truthiness Day 18 - Gay marriage

Another easy question for me:  What do I think of gay marriage? Similar to my views on religion, it isn't for me but it isn't my place to judge what others do. So, gays want to get married?  Let em. 

I ultimately believe that marriage has no place with government so the gov't should do civil unions to provide all the 'benefits' of marriage only and let the churches decide on "marriage."  Oddly enough, I'm also not against polygamy.  If more than two consenting adults want to enter into a relationship with some legally defined benefits I've got no issues with that.  The key words (and this is important given FLDS) are consenting and adults.  I can totally respect the issues with the FLDS church, marrying off children, chasing off the boys so there's no competition for the girls, etc.  But amongst consenting adults, who am I to judge if 2 men and a woman or 2 women and a man or 3 men and 2 women or whatever want to "marry" each other?  more power to them if they can find that many people to love and be with forever.

Ho ho ho

I am finding myself full of the Christmas spirit lately.  Like I want to decorate my balcony and put up my tree AND I was even thinking of getting a real live tree this year! (I love live trees!) Currently I am downloading all my holiday cds into itunes so I can make a holiday play list for work. This is unlike me.  I haven't put up a Christmas tree since 2003 or 2004. I don't believe in the "reason for the season." 

My sister is coming in December and we're going to do our own little Christmas the weekend before Christmas.  I'm TOTALLY excited about going to CA over Thanksgiving.  Totally ready for a few days away from work.  There's a lot of excitement around me.  Yay! :)

Truthiness post 1

I mentioned when I posted the truthiness list, that I would probably not do them in order. I'm a procrastinator by nature. (Someone may call that lazy... :) ) I think I'll go with Day 19 first (mostly because it is really easy).  "What do you think of religion?"

I am an atheist. I have been since I discovered the word somewhere in junior high.  In actuality I was before, but by then I had a word to define it.  I do not believe in any higher being, higher power or whatever.  However, in general I think if people want to believe in a higher power that's on them.  As long as their belief does not impact my lack of what do I care?  I feel the same way about organized religion and church.  If someone feels better praying to something or joining with others who share the same views, how am I to stop that?  It isn't my place to make that determination.  I think extremists are bad, but I would say that about any extreme not just religious extremists.  In general I view current religion the same way we view the Greek Gods or the ancient Egyptian beliefs (Horus and Osiris and all that)... it is a nice story to explain something that is currently inexplicable.  I do believe in 1000 years from now, those futurepeople will look back at us and think the same way we do about the Greek gods.

Swarm!

If I were a biologist, which I'm not obviously, I would totally study why the birds seem to converge where the 820 and the 35 cross.  I believe there are something like 10,000 birds that all fly into this area and land on the ground or on the electric poles etc. It fascinates me! The birds end up on the power lines so close together that the line is completely covered by bird and the ground almost looks black with birds all sitting on the grass.  Then all of a sudden, they all launch themselves and there are thousands of birds darkening the sky.  I want to know why they do this.  It seems weird to me. Especially since like 1/2 mile in any direction there are almost no birds at all.  So weird.

Fait Accompli

I know that I grouse about day light savings time every year, but this year I actually managed to get a shitton done today.

1 - I took the GRE.  It was the last thing I needed to do for grad school.  I've been conditionally accepted anyway, but if I hadn't taken it by May I'd get booted out of school.  I'm not sure if I did well enough on it to not get booted but I don't think it really matters at this point.  (Actually checking UNT's website I'm way above their average score on verbal but somewhat below their score on the math part).  I used almost every minute I was given.  On the essay portion I ran out of time.  I had finished the essay but was going back through it.  The argument discussion I actually finished 3 minutes early!  Math I ran out of time to do and ended up not getting 3 questions done.  (maybe 4 but I was definitely guessing the last 5 - 6 anyway).  And the verbal I finished with I think 15 seconds to spare.  I went through registration with my advisor last Monday so theoretically I'm signed up for 3 classes next semester.  Eep!  That's considered full time. I am thinking I can do it, but who knows.  I think the drive alone might kill any weight loss I've been able to accomplish.  I will be in class 2 days a week most weeks and 3 days a week once a month.  And Denton is far y'all!

2 - I worked on my t-shirt quilt.  Ironing the fusible web onto all the t-shirts is the longest process.  And since I already cut the shirts I am now having a problem figuring out how to put them together. 

3 - I cooked!  I made one of my favorite soups, avgolemono soup.  I made M&M almond muffins. I toasted the almonds for the muffins even!