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The generic create-a-face-with-a-magnet-and-iron-shavings game has some specific offshoots. The game/puzzle is the magnetic doodle thing with a face printed on paper. The most notable derivative is the Create A Commie, but the store also has Fuzzy Philosophers. The philosophers don’t look as fun as the communists, maybe because the philosophers have a normal face for a base, not a deep, more-than-sunburn, red face.

“Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame.”
– Isaiah 44:9

In North Myrtle Beach, there are discount beach stuff stores every other block. The main two are Eagles and Bargain. The main tourist item to buy is a shark tooth necklace, which is essentially a string with a shark tooth attached to it. It looks decent enough, and it impresses young children. Yes, we bought a couple of necklaces for the kids. But they are cheap, as in less than a dollar.

I saw an advertisement for airplane advertising – you pay this company some money and they will fly a banner with your message up and down the beach. It’s a common form of advertising anywhere there are a bunch of people, and the seaside is no exception. One of the beach-stuff places employed this method of aerial advertising. They paid someone at least $300 per hour, plus the fee to create the banner, a one-time fee of at least $100. So assuming they had the plane for one hour, that would be $400.

They were advertising for the shark-tooth necklace – a 70-cent item. Assuming a profit margin of 50%, the would make $0.35 per necklace. They would have to sell 1,143 necklaces, to new customers who would not have otherwise gone to the store, in order to break even. And the beach wasn’t even that crowded. What I expect is that the necklaces are their loss leaders and the stores lure you in for those but pitch other higher-priced items to make up for them. So if you go buy a shark-tooth necklace, beware the other items in the store.

“The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, `Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.'”
– Matthew 25:20

Having spent some time in North Myrtle Beach, SC, I thought I would post something about it.

If you’re looking for a condo-type place called Brigadoon in the area, you won’t find it. That’s because they are clever and spell it Brigadune. If you do a search for Brigadune in Myrtle Beach, you will find it quite easily.

North Myrtle Beach is a very touristy area. Every block or two there are at least one mini golf place, a discount beach stuff place, and an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. There are a bunch of coupons available, so if you go to any touristy place, do not pay full price. I think the prices are inflated to make up for the coupon discount. Kind of like higher education in America today. Tuition prices are artificially high because of all the student aid, federal loans, grants, and scholarships. There is also a parallel with health care costs. People think they’re getting a better deal with the coupons, but really they just take the price back to about what it should be.

The seafood buffets are numerous, and most of them have websites in addition to the flyers and leaflets and coupons. But you won’t see a published price anywhere. You can have a coupon for $5 off your meal, but nowhere does it mention the actual price – it could be $15 or $50. You have to call and ask. The actual prices range from $15 to $30. Just remember that you’re paying for the experience and for the quantity of food, not necessarily the quality of food. I thought the salmon tasted too fishy and the carved ham was too dry. The German chocolate cake was good though.

The crab legs were fun. I don’t like seafood. Fish yes, but seafood no. My wife and sister-in-law got several crab legs. My sons had never seen crab legs before, other than on living crabs. So when the others came to the table with a plate of crab legs, I told my son “Look, they are going to eat those.” And he did not believe me at first. But we showed him how the shell-cracker devices work and the kids had fun the rest of the meal cracking shells and moving the claws around, pretending they were crabs. That’s what the kids will remember – the crab legs and the aquarium, not how the food tasted.

The same goes for the putt-putt or miniature golf places. Don’t go without a coupon, and remember that you’re paying for the experience. It cost $7.50 per game, I think, so $30 for the four of us. There was nothing fancy in the greens themselves, maybe some curves or a tunnel. But there was a pirate show every half hour. The cannons would blast (just sounds and some water mist for smoke) from the ship to the fortress and the fortress would fire back. That’s what the kids will remember – the extra effects, not the game itself.

“I consulted with myself and contended with the nobles and the rulers and said to them, ” You are exacting usury, each from his brother!” Therefore, I held a great assembly against them.”
– Nehemiah 5:7

Why does NASA go to great lengths and expenses to cover the Space Shuttle with all sorts of fancy stuff? When the shuttle enters the earth’s atmosphere, it needs protection from the extreme heat caused by the re-entry.

A Japanese professor is going to have some paper airplanes launched from the space station – little paper airplanes – and they will survive re-entry just fine. At least that’s the plan. So if they do make it through the atmosphere without burning up, maybe we’ll see a re-designed space shuttle – one that’s made of paper. I know, I know – the space shuttle has a lot more surface area and will be going a lot faster because it’s heavier so it will heat up a lot more than the small bits of paper. But if they could slow down the shuttle, they could make it less expensive.

“The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters.”
– Revelation 8:10

One of my favorite road signs that I see on some of my travels is the following:

There is an intersection and a stop sign, and you have your choice of Seven Mile Rd. or Seven Mile Rd.

“For those who guide this people are leading {them} astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion.”
– Isaiah 9:16

I disagree that “if you give an infinite number of monkey an infinite number of typewriters, they will eventually produce the works of Shakespeare.”

The statement is meant to demonstrate something about randomness. I disagree with the statement though, because monkeys are not random. They will mostly just bang on the same set of keys and repeat the same sequences. If you give them enough time, eventually they’ll produce the same stuff they produced at the beginning, and none of it will be even close to sensible.

If you had an infinite number of random-letter generators, eventually they might produce the works of Shakespeare. I can’t say that I disagree with that, but I still find the whole concept useless. I don’t know why I am even writing about this topic. I am tempted to write something to relate this statement to something relevant, such as “If you give an infinite number of politicians an infinite number of typewriters, eventually they’ll balance the budget.” or “If you give an infinite number of bloggers an infinite number of websites, eventually they’ll accomplish something.”, but nothing good comes to mind, so I’ll refrain.

There may be some who want to use the monkey theorem to say that given enough time, anything can be produced from randomness. I contend that although that may be the case mathematically, in the real world things are not so random.

“When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him, And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen, And also the beasts of the field,
The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea, Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name in all the earth!”
– Psalm 8:3-9

Ten Reasons Why Cats are Better Than Dogs

1. Cats do not jump up and put their muddy paws on me.
2. Cats do not try to lick me.
3. Noisy neighborhood cats do not wake me up.
4. Homeowners insurance questionnaires don’t ask you if you have a cat.
5. Cats can catch their own food and feed themselves.
6. Cats do not put their noses in inappropriate places.
7. You can leave a cat for the weekend.
8. If someone’s large cat starts chasing me when I’m out for a jog, I do not have to worry.
9. Cats can take care of their own potty needs – no need for you to let them outside.
10. “Wet cat” is not that bad a smell.

“Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.”
– Matthew 7:6