Quotation of the day

I never think delusion is okay.
--Barbara Ehrenreich, author of Bright-Sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America; October 14, 2009 appearance on The Daily Show

Are you a theorist or a reasonist?

This Doonesbury comic, from Sunday, September 6, 2009 is one of my all-time favorites.

Crystal Stick Deodorant: Apparently it's nothing

Knowing my preference for unscented products, my mom just gave me a stick of Crystal Stick Natural Body Deodorant. There seems to be a contradiction between the ingredients list and the hype of the product on the back of the container. 

No doubt in an effort to appeal to those who believe that "chemicals" are bad and “natural” things are good, the description says: "Crystal Stick™ Body Deodorant is made of natural mineral salts and is completely free of perfumes and chemicals.” Oka-a-a-y. 

Since all matter, including pure water and air, are composed of chemicals, I’m left wondering what could possibly be in the container. A vacuum perhaps? 

Ah, no. “Contains: Natural Mineral Salts, Ammonium Alum,” which are chemical substances. Uh-oh. Alert the "chemicals are bad for you" folks.

Quotation of the day

Faith is the very antithesis of reason, injudiciousness a crucial component of spiritual devotion.
--Jon Krakauer, Under the Banner of Heaven, A Story of Violent Faith

Are there potties in heaven?

My good Catholic mother has apparently been plagued by some bothersome questions about heaven. So she asked her priest, "Do people eat in heaven?" (The priest answered that he didn't know.) Wish she'd asked, "And if they eat, do they poop, and where?" since I believe those are more intriguing questions.

Prayers will work--in 2010!

Overheard conversation:

Christian 1: 2009 was such a terrible year. Let's us all pray that 2010 is a better year.
Christian 2: Yes! Let's pray for a good year in 2010. God always answer prayers.

Me (to myself): So, why didn't either of you two pray for a good year in 2009?!

Demented Driver

Hey, Demented Driver:

All four lanes of the Baltimore Beltway were moving at an average 20 MPH, because--yikes!--it was raining!!

No lane was consistently faster than the others. Sometimes, one would speed up to all of 22 or 23 MPH, but only for a few seconds; then that lane would slow down again, and another lane would become the faster 22 or 23 MPH lane for a few seconds.

Yet, as soon as you entered the road, you decided that you needed to weave in and out of all four lanes, squeezing between cars and trucks with a car's-length of space between them.

So, where were you going and why?

What caused you to weave between vehicles, many of which were already too close to each other given the weather and road conditions?

What caused you to risk not only your life but the lives of other drivers to save a few minutes of your trip?

Where you perhaps:

1. About to give birth, and were rushing to the hospital?
2. Accompanied by pet pig with chronic diarrhea, and she really, really, needed to go, like, "right now"?
3. Required to speed, since an insane extortionist had planted a bomb in your car which would have exploded if you traveled at less than 23 MPH?
4. Demented--and an idiot?