Monday, August 31, 2009

Friday, August 28, 2009

Last weekend of August...


...so lie back and get some rest.

Islam and Women


Judy Bachrach with a brilliant piece http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/2009%20-%20Summer/full-Bachrach.html describing life for women under Islam, as well as how foreign women are treated in Muslim countries. None of this comes as a surprise to me, however, Bachrach pulls together the entire phenomena of Islam's treatment of women as cattle. In fact this article should be required reading for women, especially any Western woman silly enough to be currently considering marriage to a Muslim and living in his country. Scary stuff.


I spent a brief few months in the middle east long ago and saw life in a Muslim country first hand. Most impressive were the facial tattoos on Bedouin women--outward signs of ownership by their goat molesting husbands. I don't have time at the moment to go further into this--we'll save it for a future post.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Soccer Moms on the March




It's been a while since I looked at this site and they've added some new stuff including this piece. Apparently, the guy who writes it is a lib, but he's got a good enough sense of humor to poke fun at his fellow travellers. Good stuff.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

President Obama: Help Us!


Greedy beer companies are raising prices http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Dispatch/market-dispatches.aspx?post=1236196&_blg=1,1236196 apparently in a dastardly attempt to make more money. It's high time that the government nationalizes the production and sale of beer in order that no one in our society is left without access to malted beverages. The Unites States is the only civilized nation without universal access and it's high time we end this travesty and send a message to these profit driven monsters that justice knows no income level.


Next up: free trade coffee in every household.

Hump Day


Just think, you could be on a beach somewhere.

McMurtry


I just read McMurtry's, "In a Narrow Grave," a collection of essays on Texas, published in 1968, long before most of his most noted works, including "Lonesome Dove." All in all, a pretty good use of time. Reading them gives you both a greater sense of McMurtry and a better understanding of who he is and why he may write or think the way he does. Doesn't change the fact that he's both immensely talented and an asshole. Some interesting stuff including his take on the filming of "Hud" which was based on his novel, "Horseman Pass By," his views on various parts of the state, including South Texas, East Texas, Houston and Dallas, and most notably North Texas and the Panhandle where his family settled. McMurtry was a small, introspective, bookish kid raised around cowboys and fairly rugged individuals and he understands both himself and a little bit about them. Further, though written over forty years ago, the book holds up reasonably well which is a tribute to McMurtry's sense of history and perspective.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Dog Days


Dog days. That's been pretty much every day where I live since May. Before it's done, it will be the hottest summer on record while those folks up north have had a cool summer. Bastards. Baseball season is heading into the last month and I'm rapidly losing interest as my team has sucked for most of the year: http://www.spikesnstars.com/2009/08/25/astros-v-stl-dog-days-in-birdville/. I'm ready for college football, and tailgating, and being able to eventually go back out onto my patio to grill and drink and even light the chiminea.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Enjoy the weekend...


...maybe you can catch up on some lab work.

Parallels





A short, to the point article by a pointy head who thinks that Afghanistan is the 2009 version of Vietnam http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2009/08/20/saigon_2009. Interesting to read.



I do think there are similarities and I also think the whole enterprise will be ultimately muted in terms of success: we're talking about a "country" comprised of stone age goat lovers who have been brigands since before the term was invented. However, the U.S. military today is far more nuanced and experienced with insurgencies, i.e. dealing with nut job jihadists seeking 79 virgins in heaven but happy to settle for 12 year old boys. We'll see some areas of promise--a few schools for girls will open and toilets will come to Kabul, but in the end we'll kill a shitload of the cretins, lose too many of our good men, and leave the place in order for them to revert to primitive living, wiping with their hands, and abusing their women. Where's Curtis LeMay when you need him?

Thursday, August 20, 2009

FMYLife


I like the second one: http://www.fmylife.com/?page=3.




On an unrelated note, here are some things that have been bothering me lately:


1. Real estate personnel who do not return calls in a timely manner. Maybe you can tell that I'm currently dealing with such individuals.


2. Building contractors who like to park their big ass trucks with the ass end hanging out into the street. Nice, assholes. When I think of contractors, I thinking of lying asses. Asshats.


3. The continued usage of the adjective, "amazing" to describe people, events, and places that are utterly not. Think of another word, shitbirds.


