13 PLAY LOUD
"Start playing loud when you're young, and you'll be one step ahead of the game. If you start off playing soft, it will get you into a lot of bad habits. Terrible, terrible, habits. Look at these jazz people. Of course they play soft. It's a trick so you can't hear them." --Nigel Tufnel
Mr. Randi is, I’ve decided, a searchlight. He stands astride mountains of foolishness and indifference, and his light sweeps the horizon, looking for chimera and character. But as a searchlight, he is also a beacon. Those of us who may feel trapped by the nonsense showering down from the media, from strangers, from friends, from family, can feel trapped in the dark. And, often, quite alone in the dark. But if we glance up, we can see this light. It seems dim, but only because it is piercing so much darkness. And as we move toward it, the world becomes a bit brighter.While I find the metaphor apt, and the description compelling, I have always had a slightly different view of Mr Randi. I mean let's be honest, he's an old curmudgeon. He does not suffer fools gladly, and he has no patience for those who attempt to tapdance around, just outside the circle of light cast by the spotlight of cold, clear reason. Deal straight with Randi, and he'll deal straight with you. Try to weasel your way through with specious, unfocussed, pseudoscientific drivel, and he'll cut you off short, and tell you, in no uncertain terms what he thinks of you and your unsubstantiated claims.
At the age of ten, I ran a casino. I dealt blackjack, rolled craps, and I even had a roulette wheel I picked up during a lucky night in an amusement park arcade.With a beginning like that, how can you resist?
Weekend Assignment #103: List the songs you'd play to kick a party into gear. You can choose up to five.In order to add my own flavour to the assignment, I thought I would limit myself to Canadian music. As an added challenge, I restricted myself to Canadian one-hit-wonders. So, here are my top five suggestions for Canadian kick-ass party songs.
Extra Credit: Name the song to play to start winding down the party.Blue Rodeo--Try. It is not possible to listen to this song without singing along; at the top of your lungs. And, because it is somewhat long, by the time you've finished singing, your beer is warm and flat. Time to go.
in the kitchen doorway to the left is what appears to be [ecto-plasm], which is creepy and ghostly enough...but if you look closely in my husbands pant leg behind that you can see a creepy fricken face...take a look and see what you all think. Do you think it is the real thing or my imagination?I will tell you my opinion. Be aware of some facts first.
A PSYCHIC medium was arrested at one of his events after he punched a member of the audience who accused him of being a fake.I had to laugh out loud at this news item.
Today Stephen Holbrook, who was given a police caution after admitting the assault, said: "I never saw it coming.
Weekend Assignment #102: Do you honestly think there is life out there in the universe? And if so, what kind of life do you think it is?
Extra Credit: Name your favorite (fictional) alien creature.
On top is Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke, which came highly recommended by almost everyone I have ever met in my entire life. So I read it. And it was excellent. I finished it a couple of weeks ago, but haven't put it away because I think the wife will want to read it. I would like to draw to your attention a new blog series beginning today. Project Jason: A Voice For The Missing is starting a series called Psychics and Missing People. Kelly, the blog owner, is the mother of two boys, one of whom went missing without a trace almost five years ago. Kelly and her family, once their story gained media attention, became the target of numerous psychics and mediums who claimed to be able to give them information about thier son. Needless to say, Jason is still missing. Kelly points out:
There is not one proven case in which a psychic, using special powers or abilities not given to the typical person, has located a missing person, whether dead or alive. It may be possible that some persons have an ability that defies science and logic, but there is no known scientific evidence of this. These persons re-victimize families by taking away hope where it should stand, and giving hope where there is none. No person has the right to do this to another.Over the next several weeks, Kelly will be presenting her story, and the stories of other loved ones of missing persons who have been victimized by these so-called psychic detectives, as well as commentaries from noted skeptics and critical thinkers. This blog series will be one of the most important illustrations of how people are victimized by psychics in our society. I think everyone should read it.
You are a person of great enthusiasm - easily excited by many things. Unsatisfied by the ordinary, you are reaching for an epic, extraordinary life. You want the best. The best life. The best love. The best reputation.
Have you ever played 'the sub-title game?' You play by watching a bad foreign language film and inventing your own sub-titles. Now it seems someone has created an online version of the game for anyone to play.
That was so much fun I had to do another one. Click the picture at right to see it.
I am really worried about the virus that your wife described. Kindly tell me if you think my children need the vaccine. How old are children when they first take it?Remember, the few versions of HPV that are related to cancer are sexually transmitted diseases. I don't know how old your girls are, but if they are too young to be having sexual relations, you need not worry immediately.
Now, here’s the best reason of all to give up god for Lent. If it lasts, and you give up god permanently, you don’t have to give up anything next year. Nothing at all. In atheist circles, Lent is known as “March.” There’s no sacrifice involved, but you still get the benefit of lion and lamb side-by-side (at least according to some old wives I know). During atheist “March,” we don’t smear you with anything at all (unless you want us to, but that’s none of my business). If you want to pick up some leaves, we don’t make you listen to a lecture first. Just go to the grocery store or your local garden center. They have all the cellulose and none of the guilt.This is one amusing writer. For more interesting reading of a highly provocative nature, I recommend the God is a Dick series.
LONDON (AP) - A Scottish distillery said Monday it was reviving a centuries-old recipe for whisky so strong that one 17th-century writer feared more than two spoonfuls could be lethal.I've tried Bruichladdich's (pronounced brook-laddie) single malt whisky, and quite enjoyed it, but I don't know if I'm up for a 184 proof version. I've tried 180 proof rum, from both Jamaica and Barbados, and it seems to be a product created for only one pupose: to get as drunk as possible as quickly as possible. There is certainly no pleasure in drinking it. The multiple distillations have taken out everything that adds flavour, leaving behind only the alcohol.
Risk-taking whisky connoisseurs will have to wait, however - the spirit will not be ready for at least 10 years.
The Bruichladdich distillery on the Isle of Islay, off Scotland's west coast, is producing the quadruple-distilled 184-proof - or 92 percent alcohol - spirit ``purely for fun,'' managing director Mark Reynier said...
customers will be able to watch the whisky's progress on the distillery's webcams.
