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Showing posts from January, 2013

Wherein Yoga is Seen by Parents as Promoting Hinduism

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Heard this story on NPR about parents objecting to having their elementary age children take yoga as part of their physical education curriculum. They worried that the school or teachers at the school were attempting to brainwash their kids into Hinduism. They feared that the sun salutations would convince their impressionable children to worship gods of the sun.  One mother said "They were being taught to thank the sun for their lives and the warmth that it brought, the life that it brought to the earth and they were told to do that right before they did their sun salutation exercises." She objects to this teaching, because she thinks it has a religious bias. But if she would read even 2 or 3es well-researched articles  about how yoga can help kids to regulate emotion and feel more energized, as well as to have greater focus, maybe she would feel differently. So much fear all the time from people about stuff they don't understand. It's especially freaky to me

The Bachelor, Season 547

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I decided to just skip the first hour and guess what? There's still nothing going on. He's still meeting the girls/women/girls and it is just so great to meet all of them, and they're all so beautiful and have such beautiful dental work and such shiny lip gloss that he can't take it. Is it okay to tell someone she looks great when they've just meet? Sarah has had some work done and one of the things she had done was to be poured into a white dress. What is this guy's name anyway? Dustin? Destiny? Three black girls already--that is amazing. The rest are blondes named Giana or Tiarana or Broleena. Diana forgot to tell him her name, but she did remember to braid her hair. Lesley brought a flipping football, and she's making him snap it at her. This is so embarrassing. Why does she keep saying Blue 32? Is that from Toy Story? There are like 300 girls and they all have stupid opening lines. Kristie is from Wisconsin and she's brought the best from the Midwe

Downton Abbey Season Three Begins (or, How I Know I've Become a Senior Citizen)

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Dan's Mom and I are both very excited for the first episode of DA , even though I have, in the intervening months, forgotten what is happening. War? Is that one blond guy still crippled? I think he maybe walked a few steps in the season finale. Okay, here we go. Two hours of great dresses and minimal interruptions. I hope I don't find Shirley McClaine too annoying. Get on with it! I've learned that I could buy the soundtrack of DA and the PBS versions of "Every Breath You Take." I will pass, thank you. Laura Linney introduces the show, wearing a  too big black man's suit with a sparkly collar. She is set against a blood red background, not sure why, but I still admire her dimples. My favorite character: the lab they show at the beginning. Oh, dear, now I remember that I can't stand the way that Elizabeth McGovern talks, as if she can't open her mouth all the way. They are in the church, preparing for someone's wedding. Andy and Mary? Or whateve

No New Year's Resolutions

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I didn't make any this year, even after watching a Dr. Phil show about how to succeed (accidentally watching it, okay? Nothing else was on). His remarks are all super common sense like, Have a specific goal in mind, don't buy Twinkies if you're sick of being fat, plan a date night with your partner if you need to feel closer together. I know what the secret to losing weigh is for me: stop eating candy every single day and marshmallow cereal for dinner. Hey, but that Whole Foods organic Three Sister's cereal is so good and only a few thousands of calories per bowl. And the marshmallows are made from free range marshes.YUM! Also, perhaps get back into the habit of going to the gym. But I so hate the gym... It's boring and I get all sweaty and don't arrive home until late. I should think about going at lunch time and/or in the morning like some very organized people I know do. I haven't made myself promise to write more, because I'm still getting up

Mummer's Parade

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This update is way past due, so I don't feel like writing a lot, except that on New Year's Day, we went to the Mummer's Parade for a few hours and saw some great costumes and floats and heard good marching bands and saw old white Philadelphia ladies smoking cigarettes and shouting for beads from the paraders. I believe a good time was had by all, at least until we started to freeze to death and had to go to the diner for breakfast. That was cool too though, because we got a front row seat to the street and could continue watching the carrying-on. French bulldog named Frannie in a red sweater. Get it? Red bull? Charlie Chaplin Lovely drag queen ladies. Check out all the Elvises. Elvi? What do you call a pack of Elvis look-a-likes, the Vegas years? Peacock Pride. Can't recall the theme of this group, but he was the best of the bunch. Philly cops look the other way as people walk by drinking Bud Light.