Hat tip (uncovering awkward declivity) to Mme. Levy of Giverny…

… honestly, I keep hearing these assurances in classes, but have never felt particularly emotional during any practice. And due to having a hole drilled in my frontal lobe a number of years ago, my emotions are now always much closer to the surface in general. I cry at the stupidest of sappy movies, my trigger point to anger is much closer, etc. Yoga practice though? Nothing really emotional there at all.

Partner Yoga Class tomorrow night…

Here’s a hypothesis based on two data points. I left it as a comment at Loose Poodle and I re-present it here:

During drive time I had an insight that I’d like to share. I think those of us who don’t believe in god have a higher likelihood of believing in conspiracy theories. It would be interesting to rake together the data around this theory, to prove it or disprove it. I know I am quite likely to identify connections here in this life, and I think it might have something to do with not having that metaphysical stuff tying things together in a different way.

The data:

1. In one brief conversation a brilliant friend revealed both that he is “born again,” which is to say he experienced a life changing conversion experience; and, that he doesn’t have much time for conspiracy theories.
2. I have never had a conversion experience nor do I expect to have one; and, my world view is framed by a sensitivity to the dynamics of power relationships in society and how those relationships support a structure of social classes.

My friend is carefree, neither seeing nor crediting “the doomsday stuff,” as tristero calls it.

…the very thought that the US government is seriously broken - that the Executive is beyond the control of anyone and everyone in the world - is such a truly awesome and terrifying thought that it can never be publicly acknowledged. If ever it is, if the American crisis gets outed and Congress and the Supremes openly assert that the Executive has run completely amok and is beyond control, the world consequences are staggering. It is the stuff of doomsday novels.

Juke Moran says, “Moral centers, in a Velikovskian geometric, have Onanist characteristics.” I wouldn’t know about that of course, because my nose is stuck so deep in my own navel that I’m suffocating. But I like my little social science thought experiment:

Answer these two questions, and please don’t mess with me, just tell the truth…

1. Do you believe in god and how would you qualify that belief?
2. Do you see conspiracies where the media and others around you see none, and give an example please?

EEstor… that’s what I’m talking about. Got my fingers crossed that it goes big and that it goes big fast.

I’ve read a hundred pages or so of Dawkins’ new book and it just keeps on rocking me with fundamental truth. You can get your copy through this link:
The God Delusion

Thanks to Norm Jenson at One Good Move for turning me on to it early. If you buy through the above link, you are supporting One Good Move.

Stewart Brand writes glowingly of the Roomba at Kevin Kelly’s Cool Tools blog. (Thanks to Dave Winer for the pointer.) I was awarded a Roomba for my half baked idea regarding robotic pet exercise devices last year at the Accelerating Change gathering.

When I tried it at my house it didn’t work. Things that choked the Roomba:

• Fringed rugs.
• Differences in floor elevation, room to room.
• Deep area rugs on hardwood floors… once off the rug, Roomba never wanted to climb back on, just kept cleaning the perimeter.
• Dining room table and chair legs. Roomba could never find its way under the table.
• Stairs.

Our old farm-house just isn’t Roomba-friendly.

The God Delusion arrived today! In a fit of bibliomancy, I opened it up and found on page 104 the assertion that “Pascal’s wager could only ever be an argument for feigning belief in God.” I’m going to like this book! In fact I intend to read some tonight right after I check out the video clips at One Good Move. Thank’s to Norm Jenson for all of this.

Irony or conspiracy? How likely is it that an organic food company named Natural Selection would deliver e coli 0157:H to the dining tables of millions of Americans at precisely the same time that the Pope was defaming muslims worldwide? Not likely. No, these seemingly unrelated events are obviously part of a vast global christian conspiracy digging in to protect what remains of their tattered empire in the face of challenges from science, competing superstitions, and health food nuts.

The Armies of God are on the march and we had better watch out!

Enter Richard Dawkins. The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science has brought online a web site aimed squarely at encountering religious superstition just at this critical moment when God’s rottweiler is barking loudest and the domestic religious fundies are spreading cow poop in our spinach.

Dawkins’ latest book, The God Delusion, is just out. The book is a profoundly intolerant look at god, a book that treats theocentric superstitions the same, be they baptist, catholic, or shiite. If I was him I’d duck and cover before the Papal scourging and the fatwas start flying.

The God Delusion may be one ray of light shining into the xtian darkness that has fallen on America. I’m looking forward to reading it.

Reuters sez…

California on Wednesday sued six of the world’s largest automakers, including General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp., over global warming, charging that greenhouse gases from their vehicles have caused billions of dollars in damages.

I was reminded of last year’s tongue in cheek CEO Hotty series when I read that Virginia Hale will be a 2024 MacArthur Foundation fellow.

PhoneCon 2.0 is running down the track right at us, mars light flashing, whistle howling in a rising doppler shriek!!!

ding-a-ling

Where are you now?
Don’t forget the kitty litter on your way home.
Should I call out for ‘za?

That’s right biz-guys and val-gals! It’s time for PhoneCon 2.0. Since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, this thing has grown like gangbusters! After the first PhoneCon in 2024, we vowed to do it again soonest, and I guess this was about the soonest we could do it. We weren’t sure if we should invite women, but hell… we weren’t sure if we should invite men either. We decided not to invite engineers and graphic artists, so if you see any of them in the lobby, well… they’re crashers.

Go grab yourself a PhoneCon badge for your blog… the conference planner has us on a tight schedule and it looks like we have less than eleven hours before the plenary session begins.

I understand we’re due to open with a stirring rendition of the Marseillaise performed on the fipple flute, then there will be some talking and more talking and then some talking and stuff, until finally the fat lady sings. And in this case, the fat lady is me. I’ve prepared several numbers for your edification and delight, but I’m also willing to take requests. Just hum a few bars… for the click through impaired, the agenda is reproduced below:

TENTATIVE AGENDA:

Introductions
Conclusions

BLAHAHAHA!

Okay, no, seriously, you’re in charge. But I was talking with the Co-Vice-Honorary-Capital- Advisory-President this evening, because the Chief Evangelist of the Chairman of the Bored whom I originally made this shit up with last time was ’sleep, and we came up with some ideas to kick around. Please bring your own topics.

Some Topics and Estimated Runtime:

Are you experienced? - 3o minutes
Favorite Hues - 3 hours
Wikipedia–”fixed” or free to procreate? - break out groups: 5 minutes.
What makes the web (AKA: meaning making 101) — ongoing
Frank Paynter: A song - 2 minutes
Conclusion - 30 seconds (AKA: Bye!)