Are churches ever BAD for a town?

I would not have thought it was possible to have "too many" churches in one town, but it appears there is at least one case where it is possible. Stafford, TX has 51 churches in 7 square miles. "So what?" You ask. Well, apparently no one else is moving in, leaving a town with far more tax-exempt institutions than taxable ones. And the churches are primarily catering to out-of-town Christians who come into church, and leave no taxable income behind outside of the church. The town is now looking for ways to keep churches out.

NYTimes rejects Lieberman, every CT paper endorses him

The New York Times (FoxNews link) has formally endorsed Ned Lamont, Joe Lieberman's rival for the Connecticut senatorial nomination. The reason given is Honest Joe's "support for the Bush administration's security policies". But we all know it is because he has actually tried to be a bipartisan player... exactly the kind of person the Times will claim is who the democratic presidential nominee is in two years.

Luckily, it appears real CT papers know the score. The Hartford Courant and the Connecticut Post have both endorsed our current Senator. Let us add our Mod-Blog endorsement as well!

Beware the Snuggly Ones

Leaving the Boardwalk

It is with many happy memories, lots of blisters on our feet, and lots of swag from the arcades/games that we bid our beloved Wildwood a fond farewell. We'll see you again next year.

In the Bleachers- Baseball

Sometimes, "Its funny because it's true."

Dude! You got a fire hazzard!

News like this makes me glad I have never bought a Dell. At the moment, with the large numbers of reports of combusting laptops from the budget-price pc maker, I could not recommend them to any friends. Of course, I am a Mac man, anyway, so what were the odds of me recommending a pc company, anyway?

Stress and the Rest

I will admit one of the few bits of stress for me during these days in Wildwood were the advertisements for a Wrestling Event in August.

A Super-hero Reality Show?

The Sci-Fi channel is apparently going to produce a reality show for geeks who want to be super-heroes. No, this is not some kind of mad dream, but an actual attempt by Sci Fi to get in on on the (dwindling) reality show craze.

From the creator of “Mr. Personality” and “Who Wants To Marry My Dad” comes “Who Wants to Be A Superhero,” about people who elect to dress as superheroes of their own creation, then compete in tasks. Tasks like changing into your superhero costume without letting any civilians spot you. The big winner’s super-character becomes the subject of both a SciFi TV-movie and a new comic book written by Lee himself.

This one has "inevitable failure" written all over it. But it could be fun to watch the slow inevitable collapse into terminal silliness. (Fair warning on the linked article. It is to AICN where the reader comments can be decidedly profane.)

Watch the Tram Car, Please!

Watch the Tram Car, Please!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Firefox Trojan Horse in the Wild

We hear a lot about Internet Explorer weaknesses, but little about Firefox. Mostly this is because it is VERY hard to exploit Firefox flaws before they are fixed (a powerful Open Source community ensures that). But there are a few potentially open doors for a malicious hacker to sneak through. A new Firefox Trojan Horse (i.e. a file that you have to run in order for it to do any bad stuff - it does not spread automatically) is apparently in the wild. It appears as a Firefox Extension (programs intended to expand the features of the browser) which enables some useful functions, but it also watches for credit card info and mails it back to its author.

How do you avoid this malicious program? Simple. Only install extensions from known and trusted sources (i.e. Mozilla.Org itself) or better yet (for the grandmother set) simply say "No" if Firefox ever offers to install an extension to your system.

Surprisingly Profound

Sometimes the comics are not just funny, but also amazingly insightful.

Nomad and CRChair in Wildwood!

Nomad and CRChair in Wildwood!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Two words for you: Woo hoo!

Nomad and CRChair in Wildwood!

Nomad and CRChair in Wildwood!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Two words for you: Woo hoo!

YouTube Spawns a TV Show

YouTube is a great site that can generally be used to see things that you missed on TV or long rambling self-indulgent videos of people talking about their meaningless pathetic lives... or something like that. "Nobody's Watching" is a show that was piloted for the WB and they passed over it - because they have such high standards. Somehow the pilot ended up on YouTube, where it became quite popular. Now NBC is jumping on the bandwagon and picking up the show - first in the form of webisodes then possibly in the form of an actual broadcast show. This marks the first time a show has gone from YouTube into real production, so that's pretty cool.

