Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Monday, November 27, 2006
Uno Catpuccino
I learned that Uno had to be put down because of diabetes. His owner, Maury McCown, made the tough decision after it became clear that Uno was struggling. Anyone who ever had to lose a much loved pet knows how difficult it is. Uno brought me lots of laughs (Maury maintained a picture blog of Uno's exploits).
Here's looking at you, Uno.
Here's looking at you, Uno.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Early Afternoon
Saw "The Queen" today. Helen Mirren is spectacular. She is such a quiet actor. It's almost all internal. Highly recommend.
Friday, November 24, 2006
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
The Day Comes To A Close
Isabella is lying on my lap, effectively pinning me to the couch. I literally cannot move my legs without moving Izzy and she's so sweet I can't bear to move her. This little kitty is trusting me and that's more important than my physical comfort...for now.
Carmen
Just got back from the Opera. I thoroughly enjoyed it although G. didn't think the mezzo was a very good Carmen despite her beautiful voice. I did.
Monday, November 20, 2006
There Be Roses
Yes, there are still roses blooming here and there although it's mid-November. Often they are more beautiuful than the lush blooms of Summer; probably because they seem rare, and, therefore, precious.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Gonna Lay Down My Sword and Shield
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Atheists are fighting back, and it's about time. They've been pushed around the block pretty hard by various official and unofficial entities. Theocracy is everywhere on the rise, and that can't be good news for atheists. The one bit of good news: Since atheists don't wear distinctive hats or carry objects of veneration, they are harder to pick out in a crowd. Atheists can pass is what I'm saying.
Probably, they could even lie to protect themselves. They could just swear an oath to God. They don't believe in him, so presumably they are protected from bad oath-swearing juju. (For purposes of this column, God is going to be a "him." I have no opinion about God at all, and candidly don't even care that much -- lunch is more important than God in my personal cosmology -- so I'm going to pick the most common pronoun. I know, I'm a tool of the patriarchy. Makes sense -- I'm a patriarch.)
The past 60 years have been particularly trying. There was the partition of India in 1947, when a million people died in religious strife -- what did the atheists do then? Kept their heads down, I'm guessing. Then there was the worldwide rise of radical Islam, and the temporary takeover of this nation by Christian fundamentalists, and the concept of tolerance sort of disappeared from the landscape.
Atheists depend on tolerance and the kindness of strangers; they have no paramilitary arm to enforce respect. Also: no guardian angels. There is no pope of atheism -- although, you know, there's no reason why there couldn't be. Great opportunity for swell new costumes.
Actually, there is a sort of pope of atheism right now: Richard Dawkins, whose "The God Delusion" has been warming the cockles of atheist hearts everywhere. Not only does he assert his right not to believe in God, he asserts that he's right not to believe in God, because there is no God. No one home upstairs. No supernatural being is going to help with Timmy's broken leg or the passing game of the Oakland Raiders. Yes, yes, you have faith, but faith is the opposite of proof. Why be surprised when someone mentions the clothes that the emperor doesn't have? Also: no emperor.
I'm all for equality of discourse, and I have been annoyed beyond reason by the faith-based everything of the Bush administration. The endgame of this particular belief system seems to involve heavily armed bigots destroying the world, and I still haven't been to Italy, so if Richard Dawkins has got my back on that one, God bless him. I mean, may he enjoy prosperity.
But there's one idea that comes up in these discussions that I want to talk about; it's the notion that "religion is responsible for most of the war and suffering in the world," or however it's phrased. You know, the Crusades, the Inquisition, colonialism cloaked in Christianity, bigotry against women cloaked in Islam or Hinduism -- the list is pretty long.
I don't believe that it's religion's fault. I believe that human nature is responsible for war and torture and intolerance. I believe that we are beasts, and that every institution we set up reflects our bestial nature. If we drag God into it, it's because we feel shame for our actions. "Sure, seems bad to kill babies, but God told me to do it, so it must be OK."
