Riba Rambles:
Musings of a Mental Magpie

Posted by Lis Riba at 8:35 PM

So, bored and procrastinating, I decided to check Google News for any new articles about Marlowe.

Several reviews of Park Honan's new biography. Sadly for me, the author will be lecturing in London one day before I arrive, and again concurrent with my flight out. :(

However, this London Times review adds a new tidbit that left me gasping and may make me rethink some of my assumptions.

For a long time, I've had doubts regarding Marlowe's identification with the Corpus Christi portrait.

According to The Times:

One of the many cruxes of Marlowe biography concerns the supposed portrait of him, discovered at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, in the 1950s. There is no name on the portrait, but Corpus was Marlowe's own college, and the dating inscription (1585, Aetatis suae 21) is right for him, and many believe this handsome, brown-haired young man with the quizzical gaze and snazzy velvet doublet is indeed Marlowe. Honan provides some fascinating new material on this puzzle. It seems the painting was not found, as hitherto reported, in the Master's Lodge at Corpus. In a letter of May 2000, a former undergraduate, Peter Hall, described how the panel was discovered in his rooms in 1952, by workmen stripping out an old gas fire. His rooms stood on the southeast corner of Old Court -- precisely where the "Parker Scholars", of whom Marlowe was one, had their quarters. This adds another touch of plausibility to the identification.

If that's true, wow!

Posted by Lis Riba at 5:56 PM

Written by Ian Osmond and crossposted from his journal:

Posted by Lis Riba at 5:54 PM

Update on two comments I made Thursday.

1) My passport arrived in this morning's mail. So that's one worry out of the way.

2) We managed to get standby tickets to King Lear for last night. Though all remaining performances are sold out, they do not admit latecomers (the stage arrangement wouldn't allow for it). So even if you don't have a ticket, show up (at least a half-hour before performance) and add your name to the waiting list. Every night before curtain, they count empty chairs and sell them to the waiting list. This was Friday night on Head of the Charles weekend, and I still saw a few empty seats during the show. Go if you can. In my next entry, I'll repost Ian's review.

Posted by Lis Riba at 7:15 AM

So, the film of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire comes out less than a month away.

Warner Brothers has just released the entire ferret-transformation scene in Quicktime format and The Leaky Cauldron has it.

Oh. My.

Since some people have hair-trigger sensitivity to spoilers, I don't want to say anything too specific, but keep a close eye on what happens from about the 49-second mark.

Let's just say that Slytherin slashers are going to have a field day with this! I anticipate stills from this scene to spawn countless LJ user icons.

Here: if you really want to know what I'm talking about, I've taken a screencap of one of the relevant frames. Movie Spoilers!

Posted by Lis Riba at 12:12 AM

Two weeks from today I will be in London.

I so don't feel ready...

I've decided to stay at the YHA Hostel located in the former Choir School by St. Paul's Cathedral. Someone else's travel journal includes a description and photo of one of the bedrooms. It's not much to look at, but it's cheap and reviews say it's clean, quiet and comfortable, and that's really all I need. [I haven't yet booked my reservations, so if you want to talk me out of it, now's your chance.]

Anyway, I suspect I'll be spending this weekend cramming through some of the tourguides, prioritizing and grouping destinations to make more efficient use of my time. Also making a packing list (possibly starting with Rick Steves' suggestions [1] and [2] and adjusting for my situation) and then shopping for those items I don't yet own.

If you have any suggestions of places to go or things to see; if you are near London and want to get together, let me know soon.
I've got over a dozen guidebooks from various libraries in my bedroom. Assume I'm already aware of the top attractions. I'm more interested in getting your advice regarding the overlooked gems that I might otherwise miss.

Also, aside from the official list of exhibits, I haven't heard much about what's happening Guy Fawkes Day. That is the putative reason for this trip, after all. As magnificent as the bonfires may be in other parts of the country (and I'd still love to hear more about those) I suspect I'll be staying in London on that day. I've gotten tentative word that the Rose Theatre site (which is generally closed to the public) may be open for tours on Guy Fawkes Day, and that is something I don't want to miss. [I'll have to dig up and print out the journal article I found on what they've been able to deduce from the ruins.]

Anyway, I'll try to blog more this weekend about my interests and plans to help you target recommendations.

