The Information Paradox

Step Away From the Book!

2009-02-12T11:23:00.003-06:00

If Authors Guild executive director, Paul Aitken has his way, soon reading out loud will be considered a copyright violation.

As reported over on CNet yesterday, copyright holders are kicking up a stink about the newly introduced speech synthesis capability added to the second-generation Kindle ebook reader from Amazon. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, the executive director of the Authors Guild, Paul Aitken, made the claim that by reading the book out loud Amazon was claiming “an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law.”

Hmmm....somehow this seems so fitting for a country that has devalued education in favor of lawsuits time and time again. Reading aloud to children is an integral part of how they learn the language, not to mention millions of visually impaired individuals who depend on this medium for entertainment and information.

Way to go, Mr. Aitken. Thank you so very much for letting us know just exactly where the priority of education sits.

h/t bit-tech

Kids Are Talking – Are We Listening?

2009-02-09T14:48:00.003-06:00

This past weekend I attended a meeting to discuss Kids and Atheism. It is a vast topic and became apparent during the meeting that more discussion is needed on the subject. The nature of Atheism does not lend itself to community connectivity and parents struggle when facing the task of managing outside religious influences while raising children.

My own children are ages 14 and 20 so the issues that affect them have changed significantly. Where I once made an effort to limit the pressure directed toward them from well-intentioned, religious family members now I find that we are talking about religion in a much more abstract fashion. My son is in middle school and much to my surprise he mentioned that, for the most part, there are two main groups in his school: Christians and Atheists. It surprised me because I am certain that the percentage of Atheists in our community is no where near half, so this tells me that many of the children claiming to be Atheists are living in homes where the parents profess a religious affiliation.

Although many of these children may be identifying themselves as Atheists due to the paradox of rebellious conformity that seems to accompany adolescence, there must be at least a small percentage that have actually thought about the issue and reached this conclusion. The bigger issue, though, is the fact that children are talking about it. According to my son several discussions have taken place and the children are content to express their views without feeling the pressure to ‘be right’ as often is felt when these discussions take place in the presence of authority figures. Sadly, adult interference seems to stifle free exchange of ideas rather than encourage it.

As a parent, my only concern is that the information be exchanged is accurate and that the message of tolerance and understanding prevails. Again, children seem to have a much better grasp on this than adults do and I have no intention of disrupting what sounds like productive discussion. My purpose in posting this is to let other parents know – believers and non-believers alike – that your kids are talking. It is our job to listen to them. Ask your child how they feel about religion; ask them how their friends feel. You may be surprised by the insightful answers you get.

Children require guidance and sympathy far more than instruction. - Annie Sullivan

Jimmy Carter: A Better Man

2009-01-29T19:09:00.005-06:00

Catching up on Daily Shows, I watched the episode from January 27, which included former President Jimmy Carter as the guest. Mr. Carter is now 84 but remains the soft-spoken gentleman I remember from my childhood. As president, he faced a mountain of problems and upon leaving office he was considered one of our more ineffective leaders. He has since proven otherwise. Watching the segment with Jon Stewart a few things jumped out at me:

First, Mr. Carter may not (or may) have known at the time just how globally interactive our world would become and his efforts in improving foreign relations paved the way for future leaders in negotiating efforts. Had he not secured segments of the middle-east as our allies, our current economic plight would be much different indeed and most likely would not have held off this long. He has subsequently served as an adviser to the current administration and the two prior. He made a personal commitment to improve human rights and has stuck to his word. He could have retired many years ago and allowed the world to move on without him particularly in the aftermath of so much negative feedback but he did not and the world is a far better place for it.

Second, although a deeply religious man, he successfully negotiated peace contracts with countries whose religious beliefs differ greatly from his own. Unlike many of the squawking politicians and religious leaders we hear from today, Mr. Carter is secure in his faith and does not become offended when someone does not profess to share his beliefs. He simply sees faith as a personal matter and respecting that has allowed him to bring together cultures who would rather bomb one another than seek understanding and peace.

He sees this world as something greater than himself, he feels that all humans have the inherent right to be treated humanely and has quietly and steadfastly worked to achieve that one simple goal. A goal we should all share regardless of belief or non.

No matter your personal belief in the reason you are here, it is not to tear one another apart.

Support Your Local Weatherperson

2009-01-26T20:58:00.000-06:00

Time and time again I hear local weatherpersons disparaged as having a dream job: They get to be wrong and still collect a huge salary. (This may have shifted a bit given recent economic events and the dream job may now belong to Wall Street CEO's.)

While I can understand the frustration that goes along with inaccurate weather predictions it does always stun me a little that many of these people willingly equate meteorologists with psychics and never consider the science behind either. Meteorologists are actually trained to study weather patterns and most have sophisticated equipment used to monitor weather related activity all over the world. The fact that the local weatherperson may be off by 1/2 inch on the snowfall in my area does not bother me. The fact that the information was given to me a week ago and updated regularly through satellite images beamed down to them from space and it actually snowed on the day they said it would amazes me!! My parents used to use the Farmer's Almanac to predict weather or their aching joints. We have come a long way indeed.

Psychics on the other hand use zero scientific equipment. They simply think about what has already happened and attempt to extrapolate information based on that. Good system, it works so well that it has an astronomical fail rate.

Comparing meteorologists to crystal ball gazers is an insult to meteorologist and to ourselves. We all know enough now, thanks to our local meteorologists to identify various cloud types and get reports on astronomical activity so that the star-gazer in everyone of us can run outside and fully appreciate the heavens from earth.

Celebrate the Year of Astronomy - Hug a Meteorologist!

Why Believers are Ethically Bankrupt

2009-01-19T13:35:00.004-06:00

Last month a delightful article by Ben Shaprio pontificated on why atheism is morally bankrupt. His reasoning was simple:

There’s only one problem: without God, there can be no moral choice. Without God, there is no capacity for free will.

Sadly for Mr. Shaprio this reasoning is wrong - millions of people are considered to have excellent morals without god and since the concept of free will is derived specifically from religion it does not apply to the issue of atheism.

On the other hand, it does beg the question as to why Christians and all other religious people are ethically bankrupt. Take any week in the news and you are bound to find numerous stories of religious committing crimes. Some of these crimes are vile, some are nuisance and some are downright odd but all of them are crimes, which makes them ethical violations.

For the purposes of this article I specifically chose the word ethics because the religious seem to have garnered a special hold on the word morals although no such mention to religion is included in the definition of either word. Linguistic evolution has deemed morals to come from biblical text and ethics from society. While both can produce equally good results, only one of them actually requires conscious thought to produce desired results.

Adherents to religion will claim moral high ground meaning they have received their instructions for behavior and consequences be damned they will abide by them. Their behavior often tramples on the rights of those around them as they seek the holy grail of approval from their master. Their doctrine of free will and operating on some kind of bizarre honor system in which they will be “punished” upon death leaves open a flood gate of shamefully unethical behavior affecting those who are forced to endure time with them during their life.

