The Second Law of Thermodynamics

Entropy, the second law of thermodynamics, basically says that any given state, when experiencing time, will end up in a less organized state. Therefore, your kid's room might start out neat in the morning but will be a mess by dinnertime.

The law of entropy was devised to describe physical functions in the natural world. However, it seems to apply just as well to societies, cultures, and cultural things such as languages or customs. For example, the generally self-policed society of the 1800s in America, where men ran the risk of serious bodily harm if they were rude to a woman in public, has slowly decayed to the America of the 00s, where a typical song on the radio refers to women as bitches and whores.

Entropy is an interesting concept, particularly as it seems inexorable and allows one to have fun theorizing how trends will progress (downwards, of course) in society. I've always wondered two things about entropy, however: does it apply to time, and does it apply to light? If it applies to one, then it must by default apply to the other, for light is irrevocably tied to time and vice versa. The difficult thing in imagining the effect of entropy on light (or time) is that, if it occurred, the slow-down would slow us down as well, I suppose, so how could we notice what was happening? The only way to do that would be to get outside our system, so that we would be free of the effects of entropy, time and light, and then look back within - ie., get outside of creation.

I suppose only God can notice the effect of entropy on light and time. How frustrating. He gets all the perks.

The Guy Next Door

The guy next door has got the bomb.
It was a present from his mom.
What's up with parenting these days?
I guess explosions are quite the craze.

Can You Tell How Long...?

Can you tell how long a book is going to be while you write it? Can you tell how long a life is going to be while you live it?

No.

I just found out that Jeffrey Deaver (The Bones Collector, etc) lives here half the year in Pacific Grove (other half in NYC). He writes an average of one book (best-seller, invariably) a year. Good, thickish books that are sizeable enough to be used as doorstops or bludgeon-type weapons. How on earth does he do it?

Louis L'Amour usually wrote his books in about 3 months apiece. Issues of templates aside, how did he do that?? A book in 3 months is a tremendous rate.

I need to finish this book I'm writing, or it shall finish me.

A Poorly Written Poem On Paying Taxes

A third of my year goes for tax
to those pork-rustling DC hacks.
Thievery most days makes me see red.
What was that that Patrick Henry said?

The Important Thing

The important thing is to get past yesterday if it's already gone.

At least, that's one of about a million important things.

Another important thing is to wear a belt. Otherwise, there's no telling when you'll find yourself needing a belt to loop around something while you're dangling from a skyscraper or a crane or some kind of futuristic flying machine being piloted by an evil genius. Also, the belt will keep your pants up.

My Wife

My wife is cooler than your wife.

Are You A Cheese-Nibbling Insomniac?

If you are, I really don't know what to say, other than the fact that you can get great cheese at Costco for great prices.

You might try some Danish Havarti, as that has a nice, mellow flavor somewhat reminiscent of carraway seeds infused with the contented lowing of cows as if heard from far across a Danish meadow through which a young Ingrid Bergman is running in slow motion (black and white).

Or, if you have the spine for it, you might try a nice, sharp We're All Danes Now t-shirt, aged for a hundred days in an oak casket. It goes well with venison, steak and liberty.

The First of a Million Fourths

Another 4th of July is here to stay for a while and then be gone again for 364 days. May it be the first of a million more 4ths for this country, though may they all contain the liberty that started back in 1776. I think this country, for the most part, takes that too lightly or has completely lost sight of what that means.

Liberty doesn't mean the freedom to go out and behave like a jackass, thought it certainly allows you to do that. Liberty doesn't mean the freedom to live irresponsibly without disregard for your neighbor, your community and your country, though it certainly allows you to do that. Liberty doesn't mean the freedom to place yourself above all else, though it certainly allows you to do that.

Live free or die. I wonder how we'll choose if faced with that choice?