Blogrophenia: The Reverend Aton's Site

Well they finally did it. They finally KILLED Terry Schiavo. That's right her husband, stalwart of ethics and discipline that he is -- he has fathered two children with another woman and lives with her as husband and wife -- refused to rest until his -- in every sense but legally -- ex wife was murdered.

Now, I am a lawyer and I understand the law here and make no mistake, the husband is legally in the right. However it boggles my mind that this man would FIGHT to murder his -- again in every sense but legally -- ex wife when her poor parents want to keep their baby girl alive.

A small battle may have won here, but at least this registered Democrat is suddenly more interested in what the Pope has called the "culture of death". . . WE've begin a evry frightening descent whose horrors could rival anything we've ever seen from the Native American and African American Holocausts to the millions killed by Stalin. . .

A sad day. . .

indian summer and i hate the heat
i got a backstreet lover on the passenger seat
i got my hand in my pocket,
so determined, discreet. . .
i pray. . .,
Moses

Andrew Sullivan thinks that this is too bad that this guy, the so called "Gay Patriot" has been "silenced". Writing " I don't buy everything that GayPatriot writes; and his rhetoric can be a little much at times. But it's a shame he has been intimidated by the gay far-left into ending his blogging. A shame but unsurprising. If the gay "outers" spent a fraction of the time they spend attacking other gay people actually making the case for equality to straight people, the world would be a better place."

http://www.outletradio.com/grantham/archives/001840.php

Personally I don't buy this whole gay Republican thing. I really don't get how you canbelong to party that is essentially and fundamentally opposed to your choice of lifestyle. Where I come from we have a name for people who go against their own fundamental nature in favor of their pecuniary interests: SELL OUTS! And make no mistake about (to borrow from W) that's what these people are for with few possible exceptions (although I would say Andrew Sullivan may be one of those exceptions as misguided as he often is. . .)

I know I was born and I know that I'll die,
The in between is mine,
Moses

The Seven Train

This past weekend my first column, entitled "The Seven Train" appeared at www.nyfansites.com a website devoted to in depth coverage of the New York Mets. The column will appear every Saturday and focus on Mets from the past and how said erstwhile stars may impact the future of the Flushing franchise. Although only available to subscribers I am enthusiastic about the exposure. If you're a Mets fan or even just a big baseball fan you should consider joining. . .

We're gonna save your souls,
Moses

I've long since held that random acts of kindness and senseless act of charity yield the greatest benefit to the actor himself. Eatlier today on Easter Sunday 2005 as a I volunteered at a soup kitchen, along with Yolanda and Yoko, I once again had that resolve galvanized.

After an initial meeting with the other volunteers where duties were determined and instructions given out (e.g. if a fight should break out don't be a hero, let security handle it) we spent the day doling out an Easter dinners to those less fortunate than ourselves, some who appeared destitute and yet others who had managed to dress up for the occasion. Even a few who had children under three years old with them.

In general it seemed that we were able to bring at least a little joys to these people's difficult lives and certainly it was wake up call for us to remember how lucky we are just to have a roof over our heads, something that none of us should ever take for granted.

As I sit here on the precipice of another Monday of work (and all the accompanying hassle) I think of those people and realize how good I have it. It seems like the person I helped most of all today was myself.

We've all seen the man at the liquor store begging for some change,
Moses

Absolutely hilraious: http://www.gizoogle.com

Check the shizzle out. . .

You're now about to witness tha power,
Moses

We know stand on the last Friday for a long time when we are facing a weekend without regular baseball games. Next Friday we'll be a mere two days away from Red Sox at Yankees. This makes me very very happy. . .

Well say hey Willie
and tell the Cobb
and Joe DiMaggio,
Moses

I am not a huge Ann Coulter fan. I think she's a bitch. A big one. BUT, I thought that her recent article about the tragic event in that Georgia courtroom was right on. (this link provides the link to her website and while this is the current post on March 23, 2005, it won't remain thus, the article is entitled FREEZE! I JUST HAD MY NAILS DONE! and is dated March 16, 2005 so you may have to look it up)

I've been thinking a lot lately though of falling into the trap where I let my political self image define me. Which is to say I feel like too many think "what is the liberal/conservative approach to this problem" and then choose their position accordingly based on how they think of themselves.

Although I am a lifelong registered Democrat and have been accused of being a member of the "socialist aristocracy" (whatever that means!), I'd like to think that I am independent minded enough to think through each issue on it's own merit. This strikes me as one where just a little bit of critical thinking yields what is considered a "conservative" conclusion. This in many ways violates my political image but results in a more honest, and certainly a more effective and practical, ideology.

Just a thought. . .

I'm all mixed up;
But I know what's right,
Moses

There's a scene in The Grinch who Stole Christmas that I have always liked. It's the moment when it first occurs to the Grinch to steal Christmas. As the camera closes in on the cartoon Grinch Boris Karloff recites the brilliant Seussian prose:

"The Grinch got an idea, a wonderful idea, the Grinch got a wonderful awful idea. . ."

