Clarence dresses up for Halloween.

cClarence takes a selfie

Alice Cooper & John Lennon Halloween 2014

Alice Cooper - Halloween on the Muppet Show

This is Alice too...

And here...

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A Halloween Memory

I'm currently reading a multidisciplinary study of demonic possession (Patrick McNamara) and being reintroduced to Freud, Oedipus, guilt-driven behavior, etc.

Many Halloween eves ago, I stayed up with Dad to watch the Late Great Horror Show (at that time hosted by W-JET radio disk jockey Jim Cook in Erie, PA), and they were playing the original 1941 Wolf Man with Lon Chaney and Claude Rains.

I'd seen the movie many times before, it was a staple of late-night Halloween TV, but I hadn't realized until I was watching it with Dad that night, that the Wolf Man's father is the one who is forced to kill him. I think I was just old enough to understand the emotional punch that would have had on an audience, and only now wonder at the layers that Freud might have peeled back.

Here's a few minutes with radio DJ Jim Cook on TV, in the days before Vee-Jays, when seeing a local radio celebrity was an event…

Late Great Horror Show 1981-1988 WJET-TV 24 with Jim Cook

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Possessed Regan writhes before the Assyro-Babylonian god Pazuzu in The Exorcist.

BTW, regarding demon possession, I'm reminded again that there is always a scientific explanation for everything we think, do, or see. That's because we have no choice but to frame what we think, do, or see in terms of what we think, do, or see.

I believe there are a few rare exceptions in exceptional people, and though we might reason to it, we can't prove it.

[2014-10-29: Just read a section in McNamara regarding the real events behind The Exorcist, and he admits that he has no explanation for paranormal phenomena that often accompany possessions and exorcisms. That doesn't mean there aren't any, but that his thesis doesn't account for them. Good science is honest that way. It doesn't need to say any more than that.]

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Did you know there is a real sixth sense? We can detect heat without touching hot objects. This is a real sense and distinct from the other five. I learned this in a lecture, but can't recall which one.

[2014-10-25]

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How to make a STOP sign.

If you're not in marketing or advertising, you'd be amazed at the amount of time that goes into the tiniest details of a logo, a color, or a word. These decisions can occupy hours or weeks. When I'm in the middle of one of those marathon debates, and it seems to be going well beyond the point of meaningful ROI, I think about the other companies doing exactly the same thing and wonder at the enormous time every day that could be spent elsewhere.

Of course, some amount of debate and consensus is necessary for any decision involving more than one person. And you can't move time or money from one project to another and suddenly make magic. (Putting all the time spent on Facebook into cancer research won't suddenly cure cancer.)

Even so, there is an imbalance, don't you think? One that can be exploited for everyone's benefit.

If you haven't seen it, it's worth 4.5 minutes of your time...

The Process (a.k.a. Designing The Stop Sign Video)

[2014-10-14]

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Nowwwwww I understand the Rapture

Top: Nicholas Cage is Left Behind. Bottom: Gregory Peck and Lee Remick are unwitting foster parents in The Omen.

As many of you know, I routinely scan the radio dial for religious programming, often to educate myself on the extremists, which are entertaining in a sad way, and present a sort of metaphysical workout, since I'm constantly deflecting rounds of absurdity.

So happens Dr David Jeremiah is on after I take Dee Dee to the bus stop, and I like him, even though I often disagree.

As I write this, he's doing a series on Revelation and the Antichrist, False Prophet, etc. A few days ago he spent some time on the declining church, citing a congregation that hadn't used its baptistery since the 1950's.

Now, end times teaching in the Baptist tradition is very complicated. It involves cabalistic terms like Pre-Trib, Mid-Trib and Post-Trib, the number 666, the Antichrist, a thousand years of peace, folks getting caught up in the air, and the molecules of the dead being reassembled into their physical bodies.

A few comments:

1. The decline anyone is seeing in the Church is filtered through their own experience. (I've been hearing "the graying of the church" ever since I was a kid.) There are in fact sound denominations growing. My own church has had 4 or 5 baptisms in the last couple months. Evangelicals might say those churches are apostate, but that would be wrong. I think rather evangelicalism met a generation's need for revival, saw a hundred+ years or so of growth, but is now struggling to find its role.
   
