Backtracking

Ya'll probably know that, last week, Pat Robertson gave advice to a man whose wife was suffering from Alzheimer's; he told him to divorce her (F%CK "for better or worse; in sickness and health).  Well, now he's decided to backtrack and be the hypocrite that we all knew he is. 

In the video this week, he says, "I never would tell anybody to leave their sick spouse," although that is exactly what he did last week.  What a liar!

I Get To Breathe!

Wow, I actually have an evening when there are no homework assignments to do.  I am amazed!  Maybe its because I just had exams in 4 of my 5 classes and my instructors thought we all needed a break.  Whatever the reason, I'm glad. 

Just chillin' on my couch, catchin' up on my favorite bloggers and loosening up with some 100 proof. 

Gotta enjoy it while I can; I'm sure that tomorrow evening, I'll be bogged down in more work.  =)

Cheers!!!!

Why Do People Waste Their Money?

Well, let's see...
We are into our fourth week of the semester and, on average, half of my classmates are gone.   The only exception is my Biology class (more on that below).  Do these kids say, "Hey, I know, I can't find a job at MacBurgerFlippinJoint, so I'll go to college"?  Then they enroll, pay their tuition, buy their books, then find out that they actually have to work at it!  Oh my gawd!!!! Who would have thunk it?

On the facebook app that my school has available for its students, one guy writes, "Looking for other students who are taking college algebra to study with. my first two quizzes wasn't that good. : ("   This guy might need to find an English tutor.  In fact, my English (Comp II) class has about 10 remaining out of the 30 who started.  So sad.  My Honors World Civ course (which only seats 15, tops) is now down to 10 (33% reduction), with Psych and Philosophy following suit. 

I just don't get it.  Why do they even bother?  If it's their parents sending them there, the parents should know better than to throw away their money on brats who can't have shown any initiative previously.

Surprisingly, though, my Biology class has only lost 2 out of 30 (so far).  One of the girls is even home schooled (she wants to be a missionary when she grows up - how cute).  I think it's because it's a relatively easy course so far, with a teacher who says things like, "I'm going to teach evolution in this class and if you don't ascribe to that way of thinking, all that I ask is that you learn the material."  (Arghh) So the Prof is an accommodationist.  I'm sure that makes it easier on the bible belters here.

Anyway, this penny-pinching, money-grubbing, can't waste a cent on what I can't use non-believer is going to do some more homework.  I'm done complaining.  =)

Some Funnies to Tide You Over

Just Checking In

Man, this week has been hell.  I've had a boatload of reading assignments which took hours and hours and fairly lengthy writing assignments to do (in all five of my classes).  Sheesh!!!  And I'm not done yet.  Even though this will be a three day weekend, most of it will be taken up by more reading, analysis and writing.  My eyes are so dry, my fingers feel like they want to fall off, and I have a knot the size of a grapefruit in my neck.  But enough whinning.

Last semester, being my first, was an adjustment period for me and I didn't get involved with any clubs or activities at school, but I've made a special point to get involved in at least one group this year.  The group that I put first and foremost is the Secular Student Alliance affiliate at my college.  This afternoon, I was able to go to our first meeting, get to know the president a little better and help brainstorm some nifty activities for this year.

The president of our group is friendly with the president of our college's chapter of Baptist Collegiate Ministries and we are hoping to have at least one joint venture with them as a transfaith collaboration.  My suggestion was a game-show type event where a couple of people from our respective groups would play bible trivia to see who knows best.  We'll see if we can't get it approved by the BCM; who knows, it might be fun!  Besides, the believers will draw a much bigger audience than we will alone which will allow for more non-believing, community outreach.

Our first excursion into the public this year will be an "Ask An Atheist" table and I was all over that.   I looks like we will brainstorm some more on fund-raising events for charity and we also are going to try to raise $$$ for a proposed trip to Skepticon this November.  Of course, I already have my hotel room booked for that, but it would be awsome to have some homies come along and raise 'hell' with me.  lol  Looking forward to getting within the aura of PZ, even if it is for just a minute.  =)

HoHum....my textbooks are calling out to me, telling me I'm a lazy sot.....back to the grind.
Enjoy your weekend everyone!

Not Yo' Mamma's Sunday School #005

The Ten Commandments.....hmmm, which should we choose from?  There are three sets after all:

There is the set in Exodus 20....

1st 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2nd 20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

3rd 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

4th 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

5th 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

6th 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.

7th 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8th 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.

9th 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

10th 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's. Then there is the set in Exodus 34 (which is very different).... 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

What Would It Take...

A question that pops up regularly is, 'what would it take to convince a non-believer to believe in god?' 

Well, considering that there are over 1000 gods and more than 4000 religions based upon those gods, the questioner would have to narrow down the field a bit.  In the case of Poseidon, I might be convinced if a 300 foot, bearded man were to walk out of the ocean and could, with his massive trident, create hurricanes and whirlpools on demand.

In the case of Yahweh, who is supposed to be ever-present, all-powerful and the embodiment of goodness, I suppose I'd have to go with the complete and utter eradication of cancers and aids by, let's say, tomorrow (or I could be generous and say next week, even).  That would be pretty convincing to me.  (Btw, this condition is not mine; I hijacked it from PZ, Dawkins or some other author whose name escapes me right now).

I don't think I ask for too much.