I’ve accumulated a bunch of interesting articles for lunchtime news chum, but they don’t seem to be fitting into a theme. So, I think, as this week started without a theme, I’ll just dribble them out over the next few days:
- Church and State. A bunch of interesting articles relating to church and state separation. This is of special concern, I believe, to anyone who is not Christian. For example, we have a letter to the editor in the Nashville Tennessean complaining about an Obama-administration rule that requires health care coverage to provide coverage for contraception. They seem to forget that not providing it might impose of the religious rights of those in favor of contraception, whereas there is no requirement for those opposed to it to actually use those services. But Tennessee seems to have a lot of trouble with Church and State. The Mayor of Mt. Juliet TN wants the city to encourage construction of a large cross to encourage churches to locate in their city. In East TN, lawmakers are proposing a Ten Commandments bill that will allow the religious statement to be posted in public, along with other historic documents. What bothers me here is that it refers to the commandments as “Christianity’s most recognizable documents”. Excuse me? They are in the old testament, and thus part of Judaism as well. Lastly, the US House of Representatives has passed a bill to allow religious symbols on war memorials. Now, I have no problem with religious symbols on grave markers–those represent the individual soldier’s beliefs. But by putting them on a larger memorial, the statement is made that only soldiers of that faith fought and died, which is not a statement the government should be making.
- I’m Not Dead Yet. A few articles about things that haven’t yet died. First, movie professionals are saying that, at least for movies, film is not yet dead. In particular, it is a much better archival medium than digital formats, which are constantly changing. This is why books are also not going away–paper is much better for long term preservation than digital forms. Another thing not yet dead is Radio Shack, which is retargeting itself to their original audience: the do-it-yourselfer.
- Then Again… It May Be Dead. A few things that are either dead or dying. The WSJ is reporting that some firms are doing away with requirements for resumes, replacing them with online quizzes and pointers to your online presence. I’m not sure that’s a good thing, for a resume provided a concise presentation of work experience and education–would you rather a potential employer depend on your Facebook Timeline? One thing that is clearly dead is Dick Tufeld. Mr. Tufeld is best known as the voice of Robot on the original Lost in Space. Lastly, one other thing that is dying is the prohibition against facial hair at Disney Theme Parks. Evidently, this was championed by the American Mustache Institute. Now, given that I’ve had either a mustache or beard-and-mustache since high school (back in the ’70s), I must share with you the AMI Pledge Steps.
As a supporter of the American Mustache Institute, I pledge to:
- Lobby the administration of President Barack Obama, asking him to grow a mustache during his first term to demonstrate solidarity with people of Mustached American descent.
- Applaud any Mustached American as they walk past me on the street.
- Castigate clean shaven mortals and remind them that their bare-lipped appearance is a sign of weakness and communism.
- Dislike all things associated with Dave Navarro.
- Continue my mustache growth in the extremely rare case that it causes significant decreases in sexual activity, friendships, and approval by society at large.
- Never own a cat or watch “Sex And The City.”
- Distrust clean-shaven officers of the law, and if approached by a mustache-free constable, dial 911 and proceed to a nearby police station, where a squadron of heavily mustached officers will greet me with open arms.
- Consider the environment before shaving my mustache.
- Never forget that every time a mustache is shaved an angel in heaven dies and falls to earth.
Music: Crazy for You (1992 Original Broadway Cast): What Causes That?