As Karloff says this the Grinch's two big curls unfurl and he unleashes a most unholy smile.

Recently, I got an idea a wonderful idea, I got a wonderful awful idea.

As my friend Saketh walked into my apartment he started putting his iPod away but just as he began to put it into his pocket he looked at me, "Sax have you seen this?"

"Of course, I've seen your iPod" I thought to myself as I looked down into his hand realized that there was something attached to his iPod.

Now I've been a proud iPod owner for over six months now and I totally, completely and desperately addicted to it. I rarely go anywhere without it and when I do it's either because I forgot or because I am worried I may lose it.

Now some people, including Andrew Sullivan in a wonderful little essay he wrote recently think that the iPod is contributing to this culture of isolation that we live in. In truth I think too much is made of this, people have for years and years isolated themselves even when in public. One of my earliest memories is sitting in my mother's lap and looking over at an overcrowded bus in Cairo as this guy literally hung out of the bus reading a newspaper (no idea why I remember that just one of those images that's stuck with me), but the point is people have always concentrated on other things in public to isolate themselves. Hence magazines, newspapers and books on buses. Of course the iPod eliminates ambient noise but many block that out anyway.

At any rate, perhaps I am just being an aplogist for my own iWays but I like I said I am totally addicted to bringing my music with me everywhere I go.

And so when the Saketh showed me hs device, which was an FM tranmitter that allows you to listen to your iPod on a car radio. . . well that's when I got my idea. . .

It occured to me that I can now bring my iPod with me into taxis and ask for a particular and listen and subject others to my own music!!!!

Suddenly, I had a thought that I think much worse than merely isolating oneself in public. You see in certain limited contexts I can impose my own little sonic world onto those around me. Just like I have been doing for years to visitors of my apartment. . .

A wonderful, awful idea. . .

Hey you get off of my cloud,
Moses

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

St. Paddy's 2005 finds us experiencing a fascinating day in sports. The House Commitee on Government Reform conducts a hearing on the steroid issue, March Madness begins and Kobe and Shaq meet again in Miami. So grab some corned beef and cabbage, get some stout and sit back tonight and enjoy.

Finally for our ample NY Blogropheniacs you may interested to know the U.S. Civil War's 69th Infantry Brigade was known as "The Fighting 69th" and "The Fighting Irish". General Lee called this unit the toughest he ever faced in battle. Today, many NYers fight for the 69th in Iraq. Interesting. . .

But I'm the lucky one;
Came in at ten to one,
Moses

Passion: The Key to Success

I have in the 30 years that I have been alive come to the conclusion that in order to excell at anything one must love practicing his craft. But, love is a tricky word that through abuse has had it's magnitude reduced. The word love, a tremendously powerful word is so often thrown around that we regularly fail to undertand it's import.

"I love pizza", someone might say. People have even started using it negatively, "I think the Mets have a good shot, but I don't love their bullpen". This overuse has so diminished the word that perhaps passion is a better word. Passion, to be thought of as a "consuming love", is the subject of today's blog.

As I started, I have come to believe that in order to truly master any craft, one must have a love, or passion, for it. This is the sine qua non of success at the highest level. When present it is unstoppable and impossible to miss. Think of the NBA guard who has such a passion for the game and for shooting that he fires off a shot after the whistle has been blown. He cannot help himself. He loves what he does.

Another example, comes from the now almost ten year old Beatles release of the Beatles Anthology, where raririties and outtakes of the Beatles are featured. During one of the tracks when the Beatles are recording "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" and John Lennon is on the mike a glass is heard to be breaking, Lennon then immediately crafts a little melody and sing songy little bit John is heard:

"Paul's broken a glass, broken a glass, Paul's broken a glass, a glass, a glass he's broke today."

He can't help it, he's so creative and so in love with creating that the music simply flows out of him.

The examples are legion. Think of master politician Bill Clinton's passion for politics and the spotlight, Bill Gates's visible enthusiasm about technology or Quentin Tarantino's obsession with movies.

It makes me sad to think of all the people who have a passion but spend their lives doing something. Further, from an emotionally detached and rational perspective it is simply so inefficient to not have people work and produce in a field that they care about -- nay, love. . .

One love and we get to share it,
Moses

Weird Website Week continues:

http://www.godzxpp.com/index.htm

On the Michael Situation:

BTW now that the accuser has testified I am fairly convinced that Michael is NOT going to be convicted. I am not sure that using our criminal standard (burden of proof) that MJ can be convicted. There's just too much doubt. Also, just personally speaking I'm just not SURE that he's guilty anymore. I mean he's obviously cookoo for CoCo Puffs but was he jerking the kid off? I don't know, the kid and his mom seem pretty dicey to me too. I guess if you put a gun to my head I'd say he's guilty, but I am certainly far from SURE of it.

