A song that sticks

But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

- 1 John 2:5-6

Snow Day

Your airplane

- from 10:30 AM, Sunday

We're learning new details about last week's Hudson River crash of a US Airways jet enroute to Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Turns out the co-pilot was flying the aircraft during takeoff, but immediately after impacting a flock of "big brown birds" at around 3200 feet and losing both engines, the pilot took control of the airplane and announced to the co-pilot, "My airplane."

The co-pilot acknowledged, "Your airplane" ... and handed off control to his superior.

Then pilot Chesley Burnett Sullenberger successfully executed a miracle: the engine-out water landing of his Airbus 320 ... without losing a single soul on board.

-- -- --

When the flight deck gets busy, that's the kind of precise communication required to stay under control and keep an airplane in the air; that's how each party communicates and knows beyond any doubt whatsoever who's flying the airplane.

An aircraft can only have one Pilot-in-Command, one Pilot in charge, one Pilot who's commanding the flight: one pilot who is the final authority.

--   ---  ---

No, God is not my Co-Pilot.

God is my Pilot in Command ... because I'm not worthy to be his steward.

And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.

- 1 John 3:23

8:30PM was sounding good ...

Regular readers already know I'm usually shutting down lights, double-checking bilge pumps and trudging off to bed around 8:30 (no, I don't actually go to sleep at 8:30 ... I try to read for an hour).

So what I am doing up at 12:53 AM?

Because I watched this, that's why.

What makes the gospel different?

The texts of other faiths describe what the authors thought about death, life, gods and the hereafter.

But the disciples saw death destroyed, and witnessed life and immortality brought to light through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

- 2 Timothy 1:10

Still my favorite, always the One

Saviour, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King ... Jesus

Bank Robberies Rise

Bank robberies are up in cities across the USA this year and, although the reason is unclear, the down economy is a suspect.

"The economy is driving some of this," says Chris Swecker, chief security officer for Bank of America and former assistant director of the FBI's criminal division. "We're even getting some anecdotal stuff from bank robbers."

Swecker said Bank of America analysts study the interplay between the increase in bank heists and foreclosures, credit defaults and unemployment rates.

"We haven't drawn any conclusions yet, but we are certainly looking at it," he said.

-USA Today

Hmm.  Or might it have something to do with stealing money from taxpayers to finance Federal bank bailouts?

Bank robbers wear masks; bank robber barons wear suits and ties: the thieves are on the inside.

Wonder if Bank of America will start charging its customers early withdrawl penalties per each robbery, or late fees for robbers showing up after 2:00PM?

Relativity: Hot Air & Empty Heads

Not too long ago I overheard someone confess, "Sure I know about Einstein's Theory of Relativity.  It means everything's relative."

For that person, Einstein was surely smart enough to know what he was talking about, and if The Big E said "Everything's Relative" then it certainly must be true and therefore universally applicable to Everything ... including faith: It's all relative.

Except that's not what Einstein meant by any stretch and not what The Theory of Relativity is about in the least.  At all.  

But that's what some folks want to believe any way, because thinking "Everything's relative" also means "What's right for you might not be right for me" ... which makes thinking about difficult issues easier.  Believing "Everything's Relative" or "There Are No Absolutes" thus makes it easier to avoid making firm decisions.  About anything.

Particularly concerning Faith and eternity.

Here's the Chicken Cannon

After yesterday's crash landing of USA Airways Flight 1549 into the Hudson River, many pundits expressed surprise that bird strikes can bring down a commercial airliner.

In fact, at Boston's Logan Airport back in October 1960, a Lockheed L-188 crashed just six seconds after takeoff as a result of multiple bird strikes, from starlings, with the loss of 62 lives.

Wasn't long before the FAA began issuing Bird Ingestion Standards for turbine engines.

Nope, it's not part of a joke left over from Monty Python ("What is the airspeed of an unladen swallow?"): the Chicken Cannon is real.

