More than simple religious fervor?

For a long time I have reserved comment on Islam and Muslims in general. My reasons for this have been two fold. 1) I am ignorant to their faith and beliefs, so I am unable to accurately form an opinion; and 2) I assumed the ‘acts of terrorism’ to be carried out be those caught in the grasp of religious fervor (which I still believe to be true). Now however, I can no longer hold my tongue.

Abdul Rahman was charged with ‘converting from Islam’. He was not charged by his church or mosque. He was charged by his state (Afghanistan). Lets see, what would be a fitting charge for changing your beliefs…hmmm….I dunno, I didn’t think a charge should exist. But the genius’ who developed Sharia Law decided that the death penalty should be enforced when someone decides to think for themselves.

I really do mean that the authors of Sharia Law are genius. I mean think about, Muslims are born Muslims, without any opportunity to change their faith. Thus, their population can only grow (assuming a birth rate greater than death rate(and suicide rate)) and bolster their ranks. Combine this with mandatory recruitment and you have an unstoppable force.

I think that if I ever form a cult it will be based on two things; blind religious fervor, and the penalty of death for thinking independently. But I don’t think I’ll have to worry about people thinking for themselves because I will impose sleep limiting practices and near starvation conditions to keep my people subservient.

If you wish to read more about Abdul Rahmans story:

CBC

BBC

Ramblings of an Atheist - 6

To most people the thought of death and/or dying evokes feelings of fear and trepidation. People from every category or sect of life fear death; young, old, big, tall, short, stout, athletic, weak…even samurais…okay not samurais. But you get my point; most people live in fear of the shadow of death.

Why is this? Who do people fear death? Probably for the same reasons people fear most other things…because it is unknown. No one has ever experienced death and come back to tell us about (don’t you dare bring up near death experiences…that is a rant for another time). I’ve never talked to anyone who said, “You know…yesterday I decided to die for a little and it was pretty good, I think I’ll just go ahead and die for a bit more tomorrow.” If I met someone who said that to me I might end up committing myself the same day.

Death is the great unknown. There are as many ideas about death and what happens when we die as there are (I don’t know…some large quantity)….apples (?!?!?). The point is, no one knows what death is, so it is impossible to have an accurate or perhaps even reasonable idea as to what happens when we die. In the end, everyone ends up believing what allows them to sleep at night.

Whether it be: upon death you reach the pearly gates where some funny joke is made and then you enter heaven; or you get turned away from the gates and go to hell; perhaps you spend a bit of time in purgatory; or even return as a frog, or a spider, and if you were really good you may even come back as a human; some people think that when you die, you die and that’s it; others believe that your soul carries on in this world; and still others picture a plane that gets crossed upon death. Clearly the possibilities are endless. But, despite all of these comforting outcomes people still fear death.

As much as I try to understand people’s fear of death I cannot. Don’t get me wrong, I love life. In fact, I would much rather be alive than dead. But, at the same point I don’t fear death because there isn’t a whole lot I can do to prevent it (other than listen to the general surgeons warnings and perhaps avoid base jumping). I believe that after I die there is no more, the end, finito, ‘so long and thanks for all the fish.’ I’m not going to get my hopes up about some benevolent God, because if I’m dead and he doesn’t exist then I’ll never know any better, so why think about it. By the same token, if a benevolent God does exist, then I greatly look forward to holding council with him/her/it/dog/plasmatic blob after my demise. I would have quite a few questions for him;

1) Why do the Leafs continue to suck? Why didn’t you make John Ferguson fire Pat Quinn a long time ago?

2) Do you fart? If so, is that what thunder really is?

3) Do your farts smell? Do they smell by human standards, or only Godly super-deitical standards?

4) Are you the only God? If not, who is the laziest God?

5) Are female gods hot? You know, by human standards?

6) What is that thing growing out of your arm?

7) Can you shoot lighting out of your ass? I’ve always told people you could.

8) Thanks for the free-will thing. It makes for great conversations which result in the decision that free-will doesn’t exists so that we can do what ever we want.