2. Jeremiah was able to explain in an hour what I failed to understand after years of childhood exposure. That might be because the Rapture is a complicated concept. Since evangelicals are free to refine their own models, they do, and so there are dozens of competing perspectives with subtle differences.
   
3. Jeremiah is using unfortunate imagery in the allegories he uses to kick off each lesson. His Antichrist and False Prophet conduct their nastiness in Rome, obviously putting the papacy at the center of the story and encouraging listeners to work outward from there.
   
   And that's too bad, because his sermons have otherwise been much more ecumenical.

BTW, all mainstream Christian sects teach Jesus' return, but the oldest of them teach simply that he's coming back to judge both the living and the dead, and the faithful will live with him in heaven.

It's not complicated, and is (slightly) more like The Omen (>) than Left Behind (>), if a Hollywood version is helpful.

[2014-10-19]

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I haven't seen Left Behind. I have see The Omen, and it scared me out of my wits.

[2014-10-24]

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I saw something new in the Wizard of Oz.

The Tin Man releases the Wizard's balloon in The Wizard of Oz.

I noticed something peculiar while watching The Wizard of Oz for the umteenth time with Dee Dee and Mimi: near the end, when Toto jumps out of the Wizard's Omaha State Fair balloon, the Tin Man says "Get the dog," then loosens the final tie that secures the balloon, after which the Wizard ascends and leaves Dorothy in Oz with no way home.

Of course, Glinda shows up and Dorothy taps her heals and we are soon back in our sepia world (the one I like best).

I always assumed that Dorothy jumping out of the balloon simply jostled things loose, but it wasn't that at all, the Tin Man didn't want her to leave. I at first thought this odd, because Dorothy was closest to the Scarecrow, and it may have made more sense to have him in that role. But upon some more reflection, I think the Tin Man was motivated by his new heart.

Here is a <1min clip near the end of Dorothy's trip to Oz when we see the Tin Man loosen the Wizard's balloon:

[2014-08-17]

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My new Win8.1 box, and old ATS-909 soon to be introduced to an outdoor longwire.

My home office in October 2014.

I secumbed to Woot once again and bought a new box - Win8.1, 1Tb HD, 12Gb RAM, a couple USB3 ports, plenty of USB2's. It's a refurb, but I've found that I have very good luck with HP refurbs off Woot. They last forever if you take care of them.

The new box is on the left. A 10-year-old 32bit Vista box (also from Woot) is on the right. Once I have my new Win8 configured the way I want and all my data accounted for, I'll reformat the Vista box with Ubuntu or Lubuntu.

Below the component TV is my best radio, a Sangean ATS-909. I'll eventually run a longwire antenna outside through the same hole I run my Mohu Leaf. Not sure how I'm going to do it. I'm tempted to run it along the wood siding, but I could also run it along a wooden fence. Will try to do 70 feet.

Watching videos like the one below and reading all the comments is how I learn (along with making lots of mistakes, but I don't want a fry my ATS-909, that was a $250 radio in its day and Christmas gift from my wife). FibsRadio deserves credit for experimenting and posting and asking for feedback. Radio people are usually kind to humble newbies experimenting and sharing their results.

FibsRadio: A Simple Longwave Antenna (for shortwave listening)

[2014-10- 06]

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To sleep, perchance to dream.

Top: 2004 Banksy with Mickey Mouse, Ronald McDonald, and Phan Thi Kim Phuc. Bottom: Phan Thi Kim Phuc in the 1972 Pulitzer winning photo by Nick Ut that became a catalyst for outrage at the Vietnam War. Phuc survived, later sought asylum in Canada, and launched a foundation to care for child victims of war. Phan Thi Kim Phuc on Wikipedia >. KIM Phuc Foundation >.