It's used to test whether jet engines comply with bird strike safety requirements.

-- -- --

The Chicken Gun is designed to simulate high speed bird impacts.

It is named after its unusual projectile: a whole dead standard-sized chicken, as would be used for cooking. This has been found to accurately "simulate" a fairly large bird (as it actually is one).

The test target is fixed in place on a test stand, and the cannon is used to fire the chicken into the engine, windshield, or other test structure.

- from Wikipedia

Introducing ... the Fuggly

First it was the Snuggie.  Now meet the Fuggly:

15

Man found shot in SW Baltimore as vigil for murder victim wrapped up

By Justin Fenton | justin.fenton@baltsun.com

11:32 AM EST, January 15, 2009

A 56-year-old man was fatally shot last night in Southwest Baltimore, as a candlelight vigil for a homicide victim from last week was wrapping up just a few blocks away.

More than 70 people gathered in the street in front of Tomasina Degree's South Wickham Street home last night to mourn her son, Kip, 23. They remembered his love of dancing, and talked about how he had found God and was making something of his life. A youth pastor concluded the candlelight vigil with frank warnings of the dangers of gun violence.

Police said last night that it appeared the man, identified as Ronald Crosby, was shot elsewhere and drove to where he was found by police.  Crosby, who lived in the Jamestowne community, is the city's 15th homicide victim of the year.

Memo to Self: Here's a Real Time Saver

The other day I downloaded a podcast to watch on my Sony Walkman digital media player.  Trouble is, the Walkman can't play videos in the podcast format.

Finally found two possible approaches to my situation:  

(1) Convert the files using AfterEffects CS3.  I tried a 5-second test, and though the converted file plays perfectly, converting an hour-long video would take about 15 hours to complete.

(2) Convert using a cheap-o podcast converter (which takes far less time to configure) and needs just 40 minutes to finish, instead of 15 hours (although the "converted" file doesn't work and still won't play, at all.)

So, which solution should I pursue?

Obviously #2, because it's so easy and saves so much time.

--   --   --

Now let's talk about life:

Approach #1 is surrendering totally, completely and absolutely to following God's will.

Approach #2 means going to church on Sundays, sometimes.

¿Qué sucedió ayer?

So what happened yesterday?

Yesterday I finally got to Little Havana and had a real Cuban sandwich, served with black beans and yellow rice ... with plantanos on the side. Oh, and potato and chorizo soup as an appetizer.

It wasn't exactly like the ones I remember; when I was a kid all the Cuban sandwiches were made with real pressed Cuban bread, and included a slice of peppered Genoa salami. They were probably just a little bit thicker, too ... or maybe now I've just got bigger eyes.

¡Era sí delicioso! Yes, it was delicious!

Flan de leche wasn't among the desserts, so I opted for a sopapilla instead:

Going to Little Havana’s just for the sopapillas is worth it. The crisp pillows of fried, sweet dough sprinkled with granulated and powdered sugar, and drizzled with chocolate and berry sauces, are the type of dessert you’ll keep eating even though you’re full. Scoops of creamy vanilla ice cream make the sopapillas one of Baltimore’s best desserts. - examiner.com

Little Havana is only 20 minutes away by car, but about half that by dinghy (or by boat) ... and you can conveniently tie up right outside the deck. Get directions here.

The mistake I made was in not thinking ahead: wish now I'd ordered a couple extra Cuban sandwiches to take home ... para almuerzo.

ps. Yesterday afternoon, Little Havana was installing HDTV ... just in time for Sunday's AFC Championship game featuring the Ravens against somebody else.

-- --- ---

For authentic Cuban sandwich afficionados only:

"People in Miami often talk as if they invented the Cuban sandwich, but they are pretenders to the throne. In the early 1900s, workers in Cuba brought simple "mixto" sandwiches to work or bought them at cafes. These cold-cut concoctions took on a new character in Tampa, influenced by Ybor City's vibrant mix of immigrant cultures. By the 1920s, the old "mixtos" coalesced into something more distinct – the Cuban sandwiches we know and love – an original Tampa creation.

