Does U.S. Currency Contain 9-11 Secrets?

I noticed on Yahoo! News that a picture has been quite popular this week on their pages - an oddly folded twenty dollar bill which some say reveals an image of the smoking World Trade Centers just after being struck by terrorist-hijacked airplanes.

The caption for the photo says a "Palestinian man" is holding the bill.

Making new symbols out of the symbol-heavy U.S. currency is not new and according to the Urban Legends page, this particular 9-11 image first started popping up on the web in 2002. Folding bills and other items are mentioned in the article.

Another web site goes much further. It shows how certain newly revised U.S. currency contains images of the burning buildings, the buildings in mid-collapse and on the $100 bill, a rising column of smoke is all that is visible. The pictures and text are all on a web site called "Armageddon Online."

I had no idea the End of the World had it's own web page.

But, after all, we are in the modern age. Dire warnings of the End Times have likely been in existence since humans gained the powers of speech and communication. Secret signs and wonders, cryptic images, predictions and such are always hovering on the horizons for some people - they'll find conspiracy anywhere and everywhere. (and the site mentioned above has a whole zoo of endtime scenarios and provides some extra fuel for your Fear-filled fires).

Corker Popped?

In an already too-close-to-call race for the open Senate seat in Tennessee, GOP hopeful and former Chattanooga mayor Bob Corker lost an attempt to delay a lawsuit regarding the transfer of property and it's conservation management. The property in question went to Wal-Mart, and if Corker had his way, he would have delayed a deposition in the case until after the election.

Chancellor Howell Peoples said no to that, so the case will make much news in the weeks just prior to the start of voting.

Alice pointed out this story, and another report on trouble for Corker via Daily Kos over the 911 operations which challenger and Democrat Harold Ford Jr. has been hitting hard in recent TV ads.

Tennessee Ticket has more on the poll numbers and the Wal-Mart case.

I have also noticed that while the president arrived to do some fundraising for Corker, one face absent in his run is the current office-holder, Sen. Bill Frist. Call me cynical, but given that Frist is still under investigation by the Securities and Exchange officers and was also recently outed for faking information about his renewal of his doctor's license, then the two men together just might create more negative press than Corker could hope to overcome.

Hard roads are certainly ahead for both candidates, but the last stages of the campaign matching up with lawsuits a-go-go might give Ford the edge to win the race.

Changes For The Coming Days

Time moves swiftly here on the internets and I know my posting has slowed somewhat for the last few days. The reasons are sadly, grim ones.

On the one hand, I am proud to be the semi-adopted son of a family here in East TN, a family with much compassion and talents too numerous to mention, which I have known for 15 years. On the other and more immediate hand, the family is facing and coping with the failing health and apparently terminal cancer of the father. I'm not giving out names for privacy reasons. A full diagnosis is still underway.

His health turned quite bad late last week so the last few days have been brutal for his family and for him. He is in the great and caring hands of several doctors and nurses and I know he has been resting well and his pain is being managed well.

Words to describe all these recent events fall far short of the reality. I am not one to tiptoe around the topic of Death, but when It is a part of every breath, it starts to slur my speech and stun my thoughts. And I'm the fortunate one in this time. I know for the family and the critically ill father, breaths will not bring much relief for months and months to come.

For constant readers here, I felt compelled to explain the sporadic posts and the likelihood that the pace of this page is going to be slower than I want, simply because my attentions and thoughts are a part of this family's very painful present.

Their dad is my family too, and, as important, he is my friend. So my strengths and attentions are all with them. Whenever I have time and thoughts coherent enough to post here, I shall.

Send your best thoughts his way, and many thanks to readers for your patience. I hope this post finds you and yours well and happy, and please take some time to consider how fortunate you are and to explore the rich luxuries of Time and Health and the family and friends you care for and who care for you.

Update on 9-11 Aftermath

I was pleased that overall interest in a faked docudrama about the events prior to and on 9-11 on ABC this week pretty much tanked.

Same for CNN's re-broadcast of their coverage on 9-11-01 to hype their Pipeline service - my own indignation and questions about that has even garnered the attention of Slate writer Sonia Smith (scroll down for mention of this humble blog and thanks for reading, Sonia).

While many bloggers in Tennessee offered opinions, ideas and more on thoughts five years after the original attacks, I liked the post from Kevin at Lean Left:

"Osama Bin Laden is still free.

