Rodent Foliage

This visually-aided blog was inspired by a recent post by Matt Gumm and his apparently warm-blooded donut.

Just stepped outside the back door this evening and jumped back in terror at what lie before me. As you can see, it is fall here in Cabot. Horrifying!

Pride without lions

“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves…And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others. The vice I am talking of is Pride.”

C.S. Lewis, in his book Mere Christianity, of which the above selection is from, calls pride “The Great Sin.” I would have to agree with that title. No matter how well we lead our lives, no matter how often we walk in the Spirit, no matter how hard we battle against sin, pride eventually slips into our hearts and causes us to stumble. It is one of Satan’s most perfect creations. His pride and joy perhaps.

My most recent circumstance, of which pride took center stage, happened at work. Out of the blue, it seemed, a co-worker of mine approached me in my office. (I share an office with four other people, so it’s not really ‘my’ office, but that’s what I call it.) Well, from the doorway of ‘my’ office, she addressed me in a tone that I could tell was not her usual cheerful way. She proceeded to tell me, in a very condescending style, how I had acted in an unprofessional manner and completely insulted her in a meeting we both participated in earlier that day. When she was finished, she turned her back and walked away. I was petrified. Not only was I horrified that I had done something to inflict so much hurt and pain, but I could hear the utter silence of my office, and I could feel the eyes of my four office-mates staring at the back of my head. There I was, embarrassed, covered in shame, totally unable to begin to explain myself. So I did the only thing I knew to do, avoid all eye contact, get up and go home.

After I had gotten over some of the initial shock of what happened, I began to grow indignant, and be honest, mad. I had been publicly called out in front of my peers, and then been left without opportunity to counter. I couldn’t even think of what I could’ve said that would have offended her. How dare she? She should be glad that I didn’t retaliate, and berate her for breaking the chain of command, publicly humiliating me, and pretty much flat out lying. I thought I had handled the situation well. I had honored God in keeping my cool. Then it came to me, a verse from James 4, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Maybe I hadn’t sinned against my colleague. Maybe I had sinned against God, and this was his method of bringing me down a notch. Come to think of it, it had been a while since the last time I was taught this lesson. I prayed to God for his forgiveness and thanked him for his correction. As I began to pray, conviction overcame me. Not only was I guilty of the pride that began this whole scene, but also of the prideful thought that I had somehow honored God by holding my temper and not let flying the unwholesome tirade I had already scripted in my mind. I was reminded that I’m not the big man that I sometimes think I am. Usually the opposite, in fact.

The next day I offered a written apology to the co-worker that I upset and received her forgiveness. In recounting the episode, I was reminded of another C.S. Lewis book, “The Screwtape Letters.” In this book, a man overcomes some form of persecution with such Christ-like form, that he becomes proud of himself. Yet another example of how pride can bite at your ankles while you look to the Heavens for compliments.

Pride is strong. And pride will come at you. You may win often, but it will win some. If it seems that God has knocked you down a few rungs, just know it is because he loves you. He is pruning you, shepherding you, sculpting you to be more honoring of him. And be thankful that he does, because you are unable to do so yourself.

Smells Fishy

(With Japanese accent) “Today…one of these lucky contestants will win his or her weight in fish…right here on ‘Wheel Of Fish!’ Okay, let’s play the game! We start with yesterday’s winner…Mrs. Phyllis Weaver. Are you ready, Weaver?”

(With American accent) “I sure am, Kuni!”

“Okay, you get over there and spin the Wheel of Fish! Go ahead, give it a big spin…Come on, come on. A red snapper! Mmm, is very tasty! Okay, Weaver, listen very carefully. You can hold on to your red snapper, or you can go for what’s in the box that Hiro-san is bringing down the aisle right now! What’s it gonna be?”

“I…I…I’ll take the box!”

“You took the box! Let’s see what’s in the box….Nothing! Absolutely nothing! Stupid…! You so stupid…!!!”

