Years ago I was reading a short story anthology, and I read a story that's haunted me. I think it was by Jack London, but I may be completely wrong. Three (I think) buddies are out hunting in the boonies. They're drunk and stupid, not really hunting because it may be night time, maybe just shooting at stuff. Anyway, they shoot one of their friends, but the men are a bit too dulled by alcohol to take it very seriously. One of the men keeps thinking about pancakes that he wants to eat the next morning. Anyway, they finally get their wounded buddy into the truck and start trundling out of the woods, but the reader gets the impression that the man is going to die, as one of the other men is still in his stupor and thinking about the pancakes. *shudders* Can anyone place this? TIA!

here too. Tailbone injury was very painful. I actually carried around a donut pillow to school (in middle school!) because it was so painful for a couple of weeks. Def. OTC painkiller/anti-inflamatory. Had no idea how bad that sucker can hurt. I actually think the mess-up with my tailbone contributed to my sunny-side up babies and emergency c-sections.

pagan atheist

I had a hard time remembering my second child's name for a couple of days. I called him "Douglas." I was wrong. :lol:

Hmm, well, if you can find the book at a local library sale or second-hand store for less that $2.50 go for it! My PBswap is great for finding books I can't seem to run across at those places. Even if I want to purchase books on Amazon, I'll be paying over $3.00 simply for shipping. I'm happy to pay $2.50 cents for books that I want, but can't easily run across.

Me, too. A person isn't honoring a Hindu deity by holding downward dog, any more than I'm praying to Jesus by bowing my head and closing my eyes. But it sure is exciting to make something evil out of it :)

This might not help your situation, but it's something that our group implemented in AWANA when our family participated. We only had 2 stores each "semester". The first store happened half way through the fall. The second store was right before Christmas; we stocked lots of stuff that would be good gifts for parents and siblings. Baby stuff to hair brushes and golf balls. Whatever. Not just AWANA stuff either, but stuff parents had collected during the year when they saw clearance sales and gave to AWANA as a ministry. We called this the Christmas Store, and kids knew they were there to get Christmas presents. Also, we did it early enough that the kids could also buy plastic totes and small travel items that they could put in Operation Christmas Child boxes. These were a huge success. It was wonderful watching kids save their money and totally splurge on others at Christmas. That way, the AWANA kids aren't simply all about saving their bucks to buy for themselves, but they learned their verses in order to give to other people. I know that doesn't necessarily help your situation, but it might be useful to others. . .or, it might help for you. Dunnoh. I hope it works out quickly.

Yes, everyone has a line. They are different. We can agree on this, certainly. There's nothing wrong with that. Training certain people to react in certain ways, particularly in ways that can harm sexuality can be problematic, however.

And I think it's incredibly unfair for you to cast what I said in that way. I said, "Nudity does not have to equal hot and heavy." Sure, a young man may find an image I find not sexual to be sexual. I don't have any problem with that. Let me say it again: To believe that every nude image is a sexual image takes training. Now, if a young man believed that every nude photo, picture, etc. (Schindler's List to God creating Adam), yes, I think there's something wrong with that. (I do, sorry.) To disagree on even a variety of images. . .not a biggie! I'm not saying there's anything wrong with people disagreeing about specific paintings, statues, etc. To cast my point in any other way is disingenuous. Consider p*rn. Now, I've seen perhaps 8 images, unintentionally. It's not my cuppa, never has been. But what I'm gathering is this. In these sorts of magazines for men, these are images of women who are in some state of arousal, or presenting themselves in a way as to look appealing to the men. From their expressions, posture, etc. These magazines aren't filled with women changing undies, or stepping out of the shower and reaching for a towel, or times when people are just sometimes naked in the daily routine. I can only assume that this is because most men don't find it erotic. I think this is probably a good evidence as any that not every example of nudity is erotic.

