December 20, 2008
Finally decorated the house.
Up until now, I really didn't feel like doing the house up for Christmas, but I've been feeling better so today we put up the Charlie Brown tree, the lights, ornaments, and all of the decorations in the living room.
If we just had some fig trees or pear trees, whatever kinda trees they are you have at xmas, it'd be complete.
We don't put an angel or star on our tree, that would be extremely hypocritical considering we're atheists, so every year we put our own special topper on it, Zero, Jack Skellington's ghost dog.
I placed my 2 Woodstock ornaments on the tree....
I put my 3 Winnie the Pooh light covers on....
And all of our favorite and safely stored away character ornaments.
It's all done and looking might festive in here, so when the girls come to see me tomorrow, they can see all of the lights and things at 'auntie kat's house too'.
August 20, 2008
Learn something new every single day.
Joana and I were on a forum we both frequent this afternoon, when the subject of Quinceanera came up.
Being from up north, I had absolutely no idea what that was, so I asked.
Joana posted a bunch of information about what exactly it is.
Basically, when a young girl from a Spanish or Mexican family/culture, is coming of age, the family sends out these beautiful Quinceanera invitations to family and friends to come celebrate the girl turning 15, the age at which she goes from being a girl to a young woman.
They are huge elaborate parties, and a special Catholic mass for her, and the whole thing is usually paid for by her godparents.
The girl wears a very formal dress almost as elaborate as a wedding gown with a veil, and she will have attendants, other girls who are also dressed in formal white gowns, and who will lead in for her at both the ceremony and the dance afterwards.
Most of the guests are family, some friends will be invited, but it's mostly a ceremony and function to announce the new young woman to society.
According to the information Joana posted, it's a pretty big deal.
I always enjoy learning new things about people and their cultures, their ceremonies and stuff, so thanks Joana for teaching me something new today.
I would have probably never learned about this otherwise as my sons and I would never have a reason to be invited to something like this.
June 29, 2008
Migraines are truly the suck.
We had a really good time at Mindy's house yesterday afternoon and evening.
Good food, conversation, the kids all played video games while Mindy and I chatted and her husband leveled up on WoW.
I was way stiffened up by the time we got home, and laid down for about an hour or so, then I got up and dealt with emails and stuff.
I woke up this morning with a migraine from hell, and have been fighting it unsuccessfully all day and night now.
So seeing as I was defeated, I just laid around and watched movies for most of the day interspersed with going back and forth with a Bill Keller fan on a websites posting section.
There's nothing more fun than knowing more about the scriptures than the people who claim to live by them.
You all do know that no preacher is supposed to receive any pay for preaching the word of god right right?
Look it up, Corinthians 9:18.
The Keller fan has been refusing to acknowledge that little part of the new testament.
Keller has an income of $1million dollars at the end of the year, yet he tells his flock and tv viewers, that he only takes $60k as a salary.
He's a liar and a fraud, and it's time people start learning the truth about this very corrupt tv minister.
So anyway, today we watched the movie Funny Games (2008)
I just want to warn you that this remake starring Naomi Watts and Eli Roth, is absolute garbage.
I don't give a crap that it's a social commentary on our obsession with media violence, when at the crucial moment of the film, the bad guy picks up the tv remote and rewinds the movie to change the outcome, that's a complete waste of freaking time.
But we did watch a movie that we all really liked on Friday night, Otis
After being captured and tortured by the psychopath Otis (Bostin Christopher), teen cheerleader Riley Lawson (Ashley Johnson) escapes and informs her parents (Daniel Stern and Illeana Douglas), who quickly sidestep the sluggish FBI and take matters into their own hands. But the Lawson's revenge plan hit a snag when Otis's unusual brother (Kevin Pollak) enters the picture. Jere Burns co-stars as the FBI agent assigned to the case.
I suppose I should get back to work now.
I have some stuff I need to do before I can go to bed.
I hope when I wake up in the morning this migraine has left.
It feels like my right eyeball is going to pop out any second.
June 25, 2008
Bill Keller investigated by the IRS.
Poor Bill Keller, that's what happens when you run your mouth and hide under your religion.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) - The Internal Revenue Service is investigating a St. Petersburg televangelist who criticized former presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the Republican primary.
Bill Keller hosts of a live television program on the Internet, and his tax-exempt status as a church prohibits him from endorsing or opposing candidates for public office. But in one broadcast, Keller said a vote for Romney was a vote for Satan.
Keller says his comments were based on religion, not politics. He says he took issue with Romney, a Mormon, telling people that he was a Christian.
Keller says he is prepared to fight if his ministry loses its tax-exempt status.
Since he began his Live Prayer Internet ministry in 1999, he has skewered Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Scientologists, calling them false religions and cults. He also speaks against abortion, calls Oprah a "new age witch" for embracing diverse religions and says megachurch pastor Joel Osteen is a "gutless wonder."
In May, Keller raised the ire of Americans United for Separation of Church and State when he wrote devotionals on Liveprayer.com saying that a vote for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney equals a vote for Satan. The group asked the IRS to investigate Keller for a possible violation of tax laws, which prohibit tax-exempt nonprofit groups from engaging in partisan politics. Keller, took the debate to a national audience on The O'Reilly Factor, where he sparred with host Bill O'Reilly, who called Keller's words "irresponsible, un-Christian, uncharitable and flat-out wrong."
I even went back and forth with one of his flock who answers his emails, and just read some of this crap that he allows people to speak in his name.
This isn't a good person, he shouldn't even call himself a Christian.
He's nothing but a hate-filled asshole, and I personally, will be very happy the day the IRS yanks away his tax-exempt status and starts investigating his so called church.
I am willing to bet they find lots of interesting things in his financial record books.
Heck, he probably has two sets.
June 23, 2008
Here comes the 'he's with Jesus' stuff already.
I am still as shocked and saddened today as I was last night upon hearing the news that George Carlin has died.
Of course, people don't say someone died any more, they say they've passed on.
Carlin said that in one of his skits about words, soft language, it's wickedly funny.
But it's already started.
People everywhere in blogs today, and on the news, and there will be newspaper cartoons drawn up, about how he's in heaven now.
But no, he isn't.
George Carlin was an avowed atheist, and just because others believe in god and heaven, does not mean Carlin is with Jesus now.
That's those people's beliefs, not Carlin's.
People should just take a few minutes and read Carlin's bio.
All those jokes about religion weren't just jokes to him, it's how he felt, he really did not believe in god, jesus, heaven, hell, none of it, and by saying he's with god now is really disrespectful to him as a person.
Just watch this clip where he talks about death, it's not just a joke to him, that is how he felt.
There is no 'up there' he said, he really doesn't believe it exists, he was an atheist.
To say he's in heaven with god now is just disrespectful to him.
I mean, just imagine if after you died, if people started saying the exact opposite of what you believed?
How would you feel about that?
Well, you wouldn't feel much, you're dead, but do you like the idea of people saying the opposite of what you believed your entire life?
You wouldn't want that, you'd want people to remember you as you were in life, to say what you believed so strongly in.
If you believed in god, you'd want people to say that you are with jesus now right?
To be respectful of your beliefs right?
But if you didn't believe in it, you'd want people to say that, to let it be known that you didn't believe if people said you're with god now.
You'd want the truth to be told about you and your beliefs.
I've been reading blogs through my feed reader all day now, and so so many of them think all those jokes were just that, jokes, and they are saying he's with god now, he's at peace finally, he was such a troubled soul but now he's with god, and he'll be at peace for once in his life.
I don't think he was a troubled soul at all, he said exactly what he felt, what he believed.
He was at peace in his life, he battled his drug addictions and over came them without a higher power, he did it on his own.
Why is it that as soon as someone dies, everyone says they are with god now, they'll be at peace finally?
Why can't people respect the person who has died and what they believed in?
It just bothers me that so many people have no respect for his true beliefs.
They want to believe he's gone to the heaven they believe in, and that's not what he believed.
He's just dead.
He was here yesterday, and now he's not.