I know that there is only a small fellowship of simple-minded people that will recognize and appreciate the above scene. If you don’t then you need to watch the movie, UHF. You can expect to laugh uncontrollably, and to be a few IQ points lower by the time the credits roll. In the above exchange, Karate instructor Kuni tries desperately to persuade Mrs. Weaver to keep the fish that she won; he obviously knows of the red snapper’s value and tastiness. The red snapper is a delicacy in the sushi world and can be quite expensive. It has gotten that way because it has been over-fished in recent years, causing the demand to out pace the supply. This has unfortunately led Sushi restaurant owners to do some underhanded deeds, and sushi consumers are getting a raw deal.

The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper investigated 14 different sushi restaurants in the Chicago area. They ordered red snapper from the menu, and then performed DNA tests (probably later, in a lab) on the served fish to determine if it was in fact, red snapper, as advertised. Here are their results: “Not a single one was really red snapper. In most cases, the red-tinged flesh draped across the small mound of rice was tilapia – a cheap substitute. Nine of the 14 samples were tilapia. Four were red sea bream – nearly as pricey but still not red snapper.” And we the people have been taking the bait…hook, line, and sinker.

According to the article, when the restaurant owners were confronted with the test results, they had some interesting explanations. The majority of owners played dumb saying, “Of course, its red snapper. If we order red snapper, we have to get red snapper.” The blame was passed to the supply company. At the reporter’s request, he examined the box the fish was shipped in. “Izumidai.” Izumidai is the Japanese word for tilapia. “I never thought to look at the description,” says the owner.

When faced with the DNA results, another owner responded, “Tilapia and red snapper look alike. They’re really close. They taste almost the same.” Good explanation except he didn’t deny the fish swapping accusation. A third owner, whose restaurant subbed the red sea bream for the red snapper, stated, “Most American customers don’t know the name sea bream.” Not very remorseful and again, not a denial. It seems as if they understand what they’re doing, and they expect the consumer to just deal with it.

In the United States, the Congressional Research Service, reported last month that 37 percent of fish examined by the National Marine Fisheries Service were mislabeled. A separate survey by the Fisheries Service discovered that close to 80 percent of red snapper was mislabeled.

If you think you are a victim of fish fraud, you can contact the Health Department or Department of Consumer Services.

Ahh…what some people will write about to get bad fish puns and UHF quotes circulating.

Final Four

Well, it’s nice to be back in the Natural State once again. My trip to the Gulf Coast was a time of relaxation that was much needed. Some souvenirs I brought home with me included cinnamon rolls from Lambert’s, the satisfaction of pulling a few fish from the sea, a sunburn, Pepa’s Lincoln, and a few extra pounds no thanks to Mema’s handiwork in the kitchen. The one thing I didn’t bring back with me is points. I seemed to have lost them somewhere between Romar Beach and Yazoo City. A few of you, however, found them and not a moment too soon for you.

Since today, I’m off again on another Spring Break adventure, I do not have much time to dedicate to this post. Not much time or not much motivation. You’ll understand when you see the standings. Sadly, let’s go ahead and look at them.

Rank/Previous Rank/Name

1 / 1 / Kris
2 / 12 / Pepa
3 / 6 / Carol
4 / 3 / Monkey
5 / 7/ Kevin
6/ 4 / Mike
7 / 5 / Chuck
7 / 2 / Rob
9 / 15/ Michelle
10 / 12 / Tracee
11 /14 / Kelly G
12/ 7 / Cherie
12 / 7 / Kelly S
14 / 10 / Chris
15 / 11 / Drew
16 /16 / Mema
17 / 17/ Abe

As you may have noticed, there are no points listed. Unbelievably, there are eight (I think) players who can still win this thing. Also, some of the eight players with a chance are not currently in the top eight of the rankings. So, you must continue to root hard and persevere the duration, until the last buzzer sounds, unless you are Chris, Drew, Mema, or Abe. I like to refer to this group as the Final Four; the final four to be listed on the rankings no matter the outcome of these last games.

I would like to congratulate everyone on their Final Four selections. Every participant correctly identified at least one team in the Final Four, except Abe of course (Penn was so close). Also you may have notice some major movement in the standings. The most drastic leap came from Pepa. See what happens when you take the Bom fishing. And it doesn’t hurt to run the table in the Final Four round. That’s right. Pepa nailed all four teams, leading to a 32 point round for him. 32 points and bunch of gum-bumping smack talk I would assume. Also there seems to be some controversy dealing with Pepa’s selections. There may have to be an internal investigation into some insider information that may have been received by Pepa prior to the tourney start. If you are interested in this case, please hassle Pepa.

