Random Access

Saturday
You know that it’s a nice, lazy day when you can fall asleep in front of the television, wake up nearly three hours later and feel that you haven’t missed out on much. The fact that it was 107° here added to the “Hmm, maybe I’ll stay inside” factor.

We had dinner with Jim and Sandi tonight at the Olive Garden; quite tasty. After that, we went bowling. More work on the hook. It’s coming along nicely. I’m still not 100% with it (more like upper-to-mid 70s), but I’m getting there. I also remembered something that I had been neglecting to do: Following through after releasing the ball. That helped my control quite a bit.

There is a fire in one of the canyons – Big Cottonwood or Little Cottonwood, I am not sure which it is. The smoke, billowing from the canyon, was clearly visible throughout the valley today. Tonight, as we left Village Inn, you could see an orange point of light at the top of one of the mountains – fire. It looked like a lonely orange beacon in the dark. When I saw it, the line from Charlie Daniels’ Devil Went Down to Georgia kept looping through my head: “Fire on the mountain, run boy, run!”

And, since I know that and love news about the northern snakehead fish, here ya go!

That does it for tonight. Until the next time…

Peace.

Friday
Business as usual. Listened to more Wizard today. Went to TGI Friday’s for a bit of post-postal dinner. Since I missed the Sisko Show, I watched the Janeway and the Barbie-Borg Show. It was yet another that I had not seen previously. The episode, Random Thoughts, had an interesting premise: The crew was on a planet of telepaths and B’Elanna was arrested for “aggravated violent thought resulting in grave bodily injury.” (Translation: B’Elanna had a thought of hitting someone whom she mistakenly thought had accosted her. Another telepath picked up on this thought, on an instinctive level, and lashed out against someone.) Can Person-A (or their thoughts) be held accountable for the actions of Person-B? And does this concept seem vaguely reminiscent of the prosecutors’ arguments of the “Manson Family” murders? Maybe it just seems that way to me.

NPR/PRI
Today’s interesting items:

• Talk of the Nation – Science Friday
  • Science News Round Up:
    Scientists who created a synthetic form of the polio virus;
    Researchers who conducted a study that measured the relieving of pain associated with osteo-arthritis through arthroscopic surgery vs. a “fake surgery” and the placebo effect.

  • Interview with physicist Janna Levin, author of How the Universe Got Its Spots.
• All Things Considered
  • Polio Folo – Scientists report that they have synthesized a polio virus in the laboratory, using only basic chemicals and a published road map of its genetic information. Robert talks with NPR’s Joe Palca about new research that has given those charged with fighting bioterrorism one more thing to worry about.¹
  • Lutheran Flap – A minister with the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod is appealing his suspension, which was based on his participation in an interfaith service marking the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Church leaders say church doctrine forbids worshipping with other groups. Jason DeRose reports that some members of the Synod disagree and that other churches have had similar internal disputes over worshipping with other faiths.²

Tonight’s Tirade

minister
Main Entry: ^{2 minister
Function: intransitive verb
Inflected Form(s): -tered; min·is·ter·ing
Date: 14th century
1 : to function as a minister of religion
2 : to give aid or service “minister to the sick”}

As noted above, David Benke, a Lutheran minister, has been suspended for having participated in a post-September 11^th interfaith service in New York. As also noted, LCMS doctrine forbids worshipping with non-Lutherans; I believe that this (Section 30) seems to be the part of the doctrine that cover that issue.

The Lutheran Church, as a whole, has its origins in 16th Century Europe.

The ELCA, along with other Lutheran churches, can trace its roots directly to the Protestant Reformation that took place in Europe in the 16th century. Martin Luther, a German monk, became aware of differences between the Bible and church practices of the day. His writings, lectures and sermons inspired others to protest church practices and call for reform.³

More of the history of the Lutheran Church can be found here. Other congregations of the Lutheran Church include: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

I may be remembering my history incorrectly, but wasn’t religious intolerance at least part of the reason that the Lutherans, along with others, left Europe? If that is so, then what’s wrong with this current picture? There seems to be a modicum of disparity there. Many denominations of Judeo-Christian faiths see themselves as “the one, true faith,” but most of the divisions between them are relatively minor. I recall hearing a story last year about a gathering of high-ranking members of the Catholic, Jewish, and Muslim faiths where they were able to come together and agree on “common ground” issues and then “agree to disagree” where their beliefs proved too divergent.

