Really Terrible Bible Stories vol. 2: Exodus NOW AVAILABLE!

It’s here, just in time for the midwinter holidays! I read the Book of Exodus so you don’t have to, and pulled out the juicier bits. All retellings guaranteed 110% snarky.

Image is the cover for Really Terrible Bible Stories vol. 2: Exodus. The painting is Charles Sprague Pearce's Lamentations over the Death of the First-Born of Egypt, showing an Egyptian man and woman weeping over the coffin of their infant.

Really Terrible Bible Stories vol. 2: Exodus is now available worldwide at Amazon:

United States  ♦  Canada  ♦  Mexico  ♦  Brazil  ♦  United Kingdom  ♦  Germany  ♦  France  ♦  Spain ♦  Italy  ♦  Netherlands  ♦  India  ♦  Japan  ♦  Australia

The story of Exodus is often portrayed as a heroic rescue from slavery and an epic journey to freedom. What it’s really about is God’s neglect, followed by lots of malicious destruction meant to show the Egyptians and Israelites who’s LORD. Then there’s a bumbling escape, complete with thirst, starvation, and mass murders caused by the incompetent and sadistic God. The rest of Exodus is basically God being really picky about the clothes, accommodations, and sacrifices he expects from these poor escaped slaves. This book will give you the big pin you need for deflating Christian claims about the awesomeness of their God. And it’ll make you see Exodus in a light you may not have anticipated. Especially useful for redirecting tedious conversations about that wretched Exodus: Gods and Kings movie. Really Terrible Bible Stories vol. 2: Exodus is the perfect book for anyone who wants a look at the Good Book without any rose-tinted lenses in the way. Get your copy today!

Also available: Continue reading “Really Terrible Bible Stories vol. 2: Exodus NOW AVAILABLE!”

Really Terrible Bible Stories vol. 2: Exodus NOW AVAILABLE!
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Religious Terrorists Are Killing the Women They Can’t Control (But They’re Not Islamic)

You’ve of course heard about the shooting at the Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood that left three people dead and many more injured. There are all kinds of people running around right now trying to claim ridiculous shit, like the terrorist who shot up the place was a “gentle loner,” or was a leftist transgender woman. None of that’s true. We don’t know much about the asshole who did this, but we do know that all his neighbors were scared of him, he was an anti-Obama jackass who fell for those fake Planned-Parenthood-sells-murdered-baby-parts stories, and he was a Christian.

A lot of media outlets, politicians, and other people won’t want to call this terrorism, but it is. It’s a very specific form of terrorism, and it’s not just the shooter who’s the terrorist. There are many terrorists and their supporters involved in this attack and others that Planned Parenthood, along with various other abortion providers, have suffered. Some of them are running for President of the United States. Continue reading “Religious Terrorists Are Killing the Women They Can’t Control (But They’re Not Islamic)”

Religious Terrorists Are Killing the Women They Can’t Control (But They’re Not Islamic)

The Dana Hunter’s Gneiss Schist Maclargehuge Cyber Monday Sale!

Ohai, it’s time to think about the midwinter gift-giving holidays! Do you have a geologist on your list? Someone who likes pretty rocks and/or volcanoes? A person needing some inspirational stuffage consisting of pretty photos and really bad Bible verses? A reader who could really use a snarky look at the worst bits of Genesis and Exodus? I absolutely have you covered on all fronts! And lots of stuff is discounted TODAY ONLY. Gitchoor shopping done early! Continue reading “The Dana Hunter’s Gneiss Schist Maclargehuge Cyber Monday Sale!”

The Dana Hunter’s Gneiss Schist Maclargehuge Cyber Monday Sale!

Mystery Flora: Orange Trumpets of Heady-Scented Delight

Mystery Week concludes with one of the best flowers ever. Seriously, if you all could smell it right now, you’d want to come live here. It’s been blooming pretty much all summer, and it is incrediballs.

Here it is with a tent for scale:

Image looks down from our upper to our middle deck. There is a domed two-man tent pitched on it. Beside it is a flowering bush about 3/4 its size. It has large bright green leaves with downward-pointing, trumpet-shaped orange flowers. There are dozens of blooms.
Mystery Flora I

Yep, that is one huge and happy plant! And the reason the tent is out there is because S spent most of October sleeping with it. Those luscious blooms put out a delightful perfume.

Image is a close-up view of three of the flowers and the huge green tear-drop shaped leaves. The leaves have broadly serrated edges, coming to four or more points down each side, before ending in a drip tip.
Mystery Flora II

I find the scent hard to explain: it’s a bit like the rich, smooth scent of many tropical blooms, but not quite as ponderous. There’s a hint of pollen, and a hint of spice. It’s quite lovely without being overpowering. Which is good, because it has come to live with us in the house now. It’s a summer-loving thing and can’t take the cold.

Image shows one of the blooms in a stray beam of late fall sunshine. It shades from yellow-green at the base to a deep and vibrant orange at the trumpet.
Mystery Flora III

It lives in the south picture window, and fills the living room with its lovely fragrance. But that only happens at night. During the day, you can’t smell a thing. But as evening falls, you catch a whiff, then the scent gradually strengthens until it fills the large, open room. Even just one or two blooms will perfume the entire space.

Image looks into the open end up to the anthers and stamens.
Mystery Flora IV

I have stood there at night, in the dark, cradling Boo and breathing it in. Then I put Boo down and pick leaves off of her food bowl, because the thing is shedding everywhere. It’ll soon be nothing but bare branches, much like my dad’s rubber tree. Then S can prune it back. It feels like it’s taking up half the living room right now! When things warm up in the spring and it leafs out, it’ll go back outside to live in the sun.