Well, I’m off to Toon Town with high hopes of fairing better than I have in this competition. One royal flush ought to bring my spirits up. Well, at least the buffet never lets me down.

Bom and Babe

Elite 8

In the past 24 hours, I’ve experienced some things that are hard to describe. I’ve seen one the top five sights you can see, the blue horizon of the ocean. I’ve smelled one of the top five aromas you can smell, the salty air of the Gulf Coast. I’ve heard one of the top five sounds you can hear, the peaceful rhythm of waves crashing on the beach. I’ve felt with my hands one of the top five feelings you can feel, the pull of a fish on the other end of your fishing line. And I’ve indulged in one of the top five tastes you can taste, Pepa’s waffles in the early morning. This is an experience of a lifetime, but I know that it pales in comparison to the Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge results and rankings.

Since I have a long day of fishing, walking on the beach, eating, and napping, I’ll keep this short. The round of the Sweet 16 proved a moving day for many of you. Some took significant steps toward the top, while others fell in a disturbing way. Let’s see it:

Rank/Previous Rank/Name/Official Score/Games Won/Upset Score

1 / 1 / Kris / 80 / 47/ 159
2 / 2 / Rob / 79 / 47 / 163
3 / 3 / Monkey/ 77 / 45 / 131
4 / 6 / Mike / 75 / 43 / 149
5 / 6 / Chuck / 71 /41 / 119
6 / 12 / Carol / 70 / 40 / 117
7 / 9 / Kelly S / 68 / 40/ 137
7 / 5 / Kevin / 68 / 41 / 130
7 / 9 / Cherie / 68 / 41 / 129
10 / 8 / Chris / 65 / 40 / 127
11 / 14/ Drew / 64/ 36 / 107
12 / 11 / Pepa / 63 / 38 / 110
12 / 15 / Tracee/ 63 / 35/ 101
14 / 12 / Kelly G / 62 / 38 / 124
15 / 3 / Michelle / 61 / 40 / 137
16 / 16 / Mema / 45 / 30 / 97
17 /17/ Abe / 30/ 22 / 89

Everybody except Abe, and (sigh) me, have their tournament winner still in the mix, which means, pretty much anybody can still win and anybody can still be shamed ruthlessly. So, keep your eyes on the prize, and by prize I mean the TV.

It was brought to my attention that people tend to have brackets that resemble something about themselves. Sometimes their character, sometimes their tendencies, but most of all, their car. Here are some examples:

Mema’s bracket is like her car because it’s all banged up.
Tracee’s bracket is like her car because she needs a new one, at least a different one.
Mike’s bracket is like his car because it’s not much to look at, but it is moving well.
Mema’s bracket is like her car because it was going pretty fast, but now it got pulled over.
Kelly S’s bracket is like his car, it’s apparently very fast because he tracking down the leaders.
Carol must have dropped some nitro in her car, because she moved from 12th to 6th.
Kevin’s bracket is like his truck, it’s all jacked up.
Pepa’s bracket is like his car, he thought he had this thing all locked up, but it got stolen away from him.
Mema’s bracket is like her car, because the Arkansas blinker is left on way too long.

The following people deserve kudos for picking 7 out of 8 teams in the Elite 8: Carol, Kris, Mike, Monkey, Rob, and Tracee.

Good luck to everyone, and don’t worry, be happy.

Bom and Babe

Enter the Sweet 16

Congratulations. You’ve made it through the first two rounds of the Tourney. We are now prepped for the battles of the Sweet 16. I think everybody is doing quite well this year, and I expect the all time high score 136, set by Kelly S, to be topped by the end of the contest. I expect Kris’ winning score from last year, 89, to be topped by the end of this weekend. All brackets, except for Abe’s, still have their tournament winner alive, although that will change after today. It’s time for the big dogs to clash and some will fall, along with your dreams of being etched in Sullivan Bracket Challenge history and of being engraved on the winner’s plaque.