In short, I'm not into trendy; don't care for haute cuisine, and the only shopping that really interests me is in used bookstores. I want old-fashioned British food: pub grub, fish and chips, curries, and maybe an afternoon tea if I spot something reasonable. I'd also be interested in knowing good outdoorsy places people sit and read and peoplewatch (something akin to the Pit in Harvard Square). Sure, it may be too cold or too rainy or I may not have the opportunity, but if I do have downtime, it would be nice to know where to hang.

Also, I may try to take in a show though I haven't yet made any plans (this might be a good opportunity to make some, if any locals want to get together). Last time I checked ticketing sites, the only shows that really piqued my interest were We Will Rock You (which my parents strongly recommend) and Richard II starring Kevin Spacey (my hairdresser laughed at that -- going to London to see an American perform Shakespeare!? Still, last I checked, that was the only Shakespeare onstage during my trip)

As far as museums are concerned, I've always been more interested in the practical arts over the decorative ones, artifacts over artwork. I'm far more drawn towards the collections of mundane objects (such as silverware or swords), whether for everyday use or more ornate, than the halls of paintings and sculptures. [The major exception is that I'm fascinated by small items: seals and signets, miniatures and netsuke...]
So right now, I don't plan on going to the National Gallery, and the only attraction the Tates hold for me is seeing Richard Dadd's Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke (inspiration for the Queen song) in the original.
Also, my historical interests lie firmly in Britain, so as wondrous as its exhibits may be, I'll probably pass on the British Museum as well.

Whoops, didn't intend to get quite so bogged down in detail here. I've a lot on my mind; I just need to take the time to organize these thoughts into a more coherent plan. I'll go into more detail in later entries...

In the meantime, so much to do. Figure out how much money to convert in advance; notify my credit card companies so I don't set off their fraud detection; I've got my absentee ballot, at least... And meanwhile I keep checking the mail for my passport. It's been five weeks since I applied and they promised I'd have it within six weeks. So any day now.

Anyway, it's late and I'm rambling even more than usual. So now I'm handing the reins over to you. Advise me.

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:00 PM

As the Valerie Plame investigation focus shifts to higher and higher targets within the administration (Scooter Libby? Karl Rove? Cheney? Bush himself?), some pessimists doubt we will see actual convictions or jail time for the architects of this conspiracy. Why not? Because Bush has the power of presidential pardons.

Jack Balkin is the latest to post on this topic (also on TPMCafe), though I've been discussing it conversationally for a while now.

I don't see it.

Though I'm reluctant to make any absolute predictions, I feel fairly certain about this.

If there's any risk that Bush himself is criminally culpable in any of this, then he won't pardon others.

It's basic self-interest.

• Bush can't pardon himself.
• Considering Gerald Ford's example, I doubt any successor would pardon him, especially if Bush lets everyone else off the hook. Such an act would cripple their own political viability in a time when the executive branch is already at a low ebb.
• Therefore why would Bush put himself in a position where he'd be the only person prosecutable for these deeds?

That kind of self-sacrifice just isn't in his nature.

One of the fundamental motivations I've seen of this crowd has been grabbing personal power for themselves. They will ignore professed ideologies if they can rake in the slightest bit more to line their own pockets. And they've stuck together quite closely in these mutually beneficial arrangements.

But once their formerly-unified front started to crack, it was inevitable they'd turn on one another. Nobody's going to fall on their sword for the good of the team. The situation is quickly turning into "every man for himself." Already two of Cheney's aides are openly working with the prosecutor. And as the distrust grows, more people are going to look to cut a deal.

John Aravosis thinks the latest leaks pinning the blame on Scooter Libby (Cheney's chief of staff) may be prosecutorial pressure tactics to drive a wedge between him and his confederates, and to encourage him to save his own skin by ratting out those he's been protecting.

If you're following the case closely, it's certainly a suspensful story; fortunately, we only have one more week to wait until Fitzgerald lays his cards on the table.

Nay, forward, old man; do not break off so;
For we may pity, though not pardon thee.

Posted by Lis Riba at 8:15 PM

A Time Magazine interview last month pointed out both Neil Gaiman and Joss Whedon had new movies coming out on September 30th. Gaiman dubbed it: "National Geek Day."

But it's today that Shakespeare's Sister's Question seems to have inspired me on the subject.

All this talk about geekishness put me in mind of an favorite storyline from Piled Higher and Deeper:

Click to view full-size image on the official website Copyright © Jorge Cham

I've had that conversation, many many times.

In fact, last year when I still had alumni access to the OED, I looked up the etymology of both words plus a few other related terms.

