Solar Furnace Barbecue Challenge

Public Challenge:

Russ has a solar-furnace design with lots of little mirrors. I have a cooker design involving a sheet of copper. This summer, may the best Mitchell win!

Please Opine on Saudi Arabia and Iran

Ok, this might be a stupid question, but....

So I was thinking the other day about all the assinine rumors that're flying out here that Bush's going to invade Iran, and the argument that he'll do it to "guarantee stability" in the middle-east because otherwise Iran will have nukes. This got me to thinking, I don't know what the Iranians would do with nuclear weapons if they had them, but I doubt they'd use them offensively (no-one wants to be seen as the first "nuclear aggressor" since the diplomatic position would be so weak). Without the nuke issue, people still seem rather nervous about Iran thanks to their funding of nasty groups, but what I was wondering was, if stability is really the goal, why not let Iran get stronger? From what I've read, apparently the Saudi's and the Iranians see each other as mortal enemies; do we have anything to lose by letting them have at each-other?

My first thought was "yeah, Israel". But since neither side could ever admit to propping up Israel, that means that there's no way for a proxy war there, so....

My second thought was "yeah, oil", but the last thing either regime can afford to do is to destabize the oil market, because their cash-cows are then toast....

My last thought was, "yeah, but what about all the work in Iraq". My assumption has been that once a sufficiently strong party in Iraq emerges, the other Iraqis will say "oh well, what're ya gonna do". Maybe Iraq could end up being a proxy-war location, or maybe such support would simply lead to a faster federalization there.

I've had this largely half-formed thought in my head for a week, but my only conclusion is that I really don't know jack about how to weigh these kinds of situations out.

Opinions anyone?

How "Good Christians" Look to Atheists

(I was going to entitle the article "How Fundamentalists...", but, honestly, this seems to hold true of pretty much all the folks I've met who label themselves "Christian" without further qualification. This post doesn't apply to Christians with a more specific designation unless they agree with the likes of Le Haye, the 700 Club, &c.)

EDIT: My wording of this post last night was not good, and I've offended at least one person already (which wasn't my intention). I've asked a "language" question in the comments, but wanted to put right up front that I'm sorry to have offended folks.

Sara Teasdale

For those who idolize Dorothy Parker, I give you the muse of my youth, Sara Teasdale. Following tradition she swallowed a bullet, but before she did she created treasures for those of like mind. A decent archive is available at wikisource (donations welcome). Much of her work is filled with languid, pining, sopping love-poems of exactly the sort that I can't identify with at all, but there are gems nestled here and there.

The Inn of Earth

I CAME to the crowded Inn of Earth,
And called for a cup of wine,
But the Host went by with averted eye
From a thirst as keen as mine.

Then I sat down with weariness
And asked a bit of bread,
But the Host went by with averted eye
And never a word he said.

While always from the outer night
The waiting souls came in
With stifled cries of sharp surprise
At all the light and din.

"Then give me a bed to sleep," I said,
"For midnight comes apace"--
But the Host went by with averted eye
And I never saw his face.

"Since there is neither food nor rest,
I go where I fared before"--
But the Host went by with averted eye
And barred the outer door.

Doctors

EVERY night I lie awake
And every day I lie abed
And hear the doctors, Pain and Death,
Conferring at my head.

They speak in scientific tones,
Professional and low--
One argues for a speedy cure,
The other, sure and slow.

To one so humble as myself
It should be matter for some pride
To have such noted fellows here,
Conferring at my side.

Wisdom

When I have ceased to break my wings
Against the faultiness of things,
And learned that compromises wait
Behind each hardly opened gate,
When I can look Life in the eyes,
Grown calm and very coldly wise,
Life will have given me the Truth,
And taken in exchange -- my youth.

Mastery

I would not have a god come in
To shield me suddenly from sin,
And set my house of life to rights;
Nor angels with bright burning wings
Ordering my earthly thoughts and things;
Rather my own frail guttering lights
Wind blown and nearly beaten out;
Rather the terror of the nights
And long, sick groping after doubt;
Rather be lost than let my soul
Slip vaguely from my own control --
Of my own spirit let me be
In sole though feeble mastery.

And finally, for the writers out there, Thoughts

WHEN I can make my thoughts come forth
To walk like ladies up and down,
Each one puts on before the glass
Her most becoming hat and gown.

But oh, the shy and eager thoughts
That hide and will not get them dressed,
Why is it that they always seem
So much more lovely than the rest?

Nuff said: consumer price index (un-modified)