Ignorance and apathy. I don't know and I don't care

53% ?

2011-11-08T15:23:00.028-06:00

Bible verse of the day:

(We know I don't believe it, but YOU might)

"All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against. Those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and preach these principles. " ~ 1 Timothy 6:1-2

Careful, there 53%er , you just might ~~be an Uncle Tom~~ develop Stockholm Syndrome.

For a more human perspective on the occupy movement, I suggest PeNolan

over at Menopausal Stoners .

'sup ?

2011-09-22T21:44:00.000-05:00

I know I have been gone for a long time.
You know how it is, you just get busy and time gets away from you? No? Well, it does.

That, and my son moved out of town with his mother. Trust me, a melancholy mac isn't the best read. I have ran the full spectrum of emotions over that one. I've pretty much settled on his "mother is not a nice person" . I won't get into a name calling or blame contest....because that would make me an asshole too ;-)

Needing a smile, I found this:

If this doesn't warm your heart, not much will :-)

Out of the mouths of babes...

2011-06-02T18:11:00.004-05:00

I tend to not delve into partisan politics here, on this blog. The reason being, I see most politicians as pretty much the same.
However, every now and then, I see something so funny, I just have to share it.

The following video is one such item:

Honestly, you can't make up shit like this !

How about the way the superintendent passes the buck? I wonder how much he gets paid to act stupid.

Who does this Hawking guy think he is, anyway ?

2011-05-18T00:02:00.001-05:00

Recently, The Guardian published an interview with Stephen Hawking ( Here ) where he expounds on life, death, and the beginning of the universe, among other things.
In response to Mr Hawking's views , The Washington Post published this from Nicholas Wright:

________________________
It’s depressing to see Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant minds in his field, trying to speak as an expert on things he sadly seems to know rather less about than many averagely intelligent Christians. Of course there are people who think of ‘heaven’ as a kind of pie-in-the-sky dream of an afterlife to make the thought of dying less awful. No doubt that’s a problem as old as the human race. But in the Bible ‘heaven’ isn’t ‘the place where people go when they die.’ In the Bible heaven is God’s space while earth (or, if you like, ‘the cosmos’ or ‘creation’) is our space. And the Bible makes it clear that the two overlap and interlock. For the ancient Jews, the place where this happened was the temple; for the Christians, the place where this happened was Jesus himself, and then, astonishingly, the persons of Christians because they, too, were ‘temples’ of God’s own spirit.
Hawking is working with a very low-grade and sub-biblical view of ‘going to heaven.’ Of course, if faced with the fully Christian two-stage view of what happens after death -- first, a time ‘with Christ’ in ‘heaven’ or ‘paradise,’and then, when God renews the whole creation, bodily resurrection -- he would no doubt dismiss that as incredible. But I wonder if he has ever even stopped to look properly, with his high-octane intellect, at the evidence for Jesus and the resurrection? I doubt it -- most people in England haven’t. Until he has, his opinion about all this is worth about the same as mine on nuclear physics, i.e. not much.
As for the creation being self-caused: I wonder if he realises that he is simply repeating a version of ancient Epicureanism? i.e. the gods are out of the picture, a long way away, so the world/human life/etc has to get on under its own steam. This is hardly a ‘conclusion’ from his study of the evidence; it’s simply a well known worldview shared by most post-Enlightenment westerners. It is the worldview which enables secular democracy to consider itself an absolute, despite its numerous and rather obvious failings right now. The depressing thing is that Hawking doesn’t seem to realize this and so hasn’t even stopped to think that there might be quite sophisticated critiques of Epicureanism, ancient and modern, which he should work through. Not least the Christian one, which again focusses on Jesus.
Of course, the old set-up of the ‘science and religion’ debate was itself deeply influenced by this same worldview, and needs realigning. In fact, the ancient Christians would have been shocked to see their worldview labelled as a ‘religion.’ It was a philosophy, a politics, a culture, a vocation... the category of ‘religion’ is part of the problem, not part of the solution.
_________________________________

Excuse me Rev Wright, I think Mr Hawking is emminently qualified to speak on the origins of the Universe. Perhaps he can't speak to your religion. But, he cancertainly use reason and science to show it's implausable. Just because his findings don't point your way, does not mean he can't speak expertly on a subject.

Evidence for the resurrection? Are you kidding? What evidence have we? Ancient writings done a generation (or more) removed can scarcely be counted as evidence. Or am I wrong? I wonder if Rev Wright has examined this evidence objectively as well.

As to Wrights claims of Hawking's "Epicurean" stance (ie. God is not really in the picture anyway): I can't argue that. Can anyone show me how God is in the modern picture? We haven't heard much from him since he knocked up that virgin. What has he done these last 2,000 years?

Then, Rev Wright closes with the old "Christianity isn't a religion and Jesus didn't establish it as such" argument.
I'm sorry, Rev Wright. But in John 16:6 when Jesus says, " “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.", he is doing just that. He is establishing a religion, not a philosophy, not a really cool way to behave, but a religion !

But, I understand. That eletronic voice thingie kinda creeps me out too ;-)

Whatever happened to giving peace a chance ?

2011-04-08T19:46:00.001-05:00

Some will tell you it's all the Conservative's fault. Some will tell you it's all the Liberal's fault.
The Christian will tell you it's the Muslim. The Muslim will tell you it's the Jew. The Jew will tell you it's the antisemite.....

I'm here to tell you, it's all their faults. And ours, too!
Why don't we demand a stoppage to the seemingly endless conflicts? Why do we trust any politician when they claim they will end "this war".