I have to say, Kansas is doing much better this year, actually winning one. The previous two years they’ve fallen to an underdog: Bucknell and Bradley. Now, if Butler makes it to the final four, look for the Jayhawks to go down to the third ‘B’ team in consecutive years.

UNC is fairing much better now that their star inside man, Hansboro is playing without his mask. Did anyone see him in that mask? That’s got to be the worst fitting, oversized thing I’ve ever seen. He looked cross-eyed in that mask. The numbers showed it too. He scored much less and played much worse when he had that suit of armor strapped to his face. All of you who picked UNC to do well better hope he doesn’t get his beak bumped, or he may have to lace up the goalie mask for the remainder of the tourney. If that does happen, look for UNC to struggle.

I think my favorite team now is Oregon. I mean, their the Ducks. Who doesn’t like ducks? I like all kinds of ducks. Daffy, Donald, Huey,…Howard. I also like big fat slow flying green heads who can’t see or hear very well. I know Kevin does, he can hit those.

Well, hears how the rankings shake out:

Rank/Official Points/Games Won Points/Upset Score Points

1 /Kris / 52/ 40 / 149
2 / Rob / 51 / 40 / 153
3 / Michelle / 49 / 37 / 132
3 / Monkey / 49 / 38 / 131
5 / Kevin / 48 / 36 / 124
6 / Chuck / 47 / 35 / 111
6 / Mike / 47 / 36 / 138
8 / Chris / 45 / 35 / 119
9 / Cherie / 44 / 35 / 121
9 / Kelly S / 44 / 34 / 127
11 / Pepa / 43 / 33 / 103
12 / Carol / 42 / 33 / 106
12 / Kelly G / 42 / 33 / 117
14 / Drew / 40 / 30 / 97
15 / Tracee / 35 / 28 / 91
16 / Mema / 33 / 27 / 93
17 / Abe / 26 / 21/ 88

Don’t be discouraged if you are not in the upper tier, and don’t get complacent if you are. This begins the crucial group of games where wins are worth more, and people start to leap-frog each other, either up or down. We shall see after this weekend, who pulls ahead, and who fades away, like my hopes of having an afro.

Kudos to the following for picking all four teams to come out of a regional:
Chris – South
Chuck – West
Drew – South
Kevin – West and South (Kevin’s South bracket is perfect through two rounds)
Kris – South
Michelle – South
Monkey – West
Rob – South (Rob’s South bracket is also perfect through two rounds, hmm, I think he’s copying off of Kevin’s!)

Good luck to you all during the next two rounds and I hope you enjoy the games. I will watch some of the games, when I don’t have the sun warming my shoulders, or my toes in the cool sand, or a fish on the line. LATE!

Bom and Babe

Half of Round Two

Finally some action. Unfortunately, this kind of action means good teams lose. What I mean is, teams you picked as Final Four teams lose. It was just reported that today’s games included more overtime periods than any other day in NCAA tournament history. It’s been unnerving. I think I’ve chewed off all my fingernails and pulled out all my hair. Well, figuratively speaking.

A clarification from the previous post, I am not disqualifying UCLA and Memphis. I only said that they had lost as an intro to my paragraph attempting to illustrate a dream sequence. I apologize for your misunderstanding.

Scary moment for Ohio State fans and pickers. Xavier (of which I have heard numerous pronunciations including the Hispanic name, Javier) had the number one team in the South on the ropes. Then, with Sweet 16 in hand, Xavier snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. It was as painful to watch as Mema preparing for a tee shot.