Reprehensible behavior becomes morally acceptable and absolved once they confess but the matter of ethics is never once addressed. Raping a child is never ethically acceptable. The Catholic Church, however, considers that to be a forgivable sin if only the right words of confession and promises to stop are made. Not quite good enough.

Morality is a distinctly poor system of judging character because it demands no accountability, no true responsibility for ones actions. Reading a holy text and interpreting it in order to develop a code of moral behavior creates an open system in which ALL behavior becomes acceptable. Ethics is a system that requires full accountability and there are consequences for ones actions. Consequences that may save lives or prevent the loss of innocence in another child.

So religion can keep their ‘moral’ instruction and claims of free will. I will keep my ethics and know that I am doing the right thing, that I respect the rights of others and want to benefit society and that I am accountable here and now for my actions.

Remember kids: "Morals are, in the light of reality, ethically bankrupt."

Living In Fear

2009-01-13T09:00:00.000-06:00

Without exception, all of us are controllable by fear. Through the history of human-kind leaders have utilized this fact to their advantage and it is still used today. We respond to fear, we make decisions based on fear, we allow fear to guide our lives. And in every single instance we are wrong for doing so.

Advertisers attempt to convince us that unless we purchase Product A our lives will be less meaningful, our self-worth diminished and we will be judged negatively by our family and friends. Politicians sprinkle panic driven words in their speeches hoping to secure our vote or support of a piece of poor legislation whose real benefactors are never divulged. Leaders at all levels of society will employ fear to retain their own power and keep their respective groups from revolting and yanking their precious power away - the most alarming of these is the use of implication that without them our 'worlds' would fall into an abyss of immoral, unethical, animal-like behavior. The irony is that we already live in such circumstances thanks to the guidance of fear.

Organized religion and politics are two arenas in which we see fear tactics routinely employed as a method of controlling the populace and are so effective that any dissenting views offered to debunk some of the misconceptions are often met with outrage. Religions gets higher marks in this area simply because they encourage weekly mind feedings of their fear inspiring doctrine whereas politics is not nearly as prevalent except among the most ardent of supporters. Each group has their own spokespersons and to list them all here would take up far too much space, but names like Bill O'Reilly, the Pope, The Phelps Family, and Ann Coulter come to mind.

Eradicating this methodology is impossible but it can be contained through education and conscious decision to avoid reacting to the triggers aimed at us daily. To some extent this is easier for some more than others and it is those who I wish to reach out to with this post. The rational, skeptical, reason driven section of society needs to understand that it is very much their responsibility to speak up with news stories or local rumors threaten to spiral out of control. The events of 9/11 are an extreme example and if you remember where you were when you heard the news, you most likely also began to hear speculation without evidence cropping up about you. The days that followed also produced a near mass hysteria and falsely targeted anyone who appeared to be of middle east decent and our president ultimately offered up the clearest example of fear driven thinking - war. As skeptics we must try, where we can to calm fears through the encouragement of reason. Keeping those around us from overreacting prevents the escalation of events driven by fear and may encourage others to also attempt reason.

From flu virus to vaccines to terrorists there will always be someone reacting and trying to scare the pants off of everyone else around them who does not react the same way. Skepticism remains the single most effective weapon in the war against fear. Use it wisely.

The Indoctrination of Secularism

2009-01-07T09:27:00.010-06:00

This article is from a site called The Moral Collapse of America, which appears to be yet another website crying about how oppressed the religious in America are. Wah.

The article is about home schooling. Honestly, as far as I'm concerned they can yank their kids out of school and teach them that God 'designed' us and dinosaurs came over on Noah's Ark. Ignoramuses, the whole lot of 'em. Every time I read about Creationism I get a chuckle. I'm convinced that it's all a big joke - no one can seriously believe the earth is only 6000 years old, right? Right?

More parents than ever are realizing that there is only one worldview that
is being relentlessly pushed down children's throats in the public schools - the
worldview of secularism.

Um. Seeing as how we're supposed to be a secular nation I fail to see what the problem is. Secularism in public schools is simply the absence of religion. 'Cause, you know, otherwise that violates the First Amendment and the public education system should not be used as a vehicle to promote religion. (Link to a nifty little article)

No one is telling your children they can't be religious - they are telling you that religion (any religion, not just Christian) doesn't belong in politics or public education. Politics and education should be like Switzerland when it comes to religions. Neutral.

Let's play with a hypothetical here. Let's say that prayer is allowed public schools. So is Bible class. All the Christians are pretty stoked, right?

What if, instead of Bible study classes, public school had Koran study classes? Not so cool now, is it? People want prayer and religion in schools but only if it's their religion. I guarantee you if our government suddenly declared that all schools should have mandatory prayer time to Thor, the Christians would get their panties in a serious twist.

Secularism protects both the religious AND the non-religious. I'm always baffled that some religious folks don't seem to get this. This was one of the reasons why our forefathers created a secular nation. Secularism protects people's freedom to practice their religion just as it protects those that do not.

Another thing - a person can be religious and also be secular.

In fact, we not only see this aggressive indoctrination in the schools,
but it is also reflected in the fact that many recent bestselling books
aggressively promote atheism.

HA HA HA HA!!! Pot meet Kettle, Kettle, Pot. Religion IS indoctrination. Religions are just tax exempt cults without the whole communal living and weapons stockpiling (well, most of the, anyway). Are people being forced to read The God Delusion? Methinks not. Perhaps the reason books about atheism are so popular is because Americans are tired of the effect Christianity has on our government policies. A perfect example of this is gay marriage and Proposition 8. If you can give me one good non-religious reason why homosexual couples should not have the same rights as heterosexual couples I'd love to hear it.

Adult Women Playing with Dollies

2009-01-06T12:24:00.004-06:00

I tried not to be judgmental when I read this article. I failed. Miserably. The snarky bitch has taken over completely.

Many people like to stop and play with newborn babies, but now some
adult women are playing house with fake babies.

I cannot even fathom why an adult woman with all her faculties would find nurturing a dolly satisfying. I've tried to come up with a myriad of logical reasons how this behavior might be remotely justifiable but I'm drawing a blank. Now, I'm certainly not a psychiatrist but these women seem mentally unsound to me.

First of all, it's one thing to pretend to be a mommy when you're five years old. If I started walking around dressed like a princess people would think I have some toys in the attic, no? Well, same thing applies here.

This is not the same thing as acting like a rock star while playing Guitar Hero. However, if I started walking around in spandex, insisting you call me Vince Neil, then we'll talk. This kind of behavior is willfully delusional.

Forty-nine-year-old Linda is married with no children of her own. Now, she
says she feels like a mother because she has Reborns -- dolls made to look and
feel like the real thing.

Yup, bat shit crazy. It's a doll, lady. It's not real. You can drop her down a flight of stairs or throw her in the bottom of your closet and no one will call children's services on you. I don't care if it has a battery operated breathing mechanism - it's not a living, breathing thing.