May 27, 2008
Said by a man who calls himself a Christian
tonight on the local forums;
I hope there really is a "lake of fire" when we die where you burn and torture slowly for eternity, because I will definitely raise my hand and volunteer to push several of you into it and laugh loudly as you sink down into the million degree molten lava beggin for mercy.
It never ceases to amaze me how some of them just cannot wait for that day of judgment so they can watch all their enemies burn in the lake of fire.
They will sit by the side and watch, clap, and be gleeful over the pain and suffering of others.
I have a feeling this guy would get along really great with Ray Comfort.
The two of them can sit and judge others and enjoy the suffering and damnation of their earthly enemies and the heathenish blasphemers while sipping pina coladas.
May 22, 2008
What does it mean to you?
Here we all are, scrambling through our individual daily lives, paying rent, mortgages, buying groceries and term life insurance, wondering how we'll pay for that next tank of gas, or the food or medication we need, and here we are, humans, together.
A recent High School graduate, Peter, had to come up with the answer to the following question;
What does it mean to be human?
For a class project, I went into the street and asked 100 people what it means to be human. About 40 of them responded and were willing to be interviewed. Here are their answers.
This was brilliant and deep, and I loved it.
I especially loved the little girl who replied to her father, "I don't know, I'm 10."
How absolutely simple and honest.
I loved this video project.
Hat tip Hemant
May 19, 2008
$3.5 million for the Boy Scouts.
On May 15, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 5872, an act "To require the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America, and for other purposes." The sale of the coins by the Secretary of the Treasury, with a surcharge on each coin sold to "be paid to the National Boy Scouts of America Foundation." In other words, this is a congressionally mandated fundraiser for the Boy Scouts.With the act allowing for up to 350,000 of this coin to be issued and fixing the surcharge at $10 per coin, the Boy Scouts could receive as much as $3.5 million from their sale. Never before, in the long history of U.S. government issued commemorative coins, has this benefit been granted to an organization that promotes religion or discriminates based on religion.
The Boy Scouts of America maintains that no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God. In the first part of the Scout Oath or Promise the member declares, 'On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law.' The recognition of God as the ruling and leading power in the universe and the grateful acknowledgment of His favors and blessings are necessary to the best type of citizenship and are wholesome precepts in the education of the growing members. No matter what the religious faith of the members may be, this fundamental need of good citizenship should be kept before them. The Boy Scouts of America, therefore, recognizes the religious element in the training of the member, but it is absolutely nonsectarian in its attitude toward that religious training. Its policy is that the home and the organization or group with which the member is connected shall give definite attention to religious life.
A private organization can have whatever beliefs and religious requirements it chooses to. That's their constitutional right. But Congress can absolutely not financially aid the Boy Scouts in the promotion of their beliefs and enforcement of their religious requirements by legislating a fundraiser for them!
May 1, 2008
Ribbit ribbit reason.
Today is the National Day of Reason.
It was started to raise public awareness about the persistent threat to religious liberty posed by government intrusion into the private sphere of worship.
The federally funded National Day of Prayer is also today, and so those of us who value the separation of church and state, want to see our government stay out of religious and spiritual affairs, keep religion out of government and schools, have come together on this day to share the voice of reason and encourage others to stand up and understand how important it is that the government stay out of our religious and spiritual affairs.
This day isn't just about atheists and secularists, it's about everyone, and the threat against the wall of separation of church and state.
Statement of Principles
We join with all people of good will to encourage the application of reason and tolerance in public discourse and to affirm the value of maintaining the separation of church and state. In so doing, we oppose the division of America along religious lines inspired by the National Day of Prayer. The National Day of Reason is intended to be a secular alternative to the federally-proclaimed National Day of Prayer, and shall draw attention to the fact that:
*Reason and the scientific method continue to be used to advance humanity and are worthy of recognition;
*The National Day of Prayer is an exclusionary, government-funded religious observance that violates the First Amendment principle of separation of church and state;
*Overtly and exclusively Christian prayers in government sanctioned events discriminate against those of minority belief systems as well as those without religion;
*Government funding of religious activities, programs, and personnel is unconstitutional, and constitutes an inappropriate use of taxpayers' money.
April 30, 2008
Sorry 'bout that.
I know posting about barf and then going out to eat a greasy blue cheese burger, all in the same post, was kind of nasty, but that's just how my brain was working at the time.
Sorry if I grossed anyone out.
Anyway, the teens loved their hot wings.
They were totally surprised and like OMG! Mom I love you!, and then we sat down and watched The Golden Compass
I liked the move, a little long in some parts, but good none the less.
It also was an opportunity to discuss with the teens why so many people were pissed about the movie when it came out.
Mark brought it up when the movie ended, and he asked; "Why were people trying to get others to boycott that?"
I explained to him that it was because A) the book's author is an atheist, and B) because the things contained in the movie have an anti-religion, anti-government message.
The magisterium represents both the government and the church.
They were trying to keep people from learning about the other worlds and other people who lived in those worlds, by controlling the people by limiting the information that gets out, as well as controlling the people themselves.
Telling them what to do for their own good kind of thing.
The college was about free thought, the ability to freely learn, and pass on what they learned, about the other worlds and people, the "dust", so the people could think for themselves and not be controlled.
Mark had one of those "a-ha" moments, and then he laughed.
"So basically, the people who were attempting to get this movie boycotted, were attempting to control the free passage of thought and information, because the messages that may be learned are not what they feel is for the good of the people. How ironic."
I love that kid.
We also have another movie to watch tonight.
I'm going to introduce the teens to Patrick Bateman.
For those who don't know, he's the main character in American Psycho
While it is very violent, it is also comical.
It has a very dry sense of humor flowing throughout the film.
The business card scene is perhaps the most well known, and most brought up at any meeting where people may be handing out cards.
Last summer was one of those times when I sat around a large table and one man started handing out his cards, then another, then myself, and then everyone with a card.
We all ooh and ahhed at the thickness of the card stocks, the luster, the fonts.
Someone even mentioned how they suddenly felt like they were Patrick Bateman, and then a couple of giggles followed by those of us who know the film.
There's always someone who has no idea, and then someone else explains it.
It's a really great scene in a really great movie.
April 29, 2008
Senate rejects religious plate.
That proposed "I believe" plate I told you about a few days ago, has been rejected by the Florida senate.
A license plate that would become the first in the nation to prominently feature a religious symbol was not included in a package of legislation creating new license plates after a vote in the Senate.Opponents of the plate said approval - whose proposed design included a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe" - would have almost certainly faced a court challenge.
The bill's Senate sponsor said Monday, however, that the chamber's rejection of the plate could also generate a lawsuit. Florida already has over 100 different license plates and by allowing the designs the state has created a "public forum," said Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico.
Great, now Rhonda is gonna sue over it.
April 25, 2008
Florida takes two steps backwards.
There are currently two religious issues taking place here in Florida this week that I'm in shock over.
The first is the Evolution Academic Freedom Act.
Plant City Senator Ronda Storms introduced the Evolution Academic Freedom Act, which permits teachers to challenge the theory of evolution in science classes.
This comes months after a state panel voted to require teaching evolution in Florida. Storms says her law would protect teachers who want to offer other theories for mankind's existence besides evolution.
Tampa Senator Arthenia Joyner argued the law opens public school classrooms to debate on creationism, intelligent design and God's role in mankind's existence. Joyner said that debate belongs in church and at home, not in Floridas public schools.
The bill passed 21-17 and now goes to the House. That chamber is considering a version of the bill that would not just permit, but require teachers to present "critical analysis" of the theory of evolution.
The Senate rejected that version of the bill.
A theory is based on empirical scientific evidence.
That makes evolution a theory, we have scientific evidence to back up the claim of evolution.
ID or creationism is not and can not, by definition, be a theory.
There is absolutely no empirical scientific evidence to back up ID or creationism.
All they have is the bible as the basis for their idea.
It's not a theory, it's an idea.
This whole thing just irritates me because just this past October, teachers in the state of Florida, were finally allowed to actually say the word evolution in classrooms.
Current standards do not use the word evolution -- long a controversial word in education -- but do require teaching evolutionary concepts in public schools.
The second issue is a new license plate up for legislation.
