We had a great rain storm start up this afternoon while I was at work - including an emergency flooding warning on the radio. It was impressive enough that the power was flickering in and out. At one point it was bad enough that I actually had to shut down my office computer. This particular computer is crappy enough that it's perpetually on the verge of just dying, so a lightning strike would probably would have caused it to explode! So, I ended up spending a little over an hour trying to get work done without a computer. All kinds of fun.
The drive home was . . . interesting. First, there was a traffic light out and a lone (very wet) police officer trying to help traffic through. Poor guy, I do not envy him. While mostly uneventful, the rest of the drive was a pain simply because it took so long. Under normal rush-hour conditions, it takes me about 20-30 minutes to get home. Today, it was almost an hour! But, I'm actually willing to accept this because it means that people were driving reasonable speeds, given the conditions. Well, most people anyway. There was one guy who insisted on driving well above the speed limit - a speed which is based on good driving conditions, not rain and flooded roads. And, of course, he hit a very large puddle in the middle of the road right as he was passing me, spending a small title wave over the hood, windshield, driver's side window of my truck. At least I saw him coming up from behind and was prepared, and luckily there was no one to my left. So I simply slowed down, sped up my wipers, and let him go ahead of me. That way, if he were to get in an accident, at least it wouldn't be with me!
After that, it was just slow going until I reached my apartment complex. And found the parking lot one giant lake. Even around the edges where I park, the water was at least six inches deep. And me wearing business shoes, too. Had I been wearing my normal hiking boots or my shit-kickers, there wouldn't have been any problem. But no, I have to go and try to look professional. At least I was able to park near a curb, so I only had to get one foot wet. I just hope my shoe is all the way dry by tomorrow morning.
And you know what? I'm not pissed, angry, or annoyed! I'm actually quite pleased - because it rained!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Yea, Free Burrito-ie Goodness!
They just opened a new Chipotle near campus. And today they had a special promo - if you showed up with an ASU ID, you got a free burrito or bowl, including guac and a drink! Yes, the line was incredibly long, but it moved quick and we were willing to wait for free food!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The Joys of New Neighbors
Recently, the people who lived in the apartment below mine moved out. All things considered, these people weren't too bad as neighbors. You could occasionally feel and hear the bass from their music coming up through the floor, but it wasn't enough to really cause any problems. Once in a while they would throw a party on the weekend, which could get pretty loud. But they pretty much always wrapped up by midnight or 1:00AM, and they wouldn't leave the front of the building trashed or anything like that, so I was willing to live and let live.
Someone else has now moved in, and already I'm concerned. Yesterday as I was trying to relax at the end of the day, the new neighbor decided to listen to his music. This guy's music was turned up so loud that I could hear the lyrics, and the bass was so high that things in my kitchen were rattling. I know that I live in an apartment complex, so there is going to be some noise bleeding through, but when the silverware in the drawer in rattling in time with someone's music, that's over the line. So, I went downstairs and knocked on his door, planning on asking to turn it down some. I knocked and waited, and waited, and waited some more. No answer – the music was so loud I don't think he heard me. So I knocked again, with a little more force. This time I got his attention. I could hear some muffled fumbling around, and eventually he opened the door. And I learned why the music was so loud and why it took him so long to come to the door.
If you've ever smoked pot, or even been around someone who is, you can identify the smell really quick. And that was the first thing I noticed when he opened the door – that smell. Well, the smell and the guy’s red eyes (another big hint). If people want to toke, fine. Doesn't really bother me at all. It just means that I have to be very clear with whatever information I'm trying to get across to them. So, I very nicely told him that I was his upstairs neighbor and that his music was moving things around in my kitchen and would he mind turning it down. This was all said in three short, very simple sentences. He kind of blinked two or three times, processing the request. For the computer geeks out there, it’s like when you ask an older machine to perform a task which is right at the limits of its abilities, like run a newer, more complex program, and it has to stop everything else its doing and things almost freeze for few seconds. I could have sworn that's what I was looking at as he was "thinking." And then, like that old computer does when it's finally opened that program, everything came back up to (almost) full speed. "Oh, sorry, man," he said, "I’ll keep it down." I thanked him and went back to my apartment. And thankfully, he was able to carry through on his word and things remained acceptably quick the rest of the night. I'm just hoping that I don't have to do this too often.
