I’ve always been a news junkie, at any rate since about 5th or 6th grade. I used to get my news from newspapers, of course, and TV. Once the internet appeared, I suddenly realized how limiting that was. First, because the internet is unlimited in space and they can cover so much more (even though you can only read one story at a time, you have so many more stories to choose from). Second, and more importantly, the comments.
Body of Literature
Once I realized that, after reading an article, I could immediately register my opinion on it, newspapers were dead to me. (I used to write letters to the editor. It took days, and you had to put it in an envelope, and have stamps. I can’t believe I ever did that.)
Lately, my most regular site for the news, The Huffington Post, has become little better than a gossip sheet. Stories about Miley Cyrus appear on the front page. Some celebrity is photographed somewhere, or sends a tweet, and it’s news. They devote entire articles to silly things kids wrote on their homework assignments or which celebrities look most like which muppets.
So, I find myself getting more and more of my news from facebook, which is actually a terrible source for news, totally mixed in with gossip, games, recipes, what used to be obnoxious chain letters, vacation photos, cat videos and other rubbish, but you do occasionally learn something new. Today I learned:
The library at Harvard University apparently has four books which are bound with human skin. That’s called ‘anthropodermic bibliopegy’. They are historical relics, one of them goes back to 1605 and is from Spain. What I’m wondering is if this came from somebody who was tortured and executed, maybe skinned alive and, if so, what was their crime? Heresy? Witchcraft? I certainly hope these books are being treated with the proper respect but, knowing the elitist bastards that go to schools like that, I’m not so sure. (thinking of the Yale ‘Skull and Bones’ scandal)
The NFL, and other major sports leagues, are tax exempt. Like churches. Which sucks. What disturbs me even more is that it is Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) who wants to end the arrangement. I’ve got to back him on this one, despite the R after his name.
Sometimes, a thing is a thing and then you only find out about it when somebody objects to it. There was an article on my facebook page today saying “Atheist Churches are Bad for Atheism.” I had no idea there was such a thing as an Atheist Church. Actually, I kind of like the idea. As co-founders Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, two British comedians, wrote “Church has got so many awesome things going for it. Singing together in a group? Super. Hearing interesting things? Rad. A moment to think quietly about your life? Wizard. Getting to know your neighbors? Ace.”
And, I’m sure all my friends and relatives in Seattle and environs will be highly amused to learn that Washington State leads the nation – in bestiality.
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