Florida has more than 100 specialty plates that drivers can have, but we now would be the first state in the nation to explicitly promote a specific religion.
The Florida Legislature is considering a specialty plate with a design that includes a Christian cross, a stained-glass window and the words "I Believe."
Rep. Edward Bullard, the plate's sponsor, said people who "believe in their college or university" or "believe in their football team" already have license plates they can buy. The new design is a chance for others to put a tag on their cars with "something they believe in," he said.
If the plate is approved, Florida would become the first state to have a license plate featuring a religious symbol that's not part of a college logo. Approval would almost certainly face a court challenge.
The problem with the state manufacturing the plate is that it "sends a message that Florida is essentially a Christian state" and, second, gives the "appearance that the state is endorsing a particular religious preference,' said Howard Simon, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida.
All of Florida's specialty plates cost the drivers extra fees to have, and that money goes to a cause the plates endorse.
Luckily, we have a few legislators who realize that the plates clearly violate the separation of church and state.
The group asking for the "I Believe" plate, the Orlando-based nonprofit Faith in Teaching Inc., supports faith-based school activities. The plate would cost drivers an extra $25 annual fee.
If this passes, I hope that other religious groups step up and raise the signatures and the $60 thousand needed, to get their plates up for legislation as well.
Just picture it.
Plates with images of Mohamed, Buddha, Dionysius, Rah, a wiccan symbol etc.
There are 19 major religions, 40 different organized religions, plus the more than 270 different religious groups, and the 34,000 unique Christian groups.
Or how about a big giant scarlet 'A' for the atheists?
Wouldn't that be awesome?
Everyone could drive around with their religion and the words "I believe" on their license plates, for everyone to see.
We could all be driving along honking our horns at the other faiths we find complete and utter bullshit.
We think people have road rage now?!
Just wait till we can all drive around with our "I believe" plates with our distinct religion plastered on it, and know exactly who we disagree with, and more importantly, who we hate for being of a different faith.
April 11, 2008
I'm not anti-American.
Sometimes I get off the wall comments on posts that don't even have to do with my views on religion, but someone comes along, figures out I'm an atheist, and then says something really stupid like this.
"You're anti-God! you're anti-American! Get out of the US if you don't love the God this country was founded on you godless immoral heathen! We who love our God and savior don't want you here!!"
Ok Laura, calm the fuck down.
Being an atheist in no way makes me anti-American.
It simply means I don't believe in your God.
This country was founded by people searching for religious freedom, the freedom to believe in whatever God or Gods they wanted to.
They were being oppressed, so they left an started a new country where they recognized that all people had the right to choose what they believed in.
Yes, most of them believed in the Christian God, but when they wrote the constitution and the 1st amendment, they made sure that each person would have the right to exercise their rights to believe or not believe.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.
That doesn't say that we the people, all have to believe in the same God, it means free exercise to believe what we want.
We have all the 1st amendment to protect us from religious persecution by our government, not be forced to believe in any God by our government.
If I was anti-American, I'd probably post a lot more about how much I hate the government and our current president, how the war in Iraq is unjust, or whatever.
But I don't.
I follow politics, I vote.
I believe one vote equals one voice.
I know that it's a privilege to have the right to vote, so I vote in every local, state, and federal election.
I don't waste that right given to me.
I don't snub my nose at the 1st amendment, I applaud it, because it gives me and you, the right to believe whatever we want to believe, and to not be persecuted for those beliefs by an oppressive government.
Laura, your comment has not, nor will it be published.
It was not on topic to the post you left it on, so I junked it.
Sorry.
But if you'd like to have a rational discussion about being an American, and what the 1st amendment means, feel free to email me. There's a handy dandy button at the top of the sidebar just for things like this.
But if you send me an email full of hate, telling me to get out of this country I was born in and that I have respect for, call me names, be ignorant and disrespectful, I will not reply, but delete it.
I'll be respectful to you if you are to me.
And I respect your right to believe in your God, and even your right to say hateful things, but I don't have to reply to them.
Those are my rights.
March 25, 2008
I woke up thinking it was Saturday.
I woke up at 5:45am to get the teens off to school, then I went back to bed for a little bit more sleep, and when I woke up the second time, I thought it was Saturday.
I really did.
I came out of my room, expecting to find Mark still sleeping, and Sebastian already awake and playing video games.
I even had plans for "today", I was going to take the boys to the movies, to either see Shutter or 10,000 B.C.
The teens want to see the latter, and of course, I want to see the scary one.
But it turns out it's only Tuesday.
*sigh*
The teens are at school, it really is Tuesday, not Saturday.
Bummer.
After I finish my breakfast, I'll be hopping on my elliptical for 20 minutes, and then I'll get cracking on the housework I didn't do all weekend.
But I wanted to leave you with this video about "B.C." tours through a natural history museum.
The B.C. stands for biblically correct.
It absolutely blows my mind.
Radiometric dating is completely ignored, they claim that the T-Rex, with his claws and giant teeth, was actually a fruit and leaf eater, and only started killing other animals for meat after Eve ate the forbidden fruit.
At 7:29, at least they admit that there are several problems for the creationists.
This type of stuff makes me feel so sad for these children.
They are all home schooled, they are only taught what their parents and churches want them to know, and the facts about evolution are completely ignored.
They call the dioramas of how some dinosaurs lived, "artwork", not science.
It kills me when the tour guide says to the kids, "It's a great fairy tale, but it's not good science."
Really? All those bones are just a fairy tale, yet they have absolutely nothing to show the proof for their theory of creationism.
Baffling.
March 15, 2008
The Saturday catch-all post.
A general run-down of my day.
First, when I was getting dressed after my shower, I can't explain how I did it, nor will I probably be able to ever do it again, but I injured myself.
Somehow, when putting my head through the neck hole of my t-shirt, I wrenched my neck.
Mark even heard the noise and came running to the bathroom door, thinking I had either fallen or dropped something.
Yes, the snapping noise coming from my neck was so loud, it was heard through the bathroom door.
I have been in agony all day because of course, I can't get it to wrench back the way it came.
I didn't save as much money as I wanted to at the store, Publix wasn't having a huge sale this week, but I didn't do too badly either.
Starting total before coupons and in store deals was $193.87.
Coupons and discounts applied = $53.79.
For a total having to pay of $140.08.
It's not too bad, but not my best either.
I had a lot of coupons for items I wanted to buy, but only if they were on sale.
I had wanted to buy and try one of those Febreze Noticeables air fresheners.
I had a coupon for $5 off the starter kit, but it was $8.99, and only comes with 2 scents in the starter kit.
2 scents I absolutely cannot be around unless I want to have a splitting migraine and be coughing all day long, vanilla and lavender.
I thought that perhaps I could buy a refill kit in different scents and dump the 2 offending scent bottles, I had a $1 off coupon on one of those, but they were $4.99.
Even with the coupons applied, I would have spent $7.98 + tax on a single non-essential item, plus I would have had to physically touch the vanilla and lavender fragrance bottles which would have caused me to be ill for the rest of the day.
Totally not worth it in my opinion.
Hey Febreze! How about making starter kits in other scents huh?
Not everyone in the world likes vanilla and lavender, just a suggestion.
I did get a really good deal on a new Venus Embrace razor.
My Mom is always sending me coupons, and she had sent me one for $2.00 off.
The whole razor kit, new razor, shower caddy, and extra blades, was on sale for $5.99, marked down from $8.99, so that was a really good deal in my opinion.
Then I needed to pick up a sympathy card for my Mom's Uncle Bill's wife and family.
This is quite the challenge as an atheist.
Everything is about the spirit, and being at peace now, and being in the loving arms of their father.
While I know his family are believers, it's hypocritical of me to buy a religious card, when I am not religious.
No the card isn't for me, it's for them, but sending a card with that theme, leads people to assume I am religious as well.
This is also why it takes me weeks, sometimes months, to find cards to send at Christmas.
After digging around in the entire card aisle for nearly 30 minutes, I finally found a nice sympathy card that made no mention of any religious type things at all.
I was surprised I found one, but really, there should be more cards that are not religiously themed.
