Here's hoping that everybody's having a good Easter, hopefully you are eating chocolate eggs to eggcess (hat tip to the late, great Vincent Price... need I repeat that Star Wars would have been a lot cooler if Vincent Price had played Obi-Wan Kenobi?). My Easter started with a call from one of my uncles, who was checking in with me after hearing that two guys got shot in a bar fight about a mile from my workplace (I left at midnight, but I'll ask my co-worker if he heard the gunshots). Happy Easter!
I'm working now, but I suspect that the gunplay will be kept to a minimum, what with the local gendarmes being on edge after this morning's affray. Anyway, enough of my yapping, I really just want to wish you an Easter that's better than this:
I hope everybody has a groovy Easter, which is sure to be the case of the right rabbit comes to your house delivering goodies:
Ya know, if White Rabbit doesn't quite sate your appetite for Easter-themed psychedelica, the entire album "Easter Everywhere" by the 13th Floor Elevators is available on the t00bz, so get your groove on and bask in the best electric jug viruosity ever to grace the earthly soundscape:
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Happy Birthday Baby Brother
As has been my tradition here at Bastard central, I take every March 30th to wish my baby brother Gomez a happy birthday. Inspired by a comment by Another Kiwi, I've been on a bit of a "Swedish Chef" kick, and I figured that baby bro would find this video hilarious:
Happy birthday, Gomez... BORK BORK BORK! Hopefully, the Swedish Chef won't be making your birthday cake:
Happy birthday, Gomez... BORK BORK BORK! Hopefully, the Swedish Chef won't be making your birthday cake:
Friday, March 29, 2013
A Note on Devotion
From the religious devotion files, we have coverage of the annual crucifixion ritual that takes place in the Philippines every Good Friday. In Mexico, the Good Friday commemorations are not so extreme, but they don't look like a picnic. Of course, the participants in these rituals are uniformly of the peasant class- you don't see too many ecclesiastical types putting their sanctified asses on the line.
Higher up on the religious food chain, self-mortification is eschewed in favor of the mortification of others, whether women, gays, or the poor. Personally, I think these God-botherers and holy rollers should be the ones volunteering to take the punishments. Why take a chance on missing out on the sanctified gift of the stigmata when you can have some burly blue collar guy actually nail your hand to a wooden beam for holiness' sake? If Pat Robertson is tough enough to leg press a ton, I imagine he could stand a few minutes hanging around after getting nailed.
Personally, I'm going to show my devotion by dancing The Sign of the Cross:
Higher up on the religious food chain, self-mortification is eschewed in favor of the mortification of others, whether women, gays, or the poor. Personally, I think these God-botherers and holy rollers should be the ones volunteering to take the punishments. Why take a chance on missing out on the sanctified gift of the stigmata when you can have some burly blue collar guy actually nail your hand to a wooden beam for holiness' sake? If Pat Robertson is tough enough to leg press a ton, I imagine he could stand a few minutes hanging around after getting nailed.
Personally, I'm going to show my devotion by dancing The Sign of the Cross:
Thursday, March 28, 2013
In Like a Lion...
March is supposed to come in like a lion and leave like a lamb, but this March has been very cold in the Northeastern United States and much of Europe. Tonight, it's supposed to get down to 37 F (3 C)- the thick, hooded sweatshirt and multiple layers have not been retired yet.
Paradoxically, the cool local temperatures are most likely due to global warming- as Arctic ice melts, and the far northern latitudes warm up, the jet stream slows down and meanders, reducing the flow of warmer air from the Pacific Northwest into this particular geographical region. While global warming deniers would say, "Hur hur, it's cold in New York", they purposely ignore the.. uhhh... errrr... global extent of, you got it, global warming.
The BBC has good coverage of this phenomenon, which is likely to lead to tragic results in the north of the United Kingdom, with emotional repercussions being felt as far away as Ontario.
March came in like a lion, and it's leaving like a slightly less ferocious lion... but Al Gore is fat, amirite?
