This is what I'm trying to master.
Didn't help that I watched Eastern Promises the other night. If it is to be believed (not!) the Russian Mob loves to cut throats with straight razors. Not an image I liked having in my head this AM while shaving.
I was very surprised last week when one of my fundamentalist friends mentioned that his church was recommending against their churchgoers seeing "The Golden Compass". Actually, I was pretty stunned.
I wonder if this represents the difference between fundamentalists and the more established variants of Catholicism (Protestantism, Lutherans, Anglicans, etc.). Of course, they would consider themselves separate but I think one can make a very good case that they are merely schismatic sects.
In any event, I feel that the more established religions are more secure - more welcoming of different points of view or challenges to doctrine. The US council of Catholic bishops for instance gave the movie a "thumbs up" according to press reports.
But some guy in the Catholic League (whatever that is) and a bunch of fundamentalist churches appear to be castigating the film having never read the books or seen the advance screenings. What are they afraid of? Is their faith so weak ?
Progression:
2008: Economic Left/Right: -4.75, Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -1.85
2004: Economic Left/Right: -4.12, Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -2.41
Hmm.. It would seem that I'm drifting a bit more right and getting a little less libertarian as I age. Predictable.
Cool site.. but I'm still close to Gandhi.
This is what the FA Cup, the world's greatest soccer competition, is all about.
Tiny Havant & Waterlooville has just beaten Swansea, 83 places above them in the league 4-2 to enter the 4th round of the FA Cup.
The prize for the non-league side? A trip to play Liverpool at Anfield. To put this into an American perspective, it's a bit like a Division III college team getting to play the New England Patriots head to head.
Tremendous stuff.
Question: What would you get if the pharmacy business all of a sudden had to charge the same price everywhere for an item?
The future: The current Medicare Part D system will require just that.
Tonight I saw a Walgreen's ad on the TV and if it is to be believed, the only differentiator of significance between pharmacies will become the service they offer.
A very interesting unintended consequence of forcing them to standardize prices.
Somebody said that "it's incredibly macho to shave with something that can cut off your head". I'm about to find out.
Ordered myself a straight razor yesterday. Seems funny that the industry has sold everyone on safety razors and electric razors - I have both - but we are still in pursuit of a good close shave.
So I'm going back to early days and am going to try the straight razor. Strop, shaving cream and all. From all I've read, it'll take a while to learn how to use it - let's hope I down scar myself irremediably in the mean time.
This is quite an idea.
With the new mechanism in place, Apple and Fox (movie studio) will allow you to load a digital copy of your DVD into iTunes.
This, as I commented to a good friend, is a landmark in copyright and fair use. For years, the few brave souls foolish enough to "rip" copies of their own DVDs have run the risk of being sued by the industry if discovered. It has been illegal for quite a while (in the US) to make a digital copy of a movie you own and put it on your computer.
No more. At least when it comes to DVDs bought from Fox and if you have iTunes. How long before other movie studios follow suit? After all, people have been ripping DVDs and making them available via torrent for a couple of years now. Tons of lost revenue to the movie studios.
Finally one saw the light and can be an industry leader in making the content legally available to their users.
We're still in the wild west days on the digital frontier but I hear they've got running water in Tombstone.. times, they are a changin'.
Liverpool crush Luton 5-0 at home today.
Got to say, Luton are men though. They held Liverpool to 1 goal (in stoppage time at the end of the first half) and despite being under very serious pressure didn't crumble.
Of course, the flood gates opened after the half, Stevie getting a hattrick but that has to be down to both fitness and the difference in class between the sides.
In spite of the score, Luton can hold their heads up. An agreement was just reached to buy the team apparently and they won't get shut down. Congratulations to them.
It came out today that Rafa Benitez has been undermined in his role as Liverpool manager by the new American owners of the club (Hicks and Gillette) going to the Jurgen Klinsman and asking him if he would be interested in taking over the club helm.
Apparently this took place in late November, as the owners were looking for cover but it was bandied about in the press that Rafa was being approached by Real Madrid.
But I have to wonder whether this has negatively affected the team in their recent performances. Are they disaffected because they think Rafa is a lame duck? Do they dislike his rotation policy?
Very frustrating indeed. We should crush Luton tomorrow and anything less than that is likely a nail in Rafa's coffin.