What Is Your Secular COVID-19 Story?

I think I am a writer and a student of history. The other day in the mist of our self-quarantine, my 76 year old mother asked me if I was recording my experiences during this once in a lifetime pandemic (hopefully once in a lifetime). I hadn’t been actively doing it but she got me thinking about people’s stories. It was then I decided to collect as many of them as people would send me. I am most interested in the secular perspective and so that is the common thread I would like see.

Long after moments in history, such as the COVID-19 outbreak, recede into the ether of historical memories, people will want to know about how those who lived at that time experienced the event. The secular experience probably won’t be much different than a majority of the world population but the goal of The Secular COVIDStories Project is to collect and save for posterity the secular perspective on this tumultuous time in history.

Continue reading “What Is Your Secular COVID-19 Story?”

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Is Not A Christmas Song And Should Be Banned

screencap from video of Baby It's Cold Outside
Adding a Christmas tree still doesn’t make it a Christmas song

‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’, written by Frank Loesser in 1944, is suppose to be a Christmas song with lyrics one couldn’t really make into a song today unless it was a rap song. People lost their minds, as social media outrage can happen, when a few radio stations removed the song from their Christmas play lists. The song isn’t even a Christmas song so the questionable lyrics is just another reason to remove it from the radio during the holiday season.

Continue reading “‘Baby, It’s Cold Outside’ Is Not A Christmas Song And Should Be Banned”

Sorry Not Sorry Famous Men Got Fired For Being A-holes Toward Women

Collage of men accused of harassment with words Sorry Not Sorry on it

The most recent famous men caught up in the acrimony over the long history of sexual assaults and harassment against women include Garrison Keillor and Matt Lauer. Like previous men called out, they lost their jobs. That’s how it should be. For those complaining about due process and false accusations, there has been many YEARS of talking about this and telling men to stop being assholes, so I have NO sympathy for men called out today. Why can’t they keep their hands to themselves?

Don’t get me wrong, I was shocked with some of them – like Charlie Rose, but by and large these men had a reputation behind the scenes that was covered up because they were powerful and/or had the money to pay off accusers.

Continue reading “Sorry Not Sorry Famous Men Got Fired For Being A-holes Toward Women”

The Bill Of Rights Says No One Has To Stand For The Anthem

image of students giving Bellamy salute in 1941
Forced Patriotism circa 1941

I never liked being forced to do something especially if I had major moral issues about it. I had a telemarketing job where I had to sell stuff I knew people didn’t need to buy. As a kid, I hated having to recite the pledge of allegiance and as an adult I refuse to recite it and I don’t stand the for the national anthem. It isn’t because I hate my country, it’s because I love my country and want it to do better. If the pledge and anthem mean anything it’s my right to address my grievances with my government like not standing for the national anthem.

Continue reading “The Bill Of Rights Says No One Has To Stand For The Anthem”