Beer Fixes Everything

Getting together with your bros or hanging with the boys is often referred to as some good old fashioned male bonding. And the great thing about male bonding is it never goes out of style! So suck on that trend setting, fad following, overly fashion conscious women! No matter how hard you try, you can’t change everything about your man. In fact, over time you will realize this and either move on to another "project" man to mold, or you will learn to embrace your current boyfriend for all that he already is. It’s sort of like how for years women have been trying to get guys to throw out their most comfy, holey jeans and threadbare, tattered tees, but as men we held onto these items with such a death grip that you were powerless to pull them from the sweaty clinches of our fists. So instead, you learned to accept with open arms. You accepted them so lovingly that you allowed them to grace the pages of your God - Vogue magazine. Yes, you made the very outfit we loved to kick it and chill in on a Saturday afternoon a thing of fashion beauty. Yes, we men manipulated you into seeing it our way. And you women fell for it - hook, line and sinker!

Of course there are things women manipulate men into liking too, take wine for example. I’ll admit that if it wasn’t for women, I might have never become a wine drinker. (Red wine that is, only women and gay men drink white wine.) But when I’m with my boys, it’s beer. Domestic, import, lager, ale, bottled, canned, home brewed or fresh from the tap. It doesn’t matter. It’s all good, because it’s not really about beer. It’s about the camaraderie. It’s about the male bonding. It’s about the unspoken, yet understood, platonic love that man has for his fellow man that seems to only exist in the presence of cracking open a cold one. How a simple beer has the power to smooth out any riffs and calm any waves between a couple of dudes. A yeast, hops and barley miracle worker! Simply put, beer fixes everything.

Male bonding is a term that is used in ethology, social science, and in general usage to describe patterns of friendship and/or cooperation in men. The exact meaning of the term differs across contexts. In the context of human relationships, male bonding is used to (sometimes jokingly or informally) describe friendship between men, or the way in which men befriend each other. The expression is sometimes used synonymously with the word camaraderie. Friendships among men are often based on shared activities (read drinking beer), instead of emotional sharing, which is more typical of women's friendships (though this is not always the case). Now someone created a Wikipedia page for the term "female bonding," but if you ask me, such a term doesn’t truly exist.

Although, I suppose one could argue that female bonding could be defined as going to the beauty salon with your closest gal pals to get your hair done. Perhaps a Girl’s Night Out giggling over martinis, or wasting away an afternoon gossiping over capuchinos then indulging in some high calorie/high fat chocolate delicacy would define female bonding as well. Scheduling mani-pedis and facials, followed by shopping afterwards, would probably be labeled as female boding too. Of course the main difference between female bonding and male bonding is that women need an activity to do when they get together. Men just need a beer. Sure there may be other activities going on while drinking beer, but the main focus is the beer. Think about it. Guys playing golf + beer. Guys going camping + beer. Guys going to the game + beer. Guys gathering around an outdoor picnic table to discus racial profiling at the White House with the President + beer. See the connection here? They all have one common factor - beer.

As you know, today is Thirsty Thursday. And in celebration, the Pres is holding a kegger! That’s right, there’s a real beer bash going down at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. So grab that red plastic cup and call up your frat brothers because it’s happening this afternoon! I believe the beer pong table is being set up as we speak, while our party animal President is tightening up his ankles for the keg stand and relaxing his throat for the beer bong! Ok, I kid. It’s not going down exactly like that. Most likely, it will be a much more dignified and sophisticated meeting of the minds between black Harvard professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr. and the white arresting officer, Sergeant James Crowley. The diplomatic in the middle, President Barack Obama...and of course beer.

There are tons of questions being asked, like what kind of beer are they serving and does the White House only serve American beer? Of course this big question today at the Suds Summit is...Can sharing a beer solve race relations? I haven’t a clue, but I think it’s worth a shot!

We all know that too much beer can lead to beer muscle, which then leads to a drunken brawl. Although the great thing about guys is that, unlike most women, we get it out of our system. If we don’t get along, the bar fight ensues. Then when we are thrown out into the street, we’re cool. It’s all over. We can then shake hands and walk away. Whereas women tend to let things fester and hold these grudges against other women often for years! Personally, I think they should follow the ways of their male counterpart. Let a beer be the diplomat. Seriously, who doesn’t feel better about a bad situation after a good beer? And if they still feel some hostility, then slug it out if need be. Besides, chick fights are always highly entertaining!

While someone is sure to scream that physical violence is not the answer and drinking alcohol only fuels the fire, the President is hopeful that sharing a beer will sooth wounds and perhaps mend years of hatred between two races. It’s true that while one consumes beer, physical violence can sometimes find its way into the male bonding session. However, just the right amount of beer leads to hugs. It leads to the happy drunk, that "I love you man" slurred speech paling around that is quite common in the male species. A Coke and a smile is for kids. A beer and a bromance is for men.

Eye On The Prize

I can’t give it away just yet - the BIG news! I want build up the anticipation, make you beg for it like a dirty pornstar down on her knees. Afterall, I had to wait for nearly a decade for this moment! So it's only fair I make you wait at least until August...which is when I plan on revealing the mystery, which is also when the full story will reveal itself to me. August 2009 is when it all unfolds and the story will be told. Until then, I have just as many, if not more, questions than you do. There is lots of uncertainty and plenty of doubt. But there is also hope. Always hold onto hope. And I am hopeful. Very, very hopeful. Perhaps foolishly hopeful, but nevertheless, hopeful.