Just a few of the nice words it said;
"but at this sad time, may it bring you some peace and comfort, to know that caring thoughts are with you every day".
If there are any greeting card companies or employees of one, out there reading this, you really should start a new product line for atheists.
We are out here, there are a lot more of us than you know, and we have money to spend on cards for every single type of holiday or need that you can imagine. *hint hint*
I've slowly been picking up around the house, taking some care not to aggravate my neck any further, because my niece Skye is coming to spend the day with Sebastian and I tomorrow.
I'll vacuum in the morning, I'll let my Roomba run while she's here, she finds it fascinating, and also do the dishes off and on.
I tried to do some today, but standing over the sink looking down at the dishes was just painful.
I've taken a soma, and I'm hoping between my pain meds and the soma, by morning the neck pain will be gone.
Mark will be going with my sis to where she works, because the woman my sister works for has hired Mark for the day to do some odds and ends types of chores.
Some bush trimming, some weeding, some window washing, stuff like that.
Instead of hiring a gardener, she decided to put a 16 year old who needs a job to work.
We all need to get to bed fairly soon, it's going to be a long day for all of us, but no one is tired.
That's the hard part.
Everyone is wound up and anticipating tomorrow, so no one is sleepy.
So once again, I will attempt to reply to emails, maybe write my reviews of No Country for Old Men
Both excellent films, but AG ran a little too long I think.
Ok, off to do that stuff.
Later days.
March 8, 2008
New age snake oil.
This is how biofeedback was described to me, this is the FAQ from the Mayo Clinic on what biofeedback is and does, and I do love how it says under the reasons it may appeal to people, It may decrease your medical costs.
Sure, at $35 a pop, I can totally see it decreasing my medical costs! My doctor co-pay for each visit is $17.65, so uh, yeah, that's definitely helping lower my medical costs! /sarcasm
The basic premise of biofeedback is this,
Once you begin to recognize that your headache is a result of tense muscles, the next step is to learn how to invoke positive physical changes in your body, such as relaxing those specific muscles, when your body is physically or mentally stressed. Your eventual goal will be to produce these responses on your own, outside the therapist's office and without the help of technology.
I think what bothered me the most, and what reader Chris also mentioned, was that she didn't know my medical history at all, she didn't even know my name, and her approach, was a one treatment fits all perspective.
If she had bothered to ask my doctor for my file, he would have given it to her or at least clued her in to what my problem was, seeing as he's the one who recommended I try this, she would have known that getting down into that beanbag chair was going to be an issue, and the raw nerve feelings I have in my back are well documented in my file, so the "soothing" vibrations from music being pumped through that thing would have sent me over the edge with pain.
And that bean bag chair that she called specifically, a biofeedback therapy device, isn't even something I can find when doing a Google search.
I Googled biofeedback bean bag chair, biofeedback bean bag therapy chair, biofeedback music playing bean bag chair, and I can't find a god damn thing about it, nor is it mentioned on any of the pages about biofeedback
Heck, I can't even find it just using the term "music playing bean bag chair", so uh, yeah.
To me, biofeedback is another new age snake oil.
People in pain will try it because they are desperate for pain relief, and this kind of crap with it's little heart devices, and breathing devices, books, cds, and dvds to watch and meditate with, are just another way to empty the pockets of people desperate to be free from pain.
And just like most other new age cures, it relies on people to have a need for a belief in a higher power, and since most people do, most people will believe that this kind of crap works.
It doesn't have any real basis in science other than the devices which monitor breathing and heart rate, the whole idea behind it is to learn how to slow your breathing and heart rate down through meditation, and to use positive thinking to relive pain.
And as for prayer, a huge study was done, and it was found that prayer had no positive effect on patients.
1,802 patients at six hospitals who received coronary bypass surgery, were broken into three groups. Two were prayed for; the third was not. Half the patients who received the prayers were told that they were being prayed for; half were told that they might or might not receive prayers.
Analyzing complications in the 30 days after the operations, the researchers found no differences between those patients who were prayed for and those who were not.
The power of prayer and positive thought made absolutely no difference at all.
So yes, I was offended that this "therapist" went there.
I really was under the assumption that biofeedback was a scientifically proven treatment, and it's not.
It's an alternative therapy, a mind over matter, use your thoughts and will, to heal your own body approach that doesn't always work, and scientists can't even explain how or why it works for some people.
Sorry, but after all these years dealing with my spine issues, I prefer to stay to tried and true scientifically proven methods of treatment, not the hoaky poaky.
March 7, 2008
Biofeedback is crap.
So let's begin with my first Biofeedback therapy appointment shall we?
I arrive at my doctor's office, and a short Malaysian woman with not-so-good English, calls me back into her room, with just a wave of her hand.
It is a standard patient room, just large enough for a patient table, a chair, and the doctor's desk.
The patient table is cluttered with baskets full of relaxation cd's, books on positive thinking and prayer, and the room is sweltering hot, it had to be about 98 degrees in there.
She has managed to fit this large biofeedback beanbag chair in there as well, but in order to close the door for privacy, I [eyeroll] had to lift it up so she could close the door.
She doesn't know my name, so she doesn't know my case history, and asks me to sit down on this chair.
It's low to the floor, too low for me, but I manage to get into it.
It's vibrating to some tranquil rain forest music.
It's irritating the fuck out of the raw nerves on my back, so I get off of it.
This offended her, and I had to explain why I got off of it.
I have two titanium rods running nearly the full lentgh of my spine, and two 4 inch iliac screws in my hips, one of which is broken, raw nerves in my back.
She decides that it's ok for me to sit in the regular chair.
Then she puts some headphones on me and tells me to relax as she's wrapping a breathing monitor around my waist.
She tells me it's ok if I "nap" to the music.
I don't.
I breathe normally, we finish with that after 20 minutes, and then we move on to this heart rate monitor, which she explains in her very broken English, that will detect my stress levels based on my heart rate, like a polygraph machine.
She attaches this clip to my ear which has a cord, the cord plugs into the unit.
Breathe slowly, the light turns green and I'm "cohesive" with my body.
Breathe rapidly, it turns red, and I'm not "cohesive".
She would like me to be "green" for the next 10 minutes.
So I sit and keep it green for a few minutes, then I decide to have a bit of fun.
I increase my heart rate through breathing more deeply and quickly, the light turns red, then I slow it down again.
Rinse, repeat.
Cool, neat trick.
She doesn't understand why it's doing that.
Heh.
The whole time this test is going on, she's going on and on about how breathing techniques and relaxation can completely relieve my pain.
Completely.
The pain I feel is all in my head she explains, my brain controls the pain I feel, so I need to "tell" my brain what to do, to not feel pain.
She has a list of "cohesive" response words, which she will teach me over the next several months, (at $35 a visit) that will train my brain to not send or feel any pain receptions.
Pain is just a perception, and we can train our brains to not acknowledge pain.
Uh-huh.
Tell that to my broken iliac screw.
The more she talks, the more I'm feeling like I'm sitting with Tom Cruise, and he's telling me that drugs are bad, and psychiatry is evil, and that we are super beings who can do anything with the power of our minds.
The way she was going on, I fully expected her to break out into maniacal laughter.
Then she goes into the power of prayer, and I've just about had it at this point.
Power of thought, power of positive thinking, power of prayer, and training our brains to not feel any pain at all through these techniques she's mastered.
She begins talking more about the power of prayer for healing, and as an atheist, I'm starting to get really annoyed.
I go to the doctor because he's a man of science, he has studied the human body, how it works, and my surgeon studied bodies and how they work, and through science, both these doctors treat the human bodies ailments.
I do not go to doctors to discuss, or implement, the power of prayer and positive thinking.
Believe me, if the power of prayer actually worked to heal pain, all the years of my mother praying for me to get relief from my back issues, I would have been healed years ago.
It doesn't work.
She keeps going, I'm feeling more and more uncomfortable, more unhappy, stressed the fuck out.
Her little heart rate monitor is in the red and beeping wildly.
She actually placed her hand on my back, and began praying.