Here are the updated ranks after the first eight games in round two:

1. Kris / 42
2. Rob / 41
3. Michelle / 39
3. Monkey / 39
5. Cherie / 36
5. Kevin / 36
7. Chris / 35
7. Chuck / 35
7. Mike / 35
7. Pepa / 35
11. Carol / 34
11. Kelly S / 34
13. Kelly G / 32
14. Drew / 30
15. Tracee / 29
16. Mema / 25
17. Abe / 17

Here are your Final Four choices (as you can see, some have chosen…poorly), the bold team is the chosen tournament winner:

Abe – Notre Dame, S. Illinois, George Washington, Penn.
Carol – Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Ohio St.
Cherie – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Memphis
Chris – Florida, Kansas, Washington State (oops), Texas A&M
Chuck – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Drew – Florida, Kansas, Texas, Memphis
Kelly G – Florida, Kansas, Texas, Ohio St.
Kelly S – Oregon, UCLA, UNC, Louisville
Kevin – Florida, Pitt, Georgetown, Ohio St.
Kris – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Mema – Florida, Gonzaga, Arkansas, Memphis
Michelle – Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Tennessee
Mike – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Monkey – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Ohio St.
Pepa – Florida, UCLA, Georgetown, Ohio St
Rob – Florida, Kansas, UNC, Memphis
Tracee – Florida, Kansas, Georgetown, Memphis

Florida was picked by everybody except Kelly S and Abe to come out of the Midwest bracket, and they were chosen to win the tournament five times, which leads all teams.

Sorry Mema for losing Arkansas, sorry Kelly S for losing Louisville, and sorry me for losing Washington State. And sorry Abe, you just stink. But, tomorrow is another day.

Bom & Babe
PS – If you would like to make a comment that is visible for everyone to see and respond to, you can post one by clicking the "comment" link below.

NCAA Tourney

Sorry all my dedicated readers (both of you) but for the next month this will be the home of the Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge. Hope you can bear with us until March Madness is over. But here is the first installment.

Welcome all you hardwood hacks, to the Third Annual Sullivan Family Bracket Challenge. Queen Kris is back in the mix after a year long reign and is putting her title on the line. But until someone knocks her off, we must continue to bow. Let’s do it!

The first round was one of thrill and major upsets. All the number one seeds moved on, but the two’s and three’s were not so lucky. UCLA and Memphis go down in the first round, both by missing free throws in crunch time. And how about Arkansas? USC jumped out to an early lead with their star players, Cherie and Rob. But in the end, off a missed jumper by Trojan forward Kris, Razorback center Mema collects the rebound with ten seconds left. She pushed it ahead to sophomore guard Carol, who penetrated and dished to fifth year senior Kevin on the wing. Kevin, with Abe’s hand in his face, releases and buries the three and the hopes of the Trojan picking traitors. ……Wouldn’t that have been nice?

Well, what can I say about the Hogs in reality? We’re consistent. One and done. I think I could just cut and paste last year’s first paragraph, but that would be too generous. Let’s see, what went well for us last night? The tip-off was nice. Then there’s the fact that we didn’t lose by 18. And that’s about it. The Stan Heath bullet has been loaded and the hammer is cocked, we’ll soon see if lame duck Frankie pulls the trigger. Let’s move on before I start crying like that little girl I bit on the playground in first grade.

As I mentioned before, this is the third year of our little bracket challenge, and it has seen healthy progressive growth. Here’s this year’s line-up, in reverse alphabetical order:

1. Tracee – thinks she has the right ingredients this year
2. Robert – he has the time, the experience, and the ‘stache, he ought to win
3. Pepa – hope he picks winners better than he shoots ducks
4. Monkey – he’s an imaginary figment, and he’ll probably beat you
5. Mike – looking for his first win, aren’t we all (be quiet Kelly S. and Kris)
6. Michelle – she ain’t no cupcake, this rookie’s looking to make statement
7. Mema – Mema’s statement: “I believe in Arkansas, and I shouldn’t”
8. Queen Kris – trying to be the first back to back champ
9. Kevin – previous winners were Kelly S. and Kris, Kevin hopes he’s the next ‘K’
10. Kelly S. – looking to avenge his unsuccessful title defense
11. Kelly G. – Please Kansas, just win one!
12. Drew – Drew? Who? You may know soon.
13. Chuck – Prater head of house who red-shirted last year, but is back in form
14. Chris G. – teases people and then runs and hides
15. Cherie – tee’n em up, and drivin’ em long
16. Carol – gonna set the skeptics straight
17. Abe – not gonna set the skeptics straight

Abe, for the newcomers, is a bracket populated by Abraham Lincoln. No, we didn't dig him up, but we did flip a penny for each game. As you can see, it's not the desirable way to win a bracket pool. The Monkey, is the bracket that we let Mike fill out. Just kidding, it's a bracket that is filled out based entirely on favorites. The favorite is always the winner. With all #1's in the final four, the teams are ranked 1Florida, 2North Carolina, 3Ohio State, 4Kansas. This is to see how you stack up against the selection committee. I call it the Monkey, because even a monkey can pick favorites. I know, that in reality, the monkey probably would have eaten the bracket and then thrown some feces at me, but just humor me.

