Citiots Moronus Urbanus. A derogatory term applied to those who migrate from the city to the country on weekends. I just got back from a bike ride on a busy highway along the lakeshore. There were about 6 cars bumper to bumper driving by me. The lead car pulled off on the shoulder of the road, then immediately whipped a u turn back across the shoulder and both lanes. All five cars following him locked up their brakes and went every which way. miraculously no one collided, and the perpetrator drove back towards me smiling! (Well maybe he knew it was me.) Anyway, I don't care for derogatory terms and generalizations, so I have been thinking about the reason for this kind of behavior. I have arrived at a one word conclusion. Anonymity. I think everyone has two sets of operating standards, although the line between them is a blurry line. The further you are away from home, the more likely you will not be recognized, and behavior becomes substandard. The closer you are to home, the more likely you will be recognized, and you tend to stay on your best behavior. Now in a large city you may gain your anonymity a mile from your apartment, while in the rural area, you may be recognized two towns away. Either way, when you are a hundred miles from home, all bets are off. So rural dwellers can behave just like citiots when we go on vacation too. I guess we'd be countriots.
David Blaine [3:00 PM]
4TH Today is the United State's celebration of Independence Day, the day the nation's founders signed our Declaration of Independence. I was joking at work yesterday that we should have had Thursday off as a holiday as well. When asked why I replied that it was the day that the founders went out and got a good drunk on before gathering the next day to sign the Declaration. Someone commented that he had heard of that as well. I was only joking, but thinking about it, Ben, Tom, Sam and the boys may have needed to screw up a bit of liquid courage before putting pen to paper back then. It was quite a daring move on all their parts. If you are curious as to what the declaration says you can view the text and see who signed it here at Indiana University.
David Blaine [8:47 AM]
Let Me Know I used some online software to check out the code on this page because I know it loads slow and there have been problems. I found several things I was able to change, and I hope it will load better now. Let me know if you have any new problems, or if it seems to load better than it did. Of course if I leave off graphics it will load faster, but pictures are sometimes the best part. With a 56K modem I think the page should load in about 20 seconds, however you would be able to start reading the text sooner.
David Blaine [8:38 AM]
??? I received this e mail today:
Dave,
I must say it’s taken a little bit for me to recognize you, but I’m pretty sure you know me: I’m that “nightmare of a person” you’d identified so clearly by having spent 42 minutes in my blog. My suspicions became clearer when I saw you dropping your comments like so much guano in my friends’ blogs, and conspicuously avoided my own blog.
I especially like how you invite people to smile at you when you clearly cannot be bothered to afford something as little as benefit of doubt, particularly when ideas do not jibe with your own.
Very nice. You are a special manner of hypocrite.
You’d said you were not about to come back to my blog because its tone had offended you, and because you had assumed a stream of profanity would follow your departure. Let me tell you, candidly, I have no interest in offending people purely for amusement: If people happen to get offended by what I may say, I do not consider that my problem.
I am only writing this because I do not want you to pollute my friends’ blogs with what you consider to be candour. I had thought, when I first read your blog, that you were a young man of 21-26 years of age. When I read a little more about you and discovered you already had grown children, I shuddered.
The seed has been spread, and it makes me sick.
(name ommited by Dave)
What the heck? Why would someone pick an email address out of a hat and send this? Anyone who knows my work knows I would never do this. Is someone leaving nasty stuff on the net with my name and address? Anyone who has had exchanges with me also knows I won't hesitate to admit if I do something wrong, but this is too weird.
And really, after you took the time to read enough of my blog to know I had grown children, would you really think I was some kind of sicko? If you are reading this and you wrote it, write back with a few more particulars. Thanks.
David Blaine [12:59 PM]
Good, Bad or Weird? Israel has turned Bethleham over to the Palistinian Authority and the Palistinian militants have agreed to a cease fire. Some Christians are upset that Israel is doing this because they believe that Christ will return once Israel occupies all of the land they did in Biblical times. (I'm probably over simplifying, but that's the basic idea). I'm sorry your God has his hands tied by something his creatures are controlling for him. My God can do anything (s)he wants.
A state court has ruled that a monument to the Ten Commandments cannot be displayed in a courthouse because of the alleged separation of church and state provision in the US constitution. The constitution says that congress shall pass no law establishing a state religion. How does a statue constitute a law establishing a state religion? The founding fathers always acknowledged God in their goings on. How about all men are created equal? Created by whom? I can't fathom either of these two situations. One group would have Palistinians and Israelis fighting so that Christ can return at a time convenient for them, another group doesn't want to hear the G word anyplace outside a church building. I feel that weak people need such accommodations. Laura's post the other day talked about a man secure in his faith but still able to remain inclusive towards people of other faiths. That's an admirable person.
David Blaine [8:26 AM]
Everybody's got at least One Here is a hilarious spoof of a famous Canadian beer commercial.
You need Quick Time, you probably already have it and don't even know it. Visit I Am Not a Canadian.
Be prepared to laugh.
David Blaine [5:39 PM]
I've been trying Hey friends. I've been surfing to your sites and trying to leave comments but Enetation is stubborn dangit. I really hate it when the links show but clicking them just gets a 404. Even worse is when you leave a comment, hit the post button and get a 404. Do you backspace and hit it again? Then you find out it posted twice? Or forget it and find out it never posted at all? Such deep thoughts on a Tuesday afternoon. Doobs, I am sorry you have trouble getting here, but I sure am glad that you keep trying. What time do we eat the BBQ? Sahalie, You're a sweetheart feeling sad for people in songs that you don't even know. Ryan, I think your comments took, I vote for you to run Bush's re election campaign. Ehsan, congrats on your good report card and thanks for telling me to fix my XML.
Canada day weather is swell today, but where I live we are supposed to get rain on Independence Day. Hope all who are celebrating enjoy their day, rain or shine.
Dave
David Blaine [3:57 PM]
Happy Canada Day Tuesday is our neighbors to the north celebrate their country's birthday. I hope you enjoy the holiday. Canada is a wonderful country and home to many immigrants. You've been a good friend and ally for I believe 136 years today. Congratulations, and by the way, what is a Chesterfield?
David Blaine [8:06 AM]
Iran It is estimated that 4000 student protesters have now been arrested during the past month. Student leaders warned that the crackdown is only fueling hatred of the ruling clerics.
David Blaine [9:05 AM]
Iraq This week the National Symphony Orchestra held it's first concert in Baghdad since the ouster of Saddam Hussein. Audience members wept as the orchestra played "My Nation" a patriotic song the former dictator was not fond of. The conductor, Abdel Razak Al-Azawi, said the song is "a message to the world that we are still proud of our country" "My Nation" was seldom heard during the 35 year rule of Hussein.
Credit AP
David Blaine [9:03 AM]
Dream II Yesterday, in Detroit, Freedom Walk 2003 celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's famous 1963 walk for freedom which culminated in his "I have a dream" speech. Ironically last week saw a Supreme Court decision upholding affirmative action at the University of Michigan and also saw riots in predominantly black Benton Harbor, Michigan.
90 year old Almena Jones took place in the first march down Woodward Avenue 40 years ago. This year she made the trek in her wheel chair. She didn't think the country was close to King's dream yet, "I don't think it's any different. The people are a little stronger in mind and body, but otherwise it's about the same."
David Blaine [8:59 AM]