"The saying "Getting there is half the fun" became obsolete with the advent of commercial airlines." - Henry J. Tillman

It's playoff time in the NHL. That's not a real big deal since hockey playoffs run for four months of the year and involve all but two of the teams in the league. But the building interest in who will win Lord Stanley's Cup may explain the appearance of this factoid:
The first testicular guard, the "cup," was used in hockey in 1874 and the first helmet was used in hockey in 1974. That means it only took 100 years for hockey players to realize their brain is also important.

I read an article this morning that made me think of this song from my early childhood. It's total nonsense, but catchy. Do you remember...
"Let the Sunshine In?"

We hit triple digits today, 102 to be exact, the first time for 2012. And pretty early for that harbinger of things to come. But we did NOT turn on the AC. We open everything up before we go to bed and close it all, including window coverings, when the sun is up. That kept the house at 82 degrees all afternoon. We can only do that as long as nighttime temps drop sufficiently to cool the house before the next day's repeat, but the cooling effect of ceiling fans overhead makes 82 very doable. (So says the man of the house. I think the lady of the manor may have a slightly different perspective, but so far she's held her peace.)

I've read several of the national media outlets' coverage of Chuck Colson's death. I'm pleased with the respect he's getting and take it as an indication of the esteem with which he was viewed. I was surprised that one article incorrectly said that despite his crimes he never went to prison. But for the most part, nary a disparaging word. Unusual.

Skittles got a lot of press because of the Trayvon Martin incident in Florida and they saw a corresponding sales blip. Is the Colombia tourist industry seeing the same? Or are they bothered by being a punch line?

In a purely naturalistic system, a closed system without any Deity, evolution explains the origin of everything and we are nothing more than biological entities, albeit the ranking entities for the time being.
How do things like human rights work under that framework? Why doesn't survival of the fittest fit the despot's efforts to acquire and maintain control over his subjects as it does for the lion who takes over a pride, a rule that includes the immediate killing of all cubs he didn't father? Gender equality? Tell that to the female elk who serve the ranking bull.
Seems to me the agenda of those most ready to dispense with the contraints of Christianity are those most dependent on its view of man as the unique creative act of God - imago dei.

The D'backs are not making this easy. They've won only three of the last ten and are plummeting in the National League West.

Pam has to work tomorrow, unusual for a Monday. So I've made agressive plans, have created a full to-do list. More triple digits, so outside tasks, including pruning shrubs and working in the garage on the Rambler, will happen before noon. Once it heats up I'll move inside for reading, studying and paperwork. Welcome to AZ.