The Cat Guy hits the road.: If you aren't going to hell, don't worry about it!

For those like myself who give attention to such folly as the new CERN particle collider, do we not have to wonder? Are there remnants of generations removed from the reality of our sciences that presently mill about with opalescent orbs for eyes, blind to the glare of factual and diligent observation? Verily, I say, there are... and in hordes!

We have all heard their primitive rumblings, their Luddite calls for revolution against Satan, their spurious claims of Armageddon brought to Earth by man himself as if to supplant the role of the Almighty in the end of days. Even some of our own, those whose minds are adept at the interpretation of nature and her forces, hold forth that we will summon the power of creation into our midst and conversely unleash destruction of all that we know. We will create black holes a few angstroms across that will devour civilizations, evacuate the wombs of those with child, rend mountains like so much papier mache and take from God the power that HE HIMSELF may only wield!

Abstractly, I have this to offer those who wish the evolution of our knowledge base to cease. If in fact a micro black hole were to be created, it would be extremely unstable and last perhaps a few microseconds, though I have seen some estimates depending on the Plank Energy of the particle beam interaction that mention a few seconds. Of course you have to wonder if the mBH starts absorbing the particles in the stream, can it grow larger and eventually eat the solar system.

Either way, I must say to those who live in the proverbial Caves of Garrten, if you die instantaneously from the mBH sucking you into a stream of elementary particles and your soul/consciousness continues to 'exist' (it not being a function of material interactions), where will it go? As a Buddhist, it is a hard one to say for the fact that the ability to reincarnate with the intent to progress along the evolutionary path to eventual enlightenment has been permanently hampered by the destruction of all Earthbound entities that might have served as parents to a future incarnation. (this does not of course take into account OTHER realms which may serve as instant hotbeds of incarnative potential, as the Buddha said this is not the only world.) But if the supposition can be made that this IS the only world and it gets swallowed into non-material existence, I guess from my perspective, I have achieved nirvana and am now a cumulative entity, deed done.

If I am a Christian and have either heaven or hell to look forward to, then I better have my shit in order. So now we see where the real concern comes in. Behold my weak extrapolation! The nay-sayers and hypercritical folk are worried about going to hell. That begs the question, what are they hiding from us? What secrets in their closets? Whose blood on their hands? What sins in their hearts? Were they Christ-like, they would hold their head high with the knowledge that they will surely be with their God when the Earth is swallowed. But they are hand wringing and sweaty of the brow because their judgment will certainly be unfavorable. Is THIS not the time to make amends? Now, more than ever before? If you aren't going to hell, don't worry about it.

For the Nihilists and common agnostics, there is nothing to say to you. You don't believe in shit anyway.

There is a funny aside to all this. I was once discussing the smashing of atoms with someone and mentioned how you use a fairly substantial isotope as your target nuclide. And they asked me, "Isn't that an alcohol?" (talking about isotope) Ha ha ha ha! Sorry if that person is reading this, but that was pretty funny. I didn't realize what a noob you were at the time. So much for having intellectual conversation at the Owl and Thistle.

Much to my dismay, I find myself watching more political television than ever. Upon querying my most secret places, I find that I do it for those of us who have no fucking clue as to what is going on in the world. So on the off chance that someone asks "Who is the Mayor of Kabul", "Have they found Saddam Hussein yet?" I have a cohesive response.

The talking heads of MSNBC, et al, are bad enough to have to watch (except my ex-girlfriend Rachel Maddow), but the pundits they interview are unable to use the English language. They start nearly every sentence with the following triumvirate: listen, look, let's be honest. And a sprinkling of "I mean..." I just watched a five minute interview when Shlepply McSchleppers started six sentences with "listen". He spoke as if the host was NOT listening, speaking non-stop, or perhaps playing Nintendo DS Super Mario Bros. 3. None of those three were evident in the moving video I was watching.

Oh fucking HOORAH to Gary Locke, ex-governor of my fair adopted state of Warshington for being picked as Obama's Secretary of Commerce. I have a strange and varied relationship with Gov. Locke, it may be said. From almost spilling my beer all over him during the inaugural baseball game at Safeco Field in '98 to a bizarre chance encounter with him while working at Microsoft to bumping into him around Seattle here and there. I have told my friends that we are somehow karmically linked and are destined to merge one day into a fused being more powerful than anyone can imagine. Of course, I am a full foot taller than him, so I may shrink a bit. Anyway, good luck brother!

So so so... let me see. Oh yes, Jim, back to the traveling, which IS the point after all. You need to remember the following things:

Wireless dongle.
Battery charger.
Re-chargeable batteries.
Neti pot.
Leave checks for bills with roommate.

Re-adjust mirrors.
Fix XM radio antenna.
Get iPod wire.
Make cable for the CG-11.

More random pics I fergot to post.

Yurts in Oregon.