Oh, wait, this is what I look like when I've procrastinated marking papers for my three classes this term. Only, I have more hair. (and even more assignments to look forward to, as the term progresses)
Here are a few of my favorites (many of which I've personally experienced):
2) Tell them that if there's no God, they might as well go out and kill people.
7) Tell them that the universe is too complex to "just exist," and must have been created by a God who "just exists."
29) When given a Bible verse that looks bad, tell him that's what the verse says, but that's not what it means.
43) Tell him that he acknowledges Christ every time he uses "A.D." -- which, of course, stands for "After Death."
51) If a plane crashes killing 300 passengers and crew, but one little girl survives with only third-degree burns, tell him that this miracle proves the existence of God.
59) No matter what he quotes from the Bible, say that it's out of context.
60) ...and when he points out that the quotes are in correct context, tell him you need to be a Christian to understand the true meaning of the Bible.
83) Quote Psalm 14:1 to him.
84) ...and then tell him that you think highly of him, and want to be his friend.
135) When something awful happens, tell him not to blame God -- he doesn't interfere.
136) When something wonderful happens, tell him to credit God -- he made it happen.
171) When he points out an apparent inconsistency of God's attributes, just say that God is infinite. The atheist, with his finite, human brain cannot begin to understand God.
179) Say that you know in your heart that belief in God is perfectly logical and rational.
Edited (after walking to school): Dear University of Saskatchewan, no student (or instructor!) should have to go out in this. And to think, tomorrow it'll feel even COLDER. Cancel classes. Please?
1. Rambo V: Could You Repeat the Specials, Please? 2. Increasingly Less Over the Top 3. Tango & Cash II: Which One Am I Again? 4. F.I.S.T.U.L.A. 5. Rocky VII: Who Keeps Moving My Medicine?
While watching The Sound of Music this weekend, at one point Jerry leaned over to me during the "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" and noted that the name "Rebekah" fits perfectly in the place of Maria.
I'm a little late in blogging this, but yesterday was one of those kind of days where I didn't have the time or energy to devote to blogging -- hence my "Happy 35th Anniversary of Roe vs. Wade Day" greetings, a day late.
I'm sure it comes to no surprise to anyone who has read my blog for any amount of time that I'm firmly in the pro-choice camp when it comes to issues of reproduction. I've done several posts in the past about why I'm pro-choice, and have had several discussions/debates with people when it comes to the particulars of why I'm on the choice side of things.
What's particularly interesting about my views is that they've changed over the years. For most of the first part of my life, I was on the pro-"life" side of the issue -- even going so far as to take part in various "Life Chain" demonstrations on the streets of Savannah. (and I'm pretty sure my sister has a scanned picture of me holding up a sign, which I'm sure will work great for blackmail purposes some day)
I didn't remain pro-life as I grew older and started to leave the church culture I was such a part of. When I started becoming more involved in the "world," and heard the real-life stories of women who were faced with hard, personal choices, my mind slowly started to change. I saw that it was harder to see this issue in such black and white terms, and that being "pro-choice" meant more than simply advocating for abortions. The pro-choice side of things meant giving women the options of whether or not to get pregnant in the FIRST place -- allowing for reproductive options in contraception, and if it became necessary, a safe medical procedure to end pregnancy.
That's where I am today. I think that some people thought I'd lean more toward the other side of things after I had a child of my own -- but if anything, I'm even more for allowing women the choices they need when it comes to reproduction. I shudder to think of the days before the Pill and other options, when women were victim to their cycles without means of controlling when they became pregnant. While there are some out there who long for those dark days, here's hoping that they'll stay in the minority.
So, in honor of this special anniversary, here are some links I've come across in the last few days that may help further enlighten the issue:
AlterNet: Reproductive Justice and Gender -- if you check out any of these links, this is the one I would most recommend. A good collection of articles and blog posts about the issues surrounding this special anniversary.
Long 'Roe' to Hoe: an article from The Nation that talks about the need to expand the US's allowances for women's reproductive health.