That, five years after the fall of the towers, is as good a symbol for the failures of the Bush Administration as any. As I mentioned earlier today, not only is Bid Laden till free, but the US government has lost all trace of him after bungling the operation to catch him at Tora Bora because it shifted focus to Iraq. Even worse, there is no one single person responsible for finding him; the various bureaucracies have been left to fight it out among themselves. Bin Laden’s freedom is hardly the only failure of the last five years."

I am convinced if Bush leaves office without capturing the living or deceased body of bin Laden, then most Americans (and perhaps many of our allies) will see his responses to the terrorism of 9-11 as a large failure.

A Real Sunsphere Report?

I had noticed the story and was not alone as even R. Neal at KnoxViews expressed surprise that some actual reporting has occurred on the massive eyesore and financial boondoggle that is the Big Gold Golfball, aka The Sunsphere in Knoxville.

Meant to symbolize the source of all Energy, it is an Energy Hog, and has never been a practical or useful piece of architecture. Leasing the site has nearly been impossible due to utility costs alone. It's a leftover symbol of irony from a failed Energy-themed World's Fair, where plans for alternate energy to run the pavilions resulted in huge electrical bills.

Objective and plain reporting? Yep, a good story was written. Sadly, though, I found the bulk of the stories in the Knoxville Voice too generic, and it needs a few more local reports - but I think the paper is working on it and the future is theirs if they wish it.

The print media is hard pressed in my opinion to compete with the information and views available via blogs like this, for just one example. If you run through all the links on this Cup of Joe, I think you'll find tons of local and national information.

And if you know of a site I should add as a new blog or news link, please offer your suggestions in the comments today.

A 9-11 Question

What is your reaction to the constant coverage in news and other media (movies, documentaries, etc.) being provided for the five- year mark of the terrorist attacks of September 2001?

Camera Obscura - "Simpsons" Meet "Star Trek"

Here are a brief collection of movie bits and tv items for a Saturday morning Camera Obscura - events this week have again conspired to keep me places not close to a computer/

Many people are remarking on the 40th Anniversary of Star Trek's arrival on television. What better time to note that indeed, we all continue to boldly go where no - "D'oh!!" - has gone before. Yes, it's The Simpson's theme and the Star Trek theme, all with the help of a Theremin and YouTube.



And an interesting blend of Episcopalians in Georgia and Buffy The Vampire Slayer has been reported by Reel Fanatic.

Just about every DVD in release this week and next week can be found here. It includes links to the re-release of the original "Star Wars" trilogy from laserdisc to a new DVD release. It is an untinkered with collection, as most space fans have asked for.

I'll get some work done and be back here soon!!

As always, thanks fer having that Cup of Joe.

Meanwhile, In The News

CBS floats a lighter than air bit on a movie star's baby appearing in Vanity Fair. Wow. Shocking.

Meanwhile, ABC reveals Pakistan is giving safe haven to terrorists.



Volunteer Voters has links to others on this peace settlement.

At KnoxViews, R. Neal pegs the problem.

And in the Iraqi parliament, they are working on a plan to split the country into three divisions, which aims to dampen the growing civil war.

OK. Feel free to go back and watch Katie Couric get chummy with another celebrity.

Near-Sidewards Crablike Skidaddle

A blogwoman who is a lifetime member of Target (goes there for special occasions, like an anniversary) who is also a bona fide Busy Mom had an "encounter":

"Toothless mountain man: "Ya wanna look at each other's stuff? I'll look at your stuff and you look at my stuff, and, we won't have to give any of it away."
Me: ... (!)

Heh Heh.

I've had those kind of moments when you look around to see if some TV show is filming your reactions. When you see there isn't, you begin a near-sidewards crablike skidaddle. (A difficult yet urgent form of movement.)

There was a moment this afternoon when I almost had to make the "near-sidewards crablike skidaddle" as I was perusing jars of salsa at the local market. Off to my left, I hear a woman say "you know, everything in here is getting more expensive."

"Hmmm ... yes, everything is getting more expensive...." I say in hopes of appearing agreeable and non-threatening while carefully, without making eye contact, I attempted to ascertain just who owned the voice.

"It sure is" she says.

"Yes. Yep. Uh-huh." and I am gaining some confidence this is just normal 'howdy-do-stranger' banter which used to occur with somewhat more frequency here in America, and then go back to studying salsa labels.

"You know, you can make some really great food by just adding salsa," says the lady, who, sensing my guard has been dropped, literally zoomed across the 15 feet which had separated us, "For instance -"

With my ninja-like reflexes, I immediately pivot and turn to both face the stranger and establish the necessary stance for a 'near-sidewards crablike skidaddle'.