"Tampa's Cuban sandwich is a dying culinary breed. By the time it became a recognized and revered tradition in the 1940s, the real thing was already fading fast. The true Cuban sandwich – conceived in Cuba and perfected in Tampa – lived and died with Ybor City.

"When one examines the labor that went in tomaking an old-fashioned Cuban, it is more understandable that today's sandwiches fall short so often. Like so many simple things in early Ybor City, the Cuban sandwich was elevated to an art and craft. Restaurateurs prepared every ingredient in painstaking fashion.

"Wet, cheap boiled ham and processed pork loaves give us little indication of what a real Cuban sandwich should taste like. It doesn't help that most places pile on lettuce, mayo, and tomato, which is like adding a glass of water – it dilutes the flavor. When done right, the sandwich showcases the contrast between the dry crust of Cuban bread with the rich mingling of melted fats within. The bold combination of salty ham and salami, the garlic and vinegar overtones of the roast pork, the sharp taste of pickle and mustard – are all married by the bread and subtle charm of Swiss cheese."

"Original Cuban sandwiches come from Ybor City; everything else is just a sub."

- from CigarCity.com

"One of the greatest sins in Cuban sandwich preparation is too light a press. A heavy hand on the press pushes all the juices and flavors together while still achieving the desired crunch crust. These sandwiches use no mayonnaise, lettuce, onions, bell peppers, or tomatoes; however, butter and mustard are optional. Cuban sandwiches are sold hot (pressed) or cold (room temperature).

"The most important part of a Cuban sandwich is the bread. It is not ordinary bread, but Cuban bread. Believers say that true Cuban bread cannot be found outside of Tampa or Miami. Italian bread or French bread are acceptable substitutions in other parts of the country, but they are not the same.

"Cuban bread is noted for its split or bloom down the middle of its crust. This long, crusty loaf features a tender, but not chewy, interior. Cuban bread is best when it is eaten on the same day that it is made, as Cuban bread contains lard. After a day or so, the lard hardens, and the bread gets dry." - The History of the Cuban Sandwich

And, once the sun sets ...

Clicking on the map above will display points representing each homicide in Baltimore City. Click on a point to get details about that homicide.

14 homicides so far this year.

- The Baltimore Sun


2008 above, 231 homicides


2007 above, 282 homicides


Iraq- January 2009 US Combat deaths to date: 3 (source)
Afghanistan- January 2009 US Combat deaths to date: 5 (source)

LOST recap starts in 15 minutes

Here's a quote from Sawyer:

"Kids are like dogs.  If you kick them around enough, they'll think they did something to deserve it."

-ABC TV at 8 PM

Plain, Pure and $imple

"The fact is that until a Christ follower learns to put God first in their finances their walk with God will always contain a limp!"

- perrynoble.com

"Help" note leads to police shooting

City police shoot man outside Northeast Baltimore 7-Eleven

By Gus G. Sentementes | gus.sentementes@baltsun.com

6:37 AM EST, January 13, 2009

City police shot a man this morning in Northeast Baltimore after his female companion passed officers inside a 7-Eleven a note that said "Help," a city police spokesman said.

The incident happened about 4 a.m. outside the convenience store at Belair Road and Nicholas Avenue, said spokesman Anthony Guglielmi.

(Baltimore Sun photo by Gus Sentementes / January 13, 2009)

The officers followed the woman to a car, where the man inside refused to comply with their commands to get out of the vehicle, Guglielmi said. The man would not show his hands to the officers, and he began to fumble around the interior of the car, leading officers to shoot him, Guglielmi said.

The man was in surgery [at Johns Hopkins Hospital] this morning.