But that was then and this is now. Wikipedia seems to be the reference work du jour, so let's see what they have to say.

Sure enough, they have an entry on "Geek":

Geek also includes links to a separate Geek canon page, though to my dismay it doesn't include many works I assumed were an essential part of assumed knowledge (in part based on the frequency with which people quote them), such as Princess Bride, Real Genius, Buckaroo Banzai and Muppets.
<shakes head> At least they have the sense to include Monty Python...

They also have an entry on the Geek code. Here's mine:

-----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK-----
Version: 3.1
GLS d? s--:-- a C++$ U P+ L E W++ N+++ !o K++ w+ O- M(-) V PS++>$ PE>$ Y+ !PGP !t@ 5+ !X R(+) tv-- b++++ DI(+) !D G e+++>++++ h(+) r+++ x?
------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

Mind you, the Geek Code Decoder Page doesn't quite capture the right flavor of what I entered in the Geek Code Generator I used. So for those aspects which decode to "I refuse to categorize myself on X," translate that as "I don't use/watch..."

<Sigh>

I think today's output conclusively proves my geek cred.

And hopefully this will also quench this particular fascination/compulsion -- at least for a while -- so I can get on with other things...

PS: somebody forwarded me a link to the Geek Test, but I think I'll save that for another time. Besides, the site doesn't seem to work under Opera at the moment.

Posted by Lis Riba at 7:15 PM

Been a fan of Actors' Shakespeare Project since their first production.

Didn't accept press tickets to King Lear because I was too busy, but I definitely intended to see it, especially since Ian has never even read the play. My interest only grew when I heard a Wall Street Journal reviewer described it as "the best production of 'King Lear' I have ever seen onstage."

And they're completely sold out. I haven't been able to get tickets.

They've just extended the run, but I'll be out of town on those dates.

I'm glad they're doing well, but a little rueful that their newfound success prevents me from seeing them. 8-/

To paraphrase:

Pray, do not mock me.
I am a very foolish fond [wo]man;
And, to deal plainly,
I fear I am not in my perfect mind...

Do not laugh at me...

...At least, not much.

Posted by Lis Riba at 6:35 PM

Ghosts of Albion

How did I not hear of this before? Is it any good?

For those who are unfamiliar with the series (as I was until earlier today), it's a BBC web animation and book series by Amber Benson and Christopher Golden.

From what I could glean from BBC, Wikipedia and the official website, it's an alternate occult Victorian-era, where England is protected by the ghosts of certain historic British figures (including Lord Byron, Admiral Nelson and Queen Bodicea).

At any rate, now through Halloween, the show's creators are holding a Suggest-a-Ghost contest!

Suggest a figure from British history to be a ghost in a future Ghosts of Albion story. Your choice may be anyone who was British by birth or citizenship, who was famous or infamous enough for there to be at least some historical background available, and who died PRIOR to 1840. Please note the name of the deceased, the years of their birth and death, and, very briefly, your reasoning why you think that person would make an excellent choice for inclusion in GHOSTS OF ALBION. Also include your name.

Let's see... a pro-English agent of the Queen, a troubled death (resulting in a restless spirit), someone with insight into espionage and stagecraft, and just an altogether colorful character of a colorful period.

Need I say more?*
*Hopefully not to you readers. Obviously, my submission will have to be a bit more detailed.

Posted by Lis Riba at 5:25 PM

Sent to me over lunch:

Hacking Your Home: Imagine if you organized your life the way you design programs. . .

Posted by Lis Riba at 5:15 PM

This morning a coworker forwarded me Shakespeare's Sister's Question of the Day:

So here's the Question of the Day for all my fellow geeks... what's your ultimate geek indulgence? Or, if you dare, share a story of true geekitude with the rest of us.

Just scanning my blog archives, I find nineteen posts where I wrote "I am such a geek" plus another five using only the acronym IASAG.

I embody geekitude.

So, instead of trying to think up a representative anecdote, I'll just share one of my most recent reminders.

I mean, does that strike you as normal?

I am so doomed. Doomed, I tell you.

Another example of ASIS-related geekery I started to write up but never got around to blogging.

I think I'm in the right place.

Posted by Lis Riba at 10:00 AM

Two tunes making the round:

1) If Chaucer wrote "Shaft"

Wha be tha blake prevy lawe
That bene wantoun too alle tha feres?
SHAFT!
Ya damne righte!

