Leverage - Behind The Scenes: The Nigerian Job
Raising the Bar - 60 Seconds with Mark-Paul Gosselaar
Saving Grace - Grace
Angel - City Of, Clip 3
Charmed - We're Off To See The Wizard, Clip 1
Cold Case - Gleen, Clip 1
Law & Order - By Hooker By Crook, Clip 1
Without a Trace - Midnight Sun, Clip 3
Get out your best fuzzy mascot costume and prepare to be "skitched!"
(Don't feel bad if you don't have any clue what I'm talking about. Neither did my wife. Which is a good thing. Sometimes I curse the Internet for exposing my brain to images I can't un-see and information I'll never un-learn.)
I was telling some coworkers about a problem we're having with Maddie's school. The problem is that her kindergarten reading and math workbooks seem to have a bunch of God references in them. For example, in her phonics workbook, it will say:
Write the following sentences:
- My dog is brown.
- The girl sat on the swing.
- We are all God's children.
And in her math workbook, it will say:
God created the world in seven days. If he had two less days to use his omnipotence to lovingly craft all of humanity and the rest of the universe we live in, how many days would he have left to smite the non-believers?
I'm paraphrasing, but not much. There is an honest-to-god math problem based on Creationism in my five-year-old's workbook.
Now, Alecia and I are trying to be cool about this. We're assuming that it's an honest mistake, that the person who reviewed and purchased the books for this secular private school either overlooked that section (and the others like it) or, as a Christian who isn't bothered by stuff like that, just didn't think it was a big deal. We're not assuming that someone at the school has an agenda and is trying to convert our daughters. Mistakes happen. We do plan to bring it up to the principal and ask for her thoughts on the matter, but we're not getting ready to picket the school.
Anyway, when I was telling my coworkers about this, sharing what I thought was sort of a funny story, their replies surprised me.
"Good," the female coworker said humorlessly, referring to the questions about creationism in my daughter's workbook. "Otherwise, she'd never be exposed to it."
"Yeah, I can agree with that," said the male coworker.
Wait, what? You agree with a five-year-old being fed religious doctrine through hidden messages in her kindergarten workbook? How does this make any sense at all, even for Christians?
I tried to explain that I will gladly give my kids the opportunity to learn about all religions, but I didn't think this was the right way to do it, or the fair way.
"Well, if you take out the talk about creation, you need to also take out the talk about evolution," he said.
"This is kindergarten! There's no talk about evolution," I replied. "They mainly talk about butterflies and rainbows."
"He's right, though," she chimed in. "If you want to take out creationism, you need to take out evolution, it's only fair."
I should've again repeated that there's no evolution talk in her school, or that religion is personal and parents should have a choice about when and how it's presented to their kids, just like sex ed. Instead, I got flustered and tried to make an argument for evolution being a scientific theory with a lot of data to back it up (just not enough to prove it, empirically). But the coworkers argued that creationism has just as much supporting data in the form of historical writings. I tried to make a point that one is scientific method while the other is storytelling, but I have to admit that I wasn't making much sense at this point.
Anyway, I'm still sort of shocked at our discussion. I live in Cobb County, full of conservative Christians and famous for adding "Evolution is just a theory" labels to all science textbooks. I expect to hear that kind of talk in my neck of the woods. But I work in the interactive dept. of a major cable television network. The people I work with are young and smart, on the cutting edge of technology and pop culture. I don't expect "they shouldn't mention evolution" talk from them.
I mean, they may be Christians, but Christianity can work with evolution. Do they really think kids shouldn't be learning about Darwin, but should instead be hearing only stories of a kindly old man creating the world in seven days (six, if you don't count his R&R day)? And if they're just saying that to make a point, and what they really mean is, "No, we believe in evolution, you can keep it in. But we also think creationism should be taught," then they obviously don't get the concept of separation of church and state.
It was just a strange discussion. I really expected them to agree with me that there's no place for religion in a five-year-old's homework assignment (unless he/she maybe attends a parochial school). Instead, I got a rant about how evolution shouldn't be taught in schools. I definitely didn't expect that.
Write the following sentences:
- My dog is brown.
- The girl sat on the swing.
- We are all God's children.