But we are also more than beasts. At the core of every religion are notions of peace and grace and understanding. Is there hypocrisy? Sure -- hypocrisy is as human as love or murder. But hypocrisy is not all there is. There are good works, plenty of them -- selfless behavior, charity, devotion. Of course you don't need to believe in God to have those virtues, but religion can serve as an organizing principle to make these virtues manifest on Earth.
Religion also provides rituals, and humans find solace in ritual. Maybe it's all a lie, blah blah blah, but how can solace be bad? How can comfort be evil? Man, shut up and listen to the music; be still and smell the flowers. There's room here for all of us; atheists, of all people, should understand that point.
Brief anecdote: A few Sundays ago I went to a Presbyterian church in Bedford, N.Y. It wasn't worship; it was friendship -- a dear friend of mine is a minister there. At one point in the service there were "joys and concerns" expressed, people in the congregation asking for prayers for someone with cancer or expressing happiness at the birth of a child. Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean I can't pray -- I need some way to get in touch with the angels of my better nature, and that seems to work.
Along the wall, there were paper bags for the annual food drive. The more fortunate were caring for the less fortunate. And I thought: Opinions are overrated. You can't know the unknowable, but you can do the doable.
May God strike me dead if this object I am holding is not solid gold. See, here I am still. What more proof do you need? Would God lie?
Gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by jcarroll@sfchronicle.com
Atheists are fighting back, and it's about time. They've been pushed around the block pretty hard by various official and unofficial entities. Theocracy is everywhere on the rise, and that can't be good news for atheists. The one bit of good news: Since atheists don't wear distinctive hats or carry objects of veneration, they are harder to pick out in a crowd. Atheists can pass is what I'm saying.
Probably, they could even lie to protect themselves. They could just swear an oath to God. They don't believe in him, so presumably they are protected from bad oath-swearing juju. (For purposes of this column, God is going to be a "him." I have no opinion about God at all, and candidly don't even care that much -- lunch is more important than God in my personal cosmology -- so I'm going to pick the most common pronoun. I know, I'm a tool of the patriarchy. Makes sense -- I'm a patriarch.)
The past 60 years have been particularly trying. There was the partition of India in 1947, when a million people died in religious strife -- what did the atheists do then? Kept their heads down, I'm guessing. Then there was the worldwide rise of radical Islam, and the temporary takeover of this nation by Christian fundamentalists, and the concept of tolerance sort of disappeared from the landscape.
Atheists depend on tolerance and the kindness of strangers; they have no paramilitary arm to enforce respect. Also: no guardian angels. There is no pope of atheism -- although, you know, there's no reason why there couldn't be. Great opportunity for swell new costumes.
Actually, there is a sort of pope of atheism right now: Richard Dawkins, whose "The God Delusion" has been warming the cockles of atheist hearts everywhere. Not only does he assert his right not to believe in God, he asserts that he's right not to believe in God, because there is no God. No one home upstairs. No supernatural being is going to help with Timmy's broken leg or the passing game of the Oakland Raiders. Yes, yes, you have faith, but faith is the opposite of proof. Why be surprised when someone mentions the clothes that the emperor doesn't have? Also: no emperor.
I'm all for equality of discourse, and I have been annoyed beyond reason by the faith-based everything of the Bush administration. The endgame of this particular belief system seems to involve heavily armed bigots destroying the world, and I still haven't been to Italy, so if Richard Dawkins has got my back on that one, God bless him. I mean, may he enjoy prosperity.
But there's one idea that comes up in these discussions that I want to talk about; it's the notion that "religion is responsible for most of the war and suffering in the world," or however it's phrased. You know, the Crusades, the Inquisition, colonialism cloaked in Christianity, bigotry against women cloaked in Islam or Hinduism -- the list is pretty long.
I don't believe that it's religion's fault. I believe that human nature is responsible for war and torture and intolerance. I believe that we are beasts, and that every institution we set up reflects our bestial nature. If we drag God into it, it's because we feel shame for our actions. "Sure, seems bad to kill babies, but God told me to do it, so it must be OK."
