The Urban Farmhouse

Someone finally did it

2012-01-22T06:58:00.000-08:00

Picture blatantly stolen from Stitchlily. I admit it.

So someone finally did a screen shot collection. I've always wanted to but I've never managed it. Now I can just send you there.

When people ask why I have a problem with religion.....

Jam Bars

2012-01-22T04:21:00.000-08:00

1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 t cinnamon
1 cup butter
2 cups rolled oats
1 jar jam, any flavor *

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Line a 9x13 "brownie" pan with foil and grease (I use cooking spray)
Mix together the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon.
Cut in the butter until it's reached the large clump stage
Add the oats and rub. Literally put a glove on and mix with your hands, squishing and rubbing until it cam make large clumps that hold together.
Place 4 cups of this mixture in the bottom of the pan and press down until it's level and solid
Spread the entire jar of jam over the top of this layer to within 1/4 in of the edges
Sprinkle the remaining dough over the top and press lightly
Bake for 35-40 min or until golden brown
Let cool then cut, preferably with a bench knife

Makes 24 cookies.

* You can use any flavor of jam, but I've found that the tarter jams like raspberry or four fruits work best.

Recipe found at AllRecipes.com and modified. Not a clue where I found the picture, sorry.

How to cook

2012-01-21T23:17:00.000-08:00

So for lack of anything better to post at the moment I'm going to start a series sharing my favorite how-to cook videos? Why? Because so many women who keep homemaking blogs think they can cook and quite frankly it's scary. I'm leaving my lessons up to the experts.

To that end I give you my all time favorite cooking show, Cook's Country.

Season 01, Episode 01, "Forgotten Cakes"

In this episode they show you how to make Chocolate "blackout" cake

Strawberry Jell-o poke cake

And share some baking secrets.

Season 01 Episode 02 "Sunday Dinner"

They do Garlic roast beef and mashed potatoes.

Compare dish washing liquids and show how to choose cuts of meat.

For the record it's not my show, I don't own the copyright, and if anyone from the show would rather I not share I will gladly take it down.

I hope you all enjoy!

The problem with Christian Privilege

2012-01-18T23:20:00.000-08:00

I found a list of 40 points of Christian Privilege in the Wayback Machine. I'm using it to make a point, so be sure to check all the way to the end.

It is likely that state and federal holidays coincide with my religious practices, thereby having little to no impact on my job and/or education.
I can talk openly about my religious practices without concern for how it will be received by others.
I can be sure to hear music on the radio and watch specials on television that celebrate the holidays of my religion.
When told about the history of civilization, I am can be sure that I am shown people of my religion made it what it is.
I can worry about religious privilege without being perceived as “self-interested” or “self-seeking.”
I can have a “Jesus is Lord” bumper sticker or Icthus (Christian Fish) on my car and not worry about someone vandalizing my car because of it.
I can share my holiday greetings without being fully conscious of how it may impact those who do not celebrate the same holidays. Also, I can be sure that people are knowledgeable about the holidays of my religion and will greet me with the appropriate holiday greeting (e.g., Merry Christmas, Happy Easter, etc.).
I can probably assume that there is a universality of religious experience.
I can deny Christian Privilege by asserting that all religions are essentially the same.
I probably do not need to learn the religious or spiritual customs of others, and I am likely not penalized for not knowing them.
I am probably unencumbered by having to explain why I am or am not doing things related to my religious norms on a daily basis.
I am likely not judged by the improper actions of others in my religious group.
If I wish, I can usually or exclusively be among those from my religious group most of the time (in work, school, or at home).
I can assume that my safety, or the safety of my family, will not be put in jeopardy by disclosing my religion to others at work or at school.
It is likely that mass media represents my religion widely AND positively.
It is likely that I can find items to buy that represent my religious norms and holidays with relative ease (e.g., food, decorations, greeting cards, etc.).
I can speak or write about my religion, and even critique other religions, and have these perspectives listened to and published with relative ease and without much fear of reprisal.
I could write an article on Christian Privilege without putting my own religion on trial.
I can travel without others assuming that I put them at risk because of my religion; nor will my religion put me at risk from others when I travel.
I can be financially successful without the assumption from others that this success is connected to my religion.
I can protect myself (and my children) from people who may not like me (or them) based on my religion.
Law enforcement officials will likely assume I am a non-threatening person if my religion is disclosed to them. In fact, disclosure may actually help law enforcement officials perceive me as being “in the right” or “unbiased."
I can safely assume that any authority figure will generally be someone of my religion.
I can talk about my religion, even proselytize, and be characterized as “sharing the word,” instead of imposing my ideas on others.
I can be gentle and affirming to people without being characterized as an exception to my religion.
I am never asked to speak on behalf of all Christians.
My citizenship and immigration status will likely not be questioned, and my background will likely not be investigated, because of my religion.
My place of worship is probably not targeted for violence because of sentiment against my religion.
I can be sure that my religion will not work against me when seeking medical or legal help.
My religion will not cause teachers to pigeonhole me into certain professions based of the assumed "prowess" of my religious group.
I will not have my children taken from me from governmental authorities who are aware of my religious affiliation.
Disclosure of my religion to an adoption agency will likely not prevent me from being able to adopt children.
If I wish to give my children a parochial religious education, I probably have a variety of options nearby.
I can be sure that my children will be given curricular materials that testify to the existence and importance of my religion.
I can be sure that when someone in the media is referring to G-d, they are referring to my (Christian) G-d.
I can easily find academic courses and institutions that give attention only to people of my religion.
My religious holidays are so completely “normal” that, in many ways, they may appear to no longer have any religious significance at all.
The elected and unelected officials of my government probably are members of my religious group.
When swearing an oath, I am probably making this oath by placing my hand on the scripture of my religion.
I can openly display my religious symbol(s) on my person or property without fear of disapproval, violence, and/or vandalism.

Please notice #32 up there. Not only will being a Christian not prevent you from adopting, they will probably gloss over your homestudy and make it much easier for you to adopt. For example they will probably overlook the parenting guidebooks promoted by your church that suggest you beat and starve your children in order to break their will and thus draw them closer to the Lord.

And then this is what happens:

State notes alarming spike in starvation of adopted children
Recent high-profile stories of adopted children being starved have officials reviewing placement guidelines.
By Barbara LaBoe, The (Longview) Daily News
An alleged child starvation case near Longview is one of more than a dozen cases -- including one death -- that have state officials reviewing how adopted children are placed and treated.

The number of abuse cases is small compared to all adoptions. But a string of high- profile child starvation cases last year -- including one from May accusing Jeffrey and Rebecca Trebilcock of starving their five adopted children at their Bunker Hill-area home in Cowlitz County -- has state officials alarmed.

"Starting in the beginning of 2011 we started seeing a cluster effect of these types of cases," said Mary Meinig, director of the state's Family and Children's Ombudsman office, who included a section about adoption abuse in her annual report, released last week.

Many of the cases include starvation. "We have so many great adoptive homes in the state, but then we also have these. ... I think it's apparent that it needs to be looked at."

"We want to jump-start this as quickly as possible," said Denise Revels Robinson, assistant secretary of the state Department of Social and Health Services. "There's a sense of urgency here. Not crisis, but urgency, because these are very serious issues."

One adopted child, 13-year-old Hana Williams of Sedro-Woolley, died in May from hypothermia and starvation after being left outside as punishment. The Trebilcock's adopted son, then 13, landed in emergency room in March so severely malnourished that he weighed just 49 pounds, according to court documents.

There's a list of families on that page. And if you go and look them up I do believe every one of them is some kind of Evangelical/Fundamentalist/Independent Baptist Christian. Because if you're Christian, you're automatically good adoptive parents. That's what we call privilege.

Personally when the time comes for my husband and I to adopt, I expect to be well and thoroughly homestudied, including being asked how we plan to discipline and feed our children. But then I don't expect privileged treatment.

On Christian Compassion

2012-01-15T15:24:00.001-08:00

You know, I was going to try to keep this to homemaking topics this time around. But these problems keep coming up.

So over in Rhode Island a young woman name of Jessica Ahlquist won a court battle against her high school to have an unconstitutional prayer banner removed from her high school. Yes, folks, a public school cannot promote any given religion over any other given religion. Think of howpissed you would if that banner had been written in Arabic.

Now they didn't say destroy the banner, they didn't day shutter every church in town, they didn't say no more Christians allowed EVAR!!! They said take the banner down. It could easily be displayed somewhere else. I remember when a similar kerfuffle came up about the Nativity scene on display in my home town. It was unconstitutional to display it in front of city hall, so they donated it to the museum who displayed it on their lawn right across the street. Problem solved. So all they have to do is move the banner to, say, a display of town historical objects in the library or something and there you go.

But it has given the local Christians a chance to show off their compassion. These were some of the comments she's received. (Per Freethought blogs)

“May that little, evil athiest teenage girl and that judge BURN IN HELL!”
“yeah, well i want the immediate removal of all atheists from the school, how about that?”
“Jessica Ahlquist may have won her case, but she’s going straight to hell. #Godovereverything”
“I hope there’s lots of banners in hell when your rotting in there you atheist fuck #TeamJesus”
“If this banner comes down, hell i hope the school burns down with it!”
“U little brainless idiot, hope u will be punished, you have not win sh..t! Stupid little brainless skunk!”
“Fuck Jessica alquist I’ll drop anchor on her face”
“definetly laying it down on this athiest tommorow anyone else?”
“Nothing bad better happen tomorrow #justsaying #fridaythe13th”
“Let’s all jump that girl who did the banner #fuckthatho”
“literally that bitch is insane. and the best part is she already transferred schools because shes knows someone will jump her #ahaha”
“”But for real somebody should jump this girl” lmao let’s do it!”
“Hmm jess is in my bio class, she’s gonna get some shit thrown at her”
“I want to punch the girl in the face that made west take down the school prayer… #Honestly”
“hail Mary full of grace @jessicaahlquist is gonna get punched in the face”
“When I take over the world I’m going to do a holocaust to all the atheists”
“gods going to fuck your ass with that banner you scumbag”
“I found it, what a little bitch lol I wanna snuff her”
“if I wasn’t 18 and wouldn’t go to jail I’d beat the shit out of her idk how she got away with not getting beat up yet”
“lol I wanna stick that bitch lol”
“nail her to a cross”
“We can make so many jokes about this dumb bitch, but who cares #thatbitchisgointohell and Satan is gonna rape her.”

You can find the actual screen shots here. I don't believe they shared where someone posted her home address, the better to encourage a good beating and rape of a 16 year old girl to teach her a lesson about the true message of Jesus.

But when someone says they're really tired of hearing about Tebow they "hate Christians".

Edited to add: Oh wait, there's more.

What I did last summer, part 1

2012-01-06T22:08:00.000-08:00

Last summer I did something I always wanted to try.

I turned this:

Into this:

Yep, 18 jars of peach jam. Not the best jam, the peaches weren't as ripe as they could have been. But still, homemade peach jam.

Sorry about the overexposure, but this one really catches the color:

Yes, it was as hot and sweaty and miserable as our foremothers used to say, and I finished them just in time to cur carbs and stop having toast at breakfast, but it was worth it. If I ever get the front burner fixed so I can process more than two jars at a time I plan to make apple butter, strawberry jam and tomato sauce in the future.

Yes, I am proud of myself.

New sewing room

2012-01-05T05:11:00.000-08:00

Image stolen from Su Loves Sew. I lust too.

So the husband and I recently switched personal rooms. This means that I have the smaller of the two spare bedrooms as a sewing room now, which is just the right fit, while he gets to share office/den space with the exercise bike, treadmill, and litter box. Given that we had also cleaned out the garage we managed to get the 6 spare chairs that were being stored in there out as well, and he is currently using the old TV stand as a side table.

Please note the lack of complaints about the smaller space on my end.

I rather wish my room looked as Easter egg pretty as the ones up there. I can't paint, of course, and at the moment I'm working with thrift shop findings for furniture, but it's highly functional and tidy. I'm hoping this will be the year that I get a real desk and real sewing table and perhaps real armoire to store fabric. And hopefully this week-end I'll make up a valance, which ought to help.

Consider this a work in progress.

Before:

During:

Everything out in the living room.

Everything back in and being unpacked

And the current state of "done".

Hopefully better pictures to come. And maybe even some finished projects, stay tuned.

A restart for 2012

2012-01-02T00:50:00.001-08:00

So, a restart for 2012. And why not.

Resolutions for this year:

1) To read one book of the Barnes & Noble Classics list every month.

2) To finish the Aubrey & Maturin series.

3) To knit one sock per week until I have completed seven pairs

4) To finish a sweater

5) To finish a lace scarf, three kerchiefs, new mittens, a balaclava for the husband, all technically small projects

6) To finish the Grandmother shawl and a Catkin

7) To finish three cross-stitch pieces

8) To stay on a house cleaning schedule

9) To get to the gym twice a week

10) To write 1,500 words/day at least 5 days a week

I know, good luck to me. But it's the first of the year and one has to start out with a good intent.

A humorous reply to a manefesto on pants

2010-11-29T08:20:00.000-08:00

I have to reply to Simcha Fischer's "Pants: A Manifesto". Because it's not about morality at all. Really.

1) I live in the Pacific Northwest where anything made of cloth that comes within an inch of the ground turns into a dishcloth 80% of the year. A skirt and decent boots keeps things dry. Skirts.

2) My husband also finds pants neutral, while skirts on women affect him. However, thanks to the hormones I'm taking it's always the good time in the cycle around here. Skirts.

3) I don't have children, however I used to teach elementary school so I know from kids and floors. But I also spent 12 years in a Catholic schoolgirls uniform, where I did everything in a skirt. For me sitting on a floor in a skirt is far more comfortable, modest and natural than trying to get up and down in pants. Skirts.

4) I think most people consider teaching to be a pink collar job. That said, after my Catholic school training I had no problem lunging after little Johnny in a skirt, and never once thought about being graceful or modest. In fact, given that my body shape is the exact opposite of the average American woman, which means that even pants that fit are never cut right, lunging is harder for me in pants. If they aren't heading south they're threatening to split. Skirts

5) My life doesn't have to be hard either. Pants chafe. Skirts

6) My husband also hates shopping, combines with the above comment that most clothing isn't cut right for me. So rather than even bothering to try this utterly, faintingly, femininely "drooling idiot" sews her own. And a crotch seam is a bitch. Skirts.

7) My husband has the same vision problem, he can't see an item until it's on. And he does admire the look of a skirt on a woman. Skirts

8) I agree that it's all about control from the various church types. Which is why I'm doing exactly what I want to do, and if it happens to also be what they want, its a coincidence. Skirts.

9) I agree, anyone who worries about what I think about myself ought to ask me. I think you will be pleasantly surprised by my self-esteem and personal strength. I'll also happily tell you that I think that has a lot more to do with the medication I'm taking than the cloth hanging off my ass. And then I'll tell you what I think about you. Skirts.

10) I agree, fat butts look horrible in too small stretch pants. And I admittedly have a fat butt, so I prefer to dress it in a skirt. That said, you, you hypothetical patriocentric religious type, are still an asshole. Skirts.

Women if you want to wear pants, if they make you comfortable and you think you look good, then I think you ought to go right ahead and wear pants. I even envy you the cool, comfortable, American Country Casual look in jeans, I wish I could pull off the look.

But it's not a moral issue. At all. I utterly agree on that.

Even if you wear skirts.

Be comfortable. Enjoy your life.

But I know he's a Christian, and that's all that matters right now...

2010-03-15T13:07:00.001-07:00

see more funny facebook stuff!

And also this one. Which comes with a language warning. Because even the most Christian of virgins will use the F-word, a lot.

Bravo

2010-03-07T12:51:00.001-08:00

Yes, it is a joke. If you believe it then you have been had. But don't take the word of the people at Snopes, which some of you won't given that you believe they are part of the vast liberal conspiracy or some such nonsense. Instead I give you the words of my favorite translator:

This is awesome! Not only did they misspell things in their Arabic, they wrote it backwards. To top it off, that little bit under "Kenya" actually means nothing if you're trying to read it from right to left, but if you read it backwards, like the rest of it, it says, by letter, ha, ah, wa, ah, ee.. Or in words, Hawaii!

Hawaii, which has been a state since 1959. In other words, one of the United States of America.

Now do get over yourselves.

For Jane

2010-03-04T09:38:00.001-08:00

Yea, this makes my point nicely. Thanks, but no thanks.

The Knitting Olymics 2010

2010-03-03T12:22:00.000-08:00

I did not earn gold.

I was going to knit a pair of child's sized socks for the daughter of my high school roommate who is working on baby #2. (The roommate is working on the baby. The socks were for the soon to be big sister) However the day of the opening ceremonies, before I could even cast on I found out that friend #1 was moving two states away, and had less than a week to completely sort down a 2 bedroom house into a 1 bedroom apartment and pack it in a U-Haul AND my mother is moving back home to live near my older foster sister because I refuse to play along with her bullying games anymore AND another friend has to start chemotherapy AND I finally got on the right meds. So while we got one friend moved, got mother's garage cleaned out, a hat finished and dealt with my first cycle in a year, I never did even start the socks.

I like to think I at least got bronze for surviving it all.

Another break for current events

2010-02-21T10:01:00.000-08:00

The study they are discussing starts here

Which reflects something I've been saying for a long time. If God is responsible for everything, if you never get credit for doing good, if in fact you get credit for doing bad and then applying to him for forgiveness, which is always granted, then why do good at all? Why be moral? Why?

Either God is a right bastard, or else this whole system was invented by people who not only wanted to get away with whatever they wanted to get away with. Not only that, but they wanted people to support it and even play along. They wanted the power, sometimes to get others to do something good, mostly to get others to do something bad.

That the business of religion continues to this day, even though we as a culture have grown more moral than the dogma can be explained in one phrase: "Touch not mine annointed." Really, if you had that much power, would you let the business go? Heck, the tax breaks alone are worth trying to flimflam as many people as possible.

I will finish my deconversion series, there are two more parts, but life is busy here this week-end so please be patient.

My deconversion story Pt 7 - And he fails

2010-02-14T14:34:00.001-08:00

It wasn’t long before the school districts started hiring again. But I really didn’t bother to apply for any positions. Even though money was tight, we knew that with the husband training to get a job at one of the local hospitals, it wouldn’t last forever. We became followers of the work of Elizabeth Ann Warren and decided that we wanted to stay out of what we called the two-income trap. We were actually managing to save money, which never happened when we were both working, and we were both growing much healthier. And along the way we found the Patriocentric Christian movement, and with it the idea of Homeschooling.

