Sorry for the lack of recent content. I've been ill... afflicted with an eye infection. Being sick is rather costly... I blew 75 bucks on doctor and drugs last weekend. Anyhow, thanks to a nifty looking quinone molecule and some other antibiotic I'm on the mend.

One interesting thing though... I've got these eye drops, and I put them in a couple times a day. Whenever I put them in, about three minutes later I get a really weird sensation... the best way to describe it would be a dry taste (not a dry feeling, but a dry taste) in the back of my throat (where you don't normally taste). It's very strange. However, it is not entirely unexpected, since "unpleasant taste" is listed as a possible side-effect of the drops. How an eye drop can cause a bad taste I do not know... It's an interesting question...

I noticed on the news last night that John Kerry uses the same hand gesture as Clinton did... he makes a fist, then puts his thumb on top of his index finger, allowing it to hang out just a little bit beyond the joint.

And then he motions with the hand as if using a tack hammer or perhaps conducting a march.

A march with no rhythm.

I wonder whether that was a conscious decision on his part.

Wait, wait, what am I talking about... of course it was a conscious decision... he's on the presidential campaign trail... everything he does is calculated. If not by him, then by his staffers. Of course, that doesn't guarantee that the calculation is correct, but... I just can't figure out what sort of effect he's going for...

"Clinton 2.0"
"Rich Nor-eastern Clinton"
"Guy who makes weird hand gestures"

I know I ought not be one to talk, since I often move my hands when I get excited about talking... but really... the finger positioning and plain up and down movement is just played out...


In other news, I've gone back to a nightly game of "Madden 2003". I'm in either the 2008 or 2009 season right now. Zak Kustok is the starting QB for my Packers, since Favre retired a few years ago. He's consistently one of the best quarterbacks in the league. He was in the last two Pro-bowls, and last season led the team to a Superbowl victory over the Patriots. Meanwhile, Ahman Green, now 32 years old, continues to run for over 1200 yards a season... I think he's bound to retire after this season though. Damian Anderson is doing a commendable job as a secondary halfback, although his absolute stats are no where near as good as Green's. I usually switch them off every play or two to let them rest. I've also gotten a great rookie HB out of UW (ironically enough named "Middleton") who should do a good job of carrying the team after Green retires. It's been fun giving NU alumni high salaries playing for GB.

Oh yes, one other thing...
I think I may have stumbled upon some sort of ant burial ritual...
When I smashed a few of the ladies one night but failed to clean up their corpses, the next morning I found them all neatly piled together...
How complex could this ant culture be??

Ok, ok... I'm already familiar with the Wienermobile... but... the Kissmobile!?

If you're not thinking about food already, it sounds vaguely dirty... like some sort of gypsy brothel...

I did not think of that initially, however, since I spotted the thing parked in front of the hospital on my way to work this morning. I have to say... while a hot dog and bun combination can get away with being a vehicle, three inverted conical shapes stacked in a row do not an auto-mobile make. It just doesn't look natural.

Ok, I have not forgotten about continuing my post on the continued existence of the universe... just taking a little bit to compose my thoughts further...

In the mean time, something a bit more whimsical...

You know the Beach Boys tune "California Girls"?

Of course you do... they sing about the "girls" of various geographic areas of the United States, and then end with the chorus "I wish they all could be California girls".

I'm confused... I'm not sure what they mean by that...
Do they wish that all the various types of girls they listed could be living in California and therefore be "california girls"... and hence be easier to reach with amorous intent?
Or do they instead wish that the girls of every area were "California Girls" in their manner or appearence, thus suggesting that the girls of California are superior to all others?

I'm just not sure...

Wednesday night I was told I look like a model...

Heh... learn something new every day...

I've been thinking recently about the question of why the universe still exists... you'll notice I don't "why does the universe exists", but rather "why does it still exists."

Working from the basis of Christian theology, one can assume that the universe was brought into being for God's purpose... from the standpoint of Christian theology, the major "act" in that purpose has already taken place... God came to Earth, and through what Paul declares a "mystery" somehow re-established the basis for human-God interaction...

Since that crucial action has already taken place on this timeline... why is time continuing?

A related question "when is the world going to end" is one that has fascinated many people and made many people very wrong... but it seems to me that the question of "why did the director choose to keep filming after he threw the ring into the fire" is rather different than the question "when's the show over". And while Jesus himself indicated that no one (including himself) knew when the end would come, it does not suggest that there might not be something to be learned about humans or God by looking at the question of why that end has not yet arrived...

Nevertheless, I enter into the question with some trepedation... I shan't be making any predictions, that much is certain!

So... what are the options? First of all, one could ask whether there even is a reason that the universe still exists, or whether it is essentially random. In the context of Christian belief though, saying that it's continued existence (and hence time of its end) are random would require that God arbitrarily picked a time for the world to end... I suppose that is possible... however it doesn't seem to line up with what is known about God from other sources. Perhaps taken out of context, Paul does suggest that God is a god of order and not of chaos... Even chaotic phenomenon in the universe, like biology and physics are governed in the end by some sort of law.

That brings up a rather deistic possibility... that the universe itself will determine when it ends... I actually can't think of anything that is wrong with this explanation, but if it indeed turns out to be accurate, (and current research is close to the mark) the end will be a long time in coming.

(Going to go eat dinner now, hopefully continue this post tomorrow...)

Thanks to an email from a compatriot, I've updated the Stats.
C_____ writes:

Twas an interesting battle.  [The Spartan] light infantry and skimishers controlled the right flank, and [their heavy cavalry] killed [the Athenian heavy cavalry].  However, when [Athen]'s main battleline of 7 stand was attacked by [Sparta]'s 3 stand force, [Athens]
was able to break off one stand, wheel it, and rolled up the Spartan on
the flank, killing all three stands and the General to win the game.

Sounds like an exciting contest! Wish I had been there... The ratings war grows more important as we consider another single elimination tournament the next time the gang gets together... you'll notice that now only Roman armies have winning (or even tying) records...

I've made some recent discoveries of foodstuffs that are particularly suited to the lifestyle of the young urban bachelor...

Buying frozen waffles on sale seems like a good investment for break-fast-tyme. Since I have a nice little toaster oven courtesy Di's parents, I can toast a few in the morning while I get dressed. This has however led to a certain instance of what feels like culinary turn-coat-ery... I've purchased... I can't say it...

[hushed whisper] margarine [/hushed whisper]

You know the kind... in the little tub... I like some extra cholesteral with my waffles and peanut butter, but conventional butter sticks get hard, and are rather more labor intensive than the tub... and in the morning I need as labor unintensive as possible...

The second pleasant discovery I made was of some forzen pastas that Kroger sells... they seem to be a quasi-generic brand... not Kroger brand, but not KRAFT or NABISCOeither. There are various pastas stuffed with various cheeses and other mixtures... I've tried the tortellini thusfar, and it was much better than the venerable Chef Boy-are-dee(s crappy kinds of pasta) . I can boil water and cook the pasta in 5-10 minutes, and simultaneously microwave some sauce from one of Prego's bottles... sprinkle with cheese if I like, and then consume.

This past week has in fact been a veritable cornicoupia of personal improvement... I've eaten better, cleaned more dirty dishes, tidied the apartment, finished a furniture construction project... At this rate I may be living like a human by the end of the month...