I've actually watched the entire pilot on YT (it's broken into three parts) and it's pretty good. When I was in college I'm sure that my friends and I would watch and talk about this show. I'm not sure it would do well on broadcast television - particularly a major network like NBC, but I could see it gathering a following on something like the WB (or the CW or whatever we're calling it these days). I guess we'll have to wait and see if this show goes anywhere.

I am on THIS project

I don't know if our readers who are not in I/T can directly relate to this, but I am actually on a project that this comic describes perfectly. It is the first thing I go back to when I return to work on Monday. Sigh.

TV Truth

I recently bought a HDTV and don't have this problem, but I must say that this might apply to a certain Mom who likes to watch the Yankees or basketball in the evenings.

The Dark Side of the Automated Checkout Line

Personally, I love the self service line at Wal-Mart and my local grocery stores. I am far more efficient than most of the high schoolers who typically man the "full service" lines, and they allow me to be anti-social when I wish to be. But I know many folks despise the increasingly ubiquitous "convenience" as store owners try to minimize their staffing costs. But now they are starting to be bitten by their parsimonious ways. It appears that while they are saving on staffing costs, grocery stores are seeing their sales of impulse items by the register (especially tabloid magazines, already under pressure by the internet) cut almost in half. The impulse items are almost pure profit, so that means a large portion of the revenue side of the equation is being destroyed by an attempt to save on the cost side of the balance books.

For some people, Comedy Central is no laughing matter

This is why I am happy to be a harmless blogger, and let the power-hungry and the foolish run for office.

Mod-Blog Review: Pirates of the Carribean II

Title: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Rating: PG13

The Short Version: A fun, but largely vapid movie. If you are looking for a film with action, adventure, interesting visuals, but nothing that will stick with you when you leave the theater, this film will do well for you. Is the equivalent of cotton candy - sweet on the tongue, but really just a bunch of air. Parents should be aware that the visuals of most of the villains are likely to leave children with nightmares.

The Long Version: Pirates of the Carribean 2 picks up where the first movie left off. The two lovebirds are about to web, the pirate has his ship back, and both are about to pursue the life they have always wanted. But then, of course, the villains show up. For Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann, the villain is head of the East India Trading company who wants them to find Jack Sparrow, because Jack has an artifact in his possession which can give anyone control over the scourge of the seas: Davy Jones. (Whose locker is much feared by sailors, likely because he forgot the combination in junior high.) For Jack Sparrow, the villain is Davy Jones himself with whom the dread pirate (dread-locked, pirate?) made a deal 13 years before. Much sea-faring ensues.

Davy Jones is an interesting character. In this version, he is a malevolent pirate who long ago - in great pain over a lost love - tore out his own heart, and in the process became a supernatural being of enormous power. He can offer life to the dying on any ship in return for 100 years service on his vessel, during which time the unfortunate crewman becomes more and more mutated into something that looks like an oceanic life form. Jones himself has a squid for a head and a crab claw for an arm. Every member of his crew is similarly in various stages of mutation, and the creature shop who designed and CGI-d them did an amazing job of making each crewman unique with its own theme of sea-ravaged flesh and bone. Jones also controls the Kraken - a legendary sea beast used previously in film for CLASH OF THE TITANS - which is a tentacled creature large enough to consume any ship and its crew in short order. The visuals of the crew, the captain, and the Kraken are likely to give young children nightmares long into their 20s, so parents should take note and consider carefully whether to see this in the theater or wait until DVD when there is a pause button for when it gets too intense.

But the character of Jones and the creature designs are still largely icing on a cake with little taste. The plot is silly, the characters flimsy, and often turning points in the plot seem to happen "just because". Two of the lesser characters from the first film take on an R2-D2, C-3PO role in this one, as commentators on the action, and seem to be aware of the silliness of it all, as they keep trying to bring in scientific or philosophical discussion into the film which ultimately are just setups for a punch-line. This film is much ado about nothing.