I had a dream in which I was visiting a new wine café run by the company I work for; the café was timbered and rustic, located in a windowless cellar with lots of faux Graeco-Roman pillars and greenery. It was a marketing test of some sort. Some kids had found a way to turn the speed up on the escalator that led down to the café. Elderly patrons were tumbling down the escalator, and some with canes and walkers were trying to navigate the stairs, but falling upon each other. Security was watching but not responding. I begged for more team members to help me hold back the throng of elderly people that were getting hurt, but they wouldn't help. I finally went into the security booth. It was staffed by three young men in sunglasses who also refused to help. I went over to the control panel and looked for an emergency shutoff for the escalator, but there wasn't one. Just as I thought I was out of luck, someone else in the café found a switch and slowed the escalators so customers could stand up and keep moving.

Later I talked with one of the security guards. He was wearing a crucifix that featured Mickey Mouse where you'd expect to see Jesus. I told him it was an interesting necklace. He said it was meant to be an insult to people who write dumb blogs like me. I tried to get him to talk more about this remark, but he wouldn't, just remained silent behind his sunglasses.

And there the dream ended.

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Yes, there are Mickey Mouse crucifixes, but no need to illustrate this story with one. The Banksy graffiti is more powerful. Mickey on the cross? Oh look, someone trivialized Jesus again. Ho hum.

[2014-10-18]

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Sunday Doodles (a little girl worships in pen and ink)

These are doodles drawn by Dee Dee, Sunday morning October 1 at St Matthew Lutheran Church in Grand Rapids, MI. I'm trying to get her to go to children's church, with some success, but she likes to stay with me in the sanctuary. (The kids do come back for communion; I receive the elements, she receives a blessing.)

There are a lot of symbols in here that I find interesting. I asked her to explain some, but she wasn't sure how to do that, so I'll let them speak for themselves.

[2014-10-01]

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4th of July at the Bierer's, Erie, PA (2005?)

This was probably 2005, maybe 2006. There are so many dear family members here, I won't try to list them all. These family ties are all represented: Bierer, Andrews, Sliker, Miles, Grandy, Albrewczynski, Cairns (forgive me if I'm missing others).

On this particular 4th, I was hot-dogging it with the kids while playing badminton and went down on my right knee. It swelled up like a cantaloupe, but scary stories involving needles, drainage, and physical therapy, kept me away from the doctor. The swelling eventually went away, but arthritis (I think) moved in, and that knee stiffens up if I'm sitting still for a few minutes.

A slideshow of pictures from that day… and a few of home from about the same time...

[2014-10-18]

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Two Vernondale memories.

Vernondale Elementary School, Millcreek, Erie, PA

I attended Vernondale Elementary School in Millcreek, PA from kindergarten through 6th grade. In those days, most elementary schools were K-6.

The first memory I want to share is of a boy named Greg. I don't remember his last name. He was a big, meaty fellow, strong and tall. One cold fall day, standing in line at the 6th grade entrance at the end of recess, Greg began to cry. A kind teacher, Mr Veith as I recall (5th grade math), put his arm around him and took him inside so he didn't have to cry in line while the rest of us watched. I asked a boy next to me what was wrong, and he told me Greg had lost his mom a while back and he'd been thinking about her lately.

The next memory is of me in 2nd grade, splashing around in puddles on the blacktop during recess. A 6th grade teacher/coach approached me with a bunch of athletic kids preparing for track practice and incredulously asked me what I was doing. I said, "It's okay, these are my play shoes." He shook his head and walked away, trying to embarrass me into stopping, I suppose. As they all turned away, one 6th grader said, "Have fun playing." It was the sort of thing you'd expect from a 6th grader, but not a teacher.

This is Vernondale Elementary a few years ago. I stopped by one summer during a trip home and took a few pictures.

Did you go to Vernondale? If you want to contact me, I'm here >

[2014-10-18]

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15 secrets to a good life.

Actually, these might be better labeled "15 secrets to contentment," since you might be in considerable discomfort, but choosing to see beyond it.

