ANYHOO… where was I? Oh, yeah. Facebook and family. What’s the deal with everyone being so god this, jesus that lately? And they’re so in-my-face about it. I am pretty sure they all know I’m an atheist. Where’s the respect? Why can’t they tone it down? It’s incredibly – dare I say it – offensive to me to have to be bombarded with this sheeple thinking every day. My friends are all atheists (how interesting, don’t you think? LOL), but the family… they’re unbearable. In the last week, every conversation with them has involved their invocation of their holy lord and savior, all to my irritation.

Now, I know you will probably disagree with me, but I haven’t said a word to any of them. I’ve politely ignored the pleas that I pray for them or the requests for a miracle to save them from their bad situations (which they got themselves into … sans god). Being on Facebook really has it in my face even more. They want to chat with me all day and it seems that the invocations to god come fast and furious. It’s maddening. Or the stuff they leave on their pages – it’s like swimming in a pool of religious hallmark cards, and all the papercuts that would cause.

I know that this is my fault. I’ve kept my mouth shut all these years and now they just walk all over me. One of them actually gets really frustrated and snippy with me when I say happy holidays instead of merry christmas. She goes on and on about putting the christ back in christmas all through december. Unbearable. Oh, I should mention, 98% of these family members are in-laws. Yeah, that’s probably important, isn’t it?

So, I feel like I’ve reached a crossroads. Granted, it’s my fault for indulging them for so long. But how do I restore my sanity now? Do I say, ‘HEY, you are all idiots! There’s no invisible sky daddy!” Ok, that’s a bit harsh. Um, do I post pro-atheist stuff all over my facebook page? Hmm, that’s so passive aggressive, and easy for them to ignore, which would leave me where I am now.

I want to be nice and respectful. But no one is respecting me. I’m so sick of their god being thrown in my face all the time. I have a feeling that most of them will be offended by any little thing I do or say, then will pointedly ignore that it was said, and just shout jesus-isms from the rooftops even louder.

So I’m asking for your help. Like I said, I am pretty sure most of them already know I’m an atheist. I give them respect but get none in return. How do I get some sanity back? Is it even possible? Or do I have to just become a hermit in a shack in the woods, and get myself a nice old typewriter? I’m so frustrated!

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You know, this seems to be a serious point of contention these days. The majority of sheeple toddling around on their cell phones, driving their SUV’s, barely doing their jobs, letting TVs raise their kids, all seem to be proud of their ignorance in different areas. Here are just a few:

• Philosophy (in this sense I am referring to morality, beliefs, etc)
• Science
• Math
• Computers
• Critical Thinking, Logic and Reason
• Finance and Banking
• The Concept of Responsibility

Now I’m not all saying we need to be Socrates, Einstein, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist all rolled into one. But understanding the world around us is pretty important. Also how we think and what we believe is critical to how we make decisions. It’s also important to understand that even if we’re ignorant of something, we can still be personally responsible for our actions.

My parents weren’t very good at raising kids, to be honest. But my grandparents (on summer vacations) and public school took the time to teach me basic manners, a bit of common sense, the concept of cause and effect, personal responsibility for my behavior, basic money handling, and I got a good foundation in science and math at school as well.

I sometimes deal with younger people and they don’t seem to have any respect for knowledge, information or learning. They seem to refuse to be personally responsible. And the idea of thinking logically is as alien as an 8 track tape player.

When did it become cool to be so freaking ignorant? When did everyone collectively stop thinking for themselves? I’d say it’s just the youth of today, but I know many people my age and even older that refuse to think about their own belief systems or how they see the world. Most people are quite content to let a priest or pastor tell them what their morals are.

And if someone is any older than me, they are proud to eschew technology when it suits them. They refuse to learn to understand their computers. Yet they all still use their cell phones while driving their big SUVs.