And in her math workbook, it will say:
God created the world in seven days. If he had two less days to use his omnipotence to lovingly craft all of humanity and the rest of the universe we live in, how many days would he have left to smite the non-believers?
I'm paraphrasing, but not much. There is an honest-to-god math problem based on Creationism in my five-year-old's workbook.
Now, Alecia and I are trying to be cool about this. We're assuming that it's an honest mistake, that the person who reviewed and purchased the books for this secular private school either overlooked that section (and the others like it) or, as a Christian who isn't bothered by stuff like that, just didn't think it was a big deal. We're not assuming that someone at the school has an agenda and is trying to convert our daughters. Mistakes happen. We do plan to bring it up to the principal and ask for her thoughts on the matter, but we're not getting ready to picket the school.
Anyway, when I was telling my coworkers about this, sharing what I thought was sort of a funny story, their replies surprised me.
"Good," the female coworker said humorlessly, referring to the questions about creationism in my daughter's workbook. "Otherwise, she'd never be exposed to it."
"Yeah, I can agree with that," said the male coworker.
Wait, what? You agree with a five-year-old being fed religious doctrine through hidden messages in her kindergarten workbook? How does this make any sense at all, even for Christians?
I tried to explain that I will gladly give my kids the opportunity to learn about all religions, but I didn't think this was the right way to do it, or the fair way.
"Well, if you take out the talk about creation, you need to also take out the talk about evolution," he said.
"This is kindergarten! There's no talk about evolution," I replied. "They mainly talk about butterflies and rainbows."
"He's right, though," she chimed in. "If you want to take out creationism, you need to take out evolution, it's only fair."
I should've again repeated that there's no evolution talk in her school, or that religion is personal and parents should have a choice about when and how it's presented to their kids, just like sex ed. Instead, I got flustered and tried to make an argument for evolution being a scientific theory with a lot of data to back it up (just not enough to prove it, empirically). But the coworkers argued that creationism has just as much supporting data in the form of historical writings. I tried to make a point that one is scientific method while the other is storytelling, but I have to admit that I wasn't making much sense at this point.
Anyway, I'm still sort of shocked at our discussion. I live in Cobb County, full of conservative Christians and famous for adding "Evolution is just a theory" labels to all science textbooks. I expect to hear that kind of talk in my neck of the woods. But I work in the interactive dept. of a major cable television network. The people I work with are young and smart, on the cutting edge of technology and pop culture. I don't expect "they shouldn't mention evolution" talk from them.
I mean, they may be Christians, but Christianity can work with evolution. Do they really think kids shouldn't be learning about Darwin, but should instead be hearing only stories of a kindly old man creating the world in seven days (six, if you don't count his R&R day)? And if they're just saying that to make a point, and what they really mean is, "No, we believe in evolution, you can keep it in. But we also think creationism should be taught," then they obviously don't get the concept of separation of church and state.
It was just a strange discussion. I really expected them to agree with me that there's no place for religion in a five-year-old's homework assignment (unless he/she maybe attends a parochial school). Instead, I got a rant about how evolution shouldn't be taught in schools. I definitely didn't expect that.
If you're uncomfortable seeing pictures of normal people in the nude (or, for the love of god, if you're at work), don't click here.
However, if you love seeing normal people naked as much as I do, and are on your personal computer in a private space, go for it! No, it's not porn. It's just people. Average, flawed, sometimes flabby people. Clothed at first but made naked as the day they were born with just a click of your mouse. Which is awesome.
I love the human body (all except mine, of course), and will freely admit to being constantly curious about what every person I meet looks like with his/her clothes off. Okay, I definitely prefer to look at an average Jane over an average Joe. But the point is that I have a voyeuristic nature and am amazed by the human figure. I've been on a nude beach once in my life and I found it to be a fascinating experience. Even the least attractive people were interesting to look at--you don't see bodies like that in magazines, so it's almost like looking at an alien race.
But although I enjoyed my nudist experience (try to get that picture out of your head), I'm no advocate for a naturalistic lifestyle--I think it's the clothes and the act of concealment that drives my curiosity and makes the reveal more intriguing. When you ditch the clothes for good, nudity becomes boring quickly. But with their clothes on, every person is a work of mystery, which is pretty cool.
