Brutally Honest

Brutal? Yes. Honest? Yes. Riveting? Yes. Effective? Apparently.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Creedence Clearwater Revival: "Born on the Bayou"

Fantasies

I finally got around to reading Girl Genius, a fantastic steampunk comic with excellent artwork and fantastic storytelling. There are two stories running concurrently, so if you're new to it, read Girl Genius 101 all the way through, first.

There's also a new issue of Cheshire Crossing up. Much of it isn't exactly original, borrowing heavily from Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, the Oz books, and Alice's adventures in Wonderland. It is very imaginative, though, and so far the only inaccuracy is that Dorothy wears ruby slippers like in the movie, rather than silver shoes as in the books.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Aerosmith: "The Farm"

Miserable

Here's a list of seven reasons the 21st Century is making us miserable. It might be from some emo kid, but it's rather insightful.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Dire Straits: "Money for Nothing"

On the Map

Here's another interesting map from the strange maps blog.

Mood: Intrigued
Music: Free: "All Right Now"

Vocabulary

Maryanne will probably laugh at me for admitting this, but I'm not sure even I know all of these.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: "2000 Volts"

Sex Pays

Not only does sex sell, but apparent it pays as well.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: David Bowie: "Modern Love"

Gone

USA Today compiled a list of the top twenty-five things to have disappeared in the last twenty-five years. It's a combination of intrigue and sadness.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: Kansas: "Down the Road"

Hero

In honor of the anniversary of D-Day (June 6, 1944), read this and try not to cry. Not even a little. I dare you.

Mood: Sad
Music: Doyle Bramhall II: "Cry"

Top Ten

I found this list the other day:

Top Ten Signs You're a Fundamentalist Christian

10 - You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

9 - You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.

8 - You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

7 - Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" including women, children, and trees!

6 - You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5 - You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.

4 - You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects -- will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving."

3 - While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to "prove" Christianity.

2 - You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1 - You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history - but still call yourself a Christian.

Mood: Amused
Music: Dwight Yoakam: "A Thousand Miles From Nowhere"

Dilbert

Scott Adams brings us Dilbert's Unified Theory of Everything, which, as generalizing as it sounds, could actually be very sound financial advice.

Mood: Thoughtful
Music: The Stray Cats: "Built For Speed"