Aji No Moto

The Pumpkin Hole and The Comics Page

2024-11-10T09:04:00.004-05:00

This morning as I was taking the pumpkins to the "Pumpkin Hole" I was thinking that I wish we still had the Sunday Comics page. While it is highly likely this bit of nostalgic reflection is fueled by a combination of incoming seasonal depression triggered the idiocy of daylight savings fall back (fu**k you Mitch Daniels), post election dread, and a number of career related factors, it may also be something to consider as we move forward into 2025. Maybe there is just too much of everything? At this moment I can go online and read almost every Sunday comic from every artist ever, probably for free but I won't , I don't even really want to what I was thinking that want to do on this rainy Sunday morning is eat a couple cinnamon rolls while reading the comics page. As a kid, wrapping up in a blanket soaking up all the heat from the register that was supposed to heat the living room (that no one really went in much) with comics pages and sometimes the ad pages on a Sunday morning was peak weekend, probably even better than Saturday morning cartoons. These sort of small regular events that, from a kids perspective, the paper just arrives, are mostly gone. We do cinnamon rolls and I suppose our parents in a way facilitated all the things but even as an adult it seems that there is just too much. Access to information was supposed to free us all but it has instead flooded us with nonsense. There's no opportunity to not know and have to make an effort to learn. It appears that the access to all the information may have devalued it. The effort needed to know things is mostly gone so it seems that the need to know things and remember them may also be gone. Yesterday we were looking for animals whose names started with "Q" and it just took a second to find Queensland Legless Lizard . This morning while writing this I had to go back and look because I couldn't remember. I would wager that had we had to go look in a book with all the tactile sensations associated, I would remember today. Maybe the solution is to intentionally bring these sort of small activities back. I need to subscribe to the small local paper. I wonder if they have home delivery? I'll Google that and find out...

Oh, there's an old hollow tree stump at the front of our yard that I always put the Halloween pumpkins and other garden vegetables in with the hopes that giant pumpkin vines will spill out of the next year and give pumpkins, it hasn't been a success and I'm not putting any effort more than tossing them in so... I want it to happen organically or something like that.

If you know, you know.

2024-09-07T18:32:00.003-04:00

Whoever threw that paper, your moms a hoe.

Definitions

2022-12-15T08:05:00.001-05:00

Metaphysical = imaginary/made up

Supernatural = imaginary/made up

Spiritual = feelings about the metaphysical/supernatural

Religion = coerced spirituality

Science, "Both Sides", Trans Kids and the NYT

2022-12-04T14:15:00.001-05:00

First, let's just be clear, in regard to science, there is no "both sides. There are evidence-based opinions and bullshit.

The New York Times recently produced an article about the purely political (and religious) argument about puberty blockers for trans kids. The article is yet another piece of fruit from the poison tree planted to serve the willfully ignorant masses that attempt to shroud their religion-fueled bigotry with a disingenuous "both sides arguments". These arguments, be they about politics, global climate change, LGBTQ topics, or a plethora of other topics are nothing more than fringe or minority views by dishonest actors. Those who use "both sides" or worse "free speech" are deliberately misrepresenting their propaganda by wearing a disguise intended to look like journalism. Actual evidence and determinations made with the support of facts are not something thay possess so they seek out a fringe opinion that looks like science or "research" knowing that the majority of the public won't take the time to read much past the headline.

In regard to the specific article from the NYT minimal effort to investigate the article produces layers of dishonesty and just pure bullshit.

Perhaps it is time for the editors of the NYT to retake some basic journalism classes or maybe a course on integrity.

Read this instead:

https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/?fbclid=IwAR2quhwCttIcJ9kC3iLiQPMY7HHDdNOCG3oizOBfIKqeom6ZfgMV3mH4bHA

Illegal , Unconstitutional action by a "teacher" and Christian love in action...

2021-03-27T15:39:00.000-04:00

Prepare to be furious, I hope.

A health "teacher" in a public school does this:

Go have a listen.

Oh! but there's more

The student who recorded this, a 12 yr old girl, gave it to her father who happens to be an Atheist YouTube Creator. He sends this audio and a complaint to Freedom From Religion Foundation and shared the story on his channel.

Hemant Mehta, The Friendly Atheist picked up the story as well.

https://friendlyatheist.patheos.com/2021/03/16/a-student-recorded-a-wv-health-teacher-denouncing-non-christians-in-class/

What do you suppose the Christians in the community do?

They dox the family.

They make threats,

They... SHOW UP AT THE 12yr OLD"S BUS STOP AND HARASS HER!

They stalk and harass the TWELVE-YEAR-OLD!

What would Jesus do?

This woman needs to be fired and should never be allowed to teach in a Public School ever again.

The full story so far:

Apparently, the establishment clause doesn't apply to High School Marching Band

2015-07-29T14:34:00.003-04:00

It appears that Winchester High School in Indiana, which has a (really talented) marching band in competition with the band my child is a member of, either doesn't understand one of the most fundamental aspects of our country's governance and constitution or it just doesn't care. What I am talking about is church/state separation and the promotion of religion in public schools. I know, it seems really simple, the school cannot promote or endorse any religion. Students that attend a school are free to pray, have religious clubs, wear crosses etc the school, being a publicly funded entity simply cannot endorse or promote any religion.

