Lovably Snarky Quote of the Day

Comes to us from the honey-coated keyboard of Dustbury, from which, after contemplation of New York's search for a state reptile, this perfectly logical observation was offered:

Heh.

Blog Family Tree

Julie at the Lone Prairie Blog clues us in on the 10-day-old Blog Family Tree project being spearheaded by The Politburo Diktat. If you're a blogger, you should consider participating in this fascinating attempt to trace the beginnings and evolution of the blogosphere. The Family Tree folks want to know which blog influenced you the most in the decision to begin blogging (it was James Lileks for me), and also if you know of any blogs that you directly influenced into existence (that's my awkward phrasing, not theirs).

My observation is that the family tree is thus far giving short shrift to the protobloggers...those who were doing it even before there was a name for it, generally for insanely geeky purposes. Thus far, blogospheric luminaries like Rebecca Blood aren't cited at all [Oops...she's there, after all, as pointed out by The Commissar his own self; my bad], and I find that very difficult to believe. It could be that that generation and its progeny aren't into these kinds of memes, and that's a shame, because it causes a signficant part of the historical record to be incomplete.

Thus far, only about 600 blogs are represented (out of how many millions?). However, those 600 may well be at the other end of the Long Tail in terms of posting volume, if not overall influence. Make sure your branch is represented.

Technorati tag: Blog Family Tree

Monday Morning Tidbits

• Happy Halloween. Unless you don't acknowledge Halloween, in which case, Happy November Eve.


• We're still a month away from the end of the most active and destructive season of storms since records were kept. Well, the hurricanes have been bad, too, but I'm actually referring to the Supreme Court Nominee Season. <badda-bing>


• The Singaporean blogger over at Pencil Shavings has an account of her longest run to-date, almost 18km. That's great, but what I really enjoyed was her description of stopping on the trail to text-message a vending machine via her cellphone so that she could get something to drink without using any cash. How cool is that?


• Dave over at North Sea Diaries posts about a 20-point manifesto that purports to contain the solutions to "Europe's Problems." Dave expertly dismisses them as fluff and homes in on the real issues. That alone makes the post worth reading (and, as always, Europe's problems should be read as cautionary tales, if not precursors to our own variations of the same ones). But what makes the post particularly special in my mind is his use of the word "autarky," a delightfully angular-looking word which is not to be confused with the word "autarchy." And the former, dear friends, is your word of the day. Use it wisely in your own post, then trackback here or leave a comment to get those valuable bonus points.


• Back to the Pencil Shavings post, when she writes that she "SMSed" a number, that refers to "Short Message Service." For those over the age of fifty, you probably have that capability on your cellphone and have never used it. If you're a CellularOne digital subscriber, you can also send free text messages to any other CellularOne phone via this webpage.


• Be sure to stop by and see Google's salute to Halloween. (I know; referring someone to Google is like reminding them to breathe.)

Technorati tag: Autarky

An Average Meme

"Borrowed" (heck, who am I kidding; I even copied the non-standards compliant source code) from Charles over at Dustbury, who likewise stole borrowed it from Accidental Verbosity, an exercise of exquisite memeness.

According to this book, a majority of Americans:

• Eats peanut butter at least once a week
  
• Prefers smooth peanut butter over chunky
  
• Can name all Three Stooges
  
• Lives within a 20-minute drive of a Wal-Mart
  
• Eats at McDonald's at least once a year
  
• Takes a shower for approximately 10.4 minutes a day
  
• Never sings in the shower
  
• Lives in a house, not an apartment or condominium
  
• Has a home valued between $100,000 and $300,000
  
• Has fired a gun
  
• Is between 5 feet and 6 feet tall
  
• Weighs 135 to 205 pounds
  
• Is between the ages of 18 and 53 (we'll interpret this range as being inclusive
  
• Believes gambling is an acceptable entertainment option)
  
• Grew up within 50 miles of current home
  

So, are you or aren't you? An un-Lake-Wobegonly average, that is. (Note: You don't have to be American to play.)

Update: I just realized that I've consistently used the incorrect statistical marker of "average" throughout this post. I think "mode" is probably more proper, but I know Jim will let me know for sure.

"Garbageland" - One Trashy Book

The title of Elizabeth Royte's Garbage Land invites lame jokes (such as this post title) but the subject of this book is no laughing matter. The author gets her hands dirty (see...I told you!) literally and figuratively while researching what really happens to the million tons or so of trash we Americans generate each day.

For a year, Ms. Royte kept detailed notes of what her household (which consisted of herself, her husband and their young daughter) threw away. She categorized their trash by type (food, plastic, metal, paper, etc.) and weighed each category. She then undertook to follow the disposal process of each category from their New York City curbside pickup to the final resting place. She befriended members of the NY Sanitation Department ("san men"), trespassed on some of the most infamous dumping grounds in the nation, traveled across the nation to witness firsthand how the more "enlightened" cities dealt with their garbage, clambered through municipal water treatment facilities and got the real scoop on the pros and cons of recycling.

All of these pieces and more come together in a book that sometimes reads like a government accounting publication...if you want statistics, you've come to the right place. If you can think of a measurement somehow related to trash, Ms. Royte has found someone who has quantified it. The fact that these statistics are sometimes inconsistent or even contradictory should serve to underscore the complexity of the issues.

She also weaves in historical and sociological perspectives on garbage and ultimately argues that as our society has flourished economically and acquired a consumerist mindset, the price being paid is steadily rising and the ultimate impact on our environment, health and quality of life has some rather terrifying aspects.

It's tempting -- and easy -- to dismiss some of these dire warnings as eco-terroristic hyperbole. But it's also difficult to ignore or argue against some of the hard scientific data that indicates that we are, in very specific ways and places, poisoning ourselves with our own discards.

Defining the problem, however complex, is really the easy part. Coming up with the solutions is an order of magnitude more difficult and Ms. Royte uncovered very few true success stories...and none which are now in place and working on a municipal level. Even recycling, which we're told is our ultimate salvation, is shown to be little more than a feel-good guilt-sop in most cases.

What we throw away is directly related to what we acquire and consume. Given the snail's pace of developing scientific and engineering solutions to the problems of an ever-growing pile of garbage, it appears that the answers are found in what we as consumers decide to do about our own individual behaviors, and how those who make and sell products to us react to those decisions.

I just dropped an empty soda can in my deskside trash, despite knowing that it's headed for our local landfill. It wasn't an act of defiance (I really do care about our environment), or ignorance (thanks to Ms. Royte) or lack of alternatives (aluminum is one of the few products that is successfully recycled in these parts). It was simply a behavior that I've learned, the consequences of which seem insignificant enough in the overall picture that doing anything different just isn't worth the effort.

So, I suppose that it can be argued that Garbage Land comes up short. It educated me but failed to change my behavior. However, that's actually a snapshot of the whole situation. Until each of us not only understands the problem but decides to -- as the cliché goes -- become part of the solution, the best efforts of a tiny minority of concerned citizens will not be enough to solve the problem.

Garbage Land is a well-researched and -written account, even with the mind-numbing statistics, and I recommend it to anyone who has questions or concerns or ideas about what's happening to their trash...all 4.3 pounds of it per day.

I want to acknowledge and thank Miriam Parker, my "Book Angel" over at Time-Warner Book Group, for the copy of Garbage Land, which is published by Little, Brown and Company, a subsidiary of TWBG. Two of the many ironies highlighted by Elizabeth Royte are that (1) her own book was not printed on recycled paper and (2) if it sells big, it will mean that that many more additions to the waste problem with eventually be generated. Nobody keeps books forever, right?