I know, many will say I am being naive, that we must stop these thugs.
Again, I ask, "Why?" Why must the US involve itself in the business of a sovereign nation? Would we appreciate it if they did it to us?

Tell me this shit isn't about oil?

Maybe one of you smart folks can explain this to me :(

I have found god....

2011-04-01T14:04:00.000-05:00

Yes, he resides in your brains.

Let's all be good to one another on this April 1st :-)

What the ............

2011-03-15T11:33:00.001-05:00

I was visiting Stacy (Colloquy) over on facebook. She has the most amazing links ever :-)
I saw this one and was speechless !

Elephant paints self-portrait !
How amazing is this? Thank you, Stacy :-)

We're not so different

2011-02-09T10:27:00.001-06:00

If you know me, chances are you know I don't follow any religion. You may know that I sometimes rail against Christianity. You may also know, I have similar feelings for most religions.

What you may not know is, I have no desire to end your religion. I will never knock on your door at 7:00am Saturday morning to tell you, " God does not exist. You are not going to Hell if you don't change."

I do not wish you harm because you pray to a god of your understanding. Regardless of whether it's Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Santeria, Sikhism, Hinduism, Paganism, or whatever, you are very close to my feelings on religion. That is, you disbelieve all of them, save yours. I just don't believe yours either.

I have no belief in 4,200 religions, the theist has no belief in 4,199 religions.
See, We are the same :-)

Namaste.

You have a problem with women?

2011-01-21T20:20:00.000-06:00

The lady pictured above is Olivia Munn. She is quite an attrative woman. Recently, she has come under
controversy due to a magazine cover for Maxim Magazine.

Dan Gainor, Vice President of Business And Culture at The Media Research Center claims, "It’s disgusting. Maxim has moved their magazine from tawdry to full-on pornography.”

If by "pornagraphy", Mr Gainor means the photo is arousing, it is. However, I am also aroused by the top photo of Olivia. Is that porn as well?
I simply do not see anything to be concerned about here. It seems much less disturbing than offering someone, anyone, $100 to punch a sitting congressman, right Mr Gainor?

I dunno, what do you guys think?
Is this magazine cover over the top? Should Miss Munn be hel liable 'cause she's so darned sexy?

It kinda sneaks up on ya

2011-01-17T13:48:00.001-06:00

January 17, 1992.
I am not sure why that particular day was any different than the hundreds before it. I had sworn to do it many times before. I didn't.
Maybe I grew up mentally as well as physically that day. Perhaps my brain was catching up to my 220 pound body? Maybe riding that motorcycle in all those cold Ohio winters made me think I should get my act together, establish myself as a viable member of society, and just grow the fuck up already.
Of course, I wanted to know where, and with whom, I would wake up on any given morning too ;-)

(Pre-Peaches)

January 16 1992: I got drunk for the last time. Sorry, Jack Daniels, I do not miss you any longer.
19 years today, I have been sober. Who wants to celebrate with a good drink ?

Now, my other addictions are not quite so easy to give up. I miss you, darlin :-)

Christmas is Christian?

2010-12-20T22:30:00.001-06:00

Ok, so the holiday we call Christmas does have the word Christ in it. But, what about all those traditional Christmas customs?

Let's begin with the timing. If one reads the Bibe, it certainly points to a time other than late December as the birth of Jesus. Oddly enough, many pagan rituals predating Jesus' birth take place in this time of year. Late December, specifically, the 25th, seems to be the time of birth for many deities - all predating Jesus.

Now then, what about those trees? Our beautiful Christmas trees, surely they are strictly christian in nature? Sorry, no they are not. The use of evergreen trees is a European pagan tradition. The evergreen symbolized rebirth to these pagans and was used in the celebration of the winter solstice. Which occurs, amazingly enough, in late December. These was referred to as the celebration of Yule, for their "Sun God".

The fat man in a red suit? Well, it seems he may have started out as Odin, the pagan Norse god, a frightful character if ever there was.

None of which means a damned thing. Just don't try to convince me that "Jesus is the reason for the season". Because, it seems he has little to do with it after all.

Happy Holidays, pagans ;-)

The purpose of life

2010-11-07T19:33:00.000-06:00

The Muslims purpose may be to serve Allah, the Christian to serve God (they are the same!).
The parent's purpose may be to see that her children grow into fine adults.
The addicts purpose may be to find his next fix, or to get himself clean.
Politically, conservatives have a purpose, liberals have a different purpose.
A woman's purpose may be to be independent, or to be partnered with someone.
A man may or may not want self sufficiency.

My point is, we all want something different. We all have different perspectives, regardless how large or small those differences may be, they are differences. How then, can we ever hope to see a universal Purpose of Life?

In my life, I had the good fortune to meet and train with the father of American Tae Kwon Do, Grand Master Jhoon Rhee. Master Rhee and I are from different cultural backgrounds, different ethnic groups, and different religious beliefs. However, he taught me the universal purpose of life. The purpose, as he explained it, transcends all of our differences. We ALL have the same purpose.
The Purpose of life is to be Happy.

Simple really. We are supposed to be happy. Whatever we may do, whatever we may say, how ever we may believe, is all done in the pursuit of our happiness.

Can we actually achieve happiness? Who knows? What is important, is that we strive for that happiness.

Of course, we must be careful that the pursuit of our happiness does not infringe on someone else's happiness. Or at least try :-)

Or, I suppose one could follow Emerson:
"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well."

But, then again, he is merely stating what made him happy ...

......

And, Yes. I am pursuing my own happiness ;-)

The Religious Right vs Jesus...

