The Animal Story ... Unearthed from the Bowels of History

I found some old files of posts, so I thought I would republish this one... it were my one and only Animal Story. I only add it to the new site now because I don't want to lose it again.


Only out of shear guilt do I finally attempt to post that which I so strangely requested from all (3 or so) of my readers, a story of an encounter with a wild animal within city limits. SlyBootess has come up with multiple accounts, all excellent; though her personal position on animal killing by hoo-mans seems to have gone from "it's a definite no-no" to "I like stomping things to death" to "I would like to kill something". I have no ethical or moral comment on these posts, other than to say, 'Right On, Sister~~!" I have wished to kill things many times, both animal and mineral.

Our story begins in a very special landscape in the Boston area, the Brookline Hills. What makes this area so spectacular --other than the big mansions and such --- is that it did not truly exist in its current topography since the dawn of time. Well, hills were there, but they were modified. And many big rocks were added. No, this was not a deleted scene from "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe". Bill Nighy was not making changes to God's punch list.

No, the interesting tid bit about this particular patch of Earth is that on it sits the home residence of it creator, Frederick Law Olmstead, the man who practically invented landscape architecture. On a small scale, landscape architecture can help make a visually-and logistically-challenged piece of property more usable, more arable, and easier on the eye. On a large scale, such as the vision of Mr Olmstead, it can be a bit presumptuous; Olmstead created the landscapes he wanted by literally building hilltops, dragging thousands of tons of stone into where he thought there should be a mini mountain, planted fauna in places they had never existed before, etc. A nightmare to the Green Peace crowd. But his stuff is pretty, and it lasts like all get out. So many new residents in Boston think this is the natural way the land looked forever. SPECIAL NOTE: Olmstead designed the man made island on Lake Michigan in Chicago that was to become the World's Fair or the Columbia Exposition. There was a great historic novel written recently about it called "The Devil in The White City"; which chronicles the development of the project by 5 incredibly egotistical White Guys who thought they owned the world, and of the story of someone who may have been America's first official serial killer.

But I digress.

SO back to the landmass that is the Brookline Hills. It is situated in what is called "The Green Necklace" of Boston, a series of interconnected parklands that reach from outside of the Boston, all the way into the Back Bay area. This allows you to pass through the most of the city entirely through park lands, rather than city streets. The Brookline Hills are particularly pastoral, in that the area is also bordered by THE Country Club of US Open fame. What this does is create loads of green space for animals to use as well.


Anyhoo, one Early fall morning (5:45AM, EST, appx.) I was driving through this select sylvan 'hood on my way to the 'Tute in Cambridge. As I rounded the curve that lead down over the man-made mountain by the aforementioned Olmstead, I noted his original residence and studio to my left, and pondered the kind of ego that could create landscapes just because he thought them up. Glancing to my right, a large mansion of quasi New England style rose on the artificial hillside. Its sweeping drive arced down the hill to a large wrought iron gate of a simple, Shaker-inspired design. The gate was open, I noted. And something seemed to have come out of it, at least as a flutter in the corner of my eye, which is why I looked at it. When my eyes returned to the road directly in front of me, I saw that which drew my attention.

A buck. A big mother buck. I think in England they would call it a Stag. And this buck was a least 8 points, or had been before he had broken on antler on some unknown obstacle, as it drooped precariously from the rest of its stem.

It was at least as tall as my shoulder, and the antlers would have cleared my head. And it was puffing steam out of its nose like a cartoon bull. And it was now stopped dead in the road in front of my (relatively) new(ish) car. And I was driving towards it.

Since I had been daydreaming a bit on this part of my commute, and since it is very hilly and leaf strewn, I was driving slower than usual. While you would think that my reaction would have been one of shock and dismay, somehow it was neither. I recall laughing, and doing some maneuver with the wheel that allowed me to drift languidly past Sir Buck. Who was plenty pissed at me for some reason.

