Everything interesting I've said this morning has been a comment.

[kellinator]

To slsanfran, regarding http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2003/03/09/CM162371.DTL:

Just skimmed the article. Most of my family members are huge NASCAR fans (and I myself follow it with a passing interest, though not one which leads me to watch races or really anything beyond asking my family members who's leading/who won).

That said -- I disagree on the race issue, because I've heard people from my hometown say they like NASCAR because it's white. The bigwigs may like to pretend it's not that way, but to an extent it is. And this morning on the radio they were playing a sound clip from this weekend's "start your engines" -- which ran the gamut from "support the troops" (always a worthy goal, even for those of us who don't agree with the war) to "support American hunters because they're the real conservationists" -- meaning, presumably, those environmentalists who want people to reconsider their SUVs are pinko commie bastards.

A huge cross-section of the country, and especially the South, enjoys NASCAR, but the most vocal fans tend to fly Rebel flags, practice subtle (at best) racism, and talk down to their wimmen. Will that change? I dunno. I sure hope so. But the country's swinging so far right that I doubt it.

And that said, in my experience people with number 3's on their back window are asshole drivers and people with 24's are whiners. Sterling Marlin and Mark Martin fans are usually okay though.

To buckthorn, on my church experience and issues of doctrine (aka, "is Kelly becoming Lutheran because they tell her what she wants to hear?"):

Appreciate your opinion, Brian, but I'm not exactly a babe in the woods here. I grew up Southern Baptist and can give you lists of the inaccuracies spouted at me during sermons. (Example: "America was founded on Christianity." I really wanted to interrupt that sermon and explain to the preacher that most of the Founding Fathers were deists. He probably didn't know what a deist was.)

I've read my Bible through -- in fact, I probably have a better working Biblical knowledge than 90% of the American population. I've thought long and hard before reaching my conclusions, which include 1). a religion based in fear instead of love isn't what Jesus was about, 2). the Bible was divinely inspired, but it was written by men, which means like anything manmade there could have been errors, 3). the Old Testament bars rare steak and fabric blends, and I don't see anyone up in arms over those, and 4). Paul was a lot more interested in telling people they were going to hell (and women to shut up) than Jesus was.

I don't pretend to know the mind of God. Based on what I've seen, Lutherans will come closer to admitting that than Southern Baptists, or pretty much any other group of fundies. Anyway, if I join a church I don't agree with that won't even recognize that rational people can have disagreements over issues of interpretation, I'm a liar and a hypocrite. And one thing Jesus really didn't like was hypocrisy.

To mfree, on gated communities etc.:

I HATE homeowners' associations. I consider them unamerican. Once in a class at Vanderbilt, a girl said her family's homeowners' association controlled what color they could paint their house. I said something along the lines of "You're giving up your rights as an American. Doesn't that bother you?" and I shit you not, she said, "No, because they keep those people out." Stupid bitch.

to cynical7, on delicious David Duchovny:

One of my college profs went to grad school with David Duchovny. He said they all laughed their asses off when he quit to become an actor, because they'd seen him in a play and he was awful. Then he got The X-Files and they all laughed at him again because he wasn't acting, he was playing himself.

He apparently has a magnetism that makes all women want him. Duh, tell me something I don't know.

To tarpo:

I saw The Ring last night. It scared the ever-lovin' shit out of me.

Comments

Re:

[kellinator.livejournal.com]

I do know of a gated community up in Norcross that's really diverse.

I totally get what you're saying about it being a contract -- it's just so bizarre to me that anyone would want that. I mean, why give up your free will on what to do with your own home? Insecurity?Status?

See, I'm from fine redneck stock so I'm not bothered by neighbors who leave old cars up on cement blocks in the yard. I do mock them though ;)

[technomom]

My parents and siblings are some of Those People I mentioned. They judge people very harshly on how astonishingly well their lawns are manicured, and they'd never consider painting their houses "odd" colors anyway. They don't want people putting up ugly fences, or parking cars in their yards. They notice who has extra cars in their driveways a lot, especially if those cars are in place overnight. Oh boy, do they notice! They notice how much trash people generate, and what's in their recycling bins (like too many beer/liquor bottles). They have American flags flying in their front yards and decals on all of their vehicles. Yes, they are Those People, Republican and Southern Baptist to the core.

And we do come of redneck stock - we're from Alabama!