Re-reading this post, I suppose this is coming off pretty pervy. I'm basically drooling over the chance to see random strangers naked. But imagine if this site was filled with all of your coworkers, your yoga class, your neighbors instead of random German citizens. You'd be intrigued then, right?
Well it is. At least, they're someone's coworkers, neighbors, friends. Not people who make money with their bodies, just average, ordinary folks with no knickers on. And that's something I'll always click on.
However, if you love seeing normal people naked as much as I do, and are on your personal computer in a private space, go for it! No, it's not porn. It's just people. Average, flawed, sometimes flabby people. Clothed at first but made naked as the day they were born with just a click of your mouse. Which is awesome.
I love the human body (all except mine, of course), and will freely admit to being constantly curious about what every person I meet looks like with his/her clothes off. Okay, I definitely prefer to look at an average Jane over an average Joe. But the point is that I have a voyeuristic nature and am amazed by the human figure. I've been on a nude beach once in my life and I found it to be a fascinating experience. Even the least attractive people were interesting to look at--you don't see bodies like that in magazines, so it's almost like looking at an alien race.
But although I enjoyed my nudist experience (try to get that picture out of your head), I'm no advocate for a naturalistic lifestyle--I think it's the clothes and the act of concealment that drives my curiosity and makes the reveal more intriguing. When you ditch the clothes for good, nudity becomes boring quickly. But with their clothes on, every person is a work of mystery, which is pretty cool.
Re-reading this post, I suppose this is coming off pretty pervy. I'm basically drooling over the chance to see random strangers naked. But imagine if this site was filled with all of your coworkers, your yoga class, your neighbors instead of random German citizens. You'd be intrigued then, right?
Well it is. At least, they're someone's coworkers, neighbors, friends. Not people who make money with their bodies, just average, ordinary folks with no knickers on. And that's something I'll always click on.
I can't even tell you how happy I am to read this article. Although the writer just mentions the study--but doesn't post any relevant data or even a link to it--I choose to believe the allegations are true: Mormons love Internet porn.
Take that, Mormon girl who flirted with me when I DJ'd your youth conference back when I was in college, asking me for my phone number and address so we could "keep in touch," only to use it to send me totally impersonal religious pamphlets with no return address. Your state is a smuthole, filled with deviant hypocrites! How do ya like them apples?
Okay, now I think I can let go of the anger I've been holding inside all this time. It's just that this girl was really hot--Marie Osmond in her prime hot--and she totally led me on, when all she wanted to do was convert me. Even if her goal in converting me was to make me marriage material--which I'm pretty sure wasn't the case--it was still wrong. But I think I can finally forgive her.
After all, she probably doesn't even remember me. She's surely moved on with her own life. And no matter where she is or what she's doing, she doesn't need any grief from me. She surely gets enough from her twelve kids and her five fellow wives.
In the movie You've Got Mail, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan share the phrase "Going to the Mattresses" to describe going to war. Apparently, it was an expression used in one of the Godfather films, but to show how messed up my pop culture references are after working where I work for ten years, I don't remember it from The Godfather--though I love that movie--I remember it from the cheesy romantic comedy based on an AOL slogan. Hooray, corporate brainwashing!
Anyway, Meg and Tom used it in the film and I still use it, though I hope people think I'm quoting Mario Puzo when I do. I mean, if people are going to accuse me of quoting Tom Hanks, let it at least be from Forrest Gump like every other idiot. Right?
I finally finished off a box of Peanut Butter Crunch tonight. Man, that freaking box lasted forever. It's the same size as a family-sized box of Cap'n Crunch, but those pieces must be bigger, because I don't remember ever taking four months to finish a box of the normal stuff. I feel like I've been eating Peanut Butter Crunch for half of my adult life.
I don't know how Quaker Oats makes any money off of this stuff. A megabox of this costs the same price as a tiny box of Clusters, and by the time you're done with it, you're totally sick of the taste and can't wait to have something, anything different. Honestly, for the last month or two, I was eating the stuff just because I thought that wasting it with the economy doing so poorly was sacrilegious.
Next up: Banana Nut Cheerios. Oh yeah, I live life on the edge.
I inherited this from a handful of people almost two months ago, but never completed it. Now, I'm being asked to do the 25 Random Things meme on Facebook, and I figured I'd better finish one useless meme before I start another.
What did you do in 2008 that you have never done before?
