It's no secret that I'm an atheist, and have been one for several decades now; but I also don't take my atheism for granted, just like I don't think anyone should take their spiritual beliefs (or lack of them) for granted. I'm still constantly exploring religious topics in my life, and still constantly questioning whether it's time for me to update what it is that I believe about the world; and I feel in general that I'm a better person for making the effort. And if there's anything out there now I've experienced that would make me believe in some sort of supernatural higher power, it'd be of what an impossibly complex, magnificently perfect machine the human body is -- so magnificently complex, in fact, that even I sometimes wonder how it could be the random result of the evolutionary process, and not the single convoluted plan of an intelligence higher than ourselves. When you look at all the different systems that make up the human body, and of all the complicated ways these systems must communicate in order to keep that body functioning, it really is enough to make just about anyone start thinking about the omniscient power of a theoretical higher being.

I've been thinking about this topic a lot recently, in fact, ever since starting to make all these profound changes to my lifestyle this year; believe me, after 60 days of no longer smoking, better sleep, more exercise and the like, I have become acutely aware indeed of all the complicated things the human machine does to regulate itself. Because really, when all is said and done, that's all a human body actually is; it's the most complex machine ever invented, the theoretically perfect model off which all our pathetic manmade imitations are based. It's a machine that repairs itself; think about that one for a minute. A machine that learns from its mistakes; a machine aware of its own existence. A machine that happens to contain its own energy generator, one that works off simple organic fuel elements like water and vegetable matter and grain and sugar. A machine that even packages its own leftover waste into tidy little disposable packages, that one can literally shoot out of one's body into a nearby receptacle. Think about that one for a minute; think of a barbeque grill, for example, that could scoop up its own ashes and compact them into little throwaway bricks for you.

In fact, the more you start thinking of the body in terms of the imperfect imitations of it we've created over the centuries, the more creeped out you can get over all the metaphors involved; of eyes being the most sophisticated cameras ever invented, skin the ultimate cooling system. I'm amazed at how enmeshed all the parts are as well, and how easily all the different systems can communicate with each other; how now that I've been cigarette-free for two months, for example, my sense of smell is starting to come back as well, which in turn is increasing my appetite regularly too, which is then increasing the amount of fuel my body is getting, which then increases the amount of energy my body can generate. And this isn't even counting the systems more profoundly affected by my quitting smoking, like my blood and lungs and brain; I picked a minor example on purpose, specifically to show how convoluted such seemingly simple lifestyle changes can actually be.

It's for these reasons, frankly, that I'm not pushing myself that hard with these changes these days -- why I'm only shooting for moderate exercise right now, for example, instead of training for a marathon -- because I'm starting to profoundly understand just how much even such moderate changes affect one's body. After all, a person who gets just a moderate amount of exercise three times a week is just about as healthy as someone training for a marathon; a former smoker who has quit for seven years is just about as healthy as someone who never smoked in the first place. It's not rocket science to understand, although it is to duplicate, which I suppose is one of the reasons I'm so fascinated by the subject these days.

Anyway, the whole reason I bring it up is because I heard from a reader the other day, politely asking me not to become one of those smug "your body is a temple" people here at my journal, now that I'm going through all these lifestyle changes. And I'm going to try not to, I swear, but also wanted to point out that it can be difficult at times; that once you do dedicate part of your life to very carefully tracking the ways one's body reacts to certain situations, it can be hard not to make that the focus of one's personal writing as well. I know the subject is not everyone's cup of tea -- just ask the 28-year-old me, for example, who would want to kick the ass of the 38-year-old me for being such a goddamn pussy -- and I know it was never the focus of this journal when many of you started reading it, which is why I'm sensitive to the issue. So I'll make you all a deal, okay? If you'll be patient with my occasional "gee ain't it amazing what the human body can do" entries, I promise not to post too many of them. Okay? Okay!

And some random notes, as long as I'm here...

--So for anyone who doesn't know, my other personal journal over at the social network VOX is really starting to take on a life of its own; it started just as a moblog for posting on the go from my Treo (because of the excellent mobile client VOX makes), but has in recent weeks become my destination for smallish, more pop-culture-laced blog entries I've felt like writing, stuff either too short for this site or inappropriate in subject matter. For example, I've started writing 500- to 1000-word reviews of every Netflix movie I watch, known there as a series called "Movies for Grown-Ups" (as opposed to the Ben Stiller poopfests and other horseshit being passed off these days as adult entertainment), which are just too small and too silly to be posting over here on a regular basis. Anyway, I'm getting entries posted over there seemingly every day right now, so I encourage those of you who like my stupider but more regular writing to start checking over there or subscribing to the RSS feed.

--Oh, and some good news, for anyone who doesn't check in over there; the oral surgery I've been going through (in which I had 16 teeth surgically removed over the course of two weeks) is finally over, which means that in another couple of weeks the healing from the oral surgery will finally be over as well. And that means I'll finally be able to re-open my arts center, start bicycling a lot more and some other things that the recovery process has been keeping me from; and so that means that right now I'm starting to do the final preparation work for actually doing these things, once Memorial Day rolls around and I'm finally all healed up. So anyway, for those who are curious, the bicycling starts up in earnest as soon as this weekend; tomorrow, in fact, I'm making a 12-mile (20 km) trip through Lakeview and Lincoln Park, partly in celebration of national Free Comic Book Day and partly so that I can finally create my first-ever custom Google Earth file.