Technorati tags: Garbage Land | Elizabeth Royte

Powerful Nostalgia

I ran across the following image while backing up some old DVD-RAMs (possibly the slowest optical medium every invented) to DVD-R. It brought back fond memories of the days of Power Computing and my old PowerTower Pro 180 (which, by the way, is still used daily by my dad...generally for playing solitaire, but still...).

Click on the image to see a bigger version.

One can argue that Apple's licensing of the Mac OS to third parties was a strategic mistake, but you've got to admit that Power brought a certain cocky feistiness to the table that was refreshing.

I've got three more Power Computing ads which I'll try to remember to share in the near future.

Technorati tags: Power Computing | Apple

Escher was just born too soon...

...otherwise he probably would have created The Infinite Cat Project, a concept and a website created by Mike Stanfill (who has apparently been driven quite mad by rage at George W. Bush and Buddy Hickerson).

Still, there's something intriguing about a seemingly endless series of photos of cats looking at photos of cats looking at photos of cats looking at...well, you get the, um, picture. (Sorry.)

I apologize for my lack of coolness if it turns out that I'm the last kid on the block to know about Infinite Cats. I don't get out much.

Abbye is not amused

The Quigmans, circa January, 2001, Copyright Buddy Hickerson. Not everyone is enamored of Mr. Hickerson's creative skills, however.

Take-Backs

After waxing dang near lyrical about the MRT's service yesterday, in the process sullying my hard-earned reputation as a cynical critic of the MSM, I find that most of it was in vain anyway when I opened this morning's edition to find this abomination: the comics page was repeated in its entirety from yesterday!

I'll put up with a lot, being the man of infinite patience you know me to be, but I draw the line when people start messing with the funny paper.

I have no choice but to put the MRT back on probation...double-secret, at that.

JWD to the MRT

One of the simple pleasures in my weekday morning routine comes at 6:00 a.m. when I settle down with my second cup of coffee and a copy of the Midland Reporter-Telegram. I've written previously about my belief that no matter how pervasive online forms of news delivery become, nothing will ever replace the tactile superiority of holding newsprint...at least, not for me.

Given that routine, you can imagine my displeasure on those infrequent times when the paper isn't delivered on time. I'm literally at a loss as to what to do with myself. Sure, the TV is tuned to one of the local morning news shows (alternating between two stations each day) but, frankly, that's a poor substitute for what I'm expecting, other than the weather forecast.

But that's the situation I found myself in this morning, when 6:30 arrived without a paper, then 7:30, then 8:00. After Abbye and I returned from our walk, I took the almost unheard-of step of phoning the MRT's Circulation Department to report the missing edition.

The phone was answered immediately by a polite and efficient woman, who asked for my phone number and quickly verified my address. "We'll get a paper to you as soon as possible," she promised. I didn't know what that meant, but in less than 30 minutes, a van pulled into the driveway and I was hand-delivered today's edition.

Here's the kicker. About a half hour later, someone from the MRT called to make sure I had received my newspaper. I was quite impressed with their diligence and efficiency.

I'll admit that I'm pretty quick to take a swipe at the paper when I perceive it's fallen down on the job...it's only fair that I should be equally willing to give it credit where credit's due.

At the risk of ruining my hard-earned rep as a hard-nosed blogger who sniffs in disdain at all things MSM, I also want to go on record as saying that I'm enjoying the series of ads running in the MRT spotlighting various members of the newspapers' staff and giving some insights into their lives outside of work. It's a great way to personalize the people who bring us the news each day.

Big Groups of Stupid People

Jim over at Serotoninrain links to an article in Forbes entitled "Attack of the Blogs" [free registration required] in which is described a few instances where groups of bloggers joined forces to harass people with whom they didn't agree. The author extrapolates from those examples that bloggers comprise a formidable lynch mob. Here's the overblown intro:

Jim takes significant umbrage at the charges leveled in the article, and points out that he's not the only one. It will be interesting to follow this in the blogosphere to see if the article was actually designed to elicit the kind of reaction it describes. It's certainly starting out that way.

Forbes does seem to be making the same mistake that the anti-gun lobby insists on repeating, and that's to blame an object for its misuse. Forbes even goes so far as to blame the "manufacturers" (blog-enablers like Google and Yahoo, in this case), much as anti-gun forces target Colt, Smith & Wesson, et al.

The article reminds me a bit of C.S. Lewis' quote about the devil: be careful not to attribute to him too little power...or too much.

But before the blogosphere goes all medieval on Forbes self-exposed backside, it might be helpful to do some self-examination to see if it's as squeaky clean as it will no doubt claim that it is.

There's a popular bumper sticker that reads "never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups." The blogosphere is a growing microcosm of society; society as a whole contains a fair number of people who do stupid, illegal, immoral and detestable things. Why do we think the blogging population won't sometimes exhibit those same behaviors? Does the ability to type somehow confer a superior set of ethics and wisdom? (See also Shakespeare, Monkeys and.)

If there's one thing in the article that I agree with, it's that the ability to be anonymous will be abused by bloggers. Not could be; not potentially...it's a fact that has been demonstrated in the past and will continue to be the Achille's Heel of this medium. The very thing that liberates also drags it down. Until people are willing to step up and be personally accountable for what they write about other people, we'll continue to see abuse and allegations of abuse in this regard.

And spare me the lectures about how anonymity is essential for true freedom of speech in cases of corporate whistleblowing or dictatorships. Using those legitimate examples to argue that hidden identities must be protected for all use simply demeans those who really need it...and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who falls into which category.

There'll be plenty of others who do an excellent line-by-line fisking of the Forbes article (and there are several outrageous claims to be debunked), and the blogosphere as a whole will walk away both unscathed and proud of how it defended itself. It's too bad that a poorly researched and written article provides an excuse for ignoring the kernel of truth that's hidden inside.

Fortunately, the bloggers whose work I regularly read and respect will be unsullied by both the article's claims and the truth behind some of them, and I salute them for that.

Technorati tags: Forbes | "Attack of the Blogs"

Need a job?

Rock the Desert Ministries is seeking an Executive Director. Salary is $55-70K and includes relocation allowance and full benefits. More information here.

Note: This is a big job, and the salary range is probably on the low side for the responsibilities it entails. But it could also be a lot of fun, in a gut-wrenching stressful kind of way.

Technorati tags: Rock the Desert

Teaser: This could be interesting

GodIssues.org

Coming soon, from the smartest guy I ever knew. Stay tuned...

Technorati tags: Jim Denison

A few more photos

Update: I meant to provide this along with the original post and forgot, but here's a satellite shot of Guadalupe Mountains National Park courtesy of Google Maps. (OK, it also could be a macro photo of a leaf of lettuce, but that's neither here nor there.) As best I can determine, the park visitor's center is near the upper right corner of the page; El Capitan is near the lower left corner, and Guadalupe Peak is a few inches higher on the page above El Capitan. This series of satellite photos is also interesting in that it seems to be a patchwork of images taken at different times...perhaps even in different years. It shows the difference that some rainfall can make in the desert.

A number of you have asked for more photos from our recently completed tour of the mountains of west Texas, presumably not because of my superior picture-taking skills but under the mistaken assumption that more photos equals less writing. Ha. You hopeless dreamers. Nevertheless, ever-willing as I am to give the Gazette's loyal nanoaudience what it requests (up to a point), here's some more visual stuff.

Same drill as before...click on the thumbnail to see the larger image, which will be in the 75-150kb range, size-wise.

Above: Views from a point near the summit of Guadalupe Peak.