The woman before me has long, straight white hair, looks to be somewhere between 60 and 70, but I see no tell-tale military camouflage outfit, nor a hideously streaked with some food or grease threadbare T-shirt with an obscure and oddly out of date catch-phrase, like 'Sit On It, Turkey!!.

In fact, the hair and fairly calm features make her look a little ... well, witchy was the word I thought, or maybe just earth-mothery.

She continued, saying "You can make a really good meatloaf, just find some salsa you like, and mix it in with the breadcrumbs and mix it into the groundbeef. Something with plenty of onions and peppers in the salsa, and then a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper."

Now, the way she said that bit about the pinch part for some reason shifted my view back to the "witchy" perception.

Thankfully, she followed that suggestion with, "Of course I always add some brown sugar, and a little Worcestershire Sauce for a glaze while it cooks." and I realize we are having a plain old share-a-recipe conversation, which, again, used to occur with some frequency within the aisles of a market in America. (And before I forget to mention it, I think "worcestershire" would make a great first-round spelling bee word.)

At this point she starts to back off, smiling very sweetly, and adds, "It saves time and tastes good, try it out sometime."

So I casually (yet again, with ninja-like subterfuge) shift my near-sidewards crablike stance into a jaunty one bent-knee at ease. And thanked the lady.

Figured I must have some reason now to just buy the dang salsa and quit pondering over it and get outta there before I actually made a friend. No sense in getting carried away.

"We Will Keep Control"

Watching what passes for campaigning these days, which is really just political party humping and grinding, Republican Sen. Dole exclaimed "We will keep control!!!"

She was chastising Democrat Sen. Schumer while some network goober played referee in a game of Bait the Question.

The question - not about the nature of issues facing the country, not about the failure or successes of either elected official, not about the massive public disgust with failures in Congress. Nope. It was a question of "Will the Republicans or the Democrats have control of the Senate after the elections this fall?"

Even the goober reporter knows the Public Good is a moot point. This is a billionaire's game of Party Politics and the Public Good is of no concern.

The response emphasizes that a political party runs America, aided by the party's donors and members. The clubs which are in charge have no desire to represent you unless you donate large cash sums. The emphasis is that the Time of "citizen-led legislature" has been long over and is not about to return.

"We will keep control."

In fairness, if you examine what that Royal We has done what will be found?

Tax cuts for the billionaires - check. Border Security and Immigration Reforms - ask after the elections. Minimum wage increase - ask after the elections. Social Security and Pension Reforms - no on S.S;, and companies now have years to comply with changes to Pension Management, insuring maximum profitability for corporate shareholders and the continuing decrease of Pension benefits to workers, all in a densely worded document which will allow a politician of either party to proclaim on the campaign trail "your money is safe!" without ever having to define "whose money" they mean. Health care reform - yes, pharmaceutical companies keep their control of Medicare and health insurance payment burdens have been removed from corporate concerns and are now the worker's "right". Federal deficit - highest growth in American history!! Housing and job growth - yes, the price of an average home is the highest in American history and there are more service jobs for illegal immigrants than ever before!!

But, Joe, the elections are about National Security and the Global War on Terror, which has been the tent-pole, the star attraction of the GOP for five years. We're winning that one aren't we?

Er. Um. I know we are "staying the course so we can fight them there on our terms rather than fight them here on their terms." Yep. Oh, and "we cannot cut and run."

So ... that means we are still in house to house, town to town, hill to hill battles in Afghanistan and Iraq. Years and years of hearings and trials for former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein are underway, the illegal heroin business in Afghanistan is booming, and Iran is emerging as an atomic superpower in the middle east. Terrorist bomb attacks and plots are now taking place in Britain, India, Saudi Arabia - so, nope, not here in America. Oh, and that whole WMD thing wasn't the point anyway, so we don't have that to worry about.

In terms of public safety, the illicit pleasures and poorer sections of New Orleans have been eliminated and the land is ripe for corporate investment, as soon as the government contractual fraud funding is complete. Any citizens forced to flee have been merged into surrounding state budgets for them to care for.

The Patriot Act has been reauthorized so it can circumvent the Constitution, phones and email are under constant surveillance, and the airlines now rigorously check shoes and liquids.

Education? No child has been left behind, all the test numbers are new and totally misunderstood by the public in general and soda pop machines are quickly fading from campuses everywhere.