I walked naked on a nude beach. Yep, totally starkers, even at the heaviest I've ever been in my life. I won't say anything else about it, lest people get some unpleasant mental images that they just can't shake.
Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
I think I kept maybe one out of a dozen. I did get a bit more organized and delegate a bit better at work. But none of my other resolutions--getting more sleep and exercise, losing weight, eating better, spending more time with the kids, etc.--seemed to come true. Better luck this year, I hope.
Have you any resolutions for next year?
I'm done with formal resolutions. Anyone who knows me knows what I need to do to better my life. See the above post for info.
What countries did you visit?
Just Jamaica, but that satisfied our mandate of leaving the country every year, which was hard to do with all of our domestic trips last year. This year, it may be even harder, but we should be able to at least get to Canada for a few days at some point.
What would you like to have in 2009 that you didn't have in 2008?
I would say a new house, but that may be out of my hands with the market being so bad. Instead, I'll say peace of mind. I've been trying for that for years, and it remains just out of my reach.
What date in 2008 will remain etched in your memory?
November 4, of course. Not only for the historical significance, but it was also the first time in several elections that my preferred candidate won. Being a liberal in the conservative south, my voting record is like 0-100 since moving here.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't think there was a landmark achievement, but I do feel like I made progress in several areas, including paying down debt and fixing up the house.
What was your biggest failure?
Getting and keeping a working car. We bought one in January, it died in October (and the mechanics told us it wasn't worth reviving). Yet another thing to worry about going into 2009, and a constant source of stress.
Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Yeah, a few. My killer headaches being the worst of the bunch (though they only began a few days before the new year, so they're more of a 2009 problem, so far).
What was the best thing you bought?
Alecia's new laptop. Most expensive gift I've ever bought her, but she seems to like it.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republicans'.
Where did most of your money go?
That's a question I constantly ask myself. I think too much of it went to fast food and gas. I hope we can cut down on both this year.
What did you get really really really excited about?
The election, of course.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eat. Sit on the couch. Watch bad TV and movies.
How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas at our own house, just the four of us on Christmas Eve and the in-laws on Christmas Day.
Which bloggers did you meet for the first time?
I may've met a few people who happened to have their own blogs, but I didn't meet anyone in 2009 that I knew first from a blog.
Did you fall in love in 2008?
Everytime I wake up and see my lovely wife staring back at me, I fall in love all over.
How many one night stands?
Please.
What was your favorite TV show?
Probably Battlestar Galactica or Survivor.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nah, hate is just a waste of energy. A lot of people get on my nerves, but that doesn't make them bad people (I hope they say the same about me).
What was/were the best books you read?
I finally finished the Dark Tower series. The ending was unfulfilling. I followed that up with Cell (also from Stephen King), and had the same problem with the ending. Can't remember a book that was good from beginning to end last year.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't think I learned of any new music that I'm now gaga over. But I did get into Jason Mraz more in 2008 than I had in previous years.
What did you want and get?
Love.
What did you want and not get?
Financial wealth.
What was your favorite film this year?
I saw a TON of movies in 2008, and liked Across the Universe on cable and the big comic movies at the theater: Dark Knight, Wanted, and Iron Man.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I turned 36 in February, and can't at all remember what we did to celebrate it.
What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
I had a great year. But if we were rich, it would've been even better.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I don't even get this question. Is it asking about my style? None.
What/Who kept you sane?
My kids. They constantly remind me that you can laugh through any situation.
Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Celebs aren't very top of mind for me. But I did see Julie Benz at Comic-Con and was seriously crushing on her.
Which political issue stirred you the most?
The one not at all addressed by either party during the election: Gay Marriage. I still don't get why it's outlawed, and am disappointed that the Dems didn't take a position on the issue.
Who did you miss?
I miss all of my extended family. I have siblings I haven't seen in years.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Every year teaches me more and more that the mistakes you make when you're young can stick with you for a long time. So I hope I do a good job steering my kids away from some of the mistakes I made.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"It's been a long December, and there's reason to believe...maybe this year will be better than the last."
Tagging: Alecia, because she posts even less in her blog than I do in mine.
What did you do in 2008 that you have never done before?
I walked naked on a nude beach. Yep, totally starkers, even at the heaviest I've ever been in my life. I won't say anything else about it, lest people get some unpleasant mental images that they just can't shake.
