Humor: When it really isn't funny!

I'm a big fan of political humor. In "olden times" it was used to highlight things which were happening socially and politically which needed to be addressed, but couldn't; and so the hidden meanings were critical.

A Malaysian newspaper has published a cartoon about the Tsunami which I find tasteless--as did many others who saw it.

Some things just shouldn't be joked about.

The article in the San Francisco Chronicle says it all and helps explain the charicature:

"A Malaysian newspaper has apologized for printing a caricature of Japanese cartoon superhero Ultraman comically trying to outrun a tsunami.
Malaysians reacted with a tirade of anger after the Malay-language Berita Harian daily newspaper published the cartoon Sunday. Critics vented on Twitter and Facebook and some called for a boycott of the paper.

The apology issued on the paper's website and on social newtworking sites said Berita Harian had "no intention of poking fun" at the disastrous earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on Friday.
The newspaper expressed sympathy and said it shared "the sorrow of the Japanese people.""

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/13/international/i210532D07.DTL#ixzz1GbPE5mG0

Some things just aren't funny. And I am left to wonder what they really meant.

Monday Musings - March 14, 2011

1. Tomorrow is one of the most famous days in infamy-- The Ides of March. "Et tu, Brute?" I found it interesting that technically only the months of March, May, July, and October have the ides falling on the 15th; during all of the other months the ides falls on the 13th. Go figure.

2. My thoughts and prayers this morning are again with the Japanese people as they struggle to recover from the devastation caused by the earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear reactor partial meltdowns.

3. How about the Big East placing 11 teams in the March Madness NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament? And Syracuse got its expected 3-seed. I hope they play better than they did in the Big East Tournament--although they did lose to the eventual champion.

4. And here is a tribute to capitalism: Price of preemie-preventing drug to skyrocket: Who will pay? It seems that once a company won exclusive rights to make the drug in the U.S., the price per shot went from $20 to $1500. Way to go! And who is going to pay? Well, we are of course.

5. We were blessed with an exceptionally pleasant weekend, weather-wise. It was nice to be outside in the warm sun working around to house or even being in Washington, DC as Chris and I were for Saturday afternoon. We checked out the National Portrait Gallery and wandered around F Street for most of the afternoon.

6. I'm running a bit slow this morning--the first weekday morning after daylight savings time occurred this year. Ugh--I couldn't believe it when the alarm clock went off. I just wanted to hunker down deeper into the bed and resume sleeping.

7. Just a note for everyone out there--I hate tax season. Why don't I qualify for a bailout? Oh yeah, I'm the consumer that everyone is out to gouge.

8. And speaking of taxes--did you ever consider the psychology of the process when it comes to taxes? People seem to be singularly focused on whether they get a refund or not? They forget to look at the real line--the total amount of tax due before we offset it against the amount of taxes withheld. And when the federal tax bite is added to the state tax bite AND don't forget to throw in property tax if you own your own home--anyway, I coulda bought a new car last year--and not a cheapie, either. But I'm sure someone in Congress or Annapolis thinks I should be paying more.

Daylight is being Saved

It is here. The annual sleep deprivation event has arrived. A sure sign that Springtime is upon us, which it is!

Yesterday was another sign of Springtime. I noticed the trees full with budding leaves and flowers beginning to bloom.

Last evening as we walked Makayla and Chewie we heard the peepers singing in the not so cold evening.

Allergies are blossoming with the budding trees and flowers. But it is a sign that even with one week remaining, winter's grip is slackening and the world is bursting to life after the dark and cold.

Spring officially begins next Sunday but despite the slowness of the calendar, it is already fully underway.

Tsunami, Earthquake and Japan

I spent most of yesterday appalled by the destruction in Japan from the earthquake and resulting tsunami.

My prayers and thoughts are with the people of Japan as they begin to try to recover from the disaster and bury their dead.

It reminds me how quickly life can change from the routine of the day to terror and disaster. One minute, shopping for a meal at the well stocked grocery store; the next, clawing for life from amid the rubble caused by an earthquake.

