For Jesse: [link]

Dangerous Beauty: The Art of the Shiv

A shiv is a weapon crafted from the limited resources of a prisoner’s closed world. Crudely constructed from such things as spoons, shoelaces and upholstery tacks, shivs lie somewhere between the graceful and the grotesque. They’re primitive, too — like outsider art, but produced deep on the inside.

Only if you never lived anywhere near my parents

hee!

On watching embarrassing things with parents: When I was in university, my father came over from the UK for a visit - the first time I'd seen him in five years. I took him to see a play put on by two friends-of-a-friend.

It was a very high-concept play about an 18th century french prostitute in prison who suddenly had a freshly murdered (but alive) Hypatia appear in her cell. They then had a big math-and-philosophy discussion, which was fairly entertaining and the reason I had picked the play. The next part of the play came as an unpleasant surprise - they took off their clothes and washed each other. Eek!

Tom, I'm touched that you think of me when you think of shivs! You know, I hardly ever actually stab anyone.

FSM hate mail

FSM hate mail is a collection of email that Bobby Henderson, author of The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, has received from friendly folks who hope to win him over with their charitable benevolence. Samples:

"If I was your creator and you mocked me in this manner I couldn't think of a hell hot enough for you."

This next one is my fave:

"I hope you die in a lake of fire and get your eyes pecked out by crows, so that you may go to hell and exist for eternity in a lake of fire getting your eyes pecked out by crows."

"people like you are scum, I hope you die by the hands of some sick perverted guy who will skullfuck you and then use your skin to make lampshades."

"Charles Darwin went insane when he was 28 anyways (didn't know that did you?) Let me put it this way to you concerning your bologna flying spaghetti monster. If we are created in the image of what you believe God to be, we would look like spaghetti."

eta: more: [link]

If we are created in the image of what you believe God to be, we would look like spaghetti."

Have you seen the inside of you? IJS.

My dad is teaching an undergrad course on scientific discoveries (he's developing it, so we don't even have a title yet.) Anyway, he's going to start with talking about science, the scientific method, psuedo and junk science and get around to hitting, among others, the Copernican revolution, Einstein, maybe quantum if he can figure out how to do that without confusing the hell out of everyone and ... darwinian evolution. I asked if he was going to mention FSM. He said, probably (though most likely in the introductory bit on science.)

I cracked up. I think that book is one of the most sucessful presents I've given him, even counting the Feynman letters one.

maybe quantum if he can figure out how to do that without confusing the hell out of everyone

I don't think that's possible....

Well, he isn't going to teach quantum, per se. More look at the impact it had on scientific knowlege. But even that gets you into some pretty high mindbendy concepts, so... It's been fun to hear about his ideas as he develops the course. And to call him up randomly and say Did you know Newton was a whackaloon? You should mention that! and other such brainstorms I have.

Thanks to everyone for their comments and advice! I ended up with the worst insomnia of several years last night, unable to let go of thoughts about my past and what I want for my family's future, and consequently saw dawn this morning from the wrong side of wakefulness. My wife called me in sick, so I'm just getting going for the day now.

Hey, I learned what dark energy was, Thursday. Trying to convince Sean Carroll to write a book explaining things like GR and why an assload of physicists don't believe in God to a general audience through essays.

Thus far, I still don't get it.