I am really looking forward to marrying Journey and getting a place of our own, where we don't have to worry about this kind of thing too much unless we want to!
Someone else has now moved in, and already I'm concerned. Yesterday as I was trying to relax at the end of the day, the new neighbor decided to listen to his music. This guy's music was turned up so loud that I could hear the lyrics, and the bass was so high that things in my kitchen were rattling. I know that I live in an apartment complex, so there is going to be some noise bleeding through, but when the silverware in the drawer in rattling in time with someone's music, that's over the line. So, I went downstairs and knocked on his door, planning on asking to turn it down some. I knocked and waited, and waited, and waited some more. No answer – the music was so loud I don't think he heard me. So I knocked again, with a little more force. This time I got his attention. I could hear some muffled fumbling around, and eventually he opened the door. And I learned why the music was so loud and why it took him so long to come to the door.
If you've ever smoked pot, or even been around someone who is, you can identify the smell really quick. And that was the first thing I noticed when he opened the door – that smell. Well, the smell and the guy’s red eyes (another big hint). If people want to toke, fine. Doesn't really bother me at all. It just means that I have to be very clear with whatever information I'm trying to get across to them. So, I very nicely told him that I was his upstairs neighbor and that his music was moving things around in my kitchen and would he mind turning it down. This was all said in three short, very simple sentences. He kind of blinked two or three times, processing the request. For the computer geeks out there, it’s like when you ask an older machine to perform a task which is right at the limits of its abilities, like run a newer, more complex program, and it has to stop everything else its doing and things almost freeze for few seconds. I could have sworn that's what I was looking at as he was "thinking." And then, like that old computer does when it's finally opened that program, everything came back up to (almost) full speed. "Oh, sorry, man," he said, "I’ll keep it down." I thanked him and went back to my apartment. And thankfully, he was able to carry through on his word and things remained acceptably quick the rest of the night. I'm just hoping that I don't have to do this too often.
I am really looking forward to marrying Journey and getting a place of our own, where we don't have to worry about this kind of thing too much unless we want to!
Vick, Bonds, and Donaghy
Disclaimer: These are simply my views on all of these things. I am in no way an expert on all the details or circumstances surrounding these men. Do not take my words as the be all and end all. As has been pointed out in the past, often by me, I am a well practiced and experienced bull-shitter. So, take these comments with a grain of salt – in other words, lighten up and consider who’s writing this crap (namely, me).
Michael Vick
I have tried to avoid writing about this simply because so many other people have written on it and, I think, many people are starting to get tired of it. As I have been following this, however, there is one thing that I've noticed and cannot keep silent about. This is the fact that nearly all of the commentators I've heard have already tried and convicted Vick. The man has a right to defend himself in the court of law before we condemn him. A grand jury indictment simply means that a group of people have decided that there is enough evidence that they are willing to listen to case. It does not mean, however, that the prosecution has proved their case.
That having been said, however, I personally think that he was involved, but I will give him the benefit of doubt until the legal process has run its course. Now, I've never been a big fan of Michael Vick. I think he's been over-hyped and over-rated since he entered the NFL. Not that he's a bad player, but he certainly didn't reinvent either the game as a whole or the quarterback position – which many were expecting when he came in. And on top of that, he's always come off a little arrogant to me. Not as bad as, say, Randy Moss or Chris Carter, but arrogant nonetheless.
And just a brief aside, here. The very thought of dog-fighting is abhorrent to me. Yes, I know it takes place and that such "sports" have been going on for centuries; for example, in the Medieval period, it was not uncommon for "bear-baiting" to go on. This was where they would chain a bear to a stake and then release several dogs on it, while the crowd bet on whether the bear or dogs would survive, and how many dogs the bear would kill or maim before it was all over. Society as a whole, however, as evolved and progressed, and it's time that we get past such behavior. We also used to think it was okay to tell women they weren't smart enough to vote. Societal evolution is a good thing.
Barry Bonds
Much like Vick, Barry Bonds has been convicted in the public eye before anything has been proven in any sort of court. And much like Vick, I personally think Bonds used steroids, but I'll give him the benefit of doubt for now. As Bonds approaches Hank Aaron's homerun record, I find myself wondering how history will record the event. Will it be recorded as a triumph or will it be recorded as a cheater simply getting away with it? Or will it be something in between? I honestly don't know. My guess is that there will always been a little asterisk next to him and his record.
