Laughter

Gus is lying next to me in bed, laughing in his sleep. It's wonderful to think that we may have done something so memorable today that it made it into one of his dreams. I love this kid.

In: Gus 2008-06-30, 10:05 PM

Up, up, and away

New York Governor David Patterson on planed airline cuts:

I implore American Airlines, as well as the other carriers considering various cost-saving scenarios, to take into account more than profit when they evaluate routes.

Good luck with that.

I'll say it until I'm blue in the face: we need to work on improving other means of long-distance travel. As James Kunstler says, we have a train system that Bulgarians would be ashamed of.

Failing that, we should all just get used to living closer to that which is most important to us, and traveling less to those places that are far away.

In: Travel 2008-06-28, 11:09 PM Comment

Couldn't call it unexpected

Spotted in the newspaper this morning, and worthy of attention.

Like Dylan said, "when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose." Who are the hangers-on who still think this joke of an administration is worthy of anything but contempt?

And great job, Democrats, of working on that new agenda. I hear there's some oil off of the coast just waiting to be had.

In: Environment, Politics 2008-06-21, 01:44 PM Comment

The summer of our discontent

As the price of gasoline in the U.S. pulls itself up to $4/gallon, and the realities of our poor housing, transport, and investment choices set in, I'm glad to see that we as a nation are slowly coming around. Mass transit ridership is up, the Hummer and its ilk are dying a much-welcomed death, and even the shill of the auto industry has made predictions about a decline in travel.

If one was, say, a presidential candidate, now might be a good time to make note of the unreality of our previous way of life, note the positives that higher gas prices can bring, and propose setting a floor on gas prices.

On second thought, one might be wise to keep this plan hush-hush until after one has obtained the office. Selling this plan while campaigning presupposes an electorate with enough brains to realize the benefits.

But what the government can't, or won't, accomplish, the market will, for better or for worse. I think the ratchet effect is in full swing. $3/gallon gas, we hardly knew you: $4 is here to stay. It's just a shame that we couldn't have realized this earlier, skimmed a bit off the top, and done a better job of preparing ourselves for a different way of life.

In: Automobiles, Politics, Society, Transit 2008-06-09, 01:21 PM Comment (2)

Scripture spam

In a thoughtful move designed (intelligently, no doubt) to fall near my birthday, a group called CityReachers will be distributing a quarter-million bibles with the Sunday Post-Gazette in a manner similar to free soap or snack food samples.

I'm not sure what Jesus would say about such a waste of resources, but it probably wouldn't be very encouraging. I emailed the group to see if the Good Book is recyclable. I hope they answer my call.

One can't fault the Post-Gazette's decision to distribute the book, as it should bring the newspaper over $100,000 if the figures in the story are correct.

However, it's fun to imagine what the response would be if a FSM sticker, an Atheist tract, or, even better, a copy of the Qur'an was sent out with every Sunday paper. Xenophobia abounds.

In: Religion 2008-05-12, 10:48 AM Comment

Family rules 1 and 2

Now that we can be considered a family, in the Nuclear sense, I thought it might be a good idea to begin to establish a codex that governs our day-to-day lives. Inspired by those who have gone before us (Rule #1: Don't do anything that will get you on the local news), here are rules 1 and 2:

  1. We do not bail other family members out of jail.
  2. We do not purchase goods from, or donate money to, groups that solicit by telephone or go door-to-door. Exceptions to this rule: the Girl Scouts (cookies only), Jump Rope for Heart, and the Olympic Sales Club (full disclaimer: member, '90-92).
In: Reflection 2008-05-05, 08:16 PM Comment

Clarifying my position

PZ Myers, unarguably the most famous UMM internet celebrity, nails down in half a sentence the very same thing I was thinking about as I got ready for work this morning:

...when Christians back off and don't make their ridiculous superstitions a prerequisite to participation in politics and everyday life, they are entirely tolerable.

To which I may add my thoughts on the aforelinked stories on prayer to deter crime and lower gas prices: as a means of personal comfort, or even as a vehicle to assemble and inspire people to action, prayer is fine, if sometimes a bit humorous. Whatever floats your boat.

But to cede personal responsibility and thought to the workings of a supernatural force -- such as believing that prayer will save an 11-year old girl from "spiritual attack" -- is lazy, dangerous, and, in this example, perhaps even criminal.

In: Religion 2008-04-30, 05:15 PM Comment