I'm going to follow a "Don't Ask/Don't Tell" policy here, but I suppose alluding to the secret a little never hurt anyone. So I'm going to give you a hint, just one hint. You may never see me the same after this. You may view me as low and disgusting, or maybe you already see me as that? If so, then nothing will change. But if you see me in a heavenly glow, then brace yourself. I may very well shatter that beautiful image.

Sorry to be a tease, but there is fun in the unknown and yet to be discovered. And if you thought my Prop 8 post was controversial, you ain't seen nothing yet!

For now, I have my eye on the prize and I won't lose focus or determination. Stay tuned.

Sub Ground Imaging offers free geophysics

I'm away in Europe for 6 weeks, so you won't see quite so much of me here. At the moment, I'm doing archaeometry and magnetometry at the Poggio Colla Etruscan site near Florence.

But via the ISAP litserv, and speaking of geophysics, a nice message from Sub Ground Imaging in southern England(superfluous capitalizations removed):

If you are managing an educational or other non-profit archaeological project,
and are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us. We may very
well be both able and willing to assist you. We will consider donating our
geophysics services free of charge to worthy projects that benefit education or
further the knowledge of British Archaeology.

Why as a commercial concern would we do this?That is simple. We ourselves have a keen interest in archaeology and understand the importance of its contribution to the history of our country. We also understand the importance of state of the art techniques and resources being available to educational projects and to non-profit
archaeological groups and societies.If you feel your project could benefit from our assistance please drop us a line with a brief outline of your project. We will be pleased to help any project we feel to be both genuine, and worthy.

Know Your Sibling Role

I can't relate to the "only child." Their upbringing was nothing like mine. They didn’t have to share their toys, wear hand-me-downs, fight over who gets the last Oreo, call shotgun, engage in tattling, or even compete for their parents love and attention. They didn’t have to deal with the daily battles and the emotional roller coaster rides that the rest of us who grew up with siblings had to deal with. I’m part of a trio. I had two evil, older sisters. And then there was innocent me, the baby of the family. Or at least that is how I saw it at age 8. Even as a young child, I knew my role. If you have brothers and sisters, you know what I’m talking about. Every sibling has a role and it’s important you know it. Sure you may not like your sibling role and you may even want to break free of the mold, but it’s imperative to your survival that you learn to embrace this appointed position and use it to your advantage. Your job as a kid is to do the bare minimum that is expected of you (in your sibling role) and then fly under the radar when it comes to the rest...AKA, pass the buck. Your parents say they have high hopes for you, but deep inside, they are aware of your shortcomings. They know where every one of their sons and daughters stands in this world. I knew where I stood. And today, I still stand there.

My oldest sister was the brains in the family. She was creative in writing and in art, a crafty kid. She was also the diplomat and the bossiest thing you’ve ever seen! A bit of a goody two-shoes and kind of a band nerd. She was the last to be picked in gym class and often teased by my other sister and I that she was the milkman’s daughter because she looked nothing like us. My second oldest sister, the middle child, was the attention hog. Somewhat of an airhead, but nobody seemed to mind because she was the "looker" in the family and often got her own way based off her good looks alone. She couldn’t hit a volleyball to save her life, but always managed to get picked early by the gym class captain (who was also the school’s star quarterback) simply because she was dating him. Blessed with beauty in every area and the most popular girl in school, it was enough to make anyone sick with envy.

And then there was me, the youngest. The clown and the athlete. I excelled in sports and excelled in getting laughs from my classmates, which of course landed me in the principal’s office on more than one occasion. The badboy and the daredevil who had to fight from under the shadow of his sister, Miss Popular, and form his own identity. I enjoyed pushing the limits and found the mundane mind numbing "education" or lack of "education" that high school delivered to be a bore. The absence of mental stimulation frustrated me to the point where I no longer cared about school. This of course was misinterpreted and I was seen as being a lazy slacker, when really I was just bored out of my f-ing skull and needed challenged! The only reason I even bothered keeping my grades up was so I wouldn’t be kicked off the basketball team. Inside of me and behind closed doors was a kid bursting with potential. I took an interest in writing, art and music - writing lyrics, not playing it. Of course no one would ever know about these interests/talents because I was far too insecure to let the real me shine. I was much more comfortable in my appointed role of clown and athlete.

There are numerous studies out there that talk about the importance birth order plays in the development of a child. These include their interests, talents, career choices, personality, etc. As a general rule of thumb, the oldest is said to take on a parental role to the younger siblings. The middle child constantly feels they are being overlooked. And the youngest is said to be babied too much. According to these studies, as the baby of the family I would be labeled as being a bit spoiled. The baby is used to getting what they want. However, they always feel they have something to prove. They were brought up with not a lot of expectations placed upon them. So they place expectations upon themselves, unrealistic expectations they most likely will never reach. I am very much like this. Then combine it with the fact that I'm a competitive freak and you can see how this can lead to a life of self-torment. I place an enormous amount of pressure on myself to not just succeed, but to excel far beyond others expectations of me and far beyond even the expectations of myself! It's a game that no matter how hard I play, I will forever lose.

I love my sisters and I want nothing but the best for them. However, when I compare myself to them, I feel instances of inadequacy and moments of self-doubt. In my childlike mind I want to be bigger, better, faster, stronger. I want it all. I want the power, the money, the fancy car, the lush life. There is nothing they have that I don't want. Maybe that's extremely materialist, shallow and wrong. Or maybe that’s all just a part of sibling rivalry. There are some things we never outgrow, sibling roles included.