My window was open at the time, it being a balmy early morning, and this put me at eye level with Sir Buck. I could see he was checking himself, clearly eager to slam into my side at the least provocation. Apropos of nothing, I called quietly but clearly over to him through the open window, "Dude. Chill. You're already all effed up."

As these last words left my lips, Sir Buck seemed to take in my words, and started to walk slowly alongside my car down the hill.

Lights appeared in my windshield from a car coming in the other direction, towards Sir Buck. I gently admonished him to get off the road. He declined. The other car turned out to be a Brookline Police Patrol Unit, driven by a gap-mouthed newbee officer. He turned on the blue lights and slowed to a stop, as I slowed coming nearer to him. Sir Buck stopped at this point, looked at me, then the cop, and turned gracefully up the drive to Olmstead's Estate House and its broad lawns.

Now I was parallel with the cop's window, which came down. He looked at me and said, "Wow. I've never seen one up close."

"They should put in a deer crossing sign," a voice said. Both the cop and I looked around to see an older gentlemen in a business suit standing beside a Mercedes 500 SEL at the mouth of the Shaker-simple gateway of the big manse on the right. "Once one comes through, there will be plenty more after that."

"Do you think I should put out some flares?" asked Officer Newbee.

"No," I said. "I think the morning rush is over. See ya." I nodded to Mr Richee-Rich and Officer Newbee, and puttered down the road. I still needed to get to Cambridge.

It's (Bible) Thumpin' Time!

Perhaps with the unheralded return to the silver screen of TMNT, it's time to start thumping the ol' Good Book to the kinders... so's that they have some clue of what the hub-bub's all about, bub.

Time Magazine presented its for/against case article (this is independent journalism?) for public schools to provide basic religious literacy to those who ask... not religious instruction, just a frame of reference.

It didn't occur to me automatically that there may be many little Boomer and X-ers spawn who have not clue one on any religious belief, what different religions are about, and why people get all up in each other and like kill one another. Because why?

If a parenting pair have decided not to pursue any religious observation in their family's lives, it may leave a big black hole in the cultural educations of their offspring. There may be a whole generation of know-nothings-not-by-choice. Obviously this becomes fertile ground for America's Christian Imans... Dobson, et al ... to go hog wild trying to control the curriculum for those school systems who experiment with comparative religion electives in secondary schools.

But, there are many comparative religion course programs in colleges and universities, and I think their design could inform the choices of regional and local school committees. Of course, I would just suggest you go hire a Unitarian to do the job. They're famous for this kinda shite.

Here's a cultural example of why this type of curricula might be of use.

I was a big fan of the HBO series "Deadwood", which was known for it's highly creative, obscenity -laced prose. One might ask, was this just artistic liscense on the writers' part? NO! David Milch spoke here at the 'Tute recently, and he made a very interesting point. At that time in American history, most people were literate AND the two books that every little red school house used to teach readin' and writin' were the King James Bible and a Complete Works of William Shakespeare.

So, a majority of people could quote scripture, Iago or Macbeth, and cuss like stevedores. Put that all together and you got the colorful expressions in the wild streets of Deadwood, South Dakota.

Their ability to express infinitely obtuse concepts from these three meager sources proves that knowledge of the Bible does not an uptight Christian make. And, contrary-wise, a knowledge of the Koran does not a mad mullah make.

Perhaps we should all consider the value of knowing whaddafuck other people are ranting about before we cast aspersions on their wobbly bits?

Strongman Politics: Bush Becomes Huey Long

Nicholas Kristof was getting pummeled by various newsgroups for his 'anti-Israel' attitude, coupled with the usual racial rhetoric that entails. As I read through his blog comments on THEIR comments on him, it struck me that supporting Israel now or not, this issue is immaterial to the basic debate on The War on Terrorism (it predates it, for one thing) AND the War Against IRAQ (I mean, of course its against the Iraqis ... they still can't tell us who the bad guys are, so they'll just have to suffer, won't they?)