That being said, there is one scene which sums up exactly why this film will continue to lead at the box office. At one point, Will Turner (Is there any more pointless actor these days than Orlando Bloom?), Jack Sparrow, and a third character are battling for a magic artifact when they come across a waterwheel. They climb in and the wheel begins to spin. Suddenly, they are having a three-way Errol Flynn-style swordfight on, in, and around a rolling water wheel (sans the water). It is exciting, it is funny, it is original, but ultimately it is pointless. Still, the fun is there, and people will keep shelling out for that fun. Especially at a time when the other family-friendly choices are... uh... Monster House, which seems about as scary and nightmare-inducing.

Cute pups playing

Cute pups playing
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Oops didn't really mean to post this here, but Flickr did it automagically. Oh, well. The pet store we visit down here has a setup where they always have one or two of their dogs out in these flexible cages, so they can play and interact with the patrons (who thus, fall in love and just have to buy these dogs). These two were starved for attention from the passers-by (Sunday was a slow day I guess) and so pushed their cages together and were playing thru the mesh.

Why We Love Tiger

Tiger Woods just finished the his 11th major win a few minutes ago and I am reminded of why we all love Tiger Woods. When he hugged his caddy after making his final put, we all knew what he was thinking. Or more importantly who he was thinking of. (His father passed away earlier this year.) The emotion that Tiger lets us see helps us all to feel like we know Tiger Woods. And the emotions that we see, are emotions that we have all had to some extent. I hope Tiger continues to win and show us that smile which has genuine joy behind it.

Why I/T Needs QA

Some of you know I work for a bank (actually, now all of you do). Well, I received a phishing e-mail for a competitor at one of my e-mail addresses. Since I am not a customer of that bank, I knew immediately that it must be a fake looking to lure me to a fake site to harvest my identity. I decided, in the interest of being a good citizen and member of the banking community, I would alert the I/T staff of that bank. I went to their website, which referred me to a phone number, whose recorded message told me to forward the phishing e-mail in question to a yahoo e-mail account. Okay, no problem. I immediately did so. I then immediately got back an "e-mail will not be delivered" response from Yahoo. Why? Because, according to their policies, Yahoo will not accept ANY e-mails that might include a phishing attempt, in a (laudable) attempt to protect their customers.

So, this bank tried to protect their customers with this e-mail address, but never bothered to test it out to see if the e-mail address actually would ACCEPT phishing e-mails. i.e. Their I/T department will remain blissfully unaware. This is why you need a Q/A person or department to save smart people from themselves.

In the end, I e-mailed the address directly with this info. We'll see if they really care about their customers, or if it is all just a good front to make people think they are responsive. Luckily, it does not appear to be a bank working in any region where my readers live or work.

Gotta Love REALLY Harsh Movie Critics

M. Night Shalamayan's new movie "Lady in the Water" is a definite target for the critics, since one of the villains of the piece is in fact a movie critic. But you still have to love this review by the critic who is filling in for Roger Ebert, for its unabashed scalding of the director and the film.

Were I the late Joseph Campbell, who devoted his life to exploring how myths are not arbitrary shaggy dog stories but speak to the hunger for meaning deep within our species, I would will my spirit to return from the Land of the Dead, raise my hollowed body from my grave, and pelt this movie with rotten lotuses.

I have to say, when a movie is generating negative reviews *THIS* entertaining, it does make me want to eventually see the film. But I think I'll hold off to DVD for this one.

Vaya Con Dios!

Well, now that Sean is back and safely ensconced in "real life", it is time for the Nomad to do some wandering. Starting tomorrow, I will be doing some travels in the Garden State. For the next week (until July 31) I will be on vacation and may or may not be able to post to Mod-Blog. Hopefully, some of the other Mod-Bloggers will be able to take up the slack while I am gone, so that our faithful readers will still be able to enjoy their daily dose of moderation.