I agree, Mrs. Mungo. My husband and I sleep nude. He is quite used to seeing me naked. I can assure you we don't have sex every night, nor even a majority of nights. Just seeing me naked isn't arousing for him. :) And neither are most classical works of art--even the more erotic one by Goya one that Nestof3 posted. I asked him, and he said it was fine. Not pretty to have in our house--he prefers outdoor prints. And it didn't turn him on. :) Nudity does not have to equal hot and heavy. But one can be trained to find it so.

:iagree: A friend of mine says she will never go to a male OGBYN because men who are in that field must be perverted. She says she feels bad for their wives because they see women's parts all day and must be desensitized to their own wives bodies and their sex lives. This is basically the same issue as the "boys get desensitized over breasts because they see them" point. Just because I see a man doesn't mean that I should get all hot and bothered over him. Just because I see a man naked, doesn't mean that I should get all hot and bothered over him. Being unable to distinguish between sex and nudity is . . . missing something. Something important. I want my children to understand the difference. I think the distinction is natural, and only training in prudery creates the inextricable link.

Ok. There are pieces where people will differ. Whatevers. So, what happens if one of the pieces you think isn't erotic actually is? What if the artist thought it was erotic, but you don't, or vice versa? Nothing. It's ok. :) People should make decisions for themselves as best as they can, and understand that there are greys, and not everything has to either be erotic simply because someone's showing more skin (or less skin in a different way). To avoid all nude art for fear that something is somehow unnoticablely erotic is. . . neurotic, to my way of thinking.

If you ever opened a Hustler and then considered the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, I think it would be obvious. Porn vs. art doesn't mean you need to be a mind-reader. You need to use your aesthetics and reasonable sense. I know lots of people who think _everything_ is erotic--most of them are intensely religious, curiously enough. I'm always surprised by this. But personally, I think, if you really considered some nude art, you'd understand the difference between that and the surprise porn that sometimes pops up on your computer screen. Not everyone can. But I bet you're one of those who do ;)

Can you tell me how you know that "global warming cannot be caused by humans." My husband holds a Ph.D. in ecology, is widely published and disagrees entirely, as does most of the scientific world literature on the subject. If you could share this, it would be very interesting for him to follow up on. Otherwise, to the OP, here is some information provided to teachers on climate change/global warming that's useful for science-based lesson plans. Even if this can't be used directly, it may prepare your student for questions he will receive in any interview, or may be used in a poster presentation.

Hi! My husband and I left conservative Evangelical Christianity several years ago. We feel very fortunate that we lost faith together and still have that in common :) We're atheists. We've just explained it to the children much like you have. When they ask about beliefs, I explain them about each religion as best as I can, or we look them up. I have a nature-based "spirituality" so to speak. I take time to really recognize nature, and have started creating my own simple rituals and moments in nature as part of that. So, I suppose I'm becoming more and more pagan. I don't believe in gods, but I do recognize that I'm part of a great nature, and recognizing that and respecting the other lives around me are important to me. My husband is an outdoors enthusiast, but has no inclination to have "rituals", being outdoors is just part of life and work for him, and I'm sure he'd want no part of spiritual "rituals" of mine, but that's ok. :) My children show no interest in religion anymore. They were glad when we stopped going to church. Honestly, I hope they never develop interest in organized religion, but I try to let them suss it out for themselves.

Hi, all. Ok, I have a mild case of anosmia, basically, I can't smell very little. (My husband predicts that I'll die in a gas leak). But we've moved into a new house and my kitchen smells funny. I thought it would go away as time passed and we aired out the house--but it hasn't. My husband can't smell it, and the smell seems to change. I can smell it coming up from the basement, or down from the second floor. What can I do? It's not a bad smell, not like cats or rancid oil (two of the only things I can smell!) just a definite smell. I don't like powerful candles or industrial sprays. I sometimes use essential oils in a spritzer. . .any suggestion of good combinations? What else can I do? This is SO WEIRD. Help my poor bewildered nose. Thanks!