- The Baltimore Sun

Pure evil

Md. father accused of killing children heads to court

Tuesday, January 13, 2009 - The Associated Press

The trial of a father accused of drowning his three young children in a Baltimore hotel bathtub is set to begin.

Mark Castillo is charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Anthony, 6; Austin, 4; and Athena, 2, whom he confessed to drowning one by one at the Marriott Inner Harbor hotel in late March. Police said Castillo then tried to kill himself.


Castillo is scheduled to appear in a reception court on Tuesday, where his case will be assigned to a Baltimore City Circuit judge if he does not plead guilty. Castillo's trial could begin as early as Tuesday if a courtroom is available.

- The Baltimore Sun

14

-January 13, 2009

A teenage boy has died after being found stabbed.  17-year-old Shawn Green was stabbed in the chest in the 1600 block of 32nd Street in Northeast Baltimore.  He died at the hospital. Police have no suspects. Green's death marks the 14th city murder this year.

-from WBFF Fox News 45

Macs n' Mormons

-computer humor

Regular readers might suspect I'm no Mac fan, but that's a gross under-misrepresentation: Put simply, my position is that the world would be a better place if the globe was 100% Apple-free.

Why?  Largely because of the transformation that occurs once folks become a Mac-owners. 

Mac-ness is all about attaining True Believer Status in the one true Apple cult.  Owning a Mac actually means being owned by Mac, and devoting one's entire life to participating in and achieving the complete Mac image.

Now that I think about it, being owned by a Mac is like belonging to a cult ... a lot like, well, like what we see here:

Being Mac. Being Mormon. It's Quite Similar.

Topic	Apple	LDS/Mormon
U.S. Marketshare:	6.1% (IDC)	2-3% (Mormon.org/US Census)
Large Installed Base:	22 million (est.)	13 million members
Growing Membership	37% growth y/y	Cited as 2nd-fastest growing religion in the U.S.
Worldwide Translation	18 Mac OS X Languages	Church materials in 178 languages
Focus on Conversion	Get A Mac Campaign	50,000 active missionaries
Monotheistic Culture	Steve Jobs	Jesus Christ
Corporate Face	Steve Jobs	Gordon B. Hinckley
Extended Leadership	Board of Directors	The 12 Apostles
Retail Locations	More than 200 Apple stores	More than 120 LDS temples
Annual Meetings	2 (MWSF & WWDC)	2 (Semi-Annual General Conference)
Second Coming	Steve Jobs (1997)	Jesus Christ (still waiting)
Some Think It's a Cult	Wired: Cult of Mac	Mormoncult.org
Vocal Detractors	Microsoft, Linux	Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, Fundamentalist Christians
Standard Uniform	Black Turtleneck, Blue Jeans	White Shirt and Tie
The Color White	Mac Books, iPods, etc.	White Shirts, Temples, etc.
Music Sources	iTunes	Mormon Tabernacle Choir
Youthful Actors	Justin Long	Jon Heder
Presidential Candidates	Steve Jobs (unofficial)	Mitt Romney (not church-endorsed)
Large Cash Reserves	$15.4 billion	$30+ billion (estimated)
Controversial History	The Newton, Apple III, Licensing	Polygamy, Priesthood, Martyrdom
Stance on Cloning	Against	No position on stem-cell research
Stance on Tithing	One new OS X Release a Year ($129)	Members pledge 10% of income
Ongoing Revelation	Next Macworld!	General Conference, Doctrine & Covenants
Common Misconceptions	No Microsoft Office, Lacks Software, Not Good for Business	Plural Marriage, Not Christian, Book of Mormon Used Instead of the Bible
Actual Reality	15 Reasons You'll Love a Mac	The Articles of Faith

- from louisgray.com

Hey, I can see my house from here!

-satellite images from Google Maps

City Lights

Found a forum this morning that had a pretty lively debate underway: "Which city has the best skyline ... Pittsburgh or Baltimore?"

