Month: May 2012

Cross-Country Connections: Old

Brianne Bilyeu, , , 935 Comments

Cross-Country Connections is a Biodork weekly blog entry dedicated to telling stories in pictures of three family members – me, my sister and Mom – living in very different locations across the country. Every week we choose a different theme and then take or contribute a personal photo that fits the theme. This week’s theme is Old.

From Mom in Carbondale, Illinois:

An old picture of an old structure – Hadrian’s wall in Northern England from my first trip abroad.

From me in Minneapolis, Minnesota: 

Old dog would come over there and bite your butt for calling him old, but he’s just too tired right now so “pbttttthhhh”.

From Erin in Bellingham, Washington:

I had breakfast yesterday at an old favorite, The Original Pancake House. A staple of my childhood in suburban Chicago, I squealed with delight the first time I saw one here in Seattle.  Apple Pancake.  Drool.

Cross-Country Connections: Old
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6 O'Clock BS – Board and Card Games

Brianne Bilyeu, , , , 930 Comments

Something fun and light-hearted for this Friday’s 6 O’Clock BS, I think. Since it is Geek Pride Day (many froody returns) I think that board and card games would be a fitting subject.

I grew up with the Hasboro classics, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I started paying closer attention to the games rooms at the relaxacons and scifi conventions and discovered the awesomeness of learning a new random card game or board game.* Some of my recent favorites have been Zar, Kittens in a Blender, Elder Sign and 7 Wonders, which I recently picked up:

7 Wonders – yay! Who wants to play?

Also, the reader for whom the 6 O’Clock BS is named has informed me that her husband has started a board game blog called Tim Win Game. It’s completely devoted to the fun that is playing board games. So, you know…you could check it out…if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

What games do you play?

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*I did play Lunch Money in college, and have fond memories of sitting at Perkins at three in the morning, jittery on too much cheap coffee, trash-talking across the table (I’m not nearly as good at trash-talking as I like to pretend I am…you…goofus.)

 

6 O'Clock BS – Board and Card Games

6 O’Clock BS – Board and Card Games

Brianne Bilyeu, , , , 684 Comments

Something fun and light-hearted for this Friday’s 6 O’Clock BS, I think. Since it is Geek Pride Day (many froody returns) I think that board and card games would be a fitting subject.

I grew up with the Hasboro classics, but it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I started paying closer attention to the games rooms at the relaxacons and scifi conventions and discovered the awesomeness of learning a new random card game or board game.* Some of my recent favorites have been Zar, Kittens in a Blender, Elder Sign and 7 Wonders, which I recently picked up:

7 Wonders – yay! Who wants to play?

Also, the reader for whom the 6 O’Clock BS is named has informed me that her husband has started a board game blog called Tim Win Game. It’s completely devoted to the fun that is playing board games. So, you know…you could check it out…if you’re interested in that sort of thing.

What games do you play?

************************

*I did play Lunch Money in college, and have fond memories of sitting at Perkins at three in the morning, jittery on too much cheap coffee, trash-talking across the table (I’m not nearly as good at trash-talking as I like to pretend I am…you…goofus.)

 

6 O’Clock BS – Board and Card Games

Dinkus of the Day: Pastor Charles Worley

Brianne Bilyeu, , , , 649 Comments

For your viewing displeasure – two minutes of bigotry.

I’m again’ this video.

“Build a great big large fence… put all the lesbians in there… Do the same thing for the queers and the homosexuals and have that fence electrified so they can’t get out…”

“…And you know what, in a few years, they’ll die out… Do you know why? They can’t reproduce.”

*clears throat, raises hand*

Continue reading “Dinkus of the Day: Pastor Charles Worley” →

Dinkus of the Day: Pastor Charles Worley

Not just another bullet point.

Brianne Bilyeu, , , , 581 Comments

Meet Rebecca Hostetler and Julie Redpath. They live in Chisago City, Minnesota; that’s about 45 miles north of me here in Minneapolis. Rebecca and Julie love each other very much and have been together for over 18 years. They can’t get married today, but perhaps someday soon that option will become available.

During this time in our country we are progressing toward marriage and legal equality for gay and lesbian people. So doesn’t it seem preposterous that we have to go to the polls in November and vote on whether to define marriage as between one man and one woman? Isn’t that a step in the opposite direction of where we are assuredly headed? It just. don’t. make. no. sense. The Minnesota Marriage Amendment was brought to ballot by a few vocal hold-outs who think it’s okay that Rebecca couldn’t visit Julie when Julie was hospitalized, who think that these two women’s relationship is imbued with some sort of magical property that somehow makes straight marriage less special.

The MN Marriage Amendment is a road block to progress, so in November let’s go knock it down and get on with our lives. And keep the door open for Rebecca and Julie to be getting on with theirs.

Not just another bullet point.

6 O'Clock BS – Aliens

Brianne Bilyeu, 1,351 Comments

Definition of Humanism from the American Humanist Association:

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

Just keep that in mind.

As a humanist I tend to believe that being human unites us, that we should all live together and try to do so peacefully. That we should cooperate, because by cooperating we can achieve great things.

What about the aliens?

Image Source

My question for today’s 6 O’Clock BS is this: When the sentient, peaceful, galaxy-exploring aliens* arrive and humanity is united and defined by a new “us and them”, what will we humanists call ourselves? I assume we humanists will expand our viewpoint to include this new being, to minimize the “us and them” and find a way to work together to thrive and grow. I hear “Universalists” is already taken.

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*Basically extra-terrestrial humans who don’t want to destroy us and just want to explore and network with other universal beings. Just play along.

6 O'Clock BS – Aliens

6 O’Clock BS – Aliens

Brianne Bilyeu, 442 Comments

Definition of Humanism from the American Humanist Association:

Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism and other supernatural beliefs, affirms our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater good of humanity.

Just keep that in mind.

As a humanist I tend to believe that being human unites us, that we should all live together and try to do so peacefully. That we should cooperate, because by cooperating we can achieve great things.

What about the aliens?

Image Source

My question for today’s 6 O’Clock BS is this: When the sentient, peaceful, galaxy-exploring aliens* arrive and humanity is united and defined by a new “us and them”, what will we humanists call ourselves? I assume we humanists will expand our viewpoint to include this new being, to minimize the “us and them” and find a way to work together to thrive and grow. I hear “Universalists” is already taken.

*********************

*Basically extra-terrestrial humans who don’t want to destroy us and just want to explore and network with other universal beings. Just play along.

6 O’Clock BS – Aliens

Sloganizing Atheism – Try Jesus

Brianne Bilyeu, 364 Comments

Moar Sloganizing!

To learn about the thoughts behind Sloganizing Atheism, read this brief post. In the comments you can add your own response or atheist/secular alternative to the sign o’ the day. Submit original photos with captions/response/secular alternatives to [email protected].

Recognition!

Okay – so Jesus Is … was one of the most popular Sloganizing Atheism posts that we’ve had. I’ve been threatening to start a recognition thingamaroo one of these days once SA picked up steam, and TODAY IS THAT DAY! In the comments you can leave your alternate slogan for today’s SA as usual, but then also add your favorite slogan or comment from the Jesus Is … post (I’d prefer that you put all of this in one comment, plz, but the world won’t stop spinning if you don’t).

Continue reading “Sloganizing Atheism – Try Jesus” →

Sloganizing Atheism – Try Jesus