Is it all about convenience? The lowest common denominator thinking? I know that’s how TV is these days. It’s the sludge that has settled to the bottom that seems to sell the best so that’s what’s served up and dished out to people. And they eat it up! Then again, I watched Three’s Company and the Dukes of Hazzard, so maybe I can’t talk. But back then that’s all there was. Now what’s our excuse?

I see the way things have gone for the past few years, and then recently with all those ridiculous bailouts. We just keep rewarding people and corporations and CEO’s for failing. We accept their lame blaming excuses and then hand them whatever they want with extra whipped cream on top.

I don’t understand. It seems like a slippery slope of irresponsibility and cultivated ignorance. Can it ever stop? Is it like some perverse form of reverse evolution? How can we become a society of happy, responsible, empathetic, intelligent, thoughtful people?

Ha! I know… I’m crazy for even thinking such radical ideas!

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Oh… at the end of the technical bits, I need to rant a bit, in case you’re interested.

OK! The slides arrived. I’ve looked up Optical Microscopes and I know more than I did already. Don’t think you’re off the hook though. I still need you.

• The eyepiece is removable and is 16x.
• There are 4 objective lenses:
  • Red: 4/0.1  160/0.17
  • Yellow: 10/0.25  160/0.17
  • Blue: 40//0.65  160/0.17
  • Creme: Oil 100/1.25  160/0.17

So I’m guessing that the first number is the magnification. 4x, 10x, 40x and the oil immersion is 100x. I assume I need special immersion oil for that. What is the next number though? The /0.1, /0.25 etc. And what is the 160/0.17 part?

The light source is supposed to be powered and has a condenser. The cover is broken and there is nothing to hold a light bulb of any type that I can make sense of. It’s made in China, which is immensely helpful in a not helpful way.

So, any ideas on a temporary or permanent lighting solution? I was thinking LEDs would be best because they don’t get so hot. But they can be expensive. I came up with that when I was looking at new microscopes for sale, because all the new ones seem to have LEDs. But a regular bulb of some sort would be good too. I’m not sure of the bulb to get though. So suggestions are most welcome.

Ooh, I love Wikipedia. I found some links to some neat sites. These links really aren’t for you unless you’re a microscope geek wannabe like me. They’re more for me so I can find them easily.

• University of Cambridge information on Optical Microscopy and Specimen Preparation
• Microscopy Information

If you have any resources, please feel free to comment with them because I want to learn as much as I can.

Well, I was about to wrap up, when Butch got up. He noticed some things that I hadn’t yet. Namely the number on the back which seemed unhelpful. It’s the model number: xsz-106. Damn, Google is amazing, because the second link down gave me a helpful page. It seems that it’s the xsz-106bn, Biological Microscope. The bulb was a halogen. Also there’s a dimmer switch on the side. Cool, if I can get it to work!

And now for my RANT: I have been very excited about getting this microscope. I understand that not everyone is interested in microbiology. But isn’t the pursuit of science and learning understandable in and of itself? So far, about 75% of the people I’ve told have replied with the same comment. “Why would you want a microscope?”

Why? Why not! The tiny world around us is amazing, complex and wonderful. It still holds secrets we have yet to unlock. It affects us in ways we take for granted, and is beautiful and fantastic. The total apathy and lack of interest is so disheartening. When someone I know expresses an interest in learning, even if the topic is not my favorite, I am delighted and encouraging. Know what I mean? Ok, so microbiology doesn’t interest you. That’s fine. But wanting to learn should always be encouraged. Don’t you think? Are we that apathetic these days, that people think it’s silly to want to educate themselves?

Ok, I’m done ranting. I have the tiny world around me to discover. Once I figure out how to illuminate it! Have a great day, my friends!

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I think I may convert to catholicism! Will she welcome me into her warm and ample bosom?

This story is really great. Ricardo Oyarzun, a fashion designer in Chile, is supposedly having a show on the 22nd (unconfirmed date) in Santiago. The models will be dressed like the Virgin Mary. And apparently Mary was a real knockout.