The point awarding system is the same as always, 1 for a first round win, 2 for a second, 4 third, 8 fourth, 16 fifth, and 32 for a champion. This is the official way of scoring, the other two systems are just for fun. The Upset scoring gives you points for selecting upsets. You get points equaling the seed number of your winner. If you pick a 12 seed, and they win, you get 12 points. If Florida wins, you get 1. The Games Won method is, well, come on, if you can't figure it out, ask Mema.

Here’s what you’ve been waiting for:
First Round Results
Rank / Name / Points / Games won / Upset score
1 Rob / 29 / 29 / 129
2 Kris / 28 / 28 / 119
3 Monkey / 27 / 27 / 108
4 Cherie / 26 / 26 / 105
5 Chris / 25 / 25 / 98
5 Michelle / 25 / 25 / 103
5 Mike / 25 / 25 / 110
8 Carol / 24 / 24 / 90
8 Kelly G / 24 / 24 / 99
8 Kelly S / 24 / 24 / 101
8 Kevin / 24 / 24 / 96
12 Chuck / 23 / 23 / 84
12 Pepa / 23 / 23 / 83
14 Mema / 21 / 21 / 75
14 Tracee / 21 / 21 / 81
16 Drew / 20 / 20 / 74
17 Abe / 16 / 16 / 69

As you can see, it pays to be a hater, as the top four all picked USC over Arkansas. Well, so did Abe, but he’s a coin, he has no emotion or sense of treason. One thing’s for certain Abe would never put his own self interests over those of his state.

Anyway, I’ll post on the web a list of all the teams that were chosen by you to make it to the final four, the teams chosen to win the tourney, and the people who have lost a final four team already. And there is more than one person with a final four team lost. The website is http://rulerman.blogspot.com. Or on MySpace it’s http://www.myspace.com/cmglaze, and hit the blog link. Anyway, good luck today, and look for another email Sunday night or Monday afternoon.

Chris
Bracket Operations Manager (I’m the Bom)

Kelly G
Bom’s Assistant for Bracket Examination (she’s the Babe)

Sweetness

Once again it is that time of year to commemorate my birthing. I never did understand why I always receive such special attention for something that I had nothing to do with. It’s almost as if everyone is apologizing for my coming into the world by paying me a yearly dowry of presents, cake, and a song. When I think about it, I should be giving my parents gifts on my birthday to thank them for a job well done. But I’m certainly not complaining.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you the best part of my birthday this year. Well, actually the best part was the original Nintendo Entertainment System that my wife gave me. But a close second was the cake I ate. Make that…cakes, that I ate. They were, perhaps, the two best cakes I have ever permitted into my mouth, and trust me, I’ve eaten some cake in my day. Chocolate Peanut-butter Brownie and Italian Crème. Need I say more? What made them even more meaningful, was that they were created by my sister, Tracee. Let me tell you just a little about her. She has forgotten more about sports medicine than I’ll ever know, she endured a year in Iraq serving our country as a medic and ambulance driver, and she sings mean version of “A Friend Like Me,” (you’ll have to ask her).

Tracee’s newest passion may be one she excels at the most, and the one that makes me the happiest (besides the singing), and that’s cake making. “Cake making” doesn’t really do it justice, she’s more of a cake artist, incorporating creative vision, detailed sculpting, and a set of unbelievably steady hands. She has something else though, something hard to come by these days. That’s care. She devotes herself to each individual cake, funneling her complete attention so that every detail, from the quality of taste to the personalization of the theme, is achieved with integrity.

You may think that I’m just shamelessly plugging for a family member, but I’ve brought proof. Check out the photos. Tracee is relatively new in this arena and is quickly constructing a respected reputation with a knock-out portfolio. Her schedule is busying rapidly as demand for her services grow.