So I googled around a bit for skyline photos of a few other U.S. coastal cities, for comparison.

Presented alphabetically below are my favorites (and yes, I think we have a clear winner).


Baltimore, Maryland

Charleston, South Carolina

Miami, Florida


New York, New York

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Seattle, Washington

Tampa, Florida

Local 24-hour News

2009 Spike in Murders has Police Reacting
Last Update: 1/08 5:17 pm
"The homicide recently, we're experiencing a spike.  11 murders over the past seven full days of the year," said Baltimore Police Commissioner Fred Bealefeld.

They are alarming numbers but the department says they've already made one arrest from a 2009 killing and have very promising leads or warrants on several others including the shooting death of 20 year old Lougene Williams.

"We need people, religious leaders, community leaders talking to people in the city saying you got to knock it off, you just have to knock this off.  It can't just be the mayor and police commissioner." - source

Baltimore mayor indicted on theft, perjury charges
Jan. 9, 2009

BALTIMORE – Mayor Sheila Dixon was indicted Friday on charges that she accepted illegal gifts during her time as mayor and City Council president, including travel, fur coats and gift cards intended for the poor that she allegedly used instead for a holiday shopping spree.

A grand jury indicted Dixon on 12 counts, including four counts of perjury and two counts of theft over $500. She was also charged with theft under $500, fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary and misconduct in office.

The State Prosecutor's Office, which has been investigating corruption at City Hall for nearly three years, said Dixon received holiday gift cards for four years from several people. Prosecutors said the gift cards were to be distributed to needy families, but were instead used by Dixon to buy electronics — including an Xbox, a PlayStation 2 and a camcorder — clothes and other merchandise and also handed out to members of her staff. - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090109/ap_on_re_us/baltimore_mayor_probe

Unintended Victim

In just the first 9 days of 2009, now we're up to 11 homicides:

(AP) -- Baltimore County police have released the name of a woman who was fatally wounded by gunfire while speaking with family members outside her home in Middle River.

Police say officers responding to a report of a shooting Wednesday evening found 58-year-old Shirley Worcester on the ground outside the home on Whitethorn Way in the Hawthorne neighborhood. She died a short time later at Franklin Square Hospital Center. Police believe Worcester may have been struck by gunfire intended for someone else.

-source

For someone special ... and worth saving

God had to send His Son to die for our sins*, but I still keep wondering what Jesus thought, knowing the choice was up to him.

How could Christ willingly sacrifice himself for the sins of all those people ... billions of people ... he didn't know?

I couldn't do it ... and neither could you.*

So what made Jesus know the sacrifice was worth it?

--   ---   --

Christ was willing to die in our place because he did know us.  Jesus knew that we were imperfect, sinful and unworthy ... and suffered crucifixion knowing we could never do anything to save ourselves or earn our own salvation ... much less anyone else's.  

Christ knew us ... just as he knows our sinfulness ... yet his love was so perfect that he still willingly took the cross in our place.  

Please don't miss this: knowing us so completely, better than we know ourselves ... Christ loved us.  Regardless.

Christ saw something in us that we can't ... not one single exception ... that made every one of us special and worth saving.  Not because of anything we've done or achieved, but so that we could live ...  and have the abundant life, according to God's purpose, that he intended.

By turning away from our smug, conceited opinions of our ourselves ... to trust, know and love him.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, 
       before you were born I set you apart; 
       I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

-Jeremiah 1:5

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- Romans 5:8

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

- Ephesians 2:8-9

It was only a matter of time ...

Wonder what's gonna happen next, after the latest request for a financial bailout.

Please pray for our country ... and for its leaders.

Sometimes I think we forget how much God loved us ...

... and turn "loving God" into pleasing, loving and honoring ourselves.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

- 1 John 4:10

where'd my wi-fi go?

Suddenly, first time I've been able to get on-line all day.  Must be the weather.

Just numbers? Really?