Haven't read everything, but wanted to post a couple of links. Religion makes lots of claims about masturbation--mostly how bad it is and how "not to do it". I keep thinking religion is going to "grow out of it" but it hasn't yet. I've been amazed to see these: http://www.lightplanet.com/mormons/daily/sexuality/overcoming_masturbation.html http://blog.christianitytoday.com/women/2011/06/the_cult_of_the_orgasm.html I'm so distressed about how religion "criminalizes" masturbation in ways like this. Harmful. Most people masturbate "to climax" (as someone is repeating) at some time in their lives. With delayed marriage, many more unmarried people are masturbating solely, for longer stretches of their lives. People have natural physical desires. If they are not taken care of, they affect sleep. They affect prostate health. Orgasms for women can alleviate menstrual cramps. Some people have issues with masturbation. Some people have issues with over-eating. Some people have issues with sex. Eating and sex are not wrong in and of themselves. Neither is masturbation.

I think it was going the Calvinist route that began my falling away from Jesus/God worship. There's no question in Calvinism as to why "God allows something to happen". He causes all things. All things. Though it was another couple of years before I stopped believing in Jesus and God, I think this is where the real challenge began for me.

I would have said so at one time too, as a serious Christian. Now, as an atheist, I see how this was a false equivalence argument. There is a big difference between believing in the existence of Allah, Jehovah, Zeus, etc. and believing in a specific person. If you ask 100 Americans who Tom Cruise is, particularly people who know him well, they'll give you the same answer. If you ask 100 Americans who God is, and people who claim to know it well. . . .

I love our new house except for the basement. Ok, I love that too, but it's a little damp. It's quite cold, which is fine, but it smells just a little musty, even mildewy when I'm not diligent about bleaching the front-loading washer. Without spraying air freshener, what to do. There are only 2 small windows, and they're not escape windows. Thanks!

I have this same thought every day. Three times every day :glare: But, I'm glad to know it's not just me. I guess it will eventually pass. I just hope we're all alive to see it :)

Human beings have been drinking milk from large and medium domestic animals as long as we've been able to do such a thing. Yaks, goats, sheep, cows, the list goes on. Perhaps another question would be "why stop now?" edited to add: your mother's case is anecdotal evidence. I haven't done any research into this area, but I do know that making a claim based on one case is not scientific. *I don't make any money from the milk industry* disclaimer :)

Everyone has a heritage and a culture. White Americans don't see it clearly sometimes because of mostly inadvertent ethnocentrism. Our (I'm speaking as a white American) culture is the boring norm, and those who do things differently (even if we view it positively or respectfully) are interesting and meaningful because they're different than our norm. My Japanese relatives don't think "Wow, I have such an interesting heritage because I respect my ancestors, and speak Japanese, and take my shoes off when I enter a residence." This is their norm--yet it is culture! However, these are the things we in political/cultural/economic dominance find to be "cultural heritage" because we can identify them as being different from our traditions/norms. I have students from all over the world, and they can tell you quite clearly about American culture because it's not their norm. Though American culture is very diverse, certainly, in terms of ethnic background, and religion, and many other things, there are elements that make you and your family a unique culture both as a family and as a part of a greater whole. Imagine you're about to take in a Saudi foreign exchange student. What things are going to be different for him/her--both in terms of surface culture and deep culture (Google if you're not sure of the difference) and work from there. This is your culture! You have one! How wonderful!

Hi, I had a tubal ligation after my 4th c-section. I have had absolutely no problems with cramps since the procedure. In fact, I had little cramping before, and now I have none. I've heard that some women do, but it came as a complete surprise to me to learn that. I'm very, very happy with my decision! :) Good luck.

Sorry if I've misread your smiley, but in case you're serious. . . the Bible is not banned from school libraries. I have no doubt that if you walked into any public school library in your area you'd find many. In case I've completely misunderstood, my apologies :)