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Drooling on the Pillow

Saturday, January 01, 2005

Just Saying 

If you've got "Join the Polar Bear Club" on your life list, I think this is the year.
Posted by: Sluggo / 10:21 AM
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Why? 

So much speculation these days on the nature of God and what He possibly could have been thinking to cause or allow or ignore or not be aware of the tsunami. Faiths are being tested and re-evaluated and abandoned. And, of course, clung to and strengthened.

Since you asked . . .

I believe in God. I also believe that the nature, mind, heart, intentions, motives and designs of God are fundamentally and permanently ineffable and unknowable. That's because the fundamental insight that the Jews came up with is that he exists outside of time. Is and ever shall be. He was there before the Big Bang or whatever is the final word on that subject and he will be there after the Big Snuff Out. I always thought this was interesting in terms of predestination. Since he is not a creature of time he is as present now and he is now and in the same terms, whatever they are. It's not a passage of time its a dwelling apart from time. Thus he's "aware" of what you're having for lunch tomorrow. Thus, your lunch is predestined. Keeping in mind that I should put quotes around pretty much every word because even to speculate on the "nature" of God is to anthropomorphize.

Is He kind, indifferent, interventionist, loving, vengeful or essentially feckless? Don't know. Can't know.

Is there a "plan"? Life after death? Redemption? Forgiveness? Punishment? Sin? Don't know. Can't know.

What I believe is that the one duty of mankind, the prime directive, is to get closer to God. To understand Him and all these questions. I don't think it's possible or will ever happen, but I could be wrong about that. I don't think this duty comes from God, I just think it exists as a condition of the "gifts" we've been "given". What is his duty or intentions toward us?

Don't know. Can't know.
Posted by: Sluggo / 9:03 AM
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Friday, December 31, 2004

Nostrildangus 

I didn't post yesterday and today may be iffy. Lane and Grace have been in the city all week. Just looked around and said to myself, "uh-oh." I'm going to have to skim at least the top couple layers off the rubble or 2005 is going to get off to a frosty start.

For what it's worth here's my New Years predictions. Lane is going to snag a series, I will be another year older and deeper in debt (unless the first prediction comes true) and Grace will continue her reign as the coolest kid in the biosphere.
Posted by: Sluggo / 1:51 AM
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Wednesday, December 29, 2004

Tsunami 

The cataclysmic scope of this tragedy is one measure of the event. Another dimension is the fact that it happened in 2004.

I recently read Krakatoa a fascinating account of the tragedy of 1883. That was a volcano, this was an earthquake. That spawned a Tsunami that travelled around the world nine times and was measurable in England. That was said to have killed around 40,000 people. This, well, apparently we're up over 80,000, with no end in sight. The population in those areas is vastly greater today than then, especially in coastal areas, but then, a figure like this is far more likely to be accuate today than then. 1883 was the early age of telecommunications and people in the west knew of the event within 12 hours, despite destruction of cables by the tsunami.

But they didn't see pictures of trenches filled with dead babies the next day. They didn't listen to the testimony of people whose lives were utterly destroyed hours before. Here's one good thing. In hours of watching Fox and CNN last night I didn't see one journalist stick a microphone into anyone's face and ask "How do you feel?" I'm sure it happened. But I didn't see it.

Today's victims have the benefit of today's medicine, today's communications and today's transportation. In 1883 it took weeks and months for supplies to arrive.

I guess I'm trying to find an upside and that's probably foolish. But, really, it's almost more than one can bear.

God bless those poor people.

Here's a link for contributions, but you probably know there are many, many places where you can give.
Posted by: Sluggo / 2:11 PM
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Voice-Over 

I blogged last week about a launch party we went to for a set of voice-over instructional DVDs put out by Stuart Dillon, an old friend of Lane's and the guy in this field. So, for those of you who want to be on Sponge Bob or be the voice of Preparation H, here's the link. And here's the link to Stuart's company.
Related Post
Posted by: Sluggo / 11:03 AM
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Jerry Orbach, R.I.P. 

Jerry Orbach has died of prostrate cancer. Lane did an episode of Law and Order last year and reported that he was a perfect gentleman, a generous actor and a sweet and funny man. Not a bad way to be.
Posted by: Sluggo / 10:58 AM
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Tuesday, December 28, 2004

One Last Picture From Christmas at the Sluggoteria 


The Brother, The Daughter, a Niece Sandwich Posted by Hello
Posted by: Sluggo / 9:49 PM
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Like Me 

Eugene Volokh provides a link to this website, a sort of Libertarianism for Dummies. (The permalink to the specific post doesn't seem to be working.)
Posted by: Sluggo / 9:40 AM
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Jon Corzine Contemplates the Briar Patch 

Roberto, at DynamoBuzz, gives NJ's Governor Codey a holiday pat on the back for allowing the Salvation Army kettles at the Turnpike rest stops. As Roberto notes, he didn't just allow it, he had a press conference at the Vince Lombardi Rest Stop to announce it. This is one slick operator. Jon Corzine is a smart guy, but I wonder if he fully appreciates what he's stepping into.
Posted by: Sluggo / 8:48 AM
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Monday, December 27, 2004

No Man is an Island 

I work on an upper floor of the CitiGroup Center. My mother-in-law lives across the street. In fact, if the windows opened I could drop a brick on her.

This week is always the loneliest week of the year as Grace is on break and Lane usually takes her into the city to stay with her mother and do city things -- skating, museums, playdates with her city pals. Even though they're staying right across the street I'll probably see very little of them this week.

I like being alone, being undisturbed. But I'm used to these two females and when they're gone it goes a bit beyond being alone. It hovers perilously close to being pointless.

I mention this now to prevent myself from moaning pathetically about it a few days hence. You'll thank me.
Posted by: Sluggo / 1:36 PM
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