4. The mainstream media. You're lazy, dishonest, and you suck.


5. Bad drivers. This topic really deserves a novel, but my day is filled with idiots behind the wheel. There's awfulness in every gender, age, race, etc. As a rule, avoid minivans at all costs, especially behind them. At the genesis of at least fifty percent of all traffic snafus or slowdowns, you'll find a minivan. Also boggling are the sheer numbers of small, maneuverable automobiles commanded by people who seem unable to steer or park the things. How do these individuals breathe? Or, breed? Men driving trucks will slow to a full twenty miles under the speed limit when engaged in a cell phone conversation. Walking and chewing gum also a problem, bubba? Then, you have the driver who texts or adjusts make up or whatever, preventing them from keeping up with the traffic ahead of them. Highly annoying when the lanes are blocked. Closely related are the dickheads who just can't get the concept of the left lane is for passing only and act as speed governors for everyone else. They should be hanged. Summarily.

I'm going to go lie down now.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Hump Day



Keep your eyes on the prize.

College Football: Baptists Resurgent


Barking Carnival has an interesting piece on what's going on at Baylor (thanks, Ruprecht): http://www.barkingcarnival.com/closetojumping/baylor-briles-bowls.


I did my time at dear old Baylor, both undergrad and then went back to grad school after working a few years like a dog returning to lick up its own vomit. When I was a senior, they had a "college day" at the idiot, redneck high school I attended, complete with punch and cookies. The old man had expressly prohibited any thought of matriculating at the University of Texas, indicating that his son wasn't going to go to school with "a bunch of goddamn hippies." So, I figured based on the tight finances I'd wind up at that hotbed of campus spirit, the University of Houston and dutifully sat in at the Cougar High presentation. The old man also showed up and was entranced by the Baylor guy, due in large part to his relatively clean cut appearance which included a coat and tie and an actual haircut.


We did the UH tour, led about by a guy with an enormous afro, wearing a soiled army jacket and looking all the part of a Hughie Newton wanabee. Not real impressive. The next day, the folks drove me over to Waco. It was a classic fall day, slightly cool and crisp (it's Texas, let's not get carried away with ourselves) and they were entranced by the marble columns, the polite young people rushing about--most clad in traditional garments, and the overall atmosphere of the place. I was pretty much impressed solely with the cornucopia of righteous Grade A Select womanhood seemingly pouring out of every nook and cranny. It was a done deal right then and there.


The one thing about Baylor that people who didn't go there get wrong is the religious aspect. Sure, it's there; I showed up at the "Pre-School Baylor Retreat" thinking it was simply a chance to check in early and get a sense of the place, only to find out that it was a glorified revival put on by the Baptist Student Union. Panic quickly set in and I hid in my dorm room until everyone left for the afternoon session of hymn praising and personal testimonies. Peeking out my door into the hallway, I saw a guy down the hall doing the exact same thing. We then proceeded to shake hands and then spend the remainder of the retreat taking communion from Big O glasses at George's Bar. Afterwards, I think that I attended church one (1) time while at Baylor, and it was during my freshman year and no doubt in order to snag tail rather than hear anything regarding Canaanites. This isn't something that I say with pride, only that it is not only possible but highly practical not to have anything to do with religion at Baylor and more than a fair number of students seem to agree.


Oh, one other thing: Baylor then (and now) is highly tipped toward female undergraduates, and there is a substantial portion of these that fall into the "so good looking she has never taken a shit" category. Really, outstanding stuff. Combined with this fact is that the male population is comprised to a shocking degree with music majors, ministerial students, and outright nancy boys. To be brief, it's a target rich environment if your blood tends toward the color red. There's a lot to criticize regarding Baylor and I'm one of her harshest detractors. However, it's a highly friendly place, students there tend to fall on the optimistic side with little in the way of angst, and you can get a good education unless you spend your first year and a half blowing your GPA with idiot fraternity stuff prior to comprehending that studying tends to help with grades. Yeah, I forgot to do med school or become an asbestos lawyer, but it was fun all the same. It will be nice to see the Bears win a few games this fall, like they did in the old days when Grant was running the show. I'll be there to see a few of them this fall, flinging my green and gold about. Speaking of which, what hideous colors Baylor has, made even more horrible by the fact that no one seems to know what shade of green (or gold) is the official Baylor color. You'll see a an old guy in hunter green next to an old bat in kelley green next to Aunt Lolly in screaming yellow, alongside napping Uncle Edgar in faded-ass piss gold beside an idiot grandson in puke green. Goddamn, it's embarrassing. Then, there's the horrific Baylor songs, the awful band uniforms, the fact that no one in Waco outside of Baylor goes to the games or that tons of students head to Dallas for the weekend to hit Nieman's so you're most frequently out-attended by everyone you play. Terrible. But, Art Briles is sort of a new sheriff and some of those Baylor soccer dad types may actual show up this fall on Saturdays after of course first promising their wives a new minivan and that they won't ever, ever have to do that nasty sex thing that guys like.