Let me re-phrase the above. We are in a wrong headed war only because of one characteristic of the Bush W Administration: Political Expediency at ALL COSTS.

Has or has not this been the hallmark of the current gang o' thieves in the Big White House? They corralled us into a war in IRAQ as an extension of the War on Terrorism with outright misdirection, bells, whistles, posters and mirrors. Was it Bush losing control of war and foreign policy to the Neo-Cons? Don't forget that both Wolfe and Rumsey signed that letter to Bill Clinton forming the "New American Century" think tank.

Bill was more amenable to the covert concepts from the Neo's, mostly 'cause he wanted to put a hit on both Qaddafi AND Saddamee. But the same guys talked him out of that because the Jesus Nazi's caught him with his johnson hangin' out.

So with Bush in power, the Neo's move in with him, since they will back his Jesus Nazi act. They're practical. They can wait.

And they start putting all the Intel from NSA, CIA, etc through the feed back loop, so that they can cook up the infomercial at the UN they conned Sect of State Colin Powell into MC-ing. Wow, did they hang him out to dry or what?

THEREFORE (big drum roll, please) is it any surprise that they used the same political expediency philosophy in the dismissals of eight federal prosecutors? And isn't this something like the political style of the potential presidency envisioned by Huey Long?

Bush ain't dumb, he's a demagogue. He doesn't stumble on purpose, he makes sure his agenda is met, and makes it look like the little guy effed up. Hence Scooter Libby's ritual sepuku, and the Attorney General's soon-to-come Roman Senator Bath routine (they often were offered an 'honorable death' by cutting their wrists in a warm bath ... echoed in the movie, The Godfather II).

Thank Gawd Bush can't run again. The closest thing to him on the political horizon would be Mitt Romney, but he ain't got a snowball's chance in hell.

Was Leni the Nazi Angelena?

The NYTIMES Sunday Book Review has a super-sexy
double header review of TWO new bio-books coming out simultaneously on Leni Riefenstahl. It will probably be on the web site on Sunday, but right now you can only get it on the TIMES Select page (la-dee-da me!).

One review is by a German Historian , another by a former US Movie Industry Exec.

"... Dolly back as two new biographies of Leni Riefenstahl appear virtually at once. Jürgen Trimborn’s book, well translated from the German by Edna McCown, has the better pictures. Steven Bach’s book, backed up by his deep personal experience as a high-echelon film executive handling dingbat directors, has the better text. Though neither book is precisely adulatory, put them together and they add up to an awful lot of attention. She might be dead, but she won’t lie down. "

The review also indicates that Leni was a big time star way before she was putting out Hitler's Hits. And she became politically active just as the Nazi's were gaining the Reichstag.

So, was she Der Furher's Angelina Jolie?

She was also wicked into Africa (she had a great book of stills she shot there out in the 1980's). And somehow, everybody still showed her lots of artistic respect DESPITE the fact she promoted the one of the most evil political concepts in human history.

Yeah, fascism sucks ... but what great fashion stylings!

Folks will forgive a great piece of ass anything, won't they?



Well, I'll get on the forgiveness bandwagon early and accept future mia culpas from BrAngelina if the global warming thang ain't for real.



As if.

A Great Voice Is Stilled

My fabu dude, LX (see link), is calling it quits on the old Bloggosphere. The circle of those who I always exchanged posts with is getting smaller and smaller. I tend to write a lot less. I've lost my UK audience (all 6 of them), and I'm sure they think I had something to do with Iraq. I kept telling them, no, that was the OTHER guy named Dick.

I almost quit when my old site went ka-blooey. I thought, "Hey, maybe I should just fake my death or something, and stop writing all this drivel that no one is reading anyway." But my son started up a sight, and I saw others who had encouraged me encouraging him as well. And then I sort of had to think about how much I really wanted to read about der kinder having the wild life at University.

