Monday, July 31, 2006
What a strange waste of time
Ban Comic Sans
What an odd campaign.
I wonder if they fall under a different IRS heading?
Tags:ban comic sans
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Born again!
Yes, you can become a born again atheist.
Though I'm not certain I'd call it that. It kind of implies that you have been born into a new world when, in fact, all you've done is drop the illusion you've been stuck with all your life.
Anyhow, I'd always been leaning towards atheism anyhow, but being in AA kind of drew me away for a while.
This revelation was brought about by reading several articles by Sam Harris, author of The End Of Faith.
He wasn't, for the most part, saying much I didn't already know, but what he DID manage to do was bring to the forefront feelings and views that I had not put into a concrete framework. He also showed me the hypocrisy of my actions.
List of Articles
The best has to be the Atheist Manifesto. Its long winded, but worth it if only for this paragraph:
It is perfectly absurd for religious moderates to suggest that a rational human being can believe in God simply because this belief makes him happy, relieves his fear of death or gives his life meaning. The absurdity becomes obvious the moment we swap the notion of God for some other consoling proposition: Imagine, for instance, that a man wants to believe that there is a diamond buried somewhere in his yard that is the size of a refrigerator. No doubt it would feel uncommonly good to believe this. Just imagine what would happen if he then followed the example of religious moderates and maintained this belief along pragmatic lines: When asked why he thinks that there is a diamond in his yard that is thousands of times larger than any yet discovered, he says things like, “This belief gives my life meaning,” or “My family and I enjoy digging for it on Sundays,” or “I wouldn't want to live in a universe where there wasn't a diamond buried in my backyard that is the size of a refrigerator.” Clearly these responses are inadequate. But they are worse than that. They are the responses of a madman or an idiot.
Atheist Manifesto
These articles etc, also helped me realize that my tolerance when it came to other people's faith was misplaced. I don't have to (nor should I) respect their faith. I do (and should) respect their right to believe it.
What does this mean?
It means that I certainly don't burn churches or try to make laws preventing practice of religion. I let people believe what they want and behave how they will, so long as no one gets hurt.
It also means that if someone brings a god or supernatural faith into a discussion, I can treat it with the same weight as if they said "A big blue ocelot told me so".
Tags:atheism Sam Harris god religion
Though I'm not certain I'd call it that. It kind of implies that you have been born into a new world when, in fact, all you've done is drop the illusion you've been stuck with all your life.
Anyhow, I'd always been leaning towards atheism anyhow, but being in AA kind of drew me away for a while.
This revelation was brought about by reading several articles by Sam Harris, author of The End Of Faith.
He wasn't, for the most part, saying much I didn't already know, but what he DID manage to do was bring to the forefront feelings and views that I had not put into a concrete framework. He also showed me the hypocrisy of my actions.
List of Articles
The best has to be the Atheist Manifesto. Its long winded, but worth it if only for this paragraph:
It is perfectly absurd for religious moderates to suggest that a rational human being can believe in God simply because this belief makes him happy, relieves his fear of death or gives his life meaning. The absurdity becomes obvious the moment we swap the notion of God for some other consoling proposition: Imagine, for instance, that a man wants to believe that there is a diamond buried somewhere in his yard that is the size of a refrigerator. No doubt it would feel uncommonly good to believe this. Just imagine what would happen if he then followed the example of religious moderates and maintained this belief along pragmatic lines: When asked why he thinks that there is a diamond in his yard that is thousands of times larger than any yet discovered, he says things like, “This belief gives my life meaning,” or “My family and I enjoy digging for it on Sundays,” or “I wouldn't want to live in a universe where there wasn't a diamond buried in my backyard that is the size of a refrigerator.” Clearly these responses are inadequate. But they are worse than that. They are the responses of a madman or an idiot.
Atheist Manifesto
These articles etc, also helped me realize that my tolerance when it came to other people's faith was misplaced. I don't have to (nor should I) respect their faith. I do (and should) respect their right to believe it.
What does this mean?
It means that I certainly don't burn churches or try to make laws preventing practice of religion. I let people believe what they want and behave how they will, so long as no one gets hurt.
It also means that if someone brings a god or supernatural faith into a discussion, I can treat it with the same weight as if they said "A big blue ocelot told me so".
Tags:atheism Sam Harris god religion
Just call me Reverend!
Not kidding!
As of today I am a Minister in the Universal Life Church!
As Reverend Joel, I am empowered:
. To perform marriages within any US state, following the rules laid out by the state in which
you wish to perform said marriage.
