7:13 PM — "But Jesus was a good person." I remember some kids I rode on the camp bus with for a few summers in early HS, and some other kids I rode the subway with during the school year. That's an age where we were exploring our religions, and those of our friends. I was (and still am) an agnotic atheist--I don't believe in God, but I don't think you can prove there isn't one. One of my atheist friends tried to deconvert a religious girl. Another one started crying when an agnostic friend and I asked her if she thought we were going to Hell. Even when I was in college, a friend expressed surprise that someone without a religious background could have morals.

That's such a strange and narrow-minded mindset to me... And yet, it's what they teach in Virginia public schools.  ¶ permalink | 0 musings | add your musing

  3:11 PM — Snow Pool Now taking bets for tomorrow's (Thurs, 2/10) snow day. Bets are $5 (five bucks) each, and you are betting on the delayed start time or early closing time of my school due to snow. Not the time the notice goes out, but the time the school actually closes. You pick a time (hours and minutes), it must be different from anyone else's previous guess. The person who guesses closest to the actual time the school either closes early, or opens late, wins the whole pot. If school is closed all day, I win, but staying home is winning enough, I don't need any money. If school is closed all day, I certainly don't get any money. :( This is an honor-pool: no one needs to give me cash, we'll all just send our money to whomever actually wins. Make your guess by leaving a comment; pick a unique time. In case of two people tieing (equidistant from the real time), if the minutes on my clock when I get the news are even, then the earlier person wins, otherwise the later wins. You may place or change bets until 5:00am Eastern tomorrow (Thurs).

My guess: 12 noon.  ¶ permalink | 1 musings | add your musing

  9:02 PM — Viewpoints When people don't understand something, they can ask the strangest questions. And when those questions come out of the blue about something that seems totally obvious to you, it totally throws you for a loop.

• From my undergrad physics advisor while I was typing: "Wow, do you have all the keys memorized?" "Yes, and in fact, I consciously trigger every muscle in all nine fingers to fire in the appropriate sequence!" (Yeah I know, but I don't use my left thumb.)


• From my economics prof officemate about an infrared picture of the Milky Way (taken by 2MASS): "Where are we?" "Here."

  ¶ permalink | 0 musings | add your musing

  3:29 PM — Quizarriffic! Of course, these are my own opinion of myself. I'm curious as to what others would get for me if they put in answers about me.

You Are a Bright Star Soul

Like a shining star, you have no trouble being the center of attention In fact, you often feel a bit hurt when all eyes aren't on you You need to be number one in everything, no matter how trivial And it's this ego that both hurts your confidence and helps you acheive You're dramatic and a powerhouse of pure energy You posess a divine quality or uniqueness that's hard to define A natural performer, it's likely you'll become famous in some circles. Just learn not to take everyone's reaction to you so personally! Souls you are most compatible with: Newborn Soul and Prophet Soul

Your Element Is Air

You dislike conflict, and you've been able to rise above the angst of the world. And when things don't go your way, you know they'll blow over quickly. Easygoing, you tend to find joy from the simple things in life. You roll with the punches, and as a result, your life is light and cheerful. You find it easy to adapt to most situations, and you're an open person. With you, what you see is what you get... and people love that!

You Are 25 Years Old

25 Under 12: You are a kid at heart. You still have an optimistic life view - and you look at the world with awe. 13-19: You are a teenager at heart. You question authority and are still trying to find your place in this world. 20-29: You are a twentysomething at heart. You feel excited about what's to come... love, work, and new experiences. 30-39: You are a thirtysomething at heart. You've had a taste of success and true love, but you want more! 40+: You are a mature adult. You've been through most of the ups and downs of life already. Now you get to sit back and relax.

As I said to my students, I don't believe that this New Age junk is science, but I do enjoy it as entertainment. :)   ¶ permalink | 0 musings | add your musing