You can pretend to be a mommy all you want but I hope you realize just how irrational that is. You're not. It's a freakin inanimate object, for fuck's sake.

"It's not a crazy habit, like, you know, drinking, or some sort of,
something that's going to hurt you. It's like a hobby.and it doesn't really hurt
anybody," Linda said.

First of all, yes, it is fucking crazy. This hobby (if by hobby you mean mental disorder) ranks pretty high on the weirdness scale.

I can think of a few scenarios where this behavior does have the potential to hurt someone. What if a woman becomes so attached to her baby that she stops interacting with real people? What if she starts to focus more on the doll than her own grown children? Or husband?

Some women are even going as far as taking day trips with the fake
babies to the park, out to eat, and even hosting birthday parties for
them.

How exactly does one react to a woman with a fake baby? Am I supposed to play along with your weird delusion? I have to be honest - I'd have an extremely hard time keeping a straight face if I ever walked in on a fake-baby birthday party. In fact, I'm pretty sure there would be laughing and pointing involved.

And these Reborns ain't cheap! Some of them will cost you about $150.00. Here's a novel idea - donate the money to a children's organization and support a starving child in a third world country. Become a mentor, or a Big Sister. Hell, even adopting a cat or dog seems more reasonable than dropping a few bills on a fucking doll's birthday party.

I don't have children so maybe I can't understand the draw of pretending to be a mother to a fake baby. I can understand people treating their pets like children. I do it with my Gizmo sometimes. But animals are, oh, I don't know, alive. The animal depends on you to survive and gives affection (Rumor has it even cats are affectionate but I've yet to see it). Animals interact with their owners and have their own personality traits. A doll does not.

Bad Science

2009-01-05T08:46:00.007-06:00

***
Apparently someone at the Vatican discovered how to use Google over the holidays and unearthed an old study on contraceptives in public water sources, took it for a bit of a spin and promptly belched out this bit of 'news':

Contraceptive Pill is Polluting Environment

The problems with this are many but the thing that bothers me the most is the silence from the science community. The science community stands to benefit the most by encouraging skepticism in the face of such stories and had I not already heard about this study, I would have been curious to know if there is any truth to it. I do not want or need diabetic/heart medicine/cholesterol medicine in my daily diet not to mention the byproducts of ranched animals. The information cited by the Vatican is spun specifically to create fear and panic in the general populous and demonize anyone taking birth control medicine simply because the Catholic Church believes it is wrong.

But I have seen nothing from the science community that outlines in simple terms just how untrue and biased such stories are. They do not need to point fingers specifically at the Vatican to prove this; simply provide the information in practical, understandable, relevant format.

Here are a few facts:

A multitude of drugs find their way into public water sources
Pesticides are among biggest contributor to water pollution
The parts per million of estrogen found in water sources is so negligable as to be non-existant. Additional research is needed, but the fact that a few fish showed up with both male and female body parts does not equal a total panic regarding birth control pills.
Contraceptives are not the only system for delivering hormones to the body - both female and male - but they are all excreted so it is ridiculous to point the blame toward contraceptives
Assuming all other things are equal, given the advances in science regarding birth control pills, the amount of hormones excreted today would be significantly less than when the pill was first introduced.
If the Vatican were truly concerned about this situation, they would demand increased water filtration systems and fund the science to implement it instead of bemoaning contraceptives

This is the sort of thing that ends up being an Urban Legend and the science community appears content to allow Snopes to do its work for it. Snopes is an amazing site and there are others, but I would prefer to see the internet flooded with good science information for the masses. This is not difficult to do - simply point to the truth based on the evidence so far and let it speak for itself.

The Grinning Planet
The Huffington Post
The Atheist Experience
***

I Just Don't Get Facebook

2009-01-03T10:31:00.005-06:00

I joined Facebook a few months ago, mainly because a few friends were haranguing me to and I heard that Scramble was a fun game. So, I made my own little page and threw some pictures up there for all to see and figured that I'd just hang out in Facebook world and play some Scramble.

Holy shit was I wrong.

First of all, I simply do not understand Facebook -- what the hell is up with all those applications? Call me a bum humbug but I don't understand the point of throwing snowballs at my 'friends' or being a vampire or whatever the hell else is out there. I currently have nine 'requests' pending, from my Lil' Green Patch to a Lil' Bit O' Jersey. I guess I'm just a half-hearted Facebook user. And a bitch.

MySpace was easy. You set up your page, pimped it out and waited for all the spam emails to come in. Facebook requires you to actually be involved. I don't like being involved.

And it tattles on you, too. Every little thing I do is announced on my wall. Pariahjane changed her work information. Pariahjane beat her personal score at Scramble. Pariahjane was in the bathroom for twenty minutes... well, you get the idea. I'm not a private person (obviously) but I don't know why EVERYONE has to know that I wrote on someone's wall.

I know, I know -- I'm being my typical cranky self. I mean, if I'm so disgruntled with the whole system, why don't I just delete my account, right?

One word - Scramble.

Scramble is a nifty little game where you have to match up tiles to make up words. Each round is three minutes, which happens to be how long my useless computer program at work takes to chug through it's processes. Instead of impatiently seething, I play Scramble instead. It rocks. It is the ultimate time-wasting game; I can whittle away the working hours, three minutes at a time.

There is one other reason why I'm still an active Facebook user. It's called the Past. As in High School. I'm shocked how many people have asked to be my 'friend' on Facebook from high school. I don't even remember some of them and I'm pretty sure I was enemies with others. When the requests starting coming in I was absolutely baffled. Why on earth would someone I barely knew thirteen years ago suddenly be interested in me?

Oh wait, how silly of me. They aren't interested in me. They want me to be interested in them. These folks from the way-back-when could give a shit about my life but they do want me to see theirs. They want me to coo over pictures of their kids, congratulate them on their new house, marriage, career, etc. I find it kind of interesting -- I have to admit I check out people to see who they've aged. I think it's kind of weird, too. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to care about people who, for all intents and purposes, are total strangers to me.

I understand why Facebook is so popular, though. It's geared towards people who were weaned on the World Wide Web. But enough about Facebook... I'm off to play some Scramble.

Michael Flatley Can Dance But Still Unable To Think

2009-01-01T09:40:00.005-06:00

***
Famed step-dancer Michael Flatley is crediting his miraculous recovery to his 'energy healer':

Doctors were unable to identify the virus and weeks of rest did not cure Mr. Flatley’s fatigue and muscle pain. But he told The Independent he had been treated by Michael O’Doherty, whose Plexus Bio-Energy Clinic specializes in “rebalancing the life-force energy within and around the body,” according to plexusbio-energy.com, its Web site.

Uh huh.

First of all, the phrasing 'rebalancing the life-force energy within and around the body' is such a pile of bullshit I am not sure where to begin. What life-force energy? And how in the heck does one rebalance it? What in the hell is that guy talking about? Ugh.

Secondly, although the article claims to attribute the symptoms to a virus, there are no quotes from doctors confirming this nor is there any specific mention of the problem causing problem. Double Ugh.

