Unity church

I played hookey from our Episcopal church today and went to an online Unity church instead. The Episcopal Church is the most liberal of the mainline protestant denominations, but still I feel too liberal for it. So I very frequently don't go. Instead I do some reading, or visit another live church, or visit an online church broadcast.

The speaker for the sermon today was very motivational. I recommend his message to anyone, secular or religious.

soccer mom (& dad!) politics

It is very sad that parents of super kid-athletes get angry at each other over volunteer positions. I don't know what happened between some parents in our kids' team, but all of a sudden we got a note from the coach telling us to chill out. I am clueless as to what might've happened, but my curiosity is eating me up (kinda like wondering why everyone is slowing down so much when passing a car accident). My husband and I are like, "wtf, mate?" [WARNING: R-rated language]

dance lessons

When my husband and I were about to be married, we took some ballroom dancing lessons. Initially, we took them so that my soon-to-be husband would feel at least a little comfortable doing the occasional slow dance that would happen during the wedding reception (occasional as opposed to frequent in that he would only be willing to dance occasionally). By the time the first set of lessons were through, though, we'd signed up with the instructor to choreograph a "first dance" for us - that is, the first dance we would dance as husband and wife.

We really enjoyed ballroom dancing, and intended to continue our practice after the wedding & honeymoon, then after our busy schedules let up, then after having children, then after the business of buying a second home (when the only child was four), then after . . .

So we never did re-enlist in ballroom dance lessons. But every once and a while I'll see something that looks interesting. Like the following:

• tango article in Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

These days our son is in ballroom dancing lessons. He is 11 next week, and is very uncomfortable dancing with a girl. He even found a loophole in the "put your hand on the girl's back" rule. Apparently he holds his hand close to the girl's back but doesn't touch it (cheater!). His Dad and I noted that not touching the girl makes it difficult to lead. Maybe by the end of the lessons (this year or next?) he'll have gotten the point. Hopefully he won't understand *too* much yet, but alas . . . (my little boy :-} )

d'oh!

from Yahoo! Picks:

Wikipedia's List of Neologisms on The Simpsons
Without a doubt, Matt Groening's "The Simpsons" has left an indelible mark on the cultural landscape. Even Homer's exasperated "D'oh!" has wrangled its way into the "Oxford English Dictionary." Now, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Wikipedia's dedicated editors, there's an entire list of words and phrases coined by Springfield's most famous residents. From Bart Simpson's fictitious Scrabble entry "Kwyjibo" ("a big, dumb, balding North American ape... with no chin") to Apu's celebrated Kwik-E-Mart offering, the "Squishee," readers can revel in this ever-growing list of Simpson-ian creativity and inventiveness. Worst. Pick. Ever? That's unpossible. (in Television)

myth

from Arts & Letters Daily:

Mythology is an art form. In their attempt to counter the sterility and cruelty of modernity, writers have turned to myth. They show us how to look into our hearts... more»

religion gone bad

from Arts & Letters Daily:

They were medical students, fathers, or businessmen who became suicide bombers in Iraq. Now you can read their obituaries on the Web... more»

good writing

from Career Pro News Weekly:

Writing Ability Offers Clues to Worker's Skill Levels

A recent survey suggests that workers who can write well are a rare commodity in the workplace. Workplace experts say a worker’s written communication is an important part of their workplace image, and that poor grammar can influence an employer’s impression of their overall skills.

Read more from the CourierPostOnline

current books

What's I'm reading these days:

• Kite Runner - set in Afghanistan, 1974-1994
• Alaska - set from the time of the "land bridge" between Asia and the Americas, to "present day" (20 years ago? I'm still 10s of thousands of years ago at the moment; the settling of the Aleutians)
• Developing Mathematical Talent - written by the guy who founded CTY
• Heart of Christianity - because the author will be speaking at our church in a couple weeks; an interesting description of religious liberalism
• World Religions in America - just what the title says; a history and breakdown of how America is a religious melting-pot as well as ethnic (or are they interrelated concepts? hmmm)
• What Neitzsche Really Said - I'm intrigued by his "heaven on earth" viewpoints

The most recent novel I have read is The 5 People You Meet in Heaven. I really liked it. It was thought-provoking, a quick read.

I'm a spiritualist

duh. But when I noticed on someone's blog that they were 60% spiritualist and 60% rationalist I had to look. Here are my results:

You fit in with: Spiritualism

Your ideals are mostly spiritual, but in an individualistic way. While spirituality is very important in your life, organized religion itself may not be for you. It is best for you to seek these things on your own terms.


80% spiritual.
40% reason-oriented.


Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

I like lip syncing

this little video is great - thank goodness for home movies! (thanks, sis :-) )