- photo from Wikipedia

Since 1998 more than one thousand Baltimore murders remain unsolved.

By December 3, 2008 Baltimore reported 216 murders for the year, significantly down from 1993, when Baltimore recorded a record-high 376 murders.

That was the second-highest homicide rate in the nation for cities over 250,000 in population ... a rate six times higher than New York City, three times the rate of Los Angeles and seven times higher than the national average.  

For comparison, that'd be like the city of Anderson, South Carolina having about a murder per week ... instead of just two for the entire year.

Today, just four days into 2009, Baltimore has already counted 3 murders (with 3 additional potential victims hospitalized in critical condition).

As a result of so much bloodshed, some folks have taken to renaming Charm City Body-more, Murderland ... but that seems so unfair: I mean, we're just talking numbers, right?

--   ---   --

When a church is making a difference, overturning "church business as usual" and surging forward to impact people for Christ, critics can't wait to pounce and find fault ... with spurious challenges like "All that church thinks about is numbers" and "But do such huge numbers really mean quality salvations?

Hmmm.

Almost makes ya wonder if polishing pews with backsides and hiding behind two hundred year old traditions ... losing souls to the enemy the whole time ... don't make some steeple-people grin with self-righteous satisfaction.

Because so long as their number-one priority is "Doing Church the Right Way ... Our Way," they think souls lost for eternity are "just numbers," too.

But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.

- Acts 4:4

So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

- Acts 16:5

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

- Mark 16:15-16

The High Price of Doing Things Right

Ug, I live on a 24-year old boat with just slightly more space than a mini-van.

The first thing I learned about boats is that everything designed to be used on a boat, from "marine fabric" down to the tiniest bolt, costs about 5 headaches more than what you'd expect to pay for apparently the same thing at the local hardware store.  

But apparently don't make things so: mechanical parts perfectly safe to use in your house or car would likely rust, corrode or burn out in a matter of months (or weeks) in a salt-water marine environment: a broken bolt or a hose causing a leak under your household sink is an inconvenience, but a leak caused by a broken bolt on a hose clamp can cause a boat to sink.

--  ---  --

For comfort, convenience and safety I added a few upgrades to my boat ... things like an electric oven, fume detectors, extra outlets ... and for economy, I chose to do the work myself.  

Guess what?  I made mistakes all the time, most every time.  

So with all the mistakes I've made, are you wondering how can I trust myself to keep doing my own work?  

It's because each time I made a mistake I had to learn how to go back, fix my mistakes and make things right.

See, I live aboard.  Which means I/me/mself ultimately pays the price for mistakes like drilling holes below the waterline, or for leaving electric cables draped between a hot engine manifold and a 90-gallon gasoline tank ... or for forgetting to close the seacock (saltwater valve) that keeps the bay separate from my berth (bedroom). 

But I've also learned to recognize and accept when my designs and plans exceed (or overwhelm) my experience: that's when it's time to get humble, and call in outside help and assistance.

It's just part of the price of doing things right.  

--  ---  --

Yes, thinking "I can do everything myself!" describes the way some folks treat Salvation.

Once upon a time, I might've tried creating Joe's Perfect Salvation Plan, and felt capable of designing a scheme I really liked (let's say, one that encouraged me to sin as often as I liked), but I realized I still had to face the eternal consequences of what I'd designed.

And experience told me there was absolutely no way I could trust myself to get everything right. Or even, to get anything right at all.

-- ---  --

When we ignore Scripture and attempt to create our own individual, stylized salvation plan ... whether from convenience, selfishness or any other personal prejudice, our vanity amounts to thumbing our noses at God.

It's the same thing as pushing Christ aside, and trying to save ourselves.

That ain't gonna work; it won't never happen: the price Jesus paid was too high for Salvation to ever become dependent on our silly whims and personal designs.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

- John 14:6

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

- Colossians 2:8

What's a little ice gonna hurt?

