breathe directly at anyone, you'll be okay. You have a strange liking for string and sealing-wax.

Take the Animal Quiz
at the Blue Pyramid.

And the world's shortest personality quiz....I don't think it is 100% me, but a lot of this fits me well.

You are elegant, withdrawn, and brilliant.
Your mind is a weapon, able to solve any puzzle.
You are also great at poking holes in arguments and common beliefs.

For you, comfort and calm are very important.
You tend to thrive on your own and shrug off most affection.
You prefer to protect your emotions and stay strong.

The World's Shortest Personality Test

Future Headlines - Part 8

2005-07-31T21:09:00.000-07:00

New York Bomb was Domestic

(AP) Philadelphia, PA – March 18, 2008

____________________________, a consultant for the team investigating the terrorist bombing of New York City on September 11, 2006, and a former CIA operative revealed today that analysis of the blast pattern, debris and trace element analysis confirms that the bomb was almost certainly created in the United States and definitely used the missing weapons grade nuclear material that was stolen from a Defense Installation in April of 2006. During a press conference held by the investigation team, _____________ disclosed that evidence from the site revealed a bomb design that was very similar to designs developed over a decade ago by the CIA. “The implications are very disturbing,” the consultant continued, “the revelation of infiltration at a high level security Defense facility, and now evidence of a weapon designer with a background in U.S. Intelligence, suggests a domestic terrorist group that is highly connected and extremely well funded.”

Reaction was swift across the nation. Leaders of both houses of Congress immediately called for hearings into the security lapses and for an in depth investigation into domestic terrorist groups and their activities. Calls for reform of American Intelligence agencies and departments were made by numerous Washington politicians. A spokesman for the Whitehouse however, urged the American people to remain calm. “The President has asked the leaders of Congress to help him assemble a working committee to begin planning appropriate counter terrorism measures to combat the rise of domestic terrorism in the nation. But he also wants to assure the American people that measures taken since the New York bombing have significantly increased domestic security, and he hopes that the citizens of this great country will demonstrate to the terrorists that America will not be held hostage by their cowardly acts. President Bush urges his fellow citizens to continue to live their lives normally, though with the heightened sense of awareness that his administration has been advocating for some time now.” The President is expected to reinforce those words during a nationally televised press conference tonight at 8 p.m….

Santorum, Edwards, Likely Nominees for President

(AP) Philadelphia, PA – March 18, 2008

After early wins in critical primaries, including the Pennsylvania primary last week, polls indicate that Senator Rick Santorum, and former Senator and Vice Presidential Candidate John Edwards will easily wrap up their party nominations for the highest office in the nation. Current polls give Santorum a wide margin in such a pairing. A recent Gallup poll revealed Santorum would beat Edwards in a Presidential election with 59% of poll responders saying they would vote for Santorum, compared with only 32% for Edwards. Even with 9% of voters saying they were undecided, the poll indicates Santorum to be a heavily favored front runner….

See also:
Part 1 Part 2
Part 3 Part 4
Part 5 Part 6
Part 7

Future Headlines - Part 7

2005-07-26T16:47:00.000-07:00

Anonymous Source Reveals Nuclear Bookkeeping Discrepancy

(AP) Washington, DC – January 5, 2008

Someone at a Defense Department Nuclear Weapons facility apparently falsified the official records at the facility in an attempt to cover up the disappearance of weapons grade nuclear materials from the site. Crediting an anonymous source, investigators said yesterday, that they had received a copy of a memo and a disk with computer records that clearly show someone at the facility had tampered with the records and changed various entries to make it appear that no materials had gone missing. According to a lead Pentagon investigator, only someone with extremely high security clearances would have had the computer access and authority to gain access to the records and make the apparent changes. Speaking on behalf of the investigation team, a spokesman was quoted as saying, “This suggests the frightening possibility that there is a spy or terrorist operative at work at the highest levels of the Department of Defense.” At a later press conference however, a Pentagon spokesperson denied such a conclusion saying, “the investigator spoke too quickly and jumped to an unwarranted conclusion. Considerable further investigation into this matter is necessary before any conclusions can be drawn, and it behooves all of us, and all Americans to remain calm and allow the investigators to continue their work. There is no reason at this time to panic and there is absolutely no evidence at this time that the security of the Nation’s Defense system has been compromised.”