And my reading of sites has slacked quite a bit as well. I find myself reading classics text on the web --- right now working my way through Caesar's Gallic Wars Commentaries, and a little Plutarch on Marc Antony the Fuckest-Uppest --- and waiting in van for my invitation to the US Premiere of Hott Fuzz (Nick, you bitch).

And the last two days I spent screwing around with bad editing software trying to post the poems of somebody else, which I thought might be interesting to my son, so I shared with others. That stuff will have to come down, I expect a publisher trying to sue me any minute.

And yet. And yet. I still can't say I'll quit doing this. I find it cheaper than talk therapy at $75.00 an hour, and much more fun.

So maybe I'll stick with it. Only this time, BACK UP!

Major Jackson Part Une & Deux

All right, since there are only 3 people in the world reading this blog now,
I think it's OK for me to post these links to my youtube stuff, and a recording I
did recently of Major Jackson, a poet from Philly who an Associate Professor of English at University of Vermont and a faculty member of the Bennington Writing Seminars.

It also says on his site that "Currently, he is a fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University." He swears to me he isn't just there to chase the betties.

I had to break up the recording into 3 parts to fit into streams on YouTubey, and PLEASE forgive the cheesey images. I'm having a competiton with friends on who can make the shittiest video with Window MoveMaker and still get it function on the web.

I win! The following are just parts one and two. Part three to follow. I put some images up of the book, and he already has his own copy of the recording I burned on site, so I don't think he'd be too pissed. The sound is a little rapsy, mostly because I recorded without filters (duh), so next time I'll do better, and if you don't like it, piss off!


Part I


Part II

Fascisti Films Presents ...

Perhaps Italy feels left out in the cold, what with the success of British, Bollywood, Chinese and even Spanish films starting to do well in world markets and the US... and they have apparently decided that with the beginnings of interest because of the HBO "Rome" series (which 'finales' this weekend), they might stir up the historical pasta pot and come up with some new controversial subjects.

SO where will they mining data? Mussolini's Fascist period, of course!

First story to get the nod according to Variety is the long untold story of Benito's namesake and illegitimate kid ---

"Last week, Marco Bellocchio confirmed he is prepping a feature that will tackle the long-suppressed tale of Mussolini's illegitimate son, also named Benito, who died at age 27 in a mental institution where he had been relegated by fascist militiamen eager to erase proof of his existence. Though known to historians, this is a skeleton that had been buried inside the country's collective closet.

"It's an Italian tragedy; a largely unknown story, which I think will cause lots of discussion," says Bellocchio.

Yawn.

What else ya got?

Meanwhile, Marco Tullio Giordana, best known Stateside for his absorbing 1968-generation epic "Best of Youth" next month will start shooting "Crazy Blood," a biopic about fascist-era thesping couple Osvaldo Valenti and Luisa Ferida, both shot dead in 1945, just as WWII ended, by partisans angered over their fascist connections. Monica Bellucci will play the Mussolini-era diva, star of Alessandro Blasetti's 1940 hit epic "The Iron Crown."

Well, that's a little bit better. Monica B is such a hottie. She could get me excited reading the phone book. The SALT LAKE CITY phonebook.

Oh and this is a BAD picture of Monica. The others were so hot I wouldn't use them.

Boomtown: The New Deadwood

Today I read a review of the latest book by Christopher Buckley, "Boomsday"; which comically details a day in the not-too-distant future when outraged X-ers will wage a PR campaign for the Baby Boomers to commit collective suicide, so that the X-ers won't need to pay for their continued non-productive existence.

This did sound pretty funny to me, until I realized that it will open the floodgates of the cultural zeitgeist, and create and actual movement of the same sort by well-intentioned, idealistic pin heads such as those who organize demonstrations against 'globalization', or who burn down new housing developments because they 'interfere with nature'.

And yes, I AM saying this because I am on the back end of the Boomer Boom, and will probably be one of those guys who still works even though they should retire. Just so as not to be a burden.

