Misc: I can hear the scream

After two years, police in Norway have recovered the stolen Munch painting.

Science, Religion: The G-Spot

Brain scans of nuns have revealed intricate neural circuits that flicker into life when they feel the presence of God.

The images suggest that feelings of profound joy and union with a higher being that accompany religious experiences are the culmination of ramped-up electrical activity in parts of the brain.

Of course this study does not profess to say anything about the existence of god. But clearly it shows that the brain is responsible for the feelings involved.

Politcs: Critics are immoral and confused says Rumsfeld

Whoa. Thanks, Rummy! I really appreciate your kind words.

In unusually explicit terms, Rumsfeld portrayed the administration's critics as suffering from "moral and intellectual confusion" about what threatens the nation's security and accused them of lacking the courage to fight back.

They just don't get it. Plenty of Bush critics understand the threats we face. We just want to solve the problem with some sense of intelligence. Have you ever heard of a strategic plan? Ever thought to equip our troops with the things they need to battle our enemies? Ever thought to go after the people who attacked our country? Have you ever once considered telling the truth and obeying the law? Yes, you can have a courageous, well-planned strategy to to protect our country and our citizens. No, you can't do it without planning. You are calling us confused? Have you listened to your commander in chief lately?

Hypocrisy, Politics, Religion: Vote for Jesus or Vote for Sin

Ok, I don't usually follow the frolics of Katherine Harris, but when she says stupid stuff like this, I have to call her on her complete and utter hypocrisy.

"The Bible says we are to be salt and light. And salt and light means not just in the church and not just as a teacher or as a pastor or a banker or a lawyer, but in government and we have to have elected officials in government and we have to have the faithful in government and over time, that lie we have been told, the separation of church and state, people have internalized, thinking that they needed to avoid politics and that is so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."

"If you are not electing Christians, tried and true, under public scrutiny and pressure, if you’re not electing Christians then in essence you are going to legislate sin."

Oh, so separation of church and state is a lie. Hmmm. And we condone sin if we don't vote fr a christian? Well, now, Katherine has backed off on these statements. Funny, though, she claims she has always professed tolerance and understanding for other faiths.

"My comments were specifically directed toward a Christian group."

"My rallying cry," she said, "has always been people of all faiths should be involved."

Wait a minute . . that has "always been" your rallying cry? Didn't you just tell a bunch of baptists something different? Hello? HYPOCRISY!

Here's another ignorant statement from Ms. Harris.

"And if we are the ones not actively involved in electing those godly men and women and if people aren’t involved in helping godly men in getting elected than we’re going to have a nation of secular laws. That’s not what our founding fathers intended and that’s certainly isn’t what God intended.

Katherine, dear . . you need to go back to school and learn history. That is EXACTLY what our founding fathers intended. Remember? They fled a nation where one religious ideology was thrust upon society. They came to America to create a new world where the government could not meddle in the affairs of relgion and people were free to believe what they want.

Note about the photo. Katherine, you look fabulous in this picture. Out of respect for you as a fellow human being, I did not grab one of the many many horrible photos of you that exist in cyberspace. You're welcome.

Terror: Be careful what you take through security

And for heaven's sake, no matter how embarrassed you are, don't say you have a bomb!

Prosecutors say Amin, who was on his way to Turkey with his mother and two small children last week, twice told security officials that he was carrying a bomb. Only later did he admit he had initially lied about the rubber object's true function because he didn't want his mother to know he was carrying a penis pump, prosecutors say.

Amin does claim that "half of America" uses these. Really?

Read more . . .

Religion: Rev up your engines and stick the Holy Ghost up your ass!

You think I'm crazy? This woman thinks we should take Holy Ghost enemas. She's filled with something, alright, but I don't think it's the holy spirit!

Science: MVEMJSUN(P) hmmm

My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies

Was that the mnemonic you learned as a kid to remember the planets of our solar system? Well, I guess our children will be learning something else. Pluto has just been demoted to an insignificant blob of once-planetary space junk.