Salon's Roe, 35 years later: key feminists weigh in on the effect of Roe, and how the freedoms that the ruling represents have been weakened over the last few decades.
This year, for the first time, expatriate Democrats can cast their ballots on the Internet in a presidential primary for people living outside the United States.
Democrats Abroad, an official branch of the party representing overseas voters, will hold its first global presidential preference primary from Feb. 5 to 12, with ex-pats selecting the candidate of their choice by Internet as well as fax, mail and in-person at polling places in more than 100 countries.
I've signed onto the Canadian branch of Democrats Abroad, and I'm already keen on casting my vote!
Deadline for all you ex-pats out there is February 1st, so get to it, people!
Maya Angelou was on CBC Sunday last week, talking about the US election and the poet's role in the world. Here's part of her interview with Evan Solomon:
That's just the last half of the interview, watch the whole of it here.
Dr. Angelou has always been one of my literary heroes. When I first read her (along with authors Toni Morrison and Zora Neale Hurston) in high school and university, I remember feeling such a bond with their words and stories -- so much so, that part of me longed to be an African American woman, just so I could relate to them even further.
She's got such a strong voice -- not only in its vocal quality, but also in the passion and wisdom behind her words. To think, early in her life this voice remained silent for years (Angelou was mute for nearly 5 years after being sexually abused as a child).
I love the poetry recitation she has at the end of this video clip. That's my kind of church experience, people. Amen.
While her birthday isn't technically until 6:42AM tomorrow morning, we celebrated it tonight with some close friends and family. It was a Dr. Seuss themed party, and you can tell that Emma was totally into it (especially the cake eating part).
It's the first-year anniversary of me going into labour with Emma. I know it's been said that the pains of labour are forgotten by women -- not true in my case. I can still remember it pretty vividly. The first day or so of contractions weren't so bad, and could even be called exciting. However, that said, the last hours before the baby appears is simply NO fun.
And here I am, one year later, doing a different type of labouring -- I'm back at work . . . hence the lack of posts lately. I'm teaching three classes this term, and between class prep, student conferences, and ceaseless marking, I've got little time for this beloved space.
Now that I've got better access to a computer, I may sneak online to post a story or video or two of what I'm reading. Until then, to satisfy any curiosity you may have on what I wish I had time to blog about, check out my del.icio.us links -- they're posted on my sidebar or you can go here to see 'em.
(Rest assured, dear reader, this will be the first and last video I will put of the Dion -- that is, unless I can find another one that is just as mock-y)
Here I am again, on the verge of a whole new year -- complete with all sorts of changes. This time last year, Emma was swimming around inside me, ready to emerge and disrupt my life in all sorts of ways (good and bad). This year -- actually, starting tomorrow -- I'm heading back to adult life and am rejoining the workforce!
I've really enjoyed this year of maternity leave with the little one. I'm not sure how people back home can only have 6 weeks with their baby before heading back to work -- when Emma was six weeks old, I was barely functioning! However, now that she's older and more independent (and almost a year old!), I feel much more at ease in returning to work. She's going part-time to a friend's home 3 days a week, and will hang out with her daddy for 2 days. My classes are mainly in the mornings, so I should be home mid-afternoonish (with lots of work for me to work on after Emma's in bed, to be sure).
I'm excited and only mildly terrified at the prospect of entering my work world again. I am looking forward to teaching, and being with my colleagues -- and I'm really excited to be a part of the University environment again. I'm hoping that now I'll be better at scheduling my time, so when I'm with Emma, I'll really be there for her.
While I'm confident that returning to work is the best move for me and my family, I still can't help but feel a little torn at the idea. I'm not one for traditional family roles (though I have no complaints with those who choose those roles for themselves), and I suppose my "mommy guilt" is just something that goes with the territory of wanting to be a mama and have a career at the same time.
Part of me is just thinking that this apprehension is due to the new change that is looming -- I'm hoping that once I'm in the middle of it, things will settle into a "new normal." For now, it's putting on makeup and suit jackets and pulling out notebooks and books and moving into a new office space for me!