***NOTE***
You can also see this post featured on the frontpage of BrazenCareerist.com

LIAR!

Who are the biggest liars, men or women?

Men lie the most, women tell the biggest lies. Men, we lie all the time. We lie so much it's damn near a language. To call a man out for lying is like playing basketball with a retarded kid and calling him for double dribble. You gotta let some shit slide. You know what a man's lie is like? A man's lie is like, "I was at Tony's house." That's a man's lie. A women's lie is like, "It's your baby." That's right. Who are the biggest liars? Women are the biggest liars! Look at you, all of you. You're a fucking liar. You! You're a liar! You're all liars. All of you are fucking liars! Masters of the lie, the visual lie. You got on heels, you ain't that tall. You got on makeup, your face don't look like that. You got a weave, your hair ain't that long. You got a Wonderbra on, your titties ain't that big. Everything about you is a lie and you expect me to tell the truth? Fuck you!

The above is an excerpt from comedian Chris Rock, but there is a lot of truth to his Liar skit. Technically, even my own Mother is a lie! Those aren’t her real fingernails and that is not the color of her real hair. In fact, I can’t even tell you what my Mom’s natural hair color is. She’s been dying it since before I was born! However, those are harmless lies. They are what we refer to as white lies. They are mere fibs, just fudging on the truth. We can overlook these lies. We even accept these lies. But as we all know, the vast majority of lies are not and cannot be embraced with such love. Instead these lies fill us with hate.

Nothing pisses off a person more than being fed a lie, especially an emotional deception, the worst lie of all! It’s bad enough that you want to punch them in the face for stringing you along, but you also want to kick yourself while you’re down for falling for their bullshit. How could I allow it to happen? How could I be so dumb? I was naïve and entirely too trusting, two things I’m normally not! I’m a skeptic by nature, but I really liked her so I was kind of in that puppy dog fog. I wanted to fully believe whatever she told me, even boldface lies like "he’s just a friend." We definitely know better, but they convince us otherwise. In your heart you want to believe them. You so desperately want their words to be true that you ignore what your gut is telling you. You turn a deaf ear to it and those around you. You don’t listen to your head and instead you follow your heart - big mistake! That is what I get and apparently what I deserve when I yearn for the storybook ending. The good news - that chapter has long been closed and new chapters have opened in my love life since then.

When we are played for a fool there are only two things we can do - forgive or disassociate ourselves from them. This time around I chose disassociation. Then there’s always revenge. However, for me revenge is not an option. Revenge is childish and counterproductive. Seriously, what good does revenge do? Trying to purposely hurt someone because they hurt you, I just don’t see the point in that. It’s tit for tat and I’m not into that. Seethe through your teeth and stomp your foot all you want, but throwing a temper tantrum and seeking revenge will not get you anywhere. Sure if may help release some of that built-up anger, but granting yourself that evil pleasure is only a short lived high and it is not a dark delight I want to succumb to.

Sometimes when a relationship falls apart or just fails to develop into what I was hoping for, I get a little bitter. I think that’s normal. But it’s what you do with the bitterness that either helps one grow or hinders growth. It’s much easier to overcome a chest ache and a bruised ego than it is to allow yourself to become vulnerable again. Thanks to past experiences, my strong distrust in women has only increased. Some may say that’s only my own fault due to my poor selection in women. Whether that is true or not, it does help explain why I'm sometimes tempted to just use any girl I come in contact with and treat her like shit. Not that I do that, but sometimes I want to. The theory of "I’ll hurt you before you get a chance to hurt me" doesn’t apply here. It's not like that. But I do buy into the theory of protecting myself by becoming as emotionally evasive to girls as humanly possible. I must say, it’s worked well. Whether the world finds that sad or not, it’s a simple way to live. For now, simple is good. Simple works. Simple can’t leave me angry or sad.

Nearly every adult will tell you that lying is wrong, but many people find themselves doing it anyway. In fact, more than 80% of people admit to occasionally telling what they consider harmless half-truths. People lie for all sorts of reasons. They do it to avoid trouble, to save face in front of the boss, to spare someone's feelings and even prolong hurting someone’s feelings. The truth about lying is that you can deny it or prolong the confession all you want, but eventually the lie is going to catch up with you. It always does. Sooner or later you will get caught in a lie. And when you do, if you’re like most people, you have yet another lie prepared to cover the first...and so on and so on. It’s a vicious cycle and I would think a very exhausting game to play.

So why do so many people lie and why do they lie so frequently? Because it lets you manipulate the way you want to be seen by others. Let me say that again. Because it lets you manipulate the way you want to be seen by others. People often lie because they are cowards who can’t deal well with confrontation and figure the easiest way to face a problem is to not face it. They ignore it, hoping it will magically work itself out on its own and disappear into thin air like magic pixie dust - poof! Although in reality what happens is it blows up in their face. Sweeping things under the rug never solved anything. As unpleasant as it is to deal with problems, we all must do it. I rather someone was straight with me, even if their words were painful to digest. Give me that honesty. If nothing else, I could at least walk away with some respect for them.

If you really care about someone, do yourself and them a favor. Tell the truth, no matter how much it hurts. Because believe me, lying hurts far more than any truth ever could. In hindsight, I realize I should be somewhat thankful. I'm thankful I didn't fall in love with her. I don't say that sarcastically. I say that with much sincerity. You recover much quicker when you're only heavily "in like" with someone. And that is the only thing I am grateful for - that I only fell for a lie and not her.

Giving A Toast Isn’t Hard, It’s Composing It That’s Hard!