Above left: Looking in the general direction of El Paso from the summit of Guadalupe Peak.
Above right: Nature can be unforgiving in this part of the country, but even in death, these trees have a certain beauty.

Above left: Life has a way of fighting back, however. This tiny pine tree seems to be flourishing, even on a footing of solid rock.
Above right: The highway from Fort Davis to Marfa is wide and sparsely-traveled...ideal for a day-trip via bicycle.

Above left: This is a view of the living room in the Carriage House of the Veranda Bed and Breakfast in Fort Davis. Not exactly rustic, is it?
Above right: The porch, complete with rocking chairs, looks out into an enclosed courtyard at the Veranda. This courtyard is also the B&B's wifi hotspot, being in close proximity to the Fort Davis newspaper's unsecured wireless network. Not a bad place to check email...

Technorati tags: Guadalupe Mountains | Fort Davis | Marfa

"The Weather Man" Gets it Wrong?

Here's what Pulitzer-prize winning film critic Joe Morgenstern has to say about Nicholas Cage's new movie, coming today to a megaplex near you:

"Free of dangerously entertaining side effects." Heh.

I don't always agree with Joe's take on movies, but I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

Technorati tag: The Weather Man

Let the Witchhunt Begin

Get ready to party like it's 1980.

Technorati tags: Windfall Profits Tax | Economics 101

Best Magazine Covers Since 1965?

The American Society of Magazine Editors has announced its list of the "40 greatest magazine covers of the last 40 years." [Note: Not all covers are office-safe. Taste-wise...well, YMMV.]

The January 22, 1981 cover of "Rolling Stone" was the top pick; this is the one with a photo of a naked John Lennon curled up next to a fully clothed (thank you!) Yoko Ono. The equally naked but much more pregnant Demi Moore's "Vanity Fair" appearance on the cover of the August, 1991 issue is #2 on the list.

The preceding link presents the list without comment or rationale. For an often-scathing critique of these choices, pop over to Under Consideration's "Speak Up" and read Dangling Listicles. If the covers fail to inspire, the comments might succeed in entertaining.

A whiffle of the periodical's pages to Jason Kottke

Technorati tag: ASME

Intractable Retractables

Last week, I found that my formerly reliable Stanley 20' steel tape measure, when extended to the length of 20', will rewind only 15. Attempts to alter the situation have been met with threats of digital amputation (and I mean "digits" in the meatspace sense of the word).

Yesterday, the cord for my formerly trustworthy Sears vacuum cleaner metamorphosed into a 4' tail which will be neither lengthened nor shortened by any means not involving disassemblage and cursing (which, I realize, is a redundancy).

Why am I telling you this? Because I couldn't resist the post title.

Late Night TV Guest RSS Feeds

I'm lucky if I can stay awake past [fill in the blank]'s opening monologue (or, perhaps, that's really a blessing), but if I was a true late night talk show junkie, I'd go to this page, drag a bunch of RSS feeds to my newsreader and always know in advance who was going to appear.

Tip of the remote to A Whole Lotta Nothing

Technorati tag: Really Need to Get a Life

Be Careful What You Wish For...

Technorati tags: Harriet Miers | SCOTUS

The Vampire Queen Gets Saved

It's official: Anne Rice, (in)famous author of 25 huge selling novels dealing with vampires and the occult, is a born-again follower of Jesus Christ, according to this article in Newsweek.

Skeptical of yet another celebrity conversion? Her next novel is entitled "Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt," a novel about the 7-year-old Jesus, narrated by Christ himself. She calls Christ "the ultimate supernatural hero ... the ultimate immortal of them all." She also freely acknowledges that her new book (and the three sequels she's already envisioned) will likely not be well received by those who were drawn to her earlier themes. But, she's OK with that.

I, for one, am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, and I'm intrigued by her new book, if only for the amazing amount of research that she immersed herself in to prepare for it. While I'm not sure the world needs another "Christian novel," there's no doubt in my mind that we need more Christian novelists.

Wave of the writer's quill to Natalie over at 10ft2ft.

Technorati tags: Anne Rice | Christian Novels

If Google did sci-fi mag covers...

I love science fiction, especially the classic stuff. I love old sci-fi magazines. I love interesting uses of technology.

I love this.

Tip o'the hat to Denise at Blue Sky In Texas

Technorati tag: Science Fiction Cover Art

Charitable Web Design

My wife's employer is having its big annual fundraising event for United Way of Midland today and I'm waiting on the figurative edge of my seat to see how much time and effort it will cost me.

One of the events is a silent auction of donated goods and services, and I've contributed a website package that includes a small custom-designed site plus domain name registration and hosting fees for a year. I'll be interested to see what value, if any, is placed on this package.

I've actually done this twice before, with mixed success, although it was back in the days when I built websites as a hobby. The first package was purchased by someone who wanted to put family photos on a website to share with out-of-town family (this was well before there was such things as Ofoto or Flickr). Shortly thereafter, they transferred to another city and never got around to giving me anything to work with, so that went nowhere.

The second time was more successful, as the package was purchased on behalf of a local girls' club volleyball team (a club volleyball team for girls, that is...not a Girl's Club volleyb...well, never mind). Several of the players were hoping for athletic scholarships to college and the team organizers thought a website might make it easier for coaches around the country to find out about them. That project turned into sort of a medium-term stint, as I maintained it for them for a couple of years, all for free. There's nothing like having a bunch of cute and extremely fit teenaged girls ooh-ing and ah-ing over your work to keep you motivated. The team gave me a volleyball signed by each of the players, which was a great memento. And, several of them did end up playing volleyball for various Division I and II colleges, so that was cool.

As I said, I can't wait to see who picks up this current package, and for what purpose. Sure, it will be added work for me, but it's for a good cause and I always end up meeting and working with good people doing interesting things.

Aperture: Lustworthy

I want very badly to get a copy of Apple's recently-announced program called Aperture. Spend a few minutes on the website, and you'll understand why.

Unfortunately, by my calculation, that $499 program would actually cost me right around $4,500, based on the need to buy a new dual-core dual-processor G5 (aka the G5 Quad) with the horsepower to run it and a digital SLR camera to justify its use. (And, really, a 30-inch HD Cinema Display becomes a necessity, so tack on another $2,500 just for good measure.)

Hmm. Maybe the time has come for a tip jar... ;-)

Technorati tags: Aperture | Apple | G5 Quad

2,000 Reasons to Stay the Course

In an email I received yesterday, SSG. Will informed me that his outfit had lost another man to the terrorist enemy in Iraq, when his vehicle was hit by an IED. Will didn't mention his name or any other details, but it's a sobering reminder of the price being paid to secure freedom for the people of Iraq.

I don't know how to quantify that price, when the loss of even one life is too many but the "risk-free" alternative is unacceptable. What I do know is that the media's trumpeting of "2,000 American deaths" for any reason other than to honor the sacrifice made by the men and women that number represents is a disgusting display signifying only its inability or unwillingness to accept that freedom always comes with a price, and that the war in Iraq is nothing compared to what we'll experience if we don't stay the course.

I don't understand what makes 2,000 any different than 1,000 or 1,500 or 1,999. I don't understand why the 2,000th death should make us willing to cut and run. I don't understand why 2,000 should be sufficient reason to become more vocal in criticizing what we're accomplishing in Iraq. If anything, it should make us more determined to defeat the enemy who continues to kill not only Americans but also its own countrymen (and women and children) to advance a documented agenda that would ultimately bring the battle into our own neighborhoods here at home.

