What does it take to unite major religions?

Take a guess.

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This looks like a moderately intersting site.

Still too shellshocked from the earlier link to actually check it out, though.

*smiles*

Did you know that Amazon.com lets you download a very few songs, free? I did not know this. I'm glad I do, though. Y'see...

*dreamy flashback sequence*

My mother went through a phase where she played Zydeco mucic... well, a lot. This was after Tchaicovsky, but before Telemann and Berlioz (just so you know). Somehow, being born in Lousiana and having both Texan and Belgian relatives made that my heritage. And hers, too, but her relatives are just Belgian (and Russian, or something in that area). I don't pretend to understand this logic, but I do like zydeco music (rather more than I like gumbo, that's for sure. Too much okra in gumbo, blech).

I don't listen to very many CDs. I really should, they help drown out VERY STUPID PEOPLE DOWN THE BLOCK WHO HAVE NO CONCEPT OF DECENCY AND RESPECT FOR OTHERS and make me feel less like a whiny old lady at the ripe old age of 22.

And now I'm going nuts trying to find myself an internet radio station that plays zydeco at 1:41 in the morning (EST, of course).

Because I do like zydeco music, and amazon, curse them, has helped me remember that fact.

Oh, and a request for non-English puns

C'mon, I wanna read those polyglottish groaners!

(Seriously, I've been halfway miserable all day, and anything that cheers me up is a good thing, even if it *is* bad puns)

And there goes my budding good mood.

I hope... I hope she didn't kill him, that it was just an accident.

Incidentally? Down's syndrome? Not an adjective. How is it that they can say "person with autism" and "Down's syndrome child" in the same article?

You know what? I just realized what irritates me about holier-than-thou types

Consider amazon.com book reviews. If a book dares show a possibly gay couple, or witchcraft (Harry Potter, anyone?) or a morally ambiguous situation, they're right there insulting it, giving it 1-star ratings, saying that they "threw the filth out" and that nobody should buy it.

There are a number of books I wouldn't buy for Ana or Seth because of my religious beliefs. I'm uncomfortable with the two board books Ana got from her grandmother, just because I think she's too young for that sort of preaching. So I read through books, and decide whether or not I want to buy them based on my beliefs. Jenn doesn't want any books that promote bottlefeeding. This means *show* bottlefeeding, which is sometimes a tough sell, but that's fair. She reads through books before she buys them. And you know what? Neither of us is going to go and whine that "OMG! THIS BOOK DID SOMETHING I DIDN'T LIKE!!!!" on amazon. That's stupid. The only way I would even come close is if I thought a book was misleading (say, it professed to be about God's love, and it turned out to be a front for creationism), and even then I wouldn't insult it. I'd give it rating based on the writing and pictures and say "Not what we were looking for, great if this *is* what you are looking for". I wouldn't accuse the Christian Right of having an agenda (though they certainly do), or of trying to warp children's minds, and I certainly wouldn't have histrionics about "having to check out kids books before buying". If you want to filter what your children are exposed to, you have to actually do this. Stupid, stupid!

/pissed off

Edit: You know what's interesting? I quoted something I've seen very often, about how "that filth went right in the trash", and two commentors immediately jumped to "book burners". Oddly, I didn't mention book burning (either for a political reason, or because even throwing it out isn't safe) at all.

A while-while back, theferrett posted about a geek shirt.

It was this one. He complained that when he wore it, nobody got it. Quite a few of them were deeply troubled by "all my base are belong to you".

Sadly, I took this as a lack of culture on their part than an excess of geekiness on his. Which leads nicely to this question: what is geek culture? Should I post a culture test at zompist.com about this? One that somebody else would make, thanks, since I only am a pretend geek. I missed out on all the cultural thingies that (as near as I can tell) define geekdom :(

And no, I can not sleep. I think I'm going slowly insane. Or at least agoraphobic. And I can't sleep, either.

On the infamous gay agenda

From what I've read, I think it's safe to say that there *is* a gay agenda and (don't kill me yet!) it's actually closer than you may realize to what the fundies think.

Except that when they say "OMG! GAY AGENDA! MAKE KIDS THINK THIS IS OKAY!" they consider it a bad thing. When we (me? you? whatever) say "Well, we just want to be accepted, and to have kids know they're not evil if they're gay", that's a good thing.

So there *is* an agenda. It's just not *evil*. It's actually rather sweet - be accepted, and not killed, and all that.

*bows*

Sorry for posting so much.

Oh my god.

I need a yard. With grass. Just so I can use this sprinkler.

England has different classic and well known picture books than the US

Hm.

Y'know what? I wanna list classic picture books in the US, see how my list compares to the lists of other people. I'll get on that later if youse start commenting.

Edit: On that note, Ana has gotten quite interested in "Guess How Much I Love You". I'm impressed, it's really a bit wordy for a two year old. I started just reading it when she was nearly asleep during nap time, but last time I was there she requested it. Twice. I'm so happy :) I mean, I love toddler-ranged books as much as anybody else, but I think the kid should have a *chance* to move outside of rhyming text once in a while, y'know?

Edit again (well, not really): That said, let me say *again* how addictive Sandra Boynton is. Her books are insanely memorable. *nods* Love that author - hey, I can love picture books!

Edit the third (or second): Ana has very nearly more books than her parents. This is my fault.

( Short list sans links (I will add those later) )

*sighs*

And back with the depressing.

Two articles from, who, wispfox?

The world is ending. Conservative republicans and environmentalists agreeing? Holy petroleum, Batman!

And this one, about a lost seal. Poor dear.

And today's griffen update.

It's all cheery and happy and full of joy!

If by "full of joy" you mean "predicting the end of humanity", anyway. Why don't I just go kill myself now? Lub ya, griff, and I'll certainly read the links, but this was *not* what I needed to see today.