Perhaps I should say it found us. I had finally began dressing and presenting myself in a way that overcompensated for the way I had been treated in the past. I let my curly hair grow long, started wearing wide headbands, hats, and other head coverings to hide the bald spots, found that long skirts and denim jumpers look the best on my large, admittedly masculine frame, and sewed most of what I wore out of calico, to give it that feminine, floral edge. And my husband favors khaki pants, polos, and hats. In other words, we look like the quintessential Patriocentric couple, and so, when out in public, people from the local Patriocentric churches gravitated toward us. I found myself being called “sister”, and asked to watch everything from shopping carts to children, and then being asked to pray with the women once they returned from the rest room. Naturally, I started asking questions.

I also found my way to Ladies Against Feminism. As much as I considered myself a feminist still, it was the only place on the web where I found support for being a stay-at-home-wife without children. For a brief time, we thought we might have found a home.

For a very brief time.

The more we read the less we liked it. Paganisim is a Matriocentric religion, I used to joke that I had to stop calling myself a Pagan when I got to know my husband, and realized I could only consider him my equal. Going all the way from one extreme to the other simply would not work for us, we were what most people would call egalitarian, and that was that. Also, the inherent theonomy and the homophobia and the near rejection of the idea that parents can be abusers offended us. So while we thought it a very pretty thing, with perhaps a good idea or two, we rejected the idea of joining any sort of Patriocentric movement.

We flirted with other Christian churches. I believe we looked at the Presbyterians and the Lutherans, and I know we attended the Episcopalian church a few times. But by then the husband was working at the local Catholic hospital, and he admired the good work and charity care they offered the community. I had been raised Catholic, of course, and his parents had recently converted to the Catholic Church from the formerly Methodist membership. So we tool the path of least resistance and signed my husband up for the RCIA program. He eventually joined the church, with his immensely proud father as his sponsor, and we spent a number of years there as out church home. I joined a social group, he joined the choir, and we began doing volunteer work in the community. I had a number of long discussions with Fr. M, where he reassured me that the Church attitude toward blaming the victim in cases of abuse was long gone, and even the inherent homophobia wasn’t as bad as the press made out. We thought life was good.

But….more and more, I began to feel like there was a problem, with God.

Every time we went to mass we were surrounded by small flocks of children. It tore at my heart every time, because I so wanted to be a Mother, to be able to walk in with a baby or child that was mine. The last straw was this one time we went to mass, the 5pm on Saturday that was usually mostly older adults. This family sat in front of us, a young couple with this perfect, rosy cheeked, and laughing little girl. She couldn’t have been more than a year, all decked out in a white dress with pink roses and ribbons. She was utterly perfect, exactly how I hoped my daughter would be. When my husband looked over and saw the tears running down my cheeks he led me back to the car and asked me what was wrong. I told him it felt like God was taunting me, rubbing my nose in what I couldn’t have. If God wanted me in mass so badly, why couldn’t he at least have one mass that was mostly adults?

Why, God? Why are you making this more painful than it needs to be?

My husband agreed, he had been feeling the same way. When he went to work that night he put in for a switch to the day shift. Within a few weeks he was working during every mass service, and we never went back.

We had been reading more about the Patriocentic movement, learning about the Ezzos and Babywise, about the Pearls, about Gothard and ATI. We were horrified at the thought of some of the tortures they were advocating, locking children in “prayer closets”, beating them with plumber’s line and glue sticks, letting babies scream with hunger to get them on a schedule. Back in our alternative sexuality days we had both allowed ourselves to be beaten with sticks, and we knew how much that had hurt on adult bodies. Who in their right minds would do that to a child? I remember reading Doug Phillip’s blog, and an off hand comment about how they had beaten one of their girls, who turned and screamed through her tears that she was going to “tell Jesus on them.” He proudly recounted how he and his wife laughed about it as they beat her again.

Why, God? Why?

At the same time, the Patriocentrics, and more and more of Christianity as a whole embraced the Quiverfull movement. The idea of the virtue of a stay-at-home wife fell away as Motherhood became the only “normative” goal, and what did you do that God is punishing you with infertility? We sat there and watched these families have baby after baby, eight, ten, twelve, all the while beating and tormenting them in the name of God.

Why God? You know we’d never harm a child, we’d only teach them your love. Why do you keep giving those families children and not us? Why?

For all that Fr. M had reassured me that the Catholic church no longer blamed the victim, under the new Pope that seemed to change. He showed support of the priests and sisters accused and convicted of sexual and physical abuse in the US and Ireland, and chose to excommunicate the people who helped a 9 year old girl in Peru who had been raped, and would not survive bearing twins, while not saying a word against the man who had raped her.

Why, God? Where is the mercy and justice here?

I think the FLDS was the last straw for me. Back when I was working three jobs and going to college, one of those jobs was an aid with Child Protective Services. I knew that there was no way any county would pony up the budget money for an operation as big as the raid on the FLDS compound without firm evidence that children were being raped and abused. Finally, I thought, God is using the state to step in and save children. All of the “good Christians” around the net who are screaming that this is nothing but persecution, who are making death threats against the people who are trying to help these girls, will see the truth. I mean, most of the men refused DNA tests, to me a clear sign that they were guilty of something.

A couple of weeks later the children went back, before the few DNA tests they had been able to pull were back from the lab. I was horrified.

Why God? Why are you allowing these girls to be raped in your name? Why? Why?

I never did get an answer. Ever.

It was becoming clear to me, that either God was the biggest bastard in the universe, a monster who loved to watch children suffer, who savored the tears of the forsaken, who encouraged the rape of young girls. Or else there was no God.

There was no such thing as God.

A break for current events

2010-02-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

I still don't think that the missionaries set out to do anything illegal. I think the might have been bamboozled by a real criminal now. But this kind of thing is what happens when you disengage from the real world, and allow religion to narrow your ability to see things for what they really are.

In my opinion they need to stop praying for a miracle, stop assuming a mythic sky god is going to take care of everything, and go out and hire a real lawyer.

My deconversion story Pt 6 - God gets another chance

2010-02-12T15:45:00.000-08:00

Over the next two years a number if things changed. I had a run-in with a couple who taught at my school, a couple of Fundamentalist Christians who were working for a few years to save money before becoming missionaries. Either they were offended by a Pagan teaching their children, or because I criticized some of their classroom management ideas. Either way, they began going from church to church in our area, telling them that I was a transgendered witch freak who was trying to convert the children to alternative sexuality. At the time I was a newlywed, and I had never once discussed my faith with any of the children in my care. By the time they got around to discussing it at the local synagogue, where the Cantor was a good friend, who told me what was going on, the deed was done. Anyone who hadn’t heard it from J and the Italian community was now convinced I was transgendered.

This wouldn’t have mattered so much, as off-work I was part of a number of communities that didn’t care, the military, the local pagan network, and even the alternative sexuality community that ranged as far north as San Francisco, except for one problem. My husband had been discharged early from the military, so we weren’t planning to move anywhere, except for out of the house, and away from my mother.

And I managed to get pregnant.

I remember being so thrilled, so excited. Finally I was as good as anyone. I was part of the in-crowd. Life had finally come together.

Except that I couldn’t find a single doctor in town willing to provide pre-natal care to someone they just knew was transgendered. In the words of one he wasn’t treating *that*.

Two months later I lost the baby. There was no support from any quarter, the church had rejected us, and the Pagans wondered what we did to deserve such karma. We huddled together and kept going the best we could.

Over the next two years I lost four more pregnancies. My husband went to work for an ambulance service for long hours and little pay. I kept teaching, even though it meant commuting an hour each way, and dealing with the rest of the staff that had been so poisoned against me. This was when the housing bubble was starting to inflate, and seems like it started in our area. Rents doubled, and doubled again. Enron and the energy crisis caused our utility bills to go up. And then the worst happened, the economic crisis hit the state, and the schools started to pay the price. I became in imminent danger of losing my job.

My husband was on call 24/7, literally, leaving at all hours of the day and night to transport patients. We kept passing each other, sometimes not seeing each other awake for days on end. I was taking medication for anti-anxiety, and prescription muscle relaxers just to get my back, which was always seriously painful, to unknot so that I could even lay down flat in bed at night. And all the while I was grieving my lost babies. Finally one day I snapped. My principal came in with a group of parents and asked me to justify my position as the school network technician, without giving me any warning. For all I knew, my job literally hung on my ability to do so on fly. I babbled out an answer as best I could, and the next thing I knew I was in my own driveway. I had literally run screaming from the school, and driven 60 miles home, on two major highways, without realizing it.

That was when my husband and I decided, something had to give.

We decided to move to a less expensive area, where I could stay home and rest for the remainder of the school year, and we could live on his salary as an EMT. Then I could work while he went to school for his RN, and then I could retire and we could try again to be parents. We moved to Oregon, just in time for the first gas spike to hit, causing him to lose his job a month after we got here. We survived on food stamps, his GI benefits, and the only job I could get, teaching Sunday School at the Unitarian Universalist church.

It was during this time, through the UU community, that we decided to give up on Paganisim. It held nothing for us, went against what we were finding to be some of our more closely held values, and just felt increasingly wrong. It was time to give God another chance.

My deconversion story Pt 5 - The roller coaster to the wilderness

2010-02-12T12:03:00.000-08:00

During my junior year in college I found out that the money my Grandmother had so carefully set aside for my education was gone. My Mother had used large amounts of it to pay off her credit cards, which she then ran back up to the maximum. My only option was to move out of the too-expensive condo, find full-time work, and change majors to something that was supported by grants from the state. So I moved back to my hometown, into a series of deeply awful apartments, and began studying for my teaching credential. I was temping, working two less than part time jobs, and picking up tutoring gigs on the side, and it still never seemed to be enough. I also was going without health insurance, so I was still living with pain, and still a hormonal mess. And I found when I got home that J had told everyone in town that I was a militant lesbian, and transgendered besides, which all the good Christians found so offensive that they wanted little to do with me.

I should step back and say that Italian families, at the time, were considered large. Three to four children were common; and six to eight were not unknown, which meant that there were a lot of people in their late teens and early twenties around at that time, and they were all starting to get married and have babies. It seemed like every week-end I was attending a shower for something, always invited out of politeness to my Mother, never spoken to once there. And all of these young men were entrepreneurs, starting up their own businesses or going to work for their fathers, so money was always tight and no one had insurance. Still, the babies were coming, and coming, and coming. And Mother was always out there helping, a load of groceries here, a doctor bill paid there, a new outfit or three sent to make sure a little girl had something pretty to wear. All the while privately condemning these young women, most of whom were not yet 21, for becoming dependent on men, and not finishing their educations. For being stay-at-home mothers. And yet there was not a word or dime of support for her own daughter, who was trying to do everything right.

It became clear to me that to join the club of the approved, to prove to everyone that I wasn’t really a freak, I had to have a baby. And not be dependent on a man while doing so. If I could finish my degree, start a career, buy my own house, and then have a baby, I could prove to everyone that I was not a freak. That I was fine. But I was only able to take one or two courses at a time, because I had to work so much, and so I thought it would never happen. I spend much of those years in what I now know to be a clinical depression.

Since I wasn’t finding any support among the Christians, I started attending Pagan worship gatherings, and then took an interest in alternative sexuality. On the one hand, I found myself a “freak” among “freaks”, and made close friends I cherish to this day. On the other hand, they thought my desire to be a stay-at-home mother more than a little odd, so I learned not to speak of it. If you are a part of a fertility cult, who’s guiding principal is “As I will, so it will be”, and you can’t get pregnant, you must be doing something wrong. So, once again, my health problems were all in my head, and entirely my fault. On some spiritual level, there was something wrong with me.

But they were the only friends I had, and so I stuck with them. And life got better. I finished my degree in computer science, with minors in elementary education and biochemistry, became a teacher, and finally bought my Grandfather’s house, when he became a little too frail to live that far from town. I was back in the house where I grew up, and making decent money. All I needed was the baby.

Two months later Mother finally divorced J and moved herself in. It quickly became apparent that a home with a clinical narcissist was not a place for a newborn. My depression was beginning to return when the Pagan community finally gave up its greatest gift. In the form of a young Marine with the happiest green eyes I had ever seen.

Nine months after we met, my husband and I had the first Pagan wedding ever held in an active military chapel. I was the beautiful maiden at last, all decked out in white lace and roses, while some of J’s friends stood outside and gaped in shock. It was one of the happiest days of my life.

My deconversion story Pt 4 - It finally starts getting better...

2010-02-11T22:26:00.000-08:00

I know my story sounds pretty awful. I’m sorry about that, but there’s not a lot one can do with the truth.

On the plus side, for the next seven years nothing bad really happened. In high school I was given my own room, where most of the girls slept 2-4 to a room, because it quickly became clear that I was too damaged, and knew far too much about human sexuality to be exposed to the other girls in so private a setting. If nothing else, by then I was a chronic insomniac, and afraid of the dark, which can be tough on a roommate. And thanks to my looks when any special guest came to campus, I was usually given some reason or other to be in my room, or in one of the private study rooms on campus. Basically I was hidden away because they were embarrassed by the freak. But at the same time, I made a number of very close friends, whom I’ve kept over the years, and received an excellent education. By the time I graduated high school, while I might have still felt like a freak, I was a freak who could do whatever she set her mind to doing.

I wanted to go to UC Berkley, or preferably the all-female Mills College in Oakland, where I wouldn’t have to deal with men before I was ready, but that would have meant living in the dorm. Mother wanted me to go somewhere where she could rent a condo, a place she could escape when J’s affairs became too embarrassing, on the excuse of visiting her daughter. So I ended up at another school, not nearly as good, where the only way to study biochemistry at the same level was to join an industry-oriented program. The program was mostly male, and unless the women in the program were sleeping with *someone*, they were harassed until they left. Since I was a freak who was still not comfortable with boys I was destined to be pushed out, until I met my friend S. S was a retired cop, who had gone back to school for his degree after being injured in the line of duty. He lived in the same building I did, and so it was easy for us to pretend to be sleeping together. It hid the fact that I was not ready to deal with sex, and that he was gay. Even this wasn’t all that bad, because by comparison to my friends who had gone to places like Berkley, Stanford, and MIT, I was able to log much more lab time in my smaller program, and I ended up with much more practical experience. In the end, they envied me as much as I envied them.

It was hard won experience. Back in high school I started getting shooting pains in my back and legs every time I had to climb the hill to the dorms, or go up more than one flight of stairs, or spent too much time standing. In college it grew steadily worse, until I was having trouble completing a full lab period, or even walking across campus. I went to the campus clinic and was told I just needed to lose weight, that my hormones weren’t all that bad, and neither was the pain, that it was all in my head. From that I took away that I was not only a freak, I must be a lazy freak as well. I worked part time, took 18 units a semester, worked 4 hours a day in the hot sun in the outdoor lab, rode 6-10 miles a day on my bike, and still weighed close to 300 pounds. And somehow this was all my fault, because nothing was really wrong with me. It was, after all, just some hormones.

During this time I can’t say I thought much about religion at all. I spent some time thinking I was still Catholic, and some time studying my father’s Pagan faith. But nothing ever held all the answers. Mostly, I was hoping to develop a personal relationship with something, some great deity that would accept me, and love me, even though I was some queer freak. But I never did. It was clear to me, I was on my own.

But it was also clear to me, after fighting through the pain, and accomplishing what I could, that I could do it on my own.

My deconversion story Pt 3 - Yes, they taught us these things

2010-02-11T15:15:00.000-08:00

So far the bible is the easiest node to discuss. We covered the Documentary Hypotheses, the various sources for the Bible, and the politics behind the different translations as part of the required Bible Studies class during my freshman year of high school. Until I found to the Patriocentric community on the net fifteen years later I never met anyone who actually, truly believed the bible was the literal word of God.

So, really, from high school on, I never have.

My deconversion story Pt 2 - When people let you down

2010-02-11T14:59:00.000-08:00

In this series Evid3nc3 discusses something he calls The God Concept. The idea is that what we usually call "Faith" is really a meta-concept, made up of various other concepts and beliefs. These concepts and beliefs are linked, much like the nodes in a computer network. Now if any one node goes away, the network will remain standing. However, if enough nodes go, the network will go with it. This is called graceful degradation. He walks you through the graceful degradation of his network in this video series. I'm trying to do the same, but my path will of course, be different, and so I will be sharing his videos out of order.

This is the graphic representation of the network.

About two years later Mother met J, her second husband. He was a very traditional Italian Catholic, who was also at the time married with two children. They met while Mother and his wife were serving on the PTA. After an affair lasting about 6 months, he divorced his wife and he and Mother ran off to Nevada for a quickie wedding. Oddly enough, our community approved of his divorce and their marriage, even the Priests and Nuns. See, while Mother was doing quite well in her career, she had only a high school diploma, and was advancing through her company’s in-house education system. While J ex-wife was attending college to try to better herself, now that her children were in junior high. This meant that she was getting too far above J, who only made it to the 8th grade back in Italy, and clearly was neglecting him.

Now, from what I understood of faith and morality, people were supposed to stay married forever, divorce was supposed to be bad, and an affair was supposed to be worse. Mom was divorced, yes, but she insisted that my father had abandoned her, so it clearly wasn’t her fault. This, on the other hand, was clearly at least partially her responsibility. Jesus himself spoke out against divorce and adultery in Mark 10: 1-10 and in Matthew 5:27-31. It was clearly right there. And yet everyone was saying this was a good thing. It was my first brush with the hypocrisy of Christians, but it wouldn’t be my last. At the time I thought it was just my community, and at the ripe old age of 11, I vowed I would be better than the example of my elders. I would stay sexually moral, wait until marriage, and then be faithful to my husband.

After J moved in, one of the first things he wanted me to do was to start calling him Dad. But there was something creepy about him from the start, and calling him Dad just didn’t seem right at all. Besides, I had a dad out there, somewhere. I remembered the name of the town he was supposed to live in, and I remembered from my reading that if you sent a letter to General Delivery the USPS would try to find that person for you. So I wrote him a letter telling him I wanted to meet him, hoping he would protect me from the creep Mother married, and sent it off.

