Noteworthy entries.
It's fun to see what passes as "metaphysics" at book stores. It ranges from handwriting analysis to communicating with the dead to astrology to reading tarot cards to all kinds of other cutting-edge new age stuff. But nothing sums it up like the covers to the following two books I saw tonight at a Borders in Chicago:
One of my daughters was reading comic books and asked me whether there really are such things as jet packs. I had seen some videos many years ago, but a few mouse clicks later, I discovered that you can actually buy one for $100,000. Here is a video showing you how to fly a jet pack. As impressive as this device is, I can't imagine a family of four flying off in jet packs to have a picnic. And clearly, you won't be able to sneak up on anyone while using a jet pack.
The word "texting" sounds harsh and garbled when it comes out of a speaker's mouth. A sentence where "text" is used as a verb, such as , "I texted him yesterday but he didn't text me back," instantly summons an image of a slack-jawed, gum-popping teenage girl- all ignorance and frivolity. The words just sound stupid. Don't blame me- some of us Gen-Yers fought off the term "texting" the same way we did bad fads like Crocs and Ugg boots. Even deep into the aughts, years after "texting", we still said "sending a text message" instead. "Texting" prevailed however, for the same reason that Crocs and Uggs became ubiquitous: aesthetics aside, it was damn comfy and easy. "Texting" might make for an ugly-sounding word, but it came out more smoothly and quickly than the correct "sending a text message".
Have you ever gone to a local government meeting where citizen input was invited and it made you wonder about whether democracies are good ideas? As I watched this woman's speech (to the Santa Cruz California City Council) on Reddit.com, I wondered whether it would ever occurred to her that she'd be more effective if she had command of any facts or if she performed a coherent analysis before standing up and talking. I don't mean to pick on her too harshly. She seems sincere. This does remind me of many government meetings where ill-informed citizens dominate. This is the price to pay, though, if you want to give well-informed citizens a chance to talk too. These are only excerpts from the woman's full speech. Therefore, this a very patient city council, indeed.
Those who have not seen the light and built a home temple to the ALMIGHTY GOD ZEUS will soon feel his wrath. Zeus is the one true God, the Protector who will watch over you but only if you cast aside all others and turn to Him in thankfulness and supplication. Come to Him now because WHEN you get hit by one of his lightning bolts (and it WILL happen!) you WILL know the truth! I'm being facetious of course. I am an atheist but this is a challenge to believers of all kinds. Why DON'T you believe in Zeus or any of the thousands of other gods from the past? Please tell me the process by which you examined the faith of the ancient Greeks and decided to reject it. If you can examine yourself and find the reasons why you feel that Zeus is not the god for you, or if you would even go so far as to say "He doesn't exist" (Gasp! Please forgive them oh Wielder of Lighting Bolts!) then you have repeated some of the same process by which I turned my back on Catholicism and Christianity many years ago. You too are an atheist, as far as Zeus is concerned. One of the greatest and most intellectual civilizations ever to be known accepted wholeheartedly the supremacy of Zeus. The innovations of the Greeks were immensely influential on language, politics, educational systems, philosophy, science, and the arts. They inspired the Islamic Golden Age and the Western European Renaissance! By rejecting the God of the Greeks are you saying that you are smarter than they? Do you know something the Greeks didn't know? Just because the stories of Zeus (all glory and power to Him) are from an ancient past doesn't mean they are any less true. In fact, Zeus was around BEFORE your Jesus and your Muhammed. Those guys are newbies compared to The Almighty Zeus! So, explain yourselves Christians and Muslims. Why not Zeus?