Ting, ting, ting. I stand and gain the attention of a crowd of two hundred. Slightly startled, they cease their chatter and turn around in their chairs to face me. I pull at the collar of my penguin suit. Like a noose, it has tightened yet another inch around my throat in a last ditch effort to suffocate me, while at the same time saving me from my own slow and painful death. Four hundred fixated eyeballs are now upon me as I struggle, gasping for some fresh air to fill my lungs and a cool breeze to find its way down the back of my neck. "Could everyone please raise their glasses? I would like to propose the first official toast to the happy couple." I say it calmly and with confidence. You would think I’ve done this a thousand times. It feels natural, almost effortless. And then it hits me, the reality of it all. My sister is getting married! And this is her day. And this is the single moment that I must not fuck up for her. In a room filled with hundreds, I stand alone. The pressure is mounting. I begin wringing the beads of perspiration collecting in my palms. I fear my voice cracking like Peter Brady. So I take a deep breath, collect my thoughts and attempt to deliver a speech from memory, only to discover my mind goes completely blank! Never fear, my trusty notecard is here! Like a superhero saving the day, and myself from complete humiliation, I reach deep into the front pocket of my pants and pull out a small folded up piece of paper. Just unfolding it feels like it’s taking an eternity! Everyone is staring at me as I clumsily fumble about. Seconds ticking by feel more like hours dragging on. Finally my fingers cooperate and I get the paper opened. I turn it over. And I turn it back over again. What is this? This can’t be happening! I’m left speechless, literally. BOTH SIDES OF THE PAPER ARE BLANK!

I then wake up.

Whew. That was only a dream, a nightmare...and a realistic one at that! Perhaps it wasn’t as much of a nightmare as it was a glimpse into my immediate future. A future I’m ill prepared for. That’s no one’s fault but my own. I’ve drug my feet on this, thinking this day wouldn’t ever really come. But it has and it’s arriving in just a few short weeks! And here I am, still dragging my feet. Not out of laziness, but out of writer’s block. A very, VERY serious case of writer’s block! Or emotional block? I don’t know what my problem is, but I can’t gather my thoughts for this. I can’t put my emotions into words. I simply can’t verbalize it all. Maybe it’s just too much for me to handle, or maybe I just don’t want to accept the fact that my sister is no longer mine to protect. She doesn’t need her little brother anymore, at least not to save the day. She will have a husband soon and that means I need to hang up my cape. It’s kind of like letting go, but in a Marvel Comic Book kind of way.

Life is forever changing. We grow up together, grow close, and over time grow apart. I think that happens to almost all siblings, including my sister and I. When she moved to California a few years ago, the distance has definitely led to a more distant relationship. The connection just isn’t there like it used to be, which may help explain why I’m struggling so much in composing this speech! I’ve done what I could to keep a strong bond with her through visits, phone calls, e-mail, etc. And I feel she too has made an effort, but still, things change. People change. That’s just part of life, which I must accept. While this wedding will bring the entire family together again physically, at least for one day in the same state, I have a feeling it will only further divide my relationship with her. Because now we have "him" in the picture. "Him" is not a bad guy, he’s just there all the time. I already miss the days where it was just the two of us - hitting up the bars in LA, eating plates full of sushi, chasing it with bottle after bottle of red wine and then having her pull over on the 405 so I could puke it all out the door. Not classy times, but fun times!

It’s obvious, I’m stressing about the toast I have to give as the best man and the bride’s little brother. I'm not prepared and I'm already nervous. I don't know what I'll say. I don’t know how I’ll start. I don’t know how I’ll end. And I don’t know what I’ll fill the lines with in-between. Instead of dispensing rosy advice in round pear shaped tones, I’m scared I’ll spew unmeaningful, unmemorable, unforgivable, complete garbage. I feel uncreative. I feel unpoetic. I just feel dumb. I want to give a killer speech! One for the ages! Not all jokey, but not all sentimental either. I don't want her to cry, but I want it to be touching, but not cheesy. Funny, but not like I'm trying too hard. Ok, I'm overthinking it. But I think my family is waiting for me to drop the ball on this one and I want to prove them all wrong. I have no problem saying how I feel to a girl, but when it comes to my family, especially my sisters, it's a whole different ballgame! I love my sister, but I’ve never told her that. It’s like I’m paralyzed in verbalizing it. I Lll...see, can't do it. I’ve never even written it in a birthday card and mailed it.

The worst part, nobody can really help me write this speech because they don't know our relationship. So I'm pretty much on my own here. Although I am open to tips if you have them! I’m thinking I should keep it short and sweet. Speak from the heart, but don’t pour my heart out. I could probably handle that. If not, I hear the bridal table is large enough for me to crawl under and hide for the remainder of the evening.

Blog Overhaul To-Do List

You spoke and I listened. I've been taking into consideration everyone's recent comments on all the different ways to improve my blog and have composed a list of things that need done in order to make those improvements. Of course all of this can't be done overnight, but I'll be working on it in the weeks to come. So if you notice some construction going on, please excuse the mess while I get things into their proper working order.

Upcoming New and Improved Features

• Fix any broken links or images that display an error


• Decrease site load time with code compression


• Add a signature file to all posts


• Add a "ReTweet This" button to all posts DONE!