Thank you Michael Flatley for being yet another (psuedo)celebrity jackass and promoting woo in place of actual medical healing. Most likely Mr. Flatley was exhausted and needed rest, maybe a good massage or something but it is extremely unlikely that he had an actual virus in his body that was cured by faith healer laying hands on him.

I hate news stories like this.

***

Paulson Plays Dumb...Again

2008-12-31T20:37:00.005-06:00

***
During his exit interview, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson revealed that he and the administration knew more than they let on...but did nothing. His waffling on intelligence is enough to make even the most calm persons blood pressure skyrocket. Here is his latest claim:

"But we have been for some time in the frustrating situation of understanding much more than the public or even the Congress understood in terms of the magnitude of what we are facing."

Okay, so they knew but chose to do nothing? Oh wait - there's more:

"If you asked me six months ago... if I was surprised by the magnitude of the challenge, the answer is 'yes'," he said.

So they didn't know?

Yeah, I don't think so either. Henry Paulson is an incompetent buffoon who possesses more than enough experience and intelligence to understand exactly what was going on and the potential repercussions. Unlike many Americans he will not be facing a foreclosure on his house or even the nail-biting effects of being out of a job. Like most other pieces of turds in the societal pool, he will rise to the top and get picked up by an even larger group of turds to continue their money-making scams.

They (the top turds) claim that the 'average American' cannot possibly understand the intricacies of the inner workings of the financial world but they have no problem pitching their legal laden products on us using scare tactics to sop up whatever money they can meanwhile neglecting to properly educate the consumer in any way. Every last one of them sickens me.

As they say "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem" and to date I have yet to see one CEO from any of the troubled institutions or anyone from the administration generate a solution that avoids directly benefiting themselves. Even the most dim witted of consumers could see that the housing market was in trouble a long time ago - obscene prices for substandard homes, nose-diving interest rates, a glut of advertisements for home refinancing and bad credit acceptance, etc. All of these things combined to create a horrific financial storm and they knew it was coming.

Of course the housing market is not the sole cause of the financial disaster. There were many other industries, such as hedge funds, created to scam even more money from the consumer. I do not understand hedge funds and neither do even the most economically astute, which leads me to think they probably border on pyramid scams and should probably be illegal or at least investigated. If you cannot adequately explain what the hell it is you do, then something is wrong. There was also the glorious default loan program designed by yet another scam artists who chose to use mortgages as their gambling tool instead of heading to Vegas or Atlantic City and gambling their own damn money.

Few people read the fine print on their mortgages or other legal contracts primarily because they do not understand them and feel that no matter what it says, they are going to end up screwed. It should not be this way - contracts should not require a law degree to determine whether or not it is fair. I have been through the initial stages of home buying and signed the 15 or so documents required to even make an offer. I have also read those pages while an impatient real estate agent waited occassionally remarking that it was just standard language in hopes that I would just breeze right through it. 90% of what I read appeared to be redundant...which always raises the red flag of suspicion for me. If it is redundant, why put it in there? I'll tell you why - because there is something just slightly different in each phrasing that may end up coming back to bite you in the ass. Between warranties, agreements, investments/banking documents right up to the return receipt for a blouse you purchased and returned - everything is written in what is quickly amounting to a foreign language.

But the ones who have disappointed me the most are Congress. During the bailout crisis the constituants made their singular thought clear - NO. Congress passed the bailout measure anyway. They made a big show of being tough and wanting to 'protect the taxpayers' then huddled together and passed the bailout package anyway. Nearly all of them have law degrees so they have a distinct advantage over the majority of us and yet when they finally made their appearance on camera, weary from hours of 'work' they told us it had to be done. Did it? So far I have yet to hear a clear explanation as to why. Furthermore I have yet to hear and explanation as to why Henry Paulson was not held accountable for his incompetence or for his end-run tactic around the legal wording in the agreement regarding the executive bonuses OR any explanation for the lack of accountability regarding 'lost' funds.

Henry Paulson, all of the financial gurus on the Bush Administration and the entire Congress should be stripped of their power and jobs without any compensation and be forced to work for their keep just like the rest of us. We deserve answers and they continue to treat us as though we ride the short bus to school.

***

And What A Year It Was

2008-12-31T14:57:00.009-06:00

Looking back - and what a year this has been for the world, for the United States and for me personally.

This was the year I lost my Louise and my father.

My Winston was diagnosed with lymphocytic lymphoma. He's still blissfully unaware he is ill – so far, so good.

This was the year the world economy tanked and the Wall Street big shots got their Golden Parachutes.

So… this was the year I watched my life savings shrink more than 50%, so retirement is probably much further in the future than previously expected.

This was the year of the bailout – uh, rescue – of Wall Street, AIG, the banks, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae and the car companies.

What about the little guy? Where is our bailout? The government gave lots and lots of money to the money-lenders, but it doesn't look like any of that money is trickling down to Main Street. Getting credit is more than a challenge.

This was the year that as people lost their jobs and their homes, abandoned their four-legged family members. We've all heard the horrible stories of people moving in the middle of the night and leaving their companion animals locked in an abandoned home. Even more have been tossed outside or surrendered to overburdened shelters.

The critters are suffering for human mistakes.

This was the year that more and more troops were sent to Iraq. According to the New York Times, so far we have lost 4,212 American service members in Iraq.

The politicians want to send more troops to Afghanistan. The U.S. has had a total of 630 military fatalities, with 155 in 2008. They want to pull troops out of Iraq so they can send them to Afghanistan.

2008 was a yet another year of religious zealots, some running for office *cough cough Palin*, that just refuse to accept science and facts over what the sheeple are told from the pulpit. It is inexcusable that the Mormon Church and the inappropriately named Focus on Family donated millions of dollars to deny equal rights (as well as the right to have a bitter divorce and custody battles!) to our gay and lesbian relatives, friends and neighbors.

Our environment has tanked right along with the economy. Due to global warming and the melting of the ice caps, the polar bear is now a threatened species. Let's hope that Dubya doesn't undo any more than he already has before he leaves office. In July, he lifted an executive order banning off shore drilling.

January 20th cannot come too quickly.

This was a pivotal year of CHANGE in electing Barack Obama to be our next president. I admit to having tears in my eyes when the election results were announced. I admire him personally as well as a leader.

President-Elect Obama has taken on an enormous task and is already doing his best to figure out help straighten out so many problems. He has hit the ground running on the economy, the Middle East and the environment. We can only hope that after the inauguration parties are over, he can get things moving in the right direction and congress doesn't stand in his way.

We can all look to the future (like my Stan here!) and hope that 2009 brings good things to all of us.

Be Safe, Healthy and Happy. Be kind to your fellow humans and our four-footed friends.

Happy New Year!

Yay! The Holidays are Almost Over!!

2008-12-29T08:42:00.003-06:00

I have finally recovered from my "holy crap it's the holidays" post traumatic stress that I've been fighting these past couple of weeks. It's not that I hate the holidays; quite the opposite, actually.

