Cool Pictures of the Space Shuttle Lauch

These pictures were taken from a high-orbit plane above the launch pad.

Christians Protest Yet No Buildings Burned Down and There Were No Calls for Beheadings

The Christian community in India is small but apparently influential. Reuters reports that they convinced EMI Music to remove from the country all copies of the new Slayer album that includes a vulgar depiction of Christ on its cover.

And what is missing from the report is any descriptions of violence on the part of the protesters. It is rare to hear about a Muslim demonstration against the latest slight to their frail sensibilities that doesn't include calls for blood and beheadings and destruction of nations.

Bombers Bombed

What an awful dissapointment. How could the Yankees play so flatly? It is as if they thought that once they dispatched the Red Sox in the grand five game sweep back in August, the rest of the season and then the World Series would just fall into their lap.

Torre has had a good run, but it is time for him to move on. He has been unable to fire up the troops the last few years for the playoffs. His cool demeanor was important for the team over the years, but even though the players are millionaires, they need a manager to get on their case and whip 'em into line every now then. G*d knows A-Rod (I think the A stands for his hottest month, April) needs that. Joe doesn't seem to have that in him. He couldn't keep the team from going cold in 2004 after the Friday night game in Fenway was rained out, nor again this year when Game 2 of the Division Series was rained out. And I thought there were a lot more times that he should have ordered his pitchers to retaliate against teams for throwing way inside to and hitting Yankee hitters.

He used to have a magic touch. He'd put in a pinch hitter or Luis Sojo, and magic would happen. Lately his mojo hasn't worked so well. Not that it is all his fault. The players haven't performed to their level and upper management made some goofs too. It was a mistake to get Randy Johnson; it was a terrible mistake to sign the delicate flower, Kevin Brown; and if they didn't dump Pettitte, or at least not done so in such a shoddy way, they might have got Clemens back.

Thankfully, it was a busy weekend, so I wasn't around a TV to witness the latest installment of post-season Yankee tragedy baseball.

Outback Rips Off Indie Band

I usually turn off the radio when commercials for Outback Steakhouse come on because their jingles are so annoying (especially for holidays), but today I heard one that is a rip-off of Of Montreal's song "Wraith Pinned to the Mist (and other games)." Looks like the video of the song is available on YouTube.

I hope the band is collecting royalties from the restaurant chain.

EhiPassika

I'm not a Buddhist, however I was first drawn to this Sanskrit phrase, ehipassika, because of its sound, or at least what I imagined it sounded like since I don't speak Sanskrit. But the definition is interesting and also relevant to the purposes of a blog. It means to "come and see for yourself." It is an invitation to investigate, experience, and learn. This geocities page has the best examination of the phrase in its context as an attribute of Dhamma, or Truth:

The fourth attribute of the Dhamma is ehipassika, usually rendered into English as "come and see." This really means that the Dhamma is completely open to investigation and verification. Because Dhamma is Truth, its worth and value do not depend on belief or faith, but are open to thorough examination and reexamination by all Truth seekers. The Buddha himself strongly advised his disciples not to blindly believe in him, but to question and re-question until they were fully convinced of the teacher and the teachings (the Dhamma). He further encouraged them to put the Dhamma to test by practicing it, "just as a goldsmith tests the purity of his gold by cutting, rubbing, and burning it."

I don't know what I plan on doing with this blog over the long term, but this is the proper spirit in which to launch this endeavor!