Regardless of how history records it, I will always have more respect for Aaron than I will for Bonds. Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record with dignity and poise, all the while receiving hate mail and death threats. I have to give him some real credit for being able maintain his pride and dignity through it all. Bonds on the other hand, seems to feel that he is entitled to the record. This just annoys me. Sports figures should not feel "entitled" to anything, much less a record. Honored, proud, or grateful? Okay. Humbled? Even better. But not entitled. Never entitled.
I also wonder how many more seasons Bonds will play after breaking the record. I must admit that I would not be entirely surprised if he only played one more season and then retired.
Tim Donaghy
Again, I must emphasize that he has not been tried or convicted of anything as of yet. But I must admit that things don't look real good for him. I just have to wonder if this guy really thought he would be able to get away with this kind of thing. Sports and sports betting are so heavily watched that you would think that he’d know he’d be caught eventually.
But while what Donaghy is accused of having done is bad, I have to admit that I have long wondered at some of the officiating in the NBA. I'm not a huge basketball fan – a bunch of tall sweaty guys running around slapping a little round ball isn't all that exciting to me. (Although, I must admit that I've gotten into it a little more since I moved to the Phoenix area and get to see the Suns play. The game is certainly more interesting when you're surrounded by hard-core fans at the local bar.) But even I've noticed that there seem be a rather high number of bizarre or strange calls, both called and uncalled. I mean, at least in the other major sports there's some kind of back up system in place. Replay in football and hockey, call checks in baseball, and ref conferences in all three. But you almost never see NBA refs getting together to talk about a call or going back and looking at video replay (or at least, not in my limited experience).
Michael Vick
I have tried to avoid writing about this simply because so many other people have written on it and, I think, many people are starting to get tired of it. As I have been following this, however, there is one thing that I've noticed and cannot keep silent about. This is the fact that nearly all of the commentators I've heard have already tried and convicted Vick. The man has a right to defend himself in the court of law before we condemn him. A grand jury indictment simply means that a group of people have decided that there is enough evidence that they are willing to listen to case. It does not mean, however, that the prosecution has proved their case.
That having been said, however, I personally think that he was involved, but I will give him the benefit of doubt until the legal process has run its course. Now, I've never been a big fan of Michael Vick. I think he's been over-hyped and over-rated since he entered the NFL. Not that he's a bad player, but he certainly didn't reinvent either the game as a whole or the quarterback position – which many were expecting when he came in. And on top of that, he's always come off a little arrogant to me. Not as bad as, say, Randy Moss or Chris Carter, but arrogant nonetheless.
And just a brief aside, here. The very thought of dog-fighting is abhorrent to me. Yes, I know it takes place and that such "sports" have been going on for centuries; for example, in the Medieval period, it was not uncommon for "bear-baiting" to go on. This was where they would chain a bear to a stake and then release several dogs on it, while the crowd bet on whether the bear or dogs would survive, and how many dogs the bear would kill or maim before it was all over. Society as a whole, however, as evolved and progressed, and it's time that we get past such behavior. We also used to think it was okay to tell women they weren't smart enough to vote. Societal evolution is a good thing.
Barry Bonds
Much like Vick, Barry Bonds has been convicted in the public eye before anything has been proven in any sort of court. And much like Vick, I personally think Bonds used steroids, but I'll give him the benefit of doubt for now. As Bonds approaches Hank Aaron's homerun record, I find myself wondering how history will record the event. Will it be recorded as a triumph or will it be recorded as a cheater simply getting away with it? Or will it be something in between? I honestly don't know. My guess is that there will always been a little asterisk next to him and his record.
Regardless of how history records it, I will always have more respect for Aaron than I will for Bonds. Aaron broke Babe Ruth's record with dignity and poise, all the while receiving hate mail and death threats. I have to give him some real credit for being able maintain his pride and dignity through it all. Bonds on the other hand, seems to feel that he is entitled to the record. This just annoys me. Sports figures should not feel "entitled" to anything, much less a record. Honored, proud, or grateful? Okay. Humbled? Even better. But not entitled. Never entitled.
I also wonder how many more seasons Bonds will play after breaking the record. I must admit that I would not be entirely surprised if he only played one more season and then retired.
