Category: observations

Judging from the number of posts that get shared on Facebook, Glenn Beck seems pretty popular among my politically active friends and relatives. My political leanings aren’t far from his, and he seems sincere when he is speaking. But there are a few things that keep me from tuning in to his messages. The first is his tendency to put drama before information. For example, he might say he has the inside scoop on something that is very important, but for some reason he is unable to reveal it until after the weekend. The listening audience must wait 3 more days to find out what twisted fate awaits them. I know there is a rationale for this. It’s the type of thing that keeps people listening, so it’s good for advertising. But it also comes at a cost. It makes me trust him a lot less when I am reminded that the show’s main purpose is not to inform the public, but to sell advertising.

I also find the visits to his website disturbing. Much of the time I see ads that to me are offensive, either because the advertising images show women in suggestive clothing, or because many of the images are simply bizarre. Yes, there are many sites with similar advertising, but given Glenn Beck’s political and religious views I would not expect to see that type of advertising on his site. It is hard for me to take him seriously when the advertising on his site sends a message contrary to the ideals he is supposed to promote.

Today I attended the All Things Open conference in Raleigh, where a bunch of tech people gathered to hear other people talk about technology. By the time I arrived, the main meeting hall was full so I found my way to an overflow room that had plenty of empty seats.

There was a large video screen up front and the sound was good. I was thinking how nice it was in comparison to the crowded main hall. And then a couple of guys near me started comparing schedules out loud.

They weren’t very loud, but their conversation was constant and distracting. They clearly had no interest in the speaker, and they gave no signs of stopping. I eventually moved to a different seat.

At a later session I experienced the same problem with a different set of people. It isn’t the first time I have made this observation. There are certain people who have no interest in a speaker yet they choose to stay and talk. I wish, if they insist on staying, that they would choose to stay silent.

Julius Caesar was a sale item on audible.com and I took the bait. The basic plot was familiar to me, so I must have read the book in high school. But, I really didn’t have an appreciation for the details until I started listening to it. This quote from Cassius stood out for me. It seems as relevant to our day as it must have been to his:

CASSIUS:
And why should Caesar be a tyrant then?
Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf
But that he sees the Romans are but sheep.
He were no lion were not Romans hinds.
Those that with haste will make a mighty fire
Begin it with weak straws. What trash is Rome,
What rubbish and what offal, when it serves
For the base matter to illuminate
So vile a thing as Caesar!

I read an article that criticized the “Meet the Mormons” movie for being too wholesome and not showing the “real us”.

I wonder what it would take to satisfy some people who seem to think that “being real” is showing everything that could possibly go wrong. When I look for cookie recipes online, I don’t expect to see photos of a kitchen in disarray, with stacks of unwashed mixing bowls and measuring spoons. I expect to see the recipe posted, with a photo of a neat stack of delicious cookies on a plate. It isn’t dishonest to leave the dirty kitchen out. It’s a given that life is messy. The recipe is the important thing, and I want to see an example of it done right. There are plenty of examples of people living the gospel and making the world a better place. Their lives aren’t perfect, but they are trying. They focus on the recipe and the result they want to achieve, not the dirty kitchen. People focusing on the dirty kitchen are missing the point.

I thought the movie was excellent. It had a very focused message—that Jesus Christ is the focus of our faith, and that living the gospel is the source of our happiness. Yes, anyone who investigates the church will find that not all of its members are faithful, positive, or productive. The movie did a great job of showing members who have made the choice to put the gospel of Jesus Christ first in their lives, in spite of pressures to do otherwise. Great movie.

Isn’t it strange how obesity in dogs (and cats) has increased just like obesity in humans has?

Dogs and cats are carnivores, yet there seems to be a push to give them a “balanced” low-fat diet supplemented with vegetables and cereal. I’m not sure what science this is based on, but I have a feeling it contributes to obesity in carnivorous animals.

When I was a kid, I don’t remember our animals being fat. I know there are other modern factors besides grain in pet food, but it has always struck me funny that someone would think dogs need to eat rice. It’s good for rice farmers, but is it good for dogs?