Diwali is one of the most popular holidays for Hindus. And for good reason. It is an unabashed celebration of good. It is not Hindu Hanukah as some have quipped. It is, instead, a five day celebration of the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance. The festival began in Southern India millennia ago. It’s mentioned in the earliest Sanskrit texts, which predate the birth of Jesus by over a thousand years. Simply put, it’s been around for a while. In the lead-up to Diwali, celebrants will prepare by cleaning, renovating, and decorating their homes and workplaces with diyas (oil lamps) and rangolis. [Read more…] about Happy Diwali
Archives for 2020
#ReleaseTheSnyderCut
A lot of silly things had to happen for the Snyder cut become a reality, but it has, and we’re all here for it. After Joss Whedon’s vision for Justice League plopped through theaters it garnered little support from fans, but managed to earn almost $650 MIL. The problem is that, by the time he finished with the film, $300 MIL had been spent. While it made a profit, after everyone got their piece it wasn’t much. Another problem that haunts all Whedon movies is he likes “strong (preferably Caucasian) women” who stand in the shadows of white men. Buffy the Vampire Slayer seems to have been his only exception. But that was written before he cheated on his wife numerous times and discovered how power makes ugly men sexy. [Read more…] about #ReleaseTheSnyderCut
Say Yes to NOVID
Thanks to some astute readers of this blog, and listeners to The Big Wakeup Call, I was introduced to a fascinating new app. Called NOVID, it’s way for you to assess your risk of catching the disease. While COVID-19 is not the most lethal virus known to man, that would be Ebola, it is, by far, the most pernicious. And, only now are scientists beginning to figure out how damaging it is. As of this writing approximately twenty percent of survivors suffer some degree of organ damage. I have a friend, who is all of twenty-five, who survived but with twenty percent less lung capacity. Since her old job required her to be active, she was forced to quit and find something new. It’s also possible that an additional ten percent may suffer permanent dementia, or related brain issues. [Read more…] about Say Yes to NOVID
Why the 4th of July is a Lie
If you’re curious why everything you think you know about the Fourth of July is wrong, just click here and get the real skinny on the holiday. If you just want a bunch of trivia based around the date, then click here and have fun. But if you want to know why you have been celebrating the whole concept on the wrong day and why the person who you think wrote the famous document did nothing of the sort then just keep reading. This is a repost of a blog that seems to be becoming an annual tradition. The difference is, naturally, I’m posting it on the real independence day.
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You Knew It Was Florida, Didn’t You?
Do you like horror movies? I hope so, because we’re about to live in one. we’re going to do a deep dive into this but, for now, this sentence sums up the idiocy we’re facing; “For the recent public forum regarding Oxitec’s recent permit application in the US, there were 31,174 comments opposing the release of the mosquitos and only 56 in support.” What are we yammering on about? The United States Government, with the blessing of the governments of Florida and Texas, are going release genetically modified mosquitoes into the population. They are doing this over the objections of scientists, ecologists, people with more than a fourth grade education, anyone who’s read The Brittle Riders, and others. It’s a long list. You see, not only is this a bad idea, and I’ll explain why as I go on, it was a bad idea when I first wrote about it in January of 2015. [Read more…] about You Knew It Was Florida, Didn’t You?