9) Why?

a. America

b. George W. Bush

c. Annoying guy in the Alexander Keiths Commercials

d. Crazy religious fervites

e. Not add an extra couple of inches ;-)

10) Who really is faster, Superman or The Flash

Ramblings of an Atheist - 5

Often people are shocked when they find out that I am married to a theist. Not only married to a theist, but married in a church to a theist. The shock that these people experience is due to their expectations of an atheist. Most people think of atheists as, negative, disgruntled, angry people who hate the church. The term atheist is often seen as being synonymous with ‘church hater’ or ‘Satanist’ or ‘pagan’. Which clearly has nothing to do with the definition of atheist, but, unfortunately this is how it is perceived by the public.

I am very happily married to my wife of 3 years. Both of us grew up in religious homes, and both of us understand the importance of each others beliefs. I do not think of her as being weak, or stupid for believing in the church. I feel that if she needs the church and her faith to get her through life, then so be it. I’d rather be married to someone who is happy and religious than unhappy and an atheist.

My wife accepts my atheism. Even though we disagree about faith, it is not an issue of contention. We both ‘agree to disagree’. We also don’t avoid the topic. We have open conversations about faith, and religion, and the church. Which I feel is both necessary and beneficial to our relationship.

I think the reason why this works is that we both chose our beliefs for ourselves and not because they were imposed upon us. She is not in the grasp of religious fervor so she doesn’t feel the need to convert me, or make me join the church. And I don’t despise or hate the church, so I don’t feel the need to drive her away from the church.

Kyoto Protocol All Wrong ? Never?!?!

Is it possible that the Kyoto Protocol is wrong? That it is focusing on the wrong compound? What if CO₂ wasn’t the culprit?

The Kyoto Protocol was pushed onto countries of the world by European Nations who had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Disregarding the so called ‘science’ that went into the Kyoto Protocol on still has to wonder about the ethics behind the development of the Kyoto Protocol. Anyways…that is not what I want to talk about.

New research by Vladimir Shaidurov of the Russian Academy of Sciences suggests that the observed increase in global temperatures over the past century may not be a result of carbon dioxide. Remember kids, correlation does not equal causation. Just because CO₂ levels are climbing and temperature is climbing does not mean that they are linked. It is like saying that ‘today I saw a pink car and it rained. Therefore, they are somehow linked.’ Remember….a mechanisms needs to be found as well.

Shaidurov proposes that “ice crystals at high altitude could damage the layer of thin, high altitude clouds found in the mesosphere that reduce the amount of warming solar radiation reaching the earth's surface.” Meaning that, the more ice crystals in the mesosphere, the cooler the earth is. What if….something happened to reduce the amount of ice crystals in the mesosphere thus allowing global temperatures to rise. Shaidurov believes that the Tunguska Event would have been sufficient to affect the mesosphere. In his own words “the Tunguska Event, sometimes known as the Tungus Meteorite is thought to have resulted from an asteroid or comet entering the earth's atmosphere and exploding. The event released as much energy as fifteen one-megaton atomic bombs. As well as blasting an enormous amount of dust into the atmosphere, felling 60 million trees over an area of more than 2000 square kilometres. (he) suggests that this explosion would have caused "considerable stirring of the high layers of atmosphere and change its structure.”

While I don’t know if I wholly accept his research as conclusive that CO₂ cause global warming doesn’t exist, I still find it intriguing. I also feel that perhaps using some of the trillions that will be spent implementing the Kyoto Protocol would be better spent further investigating the mechanism behind global warming, and perhaps even give Shaidurov a little bit of money to further his research.

