Metaphor - Some folks think it's reasonable to prostelytize. Others find it offensive. Even milder evangelization can be quite annoying to someone who is not closed-minded, introspective, and does not need to be reminded to think about his beliefs.
Athiests are often inundated by believers who wish to just introduce them to the joy in their life. Here's a fairly un-subtle metaphor for that activity. But it is funny when you approach it this way.

Witness: Kissing Hank's Butt

What's Your SUV Doing To Our National Security? - I didn't used to be a big fan of Arianna Huffington, but she's talking more and more sense to me. For example, take her recent creation of The Detroit Project. In her words:

The idea for this project came to me while watching -- for the umpteenth time -- one of those outrageous drug war ads the Bush administration has flooded the airwaves with. You know, the ones that try and link using drugs to financing terrorism. Instead of shaking my head in disgust and reaching for the Mute button like I usually do when I see these ads, I decided to channel my indignation. Why not turn the tables and adopt the same tactics the administration was using in the drug war to point out the much more credible link between driving SUVs and our national security?

Isn't that marvelous?

For extra outrage, check out Ms. Huffington's article about how the big three have, wi tht ehelp of Washington, created an artificial demand to boost SUV sales, and thus waste gas and increase use of foreign oil.

WHAT!!?? -House weakens ethics rules - Jan. 7, 2003. Get this:

The changes by the majority Republican leadership caught Democrats by surprise and ignored the House ethics committee's warnings against skirting the spirit of ethical conduct.
The change in the perishable food provision -- dubbed the "pizza rule" by protesting Democrats -- legalized the very type of scheme in the ethics panel's warning last November.

WTF?

Jar-Jaromir - Is it true? Is MLord of the Rings: The Return of the King going to have a new character who wasn't in the books? Read it and weep: BBspot - Fans Outraged at New Character in The Return of the King

Bath, Bus, Bed - I'm told that the mathematician/philosopher Henri Poincaré otld of three places where insights happen. Bath, bus, bed. Well, folks in Amherst are getting a taste of physics on the middle one.

Mass. Buses Display Physics Problems

It seem s that busses in Amherst are now sporting physics problems in advertising space. This makes me feel all warm and fuzzy!

Disposable Email Addresses - I think this is cool. Spamgourmet will provide you with multiple disposable email addresses that only last for a specified number of messages, and then expire. Perfect for handing out for temporary applications you don't trust. And once you sign up, you don't even have to return to the site to create new addresses - you just hand out an address and it starts working automatically.

There are more advanced features, but those explanations are better left to the site itself. Check it out. No more having to put *nospam* in your email address when you post somewhere.

- Answering Machine Joke Triggers Terror Raid. In case that news story has disappeared off the Yahoo server, authorities raided a Danish family's home after mistaking a message on their answering machine for a plea for help.

The message said: "We have been taken hostage by two children. Hurry. Help us after the beep. Now!" Obviously, this was a joke about their children. Friends who heard the message, thought it said: "We have been taken hostage WITH two children." And called the police. Oops.

We've done stuff like this. Not quite the same result. Thank goodness - our friends can take a joke.

Back to Boston - We're taking my younger daughter back to Boston for treatment of her disease. As some of you may know, she suffers from Juvenile Dermatomyositis. We've decided to use the same doctor that this little girl has been seeing. We've lost doctors twice now, and our current doctor was not a good fit with us. Plus, i will fee better at Children's Hospital Boston.

I have to add, however, that our treatment at Providence's Hasbro Children's Hospital was excellent. Paula, the nurse who we had the most close contact with, was extremely delightful to deal with - a real pleasure. And the phlebotomy folks at Providence was always extremely sensitive and competent. Hasbro is the hospital our pediatrician is associated with, so that's where we go wheneve the children need hospitalization, which has happened on occasion. I'm glad we have Hasbro so close by, and also glad we have the option of going to Boston.