The Wisdom of Babylon 5

Ask ten different scientists about the environment, population control, genetics, and you'll get ten different answers. But there's one thing every scientist on the planet agrees on. Whether it happens in a hundred years or a thousand years or a million years, eventually our sun will grow cold and go out. When that happens, it won't just take us. It'll take Marilyn Monroe, and Lao Tzu, and Einstein, and Morobuto, and Buddy Holly, and Aristophanes, all of this. All of this was for nothing, unless we go to the stars.

-Commander Jeffrey Sinclair

Overdue Update

For those of you who have been following the saga of my brother^§, here's the latest. I got a phone call from Dad at dinner last night, and an e-mail from A's wife this afternoon. They both had basically the same news, though Dad gave a specific date. First, here's an except from my sister-in-law's message:

Yesterday I met with A’s therapists, doctors and case manager. A has made some improvements. He has the neck brace off, and he has started eating solid food. His medical conditions (i.e. high blood pressure and sugar levels) are under control as well. The physical therapist had him in the standing machine for the first time yesterday and said he did well for the first try. He has all the muscles working that are needed for him to eventually walk again. His right side is still weaker than his left but he does try and use it so they are working on strengthening it.

A has two areas of concern at this time that they are going to focus on. The first is that on the front right side of his brain A still has a significant amount of fluid. They are going to continue to watch this with CAT scans; however, they may end up having to drain this fluid off in the near future. The second area of concern is the more major one. The left side of A’s brain that he damaged is where his language capabilities are housed. A can hear and he can talk, the problem is that he doesn’t understand. He doesn’t really understand what is said to him or what he is saying. The doctors believe that he is responding more to body language and facial expressions....

The time frame that the staff has come up with is that A will be going home by the end of September. In a couple of weeks he will be cleared for outings in which he can be signed out of the hospital for periods of time....

Thank you for your continued support and your prayers.

Dad had one addition to the above: he said A's release date, at least at this point, is September 21st.

Let me just echo my sister-in-law's sentiments: Thank you all so much for your healing thoughts, your hope, and your prayers in my brother's behalf. While this whole thing has been an ordeal for our family, we have felt great support, love, and comfort through it all.

Thank you.

--
^§ For those who haven't been keeping track, you can read about it here, here, and here.

The Usual Memes

Part I: Friday's Feast
Friday's Feast for Friday, 27 July 2007:

Appetizer Describe a toy you remember from your childhood.
Estes model rockets. I wasn't the best at painting them or gluing the fins on straight, but launching them was sure a lot of fun.

Soup On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being highest) how observant are you?
Huh? What was the question again?
Sometimes I notice really odd or inobvious things, and sometimes the obvious things slip by me completely. So on a scale of 1-10, I don't know, 6? 5? 7? Something like that.

Salad Where would you rather be at this very moment?
A nice breakfast buffet. I could really go for some biscuits and gravy right now.

Main Course When was the last time you learned something new?
I try to learn something new every day. Yesterday, for example, I learned that you can clean dirty combs and hair brushes by soaking them overnight in a solution of 3 tablespoons household ammonia in one quart of warm water. (You have to rinse them really well before using them again, of course.)

Dessert Fill in the blank: I have ____________ but I haven’t ____________.
Fill in the blank: I have been to many, many college hockey games and a few minor league hockey games, but I haven’t ever been to an NHL game.

--

Part II: Top 5 On Friday
Top 5 On Friday - Week 134 from The Music Memoirs:

Top 5 Nighttime Songs (Songs about evening or things related to the evening)

» "All Through the Night" by Cyndi Lauper (from the album She's So Unusual)
Probably my favorite song from Cyndi.

» "A Night to Remember" by SheDaisy (from the album The Whole SheBang)
A sweet, romantic song that turns into a disturbing tale of love, betrayal, and revenge.

» "Into the Night" by Julee Cruise (from the Twin Peaks Soundtrack)
I've still never seen an episode of the show, but I enjoy the soundtrack.

