Another Nietzsche Quote

If you have hung out with me, you have probably heard one of my nonsensical speeches about the asymmetry of art appreciation and science appreciation. If someone [me] doesn't appreciate mediocrity on the music stage he is "lame" or "being anti-social". If someone does appreciate scientific expertise (or even a functional grasp of scientific principles), he is a nerd, interested in boring trivial things. Think I am being too harsh? Lets put it this way, if someone starts yapping at a party about how cool some show they saw last week was, people get interested and everyone wants to offer an opinion. Now go to a party and yap about how cool the last paper you read about probabilistic reductions was. Compare the response: The music expert is cool. He/she knows more than everyone else about stuff! The science guy is a show off! He just wants to look smart!

It is possible that I am just carrying a grudge left over from high school, and that my fictional tale about the music guy and the science guy is complete bullshit-- I admit I am not objective about this. Still, I must ask, why is it that otherwise well versed fans of books, art, philosophy, culture, etc. feel nothing is amiss in their total ignorance of mathematics or any hard science?

Anyway Nietzsche busts out this related Aphorism:

Our air-- We know very well how science strikes those who merely glance at it in passing, as if they were walking by as women do and unfortunately also many artists: the severity of its service, its inexorability in small as in great matters, and the speed of weighing and judging matters and passing judgment makes them feel dizzy and afraid. Above all they are terrified to see how the most difficult is demanded and the best is done without praise and decorations. Indeed, what one hears is, as among soldier, mostly reproaches and harsh rebukes; for doing things well is considered the rule, and failure is the exception, but the rule always tends to keep quiet. This "severity of science" has the same effect as the forms and good manners of the best society: it is frightening for the uninitiated. But those who are used to it would never wish to live anywhere else than in this bright, transparent, vigorous, electrified air--in this virile air. Anywhere else things are not clean and airy enough for them; they suspect that elsewhere their best efforts would not really profit others nor give real delight to themselves; that among misunderstandings, half of their lives would slip through their finger; that they would be required to exercise a great deal of caution, conceal things, be inhibited--so many ways of losing a lot of strength for no good reason. But in this severe and clear element they have their full strength; here they can fly. Why, then go down into those muddy waters where has to swim and wade and get one's wings dirty?
No it is too hard for us to live there. Is it our fault that we were born for the air, clean air, we rivals of the beams of light, and that we wish we could ride on ethereal dust specks like these beams--not away from the sun but toward the sun!
That however, we cannot do. Let us therefore do what alone we can do: bring light to the earth, be "the light of the earth"? And to that end we have our wings and our speed and severity; for this we are virile and even terrible like fire. Let those be terrified by use who do not know how to gain warmth and light from us!
**************************************************************************
Yeah, its kinda fruity, and a bit sexist. But I like the fact that a poet and writer of his stature (also a musician) recognized that there something great about science, and something cowardly about those who avoid it.

I'm drinking wheat grass! and Super Food!

I've been a big fan of freshly squeezed carrot juice for some time now. Carrot juice has become a gateway juice to stronger, more potent drinks. I've been buying ODWALLA's superfood. It is green and tasty, but too goddamn expensive. I can't afford this habit. The solution? Online I bought some wheat grass and superfood powder. You put a tablespoon of the shit in water, and the water turns into dark green slime. I love this shit. Each glass has the anti-oxident power of seven servings of vegetables! Each glass tastes like concentrated lawn mower clippings. So fresh, so alive!

Yeah, its probably silly and a waste of money. But I will continue to drink Swampthing's piss. Otherwise I just don't eat enough vegetables. I like them and all, but fuck if I'm gonna cook up some broccoli. I don't got time for that shit. I'll gladly drink the broccoli if some machine will liquify it for me, but I am not gonna stand around chewing on some plant.

Amazing Grass Green Super Food all natural ingredients:


It’s the quality not the quantity- Balanced with 25 quality ingredients your body needs…none of the inexpensive fillers and auxiliary ingredients you don’t.

1. Organic Wheat Grass Powder – One of the most potent green vegetables available. Wheat grass is and excellent source of natural vitamins, minerals, amino acids, and enzymes. When grown properly, wheat grass is known to be highly alkalizing and will help detoxify the body.