But you KNOW this thing is coming, right? And since most blogger folks are not Boomers, I can expect that this will be a rallying cry in the future.

Well, be forewarned. Boomers are notoriously grumpy fuckers. IF you try and take them out, they may take a few of you with them.

I'm just saying.

Tarentino & Rodriguez' Blood Bath ... Yippee!

From the NYP article :

March 15, 2007 -- THE people who dole out ratings at the Motion Picture Assn. of America just might flip out when they see "Grindhouse," Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez's tribute to the ultraviolent, nudity-drenched pictures that once screened 'round the clock in the grungy movie palaces of 42nd Street. ....

... "Grindhouse" is actually two short movies - one directed by Tarantino, the other by Rodriguez - with an intermission between them. During the break, a series of fake trailers will be shown for such fictitious titles as "Werewolf Women of the SS," directed by Rob Zombie.

"In one scene, a cute, topless girl is roughly tied down on a table by evil female Nazi experimenters who begin draining her blood and, as she screams in agony, they brand her like livestock with a coal-hot steel swastika," our source said. "And every girl in the Nazi concentration camp is topless."


I seem to recall that there actually was a movie with this story line released back in the 1980's which I believe was titled, "Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS". Quasi-porn horror, British release, I think.

HA! Found it!

Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS (1974)

Night of the Living ROMNEY ..... OOOOOOooooo - Scary!

Just one more reason NOT to vote for Mitt Romney when election time rolls around in 2008.

HE LIKES TO KEEP DEAD BODIES LYING AROUND ---- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!


What do I mean by this? It seems that there is a distinct problem in Massachusetts in the Medical Examiner's Office (see Bahston Globule story).


There is a massive backup in autopsies here in the MASS GRAVE (boo!), with not only corpses stacking up (in a refrigerated truck out back, no less) but offal from the actual autopsies is causing plumbing back ups, sometimes leaving pathologists and their Igors standing in 2+ inches of gore while operating! YUCH! EEEEUUUWWW!

How did this outrageous state of affairs occur? Maybe it's because the MITTSTER closed ALL 4 OTHER MEDICAL EXAMINER OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. Which leaves one team of 12 pathologists and a small number of techs to do the work of what had been done by nearly 40 pathologists, etc. AND doing TWICE THE NUMBER OF AUTOPSIES SINCE THE CLOSING.

Night of the Living Romney. Maybe he thinks there's a rapture coming, and all this stinky stuff will go away.

John Dunleavy is a Donkey ... But Not in a Nice Way

This bit of St. Patty's Day madness is brought to you by New York Post and the Letter D for Dunleavy ... or Douche Bag (well, that adds a B).

Apparently, Mr Dunleavy is the organizer of the St. Patty's Day Parade in NYC. Traditionally, the NY Fire Department leads the event. Last year, they held up the start of the parade so that New Orleans firefighters could join them with a big banner thanking the people of NYC for their support of Katrina relief effort.

SO ... Dunleavy decides the NYFD should be punished for their insolence of slowing the start by 35 minutes, and should be demoted to the back of the bus.

He'll show 'em.

Nicki Tsongas Takes Over

The woman who helped run the Bradley campaign in Massachusetts, and widow of the late Senator Paul Tsongas (D), will be the one most likely to take over the newly emptied congressional chair of Rep. Marty Meehan (D-Lowell, MA), who will become the new Chancellor of University of Massachusetts - Lowell.

Nicki seems to be ready for a quick couple of rounds against whatever fop Mass Republicans come up with, and should take the seat pretty easily.

The balance in the house will remain unchanged.

This Just In ... Ian Paisley Must Die

An op-ed piece from the Bahston Globule today on the "agreement" that's been doing lack luster service in Northern Ireland. They trot something out like this every Saint Patty's day. But, considering we do have an actual Irish population (born there, came here, joined the band and bought the tee shirt), I suppose it was worth publishing.

Abe Lincoln was a Negro!

