Finally finished...

The project that has been eating the rest of my life for the last week is done. My photo-travelogue of our trip to Costa Rica is posted here:
http://picasaweb.google.fr/jeff.spock/0904CostaRica

Even if you don't read the blather I typed in the captions, you might enjoy some of the rain forest pictures.

A great article on the relevance of high fantasy

In this article, R. Scott Bakker makes a very interesting argument that explains the popularity of works of high fantasy in contemporary society.

In short, all of our ancient explanations for what happened in the world around us have been invalidated by science. Weather, animals, and geology are controlled by indifferent scientific mechanisms, not by gods and spirits. The world no longer has an intrinsic moral meaning; everyday events no longer have a lesson in values attached. As Bakker says, "Where we once lived in a world steeped in moral significance, now we live in a world where things simply happen."

Thus, we turn to high fantasy or religion to find those moral lessons that are no longer part of our daily rituals. A fascinating read by a very bright author.