When was your name popular?

This is a very cool little online tool. It is a Java app, so it'll take a few minutes to boot up after you load the page. But then you can enter in any name, and see when that name peaked in popularity. I was amazed to see that as I entered many friend's names, the peak almost always coincided with their birthdays! Check it out.

Is there no relief in sight?

Is there no relief in sight?
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Peabody Museum

This past weekend, we went to the Yale Peabody Museum in New Haven, CT. I thought our readers might enjoy seeing a few pictures from our visit.

Among my favorite views is the one above which appears to be Osama Bin Laden's lunch box. Why the curators chose to place it in the botany area, I have no idea.

Sean has returned

For those of you wondering, I am definitely back from my vacation. I have posted the photos I took from the vacation here, here, and here. I have also posted all of my thoughts over the vacation on my site. It's good to be home.

Another Tsunami Hits Indonesia

Almost two years after the Christmas Tsunami that killed so many, another Tsunami has hit Indonesia and the death toll so far is at 86.

A witness told el-Shinta radio that he saw the ocean withdraw 500 yards from the beach a half-hour before the giant wave smashed to shore, a typical phenomena before a tsunami.
"I could see fish jumping around on the ocean floor," Miswan said. "Later I saw a wave like a black wall."
Local media reports said the wave came as far 300 yards inland in some places. Buildings sit close to the beach in Pangandaran and other coastal areas.
Roads were blocked and power cut to much of the area. Damage and casualties were reported at several spots along the 110 miles of beach affected, officials and media reports said.

Hopefully, at least the experience of the earlier tsunami prepared residents for this one, and perhaps reduced the number of deaths this time around.

CNN glorifies in Bush Profanity

Okay, this I do not understand. CNN catches President Bush use the "S-word" on tape, due to an open microphone. Essentially, he and Tony Blair are discussing the crisis between Israel and Lebanon and GWB uses the word while discussing his frustration at Syria in not exercising more control of Hezzbolah.

I guess CNN feels that a single swear would completely shock and destroy the faith that the Religious Right has in the Commander-in-Chief. Or just that any chance to embarrass the president is a good one. Sigh. Instead, if you listen to the rest of the OFF THE RECORD conversation, everything that is said is reasonable and makes sense. And considerably more polite than you might expect in discussing the problems in the Middle East. Memo to CNN: This is not news. Get it off of the front page of your website!

Be aware, there is that one word in the playback. But you can see it yourself here.

Celebrating Like Children

While watching the Italian team celebrate after the World Cup final game, a family member turned to me and said “Don’t you think it’s a little silly how long they are celebrating?  Don’t they look like children?”  They thought my response was interesting so I will share it with you all now.

It is my opinion that in order to be an elite athlete you have to be able to get emotionally caught up in whatever you are doing.  The extra kick that the emotion gives the athlete can make a huge difference in performance.  The athlete can jump a little higher or run a little longer.  It also is why these athletes can have the energy they need to face the long schedules of the regular season. So when they reach the pinnacle of their sport and succeed, it is not suprising that they would celebrate "till the cows came home."

How hot DO laptops get these days?

One of the major downsides to the ever-increasing speed of laptops, is the ever-increasing heat of these same laptops. Our readers may remember the case of the college professor a few years back who inexplicably was typing a paper in the nude and wound up burning his sensitive bits of a TiBook. Well, now we have another illustration of just how hot a laptop can get. This faithful Machead allegedly actually cooked an egg on the underside of his laptop. Of course, it took a long time to cook. But it still highlights the problem of notebook makers (even Apple) putting speed ahead of comfort for users.

A skewed perspective can be therapuetic

More World War III Talk

Now, Newt Gingrich is likening the War on Terror to World War III. While I lost all respect for Gingrick when he left his second wife in the middle of cancer, he remains a political analyst of considerable insight.