. To perform funerals, baptisms, last rites or any other sort of legal ceremony or ritual you
wish to perform, except circumcision.
. To start a church of your own, be it a bricks and mortar building or on the internet.
. To absolve others of their sins as you have been absolved of yours.
This is particularly ironic in that today I became a born again atheist.
Will wonders never cease?
Tags:reverend ordained atheist
As of today I am a Minister in the Universal Life Church!
As Reverend Joel, I am empowered:
. To perform marriages within any US state, following the rules laid out by the state in which
you wish to perform said marriage.
. To perform funerals, baptisms, last rites or any other sort of legal ceremony or ritual you
wish to perform, except circumcision.
. To start a church of your own, be it a bricks and mortar building or on the internet.
. To absolve others of their sins as you have been absolved of yours.
This is particularly ironic in that today I became a born again atheist.
Will wonders never cease?
Tags:reverend ordained atheist
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Poor, Poor Lobsters
by way of
DailyKos Cheers and Jeers
CHEERS to Yankee Ingenuity. On this date in 1872, the doughnut cutter was patented by John F. Blondel of Thomaston, Maine. Only after his early experiments on lobsters went disastrously wrong.
Tags:Lobsters doughnut
DailyKos Cheers and Jeers
CHEERS to Yankee Ingenuity. On this date in 1872, the doughnut cutter was patented by John F. Blondel of Thomaston, Maine. Only after his early experiments on lobsters went disastrously wrong.
Tags:Lobsters doughnut
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Monday, July 03, 2006
I wish someone would send ME an internet...
This is someone who makes policy???
My favorite quote (and there were many):
"I just the other day got, an internet was sent by my staff at 10 o'clock in the morning on Friday and I just got it yesterday."
I dunno. Sending an internet really might take a couple days.
I mean, there's ALOT of porn out there.
next time he should use BitTorrent.
Tags:net neutrality Ted Stevens Senator Stevens
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Meerkat Manor
Meerkat Manor
So there's the show coming up on Animal Planet called Meerkat Manor.
Now, please note, this is not a single show.
Its a reality series.
We will spend an entire season following a heard? flock? or whatever of meerkats around.
I like meerkats. They are cute and adorable.
But exactly how many episodes can one watch?
"Oh, look, she's standing on her hind legs, again!"
"Hey, watch how they use their hands to eat, again."
I think they'll have to get a little more clever.
Narrarator: Watch, now, as a badger entires the tribe's area.
*shot of badger in cage being released*
Narrarator: The badger delves into the meerkat burrow.
*shot of badger being forced into hole with stick*
Narrarator: This looks like a bad day for our friends.
Thats my kind of show.
Next week, Meerkat Meets Gator!!
Tags:meerkat meerkat manor animal planet Reality TV
Friday, May 26, 2006
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Horrid?
How is this any more horrid than GTA III (vice city or whatever)
because we know the names of these people?
hm.
Tags:columbine video game
Friday, May 19, 2006
See No Evil
See No Evil
This is kind of a weird question, but have you ever thought there should be a movie about a big bald retarded muscleman with extreme religious views running around an abandoned hotel banging people against walls and plucking their eyeballs out? If so, today's your lucky day, and SEE NO EVIL is your movie.
Tags:See No Evil
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Why should I get rid of my cat?
BIG KITTY!!!
yes, but for most animals, 'unpredictable' doesn't imply being turned into lunch:
When asked whether he considers his lion to be inherently dangerous, Collins insisted that any pet can behave unpredictably.
yes, but for most animals, 'unpredictable' doesn't imply being turned into lunch:
"I think it needs to be in a different environment," Hall said. "Everybody here keeps their guns loaded."
yeah, big surprise, its frickin' kentucky
Tags:lion kentucky
Pat Robertson: Meterologist
Pat Robertson Agrees With Weathermen!
The Rev. Pat Robertson says God has told him that storms and possibly a tsunami will hit America's coastline this year.
Or, alternately, you could listen to what the scientists have been saying all year.
Whichever.
Nice when religion backs science.
Tags:Pat Robertson
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
SOAP
YES!!!
I was watching last night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart and he made a SNAKES ON A PLANE JOKE!!!
YES!!!
*in George Bush Voice*
I have just heard on the internet...there are snakes on a plane.
Tags:Snakes On A Plane The Daily Show Jon Stewart
I was watching last night's Daily Show with Jon Stewart and he made a SNAKES ON A PLANE JOKE!!!