Something about this suspension, and by extension – the doctrine, confuses me. It seems… counterproductive… to the spreading of the Gospel. Moreover, it seems that Mr. Benke was participating in what he felt was the best way to reach thousands of people at once. If, through this service, he was also able to minister to these people, that would be an added benefit – to them and possibly to the Church. It should be noted that not all members of the LCMS congregation thought that Mr. Benke’s decision was “wrong;” he apparently had a number of supporters, as well.

I am not condemning the actions of the Synod. I am sure that there are some who would look askance at the Baptist Church and scratch their heads at some of our practices. To chastise a minister for doing his job seems a gross overreaction. But, that is my opinion. I am not privy to the nuances of the LCMS and leave the final analysis in the members of their ecclesiastic councils.

But I’m still a little confused…

Links to the three Lutheran congregations referenced above:
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Introduction to the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod news

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
How the ELCA differs from the LCMS

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
History of the WELS
What are the differences between WELS and other Lutheran Churches?

And, having said that, it is time to call it a night.

Peace.

¹, ² – All Things Considered website
³ – Evangelical Lutheran Church in America website

Thursday
Relatively quiet day on the work front. I also seemed to have mustered the willpower to straighten the office… somewhat. It’s not perfect (yet), but it’s better than it was. And tomorrow is Friday.

NPR/PRI
Today’s items of note were:

• Talk of the Nation: Police Use of Force
• All Things Considered: Los Angeles Beating Video.
• ATC: Call of the Wild Car Alarm.
  

  Brooklyn artist Nina Katchadourian has a novel solution to noise pollution caused by the tones of common car alarms. She’s created a new kind of alarm that blares bird songs that more or less follow the same familiar sonic pattern of most alarms, but with a “natural” twist. Hear variations on the alarm “songs” and listen to an audio postcard from NPR’s Rick Karr.

Miscellany
While I was cleaning up, I found something that I got many rains ago when I worked at CD Superstore in Greensboro. Some of my coworkers had what would best be described as “active imaginations.” That might have been why I liked them so much… I got to work one day and someone had come up with a “Top Ten List,” a la David Letterman. So, without further ado:

Top 10 Little-Known Dr.Seuss Books
10 – Bears on Steroids
9 – Horton Lets a Poot
8 – The Northbound Lomax and the Southbound Mack Truck
7 – The Cat in the Hat Smokes Crack
6 – Hop on Pot
5 – Myrtle the Turtle Wears Bea Arthur’s Girdle
4 – One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Go Screw Yourself
3 – Condoms Are a Silly Hassle (Sorry, that’s a little-known Dr. Koop book)
2 – Green Eggs and Navel Lint
1 – The Grinch Who Stole a Peek at Jose Canseco in the Showers

Peace.

After all these years, it seems that I have been woefully ignorant of what July 11th is…

[09:07] *xanthius* happy 7-11 day.
[09:09] *gold_* Likewise.
[09:35] *ShadoRunr* [09:07] *xanthius* happy 7-11 day. Does this mean free Slurpees®?
[10:00] *gold_* Indeed it does, Rob. www.7-11.com
[10:00] *ShadoRunr* *click*
[10:02] *ShadoRunr* Indeed!

So, get out to your local Sev and partake of some free frozen Slurpee® goodness!! “Oh, thank Heaven for 7-11,” indeed!

Wednesday
Another day that zipped right along. Work wasn’t bad. And, as the boys from Liverpool said, there was “…nothing to get hung about.” After work, Jess and I met some friends at Redrock for “Wednesday Night Beer,” which was formerly “Monday Night Coffee.” It was nice; we met some new people, talked and generally had a good time.