Mr. Harper (err...Mr. Prime Minister)

What an excellent figure head Canada has elected. Not only was his first mandate to prove himself an ass to the country, he continues to do so. The Conservatives won the election by staying out of the media spotlight and doing absolutely nothing. Now he seems to be applying the same strategy in regards to the ethics probe over the appointment of the floor crossing coward David Emerson. Mr. Harper doesn’t seem to realize that the same tactics won’t work. People want answers. When the Liberal sponsorship scandal came to light, Mr. Martin was very good about welcoming an inquiry into his party and his leadership. Mr. Harper…..well let’s just say he’s not the brightest. How can you expect to be trusted by farmers, …sorry, I mean your electorate if you won’t even be upfront with them.

Yes, yes…I know the argument…’but there was no ethics inquiry when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor’. Well, perhaps there should have been, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t need one now. Mr. Harper ran on a platform of accountability, and he won’t even stand accountable for his cabinet appointments.

Perhaps Mr. Harper being elected (with a minority government) was the best thing for Canada because:

- it gives the Liberals a chance to regroup and perhaps find a leader;

- it will allow Canada to remember why we have had Liberals in office for the past 13 years; and

- it pushes off the time when Peter Mackay will be elected conservative leader (there is nothing worse than a smooth talking crook).

Mr. Harper, all I ask is that you stand accountable for your cabinet appointments.

Ramblings of an atheists -4

Todays atheistic topic is …. WATER. (Insert crappy game show music here).

I’m not quite sure how an atheist has a point of view on water, but we’ll see what happens. All ‘life’ as ‘we’ know it relies on water. Nay, it depends on water; it cannot exist without water. What if, Oxygen had been opposed to a three-way with hydrogen and hydrogen? Think about that, what if oxygen had been a selfish priss? We…..well we wouldn’t be here to think about it I guess.

Does that mean that water is here for a special reason? Is it coincidental that water exists at all? I say yes. Some, perhaps many will argue that water was made special by God to facilitate the existence of life. (This train of thought leads to an ugly can of worms that I am not going to open at this moment).

If it is coincidental, and those coincidences didn’t occur 'just so', we wouldn’t be here to even question it. Therefore, our very existence does not require the existence of some supreme holy almighty deity. It just requires the right set of circumstances. If water as we know it wasn’t stable there would be two options.

1) Life would be unable to exist at all and the universe would be a void and desolate place with no creepy crawlers to start wars.

2) Life would still exist, perhaps in a different form and not depend on water. Perhaps it would depend on gallium, or alcohol (not so different than some of the life forms currently in existence) and we would still have ridiculous squabbles.

This line of arguing harkens back to the quote (not sure from whom or where about monkey and typewriters).

‘Given an infinite number of monkeys on an infinite number of typewriters for infinity, Hamlet will be written’

Something along that line, if you know the actual quote I would welcome it.

Yet another pre-coffee rant. I really need to stop this and get my coffee before I start blabbering.

Environmental Fear Mongering

In our ‘modern era’ the hype about the environment and environmental protection borders on fear mongering. As with every section of society there are extremists, in this case, Green Peace is the first one that comes to mind. One look at where current environmental funding is heading highlights who the biggest players are: global warming and climate change.

The media loves these buzz words. They instill images of flooding, drought, fires, pestilence, poverty, and the WRATH OF GOD. Well, maybe not quite that extreme, but the media isn’t shy about hyping up their stories in order to sell them.

When it come to climate change three question really need to be addressed.

1) What is causing the increase in global temperature? The CO2 arguments are weak at best and without knowing how the causative agent is working it is difficult to change the trend.

2) Is the change anything outside of the normal trends? Global temperatures are known to fluctuate, so what should make the current increase ‘special’.

3) Would warmer temperatures be that bad? I mean, I know I wouldn’t mind a milder winter. And I’m sure the farmers up here wouldn’t mind a longer growing season.

Absence of empathy

I am cursed with an absence of empathy and sympathy; you know, those basic human emotions that allow one to understand how another feels. For whatever reason, I have a very difficult time understanding and sympathizing with others feelings. If you’re looking for a shoulder to cry on mine will be available but consolation may be lacking.

I think the root of my problem is that I rationalize too much. I tend to take the ‘human’ element out of situations and try to analyze them with cold hard logic. To me this makes perfect sense and I base the vast majority of my decisions on this type of rational thinking. What I can’t seem to understand are people who infuse everything with illogical emotion.