Image shows one of the blooms outdoors. The photo was taken looking up into the trumpet, with the leaves fanned out above.
Mystery Flora V

There are more images of this lovely mystery flower here, including some artsy ones of it reflected in our wall o’ mirrors. When you identify it, all of you who love floral scents are going to want one. You can apply to S for a cutting of ours. I think he’s going to have some extras when he gets done pruning this ginormous beauty!

Mystery Flora: Orange Trumpets of Heady-Scented Delight

Unidentified Flying Dinosaur: Uncooperative Little Barstard

Mystery Week continues! I know there’s a lot of awful and outrageous stuff going on, but I don’t have the spoons to write about it right now. Need a breather. If you need my occasional sharp commentary on various breaking news, however, you can click this little button right here if you’re a Facebook denizen:

And then you will be able to follow me as I fume. I also post a lot of pictures of cats.

Anyway. Some of you may remember our little trip to Frenchman Coulee a few weeks ago. While we were there, R and I were serenaded by this little delight. Continue reading “Unidentified Flying Dinosaur: Uncooperative Little Barstard”

Unidentified Flying Dinosaur: Uncooperative Little Barstard

This Atheist Has Lots to Be Thankful For

Yesterday was Thanksgiving in the USA. For those celebrating, I hope you had a reasonably good time with the minimum of irritations and indigestion. For those who were protesting, I hope you got a good response. It pays to remember that our history is complex and quite often not very nice.

Thanksgiving has often been a day filled with family and friends for me, but it’s also frequently a holiday where Misha and I take the opportunity to celebrate alone. This year, we were going to entertain a friend who’s just had surgery, but her caretaker decided to stay in town and they had a quiet feast of their own. I didn’t know for sure until the last minute, so I declined plans with another friend, and by the time the day rolled around, I was feeling like having an introvert’s Thanksgiving, so I turned down an offer from my housemate to tag along to another gathering. I had everything I needed for a feast. I had a ton of editing to do. I was happy staying home alone! All of this to say: don’t worry a bit that it was just me and my kitty and Facebook. We love our solitary holidays.

I have a lot to be thankful for this year. Continue reading “This Atheist Has Lots to Be Thankful For”

This Atheist Has Lots to Be Thankful For

Your Occasional Reminder: All My Social Media Presence!

There’s going to be a lot going on round the cantina this holiday season, my darlings. So much! In fact, I may be so busy that I have to cut back on blogging a bit. Never fear – there are plenty of places where you can get unfiltered Dana and keep up on All the Things. And I have collected all the social media links into one easy page for you, so that you can follow the social media feed of your choice! Continue reading “Your Occasional Reminder: All My Social Media Presence!”

Your Occasional Reminder: All My Social Media Presence!

Mystery Flora/Cryptopod Double-Header: Flowery Sprays

Mystery Week continues! In this edition, I’ve got some lovely flora and fauna for ye. Well, lovely as long as you love sprays of flowers and the occasional insect.

Our selections today come from Juanita Bay, where in early July we had many loverly flowers blooming, and lots of insects buzzing round.

Image shows a spray of tiny white flowers dangling from a tall plant. There's a long, narrow brown insect dangling upside-down from it.
Mystery Flora/Cryptopod I

I think we may have had this white one before, but I don’t honestly remember. There are enough new folks round the cantina we can have another go with it anyway. But the most essential part of this photoset is the wee little brown beetle.* Continue reading “Mystery Flora/Cryptopod Double-Header: Flowery Sprays”

Mystery Flora/Cryptopod Double-Header: Flowery Sprays

Cryptopod: Latvian Lovers

Hello and welcome to Mystery Week at En Tequila Es Verdad! Thanksgiving is coming up in the USA, I’ve got a book to finish and publish by Friday, and there’s enough Serious Stuff going on that I feel like maybe a break would do us good. So we’re going to have nothing but mysteries and pretty pitchoors!

Let us begin in Latvia, where RQ photographed some absolutely marvelous cryptopods over the summer. Continue reading “Cryptopod: Latvian Lovers”

Cryptopod: Latvian Lovers

Pregnant? Don’t Go to a Catholic Hospital Unless You Enjoy Risking Your Life for Other People’s Religious Beliefs

Imagine going to a hospital, and being told that although they could fix the problem that brought you there quite easily, they won’t do anything for you until you’re dying. Imagine lying in a bed, in pain, terrified, begging to be treated, and being told no. Not until your condition has progressed to the point where you’re gravely ill and at risk of losing your life. Then you can have the simple procedure that could have prevented all your suffering and ensured your survival. Maybe. If the doctor isn’t so terrified of losing their job that they wait until it’s too late, and you die before they get round to treating you. In which case, if you haven’t had the proper magic water sprinkled over you, you’re assumed to be burning in hell for eternity for the crime of having a medical emergency.

This is basically the situation when someone having a miscarriage goes to a Catholic hospital for treatment. Let me tell you what one of my abiding fears is: it’s that I’ll have a crisis in my ladyparts, and the only hospital within a hundred miles is Catholic. Allow me to show you why.

Content Note: description of medical crises and interventions, pointless suffering, medical torture, treating a doomed fetus as more important than a born human being. Continue reading “Pregnant? Don’t Go to a Catholic Hospital Unless You Enjoy Risking Your Life for Other People’s Religious Beliefs”

Pregnant? Don’t Go to a Catholic Hospital Unless You Enjoy Risking Your Life for Other People’s Religious Beliefs