Does anyone - besides Whoopi, of course - know the difference between "rape" and "rape-rape?"

I had an itch on my one hand, so I used the other hand to scratch it. When the itching ceased, I ceased scratching.

50 States, 50 Films

I'm a little late in checking out 50 Movies for 50 States featured by the Rotten Tomatoes crew, but it's still fun. To complete this list, they chose "films that we feel really showcase each state in the Union." Here are the states/films that I've visited/seen:

• Alabama - Fried Green Tomatoes
• Arizona - Raising Arizona
• Colorado - Red Dawn
• Connecticut - The Ice Storm
• Georgia - Gone With the Wind
• Illinois - The Blues Brothers
• Indiana - Hoosiers
• Iowa - Field of Dreams
• Kansas - The Wizard of Oz
• Massachusetts - Good Will Hunting
• Nebraska - Children of the Corn
• New York - King Kong (RT means only the original, but I've seen all three)
• North Carolina - Bull Durham
• North Dakota - Fargo
• Ohio - Bye Bye Birdie (I'm from Ohio, so I've had to have seen this one, right?)
• Oklahoma - Oklahoma!
• Pennsylvania - Rocky
• South Carolina - The Patriot (They couldn't find a good movie to represent the state?)
• South Dakota - Dances With Wolves
• Utah - Broken Arrow (No Mormon movies out there, huh?)
• West Virginia - We Are Marshall
• Wyoming - Close Encounters of the Third Kind (I've even been to Devil's Tower...)

Twenty-two pairings. Not too bad. It's a totally subjective list, of course. I mean, Broken Arrow is a standard action flick, and not a good one at that, so why does it get to represent Utah? And no listing for Washington, DC. The most likely choice for DC be Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, which I haven't seen.

Mike Seaver vs. Charles Darwin

Actor Kirk Cameron plans to distribute his latest "book" across university campuses. Actually it's not his book, but a famously authored work for which he penned the intro: Darwin's Origin of Species. In his intro for Origin, Cameron connects Darwin's theories to Hitler's practices.

Not unexpectedly, Cameron and partner Ray Comfort have received critical reviews for this project.

"It will make us rethink the Dark Ages."

If you have a metal detector in your storage bin somewhere, don't get rid of it. Use it. You never know what you might find.

An amateur treasure hunter prowling English farmland with a metal detector stumbled upon the largest Anglo-Saxon treasure ever found, a massive seventh-century hoard of gold and silver sword decorations, crosses and other items, British archaeologists said Thursday.

One expert said the treasure found by 55-year-old Terry Herbert would revolutionize understanding of the Anglo-Saxons, a Germanic people who ruled England from the fifth century until the Norman conquest in 1066. Another said the find would rank among Britain's best-known historic treasures.

Was Adam a real person?

Tremper Longman, an Old Testament professor at Westmont College, believes it to be "an open question as to whether or not Adam was a literal, historical figure, and that to 'insist' that Gen 1-2 conveys this is dependent on a 'very highly literalistic' reading." In other words, the Adam of Genesis 1-4 may very well be a symbol, or a representation, of a group of persons.

Well, not everyone believes that it doesn't matter if Adam was a real person or not, as James Anderson makes clear. Jeremy Pierce seeks further clarification on this matter.

Today could be your last day on the earth

According to this site, anyway.

The sentiment remains true, though. Somewhere - out there, in the real world - it is somebody's final day on the earth.

Perhaps it is yours. Are you ready?

Did a blogger receive preferential treatment?

Andrew M. Sullivan, the British author, editor, and political commentator, is one of the best-known figures in the new-media elite, and his blog, The Daily Dish, is among the most popular on the Web. But a federal judge says Sullivan did not deserve preferential treatment from prosecutors who dropped a marijuana possession charge after the journalist was recently caught smoking a joint on a federally owned beach on Cape Cod. (source)

Andrew posts a response here.

