FIF: The First Amendment

I made a typo in the title of yesterday's post. Gah! I'm tired, folks. Not sleepy-tired, ready for a break tired. The end it nigh!

Anyway, so in all the opinions on the recent Duck Dynasty debacle, I saw this on Facebook and thought, "AH-HA! Yes! Something we can all agree on!"

Flip It Friday: Am I right? 
Do we agree that criticism of another's belief isn't denying them their belief? 
That we are each responsible for ourselves? 
That maybe if we don't want to be criticized we shouldn't criticize? 

'Cause I never criticize.

Please don't fact check this by reading any other post on this blog. I be a liar!

And if you just can't get enough of this discourse, read this blogger's editorial. I think she's magnificently eloquent and educated on matters at the intersection of race, religion, sexual orientation and mental health. Agree or disagree, it's well written.

Tipsy Tuesday: Vote Your Conscience. Vote Your District. Don't Surprise Me.

Bottom line: Watch House of Cards on Netflix.

I'm a wuss when it comes to R-rated sex scenes (I couldn't get past the first few episodes of HBO's Girls... the writing was great but the scenes were raunchy and I was so distracted/horrified.), so some of the episodes in HoC were a bit ... adult for me.

But the writing is GREAT. The character building is GREAT. The acting is GREAT. The plot is GREAT.

It's a writer's TV show. It's got excellent foreshadowing, quippy dialogue and layers of storytelling that all come to a head at just. the. right. time.

This one has earned it's Emmy nominations.

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The Baby Bird That Springs From The Biological 'Coo-Coo' Clock

"Coo", get it? As in baby noises. Or as in crazy noises.

Yesterday I worked from home. Turned on the tube between laundry and Outlook exercises to watch the Katie Couric show. She was talking about infertility.

Blah blah blah stuff about babies and women wanting to be moms and stuff that is totally foreign to me. Cut to me sitting on the edge of the couch, clean pile of tees and unread emails forlorn, mouth agape and eyes glued.



Wha wha, hol' up. 28?!

Come with me on this head journey for a minute:

You're telling me that a 27 year old girl who doesn't want kids, but she doesn't know the future and what if this "biological clock" thing is true and what if hers rings at 45 and she's 3 years into early onset menopause and she's ruined and filled with regret for all eternity ... should optimally have her mind made up by NEXT YEAR?!

breathe into a bag. gasp. sigh. eye roll. 

Fug. Dat.*

The biological clock, alone, is not a good reason to have kids.

Just because you like someone's vacation photos of beaches, beers and boat ventures doesn't mean that traveling to Central America wasn't filled with sun burns, severe language barriers and slight dysentery. Everything looks great through a filter. Careful editing. Hindsight.

Parenthood is forever. It's not glamorous. It's not a status symbol. Or a badge of honor**. Or an identity***.

I'm not anti-parenting or anti-baby for anyone who wants that AND will put in a modest effort.

I'm anti-everyone-must-parent-because-uterus-that's-why.

My heart goes out to everyone who wants to be a parent but can't. As much as it does anyone who wants to  eat food every day but can't. Or who wants to go to school but can't. Or who wants to walk but can't.

I'm just so over the equation of family = kids. What about the deliberately childless? What about us?

And for those who think that living your whole life without children is selfish, what about living your whole life in pursuit of a mini-me? ****

Mic drop.

---
* And if I somehow want kids next year, please feel free to verbally flog me.
** Look at Honey Boo Boo's mom. Want to claim a lifeboat with her? (Not a fat joke, honest.)
*** It can be a big part of who you are, but it shouldn't be everything. Take it from the Queen, H. Clinton.
**** I may need to join a support group.

Also, another cool video about reproductive health, families and babies.

Why I Sneered at The History Channel's "The Bible"

The Bible played on the History Channel a few months ago. I believe you can purchase it online or stream it somehow. We streamed it and leisurely watched it on our time, which is why I am leisurely writing this review.

Now, I usually have a hard time with Christianity-for-entertainment/profit*, but I watched this series with the Mr. and his cousin while she lived with us. They were both interested and I found myself playing solitaire on my phone to keep from interjecting like a rude patron at a movie. This doesn't mean I wasn't paying attention, though.

First of all, the mini series is produced by Touched By An Angel's Roma Downey and her husband of Survivor fame, Mark Burnett. Not that they can't use their powers for good, but Burnett didn't make a butt load of money from Survivor by exhibiting Christ-like qualities. And someone please tell me how he could put his name on The Apprentice and The Bible in the same lifetime**.

Secondly, they changed little things about the Bible to make it more dramatic. In the History Channel version: The wise men show up when Jesus is a baby. Sarah (wife of Abraham) chases Abraham and Isaac up the mountain as Abe is about to put a blade to Isaac. The arc has a ton of windows, when it's only supposed to have one. You know... for drama!

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But then, they also change big stuff to help make for good TV.

In their version: Jesus is light skinned (Portuguese, but light skinned). In fact, all of the awesome folks are white. Only the black sheep are, well, darker. Satan is played by a Moroccan actor who is basically put in black-face.

Also, when Lot and his family are living in Sodom and the angel comes to get them out before the fall of the city, the TV show left out some pretty chilling details. Lot is supposedly honorable by biblical standards but douchey by today's standards by offering up his virgin daughters to the angry mob in exchange for them leaving the angels alone. The town is called Sodom. You get where this is going. Burnett and Downey chose to leave this bit out of the story.

This portrayal is Christian at best, but not historical. I wonder why the channel picked it up at all ***.

For more inaccuracies, see this article... especially #4... or should I say, #2****



*I've refused to see Passion of the Christ on principle alone.
** Because God loves Capitalism?
*** Not really. It's a good story line that has a dead panel of writers and no royalties! Profit, profit, profit!
**** Hey-o!

I bet arguing with Aaron Sorkin is very frustrating

           

We just got back into this show last night. I am not a fan of the way the top two female characters are written (flighty, man-centric, damsels in distress), but man o' man do I love the rants that come out of Will McAvoy.

Flip It Friday: C is for Cookie... or Congress

larger graphic here

Learn more about Sesame Workshop’s early childhood initiatives in the United States

Did you watch Sesame Street?

Do you think the government should fund Sesame Street and things like it?

Should it be on the chopping block, considering out national debt?

How would you advice congress?