Go Bears.

Call your mama...


...the Bear commands it: http://www.everydayshouldbesaturday.com/2009/08/18/great-moments-in-coaching-shilling-bear-bryant-says-call-your-mama/. Wish the Bear was still around. The perfectly odious Nick Saban may indeed get Alabama to the promised land again, but there won't ever be another Bear Bryant. I was always partial to Bryant and a little to Alabama, as my mother is from there and we used to visit there once a year when I was growing up. The first billboard you saw when driving into Alabama was George Wallace welcoming you and the second was Bear Bryant commanding you to buy some Golden Flake potato chips. Everyone, except maybe a few godless Auburn fans, ate them as a result.


This is just another taste of what's coming. College football is getting close so "Roll Tide" and all that stuff.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Ellroy




James Ellroy is a powerful writer. I can't recall a book that I have read that had greater power than "The Black Dahlia" which was based on the famous unsolved Hollywood murder. Some of the passages and paragraphs are simply incredible. He's also a bit of an iconoclast and doesn't easily break into an assignable box. I heard that in action once when he was interviewed by the insipid John Ailee of PBS here in my city, a daily host with a haughty outlook on life and politics who assumed that Ellroy, because he was a writer of books would share the same sensibilities. This interview occurred shortly after one of the numerous scandals involving women that President Clinton had allegedly porked while in or shortly before office. The effete Ailee asked Ellroy about his thoughts on this particular scandal in a tone that suggested disgust at another unfair allegation against the president. Conroy replied on live radio in distinct, measured words, "I think Bill Clinton is a lying sack of shit." I think Ailee promptly wet himself.



This leads to a sort of elegy that Ellroy wrote about a young girl that he briefly knew who was recently brutally murdered in LA (Ellroy's own mother was also murdered which launched his fascination with the crime) http://www.newsweek.com/id/209941, Ellroy has a new book coming out in September and it looks good. The ugly son of a bitch can flat out write.

Dancing With The Stars


Erica Chevillar


Not bad at all. Former Florida high school history teacher. Swimsuit model and model for gentleman's magazines as well.

Someone needs to sign up for her website and provide me the login information:

http://www.ericaleechevillar.com/user/photo_album.php

Golf Stuff


Y.E. Yang, a Korean, defeated, no soundly beat Tiger yesterday in the PGA Championship, the last of the four majors played this year. Everyone was shocked and had assumed that Woods would thrash a virtual nobody from Korea of all places. Didn't happen. Yang had it going--striping the ball, getting great bounces and kicks at every turn, hitting career shots, and ramming home putts. I wouldn't be surprised if it was indeed his career round ala Rich Beem and other guys who have had their day in the sun and sort of meandered away afterwards. But, Yang like a lot of Koreans, has resolve which has been proven time and time again on the LPGA where Korean players are always at or near the top. So, we may be seeing more of Mister Yang. You can bet that this morning, pretty much every parent of every Korean kid is in the process of enrolling them in golf school. They're already nuts about the sport and now that Yang silenced the American Tiger, they'll go ballistic and Titleist will need to start cranking out balls 24/7.

I see lots of Koreans playing golf in my town and there are several at my club. Not to generalize, but they never pick up no matter how crappy they're playing. Instead of heading back to the cart upon going three over on a hole, they'll dutifully run it out to it's full 13 strokes or whatever it takes. Naturally, getting behind a group of Koreans is sometimes not the best afternoon you'll have on the course unless you enjoy whittling or groping with your cart partner while waiting for them to clear ahead of you. Sadly, I've never had a cart partner worthy of groping. Mine usually have a day or two of stubble and appear to be a little scratchy.

Friday, August 14, 2009

Be careful this weekend...


...it's a jungle out there.

