Insignifica

It's the little things

I've often thought that it'd be fun to do something civic - run for city council or school board, for example. I view public service of this type like I view jury duty and voting, even though you have to win your position in an election. Upon doing some research, though, I feel like I wouldn't be welcome, and it's all because of otherwise Little Things.

First off, I don't, and won't, say the pledge of Allegiance. Beyond the issue of "One Nation Under God", I view it as at best pointless and at worst a controlling form of propaganda. In a country that values freedom above everything else, expecting a pledge of this sort from its citizens is reprehensible.

So where does this leave me civically? As student representative to my school board, I simply stood during the pledge, didn't recite it, and was never asked to lead it. This seemed to go largely unnoticed. In an elected position, however, my simple refusal could easily lead to the people I represent believing I'm either anti-American or anti-God (which ever definition of those they choose to accept), or possibly treasonous. That little refusal could easily cause strife among other representatives or the citizens - all for something I consider both totally within my rights, and rather insignificant.

The other thing I've noticed that would likely cause a fair number of problems is my opposition to religious invocations at public meetings. I've been researching city councils in Orange County, and have found most still have an invocation at the beginning of each meeting. In my city, Santa Ana, they seem to be led every meeting by one of the police chaplains (which I also have a problem with in general, though they're volunteers in SA, which is better). I still need to do more research, but I have a gut feeling that every invocation is one for the God of Abraham, and very likely just the Christian God.

I happen to believe that a religious invocation has no place at a civic meeting - it's exclusionary, unnecessary, and offensive as a non-Christian. That said, how could I express this if I was a member of the council? I could fight to change it, which would may be fruitless or successful, but would defiantly alienate me among my constituents. I could protest officially, which would get old every week, or I could ignore the issue, a move I wouldn't be comfortable with morally.

All of this also has me thinking - how many of our representatives out there would fight against things like the pledge and invocations if it wasn't political suicide? Is it a large number? Are there hundreds of thousands of atheists or church-state separation supporters in politics who are just being quiet to keep their job? Is the number much lower, and I'm in a distinct minority in even caring? All that said, I honestly don't think I could get elected, with the wealth of information I've put forward about myself on this website and others. Still, interesting to wonder if I'm the only one.

Monday, Special Announcement!

Happy Monday!

I've been trying to come up with a clever/fun/touching way to announce this all last week, and nothing seems to fit, so I'll just come out and say it:

My girlfriend and I are going to have a baby!

I had to wait online until family and close friends all knew, and I think we've told everyone (if not, don't take it personally - now you know! =D). We're three months pregnant, which means when you saw my girlfriend at Halloween:

(Click for larger picture)

You were seeing her two months along =) We're very excited - it's life changing and strange, but something we've wanted for a long time. To answer the common questions: Yes, we have some names we like. Yes, we're going to find out the sex of the baby. The baby shower is in April or May. We'll be registered at Babies R Us, at least. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask - I love that I can talk about it now that everyone knows =)

Day After Thankgiving, Amazon.com gift exchange!

Friday after Thanksgiving. No shopping for me this morning, I didn't particularly feel like fighting crowds or waking up before the sun. That, and I really don't need anything else right now. There are some media things (DVDs and CDs) I wouldn't mind having, and some books that'd be nice to read, but I have a computer and TVs and cameras and cookware and furniture and I just don't need anything else right now.

Except socks. I can always use some socks.

All of that said, it's Christmas time, and because consumable media is relatively inexpensive, I invite you all to view my Amazon Wish List. If you get me something, I'll get you something of similar value. It can certainly be fun to trade gifts.

How's your weekend shaping up?

Happy Birthday Joz!

Happy Birthday, Joz!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving, readers!

For some reason, I'm really into Thanksgiving this year (even though I keep typing it "thankgiving", without the "s". Dunno why). I've got my health, my family, a great job and great friends. I've pretty much got it all.

What are you thankful for today?

Eve, and a question

Happy Thanksgiving eve, folks! It feels like Friday, which is awesome, even though I have to go back to work day after tomorrow. I'm quite looking forward to the holiday this year.

Question of the day: Have you ever been to a city council or other other public meeting for a government agency? Did they do a religious invocation?