That’s not what made me laugh though. I mean, sure, it’s funny, but fashion designers are always pushing boundaries, seeing what they can get away with. They need to be edgy and different and shocking. Yadda Yadda Yawn. Whatever.

But the reactions of the roman catholic church just tickled my funny bone. A conservative group already tried unsuccessfully to get the show blocked. The designer has been threatened and shit has been spread on his door. (fine catholics doing the lord’s work, of course. freaking hypocrites)

“There is no pornography here, there’s no sex, there are no virgins menstruating or feeling each other up,” Oyarzun said ahead of the catwalk show set to be held at a Santiago nightclub later on Thursday. “This is artistic expression.”

So here’s the reaction of the catholic church. Oh the piety, oh the sincerity, oh the HYPOCRISY:

“We look on with special pain and deplore those acts which seek to tarnish manifestations of sincere love toward the Virgin Mary, which end up striking at the dignity of womankind by presenting her as an object of consumption,” Chile’s Episcopal Conference, which includes Catholic bishops, said in a statement.

When the catholic church stops looking the other way when their very own priests rape and molest boys in the name of god, then maybe they might have a say on dignity. When the catholic church starts treating women with equality and dignity, when they have a voice and are allowed to have a relationship with their amoral, hateful, misogynistic tyrant god, then maybe they can talk about sincerity and love.

They don’t know love, they don’t know what it means to treat a human being with dignity, they don’t know or care about women being treated with respect. They are hypocrites of the highest order, degrading to the human spirit. They simply choose to oppress and repress natural human sexuality and beauty, to stamp out normal healthy attraction. They are reprehensible to women, children and men everywhere.

Found here and here.

My friend Steve over at Infidelicacy did a story on the Mexican Playboy issue where they did a sexy version of the Virgin of Guadalupe. Personally I think it’s hilarious.

Apparently the issue was published in Mexico this past December, days before a Mexican festival devoted to honoring Jesus’ mom.  The cover says, We love you Maria, in Spanish. Ballsy!

The president of the catholic league was snide in his comment:

“Playboy’s juxtaposition of the sacred with the profane is a game that many have played, but to exploit Catholicism and insult Latinos in the same breath is novel. The December cover of its Mexican edition demonstrates once again that when it comes to good taste, Playboy remains quintessentially virginal.”

The publisher of Playboy Mexico, Raul Sayrols, said this:

“The image is not and never was intended to portray the Virgin of Guadalupe or any other religious figure,” Sayrols said. “The intent was to reflect a Renaissance-like mood on the cover.”

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There is a difference between patriotism and nationalism:

• Patriotism: devoted love, support, and defense of one’s country; national loyalty.
• Nationalism: same as patriotism but also the idea that your national culture and interests are superior to any other.

While I am patriotic and I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather move to, we can’t sit back on our laurels from previous generations and just let this fine country continue to rot in its own arrogance and ignorance.

My husband Butch said it clearly (with copious amounts of swearing, be warned) in his post titled Another Lesson in Differences. Regarding nationalism:

… That is what most people in Amerika consider patriotic: unwavering support for their country & its leaders, regardless of what those “leaders” think, do or say. A bunch of drunk fratboys bleating out chants of “U S A” & “We’re Number One” while certainly embarrassing, is neither true or patriotic. Blind faith in anything just means you’re willing to abdicate responsibility for your actions to someone you don’t even know. That doesn’t make you anything but a fucking sheep, which explains the repetitive bleating.

I stole the picture from Butch’s post too (thanks, honey). Teddy Roosevelt said it perfectly:

To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.

We are not free like we think we are. We are not the best in anything except arrogance these days. How could we be as great as we think we are when ignorance is considered cool? I’m sure we’re number one in apathy though. Yeah, that’s something to be proud of.

Hopefully after the worst presidency in the history of America, Obama can start to turn things around. I have a slim glimmer of hope that he’ll roll up his sleeves and get dirty, making tough decisions that might not be fun in the short term but will help us get back on track. It’s a tall order. I hope for our sake he’s up to the task and we can find some vestige of wisdom that accepts the changes we so desperately need.