Tim Donaghy
Again, I must emphasize that he has not been tried or convicted of anything as of yet. But I must admit that things don't look real good for him. I just have to wonder if this guy really thought he would be able to get away with this kind of thing. Sports and sports betting are so heavily watched that you would think that he’d know he’d be caught eventually.
But while what Donaghy is accused of having done is bad, I have to admit that I have long wondered at some of the officiating in the NBA. I'm not a huge basketball fan – a bunch of tall sweaty guys running around slapping a little round ball isn't all that exciting to me. (Although, I must admit that I've gotten into it a little more since I moved to the Phoenix area and get to see the Suns play. The game is certainly more interesting when you're surrounded by hard-core fans at the local bar.) But even I've noticed that there seem be a rather high number of bizarre or strange calls, both called and uncalled. I mean, at least in the other major sports there's some kind of back up system in place. Replay in football and hockey, call checks in baseball, and ref conferences in all three. But you almost never see NBA refs getting together to talk about a call or going back and looking at video replay (or at least, not in my limited experience).
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Great Quote
I was watching "Around the Horn" this afternoon. It's a show on ESPN where a group of sports analysts go around and debate current sports topics and news. One of the regulars on the show is Woody Paige, a sports columnist for the Denver Post. Part of Woody's "schtick" on the show is to have a chalk board with some kind of funny statement on it behind him. Today's read: "Don't follow in my footsteps - I walk into walls!"
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Sunday, July 01, 2007
Singin' the Blues
I'm a big fan of the blues - Chicago blues, Memphis blues, Delta blues - doesn't matter, I like them all. I have the blues on CD, MP3, and vinyl. I can even play the blues . . . at least, some. When I have time (which is rather rare), I sometimes relax by playing the blues on my bass guitar. As much I enjoy playing, I'm not all that great. And as much as I enjoy playing a couple of blues records on my stereo, nothing, nothing, can replace live blues. There is an energy and power to live blues which simply cannot be found on any recording. Unfortunately, there aren't really any good blues joints around here.
. . . Or, at least, there weren't.
I recently found out that a particular bar in my area was going to renovate and become a blues, jazz, and soul bar. Now, previously, this bar was such a dive, even I wouldn't go in there. It was dark, dirty, and not very inviting. It's still small and dark, but it's now clean and a great place to hang out. Last night was their grand re-opening, so I decided to check it out. It was great! The bands were groovin', and crowd was into it, and everybody was having a good time. So, if you're even in the Tempe/Mesa area, and feel like hearing some good live blues or jazz, stop by the Big Fish Pub. It still doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside you'll find great music and a fun night out. Oh, and the prices on drinks aren't too bad either!
. . . Or, at least, there weren't.
I recently found out that a particular bar in my area was going to renovate and become a blues, jazz, and soul bar. Now, previously, this bar was such a dive, even I wouldn't go in there. It was dark, dirty, and not very inviting. It's still small and dark, but it's now clean and a great place to hang out. Last night was their grand re-opening, so I decided to check it out. It was great! The bands were groovin', and crowd was into it, and everybody was having a good time. So, if you're even in the Tempe/Mesa area, and feel like hearing some good live blues or jazz, stop by the Big Fish Pub. It still doesn't look like much from the outside, but inside you'll find great music and a fun night out. Oh, and the prices on drinks aren't too bad either!
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Oh, I Wish I Were an Oscar Mayer Wiener . . .
Saw this story on the Arizona Daily Star website. Apparently, Tucson police mistakenly pulled over the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, thinking it was stolen when it wasn't. I just have to wonder how the officer called it in: "Uh, dispatch, I am currently in pursuit of a 25 foot hot dog, please send back-up with lots of ketchup, mustard, and relish. And a beer. Over."
7-2-7
July 2, 2007.
That's when one of my favorite web-comics is coming back. Anywhere But Here has been on hiatus since April while the author, Jason Siebels, dealt with some real-life things. But he had now announced that he's ready to get things going again. The strip will back in full swing as of Monday. If you haven't ever read ABH, you might want to check it out!
That's when one of my favorite web-comics is coming back. Anywhere But Here has been on hiatus since April while the author, Jason Siebels, dealt with some real-life things. But he had now announced that he's ready to get things going again. The strip will back in full swing as of Monday. If you haven't ever read ABH, you might want to check it out!