2. Organic Barley Grass Powder - Green barley leaves contain a multitude of the body's spark plugs, enzymes. Enzymes are the catalysts for the body's essential chemical reactions and are responsible for our digestive processes, for providing cellular energy, and for antioxidant effects. Considered one of the world's experts on green barely, Dr. Hagiwara, believes that there may be thousands of active enzymes in green barley, especially superoxide dismutase (SOD), a major detoxifying enzyme that helps maintain healthy joints.

3. Organic Oat Grass Powder – Part of the cereal grass family, oat grass is an excellent sources of beta-carotene, vitamin K, folic acid, calcium, iron, protein, and fiber, as well as good sources of vitamin C and many of the B vitamins.

4. Organic Alfalfa Powder – Roots grow very deep to absorb many minerals and nutrients from the soil. Contains eight essential amino acids, is a rich source of vitamin B12, natural fluoride and chlorophyll.. Recent French studies have found that alfalfa can reduce tissue damage caused by radiation exposure. In addition, it has also shown to maintain healthy cells. Because it neutralizes acidity, it promotes healthy bladders and urinary tracts.

5. Spirulina Fine Powder - Spirulina, like all edible dark green plants, is also highly alkalizing, meaning that it helps restore the acid-base balance. In other words, Spirulina helps neutralize the acidity caused by eating excess meats, starches, sugars, soft drinks and preserved foods, excess stress, excess exercise, environmental pollutants, drugs, alcohol, coffee and tobacco

6. Cracked Cell-Wall Chlorella - Chlorella is the number one selling health food supplement sold in Japan. Chlorella, a unique single-celled fresh water green algae, contains high concentrations of chlorophyll, nucleic acids, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidant carotenes, and vitamins and minerals, especially zinc.

7. Carrot Powder – Excellent source of vitamin A from Beta Carotene. Carrots are believed to be very beneficial for ocular (eye) health.

8. Flax Seed Powder - Flax seeds contain a high percentage of alpha linolenic acid (ALA), which promotes weight loss. This flax is also very high in lignans, which have anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor properties plus, antioxidants. Omega-3 oils exist in fish and flaxseed products. Flax seed contains high levels of the desirable Omega-3 oils that are also found in fish.

9. Soy Lecithin - Emulsifying substance found in the cells of all living organisms. Soy lecithin is widely promoted and sold as a supplement to support healthy arteries and may improve memory.

10. Raspberry Powder – Great source of beneficial photochemicals and antioxidants, which are compounds or groups of compounds that neutralize unstable molecules in humans.

11. Apple Pectin Fiber - Helps modulate blood glucose by slowing its absorption into the bloodstream. It also chelates toxins, such as heavy metals, in the intestinal tract. In addition, soluble fiber helps maintain normal cholesterol levels by binding the bile salts that cause the body to break down cholesterol to manufacture even more bile salts.

12. Spinach Powder – Good source of folate (folic acid) and loaded with antioxidants that combat free radical damage to the body’s cells.

13. Siberian Ginseng Root – Offers therapeutic benefits and increased energy. Ginseng can play an important role in maintaining sound physical as well as mental health.

14. Broccoli Powder – Good source of iron and folic acid. Broccoli is one of the richest sources of anti-oxidants and contains sulforaphane, which is believed to help maintain optimal health.

15. Pro-Biotic blend - Balanced spectrum of beneficial bacteria found in human intestinal tracts. Regular intake of beneficial probiotics can aid in maintaining healthy intestinal flora.

16. Rose Hips - Natural source of Vitamin C. Promotes good health with bioflavonoids and strong antioxidant and immunity support.

17. Brown Rice Bran – Whole grain insoluble fiber—the type of fiber some scientists believe may help protect against a variety of cancers.

18. Bee Pollen - Known to increase energy and stamina. Also rich in B vitamins and antioxidants, including lycopene, selenium, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E, and several flavanoids.

19. Pineapple Powder – Good source of digestive enzymes, vitamin C and natural source for flavoring.

20. Royal Jelly - If it's good enough for the Queen Bee, it must be great for you! It has been shown to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and is renowned for its antibacterial properties. It is taken widely maintain a healthy digestive system and support a healthy cardiovascular system.

21. Peppermint Powder – Acts as a muscle relaxant, particularly in the digestive tract and has many therapeutic benefits.