Heal the World,
Moses

BEWARE THE IDES OF MARCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Ides of March
Just one of a dozen Ides that occur every month of the year

As far as Caesar knew, the Ides were just another day. The soothsayer's warning to Julius Caesar, "Beware the Ides of March," has forever imbued that date with a sense of foreboding. But in Roman times the expression "Ides of March" did not necessarily evoke a dark mood—it was simply the standard way of saying "March 15." Surely such a fanciful expression must signify something more than merely another day of the year? Not so. Even in Shakespeare's time, sixteen centuries later, audiences attending his play Julius Caesar wouldn't have blinked twice upon hearing the date called the Ides.The term Ides comes from the earliest Roman calendar, which is said to have been devised by Romulus, the mythical founder of Rome. Whether it was Romulus or not, the inventor of this calendar had a penchant for complexity. The Roman calendar organized its months around three days, each of which served as a reference point for counting the other days:
Kalends (1st day of the month)
Nones (the 7th day in March, May, July, and October; the 5th in the other months)
Ides (the 15th day in March, May, July, and October; the 13th in the other months)
The remaining, unnamed days of the month were identified by counting backwards from the Kalends, Nones, or the Ides. For example, March 3 would be V Nones—5 days before the Nones (the Roman method of counting days was inclusive; in other words, the Nones would be counted as one of the 5 days).
Days in March
March 1: Kalends; March 2: VI Nones; March 3: V Nones; March 4: IV Nones; March 5: III Nones; March 6: Pridie Nones (Latin for "on the day before"); March 7: Nones; March 15: Ides
Used in the first Roman calendar as well as in the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 45 B.C.E.) the confusing system of Kalends, Nones, and Ides continued to be used to varying degrees throughout the Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.
So, the Ides of March is just one of a dozen Ides that occur every month of the year. Kalends, the word from which calendar is derived, is another exotic-sounding term with a mundane meaning. Kalendrium means account book in Latin: Kalend, the first of the month, was in Roman times as it is now, the date on which bills are due.

Moses

from: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/ides1.html

Weird Website Week

Welcome to weird website. I will be posting an odd website everyday this week. Blogropheniacs are invited to send me whatever suggestions they think appropriate.

Today's entry is a really wacky. Really lonely? Having trouble meeting people? Have low standards? Why not resort to corresponding with those who have been forcibly removed from society? That's right folks, here we go:

http://www.meet-an-inmate.com

You couldn't make this stuff up. . .

Helped her out of a jam I guess;
But I used a little too much force,
Moses

LET'S GO DUKE!!!! ACC Tournament Champs!! Number one seed Tournament seed!!!

Giddyup. . .

Things are good for me in the world of sports. The Yankees looks good. Schilling is unlikely for opening day (which creates the interesting matchup of RJ v #3 Wells -- min some ways more attractive to me). The Chiefs have begun shoring their pitiful defense with the acquisition of LB Kendrell Bell. UNC was housed out of the ACC tourney and Duke stands to win it today. As for Miami Heat they continue to roll like an unstoppable beast. . . Life is good sports wise. . .

My baby don't mess around;
Because she loves me so;
and this I know for show,
Moses

The NY Post had an interesting explanation of why Clinton and Bush have been so cosy of late. The Post speculates that Clinton is trying to appear more centrist in anticipation of his wife's run for the White House. Interesting. It had occurred to me.

It also raises the interesting possibility that if she should win our Presidents would be in this order: Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush, Clinton. . .

Interesting. . .

the bible of none of the above,
Moses

The NY Post had an interesting explanation of why Clinton and Bush have been so cosy of late. The Post speculates that Clinton is trying to appear more centrist in anticipation of his wife's run for the White House. Interesting. It had occurred to me.

It also raises the interesting possibility that if she should win our Presidents would be in this order: Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush, Clinton. . .

Interesting. . .

the bible of none of the above,
Moses

The NY Post had an interesting explanation of why Clinton and Bush have been so cosy of late. The Post speculates that Clinton is trying to appear more centrist in anticipation of his wife's run for the White House. Interesting. It had occurred to me.

It also raises the interesting possibility that if she should win our Presidents would be in this order: Bush, Clinton, Clinton, Bush, Bush, Clinton. . .

Interesting. . .

the bible of none of the above,
Moses

Been down in Florida and in the last few days I've seen Beltran's first Met HR (albeit during ST), saw the Marlins take on the Orioles and caught the Heat Sixers game yesterday. Good stuff. I predict a good year for the Mets and a possible franchise rejuvination. I think that the Orioles will have a fun lineup and I LOVE B.J. Ryan and I think that the Miami Heat can absolutely win it all, with only San Antonio having a chance to beat them. . .

Ah you think you're so pretty,
Moses

Well friends it looks like teh Academy agreed with me and Million Dollar Bay and the Swankster won Oscars. As fantasmo as Hillary is I am not sure she belongs in the pantheon of two time winners. . .but oh well perhaps he who sits is right about the Oscars. . .

How much difference does it make,
Moses