Thought dump

I woke up this morning in the process of doing lit-crit on Lord of the Rings. I was dreaming about doing lit-crit on Lord of the Rings. What is wrong with me? What was I dreaming about?!

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We have a lot of different bird species around here lately, some of which I can't remember seeing in the area. Oh, I mean, they're in the right range, but in the past they seem to have preferred avoiding this particular area. We're a bit of a suburban microenvironment in the midst of a farmy forested sea, so it's not as if they don't have a choice of where to go.

I wonder if it's the raptors. We've got tons of raptors compared to even a couple of years ago, and the prey birds might've decided it's safer to live a bit closer to humans. Most of the hawks and things prefer to stay a bit further away from town. Or maybe there's a general population boom, and the smaller birds are making a comeback along with their larger predatory cousins? That'd be nice.

I notice because I always pay attention when I walk to work. It's just a pick-me-up at this time of year. Even when it's rainy, the weather is beautiful. That perfect, cool-but-not-cold temperature, with everything blooming and leafing and growing. Lovely flower smells in the air, and birds singing away. Very serene. Even when I'm having a lousy day, I can't help but feel a little happier.

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A psychotically awesome website:
Ghost Town--a tour through Chernobyl's dead zone. This woman rides her motorcycle through the radioactive zones (surprisingly safe, so long as you keep your Geiger counter active and stay on the roadways), and gives a tour of her trips. One of the most fascinating things I've ever read.

Edit: Oh, apparently the motorcycle thing was a fraud: according to stuff found in Neil Gaiman's blog. This is apparently the tour she took. Ah, well, it's still an interesting read. Also, following up on that, I found National Geographic's virtual tour.

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Trees. I love trees. They're so warming and serene. I feel so bad for the poor trees that get hacked down because people plant them in places where, if they'd just thought about it, they'd have known was going to cause trouble in about 20 years. They're living things! Sure, they're just plants, but they're...I dunno, they deserve respect, I think. They're strong, and pretty, and they add a little something to our lives. Just...give it a little thought, and save yourself some effort, you know? Such a waste.

Oh, trees! Right! I knew something was making me think about them. Check this out:
Heritage Trees at Penn State. Penn State is originally an agricultural college, so we've got some arboretums and groves on campus that over 100 years' worth of graduating classes have funded and helped to plant. It makes for some beautiful examples of foliage, including a couple of simply massive American Elms, which is something you don't see very often anymore. It's kind of neat to look at old, lovingly cared-for trees and consider their origins, history, and...just what a good example of a tree species looks like. I find it soothing. Aren't they pretty?

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A friend of mine, Dave, keeps a blog: Italian Catholic and Altogether Strange. He talks a lot about the persecution of Christians around the world (and sometimes other peoples too), as well as just...stupid, unfair, and evil things that should be rectified. It's his way of trying to help--things can't be fixed when you don't know about them--but it can be depressing to read, sometimes. Really, I don't have a lot of stamina for that sort of thing. It's so painful and seems so far beyond me a lot of the time that all I can think to do is pray, and hope that someone stronger than me will be able to step forward and take the burden. You know?

But he posted this today: Thank you to all my readers, with a comment from one of his readers.

I Read this the other day and thought about you and your blog.

"There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

It makes me smile. At the end of the day, I feel that denomination doesn't matter that much. We've all got our quirks, no one is perfect, but it doesn't matter so much how we worship as that we worship at all. Maybe even other religions, like Buddhism and Wicca, are just ways that people try to recognize God in their lives and in the world. And I don't think the fact that many of us identify with one group over another should ever come between people when it comes to loving each other and being there for each other.

I pray every night for terrorists and extremists of all stripes. I can only imagine how much pain they must be in to find that kind of hatred a viable alternative. I can only imagine how much pain they must be in because of their hatred, and how much damage they do to themselves along with everyone else. It's a trap, that kind of hatred, because once you act on it once, you start feeling like you're forced to stick with it. To acknowledge that you're wrong...imagine how hard it must be for these people, who've taken hundreds of lives and created so much suffering, to admit that they're wrong, and to accept that much guilt upon their own heads. I feel sorry for them, and I hope that some of them, at least, are able to find that kind of strength.