I’m lucky that the group of people I work with for the most part are level headed and logical. But in the past I have worked with the super-emotional-flakes that I just want to slap. They drone on and on an on about pointless illogical crap. These are generally the same people who live in their own little ignorant worlds, fully of teddy bears and anti-depressants. The same people who do nothing but cry when they get drunk…man those people piss me off.

My favourite thing to do when people are acting irrational is to push their buttons with more irrational things. It is awesome to watch them explode, and then calmly ask them “So, why exactly did you just freak out when I smiled at you (or someother benign action)?” That’s when the incoherent justification of someone who is about to realize how stupid they’ve been comes.

I know I sound heartless, and perhaps I am, but I sure as hell have a good time while I’m at it. Wow…..hows that for a morning…pre-coffee rant =-]

Robotic Pack Mule

This robot highlights the advancements being made in the field of robotics. This ‘pack mule’ developed by Boston Dynamics and named BigDog is dubbed ‘the most advanced quadruped robot on earth. Check out the video to see what this thing can do!! It even balances itself after being kicked.

Ramblings of an Atheist - 3

Not sure where this is going to lead but I feel like addressing the issue of atheism again.

I think there are at least two types of atheists, those who require an explanation for everything, and those who don’t. This may sound counter-intuitive initially as atheists are often branded as those who question everything and are never happy with the answers they receive. While this is true of some, if not most atheists, I’d like to think that I fall into the second category, one who doesn’t require an explanation for everything. Mind you, there is a big difference between requiring and explanation for everything and knowing that an explanation for everything exists.

I feel that those atheists who require an explanation for everything are exactly the same as the theists who invoke God to explain anything that cannot be explained. Both groups will not accept the perfectly reasonable answer of ‘I don’t know’.

Being in the field of science I am constantly flirting with the boundary between the known and unknown. Sometimes all it takes to change an unknown into a known is as simple as picking up a text book and doing a little reading. Other times the explanation is not readily available and must be worked at. And as is usual with any field, the answer leads to even more unknowns, whose answers lead to even more. It turns into a violent cascade, but that is part of the fun. Figuring stuff out! I relish the moment of understanding and insight when the ignorance disperses. And it is this that drives my thirst for knowledge and understanding.

I’d like to address the difference between ‘there being an explanation for everything’ and ‘needing and explanation for everything’.

First I will address what I feel is the incorrect outlook on life:

‘Needing an explanation for everything’

Too many people turn away from faith for what I feel is the ‘wrong’ reason. And that is ‘religion can’t explain everything I see around me so instead I will hide behind the religion of science’. And for these people science really does become a ‘religion’ instead of a tool or way of thinking.

By requiring an explanation for everything it is not possible to be content with anything. Such a person in my opinion must surely go mad…enter the stereotypical atheists.

‘An explanation for everything exists’

I believe that there is an explanation for everything, and likely 99.9% of those explanations are currently unknown by humans and will never by fully known or understood by any man/woman. To be truly content one must acknowledge this, else be doomed to a life of superstitious hocus pocus.

Should these unknowns be disconcerting? NO! These unknowns should drive curiousity and a desire for knowledge. Unfortunately the majority of people are quite content to be ignorant to just about everything around them. Although it is often said ‘ignorance is bliss’. So…”c’est la vie”.

After re-reading this I think I maybe coming across as a bit of a pompous-prick who is saying that everyone else is wrong except for me. This is not my intention at all, rather I wish people to understand how I view life just as I tried to understand how others view life.

Manic Habits

After reviewing the definitions of ‘manic’ and ‘mania’, I’ve decided that perhaps I am neither. However, I do experience what may be considered mild manic depressiveness, without the extreme negative connotation. By this I mean; ‘I experience the highs, often lasting for weeks, to a month, and are marked by excess productivity and motivation. Following these periods I experience the exact opposite, extended periods of time (weeks again) marked by laziness, sleepiness, and generally unproductive behaviour.