» "And When the Night Comes" by Jon & Vangelis (from the album Private Collection)
This is one of those CDs I sometimes forget I have. Good, quiet, calming stuff.

» "Last Night" by The Traveling Wilburys (from the album The Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1)
"I asked her to marry me, she smiled and pulled out a knife...."

Regarding Potter

As previously mentioned, I haven't read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yet, placing me, I expect, solidly in the minority in the Western world. And I won't be reading for at least a few weeks. But now I have a better reason to wait for it.

Nancy and I accompanied several family members to a couple of the big release parties last Friday night/Saturday morning. We also saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix with her family on opening day. So we're pretty much in the groove. As we were talking about it the other night, Nancy said, "It kind of makes me want to read the books now." So she is. She started Book 1 yesterday. She'll likely start Book 2 tomorrow.

I currently own Books 1,2,3, and 6, the last of which Nancy gave me when it came out. We can probably find Books 4 and 5 at the library. So Nancy will make her way through the first six books, and when she gets to "Deathly Hallows", we'll buy it and read it together. That, I think, is well worth waiting for.

To review:

* Nancy bought me "Firefly" for Christmas when we were dating.
* She's bought me Seasons 1-3 of "Babylon 5", as well as the movie collection.
* She got really excited last week when we learned that the local club store is now carrying "Stargate SG-1".
* And now she's reading Harry Potter.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I have the coolest wife ever.

--

While we're on the subject of Harry Potter, I should say something about spoilers. I don't mind them. I already know, for example, that a few of my predictions from the prior post were accurate (or at least close), and that a few were dead wrong. And I know that body count is much higher than I anticipated. I've got a pretty good idea who ultimately lives and who dies. And that doesn't bother me. Spoilers may give away the destination, but not the journey.

Here's an example of what I'm talking about. In the first episode of "Babylon 5", Londo Mollari reveals that he's had a dream about how he will die: he'll be strangled to death by G'Kar twenty years or so in the future. The writer, J. Michael Straczynski, throws out that little bit of information right up front. He tells you, "This is what's going to happen." But you don't actually see it happen, at least not then. In fact, you don't see it happen until near the end of the third season, when one of the characters is momentarily transported to the future. And you have to watch all five seasons, plus one of the made-for-TV movies, to really understand why it happens. In this respect, knowing that Londo dies at the hands of G'Kar right at the beginning of the story doesn't really tell you a lot.

And that's how I feel about Harry Potter, too. Knowing what happens, without knowing the context of how and why it happens, isn't much of a spoiler at all.

Predicting Harry

I'll not be reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows this weekend. I've got too much homework yet to do. Nevertheless, I'd like to join in Dilliwag's game. Here are my predictions.

The Fate of Harry Potter
Harry will ultimately defeat Voldemort with the help of a lot of good people, but at a terrible personal cost. Like Frodo Baggins, his quest to rid the world of a great evil will leave him less than whole, though not necessarily missing any fingers. Rather, something inside him will be unalterably changed, and the awestruck, wonder-filled, fun-loving boy of the earlier books will be no more. It's even possible that Harry will lose his magical powers and live out the rest of his life as a Muggle (but see below).

Spies!
Yes, that's spies, meaning more than one. Two, specifically. Snape, despite his actions at the end of HPatHBP, is of course still loyal to Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. He will show his true colors at a critical point in the final battle, doing something that will ultimately allow Harry to put away Voldemort once and for all. And it will cost Snape his life. But at least he'll die heroically.

As for "that weasel Percy (what's up with that guy?)", well, he's a spy, too. He's Dumbledore's deep cover operative inside the Ministry of Magic. Dumbledore had long suspected that Voldemort had a mole or two inside the Ministry (which suspicions were no doubt confirmed by the Ministry's reaction to the death of Cedric Diggory), so he put one in place himself. Even the rest of the Order don't know about Percy's true mission, but in the end, they'll say he acted as a true Weasley should. Alas, they'll be saying that at his funeral, because Percy won't survive the book's events either.