New NHL Uniforms
Beginning this coming season, NHL teams are going to have new uniforms. The new unis will be designed and produced by Reebok. They'll include a tighter fit and a different fabric which is intended to move better and keep the players cooler. At the same time, teams have been given the opportunity to redesign their uniforms' look. While information is still a little scarce, a few teams have unveiled their plans. The Boston Bruins, for example, have only made a slight change to theirs. The primary logo has changed slightly, and the secondary logo (on the shoulder) has been redesigned.
Other teams are going for a whole new look, most notably the Washington Capitals. They have completely scrapped their old unis and colors.
Here's the old uniform
And here is the new one:
And in addition to what we do know, there is plenty of speculation as to what other teams' new uniforms will look like. NHL Digest has a series of potential designs for a few teams. Of particular interest to me, of course, is the new Colorado Avalanche uniform.
I could live with this. As it is, my current jersey is out of date. I have a old Rob Blake white home jersey. Rob Blake is no longer with the Avs, his number now belongs to John-Michael Liles, and white is now the away color. Unfortunately, hockey jerseys tend to be rather expensive, so I don't think I'll be able to replace mine anytime soon. Of course, on the plus side, the wearing of old style jerseys is a perfectly acceptable practice for hockey fans, so there's no real hurry!
Other teams are going for a whole new look, most notably the Washington Capitals. They have completely scrapped their old unis and colors.Here's the old uniform
And here is the new one:
And in addition to what we do know, there is plenty of speculation as to what other teams' new uniforms will look like. NHL Digest has a series of potential designs for a few teams. Of particular interest to me, of course, is the new Colorado Avalanche uniform. 
I could live with this. As it is, my current jersey is out of date. I have a old Rob Blake white home jersey. Rob Blake is no longer with the Avs, his number now belongs to John-Michael Liles, and white is now the away color. Unfortunately, hockey jerseys tend to be rather expensive, so I don't think I'll be able to replace mine anytime soon. Of course, on the plus side, the wearing of old style jerseys is a perfectly acceptable practice for hockey fans, so there's no real hurry!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
World Won't End Before 2060
According to Newton anyway. CNN.com posted this story about a series of papers written by Isaac Newton, in which he predicted that world would not end prior to 2060. According to the CNN story, Newton wrote, "It may end later, but I see no reason for its ending sooner."
This works out perfectly for me. For a long time, I have said that when I turn 80, I'm going to plant myself on the front porch with a carton of cigarettes, a case of Jack, and a loaded shotgun.
I was born in 1980. So by 2060, I'll be . . . you guessed it, 80. The timing couldn't be better. I'll be able to sit, smoke, drink, and just wait for the end of the world!
This works out perfectly for me. For a long time, I have said that when I turn 80, I'm going to plant myself on the front porch with a carton of cigarettes, a case of Jack, and a loaded shotgun.
I was born in 1980. So by 2060, I'll be . . . you guessed it, 80. The timing couldn't be better. I'll be able to sit, smoke, drink, and just wait for the end of the world!
Friday, June 15, 2007
NOW It's Time!
Yay! My salsa is ready. Now, one thing you should understand. When I say I want salsa, I mean I want real salsa. "Pace" doesn't count! I want big chunks of tomato, onion, lots of cilantro and garlic, etc. A lot of watered-down tomato sauce with a couple pieces of tomato and onion and a ton of salt - i.e. Pace-style "salsa" - simply does not cut it. Admittedly, I do keep a jar of commercial "salsa" in my fridge simply because it keeps longer and works on short notice. As is evident from my post yesterday, having to wait for good salsa is not exactly something I'm good at. But, I try to buy something better than Pace. Anyway, I can now have my salsa, real salsa."Man goes into cage, cage goes into salsa. Shark's in the salsa. Our shark." ~ Randal Graves, Clerks
Thursday, June 14, 2007
I Hate Waiting
I was in the mode for fresh, home-made salsa today, so I stopped by the store and picked up the stuff. Unfortunately, salsa really needs at least 12 hours or so to meld and come together. This means waiting until tomorrow - this I do not like. And this is really good salsa, too.
[tick tick tick]
Is it ready yet?
[tick tick tick]
Is it ready yet?