Paradoxically, the cool local temperatures are most likely due to global warming- as Arctic ice melts, and the far northern latitudes warm up, the jet stream slows down and meanders, reducing the flow of warmer air from the Pacific Northwest into this particular geographical region. While global warming deniers would say, "Hur hur, it's cold in New York", they purposely ignore the.. uhhh... errrr... global extent of, you got it, global warming.
The BBC has good coverage of this phenomenon, which is likely to lead to tragic results in the north of the United Kingdom, with emotional repercussions being felt as far away as Ontario.
March came in like a lion, and it's leaving like a slightly less ferocious lion... but Al Gore is fat, amirite?
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
In Venality Veritas
Every once in a while, a political figure says something which hints at a deeper meaning which is usually kept under wraps. One such unintended "tell" is **ACK** Chief Justice **GAG** John Roberts' indication today that the shifting attitudes in gay marriage are due to, get this, a well-funded lobbying effort by gay-rights activists. In a question to lawyer Roberta Kaplan, Roberts demonstrates his roots as a right-wing corporatist hack:
"I suppose the sea change has a lot to do with the political force and effectiveness of people representing, supporting your side of the case? As far as I can tell, political figures are falling over themselves to endorse your side of the case."
Roberts seems to be unable to fathom a societal change taking place without the influence of hacks and flacks like himself. He sees the involvement of lobbyists in a movement that is driven by grassroots efforts. The groundswell of support for gay rights in general and same-sex marriage in particular is due to the fact that more and more gay people are out, and that more and more straight people have come to the realization that they have gay friends and family members.
As far as my "education" is concerned, my first encounter with an out gay person was with one of my dad's cousins, while on our annual camping trip to Maine. I was eight or nine years old when I met Cousin Peter, who was at the camp with his friend Joe. Cousin Peter was extremely funny, a slightly high-strung (he was even more high-strung when he discovered that one of our uncles had let us take turns driving his Jaguar on a dirt road) motormouth with a quick wit. His friend was a nice, mellow chap. We were too young to think that their skinny-dips together were weird- after all, we were in camp in the middle of Maine, where normal rules went out the window... where eight and ten year olds could take a turn driving a car down a dirt road. I subsequently learned that Cousin Peter had spent some time at the family homestead in The Bronx while working for a spell in Manhattan, where he scandalized my grandmother by having a collection of "muscle magazines". My grandmother, as jovial and easy going as she was, was a product of her times, and was a bit freaked out when his "stash" turned up in a routine house-cleaning. Peter's father was the perfect example of a man's man (though not in the sense that his son was)- he was a blue collar guy who was into hunting and fishing, and always wore a hunting knife at his belt while in camp. A few years ago, I asked one of my uncles how such a macho guy dealt with the fact that his son was gay, and my uncle told me that his attitude was, "He's my son, and I'm going to support him no matter what." My forebears didn't have things so easy when they got to this country, so sticking together superseded such petty considerations as sexual attraction.
My education continued in high school- I had two gay friends who tried to kill themselves. Thankfully, both survived. One was disowned by her family, while the other, an only child, was accepted by his. To see lives so adversely affected because prejudices trumped family ties was a horrific eye-opener for me. In college, I knew quite a few out gay folks of both genders. It's was impossible to hate Todd, Danny, and Katherine because they were really nice people- their sexual preferences mattered absolutely nothing to their circle of friends. Two other college friends of mine took years to come out because of the cultural and religious attitudes in which they'd been raised. Finding out that they had eventually come to terms with their sexuality was heartening, and I only wonder what opportunities they missed out on because they didn't do so earlier.
Age-wise, I'm on the "cusp" of the pro-gay rights and anti-gay rights demographics... the first kids to grow up in the post "Stonewall" era. Knowing older out gay people and growing up with people who learned to cope with their sexuality, I came to the realization that same-sex attraction is not a mental illness, merely a personality trait. It didn't take the efforts of a team of lobbyists to form my attitudes toward gay people, just years of proximity to good people who just happened to be attracted to persons of the same gender. I basically learned the same lesson that Rob Portman learned, but at the age of eight or nine... how could I hate hate Cousin Peter on the basis of whom he found attractive? How could a friend's revelation of their sexual preferences change my attitude toward them?
