5 January 2012
Since departing from my Christian beliefs, I have been fascinated by the sometimes vitriolic and blustering debate between science and religion. Part of my fascination is simply the mental picture of God fighting Stephen Hawking, pastors fighting scientists and church-goers fighting students.
But I also appreciate that science enjoys disproving itself and has a seemingly inherent disdain of immutability.
17 September 2011
Hello sexy readers.
I want to go to an avian church. That’s right. A church for birds.
Every service would begin with the caw to worship and the pastor proclaiming, “Let osprey.”
Does this wing true?
5 August 2011
I was dressed and prepared for work quicker than usual this morning, most likely because “casual Friday” affords me the opportunity to slacks off a bit in my attire.
With the extra time, I scrolled through Twitter to read the latest news and came upon a story about Texas Governor Rick Perry preparing to hold a revival tomorrow “to pray for what he calls ‘a nation in crisis'” according to NPR.
Let me put aside my belief that no one in a governmental leadership position should ever lead by or speak about religious beliefs publicly while in office. (Rick Perry and others calling on God’s guidance to lead public policy is no different, although perhaps worse, than me calling on the spirit of Jacob Marley to lead our economic policy. Either one is beyond poor policy-making.) Let me instead, if you will allow, speak to the fact that Mr. Perry and his ilk are completely off-base with the entire point of their rally.
The US is not in a shit hole because gay people exist, or people have sex outside of heterosexual marriage, or people get divorced, or people are atheist or women can use birth control or hold public office. The US is in a shit hole because we believe in business over humanity. We value corporations more than human life.
I seethe when I read ignorant, damaging rhetoric. Part of it may be a proclivity toward self-affliction casting outward because I used to be dogmatized. I used to walk around and spread the cheer of the Gospel (because only Cheer gets your Gospel whites whiter) and try to convince people to accept Jesus. Maybe that’s the problem. We’d rather have people accept Jesus than accept themselves or each other.
I got a card from my friend today. He wrote the card five years ago, but just mailed it. He mentioned a tethered, oppressed mind. That’s where we are as humans in the US. We are mentally tethered to ideas that are outdated, outmoded and outrageously devastating to our humanity.
30 July 2011
GF recently injured her back. She feels more comfortable lying down than sitting. However, we do not have a television in our bedroom (how un-American), meaning that she cannot zone out to Project Runway while healing.
In a fit of inspiration, I dragged our bed (mattress) into our living room.
Our den of slack (and healing)
I performed this task on Thursday. The new feng shui (literally “found suede”*) helps us feel as if we are on vacation (or holiday for our readers in the United Kingdom).
However, the “found suede” also makes us feel as restless as an illiterate kitten in a cat library. (Where one can find the collected works of William Shakesfur and D.H. Meowrance.) So what better solution than to explore our suburban neighborhood?
After walking up a hill in the heat, we spotted a house.
House
We were almost taken in with the pastel porch when we spied a serious message.
Safety is not corny-a.
Despite knowing we were under the “Watchful Eye” of the neighbors, we slogged on in the searing heat.
And speaking of watchful eyes, here’s where you go when you’ve sinned and you’re in God’s dog house.
In the Lord's dog house
However, if you repent you can attend the festivities.
Minor miracle: Feeding 47 with one watermelon and two cheese cubes.
GF then contemplates the joys of heaven and the wages of sin. (Or perhaps just considers the watermelon.)
For the watermelon of sin is death.
After our near-religious experience we happened upon something else sticking to the straight and narrow.
Straight and narrow
Righteous angle
Fascinating.
So, we continue on, wandering in a part of the neighborhood unfamiliar to either of us. Ahead, some brick spire things. (I’m sure astute readers will recognize them.)
Walking toward brick things.
As we began speaking of Slurpees and milk shakes, we saw a chimney GF’s father would appreciate (for its precariousness) and one dog a-barking.
Stoked to see this chimney.
Bark. Bark.
We finally saw our destination ahead and knew the difficult walk, the profuse sweating, the threats of surveillance and the punishments for sin were worth it. We made it. We hit the summer mecca. The height of heat-busting enjoyment.
Oh, thank heaven!
After much debate, GF settles on her beverage of choice.
Shilling for the Slurpee.
We ended the journey with a stop into a European market (where I purchased jalapeno chips and some non-US version of a Mounds bar) and a front-row stand for construction work.
European Foods.
We had to crane our necks.
Moving stuff 1
Moving stuff 2
Moving stuff 3
Moving stuff final
With sweat, salty chips, a new perspective on our neighborhood and an invitation to a watermelon social, we trudged back to our cool apartment.
*Many years ago I internalized the deft prose of Dave Barry.
The Joseph Richards Show 