I must say that I am very proud of my sister. Not just because she’s so good at this, but..well..I guess because she is so good at this. The cakes she designs are truly breath-taking and they just seem to keep getting better. I wish it was my birthday everyday. Leave me a comment if you are interested in contacting Tracee for one of her cakes.

Centro'mere'

Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis, is considered by many Christians to be one of two books that all people, Christian or not, should read (the other being More Than a Carpenter). This book was originally a radio broadcast series given by Lewis in Europe as a “radio talk.” This means that it was delivered in a very conversational manner, as if C.S. Lewis was sitting across from you in your living room, in his sweater, holding his cup of coffee while he explains in the in’s and out’s of Christian belief. You can almost hear his voice defending the roots of his faith.

Mr. Lewis writes in his preface, “The reader should be warned that I offer no help to anyone who is hesitating between two Christian ‘denominations’. You will not learn from me whether you ought to become an Anglican, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, or a Roman Catholic…in this book I am not trying to convert anyone to my own position. Ever since I became a Christian I have thought that the best, perhaps the only, service I could do for my unbelieving neighbours was to explain and defend the belief that has been common to nearly all Christians at all times.”

The gist of C.S. Lewis’s book is a cause that I support. He ascends past the petty conflicts that believers of different denominations argue about, and devotes himself to the heart of Christian theology and meaning. I definitely recommend this book to anyone, whether you are an unbeliever looking for straight and honest information about the religion of Christianity, a believer looking to reinforce your faith, or a believer simply looking for deeper meaning. A must read.

New Name

Just wanted to give credit for the development of my new blog name. Although "Rulerman" has great sentimental value, "Glazed Over" is just way better, and quite accurate I might add. Thanks to Bryan Main and the think tank that is the Main family. Visit them at The Loft. I am currently entertaining ideas on the subtitle that is to appear under "Glazed Over" on my blog heading. Something about double helices, fantasy football, the Holy Spirit, and Krispy Kremes. It needs work.

I would also like to take this time to introduce you to the two new additions to the Glaze household. Both are male, 12 weeks old, and very furry. Yes, they are kittens, adopted after the unsettling loss of our cat, Tiger, after only three years here on Earth. The two quadrapeds are aptly named Dunkin and Shipley. Think about it. There it is.

I hope that with the blog make-over and the additional feline brain power, the blog will move forward, at a more consistent pace, hopefully.

Blood and Jail Cells

The question: If I were to receive a blood transfusion, and the next day commit a crime, and I happen to leave some blood at the crime scene, would the DNA evidence be compromised?

First of all, I think it highly unlikely that even the most dedicated criminal would feel well enough to break the law the day after a blood transfusion. Second of all, I would be very disappointed to know that there existed a person who was in need of a blood transfusion, blessed enough to actually receive one, and then thank God by committing a crime the very next day. But all that aside, we must examine the science of the question.

Human blood is composed of three types of cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Of these, the white blood cells are the only component that is considered complete, meaning they possess a nucleus and DNA. Red blood cells are designed to efficiently transport oxygen to the body and carbon dioxide away from the body. Platelets are not true cells, they are more like discs that have chipped off a larger cell, and are used in clotting. These two cell types do not contain a nucleus or DNA.

Blood used in transfusions usually contains only red blood cells. Therefore, in theory, none of the donor’s DNA is being imported into the recipient. And even if there happened to be some stow away white blood cells, the recipient’s immune system would attack and kill them, probably within 24 hours. So, again in theory, the recipient, also known as the criminal, could be identified using DNA evidence.

Now a bone marrow transplant, on the other hand, can cause some confusion when dealing with DNA. The development of blood cells, or haemopoiesis, originates from the stem cells located in the bone marrow. In this case, the transplanted stem cells would populate the recipient’s blood with cells containing the donor’s DNA, and since the recipient’s bone marrow has obviously failed, there would be little to none of his own DNA in his bloodstream. This situation can, and has, caused some serious issues concerning DNA evidence.

And I know that the post’s title sounds like a Wheel of Fortune Puzzle answer.