Almost (in)Famous

My co-workers laid in wait for me yesterday. When I got to work they were hoping I hadn't heard the news. (I hate working with people who get to work REALLY early and then make you feel like a slacker for getting there merely on time)

"What news?", says I. Lamb to the slaughter folks, lamb to the slaughter.

With a certain glee, they told me there was a guy named JJJJ MMMM (name two letters different than mine, same last name) in Volusia County Florida, the next county north of ours, that had been arrested for soliciting what he thought was a thirteen year old boy on the internet, to come to Daytona Beach (Ormond Beach, actually) to be his sex slave.


When Guy-With-Basically-Same-Name-As-Me showed up at the Greyhound Bus Station to pick up his new toy, he was quite surprised to find cops instead of a tender thirteen year old boy.

Turns out that, on the internet, Tender-Thirteen-Year-Old-Boy was actually Detective T.C. Bloxom of Bossier Parish, Louisiana.

A cop.

WOOPS!

My "friends" here at work, I might have to recategorize them, were just having fun at my expense because our names are almost the same.

Freaked them out when I told them that I lived for several years in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. (pronounced BOSE-yur) Number One Daughter was born in Bossier City, La. (Number Two Daughter was born in Texas, a total other story.)

If you-uns is interested, here's the story.

Anyway, I was an almost-celebrity yesterday. Yay for me.

Engineer humor sometimes sucks. Plus, if you go read the article, you'll see that Guy-With-Basically-Same-Name-As-Me was wearing suspenders with his blue jeans.

As If!

I'm a belt guy all the way.

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Da Vinci Code Starts Tonight

I'm not gonna go see the movie.

I read the book as soon as it came out because I had already read all of Dan Brown's earlier works. When I read it, there was not even any hoopla yet, and I didn't know what it was about. I just knew that it had the same character, Robert Langdon, as his previous book.

I actually liked Da Vinci Code least of all his books. I don't begrudge a guy his success but he's not really that good a writer. He has good plot twists and stuff, which I love, but the writing itself just isn't too great.

I am TOTALLY mystified as to why this book has sold forty million copies in hardback.

I'm a Christian, but I wasn't offended at the premise, but the sheer magnitude of the success of this book makes me back off.

I hate to say it, but there are lots of people out there who will be influenced by this story. Doesn't say much for their intelligence or the strength of their beliefs (if any), but, well, never mind.

I'm not going to see it, even though I like Tom Hanks and Ron Howard.

I'm not too worried either. Christianity has hung in there for over 2000 years despite it's adherents being crucified, fed to lions and in general hated. (Shameless Self Promotion: speaking of lions, see yesterday's post for cool lion story)

One more movie isn't gonna bring Christianity down. But I won't be giving them my money.