22. Green Tea - Since ancient times, green teas have been used to boost immune function. Supports liver health and contains catechins which show a wide range of protective effects, including cardioprotective, chemoprotective, and anitmicrobial properties.

23. Acerola Cherry Extract 4:1 - Nature’s richest source of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a premier antioxidant and important for overall health of the immune system.

24. Beet Juice Powder – High source carotenoids such as lycopene and lutein that supports optimum health. Contains betaine, which stimulates the function of liver cells and protects the liver and bile ducts.

25. Stevia – Natural herb used for sweetener and has some therapeutic benefits.

Today I am a moviebot!

Yesterday I continued my paper about octopi. This got me inspired to watch some octopus videos and eventually led to my watching of the Life Aquatic.
I love this movie. A lot of people I know like it, or really like it, but I actually love it.
Here’s why:

Bill Murray says something in the movie about how being eleven was the best part of life. I don’t know if that is necessarily true but I do see why he would say it. When I was a kid I loved science. I couldn’t think of anything else I would do except be a scientist. I collected rocks, insects, and played with microscopes and telescopes. I didn’t just collect rocks, look at the moon, and play with bugs. I actually studied these things. All of my rocks were labeled and organized by mineral, rock type, or crystalline structure. I would get pissed if someone called an insect a bug and I had posters of the solar system on my bedroom wall.

For me, when I am nostalgic towards childhood it isn’t because I miss childish fun or games, or some sort of innocence. Instead I long for the time when the world seemed eminently worth knowing. When every fact about the world just made it seem that much more awesome. “Holy shit Halley’s comet travels how fast?…Sweet. ” “The Apatosaor had two brains? That’s great!”

The Life Aquatic or “How Steve Zizzou got his groove back” is about the triumph of that feeling. The sense of pure wonder replaces Steve's half hearted drive for revenge, and his half hearted drive for love. It is only this emotion that moves him past the death of his friend, the death of his son, and his personal failures. Morality and purpose never take hold or provide comfort in the film: When Dafoe righteously calls the pirates monsters, Murray responds, “Yeah well I killed one of their guys when I shot him in the neck, we aren’t doing too bad ourselves”.
When his wife tells him his cat died, bitten by a rattlesnake he yells at her for telling this information to him so coldly. When his son warmly asks him what type of cat it was, Zizzou responds: “Who gives a shit.”

The hero of the story is a vain lying thief. He shows signs of real leadership: he single handedly kicks the shit out of a group of pirates, but he is also incompetent and lazy.

Every scene that centers upon the social plot of love and jealousy, or human betrayal, features some sort of animal creature in the background—often a little claymation lizard or a little seahorse. There is always some natural organism in the visual scene that either distracts from the drama, or shows the drama to be the distraction. Only life and death is given center attention.


The childish view of wonder wins out: even the father and son relationship can be viewed as one of discovery. Zizzou doesn’t learn not to cheat on his wife. He doesn’t learn to be kind to the interns. He doesn't become greater than his failings. He may not even be an admirable man but we like the guy nonetheless. More important than the deaths, more important than the successful conclusion of Zizzou's documentary, the emotional peak of the film is when all of Team Zizzou sees the Jaguar Shark--when they see the animal that is greater than any of their concerns, and greater than their drama. Pure exploration and adventure—the uncovering of more of the world is what saves Zizzou.

Spinoza would probably like this film.

The Secret Mornings of Whole Foods

Howdy my friends. Not to long ago I wrote a story about my once a week social journey to the grocery store. One of the grad students would drive me to Walmart and I would proceed to take part in Hi-Jinks with the fried chicken lady. Well, my friends, these adventures are no more. Now I ride my bike to the much closer Whole Foods. It is about a five mile bike ride to the store, but most of the ride is through campus and the beautiful swan filled Audobon park. I was pretty hesitant to buy groceries without a car. I eat a lot of food, and I could never carry a week’s supply in my back pack. The solution? I ride to the store about three times a week! It’s a great bike ride, its not too hot in the morning, and I just pick up the food that I want to eat the next couple of days. All in all, a very nice way to live.

Whole foods is a fancy place with fancy organic food. Good stuff, but expensive. Anyway this morning my powerful legs exceeded my own already incredible expectations: I arrived at the store toot sweet! The store wasn’t even open yet! I was sort of oblivious to this “not being open” shit, because I didn’t notice the people hovering around the automatic doors that would not automatically open. I just force the door open, grabbed a basket and started shopping.

