I had a very small wedding. I don’t know if I wanted a big one but I wanted a secular one. I wanted a comedian to perform a very short ceremony followed by a more-casual-than-most type of reception. Since I had to have the Jewish ceremony, I opted for inviting no one but close family. The ceremony was long because rabbis don’t do short ones. We had the shortened version; it was at least thirty minutes. The rabbi was more concerned with getting paid than following any Jewish tradition anyway. He was fine to hold it before the sun went down on Saturday (due to Shabbat).

My father was happy so that’s what matters, right? He essentially disavowed one of his sons (my half-brother) for becoming a Christian. He said he would have had nothing to do with me if I were gay (so, no, I could never tell him about my bi/pansexuality). Parents don’t always prescribe to the mantra of “unconditional love”.

Because my father was unhappy with his sons from a previous marriage, the need for me to not be the disappointment often weighed heavily on my shoulders. I gave in because he said he’d pay for it. My mother really talked me into, too. Perhaps one may think that, as a mother, she’d empathize with me even in some small way. She didn’t.

I wish I would have run off to City Hall rather than sell out everything about me.

My point is this: Do what makes yourself happy. You may regret putting yourself on the shelf later on. In times of need, you may wish to put your needs on the back burner for loved ones but don’t so it for too long. While I recognize that it is may be of utmost importance to put others before you in times of need, this was not a time of need.

My father was happy for one night. Now he’s gone and I’m regretful forever.

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I’m still around, so have no worries!

For now, enjoy this quick image manipulation I created recently. You can even see up my nose! :P

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I’ve been busy lately but plan to continue blogging again. In my spare time, I’ve been looking into avenues of licensing artwork. You can see some of my work at my portfolio site. Though I recently redid that site, so not everything is up yet.

You may also check out a slideshow I put together with some of my older pieces.

I just felt like mentioning this in case anyone has any ideas. I don’t really expect much from this post but it can’t hurt to put it out there. ;)

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The Reason I Initially Went

My back hurt. Neither practitioner used woo-ridden phrases or spoke of realigning chakras. Both cases involved back-cracking and massaging. I didn’t realize it was considered “alternative” medicine for some time. I just knew that chiropractors were the butt of the “doctor” joke, but so are dentists. The more recent time I went, several years ago, the practitioner gave me exercises that really helped my back in the long run. He helped me to realize how I was sitting, and how it was contributing to daily pain. I am now aware of how I sit. Though, it could be argued, that I should have been initially.

Being Skeptical, Asking Questions

Is there a line drawn between chiropractors and massage therapists? Is there any good, to you, that can come out of either?

I see how chiropractic can potentially be very dangerous. I realize that even more now. Can massages be dangerous?

My Life as a Joint Cracker

Since I was quite young, I’ve been cracking my back and other joints. I stopped when I heard some ugly rumors that I later found out were untrue. Then, I started again. Sometimes I have to make that area feel better and it often works. Is cracking joints considered a non-skeptical thing? That makes little sense to me, but I can’t find exactly were the line is drawn. The devil’s advocate in me wants to ask: What if your knee pops and feels better?

I try not to worry about too much about what others think but I like to be aware of scientific studies and the general reputation of things. Are there any studies I’m out of the loop on?

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You can buy and view products made from this design here.

I’ve always loved the idea of this image. So much that I bought a shirt of my own. It should arrive soon and I plan on wearing it to TAM this year. :)

Rational Rose is still new, so there are only a few things so far, but I plan on putting more of my artwork up and basic rational gear.

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Not quite short and sweet enough while in the midst of sexual pleasure? ;)

I’ve been asked before what atheists say during sex. Sometimes, I guess someone could be trying to be funny but it can sound derogatory.

Why is saying your partner’s name in bed such a foreign idea to some? I may have uttered “oh god” at some point in my life; I can’t be certain. Though, I never actually thought I was talking to some “other-worldly” being. It was just a thing I said.

When I was younger I thought the phrase “might as well” was “mine as well” for a brief period (until I thought about it reasonably). People misuse phrases all the time. We just say things that are what they are: menial sayings.

If they are living according to the holy book(s) some purport to, they shouldn’t be enjoying sex anyway (at least in the Abrahamic religions). Does that mean they’d be silent? Or talk about the weather? I may have not always been an out atheist but I was surely skeptical of the claims made by religion. If I ever said “oh god”, it was just a thing to say.

Is “oh god” the only thing theists ever say during sex? Is this why people are so shocked about Anthony Weiner’s tame dirty talk?

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Photo by Eric Broze

You can even see my black rose Surly-Ramics earring(s). ;)

It took me a while to design it, but I always knew I had to have something “Lisa”. Lisa Simpson is my hero, in a sense. She was basically my role model growing up. You can see her below reading Junior Skeptic Magazine:

When The Simpsons started on FOX, she was 8 and I was 8. Even though she stayed 8, she has grown a lot. I didn’t do as well as her in school but I still looked forward to it most of the time. That said, I did all right.

In any case, here are two closer shots:

This is mostly healed, without touch-ups. I will get those shortly. I made also add a bit around it but I don’t plan on getting too much more ink.

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Death always looms. We must accept this to appreciate every moment we have. It’s a scary thought, which is why we have the idea of an afterlife. I never believed one was ever possible but I see why it’s popular. I do think it’s harmful to a point, that some disregard life because they feel it’s eternal. It can get dangerous, though it usually isn’t.

Accepting death as an inevitability is tough. Everyone eventually dies. We live on in memories and, in that respect, no one ever dies. But physically speaking, we die. Our bodies decay, our minds no more. There’s a cycle to life that some of us are fortunate enough to near completion. I feel lucky to be apart of the universe as a self-aware being with consciousness. And when it all ends, I’ll still have been lucky to be apart of it.

We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Arabia. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively exceeds the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ordinariness, that are here. (Richard Dawkins; Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder)

When I die, I don’t want to be mourned too much; I’d rather be celebrated.

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