Where Are My Files?
So the ASU History Department has just launched a new webpage. In my opinion, this is a good thing. I was the one who designed the old page and managed it for a while, but I was not a big fan of it. The problem was that I didn't really have any creative control, so the results were less than ideal. Still better than the previous versions, but that's not saying much.
Anyway, this new version was designed by a professional web designer and is pretty nice. There are few things I don't like, but you're never going to make everyone happy. Anyway, when this new page was launched, the designer removed all of the old files from the server - including the files for the six project webpages I manage. This annoyed me. And it's not like the faculty members on the website committee don't know about these pages or the fact that I manage them. Luckily, I'm anal-retentive enough about my files that I have several back-ups, including the original files. Some designers I know just work on the server copies and don't bother having the originals on their computer. Not me! This means that I was able to just reload the files and everything was fine again.
But still! To just assume that those files were unimportant and could be deleted . . . There were many obscenities said under my breath at work today.
Anyway, this new version was designed by a professional web designer and is pretty nice. There are few things I don't like, but you're never going to make everyone happy. Anyway, when this new page was launched, the designer removed all of the old files from the server - including the files for the six project webpages I manage. This annoyed me. And it's not like the faculty members on the website committee don't know about these pages or the fact that I manage them. Luckily, I'm anal-retentive enough about my files that I have several back-ups, including the original files. Some designers I know just work on the server copies and don't bother having the originals on their computer. Not me! This means that I was able to just reload the files and everything was fine again.
But still! To just assume that those files were unimportant and could be deleted . . . There were many obscenities said under my breath at work today.
Monday, June 04, 2007
No Shit . . .
A word of advice - if you ever have to submit photos of your house to government for any reason, it's probably a good idea to wait and take the picture after your dog has finished taking a shit in the middle of the lawn - and, hence, in the middle of your shot. Believe me, submitting a picture with your dog in mid-squat will not, repeat not, help your case with the city.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
News From the Family Front - Part II
Well, I found out yesterday that my mother's broken leg is going to require surgery. Apparently, hers is a compression break of 3.5 cm. A compression break of 2 cm or less, they don't do surgery. A break of 4 or more, they do. So hers is right in the middle. If she doesn't have surgery, she runs a real risk of developing arthritis. No surgery would mean 6 weeks to 3 months of recovery. And surgery would mean . . . 6 weeks to 3 months of recovery. So surgery it is. She goes in tomorrow morning. She hopes to be out tomorrow night, but everyone is saying that's not likely to happen. While it sucks to break your leg for the summer, at least it is the summer. My mother is a first grade teacher (braver than I), and having a broken leg during the school year would be even worse. And hopefully, her recovery will be closer to 6 weeks than 3 months!
Friday, May 25, 2007
News From the Family Front
I just found out my mother broke her leg yesterday. At least they gave her plenty of pain medicine (read: "happy pills").
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Madame Pele
| Lapakü ka wahine a`o Pele i Kahiki `Oaka ë ka lani noke nö `Oaka ë ka lani noke nö `Eli`eli kau mai `Eli`eli kau mai `Oaka ë ka lani noke nö `Oaka ë ka lani noke nö `Ühï`ühä mai ana`o Pele I ka lua a`o Halema`uma`u `Oaka ë ka lani noke nö `Oaka ë ka lani noke nö E Pele E Pele e He inoa no Pele | The woman Pele abounds actively in Kahiki The heavens flash on and on The heavens flash on and on May a deep respect come to us May a deep respect come to us The heavens flash on and on The heavens flash on and on The raging of Pele can be heard In the pit of Halema`uma`u The heavens flash on and on The heavens flash on and on O Pele O Pele In the name of Pele |
I'm Not Entirely Sure How I Feel About This
I was scanning the New York Times online today when I came across this article. It's about a new museum which is getting ready to open in Kentucky. The thing that's different about this particular museum is that it's a museum based entirely on Creationism. And they make no secret of this fact. The name of the museum is the Creation Museum.