Turned out that, in a way, Dad had abandoned Mom. He had come back from Vietnam with PTSD, which he was self-medicating for with an excess of illegal drugs. He had been alternating between rehab, the psych hospital, and his mother’s house up on Mount Shasta. So he wasn’t available to protect anyone, physically, mentally or emotionally. But he was able to show up for lunch one day, tell me about my family, including how my Grandmother ran a book store similar to one in a town nearby. It was disappointing, to say the least. Around then J had his first affair on my Mother, which was somehow my fault. Apparently wanting to meet my own father meant I was rejecting J, and pushing him away from my Mother. Heavy stuff for an 11 year old.

In addition, he and my Grandfather, who still lived with us, were not getting along. J was older, and had been a child in Italy in WW II. His father had worked in the civil service under Mussolini. My Grandfather had been in the US Army in WW II, and fought in the Italian theater. As you might guess, they re-fought that battle every moment of the years they lived together, and used any excuse to fight. Including any attempts to discipline me. If one told me to do something, the other insisted I do the exact opposite and whichever choice I made was choosing sides, preferring one over the other. If I did it J’s way then my Grandfather would go sit in his room and literally sob because I didn’t love him any longer. If I did it my Grandfather’s way then J would go off to his mistress, saying I didn’t want him in the family, and my Mother would once again blame me for his affairs. Something as simple as setting the table could become a battlefield, as J wanted the table set European style, while Grandpa preferred an American setting. I went to my teachers, who informed me that to Honor Your Mother and Father meant not to go tattling on them.

And while all this was going on, my body was exploding. Quite literally. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is not that uncommon in women, but I developed one of the worst cases known on the west coast at the time. My ovaries went in to overdrive, flooding my body with testosterone, the male sex hormone. Within a year I packed on close to 200 lbs, all of it bone, muscle and retained fluids from the excess of steroids. My periods became irregular and I became infertile. And I began growing facial hair. Not just a few, pluckable hairs on my chin, I grew a full beard and moustache, as well as ample chest and body hair. In addition my feelings grew even more chaotic. At one time my testosterone levels tested as high as 375 parts per measurement. What no one said, or realized, or understood at the time was that that was in the range that was desired for transgender women pre-surgery. My body was literally trying to undergo a sex change.

Rather than trying to help me navigate what was clearly a medical problem, my family about as badly as they could. My Grandfather retreated further. My Mother distanced herself from her freak of a daughter, preferring the company of her friend’s more delicate, feminine daughters who could shop and look good in clothing and makeup. And J turned out to have a secret love of transvestites. He insisted Mother cut off my waste-length curls, saying he didn’t want her spending the time helping me with them any longer. He forbid her from buying me women’s clothing, saying I was too rough on my clothes and that it was a waste of money. And he refused to let me shave, without giving a reason at all. Mother made up for that by saying that shaving was too unfeminine, and it would be better to have it waxed off. But to wax hair it has to be at least ¼ in long, which meant that I would be walking around town with a beard for weeks. I looked, and felt like a freak.

About this time I started high-school, a Catholic, all-girl school which was 2/3 boarders. The Sisters there took one look and insisted that Mother take me in for a full medical work-up. That was when I was diagnosed with PCOD, and told that I would never have children. In fact, since ovarian cancer was inevitable I ought to just have a hysterectomy and be done with it. But I was sure that wasn’t how my life was supposed to go. Motherhood was supposed to be the greatest aspiration of Christian and Catholic girls, the Bible spoke so highly of mothers. That couldn’t be right. So, I left room open for a miracle and refused the surgery. Then they offered me medication to try to lower my testosterone levels, but only on the condition that I also go on birth control, since the risk of horrible birth defects was so high, and I was in high school, where anything could happen. The Sisters informed my Mother that since the Vatican did not allow for birth control I could not take the medication and stay enrolled at the school. She decided it was better that I stay, even as I grew more and more freakish.

I suppose that decision worked out for the best, because when J found out I wasn’t going to be having his baby, the abuse started. I knew at the time that it had nothing to do with romance, or even how sex ought to be between loving men and women; I had read enough to understand that. But I also knew that he could easily carry out his threats to throw me out of the house, and given his position in the community, that no one would help me. So I managed to block it out of my mind and keep going until the day that I blacked out in front of Sister C. I woke up in the Emergency Room several hours later, and after they had discovered the rape. Between J and the sisters there was enough political pull to keep it all quiet, although CPS did get involved. A deal was worked out that I would live at the school when J was in town. During the 6-7 months of the year that he worked out of town, I could return home.

What I do distinctly remember was the local priest coming to visit me at the school not long after it happened, offering to hear my confession on the subject. I told him I didn’t have anything to confess. He said that I did, as I had seduced and tempted a good man. I was shocked by this. I told him that I had been asleep in my bed every time, that I had never tempted anyone. He informed me that he didn’t believe me, that it had to be my fault and that if I did not confess I could no longer take communion.

I didn’t give up on God that day, but that was the first time I gave up on the church and on other Christians.

My deconversion story Pt 1 - my life as a Christian, and other things

2010-02-11T11:13:00.000-08:00

After watching Evid3nce3’s videos on his deconversion process, and after reading all of the comments in reply to my short version of my deconversion over on the True Womanhood forum*, I’m beginning to think I ought to write my own story. If nothing else, just to get it clear and get it out. I’m going to use Evid3nc3’s idea of a network to structure my tale, even though it flows differently, simply because it’s so thorough and accurate, at least in my opinion.**

So, my life as a Christian, and as other things.

I was born into a family that was already breaking up. My mother is an Italian-American, who lived in a very close-knit, very cohesive, fairly traditional community. My father came from a family of hippies and free-spirits, whose mother was, I believe, one of the founders of the modern Neo-pagan movement. By the time I was born their marriage was already gone, Mother told me many times over the years that I wasn’t wanted, that they only reason why she had me was because her Mother insisted, that she only stayed married so I wouldn’t ever be accused of being a bastard. Within six months of my birth their divorce was final, and since it takes about six months to finalize a divorce in California, for years the family joke was that she stopped on the way home from the hospital to fill out the papers.

She moved in with her parents, and stayed home for the next six years to raise me. I was raised in their Italian Catholic tradition, which was fairly loose at the time. Mass on Sunday, no meat on Friday, little else worried about the rest of the week. I recall her spending a lot of time out, gone with her friends to listen to music, and do whatever else she was doing when she didn’t have to watch me. I remember my Grandfather, who was suffering with lingering PTSD from WW II mostly out in the garage, self medicating with vast quantities of beer. But he was also kind and loving, I remember him building me toys and taking me fishing. Most of the time I remember my Grandmother, who loved me so much, and wanted me around all the time, whether it was helping her in the kitchen or sitting next to her learning to sew while she watched her soaps.

Mostly, though, she read to me. Or rather, let me read to her. As an adult I would be diagnosed with hyperlexia, a very mild form of autisim that leads to developing reading skills abnormally early, at the loss of verbal and social skills. By the time I was in the first grade I was reading at the high school level. But I couldn’t make friends, none of my classmates made any sense to me. And I did not express myself well; I tended to stammer and suffered from aphasia, the loss of words while speaking. This also might have been caused by an incident that happened when I was four. I have dealt with asthma on and off during my life, and this one time I had a very bad attack and ended up in the ER. According to my mother they gave me adrenalin, although my husband now insists it must have been epinephrine. Either way, you’re supposed to stay calm for a time after, because your heart is already beating so strongly, and the risk of breaking off a blood clot and causing a stroke is so high. Either no one told my mother that or she didn’t hear it, or she just grew impatient and wanted me to run off what must have been a case of the jitters, but she let me run around my aunt’s back yard. Not long after, according to family lore, I turned white and fell over unconscious. I woke up in the emergency room again, and was soon sent home. But in pictures taken after, you can see the paralysis on the left side of my face, which lingers to this day. I’d had a small stroke. Regardless of the cause, I was also dealing with aphasia, and I had a very hard time relating to others, and I have ever since.

However, when the time came for me to start school, either because my grandmother insisted or because she was afraid of the bussing that was just coming into vogue, I was enrolled at the school attached to our local church, and she went back to work. From then on my education was left in the hands of the local Sisters of various denominations, religious and otherwise. This meant that I was cut off from any resources available to the public school students, and also meant that I was placed with well-meaning women who had no background in education whatsoever. School became a place where I read a lot, usually quietly, in a corner. As far as faith goes, I suppose it was a decent enough education. I learned all the traditional bible stories, how to say a rosary, what to do about the stations of the cross. When I was in the second grade I made my First Communion just like I ought. But even by then my world, and my faith, were falling apart.

My beloved grandmother was dying of cancer. And my body was starting to change.

Grandma has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma five years earlier. It had been years of watching her grow sicker and sicker from the chemo and radiation. Now, that week-end she slipped into a coma, and a week later she was gone. I didn’t get to go to her funeral, it wasn’t considered appropriate for children. Instead I went to school like every other day. Since we didn’t have a sandbox or playground equipment at our school it was considered a treat when we walked the three blocks to the nearest city park for PE. On the way back we would stop in the school driveway to reform lines and calm down before walking past classrooms. I remember that day the teacher chewing us out because we were watching the funeral procession at the church next door. We weren’t supposed to pay any attention. She was too angry for me to be able to tell her that my Grandmother was in that coffin.

In the meantime I was beginning to deal with the wreck of hormones in my body. At the time nothing was said except that I was developing early, and to wait and see, but now we know that Precocious Puberty is a major problem that heralds further illness down the line. I was 7 years old then, already well over 5 feet tall, head and shoulders about my teacher in that First Communion picture. And my body was already starting to develop, taking my emotions with it. There were no resources for support, for grief, for teasing the concerns and tears out of a child who knew too much and didn’t speak well. All that happened was Sister Agnes leading the class in a rosary for my Grandmother. This was considered enough.

My grandfather retreated into his garage and his beer fridge. My mother, who was now working full time, took her salary and what she could get of my Grandparent’s money, and decided to go shopping whenever she could. She certainly didn’t want to be bothered by housework, and since she was perpetually on a diet, she didn’t want to cook either. By the time I was eight I was coming home every day after school to cook and to clean, in the hopes of making the house spotless enough to satisfy her. If she was happy, and it wasn’t long before she was all the time, I could go to the malls with her on week-ends. Not that she would buy me anything but books; those kept me quiet, but it got me out of the house and away from my Grandfather’s endless mourning. I remember wondering why God took my Grandmother away when I still needed her so badly? Why God didn't give me a normal Mother like everyone else, one who cooked and bought my uniforms instead of making me do it, and who took me to Girl Scouts, and every thing else? Why God couldn't help my Grandfather, who was clearly so not well? Why no one else made sense to me, why I felt like I had to be apart from everyone? But no matter how much I prayed or tried to develop a personal relationship with God, He was never there. And no one even though to try to talk to me about any of it. The local priests never came by. The sister’s never brought it up. I was pretty much left on my own to deal with all of it as best I could.

Two years later she met her next husband, and things got worse. But I’m going to split this entry, it’s already long enough.

------

* Who are some of the nicest, kindest ladies I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you all for your kinds words, and all the hugs. They mean a lot.

** And thank you for putting it out there.

A fascinating deconversion story

2010-02-10T19:16:00.000-08:00

So in places he can be a bit of a snob, I suppose. But he really does lay out each argument in turn, and quite well. It runs six episodes, some in two parts. I just wonder how many will be willing to sit through all of them.

Someone wanted a menu

2010-02-07T22:54:00.000-08:00

Well, here is February 2010 for you, right here. For some reason the title picture isn't working. I have no idea why.

That takes some seasonal stuff into account, as well as things on sale. I suppose I ought to talk about how we manage pantry inventory and such at some point as well.

Errands day and Laundry day ought to be self-explanatory. Baking day is when I make up the cookies, muffins, and granola for the week, the husband makes the bread and rolls on laundry day, while I'm out of the kitchen. He makes 48 rolls at a time and freezes them for use during the next two weeks, and alternates that with loaves of whole wheat bread for breakfasts and lunches. He works four 12 hours shifts, Thursday-Sunday, and so has Monday-Wednesday off for classes. Housework day is when I do the dusting, moping, and general cleaning. Saturday and Sunday I usually spend sewing.

I also have my notes up for things I particularly want to see on TV, and for projects that must be done soon. The aprons are finished, and I just have a bit more hand work to do on the rag doll.

Recipes, or links to recipes, on request. Or I may just add them here. We shall see.

More on kidnapping children for Jesus

2010-02-05T11:31:00.000-08:00

So I seriously doubt that they were actually kidnapping children for nefarious purposes. More like they honestly thought they were doing a good thing, and that because they claim allegiance to a mythic sky god they were somehow above the law and so no one would stop them.

Er, sorry, it doesn't work that way. You can pray all you want to, but you still have to fill out the paperwork, just like the all the godless heathens in the world.

I'm calling this a very harsh lesson in equality.

What's even more telling is that the Christian blogosphere, or as much of it as I've been able to track, was all up in arms when this report first came out, and everyone thought it was child slave trafficking. But once they heard it was Christian Missionaries taking children for adoption by Christian parents so they could finds a "new life in Christ" they all shut up on the subject.

Call me a cynic, but I can only interpret their lack of condemnation as support. perhaps kidnapping children to brainwash them into the faith isn't such a bad thing in their eyes.

Which is disturbing as all hell.

Kidnapping children for Jesus

2010-01-30T16:41:00.001-08:00

From Reuters:

Americans arrested taking children out of Haiti
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - Haitian police have arrested 10 U.S. citizens caught trying to take 33 children out of the earthquake-stricken country in a suspected illicit adoption scheme, authorities said on Saturday.

The five men and five women were in custody in the capital, Port-au-Prince after their arrests on Friday night. There are fears that traffickers could try to exploit the chaos and turmoil following Haiti's January 12 earthquake quake to engage in illegal adoptions.

One of the suspects, who says she is leader of an Idaho-based charity called New Life Children's Refuge, denied they had done anything wrong.

The suspects were detained at Malpasse, Haiti's main border crossing with the Dominican Republic, after Haitian police conducted a routine search of their vehicle.

Authorities said the Americans had no documents to prove they had cleared the adoption of the 33 children -- aged 2 months to 12 years -- through any embassy and no papers showing they were made orphans by the quake in the impoverished Caribbean country.

"This is totally illegal," said Yves Cristalin, Haiti's social affairs minister. "No children can leave Haiti without proper authorization and these people did not have that authorization."

Emphasis mine.

The group mentioned in the Reuters article, the New Life Christian's Refuge is associated with the Eastside Baptist Church in Twin Falls, Idaho, and the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian, Idaho. The mission is to help these children to safety, well away from any godless, heathen family that might be looking for them and to “help them find a new life in Christ.” Thank goodness the evil, secular authorities are paying attention.

Really, how would you like it if there was a crisis and someone took your children to another country?

From another Reuters article:

Haiti quake raises fears of child-eating spirits
PORT-AU-PRINCE (Reuters) - The earthquake that shattered Haiti has unleashed fears that child-eating spirits, mythological figures entrenched in Haitian culture, are prowling homeless camps in search of young prey.
The 'loup-garou,' which means 'wolf man,' is similar to werewolf legends in other parts of the world, but in Haitian folklore it is a person who is possessed by a spirit and can turn into a beast or even a dog, cat, chicken, snake or another animal to suck the blood of babies and young children.

Haitians fear loups-garous in the best of times and even more since a powerful earthquake wrecked the capital of Port-au-Prince two weeks ago, killing as many as 200,000 people and forcing hundreds of thousands more to sleep outside in vast camps or on the streets.

Some people accused of being loups-garous have apparently been lynched since the earthquake, including a man killed at the La Grotte camp for displaced people on a barely accessible hillside that looks down on Port-au-Prince.

"After the earthquake, the loup-garou fled from prison. He was bragging that he was in jail because he was caught eating children ... During the night he went into the tents and tried to take someone's child," said Michaelle Casseus, a camp resident.

Which is exactly what the Christians are doing.

Well done, people.

Good

2010-01-29T10:12:00.000-08:00

I am not worthy

2010-01-24T16:34:00.000-08:00

Not my kitchen. More my dream kitchen. Found on This Old House

Mom Plans Meals for Entire Year - ABC News

I plan anywhere from 2 weeks to a month ahead. I may just try shooting for a year.

Why diets are bad

2010-01-22T14:45:00.000-08:00

For once I'm not cranking off about religion or politics.

From Venus Diva:

1) Many diets support the use of non-nutritional, highly chemicalized foods like fake fats and fake sugars. These chemicalized foods negatively affect body chemistry, cause low-level undernourishment, and often encourage overeating when the dieter gets the signal that s/he is not getting properly nourished.

2) Diets have such a high failure rate that they really are a gamble with a low chance of success. Why not just play Keno? If you look at the fine print of most studies on diets, they will tell you that, despite potential immediate success in limited numbers, diets have a 90-99% long-term failure rate. People lose some weight, only to find their weight creep back up, often surpassing their initial, pre-diet weight. Even the “successful” dieters often don’t keep all of their weight off.

3) Dieting gives dieters the message that they cannot trust their internal sense of what nourishes them. This distrust of internal signals affects other aspects of a dieter’s life, where they seek external approval and control of their non-food related actions.

4) The diet industry has a deep interest in the failure of dieters — if everyone got skinny, they’d go out of business.

5) Dieters’ self esteem is often tied to their weight — they feel good about themselves when they’re losing weight and bad about themselves when they’re gaining weight. This is a particular problem given item #2, if most dieters regain the weight they lose, they spend much of their lives feeling bad about themselves.

6) The diet system reinforces low self esteem in dieters by making them feel like they have no “willpower” when they have diet lapses. In actuality, diets encourage people to ignore their internal will in exchange for the perceived will of the diet industry. This out of control feeling reinforces low self esteem and makes dieters feel out of control in other areas of their lives.

7) Rather than being about nourishment, food often becomes about reward and punishment for dieters. They let themselves have a “treat” because they’ve been “good” on their diets and deprive themselves when they’ve been “bad.” Food is a necessary part of life. When food is about reward and punishment, we override our internal cues about what our bodies actually need.

8) Diets cause dieters (who are often women) to revolve their lives around food rather than other things that may really matter to them (relationships, careers, social issues). Who knows how many great ideas, inventions, beautiful relationship etc. the world is missing out on because so many of us are so obsessed with dieting.

9) Diets cause a lot of body hatred, particularly when the dieter isn’t losing weight. Dieters tend to see their bodies as wrong and problematic when they’re not seeing the “results” they want. But really, body and mind are connected, and this false conflict creates a great deal of unhappiness.