Happy Birthday Erics!

Happy Birthday Eric!

Thanksgiving, Myspace, Hungry

Hmm. Seems like no one's updating their sites today. Maybe everyone's off for Thanksgiving already. Oh well, I'm sure, somewhere, someone's going to refresh insignifica, and be happy that there's a new post. It makes my day to know that.

I've been a bit of a myspace geek the last couple weeks. Finding old friends, leaving comments, etc. Even though users are allowed to HTML up their user pages (as previously discussed here), it's the only way I keep in touch with some friends, so I keep going back. If I know you, and you're on myspace too, add me here.

So hungry...I've been waking up really early, thereby eating breakfast really early, and thereby being super hungry by the time lunch rolls around at 2:00pm.

How's your Tuesday in your Thanksgiving-shortened week going?

Thanksgiving still rules

Ah, November. When I wear shorts, and it's so warm in the afternoon I need to turn on the AC in my car...

Another beautiful weekend, and paced just right. Relaxed Saturday and went for a drive, then came home and spent the evening with the girlfriend. Sunday I relaxed some more, did some shopping, and straightened the house for guests, though we only had two. Did dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory for the girlfriend's birthday with the Santa Cruz crowd. It's nice having a weekend without major plans, especially with Thanksgiving upcoming.

On the topic of Thanksgiving, I was thinking today that it's really one of the last holidays not totally Hallmarked or otherwise corporately corrupted. There's plenty that can be bought, of course, but no one expects a Thanksgiving card or presents. There are some food standards (like Turkey), but individual tastes and traditions are not only respected, but encouraged. Most people get the day off, and spend the day with family and/or friends. It can be done on the cheap or as large as you'd like, and if you're not into football, or parades, or shopping the next day, no one cares. Don't get me wrong, I love the holidays that are largely co-oped, but I just find it amazing that the point of Thanksgiving is still largely intact.

What kind of plans do you have for the week and weekend?

What to do?

We moved the girlfriend's birthday party to tomorrow, so tonight, we're bored...what's fun to do?

We're not big on clubbing...we've already seen Harry Potter...we like going out to eat, and somewhere new would be nice...

Suggestions?

Happy Birthday!

A very happy birthday to my girlfriend, who turns 29 today. I love my older woman.

Spam, Behold the power of search engines

I get a LOT of spam on this blog - typically between 50 and 200 a day, plus 50-200 pings. I've got it set up so it only takes a couple minutes a day to delete, since most spam are on old posts (and tend to look like spam).

I worry about deleting the real comments, but it's not usually a problem. I was lucky to catch this one before deleting it, though - someone posted an anonymous comment to a three-year-old post on religion.

Weird how people find these old entries and reply to them. Thanks, search engines!

It's always Thursday.

How's Thursday treating you? Any big plans? Anything you'd like me to write about?

movies, reunions, weather

While it's 80 degrees and sunny outside, it's actually starting to feel like fall out there - nice dry air, the few trees that do change colors and drop leaves are doing it, and the Christmas tree lots are going up. That, and it gets down to the low 50s at night. Lookin' good out there.

Perhaps it's because I don't watch the right channels, but does it seem to anyone else like the new Harry Potter film isn't being as aggressively marketed as the past three have been? Maybe it doesn't need to...I've already got my tickets for opening day. That and The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe film are the two holiday movies I'm looking forward to most...and they'll probably be the only two I see.

I'm noticing an interesting trend ("trend" in that I've seen two instances) in reunions...they're getting canceled for lack of interest. It happened to my girlfriend's high school class this year, as well as my high school's class. No one seems to be planning my reunion for next year. Is it a marketing thing? Maybe people don't know about it? Perhaps they try too hard to make it cool, and it ends up costing $90/ticket, so no one goes? Whatever it is, I'd love for one to happen that everyone could attend. Thoughts?

Mondays in November

Monday! I got my internet access back on Saturday, but was quite busy, and didn't end up posting. Played some great poker on Saturday, placing 26th out of 410, and winning my buy-in back, plus a little extra for my trouble. Went out with friends Saturday night, Shopped Sunday morning, and went to my niece's birthday dinner in the evening. Good times!

