To the Zoo

So I went to Zoo today with my wife, and had a fun afternoon. I always have mixed feelings at Zoos; I know that some animals don't like to be caged. I also know that many others may only be too happy to be caged and fed and coddled, and I enjoy looking at all of them. However, you do get some great photo ops there, without the thousands of dollars you would normally spend to get photos half as good halfway across the world. Here's a couple of mine. Oh and by the way, that's a hippo, not an alligator.

Evangelical Bias

Apparently a recent survey was done among professors at Universities, and it is detailed in this. I find this unsurprising for two reasons: 1) many christian beliefs are held in low esteem in academia and 2) many evangelical christians have an untenable anti-intellectual bias.
Oh well. Maybe this will finally shed some light on the issue.
-James

Spiderman 3

Went to see Spiderman 3 on Saturday night, and I have to say, I definitely thought it was well worth the wait. Many of the critics didnt give it sky-high reviews, but I thought it was almost as good as the second one. In some ways, it was better. It had a more gritty, real-life feel to it (if possible for a superhero movie), and i thought the actors' performances in it were just awesome, definitely the best of the three movies. It succeeded in feeling completely different from both the movies before it, while at the same time carrying much of the history.

I do think that the critics were right, that it was too long. The were times in the middle of the movie where it felt a little plodding, a couple more scenes that could have been cut. I heard that Sam Raimi was really scrambling to get it cut on time, and so i think he coulda used another week or two to get it just perfect. As it is, I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Don't know if they'll make another one, but these movies definitely rank as the best superhero movies of all time, and one of the best trilogies, up there with Star Wars (the old ones) and LOTR.

Oh, and by the way, if you haven't experienced a blockbuster movie in an IMAX, you havent experienced it at all. period.

-James

Why Tea is Better

(Warning: The following is totally off the cuff, no offense is intended)

Everybody in the world, it seems, drinks coffee. Even my wife. I used to drink it, but now sparingly. I used to think coffee was great, that it was cool, that it somehow tasted good.

Then, a few years ago, i had a formal introduction to hot tea. And now, here's my definitive list of why tea beats coffee in every category.

1. Variety: tea can come in an infinite number of flavors, each as unique as the next. There are herbal teas, green teas, red teas, black teas, white teas, fruit teas, etc. No matter who you are, there's a flavor for you

2. Flavor: Simply put, tea tastes good. And it leaves no nasty aftertaste. No bad breath.

3. Teeth stain: Some teas can stain your teeth. But not like coffee. So nasty

4. Caffeine: Most tea has 1/4 to 1/3 the caffeine of coffee. I am sorry, but if you rely on coffee to get you through your day, you're not getting enough sleep and playing hell with your body. You need to take time to relax and rethink life. It's true, tea drinkers are happier people; they've got their priorities straight. And if you need to write that occasional all night paper, drink a soda. Your breath will be better at 4 am (marginally) , and soda tastes better anyway.

5. Health: Many teas, especially, green, white, and red, have powerful anti-oxidants and many other vitamins & minerals that can prevent cancer and promote a long, healthy life. Coffee, well, it's not really that bad for you, but not that great either. Some types of brews have been linked to prostate cancer. Besides, that goes back to number 4.

In short, coffee sucks
tea rocks.

My recommendations

Madagascar Red Vanilla: This Celestial Seasoning brand is made from an african seed and is the best tea of all, in my opinion.

White with honeysuckle or pear: many different brands make white tea, but pick one with one of these light sweetening flavors. It's great in the morning.

Mango Black: a great tropical classic, for those summer days and evenings.

- James

Early look at Candidates

It's that time again.

A year and half before we actually go out and vote, the presidential candidates are well on their way to ensuring that fatigue will overwhelm whoever wins the presidential race. Our country will be able to sleep at night knowing a tired, stressed out, overworked, and overburdened man or woman will be making incredibly important decisions in January 2009.

Oh well. I may as well participate.

So here, for your viewing pleasure, is my early take on who are the best candidates put up so far by each major party.

Democrats:

Barack Obama:

Pros: Exciting as any candidate we've seen since JFK (at least, from listening to his speeches. I wasn't around then, so I can't really know). His rhetoric just blows everyone else out of the water, and the Democrats seem to for once have a fielded a candidate who takes traditional social morality seriously.

Cons: Experience. Definitely a newcomer on the national scene, and has only been a senator. The country may be nervous at this point to give the job to somebody who may be seen as inexperienced. However, the country is deathly tired of lies and shallow idealism. Abe Lincoln had almost the exact same amount of experience as Obama though, and he did alright. He also was a tremendous orator. We'll just have to see.

Hillary Clinton:

Pros: Crafty and clever. I don't mean this in a political sense like her husband. I don't think she's as good as her husband at wriggling out of the jaws of death in a media spectacle. However, by all accounts she has been very effective in the Senate at working with both sides and getting legislation passed. She seems to understand how power works, she grasps nuance, and generally is willing to compromise. I would really like somebody with these skills as our next president. Plus she's got more balls than all the rest of the senate combined.

Cons: Well, half the country thinks of her as the devil. That could be an obstacle. If she can overcome that political challenge, or at least win another 5% over to her side, she'll win.


Republicans:

John McCain:

Pros: Depsite the fact that he trails Giuliani in the polls, he has a lot more substance. He's been in politics for a long time, and he also strikes me as similar to Hillary: well versed in power and nuance. He's also a little more principled, I think, when he takes a stand for something. He's definitely proved that by sticking to the troop surge. A lesser politician would never, ever have done that.

Cons: As much as I admire his principles, well, we've all seen the danger when somebody is completely unwilling to compromise. I think McCain is light years away from His Excellency, but well, I just think McCain is plain wrong on the whole Iraq thing and that's hugely important for the next 5-10 years.

Honestly, there isnt really anyone else inspiring on the republican side, except the guy who hasn't officially announced:

Fred Thompson:

Pros: I like actors running for president. Not because they're smarter and better, but because i can think of no better training for navigating the halls of power and convincing others to get on board. Being a politician is really made of of two primary jobs: recognizing realities beyond your direct control, and creating reality in areas within your control. In politics convincing others to work with you creates new boundaries and structures that define daily life for billions of people, especially for an American president. Actors seems particularly able to do that

Cons: He's old, not running yet, and perhaps a little conservative. Not much else will be known about him until and if he enters the race.


People I really dont want president:
Giuliani, Edwards, and several of the other republicans. In my opinion, however, only Giuliani and the four above have any realistic shot of making it

My pics:
As of May:

Who will win: Obama

Who I want to win: very slight edge to Hillary

- James