10) Diets often categorize foods as good/okay vs. bad/forbidden. Just like our culture’s genesis story revolves around a woman eating a forbidden food (the apple), it’s human nature to want what’s forbidden. Thus, it’s no wonder that dieters often crave forbidden foods even more once they are forbidden, and then hate themselves for eating those foods (maybe because they’re made to feel as though they’ve caused all of humanity to become sinners).

11) Diets encourage what I like to call “lottery thinking” — most dieters know that diets haven’t really worked for them nor most of the people they know, yet they think that some new diet is going to make them thin, and they’ll finally be in that tiny successful group. This creates a great deal of disappointment for dieters who are constantly trying to achieve something that is nearly impossible.

12) Most diet programs are expensive. I cringe when I think about the money that I and my friends and family have spent over the years on Weight Watchers, special shakes and diet pills!

13) For some people, diets are like Band-aids on deep scars. For people who really overeat and eat unconsciously, they often eat to numb their feelings and consciousness. Their issue is not really “portion control.” In fact, they often are too controlling of themselves and their emotions.

14) Diets assume that all fat people eat too much. They don’t account for the fact that people come in all shapes and sizes, and that a person’s weight is not an indicator of overall health.

15) The weight loss/gain cycle created by dieting is more stressful on the body than just being plain, old fat.

16) Diets work on a scarcity principle. Diets make dieters focus on lack, tell them they can only have “this much and no more” and that to want more is a bad thing. Because dieting is so all-encompassing, this scarcity principle often filters into other aspects of dieters’ lives. They begin to see lack and scarcity in their relationships, in their jobs, and in the world.

Could not say it better

2010-01-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

Hypocrisy Watch

2010-01-13T12:54:00.000-08:00

Mojoy over at Deep Thoughts is keeping a running watch of Pastors and Priests behaving...badly. As in criminally badly. The map is part of the project, showing every incident for the last half of 2009 alone. Click to see how it's shaping up.

The black dots indicate a sexual component to their crimes. Think on that.

Here's a copy of his current list:

Rev. John Wielebski suspended
Rev. Gaston Smith raises ethical questions
Rev. Edgar Sepulveda arrested
Pastor Paul Meeks to stand trial
Student Leader Jordan Vernon arrested
Pastor Dieugrand Jacques arrested
Pastor Kenneth Terrell arrested
Rev. Alejandro Flores discovers he cannot fly
Pastor Dean Tarkington arrested
Pastor Edwin House arrested
Youth Pastor Robert Weber arrested
Pastor Phillip Joubert charged again
Pastor Lloyd Sartain arrested
Pastor Steve Hilman arrested
Pastor Emmanuel William on trial for rape
Archbishop Edgardo Gabriel Storni sentenced
It's only porn and hypocrisy

And that's just what he reported in January 2010. He currently has 766 posts in his hypocrisy watch.

Why does religion crop up in every culture, when there is no proof of a supernatural deity? Maybe because it provides the perfect excuse for a small group to stay in power, have unlimited authority over others, do whatever they want, and not be questioned for it.

Why do they hate atheists so much? Maybe because we don't grant them unlimited authority and power, and we question everything.

Just a thought.

Perhaps he thinks they should have just remained in slavery

2010-01-13T09:03:00.000-08:00

It starts about 6 minutes in.

"You know, Christy, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Ahhh...you know, Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the Devil. They said we will serve you if you get us free from the French. True Story. And so the Devil said "Okay, it's a deal." and...uh...they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle, on one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. Um, they need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I'm optimistic, something good may come."

I can't add to this, I really can't.

UPDATE: Billy Graham is asking for donations to send...chaplains.

"Chaplains will arrive today in Haiti to assess the level of need and to determine how to best provide emotional and spiritual care in the aftermath of the tragic earthquake that devastated the impoverished country. Please pray for the victims of the earthquakes, especially those who are still searching through the rubble looking for lost loved ones," said Jack Munday, Director of the Rapid Response Team. "Pray also for our team as they bring hope and comfort in the midst of this disaster."

Found here.

I can understand sending grief counselors, once the initial recovery has passed, but right now their survival needs are much more immediate, so sending money to send in people to pray would be an utter waste. And besides, as I understand it, the bulk of the country is Roman Catholic, using trauma to try to convert people is really low, but about what I would expect.

May I suggest that people who want to send real help donate to Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières. They had the hospital in Port Au Prince, are currently doing trauma triage in the courtyard as the building is gone, and their American and Canadian teams are heading down there with inflatable surgical suites to save as many lives as they can (via the YarnHarlot)

Donate here:

From the USA
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/?ref=main-menu

From Canada
http://www.msf.ca/donate/

Everyone else go through here
http://www.msf.org/

I just have to

2010-01-07T21:19:00.001-08:00

This one's even more appropriate, I think, and I don't want to clutter things with too many cartoons.

A vision of the future

2009-12-29T16:52:00.000-08:00

The funny thing is, I do plan to homeschool. But that's only because based on the years I spent teaching I could see how these yahoos are infecting the public school, and I want my children to have a good grounding in science. Including evolutionary theory.

Gobsmacked

2009-12-23T08:53:00.001-08:00

Found on Weather Underground.

And the various churches have spend how much defending pedophiles and child abusing clergy?

"Thou Shalt Shoplift." Says Priest.

Speaking to his congregation on Sunday, Father Jones said: "My advice, as a Christian priest, is to shoplift.
"I do not offer such advice because I think that stealing is a good thing, or because I think it is harmless, for it is neither.
"I would ask that they do not steal from small, family businesses, but from national businesses, knowing that the costs are ultimately passed on to the rest of us in the form of higher prices.
"When people are released from prison, or find themselves suddenly without work or family support, then to leave them for weeks and weeks with inadequate or clumsy social support is monumental, catastrophic folly.
"We create a situation which leaves some people little option but crime."

Imagine if they spent their legal fees caring for the poor....

2009-12-21T21:31:00.001-08:00

Thank you Kamilla

2009-12-17T13:05:00.000-08:00

I just posted a response to The Brave Lass, aka Kamilla, in response to this post here. Primarily in response to this paragraph.

Tonight I am also considering those who say hierarchy is unnecessary and even harmful in close relationships like marriage. But look what happens when two likes come together in the demonic parody of marriage called pseudogamy. When two men come together . . . well, they can't. Whatever they do physically, even emotionally can never, ever create the one-flesh relationship that comes of the act of marriage. The same with two women. And the vacuum created by two likes repelling each other in very real, if not always apparent, ways is a recipe for violence.

We've all heard the lie that complementarian theology causes, or at least encourages, abuse. Now if you believe that and you think two equals, or two likes, coming together in marriage is a good thing, you best not visit any city ER. Especially not in the wee hours after the clubs close.

She chose to delete my reply, which, as it is her blog, is her right. Sadly, I didn't copy that reply, my bad there. So I'll reply to her here instead.

Kamilla -

Given the nature of your writing it is clear that you come from a very sheltered background. I would be surprised to find out that you know anyone who is openly gay, much less anyone who is both openly gay and openly married. So I am deeply offended by your trying to paint every single homosexual relationship as violent.

You are wrong.

Most homosexual marriages I know are loving and long-lasting. I only hope my marriage can be as strong and last as long as they have.

My husband works in an urban ER. He has, in the past, worked the night shift. I have, at times, volunteered there with him, at the front desk, checking in people coming in after the clubs close, looking for help. I have some experience in these matters, and let me tell you from that experience, the vast majority of people coming in because a spouse or a lover beat them are not homosexual. Or egalitarian. Or a list of other things. They are conservative, evangelical Christians.

"I had to beat her, she wouldn't mind me. The Lord said she was to mind me and she didn't mind me." never came out of the mouth of a homosexual. Of any stripe.

Any hierarchical system where the equal value of each member is not learned from childhood is ripe for abuse. Any system that makes someone the other based on their gender, or sexuality, or skin color, or any other reason is ripe for abuse. Any system that accuses another group for all the evil in the world while taking no responsibility for their own actions (Because ~~Santa Clause~~ God will always forgive you) is ripe for abuse.

And in my experience, any relationship where the adults do not take active control of their sexuality will end up being abusive, or come close to it, at some point. This rarely happens in homosexual relationships. It tends to happen with disturbing frequency in Christian ones.

The definition of the word transference is

The redirection of feelings and desires and especially of those unconsciously retained from childhood toward a new object

.
In my experience it can be applied to the Christian community, when they accuse another group of doing or feeling exactly what they tend to do or feel. Now, you may very well not. I do not assume that you do feel or think that way. I think you are just parroting what you have heard from your elders. This might give you thought to where they are coming from.

Stop it. Just stop it.

Get up from your chair, walk out the church doors, and learn something about the world. Then give us your opinion on things.

Let me guess, he was handing out bibles.

2009-12-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Why I am an atheist #233485787

2009-11-27T17:56:00.000-08:00

And, of course, "God" did nothing to stop it. At all.

When equality hurts

2009-11-19T23:59:00.000-08:00

Found at Gap.com.

The American "Family" Association (I have to put it in quotes because it hardly represents every family in America) has issued what the LA Times rightfully calls a fatwa* against Gap, Inc, calling for a boycott against Gap stores (Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic) for "not mentioning Christmas in their advertising."

Well, more specifically -

Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic, the three stores owned by San Francisco-based Gap Inc., are being targeted by AFA in a limited two-month boycott over the company's failure to use the word "Christmas" in its advertising to Christmas shoppers.

Gap has refused to use the word Christmas in its television commercials, newspaper ads and in-store promotions despite tens of thousands of consumer requests to recognize Christmas as well as repeated requests from AFA to do the same.
From the AFA boycott website here

I present this evidence:

Now the above commercial is a bit hard to hear, so let me provide a transcript

Two, Four, Six, Eight, tis the time to liberate
Go Christmas, Go Hanukkah, Go Kwanza, Go Solstice.
Go classic tree, go plastic tree, go plant a tree, go without a tree,
You 86 the rules, you do what just feels right.
Happy do whatever you wanna, and to all a cheery night.

In case you didn't notice, the second line, second word - yea, that one - that would be Christmas. Right there. So, you know, it is mentioned.

However it is given equal weight with the other three holidays around that time of year, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Solsitce (which, according to Wikipedia, covers just about every other winter celebration). As the Gap puts is

Gap recognizes that many traditions are celebrated throughout this season and we feel it is important to display holiday signage that is inclusive to everyone.

Inclusivity. Equality. A retailer not wanting to alienate potential customers. Horrors.

AFA has this to say about that:

AFA believes this ad to be completely dismissive and disrespectful to those who celebrate the meaning and spirit of Christmas.

(also found here)

Because putting Christianity on equal footing with, say, Judaism is disrespectful, after all. Christianity has to be special.

Dan Neil in the LA Times makes a very good point -

Why not go after Gap and other retailers for trading in Chinese-made goods, since the Chinese government actively oppresses the Christian faith? Seems like building a case on religious tolerance would have more resonance.

But that misses the point, Dan. When they say "oppression" they mean "Not having an elevated, special, privileged position anymore." If people actually compared religious oppression in places like China to the US these people would be outed for the power-hungry whiners they are. In fact it might even look like the Christians were trying to oppress other religions like they themselves were being oppressed in other countries, but the rational among us were having none of it.

Spare me, please.

Now I would deliberately go to the local Old Navy and buy all my Christmas gifts but I was already boycotting the Gap for oppressing women by dropping plus-sized from their stores while creating sizes 0 and 00, so sadly that's a no go. BUT, on their "Naughty or Nice" list they also complain about Barnes & Noble, for using the inclusive word "Holiday" in their advertising, instead of just Christmas.

So I suggest we all go to B&N and give books for whatever holiday you want to celebrate. Give the gift of knoweldge and piss off the AFA in one fell swoop.

* (Granted it's a Christian leader, not an Islamic one, but the idea of a religious edict is the same)

2009-11-14T11:57:00.000-08:00

Photograph of corpses at the Nordhausen concentration camp. Taken from a tribute to the men of the Co. F., 405th Regiment, 102nd Division (2nd Battalion). Please go read the page here.

This is why I'm not a Christian. This, right here:

According to Bodie Hodge at Answers In Genesis:

If we love God, we should obey Him (John 14:15). To love God first means to obey Him first--before looking at our neighbor. So, is the greater good trusting God when He says not to lie or trusting in our fallible, sinful minds about the uncertain future?
Consider this carefully. In the situation of a Nazi beating on the door, we have assumed a lie would save a life, but really we don't know. So, one would be opting to lie and disobey God without the certainty of saving a life--keeping in mind that all are ultimately condemned to die physically. Besides, whether one lied or not may not have stopped the Nazi solders from searching the house anyway.
As Christians, we need to keep in mind that Jesus Christ reigns. All authority has been given to Him (Matthew 28:18), and He sits on the throne of God at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33; Hebrews 8:1). Nothing can happen without His say. Even Satan could not touch Peter without Christ's approval (Luke 22:31). Regardless, if one were to lie or not, Jesus Christ is in control of timing every person's life and able to discern our motives. It is not for us to worry over what might become, but rather to place our faith and obedience in Christ and to let Him do the reigning. For we do not know the future, whereas God has been telling the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).

(You can read the entire exchange here. H/T to PZ)

Now most of the "Christians" I know are decent people who would never agree with this claptrap. But I firmly believe that they are decent despite their religious beliefs, not because of them. Because from the Pope condemning a mother who kept her 9 year old daughter from having to bear twins while letting the daughter's rapist get off without so much as an angry word, to the FLDS raping and impregnating girls in the name of God while forcing the boys out onto the street so they don't compete with the old men, to now this? I can only believe that the more religious an organization is, the more evil and corrupt they become, which just shows how evil the entire belief system must be.

Why I cannot take this bible thing seriously, #2376

2009-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

(click on the image to see the whole thing)

http://conservapedia.com/Conservative_Bible_Project

http://blog.beliefnet.com/crunchycon/2009/10/conservatizing-the-bible.html

The top ten net rules

2009-10-27T08:54:00.000-07:00

Internet map from Bar Ilan University, via the Guardian

The Top 10 Net Rules (restated)

1) Godwin’s Law - Eventually every argument degenerates into someone claiming his/her opponent is likened to/as bad as/would have been supported by Hitler. Examples:

The term "Feminazi"
Comparing any US President to Hitler
Calling any form of national US health care/legalized abortion the next holocoust
Saying that Hitler was an atheist, that means atheists are BAD

Crossing Godwin's law means the argument is over and you automatically lose, unless you are invoking Quirk's Exception and trying to win by shutting down the debate.

2) Poe's Law - “Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humour, it is impossible to create a parody of fundamentalism that someone won't mistake for the real thing.” Examples:

I have no clue which, if any, of those are serious.

3) Rules 34 & 35 - “If it exists, there is porn of it.” and“If no such porn exists, it will be made.”

Does this one really need explanation? Moving on...

4) Skitt’s Law - "Any post correcting an error in another post will contain at least one error itself"

This ususaly applies to grammar, math and politics

5) Scopie’s Law - "In any discussion involving science or medicine, citing Whale.to as a credible source loses the argument immediately, and gets you laughed out of the room.”

It helps to know that Whale.to is a conspiracy listing. I vote we expand that to include not checking Snopes before opening your mouth as well.

6) Danth’s Law / Parker’s Law - "If you have to insist that you've won an internet argument, you've probably lost badly.”

Danth’s Law was most famously declared in “The Lenski Affair”, between microbiologist Richard Lenski and the editor of Conservapedia.com, Andrew Schlafly, who cast doubt upon Prof Lenski’s elegant experimental demonstration of evolution.

After what is widely held to be one of the greatest and most comprehensive put-downs in scientific argument from Prof Lenski, Mr Schlafly declared himself the winner.

7) Pommer’s Law - "A person's mind can be changed by reading information on the internet. The nature of this change will be from having no opinion to having a wrong opinion.”

Look for examples of this during all Presidential election years

8) DeMyer's Third Law - "Anyone who posts an argument on the internet which is largely quotations can be very safely ignored, and is deemed to have lost the argument before it has begun.”

This is the law of Do Your Own Thinking

9) Cohen’s Law - “Whoever resorts to the argument that ‘whoever resorts to the argument that... …has automatically lost the debate’ has automatically lost the debate.”

Please note some of the above laws for examples. ;)

10) Robertson's Law of Exclamation - "The more exclamation points used in an email (or other posting), the more likely it is a complete lie. This is also true for excessive capital letters."

For an example, check your email

--------

Taken from, quoted from, and h/t to the UK Telegraph

What a nice thing to wake up to

2009-09-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

They finally apologized to Alan Turing. Here's the full text:

2009 has been a year of deep reflection - a chance for Britain, as a nation, to commemorate the profound debts we owe to those who came before. A unique combination of anniversaries and events have stirred in us that sense of pride and gratitude which characterise the British experience. Earlier this year I stood with Presidents Sarkozy and Obama to honour the service and the sacrifice of the heroes who stormed the beaches of Normandy 65 years ago. And just last week, we marked the 70 years which have passed since the British government declared its willingness to take up arms against Fascism and declared the outbreak of World War Two. So I am both pleased and proud that, thanks to a coalition of computer scientists, historians and LGBT activists, we have this year a chance to mark and celebrate another contribution to Britain's fight against the darkness of dictatorship; that of code-breaker Alan Turing.

Turing was a quite brilliant mathematician, most famous for his work on breaking the German Enigma codes. It is no exaggeration to say that, without his outstanding contribution, the history of World War Two could well have been very different. He truly was one of those individuals we can point to whose unique contribution helped to turn the tide of war. The debt of gratitude he is owed makes it all the more horrifying, therefore, that he was treated so inhumanely. In 1952, he was convicted of 'gross indecency' - in effect, tried for being gay. His sentence - and he was faced with the miserable choice of this or prison - was chemical castration by a series of injections of female hormones. He took his own life just two years later.

Thousands of people have come together to demand justice for Alan Turing and recognition of the appalling way he was treated. While Turing was dealt with under the law of the time and we can't put the clock back, his treatment was of course utterly unfair and I am pleased to have the chance to say how deeply sorry I and we all are for what happened to him. Alan and the many thousands of other gay men who were convicted as he was convicted under homophobic laws were treated terribly. Over the years millions more lived in fear of conviction.

