Back In The Saddle Again.

Okay, so where was I?

-I'm focusing and thinking again (if I ever do either, that is). Thanks for all the good wishes while I nursed my bruised brain.

-Go check the Commissar's revised map. He has honored this blog with its own autonomous region to the southeast. Also, I was happy to see Lake Bearaton and Jackstadt added.

-Caitlin arrived home last night, safe and sound and tired from fourteen hours of travel, but looking happy and happy to be here. She'll be around for about ten days and then back to London to celebrate the New Year with her friends.

She had spent her mid-semester break this Fall in Israel with her boyfriend and has told me a little about it, but I'm looking forward to some more leisurely discussions. It seems that being there, after having spent the summer in Morocco, has broadened her education and opened her mind up to a more rounded-out perspective. As always, she is naturally curious and comfortable with developing an opinion based on her own observations.

-Click on Joe's sad puss (that's his face, not his wife) to read the results of Drudge's caption contest. This photo is from TIME's "People Who Made Asses of Themselves" or something like that. Or you could visit the TIME website, if so inclined, and see that the magazine has a sorta crush on Iran's wild and crazy president, who apparently, has better taste in music than previously suspected. Another fun couple in the run is Bush and Cheney, looking as if they have the exact same headache as Mrs. Wilson.

-In the "Who wears the skirt?" category, we find that ahead of Elton John's upcoming nuptials, gay Scots are actively making a mockery of all those straight people who wish to reserve the right to divorce for themselves.

-How the Grinch Stole Transit. I used the subway every day when I was at the WTC for training with Morgan Stanley, and it is a great way to get around New York. But not today.

-Google's Eye in the Sky is supposedly hacking off some governments. My oldest brother showed this to me when he was in this summer. We found his home and Caitlin's flat. It was fun. I kind of understand some of the concerns, but it looks as if there are sufficient safeguards in place.

-Dean Esmay has some poignant comments on the Dem's reaction to the NSA kerfuffle. Democrats maybe should take him up on his offer. Hey Dean, can I be deputy?

-Dave Schuler's post on the president's presser yesterday pretty much hones in on the only logical conclusion, so far.

-In this vein, please, please go over to Jack Grant's Place and tell him to cheer up. Yes, Jack, we may never have the Web Babes on CNN cooing over our purple prose, but that doesn't mean that collectively there isn't something fine about being part of this community. For what it's worth, you've influenced me and I know that you have influenced others. Amateurs? So what? That is a misplaced, and poorly used epithet. Amateur, from the Latin amator, amare, meaning to love. We do this for the love of it. We "lack the skills of the professional." Really? I've seen some fairly amateurish work coming from "professional" sources.

Anyway, opinions, even from Jack, matter.

But I understand. I am often found here, by not many people, complaining that I don't have the readership I "deserve," as if I deserve anything at all. Lately, I've come to the conclusion that good, honest work while not actually being its own reward, is in this case not really that expensive and a fine way to hone my writing skills. I'm not ready for prime time yet, and who knows if I ever will be, but if ever some opportunity shows itself, I intend to be ready.

-From this report we get news of some trouble brewing in the Iraq election count. The secularists are not happy, and some are down-right gloomy at the preliminary results which show a higher than expected return for religious parties.

-Lastly, for now, I was enjoying the back-and-forth with Brian Macker before my unfortunate head incident, and as I re-read the thread I came to no real conclusion, which is just about the way these things should end up. I will only say for now that I had been using the term "non-believer" in a sort of short-hand when I shouldn't have. It muddied the waters of the post and confused the issue.

For me the whole subject of religion is a fascinating one, and one that gets me into a lot of trouble from time to time. My agnosticism sometimes gets angry retorts from both theists and atheists, because I refuse to pick a side.

I got an email the other day from Maggie that reminded me of a rationale for believing that comes down to the argument that it's safer to believe, because if you are wrong, and there is a God, then you're in deep detritus. Which strikes me as being blasphemous, kind of like belief based on a dare. Seems to me that denying the existence of God is a cleaner and more defensible position than the hedging of spiritual bets.

But whatever, believe of not believe, I really don't care. It's fun to investigate, though. Which should explain to Jack why I don't have many readers.

As for Christmas, if any guys out there are still looking for the perfect gift--for themselves, I direct you to this website (slightly, though tastefully, NSFW) showcasing this Autumn-Winter Holliday Collection for the lady in your life. Or in your dreams, you sick puke.

God bless us, everyone.

Comments

[Maggie]

"Seems to me that denying the existence of God is a cleaner and more defensible position than the hedging of spiritual bets."

Alas, that thought has merit. But the argument was put forth with the hope that "if you tried it, you might like it, Mike-ey".

Glad your head's been screwed back on, albeit not perfect aligned.

Enjoy your blessed days with Caitlin, my friend.

p.s. you gave me enough links to keep me busy for hours!