The Pew

Today on the view they were talking about evolution and Joy Behar said people who don't believe in evolution are Neanderthals and Sheri (who is a straight creationist) didn't even take note until Barbara Walters said, "She's calling YOU a Neanderthal." Barbara was laughing. Then Whoopi said you can have your own opinions you just can't have your own facts. Booyah. I like to hear people talk openly about this on daytime television.
This song has been stuck on my head for like two days. This video is just so funky weird. Dig it.

Also, Katy Perry's Sesame Street scandal.

Apparently the parents of America (let's be honest the Moms) didn't like their precious chitlins to be exposed to.... some cleavage? Are you kidding me? Half of the kids watching this are probably still breastfeeding. In the end due to complaints Sesame Street pulled the very vanilla clip. Shame on you Sesame Street. So we invited you on this show, probably picked out your costume, and rewrote your song, oh yeah, we forgot, you have bewbs, just kidding we don't actually want this to air.

Herodotus' First Law

What function does vengeance serve? Fear of it, dread in the face of its inescapability, should be enough to stop anyone from committing a dishonorable act that is damaging to another. It should function as a brake, a restraining voice of reason. If, however, it turns out to be an ineffectual deterrent, and someone commits an offense, the perpetrator will be seen to have set into motion a chain of retribution that can stretch for generations, for centuries even.

There is a kind of dreary fatalism in the mechanism of revenge. Something irreversible and inevitable. Misfortune befalls you and you cannot fathom why.

- Ryszard Kapuscinski

I like this dreary concept far more than the idiocy of the concept of "respect" and farther still than rigid rules we are forced to abide by (my bane, Traffic Laws!). If only we could self police. The golden rule taken completely out of a biblical concept is hands down the best idea that has come out of an ancient text. The ethic of reciprocity in all its forms seems like a great way to conduct one's self.

Longer Lost Rivals

I've also been pondering the idea of borders lately, in all concepts of the word.

They are made for crossing.

Moms have been asking about my brand new tattoo in very incredulous ways. It makes me happy. It reminds us all that I'm not one of them, maybe someday, but then I'll still be the mom with the sweet tat.

(I'm totally avoiding reading about how my blood pumps through my heart, can you tell?)

The Astronaut's Birthday

Sometimes (at least six times a year) I seriously think about the question of art. What constitutes it? Why make it? Who is it really for? Do I consider myself an artist? Can a world exist without it? Etc. etc. It is indeed always a question that needs an attempt at answering. But in pondering that question it has recently brought up the bigger question of why do anything?

And not in a nihilistic way, but from a survival stand point.

I mean deep down do we really have a choice to do a lot of things? Can you lump art in with that most everything else we don't have a choice about? Yes for some and no for some?

Of course that question brings up a million other questions that will be answered in a million different ways by a million different people.

What I'm saying is, have you sat back and thought about what the important things in your life do for you and vice versa? Actually I don't know what I'm saying.

The Pains of Being Pure

My hands are so full of weird little aches and pains in places they don't normally ache or pain. This is good, no? I've been hammering and sawing my way into the fall. I've almost finished my piano bench. We have come a long way together. I like this furniture reclaiming business, it makes me a perfectionist. There are few things I even care to do half-ass, so this must mean something. The relationship between my hands/mood to whatever is laid out in front of me is exciting.

But, if I keep up with this I should probably invest in a power tool or two.

It's getting chilly and busy. I like these things. Where did summer go? I felt like I was in a time warp all summer. The days both dragged on and flew by. I don't know how I feel about this summer, but maybe because it's a constant comparison to the backdrop of last summer. I should stop that. Oh well. September is shaping up real nice. I had pumpkin pancakes the other day and oh boy, were they freakin delicious.