"This is World War III," Gingrich said. And once that's accepted, he said calls for restraint would fall away:
"Israel wouldn't leave southern Lebanon as long as there was a single missile there. I would go in and clean them all out and I would announce that any Iranian airplane trying to bring missiles to re-supply them would be shot down. This idea that we have this one-sided war where the other team gets to plan how to kill us and we get to talk, is nuts."
There is a public relations value, too. Gingrich said that public opinion can change "the minute you use the language" of World War III. The message then, he said, is "'OK, if we're in the third world war, which side do you think should win?"

Of course, Gingrich is not speaking in a vacuum. He wants to the Republican nominee for president in 2008 (another Republican I would not vote for in the general election). But it may be the beginning of a movement toward recognizing that this is NOT another "police action" like Vietnam, Korea, or even the first Gulf War. This is truly a War.

Tips for the OTHER Side of the Camera

There are lots of tips and tricks out there for the photographer, but not many for the photographed. This site, however, gives several bits of good advice for those facing a lens.

Get rid of a double chin. Tilt your head down slightly and try to position yourself so that the camera is a little above your eye level. This will hide a double chin fairly effectively. You can also put one hand under your chin as though you’re resting your head on your hand (keep the thumb side of your hand out of the camera’s view, if possible). Don’t actually rest any weight on the hand, however, or you will push the skin into an unflattering position. Also try resting your tongue against the roof of your mouth.
Stick your neck out. One trick models often use is to present a 3⁄4 pose to the camera (turn your head so that 3⁄4 of it is exposed to the camera, as opposed to a full frontal shot) and then lift your neck and slightly tilt your head down, as though you are a turkey sticking its head out (without actually thrusting your chin out). This improves facial definition and helps ameliorate wrinkles and flabby skin.

I still prefer to be behind the camera, but maybe these tips can help change that for some of our readers.

Israel Expands Beruit War

I am not normally one for conspiracy theories, but as Israel intensifies their war in the north it is starting to raise questions for me. Currently, the war is simply against Hezzbolah - who is losing badly - but it is hitting Lebanese governmental offices as well. And Israel has threatened to attack Syria if they become involved (not unlikely, since Syria is Hezzbolah's chief supporter). This has lead Iran to threaten an attack if Syria is attacked.

Leading me to wonder if that was the point all along.

Israel can not directly attack Iran to deal with their nuclear intentions. It would require actions over Iraq, which is an American protectorate. However, if Iran were to declare war on Israel, America would not stop Israel from responding. Thus, an attack on Hezzbolah becomes an excuse for a strike on pre-nuclear Iran to ensure it never becomes post-nuclear.

Things that make me go, "Yikes!"

Prices staying high

Prices staying high
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Shields up!

In the era of terrorism and ballistic missile shields, it does raise the question of how we keep our cities and airports safe. The answer of a number of defense companies? Laser shields! I am thinking the STAR TREK: ENTERPRISE solution of "polarizing hull plating" is not really the wave of the future for defending against hostiles.

And now for something completely different

Another Reminder: Everything on the Net Can Be Used Against You

With the rise of social networks like MySpace, Facebook, and others, people are feeling more and more free to post everything about themselves online. From drunken pictures, to inappropriate and sometimes libelous rants, to even links and stories that normally people would not divulge to their closest friends. They feel that the Net gives perfect anonymity. And when it doesn't, they assume the weak security of various sites will serve in place of full anonymity.

This story reminds of the fallacy of such assumptions. A college student was looking for an internship and realized his Facebook website would raise a lot of troubling questions. So he "locked" it to only allow friends to see it. But when he faced the recruiter for an internship, he found out that under the Patriot Act, any state agency can bypass the "lock". He then had to face some VERY difficult questions.

Remember, the internet is a powerful tool, but every bit of info you post there is assuumed to be available TO THE WORLD. It is designed from the ground up for free information sharing. So it should be no shock that making it "unfree", even for your own safety, is not easy.

A different take on endengered species

Terror Returns to India

There is new of another attack on India by Islamic terrorists. This one has killed 105 so far, and appears to be a tighly coordinated attack in the model of Al Qaeda.