Friday PSA


Be a good Boy Scout this weekend. If you see someone who needs help; for example a nice person having difficulty fastening an item of clothing, don't shy away from coming to the rescue. It's the American way.

Cary Grant




Sheila O'Malley blogs on Cary Grant: http://www.thehousenextdooronline.com/2009/08/5-for-day-cary-grant.html. Tough to beat Grant--I'm not sure that I can recall a bad turn from him in his many films. He had it all, most particularly a wonderful self depreciating sense of humor to go along with his great looks. Watch "Bringing Up Baby" sometime and try not to giggle.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Shocking Golf News


Apparently, Padraig Harrington is still a wee bit rattled: http://www.theonion.com/content/news/still_rattled_padraig_harrington?utm_source=a-section.


No, not really. He's paired with Woods again for the first two days of the PGA. I like Padraig or at least he's not given me a reason to dislike him. He's got a fire in his belly and takes an athletic cut at the ball. Woods, of course, can be a force of nature if he's lined up well and has faithfully eaten his bran that morning. The Golf Channel broadcasts the rounds during the evening hours which is one of the greatest developments since air conditioning. Nice to unwind to a few birdies at night. Anyway, they're playing the PGA at Hazeltine in MinneSOta again and have lengthened the thing to somewhere around 7,600 yards or so. Insane to consider especially from an amateur standpoint. At my stage of life, I've pretty much resigned myself to the middle tees in an attempt to minimize misery holes during the round. It's partially effective.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Hump Day


Hour's up. Bianca Smith may or may not like Jane Austen novels. Doesn't dress the part, anyway.

Test Post


A piece on "Pride and Prejudice" and Jane Austen to see just how many females are following this blog: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/29/AR2009072903529.html. You have one hour to respond or the onslaught of naughty girl photos will resume.

Seriously, I'm certain these are good books and if I were forced at gunpoint to read them, I'd probably like them. Mrs. Bulba and the Bulba daughters are nuts about them. But, I'm thinking that on her best day, Jane Austen couldn't hold George MacDonald Fraser's codpiece so I may never get around to learning about Lizzy and her sisters and all the goings on in Bath. Travel tip: if you're in England, go to Bath. Fantastic place and you can even visit the Museum of Costume and see all of that regency period gear that Jane and her girls wore.

Paging Mr. Darcy.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

More on Hughes


By chance, sat down with teenage daughters and watched a Hughes vehicle, "Pretty in Pink" last night. I had never seen it before, always shying away at the last second from the chick flick suggestive title and opting for another viewing of "Day of the Jackal" or "The Searchers" or something. You know, you've got just so many non-drowsy hours available and I'm typically not going to risk them on something with "Pink" in the title, even if it was written by John Hughes. Well, that changed last evening.


It's a well written story but I think it suffers from some drag by the director and I frankly didn't buy some of the actors chosen for their roles. Molly Ringwold plays the typical John Hughes Molly Ringwold character. Harry Dean Stanton, otherwise a fine character actor, is stilted and unconvincing in the role of her loser father. Jon Cryer tries too hard to be outrageous and, heterosexual. Annie Potts is tiresome trying to be the outrageous bohemian friend of Ringwold. Andrew McCarthy is credible but doesn't' have the chops to be a solid lead actor. That said, it's worth seeing just for watching James Spader play the nasty rich guy friend of McCarthy in one of his typically vicious, satisfying roles. Watch it and if you like him in this, you'll love him in "Less than Zero" which also includes McCarthy. All in all, "Pretty in Pink" is worth seeing but it is a much lesser Hughes vehicle than "Ferris," or "Plains/Trains" or most certainly, "Sixteen Candles." Oh, the title song, "Pretty in Pink" by the Psychedelic Furs is outstanding. There it is, your film review for the day.

Monday, August 10, 2009

Redheaded Monday


It's not that bad. Here's Jennifer Korbin, a dandy redhead.

John Hughes, Dirt Napping


Hughes died last week and here's one of many pieces recounting his career in films: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/movies/08appraisal.html?_r=1. What I find remarkable about Hughes is his relatively brief career considering the staggering number of damn fine movies he either directed, wrote, or produced. He had a touch and vision that made him a distinct film maker--you know a Hughes piece when you see it, like you do a Ford or a Scorcese or a Kubrick. I loved his stuff--my favorites are "Sixteen Candles" and "Planes, Trains and Automobiles" with "Ferris Bueller" right there, too. Outstanding stuff and those movies hold up well. Seldom is a bad day or in bed with the flu made worse by watching them.

