Culture
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In Case You Were Wondering…
What’s wrong with missionaries, and why I don’t give my ‘charity’ dollars to religious groups…I mean, they go and bring education and medicine and try to help people, correct? But at what price. The fact of the matter is that the whole goal of missionaries is to try to convince the ‘other’ that the best course of action is to change from being ‘other’ to being ‘self’. To be a bit more clear, those people over there have a problem, and the best way to fix it is to make them more like us. Because, you know, we’re doing so damn well over here. We don’t have problems with poverty,…
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A Day in the City
Saturday, after a lovely breakfast at Lafayette Circle Cafe, we drove into the city, with the intention of going to Morrison Planetarium. We knew that it was being redone, but weren’t completely clear on the details…Ted knew there was a new museum in where the old City Library was, but he had forgotten that we had actually gone there a year or so ago, and that it is the new Asian Art Museum. I remembered reading that the aquarium was near the Moscone Center, downtown, but wasn’t sure where. So we parked near Moscone, and went into the Metreon to use the bathroom and find out more. Of course, I…
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Teaching Intelligent Design
Hot off the presses, the L.A. Times is reporting that a small school in Lebec, CA has begun teaching Intelligent Design in the guise of a Philosophy class. They’re getting sued by a small group of parents, represented by the Americans United for Separation of Church and State. This is kind of a murky issue…my first reaction is that Intelligent Design belongs in Church, not in school. Then I read that it’s not a Biology class, or any kind of Science class…it’s a Philosophy class. That makes it murky. If you can’t talk about this kind of thing in PHILOSOPHY CLASS, where CAN you discuss it? But wait, there’s more.…
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Who Knew Santa likes to Dive, and Festivus is sort of real?
Have a Merry Christmas Everyone! Also, Happy Hannukah, Happy Festivus, Happy Solstice, Happy New Year, Happy Happy!
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War on Christmas?
This whole “War on Christmas” thing has gotten a lot of stupid press this year…and it’s just lame. I’ll put in my two cents, and then we can all forget it, OK? Please? Who in hell REALLY thinks that Christmas is in danger in this country? The religious holiday may be in danger of being overrun by rabid secular (and religious, to be fair) shoppers, but how does wishing someone “Happy Holidays” threaten anyone? Seriously, have you been overwhelmed by Pagan Winter Solstice songs on the radio? Hannukah specials on TV? Or is it Christmas Christmas Christmas everywhere you look, with Santa and lights and trees and wreaths, candy and…