Interesting Piece

Indeed, I think that facing up to the suffering that is a part of nature itself may be easier for an atheist because we do not have to reconcile the inconsistency between the evil before our eyes and faith in a loving god. A few years ago, I had dinner with a woman who had just attended a lecture of mine in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When her 12-year-old son died of leukemia, she joined a support group for parents who had lost their children to disease or violence, but she soon left because she was an atheist and so many of the other participants kept saying, "God must have a reason." Of course he must. Otherwise, why had their children died of cancer or been mowed down by a drunk driver? "For me," this grieving mother said, "the task was to reconcile myself to something for which there was no reason other than cells gone wild. I don't know how I could bear it if I thought that my son's death was part of a plan, because I would have to hate any god with such a 'plan'--and if I were consumed by hate, then I would know despair."

From today's Washington Post. I couldn't agree more, including the last section about the sometimes (mostly) awful NBC coverage of the Winter Games. My emphases.

BIKINIS!!

There is a certain newly retired person who shall remain nameless who keeps insisting that I sidetrack my time in sunny CA to photograph someone in a bikini. Well,

Shutterwi, take your pick.

First choice, sans head:


Second choice, sans life, among other things:

Report From Sunny CA

Commercial Real Estate Ready To Fill The Back Pages Of Local Newspapers

What is this - the second or third or tenth wave in how we are averting a second Great Depression?

Unlike the largest banks, such as Citigroup and Wachovia, that got into so much trouble early on, the community banks in general fared better in the residential mortgage crisis. But their turn is coming: Not only did community banks issue a higher proportion of commercial loans, but they also have held on to them rather than sell them to other investors.

Oh-oh.

Four Less Dams

A very good beginning. Now, let's all get serious about the sun, the earth, the wind & give all anadromous fish a hell of an earth day.

Fat Tuesday, Y'all, Where y'at?

Well, That Worked Out Rather Well

31-17. I tried to link to the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, but they were apparently out celebrating already. I must take full credit for this win. With the score 17-16 in favor of the Colts, I purposely went to the basement to work on a burl. When I came back up, it was 31-17 in favor of the Saints. See, if I wouldn't have gone downstairs, the Saints would probably have lost. Where y'at?

13-10

Geaux Saints!

55 Million Condoms?

Well...OK.

Still Here

Clearly, there has been a lengthy lapse in posting. I am sorry. I have had a terrible week. I have been boycotting ice fishing for several years, boycotting until Mrs. coldH20wi breaks down & buys the family, OK, me, a snowmobile or 4 wheeler with which to haul my assorted equipment - sonar fish locater, internal combustion ice auger, underwater camera, etc. - out onto the ice. I have had to capitulate, utterly, completely, capitulate to said Mrs. coldH2Owi. So far, the failure of my boycott has yielded very little in the fish poundage. I'll provide pictorial evidence of my humiliation later in the week. My only consolation is that I'm able to drive the old pickup out onto the ice of Chequamegon Bay without a problem. The ice on Lake Superior is a couple of feet thick, so it's safe as hell. My problem in failing to convince L&T wife of my dire need for a conveyance for ice fishing is, of course, inland lakes. Lakes that don't have easy, safe access to the ice. But just you wait to see the size of the yellow perch & rainbow smelt I landed today, just wait & be amazed. In fact, they may be my ticket to said conveyances, maybe. Later, y'all & thanks for your patience.