But we are also more than beasts. At the core of every religion are notions of peace and grace and understanding. Is there hypocrisy? Sure -- hypocrisy is as human as love or murder. But hypocrisy is not all there is. There are good works, plenty of them -- selfless behavior, charity, devotion. Of course you don't need to believe in God to have those virtues, but religion can serve as an organizing principle to make these virtues manifest on Earth.
Religion also provides rituals, and humans find solace in ritual. Maybe it's all a lie, blah blah blah, but how can solace be bad? How can comfort be evil? Man, shut up and listen to the music; be still and smell the flowers. There's room here for all of us; atheists, of all people, should understand that point.
Brief anecdote: A few Sundays ago I went to a Presbyterian church in Bedford, N.Y. It wasn't worship; it was friendship -- a dear friend of mine is a minister there. At one point in the service there were "joys and concerns" expressed, people in the congregation asking for prayers for someone with cancer or expressing happiness at the birth of a child. Just because I don't believe in God doesn't mean I can't pray -- I need some way to get in touch with the angels of my better nature, and that seems to work.
Along the wall, there were paper bags for the annual food drive. The more fortunate were caring for the less fortunate. And I thought: Opinions are overrated. You can't know the unknowable, but you can do the doable.
May God strike me dead if this object I am holding is not solid gold. See, here I am still. What more proof do you need? Would God lie?
Gonna lay down my sword and shield, down by jcarroll@sfchronicle.com
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Fall Song
Another year gone, leaving everywhere
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves,
the uneaten fruits crumbling damply
in the shadows, unmattering back
from the particular island
of this summer, this NOW, that now is nowhere
except underfoot, moldering
in that black subterranean castle
of unobservable mysteries - roots and sealed seeds
and the wanderings of water. This
I try to remember when time's measure
painfully chafes, for instance when autumn
flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing
to stay - how everything lives, shifting
from one bright vision to another, forever
in these momentary pastures.
Mary Oliver
its rich spiced residues: vines, leaves,
the uneaten fruits crumbling damply
in the shadows, unmattering back
from the particular island
of this summer, this NOW, that now is nowhere
except underfoot, moldering
in that black subterranean castle
of unobservable mysteries - roots and sealed seeds
and the wanderings of water. This
I try to remember when time's measure
painfully chafes, for instance when autumn
flares out at the last, boisterous and like us longing
to stay - how everything lives, shifting
from one bright vision to another, forever
in these momentary pastures.
Mary Oliver
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Monday, November 13, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Friday, November 10, 2006
Thursday, November 09, 2006
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Happy Days Are Here Again
The only thing that would make it sweeter is if Bill Clinton could be President again. He's a wascal but I love him.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Bush Lost the War
The Democrats' best slogan: "Bush lost the war"
He also lowered Paris Hilton's taxes and botched the job of finding Osama. A few last talking points to help the party win back Congress.
By Bill Maher
Nov. 05, 2006 | New Rule: Controlling Congress is for closers. Listen up, Democrats, it's as simple as ABC: Always Be Closing. First prize? Controlling congressional committees, with subpoena power. Second prize: set of steak knives. Third prize? You're fired.
The election is four days away, and I'm through dicking around with you. Here are your talking points:
1) When they say, "Democrats will raise taxes," you say, "We have to, because some asshole spent all the money in the world cutting Paris Hilton's taxes and not killing Osama bin Laden." In just six years the national debt has doubled. You can't keep spending money you don't take in, that's not even elementary economics, that's just called "Don't be Michael Jackson."
2) When they say, "The terrorists want the Democrats to win," you say, "Are you insane? George Bush has been a terrorist's wet dream, and nonpartisan commissions have confirmed that he's a recruiter's dream: theirs, not ours. And, he has exhausted our military without coming away with a win, the worst of both worlds." Bush inflames radical hatred against America and then runs on offering to protect us from it. It's like a guy throwing shit on you and then selling you relief from the flies.