Seven bombs hit Bombay's commuter rail network during rush hour Tuesday evening, killing at least 105 people and wounding more than 300 in what authorities called a well-coordinated attack.
India's major cities were put on high alert after the blasts, and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called an emergency Cabinet meeting... There was no immediate claim of responsibility in the bombings, which came in quick succession _ a common tactic employed by Kashmiri militants that have repeatedly targeted India's cities.

How many more 9/11s do we need before everyone understands that the War on Terror is not over? As for me, I'll be praying for quick help for the victims, and patience in the governments of India and Pakistan to avoid a return to live-fire war.

Two Factor Authentication Doesn't Foil Phishers

One of the major projects this year for all banks is to implement "two factor authentication." This means that a username and password (one factor) will not be enough to log into your financial institution in the future. You will also need either a special passcard/keyfob or need to provide extra proof of who you are. It is designed to make life harder for phishers and other hackers who want to steal your identity.

Unfortunately, it is not 100% effective. Some hackers are setting up sites that act as intermediaries between you and your bank. These sites pass your information to the bank and get your authorization, as you use your second factor to authenticate, and then take over and start siphoning money from your account.

What does this prove? That two-factor authentication is not enough. People still need to be vigilant to potential scams, and to always visit their bank via the approved URL, rather than thru a link someone sends you thru an e-mail. No smart bank will EVER ask you to visit their site via a link in an e-mail.

Is the "War on Terror" actually World War III?

That is what one columnist thinks. And I don't think he is far off. The difference is that the columnist thinks that the Bush Administration has no idea how to fight this war. Rather, I think that they are fighting the war every way they know how. Every front, every tool, short of multiple wars in multiple nations across the Middle East. But a democratic, secure Iraq is still the key to turning the tide... even if we only understand when "stability" is reached in retrospect.

Criminalizing Milk

In light of recent reports that Rudy Guiliani has decided to run for President in 2008 - and in light of my conviction that I can not vote for him if he is Republican nominee due to his Pro-Abortion views and policies - I have been exploring the various third parties out there. (After all, the odds of my supporting Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, or John Kerry/Edwards is even more unlikely.)

While checking around, I stumbled across this interesting little bit on the Constitution Party's blog.

Arlie Stutzman, an Amish gentleman in Ohio, is being fined for the unthinkable crime of ... selling raw milk!
The state of Ohio, it seems, has made the selling of raw milk a crime, and Stutzman was busted when he sold milk to an undercover agent posing as a customer
I'm not making this up, folks. Raw milk, it seems, poses unspecified health hazards in Ohio -- in obvious contrast to legal substances like liquor, cigarettes, potentially addictive prescription drugs, pesticides, fertilizers ... well, you get the picture.

Say what you will about health regulations, but it does seem weird.

ABC hates fast-forward

If you needed more proof that the big 3 networks don't understand the future, check out these comments by a top ABC exec. He wants DVR companies (Tivo, etc.) to disable or remove the fast-forward key on remotes, so that viewers can not skip commercials.

"I'm not so sure that the whole issue really is one of commercial avoidance," Shaw said. "It really is a matter of convenience--so you don't miss your favorite show. And quite frankly, we're just training a new generation of viewers to skip commercials because they can. I'm not sure that the driving reason to get a DVR in the first place is just to skip commercials. I don't fundamentally believe that. People can understand in order to have convenience and on-demand (options), that you can't skip commercials."

Let me say it right here. One of the big reasons I use EyeTV's DVR is is skip commercials. They interrupt the flow of the story and robs me of time. But ABC is still stuck in the old way of doing things.

How long until TV Execs recognize the true wave of the future - product placement within shows. Product placement can't be skipped through, and could be creatively worked into plots to really influence consumers. But, of course, that would require a change to the way things are done... which is not what the current administration wants.

Vacation

I left for vacation last night, and I am stoked to be gone. I'm going to be blogging through the vacation, for those of you who are interested on my thoughts about the vacation. I'm looking forward to seeing the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone for the first time as well as meeting my wife's grandparents. This also means I probably won't be posting much for the next week. Have a good week, I'll see you in a week or so.