That's what it looked like this morning when I woke up.  Yep, that's ice.

“The person who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. The sure-thing boat never gets far from shore.”

- Dale Carnegie

Salvation Hopes Fade After Pastor Tears Groin Muscle

Ok that's not really a story from today's news; the actual headline, as we're well into the NFL Playoffs, refers to a current football drama that's making big, nervous news around the league.

Souls Lost for Eternity After Pastor Pulls Groin Muscle isn't likely to grab many national headlines; just lots of local gossip from the envious ... and some nosey, querulous questions ... from flock-folks who're feeling left-out and influence-challenged.

Never mind mentioning the lost: just tell me about today's latest crisis so I can offer my opinion, criticize someone else and feel important.

--   ---  --

Funny, the things we find meaningful and worth our attention.   Funny, all the insignificant things that seem so critical, urgent and important ...

At least, until tomorrow.

Any point in worrying about this?

Dec. 30, 2008 -- Yellowstone National Park was jostled by a host of small earthquakes for a third straight day Monday, and scientists watched closely to see whether the more than 250 tremors were a sign of something bigger to come.

Swarms of small earthquakes happen frequently in Yellowstone, but it's very unusual for so many earthquakes to happen over several days, said Robert Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah.

"They're certainly not normal," Smith said. "We haven't had earthquakes in this energy or extent in many years."

- Discovery Channel News

It is little known that lying underneath one of America's areas of outstanding natural beauty - Yellowstone Park - is one of the largest supervolcanoes in the world. Scientists have revealed that it has been on a regular eruption cycle of 600,000 years. The last eruption was 640,000 years ago... so the next is overdue.

And the sleeping giant is breathing: volcanologists have been tracking the movement of magma under the park and have calculated that in parts of Yellowstone the ground has risen over seventy centimetres this century. Is this just the harmless movement of lava, flowing from one part of the reservoir to another? Or does it presage something much more sinister, a pressurised build-up of molten lava?

Scientists have very few answers, but they do know that the impact of a Yellowstone eruption is terrifying to comprehend. Huge areas of the USA would be destroyed, the US economy would probably collapse, and thousands might die.

And it would devastate the planet. 

The last supervolcano to erupt was Toba 74,000 years ago in Sumatra. Ten thousand times bigger than Mt St Helens, it created a global catastrophe dramatically affecting life on Earth. Scientists know that another one is due - they just don't know when... or where. Climatologists now know that Toba blasted so much ash and sulphur dioxide into the stratosphere that it blocked out the sun, causing the Earth's temperature to plummet. Some geneticists now believe that this had a catastrophic effect on human life, possibly reducing the population on Earth to just a few thousand people. 

Mankind was pushed to the edge of extinction... and it could happen again.

- BBC Science and Nature

Too busy to fiddle around?

-thanks to my friend Tom, for passing this along ...

"On a cold January morning during rush hour, a man at a metro station in Washington DC started to play the violin. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes, during which thousands of people went through the station, most on their way to work.

"In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk their normal pace. The violinist collected $32. When he finished playing, no one noticed it. No one applauded.

"The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million. Two days before playing in the metro, he sold out at a theater in Boston where tickets average $100 each. His engagement in the metro was organized by The Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and priorities. The outlines were: in a common setting at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

"One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we don't have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing some of the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?"

Where do I find what it feels like I'm missing?

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

- Revelation 3:20

Things woulda been different if I had a camera

Ya'll know all my camera gear was stolen last year. I've been making do with a Nikon D-40X and I hate it.

But this is what's happening right now ...

Here come the fireworks

No no no, not that; I think we should agree not to discuss today's bowl games ... :-)

Last night was too windy for the fireworks display at Ft. McHenry so the event was re-scheduled for tonight.

Which explains I guess why there's a fireworks barge anchored just off the end of the dock, hmmm.

6:58 PM Update
Yup, there they go.