"Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence." - Richard Dawkins.
I have been reading
The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins during lunch, and
The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene (recommended by Jason) before bed time.
Both are fascinating. I recommend either one.
May 31, 2001
It is just plain sad. I have been reading alttext.com for months, nay years, with earnest,
and I discover today that the so called "Ben Edwards" may be a fictional character
of some twisted and demented soul's imagination. Why perpetrate such a simple minded and
loathsome plot against the unsuspecting and fair minded readers of web log content. I think we
all have died just a little bit today...the horror.
May 29, 2001
Friday, and I had the whole day off. What, you may ask yourself, did Mark do to take advantage of the free hours he was allotted on this fine day. Well, I am proud to say, "I did absolutely nothing". I laid in bed all day reading, stopping only to meander downstairs and get in a few episodes of the "law and Order", or to check the fridge to make sure I had not missed any readily accessible foods on my last visit. God forbid I would have to prepare food to eat. If it didn't end in the words roll up, stroodle, tart or toastie, I was not interested.
May 25, 2001
The new BuNGA (Bunnies Never Give Answers?) front end to CoWA is nearing completion thanx to Ben. There is a very beta version up for perusing if you so desire.
There are still some bugs and weirdness, so step lightly.
May 25, 2001
I was going to comment on Taleban to mark Afghan Hindus, but Scott said all I could and more.
Some days I am just plain scared.
May 22, 2001
A tribute to mediocrity:
"To those of you who received honors, awards and distinctions, I say, well done. And to the C students, I say, you too can be president of the United States." - PRESIDENT BUSH, to Yale's graduates.
"He alluded to a tendency to nap. He alluded to activities that sometimes blotted out memory. He alluded, again and again, to an academic record of limited achievement."
May 22, 2001
Three day weekends. Summer hours. Could it be any better. Well, maybe four day weekends. I love the summer hours. There's one problem. Now have to keep track of these precious hours. A time sheet is filled out. Ummm...I came it at 9:27, ate a 12 minute lunch, and left at 6:47 and 23 seconds. We have to put in a full forty. Work four tens, or four nines and a half day Friday. This isn't so bad. I opted for the four nines, and I take a half day vacation on Fridays. Four vacation days gets you 8 days off. Not a bad deal.
Here I sit working through my monday nine. It has been a while since I was a clock watcher, but this new schedule has reborn this dreaded hobby of mine. I haven't uttered the phrase "quitting time" in a long while. The clock slips around the dial towards 6 o'clock and I am watching with every tick and or tock. It is grueling. Maybe I should start cutting classes like I did in high school. It's one sure way to relieve the boredom. "Why isn't Mark in the Engineering meeting", the Director asks as she watches me slinking my way across the parking lot towards my car.
May 21, 2001
Holy smoking Jesus:
A snippet from the WWBD section.
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Dear Mrs. Bowers:
Sometimes when I am alone at night, I touch myself in an impure way. I seem to have no control. I want to stop because God and Jesus don't like it, but I can't! How can you help me?
Timmy, Age 14
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Dear Sweet Sullied Child of Christ:
Remember next time you are about to cinch down your little BVDs to delight in the Satanic pleasures of the flesh, that while Mommy and Daddy may not hear your little adolescent moans, everyone in Heaven can. You see, every single person in Heaven can and does watch everything you do! Dead Grandpa! Dead Great-Grandma! And all your dead pets!
They all know if you succumb to the impurities of carnal delight - and whether you wash your hands after using the restroom. Jesus' mother, Mary, while waiting on tenterhooks for a promotion from the Pope, is not only in the habit of watching, she is alarmingly adept at video recording.
If for any reason the knowledge that you are being watched heightens your pleasure, then you are wholly given over to Satan and there is nothing I can do to help you at this point.
So Close To Jesus, He Validates My Parking,
Beddy Bowers
May 17, 2001
Monday, May 14, 6:10 PM
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RING RING
me: Hello.
Keanu Reeves Sound a like: uhhh(pause) I'm calling about the bike for sale...
me: Sorry its been sold.
Keanu: (pause)...oh
CLICK
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RING RING
me: Hello.
Keanu #2: uhhh(pause) I'm calling about the FZR for sale...(pause) in the uhhh(pause) paper.
me: Sorry its been sold.
Keanu #2: (pause)...bummer
CLICK
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RING RING
me: Hello.
Keanu #3: uhhh(pause) uhhh I'm calling about the Motorcycle for sale...(pause)...yea.
me: Sorry its been sold.
Keanu #3: (pause)...uhhh(pause)...OK, thanx dude.
CLICK
-
RING RING
me: Hello.
Keanu #4 (sounds eerily like Keanu #1 who forgot he already called this number): uhhh(pause) uhhh I'm calling about the FZR (pause) for sale...(pause)...
me: Sorry its been sold.
Keanu #4: (pause)...(pause)...umm, (pause)thanx.
CLICK
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RING RING
Tamara: Hello.
Keanu #5: (confused and scared by a female voice): uhhh(pause) uhhh I'm calling about the FZR (pause)...
Tam: Sorry its been sold.
Keanu #5: (pause)...(pause)...
CLICK
May 15, 2001
I sold the FZR this weekend.
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The skag don't rate. He's nothing like the
Nightrider!
May 13, 2001
May 6, 2001
From the New York Times: U.S. Scientists See Big Power Savings From Conservation.
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Scientists at the country's national laboratories have projected enormous energy savings if the government takes aggressive steps to encourage energy conservation in homes, factories, offices, appliances, cars and power plants.
Their studies, completed just before the Bush administration took office, are at odds with the administration's repeated assertions in recent weeks that the nation needs to build a big new power plant every week for the next 20 years to keep up with the demand for electricity, and that big increases in production of coal and natural gas are needed to fuel those plants.
May 5, 2001
And for all you Valley Girls out there: Like, totally, bitter pill.
May 3, 2001
Q: How do you know you're a dork?
A: When computer cases with windows impress you.
As Mark thinks to himself: Tam won't notice if I slip a cool $200.00 out of the checking account.
May 3, 2001
When I was in LA my friend was talking about an old Scott Baio movie called Bugsy Malone. I had seen the movie when I was a kid, and I just loved it. It had a weird magical quality for me, and for months I wanted to be Bugsy Malone. Unfortunately, my adult self was unable to get past the fact that it was a Scott Baio movie. I just know Joanie still Loves Chachi.
May 3, 2001
I think this explains a lot.
May 3, 2001
I just love the month of May. It is by far the best of all months. I am not just saying this because it is the birth month of yours truly (but that does add an extra heaping of goodness to this already fine month). Sunshine becomes a common occurrence. No bugs/mosquitoes for at least a month here in the great state of countless lakes, and the air is dry and clear. The trees bloom, and everything is green again. The rains of April have washed away the memory of winter, and the sun grows warmer and sets later every day.
Of course, I realize that this is an evil ploy to misdirect my disdain of winter and cloud my memories of mounds of snow and frozen windshields. I say to you now evil winter, "I will remember you, and it was that bad!".
May 2, 2001
I have to expound my love of books on tape. I will never go on a road trip again without them. I spent Friday afternoon driving down the 1 between Monterey and San Luis Obispo listening to To Kill a Mockingbird. Its all the fun without all that high-faloot'n reading.
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You don't say hey to me ugly girl, you say good afternoon.
May 1, 2001
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