Currently I find myself in one of my ‘down’ periods I guess you could call it. I’m not exactly depressed, or am depressed with out the ‘depression’ part of it. If that makes any sense. I’m not experiencing the negative thoughts, and the general doom and gloom feelings that people associate with depression. I am however unmotivated and lethargic. The trick for me now is to try and find something to snap me out of it. And perhaps the fact that I am writing this is evident that I am emerging from this period of lethargy.

This cyclic, or sinusoidal pattern to my behaviour is not a new development. I have been like this since at least highschool, perhaps earlier.

Motivation …draining….need to enrich..core….coffee….

Lol…later.

Crazy Busy

Its been a crazy couple of weeks. I'll be posting again shortly.

The bar has been set...

So far this olympics it seems as though Canada has been really good at choking. But, we finally won one of the medals we are supposed to. Now it is time for the men to step up and start playing some real hockey. If not Wayne better kick some ass!!!

Ramblings of an atheist - 2

Last time, 'Ramblings of an atheist -1', I vaguely discussed my reasons for being an atheist. In this post I plan to expand on that.

I am an atheist, not because I don’t want to believe but because I can’t believe. Some people are atheist because of a single event (‘How could a God let this happen? How could a God allow for so much injustice in the world? Etc. etc.), others are atheists because they don’t understand the possibility of so many religions with different Gods. While these are all arguments against the existence of God, they really aren’t that strong. And as such, religious people have fairly quick, and half way reasonable responses to these issues. ‘God presents himself in different forms to different people. God gives us the power of freewill and thus anything that happens is not truly an act of God, unless of course it is a miracle…umm…wha?.

Before you start attacking me for hating all religious people…I don’t. I believe that people are entitled to their own beliefs as long as they are respectful of other people. In other words, if believing in God helps you sleep at night, ‘then great’, because quite frankly I don’t want to deal with you when you are grumpy due to lack of sleep. On the other hand, if you want to debate religion, I’m all game.

The biggest problem I have with God is that it requires faith. I am a man of science, meaning I like to see evidence for theories, facts that either support or refute hypothesis, etc. Whenever I try to apply anything halfway logical to the concept of a supreme being I only encounter speculation. Yea yea, I know,’ everything around us is evidence of God’…what!!!

I would love to know that a God exits, and that there is more to life than this, but until I’m given a reason to believe, I cannot. The usual response is, ‘that must be a very lonely life’. Actually its not, I have a great life, great relationships, and great friends (most of who are religious, but lack the ‘religious fervor’ (which is an issue for another time)).

Just because I don’t believe in God doesn’t mean that I can explain everything. The first thing that usually happens when someone finds out that I am an atheist is to ask me to explain something, or a whole slue of things. Lets see…there is ‘how did the universe start? How did life start? Etc.’ To which I answer ‘I don’t know, do you?’ And they reply, ‘God’. The problem is that religious people invoke God to explain the unknown because they are afraid of the unknown. This has been happening since the ‘dawn of man’. Who knows, perhaps other species believe in their own gods as well, ‘these gods would be responsible for the miraculous flakes that appear on a daily basis in the fishes bowl, or lava-lamp in a lizards cage’. The point is, people invoke ‘God’ to explain that which they cannot explain or fathom. It was long held that the sun moved across the sky because it was a flaming chariot tethered to a God.

Well, I think its time for a break before my head explodes. Next time I think I’ll discuss the question; ‘Are all Atheists selfish gluttons with any moral compass due to their heathenness?’

Focus on Baha'i

Despite being a proclaimed atheist I still find the concept of religions and their individual beliefs fascinating. Perhaps that fact that I am an atheist is why I find them so fascinating.

I recently came across this page, Baha’i Views which is an excellent source for information and commentary on the Baha’i faith and their views. As of about two days ago I was completely ignorant to the Baha’i faith, despite having taken a ‘world religions’ class.

