Thursday, October 28, 2010
Religious Extremists
I've been reading a lot of Dan Savage recently. One of his big causes is gay marriage. I'm fine with all that. Seriously, why on earth should I care if two dudes want the same legal designation as a man and a woman? But more to the point, he's recently posted a couple of interesting notes on the subject of religious intolerance in this country--a country that was founded, quite frankly, by religious extremists who couldn't fit in in their own homelands. Be that as it may, I'm sick to death of religion in general and religion in this country in particular. My gripe is that all you ever hear about religion comes from the extremists, the crazies. Moderate views a rarely expressed, and if so, only as a brief counterpoint to the bombast of the screaming extremists. The result is that the nutjobs, by making so much noise, are taken seriously as mainstream in the absence of any counter-opinion. I guess sensible doesn't really sell in today's extreme media market. Anyway, I was taken by two recent posts on Dan Savage's blog in which there are pleas for moderates religious types to step up and make their voices heard over those of the extremist-haters. Here they are: here and here.
Expert points to places where you'll find lots of germs - chicagotribune.com
As someone who likes to cook, this subject is on my mind a lot. It doesn't hurt that I know a lot about sterile technique as well.
Expert points to places where you'll find lots of germs - chicagotribune.com
Expert points to places where you'll find lots of germs - chicagotribune.com
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Relics
I've been thinking about this word "relic" for some time now thanks to an interesting article in Slate magazine. For most of my life, I always thought a relic was just an old leftover thing from the past--an old computer or one of those antique bicycles with the really enormous front wheel or just some junk in the backyard. However, thanks to this this article, I've come to realize that more specifically, a relic is a piece of some dead guy's body that has been preserved for people to venerate while worshiping. In the Slate article, this practice seems to be mostly a Catholic thing, but I don't think that it is limited to that one religious group.
To me, this practice is most peculiar just because it seems so exotically foreign to me. It was never a part of my childhood religious upbringing to include praying over some dead guy's dried out flesh. It turns out that when I visited Salamanca in Spain a few years ago--back before I'd become aware of this sort of thing--I saw the arm of some old bishop or other on display in a glass case at the cathedral in Salamanca. Natually, I took a photo, but only more recently do I understand the whole thing a little better. Here's my picture in all of its insensitive glory. I don't even know whose arm it is or what is so special about it. I'll probably burn for having taken this picture.
To me, this practice is most peculiar just because it seems so exotically foreign to me. It was never a part of my childhood religious upbringing to include praying over some dead guy's dried out flesh. It turns out that when I visited Salamanca in Spain a few years ago--back before I'd become aware of this sort of thing--I saw the arm of some old bishop or other on display in a glass case at the cathedral in Salamanca. Natually, I took a photo, but only more recently do I understand the whole thing a little better. Here's my picture in all of its insensitive glory. I don't even know whose arm it is or what is so special about it. I'll probably burn for having taken this picture.
BBQ
From the guy who brought you the Cheeseburger Show:
10%20at%2010%3A%20Favorite%20BBQ%20bites%20of%202010
10%20at%2010%3A%20Favorite%20BBQ%20bites%20of%202010
Fight Club
Lucy has reached that delightful stage where all she wants to do is bite, bite, bite. This has led to repeated banishments to the yard with the other dogs.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Meet Lucy
Meet Lucy, an 8 week-old Brittany from Colorado Springs. Here's her first official picture. Click on any picture to see full-sized.
Half awake riding on the seat above Lisa's shoulders.
All Brittanies are weird. For much of the ride home, she decided to climb like a monkey up the seat to settle in behind Lisa's head.
Perched behind Lisa's head.
In her new backyard monitoring the neighborhood with her reluctant brother.
Sitting crooked in the backyard.
Lounging the backyard.
Spook is bummed. He spent the last couple of years of Floyd's life waiting impatiently for him to croak already. I think he was secretly waiting to be king, perfectly happy as an only dog. Instead, this little monster has arrived. Spook is still perfectly happy to have an extreme romp with Elsie, but he's got no interest whatsoever in his new sister. We'll see if he changes his tune when Elsie leaves and it's just the two of them. So far, he has refused all offers to play with Lucy.
Lucy likes to chew on wood chips.
Heart-shaped head.
Lying quitely on the carpet that she intends to destroy with her bowels and bladder. News flash to Lucy: The carpet is already ruined.
Spook and Elsie watch the afternoon pass them by.
Half awake riding on the seat above Lisa's shoulders.
All Brittanies are weird. For much of the ride home, she decided to climb like a monkey up the seat to settle in behind Lisa's head.
Perched behind Lisa's head.
In her new backyard monitoring the neighborhood with her reluctant brother.
Sitting crooked in the backyard.
Lounging the backyard.
Spook is bummed. He spent the last couple of years of Floyd's life waiting impatiently for him to croak already. I think he was secretly waiting to be king, perfectly happy as an only dog. Instead, this little monster has arrived. Spook is still perfectly happy to have an extreme romp with Elsie, but he's got no interest whatsoever in his new sister. We'll see if he changes his tune when Elsie leaves and it's just the two of them. So far, he has refused all offers to play with Lucy.
Lucy likes to chew on wood chips.
Heart-shaped head.
Lying quitely on the carpet that she intends to destroy with her bowels and bladder. News flash to Lucy: The carpet is already ruined.
Spook and Elsie watch the afternoon pass them by.
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