• Design a symmetric layout - sidebar on the left, sidebar on the right, posts in the middle


• Generally clean-up and declutter the blog's overall appearance


• Reorganize and recategorized the Archive with the appropriate Labels


• Consolidate the Labels list, display in a compact hierarchy that is more user-friendly


• RSS Subscription Feed link in post footer


• Create an automatic list of links to "related posts of interest" in post footer


• Move "Support" section to page footer, list horizontally


• Install a better Language Translation tool


• Highlight blog author’s comments


• Make an effort to write shorter, more concise posts without rambling


• Consider developing a new "About" section


• Update "Featured Posts" section DONE!


• Refresh "Noteworthy Blogs" section, remove abandon blogs, add new blogs of interest


• Create a custom Twitter badge with TwitterStamp Beta 3.0 DONE!


• Code a Blogger Stats gadget that displays blog’s total subscriber count, visitor count, post count, comment count and blogging since time frame (years/months/days)


• Introduce the world to my blog mascot (I think you know who that is) and to my first ever guest blogger (that will be a surprise to all)


• Continue to complain to Blogger Technical Support until they fix the Followers/IE bug that keeps crashing my blog and so many others DONE!

I just want to thank everyone once again for all your feedback. Hopefully these 20+ changes I'm looking to make will be changes for the better.

North (by Northwest?)

I often realize I'm behind in my reading when I come across a big idea I've missed. The NY Times recently had a nice piece on the idea of Steve Lekson that Native American cultures of the Southwest were disposed to migrate in a north-south direction. My gut reaction is skepticism - and apparently I'm not the only skeptic. Seems like the number of locations are few, and given geologic and climatic limitations, perhaps it is not surprising that these sites are approximately aligned along cardinal directions. But I'll leave it to Southwestern archaeologists and archaeoastronomers to sort this one out.

I’m A Stereotype And So Are You

Stereotypes. We all hate them, but we are all guilty of doing it to some extent. When you see that girl who constantly makes that squinty eye/kissy face pose for the camera, you think to yourself..."What an attention whore!" And when you see that dude who "just happens" to be shirtless in 9 out of 10 photos (whether he has anything to show off or not), you think to yourself..."What a douche bag!" While these stereotypes may be accurate, stereotyping for the most part is not. We know it’s wrong to judge a book by its cover, but what about judging a blog by its profile photo?

It has recently been brought to my attention that this very well could be the case why some people have a misconception of who I am, based on my blog’s profile photo rather than my actual writing. People tend to immediately stereotype others on appearance alone. They see that small photo at the top of my page and jump to the conclusion that I’m some cocky meathead before they ever scroll down and hear what I have to say/write. It’s very frustrating and I’m not quite sure where these vast generalizations come from, but some readers assume a whole slew of inaccurate things about me (and others) before ever getting to know me (or them). Crazy things like I have a huge ego, I’m afraid of commitment, and I’m addicted to porn! What? Really? I had no idea this is what people thought of me. I will admit that I was not only surprised, but also sadden to realize this is how the world sees me...or at least the virtual world does. Now "in real life" my family, friends and I would like to think the general public has a very different opinion of me. But once online, people don’t have the same opportunities to get to know you because their interaction with you is somewhat impersonal and artificial in nature. Online you could really be anyone you want to be! But when you are just being yourself and your true identity is so wrongly perceived by others, it’s only human to feel an overwhelming urge to speak up against this injustice.

One person suggested that maybe I shouldn’t put the best photo of myself up. But in my opinion, it’s not a great photo of me. I’m not clean shaven and I’m not even smiling. It was taken with a camera phone on a self-timer so I could quickly upload it to my blog because people kept saying how they like to see the face behind the words of the blogs they read. So I obliged. Of course now, in hindsight, I think it did more harm than good. In fact, I’m giving serious consideration to deleting it because it seems to have a negative reflection on my writing. I suppose going back to my anonymous blogging days has its benefits.

If I were a really fat chick or a skinny nerdy dude, elsewhere in life I would be shunned, but in the blogosphere I would be embraced! I realize that’s awful to say, but it’s true. It's like that's what people want - the weirdo, not the normal guy. They want to read how miserable or insecure someone is in order to feel better about themselves or their own life. But then if I write about my insecurities or sadness, then they say my writing is depressing and are turned off by that as well. I realized long ago that you can’t please everyone in life, so I don’t even try. I write for myself and let the comments fall where they may.

Online you miss out on the tone of one’s voice and their body language – two vital elements needed to convey clear communication. So you are left with only words, simple text used to express oneself. And in that electronic text, often the true meaning is lost in translation. It’s easy to see how one can be portrayed inaccurately or how their portrayal of themselves could be misunderstood by others. But words only apply to writing, not photos. You can only do so much with a photo, aside from wearing a mask. Speaking of which...

I rather not be a stereotype. So for my next Blogger profile photo, I’m either going to pull a hoodie sweatshirt over my head or just put a brown paper bag over my face. Stereotype diminished.

Nikola Tesla - The Forgotten Wizard Video Clip

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla

Happy Birthday Nikola Tesla July 10, 1856

Nikola Tesla July 10, 1856 to January 7, 1943
Today is Nikola Tesla's Birthday. He was a great Serbian-American Inventor that gave us as a society so much. But he is the least known inventor. His accomplishments include but are not limited to inventing the radio (not Marconi), to Robotics to Alternating Current to Wireless to Advanced Pulse Weaponry and a slew of other amazing inventions we have all around us but have no idea who really invented it.

Nikola was a man ahead of his time and a fellow countryman of mine. To do him justice i would recommend googling his name and also check out the various You Tube videos on him to see all the amazing things this man gave us.

