Quick Study Break…(maybe NWS)

Grading my Calculus II final exams…it didn’t go that badly until we got to the questions on series. Then, it got downright ugly. Ugh.

For some reason, the students seem to handle integrals easier than they handle series. Come to think of it, these things kind of baffled me too; somehow I just grew into them.

So I checked in on my blog and found that this blog post (somehow) linked to me: (warning: it is about the Kamasutra, which, roughly speaking, is the kind of yoga that encompasses love making). Note that there is nothing pornographic there; this appears to be an honest yoga-related site.

But this is one of the love making poses shown there.

My reactions: not in this lifetime. Maybe, maybe, 30 years ago when I was more into lifting and if I had a 90-100 pound wife (distance runner?). Were I to try this now, I’d throw out my back for a month, even if my wife were to morph into “Twiggy”.

Note that the woman has to have quite a bit of abdominal and core body strength as well.

But talk about a different culture: you had to be in shape in order to make love!

I suppose this might be one way to limit the old gene pool…

Snowing again

I wasn’t motivated to drive out in the ice and snow for the departmental lunch; in general I don’t do optional ice/snow driving when it is this crappy outside.

Now if the lunch had been at a place that was walkable…

Workout notes treadmill; 20 minutes easy to medium (2.1 miles) then 3 miles in 26:33 (17:22 for 2); so 5 miles total. Oh for the days when that was an “easy” run; these-a-days that is a reasonable “tempo” pace for me (1 minute per mile slower than 5K race pace)

Blogs: check out this list about Santa vs. God:

Follow the link for the discussion (over 130 comments the last time I checked!)

Here are some differences that I can see:

1. Santa is obese. I’ve never seen the Christian/Jewish deity depicted that way.
2. Santa is interested in “naughty vs. nice”. The god that I know of demands worship and belief.
3. Santa doesn’t really punish; rather he doesn’t give you nice stuff. Gods routinely punish, kill, torture, etc.
4. Santa doesn’t have a gang that attempts to proselytize; many gods do.
5. Santa doesn’t promise miracles; just nice stuff. Gods claim that they can do miracles.
6. Santa is into red. Gods tend to like white, royal blue, etc.

What Kind of Atheist Are You?

Workout notes: yoga class. Later (after this post) I’ll get in about 6-8 miles on the treadmill and shower in time to make a department lunch. I don’t want to go out into the cold, but socializing will make me feel better.

It is 10 F and the streets are coated with snow over ice; strangely enough the non-pavement parts of the ground are mostly snow free. That doesn’t happen that often; most of the time it is the other way around (snow on the ground with dry pavement).

We are scheduled to get a series of snow, freezing rain and ice for the rest of the week; I’ll get real acquainted with “Mr. Treadmill” for the rest of the week.

Subject of the Post: hat tip to Friendly Atheist.

Copy and paste the list below on your own site, boldfacing the things you’ve done. (Feel free to add your own elaboration and commentary to each item!)

1. Participated in the Blasphemy Challenge.
No; I don’t know what this is.

2. Met at least one of the “Four Horsemen” (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris) in person.
Richard Dawkins; he came to my university to promote his book The Selfish Gene. He spent much of his time refuting Stephen Jay Gould, who came a few months later (and I saw him too).

3. Created an atheist blog.

Yes, if you count this one. But I talk about other matters as well.

4. Used the Flying Spaghetti Monster in a religious debate with someone.
Yes. This is an excellent answer to this “well, you can’t disprove the existence of my deity nonsense.

5. Gotten offended when someone called you an agnostic.
No, not really. Some would actually call me an agnostic because my position is this: “I see no evidence for the existence of a deity” rather than “there is no deity”. Don’t get me wrong; I think the likelihood of the Christian, Jewish or Muslim deity existing is about the same as Zeus or Wotan existing; your deity to me is the same as Zeus is to you. But there may be some “spirit of the universe” out there that I am unaware of; I just see no evidence of it.

6. Been unable to watch Growing Pains reruns because of Kirk Cameron.

Huh? I don’t watch Growing Pains, but I find most television programming to be hopelessly stupid. I watch sports from time to time, Law and Order and MSNBC (Olberman, Maddow) and Friday Night on PBS (Washington Week, NOW and Bill Moyers)

7. Own more Bibles than most Christians you know.
You bet! Parallel Bibles, translations, guides, commentaries, etc. My favorite translation is the New Revised Standard Version and my favorite “book” on the Bible is Introduction to the Bible by Rogerson. Biblical Literacy by Telushkin is good for seeing where certain Jewish beliefs come from.

8. Have at least one Bible with your personal annotations regarding contradictions, disturbing parts, etc.
No; in general I don’t mark up my books.

9. Have come out as an atheist to your family.

Yes, but my profession (math professor) gives me a bit of “cover” here; atheism is an accepted part of my professional subculture.