1. Say please, thank you, you're welcome, and sorry, even when you don't mean it.

2. Listen to your parents, your wife, your minister, your boss.

3. Do what the police tell you.

4. Think about good things; you'll begin thinking of more.

5. Pray.

6. Eat what's put in front of you, including restaurants and when you're paying for it.

7. Take less than what you're offered.

8. Give more than what's asked.

9. Give privately out of your abundance.

10. Assume the best until you know the worst.

11. Say only 10% of what enters your head.

12. Hug your family and tell them they matter.

13. Feed the hungry.

14. Clothe the naked.

15. House the homeless.

16. Enjoy a hamburger and fries once in a while.

(The hamburger and fries are the best part, but optional.)

Imagine a world in which this was true of everyone. Even a handful.

[2014-08-13]

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More pictures of Waldameer Park, Erie, PA

A subterranean skull fountain in the Whacky Shack,  
Waldameer Park, Erie, PA.

While going through some old pictures of our trips to Waldameer Park to illustrate yesterday's article (Circle of Fear >), I discovered I had quite a few and thought they deserved a post all of their own.

The best part of going through these was seeing smiles on the younger faces of my children and nieces. They include my son Charlie, daughter Dee Dee, and nieces Ashley and Chelsea. Mimi hasn't been to Waldameer yet.

[2014-10-17]

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Circle of Fear (a childhood memory)

This is the Whacky Shack at Waldameer Park in Erie, PA, a haunted house ride that's now showing its age, but is a fun throwback to the 70s.

I've always loved a good scare, ever since I was a kid, from the Whacky Shack at Waldameer Park to Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and imitators trying to recreate Rod Serling's magic. One of the better imitations was Circle of Fear, which lasted one season, 1972-1973.

I recall one night secreting myself away in sister Linda's bedroom and clandestinely settling down to watch Circle of Fear on a 12" Black and White TV. Someone (who shall remain nameless) tattled on me. Mom had company (Aunt Bernice and cousin Barbie) and couldn't attend to me herself, so Mom dispatched the tattler to her bedroom to notify me to turn it off at once.

Which I did.

I had only time to be dazzled by the rotating spiral, then the delicate notes that usually introduce scary stories wherein everything is clear and bright and waiting for a boy once tormented at summer camp to begin his gory rampage.

Well, that was the movies. TV was tamer. Here's a whole episode of Circle of Fear:

Circle Of Fear (TV 1973) - Graveyard Shift

[2014-10-15]

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A common thread in nearly all Christian denominations (what creates denominations in the first place).

Cartoons in which Andy and Goober go to Heaven, by John Rose, the Daily News-Record and Byrd Newspapers of Virginia.

A common thread in nearly all Christian denominations goes something like this: "We can't know what God's thinking, and we can't know your heart, but more'n likely you're not going to heaven if you don't do things our way."

I'm sure there are exceptions, but probably none that make heaven contingent upon a set of decisions or behaviors. In other words, if a community of Christians enjoy an ecumenism so encompassing that all paths lead to God, they can't reasonably call themselves Christians.

I suppose the insistence on certain subsets within the larger Christian framework is what creates denominations in the first place, so I shouldn't be surprised, but even so, there's a lot of certainty layered over some big questions, even among those who ask very few of them.

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Baptists often include this line in prayers for the unsaved: "Bring them to a saving knowledge of You (God)."

Sounds simple enough, but says volumes about the theology behind it. In this case, the catalyst to grace is knowledge, and from that comes an enormous obligation and string of necessities to fulfill it.

When grace comes through baptism, the focus is on bestowing and nurturing rather than educating and converting.

I'm not being critical of either side, just observing. The direction you lean on these determines the shape of all sorts of things - from the sanctuary to soteriology.

[2014-08-12]

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If you want to understand ebola, read this book.

Top: Influenza virus. Bottom: Ebola virus (Wikimedia Commons)

Although I shouldn't be surprised, there's no shortage of nonsense and ignorance surrounding ebola, those infected by it, and our response to it, from Donald Trump > to right-wing ranters (who make a living ranting, not making sense).

This book is a readable, apolitical, insightful analysis of the 1918 influenza epidemic, social factors, medical response, and behaviors that contributed to an estimated death toll of 50 million people. I read it maybe a year or more ago and thought I'd recommend it here. I couldn't put it down.

The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History >

Blaming a person or office or administration won't solve the problem, and it could be a very serious one.

[2014-10-16]

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