2010-09-30T18:22:00.000-05:00

We see a lot of conservative flak generated towards president Obama these days. They like to claim he is a socialist, or worse, a muslim.

I know that not many good muslims would claim to be christian, so we could probably toss that one out on that basis alone. The socialist claim, however, might be a little harder to deal with.

I'll concede that some of his plans, from my limited understanding, may seem socialist. But so do a lot of other, time honored, American institutions (The military, public schools, and Social Security, just to name a few). Whether or not he is a socialist, I'm not convinced.

But, if we are to judge Obama by the criteria set forth by the conservatives, perhaps we should aso hold another, beloved, leader to the same criteria???

Yes, I am going there.

Jesus was a socialist !

"How so?" you ask. Let's examine together, shall we?

__________________________________________
"And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth. Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God" Mark 10:21-25

"My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? But ye have despised the poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and draw you before the judgment seats? Do not they blaspheme that worthy name by the which ye are called?" James 2:1-7 (he's really giving it to the "rich pricks" here)

And, finally, what about that Health Care fiasco of the president's?
"When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." - Matthew 25:38-41. It seems Jesus is, in no uncertain terms, telling his followers that they are, indeed, responsible for taking care of their less fortunate brethren.

__________________________________

But, hey, I'm no Christian. Nor, am I a socialist. But if I were either, I'd certainly see the connection here.

Religious Right,

isn't it about time you started following the teachings of your master?

Blogger isn't updating my posts. Wassupwithat??

2010-09-16T23:38:00.003-05:00

OK, I have been neglecting this blog for quite some time. It's just that I haven't had sufficient ire for a good rant. Or, what passes for a good rant from me ;-)

Shit, folks, look at the title. Do you actually think I came up with apathy by mistake? ~~Ingnerence~~ ~~Egnorence~~ ~~Ignnorince~~ Ignorance fits pretty well too.
I am those things !

Where was I?
Yes, my rant.

What the HELL is up with Texas wanting to remove Thomas Jefferson from their History textbooks ? http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/13/education/13texas.html

They seem to have a problem with the fact he was NOT a good christian sheep it seems. I've read a lot of Jefferson, and while he may be somewhat of a hypocrite by today's standards, he is one of the finest political philosophers in history. Yes, he advocated the separation of church and state. No he did not say you couldn't worship, or that you had to worship. He merely felt that it should an individuals free choice whether he worshipped as a Christian, a Jew, or whatever.
Or maybe they have a problem reconciling what the man who wrote the Declaration of Independance meant and their twisted version that they would like us to believe ?

The following quote seems quite explanatory (to me anyway):
"But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." Jefferson, Notes on Virginia 1782

Like it or not, Texas School Board, Jefferson was instrumental in the development of our American form of government . To try and downplay that contribution to our society is to be remiss in your duties as an educational body.

And, back to me, and my lack of posting lately... screw it. I aint no nice guy after all.

Doncha just love Motorhead?

forgive me

2010-08-11T20:18:00.002-05:00

We see the idea of forgiveness bantied about a lot in relation to religion. I'm not really sure I need to be forgiven for much, on a spirital level anyway.

I have wronged a bit in the past. I think most of the ladies have forgiven me my transgressions.

But this makes me question the need for forgiveness from a creator type being. Why would he need to forgive us for acting like he made us ?

Yes, forgive me my personal transgressions. Punish me if I break the law. But, why would I seek frgiveness from a god that created me to be how I am?

What would you do...

2010-07-09T21:27:00.000-05:00

I've always liked this song. Well, not always, but since 1983, when it came out, I have liked it.

It brings an interesting question to my mind:
____________________________

And if I show you my dark side
Will you still hold me tonight?
And if I open my heart to you
And show you my weak side
What would you do?
Would you sell your story to Rolling Stone?
Would you take the children away
And leave me alone?
And smile in reassurance
As you whisper down the phone?
Would you send me packing?
Or would you take me home?
____________________________

What becomes of us after we share our deepest secrets with another ? And, is that a good idea?

....I don't mean my Peanut Butter fantasies, so behave yourselves.

or not ;-)

Say it with me....or to me.

2010-06-18T20:24:00.000-05:00

Everybody knows it.
Some may pretend they don't, but I imagine we all have used it at one time or another. Some of us more than others.

Don't be shy, as this video demonstrates, it is the most useful of words.

Now that we can admit that we have all used it at least once, join me in saying,
Fuck You !

Fuck you BP !
Fuck you Boss for making me start work at 6am, forcing me to awaken at 4:30am.
Fuck you little old lady who pulled out in front of me today. You almost died!
Fuck you religion for screwing up so many minds.

Fuck the fucking fuckers !

Please, feel free to add a "Fuck You" to anything that has gotten under your skin lately!

God Thinks.....

2010-06-02T19:30:00.002-05:00

Which one?

Now, explain how your version of God is different. I hope he is.

AND, since the ladies say Voltaire sucks, I give you Motorhead!

Apparently Grandma had a thing for cavemen...

2010-05-16T13:58:00.000-05:00

I admit, this is way above my head. But I am interested how we, as a species, came about.

Well, yeah, it's boring and science-y. But, it does explain a few things about our origins.

It appears that modern humans may have about 2% Neanderthal as part of their genetic makeup.

Some of us, maybe more ;-)

Intersting too, is this research, that suggests we may have eaten our homonid ancestors into extinction. That, too, makes me wonder why we, as humans, are so damned cruel!

Oklahoma is not OK

2010-05-05T11:34:00.001-05:00

The state of Oklahoma has recently passed legislation that requires all women having an abortion to witness a sonogram of the fetus they are carrying. There is to be no exceptions, to include rape and incest victims.

