Some more interesting stuff for your week...
1. This Denver Post editorial clarifies why private businesses can't be allowed the right to turn away customers solely on the basis of personal prejudice. It also points out the distinction between that and freedom of speech exceptions, which answers my own concerns about cases like this.
2. Although I was never homeschooled myself, I knew a fair amount about the homeschool movement back in the 90s when evangelical groups were pushing hard for it. Thus, it's very interesting to get this update on the results of that grand experiment. Granted, there are many homeschooled children whose experiences are far more positive than these, and there are cases in which home schooling genuinely is the best option for a kid, but we now have a generation of young adults that can attest that separatism and indoctrination are never good reasons...
3. ThinkProgress points out five ways in which the world is becoming a better place. In the midst of all the reasons we have to worry for the future (destruction of the environment, terrorism, the decline of the American middle class, etc.), it's helpful to be reminded that all is not bleak.
4. From the "this is cool" department, a collection of maps that will help to clarify the way you see the world.
5. Finally, a plug for an upcoming project that I'm personally excited about: a live-action version of the long-running comic Knights of the Dinner Table...
Showing posts with label Miscellany. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Miscellany. Show all posts
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Tuesday, October 01, 2013
Random Links
Well, not so much random as diverse. Just a few interesting things I've come across recently.
1. If it happened there - how the media might report the US government shutdown if it were happening in another country. We Americans could only benefit from occasionally engaging in the academic exercise of judging ourselves by the same standards that we judge other countries.
2. 19 everyday situations that are impossibly difficult for the socially awkward. I can identify with almost all of these, and think Chandler Bing's quote at the end sums it up perfectly.
3. Every LGBT person could use a brother like this.
4. Another case to be made that Romans 1:26-27 works best as a clobber passage when its context is ignored.
5. Finally, a bit of geekery: size comparisons for a whole slew of ships from various science fiction properties.
1. If it happened there - how the media might report the US government shutdown if it were happening in another country. We Americans could only benefit from occasionally engaging in the academic exercise of judging ourselves by the same standards that we judge other countries.
2. 19 everyday situations that are impossibly difficult for the socially awkward. I can identify with almost all of these, and think Chandler Bing's quote at the end sums it up perfectly.
3. Every LGBT person could use a brother like this.
4. Another case to be made that Romans 1:26-27 works best as a clobber passage when its context is ignored.
5. Finally, a bit of geekery: size comparisons for a whole slew of ships from various science fiction properties.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
One More Episode
Okay, so they exaggerate - but only slightly. A friend of mine speculated that Battlestar's enduring appeal, despite its flaws, may stem from the fact that it offers us with a modern creation myth. In any case it represented science fiction at its best - offering us a lens through which we can view everyday issues from a fresh perspective.
Friday, January 25, 2013
Discoveries
Some interesting stuff that I've come across in recent weeks, all recent if not quite brand new...
But it may someday be possible to actually find out for ourselves, if this NASA scientist is correct. He believes that travel via warp drive, once thought to be impossible for all practical purposes, may in fact be achievable. Perhaps some future generation of explorers really will roam the galaxy in the USS Enterprise after all.
Finally, on a Trek-related tangent, here's a link to a very funny new webcomic, LARPTrek.
In archaeological news, the lost city of Myra (home of St. Nicholas) is no longer lost. (If that link disappears behind a subscription firewall, here's another link with similar info.)
In astronomical news, scientists are now confirming that Earth-size planets are considerably more common than once thought. How common biological life (much less sentient life) actually is on those planets remains to be seen, of course.
Finally, on a Trek-related tangent, here's a link to a very funny new webcomic, LARPTrek.
Sunday, December 02, 2012
Hope
We pray that peoples of all faiths, all races, all nations, may have their great human needs satisfied; that those now denied opportunity shall come to enjoy it to the full; that all who yearn for freedom may experience its spiritual blessings; that those who have freedom will understand, also, its heavy responsibilities; that all who are insensitive to the needs of others will learn charity; that the scourges of poverty, disease and ignorance will be made to disappear from the earth, and that, in the goodness of time, all peoples will come to live together in a peace guaranteed by the binding force of mutual respect and love.-President Dwight Eisenhower, in his farewell address
Sadly, we don't seem to be any closer to realizing that vision than we were fifty years ago. But it still remains an ideal worth striving for...
Monday, October 15, 2012
Judgment
Edward didn't know what to think about the killing of Askama or the violence said to have been triggered by the Jesuit missionaries. But if Emilio Sandoz, maimed, destitute, utterly alone, had turned to prostitution, who could condemn him? Not Edward Behr, who had some measure of the man's strength and of what it must have taken to bring him to the state he'd been found in, on Rakhat.-Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow (page 169)
Johannes Voelker, by contrast, was convinced that Sandoz was simply a dangerous rogue, gone to appalling excess in the absence of external controls. We are what we fear in others, Edward thought, and wondered how Voelker spent his time off.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
A Random Detour
So many things I could be commenting on, and this is where my mind goes...