I saw the news reports of the wall of water sweeping over the countryside carrying buildings, vehicles, and probably people into the oblivion of destruction. I couldn't stop watching it everytime it was played on TV. It reminded me how fragile the creations of man are when compared against the great forces of nature.

Pray for the people there--who were just going about living until life abruptly changed.  Send aid when you can.

Grand Lady of Space Set to Retire

Discovery Landing March 9, 2011

After 27 years and 39 missions into the fringes of the final frontier--the space shuttle Discovery rolled to a final stop on the Florida runway about midday on Wednesday.

An era ends.

The ABC news story summarizes it pretty well--but being the space head that I am, it still makes me sad that as a country we have so terribly lost our way and mortgaged our future that we cannot continue to lead the discovery of space which has already returned so many benefits to us.

And so, by way of celebrating an era and a good ship, here forom the news item is a summary of some of Discovery's accomplishments:

"Discovery flew both return-to-flight missions after its sister ships, Challenger and Columbia, were lost. It launched the Hubble Space Telescope. It carried John Glenn, one of America's first space pioneers, on his sentimental return to space in 1998. It assembled the first components of the International Space Station. It has flown more times than any other spaceship in history."

And as I stand  under the cloudless night sky and gaze at the points of light that are the stars and the constellations, I continue to wonder if God put them there to taunt us with their distance and difficulty, or to challenge us to praise Him for his magnificance.

Reflecting Daylight Savings Time

With the gloom and storms of the morning promising up to three inches of rain, I was fondly remembering Tuesday morning's blue skies and bright sun which greeted me as I exited the club after my racquetball match.

I was astounded at the clarity of the sky--in the cold dawn light, but I also noted that it was light. The sun (by almost 7 am, had cleared the horizon and was beaming brightly into my eyes.

It was a stunning scene as I drove from the club to work. I knew the sun would be burning into my eyes as I merged onto the already too full expressway which is Maryland Route 32 during the morning rush. But, I was looking forward to it.  Next week daylight savings time resets the morning clocks by an hour and I will not enjoy the morning sun in my eyes again until May.

Yes, yes, I know I will be enjoying the sun longer into the evening and that I won't be grilling dinner by my grill light, but still; being a morning person I enjoy the dawn and the sunlight in the morning , too.

I love the smell of the day breaking over the still slumbering world. Wet with dew and filled with the sound of the birds waking with the dawn. 

I enjoy driving to work with the headlights off and the sun cheering my soul as I begin another day of activities. Some days, I even drive to work with the top down on my car, just because I can.

And so, with the raindrops beating against the window panes, I return to the reality of now and prepare for my day. Not nearly as cheery as I was on Tuesday--but hopeful that the rains will not be nearly as fierce nor as drowning as they could be.

Really? This Much Press for a Bad Boy Actor?

The Charlie Sheen situation has finally driven me to the edge of my patience.

I am tired of hearing on the news about this spoiled, rich, self-appointed Adonis actor who has an untreated drug problem and currently is getting more press than the war in Libya that is driving our gas prices into the stratosphere.

There!

He got fired for being an embarrassment. An embarrassment to himself, his family, the people who employed him and to humanity.

People lost their jobs and now the people who were trying to work with him and protected him for a long time are being vilified.

It is all very sick.

The news has been transformed again from what is happening in the world, to what sells.  And actors being bad, sells.

One college newspaper tells the story as follows:

"Pot, cocaine, heroine, crack and meth don't seem to be doing it for the average drug-user anymore. Always looking for the newest and greatest, a new drug has just hit the scene and seems to be the only drug of choice these days.


The drug is called Charlie Sheen. It can be snorted, smoked or injected intravenously. It has become extremely popular among high school and college students and is now the most common drug at UCCS.


When on the drug, students have described a feeling of "winning." The effects of Charlie Sheen resemble the symptoms of bipolar disorder. As such, users experience extreme bouts of winning on either end of the spectrum. It also renders users capable of curing diseases with their brains."

The whole Charlie Sheen 15 minutes of fame needs to run its course and be done and fade into a distant memory and be forgotten.