Inside a manager, a security guard, and the flower arranging lady all yelled at me. “Woah, woah, woah, people. I made a simple mistake. I’ll just wait outside for the store to open.” The flower lady was cool and said I could just sit and wait in the flower section of the store. And so I did. Seated, and surrounded by lovely blossoms I overheard all the secrets of Whole Foods:

On the intercom some guy said “LETS GET READY TO….SELL PROOOOOOODUUUUUCE! Just like a boxing announcer.

The manager kept running around pumping up employees. “Lets get this aisle SPOTLESS! WOOO!---he actually screamed “WOO” a lot. So did the lady employees in response. “WOOO!”

The announcer announced the recent marriage of one of the checkout ladies. The other checkout ladies responded with cries of “WOO!”

I got excited and shouted out “WOO” myself.

Conclusion: I like Whole Foods. It sucks that I can’t afford any meat there except for turkey cold cuts, and I don’t really buy into all the organic food hype. I also don’t like that they won’t carry genetically modified food. I like genetically modified food (I like feats of engineering in general). I do however like how the store pays their employees a good salary. I like how things look clean, and I like how the food products (except for the vegan “meat like” products) actually look like food. No purple ketchup here. The dairy stuff also taste really good. I bet if they sold fried chicken, it would taste awesome.

Staying up late, writing 'bout octopi

Whenever I want to feel at one with the universe, I just think about how great the octopus is. I find true peace thinking about the existence of blinky eyed, color changing, eight armed monsters with drills, poisons, water jets, suction pads and ink. I am in a state of great enlightenment because I am writing a paper that deals extensively with octopi. The paper is ostensibly about memes, but in my heart it is a tribute to my friend the octopus.

Let me tell you about the past two days:

A bee stung me. It hurt. My finger swelled up just a tiny a bit where he stung me. He stung me because I smashed him against my neck. He landed on the back of my neck and I felt him and smacked him. He stung me, and I realized he was not a fly but a bee. That was yesterday. Today I awoke and my finger was pretty big. But not too big. Bee stings aint shit.

Whilst reading outside out on the university’s green space I over heard one fat girl say to another fat girl, “Its like, muy hot out here”. That comment has bothered me more than the bee sting. “Muy hot” is pretty stupid. “Its like, muy hot” is unforgivably stupid.

The other stupid thing I heard I had to write down. Someone said this while presenting a thesis about the origins of grammar. To best appreciate the stupidity of this statement I should inform you that this was in a graduate level seminar, and the discussion was supposed to be centered upon a possible evolutionary theory for syntax. The student has had all semester to research this topic. When it became clear the presentation had to do with semantics and not syntax the professor clarified the distinction between the two and asked her if she could apply her argument to syntax. To this request the student responded:

“I didn’t really focus on the syntax and stuff, of you know, but more language and everything.”

Roughly translated this means:

“Not only can I not speak about syntax, I must speak in a way that shows I cannot even apply it. Further I need to add the empty phrase “and stuff” because I can’t be bothered to think before I open my mouth. I was too lazy to do any of the research I was required to do but I wont admit I am ignorant about something. I like to waste your time talking nonsense. I also like to hide my ignorance by shoving it in your face. I claim that while I didn’t focus upon syntax I focused upon language, which is comprised of both syntax and semantics. That makes sense. To top it off I will also claim that I focused upon everything. That’s right. It is impossible for me to answer some silly question about syntax, because I have already focused upon everything.”

2 Comedic Observations about Real life (Basketball)

The NBA playoffs are just around the corner. To whet your appetite I will offer two astute observations about the NBA.
My first observation is well known to anyone who casually follows the NBA.
Observation 1: Sam Cassell is the ugliest athelete in the world.
His picture supplies enough gags to make this observation "Comedic". It needs no funny caption to make me laugh.

Bonus Caption: ["My face is as ugly as my balls!"]