I spoke up, told her I do not believe in any god or gods, or prayer for healing, and that I was under the assumption that biofeedback was something totally different than this.
She is clearly offended, has this look of pure horror mixed with disgust on her face, but I politely asked her not to do that again.
At this point I glance at the clock, see that my 1 hour long appointment, has now run 20 minutes over, and I tell her I need to leave.
She starts handing me all these papers and pamphlets, instructional sheets on breathing and relaxation techniques, and workbooks to do over the next 15 days.
I'm supposed to go back in 15 days to do this kind of crap all over again.
I don't think so.
I will not be doing this again.
I know how to relax my own body, how to breathe properly, I managed to mess with her little machine, I think I know how to control my breathing.
But I am seriously not going to spend $35 a visit, to pray and think positive, and be told my pain is in my head, by someone who doesn't even know what I meant when I described what my ailment was.
The very real pain my brain is perceiving, is caused by a very real broken iliac screw, and titanium rods, and rheumatoid arthritis, stenosis, and severe nerve damage, and my bodies attempt to heal itself after major surgery for severe levoscoliosis, and thorocolumbar scoliosis.
I'm a skeptic, an atheist, and a realist.
I know what the real reasons for my pain are, and believe me, they are not in my head, they are in the full lentgh of my spine and pelvis.
And the power of prayer has not, and will not, ever cure what is wrong with my body.
Biofeedback is bullshit, and I will not be wasting any more money on it.
March 2, 2008
To see before I die, or he dies.
George Carlin.
I would love to see him at some point in my life.
The man cracks me up all the way back to his 7 words you can't say on television, to his new stuff.
And here is some of his new stuff, because what would a Sunday be, without a little religion?
part 2.
January 31, 2008
Cause I gotta have faith.
Yeah, I just sat through ABC's new show Eli Stone, so I could see the special LOST content commercial, only to reach the website under heavy server use.
I sat through that crapfest just so I could see the supposed golden ticket, find 815.com stuff.
The show, Eli Stone, irked me.
Not just because it's trying to be all religious prophety and bring in the Christian viewers, but because it was crap.
Eli Stone hears and sees George Michael singing the song Faith, and connects the dots between and old girlfriend and what he's supposed to do now.
Which is help her win a case against a pharmaceutical company that uses a preservative in their vaccines which gave her son autism.
And he might be a prophet.
He ends up being diagnosed as having a brain aneurysm which can cause auditory and visual hallucinations, and could also go kablooey at any point and kill him, or he could live a long and happy life.
But Eli Stone has spoken to some Chinese guy who says there are supposed to be prophets in every generation, according to a conversation between Moses and God, and why not a lawyer?
So on one hand, the show is using science to prove Eli's behavior, and on the other, we have faith as the reason for his behavior.
He might be a prophet.
The old science verses faith argument in a tv show.
But so far, it's a wee bit heavy on the faith side. The only science we have is the brain aneurysm discovery. Everything else has been George Michael singing that song a dozen times, (shut the hell up!) and visions of his alcoholic father, climbing a mountain to dump ashes, and being told he's a prophet.
The teens gave up on the show 15 minutes in, and I stuck with it the entire hour.
I'll never do that again.
It's all about faith changing who you are, making you a better person because this mysterious thing comes over you and tells you that you have this greater purpose for a greater being kind of reason.
Not doing good for the sake of doing good, but because something tells you to do this good deed.
People can and will do what is right without being told by a higher power to do so. We do not have to have faith in some higher power above us, we can simply do good because we want to.
Just because Eli Stone is some big powered lawyer, doesn't mean he has to live the life of an asshole, and only start being a good person because George Michael is singing on his coffee table.
It's a completely ridiculous premise but ya know what?
It will do great because there are millions of people out there that have faith that someday some higher power will speak to them and give them a purpose too.
Creating your own purpose, doing your own good things, never enters their mind.
January 28, 2008
Anonymous to Scientology.
Have any of you been following the Anonymous messages to Scientology on youtube?
This is their first message.
Knowledge is free. We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. WE DO NOT FORGET. Expect us.They have a new video out, a call to action. A worldwide protest outside of Scientology centers on February 10th.
Arm yourself with knowledge. Be very wary of the 10th of February. Anonymous invites you to join us in an act of solidarity. Anonymous invites you to take up the banner of free speech, of human rights, of family and freedom. Join us in protest outside of Scientology centers world wide. We are Anonymous. We are Legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget. We will be heard. Expect us.I'm actually considering going down there just to check it out that day. It would be totally interesting. It would be better if I could get to their headquarters in Clearwater, but the local branch may see some action, never know.
There have been some DOS attacks on their website, complete take-down by hackers.
It's made the news quietly, but this is starting to get really interesting.
I'm wondering when mainstream media is going to take a look at what is going on.
January 25, 2008
Shirley Phelps-Roper loses it on air.
Shirley Phelps-Roper, daughter of Fred Phelps and loudmouth hate-monger of the Westboro Baptist Church, (that link goes to their site, be warned) loses it on the Kane morning show on 99.5 in Washington, D.C.
Shirley was being interviewed about her fanatical church's decision to protest the funeral and memorial for Heath Ledger.
She got a bit upset when the radio hosts brought up her illegitimate sons.
Hahahahah!
You can listen to it here.
January 16, 2008
The Tom Cruise Scientology video they tried to suppress.
Gawker has the video that has been passed around amongst reporters, showing Tom Cruise making the argument for Scientology.
The video shows Cruise in an even more scary light than his jumping on the couch on the Oprah show, and stranger than his interview with Matt Lauer on the Today Show.
In the video he says that as Scientologists, they are the only ones who help, the only ones who can, the only way to happiness.
That they can bring peace, and unite all cultures.
Gawker is hosting the video and is so far refusing to remove it, unlike the others who had posted it yesterday and pulled it down after only a few hours.
Most of the video is rambling, it's hard to make sense of any of it, in one part he rambles this like we're all supposed to just "know."
"We know...we just know...I don't know, but we just know...ya know, it's just it...we see things...whatever, we're here to help..."
Um yeah, ok Tom, I totally got that.
He goes on and on about SP's, suppressive person, people who are enemies of Scientology.
He has this wild look in his eyes, maniacal laughter every few minutes, he fidgets through the entire thing.
This video is about him receiving the Freedom Medal of Valor award from the Scientologists.
What that means, I honestly have no idea.
The whole religion is so bizarre to me, thetans, Xenu. It is not logical or rational, and perhaps that is why I cannot wrap my head around any of it.
But Tom Cruise, if he is the way they are recruiting, they may want to rethink that because in this video, he is clearly nuts.
"If you are a Scientologist, you see things the way they are, in all their glory, in all their complexity... It's rough and tumble. It's wild and woolly. It's a blast. It really is. It is fun. Because damn it, there is nothing better than going out there and fighting the fight, and suddenly you see -- boom! -- things are better. I want to know that I've done everything I can do, every day... I do what I can. And I do it the way I do everything."
Click the image to go see the video.
January 8, 2008
Be submissive to your husbands.
My sis and I were talking on the phone a bit ago, about the upcoming presidential elections and the candidates.
One that both her and I agree needs to take a flying leap, is Huckabee.
During an interview he gave near the end of December, he defended his statements made to southern baptist crowds where he said "I hope we can answer the alarm clock and take this nation back fro Christ".
He gave the speech the same year he endorsed the Baptist convention's statement of beliefs on marriage that "a wife is to submit graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ." Huckabee and his wife, Janet, signed a full-page ad in USA Today in support of the statement with 129 other evangelical leaders.
Um, yeah, ok. Thanks, but no.
Sis and I talked about the candidates we would support, discussed some of the whacked out stuff all of the candidates have said, and are trying to find a candidate who is the lesser of all the evils.
Perhaps it's only the non-religious who can see it, but religious extremism comes in all religions.
I make no apologies for being a somewhat militant atheist, but I know where to draw the line in getting my views across.
I would never blow up a building, bomb or picket a health clinic, stand outside and scream murderer at someone taking care of their own health and body, go door to door attempting to save anyone's soul for my belief system.