I was the lucky one that hosted Christmas Eve dinner, something which greatly amused my mother since, not only am I an atheist, I also don't cook. Despite the fact that my oven smelled like burning dust when my sister-in-law turned it on (she was horrified, I think, but I DID warn her) and I don't own a measuring cup, everything turned out pretty damn good.

Thankfully, my family doesn't particularly care about atheism, since most of them are either non-believers themselves or simply feel that religion is not an issue to be concerned with. There were some jokes about my X-mas tree and the fact that I had about 900 lights on it. We argued a little over the history of the Christmas tree but since we're German, that origin won. There are so many different stories about origin of the tree that I don't feel the least bit bad putting one up.

I know there are those people who feel that non-believers shouldn't partake in the festivities this time of year. Those people can kiss my non-believing ass. This is the time of year where we all should be getting together to spend time with our friends and family, celebrating. I consider these holidays my end of year extravaganza. It's a time to play, drink, eat disgusting amounts of food and get presents!

Hope everyone had a good holiday!

Thank you Majel Roddenberry

2008-12-24T20:22:00.003-06:00

***

I realize this memorial is a little past due, but we lost one of my cherished heroines December 18. Majel Barrett Roddenberry passed away from leukemia this month and she will be missed.

The world of science fiction was my first introduction to women being treated as equals and it strikes me as almost funny that we recently had an election where a woman obtaining a position of power in this country was viewed as historic. Science fiction never held this as a novelty - it is one of the few places where the issue had long since been laid to rest, as it should be. It served as an example to me that it was perfectly normal to be equally as intelligent as men and in some instances more intelligent. There was no need to sacrifice ones self for the benefit of the male ego and the women of science fiction became my heroines.

Tonight I watched an old episode (Lessons) from Star Trek: The Next Generation and it drove this point home for me. Captain Picard and Commander Darren had developed an interest in one another. Toward the end of the show it became evident that something would need to change regarding careers if their relationship were to continue. Captain Picard made an offhand comment that she could give up her post and stay with him. She countered, a bit wryly, that he too could give up his post and stay with her. In the end they decided to put their careers ahead of the relationship and went their separate ways. I have always appreciated the fact that the writers did not diminish the importance of her career or her sense of self-worth in order to make a "fairy tale" ending. In the real world that is simply how it works out sometimes and women have equal responsibilities of men. They do not need to uproot themselves for a love interest. This is not to say that developing relationships is not important but it is no longer the holy grail for women.

Mrs. Roddenberry was a huge part of Gene Roddenberry's life outside of her being his wife and I have always respected the fact that he featured her in his work and the way he chose to portray women. I do not know how much influence Mrs. Roddenberry had in this but I suspect they worked pretty much as the teams we see on the screen.

Thank you Majel - you are my hero.

***

On Superstition by George Hrab

2008-12-22T16:44:00.003-06:00

I was listening to the Geologic podcast from December 11 and George read this essay he had written for the Swift Blog on the JREF website. It was simply too perfect not to share and with Mr. Hrab's permission I am posting it here in its entirety. You can also download the podcast and listen to George read it to you - I promise it is totally worth it! I actually stopped whatever it was I was doing and just sat and listened - very rare for me.

Please take a moment and enjoy:

Early humans looked to the sky and invented stories explaining the intricate machinations of gods and monsters, heroes and heroines, warriors and poets. They created myths, stories, and legends to account for the workings of these mysterious, brilliant points of light. A single dot in the heavens could represent the most epic of battles. A pair of stars could somehow contain within them the entire contents of both the Iliad and the Odyssey. This was all possible because early man's free-time allotment did not include the mind-numbing wonders of back episodes of VH-1's "The Flavor of Love."

Stories and explanations were extended and imposed upon everyday occurrences like the rising and setting of the sun, moon phases, tides, weather patterns, and why Thag repeatedly refused to return any flint tools he borrowed. As successful pattern-seeking animals, we unfortunately inherited a side effect of finding patterns in occurrences where no structured systems exist. Luckily, our early progenitors gained far more than they lost by creating these myths and fomenting their superstitions. Seasonal structure was maintained by gazing at the stars and relying on their immutable, dependable permanence.

Yet, these incredible tales describing natural phenomena could never have begun to approach the truth. How could these distant ancestors have imagined that the materials composing their celestial ornamentations were the very same materials composing their everyday terrestrial experience? To think that the elements and atoms at the heart of an unimaginably distant star are identical to the amalgamated parts of our very own selves was beyond the capacity of a primitive mind. In many ways, it still is beyond the capacity of the human mind. To realize that we are literally made of star stuff should inspire more awe and reverence than countless tales of hunters, chariot-riding warriors, fantastic creatures, or snake-coiffed babes.

As modern descendants of these pattern-seeking storytellers, we often forget that we are biologically identical to them. The anatomical composition of their brains and bodies exactly matches ours; it's no wonder that so many of us find it easy to succumb to the effects and pressure of superstition. I propose that every step of our species' cultural advancement has been due to the shedding of this superstitious influence, and that vigilance and effort are required to control the consequence of hundreds of years of evolutionary conditioning.

Arthur C. Clarke once posited that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. He also wore Nehru jackets so you know he was telling the truth. Imagine what our distant cousins would think upon seeing the workings of an iPhone, or the internet, or wireless remotes, or television, or a fountain pen, or even a Slinky. To them, these pocket miracles would be just as difficult to comprehend and explain as a solar eclipse or a hurricane, and would therefore be relegated to the vagaries of magic. We however, look at these leaps and strides of technology and become inured to the real sorcery of these implements. It's an ever shrinking gap from the recently inconceivable to the newly mundane.

Lest we forget-

We can actually predict the future.
We know-to within tenths of a second-when the sun will rise and set for the next 10,000 years. We can tell when Halley's Comet and Comet Encke will return, and we know precisely when hundreds of eclipses and celestial events will happen.

We can actually treat disease.
One ingests the tiniest of pills and a variety of ailments and symptoms are treated. The use of X-rays, CAT scans, and MRIs lets us peer into the inner workings of the body and painlessly diagnose and treat ailments. Polio is no longer the unavoidable, crippling disease it once was.

We can actually fly.
Using harnessed principles of air pressure and dynamics, we can soar thousands of feet into the sky while safely and reliably speeding along at hundreds of miles an hour, all while watching a lousy movie.

We can actually communicate across vast distances... instantly.
Telephones, radio, television, cell phones and the internet have completely redefined what communication means. There is no need for telepathy when one has the world's largest wireless network.

We can actually go to the Moon, or Mars, or Saturn, or soar outside our own solar system.
We have walked on the lunar surface, and machines designed by man have broken the very boundaries of our local space.

To many, these inventions and principles quickly become common, and they search for extended substance and meaning in shadow and hazy hyperbole. They place unearned value in the insignificance of coincidence, and ignore the practical miracles that surround us. They quickly forget that all of these inventions have been made possible by the rejection of superstitious thought.