OK, I did some more weirdo Internet searching, and while looking over the sites I mentioned below, I spotted an entire category of ethnological research (legit, supposedly) 'lost peoples' or small but very singular ethnic groups in the Western Hemisphere. Some are culturally aligned, like "Os Confederos"--- a group of American Southerners who expatriated to Brazil after losing the Civil War.

Still others are surprising amalgamations of distant cultures, like “Melungeons" who though originally were considered the earliest settlers in Appalachia and from a mix of Scot, Portuguese, Native American and African ancestry, are now possible considered descendants of Turkish servants liberated from Spanish and Portuguese masters by Sir Francis Drake. Drake unloaded these guys in the Carolinas, and they supposedly pushed inland to intermix with Native American Tribes.




Of those people, some famous Americans that may be descendant from them are:


Abraham Lincoln, Elvis Presley and Ava Gardner, to name a few.

Traveller Addendum

This here fella's blog is a current repository of traveller info. Don't know how accurate he is, but it is interesting reading: Patrick Mead.

Thisi guy is kind of interesting. HE also writes for another site, Sacred Ink. What's up with it, I don't know, but wow! "A Tattoo ministry for people who don’t quite “fit in” with other church folks."

This book is about various scamming travellers in the US.

Hello America ... Fancy a Shag?

It seems that kudos can be delivered to Eddy Izzard, transvestite préféré de l'action de ma famille; as well as the magnificant Minnie Driver (always underated) in the new FX series "The Riches". It's premier last night was more than I expected it to be, and somewhat less of a polished American TV Comedy that the FX network droogies bally-hooed.

Which is a good thing.

You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you?

Basically, it was appropriately rough in its first outing, taking pains to make the misery of a travellers life quite clear, while allowing us to still admire our wayward gang's determination to remain outside the mainstream of the "Buffers".

I believe that this is the "Americanized" version of the original show broadcast in the UK, which must have focused on British "travellers" (not Tinkers?"). What is very interesting about this new 'translation' is that the subject matter doesn't need re translation. Anywhere you go in the urban sectors of America, people at least understand the concept (if not slur) 'gypsy'. And out in the hinterlands of America, most rural folks have met (or know someone who has been fleeced) by 'a traveller'.

Here's the only site I found so far that reflects the American "travellers" lifestyle. And if I may bore you sillier still, there is an excellent academic site for referencing American Travellers: http://www.gypsyloresociety.org/interact.html. There seem to be at least 10 different ethnic tribes of travellers in the USA, and most of them came here around 1880.

If you have ever met or known any of the folks, and still have most of your possessions and livestock, then you are particularly blessed. My first occasion to know a Romani family was in the early 1960's, when a big family moved in next door to my Grandmother's house.

Since my family never spoke ill of them, and I was just a wee tyke myself, I was pleased to meet new kids to play with, especially a family of kids who all had pierced ears and earrings. The filial relationships were quite complex. For instance, the little girl about my age was the Auntie to 3 grown men. AND she ordered them around. It wasn't any charming game they played; it was deadly serious. She yelled, they jumped. Several times she ordered them to take us to the corner store and buy us ice cream. They were very kind to me, but I had the feeling something was up with these folks. After one of the ice cream excursions, my Grandmother pulled me into the house and told me I "... shouldn't accept gifts from them. It means you owe them something."

Something in her manner told me that, as one of the members of our family that still had two languages, she might know a thing or two about these folks. I was more cautious after that, but cleverly remained friendly. Anyway, they seemed to have no shortage of money; they put in a great big pool that summer, and everybody knows you throw caution aside for a free swim!

Back to the subject, I think I will enjoy Eddie's new project. I think it might even catch a nerve in the American Psyche. Soon there will be all sort's of traveller's slang used at the water coolers of America! Just in time, too; since they plan to kill off all the Sopranos this year.

Constipedia

Tom! PUT THAT THING AWAY! You'll poke somebody's eye out!