Have I mentioned this, by the way? That this summer I'm planning on creating a whole series of custom Google Map/Earth files, specifically laying out various bicycle routes here in Chicago I use on a regular basis? The project will be called "From Where I Live," and is basically being done simply because I can; because after years of inelegant third-party solutions, Google has finally released an official way to create customized "mashup" maps within both their 2D Google Map program and their 3D Google Earth one. Cool! And it's pretty sophisticated, too, which is why I'm excited; not only can you create a multicolored path, mile markers and multiple objects, but also embed photos (provided you upload them first to Google's Picasa), as well as videos (provided you upload them first to Google's YouTube).

Anyway, I thought it'd be fun to create a series of custom maps this summer and fall, each highlighting a different bike route in the city I use on a regular basis -- my house to Lincoln Park, my house to Rogers Park, my house to the Loop, etc etc. (Are you starting to see why I'm going to call the series "From Where I Live?") And best of all, I'll be able to collect them all at one central page here at my site; you can export your finished maps as both a unique URL (for Maps) and as a downloadable .kml file (for Earth), meaning that I'll be able to park all the links in one central place here at my site. Double cool! Anyway, so that's partly what I've been doing during my surgery recovery, is spending a lot of time online researching various bicycle day trips I can make this summer; to the Chicago Botanical Gardens in Glencoe, for example (20 miles from my house), or maybe to the Frank Lloyd Wright historical district in Oak Park (about 10 miles), or to Jackson Park on the south side, where the Museum of Science and Industry is (15 miles), or to the Brookfield Zoo (again about 15 miles). There are all kinds of interesting places to visit, I'm learning, 10 to 40 miles from my apartment; and now that I'm finally doing the last of my surgery recovery, I'm only a few weeks from being able to actually start making the trips, as well as documenting them. Anyway, so keep an eye out for those over the coming months.

--And speaking of which; yes, we're mere weeks as well from my arts organization, the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography (CCLaP), being re-activated again. Salut! I can't wait! And since you wouldn't be seeing this if you weren't a regular reader already, and already on the QT as far as this stuff, let me clue you in on a little secret as well; that CCLaP is officially accepting submissions of artistic work at this point too, with "CCLaP" in this case actually meaning "me." I'm looking for two types of work right now, actually, for anyone who wants to get a jump on things:

1) Excellent photography portfolios, 20 to 40 images total, that can all be linked in some conceptual or technical way. Ideal portfolios would mix the commercial with the cutting-edge; that is, would contain several images that would sell well in mass-outlet form (posters, postcards, etc), while still challenging the audience who is viewing the work. The goal with the photography is to start a virtual gallery at the site, featuring one artist per month; each artist would get their own show, including a cool interactive audio element where I interview you about each piece, plus an accompanying electronic catalog that people can download and print on their own end, plus a series of physical merchandise offered through MOO and Cafe Press, of which you would receive 50 percent of the profits.

And 2), mid-sized fictional projects, such as a novella or short novel, between 40,000 and 60,000 words in length. In this case, commercial viability doesn't matter as much as your actual writing ability, as well as your ability to think up unique concepts; in other words, with the literature side I'm specifically seeking out-there projects, ones that have maybe been rejected by other publishers for being too much of a challenge. Be warned that I can only afford to print one paper book this summer, and maybe for all of 2007; as they say during the fine print of child contests, "Many will enter, only one will win." My apologies, but at this time I am not accepting poetry or short-story submissions. Sorry! CCLaP's blog will be featuring poetry and short stories, to be sure; but unlike last year, this time I'll just be pointing out good poetry and short stories I find on other people's websites, not reprinting them at the CCLaP site itself. The focus of CCLaP's publishing on this second attempt will be exclusively mid-sized narratives at first, until I have at least a half-dozen such books published and will finally be ready for a book of poetry or short stories. (And for those who are curious; authors will receive 50 percent of the profits as well, and will get $500 in advance from CCLaP in one big chunk.)

Anyway, yeah, I'm quite a bit away from either of these projects coming to fruition; I've already picked the first three photographers for the gallery, actually, which means that people submitting work can't expect to get their own slot until at least September, and of course I won't be publishing any paper books at all until at least August if not later. That said, as I mentioned, if you're reading this site in the first place, I figured I'd give all of you a chance to submit work before the rest of the general public does, and before I get sick and tired of reading all those fucking shitty manuscripts that I undoubtedly will receive as this summer progresses. Submissions can be directly sent to ilikejason [at] gmail.com if you want, and I can accept just about any format that exists; or even better, post the work somewhere online and just send me the links. I look forward to hearing from you! No, really, I do!

--And what else? Oh, I know there's more I wanted to talk about; but I'm sick of writing, frankly, so I guess I'll end things here for today. See you laters, masturbators!