On the thorny issue of campaign financing scandals, lobbyist reforms -- well, looking at the race in Tennessee for the battle of the Senate seat, Democrat Harold Ford Jr has raised about $4.5 million and spent about $3.3 million, and Republican Bob Corker has raised $5.5 million and spent about $1.8 million. The edge goes to Corker, who has plenty of revenue left to whip away at the godless, liberal democrat Ford in advertising spots and exiting Senator Bill Frist is hard at working campaigning in Iowa.

Outside Tennessee, the battle is truly fierce in states like Pennsylvania, where incumbent Republican and cheerleader Sen. Rick Santorum is trailing in the polls, but has raised $18.3 million so should have plenty of chance to catch the current poll leader, Democrat Bob Casey Jr. who has raised only $8.4 million.

Congress itself is poised to return for a few weeks, where they will consider a bill to commemorate the victims and events of 9-11-2001. That should coincide with multi-media programs via news networks, DVDs and movies to remind everyone of how afraid they should be, and bring support to the side of Defense Secretary Don Rumsfeld, who has successfully been able to stay in his position on the cabinet for a historic length of time.

In short, I think Sen. Dole is right. They are in charge. In glorious, terror-alert colors of half-witted, ill-thought and fear-filled charge.

The old military terms apply - the GOP has SNAFU. The Democrats have FUBAR.

The American Citizen - go back to work, move along, nothing to see here. "We will keep control."

Sunday Sermonette Number 2 (maybe 3)

The Sundays which fall in a holiday weekend are a bit better than other Sundays. A typical Sunday is a quieter day when you step outside - the usual stench of the Rat Race which runs Monday thru Friday is dampened, lessened somewhat since humans sleeping a bit later, or as in the South, lowered anxieties accompany the Faithful Flocks who make their way to the Church of Their Choice. This particular September Sunday is caught in the midst of a the Labor Day Holiday, and here in East TN, the silence is sweetened by the satisfaction of football fans who saw Their Boys win and slumber on more deeply, or wake a bit more quietly.

I always welcome this Sunday morning silence.

Religious or not, most humans seem to take one day a week to drift a bit.

The blurred confusion which circulates in the news about the state o' the world is still there, yes, and I often think the planet would truly benefit if even the 24/7 television world were to simply shut up as well - say from about 5 a.m. til about 3 or 4 p.m. every Sunday. Voluntarily, I mean. Everyone gets forced into too much these days, and I refuse to advocate more forced behavior. I just think the planet would benefit from a touch of self-imposed silence.

Maybe that's why Sunday mornings are so pleasant - most humans take some down time, or ponder the Creator from pews and pulpits, or prep a leisurely plate of brunch, or roll over and dream for a few more moments.

For this Sunday, I do have a few thoughts on worldly matters and the manipulations and machinations from the Powers That Be. But those are all on a back burner, concepts are slowly stewing away, perhaps for a post later today or tomorrow.

Front and center today, though, are a few manifestations of the Oddness of early September 2006. And so I offer to share some of these stray bits of strangeness which I have found in the last day or so.

From West TN, the mighty Newscoma includes a report on Bigfoot sightings in Arizona. The headline for the latest news reads "Bigfoot Kept Lumberjack As Love Slave." What might that be like? Just how does Bigfoot enslave the love of a burly lumberjack? Just how does the mythic creature get his/her Love jones on? If there is just one Bigfoot, isn't there a tragic quality to the creature who has no mate, no peer, no equal, forced instead to hold captive an unsuspecting lumberjack?

The Bigfoot story, from Weekly World News, reminds me of the pics and stories they used to run about President Clinton meeting with our Alien Overlords. So I wonder, if maybe the current administration, itself alone and unloved in a hostile world, might should reach out to Bigfoot, co-mingle their alienations, and send the creature out into the diplomatic world. Maybe for example, a country like Iran or Lebanon could benefit from a visit from Bigfoot. A newer, gentler myth of monstrosity could behoove them.

On the topic of monstrosities, I can confirm I have never, ever, never wondered what might happen if someone made a line of perfumes and scents based on the fantastical creatures from the mind of writer H.P. Lovecraft. But these folks here have.

For the scent of the haunted city of Arkham, makers say it is:

" A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss.

I was thinking of contacting them and offering to work writing ad copy for them for today's modern-now-a-go-go youth -- I think ad ad reading "Smells Like Teen Nyarlathotep" might capture the national attention. Imagine a reality show, "The Next Pickman's Model."

