Miracles, Science, Religion, and Dan Brown

This last week I've read The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown. Got me thinking about a couple things.
First, there just doesn't seem to be a lot of spiritualism now. Instead of contemplating the wonders of God's creation we (and by we, I mean me) seem to spend more time in front of the TV, playing video games, and coming up with new ways to stay busy with more earthly diversions. I thought I'd share a couple things. Miracles happen - when I was in grade school, I would get horrid migraine headaches. One hit on a Sunday morning on the way to church. I felt lousy but still took communion. As soon as I sat back down in my seat, my headache was gone. Granted, it's not walking water or raising the dead, but having one happen to you, even a small one is far more potent. In spite of this, I struggled with my faith for many years before deciding to go back to church. When I did the pastor gave a sermon that seemed written just for me. He talked about Jacob's Ladder and the dream Jacob had where he wrestled the angel. After that, Jacob was known as Israel, which literally means to struggle with God. Now, if the father of 3 major world religions can struggle with God, surely it's ok for me to struggle as well. What really got me thinking about this again was the carmenlengo (sorry about the spelling) from Angels and Demons quoting the rock on which the church is built. Peter was described in Angels and Demons as the most devoted of the Disciples. Yet he denied Jesus 3 times. Again, if Peter could be afraid and ashamed and still be a devoted Disciple, surely I can too. This message is the one I want to shout from the rooftops and be sure that every child grows up knowing. I hear so much from the moral majority types that you have to be so righteous and good all the time that it's hard to remember that God still loves me even when I falter. I'm sure others have the same problem, and some might not have heard and even if they had it might not stick.
So now to the science part - when Isaac Newton was alive the science of physics was called Natural Philosophy. The point was not to remove God from the equation but to gain a better understanding of God by better understanding the world around us. After studying physics at the college level for a couple years (no, I did not graduate, I was studying PHYSICS) I had not met a single person who was openly an atheist. I did meet several people who were Christians and considered science another way to learn about God's creation. I find it hard to believe that most of a renowned scientific institution would be atheist.
Also, I had to suspend belief a little bit about Robert Langdon. Only getting as far as my junior year in college as a physicist, not only did I hear about CERN I knew sangreal could mean holy blood, of the Illumanatti, a decent bit of Greek mythology, literature, history etc and I got out of as many of those classes as I could. I'm supposed to believe some one with a PhD and professor at a prestigeous ivy league school would know so little about science? But then again, being "well-rounded" always seemed to mean more about humanities and arts than it did science.
Overall though, I've enjoyed reading Dan Brown's books. The pace is very fast, hardly a dull moment. I'm going to borrow another one from the library tomorrow. I won't have seen a movie for the other 2 they have, so we'll see if I can make it through without reading the last chapter.
I think that's about it for today. I did take pictures of my garden, so hopefully I'll put some pics of that up. Had fresh green beans for supper tonight!

Book Review: Sue Grafton's S is for Silence

Ok, I tried to comment, but it didn't work. I'm going to make the SPOILERS readable. If you have not read S is for Silence by Sue Grafton, do not read the purple text below.

I finished this a couple days ago and just didn't feel satisfied with the ending. Wanted to share a few of my observations. This will contain SPOILERS. I'm going to try the trick of turning the font color the same as the background color so if you want to read this, you'll have to highlight the text after the next paragraph.

I enjoyed the style of the book. The reader gets a bit more insight than Kinsey does. It was interesting to read what happened to several of the characters then see what they told Kinsey. Which led me to feel the end was rushed and that as a reader I was denied some critical information. So, writing this, I've gone back and double checked dates and things. I think I have a few things worked out.

Wed, July 1st Violet started her affair with Chet to get the car she wants. That evening she hooks up with Jake for what sounds like the first time. Tom's at the bar thinking about a counseling session he had with his wife back in april. Violet and Tom talk about how a woman should help a husband. Tom says he's not trying to get in her pants, because she'll leave him for some one else. Earlier, it was implied that he had a relationship with her before.

Thurs, July 2nd Chet told Violet he'd help her get the car. We found out Jake had been with Violet before - and at one point says he had not seen her since Sunday, was he so drunk Wed he did not remember? He dumps Violet stating she'd been pulling away for weeks. She's pissed. Tom discovers a bank account that belongs to his wife's deceased first husband that the wife doesn't know about. He also thinks he needs an additional quick influx of cash to make a bank payment Monday.

Fri, July 3rd Foley bought the car in the AM, then Violet dumped Chet that afternoon. When Jake got to the hospital that afternoon, his father-in-law was clutching a Bible and a pink sheet of notebook paper accusing him of having an affair with Violet. (on wed we learned Chet's daughter Kathy kept pink stationary that she saved for special occasion - was it really Kathy who tattled, did Violet steal some of the stationary when she was at the dealership, or did Violet also happen to have pink stationary?).

So at the end of the book we find out Tom bought the dog for Violet, and asked the lady to call if anyone should come asking about it. When did he ask her to call? when he bought the dog? Was he really planning something that far out?

So here's what I think: I don't think Tom and Violet had been lovers. When BW said to ask Tom what happens if you drive her home, I think Tom really drove her home and either tongues started wagging or Foley believed it meant they were lovers. I think Jake was way depressed and drunk Wednesday night and didn't remember it the next day and some one saw them and ratted out. Everyone heard about Violet's money. I think Tom wanted it, but wasn't sure how to get it, but cultivated a friendship with her to get in her head and learn how to work her. He bought the dog, again as a friend. By being Violet's friend instead of trying to get in her pants she trusted in him in way she hadn't trusted anyone before. When he received news of the bank account he became liberated from his need for his wife. A quiet conversation with Violet - you take your money and I have my own now, we can take off together, we don't need our spouses anymore... I think that could have lured her out, especially since Jake dropped her - she didn't have any ties.
So, after a couple hours of re-reading and taking careful time line notes, I've been able to construct a plausible motive and means for the murder of Violet. I don't like working this hard to read a book. I think a chapter at the end from either Tom's or Violet's point of view tying up loose ends would have made this a better read.

Ok, that's the end of my babbling about this book. I shall do my best to put it out of my mind.