Another reminder than this month's Orange County Atheists meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 7:15 PM at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Irvine, located at 13130 Jamboree Road in the Irvine Marketplace. Please RSVP at the website if you're going to be there.

Busy week coming up, with the girlfriend's birthday (going out with her family on Friday to see the new Harry Potter film, then out with friends on Saturday), plus a doctor's appt, the Atheist meeting, and lots to do at work. On the birthday note, I'm usually pretty good with them here, but if I miss you in November, forgive me...seems everyone's parents were busy around Valentine's Day, so there are a LOT of birthdays this month.

How's Monday treating you?

Orange County Atheists November Meeting

Atheists!

This month's Orange County Atheists meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 16, 2005 at 7:15 PM at BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse in Irvine, located at 13130 Jamboree Road in the Irvine Marketplace. It's just up the road from the Red Robin we've met at several times, right off the 5 and 261 freeways, and not far at all from the 22 and 55. Please RSVP at the website so I can get a count of who's going to be there.

On the agenda this month:

- Printing of stickers, shirts and advertising cards
- Our affiliation with American Atheists and what it means for you
- Upcoming events in and around OC
- Politics and Religion news of the day

I hope to see all of you there - we're doing our best to cycle through the middle days of the week (Tues-Wed-Thurs) and locations so we can get people to meetings more often. I'd love some feedback on the process too.

Once again, please RSVP at the website or reply to me, and I hope to see you all Wednesday!

SME pictures, internet still down!

I was able to take pictures of my Snail Mail Extravaganza submissions from this week. The button to the left is from Nhan. I also took pictures of the envelope it came it, and the bag that envelope was sealed in. You can see the gash in the envelope where the button tore as it went along the belt at the post office.

I also snapped pictures of other letter I received, from the mystery person in Brooklyn. Who are you, mystery person?

Internet's still down at home - the nice thing about this is that I've been going to bed early, waking up early, and getting things done. But Internet access, to me, is a utility like Electricity or Water service, and I'm really missing it for all the little things. Hopefully it'll be back Saturday when the repair guy comes out...and we don't lose it every time it rains...

I failed to mention that the last entry was number 1400, and Nhan's comment on the Sux0r!" entry was comment number 2300. Yay for multiples of 100!

SME, spam, Happy Thursday!

Happy Thursday, readers! Tomorrow is Friday. And in Southern California, it's supposed to be a beautiful, sunny weekend. Rock on!

After prompting from Nhan last night, I realized I hadn't checked my PO Box in a while. With some extra time this morning (my adelphia cable modem service has issues with things like rain), I went to my local post office and found two submissions to the Snail Mail Extravaganza! The first from Nhan, which I knew what coming - it's a delightful button with a picture of a donkey and a clever slogan about the Democratic party. Too bad I didn't have it on Tuesday! Fun also because the letter was wrapped in a plastic bag, printed with an apology from the post office...the envelope was tattered, likely the result of the post office's inability to determine her mail wasn't flat.

What surprised me (and continues to confuse) is the other letter - a photocopy of a advertisement of a religious book! No return address, no note, just the book ad. Interesting also was that the postmark was Brooklyn, NY. What awesome reader sent this in? Reminds me that I need to send cool stuff to Gary, Emily, Joz and Nhan for their contributions. Pictures forthcoming! If you'd like to submit something, click here to read more about the Snail Mail Extravaganza.

In other webby news, I get a lot of spam - that's nothing new. But two of them entertained me today. The first, from "LIL DIDDY AKA KROX DADDY" Writing from "lildiddy4life@hotmail.com" but with a reply-to of "hettoboy4real@myway.com"), who wrote me to say:

Hello, I like to talk to Diddy persoally , please cvontact me on (Ghettoboy4real@myway.com) I m waitig patietly for your urgent reply , I 'm really young artist that love Diddy music really much, the way He rap and those sweetest thigs he do is his video clips, yeah I will want you to be my coach untill i stand on my own , i am a good raper ad i rap like you ad also dace like you because i gots my star from you when listeig to ya music , i am gonno tell you more about me as soo as i recieve ya reply , thanks

Letter from LIL DIDDY.