(With insincere apologies to REM and a knowing nod to "Weird Al" Yankovic)
Spam in your inbox at home (wait, what’s this?)
Think about the loser who had time to send it
Spam in your inbox at work (what the frak?)
Think about your firewall, wonder how it got through at all
That Nigerian prince wants to give you his dough
This discounted drug will help your member to grow
Your bank account is going to lock down
Wild party girls, they won’t make you frown
So, spam on the phone in your car
Spam anywhere that you are
Spam in your Gmail account
Spam, it continues to mount
Oh, spam.
(With insincere apologies to REM and a knowing nod to "Weird Al" Yankovic)
Spam in your inbox at home (wait, what’s this?)
Think about the loser who had time to send it
Spam in your inbox at work (what the frak?)
Think about your firewall, wonder how it got through at all
That Nigerian prince wants to give you his dough
This discounted drug will help your member to grow
Your bank account is going to lock down
Wild party girls, they won’t make you frown
So, spam on the phone in your car
Spam anywhere that you are
Spam in your Gmail account
Spam, it continues to mount
Oh, spam.
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Miscellany
A few random things that have caught my attention lately...
1. First, a belated nod to this post that nicely sums up why Jon Stewart has become my favorite TV personality. If only there were more journalists ("serious" or otherwise) like him.
2. Ten Cliches Christians Should Never Use. Seriously. Some of these made me cringe even when I was a card-carrying conservative evangelical.
3. Rachel Evans reviews a book I really need to read. Learning how to read the Bible on its own terms instead of literally has only made me love it more, so I'm happy to see more Christians waking up to the folly of treating it like a modern history book and instruction manual.
4. Finally, this picture, which could also be the motto of the religious right...
1. First, a belated nod to this post that nicely sums up why Jon Stewart has become my favorite TV personality. If only there were more journalists ("serious" or otherwise) like him.
2. Ten Cliches Christians Should Never Use. Seriously. Some of these made me cringe even when I was a card-carrying conservative evangelical.
3. Rachel Evans reviews a book I really need to read. Learning how to read the Bible on its own terms instead of literally has only made me love it more, so I'm happy to see more Christians waking up to the folly of treating it like a modern history book and instruction manual.
4. Finally, this picture, which could also be the motto of the religious right...
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Upward
Sometimes the world reminds us that there's still good reason to hope.
1. Not all high school jocks are bullies, as this story proves. Sometimes they really are heroes.
2. As Nate Phelps' story shows, even the most radical extremism can be escaped. I'm thankful that my own escape from fundamentalism was considerably less dramatic.
3. Equality seems to be centuries away in much of the Muslim world, but even Islam isn't monolithically anti-gay, as this story demonstrates.
1. Not all high school jocks are bullies, as this story proves. Sometimes they really are heroes.
2. As Nate Phelps' story shows, even the most radical extremism can be escaped. I'm thankful that my own escape from fundamentalism was considerably less dramatic.
3. Equality seems to be centuries away in much of the Muslim world, but even Islam isn't monolithically anti-gay, as this story demonstrates.
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Quotable
Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.
-attributed to Albert Einstein
-attributed to Albert Einstein
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Links
Apologies for my longer-than-expected absence from the blogosphere. Between the job search and my recent trip (to attend GenCon, thanks in part to the generosity of a good friend) I haven't been feeling particularly inspired lately. So here are a few links to items that may be of interest...
1. It's nice to see that more evangelicals are beginning to challenge the historicity of the early chapters of Genesis. In my experience, the Bible only truly begins to come alive when you free it from the demand that it function as an encyclopedia and rulebook.
2. A friend pointed me to this story, which resonates with my own experience. From his boyhood crush on C. Thomas Howell to his concern that he may be incapable of a romantic relationship at this point in his life, I can relate.
3. Speaking of stories, there's still a little time to submit yours to John Shore for his upcoming book project on gay Christians. I've sent mine in - which is part of the reason I haven't had as much to say here in recent weeks.
4. Finally, a dissenting opinion on the latest book in George Martin's Game of Thrones series. I still plan to read the book for myself, but it's actually a little reassuring to know I'm not the only fantasy reader who isn't completely enamored with the series. It's a great and groundbreaking epic in many ways, but even the best books have their flaws.
1. It's nice to see that more evangelicals are beginning to challenge the historicity of the early chapters of Genesis. In my experience, the Bible only truly begins to come alive when you free it from the demand that it function as an encyclopedia and rulebook.
2. A friend pointed me to this story, which resonates with my own experience. From his boyhood crush on C. Thomas Howell to his concern that he may be incapable of a romantic relationship at this point in his life, I can relate.
