I had a Facebook friend ask me the other day if I had become an atheist because I was mad at god.  Um no…

You can read my journey to atheism post here if you haven’t already.  It tells of how, over 20 years ago, I became an atheist because of my desire to become a better Catholic.

The question by my friend did get me thinking.  I have noticed people posting on atheist blogs, either their own or in the comments on others blogs about how they became an atheist because of… (insert story here).  Sometimes it has to do with a journey to become a better of whatever flavor of Christian they were.  Sometimes it’s as simple as, god wasn’t answering their prayers, or they were angry that god let something bad happen to them or someone they love.   Then of course, there are those who have just never believed.  Born and raised atheist.  And so many other journeys to atheism in between.

I have to be honest.  When I hear about someone becoming an atheist because of unanswered prayers or anger toward their god I tend to judge them as “not as good of atheists” as those who have  “logically” become, or been born and raised an atheist.

I know on some level this is very wrong of me to do.  But then again…

Have you ever heard the  typical Christian comment that atheists are just angry with god.   While I am glad to see so many new atheists around, and I am very glad our numbers are growing.  I cringe whenever I hear someone say they decided to become an atheist just because something bad has happened and / or why didn’t god answer their prayers.  I would prefer that be their starting off position, the beginning of a religious education that leads to atheism, instead of the ending point.   I would even prefer atheists just say “I just can’t make myself believe” or “it’s all just nonsense to me”, rather than giving the Christians examples of people to use for their beliefs that there aren’t really atheists, they are just mad at god.

Am I the only one who feels this way?

What I love about having satellite radio in my Jeep is that sometimes I hear songs I had totally forgotten about.  I heard this song the other day and remembered how strange yet fun a song it was.  I even remembered the video being pretty strange, so I found it on You Tube.  Please to enjoy…Justified and Ancient by KLF featuring Tammy Wynette (seriously).

This post is going to be about Elizabeth Smart, I promise it is.

First, however, I want to take a moment to update some of you on the crisis in Samoa.

As I am sure most of you know there was an 8.3 earthquake off the coast of Samoa earlier this week.  This resulted in Tsunamis that hit the coasts.  As some of you may also know, The Hulk (my husband) is Samoan.  He was born and raised most of his life in Samoa.  He went to high school and part of college in American Samoa.   He has a lot of friends and family still there on both islands.  His brother and father are both living in Upolu right now.  Upolu was hit by tsunamis and mud slides.  His father and brother are both ok.  He lost a great uncle and some distant cousins in one of the tsunamis.  Until today one of his cousins was missing.  He was found alive and well.  He made it to higher ground but has been without a means of communication.

I am not going to post any of the pictures of the devastation here, if you want to see them you can find them.   The Red Cross isn’t one of my most favorite organizations, but they are fast on the scene to places like this.  So please considering donating to the relief effort.

So anyway, on with the reason I felt compelled to write today (besides having some free time).

I was reading a story in the Salt Lake Tribune today about Elizabeth Smart.  She was the 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped out of her bedroom by Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee to be a plural wife for Mitchell in 2002.  She was found several months later walking on the streets of Sandy Utah with Mitchell and Barzee.  Elizabeth is now a grown woman getting ready to go on a  mission for the Mormon Church and wanted to testify before she left in case it ever gets to trial.  The problem is Mitchell and Barzee are both being treated as criminally insane.  Which means they can’t stand trial yet.

Elizabeth tells about times she had a chance to tell someone who she was and maybe get away, but she was scared because Mitchell had told her he would kill her and her family.

When I was little my mom was a single parent.  We used to live in some bad neighborhoods and take some really scary (at times) public transportation.  I remember my mom always telling me that if someone threatened to harm me or her to try get me to do something bad, or go somewhere with them that they were lying and I needed to run away screaming, especially if there were other people around.  She also raised me to believe that there wasn’t such a thing as “male head of the house” that women are equal and no man should be allowed to dominate me  (but sometimes I like that Just sayin’  ).