I am proud that those days are gone and that in the last 12 years this government has done so much to make life fairer and more equal for our LGBT community. This recognition of Alan's status as one of Britain's most famous victims of homophobia is another step towards equality and long overdue.

But even more than that, Alan deserves recognition for his contribution to humankind. For those of us born after 1945, into a Europe which is united, democratic and at peace, it is hard to imagine that our continent was once the theatre of mankind's darkest hour. It is difficult to believe that in living memory, people could become so consumed by hate - by anti-Semitism, by homophobia, by xenophobia and other murderous prejudices - that the gas chambers and crematoria became a piece of the European landscape as surely as the galleries and universities and concert halls which had marked out the European civilisation for hundreds of years. It is thanks to men and women who were totally committed to fighting fascism, people like Alan Turing, that the horrors of the Holocaust and of total war are part of Europe's history and not Europe's present.

So on behalf of the British government, and all those who live freely thanks to Alan's work I am very proud to say: we're sorry, you deserved so much better.

h/t to Pharyngula

Through the week in Feminine Dress

2009-08-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

Well, three days into it and the Week in Feminine Dress is already out in the wash. I owe you all four days, but you might not get them until next week. Too much going on around here to keep up. You will get them though, promise.

Through the week in Feminine Dress

2009-08-25T17:39:00.001-07:00

Tuesday is Laundry Day. Among other things.

Thinking...About projects and goals and what I want to do with this coming week.

Thankful for...For having wonderful, amazing, insightful friends.

Cooking...Nothing. We have to either eat those leftovers or toss them, so tonight is leftover buffet

Baking...Nothing. Wednesday morning the husband makes pancakes, so we don't need bread for breakfast.

Wearing...

I can hear you all thinking Ummm...feminine...Well, what would you wear to the gym? A tank top and shorts are utterly appropriate. These cover everything that needs covering, and don't stand out. Being so covered as to be inappropriate can be just as immodest as being uncovered.

However, when not in class I do add a batik skirt, which makes for a very feminine outfit

No, the cat did not go to class with us.

Creating...I'm still working on my nightgowns. This one will be done as soon as I finish this.

Going...To a Tai-chi class this morning, at the YMCA. I don't know about Tai-chi, it seems rather hard on the knees. But I need to do something to shake up the workout routine and get more flexible.

Reading... The Quest for the Holy Grail. Sigh

Hoping...I can get all the laundry folded tonight, and that the movie is a good one.

Hearing... A podcast of Merlin Mann interviewing David Allen. You can listen here

Around the house...Laundry day, always fun. And we're working out the kinks of the pantry system tonight.

One of my favorite things...Long, white, lace trimmed cotton nightgowns in the summertime.

Through the week in Feminine Dress

2009-08-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Not a clue what I'm wearing yet. Odds are a skirt and shirt, as it's going to be over 90° today.

Thinking...Quite a lot after my morning appointment. It went an unusually long two hours, but was remarkably helpful

Thankful for...Finally having an absolutely excellent therapist to help me sort out the ideas in my head that are just not helping at all.

Cooking...Nothing. We went out to our favorite restaurant for dinner.

Baking...See above. Every other Monday I get a day off from the kitchen. My husband cooks breakfast on his days off, which he enjoys, but every other Monday I don't have to do dinner either. And we always have leftovers for lunch.

Wearing...Yes, I ended up in a skirt and tank top

(This is what 20+ years of PCOD and psuedo-Cushing's looks like. It has nothing to do with sin or vice or even lazy living, as you will see.)

Creating...It was knitting night, so I spent several hours at Starbuck's visiting with the ladies and working on my sweater. It's a kimono style, in a dark red wool.

Yes, there is fellowshipping outside of church. Sadly V had to go to work, she's an emergency room nurse and was called in at the last minute, but she did stop by to bring us all some chocolate from her recent trip to Europe. M was there, still concerned about her brother's upcoming wedding. As usual she brought E, who is our youngest member at 12, and whom we once again had to remind that she is far too young for R-rated movies. L is working on a remarkable new project, a stole-type thing that can be folded and buttoned and tied into a remarkable number of different items. And A is hoping to be expecting...well, we're keeping our finger's crossed.

Going...and going and going. We found treasures at Goodwill, I stopped to poke about in a sales rack at a favorite store and found something...unmentionable that had been $25 and was now $5, so it came home and then our usual running around.

Reading... The Quest for the Holy Grail, still. I keep falling asleep on it.

Hoping...After therapy, a lot

Hearing... The laughter of friends. And a background of Alice Di Micele, one of our favorite local musicians

Around the house...Nothing on a Monday

One of my favorite things...Finding treasures at Goodwill. Including a set of knitting needles in the perfect size and material, for all of $0.50

Through the week in Feminine Dress

2009-08-23T16:13:00.001-07:00

Graphic from The Graphics Fairy. So is the one up top.

I decided to do a week of posts because a lot of you might be wondering what does an atheist "rebel" homemaker do with her time. How does it differ from those good Titus 2 mentors anyway? How does it look? How does it feel? What can you expect?

I plan to follow a specific format every day, and put in pictures where I can. The idea for the format was taken from The Simple Woman's Daybook (which is another lovely place to visit, for views into lots of other lives). No day is actually finished until I start the next one, as I may add pictures through the day.

Well, I'm getting a late start in the day with this, so I may do Sunday twice. Hopefully an average week here or there might give you an idea of what to expect from one variation of a life of "rebellion". There are lots more. In fact, it could be everything you ever dreamed of.

But we have to start somewhere. So, we shall start here.

Today I am...

Thinking...That if this helps one young woman find freedom and happiness it's worth the effort.

Thankful for...My wonderful and supportive husband

Cooking...Chicken and dumplings for dinner

Baking...A loaf of whole wheat bread in the bread machine

Wearing...My first jumper

It's McCall's #2316 and is the first I made after I married, so it's about 9 years old. I used to wear it teaching, but now it's rather old and worn so it's become a cottage dress. Under it I'm wearing a plain white t-shirt. And over it

My pink calico apron. The pattern for this used to be on the Martha Stewart website, and was called Aprons with Cindy, but it has since been taken down. I have a few apron patterns I plan to try in the future as well.

Creating...some new nightgowns. This one was finished yesterday...

It's Simplicity #7944, made without sleeves for the summer. I used quilt binding around the arm holes instead, and eyelet material for the front of the top. I also put a band of eyelet lace where the top met the skirt, and the same eyelet lace around the hem.

I'm hoping to finish another tonight. If so I'll post a picture.

Going...nowhere. Which sounds horrible, but today is one of my husband's work days, when we don't usually go out. He was out of the house before I got up this morning, but will be home for supper by 6:30.

Reading... The Quest for the Holy Grail

Hoping...I finish that book tonight

Hearing... The Illiad by Homer. A Librivox podcast while I sew

Around the house...I have laundry to fold tonight after supper

One of my favorite things...Lace, lace and more lace. At least today

A few plans for the rest of the week: To finish this project. Also to finish setting up the pantry system and finish these nightgowns.

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Tomorrow is our errand day, which ought to mean lots of pictures. Then later in the week I'll share what happens on a usual stay-home day as well.

You might ask, "It's Sunday, what about church?" Well, if my husband wasn't working we might go down to the UU church for services, mostly to visit friends. But he works week-ends, both because it frees up his weekdays for school and because he gets extra pay for working on "The Lord's" day, so we just don't bother. And our lives are the slightest bit the worse off for it.

Lady Lydia speaks...kind of

2009-08-21T19:40:00.000-07:00

Image of "The Standard Victorian" from Homeplace Structures.

Or something.

"Lady" Lydia Sherman over at Home Living and Guard The Home decided to lock her Guard The Home blog, more than likely because she couldn't take the criticism.

I am not surprised.

For those "rebels" out there who are being hurt at home, you are not alone. You do not deserve to be beaten, at any age, for any reason. Not even if they don't leave bruises. You do not deserve to be scorned just because you're not male. Being a "helpmeet" does not mean being a surrogate wife. Training up a daughter does not mean anything sexual. Ever. *

Your parents are wrong. Parents can be wrong.

But who so shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
- Matthew 18:6

If you need help, call the nineline.

1-800-999-9999

This will get you to the Covenant House nineline. They have a Christian mission to help abused children.

We who recognize God's providence and fidelity to His people are dedicated to living out His covenant among ourselves and those children we serve, with absolute respect and unconditional love. That commitment calls us to serve suffering children of the street, and to protect and safeguard all children. Just as Christ in His humanity is the visible sign of God's presence among His people, so our efforts together in the covenant community are a visible sign that effects the presence of God, working through the Holy Spirit among ourselves and our kids.

- The Covenant House Mission Statement. (Found here)

You are not a rebel. It's not your fault. You are not, not ever to blame.

I was...am a "rebel" as well. If you want to talk, reach me at TheUrbanFarmhouse@gmail.com.

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* And while we're at it, you also deserve to choose your own spouse, earn and keep your own money, have your own friends, and have as much education as you like. Just to be clear on that too.

Another child-loving Christian

2009-08-19T16:12:00.001-07:00

In case you're wondering, right under the ultrasound it reads -

"Well, lucky, lucky me, I'm having yet another piss-spraying, fist-wielding, shit-smearing, son. Yeah, how 'bout that? He TOLD ME to conceive, I obeyed, and my blessing is to get screwed on the girl I really wanted."

A loving god sends a child to a mother like that? Or tortures a woman with a child she clearly doesn't want?

Give up on the whole god myth thing and take responsibility for your self already. If you don't want children take the pill, tie the tubes or keep your legs closed. If you want to try for a girl accept that you have a 50-50 chance of a boy and either live with it or give him up for adoption. There are thousands of couples in this country that will absolutely cherish that boy.

But you watch, as a good Christian she will keep him home and ruin his life and her own with her hatred. Because "God wants it that way".

Perhaps I should explain

2009-08-13T23:37:00.001-07:00

Sometimes in the morning, you realize what you wrote in the night was entirely inappropriate. And so I will be re-writing this post, perhaps, at some point in the future. Sorry.

Oh bollocks

2009-08-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a feminist. I think the fight for equality is not over. However when you say any choice is wrong for women, including that of housewife, you are repressing women. I am a woman, and this is my choice.

The Australian version of 60 Minutes did a piece on secular woman who choose to be housewives.* They intercut it with an interview with Germaine Greer, which just stood my teeth on edge. Go and have a look here. I've pulled a few quotes out of the transcript to fisk.

ELLEN FANNING: Sophie is one of a new wave of women who DON'T want it all. Sick of struggling to achieve the seemingly impossible balance of work, home and family. So despite greater career opportunities, better pay, even sexual liberation, last month, a landmark US survey found women are less and less happy. Many want to live more like their grandma - spend less time at work, and more time at home with the kids. These are young women who don't want to turn into their own frazzled working mothers, or don't want their kids, to be juggled in the way they were.

Guess what, being a latchkey child is a bitch. Women have always worked, my grandmother and her sister both worked, sometimes 50-60 hours a week or better. But my mother and her cousin went to their grandmother's house, where there was someone home to take care of things and keep them safe. Having to fight all day between school and daycare, or coming home to an empty house is no picnic. And don't even get me started on "sexual liberation". I have to find the source but I believe something like 65-70% of sexual abuse is committed by a mother's boyfriend or a stepfather. **

Sorry second wave*** feminists, we're not selfish or self-centered enough to do to our children what you did to us. The only ones I know of are the ones who listened to you and got way over their heads in debt, usually student loans, before they realized what they were doing. And they know it, and are miserable.#

Moving on

SOPHIE BACIC: I'm cool with that because I'm not out working all day. You know, I get my housekeeping every week.
ELLEN FANNING: So, when you say Frankie gives you the housekeeping every week how does that work?
SOPHIE BACIC: Oh, Frankie just gives me a certain amount of money.
ELLEN FANNING: So does he decide how much you get, or do you decide together?
SOPHIE BACIC: No, I didn't have a choice in that.

This is the one disagreement I have with the homemakers in this piece. Decide together. He needs to know what things cost, so he can make an honest determination of priorities. And if something does happen to him you need to know what the finances are about. This is not something you should do like our grandparents did. Look at the money together.

GERMAINE GREER: If you make somebody else responsible for you, then you've given up your life. You're not having a life.

How does being a housewife = someone else being responsible for you? Last I looked I was an adult, quite capable of making my own decisions. And accepting responsibility for them.

GERMAINE GREER: And the women would say, "Oh I don't know, you'd have to ask my husband," and I'd think, "Oh what do you have to do to get into these women," you know. What's two and two? "Oh I don't know, you'd have to ask my husband."

You have to hear her voice to hear what kind of a bullying, teasing asshole she sounds like. Seriously.

GERMAINE GREER: We want to think they'd never watched 'Desperate Housewives'. They're going to turn into that housewife who gets everything right and who is murderess in her heart. What you would probably say to somebody who has that rosy notion, that she can have the tickety-boo house, is that it's an illusion. It was never there.
ELLEN FANNING: But what if you're just doing what grandma did?
GERMAINE GREER: You don' really know what grandma did without asking grandma, and she might turn out to have some very bitter reflections.

Or she might have been quite happy. Or, like 99% of the world, she might have had good and bad times to remember. How the f*ck do you know it was all horrid? And why exactly can't you have the tickety-boo house? I do, and I work my ass off to keep it that way, thanks.

(For the record, I want to be Bree. Only.....saner, and less conservative)

GERMAINE GREER: I agree. When people say to me, "Nowadays young women have it all, what have you got to say to them?" And I say what I've got to say to them is, "They've got all the work, that's the only thing they've got all of."
ELLEN FANNING: Well some of these women say that's your fault.
GERMAINE GREER: No they don't.

Yes they do. This one does. You and Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem and all of the rest of the second wave feminists who encouraged our mothers to give up their homes and marriages and families and do things your way. This mess is your collective fault.

ELLEN FANNING: They've tried it and they can't have it all, and they're cranky with you for saying they could.
GERMAINE GREER: But I never did. I never argued for a career. Never. What I wanted for women was a different thing, a life, and there are lots of different ways of having a life.

As long as your life isn't that of a housewife, is that what it is? So, you ought not to have a husband, or a home, or a career, than what are you to do? Sex worker? Is that the only thing liberated enough for you?

At this point they go on to interview a woman who runs her own company. They also speak to her husband. They seem fine and happy, and she's clearly quite thrilled with her life. I do notice they don't speak to the children though.

Then they go back to a housewife.

ELLEN FANNING: Sonia used to be an accountant, but now spends most of her day doing domestic chores for her family, and actually resents the years she spent at university and the thousands of hours in offices, climbing the corporate ladder, only to find it completely incompatible with motherhood. What about a young women saying, "Well, I don't want to give up my career, "he doesn't have to give up his career, "why should I have to give up mine?"
SONIA WILLIAMS: And that's where, that's where the crossroads is, isn't it? Is that like what happens to the children? And you've got two partners there who are competing with careers, but what about the children? Like, who's going to raise them? And that's the conundrum that the feminists haven't really covered, is that ultimately, whilst the women can have their career, someone has got to take care of the children.

Now look, I don't believe that women absolutely, positively have to stay home with their children. I've seen families where they father stays home, families where an aunt stays home, families where a grandparent stays home, families where they have hired help. I've seen large, poly families where one wife stays home. I've seen co-op style housing where one person in one apartment stays "home" and is paid by the others. In everyone one of them someone is home cooking the meals, doing the laundry. keeping track of the kids, and in general making sure everything runs smoothly.

I've also seen families where all the adults work, and it works and everyone is happy. ## But for every one of those I see 9 more where something is always falling apart. And it usually ends up being something with the kids.

GERMAINE GREER: Women are good at guilt. We're capable of feeling guilty no matter what. We weren't juggling, we'd be guilty that we weren't juggling. We are juggling, we're guilty that we are juggling. Everything that goes wrong is our fault and we've got a whole nation of psychotherapists who will tell people that everything that goes wrong with our children is our fault.
ELLEN FANNING: So you can't win?
GERMAINE GREER: No. You're a woman, take it as read.

Um, I don't feel guilty. The housewives in that piece certainly don't seem guilty. Methinks the lady doth project a bit.

ELLEN FANNING: But older feminists are going to be tearing their hair out listening to you.
SONIA WILLIAMS: Oh, if I could get a hold of the older feminists, let me tell you, what a crock. They set us up for a fall. How were we to know that we were going to have these careers and then have to sacrifice? Until you actually decide to become a mother you don't realize that huge sacrifice that you do make and that's where the dilemma comes in and that's what the feminists never told us.

Amen, sister!

GERMAINE GREER: She'll soon find out that housework is a crock, I'm telling you. You get to 50 what then? You're going to live another 40 years lady, what are you going to do with that?

Any damm thing I want to.

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I may fisk the full interview with Germaine Greer. But right now my stomach hurts.

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* Correction, I can only assume they were secular because a) no one brought up god every 5 seconds, b) there wasn't a ton of religious goop in their houses and c) most of them were wearing pants.

** For the record, just in case it's overlooked, I'm not against sexual liberation as in the gay rights movement. Nor am I against the freeing up of the morals around kink. But regardless of who you are or who you do or how you do it, if you think your desires are more important than your children's safety, I'm sorry, you're wrong. Find away to do it that doesn't endanger your children, or don't do it. With logical exceptions like spousal abuse, drug abuse, or other criminal acts, this may well include putting off re-marriage or even divorce until they hit college. Think toys.

And for those who say "It's the man's fault. He ought not to be going after the children" I say yes, you're right. And you're wrong, because parents are responsible for protecting their children, and bringing a stranger to spend the night in your home isn't a real great way to do that.

*** There is first wave, second wave, and third wave feminism. Learn this, it matters.

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# Note to K & B, yea, I know, you two are the one out of the ten. This isn't about you. *g*

More Christian violence

2009-08-05T20:32:00.001-07:00

Did you hear about the shooter in Pittsburg, PA? He shot up an aerobics class in a gym.

Part of his diary (h/t to AboveTheLaw)

August 3, 2009: I took off today, Monday, and tomorrow to practice my routine and make sure it is well polished. I need to work out every detail, there is only one shot. Also I need to be completely immersed into something before I can be successful. I haven't had a drink since Friday at about 2:30. Total effort needed. Tomorrow is the big day.
Unfortunately I talked to my neighbor today, who is very positive and upbeat. I need to remain focused and absorbed COMPLETELY. Last time I tried this, in January, I chickened out. Lets see how this new approach works.

