Of motes and logs, pots and kettles, and highly polished mirrors

From the Guardian Unlimited (UK) comes this headline: Conservapedia - the US religious right's answer to Wikipedia.

From the article:

Although entries on Wikipedia are open for anyone to edit, conservative campaigners say they are unable to make changes to articles on the site because of inherent bias by its global team of volunteer editors. Instead they have chosen to build a clone which they hope will promote Christian values."I've tried editing Wikipedia, and found that the biased editors who dominate it censor or change facts to suit their views," Andy Schlafly, the founder of Conservapedia, told the Guardian. "In one case my factual edits were removed within 60 seconds - so editing Wikipedia is no longer a viable approach."

Whereas no one is permitted to sign up to edit Conservapedia at all. I know; I've tried. Oh, and check out this comparison between some descriptions given at Wikipedia and their counterparts at Conservapedia (from the Guardian article):

Dinosaurs

Wikipedia: "Vertebrate animals that dominated terrestrial ecosystems for over 160m years, first appearing approximately 230m years ago."

Conservapedia: "They are mentioned in numerous places throughout the Good Book. For example, the behemoth in Job and the leviathan in Isaiah are almost certainly references to dinosaurs."

US Democratic party

Wikipedia: "The party advocates civil liberties, social freedoms, equal rights, equal opportunity, fiscal responsibility, and a free enterprise system tempered by government intervention."

Conservapedia: "The Democrat voting record reveals a true agenda of cowering to terrorism, treasonous anti-Americanism, and contempt for America's founding principles."

No, they're not biased at all, are they?



Just for the sake of interest, here are Wikipedia's entry about Conservapedia and Conservapedia's article about Wikipedia.

Religious Literacy

Test your religious literacy

I got an “A” - 100%. Though I will note that the quiz is top-heavy with references to the “Big Three” Abrahamic faiths - Judaism, Christianity and Islam. There were a couple of questions each about Buddhism and Hinduism, and nothing at all about any other religions. Still, it covered a decent bit of information that one might suppose, or hope, that the average American would know with regard to religion.

Take it, and tell me how you do.

Some people!

I post on a number of discussion forums online. It's a hobby, of sorts. I run into all sorts of people in the process, many of them decent folks. Some have even become good friends of mine over the years.

But it's the idiots that make me want to hurl my laptop out the nearest window.

What is it about online discussion that brings every shortsighted, one-note moron out of the woodwork? And why is it that they invariably pick me to try to foist their low-wattage viewpoints on? Anyone who knows me well, be it in "real" life or online, knows that I do not suffer fools gladly. Oh, I try to be nice, but after a while, I have to just tell them the truth: that they couldn't find their asses if you spotted them a map and both hands. Really, shouldn't the internet have something along the lines of those signs you see at amusement parks, showing the minimum height one must be to ride certain rides? You know, like, "Your IQ must be at least room temperature for an igloo in the Arctic Circle in January if you want to join in Discussion X." Seems to me that this would be kinder not only to those of us with the intelligence to engage in actual meaningful discussions, but also to those who would be spared having to be told a dozen times a day what morons they are.

At the very least, it would save them having to continually look up "ignoramus" in the dictionary to figure out if I was paying them a compliment or not.

Okay, I owe you lots of posts!

So, my DSL started acting up on me, right about the time my main laptop started to do the same thing. My secondary laptop was in the shop for repairs (and is now going to be replaced, a long story I may tell later) and my desktop is about useless for doing very much on. I literally couldn't log into Blogger, either, due to some freak combination of whatever happened when they updated some software, and the goofy malfunctions my DSL was having.

Long story short, as of today I now have cable internet. Yay, Cox! (That only sounds bad if you're reading this out loud.) And now I can get back in here. So, the backlog of stuff that I was planning to post will get edited into some coherent form suitable for posting in a marathon session, and should appear over the next day or so.

Watch this space.

Whatever gets you through your life

So I was on one of my favorite discussion forums tonight, and someone started a thread asking each of us about our philosophy of life. And it got me thinking about what helps me get through this organized insanity we call living. You know, besides a couple of beers and a cushy pillow for when my head aches from being beaten against the brick walls of the asylum.

So, for what it's worth, here's what works for me. I don't think you could call them words of wisdom, but they're my observations, anyway....

Know yourself. Love yourself, warts and all. It's really too cramped to live inside your own skin with someone you don't get along well with.

Try to be kind to the people around you, or at least try to avoid spreading negativity. Maybe some people irritate you, maybe they annoy you, or maybe they're just having a bad day. Oh, you don't have to enamored of them, but just try to treat them with decency and understanding. (I struggle with this one daily, because it's not just online that I'm the crown princess of snark.)

Have a dream, a goal, something to aim for. In fact, have several. If you don't achieve one of them, you may well achieve another. Never stop reaching, or learning, or growing as a person.

Remember that every day is a blessing. Life is precious, and short. Live it to the fullest.