10. Attended a campus or off-campus atheist gathering.
No, no need to, unless you count “science conferences”.

11. Are a member of an organized atheist/Humanist/etc. organization.
No.
12. Had a Humanist wedding ceremony.
No; I was still a UU (Unitarian Universalist then)

13. Donated money to an atheist organization.
No.
14. Have a bookshelf dedicated solely to Richard Dawkins.
No, though I have many of his books; I’ve read a few and am reading others. I also have Futuyma, Zimmer, Gould, Hitchens, etc.

15. Lost the friendship of someone you know because of your non-theism.
Not that I am aware of, though my friends tend to be those that I have an activity in common with. I know that many of my runner friends are theists, but I don’t talk religion with them.

16. Tried to argue or have a discussion with someone who stopped you on the street to proselytize.
On occasion, though I did that when I was a believer too.

17. Hid your atheist beliefs on a first date because you didn’t want to scare him/her away.
Not applicable. But were I to be “back on the market”, I’d make no attempt to hide my beliefs. But given my profession, it would be unnecessary for me to do so; those who love nerds would be very accepting of atheism.

18. Own a stockpile of atheist paraphernalia (bumper stickers, buttons, shirts, etc).
Not really; I have a Darwin bumper sticker and a “Militant Agnostic: I don’t know and you don’t either” sticker. But neither are on my truck; I tend to put Democratic candidate stuff (Obama, Kerry, etc.)

19. Attended a protest that involved religion.
No.

20. Attended an atheist conference.
No, unless you count science conferences.

21. Subscribe to Pat Condell’s YouTube channel.
Of course! Edward Current’s soo.

22. Started an atheist group in your area or school.
No.
23. Successfully “de-converted” someone to atheism.
No, nor do I intend to try. Either someone is smart enough and intellectually honest enough to reject superstition, or they aren’t.

24. Have already made plans to donate your body to science after you die.
No; organ donation is more important.

25. Told someone you’re an atheist only because you wanted to see the person’s reaction.
No.

26. Had to think twice before screaming “Oh God!” during sex. Or you said something else in its place.
Sex? (I’ve been married for a while…. )

27. Lost a job because of your atheism.
No; I love universities and math/science departments!

28. Formed a bond with someone specifically because of your mutual atheism (meeting this person at a local gathering or conference doesn’t count).
No, though my wife’s “soft core” approach to religious questions sure helps things; she is a “mushy agnostic” who enjoys “playing pretend” with her UU friends once in a while

29. Have crossed “In God We Trust” off of — or put a pro-church-state-separation stamp on — dollar bills.
No.

30. Refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
I don’t say the “under god” part, which is a late addition anyway.

31. Said “Gesundheit!” (or nothing at all) after someone sneezed because you didn’t want to say “Bless you!”
Yes, I say nothing at all.

32. Have ever chosen not to clasp your hands together out of fear someone might think you’re praying.
No.
33. Have turned on Christian TV because you need something entertaining to watch.
No.
34. Are a 2nd or 3rd (or more) generation atheist.
No.
35. Have “atheism” listed on your Facebook or dating profile — and not a euphemistic variant.
No; I don’t have a Facebook account.

36. Attended an atheist’s funeral (i.e. a non-religious service).
No, though I’ve attended some UU ones and lead my father’s (he was a non-religious theist who believed in “some sort of god”)

37. Subscribe to an freethought magazine (e.g. Free Inquiry, Skeptic)
Does Scientific American count?

38. Have been interviewed by a reporter because of your atheism.
No.
39. Written a letter-to-the-editor about an issue related to your non-belief in God.
I have written letters saying that government has no business getting into the religion business.

40. Gave a friend or acquaintance a New Atheist book as a gift.
No.
41. Wear pro-atheist clothing in public.
Maybe; I’ve worn the Flying Spaghetti Monster t-shirt that my daughter got me.

42. Have invited Mormons/Jehovah’s Witnesses into your house specifically because you wanted to argue with them.
Yes. If they want to bother me at home, they are going to hear about what I think.

43. Have been physically threatened (or beaten up) because you didn’t believe in God.
No.
44. Receive Google Alerts on “atheism” (or variants).
No, though I have some atheist leaning blogs on my google reader.

45. Received fewer Christmas presents than expected because people assumed you didn’t celebrate it.
No; but I don’t like Christmas presents and frankly never have (as an adult)

46. Visited The Creation Museum or saw Ben Stein’s Expelled just so you could keep tabs on the “enemy.”
No.
47. Refuse to tell anyone what your “sign” is… because it doesn’t matter at all.
No, but my friends seldom ask me “my sign” because most of them see astrology as BS.

48. Are on a mailing list for a Christian organization just so you can see what they’re up to…
No, unless you count the Republican party (and do subscribe to some of their stuff and yeah, it is mostly idiotic.)

49. Have kept your eyes open while you watched others around you pray.
No.

50. Avoid even Unitarian churches because they’re too close to religion for you.
Yes! I admit that I quit going because I like to run/walk/swim on Sunday mornings, but I could never get myself to go back; to me BS is BS whether it is traditional BS (Judaism, Christianity, or Islam) or non-traditional BS (tarrot cards, New Age, Neo-paganism, Goddess worship, etc.) I can work with UUs on political and social stuff, but the acceptance of nonsense nauseates me.