Bullshit Oklahoma!
I don't work in the medical field, but I do know, depending on the stage of pregnancy, some sonograms must be performed transvaginally.
Imagine, if you can, a young girl is raped. Imagine that she doesn't want to be reminded of the criminal that did this to her everyday for the rest of her life, or even bring an incestuous baby into the world, so she makes the painful decision to abort - Only to be violated again by a doctor.

Does that make any sense?

I imagine the thought process is that forcing the woman to see the fetus might convince her to not abort.
We might enforce similar laws regarding other "distasteful" things in our society. We could force our children to watch videos of babies drowning before we taught them about Noah's Ark? Surely if one believes the story, one must admit that babies did, indeed, drown!
Ridiculous? Maybe, but so is forcing rape victims to be undergo more humiliation.

A new day ...

2010-04-26T15:48:00.000-05:00

"God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?" - excerpt from The Madman by Friedrich Neitzsche

Well, Fred, if we must find a new religion, I suggest Love.

Ziggy speaks for me here. Let us pray :-)

Maybe I should wash my dirty mind.

2010-03-29T10:57:00.001-05:00

We all have our preconceptions. Some are stronger than others. But we have them, none the less.

None of this means you are necessarily wrong. It means that you would probably believe the same whether or not you are wrong.
Sure, there are other factors involved. Our personalities play a great deal in our beliefs.

I'm a synic by nature. I tend to not believe in things unless I have proof. The greater the claim, the more proof I require. Some people are not as cyncal, they believe without much questioning. I don't understand them. But I understand that they might not understand me either.

I suppose the point I wish to put acroos is, don't accept things as true or false just because you come from a different perspective.
We see it often.
In politics, republicans and democrats often disagree merely based on party lines. Some of what the other side does and says makes a lot of sense, but we fail to see it because "they are not us". Stop that!
In religion, people can see the flaws in someone elses faith, but fail to see glaring flaws in their own. Christians hate Muslims, Muslims hate Jews, Everybody hates those pesky Hare Krishnas...Stop it. You're all delusional to a point.

Can't we just accept that we all are a little different. Those differences are what makes it all so fascinating to me. Go on, give it a try :-)

I'll get around to it, at some point.

2010-03-10T17:36:00.000-06:00

I bought this old house a few of months ago. I was supposed to be a little further along in the "fixing it up" process than I am now. Things happen, you know?

Really, it's mostly cosmetic things that need done.

Like getting rid of this awful blue paint in the Living Room

I went with neutral colors.

The floors are quite nice, and don't need a lot of work. Though, I'm sure this beast will change all that.

The house was built in the 1920s. At 1800sf, it's kind of big for me, the dog and our part-time roommate, my son. But, I like the space. The big rooms and 10ft ceilings appeal to my male sensibilities

I will get around to finishing. I just happen to be kind of like this guy.

...In more ways than one might imagine

Consider, if you will...

2010-03-02T09:58:00.003-06:00

The debate rages on (in my mind) over this idea of Free-will.

Am I getting close pboy?

This guy makes a few points. Why do humans, among all other creatures, seem to be the only ones exempt from chance?

What is the plan this god has for us and why would he (she/it) subject us to this delima, if only to punish us for not doing as he wishes?

I'm sure everyone has heard about the dyslexic agnostic with insomnia...

Yes, he lay awake at night wondering if there was a dog

Why I aughta...

2010-02-25T20:34:00.001-06:00

The world is crumbling?
Kids today are so terrible?
They're damned ingrates?
We were never like that, were we?
We appreciated all we had?

These guys had it made compared to my upbringing!

"What is happening to our young people? They disrespect their elders, they disobey their parents. They ignore the law. They riot in the streets inflamed with wild notions. Their morals are decaying. What is to become of them?" - Plato, 400 bc

"I see no hope for the future of our people if they are dependent on frivolous youth of today, for certainly all youth are reckless beyond words... When I was young, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly wise [disrespectful] and impatient of restraint" - Hersoid, 800 bc

It seems young folks being a pain in the ass is nothing new. I know they're frustrating. But usually, I find it is mostly me, forgetting what it was like being a kid myself :-)

Still, if that boy of mine doesn't straighten up, I'm gonna clobber him good !

Good News ... well, maybe

2010-02-20T10:13:00.001-06:00

If National Geographic Magazine can be believed, A new study would suggest that cell phone radiation may protect against and even slow the effects of Alzheimers Disease.

This is good news, if it's correct. At least, for me, it's good news ;-)

It's good in as much as cell phone usage has become ubiquitous.
So much so, that I often wonder what we did before we had such conviences. We actually had to seek out payphones if we needed to make a call on the run.
Not only have we come to rely on the phone's calling convenience, we demand so much more from our phones now. They must text, email, have web access and a host of advanced things unheard of just a few years ago. My phone makes toast (milquetoast?).

Is our reliance on mobile phones just another in our growing list of technological dependencies? Do these dependencies make us stronger?

this is my current POS phone

Ha, I just now see the irony of asking those questions in this format :-)

Come back anytime, buddy.

2010-02-18T21:13:00.000-06:00

Recently, our blogger buddy oneblood seemed to disappear.
I had been trying to locate him, emailing and whatnot.

I heard from him, just now :-)

He's fine.

He mentioned time constraints, familial obligations, and schoolin' were a big factor. Ya gotta respect those priorties!

He'll be missed around here, surely. But, I suspect he may pop in from time to time, even if he didn't say as much.