Revenge!
With all the revenge melodrama potential in this story, the final book could be a bloodbath. Neville Longbottom finally fulfills the promise of Order of the Phoenix and takes out Bellatrix Lestrange. Draco and Ron have it out: Draco severely injures (but doesn't kill) Ron, after which Hermione and any Weasleys that happen to be present unleash their fury on Draco. Lucius Malfoy avenges his son by killing one of the Weasleys (maybe Fred or George?), and Mr. Weasley fights and ultimately defeats Lucius in a high-powered magical duel. Remus Lupin tracks down Peter Pettigrew and settles things betwen them once and for all. Final death toll of named characters: between 7 and 10.

Mawwidge!
That Ron and Hermione will end up together is a pretty safe bet. (If they don't Ms. Rowling had better have a good place to hide from all the rabid, disappointed fans!) That Harry and Ginny Weasley end up together would not be surprising. It'd be a great comfort to Harry to have such a noble, caring batch of in-laws, especially once Hermione joins the clan, too. Tonks and Remus Lupin would also make for a nice couple. And it'd be great to see Neville with a nice girl, too. Luna Lovegood, perhaps?

So, those are my predictions. If any of these things actually come to pass, I'll be amazed. I can never pick out J.K. Rowling's endings....

Morning Devotional

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ—that is the first principle of the gospel. We must go forward. God expects you to have enough faith, determination, and trust in Him to keep moving, keep living, keep rejoicing. He expects you not simply to face the future; He expects you to embrace and shape the future—to love it, rejoice in it, and delight in your opportunities.

God is eagerly waiting for the chance to answer your prayers and fulfill your dreams, just as He always has. But He can’t if you don’t pray, and He can’t if you don’t dream. In short, He can’t if you don’t believe.

- Jeffrey R. Holland, This, the Greatest of All Dispensations.

Conversational Realities

(Concept borrowed from Dilliwag.)

Me: Can I get the enchiladas with flour tortillas instead of corn?
Waitress: Sure, no problem.
Me: Okay, I'll get the Cozumel, with one each, beef, chicken, and cheese.
Waitress: [writing] One beef, one chicken, one cheese. Would you like the red or green sauce?
Me: Which is hotter?
Waitress: The green.
Me: I'll take the red.
Waitress: [laughs]

Hey, if I can give a waitress a good chuckle, I figure I've served my purpose in life for one day.

Happy Friday the 13th!

Part I: Friday's Feast
Friday's Feast for Friday, 27 October 2006

Appetizer What is your favorite fruit?
Cantaloupe.

Soup Who is someone you consider as a great role model?
Mr. Hess, my high school math teacher and cross country coach. He was an intelligent, compassionate, and dedicated person, a genuinely good human being. I heard that he and his wife were in a car wreck recently and they're now both in rehab. Best wishes, Mr. and Mrs. H.

Salad If you were to spend one night anywhere within an hour of your home, where would you choose?
Park City - it's romantic, the scenery is beautiful, and it's a lot cooler (and less hazy) than down here in the valley.

Main Course Name something you do too often.
Eat too much. I've noticed it especially over the past week or so. I guess I eat too fast, and don't realize I've reached the 'Full' level until I've already passed it. Got to work on that.

Dessert Fill in the blank: I really like ___________ because ____________.
I really like blogging because it gives me a way to keep in touch with scattered friends and relatives.

--

Part II: Top Five on Friday
Top 5 On Friday - Week 132 from The Music Memoirs

Top 5 Musical Collaborations
(Songs, albums - it can be a mixture of both.)


» Chess by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson, and Bjorn Ulvaeus
Before Aladdin, The Lion King, and Beauty and the Beast, Rice collaborated with Andersson and Ulvaeus (formerly of ABBA) on this musical story of interpersonal and international politics at the height of the Cold War. Many people don't know that Murray Head's 1984 hit single "One Night in Bangkok" is the opening of the second act to this play.