Maybe soon, I will see God and Jesus. At least that is what I was told. Eternal life does NOT depend on works. If it did, we will all be in hell. Christ paid for EVERY sin, so how can I or you be judged BY GOD for a sin when the penalty was ALREADY paid. People judge but that does not matter. I was reading the Bible and The Integrity of God beginning yesterday, because soon I will see them.

I will try not to add anymore entries because this computer clicking distracts me.

This is the result of Christianity. Of all religions. This.

A response to Lady Lydia

2009-08-05T12:46:00.001-07:00

Lilac Time by Lee Dublin

I've posted a response to "Lady" Lydia Sherman on her blog Guard The Home. As she has comment moderation on, I will be pleasantly surprised if it actually appears there. So, here's a copy for the record.

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First off, while I understand that your policy of anonymous commenting is designed to protect the commenters, I prefer to put my name to my comment. I prefer to own my words and take responsibility for them, for one, and for another I am not afraid of people coming back to my blog and posting comments of their own. I believe a comment reflects back to the commenter, for good or ill, and not the blog owner. However, since this is your blog, if you prefer to take my name off, I will not complain.

That said, I finally have to respectfully disagree with you, and your description of "rebels".

I have been quite happily married for nine years now. For seven of those I have been a keeper in my home, taking care of my husband and our little nest. He is well employed, a proud military veteran, and is currently studying to be a civil engineer. We're not wealthy, but we are self-sufficient and comfortable. My in-laws, who have been married almost forty years and are active members of their church, are quite proud of us and the lives we lead, and have said so both to us and to other friends and family members. We are all quite close, and even though they love several states away we visit a number of times a year.

And yet, I do believe you would consider us rebels.

For one thing my husband has never taken "headship" in our home. We make decisions equally. discussing each one until a mutual decision has been agreed upon. I do not "submit" to him in any way, shape or form. I do what I do around the house not because it is my duty but because it suits the common good or because it will make him happy. And he does things for me for the same reason. Yes, I do consider myself a feminist, and at times have been politically active as such, as has my husband. We are currently working for the right for homosexuals to marry, and a number of our friends who are close enough to be called brothers and sisters are both homosexual and married. And yes, our marriage is as strong as ever.

For another, I have very little contact with my family, especially my Mother. I do not "honor" my mother, simply because she does not deserve it. She's been through three marriages, each one more abusive than the last, and I cannot trust her not to cause us harm by bringing another abusive man home. Her lifestyle is utterly against our values, such that we cannot even go over to her home. And she is usually combative and manipulative when we have dealings with her. She's repeatedly told me she wished she had aborted me, but her mother prevented her from doing so, and that she doesn't consider me her daughter. For the sake of our mental health and marriage it's much better for us to avoid her whenever possible.

Finally, as you might have guessed, we are not members of any church. In fact we are both atheists. I do consider my self a Unitarian Univeralist, and affirm the seven principals, and my husband follows a philosophy based on Buddhist teachings. But neither of us believe in any sort of a supreme being, or that the bible is anything other than fiction, and we do not care what stand it takes on any issue.

And yet contrary to what you espouse, we do not live in a car. Neither of us has ever done drugs or an STD, and I've not had an abortion. We don't commit crimes, or live lives of poverty or ugliness. I hold a dual degree in computer networking and education, have held a teaching certificate and taught third grade for eight years. My husband is late getting his degree as he joined the US Marine Corps after high school, and spent eight years serving his country before starting college. We live in a comfortable apartment, as we see no reason to go through the trouble of home ownership until we decide where to settle. We love to read and listen to jazz and create things for our home. I am currently working toward Masters certifications from both the Knitting and Embroidery Guilds of America, and he is learning woodworking during his breaks from school. In fact, at the moment he's outside building a rocking chair for me so that I can enjoy the lovely weather from the patio. Our lives hardly fit your description of the "rebel", and yet in your world we most certainly would be exactly that.

So I am afraid I must disagree with your portrait of the "rebel", Lady Lydia. Just because children disagree with their parents, that doesn't mean that they are home wreckers, living in misery and destroying lives all around them. It can mean that they are adults, with differing opinions and differing ways of looking at the world.

Sometimes someone else just says it better

2009-07-30T14:42:00.001-07:00

From PunditKitchen.com

What have liberals done for America?

2009-07-04T12:49:00.001-07:00

Over the past few years a number of these have gone around. I know Shakespeare's Sister has done one, and I think someone connected to the Group News Blog has as well. But I like Guerrila Dove's for being simple and direct:

What have liberals done for America? Here are some items to ponder:

- Lead America out of the great depression

- Lead America and the world to victory in WWII

- Stood firm against communism in Berlin, Korea, Cuba and Vietnam

- Spoke out against racism and fought for the right of ALL Americans to vote

- Landed a man on the moon

- Negotiated peace between Israel and its former enemies Egypt and Jordan

- Gave America social security and Medicare to ensure that ALL Americans would have the right to retire without fear of living in abject poverty

- Elected presidents have balanced their budgets or at the very least reduced the deficits of their Republican predecessors

- Led the United States into becoming the most powerful political, economic and military power in human history

Or perhaps this list from the Umatilla County Democrats

1919—Women’s Suffrage Ratified [Wilson]

1920—Annette Adams, First Woman Appointed To An Administration Position
[Wilson]

1933—Federal Deposit Insurance [FDR]

1935—W.P.A. [FDR-put people to work during the depression]

1935—Social Security Act [FDR]

1938—Fair Labor Standards Act [FDR]

1944—G.I. Bill Of Rights [FDR]

1947—Military Desegregated [Truman]

1947—Marshall Plan [Truman-Rebuilt Europe after WW II]

1961—Peace Corps [John F. Kennedy]

1964—Civil Rights Act [Johnson]

1964—Medicare And Medicaid [Johnson]

1964—Fed Dept Of Housing And Urban Development [Johnson]

1965—Head Start Created [Johnson]

1968—Occupation Safety Act [Johnson]

1987—Clean Water Act [Dem Congress override of Reagan veto]

1990—Americans With Disabilities Act [Democratic Congress]

1993—Family Leave Act [Clinton]

1993—AmeriCorps [Clinton]

1996-- Largest expansion of college opportunity since the GI Bill [Clinton]

1997-- Converted the largest budget deficit in American history to the
largest surplus [Clinton]

1999-- Longest economic expansion in American history & Lowest
unemployment in 30 years [Clinton]

He then issued a challenge for anyone to come up with a list of 10 things the conservatives have done for the US. Here's a list from Broad Sunlit Uplands:

• Raised taxes on wages and lowered taxes on unearned income

• Three Quarters of federal debt accumulated by three Conservative Presidents

• Massive devaluation of the dollar by the logical outcome of their belief in invisible hands and cronyism

• Massive and expensive expansion of the military to fight nonexistent threat; one at the expense of social goods like infrastructure maintenance and care for the least among us.

• A distribution of wealth approaching Latin American levels.

• Largest number of homeless and unemployed ever.

• The judicial murder of people later found innocent.

• Imprisonment of almost 2 percent of the national population including those who committed no crime against property or persons.

• Wrecking in turn each industry that they have deregulated. Banks, Airlines, Energy and other deregulated sectors fail then require regulation.

• Wars for irrational beliefs that are against the national interest.

• Self-destructive and irrational fear, hate and ignorance.

To which I will add

- Were in charge during three of the greatest financial crises of the 20th century: The Great Depression (Herbert Hoover), the S&L crises (Ronald Regan) and the Great Recession (George W. Bush)

- Deny citizens their rights based on their sexuality

- Sanctioned the use of torture by the United States

- Took us off the gold standard and put us on the petrodollar (Nixon), thereby tying the value of our currency to foreign oil

- Had lots and lots and LOTS of sex scandals (source)

- Looked the other way while their Saudi friends trafficked in child sex slaves (George W. Bush) (source)

- And, oh yea, not only created Timothy McVey, but were in charge of our national security on 9/11

Now, which party has proven better for this country?

Have a good 4th

Blogging like it's 2008

2009-07-04T12:15:00.000-07:00

Once again Barbara Curtis has to go political.

The price they paid.

Now, I'm not disagreeing with the idea that the 4th should be about more than just BBQ and fireworks. But she really ought to find a better source than oxy freak Rush Limbaugh. Much of that essay simply isn't true.

Snopes - The price they paid.

Granted she'll just tell you that Snopes is run or paid for by the Communists/Socialists/Fascists/ACORN/Obama Campaign, so you can't believe them.

Uh-huh

Near as I can tell over-taxation means actually paying your fair share, control means having to obey the law, and tyranny is when you lose and election.

Now, I'm going to go help out at the VA clinic, where a bunch of us horrid liberal progressive types are trying to make life better for a bunch of veterans who lost their homes thanks to the Bush/Republican era economic policies, who can't get the help they need from the VA thanks to the Republican tax cuts, and who were injured in Bush's war of aggression against Iraq. And then I'm going to go watch the fireworks.

What are you going to do today?

Sometimes the headline says it all

2009-05-22T15:46:00.001-07:00

(Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images)

Archbishop of Westminster attacks atheism but says nothing on child abuse

On corrupt Christianity

2009-05-22T13:52:00.001-07:00

I made these comments, both in comments here and on another blog. I wanted them here as well.

Some negative examples of Christianity..

The Patriocentrics and the idea that women should not be educated or vote. (Links here and here here)
and

Ted Haggard and his condemnation of “sodomy”, before being discovered with a male prostitute.

Pat Robinson and Jerry Falwell blaming 9/11 on, well, everyone. (link here) and saying that God allowed that to happen.

Pope Benedict II, and the case of the girl in Brazil (link here) when the Vatican excommunicated every adult involved except the rapist.

Also Pope Benedict II claiming that condom use will make the AIDS problem in Africa worse, not better, thereby undermining efforts to help fight the disease. (link here)

Fred Phelps and the Westborogh Baptist Church, picketing at soldiers funerals, claiming that God was killing them for our supposed sins.

Was it the Pearls or the Ezzos who came up with the idea of using pluming line to beat your children in order to train them? Most consider that child abuse.

The sheer number of priests and ministers who have been able to get away with sexual abuse over the years because “a man of God would never do anything like that”. (See links here and here and here

Commercials like this

Deeply dumb jokes like this

The Southern Baptist Convention deciding not to create a database of clergy convicted of molesting minors. They claim it's against their principal of autonomy, which is of course Biblically based. (link here)

The results of Ireland's Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse. According to The Irish Times.

"The sheer scale and longevity of the torment inflected on defenseless children – over 800 known abusers in over 200 institutions during a period of 35 years – should alone make it clear that it was not accidental or opportunistic but systematic. Abuse was not a failure of the system. It was the system".

When I see the sheer amount of corruption and evil perpetrated by Christianity, I have to think the entire system is corrupt. From readying and studying the bible and bible history, I have found that the system is corrupt as written.

I take issue with the idea of being forgiven for the wrong you do with no need for retribution on your part for those wrongs. A system like that can only encourage wrongdoing, not only do you not have to incur punishment, but if you ask for forgiveness you are automatically forgiven and rewarded. You may say that Christ knows your heart, but based on the behavior of his followers, he obviously doesn't know or care enough to change those hearts.

The only conclusion I can settle with is that the whole thing is a myth.

When you look at the history, there is no proof of Christ. The Gospels were written decades after he supposedly lived. The decision of what made up the bible was made by committee centuries after that. It makes far more sense to me, and fits the behavior of Christians through the ages, that the whole thing was set up to justify a power structure and allow for corrupt behavior.

Playing for change

2009-05-22T13:18:00.000-07:00

Amazing videos. PlayingforChange.com Thanks to K for turning me on to them

On Evangelicals and torture

2009-04-30T16:25:00.001-07:00

Survey: Support for terror suspect torture differs among the faithful
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week -- 54 percent -- said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is "often" or "sometimes" justified. Only 42 percent of people who "seldom or never" go to services agreed, according the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.
White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified -- more than six in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only four in 10 of them did.
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The religious group most likely to say torture is never justified was Protestant denominations -- such as Episcopalians, Lutherans and Presbyterians -- categorized as "mainline" Protestants, in contrast to evangelicals. Just over three in 10 of them said torture is never justified. A quarter of the religiously unaffiliated said the same, compared with two in 10 white non-Hispanic Catholics and one in eight evangelicals.

I think this goes back to my theory that "being saved" subconsciously translates into "I can do anything I want, no repercussions.". After all, you're already forgiven of all your sins. Whereas groups who have to "earn" their salvation by actually following the Bible (instead of just reading it over and over again), doing the dreaded "good works", and treating others as they would be treated are less likely to torture. The least likely are those who don't believe in an afterlife, so they have to make this life count.

Problem is, the people who pay for this one are not the believers. It's our men and women in uniform. See, when we don't follow the Geneva convention when we capture the enemy, why should the enemy follow it when they capture our people? Matthew 7:12 actually does directly apply here:

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Funny how the Atheists get this more than the Evangelicals do.

Heartfelt sorrow

2009-04-20T15:12:00.000-07:00

This may only matter to the knitters, but Kay over at Mason-Dixon Knitting lost her husband over the week-end. Sincerest condolences to her and her family.

On the financial crisis

2009-04-18T15:27:00.000-07:00

Please note: The next video in line is the first that addresses the Obama administration. The previous four videos address the actions of the Bush administration.

The Divine Meeting

2009-04-18T10:26:00.000-07:00

What does an athiest homekeeper do on Easter Sunday?

2009-04-12T09:55:00.000-07:00

Well, for one thing, she calls it "Easter", knowing full well that the term is a riff off Ostara, the pagan celebration of harvest fertility. She's not going to be calling it Resurrection Sunday, because she's not buying it.

She goes through her usual Sunday routine. Many of the first morning details are too personal, but eventually the floor is swept, the breakfast dishes are washed, and the pets are tended to. If she had children eggs would be hidden before they got moving, odds are by her husband, before he went to work at dawn.

She bids a Happy Easter to all her friends on the web, and updates her blog.

About 2 o'clock she'll put out the decorations. Earlier than that and you're tempting fate and the cats far too much. Around about 3 she'll put the ham in, wash the potatoes for boiling, and cut up the salad. Around 4:30 her Mother will come over, bearing rolls and asparagus and artichoke dip. They will sit down with tea and call all the assorted other relatives, who are all Catholic, and bid them all a Happy Easter. When her husband gets home at 6:30 dinner will be waiting.

Best odds has her Mother going home before 8, when she will settle with her husband and her knitting.

Now, why, you may ask, is an atheist doing anything special on this particular day?

Because...she wants to.

Simple as that.

Happy Easter everyone.

On open-mindedness

2009-04-03T07:51:00.000-07:00

I would like to take this moment to introduce the logical fallacy of the circular argument. According to Douglas Walton:

"Arguing in a circle becomes a fallacy of petitio principii or begging the question where an attempt is made to evade the burden of proving one of the premises of an argument by basing it on the prior acceptance of the conclusion to be proved."[6]

The generally accepted format of the fallacy goes something like this

* 1. P.
* (any number of premises)
* Therefore, P.

Or, to put it more specifically

* The Bible is true.
* The Bible says it is true.
* Therefore, the Bible is true.
(False. Something cannot prove itself)

* The Bible is true.
* Many people believe the Bible is true
* Therefore, the Bible is true.
(False. Just because many people hold a belief, that does not make the belief true. Ask yourself this: Aprox. one billion people believe in reincarnation. Is that also true?)

* The Bible is true.
* The Bible has been around a long time.
* Therefore, the Bible is true.
(False. Many writings have been around a long time. Are the Greek, Roman or Norse myths also true? Are Apollo, Poseidon, or Odin still up and about? Just because something has been published for a long time does not make it true.)

* The Bible is true.
* God says it is true.
* Therefore, the Bible is true.
(False. The god in question is only mentioned in the Bible. This brings us back to our first argument.)

Now I am willing to remain open-minded, if you can come up with factual evidence. In the meantime, if you choose to believe it's true, go right ahead. I'm certainly not going to stop you. But do not expect me to bring my behavior in line with your beliefs. I'm not intentionally trying to, or trying not to. If it happens to happen, it is just a coincidence. Although it may be used as proof that even atheists can make good neighbors.

More:

On abortion

2009-03-27T10:09:00.000-07:00

Vyckie over at No Longer Quivering asked a question:

I used to have all the answers ~ now, I mostly only have questions. So ~ I'd really like to hear from those of you who are Pro-life and at the same time, not opposed to birth control. Do you not believe that the difference between regulating the number and timing of children via birth control vs. abortion is only a matter of the degree of a person's anti-life worldview? How do you respond to Mary Pride's contention that family planning is the mother of abortion? Here's what she had to say about it: "A generation had to be indoctrinated in the ideal of planning children around personal convenience before abortion could be popular." Now to me, that makes sense...

My reply...

OK, first off, can we please drop the whole anti-life worldview myth? As a secular liberal I can safely say that "killing babies" is not something we do for fun. It makes it sound like we all go about getting knocked up simply for the bloodthirsty joy of killing off the child. Brunch, murder, shoe shopping, tra-la.

Spare me. Please.

Personally I have yet to meet a woman who has had an abortion who did not consider it a necessary last resort. For all of them, at a minimum, having a child would have meant losing all support, emotional and physical. And in many cases it would have meant outright abuse from the father or from those around them. And for a number of them health was an issue as well. But none of them, none of them had an abortion because they were anti-life. They took a long hard look at the quality of life, both for themselves and their child, and decided they couldn't put a child through that.

As for birth control, no, I do not believe that it's murder. Now, you can argue health risks for any drug or internal device, so for the purposes of this discussion, let's stick to condoms. If keeping the sperm from reaching the egg via a latex barrier is murder, then so is abstinence. After all, as far as I know, God only had direct hand in making one baby in history, every one else involved getting two people in the same place at the same time with the same thought in their minds. If they then say no, they are thwarting God's will and preventing Him from bringing a child into the world.

Look at it this way. God made man in His image. He gave man dominion over all the plants and animals, including giving him the knowledge and ability to split them up, to control which animal breeds with which animal. Why would he not have also given Man the ability to control their own reproduction? After all, Man is the only being in the world that does not have a heat cycle, that does not have the irresistible urge to procreate. Man is the only being in the world where God is not in direct control of the reproductive cycle. Man is the only being that can say no.