Faith ! What good is it?

2010-02-09T14:07:00.000-06:00

I think the fact that we can't prove god exists is a given at this point.
But, "Ya gotta have faith", you say.
Why?

saying it much better than I could ever!

I suppose if you have faith, it's OK for YOU. But, please understand that your faith does not, in any way, make the object of your faith any more real.

Understand that having faith and, indeed, even prayer may get resutls for you. But, just as likely, so will meditation to yourself.
It is the human mind, in my opinion, that causes the faith and prayer to work, not some distant cosmic power.

Let's give ourselves credit. We are the gods!

When you can't be all that you can be.....

2010-02-04T23:07:00.000-06:00

There's talk around Wahington about lifting the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy in the military. Even General Colin Powell (ret USArmy) has gotten behind the lifting of the ban. Powell, you may remember, was previously against homosexuals openly serving in the Army. He said it was a "behavioral characteristic", unlike skin color, which was a "benign characteristic".

Powell now says, "If the chiefs and commanders are comfortable with moving to change the policy, then I support it. Attitudes and circumstances have changed. Society is reflected in the military. It’s where we get our soldiers from."
Other than ending his sentence with a preposition, he's right.

The Army has long been a forerunner in civil rights. Black Americans were integrated in the Army before society at large accepted them as equals (if they are today?). The complete desegragation of races was not implemented overnight. It was a slow process. Many fine examples of valor among "negro" units exist. From the Buffalo Soldiers to the Tuscagee Airmen, black Americans had fought and died with distinction - only to be segragated.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell was a landmark decission, to be sure. Up to that point, homosexual Americans had been barred from service in any branch of the military. Don't ask, don't tell provided a way for homosexuals to serve. However, serving came with restrictions. They had to stay in the closet, living in secrecy.

Race is a bit harder to keep secret. But, should anyone be forced to deny a most fundamental human right as basic as loving who you wish to love? In the United States?

C'mon folks, let's end this bigotry quickly!
What's the great fear? Does anyone really believe homosexuals are less capable to wage war? Is it really any of our business who an adult loves? Are we afraid we'll somehow get gay blood on us and morph into drag queens on the battle feild?

Sure some people aren't going to like it. But, a lot of people weren't comfortable with the idea of intergratin of races either. Would any reasonable person now say that was a bad idea ?

Yabba Dabba Doo

2010-01-27T12:40:00.004-06:00

Good ol' nostalgia.
I often hear folks pine away about the "good old days". When I do, I wonder, "When, exactly, were those good old days?".

Lately, I've been thinking our tendacy toward this kind of thinking is just a sympton of getting older.

I mean, "the good old days" never really existed, did they?
No.
I think what we actually miss is our own personal innocence.
We didn't know what the world was. We didn't know that the world was ugly, full of danger.

Basically the "good old days" were only good if you were white, male, Christian, played along with your government, or weren't old enough to know better.

But, even then, how good was it if you couldn't be yourself?
If we go back to those idealyc days, does that mean we go back to the persecution of anything different? Well, I for one, don't want to go!

And, yeah. I just get a kick out these old smoking videos :-)

a diversion

2010-01-21T23:48:00.002-06:00

Once in a land far, far away there lived a group of people called Trids. The Trids were happy except for the huge ogre that lived on the mountain. The ogre would periodically terrorize the Trids.

The Trids tired of the ogre and sought to reason with him. They thought one of their religious leaders would be a good intermediary.
So a group of Trids and their minister went up the mountain and before they could even say one word the ogre kicked them down the mountain.
Not being dismayed the Trids thought that maybe the ogre was Catholic, so they sent another delegation, this time led by the local priest.
But alas, as they approached the ogre he once again kicked them all down the mountain.

The Trids were upset until they thought that perhaps the ogre was Jewish. Unfortunately, no Trids were Jewish, so they wrote to the people of another land and asked them to send a Rabbi to help them with the ogre.
The Rabbi arrived and led a delegation of Trids up the mountain. The ogre saw them coming and kicked all of them, except for the Rabbi, down the mountain. The Rabbi, having been told of the previous expeditions, wondered why he alone had not been kicked down the mountain, so he asked the ogre. The ogre laughed and replied:

"Silly Rabbi, kicks are for Trids!"

Update:
Since Pliny has graced us with his genius, g'head everybody, give me your best groaners ;-)

Wrestling the Pope .....(Someone sent me this song and it awakened my rage, sorry folks)

2010-01-08T21:32:00.001-06:00

I don't really want to tackle the Pope. I'll leave that to crazy folks like this:

No, although the lack of security is woefully amusing, the wrestling I want to do with the pope is figurative.
I know it's old news by now, but I want to know what ~~Ratzinger~~ Benedict is doing about the appalling child molesters that rank among his clergy.

Unholy pedophile
Praying on the innocent
Protected by the papacy
So-called men of enlightenment
Children fingered by the hand of god
Raped in the name of Christ
They took a vow of chastity
Yet have torn asunder so many a life

Chickenhawks of the Catholic Church
Out to save and destroy
They have become the priest of burden
And he's become an altered boy

Men so benevolent
In a position of trust
Molesting children by the score
Rendering youg life staight into dust
They're church is their Golgotha
Their chucified by the priest
Child becomes the victim
Holy father becomes the beast

Chickenhawks of the Catholic Church
Out to save and destroy
They have become the priest of burden
And he's become

Multi-million lollar payouts
Resitution for their crimes
This vile sickness
Cut to many down in their prime
All the bishops and the cardinals
Tried to hide it away
In the parish and cathedrels
The pedators come to prey

Chickenhawks of the Catholic Church
Out to save and destroy
They have become the priest of burden
And he's become

What have you done Benny (other than blame the victims)?
It would seem trivial to suggest we pray for your prey.
What will you do about the lives your priests have destroyed?

