Star Trek remastered!!!

Woo-hoo! A TrekWeb news article says CBS Studios is remastering the entire Star Trek the original series. Not only are the visual effects being redone in CGI, but even the original theme music was re-performed and recorded. I had mixed feelings about G4's TOS airings. On one hand, it was a little fun to see pop-up like trivia, but most of it was trivial and distracting. So it makes sense for CBS to reinvest and upgrade TOS especially since there are several fan-produced episodes and the new TOS movie coming out next year. StarTrek.com also has news item and TVGuide's Insider has the exclusive CGI first image.

The Good Wife's Guide

Last week, I forwarded an e-mail that supposedly reproduced a 1950s home economics or housekeeping magazine article entitled “The Good Wife’s Guide”. However, Snopes.com reports that the article was probably faked.

But then this weekend I read Tanya Erzen’s book, Straight To Jesus: Sexual and Christian Conversions in the Ex-gay Movement, which reminded me of the Good Wife’s Guide. In one section, Erzen observes a “femininity workshop” at an ex-gay conference led by Lori Leander that teaches ex-lesbians about heterosexual femininity:

. . . Leander asked us to define feminity, and [Anne] Paulk answered that women are ‘soft, warm, nurturing, while men’s bodies are hard and muscular.’ Leander agreed and placed a transparency on the overhead projector listing feminine characteristics: nurturing, weak, relational, soft, gentle, responsive, sweet, expressive, charming, delicate, sensually receptive, prudish, and quiet. Her list of negative female traits included spiteful, smothering, weepy, clingy, and wishy-washy. . . [page 150]

Erzen also says Leander "constantly referred to her Lexus car and extensive wardrobe." Leander also provided a "four-page handout with tips on skin care, makeup, hair, and clothing".

So, it appears there are women today who truly do believe and uphold the "Good Wife's Guide".

Alaska trip

Palmer, AK	me on Matanuska Glacier
Sled dog puppies at the Itidarod Headquarters	Ma on Matanuska Glacier

Mom and I just got back from our long weekend trip to Palmer, Alaska. We visited my grandma, aunt, and cousin and did some sightseeing. Although the weather report forcasted rain, it was sunny and relatively warm (50-60s F) during our visit. The Itidarond Headquarters in nearby Wasilla had a team of sled dogs set-up to pull tourists. Yesterday, we hiked up to the Matanuska Glacier (after paying an access fee and signing a disclaimer in the event we fell into a fissure). It was my first glacier. It looked and sounded like walking on top of a giant Slushee. Even more disturbing is when I heard the dripping suddenly increase when the sun came out.

Best Birthday Ever!

Scott and me Originally uploaded by sweber4507.	auntie, sis & ma Originally uploaded by sweber4507.
Dan & Tammam Originally uploaded by sweber4507.	Sheena practices her glare (her bday will soon be here too). Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

I had a great time celebrating my 31st year of life last night. We had dinner at Sungari Pearl ("Yummo").

Portland

Straight Liberals: Have More Babies!!!!

The (conservative) Drudge Report had a link to an interesting article by Arthur C. Brooks in The Wall Street Journal about the fertility gap between American liberals and conservatives:

Simply put, liberals have a big baby problem: They're not having enough of them, they haven't for a long time, and their pool of potential new voters is suffering as a result. According to the 2004 General Social Survey, if you picked 100 unrelated politically liberal adults at random, you would find that they had, between them, 147 children. If you picked 100 conservatives, you would find 208 kids. That's a "fertility gap" of 41%. Given that about 80% of people with an identifiable party preference grow up to vote the same way as their parents, this gap translates into lots more little Republicans than little Democrats to vote in future elections. Over the past 30 years this gap has not been below 20%--explaining, to a large extent, the current ineffectiveness of liberal youth voter campaigns today.

In other words, liberals need to stop practicing birth control, homosexuality, and family planning before conservatives' indoctrinated offspring take over society.

ex-gay setbacks

Over the past year or so, I've been reading and occassionally commenting on two personal, anonymous blogs that support the 'ex-gay' viewpoint. One blog recently disappeared after its 'ex-gay' author's dwindling posts seemed to express his own disillusionment with his struggle.

And this evening, another prominent blogger admitted that the ex-gay struggle she has been part of is now over. This blogger's news is particularly sad since it involves a straight marriage and family. Also, the blogger has been so active in the blog community, sincere, and a caring voice, that I really do wish her and her family the best outcome. I would even argue that a struggling ex-gay should suck it up and at least finish raising their family before giving up the ex-gay experiment. But that is probably unrealistic.

Since I'm mostly a lurker on ex-gay blogs, I don't feel it is appropriate to rain on another person's faith and hope. Although I express my own faith and experience, I try not to attack or dismiss others' beliefs. Right now, I really don't feel it is appropriate to comment on some of these blogs. I hesistate to even post my thoughts here because I really don't want to appear to gloat. But these blogs do remind me of my own tailspin out of the ex-gay movement and religious fundamentalism. It was very confusing and scary to go from a highly idealized, black and white faith to a more pragmatic, questioning faith. Certainty was the appeal of the ex-gay movement and religious fundamentalism. Your sexuality doesn't match-up with doctrine? No problem. Ex-gay ministry will diagnosis the root causes the prescribe the cure. Seek an understanding of God, life, morality? No problem. Religious fundamentalism has all the necessary answers (as long as you ask the right questions). When the cracks in the foundation of these beliefs began to appear, I remember clinging to formula (pray, read the Word, discipline, etc.). Unfortunately, I ultimately felt like a failure for questioning my faith and not succeeding.

Assuming these are authentic, sincere bloggers, I'm glad they have willing to share their journeys with the rest of us and I hope they continue to share their experiences.

exgay

Sunriver

IMG_6910.jpg
Originally uploaded by sweber4507.

Me in a canoe