Some experts however disagreed. During an interview on Nightline ____________________, an expert in domestic terrorism and an advisor to the Clinton administration said, “if the memo and computer records are in fact authentic, and the Pentagon has not suggested otherwise, then that is a very serious problem indeed. At the very least it is evidence of a very high level attempt to cover up a serious breech in security at the facility and at worst suggests a conspiracy of exactly the kind described by the investigating team – a spy or terrorist operative who has infiltrated a Nuclear facility at the highest level of operation.” Later in the interview….

Polls Suggest Further Republican Gains in 2008 Elections

(AP) Philadelphia, PA – January 5, 2008

A new poll released today reveals that terrorism continues to be the major concern of the American voter. Although economic issues including the rising rate of unemployment are gaining ground, 31% of respondents cited terrorism as the number one priority for the American government. And Democrats continue to see little good news in the polls. Pairing various Democratic nominees for President against the front running Republican Rick Santorum (Senator, PA), the poll reveals all Democratic candidates trail by more than 10 percentage points. The closest race would be between Senator Santorum and Senator Hillary Clinton, with poll responders picking Santorum over Clinton by a margin of 53% to 41%. And while Grass roots efforts to draft Senator Clinton into running continue to grow, the Senator has not formally announced her candidacy. Among official Democratic contenders for the nomination, Santorum beats John Edwards by a margin of 57% to 33%, Joseph Biden 61% to 31% and Evan Bayh by a considerable 64% to 22%….

See also:
Part 1 Part 2
Part 3 Part 4
Part 5 Part 6

What was Tim Burton Thinking?

2005-07-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

I was probably 6 or 7 years old when my mother first read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to me, and in the years after she read it to me and I read it myself easily another 20 or more times. I saw the first movie a dozen times or more. Gene Wilder WAS Willie Wonka. And even though there were some changes to the story in the book, the movie was pretty faithful, and I loved it. So it was with some reservation that I went to see Tim Burton's take on the story. I had read that Burton's version was truer to the book, so I was pleased with that news, but as much as I love Johnny Depp, I didn't understand that choice for Willie Wonka - I mean after all, Willie Wonka is getting old, he is thinking about retirement - right? How was Johnny Depp gonna be able to pull that off?

Well I saw the new movie this weekend. It was a real disappointment. Don't get me wrong, it had its moments, but overall, it just wasn't very good. First of all, who ever is writing that Burton's version is closer to the book than the original has clearly never read the book. Burton changes the story in strange and unexplainable ways, including a complete re-write of the ending which is way overly sweet and sentimental and completely pointless - hey Tim, guess what, the book has a happy ending - a VERY happy ending. You felt like you needed to make it happier? All you accomplished was to make it sappy. And as I expected, Johnny Depp couldn't pull off Willie Wonka. Willie Wonka is certainly a quirky character, (just as Gene Wilder played him) but Johnny Depp plays him as unbalanced, mentally disturbed, bordering on insane. Perhaps most strangely, Depp portrays a Willie Wonka who seems to hate kids - that doesn't make any sense at all.

Perhaps the biggest surprise and disappointment was the special effects. Violet turning into a blueberry is clumsily rendered and looks terrible - it actually looks more real in the first movie! The candy meadow and chocolate river were better in the first movie as well. And the Oompa Loompas? In the new version they are all played by one man so all the Oompa Loompas look alike - they're all clones. Plus Burton tries to give them a "modern" twist forgetting that they are a stone age tribe that is rescued by Wonka, but never exposed to the outside world. The chocolate factory becomes their home and they are as sheltered there as they were in their remote tropical homeland. All in all, Burton's version of them just doesn't feel right.