Here’s what I am pissed about.  Mitchell was able to use religion to justify what he did to this girl, and this girl was raised in religion that teaches that women are second to men in terms of their role in this life and in this world.  The most sacred thing a woman can do is make babies.  But the man is the leader of the house and the family.  Now, I’m not saying that this girl was raised to think rape is ok.  I don’t think that for a minute.  However, in most religions women are considered less than men and men are the controllers and rulers, and when girls think that god wants them to submit to men I think it makes it harder for women who have been raised with those ideals to put them together with the idea that a particular loon who is using jesus for sex isn’t more important than she is in the eyes of god and to take a moment and get out if you can.

I think it’s way past time for women to fight for equal rights within religion just as they have in public life.

I will say one thing I got from reading the article.  Elizabeth seems to have dealt with her ordeal exceptionally well.  It was her idea to testify and she was disappointed that she couldn’t testify in front of Mitchell (when he is in court he starts singing hymns so they always have to remove him).  She has grown into a strong woman who wanted to face the man who did those things to her.  I do hope her story will convince more people to teach their daughters to fight back.

I also have to give her one more kudos to being a smart kid in that when she was with Mitchell and Barzee they went to California for a while, but she knew nobody there would recognize her and it would be harder to be found so she used religion to convince Mitchell to come back to Salt Lake.

I used to do posts once in a while about some of my favorite things, and some stuff to avoid.  I obviously haven’t done it in a while.  So here goes.

One of my most favorite things right now is my Babyliss Pro hair straightener.

I have naturally wavy pain in the assy kinky hair.  So I straighten it.  I used to use a ceramic straightener, but I hated it.

After a while it wouldn’t run smoothly through the hair and it was hard to clean.  My stylist recommended the Babyliss to me and

she got me one at her cost.  I love it.  Titanium is much better than ceramic for ease of use.

One of my other favorite things right now is Amazing Taste Seasonings meat enhancers.  These meat seasonings are some of the best I have ever used.  I just wish I could get them in huge shaker containers instead of having to buy little packets.

Another one of my favorite things is free concert tickets.  The Hulk and I went to the Utah State Fair last night and as we were walking to get some fair corn we walked past the stadium we saw that it was doing a free Boys II Men concert.  I remarked to the Mr. that if I had known we were going to the fair that night I would have gotten some of the tickets.  A man standing in front of the fence said to us “you guys want tickets?  I have two that I have been trying to give away.  Apparently, I got too many.”  We took the tickets and heard a great concert.  Boys II Men still put on a good show and can still sing, even though one of the members is missing because of back problems due to scoliosis.

Which brings me to one of my not so favorite things.  This years corn crop at the fair.  It was very disappointing.  Not sweet at all.  Blech! 

I thought it wouldn’t be too much longer until I would have more free time to do some blogging and blog reading.  But nope.  My stupid father-in-law probably won’t be home until sometime next year instead of later this year.

I worry he won’t come home at all.

That would piss me off.

Anyway, I have a few minutes today to kick off this short post.  I’m still alive, and lurking.  It’s just hard to comment and post from my blackberry, but I tweet and occasionally read other blogs.  I have my netbook, but not a lot of access where I spend too much of my free time.

It also seems that when I have actually gotten time this year we have been spending a lot more time hanging out with our friends.  So that has been a very positive thing.  I like all my blogland friends but I love spending time with my IRL friends more than posting here when I get the chance, as I am sure is the case with all of you.

And now too, apparently we are heading into the VERY busy season at my new job.  Plan years are rolling over and people still need paychecks.  So I will probably be working many long nights starting soon.  That’s ok I can use the OT paychecks.

So anyway, don’t forget to check in sometimes, I promise to try harder once winter comes and sitting outside and bbqing don’t seem so desirable…

I’ve been reading and listening to things people are saying about the health insurance debate.  One of the things that I find most interesting is that a lot of my friends, and even a lot of the people in politics who consider themselves the most religious are some of the people most against health insurance reform.  My friends, family and a lot of the politicians talking about the  issue who are most secular tend to be in favor of health insurance reform.

I have started wondering how this can be?  It seems to me that those who consider themselves to be “most christian” therefore, most moral, upstanding types of people should be the ones most in favor of helping out all people.  Those of us without any sort of “moral compass” should only be thinking about ourselves and how much this might cost us, right?  Damn the rest!   Really, if there isn’t a god, why should we care what happens to other, less fortunate people?

