Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett

Clerks II

People, for the love of crap, if you get an email that sounds too good or bad to be true, it probably is. Before you hit the forward button, do a quick Google search for the subject of the email and the word hoax. Or visit snopes.com.

Google search for gas boycott hoax
Gas boycott page on Snopes

Someone taped this gem to the breakroom door at work. I also got it in an email from an otherwise reasonable person. First of all, there's never been a one day gas boycott that dropped the price of gas by 30 cents. Second, if you just buy gas on another day, the monthly total sales won't be different at all. The only things that can drop the price of gas are an increase of supply or a (real) decrease in demand.

If you actually want to do something about gas prices, then use less gas. Bike, walk, carpool, don't travel as much or get a more efficient car.

A couple of weeks ago some students at my high school observed a Day of Silence to protest the harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered students in schools. I considered joining them, but I thought that, as a teacher, it would be difficult to manage my classrooms all day without speaking.

On the day of the protest I heard immature and ignorant comments from some of my ninth graders, which is to be expected. I can deal with that. But what bothered me was what I observed in my Christian students. Several of them engaged in a counter-protest, wearing signs like "God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve." They turned the issue of the day into a simple argument over whether or not homosexuality is right, which misses the point. The students participating in the original demonstration were not trying to say anything about the morality of people's lifestyles: they were raising awareness about the harassment of homosexuals, something any caring individual ought to oppose. It saddened me to see people who are supposed to represent Christ opposing a movement to get people to respect each other.

I bring this up because yesterday the House of Representatives passed a bill that includes sexual orientation under federal hate crime laws. This bill has been opposed by some conservative Christian leaders who are calling for a Presidential veto. If you read the things they say you'll see these leaders trying to scare their followers by claiming the legislation will prevent Christians from saying homosexuality is wrong. This is completely false: hate crime legislation applies only to incidents in which a violent crime has occurred.

So why are Dr. Dobson & Friends opposing this measure so strongly? It's a symbolic battle, creating yet another showdown between the values of conservative Christianity and liberal homosexuality. Like my ninth graders, though, they miss the real point of the bill: to crack down on violence against homosexuals. If there's any piece of legislation all Christians should support, it's this. In a time when we are quick to hate the sin and slow to love the sinner, here is an opportunity to show authentically Christian love. Imagine what it would do for the cause of Christ if, when homosexuals think of Christians, they think of people who work for the care and protection of all people, regardless of race, sex, faith, or even sexual orientation.

Just got back from Spiderman 3. Mixed fruit. May have some spoilers.

Sweet and Sour Spiderman