Welcome, Time Team America

I enjoyed watching the first episode of Time Team America on PBS last night. I've never seen the UK show on which it is based. The program has a nice web site, where you can stream last night's show. On yesterday's episode, the team was trying to find evidence for the European colonization of Roanoke Island, North Carolina.

The show started out with some magnetometry, showing the very Bartington instrument I had been checking out for a proposal yesterday, and Meg Watters, the team geophysicist, running gpr. Personally, I'd explain magnetometry a little differently, but why quibble (except for the fact that I am an academic, so a professional quibbler). The archaeologist at the site was Nick Lucketti, of the First Colony Foundation, whom I did a small archaeomagnetic job for seven years ago. I also met Eric Deetz, another member of the Time Team, on that same trip to the Jamestown area. The show recalled to me some criticism of the Time Team Program that these three-day site visits are not how archaeology works, and I can see that criticism. The finds were relatively slim, although, as Nick said, more European household artifacts than had been found for some years. Still, this seems like a good way to excite the public about the possibilities of archaeology, and the application of scientific methods.

My Blog Report Card

Here's something most people don’t willing ask for, to be critiqued. I’m not talking about tearing someone apart in a hurtful way, but constructive criticism. Helping someone by pointing things out that bother you, giving tips on how one can improve, sharing your opinion, throwing out advice, etc. I don’t just want your feedback, I need it! So today is my virtual judgement day.

As you know, I’m a fan of brutal honesty. It’s how I write. And now, it’s your turn to give it back to me. I’ve checked my sensitivity at the door and grew thicker skin for the sake of this post and the feedback I’m about to receive. No area is off limits. I want to hear what you honestly think of my blog - including the design, writing and everything in between. The more specific you are, the better. For example, if you think I have too much crap on my sidebars, let me hear it. If you think my blog is hard to navigate, say so. Because if people only tell me how awesome I am and how they want to have my baby, although it’s nice to hear, it’s not exactly helpful in terms of helping me grow. I want to improve and in order to do that, I need your input. I need your brutally honest critiquing. Think of this as my blog report card.

I can't promise I'll take everyone's advice, but I will listen to it. And I thank you in advance for taking the time to review me without fluff and sugar-coated words.

So lay it on me. I can take it...or at least I'll try my best to keep my wounded ego at bay. And don't forget, the more specific, the better.

And The Beat Goes On

Don't have tickets to the Michael Jackson memorial service today? Not at home to watch it on TV and your boss won't let you stream it online at work? Don't worry. I have the next best thing. A way to celebrate Michael Jackson's life and the legacy he left behind. And what better way to do it than with his love and mine - music! I give you the best of Michael Jackson. His top 30 all-time hits, including tracks from his early days in The Jackson 5. I've gathered them all in mp3 format, then zipped them up in one file for you to download for free! Think of this as the essential collection to any music library. Without a doubt, these are MUST HAVE tunes!

Michael Jackson's Top 30 Hits of All-Time
1. Michael Jackson - ABC (2:58)
2. Michael Jackson - Bad (4:10)
3. Michael Jackson - Beat It (4:19)
4. Michael Jackson - Billy Jean (4:54)
5. Michael Jackson - Black Or White (4:15)
6. Michael Jackson - Dirty Diana (4:52)
7. Michael Jackson - Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough (5:53)
8. Michael Jackson - Earth Song (6:46)
9. Michael Jackson - Ease On Down The Road (3:19)
10. Michael Jackson - Heal The World (6:25)
11. Michael Jackson - Human Nature (4:06)
12. Michael Jackson - I Want You Back (2:56)
13. Michael Jackson - I'll Be There (3:56)
14. Michael Jackson - Jam (5:39)
15. Michael Jackson - Man In The Mirror (5:19)
16. Michael Jackson - P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) (3:59)
17. Michael Jackson - Remember The Time (4:01)
18. Michael Jackson - Rock With You (3:40)
19. Michael Jackson - Scream (4:38)
20. Michael Jackson - Shake Your Body (2:36)
21. Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal (4:17)
22. Michael Jackson - The Girl Is Mine (3:42)
23. Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel (4:57)
24. Michael Jackson - They Don't Care About Us (4:44)
25. Michael Jackson - Thriller (5:57)
26. Michael Jackson - Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' (6:03)
27. Michael Jackson - We Are The World (7:07)
28. Michael Jackson - Who Is It (6:35)
29. Michael Jackson - Will You Be There (5:52)
30. Michael Jackson - You Are Not Alone (5:45)

Download the mjmusic.zip file here.

Of course I had to remove the link due to the RIAA, Blogger and all the goody-two-shoes who would surely cry and complain that I uploaded the music for free. Sooo...if you really want the file, drop me an e-mail (diamondkt at gmail dot com) requesting it. Within 24 hours, I'll send a group e-mail out to everyone whose request I received. In that e-mail you will find the "secret link" in which you can download mjmusic.zip from. It's as simple as that. Enjoy!

Related post of interest...
06/26/09 Michael Jackson, Our Generation’s Elvis

Independence Day?

Independence Day?

It's Fourth of July, Independence Day, America's birthday today. Should be a joyous day -- parades, fireworks, hot dogs, hamburgers, family and friends, and Phillies baseball. But forgive me if I'm not quite feeling it.

America is one of the better, if not best, places to live in the world. I wouldn't be here without its first-rate medical care. I received an excellent education here. And I am grateful for the freedom to express myself as I am right now. But for people with disabilities, the promise of this great nation is not quite within in reach. As I write this entry, I am reminded of the great Frederick Douglass' Fourth of July speech, in which he praised the ideals upon which the nation was founded, while explaining that on this day, he could not celebrate while his fellow African-Americans were enslaved. I do not seek to compare having a disability to the cruelty of slavery, but I understand Douglass' sentiment.