This is my blog, a journal, it's shared on line, but I don't force it on anyone. Every reader who comes here has made the choice to be here and read what I write. If they find anything I say offensive, they are also in total control of themselves, and click away to read something else.
I hold no gun to anyone to force my beliefs on them.
This does all tie into our political discussion we were having, religion and politics go hand in hand.
Candidates will do everything they can to cater to, and get the votes of, religious groups in this country.
There are groups who are going out of their way to paint candidates in bad light, to say they are evil, non-religious, not doing the work of god.
There are people who believe it and will take actions based on their religious views, essentially becoming extremist in those actions.
One of the candidates that my sister and I feel stands a very good chance of being elected, we also feel stands a very good chance of having an assassination attempt made on their life if elected.
People are very afraid of change, afraid of anyone but the all powerful, conservative white man, holding the highest office in our land. Some of the things I have seen written on line about a few candidates scares the crap out of me, but also confirms my concern for that attempt on their life.
Sis and I then talked about a child we know, who is being raised in a very strict Christian life. The textbooks he has for school are frightening.
He attends a private Christian school where the science textbooks actually say things like evolution is the work of the devil.
That the people who believe in it, believe so because the devil makes them.
That fossils are satan's way of making people doubt the existence of god.
That's in a textbook. *shock*
We both wonder and worry about this child as he grows up and comes to live in the real world, outside of Christian education and possibly on his own away from family.
What if he attends a real university, not a Christian one, what will happen to this child's world when he finds no mention of the devil or god in his textbooks?
How will he handle those things?
Will his new classmates and friends, laugh at him when he says that fossils are the devils handiwork, and he's serious in his conviction?
Or will this country be "taken back for christ" by then?
I mean, there is actually a resolution that wants to change our nations history to be more religious.
See that? They want to change our history.
That's some scary stuff to me.
December 29, 2007
Ray Comfort is some kind of Christian.
The hateful, hypocritical kind.
Now Kat, why would you say such a horrible thing about Ray Comfort, a man who loves god, preaches the word of god, is such a super nice Christian guy?
I'll tell you why.
On his blog, Comfort Food, Ray has some serious hatred for atheists going on.
Like deep seated pure hatred.
In this entry, he calls atheists greedy.
I'm not necessarily thinking of greedy atheists that read this blog, but families that are struggling. But if a greedy atheist runs with this, that's okay.
Ray, atheists don't go around trying to convert people to our way of thinking, we leave that nasty business to you.
We also leave the hate, the rude comments, the ignorant statements, and name calling to you as well.
Atheists do help people whenever we come across someone who needs help.
We are kind, we have morals, and we care deeply for our fellow humans, just not on the whole setting up missions to do it level.
Ray asks if we are ever stuck in a lifeboat, who we'd rather be stuck with.
who would you rather be sharing the lifeboat with--a group of starving evolutionists who believe in "survival of the fittest" and have no moral absolutes, or with a group of Christians, who love their neighbor as themselves and fear God?
No moral absolutes.
Come off it Ray.
Your absolute hatred and ignorance about atheists, shines through in every single post you write on your blog these days.
5 out of the 7 posts on his front page, are about atheists.
Is he stuck on that subject?
Does making rude, hate filled comments about atheists make him feel like a better Christian?
I could have sworn the bible said to love your neighbor as you would yourself, and to not judge lest ye be judged?
But Ray here obviously lives by a different set of standards.
He's obviously above the teachings of his lord and savior, he has his own rules and can be hateful and nasty to anyone he pleases.
Oh that's right, as long as Ray gets on his knees every night and asks the lord forgiveness for his sins, it's all good.
People often wonder why atheists have such a hard time with Christians.
It's because of the ignorant and rude comments like the ones Ray has made, that get said to us when they come knock on our door and we say no thank you, I don't believe, or we don't go to church, or whatever the case may be where a Christian and an atheist come in contact with each other.
It's not us who starts the name calling and hate speech, they do.
Just like Ray does on his blog nearly every single day, in nearly every single post.
He's some kind of Christian alright.
Not the good kind either.
November 27, 2007
Religious friends and celebrations.
Mark's big George is catholic, and one of his brothers kids is going to be having communion soon.
Mark is treated like part of their family, so they invite him to all the family celebrations.
I just went out and got the mail, and there were first communion invitations for all three of us.
All three of us went to George's wedding at St Marys church, Mark has been to a few other religious celebrations for their family too, so these invitations are not a surprise, but what kind of gift should I get the little girl?
I've only been to one first communion, and that was a long, long time ago for my childhood best friend Maureen.
I remember her white frilly dress and gloves, the little veil.
It's a pretty ceremony, but as an atheist, it feels odd going to these things.
I respect George and his entire family, and I love how they have taken Mark in and treat him as family, they treat all of us that way, but it still feels odd going to these things sometimes.
November 17, 2007
Maybe I can has sleep?
Seriously, I'm hoping for a decent night tonight, wish I had one of those memory foam mattress pads or something.
After two days of laying on hard testing beds at the hospital, my back is spent!
It is so freaking stiff!
Anyway, the teens and I have been playing some Guitar Hero III
There's no AC/DC and no Zeppelin.
What's up with that?
Two bands who had two of the greatest guitar players ever, and they are not in this game?
Crazy!
We heard a rumor there will be custom download song expansion packs with some tracks by at least AC/DC, and even some Queen.
That will be awesome.
We also read that there will be a Flyleaf song.
I don't know about that.
As long as it's not Cassie, I guess it will be ok.
I do not like the video I saw for that song, it is not the real video the band made, it is a user created video.
You can watch at your own risk.
But I warn you, it is graphic, it is footage from the Columbine massacre, put to the song by Flyleaf as they wrote it for the girl who supposedly said that she believed in God.
Ya know, I don't like Flyleaf anyway.
They came on the scene hiding the fact that they are a Christian band, and then used this girls tragic death, "to honor the people who stand up for God."
It annoys the crap outta me when bands hide that they are a Christian band.
If they are so damn proud of being Christian, just tell the people buying the music right from the get go.
Don't hide it in the liner notes, don't sneak stuff into the lyrics and dress all goth or do screamo so people can't understand the lyrics you're screeching out in God's name.
We actually had a conversation on the local forums about this the other day, how some bands hide it and don't tell the music listeners that they are Christian.
I just don't get the point of hiding something that they claim is such a huge part of their lives, the inspiration for their music, their saving grace, the reason they won a Grammy or MTV award ya know?
There are a lot of bands out there right now with a huge following and a lot of their fans have no idea they are Christian.
Like who?
Let me give you a small list.
Flyleaf of course, Norma Jean, As I lay Dying, Demon Hunter, August Burns Red, The Devil wears Prada, Maylene and the sons of disaster, Sinai Beach, Zao and Pillar.
Now I'm not saying these bands aren't good, they are, they have some great talent, but a lot of them hid the fact they are Christian. They play metal, death metal, screamo, and hardcore.
They have names that conjure up other imagery, they write most of their lyrics with no mention, they then have a song or two on each CD that is so clearly Christian, but it's never the songs that get released and played on the radio. The very songs that get kids to go buy the CD are not the Christian songs. It's the mainstream, played 20 times a day stuff, that gets kids to shell out money on the CDs.
Then they listen to the whole thing and realize they were duped.
Now Stryper, they came out, were right upfront and totally honest about it.
You knew immediately they were a Christian band. All their albums had religious names, bible verses, crosses in the design. Their latest CD is titled Reborn, so yeah, 100% honest about who and what they are.
I can appreciate that. At least I know if I see a Stryper CD in the store, I know exactly what I might be buying.
I know what you're thinking, Kat bought a Stryper CD?!
Well not a CD, but I did have a cassette tape of their very first album, and I even saw their very first tour right from the front row.
I have the pick and the bible they handed me, still.
Crazy huh?
I was 17, and that was the summer I saw every single band that toured the entire New England area.
I saw shows at the very tip of northern Maine, all the way down to Massachusetts.
All totaled, I saw 157 concerts from late April through the end of September.
I saw approximately 120 different bands, some of them more than once obviously.