If the number 2,000 means anything at all, I hope it serves as a reminder to pray for and support our military as they put themselves in harm's way on a daily basis. To do anything less dishonors the lives that number represents.

Technorati tag: War on Terror

Tryptophaning the Light Fantastic

I had utterly despaired of having anything suitable for posting today, until MLB sent me this link.

Mountain Getaway

I started to document last week's trip with a mind-numbingly detailed account of each day and then I came to my senses. The only thing more boring would be for me to recount my last surgery (which, thankfully, was several years ago...although the scars are still there, and you would not believe the pain...let me tell you, if I ever again have to...um...never mind...). So I had this brainstorm. Everyone likes lists, right? Letterman has built a career around them. Even the most mind-numbingly detailed accounts can be presented in a relatively non-snooze inducing list, if done properly. Unfortunately, I have no idea what "done properly" means, but here goes, anyway...

Click on the thumbnails to see the uncropped full-sized images, some of which are up to 150kb in size.

• October weather in west Texas is unpredictable, especially around the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. But, for the third consecutive year, we were blessed with beautiful conditions for our outdoor activities: warm-but-not-hot, calm and clear.


• Given those great conditions, we were surprised to be the first hikers on the trail to Guadlupe Peak. In fact, we didn't encounter another human on the 4.2 mile trek up the mountain, and we had the summit to ourselves for twenty minutes before another group of hikers appeared.


• For you non-Texans, Guadalupe Peak is the highest point in Texas at 8,749'. The 8.5 mile hike to the top has an elevation gain of about 3,000'. It's not a particularly taxing climb -- thousands of people make do it each year -- but there are sections that are steep and/or treacherous enough (due to loose rock) that it's not something to undertake without some preparation. We made it up the mountain in 2.5 hours and cut 30 minutes off that time on the way down.


• The view from the top is amazing. The photos at right show the view from the peak and the trail. The large hunk of rock MLB is overlooking is El Capitan; the cliff face on the other side can be seen from fifty miles away.


• We finished our hike mid-afternoon, and after fortifying ourselves with chicken salad sandwiches and M&Ms, headed for the next destination: Fort Davis. The drive from the national park to Van Horn was lovely in the desolate way you'd expect from a road that runs along a range of mountains known as Sierra Diablo. The road construction from previous years was completed, but it's still a rough drive. We noted evidence of fairly recent flash flooding across the roadbed. The relative verdancy of the countryside testified to the abundant rainfall the region had finally received following more than a decade of brutal drought.


• Van Horn is just a wide spot in the road, snuggled up next to I-10 (but the people there are great!). I pulled into a gas station to top off the tank, figuring prices would be better here than in Fort Davis. But, how spoiled am I? There was a sign on the pump informing me that "Pay at the Pump is unavailable; please pay cashier inside first." I left without getting gas; I don't need no steenkin' "pay inside first" routine. (As it turned out, prices were just as good elsewhere. So there. I still got The Look from MLB, though.)


• The next leg was interstate mileage -- nothing to note except that very few people were exceeding the speed limit and most, including big rigs, were driving under the limit. Gas prices? But we hit the turnoff at Kent around 5:00 p.m., just as the sunlight was getting juicy and the backside of the Davis Mountains was picking up that golden glow that I've never seen even the best photographer do justice to. The grass covering the hills was eye-high on a steer and simply driving through that countryside made you feel like you were where God intended you to be.


• Twenty miles from our destination we encountered a truly amazing thing, although you have to be from west Texas to appreciate it. The low water crossing coming up out of Madera Canyon actually had water in it...a lot of water! I've never seen water running across the highway in that spot. People were setting up lawn chairs next to the creek, I assume in anticipation of the wildlife that would soon come down out of the hills to drink around dusk. According to the locals, there's now a herd of elk in those parts, after who knows how many decades of being absent.


• We arrived in Fort Davis around 6:00 p.m., tired and hungry. Eleanor was waiting to give us the tour of our accommodations at The Veranda -- a tour was apparently in order since we were staying in The Carriage House, a two-bedroom dwelling with two-foot thick adobe walls and hardwood floors. We didn't necessarily want The Carriage House, but it was the only available lodging in the whole area, thanks to the presence of the members of the Native Plant Society of Texas ("NPSOT"), whose annual meeting was being held at the Mitre Peak Girl Scout Camp between Fort Davis and Alpine.


• The Veranda was built around 1883 and is one of the oldest bed and breakfasts in the state. Kathie Woods has owned and managed it for the past decade or so, and her gourmet breakfasts are the highlight of the stay, but the beautiful grounds and charm of the compound itself run a close second.


• After a quick clean-up, we had dinner at the Limpia Hotel, where I indulged in a chicken-fried tenderloin (!) with grilled jalapeños, and MLB had the muy piquante meat loaf.


• We were joined at breakfast the next morning by a woman whose husband was attending the NPSOT meeting, which had its own catered meals. In the course of visiting with her and Kathie, the B&B owner, we learned that she was on a quest to find somewhere to print a document that her husband needed to sign and Fed Ex somewhere in order to finalize a consulting gig he was about to undertake. He is retired military and the document had something to do with his security clearance. Anyway, she had the document on a USB flash drive, but hadn't been able to find a computer that would read it. Kathie was running down the rather short list of publicly available computers in Fort Davis that might accommodate her when I offered one of the two laptops we had brought with us. I pointed out that if we could use Kathie's printer, we could take care of the chore in a heartbeat. I retrieved MLB's ThinkPad from the room and while I was connecting the old SCSI laser printer, the woman noticed my Hero Bracelet which I wear in honor of SSG. Will. She said that her son was also now in Iraq, with the Texas Army National Guard. I asked if he was deployed out of Fort Hood; she said yes. She looked at the bracelet again and said "he's in the 3/112 Armored Division, too!" The world kept getting smaller. "In fact, he's company commander for Alpha Company, and is currently located at the Talil Airbase south of Baghdad." Well, if you've been paying attention, you know that Talil is where Will is now deployed, although he's in Charlie company. But, still...how amazing is that? I need to write Will and ask if he knows the guy. Anyway, after all of that, we had her document printed in mere seconds and instead of using the whole morning trying to get that chore accomplished, she could now do some fun stuff.


• Our plans for the day centered around a 20-mile bike ride to Marfa to eat lunch and look around at the little town that's starting to attract some national attention as a "regional arts and culture center" (whatever that means). We left about 10:30 and stopped a couple of times to take photos, including some great shots of the small group of antelope that was grazing next to the highway. If you click to the large photo, you'll note the lone buck in the background; he serves as the lookout for the group. Every herd has one, standing off by himself, full of self-importance. We obviously weren't deemed to be threats, judging by the herd's unwillingness to stop grazing in order to give me the time of day. We saw a number of other antelope along this stretch of highway, along with some big mule deer. One advantage of traveling by bicycle is that you're moving slowly enough to notice such things, and it's convenient to stop to check them out.


• Marfa seemed to be a little more subdued than we remembered, although there was a fair amount of construction (remodeling) going on, and several new restaurants and stores, mostly of the "too cute and trés chic" style. We had pizza and salad for lunch at an old converted service station which is now named "The Pizza Foundation." The food was excellent.