In America today, people with disabilities are restricted in their ability to live independently due to lack of funding for care and inexpensive or subsidized accessible housing. Some of my compatriots are forced to live in nursing homes. Americans don't believe in handouts. Yet if people with severe disabilities like mine work, they are limited in what they can earn in order to keep from losing the nursing care that no private insurer would provide unless I were a multi-millionaire. Americans are taught as children the value of saving. And yet people with disabilities are allowed to save a pittance before they lose their benefits.

Don't get me wrong. There are much worse places I could be. I also have great hope for the future of people with disabilities in America. Just don't get bent out of shape if I'm feeling less than enthusiastic today.

Save Newspapers? Um, No Thanks

Save the rainforest. Save a child. Save a puppy. Save a dollar. Save a seat. Save a life. Save a relationship. Save the last dance. I’ve even been told to save the receipt. Enough already! Not a single day goes by that we aren’t asked, or rather begged, to save something, someone, or some place. I for one am sick of hearing it! I’m not cold, inconsiderate, or selfish. I don’t have a black hole for a heart, but I do have a well functioning brain. And while in theory it’s nice to lend a helping hand in saving just about anything and everything in need on the planet, a logical mind will tell you this can’t possibly be done. Still, it’s a warm fuzzy thought and I applaud those that make an effort to make our world a better place. But when I read about a recent campaign to "Save Newspapers", I started to laugh. Basically they want to ban linking on the Internet with some far fetched hope that it will magically rejuvenate the dying publishing industry, thus save newspapers? That makes about as much sense as banning the wheel in order to save the horse industry. So we should screw up the entire Internet to save newspapers? Rrright.

I can understand newspaper’s fear. Afterall, nothing scares the publishing industry more than a platform that basically makes it irrelevant. So it’s no surprise that a new campaign is being launched to "Save Newspapers". The majority of newspapers are going, or already are, digital these days. Many have stopped printing their newspapers from Mon-Fri and are just printing the weekend editions. Why? Two reasons. One, it saves money. And two, because so many people prefer to get their news online these days - online publication. Most people spend a great deal of time at work infront of a computer, so it's just easier and makes more sense to get their news over the web as opposed to opening up a big inky newspaper. And with the whole "going green" theory, everyone is making an effort to use less paper on a daily basis. So not only is there no messy ink fingers, but you just allowed a tree to live! :hugs:

While reading the newspaper isn’t free, reading the news online is! So a lot of people aren't going to pay for something they can easily get free elsewhere. It’s just common sense. And while it’s true you shouldn’t believe everything you read online, there are reputable news and newspaper websites. The New York Times and The Washington Post are two sources you can trust that will deliver news based on fact and not online hearsay. Usually you'll find the exact same articles online that you would in their newspaper. Plus, often there is MORE content online (archives, etc.) on sites like The New York Times than you would find picking up their paper for today.

Now for the most obvious and critical point of all...

Traditional newspapers may be printed on a daily basis, but by the time the daily edition hits the presses and is either delivered to your doorstep or ready for pickup at the local newsstand, it’s essentially old news already. Whereas if you receive your daily news over the Internet, it’s always up date, often to the very minute! While traditional newspapers are only feeding you the news once a day, Internet news is constantly being streamed to you all day long! It is available 24/7 and you control the delivery. You also control the frequency of updates, depending on how often you revisit the website. Can’t say you can do that, can you newspaper? Simply put, Internet news offers instant gratification. It’s sort of like Internet porn, but without the sticky fingers.

To me, newspapers are only useful for two things - potty training a puppy and soaking up a muddy puddle on the street corner. So really, how could anyone argue in favor of the endangered ink laden newspaper? Along with dinosaurs and Saturday morning cartoons, newspapers are well on their way to the point of extinction. If it wasn't for the traditional, non-conforming, old farts who subscribe to newspapers because they are resistant to change and quite possibly techno-phobs, newspapers would have been dead already. And while I sit back and watch them die a slow but sure inevitable death, I smile. Yes, I smile because I don't give a shit. I will not be campaigning to "Save Newspapers" because we already have a more cost efficient and eco-friendly comprehensive alternative that will eventually replace newspapers all together.

Unlike some, I love change! I love seeing the world evolve and this is just another area in which our future is going. So stop being a hater. Get with it and roll with the times. The new era is digital. You can either choose to embrace it, or be left in its electronic dust. (Yeah Dad, I'm talking to you. It's right up there with your AM talk radio obsession.)

***NOTE***
You can also see this post featured on the frontpage of BrazenCareerist.com

The Pope as radiocarbon dater

From Times Online
June 29, 2009

"Pope Benedict XVI said last night that bone fragments found inside the tomb of St Paul in Rome had been carbon dated for the first time, 'confirming the unanimous and uncontested tradition that they are the mortal remains of the Apostle Paul'.


"He said that archaeologists had inserted a probe into the white marble sarcophagus under the Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls which has been revered for centuries as the tomb of St Paul.

"The pontiff said: 'Small fragments of bone were carbon dated by experts who knew nothing about their provenance and results showed they were from someone who lived between the 1st and 2nd century. This seems to confirm the unanimous and uncontested tradition that these are the mortal remains of Paul the Apostle.'"


From me: Is this the perfect intersection of science and faith? Or is there any chance this could be the bone of a commoner from the first century CE?