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First, my husband Butch, who happens to be awesomely smart (and pretty damned rogueishly handsome too! hee hee). He doesn’t blog often, but when he does, I just love to see what is bouncing around in his brain. Usually it’s a bit on the angry/ranting side of things. Ok, not usually, almost always.

The other day he wrote about Things Every American Needs To Know. It’s a bit on the “angry diatribe” kinda post, but it’s good stuff and I wanted to share it with you. Basically it’s the difference between rights and privileges. I hope you find it interesting.

Second, my bestest friend (besides my awesome husband, Butch of course!) is Gary. I introduced you to him the other day in the Out of the Blue Jesus Pitch. He was very nice to a bible thumper who randomly tried to convert him to the jesus cult. He wasn’t shaken in his atheism though. He stood firm and politely deflected the attack.

There is a small update on that. The bible thumper contacted him several more times. It’s so boring and repetitive that I won’t bother you with it. She never changed her pitch and refused to listen to anything he said. Of course. He finally told her to leave him alone or he’d block her. Case closed.

But the real reason I’m bringing him up today, is because I just spent the last couple of days reinstalling windows and therefore everything else. I had been having increasing issues with my computer. If you have windows, you’ll understand. It happens. Most IT people recommend reinstalling windows about once a year. That’s about how often I do it.

Of course, I backed up all my settings and stuff. But then windows refused to let me use them. It’s been a grind, as usual. So, that’s why I haven’t been around much.

Now, back to Gary. He is the saver of my bacon. Has been as long as we’ve been friends. He’s my IT guy. Recently he has started offering to help people through this neat program called Crossloop. I love Crossloop. It’s a very simple to use program that lets you access another computer, or let someone help you with yours. User friendly is its middle name. I’ve never helped anyone, but Gary has helped me many times since we both installed it (which takes about 2 minutes and works with your firewall without problems).

I’m telling you all this to pimp my buddy out. Like I mentioned, he started offering to help people through Crossloop a short while ago. You can find his profile here. So, if you need help with your computer, I highly recommend him. He’s saved my bacon many times.

Ok, that’s it, I’m done pimping now. You can go back to your regularly scheduled lives. Have a great day!

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Well, Middletown School District in Rhode Island has started a pilot program to monitor students by implanting these little chips in their schoolbags. The district is in partnership with MAP Information Technology Corp. and together they are going to tag 80 students. Two school busses will be outfitted readers for the chips and with GPS devices.

Parents and school officials could then log onto a school website to track the children, see if they are on the bus, when they had exited, and the bus’s current location by the GPS information.

Since the pilot program didn’t cost the school district anything, it never went through the Rhode Island Ethics Commission for approval.

Personally I find this very disturbing and for once I agree with the ACLU because they are upset about it, too. Is this necessary? NO. Can this be used in a negative way against the children? YES. Can bad people get access to RFID readers or the website and track these kids for evil intent? YES. Can some parents use this as an excuse to be even more lazy in their parenting? YES.

What if a child gets off the bus but leaves his book bag on there, or in his locker? Or kids get sneaky and take them out, put them in each others’ bags, or switch bags? It’s not foolproof. It provides no significant advantage, and many disadvantages.

I’m not saying that in some small way, it isn’t good to know if your kid got off the school bus or not, or to know if you’re child’s bus is on time. Sure, this information can be helpful and practical for good parents to make their lives easier. But the potential for this to go bad is definitely there.

Not to mention the slippery slope of tagging children at all. What comes next? We all get tagged so someone can watch us and make sure we are where we say we’re supposed to be? Actually embedding the tags in the children? Then in all of us? Read 1984 and you’ll see why this is so disturbing. This is dangerous ground. It’s just another right of freedom that is taken away in the name of implied safety.

Found Here

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