Here I will attempt to summarize what in my opinion are the key points of the Baha’i faith, at least those that I find interesting. Please feel free to correct me if I err on certain points as I likely will. Most of this information is paraphrased from Baha'i.org

Any text in italics are my questions or comments.

GOD: The Baha’i believe in one God who created the universe. This one God is responsible for the prophets (messengers) in all of their incarnations; including: Abraham, Zoroaster, Krishna, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, and Muhammed.

1) Why allow for people to fall into separate individual religions that at times hate eachother if they are all emissaries for one God?

2) How do we know that some of these messengers really existed and weren’t created by people? Many mythical and deital beings are created by people looking for answers.

PURPOSE OF LIFE: Religion gives life purpose. If live were the result of ‘chance’ then “Each individual human being would represent the temporary material existence of a conscious animal trying to move through his brief life with as much pleasure and as little pain and suffering as possible.”

Hmmm.

This seems like a circular argument. For life to have meaning (purpose) we must have a religion. For a religion to exist there must be a purpose to life.

What if, perhaps, there was not purpose to life, yet religions were created as a way to maintain a stable society? Perhaps Moses was a genius in the method he used to persuade his followers? For most, if not all people, the most frightening is the unknown. So Moses invokes God, and people fall into line and listen.

Sorry for the extremely brief and likely unjust discussion of the Baha’i faith. But I do find it fascinating nonetheless and plan on posting more details in the future.

Cool Science - Feb 17

Flexible armor!!!

Spyder, an American Skiwear company has developed flexible armour that can be fitted into a ski suit. This material while normally flexible becomes rigid upon impact. Aside from the skiing industry the potential for this material is incredible. A light-weight flexible armour could revolutionize countless contact sports and the military.

New Scientist

Space Elevator

Anyone who has played Civ IV knows about space elevator in concept. Well, the baby steps are under way. A special carbon fiber cable was tethered to balloons 1.6 km above the surface. The cable performed as expected however, the robots design to crawl up and down the cable were only able to reach 460m above ground surface.

New Scientist Space

Debate over evidence for life on mars reignited

Researchers evolve a complex genetic trait in the lab

Bacteria controlled robots

Life in warm ponds

Western Standard Dunderheads

Hear I go again – picking on the west, well not far west, just the foothills area. Its not that I dislike Westerners its just that they always seem to be the ones to do things that get me going. Like, Ezra Levant, of the Western Standard for instance.

It seems likeWestern Canada is really good at producing loud mouths that either may or may not represent their population as a whole. For instance, Stephen Harper (although being born and raised in Ontario, he is now the ‘Prime Minister of Canada from the West’) who makes no qualms about thumping his bible and hating those who are different. However, in the most recent campaign he kept his mouth shut, but that doesn’t his values have changed, it just means he’s buying his time.

Now that I’ve thoroughly distracted myself I’ll return to the purpose of this post. The Western Standard. Well, I can tell you one thing, their strategy to boost readership must be working, but in the process they are turning their paper into a rag. Whether or not it was a rag before I can’t comment, but if they keep up at they pace they are going it will be Canadians and not Muslims that they will have to worry about. The Western Standard recently ran an article calling Ralph Klein’s (Alberta Premier) an ‘indian’. Now normally that is not much more than something you just don’t say (especially in an edited paper). The exact quote goes like this:

“Once she [Colleen] stops being the premier's wife, she goes back to being just another Indian."

I am amazed at the idiocy of the Western Standard. You just can’t say stuff like this anymore. I implore citizens of Alberta to standup and tear down the institutions that are making all of you look like Ignant, Gun-toting, Ethnic Hating, Gay Hating, Bible Thumping rednecks.

And before you start ripping into me about being an ‘Onterrible’, I’ve lived in Calgary and know what it’s like out there, and know that the many are misrepresented by few.

Ramblings of an atheist - 1

In my experience atheists get a pretty bad rap. Most people view them as god hating heathens who have lost their way.