Politics: A Band of Brothers

Many Iraq war veterans are running for public office this year. Most are running on the Democratic ticket. I wonder why. Read more . . .

Terror, Science: Terrorism of the domestic kind

I wonder if any of these people will ever question their actions when they are suffering from debilitating neurological diseases?

Dario Ringach, an associate neurobiology professor at the University of California at Los Angeles, decided this month to give up his research on primates because of pressure put on him, his neighborhood, and his family by the UCLA Primate Freedom Project, which seeks to stop research that harms animals.

Photography: Playing with my new flash

I just got a new flash for my Canon Rebel XT. I bought the speedlight 580EX. It certainly makes for better portrait shots and my indoor photos should improve. Here are some tomatoes from the garden I was playing with.

Science: The universe is dark

Scientists at the University of Arizona have found direct evidence that the universe is made up of mostly dark matter. Now, what about all that dark energy out there?

Religion: Because the bible told us so

It is unfathomable that in the 21st century people still hold archaic beliefs. Mary Lambert has been teaching Sunday school at the First Baptist Church in Watertown, NY for 54 years. Suddenly, without warning, Rev. Timothy LaBouf and the Diaconate Board fired Ms. Lambert on August 9, because it's a sin for anyone with a womb to teach men. The most scary thing is Rev. LaBouf sits on the Watertown City Council! Yes, that's it, we need sexist religious nuts deciding policy for everyone. Here's link to the First Baptist Church of Watertown where you can find a statement of bigotry by Rev. LaBouf and the Diaconate Board.

Religion: It seems death is always the answer

In Italy, three Pakistani men killed a woman because she dated an Italian man. What kind of crazy world is this?

Italian police were searching yesterday for a man suspected of involvement in the killing of a Pakistani woman after her father and uncle were charged with slitting her throat because she dated an Italian man and refused to conform to an Islamic lifestyle.

Religion: The Absolute Word of God?

There are those who say the bible is 100% truth inspired by God. Every word? Really? Everything it says? If that's true, God should go on trial for crimes against humanity. What kind of God would advocate stoning our children for talking back to us? Repulsive is right!

Wine: No Wonder I Get So Sleepy

Melatonin, the neurohormone derived from tryptophan, was once thought to be produced only by vertebrate animals. It has been discovered that melatonin is produced by plants as well. Recently a study by Marcello Iriti, Mara Rossoni and Franco Faoro was published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture reporting that several grape varieties have significant levels of melatonin in their skins. Being the wino that I am, I was immediately drawn to this article as I'm always looking for information about wine and health. Interestingly, the rate of biosynthesis of melatonin in plants follows daily rhythmic fluctuations as it does in animals. The Italian researchers analyzed extracts from grape skins using HPLC and identified significant quantities of it. They examined nine different grape varieties, Barbera, Croatina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Marzemino, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Merlot. Lowest levels (0.005 ng per gram of skin) were found in Cabernet Franc while highest levels (0.965 ng per gram of skin) were detected in Nebbiolo. Interestingly, the levels in Merlot nearly tripled from 0.264 ng/g to 0.726 ng/g if the grape vines were treated with the plant defense activator, benzothiadiazole. One of the main applications of melatonin is in resetting our biological clocks when we travel across time zones. So, heading overseas? Take a bottle of wine with you! Oh, wait! Liquids are not allowed on planes anymore.

Religion: My God! Atheists are the scum of the Earth!

Can you believe who these atheists hang out with? Have you ever looked to see what losers they are? In a recent survey, Americans rated atheists lower than Muslims, Immigrants, and even *gasp* Homosexuals! It's no wonder. They are such a drain on society.

Terror: The Terrorists Have Won

It would seem that way considering all the changes to our way of life that have occurred in the last few years. I tried to send some papers to a colleague in China. I was just flabbergasted when I received my envelope back in the mail. Does this really stop terrorism? How much time, effort, and money were wasted sending this back to me so I could take it in person to the post office. There they ripped off the 'ground transportation only' sticker and stamped it airmail. No questions asked, they just added a $0.00 post office metered stamp. What was the point?