Am I missing something?  Besides of course, that a lot of extremely religious people happen to believe that they are better than anyone else, and therefore, they truly aren’t as charitable as perhaps their “good book” tells them they should be.  However, if I had the time right now I would dive into just how selfish that book and especially the book of mormon truly teach their people to be.    Maybe some other time.

Tracey over at Green-Eyed Momster tagged everyone for a question Meme.   Since I have been truly uninspired lately I figure what the hell (again).  Here goes

Tag! Rip Torn is It! What?!

Today I’m tagging all of you….yeah you heard me right, ALL OF YOU.

So this tagging event is a little bit different, being that I made up the questions myself. Cause I’m so freaking cool. Just copy and paste these questions, fill them out with your own answers and voila! automatic blog post. AND AWAY WEEEE GO!

1. Describe the person nearest to you, or if no one is near you at this moment the person who was last nearest to you, duh.

Do my dogs count?  Bear is my white poodle and he is sitting in front of me wanting to play ball.  He is pretty demanding.  Last person close to me was my grandmother.  She’s old and it breaks my heart sometimes to realize my time with her grows dim.  And she wants a dolphin tattoo.
2. Who do you think you resemble most in your immediate family and why?

I don’t look like either of my parents or my grandparents.  Kinda makes me wonder sometimes.
3. Who do you think (what nation, group or individual) is the biggest threat to our nation’s security?

The religious right.  (Or all fundamental religions for that matter)

4. What do you do at night before you go to sleep? Do you have any rituals, usual behaviors?

I take my drugs, shower, brush my teeth and watch some tv.  I’m pretty boring.
5. What’s the most challenging thing about being a parent? OR If you don’t have children, what do you think will be the most challenging thing about being being a parent?

Um, No.
6. What do you think is your most attractive feature?

My eyes.  That’s about it.  I’m fat with little boobs, so nothing redeeming there.  Maybe I have ok feet.  Oh and I don’t have cankles.

7. Who is your favorite blog friend? Link them!

I really don’t have a favorite.  Except maybe Protium because he sent me presents.  Some yummy;  some totally nasty.    And of course I adore Tracey, she is always so positive!
8. Max just got in trouble for hitting Olivia in the throat. She’s now sitting in time out screaming ‘I’m STUPID!’ at the top of her lungs. Should I ignore her till her time out is over, or should I talk to her now and ruin the time out?

My standard answer for problem children is beat them.  Probably a good thing I’m not a parent.  (Seriously folks, I’m kidding on the first part)
9. Who was the first person you kissed and where are they now?

My best friends brother.  He should be in prison, but he’s not.  I’m not sure where he is living, but he is probably still molesting children.

10.Ok, here’s the final crapola questionado: What’s the grossest thing you’ve ever done or has ever happened to you?

Got really drunk at a party once and puked up steak and salad in my friends bathroom sink.  So I dug it out and into the toilet to flush it.  (I vaguely remember this)

Ok…Do it if you want to, I don’t care if you do or don’t.

For over a decade now I have wanted a tattoo.  I have always wanted a pansy on my right ankle.  Here is the right ankle.  Naked.

Why the pansy?  My previous blog explains it in detail. In a nutshell, it has always been my favorite flower and it is a symbol of freethought.

Yesterday, I finally did it.  I made my appointment two weeks ago hoping I wouldn’t chicken out.   I hate needles.  I hate the thought of them and everything to do with them.  But…  I didn’t chicken out.

And I didn’t wuss out and have the artist put it up higher on my ankle where it wouldn’t hit the bone as much and hurt as much, like you see a lot of women do.  I figured if I was going to do it it was going to be ON THE ANKLE.  I would have liked it a bit lower even, but when he put the stencil there it distorted the shape too much and looked a bit weird.  So that was the perfect spot.

Did it hurt?  Yep, especially when he was doing the dark middle which was sitting right on the bone.  But other than that part, not too bad.

Before the tattoo I had made pedicure appointments for the Hulk and myself.  We go to a local nail school and have the students do it (same pedicure, much cheaper).  It ended up being a day for firsts, The Hulk got some flowers too, on his big toes.

I mean really, who’s gonna tease him?

Two pictures to share.  I actuatlly got one in which he doesn’t look stoned.  This one isn’t it…

See!  A non-toking Kenny!