Roberts' career has largely been informed by venality. He's a mercenary hack who can't imagine that others would support gay rights because of their experiences, even though he has a gay cousin who is attending the DOMA hearings. Today, his venality caused him to let a glimpse of the truth slip out... in venality, veritas.
Cross posted at Rumproast.
"I suppose the sea change has a lot to do with the political force and effectiveness of people representing, supporting your side of the case? As far as I can tell, political figures are falling over themselves to endorse your side of the case."
Roberts seems to be unable to fathom a societal change taking place without the influence of hacks and flacks like himself. He sees the involvement of lobbyists in a movement that is driven by grassroots efforts. The groundswell of support for gay rights in general and same-sex marriage in particular is due to the fact that more and more gay people are out, and that more and more straight people have come to the realization that they have gay friends and family members.
As far as my "education" is concerned, my first encounter with an out gay person was with one of my dad's cousins, while on our annual camping trip to Maine. I was eight or nine years old when I met Cousin Peter, who was at the camp with his friend Joe. Cousin Peter was extremely funny, a slightly high-strung (he was even more high-strung when he discovered that one of our uncles had let us take turns driving his Jaguar on a dirt road) motormouth with a quick wit. His friend was a nice, mellow chap. We were too young to think that their skinny-dips together were weird- after all, we were in camp in the middle of Maine, where normal rules went out the window... where eight and ten year olds could take a turn driving a car down a dirt road. I subsequently learned that Cousin Peter had spent some time at the family homestead in The Bronx while working for a spell in Manhattan, where he scandalized my grandmother by having a collection of "muscle magazines". My grandmother, as jovial and easy going as she was, was a product of her times, and was a bit freaked out when his "stash" turned up in a routine house-cleaning. Peter's father was the perfect example of a man's man (though not in the sense that his son was)- he was a blue collar guy who was into hunting and fishing, and always wore a hunting knife at his belt while in camp. A few years ago, I asked one of my uncles how such a macho guy dealt with the fact that his son was gay, and my uncle told me that his attitude was, "He's my son, and I'm going to support him no matter what." My forebears didn't have things so easy when they got to this country, so sticking together superseded such petty considerations as sexual attraction.
My education continued in high school- I had two gay friends who tried to kill themselves. Thankfully, both survived. One was disowned by her family, while the other, an only child, was accepted by his. To see lives so adversely affected because prejudices trumped family ties was a horrific eye-opener for me. In college, I knew quite a few out gay folks of both genders. It's was impossible to hate Todd, Danny, and Katherine because they were really nice people- their sexual preferences mattered absolutely nothing to their circle of friends. Two other college friends of mine took years to come out because of the cultural and religious attitudes in which they'd been raised. Finding out that they had eventually come to terms with their sexuality was heartening, and I only wonder what opportunities they missed out on because they didn't do so earlier.
Age-wise, I'm on the "cusp" of the pro-gay rights and anti-gay rights demographics... the first kids to grow up in the post "Stonewall" era. Knowing older out gay people and growing up with people who learned to cope with their sexuality, I came to the realization that same-sex attraction is not a mental illness, merely a personality trait. It didn't take the efforts of a team of lobbyists to form my attitudes toward gay people, just years of proximity to good people who just happened to be attracted to persons of the same gender. I basically learned the same lesson that Rob Portman learned, but at the age of eight or nine... how could I hate hate Cousin Peter on the basis of whom he found attractive? How could a friend's revelation of their sexual preferences change my attitude toward them?
Roberts' career has largely been informed by venality. He's a mercenary hack who can't imagine that others would support gay rights because of their experiences, even though he has a gay cousin who is attending the DOMA hearings. Today, his venality caused him to let a glimpse of the truth slip out... in venality, veritas.
Cross posted at Rumproast.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
You WILL Want One!
I had the today off and I received an offer I couldn't refuse. My cousin *REDACTED*, who was NOT "Big Leo" in the hilarious "Midnight Gardeners" prank during high school (he seems to recall using the code name "The Bishop"), called me to tell me that he was taking the kids and a school chum of theirs to The Bronx Zoo- they have the whole week off for Passover and Easter. How could a nerdy fellow like myself pass up an offer of a zoo trip with some awesome company? Of course, not all trips to the zoo end up well, but my track record has been stellar in this regard.