Spring Training Excitement

I guess upstate NY got hammered by snow this weekend and I'm thinking about being at Spring Training.  In less than two weeks, I am heading off to Sarasota to view two games and get really ready and into a baseball state of mind. (Yes, that is Florida with a capital "F")

I was watching the Orioles play the Yankees in my first televised Orioles game of the season from Spring Training last night.

I was looking over the stadium intently--and it looks very intimate. They set an attendance record with just over 8,000 people. Sadly, the game ended in a tie--a 0-0 tie. But is was baseball and the Yankees didn't win!

 Ties are allowed during Spring Training which makes the game interesting.

I could almost imagine the smell of the sultry warmth of the west coast of Florida in the evening and the smell of the grass of the stadium, and maybe even some flying bugs just to make things interesting.

It has to be better than getting into Kitty last night to go to men's group only to find the battery dead because it has been almost a month since I drove the car. Very frustrating. I just need to drive the beast a bit more. Ugh.

I also heard the dreaded "S" word used in the weather forecast for the weekend. No accumulation, just flurries. I am still hoping that the season is going to change over soon and we will begin seeing temperatures sustained in the 60's and above.

It is almost here--I can feel it.

Monday Musings - March 7, 2011

1. March is already a week old? What happened to February, did we lose it somewhere in a snowstorm?

2. The rains of this past weekend should really get off to a great start. Coupled with the moderate temperatures we should be mowing in a few weeks.

3. Paul Zukerman writes an interesting and thought provoking article titled: "Why Evangelicals Hate Jesus." Take a read--it caused me to pause for a moment and think.


4. Did you read the one about the college basketball player attending BYU who, when asked, admitted to having premarital sex with his girlfriend? He was suspended from the basketball team just before the conference tournament and may be kicked out of school for an honor code violation. My question--OK, yeah he did it and admitted to it. And being suspended from the team is the right thing to do, but there needs to be some mercy here too--we all sin, daily. Perhaps we are just lucky enough not to be breaking BYU's honor code when we do it.

5. Spring training continues to be exciting, and although the O's lost their second game, they do seem to be playing very well and lots of promises seem to be being fulfilled.

6. I watched most all of the four Indiana Jones movies this weekend, as they were playing back-to-back-to-back-to-back on one channel and it was raining all day Sunday.  I'm not sure if I'm proud of this ultimate couch potato achievement or not.  Although, I did ride almost six miles on our exercise bicycle to compensate (I was watching one of the movies as I rode). I think I need a new hat, lol.

7. Here's a thought--I like rain a whole lot more than snow! We received over an inch of rain this weekend--that translates into about 8-10 inches of snow. Any questions? Sorry to my family in upstate NY--you should have taken a short trip for the weekend to avoid the white stuff.

8. As we were driving on Saturday, I noticed crocus and snow drops were blooming on some of the yards in the neighborhood.

9. The birthday party for Jax on Saturday, was also attended by four of the family's dogs--I forgot to mention that Makayla and Chewbacca also were in attendance.

The Celebrations Went on and On

Jax had a great birthday--from all indications.

Blowing Out the Candles

Jeremy, Nicole and Luke at Discovery Zone

Grandma and Luke

On an Adventure in Egypt

It started early and continued into the night as family and friends celebrated the special guy's birthday and the completion of his third year on the planet.

We began as a group at the Discovery Zone with Lucas and his family and spend a fun filled--but at times tense couple of hours. Some of our group forgot the most important thing about group activities--stay in sight and so there was an all out search for one of the guys which ended happily. It was good practice for Disney World which may happen sooner than later it appears.

The actual party was a masterpiece--decorations were themed for Scooby-Doo, Jax's favorite character and an adventure created by Tina and Patrick highlighted the afternoon as the kids searched for clues to discover ,Who stole Jax's presents--complete with ghosts and twists and turns.

The kids had as much fun as the adults did watching them find the presents.

Scooby Cake

We even enjoyed some comic relief as we rounded up some escapees--the dogs decided to go for a stroll.

A great day of fun and celebration.

Happy birthday Jackson.