Gender, sexism, and some other stuff

2010-01-05T11:13:00.001-06:00

Oneblood and I were discussing sexism (well, "isms" in general, but you know everthing with me is sex?). I asked what his ideas were in regards to my fondness for females in relation to sexism. ie, does my objectifying women equate to sexism?
He challenged me to post on the subject. And, I haven't posted a new one in a while, so here goes.....

I really like women. I like them in all shapes, sizes, and ethnicities. I find great beauty in the female form. If I were to have a religion, my deity would most assuredly be a woman.

That is not to say, I don't have female friends. I do, many, in fact.

Gender aside, are we objectifying those we are attracted to? Is sex, itself, sexist?

Choices ?

2009-12-14T23:45:00.001-06:00

I've been wondering about the idea of free will.

How is it a freely given choice if punishment for choosing the wrong choice is so severe?

I am sorry folks .

2009-09-30T20:33:00.000-05:00

My net has been down and will continue to be down for a while, I am borrowing access from an old friend for a while.

But, I am still lurking about reading all your posts and comments. My crappy cell phone, however will not allow me to comment or post any of my own...suck!

Anyway, I'll throw this one up for a chuckle (or not) until I can return triumphant ( or not ;-)

helmet laws suck !

2009-09-21T23:06:00.008-05:00

Motorcycle helmets are a good idea. The mandatory use of said helmets is a bad idea.

Having ridden motorcycles most of my adult life, I am finding it frustrating here in Tennessee wearing a helmet. Yes I know I SHOULD wear one, but isn't that my decision?

I am way past 21 years. At what point am I considered capable of making those tough decisions? Is it the governments job to protect me from myself? I have never requested, nor do I feel the need for such protection from myself.

I really like the feel of the wind in my face and hair. The helmet really restricts that feeling.

Good Blues

2009-09-12T20:32:00.004-05:00

Damn, this is some good Blues.

another mule kickin' in your stall.........

Epicurus

2009-09-04T15:25:00.000-05:00

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing?

Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing?

Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?

Then why call him God?

Sacrifice !

2009-08-17T17:22:00.000-05:00

I understand sacrifice. I know a parent will sacrifice almost anything so a child will be happy and healthy. I know a lover will sacrifice things so their mate can gain something. I am familiar with the concept.

I do not, however understand the sacrifice that was Jesus' Crucifixion.

If I am christian, I must believe Jesus death was necessary for my salvation, that he had to die so my sins would be forgiven. I hear this enough to know the general idea.

What I do not understand is, why is such sacrifice needed? According to the holy books, God made man in his own image.

IF we are in God's image, what is the problem?

I hear Jesus' blood cleansed us all. Why the need for blood? Why would a loving god require blood sacrifice? Do we really want to worship such a nasty entity, requiring blood seems sadistic?

It makes no sense.
God needs us to sacrifice blood, because we are inherently bad. God has a son, Jesus. God sends his son, who he loves very much, in place of our blood sacrifice. Because said son was sacrificed, we no longer need to make blood atonement.

If this God had a son, why would he not just send him here to tell us how to be better, perhaps even show us? Couldn't God come up with a better way to accept our penance?

If I can see the silliness involved with this plan, how does it slip past a SUPREME BEING ?

Go to Hell, an exercize in playful perfidy

2009-07-29T13:57:00.000-05:00

I have been assigned to defend the punishments of Hell.

Let's examine The Bible's description of Hell:

"The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name." - Revelation 14:10-11

Wow, that's pretty harsh, an eternity of fire and brimstone - with not even single break to rest their weary souls.

Dante writes of a Hell that is personalized to fit our sins. Lusters, like myself, are given to blow in the winds of Hell for all eternity. Violent folks are boiled in a bloody river. The worst possible punishment is to be next to Satan, frozen in the ninth circle of Hell. This Ninth Circle is reserved for the most treacherous of people - those treacherous to their masters

Who could possibly deserve such a treatment?
Jacob Schafer!

Schafer started his killing spree in Huntsville Alabama. He killed the man he thought to be his wife's love interest. He murdered the man with a hammer, beating him to death.
Then Schafer traveled across state lines into Tennessee where his wife and family lived.
Schafer's first stop was at his Father-in-Law's home where he killed the Father-in-law and his brother-in-law. He used knives this time - with a stun gun back-up, lest the fight get the better of him.
Next Schafer went two doors down to his wife's home. He killed his 16 year old step son and one of the boy's friends (another 16 year old boy- unlucky kid was in the wrong place at the wrong time, just visiting). Schafer saved his wife for last (so she could witness his crimes?). Stabbing and hacking her with a knife as well.
Killing all he wanted, Schafer called the local police, took his four year old daughter to the porch and sat and waited for the police to arrive.

Yes, Hell is justified for this guy.
I believe there is no punishment we, as a society, can met out that will do justice for this guy.

Motorhead !

2009-07-16T18:23:00.000-05:00

I know I've put it out there before, but I do so like Motorhead :-)

If the stars fall down on me,
And the sun refused to shine,
Then may the shackles be undone,
May all the old words cease to rhyme,
If the sky turned into stone,
It will matter not at all,
For there is no heaven in the sky,
Hell does not wait for our downfall!