That summer was the Aerosmith Permanent Vacation tour, and I saw them 7 times, Metallica 17 times, Stryper once, (hee hee) and countless others like Megadeath, Ozzy, and Queensryche.
Probably one of the best summers of my life.
I worked at the arcade just to have concert ticket money.
That was also long before ticketmaster started screwing people on prices.
No show was ever more than $17.50.
Yup, a single paycheck could pay for at least 8 shows, and some t-shirts.
Wow, I totally went off on that one eh?
Oh well, later days!
October 25, 2007
The holiday season non-war begins.
Every year as the holidays get closer, the non-war of Christmas decorations begins.
Last year, the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport ordered that all the Christmas trees be taken down because Rabbi Elazar Bogomilsky asked to have an 8-foot-tall menorah put on display at the airport.
Rather than create a massive decoration war of all the faiths, the airport chose to take the trees down.
And no one can say there wouldn't have been a huge 'we want our faith recognized too' thing happen, the rabbi's own lawyer pretty much said all different religions needed to be recognized.
"I find the whole thing stupid," said Grad, who was prepared to sue over the menorah issue last year, though his client didn't want to. "My view is that there was a need for accommodations. This is a multicultural city, and the airport should have gone out of its way to recognize different religious and ethnic views. I thought they would address that this year, but they decided to sidestep the issue."
This year, the airport has opted for peace and harmony.
Instead, the decorations will be what designer Randy Trostle calls a winterscape, a collection of handcrafted birch trees surrounded by lights and nestled in a pseudo-snowbank.
Bill O'Reilly and some Christian groups have deemed a "war on Christmas." They are battling what they call a secularization of the holiday traditions.
Secular people like myself, don't care what decorations are put up.
We don't care if signs say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays.
It's a non-issue.
But there are religious groups out there like the Alliance Defense Fund, a Christian legal-rights group in Arizona, who filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Washington.
They won the right to have religious displays at the Capitol building, and other government buildings, as long as the state doesn't promote any one particular religion.
Some of the displays they have planned for this year include a nativity scene which will be 4 feet by 4 feet, and include a stable and figures of Mary and the infant Jesus, on the third floor near doors to the House and Senate chambers.
A Christmas tree which has been placed in the rotunda of the Capitol building for years, is now being called a holiday tree, and labeled as secular.
None of these actions were started or done by any secular group. They were all initiated by religious groups, who want their religious displays placed in state buildings and airports.
It's all so incredibly silly to have these non-wars every year.
What is the big deal folks?
Again, it's not the secular people doing this, it's the religious groups.
We really do not care what is where.
I don't give a crap if there's a nativity scene down town, I don't care if there's a Christmas tree at an airport, I care about having a nice holiday, but every year, we have to hear about the "war on Christmas" that doesn't really exist.
The airport, rather than fighting a war they didn't start again, decided not to have any religious themed displays, no trees, no menorahs, because of the war they didn't start last year, just a simple winter display, and people are still complaining.
I swear, people won't be happy until every public and government building every where, is covered in every possible religious groups decorations from floor to rotunda ceiling.
Making all those displays a giant ugly eye sore of colors and blinking lights, and huge statues depicting the center of each groups worship.
Maybe just one year, they should let every single religious group, (there are 19 major religions, subdivided into 270 different religious groups, and 34,000 unique Christian groups**) all put up their displays in the same place, so everyone's ethnic and religious view is recognized.
I mean, if we truly want to recognize and accommodate all of them as lawyer Harvey Grad says we should do, then let's truly recognize and accommodate all of them.
Not just the Jews and mainstream Christians, let's let them all do it, and then they can all sit there and stare at the giant eye sore they've created.
Maybe then they will think having a winter display with trees and lights looks much better.
Think it will work?
Nah, me either.
Continue Reading �
October 22, 2007
Florida mandates students must learn evolution.
I was going through my feed reader a few minutes ago, catching up with everyones lives as best I could, well the people who blogged anyway, and I saw some really neat promotional pens on someone's site, like really neat.
I kept clicking through my feeds and saw on someone else blog a link to this news article about how evolution is now going to be a mandatory part of science classes here in Florida.
How did I miss this story that came out on October 20th?
Ok, so it was only 2 days ago, but still, how did I miss this?
But this is totally great news!!
Ok, slow down Kat, not that easy, it's never that easy.
Florida has written new standards for teaching science that for the first time say public-school students need to learn about evolution. The proposed science standards, released Friday, call evolution one of the "big ideas" that must be taught as part of in-depth, hands-on learning. Florida's plan is part of a larger push to improve science education but could set off a battle over beliefs.Of course it's going to set off a battle over beliefs even though this is public education we're talking about, not a privately funded Christian school.
Current standards do not use the word evolution -- long a controversial word in education -- but do require teaching evolutionary concepts in public schools.Yes, schools here do teach the concept, but for all this time, not allowed to say the word. Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard?
A group of teachers, professors and others started rewriting the science standards in May, aiming to beef up learning in a state where fewer than half of its students are proficient in the state's science tests. Florida students also lag behind on national tests, even as the United States lags behind other countries, particularly those in Asia.Part of the reason they can't pass the science test portion of the FCAT (don't even get me started on that one) is because they don't actually teach science.
"If we want to be competitive in the world, we have to do this," said Susan Brennan, a Seminole High chemistry teacher in Sanford who helped write the new standards. The revisions aim to give more-concise directions to teachers and more-engaging information to students.It's about freaking time!
State officials say the draft is a step toward improving science instruction. They fear that without changes Florida students will be ill-prepared for college and for a technology-based workplace.Gee, ya think? How can our students be prepared for college science courses which discuss evolution, if our students don't even know what it is because teachers can't even say the word?
In recent years, some have pushed for teaching "intelligent design," which holds that aspects of living things are best explained by "an intelligent cause rather than an undirected process such as natural selection." Others have pushed for teaching that the theory of evolution does not fully explain the origins of life. Fred Cutting, a retired engineer in Clearwater who served on the standards committee, wanted the new document to reflect that latter view and to let students know that scientists do not yet have all the answers.Intelligent design.
Orange County-based TV evangelist John Butler Book took a harder line. "Evolution is an educated guess," Book said. ". . . That we came from an ape is absolutely ridiculous."But believing that we came from an invisible man in the sky, is a much more acceptable answer right?
The new standards are only a good first step, officials said, and must be accompanied by lots of teacher training and a push to encourage science majors to pursue teaching careers. The standards will not make much difference if teachers do not know what to do with them, said Cottle, the FSU professor. "The next generation of teachers," he said, "that's critical to all of us."Yes it is.
October 21, 2007
Clearing up the confusion.
Craig has responded to my last rebuttal, but he misunderstood.
Craig started off like this,
"One of the big issues Kat opened up is the false pretenses of most religions. Among her complaints are:
* Organized religion is about money and expensive lifestyle.
* Organized religion is never open to new ideas."
Tenant 1: Organized religion is about money and expensive lifestyles.
I did say this;
"I despise organized religion for it's money grubbing, it's expensive lifestyles, but I blame the lack of answers for the main reason I dislike religion in general."
Craig thinks I meant churches, I never said churches, I said organized religion.
There is a huge difference to me.
The big organized religious churches and groups he mentions in his post is what I was talking about, not each and every individual church in America, because I do know that some churches are excellent in their communities, actually taking the money they raise from tithes and placing it back into the community through shelters and food banks, help and welfare programs.
I'm a huge supporter of the Salvation Army's kettle drive every year because I know the good that they do.
I meant the big organized evangelical groups on tv, the ones who sit in golden chairs, wear pounds of makeup and live in million dollar homes, go on evangelical cruises to celebrate their faith and raise money.
It's bull.
Them, the fakes, the frauds, the ones who pray on the devout and use them for their own financial gains.
And yes, let's talk about the hypocrites who do as I say, not as I do.
They talk the talk, but never walk the walk.
They claim to be Christian, yet every chance they get to judge someone, turn down their nose, they do it.
The majority of people who claim to be Christian are fakes.
They say one thing and do completely another.
