Odds & Ends II

A few things from here and there...

Read about Bible-based diets here

Note especially the discussion in the middle about Biblical people living to be 900 years old. The creator of the diet says the long life was due entirely to their diet (An oversimplification for sure...there were undoubtedly physical differences--'purer' bodies at the beginning, perhaps...) The scientists discount the idea of 900 year old people saying simply "It can’t be scientifically tested or proven" (meaning it can't be true? Science vs. religion again...)

Also, the recent Bill Cosby controversy (which I've been paying attention to, but haven't commented on.) is analyzed by the Mulatto Advocate here.

This was eerie: Not one day after posting my Harry Potter analysis where I spend a paragraph criticizing Quidditch, here's another criticism which says almost the exact same thing... Of course, any adult who looks at the rules of Quidditch with a critical eye could come to the same conclusion...but I'm sure glad I posted my essay up early to avoid any accusations of plagarism.

There's actually an easy solution to 'fixing' Quidditch--remove the 150 point bonus for catching the snitch. The game would still end immediately upon catching the snitch, but it would have no effect on the score whatsoever. That changes the dynamic entirely, because if your team is losing you (the seeker) don't want to catch the snitch, but would actually actively try to prevent your opponent from catching it (and ending the game with them in the lead). Then, if your team takes the lead, the positions would be reversed. When the score is tied, the seekers would be trying to keep themselves in position to catch the snitch (without doing it, of course) waiting for the instant the score changes. This would lead to more physical play from the seekers (grappling with each other), and would require that the seekers pay close attention to the score at all times. This solution would create a little bit of interaction between the seeker and his teammates (of which there is currently none...) and it would keep the regular goal scoring portion from being completely irelevant--which it is now...

Search update: My Faith and the Triangle Offense essay has been getting a LOT of hits the past two days from searches for 'phil jackson' + 'lakers' + 'breasts'. Apparently (I'm guessing) they're looking for pictures of the woman sitting immediately behind Phil Jackson in Sunday's Finals game. (Sorry, guys, can't help you. Didn't even see the woman... I've got a great lesson on faith, though, which you can...guys? Guys?)

One last thing: I've added links for some new LDS blogs in the Bloggernacle:
Wump Blog--A special Book of Mormon project, and other LDS issues.
IntellecXhibitionist--Variety of LDS topics
Mormanity--LDS Research and Apologetics
A Motley Vision--LDS literature and film criticism