Ann Althouse, a popular blogger in her own right, has had a few squabbles with Sullivan, and she wants to talk about the news report.

09/09/09

Tomorrow will be a very special day. At least, according to some people.

Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.

As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.

So, when tomorrow dawns, find the time to be forgiving, compassionate, and successful. Don't be arrogant or self-righteous, okay?

U.S. Open 2009

As we make our way through the second week of the U.S. Open, let's stop for a moment and look at the tournament's stories. Tennis in New York - technically in Flushing Meadows, Queens - is usually filled with intrigued, sometimes filled with Cinderella stories, and always filled with excitement. The Wife loves to watch the matches of grassy Wimbledon, but I prefer the American-packed confines of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Roger Federer
The Swiss mister has become redundant, hasn't he? He broke Pete Sampras' record a few months ago, and now he has 15 Grand Slam champion titles. If he wins this tournament, he will make it 16, and he will have been the victor here six times in a row. Roger never has to fall down again after winning the championship point. There's no reason to. He's done it all, and I hope he continues to dazzle us with his prowess and power.

Kim Clijsters
Hey, Kim! I thought you retired a couple years ago, but it's great to see you back! And you're doing so well, too. Knocking off Venus was quite a feat. But I shouldn't really be surprised. After all, you know how to win in America - you were the Champ only four years ago, and you may be the one again. Good luck against Na Li!

The American Men
There will be no American men in the quarterfinals. There has been at least one American male present since the tournament began 128 years ago. But not this year. No American men in the U.S. Open quarterfinals! Not this year - not in 2009. So thanks for all you've done, guys - Andy, James, John, Sam, Taylor, and everybody else - to break a 128-year-old record.

Melanie Oudin
If you love Cinderella stories, there's no bigger one at the Open this year than Melanie's. Hardly any tennis fans knew her name six months ago, but they all know it now. She's the youngest player since Serena Williams (way back in 1999) to make it to the quarterfinals. She beat two big (and very Russian) names - Maria Sharapova and Nadia Petrova - to make it this far. And what's the word written on her shoes? "Believe." Oh, yes, Melanie - we do believe in you.

American commentators
So you're a professional tennis player, and your days of competitive play are behind you. You wonder what you're going to do next. Not to worry. Just take a cue from Lindsey Davenport, Mary Jo Fernandez and Justin Gimelstob - become a commentator! They followed in the footsteps of Mary Carillo and Johnny Mac, and you can too.

the President's speech to the children

This is the most dangerous speech in America right now. Or the most controversial speech, at least.

So today, I want to ask you, what’s your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country?

Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I’m working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you’ve got to do your part too. So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don’t let us down – don’t let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.

This is what was getting some people so riled up? These words were making some people plan to have their children stay at home, adding an extra day to their Labor Day Weekend? President Obama's speech seems pretty good to me: stay in school, be strong, and work for your community and country.

And, yes, I agree with Al.

Don't they like Bejeweled?

People are abandoning Facebook in droves.

There is a dark side to Facebook, that's for sure. So, be careful what you write, and be careful of your photos. Be mindful of where you go, and how long you are there.

This church ad brought to you by the Devil

Well, this certainly seems creative, doesn't it?

Viewers are encouraged to check out the congregation if they have questions about God, the Bible or church or just need somebody to talk to. The non-denominational congregation describes itself as "a different kind of church" that's relevant, loud, creative and isn't about religion. Empathizing with those who feel going to church means being scolded, subjected to boring sermons and leaving with less money, Metro South Church says it doesn't blame others for not wanting to attend.

"We think one of the biggest barriers to getting to know God has been the church itself," the church website states. "It's predictable and cold at best."

Maybe just a little bit glib, too. But I believe: if you're going to be The Church, then be The Church. Don't just say, "We're The Church."

It's like what Kate Beckinsale's character says in the classic film Van Helsing: "If you're going to kill someone, then kill them. Don't stand there talking about it."

Stop giving carrots to burros in Arizona!

You're making them fat!