• We returned to Marfa that evening for dinner (traveling by car this time), having scored last minute reservations at Maiya's Restaurant. I had a ribeye and MLB had halibut; we shared a pear crostata which was served with crème anglaise and vanilla bean ice cream. The bill for dinner worked out to about 4 cents for every resident of Marfa, which is small but not that small. Was it worth it? Well, I've never had a meal that I thought was worth $100, in and of itself. I enjoyed the endive salad with toasted walnuts, gorgonzola, pears and Dijon vinaigrette, but I'm equally at home with a chicken strip basket and a Blizzard at Dairy Queen. But I guess it's the whole ambience thing, the "we're on vacation so who cares" thing. But I still couldn't shake the feeling that most of the crowd that night was really pretending to be in Santa Fe, if you know what I mean.


• Oh, here's a travel tip: if you're going to look for the Marfa Lights viewing area after dark, have a general idea of which direction to head. Because, otherwise, you could find yourself driving to Presidio on a highway with a narrow shoulder and a long line of cars and trucks behind you with no way to pull over and turn around. Not that I'd know about that or anything. I'm just saying.


• Saturday was the scheduled death slog up to the McDonald Observatory Visitor Center. It's just over fifteen miles from the B&B to the Center, and it's pretty much uphill all the way, with grades of 6-10% for most of the latter half of the ride. As you can imagine, the return trip is much quicker, unless your stoker (that's the rider on the back of a tandem, for you non-tandeming readers) has control of the rear wheel brake. But, we did take the time to get a photo or two from the scenic overlook.


• Remember, way back at the beginning, how I was talking about the weather being unpredictable in October. In 2003, when we last made this trip, we went through shirt-sleeve and shorts weather until we awoke on the last day to six inches of snow. This year, we also experienced a drastic change in weather as a front blew through just as we left Fort Davis to head home. We didn't get any snow, but the gusty winds and low hanging clouds made us grateful for the beautiful conditions we had for our outdoor activities in the previous days. The front also provided some great photo ops.

If you're still with me, well, bless your heart. I had to leave out some good stuff, like the crashed iPod and the pirated wifi hotspot and the description of a night sky that's so star-filled that I wouldn't even bother trying to describe it to you. Oh, and the fact that one of the other guests at the B&B is the brother of one of MLB's co-workers, and she serves on a board with another of the guests. But if I had included details like that, this would have been mind-numbingly detailed, and we wouldn't want that, would we?

In conclusion, I'm working on a detailed hand-drawn map that will bring a new perspective to all of this. Stay tuned for that striking development. And if you're ever at The Veranda in Fort Davis, tell Kathie we said hi.

Update: Following literally minutes of painstaking research and toil, the map is now available and you may view the full sized version in all its glory by clicking on the thumbnail at right.

Technorati tags: Davis Mountains | Fort Davis

Working on it...

In response to those nagging insistent readers who have thoughtfully pointed out that today is Monday, let me assure you that a mind-numbingly detailed report from last week's travels is in the works. Be careful what you wish for.

Gazette on Vacation

It's doubtful that you'll find anything new here until Sunday evening, at the earliest. Discovering and implementing new ways to say nothing eventually takes its toll and I need a break.

More oxymoronic web design

Hot on the heels of the recent post about the mixed signals sent by the SBC Communications website comes this goodie:

I submit for your consideration that a website designed for the "widest possible access" would require none of the things this one says it requires. But, maybe that's just me.

The offending site? None other than U2.com Yes, I know. The Gazette will likely be dropped from what few blogrolls it appears on for the implied slam against The World's Greatest Band. But, I don't make the rules; I simply point out the transgressions thereof. At least I didn't flag the site for the Usability Hall of Shame. As band sites go, it's pretty decent along those lines. The designer just needs to pay a bit more attention to some home page details.

At least it didn't call for a "secure browser like Internet Explorer."

Rolling over the odometer

I hit 2,000 today, during a bike ride that was remarkable in that much of it took place in the midst of a dense fog that limited visibility to as little as a tenth of a mile. The fog is itself a rarity in these parts; it's even more unusual that I'm out in it on a bicycle.

Anyway, the reference to 2,000 means that I've accumulated that many bicycling and running miles thus far this year, about 1,500 of the former and 500 (check my math, would you?) of the latter. Looking ahead, barring any serious injury or illness, I should finish up the year with somewhere between 2,500 and 3,000 miles.

This doesn't necessarily represent achievement of a goal (at least not in the way you might think; more about that in a moment). I don't set out each year to ride or run a certain number of miles. I do have a goal of averaging at least 30 minutes per day of exercise (at the end of September, I was just over 34 minutes per day in 2005), but the mileage itself will vary depending on the mix of running and cycling. Plus, there are other forms of exercise that don't involve mileage, like the to-be-avoided-at-all-possible-cost windtrainer.

I don't always achieve that 30-minute-per-day goal. My record's pretty good this century, but I missed it more often than not in the previous two decades. The thing is, I still set it out as a goal every new year and tracked my progress; looking back over the records, that progress has been steadily improving. If there's a lesson to be learned, it's one of discipline. I rarely enjoy my workouts, in the sense of, say, enjoying a good movie or a meal at a good restaurant. My rides are not pleasant meanderings through the neighborhood; my runs are at the edge of my endurance level. That's why the discipline is important. If I didn't understand the end game, I wouldn't consistently put myself through what it takes to get there.

My end game is personal and the details aren't important. I can assure you that it goes beyond being physically fit just to be physically fit. The discipline itself is part of it, and that becomes increasingly important as I grow older.

If this sounds like a vague metaphor for something more than running and bicycling, you're probably giving me too much credit. On the other hand, as they say, your mileage may vary.

Don't believe everything you hear.

What he said...

What he meant...

Tip o'the magnifying glass to Macworld, who fell like a lead balloon for the classic "Jobs Reality Distortion Field."

Miserable...but in a good way...

If there's a task that's less enjoyable during the doing of it but more satisfying after it's done than running speaker wire through your attic to connect some new satellite boxes to make the 3.1 system into a long-delayed 5.1 system, I don't know what it is.

I felt like that Chinese acrobat in "Ocean's 11," winding and twisting my way over and under the ceiling supports in the attic (I'm sure there's a construction term for those things), while carefully planning each new footplant (having learned previously that stepping through the sheetrock is not conducive to one's sense of calm). At one point, I was slithering like a snake -- a very sweaty snake, to be sure -- through an insulation-lined, cobweb-draped ("Arachnophobia," anyone?) crevasse to reach the ends of the wires which were poking through a hole at that tiny angle where the roof meets the [insert another construction term (wall?)]. Fortunately, I had the foresight to bring with me one of those grabby tools...you know, the one with the long shaft and you press on one end and from the other end a claw opens up and you can extend your reach about three feet. The grabby tool.

I also made good use of my nerd glasses...the black frames with the tiny LEDs built into each temple piece. I always feel like I'm in "Weird Science" (or was it "Sixteen Candles"?) when I wear them.

Anyway, the speakers are connected but the task is far from completed, as my receiver is actually four shelves down in the built-in cabinets, so I've got to route the wires through those shelves somehow and then hope that my system for remembering which wire goes to which speaker works, and further that I can remember the polarity. (OK, that last part isn't that hard, but getting my eyes to focus up close and well enough to discern that I'm connecting the right wire to the right terminal is a challenge.)

I tell you, the excitement around here never ends.

ASCII Art: Paint by the Letters

Recognize this handsome mug?

If it bears a striking resemblance to the favicon for this site, it should. Anyway, you, too, can convert your own self to a retro-chic ASCII version via ASCII Art Made Easy. Any image (up to 640x480 px) can be converted to ASCII format. The only catch is that it must be uploaded to a website; the input form requires an URL for the source image. You can even add some color. But that's a bit gauche, don't you think?

One tip: For best results, use simple photos with relatively high contrast.

