March 30, 2007
March 26, 2007
Today's Bible Passage
Jeremiah 8:8,10 (Contemporary English Version)
8) You say, "We are wise because we have the teachings and laws of the LORD." But I say that your teachers have turned my words into lies!
10) ... Everyone is greedy and dishonest, whether poor or rich. Even the prophets and priests cannot be trusted.
March 24, 2007
Sentry Duty
With their eyes placed on the sides of their heads, squirrels have a very panoramic view of the environment. This little fellow has volunteered to look out for predators (mainly cats at this time of day).
March 23, 2007
Friday Squirrel Blogging
This was taken a few days ago before the spring thaw...
Rabies!
There's a good article in the April issue of Scientific American about a Wisconsin girl, a high school sophomore, who survived rabies. (Alas, the article is not available online.)
She was bitten by a rabid bat during a church service and didn't seek treatment, apparently thinking that because she washed the wound thoroughly she would be OK. About a month later she began exhibiting numbness and weakness, was admitted to a hospital, and was finally diagnosed as having rabies. (Moral: church won't protect you from rabid bats.)
Normally a diagnosis of rabies is a death sentence, as only five other people have ever recovered from the disease, and each of them had been given the vaccine before exhibiting symptoms. When the rabies virus first enters the body (usually through a bite from an infected animal), the virus remains under the radar of the body's defenses. During this period the patient does not display any symptoms. Only after the virus has migrated into the brain, a journey that usually takes a few weeks, does the patient began to show symptoms. By this time the body's defenses do notice the virus and begin their attack, but too late; the patient is usually dead within a week.
Victims suffer painful throat spasms when they try to drink or eat. Paralysis follows, yet people infected with rabies are intermittently alert until near death and can communicate their fear and suffering to family and caregivers.
The virus forces the body's cells to manufacture five proteins, which in turn cause the brain to malfunction and sabotage vital organs. The doctors at Children's Hospital in Milwaukee, led by Rodney Willoughby, decided to put the girl into a coma to prevent her brain from damaging her body. Meanwhile, they also administered an antiviral drug, which they hoped would fight the virus until her body could manufacture its own antibodies.
It's a terrific story, and the girl, Jeanna Giese, made a full recovery with only a few minor after-effects.
March 18, 2007
Today's Squirrels
First up we have a pic of five squirrels eating the peanuts I put out for them.
And then there's this little guy who can't decide if he wants to join the others.
March 17, 2007
Bonus Squirrel Pic
The wicked sleet storm doesn't seem to have hampered the squirrels.
March 16, 2007
Three Way
So I was right about Jeopardy!, but I didn't have the number right. Oh well.
Hey! How long have they been broadcasting in HD? I might have to watch it more often. Looking good!
Spring? Hah!
No sooner do I start to laud the signs of spring than the weather puts me back in my place.
Here is what the crocuses look like today.
And here is a view out back.
That's sleet, by the way, not light fluffy snow...
Mark Evanier passes along
Mark Evanier passes along a note about tonight's edition of Jeopardy!:
This Friday, March 16th, 2007...and for the first time in 23 years, "Jeopardy!" history will be made. It was such a remarkable event we consulted a Game Theory expert and he said it may never happen again! I wish I could give you more information about this special show, unfortunately, I can only encourage you and your valuable readers to watch Friday's program. Alex Trebek and our producers remain mum and I, myself, have been sworn to secrecy.
He goes on to speculate about the nature of the event. My initial thought was that there would be a three-way tie, but Mark takes that a step further and guesses that all the contestants end up with zero dollars.
Possible, I suppose. Or perhaps they each end up with one dollar. I haven't watched the show since the defeat of Ken Jennings, so maybe I'll give it a look tonight...
March 15, 2007
First Crocuses
After the crazy weather we've had this winter, it's good to see the crocuses are finally beginning to bloom...
March 10, 2007
Die Meistersinger
I haven't listened to very many of the Metropolitan Opera Saturday afternoon broadcasts in recent years. Partly that's a matter of just having fallen out of the habit. Partly it's a matter of there just aren't that many operas that I really enjoy hearing over and over.
One of the big exceptions to that rule is today's opera, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Richard Wagner, of course, is one of the greatest composers who ever lived and certainly in the top three, and I love (really love) almost all of his mature works starting with Dutchman.
But there is something special about Meistersinger; it's his sunniest work, after all, so it seems especially appropriate on a day like this where the temperature is climbing into the 50's for the first time in months.
I feel a special affinity to Wagner's music. He probably could have set the phone book to music and made it interesting. As evidence see what he does with the roll call of the Mastersingers.
It's a long work, of course. The Met's broadcast will last nearly six hours, including intermissions. But there is not a single superfluous note in the entire three acts.
March 08, 2007
I Agree With Atrios!
Atrios has a post about candidates making an issue of their religion:
Therefore it is both fair and responsible to ask these candidates about their precise religious views. I don't mean vague bland nods to "Christian faith" or simply "faith" but actual details on doctrine and practice.
If people want to make religion a central part of political campaigns, I say great! Bring it on! It'll be nice to actually find out just what the hell they're talking about finally.
What would be reasonable questions to ask these candidates?
Off the top of my head:
- According to your faith and your reading of the Bible, which of the following is the most important issue: abortion, homosexuality, or helping the poor? Please cite references for that belief.
- Do you believe that anyone who does not believe in Jesus will be condemned to everlasting torment in hell? If the answer is yes, does that mean that you believe all Jews such as, for example, Joe Lieberman will end up in hell?
- Do you interpret the creation and other stories in Genesis literally or as mythic explanations? How old do you believe the earth is?
That should be enough to get started. This could be fun!
March 04, 2007
Penn's Penultimate
Penn Jillette's podcasts have come to an end, but I highly recommend listening to his next to last episode. It features an interview with Mythbuster Adam Savage and is filled with all sorts of useful information.
Such as:
- how effective is hypnotism? (Answer will probably surprise you)
- how far underwater do you have to be to be safe from being shot by a gun? (Answer will definitely surprise you--unless you've seen that particular Mythbusters episode)
- what is the only subject matter that Mythbusters, South Park, and "Bulls Hit" have each done an episode about? (This answer shouldn't surprise you if you are familiar with Penn Jillette's and South Park's humor)
- what is a funkenring and what is it good for?
- what happened when Adam, during his leaner years, couldn't afford to buy a copy of a Penn and Teller book?
- and lots of other stuff too numerous to mention. It's a fun episode.