Uncle Roger's Notebooks of Daily Life
My life is, to me, ripe with frequent challenges, occasional successes, spontaneous laughter, adequate tears, and enough *life* to last me a lifetime. To you, however, it surely seems most pedestrian. And therefore, I recycle the name I used previously and call this my Notebooks of Daily Life. Daily, because it's everyday in nature, ordinary. These conglomeration of events that are my life are of interest to me because I live it, perhaps mildly so to those who are touched by it, and could only be of perverse, morbid curiosity to anyone else. Yet, I offer them here nonetheless. Make of them what you will, and perhaps you can learn from my mistakes.
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Saturday, September 26, 2009
So Jared mentions to me that he's signed up to lead the pledge with his best friend.
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I have, as of late, been seriously contemplating religion and its impact on our society. I am firmly on the side of reason and truly do not have any need for a belief in a higher power. My screw-ups are my own, but, then, so are my successes. In addition, as far as the answer to life, the universe, and everything, I'm okay not knowing. I don't have to know how life got its start or what was there before the universe (or even if there was a "before the universe").
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I stopped in at Long's Drugs store number 84 in the Bayhill shopping center. I was there to pick up refills of my and Rachel's prescriptions, just as I had a gazillion times before. This time, however, was different. The store was different. No longer was it the familiar, familial Long's Drugs, but a cold, harsh, uncaring CVS Pharmacy.
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Daddy! Daddy! I can burp underwater! Wanna see me?
Jared, exploring new talents in the hotel swimming pool
Daddy, when I'm about ten, you need to buy a new car so I don't bump my head.
Sara, worrying that the minivan might not be big enough
What is that song about? Is it about somebody cleaning dust and they're singing about it because they're tired of it?
Sara, pondering the meaning of the classic Queen song, Another Dusty Dust
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It's not a steady gig but at least it's something -- I've got an article published over at Momversation. It's called Unnecessary Necessities: Five Baby Essentials You Don't Need. Nothing spectacular, but I think it came out okay. Take a look and let me know what you think.
The thing is, whenever I read the title of the site -- Momversation -- I read it as Momservation. As in, I need to make a momservation for a momvacation. I'm not sure if I should call a reading specialist or my travel agent. Maybe I just need a momtini.
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In the 1994 movie Stargate, a team of soldiers travel to a distant planet where they encounter an alien who calls himself Ra (the Egyptian sun god). It turns out that the ancient Egyptian "Gods" were all just aliens on a power trip who used technology to appear divine and to enslave humans.
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Suppose I told you that the Quiznos Toaster (you know, the big talking toaster from recent commercials) told me that I should quit my job and move my whole family to South Bend, Indiana. Mind you, I don't know anyone in Indiana, but a few other people that talked to the toaster are going. What would you think? What do you think my wife and kids would think?
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"Sara, don't tattle on your brother. Jared, don't eat the dishes."
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| Religion | Science | |
|---|---|---|
| Why? | To gain a better understanding of the world around us and our place in it. | To gain a better understanding of the world around us and our place in it. |
| How? | Try to prove yourself right. If you can't, misinterpret or ignore conflicting data. | Try to prove yourself wrong. If you can't tentatively give yourself credit for possibly being right. |
| Next Step? | Publish your work in journals only people who already agree would read. Ignore or discredit criticism. | Publish your work in journals with credibility that are peer-reviewed. Expect others to point out your mistakes/prove you wrong. |
| New Data? | Ignore any new data or research that conflicts with your findings or twist the results so that they appear to support your idea. | Watch for new data or research that conflicts with your findings and start over to develop a new theory that incorporates new findings. |
| Examples | Association for Biblical Astronomy "Of all the sciences, the Holy Bible has more to say about astronomy than any other. The Scripture speaks of the sun, moon, stars, the host of heaven, planets, and constellations. It talks about the heavens, the firmament, and tells us that the lights in the sky were made for the earth, for man, to give light by day and by night, to serve as signs, and to determine the seasons." |
The Astronomy Picture of the Day "Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer." |
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Man's best friend is said to be the dog. Canis lupis familiaris, to be specific. Everybody loves dogs, right? From heroic Lassie to Duke, the lazy old hound dog that belonged to Jed Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies, from the taco bell chihuahua to Disney's Ugly Dachshund, we all adore every last one of them, right?
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What is, exactly, the point of the Miss USA contest? Is it merely a beauty contest, staged for the titillation of the home viewer or is it an opportunity to find a new role model -- someone young girls can look to for guidance, someone to be an example for those who are still trying to figure out how this whole life thing works. I'm sure, if you ask the pageant directors, they would vehemently claim the latter -- consider the harsh penalty Vanessa Williams suffered when risque photos of her surfaced.
This is why I disagree with Wendy of the Domestiquette about the controversy surrounding Miss California's comments about gay marriage. Setting aside, for the moment, that she apparently didn't actually answer the question she was asked ("Vermont recently became the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage. Do you think every state should follow suit?") and that she was rather incoherent and self-contradicting, I think people do have a right to expect more from those who are celebrities. Because of her status, I would argue that she has a duty to support and empower those who look up to her. With great power comes great responsibility.
Now, mind you, I'm not saying that Miss California or even Miss USA is the president's equivalent, but they are marketed as someone special, to be looked up to, a do-gooder, if you will. And in that context, yes, some freedom of speech should be self-regulated. While I certainly support the right of any idiot to express whatever hateful stereotypes and misconceptions they like about any or all racial, sexual, or religious groups, I do not allow the same leeway to an elected official, certainly, or, to a lesser extent, to Miss California.
The long and the short of it is, if you want to shoot your mouth off and spew bigotted hate, do so at the local bar. As soon as you acquire a position of celebrity, you need to mind your manners.
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They ride around on push-me-pull-yous
Are there any anti-lgbt atheists out there? It seems to me that the hatred of gays and lesbians as well as the opposition to marriage equality is strictly a religious thing. Once you take God and his mythology out of the picture, there doesn't seem to be any reason to care.
Now, don't get me wrong -- I'm sure there is at least one or two atheists that are as disgusted by homosexuality as your most fervent bible-thumper. In fact, I might even go so far as to postulate a corollary* to Rule 34 that demands it. That, however, isn't what I mean. I want to know if there are a statistically significant number of atheists who not only disapprove of homosexuality, but also feel the need to take action to deny equal rights to gays and lesbians.
If I were a betting man, I would put my money on the negative. It takes religion to foster that kind of hate.
*If there is porn of it, someone will have a sign that decries it.
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Things you don't expect to hear at a 30th Wedding Anniversary party
"I believe your daughter left her pants at my place."A middle-aged man, greeting another upon arrival at the party
"I still have lumpia in my pocket."Rachel, at home, after the party
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"I'm a pirate with a peg leg! And I have butterfly wings! But I'm not a bad pirate; I'm a good pirate."Sara, getting ready in the morning
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Sara bursts into the kitchen where Rachel and I are starting to clean up after dinner and, frantically jogging in place, announces breathlessly "Mommy, Daddy, I have to go to the bathroom but I'm not done yet!"
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