Did you keep all of last years resolutions?
I think I kept maybe one out of a dozen. I did get a bit more organized and delegate a bit better at work. But none of my other resolutions--getting more sleep and exercise, losing weight, eating better, spending more time with the kids, etc.--seemed to come true. Better luck this year, I hope.
Have you any resolutions for next year?
I'm done with formal resolutions. Anyone who knows me knows what I need to do to better my life. See the above post for info.
What countries did you visit?
Just Jamaica, but that satisfied our mandate of leaving the country every year, which was hard to do with all of our domestic trips last year. This year, it may be even harder, but we should be able to at least get to Canada for a few days at some point.
What would you like to have in 2009 that you didn't have in 2008?
I would say a new house, but that may be out of my hands with the market being so bad. Instead, I'll say peace of mind. I've been trying for that for years, and it remains just out of my reach.
What date in 2008 will remain etched in your memory?
November 4, of course. Not only for the historical significance, but it was also the first time in several elections that my preferred candidate won. Being a liberal in the conservative south, my voting record is like 0-100 since moving here.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don't think there was a landmark achievement, but I do feel like I made progress in several areas, including paying down debt and fixing up the house.
What was your biggest failure?
Getting and keeping a working car. We bought one in January, it died in October (and the mechanics told us it wasn't worth reviving). Yet another thing to worry about going into 2009, and a constant source of stress.
Did you suffer any illness or injury?
Yeah, a few. My killer headaches being the worst of the bunch (though they only began a few days before the new year, so they're more of a 2009 problem, so far).
What was the best thing you bought?
Alecia's new laptop. Most expensive gift I've ever bought her, but she seems to like it.
Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Republicans'.
Where did most of your money go?
That's a question I constantly ask myself. I think too much of it went to fast food and gas. I hope we can cut down on both this year.
What did you get really really really excited about?
The election, of course.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
Eat. Sit on the couch. Watch bad TV and movies.
How will you be spending Christmas?
We spent Christmas at our own house, just the four of us on Christmas Eve and the in-laws on Christmas Day.
Which bloggers did you meet for the first time?
I may've met a few people who happened to have their own blogs, but I didn't meet anyone in 2009 that I knew first from a blog.
Did you fall in love in 2008?
Everytime I wake up and see my lovely wife staring back at me, I fall in love all over.
How many one night stands?
Please.
What was your favorite TV show?
Probably Battlestar Galactica or Survivor.
Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year?
Nah, hate is just a waste of energy. A lot of people get on my nerves, but that doesn't make them bad people (I hope they say the same about me).
What was/were the best books you read?
I finally finished the Dark Tower series. The ending was unfulfilling. I followed that up with Cell (also from Stephen King), and had the same problem with the ending. Can't remember a book that was good from beginning to end last year.
What was your greatest musical discovery?
I don't think I learned of any new music that I'm now gaga over. But I did get into Jason Mraz more in 2008 than I had in previous years.
What did you want and get?
Love.
What did you want and not get?
Financial wealth.
What was your favorite film this year?
I saw a TON of movies in 2008, and liked Across the Universe on cable and the big comic movies at the theater: Dark Knight, Wanted, and Iron Man.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I turned 36 in February, and can't at all remember what we did to celebrate it.
What one thing would have made your year more satisfying?
I had a great year. But if we were rich, it would've been even better.
How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
I don't even get this question. Is it asking about my style? None.
What/Who kept you sane?
My kids. They constantly remind me that you can laugh through any situation.
Which celebrity did you fancy the most?
Celebs aren't very top of mind for me. But I did see Julie Benz at Comic-Con and was seriously crushing on her.
Which political issue stirred you the most?
The one not at all addressed by either party during the election: Gay Marriage. I still don't get why it's outlawed, and am disappointed that the Dems didn't take a position on the issue.
Who did you miss?
I miss all of my extended family. I have siblings I haven't seen in years.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned this year?
Every year teaches me more and more that the mistakes you make when you're young can stick with you for a long time. So I hope I do a good job steering my kids away from some of the mistakes I made.
Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"It's been a long December, and there's reason to believe...maybe this year will be better than the last."
Tagging: Alecia, because she posts even less in her blog than I do in mine.
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