Technorati tags: ASCII Art

Principled Punctuationist

Sure, there are many people who claim to be strict constructionists when it comes to punctuation. But, really, are there any among us who, when the chips are down, are willing to lay it on the line -- to go the distance, as it were?

Why, yes, as a matter of fact.

Oh, by the way. I invite you to view the newly remodeled "Just Plain Silly" category. Feel free to take a tour on your own; I'll be busy writing 100 times on the blackboard, "I will not use a page layout program to write posts."

Avert your eyes; I'm hideous

In the bloggers' version of working without a net, I'm experimenting in real time with tweaks to my style sheet. If something looks really weird, don't fret...it will probably soon change, although not necessarily improve.

Unless it's a post you're mortified about; those will be preserved for eternity. But that's a whole other problem.

To make matters worse, I'm fixin' to take a break and do something non-computer related, so whatever abomination is now appearing on your screen will be there for a while. I suggest a strong screensaver.

Bird Flu Mania

Here's an interesting indication of how pronounced the interest is in the latest news about bird flu. I've had at least a hundred hits during the last hour since the Bird Flu Monitor blog linked to my silly cartoon posted yesterday morning.

The really sad thing is that the link isn't so much about the cartoon itself, but about the broken layout in the "Just Plain Silly" category in which it resides (the same broken layout that Jim so thoughtfully pointed out yesterday). See, there's one downside to getting a bunch of new visitors.

Dang. I guess I'll have to start thinking about considering a potential approach to deciding on a strategy for possibly fixing that problem. Maybe mañana.

Now, how should I tag this post? Should I be realistic about its content, or continue to go for the cheap hits?

Heh.

Technorati tag: Bird Flu Posted by Eric at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Mixed Signals

Time for another exciting induction into the Gazette's "Usability Hall of Shame," where we deride, sneer at and cast scathing glances in the general direction of companies that do things to make their customers' lives more difficult.

Today's "honoree" is none other than that ineffable electricity entrepreneur, TXU Energy. TXU's online bill payment process is, overall, pretty good. But one's first encounter is not encouraging, as this is one of the messages you see on the login page:

Well, TXU, which is it? Do you want us to use a secure browser, or Internet Explorer? You can't have it both ways.*

*This is, of course, a highly sought after two-fer: a new UHoS inductee plus a slam on IE.

Left Behind III: The Disco Version

I read the first "Left Behind" novel and was unimpressed by the storyline and the writing, so I never picked up another one. I've never seen the movies either.

But, if this poster is accurate, I might make an exception. I definitely think there's room for an apocalyptic musical, or a musical apocalypse, for that matter.

Actually, there's an interesting (and moving) story behind it, as told by Kirk Cameron. That's why this post has landed in two such disparate categories.

Tip o'the hat to the just discovered and provocatively titled 10ft2ft.com, a blog that I think I'll be visiting again.

If it sounds too good to be true...it probably is

Wouldn't it be great if you had a device about the size and shape of a paperback book that you plugged into the wall and upon which you could simply lay your iPod, cell phone, PDA, etc. and they would be recharged without plugging them in?

If you think that sounds swell, you'll be happy to know that such a device exists, and it's described here. But, before you run out to place an order, you might want to read through the comments to the linked post.

Tip o'the hat to my Cajun buddy John, who's switched to LiveJournal because his own domain has locked him out. I hate it when that happens.

Report from Iraq: Counting Down

It's been a while since we had a report from SSG. Will, stationed south of Baghdad. He checked in yesterday via email and I'm happy to report that he's doing well and is relatively bored.

I've never been in war, but I would think that being bored is a good thing during a war. It tends to mean that no one is shooting at you at the moment, and that's a very good thing.

On a more somber note, he reports that his brigade has suffered its first fatalities, two in combat and three by accidents, the nature of which he didn't specify. The latter is a strong reminder that Iraq is a dangerous place to reside, regardless of your combat status.

Will is in the tail end of his deployment, although that is certainly subject to change, especially depending on what happens after next week's constitutional referendum in Iraq. But, the best case scenario is that he'll be home in time for his daughter's first Christmas, and that will be a special occasion beyond description.

Will also asked me to convey his deep appreciation for those who made contributions to the "SSG Will Fund" over the past year. The extra money was nice, of course, but the show of support was the special thing...just knowing that Americans back home were thinking about him and his fellow soldiers and standing firm in the support of what we're trying to achieve in the area.

This is a good time to reflect that even as the war is sometimes being pushed off the TV screen or the front page by a steady procession of natural disasters, real and imagined, we should take care not to forget the men and women who are in harm's way, securing freedom for people who haven't experienced it for a long time. Let's not take their service for granted.

Unintended Consequences #2

Dateline: October 10, 2005 – US Secretary of Health Michael Leavitt left today on a tour of Southeast Asia to assess the risk of a worldwide epidemic of bird flu.

Technorati tag: Bird Flu

Apple Announcements: Between the Lines

If you're a True Believer® and have already pored over published reports of the multitude of announcements made today by Apple, you'll probably enjoy Jon Gruber's easy-to-read bullet point list of clarifications and amplifications and observations and cogitations.

Oh, and I just figured out why there's no announcement about a new product called the "video iPod" or "iPod video." That's because the video playback feature is simply a standard feature on the iPod (excluding shuffle and nano, of course). IOW, you can't buy a regular iPod without the video capability.

Technorati tags: Apple | Front Row | iPod

Phobiaphobia

Frank Furedi has a thought-provoking article entitled "The Market in Fear," over at Spiked (thanks to Dave at North Sea Diaries for the link). With the proliferation of headlines nowadays reminding us of how afraid we need to be of, well, just about everything, it's worth taking a bit of time to consider the rationality of fear.

Furedi gives us a quick history lesson to show how fear has taken on a relatively new role -- or at least a new incarnation -- in our society and culture.

[Emphasis mine]

He goes on to distinguish between "fright" and "fear," where the former is a reaction to a specific occurrence that has impacted us in some way while the latter has become divorced from any such experiential reference.

The most powerful part of this essay is where the author discusses how fear has now become a market strategy for corporations, led by "fear entrepreneurs." Of course, a plethora of political and social agendas integrate fear into their tactics for achieving mindshare, funding or backlash against competing agendas.

One can easily create a list of well-known "fear entrepreneurs," if not by name then certainly by campaign: global warming, flu pandemics, terrorism, etc. Is there any question that the manufacturers of virus and spyware protection software hold the marketing benefits of fear in high regard?

When FDR issued the famous statement quoted at the top of this post, he was delivering a subtle, multi-layered message, one of both reassurance and of warning. He sought to reassure citizens that their country was strong enough to protect them; that seems obvious. But many probably overlooked the warning that fear itself -- in and of itself -- was dangerous and paralyzing. Those words still ring true today.

So, what's the answer? How do we combat fear, collectively and individually? Furedi's suggestion:

I can't argue with that, but I can't leave it at that, either. As with any of the important issues of our time, there's also a spiritual aspect to the solution that shouldn't be ignored. And for me, with regard to fear, Paul's letter to the church at Rome contains all I need:

Video iPod: It's Official

The rumor mill was accurate this time, as Steve Jobs has just introduced an iPod capable of playing videos. From today's Wall Street Journal:

More details from Playlist:

If the new device has an "official" name, other than the rather bland "video iPod," I can't find it. Apple doesn't yet have anything on its website regarding the announcement (and judging by how slow the site is to load, everyone is checking).

The other unanswered questions are "why?" and "where can I find the money to get one, even though I have no use for it?"