» G3: Live in Concert by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Eric Johnson
If you like instrumental rock guitar, it doesn't get much better than this. Satriani. Vai. Johnson. Together. Wow.


» Neck and Neck by Chet Atkins and Mark Knopfler
Knopfler (perhaps better known as the guitar and voice of Dire Straits) is one of the few British rockers who cites country music as an inspiration. Atkins was one of his idols. Another album full of great guitar work, and you can tell by listening that they had a lot of fun making it.


» Half Nelson by Willie Nelson
Willie's always been willing to play with people of different musical styles. This album features collaborations with artists as diverse as Hank Williams, George Jones, Neil Young, Julio Iglesias, and Carlos Santana. And of course there's the classic "Seven Spanish Angels" with Ray Charles, which leads us to....


» Genius Loves Company by Ray Charles
Just look at the guest list on Ray Charles' final album. Norah Jones. James Taylor. Diana Krall. Elton John. Bonnie Raitt. Natalie Cole. Willie Nelson. Michael McDonald. B.B. King. Gladys Knight. Johnny Mathis. Van Morrison. And let's not forget the brightest star in this musical constellation, the incomparable Ray Charles himself. This is a modern classic, and more than worthy of all the awards (including an Album of the Year Grammy) that it won.

And one song for extra credit: "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.

Ironic

This story ran in the Dallas Morning News. You may have seen it, as I did, on Fark.com.

Nobel laureate calls for removal of Bush

Okay, nothing particularly newsworthy there; everybody seems to be calling for Bush's removal nowadays. What I found interesting was the beginning of the third paragraph of the story. I've also included the first two, just to give some context:

Nobel Peace Prize winner Betty Williams came from Ireland to Texas to declare that President Bush should be impeached.

In a keynote speech at the International Women's Peace Conference on Wednesday night, Ms. Williams told a crowd of about 1,000 that the Bush administration has been treacherous and wrong and acted unconstitutionally.

"Right now, I could kill George Bush," she said at the Adam's Mark Hotel and Conference Center in Dallas. "No, I don't mean that. How could you nonviolently kill somebody? I would love to be able to do that."

So, how is that whole non-violence thing working out for you, Ms. Williams?

U.S. Citizenship Test

This is borrowed from a thread at the Hero Games Discussion Boards:

Do you have what it takes to become a citizen?

I scored 95%. The average score on the boards seems to be between 80% and 85%. 80% is the cutoff for passing the test.

True, I guessed on a couple of questions. And it was multiple choice, which made several of the questions a lot easier than if I'd had to supply the information without any kind of reminder. Still, I'm pretty pleased at how I did.

I'd be interested to see how regular readers (if any) do on it.

Top 5 10 15 on Friday

Top Five on Friday - Week 131
From The Music Memoirs

Top 5 albums that are at least 20 years old.
(There's a stipulation however...all 5 albums cannot be by the same artist/band)

The challenge is accepted. I give you five albums released in 1987 or before:


» Asia by Asia (1982)
The band was too talented, with too many big egos. They were doomed to fall apart from the beginning. But for that first, beautiful album, they were absolutely brilliant. Just close your eyes, and you can hear the opening guitar riff from "Heat of the Moment".


» Coconut Telegraph by Jimmy Buffett (1981)
The last Jimmy Buffett song I can remember getting radio play was "It's My Job". One summer day, as I was taking a break from blowing trash out of the parking lot at the apartment complex where I worked, this song came to my memory. So I went out and bought the album. It was the first step in accumulating an nice Buffett collection of my own.


» Chicago 17 by Chicago (1984)
Admit it — you owned this album too, back in the day. Everyone did.


» High Infidelity by REO Speedwagon (1980)
A hard-hitting, straight-forward drum-and-guitar rock album. You'd never have guessed that it was recorded at the height of the Disco era.