Since it is a Sunday, I was more than a little disturbed to discover the new craze among Southern Evangelical Christians is Christian Wrestling. I mean, 'Rasslin'!

I had thought at first glance this was a story about the North Carolina singer/comedian Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, who had a tune back in the early 1990s called "Sleeper Hold On Satan."

Nope.

Seems there are even two Christian Rassling Leagues.

"I'm not going to sit here and listen to a shirt-and-tie preacher. But I might listen to a guy in spandex because he's like me',” said Timothy "“T-Money"” Blackmon, who wears tight black shorts with a "T“"” on one buttocks and a dollar sign on the other."

Ooops. That story has ruptured my calm Sunday.

Time to sign off and go make some waffles, maybe some biscuits, while the dogs hover near my ankles hopping for dropped morsels. And then a nap.

POSTSCRIPT: I am not sure what the hell is going on in the United Kingdom right now, but for the last four or five days hundreds and hundreds of U.K readers have been arriving here on this Cup of Joe after Googling for that old "Cats That Look Like Hitler" post. That can't be a good sign if Europe is pondering that guy, even in cat form.

Besides, for all those folk who've been visiting - they have yet to leave a single comment. That's just rude.

The 100 Best DVD Commentaries

Do you bother to sit through audio commentaries which accompany most DVDs? I happened to run across a list of the 100 very best and the very worst via Whedonesque this week.

The site offers readers the chance to submit their favorites and not only are the movies listed very impressive, I'll probably grab several of the commentaries mentioned to check them out. Done well, the extra information is fascinating. Done badly, it can make you hate a movie.

The current top ten is lead by Whedon's "Serenity" which has a great commentary, and is followed by several from directors David Cronenberg and Terry Gilliam in the top ten. I'd also rank Cronenberg's commentary for "History of Violence" as especially good for anyone interested in the creative process of moviemaking, and a very funny commentary from Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr and Shane Black on "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang." Also ranking on the list is the commentary for "Monty Python's Holy Grail" and it's almost as funny as the movie. And yes, Bruce Campbell's comments for "Evil Dead" are most entertaining.

Some of the worst?

That list includes both the old and new versions of "Rollerball" and one of the worst I ever had the misfortune to tune into, "Resident Evil". Milla Jovavich is deeply self-absorbed and mighty dumb. Their current number one is for the commentary on "Superfly," from a film professor. Mel Brooks makes the Worst list for "Spaceballs" and "Blazing Saddles:, and I'm curious to catch those now, just to see how bad Mel can be.

What would you put on the list of best and worst? Or do you ever bother to check commentaries?

Camera Obscura - What Makes A Movie Star?

There have been some losses in the legends of American entertainment this week, and not just the deaths of Glenn Ford or Joe Stefano. Tom Cruise found out he was just another product, and the manufacturing studios can replace him like any widget can be replaced.

Not that I think Cruise is a legend - except in his own mind. Getting dumped by Paramount simply shows that the studio distributors and producers are and always have been the real Power. Some say that Paula Fortunato, wife of Paramount's chief Sumner Redstone told her hubby Cruise had to go.

And while I can think of some great performances in a Cruise movie - the performances weren't his. It was Paul Newman in "Color of Money" or Cuba Gooding Jr in "Jerry Maguire" -- a movie that had a prophetic tagline: "Everybody loved him ... Everybody disappeared."

For real honest-to-Pete stardom and acting chops and legendary films, a worthwhile movie fan has to explore the work of Glenn Ford. When I was growing up, the man was the epitome of a square, a blase character. But some years back, thanks to Turner Classic Movies, I discovered he was one of the early pioneers of a more naturalistic, non-glamorous acting approach. He had a rather plain style, and was often quoted as saying he was just being himself onscreen.


I'll just mention 3 of the best of his movies as a place to start if you know little of him. First, he battles crime and Lee Marvin in the film noir thriller "The Big Heat." With a tense direction from Fritz Lang, Ford navigates a murky moral world with an understated skill, small details of all the characters make for a big movie.

Riots literally erupted in theatres when the rock and roll high school apocalypse of the 1950s, "The Blackboard Jungle" was released. It was all blamed on the use of "Rock Around The Clock" on the soundtrack -- but it pulsed to life a new twist in the American Dream -- the kids didn't care for the world they had been given. In fact it was Ford's son, Peter, who had the Bill Haley record and Ford who told producers to use the tune. It was a perfect choice. Ford here plays a former vet, unhappily making his way as a high school teacher and challenging not only the hopelessness of the teens, but of the adults too. It's another performance where we see a character taking mental challenges and bringing them to life.