Ben Franklin said that anger is never without reason, but seldom with a good one. I hope that as we reject superstition we don't search to be angry, but that we channel our anger when our reasons are good. A mature civilization should revel in its own indignation at the deleterious effects of superstition. Growing up is not selling out. It's simple to look at our distant history and question-or even ridicule-the various beliefs of past cultures. How easily we can mock those who prayed to a dog-headed god. How easily (and rightly) we can cringe at the ceremonial brutality of sacrifice. How easily we can look down at the hierarchy of racism, sexism, and ageism entrenched in many of these past cultures. How easily we can look back in shock and amazement at the popularity of flared pants. Conversely, how difficult it is, to point a judgmental finger back at ourselves, and ponder what future generations might think of our particular set of superstitions. What current ideas and concepts of love, race, tolerance, knowledge, and value will eventually embarrass us?

Mark Twain once lamented that the Church has opposed every innovation and discovery from Galileo's time down to his own. I would extend that not only the Church, but dogmatic thought from religious and non-religious magesteria have opposed (however mistakenly and innocently) every significant advancement of humanity. The progress of innovation has often been stymied by the ideology of traditionalism. Variations on superstitious thought have been used to explain and condone the denial of woman's suffrage, the limiting of human rights, and even the trafficking of human chattel...ideas that today are indefensible.

Perhaps it is a testament to the human animal that we as a species can quickly change our expectations of behavioral norms. What at one time could be thought of as mundane can, in mere generations, be viewed as barbaric. BUT- why do we easily forget and excuse the impetus and source of these beliefs? How often do espousers of dogma backtrack, apologize, and try to explain away past indiscretions through historical context? Why not question the maxim itself? It took the Vatican 359 years to admit they were wrong about Galileo. It took science less than 20 years to figure out that Stephen Hawking was wrong about black hole radiation. One of the folks who figured out that Stephen Hawking was wrong? Stephen Hawking. That's why he's being sacrificed inside the Large Hadron Collider for blasphemy.

Despite such a difficult superstitious-laden history, humanity has inched forward, gaining speed, improving its pace with every step. With clear thinking, exposure to centralized sources of knowledge, and access to the principles of science, we're slowly losing the encumbrance of superstition. As the weight is lifted, we marvel at the load we once carried. The rationale for slavery, bigotry, sexism, fear, and countless other beliefs becomes inexcusable under the welcoming glow of science's reasoned illumination.

We've arrived at a time where humanity must mature and grow out of its awkward adolescence; but there is no need to ever lose that childlike sense of wonder and amazement. Knowing how a clock works doesn't make one appreciate the passing of time any less. Learning that the sun is composed of hydrogen and helium doesn't take away from the beauty and majesty of a sunrise. Knowing that a complex system of wires, computers, and micro processors is required to transport your voice over a satellite-based network could never diminish the impact of hearing that there will indeed be a new Ozzy Osbourne record.

Thomas Jefferson wrote, "Enlighten the people generally, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day." The last century, sometimes quite painfully, has proven his words to be true. Humanity is slowly starting to realize that any society that attempts to impose a structure of disseminated knowledge, with limited exposure to new ideas and concepts, is ultimately fighting an un-winnable battle. Regrettably, it often feels as though the superstitious get all the press. Ironically, the medium which they use to communicate has, from its inception, been reliant upon the precepts of science. The fact that a preacher or mullah can castigate the evils of secularism while using a satellite feed never ceases to amaze.

Why has the past century been such an incredible time of change? It's due to the speed in which unfettered knowledge and reason has advanced. It's due to the quantitative, self-correcting nature of science. It's due to our unrelenting thirst for information. It's due to the ability to store, retrieve, share, and build upon that information. It's due to the seemingly limitless capacity for humans to think and conceive ideas. And yes, these ideas can sometimes bear truths which can be disquieting. It's been said that progress has never been a bargain, but ultimately it has to be seen as worth the price. Knowledge, no matter how uncomfortable, is never so painful as to outweigh ignorance.

The shedding of superstitious thought-ALL superstitious thought-could ultimately be the process that allows the luminescence of the stellar material within us to shine. And perhaps for the first time, both our ancestors and descendants would be equally and unequivocally proud.

Awesome!

Geologic Records
James Randi Educational Foundation

***

Responsible Atheist Parenting

2008-12-22T10:45:00.001-06:00

***

During this time of year we often get strange storms – lightening, snow, rain, sleet…all at the same time. A few years ago a comedian (Lewis Black) made a reference to bizarre weather patterns and his punchline was “I know what comes next. Locusts!”. My son did not understand the joke.

He would have, of course, if I had raised him in a religious atmosphere and given him a biblical education. Even before realizing that I am an Atheist, I rebelled against the idea of my children being indoctrinated. Unfortunately, when they were young I did not feel they would be able to grasp the intricacies of mythology and did not want to cloud their little minds with what I consider to be adult philosophies. I simply taught them right from wrong and addressed issues as they presented themselves.

The downside to this is that neither of my children have a historical understanding of any religious text or mythological stories. This may leave them open to the increasingly persuasive arguments for the veracity of these stories, so the task ahead of me is undesirable but necessary – teach them the mythology of our ancestors. This is not something I feel is their school’s responsibility nor do I wish to relegate the task to them just as any parent of faith should not wish the school to educate their children on the particulars of their faith – supplement, perhaps, but the onus should be on the parents not the school.

What I want is for my children to be able to critically assess the stories and parables, understand the historical significance while giving them a better understanding of the development of humans. Understanding why Roman gods were created by the Romans helps them understand that culture and where those influences are still seen today. Religion in some form has been a part of human culture for a very long time and ignoring it only opens the door to repetition of it. As an Atheist parent, it is my responsibility to ensure that their understanding of the world is as complete as I can make it. To give them an appreciation for the superstitious beliefs that have often ruled through history can only help them to avoid allowing superstition to rule their own lives.

It is somewhat sad to me that any time or credence needs to be spent on these topics as it takes time away from other valuable information, but without a clear understanding of where humanity has been there is no hope for a future free of the superstitious mental bindings humans seems hell-bent on enslaving themselves in.

***

My Parents

2008-12-18T14:52:00.004-06:00

***
Last night I had dinner with them after picking up my sister from the airport. My parents are 78 and 79 but you would not know this to look at them - they both act and look as though they are in their late 50's, early 60's.

During dessert (yeah, that's right - it was a full meal including homemade cookies for dessert. Quite the treat for me since I do not even cook much less provide dessert.) my parents started telling us about their recent volunteer work at the local senior center. My parents do not actually consider themselves 'seniors' so they volunteer to help the 'old people' and this past week the senior center had a Christmas party. My father dressed up as Santa, which is totally true to his character. He loves to brighten people's days and if he gets to be the center of attention while doing it, so much the better. Well, my mom was giggling away about how all the old ladies were practically fighting one another to get the chance to sit on Santa's lap and have their picture taken but as things died down, she made her way up there, plopped herself on his lap and instead of giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek as the other ladies had done, she apparently really laid one on him. My dad laughed and said the other ladies practically turned green with envy.

