Uncategorized

Time again for the Friday Five:

1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith? Roman Catholic

2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not? I have attended Mass maybe only one or two times since high school, so no, I don’t still practice. Why not? The short answer is four years of Catholic school followed by the freedom of college. The other answer is that I’ve seen nothing to indicate that one faith is right while others are wrong. On the other hand, I’ve seen nothing to indicate that there isn’t a god of some sort.

3. What do you think happens after death? People mourn. Bodies are buried. I don’t know if anything happens to the person who dies. Heaven, hell, reincarnation, a void — I really just don’t know. People who claim to know with any authority are, I think, full of it.

4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)? I don’t know. It’s been years since I’ve participated or observed.

5. Do you believe people are basically good? Yes. And no. I think we are capable of good and great kindnesses but that it’s easier to be weak and petty and mean. It’s tough to do the right thing, or even sometimes to know what that is. I think, at heart, people are good, though I don’t think I believe the “made in god’s image”, “best of all his creations” party line anymore.

Electrical power was finally restored to my building around 10 pm last night. At least I know that whatever food I may have lost in the refrigerator to melting and spoilage — milk, orange juice, and eggs, but should I just give all my frozen food up as lost? — has been replaced by a much-too-plentiful supply of apparently scented candles. And so my apartment, which for awhile smelled like a French Mint Glade Plugin (a mistake, believe me) now smells like gardenia. Just so you know.

I spent Halloween doing…well, nothing. After 5 pm, when I got home, I angrily stormed off to buy candles, batteries for my flashlight, and then dinner (since cooking of any sort was out). I was tempted to drive back to campus, since the local science fiction club was apparently screening “The Exorcist”, and I thought that might be fun. But I decided I didn’t want to wade into the traffic of Halloween parties — parking on campus is tough enough as it is — and, with no electricity and therefore no alarm clock, I thought it would probably be better if I went to sleep early. I read some (very little actually, dropping Harry Potter for Tolkein and eventually nodding off, bored by both); I listened to NPR on my walkman; and around 10 PM I found myself watching an episode of “ER” (ostensibly because I’m a fan of guest-star Don Cheadle, but mostly because, ooh, electricity).

I had no trick-or-treaters. It was a very boring night.

When I looked out my window, what do you think I see?
And when I looked in my window, so many different people to be
It’s strange, sure is strange
You got to pick out every stitch
You got to pick out every stitch
The rabbit’s running in the ditch oh no
Must be the season of the witch…
— Donovan, “Season of the Witch”

Yesterday evening, when I got home from work, I discovered that the power had gone out sometime during the day. Not a big deal, exactly — just a few clocks to reset — but later that evening, when I decided to reset my alarm, the power went out again. And again sometime after midnight. I woke up a little after three am (according to my wristwatch) in a pitch-black apartment that was determined to stay pitch-black for the rest of the night. It’s only dumb luck that I woke up in time to get to work. I showered this morning by flashlight (with only the hint of hot water and apparently no heat), and the power was still out when I left my apartment this morning. A number of schools in the district cancelled classes because of the blackout.

And, had I known that once I got to work I’d be asked, “hey, wanna give a presentation on these University export control policies you know nothing about?”, I think I’d have used it as an excuse to stay home, too.

Oh, but happy Halloween.

Whenever the comments get a little iffy — like they are now; I can’t tell for certain whether they’re working or not and haven’t been able to tell for most of this week — I worry that there are people out there who want desperately to comment but can’t. Despite all evidence to the contrary. It’s okay. If you’re out there, you don’t have to say anything. You’re busy people. Of course, you could always send me an e-mail if there’s something on your mind. Most of the e-mail I get nowadays is spam, so anything new would be refreshing. I’m just saying.