Quizzes, crazies, and PSU being stupid

I told Dave about this quiz: Are you a heretic? I found it amusing. I scored 100% both as Chalcedon Compliant (which is 'not a heretic') and Pelagianism, where you believe that original sin doesn't exist (or grace...which is odd, because I was fairly sure I gave that a thumbs-up).

Anyway, entertaining.

Not so entertaining is this little bit of insanity from...remember Reverend Moon? Well, he's still insane. And grotesque. Reverend Moon being grotesque. I'm offended that the editors even associated this with conservativism, but some insane Christian fundamentalists seem to agree with him.

And Penn State censored a student who was planning a display on Palestinian violence. They felt it did "not encourage diversity" and "wasn't in keeping with the message they want to present to students."

Oh, we've got wireless bionics in the field of medical technology. Wild, eh?

And finally, As Iran Presses Its Ambitions, Its Young See Theirs Denied. Answering questions such as, "How could that crockpot have gotten elected?" and "Don't Iranians care about what their government is doing?"

Muslims in Europe raping unveiled women?

Yeah, sometimes I feel like kicking people in the teeth.

Also-rans include:
A communist Mexico?

Iran on our borders? (translated from Farsi)
"The head of the political party, the Alliance of Builders of Islamic Iran [RealVideo], Hasan Bayadi [who is Vice President of the Tehran City Council], has suggested to the Iranian Ministry of Defense that it conduct war games near American border to show the strength of Iran's military."

Iran and Venezuela: together forever! I didn't say it; Chavez did. And what would you say if Chavez were selling Iran nuclear fuel?

'Peaceful' nuclear programs in South America. Speaking of which. Freaking Chavez.

Facing Down Iran. Long, but I can't tell you how thought-provoking this was.

Has Iran Miscalculated?. Thoughts on Iran's nuclear strategy, dealing with them, and the unholy hell that will be if (or when) Israel gets dragged into this.
"So far the Iranian president has posed as someone 90-percent crazy and 10-percent sane, hoping we would fear his overt madness and delicately appeal to his small reservoirs of reason. But he should understand that if his Western enemies appear 90-percent children of the Enlightenment, they are still effused with vestigial traces of the emotional and unpredictable. And military history shows that the irrational 10 percent of the Western mind is a lot scarier than anything Islamic fanaticism has to offer."

Some connected guy claims that Bush is planning nuclear strikes against Iran.
"Despite America's public commitment to diplomacy, there is a growing belief in Washington that the only solution to the crisis is regime change. A senior Pentagon consultant said that Mr Bush believes that he must do "what no Democrat or Republican, if elected in the future, would have the courage to do," and "that saving Iran is going to be his legacy"."

Edit: Oh, and this is interesting. Apparently, Iran is dealing with quite a lot of insurgency.
Dreams in Lighting
"The regime in Tehran has its hands full with domestic unrest. The Baluchis of Sistan-o-Baluchistan province, Sunni Muslims, are led by Abdol-Maalek Rigui in their guerilla campaign against the regime. Meanwhile, the Arabs of Khuzestan, under their spiritual leader Shobeir Khaghani, have repeatedly attacked Iran's vital oil pipelines. Kurds are clashing with regime forces in places like Sanandaj, Baneh, Mahabad, Marivan and Dardasht; the Turcoman minority in Khorasan are increasingly discontented. Finally, some Azeri separatists are clamoring for annexation to Azerbaijan. It would not be surprising if the US and Britain were supplying covert aid to some or all of these groups."

And good news on the science front

Bladder in a Dish saves Patients

How's that for an article title? Basically, they've been able to grow bladders for people who have bladder cancer and things. This is a huge deal. They've never really been able to grow complex organs like this before (the liver doesn't count, as it regenerates naturally). That article doesn't say so, but another from Yahoo!News mentions that these bladders were grown from cells harvested from the patients themselves. Who needs clones?!

Here's a change: *good* international news

Indonesian volunteers helping rebuild post-Katrina.

Apparently, some of the Indonesians whom the US helped after the tsunami and earthquakes have decided to reciprocate by coming to the US to help New Orleans. It's a sweet story about human kindness, and two cultures gently learning about (and from!) one another.

In a world where nations set themselves at one another's throats lately, and hatred seems to be the order of the day, tiny little movements like this can send disproportionate echoes across the globe. Here's hoping these voices can make themselves heard.