Now, I'm not one to try and tell people that their beliefs are wrong. I simply don't work that way. I don't happen to believe Creationist theory, but other people have every right to and they have every right to build a museum to share their beliefs. But . . . as a historian (even a rogue one), the idea of a Creationist natural history museum is slightly odd to me. And as a pagan, I am always a little leery of hard-line Christian ideology - too much bad blood on both sides over the millennia. And before anyone asks, I'm not planning on sharing my particular religious/spiritual ideologies. I feel that religion is particular to the individual, which means it's very difficult (if not nearly impossible) to truly convey those ideas to another in any way that they can actually understand. But that's a whole other rant for another time - perhaps.
Anyway, back to the Creation Museum. Even if I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it personally, I can make a few comments professionally. First, I'm interested in seeing how many visitors it will get a year. According to the NYT article, they say they are expecting a quarter million visitors in the first year. That's about 685 people a day. (By way of comparison: the Smithsonian Museums had about 23 million visitors in 2006 - over 63,000 a day; the Denver Museum of Nature and Science had 1.48 million - 4,055 a day; and the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum has about 550,000 a year - 1,500 a day). I would say that the Creation Museum has a good chance of meeting their goal in the first year - and only in their first year. They will be something new and different, and people will be more interested. After that first year, however, their numbers will go down as the people who came just to see it because it was new and different stop coming. I simply do not see them maintaining that level of interest beyond that. Second, I am very afraid of the potential academic and professional backlash they may get. Academics and professionals are not always the kindest people when it comes to disagreements on foundational theories and ideologies. And I can see this getting real ugly, real quick. Third, the museum seems to be making a big deal of the fact that they received enough in donations to allow them to open without any debt. I applaud them for this. But I would caution them that, like their visitor numbers, they should not be counting on this continuing. It's expensive to keep a museum open and running. Normally, a great deal of this cost goes to developing new exhibits to keep people coming in. With something like Creationism, which doesn't really change all that much, is this going to be an issue? I really don't know, although I still think that they will have to make some changes over time just to keep people coming back.
Regardless of how things go for them, I'll be curious to see what happens.
Now, I'm not one to try and tell people that their beliefs are wrong. I simply don't work that way. I don't happen to believe Creationist theory, but other people have every right to and they have every right to build a museum to share their beliefs. But . . . as a historian (even a rogue one), the idea of a Creationist natural history museum is slightly odd to me. And as a pagan, I am always a little leery of hard-line Christian ideology - too much bad blood on both sides over the millennia. And before anyone asks, I'm not planning on sharing my particular religious/spiritual ideologies. I feel that religion is particular to the individual, which means it's very difficult (if not nearly impossible) to truly convey those ideas to another in any way that they can actually understand. But that's a whole other rant for another time - perhaps.
Anyway, back to the Creation Museum. Even if I'm not exactly sure how I feel about it personally, I can make a few comments professionally. First, I'm interested in seeing how many visitors it will get a year. According to the NYT article, they say they are expecting a quarter million visitors in the first year. That's about 685 people a day. (By way of comparison: the Smithsonian Museums had about 23 million visitors in 2006 - over 63,000 a day; the Denver Museum of Nature and Science had 1.48 million - 4,055 a day; and the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum has about 550,000 a year - 1,500 a day). I would say that the Creation Museum has a good chance of meeting their goal in the first year - and only in their first year. They will be something new and different, and people will be more interested. After that first year, however, their numbers will go down as the people who came just to see it because it was new and different stop coming. I simply do not see them maintaining that level of interest beyond that. Second, I am very afraid of the potential academic and professional backlash they may get. Academics and professionals are not always the kindest people when it comes to disagreements on foundational theories and ideologies. And I can see this getting real ugly, real quick. Third, the museum seems to be making a big deal of the fact that they received enough in donations to allow them to open without any debt. I applaud them for this. But I would caution them that, like their visitor numbers, they should not be counting on this continuing. It's expensive to keep a museum open and running. Normally, a great deal of this cost goes to developing new exhibits to keep people coming in. With something like Creationism, which doesn't really change all that much, is this going to be an issue? I really don't know, although I still think that they will have to make some changes over time just to keep people coming back.