Technorati tags: video iPod | Apple | Toy-Induced Bankruptcy

How to say hard names

Say you're at a Toastmasters meeting and your assignment is to give an impromptu speech about Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, the Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist from India. Thing is, you haven't the faintest idea about how to pronounce his name. Who you gonna call?

Well, I don't know about calling, but if it was me, I'd make a quick visit to the VOA Pronounciation Guide where I could listen to a real person say the name, provided I had RealPlayer installed on my computer.

Tip o'the hat to Morfablog, for which I'm still seeking a translator. Do you speak Cymraeg?

Another Annoying Dodge Commercial

Don't know if you're experiencing this in your neck o'the woods, but down here, they're running this commercial for Dodge's new "Mega Cab" (note to Dodge: next time provide a "turn sound off" button on your website) approximately 28 times an hour.

It's the one where a red Dodge pickup pulling a boat on a trailer parks at a rural diner and six manly men pile out of the cab (although one seems to have a bit of a problem moving the seat up to get out). The voiceover describes the sheer vehicular humongosity -- "the largest truck cab since the creation of large truck cabs" -- and that achievement is underscored by the fact that the big statue of Paul Bunyan is enticed into felony car theft (although he leaves the boat behind; I suppose that when you're made out of wood, a boat is unnecessary).

Anyway, besides the mind-numbing frequency of the commercial, what really bothers me is the implication that the four-door cab is, well, huge... simply because six burly guys can ride in it and presumably maintain their manly personal spaces. But if you look closely, you'll see that none of those guys is probably over about 5' 5" tall, based on the fact that they almost have to stand on tiptoe to adjust their manly hairdos in the truck's outside mirrors. Sneaky camera angles just can't compensate for some things.

Album Cover Contest!

Update #2 (10/10 a.m.): And just like that...we have a winner! James over at Here We Go -- Again made his first visit to the Gazette and scored a fabulous prize. There's a lesson in there somewhere. Not sure what...maybe...be careful where you click? Anyway, the gift cert will be out to him later today. In the meantime, you might want to stop by his blog and offer some encouragement. You'll quickly understand why I say that as soon as you visit.

Update #1 (10/10 a.m.): Like an inconvenient corpse that keeps floating to the top of the bay due to shoddy concrete work, this post will hover at or near the top of the day's posts until we (ie. you) figure out how to dispose of it. The image has been updated to reveal a bit more of the cover.

Originally posted 10/9 @ 8:40 p.m.

OK, youse guys have had things way too easy lately...you're getting lax and surly and I've heard disturbing reports that some of you are even watching network TV. I know I'm partly to blame for this sorry state of affairs; I haven't provided you with sufficient mental challenge, but that's going to change, toot sweet. I herewith present you the next Fireant Album Cover Contest:

Below is the "before" and "after" views of the mystery album. James guessed the identity of the album based on the view shown on the left; the full cover is shown on the right. It is, of course, "Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones, Ltd." by the Monkees, released in 1967.

All you have to do is identify the album title (and artist). Once or twice a day, I'll reveal additional "tiles" on the cover until we have a winner. (This is so easy...I'll be disappointed if we don't have a correct answer before midnight tonight!)

Knowing what crass mercenary spirits you are -- and that's why I love you so dearly! -- the first correct answer (both album title and artist) left in the comments wins a $10 iTunes Music Store gift certificate. Don't use iTunes? Oooh. Well, hmm. I suggest you find another contest. ;-)

Your turn...

Nobody ever tells me anything

I finally noticed that Jared has resumed regular posting over at Mysterium Tremendum. Accordingly, the link has been restored to its rightful place in The Neighborhood, which is more of an honor for me than for him, but, still...

If you're a writer, a wannabe writer or a reader, Jared's always got something going worth checking on. He also gins out a mean movie review (and I mean that in the best possible way).

Mac vs Windows: TCO

I'm well beyond caring about this, but I know that some of you occasionally confront the question, "should I finally ditch that abomination known as Windows and switch to the OS From Heaven (aka Cupertino)?" and if you fall into that category, you might want to visit the Security Awareness Blog where the proprietor is providing a spreadsheet and detailed instructions for computing Total Cost of Ownership for the Mac and Windows OSes. If you're truly up in the air about switching, this might be a helpful tool to quantify the decision.

I should warn you that the author is a relatively new "switcher" and has nothing good to say about Windows, even in a corporate environment. But he's a security consultant so that's not unexpected.

Oh. That probably sounded tacky.

Technorati tag: Total Cost of Ownership

Trust, but verify...

...then verify your verification.

The Darker Side of Claymation

[Story via CNN.com]

Technorati tag: Wallace & Gromit

The trappings of the office

We made a spur-of-the-moment trip to Fort Stockton yesterday for an early birthday celebration with MLB's dad. As we were driving south of Grandfalls we were overtaken by a late-model SUV whose unusual license plate I noted in my rearview mirror. As the SUV passed us, I could easily read the text overlaid on an otherwise nondescript plate:

I can't imagine that this plate* and the car to which it was attached belongs to anyone other than our freshman US Representative, Mike Conaway. And I further guess that he and his wife were heading for Claytie Williams' big party at his ranch headquarters between Alpine and Fort Davis. (You CWIE employees who check in here occasionally can probably confirm this...and give us a report on the party.)

As the SUV passed us, MLB leaned over, looked at our speedometer and asked "is he speeding?" As I was driving a few miles under the limit, I didn't think he was, and said so, but I followed with, "even if he is, I suspect he can get away with it."

I couldn't help wondering what it's like to be able to drive a car that announces your position as a member of the US Congress. It's got to be a rush, and a small reward for doing a job that must be incredibly stressful.

As for Mike, I still find it a little surreal to think how far he's come since we were directors of our respective Sunday School departments at our church.

*I've been unsuccessful in finding a picture of or reference to this license plate. I didn't notice if it was issued as a State of Texas plate or if it was a generic federal government issue. Anyone have any information about how this works?

The Grace of Forgetfulness

If you google the term "improving memory," you get 129,000 or so results. If you search for "improving forgetfulness," you'll see 41 pages, none of which actually offer any techniques for getting better at forgetting. One conclusion we may draw from this is that we place value on being able to remember the details of our lives, and that the ability to forget is not something we should seek to enhance.

Anyone who has desperately searched high and low for misplaced car keys wouldn't disagree, and I would never attempt to argue that forgetfulness is more useful in everyday life than the ability to remember important details. But it took a sermon from a semi-retired preacher in a small Baptist church this morning to give me a different perspective: God's grace is often poured out on us via the ability to forget.

To a large extent, what we are today is defined by what we remember about yesterday, or the collective yesterdays that comprise our lives. The emotions triggered by those memories are just as important as the intellectual lessons we assimilate from them. Most of us have memories that we classify as "good" and "bad" and the extent to which the "good" ones outweigh the "bad" ones, the more likely we are to find life more pleasant...less stressful...more fulfilling. But what happens when the bad memories outweigh the good ones? Can we tilt that scale back the other way?

The apostle Paul seems to think so. In the verse quoted above, from his letter to the church at Philippi, he seems to have made a conscious decision to forget what's happened in his life up until now...and he had a lot of bad things to forget, not only regretful actions he took, but things that were done to him. Yet he put them behind him -- forgot them...made them irrelevant to his attitude and outlook -- and focused on what lay ahead.

How did he manage to do that? After all, letting go of past hurts and shames is possibly the most difficult thing humans can do. No matter how often we speak of "forgiving and forgetting," we are usually much more successful at doing the former than the latter. In fact, I'm not sure it's possible to forget those things that drag us backwards, in and of ourselves. I believe that it's only through the grace of God that we can truly forget, and in forgetting, move ahead to the things He has in store for us.

