Hello Again!

August 9, 2011 By 21 Comments

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico was wonderful.

I zip-lined through the jungle. (And didn’t fall off and die!)

I went snorkeling in the ocean. (Holy $#&%, there are some freaky things down there…)

I drank 3928412 strawberry margaritas. (Who needs to learn Spanish when you can just point to red liquid-y things and make a chugging gesture with your hand?)

And I had some delicious Mexican food…

(I still think Taco Bell is yummier for the price. Screw all of you who think otherwise.)

It’s nice to be back home, though, and the guest bloggers did a *wonderful* job. I’ve had a blast reading through their posts and I’m convinced I need to disappear from my own blog at least once a year and let students take over. They provide terrific insights in creative ways — we all need more exposure to them. So my thanks go out to Jessica Ahlquist, Stef McGraw, everyone at UNIFI, and everyone who contributed a post while I was away.

Now, you’re stuck with me again. I apologize in advance :)

(Thanks to Regina for the link!)

Filed Under: Babies, General, Humor 21 Comments
About Hemant Mehta

Hemant Mehta is the chair of Foundation Beyond Belief and a high school math teacher in the suburbs of Chicago. He began writing the Friendly Atheist blog in 2006. His latest book is called The Young Atheist's Survival Guide.

  • Dan

    Welcome back!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=560775590 T’Face Walrus Topsy

    Another baby eating atheist?!?!  :D   I’m behind in my cultural experiences, I still only eat mine spit-roasted!!

    Glad you had a good time – and ain’t snorkeling and diving amazing?  one of my first loves!

  • Nick

    Is it just me or are there like, three or four articles a day where the hook is “eating babies! ha ha!”

    • Drew M.

      It’s just you.

  • http://honesttogodless.blogspot.com Matt Foss

    Welcome back, Hemant!  I’m glad to see you got to enjoy some of the local flavor while in Mexico – our American babies are just too bland.

  • http://religiouscomics.net/ Jeff P

    Ah, so the Mexican connection is true!

  • Drew M.

    Harumph. I see no molé.  What kind of substandard restaurants did you visit?

  • Jim Thompson

    Let the students guest or cross post with you.  They had some good stuff.

  • TaylorMaid

    Heyyy, that’s a Dosa- Indian Food.

  • Annie

    Welcome back!  Zip-lining and snorkeling sounds like the most civilized way to work off margaritas.

  • DaveP

    Welcome back. Just like to say your guest posters were excellent.

  • Fredericka

    “I drank 3928412 strawberry margaritas.”

    How sweet, by his own testimony Mr. Friendly is an alcoholic who wants you to be one, too. Like they say, ‘You can be good without God: you will just have to reconcile yourself to radically redefining what “good” means.’

    • stellaluna

      hey fredericka:
      please bite me

      • Fredericka

        You can always tell when you’re talking to an atheist. Is it the sweetness? Or the rationality? Maybe it’s the tendency to consume Margaritas. That would explain a lot. You know, Vox Day cites an interesting study in his book ‘The Irrational Atheist.’ The study authors are more interested in establishing a positive correlation between atheism and suicidal ideation, but they mention in passing that the unaffiliated group were more likely to report a history of substance abuse: “Furthermore, a history of substance use disorder was more common in the subjects with no religious affiliation (Table 2). Subjects with no religious affiliation also reported fewer perceived reasons for
        living (Reasons for Living Inventory).” (Religious Affiliation and Suicide Attempt, p. 2305 (http://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/reprint/161/12/2303)).

    • http://www.daylightatheism.org/ Adam Lee

      I couldn’t agree more. For one thing, being good without God requires radically redefining “good” to no longer include things like genocide and slavery, both of which are taught and endorsed in the Bible along with many other atrocities.

      • Fredericka

        Hi Adam. You say the Bible teaches and endorses slavery? But then why limit the service of a Hebrew to six years?: “And if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.  And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty:  Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock, and out of thy floor, and out of thy winepress: of that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee thou shalt give unto him.  And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.” (Deuteronomy 15:12). If people had perfectly obeyed the law of Moses, there would have been no Hebrew slavery at all, rather, “And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.” (Leviticus 25:35). Failing perfect obedience, there are two backstops, the sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee, in which slaves are set free. As to the question, who is a Hebrew,– i.e., who is my neighbor,– Jesus addresses that one very well.

  • http://twitter.com/hipopotamo Hipopótamo de Río

    Glad you enjoyed the Mexican hospitality Hemant! Puerto Vallarta is indeed a nice place to visit. I did the zip-lines once, the only Mexican among a group of American tourists, so I was kind of an instant celebrity.
    My taste for Margaritas has long been saciated, but I still drink one of the colored stuff everynow and then!
    How dare you say the goo served at Taco Bell is better than the most humble True Mexican Taco? I should quit reading your blog now! (sneer, he)
    Well, maybe there is the problem of finding decent vegetarian food here! Well, if you come to Mexico city I’ll introduce you to huitlacoche, and your life will change forever. Think of it as… revelation!

    Cheers from the Hippo!

  • Trace

    Arghhhhh!  Love you, loved the guest posters, but the Taco Bell comment tweaked my foodie mentality sideways. 
    Puleeze…find a Mexican friend to raise your consciousness on this subject!  :>

  • Docroberts

    I hate to tell you, but that’s INDIAN food.  See the fluffy Naan, the Basmati Rice.  The metal tray is a dead give away.  MMMMM Tandoori Baby.  My favorite!

    • Docroberts

      PS> Ask Hemant when he gets back.