Let the voice of reason chime,
Let the friars vanish for all time,
God's face is hidden, all unseen,
You can't ask him,
What it all means,
He was never on your side,
God was never on your side,
Let right or wrong alone decide,
God was never on your side.

See ten thousand ministries,
See the holy, righteous dogs,
They claim to heal,
But all they do is steal,
Abuse your faith,
Cheat and rob,

If god is wise,
Why is he still,
When these false prophets,
Call him friend,
Why is he silent,
Is he blind?!
Are we abandoned in the end?

Let the sword of reason shine,
Let us be free of prayer and shrine,
God's face is hidden, turned way,
He never has a word to say,
He was never on your side,
God was never on your side,
Let right or wrong alone decide!
God was never on your side!
No,
no,
no!

He was never on your side,
God was never on your side,
Never!
Never!
Never!
Never!
Never on your side!
Never on your side!
God was never on your side,
Never on your side...

:-)

Under the Covers ?

2009-06-07T20:43:00.000-05:00

I'm not real sure how this really works, but I have been Tagged by Asylum Seeker to list my pick for best and worst cover songs.

Worst; Wow, where do I begin?
I suppose to be really bad, a cover would have to have taken a decent song and made it bad - at least demonstrably worse. There's a lot of that out there.

A lot of metal bands do covers of shit songs. The song still sounds bad. However, it really didn't change much, other than get a rockin' metal beat.

I suppose, I'm not real fond of Ryan Adams version of a really grand old Stones tune, Brown Sugar.

I am a blues fan, but I don't care for this

I like the Stones a little better.

I'm sure there are much worse covers out there( I purposely stay away from Country covers of great songs, to say they suck is redundant), but this one seems to change a good ole classic.

Now, for improvements, or, atleast, differing versions that I really like :-)

Soooo much out there that I like !

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Jimi's Watchtower. Wow he really outdid himself there. Dylan is good, but Jimi OWNED that song ! In the same vein, Janis Joplin really took "Me and Bobby McGee" to different level.

I like what G&R and Metallica did with their covers. Both bands took good songs and presented them to me in a way that I thought was good.

I like Jordis Unga covering a song covered by Nirvanna

It's a tough call, I like both covers.

And YES, Both are an improvement over Bowie, not that his was bad.

My favorite cover?

None other than Jeff Buckley covering "Halleluja" by Leonard Cohen
I know a lot of people may be saying, "But, mac, you're an atheist! WTF??" Yes I am, but, this aint about god. It's beautiful music, evoking, well, you know ;-)

The song(Buckley's cover) kind of turned me on to Cohen. He is a wonderful songwriter.

Oh yeah, I was supposed to tell four others to do this as well. OK, here goes....the first four people who see this are commanded to compose their own list!

I suppose it's a catholic thing, I don't understand.....

2009-05-06T19:22:00.000-05:00

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Father Albert Cutie( father Oprah), of the Miami Arch Diocese:

Q:
As a celibate Catholic priest, you've probably been asked this before. How can you give advice to married people and people who want to get married?

A:
You don't have to be mentally ill to be a good psychiatrist. I don't think you have to be someone who has a real problem in order to relate to people's problems. When you are in the help industry, especially as a priest, rabbi, or minister, you're constantly hearing from people talking about marriage or sexual dysfunction. People naturally turn to religious figures for advice. Half the people who write to me are not Catholic.
In the Spanish-speaking world, everybody gets that. In the English-speaking world, however, people always ask, "What authority does that person have to talk about relationships?" It's prejudices and biases and stereotypes about what a priest can and can't offer. But in the Spanish-speaking world, that's never been an issue for me, because those who have listened to my shows or watched them or read my columns, they get what I do: It's no-nonsense practical advice for everyday life. It's not dogmatic and pushing religion down your throat.

Well, I think, perhaps, the good priest may know a little more about Love than he let on.
It would seem he has been caught "fondling' a woman on a Miami beach. Article

Now, that's not really a problem for me. I do , however find it hipocritical of the church to treat this man like a pariah, when they give pedophiles a slap on the wrist and send them to another Parish.

Whattsamatter Catholic church? Do you prefer your sexual scandals to involve little boys?

A brief glimpse into my idiocy.....

2009-04-02T21:27:00.000-05:00

Spring has arrived here. As a motorcycle enthusiast, I am compelled to ride my bike now, it's not just a good idea, it's the law ;-)

I rode to work today - terrible idea. Riding home in a downpour with tornado sirens sounding around me and wind gusts blowing me around was not a whole lot of fun. But, the Old Girl needs a good cleaning anyway, this will just make me do it sooner and better.

Arriving home wet, tired, and hungry, I found pictures of a few pieces of fruit that I thought were interesting.

I now have another reason to really like apples....YUMM!

I'm not sure what this is, but, they sure look tastey...

And a pepper for the ladies ;-)

If you are offended by silly images of mishapen(?) fruit, sorry

Who's a dummy ?

2009-03-20T16:18:00.001-05:00

I hear a lot of fellow non-believers chide and put down theists.
I'd like to think I'm just not that mean. BUT, I must admit, I often think christians must be that dumb. Why else would they continue to believe such rubbish as is in the Bible, refusing to acknowledge that that book is just pure non-sense?

I think this guy, The Amazing Atheist,says it much better than I can, and he's slightly funnier than me too ;-)

He just makes sense....even if he's kind of mean.

Cult?

2009-03-06T17:20:00.001-06:00

Imagine, if you will, a religion who would force a nine year-old rape victim to remain pregnant or risk eternal damnation.

Seems incredible?
No, it seems all to real. Only it's not some fringe Jesus cult doing such a hideous thing. It's none other than our friends at the Catholic Church !