3. Speaking of stories, there's still a little time to submit yours to John Shore for his upcoming book project on gay Christians. I've sent mine in - which is part of the reason I haven't had as much to say here in recent weeks.
4. Finally, a dissenting opinion on the latest book in George Martin's Game of Thrones series. I still plan to read the book for myself, but it's actually a little reassuring to know I'm not the only fantasy reader who isn't completely enamored with the series. It's a great and groundbreaking epic in many ways, but even the best books have their flaws.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Good ol' Jon Stewart
Just in case it needs clarifying, I really am who I claim to be (as anyone who knows me through the GCN and BXG conferences can attest), and not, say, a straight woman from Cleveland...
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Links
A few items of interest from around the blogosphere:
1. Jim Burroway's detailed investigation into one of reparative therapy's most famous case studies. Unsurprisingly (and tragically), the reality behind the experiment is far different than the myth that NARTH and its allies continue to peddle.
2. A plug for Nakedpastor, whose site I need to add to my blogroll one of these days. His cartoons frequently echo my own thoughts and reservations about the church.
3. Another plug, this one for Jon Rowe's blog. Rowe's writings are a valuable resource for anyone looking for hard evidence to refute the "Christian nation" advocates who are still popular in many evangelical circles.
4. Kathy Baldock's tireless advocacy is always worth a mention. Her latest post is an open letter to the church.
5. On a lighter note, there's now a blog where people can share the story of their first gay crush. For the record, mine was C. Thomas Howell (laugh if you must; I make no apologies).
1. Jim Burroway's detailed investigation into one of reparative therapy's most famous case studies. Unsurprisingly (and tragically), the reality behind the experiment is far different than the myth that NARTH and its allies continue to peddle.
2. A plug for Nakedpastor, whose site I need to add to my blogroll one of these days. His cartoons frequently echo my own thoughts and reservations about the church.
3. Another plug, this one for Jon Rowe's blog. Rowe's writings are a valuable resource for anyone looking for hard evidence to refute the "Christian nation" advocates who are still popular in many evangelical circles.
4. Kathy Baldock's tireless advocacy is always worth a mention. Her latest post is an open letter to the church.
5. On a lighter note, there's now a blog where people can share the story of their first gay crush. For the record, mine was C. Thomas Howell (laugh if you must; I make no apologies).
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Quotes
Admittedly, following as many politically oriented blogs as I do, it's a challenge to avoid becoming permanently cynical. With that in mind, here are a few thoughts that have stood out to me recently...
Against logic there is no armor like ignorance.
-Laurence J. Peter
One of the greatest things about morality is how those who claim to act on its behalf are often the ones drinking from the emptiest cups.
-Jeff Pearlman
Evangelicalism continues to be infected by a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality which immediately attempts to strangle, or stamp out, or raze any theological reflection which is deemed as beyond the bounds.
-Randal Rauser
He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination.
-Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
Against logic there is no armor like ignorance.
-Laurence J. Peter
One of the greatest things about morality is how those who claim to act on its behalf are often the ones drinking from the emptiest cups.
-Jeff Pearlman
Evangelicalism continues to be infected by a "shoot first, ask questions later" mentality which immediately attempts to strangle, or stamp out, or raze any theological reflection which is deemed as beyond the bounds.
-Randal Rauser
He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... for support rather than illumination.
-Andrew Lang (1844-1912)
Friday, February 25, 2011
Odds and Ends
A few items of interest:
-Ray Kurzweil on global warming. While his line of reasoning seems a bit simplistic, it is worth remembering the rapid advances being made in technology - and that moving forward is often a better solution than going backwards.
Are the current changes in climate a sign that modern society is unsustainable? There's certainly a lot we need to do to take better care of the planet we live on, but having grown up in the types of churches that keep the masses terrified by latching onto a new prophet of doom and destruction every couple of years, I've learned the hard way to be skeptical of anyone who claims the world is about to end.
-In the "not sure whether to laugh or cry" category, Tony Perkins' description of the Family Research Council's work: "speaking the truth in love about the most important issues facing our country." The saddest part is that he no doubt sincerely believes himself to be a loving and truthful individual, even though his "facts" about the lives of gay individuals bear no resemblance to reality and the next loving thing he says will be his first.
-On the topic of groups that claim to be speaking the truth in love, Kathy Baldock's take on Focus on the Family's so-called "Day of Dialogue" addresses the whole mess quite well. Sadly, the conservative side of the evangelical world is still far too self-absorbed to see how many people they are driving away from God with their creative definition of compassion.
-Finally, The Onion comes through again, this time foretelling the horrors sure to follow if the Defense of Marriage Act is repealed.
-Ray Kurzweil on global warming. While his line of reasoning seems a bit simplistic, it is worth remembering the rapid advances being made in technology - and that moving forward is often a better solution than going backwards.