YES!!!
*in George Bush Voice*
I have just heard on the internet...there are snakes on a plane.
Tags:Snakes On A Plane The Daily Show Jon Stewart
"I'm Psychic" is a defense
Susan Polk Is Psychic, so its OK
There's no reason to doubt murder defendant Susan Polk's claim that she stabbed her husband in self-defense, and also that she is a psychic, an expert witness told jurors Tuesday.
...
"My understanding is that she's got considerable psychic ability and there's no reason to doubt that," [Retired forensic pathologist Dr. John] Cooper said. "Maybe you don't believe in psychic ability."
Now, whether you been in psychic ability or not, trying to use it in your defense is, in a word, nuts.
Personally, I think two things:
1) Ms. Polk has given up and is trying to set herself up for appeal on the basis that she was incompetant to be her own counsel
2) Dr. Cooper should stay retired.
Tags:Susan Polk Psychic Medium
Taxes
Something is upsetting me.
Taxes.
No, not the paying, thereof, but the complaining.
By the rich about paying a higher percentage than the poor.
Now, don't get me wrong. I hate paying them.
But, people who know more about economics than I do tell me that a gradiated tax system is the best way to go. I know little about economics, so I listen to them.
If someone can show me a flat tax system that gets the government all the money it needs without unduly burdening the poor, I'll listen.
That said...
What I can't stand is when those who make 250K a year bitch that their tax bracket is higher than people who make 35K a year.
They still make a gazillion dollars, don't they?
If anyone has a right to bitch, its people who make about what I do. I do pretty OK, but I'm hardly high-on-the-hog. If *I* am OK with my bracket, doesn't it sound petty for those making well into 6 figures to complain about how unfair it is to them?
As always, its the middle class that takes the brunt of things, and the wealthy who complain about them.
Tags:taxes
Taxes.
No, not the paying, thereof, but the complaining.
By the rich about paying a higher percentage than the poor.
Now, don't get me wrong. I hate paying them.
But, people who know more about economics than I do tell me that a gradiated tax system is the best way to go. I know little about economics, so I listen to them.
If someone can show me a flat tax system that gets the government all the money it needs without unduly burdening the poor, I'll listen.
That said...
What I can't stand is when those who make 250K a year bitch that their tax bracket is higher than people who make 35K a year.
They still make a gazillion dollars, don't they?
If anyone has a right to bitch, its people who make about what I do. I do pretty OK, but I'm hardly high-on-the-hog. If *I* am OK with my bracket, doesn't it sound petty for those making well into 6 figures to complain about how unfair it is to them?
As always, its the middle class that takes the brunt of things, and the wealthy who complain about them.
Tags:taxes
Friday, May 12, 2006
SNAKE ISLAND
Oil pipeline explosion kills up to 200 in Nigeria
Nigerian officials say the pipe exploded on Snake Island.
how cool is it that Nigeria has a place called Snake Island???
(actually, the name is misleading. Its really a peninsula)
Tags:Nigeria oil pipeline explosion Snake Island
Da Vinci Code
Christians Compare Questioning The Story Of Jesus To The Holocaust
In Rome recently, Archbishop Angelo Amato, the No. 2 official in the Vatican's doctrinal office, told Catholic communications officials: "If such slanders, offenses and errors had been directed at the Koran or the Holocaust, they would have justly provoked a world uprising. Instead, directed at the Church and Christians, they remain unpunished. I hope you will all boycott the movie."
Now, I have zero issue with Christians protesting the movie, however, comparing the questioning of the life of Jesus to Holocaust Revisionism is just not quite sane.
If nothing else, there are people who actually personally remember the Holocaust (it was only 60 years ago).
A more appropriate comparison would have been Jesus vs Moses.
People look back at history and question it all the time. The older the history, the more likely it is to have picked up some, shall we say, misleading information.
The only reason to say that questioning the story of Jesus is akin to questioning the accounts of the Holocaust is to assume that the Bible is infalible and so on equal grounds with the objective, verifiable data on the holocaust, as well as the personal accounts, which is fine, but one can't expect non-christians to believe that.
On the plus side, all the demonstrations and actions (except for one nutso group in India who is planning to starve themselves to death) are peaceful.
The core meaning behind it is: Just because the movie is out there, doesn't mean you have to go see it.
And thats EXACTLY how this is supposed to work.
(as opposed to, say, burning down buildings)
Tags:Da Vinci Code
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