Words I Hate With A Passion

I’m passionate about writing, but there are some words that I hate with a passion! Just seeing them on paper or hearing them drop from someone’s mouth ignites a hatred deep within me. I attempt to smoother my irritation by clinching my fist and ultimately snapping the #2 pencil between my fingers. It sounds ridiculous and I can’t explain it, but there are a few select words I utterly despise. They crawl under my skin and gnaw on my last nerve, like an infectious parasite feverishly sucking the life supply of blood from every square inch of my body. I want to rid my eyes from ever seeing these words again. And I want to rid my ears from ever hearing them. In short, I would like to abolish them from the English language, even though some are slang and have already been shunned by Merriam-Webster. Still, I want to wipe planet Earth clean of them, UrbanDictionary.com included. I’m not sure if that is a feasible task to ask of myself, but perhaps with your help, we can make it possible. So without further ado, here are the words/phrases I loathe the most! They are in no particular order as I hate them all equally.

The words are...

• fodder
• muse
• angst
• chillax
• peeps
• late (instead of later)
• and the phrase "make love"

The first three words - fodder, muse and angst. These are words I really never heard or saw used much until I joined the blogosphere. These aren't awful words, but three of the most overly used words ever in blogging! Seriously, if you find yourself using these words often, PLEASE STOP! People tend to think that in order to write well you need to use a vocabulary set above or outside the realm of your own, instead of what you use in normal everyday speaking. I feel this only makes your writing awkward to read and gives the impression that you’re trying too hard to impress people by using words not in your comfort zone. Personally, I think some of the best writing comes from those that write how they speak. It’s just feels more authentic. So I have a hard time believing that all these bloggers go around actually saying words like muse, fodder and angst on the street.

Now chillax, peeps and late. Oh. My. God. I can not stand these slang terms! This takes me back to junior high when nerds would say "cool beans". What the fuck does cool beans mean? That's the stupidest phrase I have ever heard and you should be beaten within an inch of your life if you ever utter it. Seriously, I feel that strongly about it. I can hardly even type the words chillax, peeps and late without pounding my keyboard in a fit of uncontrollable 6th grade anger. For those who don't know, chillax is the love child of the word "chill" and "relax" that verbally fucked one another in retard fashion. Peeps is a cutey term that failed miserably in the cutey department and it is short for people. So instead of referring to your friends, you refer to your "peeps" - blah. Then we are brought to next gem. The word "late" is the product of some lazy, brain dead surfer dude who finds it to be too much work to say the measly two syllable word "later", as in goodbye. So he drops a syllable and just says "late". Now tell me you don't have the urge to skull whack him with his own surfboard when he says that.

Finally, we come to a phrase that just makes me shudder - make love. Call it fucking, screwing, banging, bumping uglies, sleeping together, whatever I don't care. Just don't call it making love. To me, the phrase "make love" holds this overly romanticised, cheesy, Harlequin novel type of connotation to it. I get this horrific 80s soap opera image stuck in my head of daytime's leading lady grabbing onto the fluffy chest hair of her mustached beau, looking deeply into his emerald green eyes and instructing him to make sweet love to her. He complies by sweeping her into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom where the sultry piano and violin music begins to play. That's the scene and that's the end of keeping my lunch down. I realize that sounds a bit harsh and it's probably breaking the hearts of women everywhere who love saying and hearing the phrase, but if I can be totally honest, when I hear someone say "make love" I want to vomit. And I have to believe I'm not the only guy alive that feels that way.

Go ahead and pick me apart with your psychology as to why I have such a severe reaction to the phrase. I'll be the first to admit that it's been awhile since I've had sex with someone who I was actually in love with and not just casually dating, so perhaps that is part of why I react to the phrase "make love" like I do. However, even when I have been in a serious relationship and I was in love, I still hated the phrase! In fact, I loathe it so much that if a girl were to refer to us sleeping together as making love, it may be the last time we ever sleep together. That is how severe my reaction to the phrase is. It just completely freaks me out! It's the "David freaking out equivalent" to a girl wanting me to commit on the first date (which is actually a true story of mine)! Or if she asked where the relationship is going on the first date! Ahh, my response would be..."You're going home and I'm never calling you again. That's where this is going." I know that sounds really mean, but who in their right mind would ask such a question after only spending an hour or two with someone? I don't even know you, but yet you want to comment on forever with you? The only "going question" I'm looking to answer is what bottle of wine will go with our dinner entree. By the way, we will NOT be going back to your place or mine and making love later tonight.

A girl saying "I want to fuck you" is hot, but the terminology doesn't always have to be explicit or crass. Sure spontaneous, throw you up against the wall, rip your clothes off, erotic sex is a favorite of mine, but I am fully capable of being sweet and romantic too. For the right girl, I will go far above and beyond my call of duty in terms of setting the mood and taking my time - some rose petals, candles, wine, a bubble bath, the works! Whatever it takes to pamper you and put a smile on your face. And if I should make your heart go a flutter and you end up spending the night, in the morning when your girlfriends ask how your date went, could you please just tell them you stayed over? Don't tell them we "made love" becaue the last thing you want to do when things are going good is freak a boy out to the point where he runs away screaming with his hands above his head.

They say to overcome a severe aversion to anything, you need to expose yourself to what you fear the most in order to desensitize yourself and overcome that fear. So let's hope this works...

My muse and peeps have told me that I need to rid myself of the angst I feel by making love to the words chillax and late, but if that doesn’t work, turn it into blog fodder.