Hermit Kingdom Update


An intrepid reporter talks about her visit to North Korea; http://www.slate.com/id/2224658/pagenum/all/. Nothing new here but always looking out for something macabre coming out of that awful place. As discussed here before, when Kim kicks the bucket and/or that hell hole implodes there's going to be some jaw dropping stuff in the "depravity of man" department that will rival anything that the Nazis or Soviets dreamed up. Hopefully, for the poor wretches living there, that day comes soon.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Life with Hef


Apparently, it's pretty much what you might think: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/5972961/Bunny-Tales-Behind-Closed-Doors-at-the-Playboy-Mansion-by-Izabella-St-James-review.html. We watched several episodes of that series, "Girls Next Door" and the thing that struck me beyond how awful and pathetic the whole Hefner/Playmate thing is was how run down and chintzy the place was judging by the interior shots of the mansion. This little review kind of confirms it.


The last Playboy I looked at was at "Charlie's Hair Styles" on Brazos Street several years ago, where Virgil the barber provided a highly officious haircut for, I think twelve bucks. Virgil and Charlie had one helluva collection of men's magazines available and would studiously examine the nasty pictures you were holding while also amazingly providing a pretty decent haircut in the process. Virgil up and retired from his life of providing hair services to the beautiful people, so that probably also meant he's no longer getting Playboy on a regular basis. Now, I see a young woman for my haircuts and there's little to read outside of Cosmo or Elle or that kind of stuff. I guess I could bring my own but that would be bad form. I recall that whenever a woman would enter the premises of Charlie's Hair Styles, the men there would sheepishly hide or cover whatever they were reading and stare at the floor, beet faced in their shame. Nothing really changes.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Life is funny that way


Over the years, I've occasionally remarked, "If the wife ever caught me messing around, I'd be lucky to wind up running a bait stand outside Port Lavaca." Fast forward to Monday and I'm riding back to the office in the auto dealership's courtesy van. It's just me and the driver, a guy that looked to be in his early sixties. While making small talk, he confided that he is in the process of "building a bait stand outside Port Lavaca." I was momentarily stunned before finally stammering out, "It's hell sometimes keeping croakers alive."


I'll be frank; if the wife ever did find me messing around, I still wouldn't sell bait in Port Lavaca. I'd be more likely to end up stocking camo and skunk scent at Academy but it probably wouldn't be anything lucrative or exciting like male prostitution. Speaking of which, there's apparently a new series out on HBO about a guy who goes into the gigolo bidness based on the impressive size of his wedding tackle. Swell (get it?). I knew a guy back in the fraternity days who had an enormous dong--his nickname (don't understand how) was "Dick Breath." He had the sweetest, prettiest, and most petite girlfriend that later became Mrs. Dick Breath--we all wondered just how in the hell this innocent little thing suffered through sparring sessions with brother DB. Oh, well--one thing in life is you do learn to expand your horizons to fit in what comes your way. Guess Little Miss Sweet Thang did the same.

Midsummer Musings


Crack Ravages Academia












































































Here's proof: http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20327151.500-winning-the-ultimate-battle-how-humans-could-end-war.html?full=true. Anthropologists seem to think that humans aren't' really geared for war; that rather war is counter to human nature. These are obviously people who my old man would refer to as "not having enough sense to pour piss out of a boot." Let me gently explain something to you, Eleanor or Basil or Harold or whomever you are sipping free trade latte in Cambridge or wherever: as long as there is this thing called "testosterone" and this other thing called "pussy" and there are rocks or spears or swords or M-16s laying around, then there is damn sure going to be some war. That shit don't change because you conferred with your other dipshit colleagues in Denmark or wherever. And just to prove a point, the young lady shown relaxing above is what the boys are fighting for. Any questions? Didn't think so. Lock and load.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Hump Day




Just saying.