Wha be tha carl tha riske is hals wolt
Fro is allye leve?
SHAFT!
Konne ye?

Wha be tha carl wha wolden flee
Whan peril bene all aboughte?
SHAFT!
Verray!

Alle clepe tha carl ane badde mooder-swyver
SOFTE!
Speken of Shaft bene I.
THAN KONNE ALLES WE!

He be a man konne unnethes
Namo save is mayde konnes im.
JOHN SHAFT!

-- Source: Geoff Chaucer   

2) Baby Got Back, a new cover by Jonathan Coulton that must be heard to be believed. Even if you don't like the rap original... Especially if you don't like the rap original.

Once you've listened to it (or if you're certain you're not) you can read the musician's blog original announcement of the song and comments on the song's sudden popularity.

Posted by Lis Riba at 11:00 PM

So, LiveJournal recently added a Schools Directory. You can add your alma maters to your profile, and then view others who attended the same school. Found only two other people on LJ who attended my highschool during my tenure. One, astonishingly enough, also lives in my town, which seems odd given it's a Florida school and a Massachusetts city less than 5 sq. miles in area. Unfortunately, I can't identify that person and suspect he may have started the year I graduated, so our paths never would've crossed.

The other fellow alum still lives in Florida and graduated one year after me. We share six mutual friends, and her interests include Harry Potter and Firefly. I don't have time to start a lengthy correspondence, so I dug out my old yearbook and used my librarian!research skills on information in her LJ to identify her. [Which I did. She looks vaguely familiar in the old photos; when things calm down after London I'll probably contact her.]

In the process, I discovered my high school has created a special alumni website. It's moderately annoying (based on AlumniArchive.net) and requires registration (a.k.a. moolah, though there are a few more timeconsuming means of membership) to see much beyond the names of classmates who also signed up.

At any rate, I've been poking around at what information I could find on my former classmates. Deeply disturbed to discover that one guy in my social circle is now an associate professor with a PhD, a 12-page curriculum vitae and six books to his credit. I never would've expected it of him.

Still, more people aren't listed than are. And I find myself wondering about those I can't find. What did become of the brilliant valedictorian one year behind me? My ex-boyfriend was a computer techie; I'm surprised he's not listed and wonder what he's up to. I'm curious about the popular kids and the really talented members of the theater clique and and and...

<sigh>

So how was your evening?

Posted by Lis Riba at 8:31 PM

Another question for those with more experience of London:

What temperatures should I expect around Guy Fawkes Day?

Most travel guides I've seen suggest that average temperatures in October/November are in the low-50s or maybe upper-40s (Farenheit). Lately, local temperatures have been in the mid-50s, though it was 48 or so when I walked to and from the car this morning.

So, that suggests I should be okay with long-sleeve shirts and my wool cloak. Maybe a cardigan/light-sweater over those long-sleeve shirts. But I won't need a hat or gloves or scarves. Does that seem about right?

Digression interjection: BTW, I just have to say how much I love my wool cloak.

Perfect for these spring and autumn days when the temperature can be so variable. Open it up when it's warm, pull it closed in the cold. Totally sheltering in the rain, so I don't need an umbrella. And, because I carry my purse and any bags under the cloak, it protects me from pickpockets, as well. 8)

Not only that, but I like the way it looks, too. I can make a whooshing, dramatic statement by swirling it around. In crosswalks, I've spread it wide to make my party more visible to oncoming cars. My cloak is probably the article of clothing that has garnered the most compliments of anything I own. [That may partly be due to the frequency with which I wear it.]

When I went up to Salem last weekend to poke my head into Witching Hour, a prefect stopped me on the sidewalk and gave 30 points to Slytherin (the House of the friend I was walking alongside) solely because she liked my cloak. I wanted to protest 'I'm not wearing a costume!' (not to mention the fact I don't consider myself Slytherin) but cool nonetheless.

So, practical and stylish.

I've had this cloak for fifteen or sixteen years now, and though it took a little while to warm up to it (so-to-speak; the countless crowded staircases at Brandeis weren't terribly conducive to its length). I needed to replace the neck-closure a few years ago, but aside from that it's in excellent condition and will hopefully last me another fifteen years.

Anyway, just wanted to give a public thanks to my mom for making it for me.

I suppose I should also keep an eye on ...

Or maybe Weather Pixie would be of more use?

Current conditions:

Boston

London

Posted by Lis Riba at 7:30 AM

Any tips on combatting jet-lag?