Maybe my expectations were too high, maybe I am being too loyal to the first movie and even to the book. I don't know. All I can say is, I was very disappointed. I love Tim Burton movies, I love Johnny Depp - I really believe he is one of the best actors of my generation, but this time out they fall short. Skip this movie, and rent the original. Better yet, read the book.

Bush Did His Homework

2005-07-22T12:30:00.000-07:00

There is no doubt about it, Bush did his homework on this one. Bush's nominee to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, John G. Roberts Jr., is exactly the kind of candidate Bush was looking for. Roberts is a solid conservative (he definitely leans further right than O'Connor), and he is eminently qualified to serve. His judicial and legal background are strong and solid; there is no hint of extremism. And his work (he has served as a lawyer and argued many cases before the Supreme Court, and has also served as a judge on a U.S. Circuit court of appeals) is thoughtful, intelligent, and solidly based on law - he has managed to avoid any suggestion of personal bias in his arguments. It seems unlikely that Senate Democrats can reasonably block his appointment. And so, Roberts will almost certainly be confirmed as an Associate Justice in September. The balance of the Court will most definitely shift to the right. How this will affect individual rights and civil liberties in this nation remains to be seen.

Future Headlines - Part 6

2005-07-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

Supreme Court Upholds South Carolina Constitution

(AP) Washington, DC – November 16, 2007

In a landmark 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld a carefully worded amendment to the constitution of the state of South Carolina that makes Christianity the official religion of that state. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice Scalia noted that early in the history of the United States, numerous States had official or State sanctioned churches, and wrote that because the amendment does not compel the citizens of the State to either profess to be Christian or to worship, and does not place a religious requirement on any candidate running for office in the state, the amendment does not violate the Constitution of the United States.

Several States including Texas, Alabama and Utah are currently in the process of amending their constitutions in a similar manner. Utah’s amendment would go a step further explicitly making the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints, commonly referred to as the Mormons, the official religion of Utah….

Investigation Into Deaths of Supreme Court Justices Halted

(AP) Washington, D.C. – November 16, 2007

The lead investigator of the FBI task force investigating the assassinations of two Supreme Court Justices on December 21, 2006, announced today that it was closing the official investigation and turning the case over to the Cold Case unit as an unsolved case. At a press conference on Thursday, the investigator told reporters that in the absence of further leads or evidence, the FBI investigation had reached a dead-end. Stating that the assassinations had been carefully and expertly planned leaving almost no evidence behind, and that given that there was an absence of claims of responsibility, the FBI had exhausted all the physical evidence and leads and could not conclusively determine who was responsible for the assassinations.

The two justices were both killed by suicide car bombers who ran their vehicles into the cars occupied by the two justices. Despite the similarity to tactics used commonly by Al Qaeda and other extremist Islamic terrorist organizations, the FBI spokesperson did indicate that the physical evidence at the scenes pointed to more sophisticated bombs and methods than those generally employed by international terrorist group, and suggested that a domestic terrorist group was more likely the culprit in the assassinations. Further, the investigator implied that the nature of the weapons suggested that who ever designed the bombs used in the car bombings may have had military training in bombs and explosives….

See also:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

Future Headlines - Part 5

2005-07-19T17:52:00.000-07:00

Democrats Demand Investigation Over Republican Memo

(AP) Washington, DC – March 16, 2007

A secret party policy memo believed to be widely circulated among Republican leaders including high ranking Senators, and possibly the President himself is creating a real stir in Washington D.C. and across the country today. Dated February of 2006, one paragraph in particular has caused Democrats to call for an investigation of the Chairman of the Republican party. In part the paragraph reads:

It now appears that little can be done to reverse the trend in public opinion. As poll numbers supporting Republicans and a conservative agenda continue to slide it looks like nothing short of another 9/11 type attack on American soil could reverse that slide. Without such an event to rally the American people around it appears that our party stands to lose several seats in the Senate and as many as a dozen seats in the House of Representatives….

Many political analysts agree that the bombing in New York City in September of 2006 turned the tide of public opinion and led to the landslide victory of Republicans in the fall elections. Those victories have translated into a sweeping conservative legislative program being enacted at the Federal level.