Obscure jokes are good jokes

Going WAY up!

Going WAY up!
Originally uploaded by nomad7674.

Sigh. Thanks a lot, Iran.

eBay: Hypocrisy in FULL effect

Last week, Google introduced Google Checkout, a system like Paypal to allow easy micropayments between people on the internet. This must be great news for eBay, right? After all, it provides another way for them to sell and sell and sell! Nope. Since eBay bought PayPal, they have now decided to ban Google Checkout from all auctions. I guess even though eBay claims to be the marketplace of the world, they want to control the world.

NJ Budget Deal Reached

Normally, as a CT resident I would not be interested in the NJ budget battle. But I am pleased as punch that a deal has been reached between the short-sighted NJ Governor and the democratic legislature. Why? Because CRChair and I are planning to go down the Jersey Shore in a few weeks, and the government shutdown had closed all state beaches.

Of course, I am not looking forward to paying a higher sales tax next year if we vacation in the Garden State. So I am hoping the voters of NJ send a strong message come this November - that this kind of shenanigan is unacceptable and that the government is safer in the hands of cooler heads. If only they could replace the governor while they are at it.

Happy Birthday, Mr. President

We here at Mod-Blog want to wish President George W. Bush a VERY happy birthday today as he turns 60. May this next year be far better than the last one, and may it be a year of peace, prosperity, and joy for all of the American people.

I think it is someone else's birthday today, too. Can't remember who it is.

What do our jokes tell us about ourselves?

I was watching television the other day when a commercial for Friendly's came on. A confident, proud father comes on and shows off a baseball to the server. "I caught this at the game today!" He proclaims. Then his child pipes up, "Actually, dad dropped it. Mommy is the one who caught it." Everyone smiles but the father who blushes and looks sheepish.

Amusing, right? Maybe. It is certainly a cultural standard for America at present. The braggart dad shown up by a super-mom is all over the television as a way to appeal to women. And it has extended now to even commercials and shows intended to appeal to men. (King of Queens, Everybody Loves Raymond, and Malcolm in the Middle come to mind.) "Come on," We seem to be saying to ourselves, "We all know that men are empty-headed blowhards, and it is really the women who hold the family together. They can't help it. It is just part of the male experience."

It struck me this week how much this idea has permeated our culture. It is a standard joke you see in commercials, hear on the street, and even hear from the pulpit. It is a standard situation in our dramas. (When was the last time you saw a successful father in the movies who was not either a sports coach or a buffoon?) We are told from all sides that men are weak, boastful creatures who can not be relied upon. Rather, it is the women in the household who are to be trusted. It is Mom who is always there. It is the woman who is on-time, on-budget, on-topic, and on-the-ball.

I know that some of this is simply a reaction to the images of pre-feminist American, where the man was idealized and the woman was seen as merely "the weaker sex." Cultures never stop on a dime, and turn from one extreme to a balanced view. Rather, they go from one extreme to the other before finally finding a happy medium somewhere in between.

But I have to ask what damage we are doing while we unthinkingly nurture this new extreme view of men and women. Increasingly, men are abandoning their families, divorcing their wives (or being divorced by them), and leaving the raising of children to the woman. Increasingly, men are not even getting married but either bouncing from woman to woman, or embracing the "living together" lifestyle so long as it is convenient. We see this as a problem - a social problem of wide impact - but we don't look at ourselves and see how we are encouraging this trend. By living with this cultural joke, by laughing at it and retelling it, we are reinforcing this standard. We are telling men "Don't try to be the strong, good image from the past. You can't achieve it, anyway. You're a man and men are fools." We are saying to the world, "Do not expect greatness from men in the family realm. They are just empty braggarts, and only a woman can truly be great there."

We all try to exceed the expectations of those around us if we are challenged. But if we are told it is okay to fail, we are happy to do so. After all, it is so much easier.

Happy Independence Day!

