Oh, Pat...

Pat Robertson has mouthed off again.

I'd like to be a fly on the wall, so to speak, when Robertson eventually makes his way to the hereafter. I'm not wishing evil on the man ("don't hate the hater"), and hope he lives to a ripe old age. I just think that he's going to be in for a world of surprises in the afterlife. Wouldn't it be wonderful to see his jaw drop as he discovers that his narrow, hateful, exclusionary view of the world just doesn't match up with whatever he finds in the hereafter?

That would be a little glimpse of heaven all in itself.

Click here to read the full post with comments.

How to be annoying at Monopoly

I got this link from another blog. A few of the items gave me a chuckle and I thought I'd pass it on. My personal route to being annoying at Monopoly is in arguing with others about what, if anything, should happen if you land in Free Parking. (I don't think you should get anything or, if you do, it should be $50. Others think that you should get all the money paid out through Chance or Community Chest, turning the Free Parking spot into a sort of lottery.)

While I'm talking about Monopoly, has anyone out there ever played the Monopoly Stock Exchange variant? I saw a card set around the time it came out in 1992 and was interested, but never tried it.

Click here to read the full post with comments.

The sign on the lawn, part II

Well, hell. I'm not proud to be a Texan tonight. At least no one egged our house or tore our sign down. But this wasn't a vote for freedom, civil rights, or respect.

Click here to read the full post with comments.

The sign on the lawn

Caution: Politics and morals ahead. I stated when I began this blog that I wouldn't be political, but I've changed my mind on that a bit. This blog isn't about politics, but it is about things that are on my mind, and this topic is one of them.

We took our first steps toward political activism this week. We picked up a "No Nonsense in November" sign and stuck it in our front yard.

For the uninitiated, constitutional amendment #2 basically is about, and I'm quoting the ballot language here, "providing that marriage in this state consists only of the union of one man and one woman and prohibiting this state or a political subdivision of this state from creating or recognizing any legal status identical or similar to marriage."

Some people oppose the amendment because it can affect common law marriages, but that's not my concern here. My concern is that the amendment discriminates against gays and lesbians. I believe that gay marriage is something that our civilization is and should be evolving toward. Two consenting adults who love each other and are committed to creating a family together should have the right to marry, with all the legal and social benefits that arise from that. Period.

Dina and I agree on this issue, and so, with a little trepidation (our neighbors could conceivably egg our house, steal the sign, etc.), we put up the sign Tuesday evening. I'm happy to say it's still there, with no egg shells on the house to speak of.

I've been avoiding reading polls about this vote (which will take place on Tuesday). I'm afraid that the amendment is likely to pass. This is Texas, after all, a state so "red" it's scarlet, and tolerance of homosexuality isn't exactly at its high point here. On the positive side, though, the Dallas Morning News, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and several other major papers have come out against the amendment, while the pro-amendment contingent includes the KKK. Maybe the sight of those white hoods on the "pro" side will make people think twice about what they're voting for.

Click here to read the full post with comments.

So should you trash that expired medicine right away? Maybe not...

I've always wondered with medicine, pills in particular, whether I was putting my life on the line if I took something that expired a month or two ago. I mean, pills in particular seem pretty inert. Is something really going on inside them that will render them useless or even dangerous if I take, say, an ibuprofin that expired in June today?

Turns, out, maybe not.

Click here to read the full post with comments.