At Home On Piety Hill

I found this thought-provoking article about the… Just a moment, I have an email coming in that I’ve been waiting for. Okay, that was good, let’s start over. I found this thought-provoking article about the deleterious effect of too much…. Wait a second, I just heard the phone ring. I’ll be right back. Alright, so where was I. Oh, yes… the deleterious effect of all our modern communications… Excuse me, Denise is calling from the other room…

“What? Who? Tell them I’m busy blogging and I’ll call back in about a half hour. *Sigh*”

So, ummm, this article says that, uh… well, here… you read it yourself:

The Scotsman
Fri 22 Apr 2005
Scientists believe ‘infomania’ can hit our ability to concentrate and cause permanent loss of intelligence.
Key points
• Texting makes you less intelligent, it is revealed
• Brains suffer from information overload, apparently
• Solution is: switch off!
Key quote
‘The impairment only lasts for as long as the distraction. But you have to ask whether our current obsession with constant communication is causing long-term damage to concentration and mental ability.’ - Dr Glenn Wilson, psychologist at the University of London”

So, that’s it in a nutshell. I’m glad they condensed it down to a few key points, because I was having a hard time following it. Hope you enjoyed… hold on for one moment… I’m using Sp@m X to get rid of my junk email and it’s telling me that I have about 3000 abuse messages to go out.

Denise found another treasure at the local thrift store, which will come in handy if I ever end up in the hoosgow.

The updated title was actually my idea. I hope the author will sign off on the new cover design.

Somehow, Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker books seem to migrate to us. When we lived in Maine, one of my favorite events was the used book sale at the Blue Hill Public Library. I found a book by the Bakkers published in the 70’s with a cover photo of Jim and Tammy Faye sporting what were, perhaps, the largest flared matching polyester pantsuits I have seen in my life. The inside cover had a thoughtful, signed inscription to one of our Blue Hill neighbors, Noel Paul Stookey, who had appeared on their television show. I purchased the treasure and we passed it along to a couple, who collects fine and rare Christian books.

Denise knows where to shop… when she heard there would be a flea market at a local Lutheran church, she charged right over there. “The churches with the older congregations have all the really cool stuff.” She came home with the most beautiful Christmas tree skirt I have ever seen, as well as some retro Christmas ornaments and… a little “special occasion tree” like my Grandma Louise used to have. Actually, it was a manzanita branch that looked like a tree, about a foot tall. She would decorate it for every season or special occasion. Now, we have one.

The biggest treat was this beautifully illustrated Barbecue Book by the publishers of Sunset Magazine.

For those of you who don’t know, I love to barbeque and I have always dreamed of building a real brick barbecue and smoker in the back yard. Well, now I have some great plans! I prefer the “barbecue as shrine” motif, designing the entire yard around the “sacred flame” on an elevated platform.

The book is chock full of handyman projects and I recognized a number of them as fixtures on patios all over my childhood neighborhood. In fact, we had a couple of redwood lounges just like this one…

My Grandma, the one with the “special occasion tree,” had a barbecue almost identical to this one in her backyard in El Monte California.

With piles of debt from college loans and profligate living, things are desperate and I had to head down to the Brunswick area to see if I could rustle up some grub for Denise and I. As fate would have it, I was standing in the traffic at Sutton Way and a sweet young woman, Sadie, took me up on the offer.

Sadie has a blog and wanted to add some links, so we struck up a deal. Denise and I climbed into our fifteen-year-old jalopy and chugged down to the exclusive gated community where she and her partner, Dan, live with their two children. They are quite the fashionable family and we felt a little awkward at first. But, they made us feel right at home and they also made us chicken and dumplings. It was wonderful!

I kept up my end of the deal and added links to her blog. We ran into a little problem, though. Her ultra-stylish blog template employs GIFs for the headings, so I need to find the font, fire up Photoshop and tweak it just a bit more.

Online Catalog: Essential Blogging:

“With weblogs or ‘blogs’ exploding all over the Web, the only thing lacking for power users and developers is detailed advice on how to choose, install, and run blogging software. Written by leading bloggers, Essential Blogging includes practical advice and insider tips on the features, requirements, and limitations of applications such as Blogger, Radio Userland, Movable Type, and Blosxom. This book will get you up and blogging in no time. ”

Sam gave me this book for my birthday and I’ve finished it. It’s a good read with some helpful tips for the beginner. So far, my favorite is BlogThis! :

BlogThis! is an easy way to make a blog post without visiting blogger.com. Once you add the BlogThis! link to your browser’s toolbar, blogging will be a snap. Or rather, a click. Clicking BlogThis! creates a mini-interface to Blogger prepopulated with a link to the web page you are visiting, as well as any text you have highlighted on that page. Add additional text if you wish and then publish or post from within BlogThis!

If any of my friends would like to borrow this book, just drop by or let me know. There’s only one condition… treat it as if it were your own, unless you are Levi… then you should treat it as if it isn’t your own.

