The image in the center is an actual photo of me. For the images on the left and right I isolated half my face and mirrored that image to make a complete picture of my head. The one to your left is what I would look like if my head were symmetrical with the left side of my face. The image on the right is what I would look like if the rest of my head were symmetrical with the right side.

I find it fascinating how different some of my facial features are in each photo. Particularly, the angle of my eyes, the shape of my nose and the shape of my smile. (You can click the image to enlarge.)

I wonder if this is what I’d look like if I were to be cloned.

Sigh. Apparently we still have a long way left to go when it comes to race in America.

Over sixty children who are part of a day camp in Northeast Philadelphia were turned away from the Valley Swim Club earlier this week because they were African-American. The camp had paid the club $1,900 to use their pool once a week for the duration of the summer. But when the campers arrived for their first day of swimming they were notified by the pool attendant that the club didn’t allow minorities and they would need to leave immediately.

The following day the club’s president said in a statement that the children were turned away because they were concerned the children would “change the complexion” of the club.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA) has demanded an investigation.

Sorry kids. You can be President, but you still can’t share a pool with rich white bigots.

Do you realize that in two short hours the world is going to come to a grinding halt? Well, maybe not. But here on the east coast the date and time will be exactly 12:34:56 07/08/09. That will (obviously) be the first second time that’s ever happened in history this century today.

If it is the end, let’s at least go out with some good tunes.

When I was 18 months old I had to have corrective surgery on my left eye to correct a pretty wicked case of lazy eye. The surgery was a success, but then my right eye began to wander. From the time I was two until I was fifteen I had to wear thick glasses to correct the problem. And by “thick” I mean that on a clear night I could see most of Jupiter’s moons. But for the past 17 years I’ve been glasses free and my vision has been A-OK.

Lately I’ve been noticing that it’s taking me a little longer to bring words into focus. And it’s especially hard to read newsprint. So while I was at the grocery store I decided to try on a few pairs of those over the counter reading glasses. I can see again!

I promised Cheryl I’ll get to an eye doctor eventually. But for now, I’m just glad that I can finally read again without squinting!

Alright, the scavenger hunt is finally over and we get to hear what all the hub bub was about. Here’s the completed version of the song “What Matters More?”

So yeah, we’re probably going to need to talk about this one…

What Matters More? – Derek Webb

(HT Penguinicius for posting the final version so quickly.)

If you look to the left you will see a new feature here at SB.com. Every time you interact with the SocialVibe widget a donation will be made to Charity: Water by a corporate sponsor.

According to their website, SocialVibe is “a social media tool that allows people to utilize their online influence to make a real difference.” The tool allows people to post a widget to their blog, Facebook profile or other social media sites. Whenever someone clicks on the SocialVibe widget it earns advertising revenue from the sponsor. That money is then distributed quarterly among the partner not-for-profits based on the number of “points” earned by clicks.

Charity: Water is a not-for-profit that provides clean drinking water to people in developing nations. They currently have a goal to provide 2.7 million gallons of clean drinking water to people in Haiti. Get clicking!

I don’t care where your allegiances lie. You have to give props to Mariano Rivera.

Class act. No media drama. A workhorse. The biggest reason the Yankees did what they did in the mid to late 90s. And he loves Jesus. Mucho.

Congrats on #500 Mo! Thanks for the memories!!

Michael Jackson’s Thriller was my introduction to pop music. I can still remember the first time I ever heard it…

I was six and we had just moved to a new neighborhood. It didn’t take long for me to make friends with the kid next door. He was a few years older than me, but we immediately hit it off because we had the same first name. His mom had just bought Thriller on cassette, and he could barely contain his excitement as he pulled it from the case and popped it in his boom box.

I had no idea who Michael Jackson was, or why my new friend was so excited. But the minute we heard those first three synth drum beats which kick of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ ” we started dancing. We had danced our way through the entire A-side when my mom called me inside. She was furious.  Growing up in a Christian home in the early-80s, I wasn’t allowed to listen to “secular” music. I knew better, but I didn’t care. And I got a spanking for it.

Later on I found a way to get my hands on my own copy of the album. I must have listened to it a million times late at night with the volume turned down real low so I wouldn’t get caught. And I never did.

When I think about Michael Jackson, I tend not to think much about the bizarre behavior and dreadful allegations that marred his later years. I think about all the red faux-leather jackets with the zippers on them that my friends wore to school. I think about how much fun it was to wear a glove on one hand and try to Moonwalk. (I was never able to figure it out.) I think about moving to a new neighborhood and meeting new friends. I think about my childhood.

Thanks Michael.

Timing is everything.

With all eyes around the world fixated on the current situation in Iran, the issue of women’s rights in that country have never been more at the forefront. Which is why a new film starring Jim Caveizel (who played the part of Jesus in The Passion of the Christ) looks like it may be the benefactor of some serendipitous timing.

The Stoning of Soraya M. is the story of an Iranian woman who shares the details surrounding her niece’s death with a journalist who finds himself stranded in her village. Her hope is that he will take the story with him and bring those who have sinned against her niece to justice. It’s adapted from a 1994 novel written by French-Iranian journalist Freidoune Sahebjam. Sahebjam was ultimately tried in absentia and sentenced to death by the Iranian government for his reports of human rights violations in the country.

With Iran seemingly on the brink of collapse – and women’s rights injustices at the center of the outcry – this film couldn’t have been released at a more important time. It sees limited release on Friday and will be coming soon to Rochester’s The Little Theatre.