3) When they say, "Cut and Run" or "Defeatocrat," you say, "Bush lost the war -- period." All this nonsense about "the violence is getting worse because they're trying to influence our election." No, it's getting worse because you drew up the postwar plans on the back of a cocktail napkin at Applebee's. And of course Democrats want to win, but that's impossible now that you've ethnically cleansed the place by making it unlivable, just like you did with New Orleans.
4) When they say that actual combat veterans like John Kerry are "denigrating" the troops, you say, "You're completely full of shit." Remember when Al Gore caught all that flak for sighing and moaning during that debate? Yeah, don't do that. Just say, "You're full of shit."
If I was a troop, the support I would want back home would mainly come in the form of people pressuring Washington to get me out of this pointless nightmare. That's how I would feel supported.
So when they say, "Democrats are obstructionists," you say, "You're welcome." Because with a bad administration that has bad ideas, obstruction is a good thing, just as it's a good thing to obstruct a drunk from getting his car keys. I would be happy to frame the debate as a fight between the Obstructionists and the Enablers. There's your talking point: "Vote Republican, and you vote to enable George Bush to keep ruling as an emperor." A retarded, child emperor, but an emperor.
Democrats, you've got two days to get out there and close. It's not about slogans this time. Although when it comes to slogans, accept no other from your opponent except this one: "The Republican Party: We're Sorry."
-- By Bill Maher
He also lowered Paris Hilton's taxes and botched the job of finding Osama. A few last talking points to help the party win back Congress.
By Bill Maher
Nov. 05, 2006 | New Rule: Controlling Congress is for closers. Listen up, Democrats, it's as simple as ABC: Always Be Closing. First prize? Controlling congressional committees, with subpoena power. Second prize: set of steak knives. Third prize? You're fired.
The election is four days away, and I'm through dicking around with you. Here are your talking points:
1) When they say, "Democrats will raise taxes," you say, "We have to, because some asshole spent all the money in the world cutting Paris Hilton's taxes and not killing Osama bin Laden." In just six years the national debt has doubled. You can't keep spending money you don't take in, that's not even elementary economics, that's just called "Don't be Michael Jackson."
2) When they say, "The terrorists want the Democrats to win," you say, "Are you insane? George Bush has been a terrorist's wet dream, and nonpartisan commissions have confirmed that he's a recruiter's dream: theirs, not ours. And, he has exhausted our military without coming away with a win, the worst of both worlds." Bush inflames radical hatred against America and then runs on offering to protect us from it. It's like a guy throwing shit on you and then selling you relief from the flies.
3) When they say, "Cut and Run" or "Defeatocrat," you say, "Bush lost the war -- period." All this nonsense about "the violence is getting worse because they're trying to influence our election." No, it's getting worse because you drew up the postwar plans on the back of a cocktail napkin at Applebee's. And of course Democrats want to win, but that's impossible now that you've ethnically cleansed the place by making it unlivable, just like you did with New Orleans.
4) When they say that actual combat veterans like John Kerry are "denigrating" the troops, you say, "You're completely full of shit." Remember when Al Gore caught all that flak for sighing and moaning during that debate? Yeah, don't do that. Just say, "You're full of shit."
If I was a troop, the support I would want back home would mainly come in the form of people pressuring Washington to get me out of this pointless nightmare. That's how I would feel supported.
So when they say, "Democrats are obstructionists," you say, "You're welcome." Because with a bad administration that has bad ideas, obstruction is a good thing, just as it's a good thing to obstruct a drunk from getting his car keys. I would be happy to frame the debate as a fight between the Obstructionists and the Enablers. There's your talking point: "Vote Republican, and you vote to enable George Bush to keep ruling as an emperor." A retarded, child emperor, but an emperor.
Democrats, you've got two days to get out there and close. It's not about slogans this time. Although when it comes to slogans, accept no other from your opponent except this one: "The Republican Party: We're Sorry."
-- By Bill Maher
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Friday, November 03, 2006
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Welcome
On a dark desert highway
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.
___The Eagles
Cool wind in my hair
Warm smell of colitas
Rising up through the air
Up ahead in the distance
I saw a shimmering light
My head grew heavy, and my sight grew dim
I had to stop for the night.
___The Eagles
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
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