Shamans in the New Age


Robert Wright weighs in on the subject of alternative belief systems discussed here the other day in the article about Judas: http://www.slate.com/id/2223786/pagenum/all/. Wright seems to have a pretty good sense of perspective about religion, understanding that alternative or new or something from outside the Judeo-Christian perspective doesn't mean it's more or less valid. It just means it's something else and may indeed be a complete bag of hooey. This thought process also comes into play on college (and grade school) curriculums (curriculi?) when it comes to preferring the works of people of color or colorful people over the infamous Dead White Men. I've suffered through enough of that stuff with my own kids dragging home the latest assignment of a Toni Morrison or Maya Angelou shitburger to tell you right here and now that the colorful people can't carry Bill Shakespeare's jock strap.


I know someone personally who is continuously swayed by whatever new religious or spiritual improvement concept is out there and will gently scold you for not being enlightened enough to see the truth in whatever current belief system she has embraced. Sad and she's exactly the type of person that shamans or preachers or swamis or what have you depend on to keep the dollars flowing in. Not to say that I don't admire a good preacher--I always thought Billy Graham gave a helluva sermon and that Jimmy Swaggert was good to listen to after a couple of Jack Blacks. Not that much of it made a lot of difference, but entertaining nonetheless. I always wanted to see the crooked jackass Robert Tilton pilloried or at exposed as a cross dresser--maybe someday my prayers will indeed be answered.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Clear Thinking on the Farm




Blake Hurst, a Missouri farmer, eviscerates the agri-intellectuals and their notions of what correct and incorrect farming methods should be. Naturally, he represents substance over symbolism, an unfortunate position of fact versus muddle headed fancy regarding how food is brought to our table. Excellent reading.

Mrs. Taras is the daughter of a farmer and rancher and her brother in law is a current farmer in the Rio Grande Valley. One thing that was immediately apparent in knowing my father and law and brother in law is their contempt for those who profess to dictate to them what is best for them without any depth of understanding of what they do. And, there's a lot of that going around today; bright but horribly misguided people shaping policy that impacts those grounded in reality. Barbara Boxer: call your office.

Monday, August 3, 2009

Vincent Bugliosi on Manson


Interview with Bugliosi forty years after Manson and his band of fucked up aspiring hippies butchered Sharon Tate and others: http://www.newsweek.com/id/209940?from=rss. Manson got the death penalty but was paroled to life after the subsequent Supreme Court ruling. Great--just what that nut job wanted--to have a public forum to spew his brand of crap while he basks in an environment that he's quite comfortable--the guy was in prison most of his life prior to the invention of his helter skelter persona. He likes it there--he's smarter than the rest of the inmates, gets fed regularly and is a big man on campus. That's the thing about a lot of these criminals--they don't mind incarceration and that's a fact that a lot of people don't get, those that say they'd rather die than face life without parole. Not so for Manson and guys like him.


One thing about the Chinese. For their many faults, they don't seem to have a great deal of angst when it comes to the fate of heinous criminals. A bullet to the back of the head and the perp's family billed for the cost of the bullet. Manson should thank his lucky stars he didn't grow up speaking Mandarin.

Judas Unbound


Great article on the interpretation and ongoing reinterpretation of Judas: http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/atlarge/2009/08/03/090803crat_atlarge_acocella?printable=true. I've never given Judas a lot of thought. In my view, his alleged behavior is a side issue to the core nature of Jesus' message. Whatever Judas did or didn't do really doesn't matter or shouldn't matter to those who profess themselves as Christians. Though it most often isn't, the religion should be about what Jesus is said to have preached instead of complicating and conflicted messages.


As the author, Joan Acocella points out there's a cottage industry devoted to shedding light or bringing something new to the table when it comes to Christian dogma. Most typically, that's in the form of presenting the gnostic gospels as truly being "secret knowledge" or as something undiscovered or earth shattering when it comes to understanding Christianity. The boring fact is that the gnostics are really nothing new; biblical scholars have known about them, studied them, and pretty sensibly dispensed with them long ago. You're talking about some really bizarre shit when you get into a gnostic gospel with it's claims that only a few possessors of inside skinny will get to the promised land and that everyone else is essentially an animal. Kick in the fact that these were penned long after the synoptic gospels and their credibility is further eroded. But, there's an audience for them--the same folks who go in for Stonehenge mysticism, eastern goofiness, the "wisdom" of American Indian mythology, and other similar stuff just can't get enough of this thing to add to their crystal collection. That said, I've got no problem with people believing whatever they wish, as long as it doesn't involve forcing me to believe it or trying to kill me because I don't.