Ford made many excellent Westerns - odd in that he wasn't an imposing figure. But I think that's what he used to his advantage - being ordinary and refusing defeat. At random, just look for "3:10 To Yuma", written by Elmore Leonard and directed by Delmer Daves. Here, Ford is the bad guy, and the fact that he could play a villain, a hero, a romantic comedy lead - that's a real legend and a real actor. If all you know of him was that he was Pa Kent in the 1978 "Superman" - just think of how good he was in a very short amount of screen time.

As for Joe Stefano - he wrote the script for a movie that changed all the rules for the American horror film - "Psycho." With simple scenes and complex characters under the brilliant hand of Alfred Hitchcock, Stefano had a tough time competing with his own success. His other major achievement was as writer and producer for the original "Outer Limits" -- still some of the best sci-fi ever made for television.

Enough of what was -- let's look at some potential greatness headed to theatres. Director Brian DePalma has taken the blood-curdling murder mystery known as the Black Dahlia, based on crime writer James Ellroy's book, and it looks fantastic. "The Black Dahlia", based on a real-life murder mystery from 194, hits the screen in mid-September.

Putting together DePalma, Ellroy and performers like Scarlett Johansson, Hilary Swank, Josh Hartnett -- that's a hefty amount of creative talent. DePalma and Ellroy should go together very, very well. Although the movie was oddly made in Bulgaria and not Hollywood, DePalma says in news reports his goal was just to capture the story and the style of Ellroy. That should work well. Ellroy's books are must reads. "The Big Nowhere" for example, is a sprawling masterpiece of crime fiction and helped launch his career.

I received an email this week about what may be one of the worst movies ever made, though there are some who love the Halloween made-for-TV movie called "The Worst Witch." One writer in particular can't stop hating the movie. But don't just take his word for it. Check out this video from the movie, with Tim Curry who has an evil tambourine he can't seem to find. Has anybody seen his tambourine???

Truly, truly awful stuff -- looks like it was made for a twelve cents on someone's camcorder in someone's basement ....but I'd bet Tim Curry can still get a movie made at Paramount if he wants.

Blog!!!!!

I've had a few random thoughts about this most indefinable forum of expression which has the name of Blog. For some who make them, it is a sort of daily diary with some consistency, for some it is a personal soapbox to slop out their half (and sometimes fully) baked theories of politics.

Mine here, fer instance, has veered from topic to topic, some local and some national or international, and the consistency issue is ... well, it's an issue.

Profundity, creativity and depravity are possible --- each dependent on the writer. After more than a year of writing for this one and over 40,000 reader viewings, I only know that this particular forum is not one I could or even want to limit to a singular style.

This blog, like the mind that directs these fingers fumbling at the keyboard, has a multitude of ideas, and at best, the lack of consistency is something of a constant. This post is just such an example.

These Blogs and their creators are too nebulous, too multi-faceted to nail down.

There is a single truth about these blogs which I truly and deeply appreciate - they provide the chance to hear and read and experience the worldviews and thoughts of hundreds of thousands of people without the restrictive censorship of an editor, a publisher, a broadcaster. Just about anyone can take the software and use it as they wish. True, some countries block access, and yet within such locations, many share the ways to circumvent the censorship.

And while it's on my mind - Blog --- sounds like one of those radioactive-insectoid-mad science horror movies from the early 1960s. There could be the original - "Blog!!!!" and then "Attack of the 50 Foot Blog!!!" or "Son of Blog!!!" or ... well, you get the idea.

And yes, there is one thing I do on a regular basis, and that is write about movies old and new, always on a Friday -- or sometimes a Saturday or a Wednesday. But usually once or maybe twice a week. (see what I mean about the consistency deal?)

Personal blogs, personal videos, and such have meant I spend less time finding a book to read - I have an entire world of creator-controlled content to peruse. And the magazines or newspapers I might have to seek out at a library I can find here on the World Wide Web. I've also found many thousands of books I could never find in a library here on the Web to read for free and whenever I wish to read it.

I just saw today that Google is offering a new such book service. But type in the title of most any book or screenplay or type of music and you can likely find it to read for free.

When I sometimes cynically ponder on the nature of humans and their precarious and unknowable future, I attempt to find an expression for it here. When I sometimes celebrate the utter silliness and joy of humans, again, I can do the silly dance right here.

My mother says I ramble too much here, and sometimes make these posts too long.