High ranking Republican officials have called the controversy a Democratic smokescreen and a ploy by Democrats to draw public attention away from more important national concerns….

Investigation Confirms Missing Uranium

(AP) Washington, D.C. – April 17, 2007

A Pentagon official reported today that a Federal investigation into reports of missing uranium at a National Defense installation confirmed that a small quantity of weapons grade uranium was in fact missing and had been first reported missing in early 2006. The official went on to say that it appeared that a miscommunication and further misunderstanding had lead to the report being suppressed and filed away and said that the miscommunication led to a serious delay in investigating the missing uranium. Though the official would not say exactly how much uranium was missing, when asked if the amount was sufficient to create a weapon, he did confirm that a small explosive device could have been fashioned from the missing material. The official did stress that the investigation into how the materials went missing and who may have taken the uranium was now being intensified and classified the investigation as “of the highest possible National priority.”

See also:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

I'm Back

2005-07-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

Got back from vacation on Sunday and spent yesterday recovering. Had a great time, but now I'm ready to start blogging again. Of course I am waiting with anticipation for this evening's announcement by Bush of his nomination to replace O'Connor on the Supreme Court. You know I will have lots to say about that. In the meantime Headlines Part 5 is on the way and will be posted momentarily.

Off to the Beach

2005-07-06T23:37:00.000-07:00

Well faithful reader....or two. I'm off to the beach for 10 days. I'm really looking forward to the time off. Hope you will check back here when I return. Until then....

Future Headlines - Part 4

2005-07-05T23:50:00.000-07:00

New Congress Acts Rapidly

(AP) Washington, DC – February 9, 2007

Within weeks of being sworn in, the new members of the House and Senate along with returning incumbents acted quickly on a legislative agenda, giving indications of what is to follow for this historic session of Congress. With large majorities in both the House and the Senate, Republicans have set a “no-nonsense” tone and made it clear they believe the November elections were a mandate from the American people to enact conservative, values based legislation. The Senate quickly confirmed Bush’s two nominees to the Supreme Court giving conservatives a majority on the Court as well.

Acting in concert with the Senate, the House quickly passed a bill outlawing abortion in all cases except when the life of the mother is at emminant risk. Although most experts on Constitutional law fully expect this law will be struck down as unconstitutional, they agree this will happen not on the basis of protecting privacy and individual rights, but rather on a States’ rights argument, opening the door for individual states to outlaw abortion. In addition, both Houses of Congress passed two Constitutional Amendments, one, popularly referred to as the Defense of Marriage Amendment would define marriage exclusively as a union between a man and a woman, thereby outlawing and invalidating any existing marriages between two people of the same sex. The second amendment now referred to as the Defense of Christianity Amendment, would, among other things, permit local and state boards of education to allow prayer in school, and would allow creation, or “intelligent design” to be taught along side evolution in science classes. Both amendments will now be sent to the State legislatures for ratification….

Pentagon to Investigate Reports of Missing Uranium

(AP) Washington, D.C. – February 9, 2007

Responding to a report published by the Washington Post quoting an anonymous worker at a Department of Defense weapons installation who said that a small quantity of weapons grade uranium had been discovered missing there sometime in April of last year, officials at the Pentagon said that they were opening an investigation into the matter. A Pentagon spokesman said that it could not be confirmed that any weapons installation had reported a loss and raised the possibility that the anonymous source was, in fact, a disgruntled, former employee who wanted to stir up controversy and create a panic….

See also:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Kansas, Courts, Education and American Values

2005-07-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

Think this nation is on an even keel? Think there is nothing seriously wrong with the course this country is on? I'm not gonna make a diagnosis here, I'm just going to point out a symptom; one simple example of "mainstream American values" at work in our political system which impacts what may be the most vital function of our society, the education of children.

Kansas high court may close schools

Saturday, July 2, 2005; Posted: 8:27 p.m. EDT (00:27 GMT)

TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) -- The Kansas Supreme Court said Saturday it will consider keeping schools closed because state legislators have failed to comply with the court's demand for more money for public schools.

