Apparently the state of New Mexico, not content with the alien problem it already has, is prepared to address the issue of disenfranchised Plutonians. On Tuesday, the esteemed legislative body will vote on a bill to make Pluto a planet once again while it is passing over New Mexican territory – but only at night. As Davy Barry would say, I am not making this up.

This is undoubtedly good news for my my youngest son, who asserts emphatically that he’s on a student visa from Pluto. And based on his delightfully quirky behavior, I haven’t ruled it out. And my Sweetness will probably want to move to New Mexico now because in addition to a lack of cold weather, they have good planetary instincts. Inexplicably, she’s never quite gotten over the rock’s demotion last year.

But the real question is Bill Richardson’s position. His Presidential aspirations could hinge on this crucial issue. How big of a pandering patsy is he? And how many countless hours and dollars will be wasted trying to figure out the timetable for exactly when Pluto is a planet? That could take years of deliberation all by itself. I can’t help but think that the New Mexico state legislature might be using their constituents’ money better by buying themselves flashlights and forming a citizen’s border patrol.

There’s been a lot of hype lately over a book and DVD called “The Secret”. If you’re unfamiliar, you can read a review here, or look at all the related books/DVDs available on Amazon.

The essence of “The Secret” is essentially the power of positive thought. If you visualize a goal and truly believe in it, you will achieve it. This is not new, but does seem to take the idea a little further than previous issuances of this truism. It extends the idea to material goods and physical happenings. That is, you can visualize a good parking space or a new necklace. It also asserts that this power is some sort of physical law akin to gravity.

It won’t surprise any of my readers that the idea of positioning this sophistry as science is more than a little irritating to me. Honestly, the more irritating aspect is that anyone is ignorant enough to even entertain that notion. Nonetheless, I do accept and believe that a positive optimistic outlook does have a way of altering your personal decision patterns in a way that helps you achieve a desired goal. I don’t think it makes a new bike magically appear on your doorstep, but there’s no doubt that success is most readily achieved by people who believe in themselves.

But I think what surprises me the most is that religious groups are not rallying against this book. After all, the basics of “The Secret” are essentially the same as the practice of praying. The difference is that with prayer the idea is that your god will fulfill your wish. Where with “The Secret” this magical but scientific property of the universe will do so. (May the Force be with you??) Ironically, to my mind, these both operate on the same underlying mental principles. However, for some reason Western culture seems to find the idea of personal responsibility and drawing power from within as abhorrent. We need to externalize that force.

Still, why are fundamentalists not asserting that “The Secret” is usurping the role of prayer? If the fictional Harry Potter was dangerous because people might believe in magic spells, why is the (allegedly) non-fiction Secret not more subversive for asserting that God is no longer required to answer prayers? God has been supplanted by a fundamental property of the universe. It would seem evolution is but a minor annoyance compared to the theological affront presented by “The Secret”.

What am I missing?