I disagree. Each post is a long or as short as it needs to be.

Here, in conclusion, are a few things I saw in the last day or so I enjoyed:

Tennessee Jed helps keep the lights on the Henley St. Bridge bright.



Brittney at NiT made me laugh silly with this captured pic.



I had fun debating the usefulness and nature of the Minutemen Border Patrol at Atomic Tumor.

I just found sci-fi writer/mathematician Rudy Rucker has a great online magazine called Flurb.

To this and to all I say - "Blog!!!"

Is There Still A Terrorist Threat?

It is a truly challenging question presented in Foreign Affairs magazine, which I located via The Daily Docket.

"But if it is so easy to pull off an attack and if terrorists are so demonically competent, why have they not done it? Why have they not been sniping at people in shopping centers, collapsing tunnels, poisoning the food supply, cutting electrical lines, derailing trains, blowing up oil pipelines, causing massive traffic jams, or exploiting the countless other vulnerabilities that, according to security experts, could so easily be exploited?

One reasonable explanation is that almost no terrorists exist in the United States and few have the means or the inclination to strike from abroad. But this explanation is rarely offered."

The entire article is here.

Given that political pundits, such as Newt Gingrich and many others have been clamoring for us to call the War On Terror "World War 3" and some say call it "World War 4", and that herds of terrified bloggers whine endlessly about the evil residents of America (aka a Democrat, or worse, a Liberal) who aren't harboring lusts for the destruction of all non-Americans are secretly planning for the demise of the nation itself, then the question asked in the magazine deserves consideration: Is There Still A Terrorist Threat?

Are these constant fretting folk simply maneuvering for legislative authority and power based on the amount of generalized Fear they can manufacture?

John Mueller's essay is a fascinating essay - and raises critical questions. Sadly, I read blogs and see news reports constantly which seem deeply content to forever live in an American society shaded by color-coded threat alerts and a willingness to view much of the world as the enemy.

In such a world, what will constitute victory?

As for me, I harbor no illusions my thoughts and questions on this topic will elicit much beyond ill will, or perhaps among those who do think and question our national attitude then some agreement may be expressed. The real changes must occur within the minds and hearts of those who create policy and strategy to realistically address the presence, or absence, of terrorist threats.

Knox Pez Toy Falls Short

The owner of apparently ultra-rare 1982 Knoxville World's Fair Pez Dispenser did not get his hoped-for price of $100,000 on eBay.

The winning bid was a mere $32,205.

That is, if you consider paying $32,000 bucks for a candy holder a "winning" act.

Maybe Knoxville should consider transforming the Sunsphere into a gigantic Pez dispenser, so that the li'l golden sphere on top tilts back and shoots out maybe some bright orange footballs. Maybe the city could get as much as 30 grand too!

Saddam Forced to Watch South Park

Matt Stone, one of the creators of "South Park", says that he has some credible info that Saddam Hussein was shown the movie "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut".

The story says:

"The former Iraqi leader is portrayed in the movie as a homosexual who is in a relationship with the devil, and Stone claims the prisoner is being forced to watch it "repeatedly" as he is held by US Marines.

The South Park movie was banned on release in Iraq seven years ago.

Stone reveals: "I have it on pretty good information from the Marines on detail in Iraq that they showed him the movie. That's really adding insult to injury. I bet that made him really happy."

I wonder if there is any which might most irritate the administration in Washington? Oh yeah, Rumsfeld says the daily news, manipulated by terrorists, makes him heartsick.

Geography Is A Crime

I know Colorado is on the whipping post for the recent Karr debacle, but I was reading an account today of what happened to a 7th grade Geography teacher who dared to show his students the flags of various countries which they were studying.

He was placed on leave, stopped from teaching.

School officials were fearful he might be violating a new state law which prohibits the display of flags from other countries.

According to the report: (and a hat-tip to Salem's Lots for this story)

"Eric Hamlin, in his first year at Carmody, said he regularly displays flags from different countries, rotating them out based on countries being studied.

He said that the first six weeks of school are devoted to discussing the "fundamentals of geography" and that the flags were randomly selected.

District officials are citing Colorado Revised Statute 18-11- 205. It says: "Any person who displays any flag other than the flag of the United States of America or the state of Colorado or any of its subdivisions, agencies or institutions upon any state, county, municipal or other public building or adjacent grounds within this state commits a class 1 petty offense."

It says an exception to that law is "the display of any flag ... that is part of a temporary display of any instructional or historical materials not permanently affixed or attached to any part of the buildings ... ."