Surround yourself as much as you can with good friends with whom you can share life's
journey. You don't have to agree with them all the time on everything... everyone is an individual, after all. But celebrate your differences and learn from each other. I personally am blessed to have such a diverse group of friends that I am always being challenged by them. Find friends who will make you stretch your mind and your thinking and occasionally even surprise yourself.

Laugh. As often and as loudly as you can... even when you have to do it on the inside. Look for the humor in everyday situations, and when necessary, inject some. Heck, even when it isn't necessary, it usually can't hurt. Nobody gets out of here alive, but you can always leave 'em laughing.

Take yourself only as seriously as is absolutely necessary. Gravitas has its place, but that place is limited. A lighthearted approach to life is much easier to live up to on those days when you wake up thinking, "Do I really have to be a grownup today?"

Take care of yourself, mentally, physically and spiritually. Ever try to make a road trip in a broken-down car? Oh, you *might* make it from point A to point B, but chances are you're going to spend a lot of nervous moments and maybe even some time sitting by the side of the road watching everyone else pass you while you wait for a tow. Isn't it more fun to zip along in something that's been tuned up and running well? Oh, a few dents, scratches, some worn paint and maybe a little static on the radio are no big deal, because those are just the badges of a lot of successful trips around the block. So is high mileage. But basic maintenance of the engine, the frame and the suspension are crucial if you want to go the distance.

And finally, remember that life is like going to school. We're here for a reason and that reason is to learn. So do your homework, pay attention, and look for the lessons in everything.

Gotta Love "Making It"

Check out this cartoon by Keith Robinson. Just about says it all, doesn't it?

Robinson's Making It comic strip has been a favorite of mine for well over a decade. His observations on modern life cover everything from the effects of caffeine through current events and the pitfalls of computer dating services, all done with charm and style. Robinson's wry wit (often expressed through beachbum-cum-philosopher Normy) is sure to resonate with virtually everyone who has ever been accused of marching to a different drummer.

If you ask me, that drummer has found the true beat of reality. Oh, and be sure not to miss the taglines below the cartoons, after the copyright statement and Keith's name. They're almost as priceless as the panels above!

Living on the water

Okay, I promised some pictures. I'm going to post a couple, and then add to them as I go along. Remember, I'm new to doing this here, so please bear with me.

These sailboats were just offshore at Forest City Yacht Club, and involved in a race. Don't you just love the colorful spinnakers?



My honey's father had a sailboat, a 30' Catalina known as "Snowflake". After his death, the family sold the boat. I wish the two of us had been able to keep it, as it was a very nice vessel and we would both like to sail in the summertime. Ah well, one of our hopes is to eventually have a sailboat of our own... given time, we'll achieve that.

Well, heck... I could've told you that!

You Belong in London

You belong in London, but you belong in many cities... Hong Kong, San Francisco, Sidney. You fit in almost anywhere. And London is diverse and international enough to satisfy many of your tastes. From curry to Shakespeare, London (almost) has it all!

What European City Do You Belong In?

Actually, another place I think I'd probably enjoy would be Edinburgh, Scotland. And we're actually planning a move to Toronto, Ontario for sometime in the next 2-3 years if we can manage it... not European, but definitely cosmopolitan and interesting. Sort of like Chicago, but on an easier budget.

(x-posted 1, 2)

UPDATE: Attack of the Chores, Pt. 2

Dishes done... thanks, honey. (He's a sweetheart!)
Website under way.
Laundry farther along... thanks to my honey again for that. I get to finish it tomorrow.
No closet organizer yet, but it's coming. Soon. I haven't been to the store for it yet. Oh well, the current shelves will hold some of this new clean laundry...
I finally got out of the house before I went crazy. Went to the marina where a friend of a friend keeps her boat, and watched the Parade of Tall Ships as they entered Cleveland Harbor for Harborfest late this afternoon/early this evening. Unfortunately, my digital camera's zoom feature wasn't quite up to getting really good shots of the tall ships (they were rather far out from where we sat) but my friend's 35mm was more than equal to the task, so if he shares pics with me, I'll post some here. I did, however, get some decent shots of the sailboat races right after the tall ships went by (the sailboats were a lot closer to us) and I will have them up on this site sometime in the next couple of days, I think.
Got a last-minute invite to see a movie... Scanner Darkly, based on the 1977 novel by Philip K. Dick. Great film style, using the same "interpolated rotoscoping" animation technique you may have seen recently in those Charles Schwab ads on tv. Psychologically creepy story, with a bit of murk toward the end that is going to make me go out and get a copy of the book just so I can compare details in an effort to tie up the loose ends still rattling around in my brain.

It's extremely humid, but perhaps the bedroom has cooled enough to sleep in by now... my honey has opted to bed down on the futon in front of our livingroom windows for the night, that being the breeziest spot we have. But it's too muggy to sleep next to him, and in any case he has to be up earlier than I do, so I'm off to find a fan and hit the hay.