I am a Roman Catholic by birth. Born and raised in the church, educated in the catholic school system (both elementary and secondary). I have been baptized and confirmed. I believe in the promotion of respect and dignity for all people (and not ‘all’ people in the stereotypical religious sense of hating those who are different).

I began to question the church (and my faith) when I was about 15 or 16 (yes, yes…the stereotypical age to doubt). My transition was slow and gradual, from theist, to agnostic, to atheist. It started when I began to ask questions (…gasp!…’how dare you question that which is sacred and holy?) and received answers of ‘just cause’ or ‘that is what faith is for’.

I’ve always thought of faith as base jumping, only someone else is responsible for your safety. Someone at the top hands you a backpack looking thing, you put it on, and jump. Better hope it was a chute they handed you, folded properly, and functional. (yes, yes I’ve heard it before ‘but that is the beauty of it, God is not the chute, God will scoop you from the sky). To which I reply, “well perhaps Buddha, or allah, or the flying spaghetti monster will scoop me from the sky instead.

I do not have anything against people who believe, as long as they have questioned their belief. If their faith stands up to their questioning, then ‘good on them’. I would love to believe that there is something more to life, but I cannot. I do not despair over this, however, I enjoy my life very much and don’t feel like anything is missing.

More to come on this issue…

Hump Day - Forget me not panties

Ughh…yes, yet another creatively titled post. I’m sure that no one else has titled a blog ‘Hump Day’, either today or in the past. And yet, that’s all I can think of. This week seems as though it is taking forever to pass, yet, I have accomplished relatively nothing. A ridiculously long assignment sits on my desk relatively untouched, and I have a presentation to finish. …blah..blah..blah

On a more entertaining note, ‘Forget-me-not panties’ were brought to my attention. These are hilarious and worth a look.

Alright, I think that’s all I’ve got for today…wow I suck.

Letter to Ezra Levant

Ezra Levant (excuse my neglect in using introductory salutations but you do not deserve them),

After hearing about the reprint of cartoons depicting Mohammed I admit I was a little surprised, but really thought nothing more of it. I’m caught in between believing in freedom of the press, and respect for all. You see, your act embodies the one and not the other, however I didn’t not totally disagree with what you did. That is of course until I saw you on Canada AM this morning.

Your display on Canada AM was despicable. I am embarrassed to share the same country with you. Mr. Elmasry looked like a beacon of composure and warmth compared to you. As soon as you hit the air waves you lashed out in a very childish and disrespectful manner (you idiot, you stupid gun-totting western idiot, what the hell were you thinking!!!). Ezra, the problem is, you are a racial bigot. And you see, I now feel I can say anything I please, because to paraphrase your words from this morning, ‘I am not afraid of defamation of character charges, I am only expressing my freedom of speech.’ Well, I never thought there was anyone as stupid as you in our country, but then again every country has them. If I were from Calgary I think I would be moving right now, as it is likely your stupid, thoughtless comments that will stir more of a backlash than your reprint of the cartoons.

Ezra, you said some very stupid things. And, if some bad luck should befall you I don’t think I would think twice, no twinge of pity or sympathy for you. Perhaps we can get you shipped to the Middle East on grounds of stupidity, you wouldn’t last two minutes.

Ezra, as a last note, I just wanted to let you know that there are likely some gay people in Calgary, you may want to consider moving…

A cynics life

This is the second time the topic of ‘cynics’ has come up in the past week. I see myself as a cynic, whether that proclamation automatically discredits me as being a cynic I know not.

A cynic as defined by dictionary.com is:

- a person who believes all people are motivated by selfishness;

- a person whose outlook is scornfully and habitually negative;

- someone who is critical of the motives of others

The definition describes me to a ‘T’. Not only am I ‘scornful and habitually negative’ I take great pleasure in seeing ill fall to someone whom I perceive deserves it.

For example, I relish in the knowledge that Dick Cheney accidentally shot a fellow hunter on the weekend (I am also glad that the hunter is relatively unhurt). I get great satisfaction of out know that one of ‘daddy’s buddy’s’ and a giant ignoramus f’d up. It really is a glorious feeling.