Lecturer to Discuss Christian Right

The Nevada County Democrats hosted a lecture by Dr. Philip DiMare on “…the influence of conservative Christianity on domestic and foreign policy decisions made by the current Bush administration, tracing the roots back to the 1740s.” This sounded intriguing and Mr. DiMare comes with an impressive vitae. The lecture was open to the public and a donation of $10 was gratefully requested required. I was willing to pay a buck or two, but the woman at the door was not open to consultation on the issue, nor was she inclined to be charitable towards the less fortunate. So much for truth in advertising and liberal compassion!

Not to be deterred, I camped out at the door and took note of the attendees. There were about twenty or so people and everyone I saw appeared to be older than myself (half century) and most would be considered elderly. This may explain why my party, the Democrats, are so out of touch with young voters on issues such as Social Security reform, taxes, abortion, education and, frankly, anything else that has anything to do with the future.

The doors were open, so I sat outside, listening to the speakers. About twenty minutes into the presentation, someone came out and shut the doors. The sign in the window said, ” Come in, we’re open.” However, if the coins don’t ring in the offering plate, I guess you can’t expect to hear the Democrat’s gospel.

The parking lot was an education in itself. There were bumper stickers denouncing corporate greed, affixed to expensive luxury automobiles and SUVs. My old, rusty, high mileage truck stood out as a beacon of thrift and concern for social justice, amongst a fleet of vehicles trumpeting global economic exploitation and excess.

The first time I noticed this disconnect between liberal/progressive dogma and liberal/progressive/lifestyle, was about fifteen years ago when I attended an open meeting of the Nevada County Citizens for Choice. My GEO Metro was the most socially responsible, modest car in a lot full of Cadillacs and Volvos. Then as now, I was about the youngest one in attendance and the majority were silver-haired elite eugenicists, seeking to put the brakes on the uncontrolled breeding of the teeming under classes. I remember looking in vain for one, young, committed feminist in the bunch, but she was nowhere to be found. There was, however, plenty of hostility directed at the lone pro-lifer in attendence that evening.

I sure would have liked to have heard Dr. DiMare’s lecture and spent some time getting to know my fellow Democrats, but I couldn’t come up with the price of their indulgence. Perhaps the party needs a reformation.

Loving the Rapist’s Child
This amazing story has to be at the top of the list, but my comments would only detract from this testimony to the power of love… I’ll shut my yap and move on to more trivial news and tidbits…

PimpMySafari.com
If you are a card carrying cult of Macintosh member and Safari is your browser, then this collection of plugins and widgets is a must. I still find Firefox to be noticeably faster, but it lacks many of the features of Safari. If you are running Windows, Linux, OS/2 (all sixteen of you, residing in former soviet bloc nations) or Solaris (um… sure), check out Firefox and make Microsoft earn their keep.

Study: Half Of Sexually Active Young People Get STDs
I recently overheard a fifty-something progressive lament the rising interest in abstinence-based sex ed for our government learning mills, as well as the erosion of the cultural advances he and his fellow yert-dwellers pioneered in the 60’s. I beg to differ. Their legacy of free love and boundless sexual freedom will endure for decades to come through unsightly facial sores, Carposi’s sarcoma, genital warts and cervical cancer. I know, I know… as an eminent intellectual in town wrote, those darn kids are gonna do it anyway, so why even bother getting the word out? Dr. James Allen, president of the nonprofit group American Social Health Association, should be flogged for his alarmist and hate-filled research and findings.

‘Flesh-eating’ germs on the rise, doctors warn
Speaking of alarmist! The chances of suffering the flesh-eating bacteria are the same as being struck by lightning or winning the lottery. This is just another case of tabloid journalism! It’s never going to happen to any of us! Not to worry, though… Philip Tierno, director of clinical microbiology at NYU Medical Center, assures worry-warts and sissies that they can avoid these infections by “…washing their hands, using an antiseptic and a bandage on all cuts and scrapes, and avoiding the sharing of towels, razors, clothing and athletic equipment.”

Postal Service Seeks 2-Cent Stamp Increase
Now, here’s something I’m passionate about. Congress passes a law, making the Postal Service overfund their retirement system, in order to coverup Congress’ profligate spending. This becomes a hidden tax, but the customers don’t know that. So, they direct their anger at postal workers. However, Congress didn’t bargain for Postmaster General Jack Potter’s shrewd comeback…

Apparently, Mouse Pads are So 2004
Dan Cederholm is really on to something here.

Labs Selling DNA Assessments
Finally, a service for adolescents and teens suffering from gender confusion! Here in Nevada County, students can lay aside their studies and ideological indoctrination, head down the hall to the school nurse and be spirited away for a simple test to determine if they have the gay or straight gene (without the meddling of their pesky parents). Although exhaustive research by reputable scientists has proven beyond any doubt (to journalists, anyway) that a “gay gene” exists, some backward hicks remain skeptical. In a related story, interest and funding seems to be lagging for scientists who have been conducting research to determine how genetics influence the sexual orientation of individuals who prefer the company of other species, small children, people other than their spouse, siblings, other members of their immediate families and a host of other anachronistic social taboos.