(x-posted 1, 2)

Minutiae (or, Attack of the Chores)

I'm a procrastinator. Yes, I admit it. And I think it's genetic, or at least congenital. I've been putting things off since early childhood, usually because I'm way too interested in whatever I'm doing at the moment to bother with doing anything else, even if the something else is what I ought to be doing instead of whatever I am doing. (And if you can follow that, you may be one of us.)

Some people equate procrastination with laziness, but I don't think that's necessarily true, certainly not for everyone. My particular problem seems to be one of focus, rather than motivation. You see, I will work hard on something that interests me, something that has captured my attention and focused my thoughts. I will enjoy it, too. It's just that it might not be the thing I really need to be doing at the time. Thus, I may be blogging or doing online research while my dinner dishes sit in the sink, waiting to be rinsed and put in the dishwasher. Which, of course, can't happen until after I empty the dishwasher of the clean stuff that's already in there. But I will happily track down references to an obscure quote or study up on the formation of quasars, the history of the Maine Coon cat breed or the development of the electric guitar right up until I get hungry, at which point I will discover that I haven't a clean pot to cook in because they're all in the sink waiting to be washed. I may then wash them. Or order a pizza.

It's not that unloading or loading a dishwasher is hard work, certainly no harder than - and perhaps not as hard as - online research or writing. But it isn't interesting. (Oh crap, maybe my problem is motivational, too.) So it winds up at the bottom of my priority list, while I focus on things that capture my interest. Unfortunately for me, things that capture my interest tend to hold onto it for inordinate periods of time. I don't know if that means that those things are particularly strong, or whether my interest is simply not interested in escape. I suspect it's the latter, because I've never received a ransom note from Google, Space.com, the Cat Fanciers Association website or the manuscript of my latest story telling me that my interest is being held hostage against its will and that if I will only cough up a million dollars, a dozen dust bunnies or some clean silverware it will be returned to me.

Take today, for example. My house - well, okay, the middle apartment in a three-family house - is a mess, I have errands to run, phone calls to make, a domain name to register, a website to build, and a litter box that is desperately in need of attention. I also have laundry to wash, dry, fold and put away. Before I can do that last part, I need to go out and get a closet organizer, which brings us back to the errands I haven't run. Then the thing needs to be installed, which puts it onto my ongoing list of household projects, and since I need the organizer in place before I can do a proper job of putting the laundry away, not only does it bump the installation project to the top of that list ahead of all the other things I need to do, but it backs up the laundry in the process so that I have baskets of clean laundry sitting in my spare bedroom. Those baskets add to the house being a mess, and since I don't have empty baskets to carry clean laundry up from the basement laundry room, nor to carry it down to the laundry room, my clothes hamper overfloweth with dirty laundry. Have I mentioned that my house is a mess?

Of course, if I'm to go out and get that closet organizer, I'll need to take a shower first (hmmmm... I wonder if I still have any clean towels?) and change clothes (hmmmm... clean underwear?) and it probably wouldn't hurt me to eat lunch before I go (crud... no clean dishes) and while I'm out maybe I can get the other errands done too. Which puts me back at home far later in the day than just getting the organizer would, but at least I'd have some of the other items I need to do while I'm out crossed off my list. Though this means I'll be up until all hours installing a closet organizer and doing laundry and maybe if I'm lucky I'll find time in all of that to take care of those dishes. Or I could just order another pizza.

At least I won't disturb my neighbors if I'm registering domain names and building websites at 2:00 AM. But I think they might object to my waiting until then to reconfigure my closet space with new shelves.

Hmmm. Maybe writing and research are easier than all this other stuff. In any case, here I sit blogging about what I should be doing rather than actually doing it, and then wondering why I feel so overwhelmed. On top of that, one of the cats just puked, so add "clean carpets" to the list of Things To Do.

*Sob*

(x-posted 1, 2)

Do I really need another blog?

So I wasn't going to start a blog here. I set up a LiveJournal account last year, posted a couple of times, and then sort of let it slide. Then I started a MySpace page last month, and though I don't blog on it much it does provide me some contact with other friends who have pages of their own there. Then a friend of mine started blogging here at Blogspot.com, and I've found myself commenting on his posts. Since the system here seems to like taking comments more easily from other Blogspot.com members, I figured, "what the hell, I'll set up over here too."

So here I am. Interestingly enough, my lack of input on my other pages is not due to my having nothing to say; far from it. Just ask my friends at Beliefnet's Church & State Issues, U.S. Politics, Origins of Life or other discussion boards, the Callahan's community online (I access the alt.callahans Usenet group via my browser's newsreader or via Google Groups), or even this message board, among others.

Nope, my cats may have my love, but not my tongue... er... keyboard.

So maybe my problem is that I vent everything on the messageboards instead of saving something for my own corner of the 'Net. Well, maybe so. And maybe it's time for me to try to change that.