I've observed in the past that one of the major draws of religion is that it makes you feel like you're doing something good and important. Who can resist being told that they need only follow this straightforward procedure, and they will bring great pleasure to somebody who richly deserves to be pleased, and who will reward them amply, sooner or ( Read more... )

For years I've been suffering from migraines a few times a month. I was worried about getting pregnant, because I wouldn't be able to take any medication for them, but fortunately, I only got a few when I was pregnant, which was one of the few real upsides to being pregnant, physically. Now I seem to be free of them altogether, despite the fact ( Read more... )

Every now and then in my life, my brain chemistry seems to change so dramatically that I find myself behaving in a completely unfamiliar way. I'm not talking about mood swings, but long-term personality shifts. For example, when I was younger I was a hopeless procrastinator. I'd like to claim that I learned the value of planning ahead, but the ( Read more... )

According to Christopher Moore, when everything is going right in your life and you're totally stressed out because you're afraid you might lose it, that means you're Coyote Blue. That seems to be my state these days. I've got a beautiful, healthy, happy, alert baby, and I'm constantly paranoid that something is going to go wrong. It's as if I' ( Read more... )

So it's time again for my yearly LiveJournal post. I can't claim that I have nothing to post about, given that my eleven-day-old son is currently resting on my lap. I could muse for hours on all the new experiences of motherhood, though I suppose that would get monotonous for anyone bothering to read this. Anyway, I've got another reason that I ( Read more... )

I read somewhere that to understand something it is necessary to believe it. I wouldn't go that far for myself, but I think that in order to understand something I have to at least imagine that it's true. I do this (temporarily) when I study religions, philosophies, conspiracy theories, new age practices, etc. It's only after I feel I've got ( Read more... )

I was babysitting Samantha yesterday (she's 5), and I discovered something interesting about kids stories these days. We read a book together, and watched a movie plus a preview for another movie. In all three cases, the story was about the weather going awry, and the heroes had to fix it. If that's a typical sample and not just a fluke, I'm ( Read more... )

I'm sitting alone in an office building large enough to accommodate 20-30 people. The place is freezing, and I don't know how to turn down the air-conditioning. I keep drinking hot tea just so I can wrap my fingers around the cup to keep them from stiffening with the cold. I know there's a heat wave and an energy crisis out there, but what is a ( Read more... )

I've decided from now on I'm going to base my ethical code on TV. After all, it seems more in keeping with my moral compass than the Bible, for example. The Bible tells me that I should kill people for working on the wrong day of the week (Numbers 15:32-35), for wearing clothes with blended fabrics (Leviticus 19:19), or just for being part of the ( Read more... )

I can't help it, I like the memes.

( Meme )