Next, I present an observation about the prevalence of headbands.
Observation 2: It is no longer noteworthy for a basketball player to wear a headband.
In my day only Dire Straits, Clifford Robinson and actors playing people engaged in aerobic activities wore headbands. Now all basketball players do. In this observation the comedy was supplied by my reference to a rock band, an old school baller who wore headbands in the nineties, and a trend portrayed in eighties sitcoms. The act of referral is very funny. The picture however is not funny. It supplies evidence for my observation as well as evidence of the love the Pistons players have for one another.

Cole Slaw

Cooole SLAAAW

Cole Slaw mother fucker!

Mother Fucking Cole Slaw

Cee!


Mother fucking!


OLE…SLAW

Are you down wit da Cole Slaw?

Suckaz!

Land of Chedder rejects the Passion!

I want to start this jammy jam with a shout out to my home boy who just got P-h-mother fucking D'd at the school who just rejected my ass. Congrats B.R. Congrats.

After the delightful intro I now begin the arduous task of explaining to my dear readers/fans why I was rejected. I know you are all shocked: "How could anyone reject the living Passion of SDK, the six day kid?" How indeed.

And yet this is not the first rejection I ever received. In fourth, fifth, and eighth grade the ladies I wooed so valiantly turned down my offer to "go out with me". Sources tell me these women cry themselves to sleep nightly thinking of what could have been.

Thats not all. Certain units of the I.D.F deemed themselves too "bad ass" for me. Can you believe that? They thought the ruckus I brought wasn't sufficiently terrifying enough for the missions they specialized in. As shocking as this may seem they were right. Early on I was in fact "soft" and I did in fact "break". While few men can compete with the total package of war-man-ship that I became: the emotional distance, the creative intellect, the calm aggression, and the wolverine-esque "berserker mode"-- there are far greater warriors then I. The I.D.F sleeps soundly with their decision, and my Golani brothers thank them for it.

The academic rejections are different. I don't know if I have a completely false valuation of myself. I consider myself a fairly smart guy. I know I don't write well, and even my formal argumentation is often quite sloppy. But false messiahs be damned! I have yet to meet a student who I couldn't keep up with--and this is what worries me. I've met plenty of people who I politely tolerate while they spout off nonsense. Am I that guy? Am I the nut job that no one bothers to refute because a) I'll keep talking or b) they don't want to piss me off.
I think my friends are smart and they like to talk to me...but schools don't want my war ravaged face on their campuses. I don't understand.

I have decided to give it one more go. I am going to teach the balls out of some freshman college students during the next school year. I am also going to apply to four more universities that have Spinoza scholars. If they don't take me I am going finish my degree and then straight up get some wealth.

[oh yeah, the picture: The Onion also finds Rasheed Wallace very funny. The caption for the picture is "the nba names a foul after Rasheed Wallace"

Getting Passed Over or Jewish Angst

Most holidays don't interest me. I spent Thanksgiving waiting tables without feeling any loss. I spent Yom Kippur fixing up the house from the hurricane damage. Its a typical pattern: I blow off nearly every Shabbos, Sukkot, Purim, Shavuot holiday and simply act like the rationalist bad ass I am. In Israel I celebrated these holidays because they actually felt like real celebrations. Its kinda like how you can feel festive on your birthday if everyone around you is getting pumped up for it, but if you are by your self you feel like a pathetic jerk blowing out sad candles on the cake you just baked. In the homeland celebrating these events just made sense. Here, it is just awkward.

So this year I missed out on Passover. It is my favorite holiday. You get a great meal and a discussion about the meaning of slavery, freedom, religion, revenge, hope, nationalism, all in the context of multiple glasses of wine and singing. I have spend quite a few Passovers away from my family--it is the fate of the Diaspora Jew that the ideal travel times for seeing family corresponsd with the holidays of the host country not of the family--but even in these cases I usually know enough Jews that someone invites me over and I can get my Passover on.

This year my landlord is my only local Jewish friend. He invited me over but because he was having a huge international family reunion I didn't show up. I didn't feel like being the one non-family member at his table. So I spent the holiday eating ice cream and reading a criticism of Kantian geometry. It is a pretty good paper, and reading it cheers me up, but I am surprisingly depressed about missing the celebration.

So it’s a strange situation. Like a Birthday, I realize that holidays are simply arbitrary points on the calendar—and yet, like a Birthday they are emotionally difficult to ignore. Something about that date makes you think about your age. Something about the Jewish holidays makes me think about the kind of Jew I have become. I don’t think I ever be a sentimental boob about holiday spirit and what not but I think it was a mistake for me to miss out on the celebration. I will not ignore this holiday again.