The order was the latest development in a school finance lawsuit filed in 1999 by parents and administrators in Dodge City and Salina. They argued the state did not spend enough money on schools and distributed its aid unfairly.

The court ruled in January that legislators had failed to fulfill a constitutional duty to finance a suitable education for every child, then followed up with a ruling in June demanding additional money.

The justices had ordered legislators to provide, by no later than July 1, an additional $143 million, which lawmakers failed to do.

Saturday marked the 11th day of a legislative special session called by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius. Some legislators wanted to approve changes in the state constitution to limit the court's power, and an impasse over that issue held up passage of an education funding bill.
cnn.com

Now, look me in the eyes and tell me nothing is wrong. I wonder which party controls the Kansas legislature? Hmmmmm....couldn't be the Republicans now, could it?

The Supreme Court - Really a Big Deal?

2005-07-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

I've been of the opinion for a very long time now that the Supreme Court of the United States is the most powerful political institution in this country. The Constitution of our country establishes, in theory, three equal branches of government which provide checks and balances for each other thereby ensuring that no one branch gains excessive power. It is actually a remarkable structure that has endured for over 200 years and has served the nation incredibly well. The Supreme Court, the highest court in the judicial branch of the government, is a unique body. The Constitution is not specific about the make up of the court, and in fact the number of justices on the court has changed a number of times, but currently sits at nine. But what is clear in the Constitution is that the justices are appointed by the president, with the "advice and consent" of the Senate, to lifetime terms assuming "good behavior" on the part of the justices. Thus a justice serves on the court until he or she dies or chooses to retire (resign). These are not elected positions, there is no term limitation. The current court has served for more than a decade without any changes (the last justice appointed to the court was Stephen G. Breyer who was appointed in August of 1994).

What makes the court so powerful is the principle of judicial review established by the Supreme Court itself in the landmark ruling of Marbury vs. Madison handed down in 1803. In this ruling, the Chief Justice of the court, John Marshall, held that the Constitution was the supreme law of the land, and that it was the responsibility of the Supreme Court to make rulings held to this principle. Thus, Marshall argued, if an act of the government (a law, an executive order, etc.) somehow violated the Constitution, it was the role and responsibility of the court to declare that act unconstitutional and therefore, null and void. This then was a significant check that the judicial branch of the government had over the legislative and executive branches - it could, based on the justices interpretation of the Constitution, declare actions of both branches null and void. As the highest court of the land, the Supreme Court was the final arbitrator in these matters as decisions from the Supreme Court cannot be appealed.

Throughout the history of the United States, the Supreme Court has broadened the concept of judicial review in a manner that has made the court a very powerful body. In essence the court has gone from interpreting whether specific laws are constitutional to interpreting whether the principles embodied in those laws are constitutional. That is to say, the Supreme Court ultimately determines what rights are enumerated in and protected by the Constitution of the United States. The rulings of the Supreme Court can only be overturned by the Supreme Court itself (which will only happen if there is an ideological shift in the Court) or by amending the Constitution.

During her term on the bench, Sandra Day O'Connor has sat in the center of the court, ideologically speaking. She has been the key vote in numerous 5-4 decisions in a number of high profile cases central to protecting certain rights. In cases involving a womans right to choose, she has upheld the Court's ruling in Roe vs. Wade. She has also been a key vote in helping to keep the line between church and state clear and defined. In this role, O'Connor has significantly shaped the ideology of the current court, and her replacement will have a major impact on the future leaning of the court. With so many cases being decided 5-4, a single vote can move the court in the complete opposite direction.

Pay close attention to what is happening in Washington over the next few weeks, and by all means weigh in! Use your voice and contact your Senators and let them know which direction you believe the Court should be heading. The choice of a new Justice to the Supreme Court may be the most important decision made by the government for decades to come.