Are the current changes in climate a sign that modern society is unsustainable? There's certainly a lot we need to do to take better care of the planet we live on, but having grown up in the types of churches that keep the masses terrified by latching onto a new prophet of doom and destruction every couple of years, I've learned the hard way to be skeptical of anyone who claims the world is about to end.
-In the "not sure whether to laugh or cry" category, Tony Perkins' description of the Family Research Council's work: "speaking the truth in love about the most important issues facing our country." The saddest part is that he no doubt sincerely believes himself to be a loving and truthful individual, even though his "facts" about the lives of gay individuals bear no resemblance to reality and the next loving thing he says will be his first.
-On the topic of groups that claim to be speaking the truth in love, Kathy Baldock's take on Focus on the Family's so-called "Day of Dialogue" addresses the whole mess quite well. Sadly, the conservative side of the evangelical world is still far too self-absorbed to see how many people they are driving away from God with their creative definition of compassion.
-Finally, The Onion comes through again, this time foretelling the horrors sure to follow if the Defense of Marriage Act is repealed.
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
Like all members of the secret gay conspiracy to destroy everything, I plan to fully indulge in my sinful gay lifestyle over the four-day weekend. In fact, as soon as I'm done posting this I will be heading down to my parents' house for Thanksgiving dinner. I'll be bringing the pie (unpatriotically sweetened with agave instead of good old-fashioned sugar). My mom also asked me to bring a DVD to watch after dinner, so I've pulled out my copy of Lord, Save Us From Your Followers to corrupt her with.
I'll be spending tomorrow at a board game day being hosted by some friends who, like me, think that sounds like a lot more fun than endless hours fighting the frenzied crowds at the mall. So if the economy doesn't recover in 2011, you'll know who's really to blame.
Saturday, after helping put up the advent decorations at church, I plan to see the new Harry Potter movie with my sister, after which we'll no doubt cast a few Imperius curses on unsuspecting Muggles in the name of the dark lord before grabbing some dinner.
After church on Sunday I'll be helping my parents put up that grand symbol of Paganism, the Christmas tree. A couple of the ornaments even depict Santa Claus. And then I'll cap off the weekend by watching the Amazing Race, which just spent the last two legs boosting the economies of Muslim countries.
In all seriousness, I do have much to be thankful for - a loving family, a great church, a stable job, reasonably good health and the freedom to enjoy them all. God is indeed good. Have a blessed holiday.
I'll be spending tomorrow at a board game day being hosted by some friends who, like me, think that sounds like a lot more fun than endless hours fighting the frenzied crowds at the mall. So if the economy doesn't recover in 2011, you'll know who's really to blame.
Saturday, after helping put up the advent decorations at church, I plan to see the new Harry Potter movie with my sister, after which we'll no doubt cast a few Imperius curses on unsuspecting Muggles in the name of the dark lord before grabbing some dinner.
After church on Sunday I'll be helping my parents put up that grand symbol of Paganism, the Christmas tree. A couple of the ornaments even depict Santa Claus. And then I'll cap off the weekend by watching the Amazing Race, which just spent the last two legs boosting the economies of Muslim countries.
In all seriousness, I do have much to be thankful for - a loving family, a great church, a stable job, reasonably good health and the freedom to enjoy them all. God is indeed good. Have a blessed holiday.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Links
A few links worth sharing:
3. You've probably seen it already, but just in case you haven't: Fort Worth City Councilman Joel Burns' moving contribution to the "It Gets Better" series.
4. On a lighter note: via CrackerLilo, an entry for the "what were they smoking?" category: the 20 Most Hilarious Company Names on Earth.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
More Links
1. Kathy Baldock visits a mosque to increase her understanding of Islam. A lengthy post but worth the effort.
2. History really does repeat itself, much as today's social conservatives try to pretend that things are different this time around.
3. Happy first birthday to Highlands Church in Denver.
4. All things considered, I think this is a fair question. Just don't hold your breath waiting for an answer.
2. History really does repeat itself, much as today's social conservatives try to pretend that things are different this time around.
3. Happy first birthday to Highlands Church in Denver.
4. All things considered, I think this is a fair question. Just don't hold your breath waiting for an answer.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Poppycock Redux
In the earlier rounds of America's Got Talent I thought, "I really like this guy, but he doesn't stand a chance of winning in the popular vote." Now I'm thinking anything's possible. He's a spectacle, he's very different, but in a good way. Win or lose I hope he ends up with his own tour; I'd pay to see it, and I haven't been much of a concertgoer since I was in my 20's.
On a side note, my posting of Prince Poppycock's first audition received a number of Google hits from people trying to figure out if he's gay. I don't know the guy personally, but I have to say that I can't imagine there's a heterosexual man anywhere on the planet who could come up with costumes this fabulous...
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