NPR/PRI

• For : According to a story on All Things Considered, another Northern Snakehead (fish) has been found in Maryland… and it seems as though it has been breeding. For some reason, when they were talking about it breeding and possibly presenting a danger to the indigenous fish, the thought that: “Tribbles…”
• Also on ATC, it seems that V.P. Dick Cheney has been named in a lawsuit against oil company Halliburton, the company that he led before becoming Dubya’s go-to guy. The company has been accused of “fraudulently overstating revenues.” Isn’t it ironic… that this happens the day after the President announces his initiative to crack down on U.S. companies’ accounting practices …don’tcha think?
• From The World: It seems as though there is a museum in Japan that is hosting a special exhibit. It is about Godzilla. The “real” Godzilla. The man-in-a-rubber-suit, Tokyo-trashing, sometimes-good/sometimes-bad, atomic-breath-blowing-shit-up Godzilla. Not the “iguanasaurus” that starred in the Matthew Broderick movie from 1998. Listen to the story here.

Peace.

Tuesday

Work was pretty much cake today; I spent most of the time in flats processing. Listened to more of Wizard.

NPR/PRI
Terry Gross interviewed Barry Sonnenfeld on Fresh Air today. I think that this is the first interview that of him that I have heard (or seen). He’s quite a funny man. He also made a few points that I found interesting, especially for one who has been part of the Hollywood machine for many years:

• “I think that most studios don’t realize that audiences are smarter than they think they are.”
• His theory about comedic movies: “You never want two funny guys in your comedy. You always want George Burns and Gracie Allen. You always want Abbott and Costello. And we got incredibly lucky with Will [Smith] and Tommy [Lee Jones].”
• He talked about having a stress-related attack two weeks into the shooting of MiB2; he felt incredible pressure to live up to the first MiB. He said that on his way to the hospital, he thought that he might be having a heart attack and the thing going through his mind was: ” ‘This is a no-lose situation: I either am not having a heart attack and am totally healthy or I die and I don’t have to continue to direct this movie.‘ And either option was totally fine with me.”

You can hear the interview in its entirety here.

Miscellany
You know what I miss: The Good Humor ice cream truck coming through the neighborhood. Sure, there are ice cream trucks/vans/Jeeps that roll through, but it’s not quite the same as the old G.H. truck that I remember from my youth.

The MLB All-Star Game was tonight. This morning, I noted that it was on; but by the time that I got home, I had forgotten. Fortunately, someone made a comment that reminded me, so I turned it on… at the bottom of the ninth inning. GAH! But, the score was tied (7 – 7), so there would be extra innings. Tenth inning, no runs scored. Eleventh inning: No score in the American League half… the pitching rosters of both teams had been depleted… and MLB Commissioner Bud Selig calls a conference with the managers. He does this as the AL is at bat…in the stands, and in FULL view of the TV cameras!

The decision: If the National League doesn’t score by the end of the inning, the game will end in a tie. What in the Nine Hells?!?! Okay, I understand not wanting to potentially sacrifice pitchers’ arms on a game that “doesn’t count” in the pennant races, but… IF you have to have a conference like that, you don’t do it in the middle of the inning and in front of the cameras! You do it in an office or conference room or a skybox. And, I’m not even going to go into my “bring back some of the players who had rotated out of the lineups” tirade. *sigh*

And that’s all the news from Lake Saline – where the women watch baseball, the men are having not-so-secret meetings in the bleachers and the children are all wondering “What do you mean: ‘The game is just…over!?!?’ ” Good night, everybody! Thanks for tuning in.

Peace.

Monday
Yet another week begins.

Work
Not a bad day… even for a Monday. Fairly uneventful day at work. Listened to more of Wizard’s First Rule this afternoon; I reached a point that I had heard when Jess was listening to the book. Holy deja vu, Batman!