Not Good News

2005-07-01T18:05:00.000-07:00

Oh this is not good....this is not good at all. We know Rehnquist is going soon, he's either going to retire or die. But I haven't beem too worried about that. Rehnquist is one of the most conservative justices on the Supreme Court right now and Bush almost couldn't replace him with anyone worse. But today, Sandra Day O'Connor announced she is retiring. A moderate conservative, O'Connor was the swing vote in many important decisions from the court, particularly decisions protecting a woman's right to choose. Bush says he will act swiftly to replace O'Connor, and this could be VERY VERY bad.

Excuse me while I go throw up.

Future Headlines - Part 3

2005-07-01T17:51:00.000-07:00

Assassination of Supreme Court Justices Shocks the Nation

(AP) Washington, DC - December 22, 2006

In what security experts are calling a highly sophisticated and coordinated act, two Associate Justices of the Supreme Court were assassinated last night in suicide car bombings similar to those so frequently committed by terrorists in foreign lands. The car bombings occurred almost simultaneously at approximately 9:00 p.m. last night, and both Justices were killed immediately.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was on her way home from a private dinner party when a car ran into the vehicle she was traveling and detonated on impact. A witness at the scene reported seeing a non-descript black sedan race through a red light and hit the car in the intersection. In a similar scene just miles away, Justice Stephen G. Breyer was killed when a car slammed into a parked limousine he had just entered after leaving a posh Georgetown restaurant where he had been dining with friends. Two innocent bystanders were also killed the explosion, and several others were wounded. One witness described the scene as “the kind of thing you would see on an evening news broadcast of a terrorist attack over in the Middle-East or something.”

With their deaths comes the silencing of two of the most liberal voices on the Supreme Court of the United States. When asked, at a White House news briefing, about possible nominees to replace these justices, a White House spokesperson simply replied, “the President, and the nation as a whole is still in shock and mourning over the untimely deaths of these two great Americans. It would be inappropriate at this time to begin talking about or even considering how we will replace these two voices on the highest court. The President believes the nation must focus its attention finding the terrorists responsible for these vicious and brutal crimes and seeing to it that they are swiftly brought to justice.”

Computer Simulation Sheds Doubt on 9/11/06 Theory

(AP) Philadelphia, PA - December 22, 2006

Stressing that their work was preliminary and still subject to further analysis, scientists working with the independent commission investigating the 9/11/06 bombing of New York Harbor released some initial findings today that shed some doubt on the prevailing theory that the nuclear device was housed in a container on a ship registered to the nation of Yemen which had arrived at the docks just that morning. Dr. Joseph Parofsky, one of the scientists leading the investigation revealed today that residual analysis of debris at the scene and a sophisticated computer simulation replicating the situation at the docks that morning seem to indicate that detonation could not have occurred on the Yemeni ship as previously thought. Based on the computer simulation, other ships docked near the Yemeni ship and open water behind the ship would have resulted in a significantly different shock wave pattern than the one exhibited by the actual blast. Rather the simulation suggested that the detonation must have occurred hundreds of yards from the open docks….

See also:
Part 1
Part 2

Future Headlines - Part 2

2005-06-29T20:06:00.000-07:00

Landslide Victory for Republicans

(AP) Washington, DC - November 8, 2006

Confirming all the late polling before election day, Republicans won big across the country in yesterday’s elections. President Bush called the results, “a clear message from the American people,” and suggested that the new majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate would allow him to make progress on his second term agenda which had seemed hopelessly stalled prior to the recent September 11th terrorist attack. “The American public clearly wants an administration that has the determination to make the difficult decisions that must be made in these difficult times,” the President stated in a post-election press conference.

Early in the night it was clear that Republicans were going to win several key races, but once all the votes had been counted, Republican candidates not only came out on top in the races that polls had predicted, but in numerous upsets across the nation as well. Republicans gained 9 new seats in the Senate giving the party a 63-36-1 majority in that body – a filibuster proof margin. Republicans won seats in Maryland, Minnesota and Hawaii where Democratic incumbents had retired and picked up seats in New Jersey, Wisconsin and Florida where all polls had predicted they would win. In Florida, Democratic incumbent Senator Nelson was easily beaten by Katherine Harris in a race that the Republican party spent a record amount of money to ensure victory. But Republican candidates also upset popular Democratic incumbents in Michigan and North Dakota, and won the special election for a second Senate seat in Michigan that was required after Senator Levin (D) from that State died of a heart attack six months ago.