Where am I going with this? Well, upon attending the very first marching band competition This is the very first performance:

I am not sure this even needs commentary but...

Really?! I mean Really ?! This is outrageous. It isn't like a band was doing a number from Jesus Christ Superstar or a historically significant piece of liturgical music. This is like something from a tent revival. I don't even have words for how ridiculous this is. Is the band director so blinded by christian privilege that he/she didn't even think about it? Or, are they deliberately trying to push an agenda or prove some sort of point?

Can you imagine if the first line were allahu akbar!

It baffles me that over and over again, public school teachers and administrators do, or allow, these things to happen. Anyone who cannot understand or refuses to follow these simplest of laws regarding separation of church and state, especially in a public school setting where the emotional and social grown of children is at its most venerable, have no business working in education.

The Way of the Mister: Atheist Fundamentalist

2015-03-31T13:03:00.001-04:00

Merry Christmas !

2014-12-06T08:38:00.001-05:00

Celebrations this time of year have been happening long before we called them christmas. It isn't non-christians that ruin it. If anything, the (non existent) war on christmas is caused by well meaning people who are attempting to be PC and inclusive but fail and assholes like those on FOX News that want to stir something up and feed a false persecution narrative.

The Discovery Institute feels sorry for my students - Mountain Beltway - AGU Blogosphere

2013-02-15T14:29:00.001-05:00

The Discovery Institute feels sorry for my students - Mountain Beltway - AGU Blogosphere

TV Role Models

2012-06-25T06:32:00.001-04:00

Having grown up in the late 70s and 80s I wonder how much the people and stories from inside that box effected my worldview and character. I think I will make a quick list of the first few to pop into my head:

Hawkeye Pierce
Andy Griffith
Ponch and John
Fat Albert

Aside from those who I thought of first most of my favorite shows were all basically the same, they all feature a guy (it was almost always a guy aside from the bionic woman and Isis) who went around fighting injustice and helping people. He usually achieved this with the help of his trusty car or motorcycle or he posses some special skill or ability. In addition to the regular shows I often watched the Steve Tatone (car dealer) Sunday Morning Movie. These usually starred Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, Peter Fonda or were some cowboy, there were also some love movies but not that often.

Hmm something to think about. Who did you watch?

Think, Reality

2012-04-17T07:24:00.001-04:00

The GOP War on Women

2012-03-22T23:45:00.001-04:00

Wisdom from: in the heat of the night

2012-02-14T11:41:00.001-05:00

"The only way you can execute a man without torturing him is to tell him you forgive him, then set him free, Then when you see that big smile come on his face, shoot him in the back of the head."

Chief Gillespie on the difference between torture and execution.

New Definition, Unconstitutional (Perry Edition)

2011-12-28T07:25:00.000-05:00

Unconstitutional: 1. Anything that doesn't go your way 2. Any rule, law or idea that you do not agree with 3. Any condition that arise from a failure to achieve or comply with a requirement 4. Any state law that is in opposition to your view, regardless of the fact that you champion states rights when in agreement with your views.

See Also: Anything republicans don't like

Well, at least they ride bikes and dress well.

2011-11-25T13:37:00.001-05:00

Can James Van Praagh Talk With Dead People?

2011-10-27T13:31:00.000-04:00

Your instant crush for the day

2011-09-23T12:39:00.001-04:00

Julia Nunes is Awesome

Locked Up for being brown and flying on 9/11

2011-09-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

Stories like these make the joke line "The terrorists have won" not funny at all. Because they have.

"Silly me. I thought flying on 9/11 would be easy. I figured most people would choose not to fly that day so lines would be short, planes would be lightly filled and though security might be ratcheted up, we’d all feel safer knowing we had come a long way since that dreadful Tuesday morning 10 years ago.

But then armed officers stormed my plane, threw me in handcuffs and locked me up."

Having brown skin and sitting next to other people with brown skin who apparently took too long in the toilet makes you suspicious and a possible terrorist.

Entire Account from the Victim (and that is what she is).

Boing Boing Story

Associated Press

Proof AGAINST evolution...

2011-09-07T10:03:00.000-04:00

Fantasy blue fantasy blue hedgehog mp3 download album online listen

2011-09-02T19:29:00.002-04:00

Digging this in my ears.

Fantasy blue fantasy blue hedgehog mp3 download album online listen

How it works...idiots

2011-07-25T08:26:00.002-04:00

It seems that we need to make everyone go back to the 7th grade and take Civics all over again. Every day I hear otherwise intelligent people go on an on about how taxes are bad and how the government is out to get our money and so on. Everyone needs to let go of their medieval peasant point of view. That is one of the reasons we created The United States, so we would not live in servitude. Your taxes are the money you pitch in with everyone else so we can have a country, if you have become wealthy due to the advantages of living in this country, your part will be more. Taxes are not the same in the USA as they were when the king sent someone to collect. The wort thing is that many of our elected officials need to read that textbook the most.

2011-07-22T18:13:00.001-04:00

Sesame Street breaks it down from Wonderful Creative on Vimeo.

2011-07-21T19:33:00.001-04:00

Chase No Face / BELL from zach lieberman on Vimeo.

a trip around le mans 1956

2011-07-05T09:32:00.000-04:00

PCL LinkDump: The Joy of Easy Listening

2011-06-20T18:21:00.000-04:00

PCL LinkDump: The Joy of Easy Listening