Sorry, but no time today to be your coach. I'll let you know next time I talk to Diddy. What's funny about this one is that it MAY be a real email, coming from someone who read my "Sean Puffy Puff Daddy P. Diddy Combs is a man-princess" post. The second email was less work-safe, but the subject line made me giggle:

"Glass Sex Toys are an Acceptable Gift for any Occasion."

Any occasion? Nothing says "Happy Birthday Uncle Jack" like a glass sex toy...

sux0r!

Ha Ha! The governor is teh sux0rs!!!!11!!!1!

Thanks for the multi-million dollar election, jackass. Though it's not all him, I put plenty of blame on the OC fire and sheriff's groups who made their infighting public for all of us, and made us vote.

I love democracy, but sometimes I think we vote on way too much stuff that should be handled by the people we elect into office.

New Years change of plans

So, on the topic of New Years Eve...

I had planned to do a party at the clubhouse in my complex (where we did the Halloween party). Calling today to reserve it, however, I found that it'd been reserved back in July for December 31. So that idea's out.

I can always do a somewhat smaller event at my house itself. It's a great place for a party. Gary has suggested his place, and Eric reminded me of the "OC NYE" party at the fairgrounds this year. That looks kinda cool, if not a weird sort of "boy band" corporate kind of way (like they're telling us how to be cool and what we should like). That said, I've never gone "out" for New Years, and a nice fancy party (that doesn't cost $65/person like OC NYE does) would be a lot of fun. Any suggestions out there? I'm still thinking I'll do the party myself at home, I'd just like to know what others have done.

More Halloween pictures

I've added Chris' pictures to my Flickr page for Halloween 2005 photos. Check them out!

If you were at the party and have some too, Let me know, and I'll link to them, or tell you how to upload them at Flickr.

Unpoisoned and back

Whew, I'm back. Busy weekend after two days at the end of the last week with food poisoning. We're thinking it was the mushrooms (they were one of the only things I ate for dinner on Wednesday that the girlfriend didn't), but we'll never know. Alas, by Friday night I was much better, and I'm feeling 98% normal now.

The weekend itself was great; I spent most of Saturday in Los Angeles playing strato with Gary, having lunch with Lisa, then going out with Marek, his new lady, the girlfriend, Tom, Lisa and Gary to The Stinking Rose. Always a good time to nearly overdose on Garlic, though because of my delicate condition, I didn't overdo it too much. Sunday we went shopping and did some cleaning at home (which wasn't dirty, but has been collecting things since Halloween). Sunday night was the first home made meal I'd had since the Wednesday before, so that was nice. And seeing as how I'm at work today, I didn't re-poison myself.

What's new with you?

poker blog

I don't spend nearly enough time with the poker blog - mostly because I don't play poker as often as I had previously. But since I'm home recovering from yesterday's food poisoning, I'm getting the chance to play in Wil's weekly poker game this week. I'll be liveblogging the action at the poker blog starting at 4pm PST (45 minutes from now, regardless of what my timestamp says). Check it out.

PSA

Public Service Announcement: If someone offers you food poisoning, don't take it.

Update to RSS

I've updated the RSS feed include the full text of the posts instead of just the summary. This'll make it easier for friends who can't read the site because of blocking software (and there's a lot of it out there), as well as the growing number of people who are reading blogs through RSS readers. The feed is available at http://www.insignifica.org/index.xml.

sleep, NNWM, ocatheists

You know, for having gotten enough sleep last night, I'm having a hard time getting started today. It might have been the cold medicine I took before bed, but you'd think after 10 hours it'd have worn off. Hopefully soon - I feel like I'm in a bit of a fog here.

Regular readers will remember that last November 1 that I had attempted to write as a part of National Novel Writing Month. Ultimately I failed, and while I'm not going to officially try to do it again, I will see how much I can write in November. It really shouldn't be that tough to do 1,000 words a day.

I'm kinda amazed that it's already November - October went by in a flash, and there are only two months left in the year. Birthday season has started (half my and my girlfriend's families have Nov-Dec-Jan birthdays), and Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are upon us. I expect the next few weeks to go by just as quickly.

Because I don't pimp it enough, check out the Orange County Atheists website. Any registered users can post new topics to the forums. Enjoy!