The day being pleasant, but somewhat chilly, the zoo was not crowded at all. There were no lines to any of the added attractions, and my cousin's family membership got us complimentary admission to all of the added attractions. The animals did not fail to deliver the goods- the African hunting dogs were especially active- they seemed to be sorting out their hierarchy by the amount of "playing" they were engaged in. Most other times I've seen them, they've been pretty lethargic. The snow leopards and their melanistic southeast Asian relatives also gave a nice little show- in both instances, one of the cats was grooming a companion. It's funny to consider how little difference there is between the great cats and their domesticated counterparts. That being said, I thank my lucky stars that Ginger isn't approximately my size.
Because most of the animals were at "mid-range", I didn't even bother taking many photographs- they would not have turned out that well. The one animal I snapped a pic of was a tiny African pygmy goose, which was adjacent to the glass of its enclosure and not shy at all:
Isn't that a pretty little birdie? It looks like a painted toy. I don't know how hard they are to keep, but I think I want one. I'm pretty sure you now want one too.
The day being pleasant, but somewhat chilly, the zoo was not crowded at all. There were no lines to any of the added attractions, and my cousin's family membership got us complimentary admission to all of the added attractions. The animals did not fail to deliver the goods- the African hunting dogs were especially active- they seemed to be sorting out their hierarchy by the amount of "playing" they were engaged in. Most other times I've seen them, they've been pretty lethargic. The snow leopards and their melanistic southeast Asian relatives also gave a nice little show- in both instances, one of the cats was grooming a companion. It's funny to consider how little difference there is between the great cats and their domesticated counterparts. That being said, I thank my lucky stars that Ginger isn't approximately my size.
Because most of the animals were at "mid-range", I didn't even bother taking many photographs- they would not have turned out that well. The one animal I snapped a pic of was a tiny African pygmy goose, which was adjacent to the glass of its enclosure and not shy at all:
Isn't that a pretty little birdie? It looks like a painted toy. I don't know how hard they are to keep, but I think I want one. I'm pretty sure you now want one too.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Cursed? Karst!
Not three weeks after a giant sinkhole claimed the life of a resident of the Tampa, Florida area, a second sinkhole has formed in the same town. Of course, the formation of sinkholes in such close proximity is no coincidence... there is a, pardon the expression, underlying cause for these disasters.
The geology of West-Central Florida is typified by a karst formation, strata of soluble rock riddled (couldn't resist) with holes and gaps through the action of acidified water. Sinkholes are a common feature of karst landscapes, especially when ground water is removed from the formation. Further hydrological disruptions can occur as development retards the absorption of the rainwater which, under normal conditions, would replenish the groundwater. With increased development, and increased stress on groundwater resources, the incidence of sinkholes is likely to increase.
The real problem is unsustainable development on unstable geological formations. Development on unstable karst landscapes, ephemeral barrier islands and low-lying flood plains is problematic. Of course, there are very few legal impediments to unsustainable development in unsuitable areas, and an insufficiently knowledgable public will continue to build and rebuild on locations known to be unsafe.
Regarding the karst landscape of Florida, I have no solution to the problem of dissolution, I can just point to the problem and nerd out about the geology involved.
The geology of West-Central Florida is typified by a karst formation, strata of soluble rock riddled (couldn't resist) with holes and gaps through the action of acidified water. Sinkholes are a common feature of karst landscapes, especially when ground water is removed from the formation. Further hydrological disruptions can occur as development retards the absorption of the rainwater which, under normal conditions, would replenish the groundwater. With increased development, and increased stress on groundwater resources, the incidence of sinkholes is likely to increase.
The real problem is unsustainable development on unstable geological formations. Development on unstable karst landscapes, ephemeral barrier islands and low-lying flood plains is problematic. Of course, there are very few legal impediments to unsustainable development in unsuitable areas, and an insufficiently knowledgable public will continue to build and rebuild on locations known to be unsafe.
Regarding the karst landscape of Florida, I have no solution to the problem of dissolution, I can just point to the problem and nerd out about the geology involved.
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