In the House, Republicans gained 26 new seats bringing their majority in that body to a dominating 258 seats to Democrat’s 177 seats….

Conservative voices from bloggers to leaders of right-wing political organizations were quick to celebrate their victory and to begin planning a course of action awaiting the inauguration of the new Senators and Representatives in January. Donald E. Wildmon, Chairman of the American Family Associates, is quoted as saying, “this is a tremendous victory for all Americans who cherish traditional family values. The message is loud and clear, the American people want this country led back to the strong, conservative values that made this country the super power that it is.” Reverend Louis Sheldon leader of the Traditional Values Coalition was even more pointed, “elected leaders across this country, from President Bush right on down to the local level, need to take note today, the American people demand a return to the conservative Christian values and principles that this nation was founded on. We expect the nomination of staunch conservatives to the courts of this nation. We demand a Constitutional amendment protecting families and marriage which have come under attack from the liberal left. We expect Congress and the Courts to begin protecting the rights of good, Christian people to express and practice their religion in this nation that was founded by and for God fearing Christians. We have spoken, and we will not be ignored!” The Reverend went on to say….

Most analysts attribute the massive Republican victory in yesterday’s election to a shift in public opinion following the terrorist nuclear bombing of New York City less than two months ago. Prior to the attack, polls indicated that any political shift in Congress was most likely to be a moderate shift to the left. Polls suggested widespread dissatisfaction with the sluggish economy and the continuing conflict in Iraq. In March of this year, President’s Bush’s approval rating hit an all time low with only 43% of the American public approving of Bush’s performance in office. But those numbers swung sharply in the other direction immediately following the terror attack in New York….

See also: Part 1

O' Canada!

2005-06-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Tuesday June 28, the lower house of Canada's Parliament approved a bill legalizing gay marriage across all of Canada. While it still must be approved by the upper house, that is seen a formality as Canada's Senate is controlled by the Liberal party. And so our neighbor to the north makes another big step forward in ensuring and protecting the rights of all citizens while the U.S. continues to take steps legalizing persecution and discrimination. More and more states are passing constitutional amendments to make gays and lesbians second class citizens.

I wonder if there is much of a demand for math teachers in Canada?

Future Headlines - Part 1

2005-06-28T12:22:00.000-07:00

Polls Take Dramatic Turn After Devastating Terror Attack

(AP) Washington, DC - September 27, 2006

Two weeks after terrorists detonated a small nuclear device in the harbor of New York City public opinion polls and polls in congressional and senatorial races across the nation have swung significantly in the favor of Republican candidates. When asked, “Do you approve of the manner in which President Bush has handled the recent terrorist attacks and subsequent national crisis?” Forty-nine percent responded that they strongly approve, and 27 percent responded that they approve of Bush’s performance. When asked, “Who do you believe is better able to handle this crisis and future terrorist threats, the Republicans or the Democrats?” An overwhelming 71 percent responded that the Republican Party was better equipped to deal with terrorism in this country. These opinions are reflected in polls taken this week in political races across the nation. Even in many races where the Democratic incumbent was an overwhelming favorite to be re-elected to office have become real contests with Republican candidates receiving a huge boost in the polls….

Political analysts say that one significant reason for this shift in opinion may be President Bush’s national address last Thursday night in which he strongly and openly urged voters to support Republican candidates in the upcoming election stating, “the voters in this country now have the opportunity to make a real statement to the terrorists. Voters must stand up and say, ‘we’re not going to take it any more!’” Democrats have been slow to respond to accusations that they have no plan to fight terrorism in this country and that they lack the will to take the tough steps necessary to protect this country and ensure the safety of its citizens….