Old people are dirty.
***

When did the winter season become exclusively holy?

2008-12-11T13:00:00.001-06:00

***
For many, many years controversy has risen at this time of year in public schools with regard to how the season is to be addressed. School programs have undergone title changes and musical arrangement changes along with parties, art projects, decorations, etc. Their attempts to encompass all faiths have left quite a mess for teachers and administrators and more than one angry parent, they have effectively accomplished nothing.

Admittedly it is a difficult and sensitive issue – should the schools simply ignore the season? Should they dedicate valuable learning time to ensure that every possible faith is represented? In the midst of all the brouhaha there is one tiny question left unspoken – what the fuck are we doing? Are none of these people concerned that overall the US education standard has dropped far below that of other industrialized countries? Do they even think about the fact that their efforts to ensure “Silent Night” is sung at the Winter Program could be better spent ensuring their children learn basic math, science and English skills? Apparently not.

This article from Crosswalk.com is an example of just how clouded religious thinking is when it comes to public school education. The author states:

But for those of faith – and I speak here of several faith traditions – this month marks a holy season. Some parents have worked hard to raise children whose faith is a vital, integral part of who they are as individuals – not just a label or a rote activity. If such parents have succeeded, teachers should not be surprised that what bubbles up creatively from their students reflects their faith rather than glittering generalities or superficial, materialistic aspects of the season.

This is a good thing – kids with convictions. And I promise not to be offended by your child’s Menorah, if you promise not to be offended by my child’s Manger.

Although this represents one person’s view on the subject, I doubt she is alone in her thinking and judging from the lack of knowledge I suspect she really does not care if her children are better educated than her or not.

Christmas is not a Christian holiday. As has been repeated all over numerous websites, the holiday started as a tradition of celebrating the Winter Solstice, not the birth of Christ. Christians molded it into their own and now that Christianity is the most popular religion in this country, they have conveniently forgotten the origins of the season. While I do not mind that Christians elect to celebrate the birth of figure important to their faith, I cannot accept that everyone must abide by the same rule.

The same thought process holds true for Chanukah, Kwanzaa and the myriad of other faiths that have converted this season into something they consider holy. Without exception all of them seem to feel that it is perfectly fine to have all of the religions represented while wholly ignoring the fact that this seasonal celebration started out as secular. Now that some schools have written rules to exclude religious references, many of the parents feel the schools are taking what they call an “anti-religious” view of the holiday and demanding that religion be allowed based on tradition…the same tradition that would conclusively shut them out. These parents feel that if the school becomes secular, the atheists win. This would not be a ‘win’ for atheism; it would simply mean holding true to the tradition.

As a parent I have no problem with my children learning about other religions and understanding that this time of year has been adopted by many religions and is considered holy. I do have a problem with the insistence that this season started out holy and must remain that way for everyone. It didn’t and it shouldn’t. Allowing songs of different faiths to be sung during Winter Programs is fine…but it is unnecessary.

Parents of faith have multiple opportunities to ensure that their children understand the traditions of their own faith – church services including special advent services for Christians, Sunday school complete with celebratory programs, etc. – but it is not necessary to demand that a public school participate in educating their children and others on the particulars of their faith.

The author of this article seems to feel that as long as Christians are in the majority in this country, then that faith must take precedence in these programs. She is gracious enough to allow for other faiths to be recognized but draws the line at acknowledging the non-religious aspect of this season. That, for her, is one song too many.
***

Please For To Come Home Soon!

2008-12-10T21:28:00.008-06:00

Sorry I haven't been posting much lately. Way too many things going on that need my attention (death of a parent, force reductions at the Day Job, critters with serious health issues, etc. etc. etc).

But I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER? had a picture today that touched my heart, so I thought I'd share.

more animals

I couldn't agree more.

California Bishops Make a Funny Joke..Not Really

2008-12-10T19:48:00.010-06:00

***

"Hate the sin, not the sinner". That is the theme being taken up by some California Bishops in the aftermath of Prop.8. They are reaching out to the homosexual community and calling for a cease fire in the name calling...names such as bigot and pervert. (In a somewhat disgusting twist of reality, the California Bishops can fall into both categories.)

But here is the punch line:

"Your intrinsic value as human beings and as brothers and sisters continues without change," Mahony wrote. "If we had ever thought that the intent of this proposition was to harm you or anyone in the state of California, we would not have supported it." (emphasis added)

Really? Really????? Yeah, I don't think so. I am pretty certain the Bishops would have supported Prop. 8 anyway. Come to think of it, how can they say they didn't? Everyone else in the country did. What? Were they off violating some alter boy and didn't have time to catch the news before running out to vote? No. So, they were making a joke, right? Right? Yeah, I don't think they are very funny either.

As has been circulated around the web, Mike Huckabee was on The Daily Show last night discussing this very issue. First he tried using the terminology "traditional marriage" and when Jon shot that down he moved on to reproduction. After that failed miserably he threw his dart at the slippery slope argument: if we allow gays to marry, then we HAVE to allow polygamy. No, Mike, we don't. Next up in his arsenal was the accusation that homosexuality is a 'lifestyle choice'. Good one, Mike!! We hadn't heard that one....in about the last 10 minutes. Jon Stewart handled the interview perfectly and if you haven't already seen it, here are the clips. The second video clip is the one with the discussion on social values:

I hope this issue is behind us some day, that the Supreme Court finally realizes how discriminatory this is and rules in favor of allowing all couples, one human adult to one human adult, to marry. Until then, I shake my head, rail against and protest the blatant bigotry that is accepted in our society.

***

Bigotry Can Lead To A Group Of One

2008-12-10T16:01:00.004-06:00

***
Bigotry is an incredibly pervasive part of our society yet it is rarely discussed other than to be used as a sort of epithet at someone else. Growing up in the Midwest my environment was so white as to be albino. No blacks, no hispanics, no nothing - white people as far as the eye could see. During the winter it was hard to tell anyone lived there. Then de-seg hit and OMG! black kids where in my school. After about 5 minutes we all found out they were just like us. But I also discovered that bigotry goes far, far beyond race. I was raised in a religion not predominant in this area so upon arriving at high school (from a parochial grade school) I was faced with a special brand of bigotry reserved for the non-Catholics. As I got a little older I was faced with the bigotry of zip code, gender, lifestyle choices, hobbies, intellect...you name it and there is a group out there who hates you for it.

Much of the bigotry I have encountered is based not on ignorance, but fear. Fear of finding out that the "others" might be just like "us" and then "we" won't be special anymore. Here is a news flash: We aren't special. We are what we are. Many of us have families and/or friends that love us and we are certainly unique in our own ways but we aren't special. (We aren't even all that special as a species unless if by special you mean inconsiderate, selfish, egocentric nutjobs.)

