Today we're going to talk about frivolity. Merriam Webster defines frivolous as:

1 a : of little weight or importance b : having no sound basis (as in fact or law) [a frivolous lawsuit]
2 a : lacking in seriousness b : marked by unbecoming levity

Basically, something that is not important, not serious, or without basis. Most if not all things are relative, and measures of importance certainly belong to the category of relative things. What I have for lunch today may be important to me, but I'm sure it doesn't qualify as important to you.

This week is the week of frivolous lawsuits.

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I don't take many things all that seriously with the possible exception of my cocktails. But today is a day that Americans will never forget. Today is a day similar to the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated - you remember where you were and what you were doing when "it" happened. It is September 11 and today in 2001, 2993 people were killed when terrorists took control of several commercial airplanes and flew them into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

I was at home that morning because I was getting ready to go on vacation in Vienna. Rasputin was here as well because he was going with Alice and I. I had turned on the television and just stood there watching as the news started trickling in. I can't really describe the emotions you feel as anything other than utter shock. Video of the towers, the smoke, was on every channel as people tried to figure out what had happened.

Needless to say, we didn't go on vacation, and Rasputin, Alice and I spent a very quiet, confusing week here at home. Quiet, because there were no airplanes flying. That blanket of silence enveloped us and let us take in the horror of what had happened.

Today is now called Patriot Day in the United States. Call it what you want, but today is a day when we can consider how hatred and violence ravage our world. Today is a day to remember the 2993 people who died in the attacks and the countless people who have died since as a result of them.

Our world changed that day. We can go back to our works, to our gardens, to our lives, but there is no return to blissful innocence.

-- Jack


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Day

How to ditch the telephone system and save money:

We use Skype to make and receive all of our phone calls. Skype is a voice over IP (VoIP) system that you can run on your home computer. It works by transmitting your voice over the public internet before reconnecting to another Skype user or a normal telephone. If you haven't taken a look at Skype because you still wanted to have a phone number, or you thought you needed to sit at your computer to make calls, it's time to think again. With the right gear, you can have unlimited calling for pennies a day on your regular cordless phone.

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Sometimes we are too busy to notice things that are right in plain sight. I enjoy browsing wikipedia just as I enjoy browsing a real dictionary. You never know what gems you will find when you aren't really looking for something in particular. Would it surprise you to know that wikipedia is just one of nine projects managed by the Wikimedia Foundation?

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Today our wiki-thought will be centered around food, drink, and toxicology. As the saying goes "If it tastes good, it's probably bad for you". This is surprisingly true. An obvious example is of course alcohol. Most of us enjoy alcoholic beverages yet we know that if consumed in excess they lead to a large number of undesirable side affects. But what about things we thought were safe? What if most of what we consume is in fact toxic?

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