New Blog: Engage The Culture

A friend of mine, George Sarris, has started up a new blog called Engage the Culture which is his attempt to call Christians to change our approach to Evangelism. George has been working for years as an actor and voice-over artist, performing in churches dramatizing the scriptures. He also has produced a new edition of Ecclesiastes with an eye towards evangelism, and has always been looking for new ways to present the gospel to the unsaved. Check it out.

I don't always agree with George. But he always has something interesting to say.

Lieberman as Independent?

One of the few good things, politically, about living in Connecticut is Joe Lieberman. He is that rare gem - a true moderate who crosses the lines of party when it is to the benefit of his constituents. He is a Democrat who will talk and work with Republicans. He is a man who is pro-choice, but who truly respects the pro-life camp and will talk openly with them. He is a man of peace, who understands that sometimes war is inevitable and that it is important to support the Commander in Chief when our troops are in the field. And, he is the ONLY Senator or Representative in the state who ever writes back when I write him about an issue... and actually appears to have read my letter (or his staff has, at any rate).

Which, of course, means that the current Democratic Party feels he is the worst thing out there. They have decided to mount a strong primary challenge, and it appears they may actually wind up ousting him as their party's candidate. If so, they virtually guarantee CT loses the little power it has, since any junior senator from CT - republican or democrat - will be less than useless at negotiating money for our little state.

But Joe is not taking it lying down and is considering running as an Independent. I'll go on record now and say that I would vote for him as an independent. Otherwise, if he would ever consider it, I'd encourage the CT GOP to see if they can woo him. He is good for Connecticut.

'Plan B' is getting me frustrated

There is a grocery store in Olympia, WA that has decided not to carry the 'Plan B' pill in their pharmacy. Apparently this has caught the attention of some pro-abortion advocates and they decided to picket and boycott the store. I know it's their right to picket and boycott the store and I'm fine with that. What bothers me about this situation is that it is a family store and the reason they're not carrying the pill is a religious/ethical reason, but these protesters feel that this store is impinging on their rights and thus they must do something to the store. Never mind that there are dozens of pharmacies in the Olympia area that would fill the prescription, this one store must pay for their choice. It's like the pro-abortion people are paranoid that any time someone makes an ethical decision not in their favor all of their rights are going to be stripped away.

“I think ultimately, this is a bigger issue than one store refusing to stock contraception. I think if we don’t stand up to this decision, we’re going to see a slow erosion in women’s reproductive rights, one pharmacy at a time,” said protester Rachel Smith.

I personally don't think that abortion is ever going to be totally illegal in this county - probably severely restricted, but never illegal, which is what contributes so much to my frustration. The pro-abortion people are getting all in a twist over losing something I don't think they're ever going to totally lose. I'm sorry that I'm not being very eloquent with this post, but I'm just frustrated - why can't they just go to another store and leave this store alone? It make me want to curse! I just wish there was someway to support the store for making the tough decision and not caving to the pressure - at least yet. Hopefully the conservative churches in the area catch on to the story and start to shop more at this store in a show of support.

It's Funny, Because It's True

Of course, my Vibe is sort of an exception to the rule... except that it has a Toyota engine... which is built in America by American workers.

Enjoy the Show!

Around where CRChair and I live, the towns don't all have their fireworks on the 4th of July. Instead, they each chose a weekend before the 4th and have a town fair all day, followed by fireworks. Derby Day was yesterday in our area, and I managed to catch some of the fireworks from our front yard. I thought folks might enjoy sharing my pictures of the show.

Details... Details...

Personally, I always enjoyed fishing when I was little. But now I am caught in that nether world of adulthood. It has been too long since I've done it for me to fish with REAL fishermen. And my friends who are NOT fishermen have no interest in handling slimy bait only for the promise of later handling slimy fish. I guess I'll have to satisfy myself with photographing fish instead, unless somehow I decide to go fish alone.

Two Bee-you-tiful Words

FREE SOFTWARE. The offer is only good until July 2, so act quickly!