NPR/PRI
“Fire Lovers” was one of the topics on Talk of the Nation. It wasn’t about people who sit on a bearskin rug in front of a romantic fire sipping glasses of wine. It was “…about the psychology of those who set, and those who fight, fires.” The whole time that this was on, I kept hearing “While the City Sleeps”, by MC 900 Foot Jesus, in the back of my mind…

Quote of the Day: Dee and Land were talking about our “talking/no talking” policy (about 2/3 of our workroom is “no talking”). *shrug* Land made a comment about wanting to bring in a whoopee cushion. Dee brightened at this idea. “That’s right! There’s nothing in the rules about farting and burping. We should just sit around and do that all day…” At this, Land and I burst into laughter. Dee fell silent for a few seconds and then…

Dee: “I should learn Morse Code.”
My thinking: He could tap out messages to us.
Dee: “I should do it so I could fart messages.”

Peace.

Sunday

• I slept in once again.
• Jess, Ang, Larry, Zaq and I went to see Undercover Brother at Brewvies – third time for Ang and me; second for Jess; first for Larry and Zaq. Brewvies is one of the coolest theatres. It is small (2 screens) and usually shows second-run and/or independent films. They also have pool tables. They also have a grill/kitchen AND you can take your food into the theatre; there are “counters” along the backs of the seats upon which you can place your food/drinks.
• We went to The Gateway and went to the B&N there for cheesecake, drinks and some light Sunday afternoon conversation.
• Home. I actually watched Alias for the first time in more weeks that I care to count. And we had Chinese food for dinner! And I whipped Jess’ computer back into shape. Finally! It still won’t accept Windows 2000, for some reason, but that’s okay – I can easily live with it using 98.

Peace.

Saturday
Got to sleep in this morning. That is always a plus.

Jess, Angie, Jen and I had lunch at Guru’s. After a quick stop in Music-Go-Round, we decided to see a movie. We saw My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Let me state that I did not want to see this, but I was outvoted 3-to-1, so… guess what I saw. Yay. I was 100% wrong about this movie! I had a ball! If you have not seen it, you should go at your earliest convenience. It was a movie where the characters actually acted like… people! I will be very surprised if this doesn’t get any recognition in next year’s awards programs.

Bowling. Larry, Zaq, Sean (friend of Zaq’s) and I bowled while Jess and Jen acted as moral support. Larry was the Master of the Lanes tonight. However, the night was not lost. Far from it, in fact! Tony, the gentleman on the lane next to us, taught me how to hook my bowling ball. This is something that I have been trying to do, unsuccessfully, for years. He taught me the basics of it in less than ten minutes. I’m not consistent with it, but I can do it!

Post-bowling late night eats at V.I. Ang rejoined us here. And then… home.

I am now fighting with Jess’ computer. It’s not accessing the network properly. No, that’s not exactly correct. It’s not accessing the network. There, that’s better. I don’t feel like dealing with the whole problem now; I believe that it can wait until I have had some sleep. Then, I shall pummel it into submission.

Peace.

Friday
Another day in Paradise. Spent a good portion of the day in flats processing. Listened to more of Wizard’s First Rule. I’m enjoying this book; it is definitely good to catch-up on the parts that I missed when Jess was listening to it. After work, I went to Borders to get some reference pictures for BMX bikes and riders. My friend Melody is this month’s featured artist on Monthly Anime Gaijin and I told her that I would attempt an entry. What in the Nine Hells was I thinking?!? So, pencil and sketchbook in tow, I looked up a few pictures. After that, I came home and pretty much did nothing.

NPR/PRI
The World had a segment about something that I consider rather inhumane. To me, there is simply no other way to describe it:

Pakistan Interview (5:01)
What occurred two weeks ago in a Pakistani village was apparently not unusual. But that doesn’t make it easier to comprehend. A tribal council ruled that an 11-year-old boy was with a woman who belonged to a different tribe. Here’s how the council decided to punish the boy. It ordered that his teenage sister be gang-raped. The sentence was carried out, allegedly by four of the council members. Police today arrested one of the suspects. Hina Jilani is secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. She’s in Lahore.

I could not believe what I heard when I listened to the lead-in. My jaw literally dropped. To think that a practice like this exists today!? Juxtapose that concept with the fact that Pakistan elected a female Prime Minister, Ms. Benazir Bhutto, in 1988 (and again in 1993).