I want to be able to celebrate the Jewish holidays without feeling like a lonely birthday boy. To do that, I have to find a place within the American Jewish Community and this is actually a pretty hard thing for me to do. The religious component of this community doesn’t look kindly on my lack of interest in performing ritual activities (I don't pray or keep kosher or keep Shabbat) or my disbelief in Rabbinical and Scriptural Authority—while the reform component doesn’t take kindly to my disinterest in maintaining the shallow bonds of shared gyms and swimming pools. I don't like to socialize and I don’t know where I can fit in. I would feel like a liar going to synagogue everyday, but I feel like a liar pretending these holidays aren’t important to me. What would Jesus do?

Another quote of the day:

Unconcerned, mocking, violent--thus wisdom wants us: she is a woman and always loves only a warrior.
-Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

The Best Kind of Crazy

The topic of Israel comes up again and again in the philosophy office. As the resident Zionist I am often questioned for my keen analysis of the Middle Eastern conflict. I usually try to paint a fair picture of tragic suffering and spout some platitude about hoping for peace. No longer. For now, and only now, the conflict has become personal: Hamas attacks Freemasonry.

Attacking Freemasonry is retarded. For Hamas to accept the Blood-libel, Jewish banker conspiracies, and other such nonsense makes sense in a dumbass sort of way—they have a real conflict with the Jews so one can expect them to engage in a bit of fictionalization of their enemy. But the anti-masonic articles from their 1989 charter indicates something a bit more disturbing. They believe in the kind of conspiracy theory shit that is completely inexcusable: In 1989 (not 1889 mind you) Hamas declares Freemasonry to be a enemy force that will be reckoned with:
[Spelling errors are from the translation I used]

Article Seventeen:
The Moslem woman has a role no less important than that of the moslem man in the battle of liberation. She is the maker of men. Her role in guiding and educating the new generations is great. The enemies have realised the importance of her role. They consider that if they are able to direct and bring her up they way they wish, far from Islam, they would have won the battle. That is why you find them giving these attempts constant attention through information campaigns, films, and the school curriculum, using for that purpose their lackeys who are infiltrated through Zionist organizations under various names and shapes, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, espionage groups and others, which are all nothing more than cells of subversion and saboteurs. These organizations have ample resources that enable them to play their role in societies for the purpose of achieving the Zionist targets and to deepen the concepts that would serve the enemy. These organizations operate in the absence of Islam and its estrangement among its people. The Islamic peoples should perform their role in confronting the conspiracies of these saboteurs. The day Islam is in control of guiding the affairs of life, these organizations, hostile to humanity and Islam, will be obliterated.

Article Twenty-Two:
For a long time, the enemies have been planning, skillfully and with precision, for the achievement of what they have attained. They took into consideration the causes affecting the current of events. They strived to amass great and substantive material wealth which they devoted to the realisation of their dream. With their money, they took control of the world media, news agencies, the press, publishing houses, broadcasting stations, and others. With their money they stirred revolutions in various parts of the world with the purpose of achieving their interests and reaping the fruit therein. They were behind the French Revolution, the Communist revolution and most of the revolutions we heard and hear about, here and there. With their money they formed secret societies, such as Freemasons, Rotary Clubs, the Lions and others in different parts of the world for the purpose of sabotaging societies and achieving Zionist interests. With their money they were able to control imperialistic countries and instigate them to colonize many countries in order to enable them to exploit their resources and spread corruption there.


Article Twenty-Eight:
The Zionist invasion is a vicious invasion. It does not refrain from resorting to all methods, using all evil and contemptible ways to achieve its end. It relies greatly in its infiltration and espionage operations on the secret organizations it gave rise to, such as the Freemasons, The Rotary and Lions clubs, and other sabotage groups. All these organizations, whether secret or open, work in the interest of Zionism and according to its instructions. They aim at undermining societies, destroying values, corrupting consciences, deteriorating character and annihilating Islam. It is behind the drug trade and alcoholism in all its kinds so as to facilitate its control and expansion.

[As stupid as I think this is, I must admit my own ignorance: What is this Rotary and Lions club of which they speak? Any help electro-friends?]