Although no terrorist group has yet stepped forward to take responsibility for the September 11th attack, President Bush suggested that intelligence gathered by national and international agencies and his National Security advisors agree that the attack must be the work of a well organized and well funded terrorist group, suggesting Al-Qaeda or a related splinter group of that organization is most like responsible….

DECISIVE!!

2005-06-27T16:07:00.000-07:00

Yes! or rather No! that is to say no, you can't not have non-historical displays that are not non-artistic representations of the Ten Commandment on governmental property that is not judicial or not non-state-house in nature because it is not the case that such non-historical and/or not non artistic displays don't not violate the "establishment" clause of the constitution! Is that clear? Don't worry, even the esteemed Supreme Court of our land appears rather confused on the issue. It really isn't that difficult a question. Is the display of the Ten Commandments on government property an endorsement by the government of some religion or religious tradition? If the answer is "yes," then such a display violates the First Amendment. If the answer is "no," then such a display does not violate it. I don't think I can quite comprehend how someone could argue effectively that the answer is "no," but I can understand that there are still lots of people out there who say the answer is "no" regardless of logic or reason. But still, it's a yes or no question. Can it be "yes" sometimes and "no" sometimes? I don't think so. But apparently the Supreme Court does - and thus has clearly stated this week that each case needs to be decided on a case-by-case basis. Whatever.

Batman Begins

2005-06-24T17:27:00.000-07:00

I've been looking forward to seeing the new Batman movie for a few months now, but I wouldn't say I was fanatical about it. I just figured it would be a decent, entertaining summer flick. Well I saw the movie the other night, and wow - it's a great movie! Smart, well written, good character development. It's just really well done - and it was a pleasant surprise. If I had any complaint, it would be the same complaint I have about a lot of movies these days - particularly action/suspense movies. The special effects have gotten so good and realistic, and editing has become so fast (changing angles and perspective quickly and repeatedly in a single scene) that fight scenes have become a complete blur! Images flash on the screen so fast that you can't tell who is who, who is doing what to who, who is winning, what danger the hero is in. The scenes fly to quickly that all you get is an impression of chaos, and loud sounds of grunting, thumping and smacking body contact, weapons clashing and crashing as bodies go flying against walls or hit the ground.

But all in all, Batman Begins is a terrific movie. Check it out.

A New Mall - Closer than You Think

2005-06-24T16:10:00.000-07:00

Sleep well my fellow Americans, 5 of the 9 wise justices of the Supreme Court are of the opinion that it is perfectly acceptable for your local municipality, city, or state government to seize your property under the guise of "eminent domain" in order to sell it to a developer who will tear down your home, and build a new strip mall or condo complex or casino.

I know that is EXACTLY what the founding fathers had in mind.

I'm BaaaaaaaAAAck!

2005-06-22T15:45:00.000-07:00

School is out and I am looking forward to 10 weeks of freedom! Don't worry I won't rub it in too much. Just a quick comment about something that happened in Congress today. More posts later!

The House of Representatives today passed a proposed constitutional amendment banning flag burning . It now makes its way to the Senate where it has a pretty good chance of passing (it has failed several times in the past). If it passes, it will go to the States. Ratification requires the approval of 37 of the States, and that is quite likely to happen considering that all 50 States have adopted non-binding resolutions condemning flag burning. I'm not sure how I feel about this. In an ideal world, protesters in this country wouldn't use flag burning as a form of protest. I don't think most of those who do use it really understand the significance of what they are doing. There is a misconception out there that the flag stands for or represents the government of this country. It doesn't. It represents the country itself. And protesters in this country aren't usually trying to make a statement of animosity toward this country, the message is almost always aimed at the government - showing displeasure over some policy or action or law or court ruling or some related thing. But burning the flag just doesn't effectively send that message for the reason I mentioned above - the flag doesn't represent the government. On the other hand, a constitutional amendment concerns me, because our government (particularly the current administration) has already done a lot to try and smudge the line around what constitutes free speech. This amendment would just make that line fuzzier, and I think, make it easier for the government to encroach a little further on this most precious of rights.

I just dont know. I'm going to have to give this one more thought.