Regardless of how things go for them, I'll be curious to see what happens.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
General Updates
Well, once again, I'm back. Things have finally settled down some now that the semester is over. That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm inactive or anything. I still have things which need to be taken care of. I'm spending time this summer working as a subcontractor for the big name in historic preservation in the region. This woman has cities like Vail and Aspen asking her to help them write their historic preservation ordinances. She doesn't even sit down for a meeting unless she's getting paid at least $150 an hour. This, children, is called resume building! In addition to the hours I'm working for her, I also have a few hours a week for The Overlord, continuing to do some web design and maintenance. On top of that, I'm going to be spending time preparing grant applications. I would really like to get enough money from various people to research and write my dissertation in a year, beginning next fall (next summer will be spent getting married, honeymooning, and taking comp exams - I think that's enough!). Oh yeah, I would also like some time with my fiancee, Journey - funny thing, that, wanting to see the person I plan on spending the rest of my life with.
In other news and happenings, Journey and I went to a roller derby bout this past weekend, which was awesome. I should explain that the roller derby we go to watch is NOT the staged kind they used to show on late-night cable in the '70s. This is a real competition, and these girls take it very seriously. If you're in the Phoenix area, you might want to check it out (here's their web site). We had the chance to watch the traveling team, the Tent City Terrors, play the Carolina Rollergirls. The TCT are the best skaters from around the state, including Journey's sister. For those of you outside Arizona, I probably should explain the "Tent City" thing. The Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, established "Tent City" as a way of dealing with overcrowding in the prisons. Basically, he got a bunch of Korean War military tents and set up a camp for the overflow of prisoners. He also makes the inmates wear pink underwear. (here's an old CNN story on Tent City.)
Anyway, playing off this (admittedly) rather bizarre situation, the travelling roller derby team decided they would be known as the Tent City Terrors. They have the traditional black and white stripes, accented with pink. The bout against the Carolina Rollergirls was one of the best and fasted I've seen. The hits were hard and a few girls ended up skidding into the crowd! In the end, the TCTs won by 3 points, so it was a good night.
And way to go Phoenix! We're ranked #6 in the nation for rude drivers! Not that this is of any great surprise to those who have driven in Phoenix, of course. Even I, I must admit, have been known to do things to contribute to this ranking. Although, in my defense, most of the time, the other person deserves it. I take special pleasure in trying to block out the drivers who are trying to cut ahead of everyone else in construction zones. If the signs are clearly telling you that a lane is closed ahead, you need to go ahead and move over. Don't try to cut around the rest of us like your more important. When I see people trying to do that, I'll try to block them out or not let them in . . . if I can do it safely - I have no interest in getting in an accident or getting shot, both real possibilities around here.
Well, now that things are returning to a more reasonable pace, I'll try to be back on more often!
In other news and happenings, Journey and I went to a roller derby bout this past weekend, which was awesome. I should explain that the roller derby we go to watch is NOT the staged kind they used to show on late-night cable in the '70s. This is a real competition, and these girls take it very seriously. If you're in the Phoenix area, you might want to check it out (here's their web site). We had the chance to watch the traveling team, the Tent City Terrors, play the Carolina Rollergirls. The TCT are the best skaters from around the state, including Journey's sister. For those of you outside Arizona, I probably should explain the "Tent City" thing. The Maricopa County Sheriff, Joe Arpaio, established "Tent City" as a way of dealing with overcrowding in the prisons. Basically, he got a bunch of Korean War military tents and set up a camp for the overflow of prisoners. He also makes the inmates wear pink underwear. (here's an old CNN story on Tent City.)
Anyway, playing off this (admittedly) rather bizarre situation, the travelling roller derby team decided they would be known as the Tent City Terrors. They have the traditional black and white stripes, accented with pink. The bout against the Carolina Rollergirls was one of the best and fasted I've seen. The hits were hard and a few girls ended up skidding into the crowd! In the end, the TCTs won by 3 points, so it was a good night.
And way to go Phoenix! We're ranked #6 in the nation for rude drivers! Not that this is of any great surprise to those who have driven in Phoenix, of course. Even I, I must admit, have been known to do things to contribute to this ranking. Although, in my defense, most of the time, the other person deserves it. I take special pleasure in trying to block out the drivers who are trying to cut ahead of everyone else in construction zones. If the signs are clearly telling you that a lane is closed ahead, you need to go ahead and move over. Don't try to cut around the rest of us like your more important. When I see people trying to do that, I'll try to block them out or not let them in . . . if I can do it safely - I have no interest in getting in an accident or getting shot, both real possibilities around here.
Well, now that things are returning to a more reasonable pace, I'll try to be back on more often!
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