Craig says, "I believe the real percentage of genuine believers would be several orders of magnitude smaller."
You got that right Craig.
The other thing Craig took from my rebuttal was this point,
Tenant #2: Organized religion is never open to new ideas.
This is what I said,
"That's why I like science. It tests, it comes up with answers, and is always testing and changing it's answers and theories based on new information.
Religion is the same exact answer no matter what the question is, no matter how much new evidence is thrown at it, the answers will always be the same."
Craig said this,
"Here, I have to disagree and say that while there are some sticks in the mud, this statement proves that you're not up on just how dynamic a field theology tends to be."
What I meant was, religion has the bible, that's it, that's it's center of information, the holy book of all answers.
That's where preachers turn to when someone asks a question, that's what the proselytizers use to convert the sinners, the book of all God's orders and answers.
Field theology is different, and I never mentioned field theology, and so it doesn't hold with what I actually said therefore, doesn't enter into this rebuttal.
I would like to ask Craig a question though.
I have noticed in his posts during these talks, that he never actually types out God, he types it out like this a lot, "G-d's and G-d".
Why?
Is there something offensive to actually typing out God?
I know people get upset when I don't capitalize god, but to not actually type it out at all has me confused.
October 13, 2007
But and rebutt.
If you were following along, you are aware that Craig and I have started a dialog between us on the topic of religion.
His opener, my rebuttal, and now his follow-up rebuttal.
I took a few days, ok, more than a few days, to post because Craig spoke of some personal things in regards to his religion and how it's viewed, and while that is all fine, as I warned him privately, posting personal information can open up commentators to attacking those personal things.
I don't want to do that.
In Craig's rebuttal, he brings up the regional aspect coming into play, that yup, I'm in the bible belt, and that probably does have a lot to do with how I view religion in general, but I grew up in a mostly democratic state, I was raised Christian. I became sort of an agnostic around age 11 or 12 when my grandfather died.
The churches lack of answers set me on that path, and had more to do with my being atheist today than one would think.
I despise organized religion for it's money grubbing, it's expensive lifestyles, but I blame the lack of answers for the main reason I dislike religion in general.
That's why I like science. It tests, it comes up with answers, and is always testing and changing it's answers and theories based on new information.
Religion is the same exact answer no matter what the question is, no matter how much new evidence is thrown at it, the answers will always be the same.
Oh and Craig, I'm far more conservative politically than liberal. There goes that theory that all atheists are liberal tards. *wink*
Craig brought up Jefferson's letter, the one I cited where the phrase, a wall of separation of church and state came from, and while Craig is indeed correct that it does not appear in the constitution, it is because of that letter that the first amendment came about.
Craig says that we atheists are free to promote that government have no say in religion, and even in his rebuttal, Craig made my point for me.
To be constitutional, a law must:
* Have a secular purpose, and
* Be neutral towards religion - neither hindering nor advancing it, and
* Not result in excessive entanglements between the government and religion.
He says our groups like the ACLU, are going out of their way to hinder religious freedom.
No, we're not.
We simply want the government to respect that government not interject religion into government.
That means, no 10 commandments in courthouses, no prayer in school.
Each of these things is a government funded and run institution, and by allowing religion into them, it hinders on the freedoms of everyone else's religious ideas.
Not everyone who steps into a courtroom is a Christian, and neither is every student.
These things must be taken out to ensure that every religion of everyone passing through those doors, is not infringed upon by the ideas set forth by one religion, Christianity.
October 13, 2007
I might be militant after all.
Good morning! I slept like crap because I slept on the couch.
Why?
Because my kids were gone and I nearly scared myself senseless watching 28 weeks later.
That damn virus is now in Paris! Ack!
I was actually fine after watching it until the cats decided it was playtime around 1am, and started chasing each other all over the house hissing and growling at one another, knocking things over.
Every time I went to check up on the noise, they'd all be laying on the floor and giving me that what look.
"What? We didn't do it, we've been laying here on the cold linoleum floor lady. You be crazy."
The wind was blowing, another palm branch fell from the front tree and hit the windows.
Yeah, I scared myself thinking RAGE had infected Sarasota.
Can you imagine all those old people walking around with their walkers gumming everyone and coughing up blood all over the place? Not to mention they'd probably lose all control of their bladders and bowels, rage coming out all open orifices.
Ack! Run away! Run away!
An advice column post and reply has been making the rounds on a few blogs, and from the places the Q&A both showed up originally, I hated the answers.
I'm debating whether to post my response to it today or tomorrow.
It would make an awesome Sunday Sermon here on my blog.
I totally disagreed with both the "professional" advice answers given.
I actually have really good experience with this subject, with my own kids, with my sisters step-daughter as well, and believe me, if a 5 year old can grasp it, that 13 year old daughter needs to stop her crying.
I'll stop there, because I do feel a wicked rant coming on about the 13 year old daughters behavior, and the advice columnists replies.
My friend Shell sent me the obit for a long time local town legend in Old Orchard Beach where we grew up.
John F. Riel Jr. passed away.
John had MD (muscular dystrophy) and I had grown up with him, went to school with him, he graduated the year after me, but we played together as kids.
He lived on Fern ave, we lived on Hill ave right behind his house.
I'd often go over there as a kid and play with him.
He was a huge fan of music as he grew up, becoming Riot Act's (local band) biggest fan.
He was welcomed at every show, everyone knew and loved him.
His nickname was the Sandman because he loved the song by Metallica, and Riot Act would play it for him at nearly every show if he was in attendance.
He always wanted a hug, a little gesture if returned to him would make his smile the hugest you had ever seen.
I remember him so very well, and he will truly be missed by all those who came to know him.
You could never pass John without saying hello and giving him a hug.
Just thinking of him now, I have the biggest smile, he was always so happy and loved music so much, he was a joy, a gift to those of us lucky to have known him.
October 12, 2007
Atheists, come out and playyyyyy!
The University of Illinois at Chicago Rationalists and Free Thinkers (RAFT) want to promote the idea of going public with one's atheism.
So if you're able and willing, please submit your name to their master list!
Your email stays private, but your name and location will be visible.
Hat tip, the Friendly Atheist
October 10, 2007
A friendly exchange of ideas.
While my newest blog friend Craig, is calling it an open debate, I've chosen to call it a friendly exchange of ideas.
Not all atheists are combative. *wink*
Craig and I came up with this idea from a thread on a forum we are both part of. While the thread itself did not start off as a religious one, it turned into one.
The thread was about personalized children's books and cds, and how a majority of them were religious in nature.
When I asked the forum owner if I would need to select one of those items, or if I could select a secular item, the conversation changed to religion. One simple question took the thread completely off track.
But the other forum members enjoyed our lively discussion, and asked if we would continue it on our blogs.
Up sprung this idea.
Our first debate or exchange of ideas, is on one of Sam Harris' most recent essays, Science must destroy religion.
Craig has posted his thoughts, his opening post, and now here on my blog, I will respond.
I don't really have much of an opening post other than to say, I am not a militant atheist, my views will not always match up with the larger atheist community, and perhaps it's that way because I was raised a Christian.
But let's get right to the meat of it shall we?
Harris says that we (atheists) have been far too polite, that we as rational thinkers must start fighting back with all the information we have at our disposal, and vanquish religion from the planet.
I would have to agree.
Religion has caused more wars, sent more people to death, and been more of a hindrance to the human population than it has helped.
Craig asks; "Since when have atheists been holding back anything?"
A lot Craig, a lot.
Perhaps because your life is faith centered, you are completely unaware of the constant bombardment of religion that we non-believers face every single day.
It's on our news with faith segments, our Sunday morning tv programs are live church broadcasts, our children are taught religious themed songs during the holiday season at school, and people come to our homes bright and early on Saturday mornings to try and save our souls because God told them to do it.
There's many other things too, but those are off the top of my head at this late hour.
Craig discusses the ACLU's battle to get the ten commandments out of courthouses (they should not be there) no prayer in schools, (absolutely no sanctioned by the school prayer. If kids want to hold hands outside the building before the bell, or say a silent prayer before they eat, fine by me) and two of my favorite history lessons, i