Man is also the only being that can choose to do other things that don't result in babies (not going to get more specific, kids might be reading). So the question really boils down to "Should we be applying technology to this process or not". I say, why not?

And as for how someone can be pro-life and pro-choice at the same time? If someone wants to sin, it's between them and God. If they are that determined we're not going to stop it, On the other hand, I don't want the government getting between me and my doctor, for any reason. It is not a huge step from "You cannot not have this baby" to "you cannot have any baby" or "you have to have a baby". I don't want to open that door.

Besides, women in desperate situations have been having, or trying to have, abortions throughout history. If you really want to end abortions, end the situations that make women feel so desperate. Increase the social safety net, make health care universal, and seriously, seriously, work to promote adoption as a viable alternative. The way we treat that option is shameful in this country.

Anyway, that's my $0.02. And now that I've written out this reply, I'm going to go put it on my blog too.

Ada Lovelace Day

2009-03-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

Ada Lovelace was one of the world's first computer programmers, and one of the first people to see computers as more than just a machine for doing sums. She wrote programmes for Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine, a general-purpose computing machine, despite the fact that it was never built. She also wrote the very first description of a computer and of software.

Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging to draw attention to women excelling in technology. Women's contributions often go unacknowledged, their innovations seldom mentioned, their faces rarely recognised. We want you to tell the world about these unsung heroines. Whatever she does, whether she is a sysadmin or a tech entrepreneur, a programmer or a designer, developing software or hardware, a tech journalist or a tech consultant, we want to celebrate her achievements.

------

So, here's an unsung heroine for you: The sysadmin down the street at your neighborhood elementary school.

She's got a lot of duties. She has to keep a patchwork of generations old computers, odd chunks to technology that the principal just had to have, wiring that was installed by the lowest bidder, and software that was never designed to be used together running smoothly. She has to drop everything and run to a repair at the drop of a hat because some teacher with 40 years in the classroom, immense pull with the union and zero experience with technology will have a fit if she can't get in to the Google. She has to buy parts, keep everyone in toner and copy paper, and keep all her software legal, with zero budget because her principal keeps using her department as a slush fund. She has to do everything in at least two languages, including convincing the people who manage the filtering software that yes, Spanish/Chinese/Korean/Hmong/what have you does come with an entirely new list of terms for sex. She also has to assemble that list, which can mean asking the native speakers she knows some really interesting questions. And every time the budget comes around she will fight for her job and her department.

And none of that is what makes her a heroine.

What, I think, a lot of regular bloggers and blog readers don't realize is that in many low income/low education homes, if there is a computer it's the plaything of the boys. It's used for games or for looking up porn, or maybe, maybe Dad's paperwork. Mothers and sisters and daughters don't touch that valuable piece of equipment, ever.

So at least once a week she will walk into a classroom with a male teachers and hear the biggest loudmouth boy in the class pipe up: "You gonna let her touch that teach? Oh, man! No way man! Girls don know nothing' 'bout computers, man! She gonna break it, we not gonna have anything!" She will look up and see a group of boys, the ones who always hog the machines, forming a wall with their backs that keep the girls out, slumping in their seats and shaking their heads in disgust.

And then she will swap out the motherboard/fix the network card/install the memory so the software will run/install the latest update. And it will all work again.

She will look up with a smile, politely ask the teacher if she may interrupt his class, and inform the ~~boys~~ students that their computer is working, and that girls can do anything. She will watch the boys chuckle and shake their heads in disgust and disbelief.

She will meet the eyes of the girls, and see them glow and smile as their minds open to the possibilities.

She just became their first role model for women in science and technology.

And in that quiet moment between Social Studies and lunch, she just became a heroine.

52 books in 52 weeks

2009-03-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

So I finished Polgara the Sorceress, went on to finish Belgarath the Sorcerer, and now I'm a few pages from finishing Pawn of Prophecy, all by David Eddings. Since these are re-reads I should be able to keep up nicely. I now plan to finish the Belgariad and then switch over to the Mitford novels by Jan Karon, with 3 re-reads and then a new one, #4, to take in. I plan to finish that series and the follow up to the Belgariad, the Mallorian, simultaneously, as the used bookstore has them available.

I was reading Cousin Bette by Balzac for the 18th Century Romance Novel group, but, no. Too much adultery, too much sacrifice, too many buttons being hit. I felt far too much for Adeline Hulot, and it's just not going well for her at all, poor woman. And you do all realize that Jenny Cadine was all of 13 when the Baron took her for his mistress? I know it may have been acceptable for the age, but that's just wayyyyy too triggering for me, sorry. I'm just dropping the group at this point. Anyway, sidebar is updated. Now, moving on....

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-03-07T11:55:00.001-08:00

For Today...

Outside my window... It's bright and sunny and the trees are full of waiting buds. I have a cherry and a quince tree out there, and if the weather stays kind, any day now they will be full of blossoms.

I am thinking... That I am blessed to have this beautiful room to work and play in, and that I am doubly blessed to have a loving, supporting husband who helped make it all possible.

From the learning rooms... I need to start my lessons, but we've spent the past week deep-cleaning everything, from the garage out, so everything has been put on hold.

I am thankful for... A chance to deep-clean everything, all the space left behind, and for being healed enough to let go of the clutter in my life.

From the kitchen... Yesterday was my birthday, so my husband made me tiramasu, entirely from scratch. Total yum! Here in a little bit I'll go make the weekly batch of granola.

I am wearing... A denim jumper, black tunic, a green calico apron, yellow headband, and my usual around the house shoes

I am reading... Cousin Bette by Honore de Balzac, for the 18th Century Romance Novel group on Ravely. It's also counting toward my 52 books in 52 weeks group total.

I am hoping... That is doesn't snow on the valley floor in the next few days. As much as we need it on the mountains, it's a dangerous time of year for the fruit trees.

I am creating...The first embroidered square for the Geeks Cottage Tea Cup Quilt. Ten embroidered teacups with flowers, set with pastel calico trims, interspersed with pastel calico nine-patch blocks (unless I decide to try something else),two paper pieced teapots, and 5 more embroidered blocks with sci-fi quotes about tea. "Computer: Tea, Earl Gray, Hot." The blocks are the Tea Party series by Crabapple Hill Studio, the first block I'm working on is Linda. The paper pieced teapot can be found here.

I am hearing... Songs from the Labrynth by Sting. It's gentle and lovely to hear.

Around the house... We got the sewing room organied, at least the first pass. Now I have a stack of things to put in my binders, three teddy bears to sew up for the hospital, and a pile of scraps to cut up for a charm quilt, all of which was unearthed from my closet.

One of my favorite things... is all of the wonderful light in this room, streaming in through the lace curtains. Just lovely.

A few plans for the rest of the week... More waymarking...Some medical tests on Monday...my belated birthday breakfast on Tuesday...finishing organizing the kitchen cabinets.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

Three, actually. All three are from Jackson and Perkins. Now I just have to decide which I want for my birthday.:

The Perfect Moment hybrid tea rose

The Diana, Princess of Wales rose

The Peace rose

Skewed Views

2009-03-07T10:15:00.001-08:00

An inspiring quote

2009-03-04T12:24:00.000-08:00

From Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management -

SUCH ARE THE ONEROUS DUTIES which enter into the position of the mistress of a house, and such are, happily, with a slight but continued attention, of by no means difficult performance. She ought always to remember that she is the first and the last, the Alpha and the Omega in the government of her establishment; and that it is by her conduct that its whole internal policy is regulated. She is, therefore, a person of far more importance in a community than she usually thinks she is. On her pattern her daughters model themselves; by her counsels they are directed; through her virtues all are honoured;—“her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband, also, and he praiseth her.” Therefore, let each mistress always remember her responsible position, never approving a mean action, nor speaking an unrefined word. Let her conduct be such that her inferiors may respect her, and such as an honourable and right-minded man may look for in his wife and the mother of his children. Let her think of the many compliments and the sincere homage that have been paid to her sex by the greatest philosophers and writers, both in ancient and modern times. Let her not forget that she has to show herself worthy of Campbell’s compliment when he said,—
“The world was sad! the garden was a wild!
And man the hermit sigh’d, till woman smiled.”

Let her prove herself, then, the happy companion of man, and able to take unto herself the praises of the pious prelate, Jeremy Taylor, who says,—“A good wife is Heaven’s last best gift to man,—his angel and minister of graces innumerable,—his gem of many virtues,—his casket of jewels—her voice is sweet music—her smiles his brightest day;—her kiss, the guardian of his innocence;—her arms, the pale of his safety, the balm of his health, the balsam of his life;—her industry, his surest wealth;—her economy, his safest steward;—her lips, his faithful counsellors;—her bosom, the softest pillow of his cares; and her prayers, the ablest advocates of Heaven’s blessings on his head.”

The Simple Woman's Daybook

2009-02-28T17:25:00.000-08:00

And why not...

For Today...

Outside my window... It's gray and drizzly and cold for out here. Too cold, after a warm spell, the trees are already budding out and a hard freeze will ruin all the crops in the valley. Oh, I hope it doesn't get too cold.

I am thinking... That we desperately need more snow, but those clouds simply will not let go. Which doesn't add with the idea of a freeze, but snow lands on the mountains and gives us water for spring, while a freezing fog will settle into the valley.

From the learning rooms... Time to figure out how many pages I want to read in my texts. I may not be able to afford to go back to college but if I can homeschool a child (eventually) I can certainly homeschool myself.

I am thankful for... Having a working heater. We almost didn't start it back up before we went to Denver, but now I'm glad we did. It's chilly!

From the kitchen... I made homemade granola last night, and the house still smells so good. Tonight it's a simple bean skillet dish.

I am wearing... denim skirt, lavender long sleeve t-shirt, a lavender calico apron, lavender headband, and my usual around the house shoes

I am reading... Wishcraft by Barbara Sher, and trying to decide what books I want to cover in the 52 book challenge on Ravelry

I am hoping... We finish cleaning out the garage next week. Once that's done we can start on my sewing room, and then the rest of the house.

I am creating... Long fingerless mitts for friends. I'll finish the last mitt in the next day or two, but then the project will have to go on hold until I can head south and pick up one more ball of yarn to finish the last mitten.

I am hearing... The TV in the apartment upstairs, as my neighbor catches the game. He's a sportscaster and tends to get rather loud while he's watching.

Around the house... Lots of laundry to fold, and a batch of dishes to wash too. Really, all the kitchen chores, I am running shamefully behind today.

One of my favorite things... is settling in with a cup of tea on a cold afternoon. Which I will do as soon as I go finish those kitchen chores.

A few plans for the rest of the week... The dentist on Monday for me....then taking the books from the garage to the used book store and trading them in for new ones....and some waymarking with my husband.

Homemade granola

2009-02-27T20:07:00.000-08:00

Yep, made granola today. I make my own because that way you can control the amount of sugar, no HFCS, and it just makes the house smell soooo goood.

I started with the recipe here, which I have found very simple and reliable, and tripled it. So as I go I'll give you my amounts and what I added.

I started by chopping two big handfuls of pecans. They're listed as optional in the recipe, but my brother Sian is such a sweet tooth that I can't skip any chance of getting something nutritious into him. Chop them coarsely, you want fairly big chunks.

Next I mixed the dry ingredients. That's 3 cups of old-fashioned oats, 3 cups of rolled oats, 1/4 cup of flaxseed and 1/3 cup wheat germ (again, more nutrition in my brother), 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each of allspice, ginger and garam masala. The extra spices give you granola that tastes a little like a gingersnap. It's good to mix this with your hands, to try to get the spices to mix evenly, then tend to sift to the bottom.

The liquids are mixed seperately, then poured over the oats. 3/4 of a cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup of vegetable oil, 3/4 cup honey, 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

Here's an odd thing I leanred recently, since sugar has such a low melting point, in a baking recipe it counts as a liquid. Weird.

So, the liquid, sugar and all, is poured into the oats. They I placed them in two baking sheets, well lined with parchment.

If you've never used parchment paper to bake with you simply MUST try it. It makes cleaning up the easiest thing, and nothing ever sticks. I wouldn't be able to keep up with the baking at my brother's place without it.

Make sure you get a really flat, even layer so the oats toast evenly.

Into the oven at 325 for 10 minutes. Then out, mix it up so that it will toast on the other side, flatten it back out, and sprinkle sliced almonds over everytihing.

Make sure you switch the pans around on the racks every time you add nuts, so it will all toast evenly.

Repeat it five minutes later, only this time with the chopped pecans.

Ten more minutes and out of the oven. Your house will smell amazing, simply wonderful.

I suggest you serve it with milk, of course, or with some of your favorite yoghurt.

A blog restart

2009-02-25T14:49:00.000-08:00

Since Candy has decided to go by the wayside, at least temporarily, I'm once again pushing the reset button. This blog is going back to showing how a secular, atheistic homemaker runs her day. It's also going to be the primary blog for my Ravelry account, so it will be where I share pictures of my projects, and where I review books for the 52 books in 52 weeks group.

So, there we are. This should mean I'll be around more.

Why I don't plan to take my children to church.

2009-02-21T23:14:00.000-08:00

Today Candy put up a long screed about why she wants to keep her children with her in church. Well, I plan to keep my children with me out of church much of the time. I will take them to the Catholic masses, through their First Communion, because that is our family tradition, and the rites and rituals of the Roman Catholic Church are part of our lives. But past that I will not make them go, and I do plan to teach them both where the church is right, and where it is wrong, so they do not need to live their lives in shame or fear.

And no, I'm not putting up any references to any books to support my position. I believe mankind has moved past ancient myths, both intellectually and morally. I don't believe any one book can sum up the breadth of human experience, nor can it be the Ultimate Instruction Book For Life. My goal will be to teach my children to be ever learning, and not to snuff out their natural morality. I don't need a book to tell me this is the right thing to do.

Another shelf of books

2009-02-20T17:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I have to apologize. Yesterday when Candy was talking about the books on the top of her bookshelf she meant the very top of the bookshelf. I mistakenly posted the list of the top shelf of one of my bookshelves. On the very top I have some baskets. One woven by my Grandfather, but otherwise unexceptional.

So since I posted my top shelf yesterday, today I'll fill in by posting the list from the shelf closest to my desk here. That way I'll be on-track for tomorrow.

My pricebook*
Campaigns of the Civil War by Walter Geer
The Well Trained Mind by Jesse Wise & Susan Bauer
Literature Pickering & Hopper, Ed.
The American Tradition in Literature, 6th ed
Albion's Seed by David Hackett Fisher
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
Passionate Hearts & Intimate Kisses 2 poetry collection, Wendy Maltz, Ed.
The London Ritz Book of Afternoon Tea
Oh look, another KJV.
Living a Beautiful Life by Alexandria Stoddard
A Room With a View by E. M. Forrester
One Skein Wonders, Judith Durrant, Ed.
The Book of the City of Ladies, by Christine de Pizan
The Tightwad Gazette, volume 1, Amy Daczyczyn, Ed.

As you can see, this is a collection of books for future homeschooling, and some of my favorites.

Why am I doing this? To prove that to be considered well-read, at least in any kind of limited fashion, you have to read something other than 1) children's books, 2) only theology that supports your worldview, 3) homekeeping books that are no longer relevant, 4) comic books, and 5) the bible, over and over and over again. A truly well-read home has a large selection of books on a wide variety of topics. I have barely scratched the surface so far.

My biggest concern is that so far all her books of advice on homekeeping and family management are 100 years old. Which means they would not address mover surfaces, cleaners or fabrics. They wouldn't cover current practices in food safety or nutrition. The very concept of child psychology and development wouldn't have been included. And they wouldn't have anything from the vast modern body of knowledge concerning health. Reccomending these as a serious referrence is rather disturbing.

So, more tomorrow. Wait until you see what I have on the next shelf.

* I'll adress the pricebook idea in a future post.

The top of my bookshelf

2009-02-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

So I'm re-booting this blog a bit. Making it more of a direct response to Candy over at KTH, and to all the fine ladies out there who insist that their way is the only way to be a great homemaker.

Today Candy put out a post bragging about how she is such a great reader, savoring the classics and taking part in the Great Conversation. And then she informed us that the top shelf of her bookshelf (She may have two shelves, but no more. She's published enough photos of her home to prove that.) contained three boxed sets of children's books, The Chronicles of Narnia, Little House on the Prairie, and one of the American Girl collections.

Ahem.

In reply, here is the list of what is on the top shelf of one of our book shelves:

A collection of the writings of Plutarch
The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
The Journal of John Woolman
Fruits of Solitude by William Penn
Don Quixote by Cervantes
The Divine Comedy by Dante
A collection of Aseop's fables
A collection of Grimm's fables
A collection of the works of Hans Christian Anderson
Jonathon Swift by Thackery
A collection of essays by various authors, including Ruskin, Stevenson and Thoreau
A collection of poetry by various poets, including Tennyson, Emerson and Longfellow
A collection of essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson
A collection of the works of Homer
A collection of American documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
1,001 Nights
1,001 Nights in the original Arabic
A collection of the works of Christopher Marlowe.
A complete Shakespeare
Howard's End by E. M. Forester
The Great Gadsby, by Fitzgerald
A collection of Emily Dickenson
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
The Romance of the Rose by Guillaume de Lorris andJean de Meun
The Glimpse of the Moon by Edith Wharton
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson
Nature's end by Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka
A collection of writings by Edith Wharton
QV VII by Leon Uris
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde.
And yes, a KJV

Now, I admit, I haven't read all of them. But I have read 2/3 -3/4 of them, including the KJV, and would like to read the rest in the near future.

And I have ten more bookshelves in the house just this big. Each one holding 3-5 shelves full of books. And I have read most of those.

So yes, I'm sorry. Reading the KJV over and over and over again, while not even reading a children's book is not my idea of a great reader.

Once again, simple and straight

2009-02-08T11:21:00.001-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

On a video run

2009-02-07T20:23:00.001-08:00

"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

H/t to The Daily Kos

I was just waiting for someone to spoof these

2009-02-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the annoying sound effects in this one, but it really makes the point. (Worcestershire sauce? Salsa verde?)

Personally, as someone who's already dealing with insulin resistance, I'm trying to avoid this stuff like the plague.

h/t to the Cheeseslave and to Cathy at A Life Less Sweet.

Better than I can say...

2009-02-05T23:29:00.000-08:00

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

You, Mr. Cheney, you terrified more Americans than did any terrorist in the last seven years, and now it is time for you to desist, or to be made to desist. With damnable words like these, Sir, you help no American, you protect no American, you serve no American — you only aid and abet those who would destroy this nation from within or without.

