Do something nice for your world.

I believe it’s testimony to how far our culture has sunk that the man-eating monster in my nightmares looks so poorly computer-generated that it completely fails to be scary.

“The reason the judiciary has been able to impose a separation of church and state that’s nowhere in the Constitution is that Congress didn’t stop them. The reason we had judicial review is because Congress didn’t stop them. The reason we had a right to privacy is because Congress didn’t stop them.”

–Rep Tom DeLay, giving us a glimpse into his theocratic, judicial-free, omniscient utopia, in an interview with the Washington Times.

Cold-air intake installed
Originally uploaded by olivander.

My very first DIY performance upgrade! I swapped out the stock air intake with a cold-air intake. A CAI allows more air into the engine at cooler temperature, which increases engine efficiency and power. I regret going cheap, because the kit fit poorly and the instructions were abysmal. I ended up finding an online how-to. Though it was for a different brand, it was similar enough for me to figure out what went where.

Pope John Paul II was buried today amid spectacular popular turnout. The funeral brings to a close the long reign of a famously conservative man who assumed the papacy during Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Some called his views old-fashioned and said they alienated younger Catholics. We couldn’t help but wonder if the College of Cardinals will take that into consideration when they convene to select a new pope. With a heavy dose of speculation, we give you:

Top ten signs the new pope is attuned to the youth culture

10. His blog is popular, but is made up mostly of links to BoingBoing, Wonkette, and Daily Kos posts.
09. Sends a “shout out” to his “homeboy in Heaven” during Sunday mass.
08. After his death, is nominated for sainthood on the basis of the miracle of his impeccable eBay feedback rating.
07. 24″ spinners on the popemobile.
06. Ornate papal vestments now referred to as “bling”.
05. Can be seen at his apartment window jamming to an iPod.
04. Basilica Square turned into skateboard park.
03. Christens himself Pope Sean Paul I.
02. Runs Popester file sharing service from his Vatican bedroom computer.
01. Shows up on Paris Hilton’s Sidekick.

I uploaded to Flickr some of my nicer zen rocks, or suiseki. Suiseki (literally “water rocks”) are also known as scholar stones or viewing stones. Rather than sculpting the stone, its natural beauty is displayed and highlighted. Nature is, after all, the ultimate artist. Ideally, the stone should resemble a larger part of nature in miniature. That’s why suiseki are often associated with bonsai. Traditionally, suiseki sit upon painstakingly carved wooden stands called diaza. I have neither the patience nor the competence to create nice stands for my rocks. For that reason, and the relatively poor viewing quality of the stones, I refer to my rocks as suiseki lite.

If you’d like to see what good suiseki stones look like, here are some real suiseki sites.

Oh, my freakin’ gawd. This guy got arrested when he tried to pay for something at Best Buy with $2 bills. Those people at Best Buy displayed the same level of education you normally only see behind the counter at Taco Hell or Burger Thing.

My favorite line is, “It’s a sign that we’re all a little nervous in the post-9/11 world.”* Right. Because anyone using uncommon legal tender must be suspicious. Everyone knows that good, patriotic Americans only use $20 bills straight from the ATM. I think I’m gonna get some Sacajawea dollar coins and try to spend them at Taco Hell…

*as long as everyone else is going it, I might as well begin citing 9/11 as a rationalization for everything. “Oliver, why isn’t the new file server ready yet?” “You know, you can’t be too hasty in a post-9/11 world.”

Pope John Paul II is still dead.

I love this site. Actually, I love pretty much any place where one can see photos of a particular locality taken from the viewpoints of a variety of its residents. You get to see what the area is really like, beyond the limited range of the calendar photos, through the eyes of people who might never cross one another’s paths. The city dweller takes pictures of the hidden infrastructure of his city, while the mid-state barnstormer takes pictures of farmland from the air, while the guy on the shore takes pictures of oceanbound Lakes freighters loading their wares. That variety of perspective and community deep-digging is one of the reasons I like Flickr so much.

Of particular interest is today’s offering: a series of photos from the relatively affluent Kenwood neighborhood of Minneapolis. Most of these homes were built during an era where architectural individuality was part of showing off one’s wealth. Minneapolis/St Paul is one of those rare areas where wealth and culture combined for a brief time at the turn of the last century, and the results of that mix have not faded.

BTW, one of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s many St Paul residences is on the market. Can be yours for a mere $656,000.

Meanwhile, here’s what happens to soda when it gets left in the garage all winter: