Customs Agent in Minneapolis, after noticing I'm married to a Canadian: So, what you're telling me is that there weren't any American men good enough for ya? That's a compliment to you, mister.
That agent was hilarious, and a welcome change from the crabby agents that welcome you in the Saskatoon airport (yes, I'm talking about you, Ms. Blonde chick).
We're visiting home for 3 weeks -- Emma is taking to my parents very well, and I'm taking to leaving her with them so I can have a break away for an hour or two. Life's good.
I found a YouTube site with all of the A&E's Pride and Prejudice series -- you know, the one with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy? Sheer delight! (especially since you can't rent the series in town!)
At one point after Lizzie said one of her witticisms, Jerry looked at me and said, "she is so you!" I'm not so sure that's a good or bad thing. (I can't help but think it's the former)
Don't know how long it'll stay up, so enjoy it whilst you can! Check it out here.
Stewart: So, what do we do then? [regarding America's status in the Middle East] Jason Jones: We? There's no we, I'm Canadian! Everyone loves us. We're like the world's gay friend.
My mom was just hit by an elderly woman in a parking lot. Apparently this 80-something lady wasn't looking and was driving too quick in the lot to stop in time.
My mom is okay. She's banged up, and is having some X-Rays done -- I'll post more when I know more.
Unbelievable.
UPDATE (sorry for the delay): Mom's doing as well as can be expected. The lady who hit her had the nerve to deny responsibility! I'm just glad my mom is okay, ang that I'll be seeing her in less than a week.
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.
This day is all that is good and fair. It is too dear, with its hopes and invitations, to waste a moment on yesterdays.
This afternoon Emma and I took in a movie -- Happy Feet. Apparently there's a bit of controversy surrounding this lighthearted film, at least, to many people on the Right side of the aisle. Take it away, Glenn Beck & Neil Cavuto:
"An animated Inconvenient Truth"?!
Puh-leaze.
I was aware of this so-called controversy before watching the film this afternoon. As I watched it, I tried to figure out what could be considered objectionable and propagandistic, at least according to a conservative perspective. So, here is my list of what these people probably find so objectionable with the film:
Virtues of conservation and environmental responsibility
The main penguin, Mumbles, is not accepted in his society because of physical qualities he inherited from birth
Questioning the ignorant (and deceiving) authority figures
Multiculturalism (there's some Hispanic-sounding penguins)
The interconnectedness of the planet -- from the UN to the reaching effects of industrialization
The negative effects of commercialism/capitalism (the overzealousness of fisheries and oil rigs)
If these elements are considered propaganda, then let's make Happy Feet required viewing for everyone in North America.
Sheesh. It's a cute little film, and it's got a message beyond simply a Disneyfied product line. I think the Right's reaction to these messages in the film is far more revealing than the ideology behind the filmmakers' choices.
(besides, who can't love watching dancing & singing penguins!)
I'm heading home next weekend, and I'm desperate to pack Emma's Jolly Jumper along. Only thing is, the poles for it are a wee bit longer than our suitcases -- if only we had a hockey bag, I think we would make it.
Does anyone have a hockey bag they'd be willing to let us borrow? We'd bring it right back after our trip, and I'll be sure to snag you some sweet stateside souvenirs!
Lemme know, and you'll make both a bouncy baby and a tired mama happy.
A friend of mine is in desperate need of someone adopting her cat. This kitty has been with her for 16 years, and only recently had to leave her home, because her baby is allergic.
The adopted home the cat was living in didn't work out, and as a result, the cat is just miserably lonely. The cat is in need of a good home. My friend has decided that if she can't find this good home for it by Wednesday the 23rd, she's going to have to put the kitty to sleep.
I'd take her in, but my landlady won't allow pets. Can anyone (locally) help save this poor kitty? She's a good black cat, is self-sufficient but isn't afraid to cuddle, either.
If you (or someone you know) wants to help out, leave me a comment or send an email my way.
Yesterday Jerry Falwell was found dead in his Virginia office. Honestly, I'm not that saddened at the fact. Yes, it is sad for his family's loss -- but this man said many hateful, vile things in the name of religion. And that's the legacy he chose to leave behind.
Hitchens called him a "Chaucerian fraud." I don't think he's that far off.
Bill Moyers' latest journal has a segment entitled "Keeping the Faith," which discusses Pat Robertson's Regent University, the Gonzales scandal, and the separation of church and state. Moyers is my favorite interviewer, period, and his reports are always top notch.
Pat Robertson founded Regent University in 1978 in order "to produce Christian leaders who will make a difference, who will change the world." The University, which includes a law school accredited by the American Bar Association in 1996, openly mixes faith in the classroom, with the hope that graduates will go on to spread Christian values in their respective vocations.
Many graduates are choosing to pursue politics and taking jobs in Washington. Since 2001, 150 of the University's students have worked in the Bush Administration.
[...]And even though some critics believe the influence of the religious right is waning as Bush's popularity sinks, many prospective candidates for his job are pledging their allegiance to Robertson and his powerful base: Republican candidate, Mitt Romney, recently spoke at the University, and Rudy Guiliani is scheduled to speak there next month. [link]
Watch the video of the report here, and take note of its Dominionist goodness. You may not want to watch it late at night, some parts of it are pretty scary, ideologically speaking.
No, please, do not mistake passion, which can change its mind, for fundamentalism, which never will. Passion for passion, an evangelical Christian and I may be evenly matched. But we are not equally fundamentalist. The true scientist, however passionately he may “believe”, in evolution for example, knows exactly what would change his mind: evidence! The fundamentalist knows that nothing will. [link]
There's some out there who still read my blog (hi!) who have pasted this label on Dawkins before. You may want to read his response.
From MomsRising.org, a "The Motherhood Manifesto" is a documentary about the state of "family values" back home. Oddly enough, for a country (and Administration!) that pays so much lip-service to family values, there isn't much support for families. Thankfully, living here in Canada, there's more action put behind words -- ie., paid maternity leave, universal health care, etc.
Moms Rising is a grassroots organization committed to the following values:
M - Maternity/Paternity Leave: Paid family leave for all parents after a new child comes into the family.
O - Open Flexible Work: Give parents the ability to structure their work hours and careers in a way that allows them to meet both business and family needs. This includes flexible work hours and locations, part-time work options, as well as the ability to move in and out of the labor force to raise young children without penalties.
T - TV We Choose and Other After-School Programs: Give families safe, educational opportunities for children after the school doors close for the day, including: Create a clear and independent universal television rating system for parents with technology that allows them to choose what is showing in their own homes; support quality educational programming for kids; increase access to, and funding, for after school programs.
E - Excellent Childcare: Quality, affordable childcare should be available to all parents who need it. Childcare providers should be paid at least a living wage and healthcare benefits.
R - Realistic and Fair Wages: Two full-time working parents should be able to earn enough to adequately care for their family. In addition, working mothers must receive equal pay for equal work.
Read more about the organization here or take a look at the book, The Motherhood Manifesto, here. The documentary preview:
[Showtimes on PBS -- figures, it's playing at 5AM on the PBS station I have on cable! Grrr.]
p.s. This shirt would make a great Mother's Day gift! An XL would do the trick.
My folks are in Savannah for their annual pilgrimage, and it's got me feeling a little homesick. I haven't been back for almost 3 and a half years, and it's the longest I've ever been away. It's a quirky place, for both the visitor and the resident, as you can see from the (recently taken) picture above.
More pictures of my hometown -- including some of my alma mater -- are in this set.
i am not a pretty girl that is not what i do i ain't no damsel in distress and i don't need to be rescued so put me down punk wouldn't you prefer a maiden fair isn't there a kitten stuck up a tree somewhere
i am not an angry girl but it seems like i've got everyone fooled every time i say something they find hard to hear they chalk it up to my anger never to their own fear
First, the TV report was edited and pared down so much, that you really should go watch the unedited debate on Nightline's website. There you'll get to see the uncut arguments of each side -- and believe me, a few of them are rather entertaining.
Ray Comfort is creepy (maybe it's the porn 'stache?). That, and he's not a good speaker and/or evangelist. Granted, I'm not much for evangelizing these days, but anyone who has a single script he uses for aggressive confrontational "saving" is not effective in my book. Fearmongering masked as compassion has never fooled me.
I liked a lot of the arguments the Rational Responders had -- but I think their abrasive vocal delivery really hurt their case. Kelly had many good points, but they were lost in her attitude. It's hard enough to get someone to listen to an atheist, but being aggressive in your approach isn't going to help. I'm not saying you can't be assertive, but focus on the points you're making, and not in the sarcastic tone you're delivering them in.
I was disappointed that Nightline didn't show the stumping of Cameron/Comfort when Sapient brought up the 1st law of thermodynamics -- that is the money shot of the whole debate!
I also thought Kelly brought up the good point that Comfort purposefully manufactures a problem that only his particular God can solve.
It was very noticeable how Comfort consistently answered the question he wished was asked of him, and not the actual question posed. He said he could prove the existence of God in 13 minutes, without referring to faith or the Bible -- and then proceeded to rely on both, heavily, in his refutation.
In the post-debate segments, I thought it was unfair of Nightline to cast the Rational Responders as "angry" -- they did this by showing the worn-out (and defeated?) Cameron/Comfort team as they poured on the compassion superiority and lamented the poor "lost" souls of Brian and Kelly. It's a good thing my baby was in my lap, as I could have thrown something at the screen at that point.
Overall, I think it's a good thing that debates like these are making the mainstream airwaves. Granted, both sides could have had better representation (as amusing as Comfort's fatuous evolutionary Coke can analogy can be) -- but I think it's important to get to know where opposing viewpoints are coming from.
I've just finished Hemant's book (aka the "Friendly Atheist"), and a review is coming soon. One thing that I took from his writing is the importance of tone when talking with someone with a different ideology. I know that I can be as guilty as the next person of losing patience when discussing matters of theology -- but I want to make more of an effort to temper my impatience with courtesy, and have my points stand on their own for the argument they represent, and just not the vehemence of how I feel about them.
I also think it's the responsibility of BOTH sides to stop the caricaturizations. All Christians are not dopey Kirk Camerons (oops, there goes my sarcasm again), and all atheists are not amoral cannibals.
I just watched Sir Richard with Strombo -- hopefully they'll have the YouTube of the interview up soon. Needless to say, it was a much better interview than what was had on The O'Reilly Factor.
I will choose what enters me, what becomes of my flesh. Without choice, no politics, no ethics lives. I am not your cornfield, not your uranium mine, not your calf for fattening, not your cow for milking. You may not use me as your factory. Priests and legislators do not hold shares in my womb or my mind. This is my body. If I give it to you I want it back. My life is a non-negotiable demand.
From the poem "Right to Life" by Marge Piercy. [whole poem here]
So far I've only read over the preface and the introduction, but I'm very excited to add this new parenting resource to my shelves. (while some people would rather have their Dr. Dobson or Dr. Ferber books on the shelves, I'd rather read the backs of cereal boxes before taking advice from those two)
I've been following the PBB blog for a while now, The Meming of Life -- and Friday's entry especially caught my eye, "Keeping the 'Hell' Away from my Kids." The whole entry is worth a read, but here's the part I liked best:
Just as we inoculate our kids against diseases by putting small amounts of the bad stuff into their arms to build resistance, we have to inoculate them against toxic ideas that can paralyze their abilities to think freely. Specifically invite fearless doubt and they can live without medieval ignorance and fear trailing them through their one and only life. Tell them about Hell, then don’t just ‘disagree’ with it: laugh it to smithereens. [link]
Exactly! The more I think about it, the more I'm excited about this opportunity I have, as a parent, to help Emma as she navigates and questions the twists and turns of THIS life. The last thing I want her to be is a subdued automaton who only believes out of an indoctrinated fear of the unknown (and unknowable).
One of my favorite Flickr pictures was requested to be a part of a new group, Hotel Hallways. If you're looking to reminiscence The Shining, this is the group to check out.
[I took this photo on our honeymoon in Edmonton -- it wasn't just the hallway that felt like The Overlook.]
My folks visited my brother & sis/bro in law in NYC this weekend. My dad had to pose for a picture in front of Fox News, just for me. Isn't he just so sweet?
(oh, if I were there, the things I could say!)
A little over 3 weeks until I fly South for the Summer!