The poor girl was raped by her step-father. Her Mother and her Doctor were excommunicated for allowing her to have the abortion.

Archbishop Jose Cardoso Sobrinho said in an interview Thursday in Rio De Janeiro,

"The law of God is higher than any human laws, When a human law — that is, a law enacted by human legislators — is against the law of God, that law has no value. The adults who approved, who carried out this abortion have incurred excommunication."

I know what you're thinking" Yeah, but this is America, this couldn't happen here". Just keep your head buried in that sand.

No word yet on the poor girls fate. What ever will the Church do with such a dastardly child ?

Bad Popes !

2009-03-03T11:14:00.000-06:00

I was just thinking Benedict was a really bad choice for Pope.

Then I realized " He's not even the worst Pope named Benedict"

Let's look at possibly the worst Pope ever, certainly the worst one named Benedict:

Pope Benedict IX: the Pope who sold the papacy

Benedict IX was Pope from 1032 to 1044, again in 1045, and finally from 1047 to 1048, the only man to have served as Pope for three discontinuous periods. Benedict gave up his papacy for the first time in exchange for a large sum of money in 1044. He returned in 1045 to depose his replacement and reigned for one month, after which he left again, possibly to marry, and sold the papacy for a second time, to his Godfather (possibly for over 650 kg /1450 lb of gold). Two years later, Benedict retook Rome and reigned for an additional one year, until 1048. Poppo of Brixen (later to become Pope Damascus II) eventually forced him out of Rome. Benedict’s place and date of death are unknown, but some speculate that he made further attempts to regain the Papal Throne. St. Peter Damian described him as “feasting on immorality” and “a demon from hell in the disguise of a priest” in the Liber Gomorrhianus, a treatise on papal corruption and sex that accused Benedict IX of routine homosexuality and bestiality.

Sure sounds like a great Namesake to me :-)

Was there a real flood?

2009-02-21T17:26:00.000-06:00

This story has always bothered me. I can't imagine how anyone with half a brain could believe the story of Noah's Ark as literal fact.

From the bible, the size of the darned thing does not begin to approach necessary dimensions:
Genesis 6:14-16

Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.

And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

ONE window? The smell must have been atrocious !
Of course, ya can't forget Noah was 600 years old at the time. Perhaps he possessed a wisdom unknown to today's younger crowd. Maybe he could have pulled it all off.

Or, perhaps Penn and Teller are on to something here....

Thanks pboy, you've sent me off on a tangent.......

2009-02-17T20:05:00.000-06:00

Reading a blog earlier today, from someone I consider pretty well stacked in the smarts department, I was thrown back into my past. Specificly my history with addiction.

Jan 17 1992:
I am a mess. I drink way too much, and do some crazy shit when I drink (very very,crazy). I was drinking and riding my bike in this nasty Ohio winter. 15 degrees and getting colder, at 3 AM all I wanted was to get off that frozen death machine and crawl into bed with someone warm. I got caught, as it happens to everyone who does this stuff, sooner or later.

Looking at a stiff fine and a few weeks in jail OR going to six months of AA classes and out-patient therapy was my choices....I did not take option one.

Which leads me to this memory, AA. AA is a 12 step program, a quasi-religiouorganization, as I see it. The steps themselves demand we pay allegience to god. God as we understand him, of course.

Step 1 - We admitted we were powerless over our addiction - that our lives had become unmanageable
Step 2 - Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity
Step 3 - Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God
Step 4 - Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves
Step 5 - Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs
Step 6 - Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character
Step 7 - Humbly asked God to remove our shortcomings
Step 8 - Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all
Step 9 - Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others
Step 10 - Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it
Step 11 - Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood God, praying only for knowledge of God's will for us and the power to carry that out
Step 12 - Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to other addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs

That, in essence, is a 12 step program.
I could not get around the religious aspects of the thing. BUT, I knew I had to give up the booze or I would wind up like my dear uncle Joe- a skid row drunk!

The guys in the organization tried to help me. They said the group could be my higher power...... Sure, I don't mind thinking of god as a bunch of drunks.
Another suggestion was a chair. YES, a chair. I was to put my faith in a higher power in a chair!

I found all their options insulting. If their god was so good, why did he(she/it) allow all of them to become drunks in the first place? Why make a person with the disposition to become an addict?
I mean, if he's to save them, who made them that way?
That's right, he did. Nobody seemed to see this but me. Luckily, I'm just anti-social enough not to care what other saw and I didn't.

In all of it I was struck with their utter insistence that their's was the only to remain sober.
Is it just me, or does this look like another group's M.O.? Read sobriety as salvation. Now you may see what I felt.

I have since learned of a few options that don't rely on god for salvaltion(sobriety), but after 17 years, I think I'll stick with my method....Just don't do it anymore? Though, I would not exactly recommend someone else do it my way, it has worked for ME.

2009-02-11T11:21:00.000-06:00

I found this video and thought it so funny. I had to share it here :-)

Hi

2009-01-28T20:51:00.000-06:00

Hey, I'm just jumping into the fray, as it were.

I'm not sure I have much to say, but I'll spout non-sense from time to time anyway.

I don't really care how many folks see this. It's just an excercize for me. I'm working out a few things in my head, trying to shake off some cobwebs. I've been in a funk lately.

I'll be writing about some things that will be of interest only to me most likely. Things like my lack of religion, my wonderful son, my way too kind wife, er, ex-wife, the things that led me to seperation from said wife, you know, stoopid things.

Oh shit, who knows, I may not write much at all here. I'm not sure.