» Isolation by Toto (1984)
This album didn't have the commercial appeal and massive sales of 1982's Toto IV, but then again, what did? In a lot of ways, I thought this was actually a better album. "Stranger in Town" and "Carmen" have always been favorites.

But wait, there's more. How about five more albums, each 30 years old or more.

» Boston by Boston (1976)
Brad Delp's ringing lyrics and Tom Scholz's overdubbed guitars made for a sound that could never really be duplicated. Delp's recent suicide was an incalculable loss.

» An Evening with John Denver by John Denver (1975)
I grew up listening to this album. There was no way I couldn't include it. The tongue-in-cheek "Toledo" was always a favorite.

» Hotel California by The Eagles (1976)
A pox on Led Zeppelin; "Hotel California" has the best guitar solo in rock. And the rest of the album wasn't bad either.

» Leftoverture by Kansas (1976)
Kansas is one of my favorite bands. This album put them on the map. There's not a bad track on the album.

» 2112 by Rush (1976)
Admittedly, I often skip through the middle of the album, but the opening rock operetta (the title track, "2112") and the closing number ("Something for Nothing") are among my favorite songs the band's ever done. I hope to hear either of them when we see Rush in concert a month from today.

And now, for the pièce de résistance: five more albums, each 40 years old or more:

» Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band by The Beatles (1967)
Was it really 40 years ago today? The album still sounds fresh and original.

» Days of Future Passed by The Moody Blues (1967)
Okay, it wasn't released until December of 1967, so technically it's not quite 40 years old. But the recording was done by the end of June, so in my book, it's close enough. Besides, this album's too good not to include.

» Time Out by The Dave Brubeck Quartet (1959)
If people have heard of this album at all, they probably remember it best for "Take Five". If you can write well enough and really play your instruments, you can even make 5/4 sound great.

» An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer by Tom Lehrer (1959)
As a chemistry graduate, there's only one thing I can say about this album:
"There's antimony, arsenic, aluminum, selenium, and hydrogen and oxygen and nitrogen and rhenium...."

» The Sound of Music Film Soundtrack (1965)
"Maria". "I Have Confidence". "Sixteen Going On Seventeen". "My Favorite Things". "Do-Re-Mi". "The Lonely Goatherd". "Edelweiss". "So Long, Farewell". "Climb Ev'ry Mountain". Everyone knows these songs. That's why we still care about the musical after four decades. Too bad about Rolf, though.

And by the way, I personally own each and every one of these.

Speling Problums

Q: What do all of the following have in common?

El Segunel
Woodear
Marina Gelray
Palace Verdez Peninsula
Nora
Suanballey
Dan Nuis
Coldina
Wilm.
K2
Oceanfive

A: They're all cities in southern California...at least, according to our employees!

With the end of the school year, I've returned to working at the market research company that I've called my employer since August of 2002. I never really left the company; I just went on an indefinite leave of absence last October. When the time came to return, I talked to Jason, the call center field director. We chatted a bit, and he told me that Jack, the Quality Assurance manager and my one-time mentor, had been recalled to military duty and was now working as a recruiter. So they've been operating without a QA person. My proposed solution to the problem was both simple and brilliant: "I could do that." He took me up on it. I'm the new quality manager for the call center.

As part of my duties, I have to check the data our interviewers collect. On the project we're running now, there is a particular emphasis on city, street, and personal names because we're going to be sending respondents more information by mail. So I've been checking the data that we've gathered. In my searching on Saturday, I found all of the following errors (and about two dozen others that weren't interesting enough to include here).

I've got my work cut out for me.

Oh, and if you were curious, here are the real city names:

El Segundo
Whittier
Marina Del Rey
Palos Verdes Peninsula
Norwalk
Sun Valley
Van Nuys
Covina
Wilmington
Arroyo Grande
Oceanside

Even if our employees haven't been to any of these places, is it too much to ask that they at least be aware of their existence? Is it possible that there are really people who don't know there's a city called Van Nuys in California? Could someone really think that 'Suanballey' is the name of an actual place?

Pay attention, people!