I should do something today. I am just being lazy. The sun is shining and I should go outside for a long hike. Walking around the block wouldn’t be long enough. Just sitting in front of the computer is lazy. Never mind that I went on a hike yesterday. I am getting fat if I am not hyper-active every day. Okay, I am gaining weight. But that’s probably more because of those delicious desserts I’ve been eating than because of lack of activity. Don’t get me wrong: Being active is important. But there’s no evidence that we have to work … Continue reading »
Aug 312008
Aug 312008
…you might just get it. Just not when you wanted it. Just ask Rev. James Dobson. Or Michael Moore. In his Open Letter to God, Moore points out: The other night, the Rev. James Dobson’s ministry asked all believers to pray for a storm on Thursday night so that the Obama acceptance speech outdoors in Denver would have to be cancelled. I see that You have answered Rev. Dobson’s prayers — except the storm You have sent to earth is not over Denver, but on its way to New Orleans! In fact, You have scheduled it to hit Louisiana at … Continue reading »
Aug 282008
USAmericans are notorious for not taking vacations. But a recent survey from the Take Back Your Time points to another issue: no paid vacation is available. It seems like there are (at least) three classes of USAmericans when it comes to vacations: Those who are too important to take the paid vacation they get. Those who don’t get paid vacation and can’t afford to take time off without pay. And us weirdos who get paid vacation and take it! Based on these classes, it is not surprising to see skews in the survey results: younger, non-Whites, with lower income but … Continue reading »
Aug 242008
John McCain and Barack Obama decided to participate in a religious test: An interview by Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor. He wanted to know how they define evil and what relationship they have with Jesus Christ. As Kathleen Parker points out in the Washington Post, apparently, they did not feel a need to decline this invitation to blur the separation between religion and state, nor to avoid a religious test for office, which is unconstitutional. Instead of focusing on who won the debate, Parker argues, we should realize who lost: all of us. Such debates have no business in a … Continue reading »
Aug 212008
The recent California Supreme Court decision in the Benitez case, shows who will be missing out with the focus on the right to marriage in the GLBT movement: Unmarried and single people. The doctors for Lupita Benitez refused to provide fertility treatment to her because she was a lesbian, oh, and because she was not married. The doctor claimed that her religious views would prevent her from doing her job.
Aug 122008
A study published in the September edition of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior is in the news. The researchers, Debra Umberson and Hui Liu, looked at data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1972-2003 to investigate the health of married and non-married people. Michigan State University summarized their findings:
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