Now, I can't prove this premise with a specific Scriptural citation, but there are plenty of references to God's power and desire to strengthen us in our areas of weakness if we'll simply ask Him. So, if memories of wrongs done to you or of your own failures are keeping you from having joy in your everyday life, try asking God to give you the gift of forgetfulness. Somewhere along the line, He'll require you to forgive the others, and perhaps even forgive yourself, but the God who desires all good things for His children and whose purposes are redemptive will be faithful to grant you that gift.

Savoring "Serenity"

I don't know anything about "Firefly," the short-lived TV series which gave rise to the movie "Serenity", so I can't judge whether the movie does it credit or lives up to the incredible hype that True Believers are pumping out. But I can assure you that "Serenity" more than stands on its own and to the extent that knowing its "Firefly" heritage enhances enjoyment of the movie, it's just icing on the cake.

We watched "Serenity" at a matinee today along with six other people. Normally, I'd say that kind of attendance is not exactly cause for optimism, but our perception was that overall attendance at the multiplex was signficantly below normal, for reasons unknown.

The movie reminds me of a hard-edged "Star Wars" without the goofy aliens. Let me repeat: this movie has hard edges. Heros are flawed, villains are scary bad, good guys die. The violence is not graphic, but the action is intense. On the other hand, the movie is full of comic moments, throwaway lines that relieve some tension and most of which are often laugh-out-loud funny.

The special effects are first-rate, with a gritty kind of realism ala "Blade Runner." But the special effects serve only as a backdrop to the human drama and interaction...a pleasant contrast to so many sci-fi movies that emphasize the visuals at the expense of the story.

Oh, and I can't fail to mention that "Serenity" also features the most ferocious slip of a girl since, well, "Carrie." Summer Glau is a Texas girl, from San Antonio, and she portrays River, a telepath whose flight from galactic authorities forms the basis for the main plot in the movie. I don't want to give away any spoilers, but River is one tough little lady. Glau played the same role in "Firefly."

If you're a sci-fi movie fan or simply a fan of well-made action adventure films, I feel confident in recommending "Serenity" to you.

Technorati tags: Serenity

Don't hate me because I'm nano

OK, listen up. Please stand and step forward if you meet the following qualifications: your lovely wife just handed you a brand spankin' new iPod nano, black, 4gb, for no discernible reason except she knew you wanted one and would never get one for yourself.

Anybody? Anybody?

I feel kind of funny standing here by myself...but I'll get over it! ;-)

(Unless you've actually held one of these tiny jewels in your hand, you have no idea how truly cool it is.)

More scary pandemic stuff

In case you're not yet frightened enough by the imminent flu epidemic, this oughta do the trick.

And speaking of VeggieTales...

...are you aware that the latest entry from Big Idea Productions is "Lord of the Beans," due out on October 29th? As a bonus, it will feature "Silly Songs with Elves." This variation on LOTR could be an instant classic!

Technorati tag: VeggieTales

Friday Meme of the Moment

This is the inaugural post for an ongoing series which, now that I've established it and in keeping with my newly-cultivated anarchist/slacker/retro-chic persona, will never again be updated unless I feel like it.

The questions are simple and few:

1. Pick one of your favorite blogs (not including your own; we'll get to that), and suggest a theme song for it. Explain.


2. If your blog (see, I told you) had a theme song, what would it be? Explain.


3. If your blogging career suddenly collapsed into a steaming mass of putrid refuse because of your inability to cope with its worldwide popularity, and your friends decided to try to revive your spirits by putting on a benefit concert*, which musical artist(s) would you hope that they would invite? Explain.

Note that if you don't have a blog, you can still participate. Just substitute "job" for "blog" in question 2 and leave out "blogging" in question 3.

OK, here are my answers (even though, technically, I'm exempt from this ridiculous exercise, being the perpetr originator):

1. For this question, I choose...Julie's Lone Prairie Blog, for which the ideal theme song would be Leslie Gore's classic, "You Don't Own Me," because of Julie's consistently articulated defiance in sticking it to The Man. Plus, it's a cool song, and she's a cool blogger.


2. If the Gazette had a theme song (and really, that's a silly proposition...no music is big enough to hold..well, you know), it would have to be "Dance of the Cucumber," by Larry the Cucumber and his reluctant interpreter, Bob the Tomato. The fiery Latin defiance of this rousing number perfectly captures the Gazette's unflagging dedication to sticking it to The Man.


3. Not that a collapse of my blogging career is possible to envision, for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it's never taken off to begin with, my benefit concert would ideally feature a reunion of Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (you tell me) as well as an appearance by The Talking Heads (are they still around?). Their fiery British defiance, blah, blah, blah...

*This question -- which, now that I think about it, is likely to someday be voted as the Most Interesting Question Ever Posed in the History of the Internet -- was inspired by a comment left by "David" (if, indeed, that is his real name) on a prior Gazette post. David is the eloquent and urbane proprietor of North Sea Diaries, which is a must read for anyone interested in the soap opera posing as western European politics. Dave's observations are routinely witty and insightful, two qualities I absolutely loathe in another blogger. But that's not the point, really.

Katrina Diaspora

Here's an interesting map showing how Katrina evacuees were (are?) dispersed across the country.

Clicking on each dot that represents the destination city brings up a page with an odd set of demographic data, which seems to vary from city-to-city. For example, Midland's page contains its "Gay/Lesbian Index," which is 60, on a scale of 1-100. It's unclear what that means. Do our gay and lesbian citizens have an average age of 60? Are 60% of Midland residents gay, vs. 100% of the rest of the US? It's all quite confusing.

The demographic page also lists "well-known" residents of the city. Again, in Midland's case, the results are unusual. Actor Woody Harrelson and actress Kathy Baker (whoever she is) are listed ahead of such lesser luminaries like Presidents George and George W. Bush. Such is the fleeting nature of fame, I suppose.

The main page also has links to other American "mass migrations," which will equip you for some fascinating dinner table conversation.

I like ePodunk's title tag: "ePodunk - Profiling 46,000 cities, villages, towns, townships and podunks across America"

[Update: Apologies to Kathy Baker, who has appeared in at least 45 movies, some of which are quite well known. My bad.]

Oh, I almost forgot (my bad again): tip o'the hat to A Whole Lotta Nothing

Technorati tags: Katrina Diaspora | ePodunk

Coats to the Coast?

I never think about the Gulf Coast states getting winter weather. Daniel Morris reminds us that they do...and none of the residents displaced by Katrina have coats. Would you have packed your winter coats in a Labor Day evacuation?

Daniel should know. He no longer has a coat. Or a home to hang it in. It's a good reminder that now's not the time to stop helping.

Technorati tag: Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts

O Brother, Weather's Out There

Note to self: Create new category entitled "Weather." Then, avoid putting anything in it. No one wants to read about your stupid weather. They're too busy fussing with their own stupid weather.

Yesterday's high temp was 89°. As I type this, it's 45° and it appears that we'll struggle to reach the forecast high of 51. Even if we do, we'll break the record for the lowest high temperature on this date by about 6 degrees.

It's also raining...has been since about 10:00 p.m. last night. My backyard gauge currently holds just north of 2.5" of precip...roughly 20% of what we would normally expect to get in a year. The last measurable rainfall was on August 28th; last month was the driest September on record (well, it was a tie with another shutout, date not subject to my recall abilities).

As of 1:11 p.m. CDT, no baby squirrels have been observed.

The His