He's right. And may I point out...

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.

- The Constitution of the United States of America
Article III, Section 3

In the New York Times

2009-02-05T14:32:00.000-08:00

An op-ed piece in today's New York Times...

Till Children Us Do Part
By Stephanie Coontz
Published: February 4, 2009

- snip -
Some couples plan the conception and discuss how they want to conduct their relationship after the baby is born. Others disagree about whether or when to conceive, with one partner giving in for the sake of the relationship. And sometimes, both partners are ambivalent.
The Cowans found that the average drop in marital satisfaction was almost entirely accounted for by the couples who slid into being parents, disagreed over it or were ambivalent about it. Couples who planned or equally welcomed the conception were likely to maintain or even increase their marital satisfaction after the child was born.
- snip -

Furthermore

Marital quality also tends to decline when parents backslide into more traditional gender roles. Once a child arrives, lack of paid parental leave often leads the wife to quit her job and the husband to work more. This produces discontent on both sides. The wife resents her husband’s lack of involvement in child care and housework. The husband resents his wife’s ingratitude for the long hours he works to support the family.

Now, imagine if you will that not only were one or both parents either ambivalent or giving in to the idea of conception after marriage, but that even entering into the marital relationship was based on the conception. That the whole relationship was based on that ambivalence. And while I know that some will consider using the term "backsliding" for choosing traditional gender roles to be derogatory, it is a good description for choosing those roles due to not making a choice in the matter.*

So there you are, a young man full of dreams and aspirations. Then the next day you have a stay at home wife and a baby to support. Now you're stuck with the first job you can get that pays the bills, no matter if you like it or not. You don't get to enjoy the fruits of your labor, it's all going to support the kid and that girl who's at home doing nothing to help. You may not even really like the woman you're married to, let alone love her or want to make a life with her. Your future is over, this is the rest of your life.

Or you're a young woman, also with dreams and goals. But now you're stuck at home 24/7 with a screaming baby, a man who resents every dime he gives you for the groceries, and no hope for escape. You may not even like him much, but now you're stuck sharing a bed and your body with him for the rest of your life.

In this situation it's human nature to take your anger and resentment out on someone, preferably someone more helpless than you, someone less likely to fight back. And there is the baby, screaming, smelly, sucking down every spare dime and then some. If it wasn't for that baby neither of you would be in this mess. And you can't even daydream your way out of it, it's there in the house with you, demanding constant attention.

This, this, is why I say that conservative Christians tend to make lousy parents. Every one I have talked to so far started their marriages out in exactly this way. And while they all say "spare the rod and spoil the child", "My child is strong-willed.", "A father must take dominion", "I'm training my child up in God's way", and so on, it all amounts to the same thing. It's always your child's fault that you're so miserable. If only your child wouldn't ~~misbehave~~ do things that demanded attention.

It's not your child's fault, it didn't ask to be born. Nor did it come into this world specifically to ruin your life. Your parents and your church did that. They didn't teach you the facts about human sexuality, including ways to deal with your hormones that don't result in pregnancies. They didn't insist on adoption as an option.** This has nothing to do with the child at all.

This is also why I believe that the two groups in this world who make excellent parents are infertile couples and homosexual couples. In both cases each and every child is well and truly planned for, and so any situation that can lead to resentment can be worked out in advance. I currently am lose to one couple who dealt with infertility and one homosexual family and I can only hope and pray that my husband and I turn out to be half as good parents as either of them.

Even the NY Times gets it.

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* While I don't believe that "traditional gender roles" are necessarily necessary, I do believe that households function better if *someone* is managing things at home. This could be the female partner, male partner, one half of a homosexual couple, a grandparent or other relations, someone who manages a number of families in a cooperative situation, or someone hired for the job. I've seen all of the above work well. It just matters that *someone* do the job. Just because my particular family happens to fall into traditional roles does not mean I think it's the only way to go.

Yes, I know of many, many families where all the adults work full time. While it's clearly doable, and it does work, in my opinion it doesn't work quite as well as when someone is home. Managing a home with children is a full time job, period. When all the adults are already working one full time job and they each have to take on a second part-time, or more often one has to take on a second full-time, everything naturally suffers. Just as it would if they were taking on a second, paid job outside of the house. I can only admire the people who can work two jobs like that and make it all function, I couldn't do it.

** At one point I volunteered, for all of one afternoon, at a very Christian crisis pregnancy center. No, I don't remember why. I do, however, remember being told that counseling the girls about adoption as an option was strictly forbidden because "If God meant for them to have that baby, He meant for them to raise that baby." Which was why I left.

(As an aside, if God meant for that baby to be in the world, and born to that mother, wouldn't it be more appropriate to tell your Christian youth to follow every urge to procreate? Aren't those urges your omniscient, omnipotent God calling two people to a specific place and time to make that baby? Or is it just too politically damaging to admit that you are pro-irresponsible sex, since that allows ~~you to populate your cult from within~~ your God to make as many babies as he likes.

No, really, someone explain how pre-marital sex is bad, but every pregnancy is wanted by God, and yet you can't have one without the other? Wouldn't purity pledges and abstinence and just saying no directly contravene God's will? I mean, since He wants those babies so badly?)

Rot from within

2009-01-30T13:25:00.001-08:00

Found in the directory of CAPITA, at the School of Engineering, Washington University, via Google

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Now, everyone go here. Read this.

Blackwater: Guns for Hire or Trojan Horsemen?

Could not to a better job than Cynthia did. Could not. Thank you for this.

More on Blackwater

Wikipedia
The New York Times

Not exactly

2009-01-29T19:23:00.000-08:00

Everyone says we should help these home ~~owners~~...livers, I guess. In this one she admits she...

a) Didn't consult a lawyer before signing her loan paperwork
b) Didn't read her loan paperwork
c) Stopped making her mortgage payments

So, we should reward you for being stupid? Sorry, I'm not down with that. I'm not down with giving homes to stupid people. The one thing I would allow is that they be allowed to rent their first apartment with no credit check. Then re-sell the house at the price from, oh, about ten years ago. Or whatever year right before the bubble started.

That way those of us who weren't stupid enough to sign paperwork we didn't read could have a shot.

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Yes, I'm back.

Yes, we can.

2009-01-20T11:48:00.000-08:00

November 4, 2008 by Patrick Moberg

A brillant quote

2009-01-16T22:25:00.000-08:00

From Sarah Robinson, who says the important things much better than I ever could

Schools get paid by the day for every student sitting in their seats. This kind
of stupidity will come to a quick halt when the district realizes that it's
going to bounce back and hit them squarely on their own bottom line.

Just add your definition of stupidity and apply as needed.

Something to chew on

2009-01-12T10:58:00.001-08:00

An article in the New York Times on Mars Hill Church, Pastor Mark Driscoll and “this new, aggressive, mission-minded Calvinism that really believes Calvinism is a transcript of the Gospel,” that has become so popular. And which, I believe, is the underpinnings of the Patriocentric movement.

Who would Jesus smack down?

Enjoy. I'm out for a couple of weeks.

Another round of Christian Tolerance

2009-01-08T14:30:00.000-08:00

From the Denver Post:

Eldora gunman targeted non-Christians

By Howard Pankratz

BOULDER — Derik Bonestroo's confrontation with fellow workers at Eldora Mountain Resort appeared to be a well-planned scheme to kill co-workers who were not Christian, according to investigators from the Boulder County Sheriff's Office.
Bonestroo's "demeanor and tactical style clothing" had all the indications that the 24-year-old Bonestroo carefully planned the face-to-face showdown, according to documents filed Wednesday in Boulder District Court.
That morning, the 6-foot- 2-inch, 200-pound-plus lift operator drove to Eldora Mountain Resort, where a number of lift operators had gathered for an assignment meeting in the pump house.
One of the employees at the meeting, April Wilson, told investigators that Bonestroo walked in dressed in black, carrying a gun, and fired into the ceiling, according to the documents.
He then declared: "If you're not Christian, you're going to die," Wilson said.
At that point, Wilson said, everybody started running out the back door to get away. As she ran into the woods, the 24-year-old Wilson heard an additional four or five shots.

According to an earlier news report, the victim had a wife and two pre-teen daughters, and was an active member of both the community and the local Catholic church.

What do you see?

2009-01-08T08:34:00.001-08:00

I see a couple clearly in love and committed. Enough that they would start a business together as well as a family.

I see a family that has chosen to have children, meaning they believe that they are in a good situation and that wanted a child.

I see a boy who was not an accident, who did not force his parents to marry, who will never be resented for his presence.

In short, I see a loving, wholesome, happy family. Far more so than every Christian, hetero couple I've ever met.

And yes, I called Swanson and told them so. I hope they show couples like this in their ad, and other companies follow suit. This is what a healthy family looks like, regardless of the genders of the adults.

It's still the crazy season

2009-01-05T23:48:00.000-08:00

In my house the crazy season starts the week before Thanksgiving, when I get the Holiday Binder down and make my list for the big dinner. Two weeks later is the big hospital fundraiser, then three weeks after that is Krismas, with all the gifts and decorating in between. A week to New Years, and then two weeks after that we board the California Zephyr (seen above) to go spend two weeks in Colorado with my in-laws.

This year I added several doctors appointments to that mix, a tentative diagnosis of diabetes for me, with more testing to come, and a dear friend who has been/is both moving and changing jobs over the holiday.

Yes, it has been insane around here. And it's not over yet.

I'll be back to regular updating as soon as I can.

Still here

2008-12-25T11:20:00.001-08:00

Holiday insanity has hit, and is still hitting.

New posts soon, one hopes.

Have a good Krismas everyone.

What would you do if you didn't have a job?

2008-12-09T10:56:00.001-08:00

Jennifer A. Slater explores that in an essay for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

If you’re currently unemployed, don’t despair — set aside a certain amount of time for scouring the want ads, making phone calls and doing your share of worrying — but then take a break from it. You are defined by more than your role as provider or by your occupation for that matter — there’s so much more. Don’t waste this opportunity.

What are some things you’ve always wanted to do but never had time for? Think of things you could accomplish that would make your life easier when you do go back to work. Here are some ideas:

She then goes on to list a series of ideas that will sound terribly familiar to stay-at-home-wives:

Cooking - "It became my mission to pore through my cookbooks and spoil my children with home-cooked meals that I had never had the time or energy to prepare."
Cleaning - " I cleaned my house! And I’m not talking just hitting the big spots — I mean really cleaned!"
Home upkeep - "Like anyone else I have a Honey-Do list. The only problem is, I’m the only Honey in the house"
Finishing projects, in her case a book - "This has been one of the most personally rewarding gifts I have received during this drought."
Learning new ways to be frugal - "I actually take time now to read the ads for sales and cut out coupons and then plan every week’s meals accordingly. What a concept! I honestly cannot believe the amount of money I’ve saved."
Spending time with your kids. - "why didn’t I do this before? Oh yeah, I was always working."

So, cooking for your kids = spoiling them now? Cleaning and maintaining your home is some how special? I can understand finishing a project, but I thought everyone knew about menu planning and saving money. They may not have the time to do it, but they knew about it.

That last one is the kicker for me. Have kids you never spend time with. Why have them in the first place?

She's floored that these things can actually be enjoyable, enriching, and contribute to society. Holy cr*p Batman, it's good to be a housewife!

The only problem being that she's a single mom with three kids, so she has to go back to work. Too bad she didn't think of this before she had them. Too bad the baby boomers (or the feminists or the corporate overlords, pick your arch enemy of the past 40 years) lied to her about how enjoyable, how simply good, it is to take care of your home and family.

My suggestion to her, if she really doesn't want a husband (which is going to be hard to find with three kids anyway) would be to form a co-op house with some other single parents, of any kind of orientation. Because while those things are fun for you (I know, a shock) they are amazingly good for your kids. A well-run home, healthy meals, and attention go a long way towards making good kids into good adults.

Take it from the housewives.

Tolerance - Thou Shalt Not Steal

2008-12-05T11:59:00.001-08:00

Photo copyright Freedom From Religion Foundation

From CNN.com:

Missing atheist sign found in Washington state
By Molly Simpson
CNN

(CNN) -- An atheist sign criticizing Christianity that was erected alongside a Nativity scene was taken from the Legislative Building in Olympia, Washington, on Friday and later found in a ditch.
----
The incident will not stifle the group's message, Gaylor said. Before reports of the placard's recovery, she said a temporary sign with the same message would be placed in the building's Rotunda. Gaylor said a note would be attached saying, "Thou shalt not steal."

"I guess they don't follow their own commandments," Gaylor said. "There's nothing out there with the atheist point of view, and now there is such a firestorm that we have the audacity to exist. And then [whoever took the sign] stifles our speech."

According to the Seattle Times, and as seen in this photo:

Copyright Ellen M. Banner/The Seattle Times

The display consists of a small sign over on the left, near a large nativity scene, and there is supposed to be a menorah around there somewhere. So no, no one has driven Christ or Christmas away from anything. He's still right there, front and center. All we want is equal time.

I want to respond to this somehow, I do. But PZ Myers is calling for us all to take the high road and not declare open season on Nativity scenes. The point is freedom of speech is for everyone.

Personally I think it's fear based. When all you have is a myth that you have to misrepresent in order to even imply that it has any morality at all, threats abound.

Maybe posters nearby. It's a thought.

Five rules for being an adult

2008-12-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

Five rules for being an adult. By Annie Lamott. With commentary

1. Have nothing wrong with you.
2. If you do have something wrong with you, don't admit to yourself.
3. If you cannot deny what is wrong with you, hide it from others.
4. If you cannot hide it, at least have the decency to not show up.
5. If you insist on showing up, be ashamed.

------

They sound horrid on first look. But once you get into them, they make sense.

1. Have nothing wrong with you.

You are an adult now. Dealing with your baggage is your own problem. So deal with it. Get thee to a doctor, a shrink, a spiritual adviser, what have you until your issues are worked out. This includes all the issues coming from/dealing with your deity. No one else is going to fix them for you, you have to do the work.

2. If you do have something wrong with you, don't admit to yourself.

If you have yet to do this work, and a situation comes up, emergent or social or otherwise, please try to ignore your issues for the duration and focus on the situation at hand. This means don't bring them up. Do not discuss your deity (including asking everyone to pray), do not discuss your elation/misery over the most recent election, do not comment on your looks or anyone elses, and so on. Don't even think such things if at all possible, so no hint of it will be picked up on by the people around you.

3. If you cannot deny what is wrong with you, hide it from others.

This is the lite version of #2. If you can't stop thinking it for the duration, at the very least don't share. We don't want to know. We have the situation to focus on.

4. If you cannot hide it, at least have the decency to not show up.

If you can't hide it and cannot or will not stop sharing stay home. This goes out especially to those who follow a deity that requires them to pass judgment on others, and those who have body issues that cause them to pass judgment on others. If my size or who I love or the way I dress or the manner in which I raise my children or how I vote or whether or not I submit to anything is something you feel that strongly about, if it is going to be your main focus, just stay home. Don't bother to come out. The adults have a situation to deal with, we do not have time or energy to put into your issue.

5. If you insist on showing up, be ashamed.

You're screwing up life for the rest of us, and making the situation worse. Really, you're acting terribly childish. You should be ashamed.

(h/t to Maggie @ Group News Blog)
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Update: According to Maggie Jochild, in the comments here:

The 5 Rules for Being An Adult are sarcasm, folks. She's pointing out how we try to live by impossible, inhumane standards. It's a case of "root out this beliefs inside you and ditch them", because, as she often points out, perfectionism is mental illness.

Because EVERYONE has something "wrong" with them. I read these as a manifesto against self-hatred, especially with regard to the "things wrong" which are utterly visible in our culture, like being nonwhite, being nonmale, being disabled, looking poor, being a child...

It is sarcasm and needs to be rooted out when it applies to such things as being non-white, non-male, disabled and so on. Things that just can't change, that just are.

In my opinion, however, they still apply when referring to such things as prejudice, sexism, homophobia, fatphobia, overt religiosity, and so on.

Well said

2008-12-01T22:12:00.001-08:00

The Urban Farmhouse

Someone finally did it

Jam Bars

How to cook

The problem with Christian Privilege

State notes alarming spike in starvation of adopted children

Recent high-profile stories of adopted children being starved have officials reviewing placement guidelines.

On Christian Compassion

What I did last summer, part 1

New sewing room

A restart for 2012

A humorous reply to a manefesto on pants

But I know he's a Christian, and that's all that matters right now...

Bravo

For Jane

The Knitting Olymics 2010

Another break for current events

My deconversion story Pt 7 - And he fails

A break for current events

My deconversion story Pt 6 - God gets another chance

My deconversion story Pt 5 - The roller coaster to the wilderness

My deconversion story Pt 4 - It finally starts getting better...

My deconversion story Pt 3 - Yes, they taught us these things

My deconversion story Pt 2 - When people let you down

My deconversion story Pt 1 - my life as a Christian, and other things

A fascinating deconversion story

Someone wanted a menu

More on kidnapping children for Jesus

Kidnapping children for Jesus

Americans arrested taking children out of Haiti

Haiti quake raises fears of child-eating spirits

Good

I am not worthy

Why diets are bad

Could not say it better

Hypocrisy Watch

Perhaps he thinks they should have just remained in slavery

I just have to

A vision of the future

Gobsmacked

Thank you Kamilla

Let me guess, he was handing out bibles.

Why I am an atheist #233485787

When equality hurts

Why I cannot take this bible thing seriously, #2376

The top ten net rules

What a nice thing to wake up to

Through the week in Feminine Dress

Through the week in Feminine Dress

Through the week in Feminine Dress

Through the week in Feminine Dress

Lady Lydia speaks...kind of

Another child-loving Christian

Perhaps I should explain

Oh bollocks

More Christian violence

A response to Lady Lydia

Sometimes someone else just says it better

More video goodness

What have liberals done for America?

Blogging like it's 2008

Sometimes the headline says it all

On corrupt Christianity

Playing for change

On Evangelicals and torture

Heartfelt sorrow

On the financial crisis

The Divine Meeting

What does an athiest homekeeper do on Easter Sunday?

On open-mindedness

On abortion

Ada Lovelace Day

52 books in 52 weeks

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Skewed Views

An inspiring quote

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Homemade granola

A blog restart

Why I don't plan to take my children to church.