My flight for London leaves 7pm local time and arrives in Heathrow about 6am London time. Even though the airline is providing meals (imagine that!), my goal is to set my watch (still gotta buy one) to London time once I board the aircraft and (hopefully) sleep through the whole flight, so I wake up more refreshed for the day's sightseeing in London. [Possibly an easy and/or abbreviated day, but then I rarely get eight hours sleep anyway.]

My return trip is (hopefully) somewhat easier. My flight leaves shortly before 6pm London time, and arrives in Boston a bit after 8pm local time. I figure if I stay awake the entire flight, I'll get home ready for bed. It may be a bit early, but it should get me up in time for work the next morning.

So, you more experienced travellers: Does this idea sound reasonable, or am I totally off-base?

Any other useful tips for beating jetlag?

Posted by Lis Riba at 8:05 PM

Just sharing a few things that caught my eye over the last several days.

From Pandagon last week, Amanda passes along two questions:

Here are my answers:

1. I never cry at movies, though the 1960 Pollyanna starring Halley Mills always makes me mist up. Not actually for tearjerker ending, but at a scene near the conclusion where Pollyanna's at the fair, wishing for a doll of her very own.
2. Always laugh? No question. The Tall Guy starring Jeff Goldblum, Emma Thompson and Rowan Atkinson. Can't name any particular scenes, but I count it as one of my favorite movies because something in it always makes me laugh every time I see it. In fact, the only time I've ever regretted watching it was the night after I had my wisdom teeth removed, and thats' because my jaw hurt so much.
   Unfortunately, I recently found out the American DVD has been heavily trimmed, so I won't be buying it unless they release an uncut copy. Still, funny stuff.

Anybody else care to share your answers? I'm particularly looking for the laughs.

Politically, I've seen several posts that seem worth sharing. The short excerpts are just to provide a taste; in each case you should really read the whole thing:

On the Valerie Plame investigation:

• John Aravosis describes The Normalization of Treason; the Republicans' gift to America:

  If a senior White House staffer had intentionally outed an American spy during World War II, he'd have been shot...

• And for those who still don't get it, ReddHedd explains Why This Matters*:

  Imagine that one day you wake up to the incessent ping of your beeper. It is still dark outside your window, and you slide out of bed, pad quietly down the hallway and try not to wake up the wife and kids, as you slip into your home office and place a call on a secure phone. You are told that your cover has been blown, that your family may be at risk. You have to make instant decisions for your own safety, that of your family, and of every asset you have in the field - and to do that, you have to prioritize which assets are more valuable and which you can afford to lose, if necessary. You have to decide then and there which of the people you cultivated, the ones you promised safety in exchange for information and cooperation, which of them may have to die because you may not have time to save them all.

*FireDogLake, where I got this post, appears to have become a primary go-to spot for updates and insight into the case.

Edward at Obsidian Wings addresses why we invaded Iraq based on Condi's recent remarks to Meet the Press:

Essentially this boils down to saying that because we need the Middle East to evolve, we're willing to bomb totally innocent civilians to do it. In other words, it's OK to kill innocent Iraqis to try and protect ourselves.

Mary of Pacific Views tries to explain why we're living in a World Gone Wrong:

So why are things so immeasurably worse today than during the Clinton years? One major difference in outcomes is due to the philosophies that govern the two administrations, and the men who head those administrations. Clinton's administration was filled with pragmatists, and he was one himself. Pragmatists take pride in critical thinking. A pragmatist knows that to solve problems, you much first understand what the problem is. Therefore the pragmatist first undertakes to define a problem using the best data available and then shapes policy to address the problem uncovered.
In the Bush administration, the ideology specifies the desired solution without ever checking to see if the evidence can be found to back up either the problem definition or the proposed solution.

In a similar vein, Nick Turse shares a brief list he calls Casualties of the Bush Administration, which contains:

those men and women who were honorable or steadfast enough in their government duties that they found themselves with little alternative but to resign in protest, quit, or simply be pushed off the cliff by cronies of this administration.

Lance Mannion takes a more personal look at Clinton's strengths, describing an anecdote of Carl Reiner's, Charlie meets Bill:

Clinton never just shakes hands. Shaking hands with Bill Clinton means you talk with Bill Clinton. Secret Service hates this, of course. So do his advance people. He's late for everything because of it. Clinton once came to Syracuse. Took him two hours to get out of the airport. So Clinton has little chats with all of Reiner's family and friends. Last person he comes to is Reiner's brother Charlie.