Jess and I talk, occasionally, about her time in the Army. She served in Somalia; she was there for five months and left three (3) weeks before the events chronicled in Black Hawk Down. She has said, more than once, that she did not like the Pakistani soldiers who were assigned to protective duty over her unit; she said that they treated women like property. I usually counter that maybe it was more akin to “second-class citizen” status. After hearing this report, I retract my argument. And, I am still in shock.

Peace.

Fourth of July 2002
Today was a quiet, leisurely day. The perfect way to spend a day off from work. I got to sleep in… more or less. The cats were a bit rambunctious this morning. Go figure. Jess, Sandi and I went to see Men in Black II this afternoon. I enjoyed it. Went driving for a while and then came home.

And then… off to seek works of fire! I considered going to see the display in Sandy, but I decided to head into Salt Lake and try to see the ones at Rice-Eccles (U of U) Stadium. I also wanted to be far enough away from the stadium so that I didn’t get caught in the traffic coming from the stadium (and surrounding area). I found a spot near Trolley Square (about 10 blocks from Rice-Eccles); the way that the streets are laid out and since the stadium is on a hill, I had a decent view. It wasn’t perfect, but I was able to escape before the masses came down the hill.

I can’t define what the “magic” of fireworks is, but there is… something. I remember my grandparents taking me to see fireworks displays when I’d spend summers in West Virginia. I would be excited (and that may be an understatement) all day before we’d go. We’d get to the shopping center and I’d stare up into the sky… amazed. Year after year. And almost every time, I’d go home with a headache, from all of the thunderous “booms.” But it was worth it. Every time.

I see that kind of wonder and awe in the faces of children at fireworks displays. They look into the sky, but they don’t see controlled explosions of chemical compounds. They see something else. Something… magic. And, to me, that’s very cool.

Peace.

Wednesday
Not a whole lot happened at work. This is a ‘good’ thing; it makes for fast-paced days. Started on Wizard’s First Rule today. It’s good to finally know what was going on in the parts that I missed when Jess was listening to the book.

NPR/PRI
Talk of the Nation spent the second hour discussing Outdoor Grilling. They also asked callers/emailers which they preferred when grilling: Charcoal, Wood or Propane. I prefer charcoal; the majority of respondents said that, as well.

Not much else, so I think that I shall go into the gentle oblivion of sleep.

Peace.

Tuesday
One more day of work and then a day off. One more day after that and then the weekend. I believe that I can handle that.

NPR/PRI
All Things Considered had a few stories that I found curiously stimulating and challenging:

• EEOC Suit
  Josh Levs reports that the EEOC is bringing suit in an unusual form of discrimination based on skin color. A dark-skinned African-American employee of Applebee’s claims his light-skinned African-American supervisor harassed him and fired him for complaining. The EEOC says it is unaware of any similar suits, though discrimination based on color is covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (3:45)

• People of Color
  Commentator Leon Wynter reflects on the term “people of color.” He says the phrase should be retired. (4:00)

• The Hip-Hop Generation
  Robert [Siegel] speaks with Bakari Kitwana, author of The Hip Hop Generation: The Crisis in African American Culture. Kitwana writes about black Generation X’ers, for whom the civil rights movement is a generation back. Young African-Americans now face a society that has only partly lived up to its promise of equality. Kitwana says that economic and educational difficulties are pervasive, but he says that hip-hop music has helped politically mobilize African-Americans. (8:00)

There were parts of the interview with Bakari Kitwana with which I agreed and disagreed. Some of his statements seemed to be broad-sweeping generalizations; I have issues with those. However, I respect his opinions and his right to express them.

Miscellany
I’m still trying to come up with ideas for the next discussion group topic. I think that I want to do something with stereotypes and/or perceptions and misperceptions about different groups. Maybe I’ll just consider it until the weekend; other ideas might come to mind. Who knows…?

Peace.

Monday
Not a bad day at work. Finished Goblet of Fire tonight; the ending caught me off-guard. I like that. Ms. Rowling threw in a bit of slight of hand and pulled a few rabbits out of her hat. Definitely took me by surprise in a few spots. I will start Wizard’s First Rule tomorrow.