Thank goodness the school administrators are working hard to keep the students ignorant, fearful, and have an awareness of nothing more than than a few centimeters beyond their fingertips. Ooops!! Did I say centimenters? I should be banned for using such a term. Next thing you know, I'll use words which originated in Latin or French some other commie-islamic-monarchy.

Bebop Day

Today is the birthday of one Charlie Parker, born in 1920. According to today's edition of The Writer's Almanac, though he is credited with a type of jazz called bebop, he did not like to use that word for his style -- Charlie said "Let's not call it bebop," he said. "Let's just call it music."

The Almanac also features the following poem by Louis McKee, called "Second Chance". It's a fine bit of writing. Enjoy!

Second Chance

In my dream I return
to the place I went
wrong, and given this
chance to change
things, I go on
down the way I went
before. Even in sleep
I know there is only one go—
and it went well
the first time. Where
it didn't- well, it will
be good to see her again.

Hip-Deep in Dumb

Some days I struggle mightily to restrain childish rants against the presence of The Stupid in our humble, warming globe. There are even times when The Stupid comforts me, reminding me that for all of humanity's achievements, Stupid is a great equalizer. Usually though, I get all self-important and gaze down my nose at creation, and that can't be good.

Sometimes the word Stupid really isn't the best descriptive term which applies to events and people. With that in mind, I'm trying to temper my confusion and outrage with Loving Kindness. (cough) So here is a collection of warm and fuzzy hugs of concern and acceptance for those events and people who do or have done something of ..... let's just call it"Questionable Worth."

In a contest between Barry Manilow and Stephen Colbert, the award goes to Manilow?? (Okay, that goes beyond "questionable" and straight to Stupid) The following moment from Colbert and Emmy winner Jon Stewart helps ... a little bit anyway.



Next - does President Bush sincerely believe a few stops and a few bland words to mark the anniversary of the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina will raise his standings? He might as well start calling these useless speeches and visits the "Help Is Still On The Way Tour 2006", so that all he'll have to change from visit to visit is the year in which help, not yet presented, will soon be presented. An ABC story on this current event ends with a paragraph which reveals the real reason he has made a trip to the South:

"Bush was ending the day in New Orleans, at dinner with state and local officials. On Wednesday, he is to appear at political fundraisers in Arkansas and Tennessee, although officials will be keeping an eye on [Tropical Storm] Ernesto in case it requires presidential attention."

If you wonder what usually has the President's attention as a hurricane approaches, it's clearing brush at his Texas farm.

Next - some young people in Vermont have begun making a "social statement" by going semi or totally naked in public. Now I have never been to Vermont, but I'm betting that the number of days when the temperature is suitable for being nude would be a small number. This story would really not have garnered my attention if it were not for the "interactive poll" which went with the story as published by the Boston Globe. The question??

Here ya go -- "Do you think nudity is a basic human right?"

The responses to this ridiculous question are fairly entertaining, true. But allow me to add a very serious note to the Boston Globe -- Under the clothes of every human on the planet, they are totally naked.

Perhaps the razor-sharp minds at the Globe could offer us some other must-read polls, like "Hands - Should They Be On The Ends of Your Arms?" (and a big thank you to Tits McGee for this link, and check out her new blog design too! She just always has the best dang links on the internets.)

An engineer friend of mine used to say that certain people were a "bubble left of plumb". A fine phrase indeed. He also used to say that he had days when he was "hip-deep in dumb." Having said that, the ramblings of Katherine Harris, as noted in a Knox Views post, indicate that dumb may have risen far above the hips and sits level at her lips:

"Harris told the journalists "we have to have the faithful in government" because that is God's will. Separating religion and politics is "so wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers," she said."

Or, as in the fiasco of election vote counts and recounts overseen by Harris in Florida in 2000, God needed the help of some hanging chads to accomplish His Will. Mysterious Ways indeed.

And last but certainly not least, how about the D.A.'s office in Colorado who solved the JonBenet case ... or, well, they didn't solve it, they ... well, they made a celebrity! Thankfully the new revised Cracked magazine got that John Mark Karr's confession. An unidentified member of the D.A.'s office remarked on the error, "Hey, he was using the whole 3-name deal, you know, like Lee Harvey Oswald, and all the bad ones use that t-name dealie." Here's an excerpt from the Cracked confession:

"They did catch up with me in Bangkok and I was consulting with doctors about getting a sex change, so I think it’s pretty clear I’m crazy."