[...]

For the next 15 minutes the two of them talk. Charlie's in his wheelchair, of course, so Clinton sits down on the edge of the table to get closer to his level. They talk about the war and about the ceremony at Normandy and some of the things Clinton heard from the veterans that day. Fifteen minutes. At one point an aide comes in to tell the President his helicopter's waiting to take him somewhere. Clinton waves him off. "Tell 'em I'll be there in a minute." And he and Charlie talk some more.
Keep in mind who else is in that room. Besides Carl Reiner, there's Rob Reiner, Jerry Seinfeld, Steve Martin, Dick Van Dyke, and Mary Tyler Moore. [...] But he's not talking to her. He's not talking to the celebrities.
All of his attention is focused on a dying old man in a wheelchair.

Impressive story. And great comments as other people share their stories of meeting the former president.
Lance Mannion has since written a followup post (which also includes some history of the 2000 Year Old Man shtick) plus this:

I really do think it's unfair to use this anecdote to make comparisons between Clinton and George Bush---either George Bush, 41 or 43, or even between Bill and George Washington. What happened in that meeting between Clinton and Carl Reiner's dying brother shows Clinton's special gift, something he is better at than any other President. There are so many other ways that Bush doesn't measure up, not just to Clinton, but to every other good President and most of the mediocre ones, that to use this one against him feels like running up the score.
Something did go on in that room that showed Clinton's skill as a politician and executive along with his gift and that something's worth a post on its own.

Finally, two really good posts on the state of education today:

• Echidne of the Snakes takes on [David] Brooks on Innate Differences between the Sexes:

  The question why boys are not thriving at school is an important one. But why does it have to be made into a question about girls performing too well? Why is there this continuous need to make the situation into a zero-sum war between the sexes?

• Meanwhile Fernwithy reviews the book The Language police: how pressure groups restrict what students learn:

  The Language Police, by Diane Ravitch, gets into what sounds like the most boring subject area possible--the publishing of high school textbooks and standardized tests. I can't even imagine how to make that sound interesting to the kids upon whom these are thrust. But the book deals with the political and social pressures that have put textbook publishing in a real bind, and has led to the shrinking of students' worlds.
  If I didn't work in a library, I would flatly refuse to believe this book.

  • Because it's my nature, I looked up other reviews of the book. The Journal of Philosophy of Education's review appeared in their free sample issue, and they're quite critical, accusing Ravitch of conflating and inflating issues for polemics:

    The word 'censorship' is a powerful indictment, and conjures up images of apparatchiks scrutinising private correspondence and media broadcasts. Under this one heading Ravitch bunches together a variety of attempts to influence teaching and test materials that really are quite different. The term 'censorship' as used by Ravitch covers a great range of phenomena, including the elimination from the curriculum of topics deemed biased (e.g., evolution), the elimination from standardised tests of topics judged to be contentious (e.g., religion or politics), the elimination from existing literary texts of words or passages, the changing of language deemed biased (e.g., 'mankind') in curriculum and test materials and the changing of the selection of titles and topics in literature and history textbooks. These apples and oranges sit uneasily together in the same crate.

And that's all the links I have for you right now. Hope you enjoyed.

Posted by Lis Riba at 7:11 PM

I've been off e-mail since Yom Kippur, and now have nearly 300 new messages in my Inbox, of which less than a dozen are probably legit, and the rest spam. <sigh> Almost enough to make me want to give up e-mail. At the very least, I have to figure out some better filters. [For those offering assistance, I still use Pine on the Panix Unix shell; I don't use webmail or download mail to my PC.] I've also fallen tremendously behind in LiveJournal, so if you've seen or written something you'd like me to read, please let me know.

BTW, if anybody has sent me any online greeting cards from postcards.com, let me know, because I've been ignoring those as probable spam. [That's also one of the reasons why I let my paypal account expire and don't buy from eBay -- it means I can ignore all such mails as fraudulent.]

Meanwhile, remember the essay Ian wrote (which I linked to) about how ahistorical it is for modern creationists (sorry, "intelligent design advocates") to support Social Darwinism. Well, that formed part of our Yom Kippur sermon this year. Made me wonder what kinds of sermons Bush gets in the churches he attends?

Anyway, I've really got to get cracking on planning my London trip. Hopefully, you should see lots more questions and requests for advice over the next couple weeks as I try to get my plans squared away.