Turn Off Your Lights for an Hour of No-Power

Recently came across this interesting idea: Earth Hour.

Basically, it's another one of those calls for a simple, massive grassroots action whose effects would be more symbolic than effectual, though the whole idea is at least thoughtful an interesting. For the sake of the environment, the idea is that people all around the world will be turning off their lights and other power for one hour.

The time for this synchronised action is... 8:30pm - 9:30pm.

Nuts, I'm typing this within that time window.

Well, I suppose that those of us in more northern locations where the sun sets early, can get a special dispensation to take our hour-of-no-power at some other time. ANNNNNND, the web site gives the above times, but does not say in which time zone, so I do it, it will probably be around 8:30pm somewhere.

I guess the bottom line is that it would be good for all of us to just try a powerless hour some time in or around this weekend, and pick it at a time when we might normally use power. And more generally support efforts to minimize wasteful practices.

"That's so gay!"

Recently came across this good message online:



Video link here.

I suppose that I should say by way of disclaimer that I still fully subscribe to the old-fashioned belief that sex is too great a gift for anything but the context of marriage, and that I still acknowledge the many people, including folk I know, whose own experience has empirically refuted the idea that a homosexual orientation, at least for them, is as immutable as race. (tangential aside: the "T" part indicates that key GLBT activist leaders themselves do not regard even genetic predetermination as sufficient cause for treating one's sexuality as immutable)

But that being said, I see no reason why all of us, regardless of our positions on other specific matters regarded to the emotionally charged issue of homosexuality, cannot work to make our national discourse more civil. I certainly understand that no "side" has any sort of monopoly on mean-spirited and hateful treatment of the Other.

But it is important for those of us opposed to the sorts of far-reaching changes proposed within church and society related to homosexuality to recognize that same-sex attraction is rarely, if ever a chosen "orientation" (though it's also important to morally distinguish this from voluntary actions) , and to recognize that there are many people, preciously loved by God and created within His own image, within the gay and lesbian communities who have suffered much unnecessary hurt from callous and uncaring treatment from others within and without the church, still carrying deep-seated pain around with them, and that nothing is helped by common slurs that dehumanize and insult people. It is not enough to simply refrain from using such language ourselves; we should also have the courage to (diplomatically) speak up when others do so. The fact that it is not always easy to balance our positions on sexual morality and the definition of marriage with opposing anti-gay slurs and homophobia (a term I prefer defining much more narrowly than most everybody who talks about it) is in itself not sufficient excuse for inaction.

Yet another blog post ends with me having rambled on longer than planned. The short version would be: "Just say 'That's so lame!' instead"

UPDATE: An anonymous commenter made a good point about how my last line essentially did the same thing to physically disabled people as the original expression in question does to gay people. I do not see myself as ordinarily a fan of ultra-"political correctness" but I am a fan of respect, and there are clear logical parallels here. So I stand corrected. Perhaps I should just have to stick with "That's so stupid!" or better, yet, "That's so Emma-and-Julia!" or, per an earlier post, "That's so Punxsutawney Phil!"

Anti-Kudos of the Month: Punxsutawney Phil

For February, it goes to Punxsutawney Phil.


The little &*$#^&@$%$&^@ saw his shadow on Monday, and with a vengeance! The weather was looking better and better until then, at which point the temps plummeted. The wind chill was NEGATIVE eight degrees Farenheit when I went to class this morning!

"Coincidence"? How naive can people get??

The sad details and picture can be found here.

Bigfoot Must Die for Man to Live!

A friend just sent me an interesting Wall Street Journal article entitled "Look Who's Irrational Now."

Basically, it notes the recent books and screeds by the militant "New Atheists" about how crazy and untrustworthy all religious believers are, but reports on a recent survey showing how those involved in more than weekly religious worship, especially members of conservative Protestant denominations, are much less likely than the non-religious to believe in such "paranormal" things as Bigfoot, Nessie, Atlantis, and haunted houses. Apparently, this demographic discrepancy has been noted at various times in previous years.

It also reports that Bill Maher, whose new movie coming out next week promotes his message that "The plain fact is religion must die for man to live," has himself recently boasted of not believing in Western medicine.