Here is another news flash: Being 'special' isn't all that important.

Regardless of whether or not you think we were put here for a purpose, the goal is to make the time here as enjoyable as possible without hurting others or infringing on their rights. If someone can actually manage to do that, I would say that person is pretty damn special. But none of us ever seem to manage that - call it sin, call it human nature, call it whatever, we suck most of the time and it would be nice if we could eventually reach the point where we stop singling others out in order to boost our own egos.

So, here is my holiday wish for all of us: Try to act like a chimpanzee.

***

A Merry Atheist Christmas?

2008-12-09T15:58:00.008-06:00

***
A very long time ago Judaism was explained to me this way:

Jews are not evil people, but they do not believe in heaven or hell so they make every attempt to hoard all the money while they are here.

Naturally, this made some sort of sense to my young mind and for years I actually believed Jews had all the money. Now as an adult, I find this explanation humorous to the point that I make a running joke of it. My jokes are not intended to insult Jews, rather the thinking behind the explanation - bizarre fear.

Anyway, Dan Barker and Bill Donohue recently duked it out on Fox News with Bill Donohue smugly telling Dan that Atheists should get their own federal holiday. This explanation seems strikingly similar to the one above, but my first thought was "How can we? Jews don't even get a federal holiday and they have all the money." Then I chuckled to myself.

Yeah, that's right - I am a nerd with no sense of humor. Now you know.

But really, how could Atheists 'get their own federal holiday'? The point Bill failed to grasp is that Christmas is not exclusively Christian anymore precisely because it is a federal holiday. It belongs to everyone.

But the truth of the matter is that no group should have displays (religious or otherwise) on federal property. Traditionally, the government has allowed religious displays this time of year as long as all religions who wished to participate were allowed. Technically, Atheism is not a religion so they would not be entitled to have a display. But if Atheists are allowed, would the KKK also be allowed? Donohue did have a point on that one. So, really it should be none. Naturally, many think it is appropriate that some displays are allowed since even federal buildings should be decorated for the holidays, right? Wrong. It is not appropriate nor should it be allowed. There is no shortage of places to puke out one group's particular holiday message so federal property need not be used for such expressions.

But the displays are there - christmas trees, wreaths, ornaments, menorrahs, kwanza stuff, lights and all sorts of sparkly things throughout the White House and in every federal building in the land. The question now remains as to how far we are willing to go to make our federal property resemble the redneck villiage the US has become?

H/T to Atheist Media Blog - click for video of Fox News clip
Related Posts: Why Do Atheists Need A Sign Next To A Manger Display - by BGH at Uniform Velocity

***

The Fraud of CEO Capitulation

2008-12-05T15:40:00.001-06:00

***
I've been quietly seething about this economic crisis for months, afraid to tackle it publicly because the root cause is too deep for me to reach and the blame has spread far and wide. But this was sent to me by a friend and it caused a blood vessel to pop in my head:

GM CEO Drives a Chevy Volt to Washington...Sort Of

Here is the gist of it: GM CEO Rick Wagoner, aka Douchebag Supreme 3, drove a Chevy Malibu from Detroit to D.C. after getting publicly spanked for taking his private jet to the last "Please help us, we are soooo poor!" meeting. Except, for the last few miles he drove a Chevy Volt with a Chevy Cruze body, which he had shipped to him for this purpose. His intent was to use the opportunity as a PR move to showcase the new vehicle. Yeah, that's nice until you consider the fact that the Cruze isn't even available for fucking purchase and probably won't be for some time. Sooo....Mr. DbS3 gets his weiner up flapping in the breeze about what a role model he is for GM by driving a car that does not exist. Smooth move, buddy.

According to Jalopnik, Wagoner will drive the Volt mule from his Washington hotel to "a 9:30 AM rally at the corner of Delaware Ave. and C street just outside the Russell Senate Building."
That's a distance of just a few miles, probably at speeds below 25 mph - so it still won't come close to showing us how close the Volt prototypes may be to finished products. The fact that Wagoner didn't drive one from Detroit, but apparently had it shipped to Washington in order to drive the last few miles, may be an indication that the Volt program has a long was to go to keep its promises.

The auto industry has been in trouble for a long damn time and they are using the current economic situation as a bullshit excuse to get in line with all the other white collar criminals to ask for money that they do not deserve. They have driven themselves into this hole and their pathetic gestures of $1 salaries are just that: pathetic. To give them some credit, though, at least they haven't taken any multi-million dollar vacations. Yet.

As long as the wealthy, fat fuckers continue to dry hump each other this economic crisis will never resolve itself. A grip on reality is nowhere to be found in certain sectors during the financial crisis and subsequent corporate socialism that has occurred. Socialism that they will decry as being 'unAmerican', yet the only people who seem subject to capitalism these days are the small business owners - the concept on which 'The American Dream' is advertised. Sadly there is never any bailout money for these people when large business spread like a cancer and force them out of business.

Plus, nearly every business I know now uses economic boom years as their growth standard. If a company does particularly well one year, the CEO’s announce that their sales must exceed prior year by 20% or more the next year, entirely ignoring the fact that prior year was well above projected growth amounts. Greed wins out and then they are stumped when the whole thing falls apart.

They wonder why the blame is lumped on them when they may not be wholly responsible for the crisis; it is because they are the epitome of all that has CAUSED the crisis. Their actions indicate the very core of how the situation arrived where it is. I am a conservative in some things, money is one of them and those criminals at the top of the business chain and the ones in D.C. claiming to be conservatives can all go straight to hell as far as I am concerned. They are not conservatives! They are leeches who need to be plucked from the body of the U.S. economic system and allowed to wither and die before they suck the very life out of it.
***

Everything Is Sh*t! A Review And Conclusion!

2008-12-05T08:05:00.007-06:00

JCE and I recently had the chance to review the book, Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?: Insanely Annoying Modern Things. I am not going to do one of the things the authors ridicule and that is give a 'rave review', but I will say if you are looking to read a book that is a bit snarky, sometimes outright belly laugh inducing, but over all an entertaining read, pick this book up.

As per the title, the book goes through a laundry list of pop-culture phenoms and fads and dissects each to answer the question, "Is It Just Me or Is Everything Shit?" The authors tackle all sorts of modern items, everything from abstinence programs, "smart casual", ipod fashion, loft living, R&B ballads to homophobic Christians. Some of the send-ups are downright hilarious and spot on, some left me feeling as if they were just filling page space with text. For people who are easily offended when a personal affiliation is attacked such as Blackberries or Bling, you might not want to crack the cover on this one. But if you can laugh at yourself and the things you hold dear, you will surely find something in this book to make you laugh more than once.

The overall majority of the rants are funny and thought-provoking and I would suggest taking a read of this list from A to Z. After my pass through the book I have concluded, Everything Is Shit!

(P.S. - JCE's review will be coming shortly!)

"These things I'll carry on
And when you're gone I'll honor you
Each day, however long"