From the Bahston Globule: "March 8, 2007 -
A Brazilian website reported yesterday that Tom Brady's girlfriend Gisele Bundchen may be pregnant and, if so, the Pats QB is the father. According to the popular celebrity website Glamurama.com.br, Bundchen would be no more than two months pregnant, but may already have told select friends and family.

Tom should be more careful where he points his thing --- ur THAT thing. He's inpregnating women by being within swingin's distance.

Maybe he's crossing over to Pro Baseball?

SaaaaWINGGG BATA-BATA-BATA ....

SaaaaWINg IT.

Wonder what his stance is?

.500 at bats.

The Stats are fantastic so far.

Dweeb-Boyz/Dweeb-Boyz/Whatchagonnado-when-dey-come-for-you...

Sean Stevens, 28, and Peter Berdovsky, 27, were subdued today in Charlestown District Court. (Photo Courtesy Boston Globule)

The Bad Boyz of Guerrilla marketing were a much calmer pair in court today than during their last fabu appearance in front of a Townie Judge. Their case is in the discussion stage between Bahston prosecutors and New Yawk Mahketing Attuhrneys.

Interestingly, this was NOT the only bizarro world marketing plan to effect Beantown (the City, not the Bwana). Here's a l'il somethin' more from the Bahston Globule article today:

Less than a month after the Cartoon Network incident, the makers of Dr Pepper ran a nationwide hidden-coin hunt and placed one of the prizes in the historic Granary Burying Ground, which holds the remains of Samuel Adams and John Hancock, among others.

Outraged city officials worried that eager coin hunters would damage the site, and Dr Pepper canceled the contest in Boston. The soft drink maker apologized and donated $10,000 to the operators of the graveyard for their "time and trouble."

Fair is Fair

Too often we clip little creative items from sites like google and others, simply to reinforce visually our own post-opinions. I have done so innumerable times, at thhe expense of others. Today, I want to give a credit to a pic I stole of sowmbody else's site, which they must have worked on feverishly for many hours (or at least went to the trouble of stealing it first).

So the pic I used on "Laissez-Faire Spirituality" really came from "The Washington Pox".

I'll try to remember to do this in the future...for at least a week. Then it's back to being sticky fingered me!

Laissez-Faire Spirituality

Anon, another NYTIMES Mag piece about Science and Religion, an analysis of the continual dance of ALL or NOTHING AT ALL thinking, or MY BRAIN IS BIGGER THAN YOURS. Not the author of the NYTimes piece; who did a good job of dancing over the ice flows of a treacherous river of BELIEF/DISBELIEF.

The article examines the latest brou-ha-ha between the guys like Dawkins ('I'll hold my breath and turn blue unless you give up believing in gOD!') and the super crazy not-so-intelligent design gang ('I'll hold your neck tightly until you turn blue unless you give up rational thought!').

What the author ends up focusing on is the quieter debate of whether religious belief is a byproduct or an adaption within the human brain's evolution; in other words, was religious belief a necessity to human adaption for survival and reproduction success?

Read the article. I'm just butchering this thang.

What I WOULD like to come away from this post is to ask the worlds of Academia, Religion and Geo-Politics to return to a sainer point in this tit-for-tat battle of 'Who Came First, God or the Idea of God?"

It used to be an unwritten Code of Ethics: Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, render unto Me (yes I am God) what is mine. Or better yet, a quote from the NYTIMES article:

"... Science, as the old trope had it, was assigned the territory that describes how the heavens go; religion, how to go to heaven.".

Or maybe Gene Shepard's old saw:

"In God We Trust,

All Others Pay Cash".

Bessie Der Clonen

FebSHots 028, originally uploaded by beantownbwana.

Yes, Mz Boots, HE/SHE be edumacated!

Bessie The Hack Cow

FebSHots 036, originally uploaded by beantownbwana.

Bessie the Hack Cow overlooks the sushi bar, thanking her cow-gods that people loves them raw fish thangs.