Breaking The Da Vinci Code
Wonder what all the buzz is about? Here’s a good place to start. Then, check out the second installment.

Drug-resistant staph infecting more people
More on resistant organisms, but this one has some real good advice about how to avoid getting a staph infection and the proper use of antibiotics.

Inside Move: Fanatics laying it on the line –’Star Wars’ fans stew in queue

If a movie isn’t playing at a theater, will its fans still line up outside? For “Star Wars” fans, the answer is a befuddling yes.

Former Black Sabbath frontman Ozzy Osbourne donned his Emperor Palpatine getup and joined 10 other diehard Star Wars fans outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater. There was just one small problem: 20th Century Fox plans to open the film at the ArcLight theater a few blocks away.

Okay, so it’s not really Ozzy, but you have to admit there’s a real resemblance. Anyway, on with the story… This simple truth did not deter the faithful wookies, droids and stormtroopers from observing their ritual outside Grauman’s . The revelation (that they had camped out at the wrong location) failed to dampen their enthusiasm and, in fact, made them even more resolute in the rightness of their position — that is, positioned in front of a theater to see a movie which will not be there! This comical situation provides some valuable insights into cultic thinking, which sometimes results when members of a committed band of devotees are confronted with information flatly contradicting their deeply held perception of reality.

As I read this article in Variety magazine, I sensed an allegory coming on. I was struck by the unique way each individual dealt with the mental discomfort experienced when confronted by “anti-Star Wars” naysayers. Beyond that, I recognized some of the same thought patterns I had followed as a cult member and still do as a Christian, when my faith is challenged! Let’s identify and label some of these faulty responses with actual quotes from the article.

Denial
“We’ve heard all this before,” said Sarah Sprague, one of the designated spokesmen for the group. In 1999 and 2002, there were plenty of rumors (ultimately false) that the previous two pics weren’t going to open at the Chinese… Fox and the ArcLight… say they expect “Revenge of the Sith” to play the ArcLight… And Sprague was adamant the line isn’t moving to the ArcLight. “This is still the epicenter for ‘Star Wars’ fans. For the big iconic pictures of the 1970s, people lining up were here. They weren’t at the Cinerama Dome.”

Cognitive dissonance, giving way to mental confusion, ending in nihilism
“Even if it’s not here, we’ll just go see it somewhere else. We’re not doing this just for the movie.”… “What’s the point of lining up at the ArcLight if someone is going to go online and get the best seat in the house?” But wouldn’t that still make more sense than spending a month outside a theater that isn’t playing the movie? “Lining up for anything, what part of that makes any sense?” she responded philosophically.

Pragmatism in the face of contradictory and incontrovertible facts
“The telling thing is — for me, at least — if the film is not playing at the Chinese … I have zero desire to see it at all,” a fan who calls himself Obi Geewhyen posted on the message board at Liningup.net. “I’m in it for the lineup only and don’t give a darn about the conclusion of this lackluster, so-called ‘Star Wars’ series.”

True believers acknowledging the problem, while overestimating their ability to manipulate fate
A media-savvy bunch, those waiting at the Chinese hope press interest in covering (and most likely mocking) them would persuade George Lucas and Fox to move the booking.

Acknowledging the obvious, yet holding on to any sliver of hope
After the last two “Star Wars” films, “We’re all a little beaten down,” she said. “But this one could be it!”

The Christian exercises faith in historical, time and space events… what Francis Schaefer calls “true truth.” If these events did not take place, then Paul tells us that we are more pitiful than the Star Wars crew out in front of Grauman’s.

And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 1 Corinthians 15:14 - 19

If you or I shy away from uncomfortable facts or refuse to consider serious challenges to a cherished idea or worldview, there could be serious consequences. We can’t say “I didn’t know.” And, we cannot shirk our responsibility to know what we believe and why we believe it. “I was deceived” is not a valid excuse for ignorance. Jesus put it this way:

If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit. Matthew 15:14

Notice that both the follower and the leader end up in the same pit. You know, it really does matter what you believe and it if what you believe is “true truth.” Jesus claimed to embody truth:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. John 14:6

That’s a claim worth looking into.

Denise outdid herself again, finding a tasteful and appropriate birthday greeting for my 50th birthday at the local opportunity shop (Australian lingo for thrift store). Somehow, I can’t imagine finding a card with this sentiment at the local Long’s Drugs or fine gift shop, but such is the sad state of affairs here in 21st century America.

This pretty much captures the essence of our relationship, except that I enjoy washing and drying the dishes. With two of us at home now (Emma is as good as gone), it’s not a huge time commitment and contributes to good mental/emotional hygiene.

He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.
Proverbs 18:22

I sure do love Denise and the way she expresses her affection through thrift store treasures.