NPR/PRI
All Things Considered had a segment called: Mohawk Ironworkers, Walking High Steel, part of the “Sonic Memorial Project,” on today’s program.

For six generations, Mohawk Indian ironworkers have shaped New York City’s skyline, working the “high steel” of skyscrapers and bridges. From The Sonic Memorial Project and Lost & Found Sound, hear the stories of the Mohawks who helped build the World Trade Center Twin Towers — and their descendents who returned to the site after Sept. 11, to help clear the shattered towers away.¹

You can listen to the story here.

Miscellany
Earlier this evening, and I were talking about this post, by in the community. Background: Both Sivvy and Coonfasa are LDS (Mormon); Sivvy lives here (just north of SLC), Coonfasa lives in Ohio.

The gist of the entry was: She was listening to a conversation between young married Mormon couples. Apparently the people in the discussion had noted how other members of their faith tend to exhibit an isolationist behavior socially: The members “…just kinda turned off and walked away. Simply because they were not a church member!” Apparently, someone brought up Mormons in Salt Lake City and how some (operative word: “some“) of them tend to avoid non-members of the faith because of the pervasive nature of Mormons and LDS culture here. She then asked for others’ opinions about this. (NOTE: I would have directly posted this as a reply to her post, but only friends/members of the community can post in it. , as a member and as a friend of mine, has kindly offered to leave a post in the community and link it back to this.)

That being said, here we go…

For the past 3½ years, I have lived in Utah. More specifically, I live in a city in the Salt Lake valley (you can technically say that I live in Salt Lake City). For the benefit of those who are unaware of it, I will add that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS Church) is headquartered in downtown Salt Lake City.

I am Baptist… with a few Methodist tendencies. I have experienced some of the bias about which asked. I am glad to say that I have also met more members of the faith who were willing to look past the differences of theology and get to know me. I also have met other non-Mormons who have either grown up here or lived here for a long time. They have also noted something of an “Us vs. Them” bent in certain situations. I am not sure if this is endemic to places where the majority, or at least the “perceived majority,” largely adhere to the mores of a given faith, but I will not rule it out as a possibility. It would be interesting to see if there is a similar bias found in other homes of religious institutions, for example: Rome/The Vatican.

Yes, it is often thought to be “easier” to socialize with those who share something in common with us. We like to be around people like ourselves. Go figure. The challenge lies in stepping outside of our respective comfort zones to meet and interact with people who are different from ourselves. People don’t always have to agree on ideology, but they can respect differences of opinions and agree to disagree on some points. I am thankful for my friends who believe the same things that I do AND for those who have different views. Between us, we are able to explore avenues that we may not have otherwise considered; at the same time, we don’t try to force feed each other our opinions. We agree. We disagree. We move on.

In closing, I don’t think that all Mormons are isolationists. I don’t even think that many/most are. Yes, some are stand-offish, but it is unfair to judge the whole by the actions of the few. Is it a problem or practice exclusive to them? No, it isn’t. At some level, many of us have our “I’m better than you because…” prejudices. We just need to learn to outgrow them.
And now, to sleep.

Peace.

¹ – From the All Things Considered website

Sunday
Relatively quiet and relaxed day. Nice way to spend the last day of the weekend.

• I don’t know WHAT possessed me, but I went for a ride today. About 5.5 miles. Good thing. I decided to go around 13:00. Not so bright thing. But, it was a good ride.
• I was going to go around 11:30, but discovered that the World Cup Final was on, so I plopped down to watch it… or the second half of it, rather. Both teams played a great game. Congratulations to Brazil for their record-setting fifth World Cup victory.
• Drove around the southeastern part of the valley (Draper and Sandy), for a while. I figured: I’ve been here for 3½ years, I should see more of the valley that I haven’t explored.
• Went to the Sandy Barnes & Noble, for a change of pace. On the way out, I saw this (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) in the parking lot. A ’56 Corvette. 245 V-8 under the hood; I saw it, but didn’t get pics.
• Came home and finished working on this. m3lody sent me the lineart and told me to practice coloring using that. So, I did. Then, I added the background and… voila!

Peace.