Quackpottery of the Day

As many of you know, I'm fascinated by unintentional humor created by those who, while remaining fully functional in our society, are gullible to the point of mental illness.

Someone on my lj friends list (who in recent weeks has felt herself to be on the verge of inventing The Grandiose Answer to The Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything) consulted her Mayan Astrological Reading. Did you know, according to the "Dreamspell Galactic Signature", I am a Galactic Activation Portal? ;) Whoo-hoo. Who knew those Mayans were so in tune with the galaxies? As usual with fortunetelling, the handwaving pronouncements of today's Quackpottery are utterly devoid of content. One thing I can say in its favor though, is that the output of the Dreamspell Calculator is very colorful and pretty. It's no worse than any livejournal meme quiz. Check it out.

You know what though? Recently phecda commented that he felt like the characters in the webcomic Bruno are similar to the dramatis personae of his own life. This caused me to look on many of my acquaintances, and some of my loved ones, with whom I am occasionally annoyed, in a new light. My mood has been lightened on many occasions by this viewpoint. If they are characters in the sitcom of my life, I want it to be interesting. Would I really rather be surrounded by boring people? I think not. This is why I treasure a spectrum of "lunatic" fringes like a garden of exotic flowers. As long as they can function and aren't hurting anybody, I actually feel great affection for the reality-impaired, and hope to keep them around.

God? Or Crystal Meth?

Remember the woman in Atlanta who was held hostage in March by a courtroom shooter, and said she convinced him to turn himself in by "witnessing" to him out of the Christian book The Purpose-Driven Life?

Record Online News Wire reports her new revelations that he asked her for pot, and not having any pot, she gave him some of her illegal stash of crystal methamphetamine instead. It wasn't supernatural intervention that got the fugitive to relent; it was the gunman snorting the happy-drugs to which Ashley Smith was addicted. But the "life-changing power" of a Godly testimony was given the credit anyway, and Smith started raking in money from church-related marketing. From the article:

"Since Nichols' arrest, Smith has received $70,000 in rewards and has been bombarded with offers for books, movies and speaking engagements. Her ordeal has been held up as an example of the redemptive power of faith."

Gaiman/Whedon TIME Interview

Joss Whedon and Neil Gaiman did a fantastic joint interview with TIME Magazine.