Another example, I love to see self proclaimed Christians acting in very unchristian manners (especially since I am an atheist). When I see this happen, I rather ‘scornfully’ pipe up and say ‘That’s not very Christian of you! What would Jesus do? Or’ and my favourite ‘Your going to burn!!!!’ Hahaha…that always evokes a very pleasant reaction from said person…especially if its your mother. Even better is a Bible thumper, its been a long time since I’ve tangled with a bible thumper. They are so blindly passionate and believe that God cannot make typos.

Another example is government (especially the governments I don’t like, The Republicans, The Canadian Alliance, and … The Republicans), I relish and opportunity to poke fun at their mistakes. Recent examples include, Dick Cheney (see above) shooting someone (see above), Mr. (err. Prime Minister) Harper breaking two of his campaign promises immediately he is sworn in, and countless bushism’s that the Americans apparently find endearing.

Perhaps I am not so much a cynic but rather an admirer of irony. I live for ironic events. The Christian who wants to kick my ass, and then murder some gays all in the name of a merciful and benevolent god, or the cocky as shit undergrad who tells me how ‘he is going to destroy my class’ and then barely passes, or ….well I can’t think of anymore right now (maybe it’s the time) but I think I’ll start keeping a list.

And lastly, just for curiosities sake:

Irony – the use of words to express something different from and often opposite to their literal meaning; An expression or utterance marked by a deliberate contrast between apparent and intended meaning; and Incongruity between what might be expected and what actually occurs.

waste of a post

well this is a waste of a post, but i didn't know anyother way to get my profile pic to upload.. :-s

Recent RMR Submissions

"Mr. Bush, we can once again begin our softwood lumber talks"






















'The future of Canada's Health Care System'

The Gunslinger - a view on the world

The following post is taken from the first book (The Gunslinger) of Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower" series. It is a interesting but not altogether new look at the universe and is fun to read every once in a while.

The universe (he said) is the Great All, and offers a paradox too great for the finite mind to grasp. As the living brain cannot conceive of a nonliving brain – although it may think it can – the finite mind cannot grasp the infinite.

The prosaic fact of the universe’s existence alone defeats both the pragmatists and the romantic. There was a time, yet a hundred generations before the world moved on, when mankind had achieved enough technical and scientific prowess to chip a few splinters from the great stone pillar of reality. Even so, the false light of science (knowledge if you like) shone in only a few developed countries. One company (or cabal) led the way in this regard; North Central Positronics, it called itself. Yet, despite a tremendous increase in available facts, there were remarkably few insights.

“Gunslinger, our many-times-great grandfathers conquered the disease-which-rots, which they called cancer, almost conquered aging, walked on the moon –“

“I don’t believe that,” the gunslinger said flatly.

To this the man in black merely smiled and answered, “You needn’t. Yet it was so. They made or discovered a hundred marvelous baubles. But this wealth of information produced little or no insight. There were no great odes written to the wonders of artificial insemination – having babies from frozen mansperm – or to the cars that ran on power from the sun. Few if any seemed to have grasped the truest principle of reality: new knowledge leads always to yet more awesome mysteries. Greater physiological knowledge of the brain makes existence of the soul less possible yet more probable by the nature of the search. Do you see? Of course you don’t. You’ve reached the limits of your ability to comprehend. But never mind – that’s besides the point.”

“What is the point, then?”

“The greatest mystery the universe offers is not life but size. Size encompasses life, and the Tower encompasses size. The child, who is the most at home with wonder, says: Daddy, what is above the sky? And the father says: the darkness of space. The child: What is beyond space? The father: The galaxy. The child: Beyond the galaxy? The father: Another galaxy. The child: Beyond the other galaxies? The father: No one knows.

“You see? Size defeats us. For the fish, the lake in which he lives is the universe. What does the fish think when he is jerked up by the mouth through the silver limits of existence and into a new universe where the air drowns him and the light is blue madness? Where huge bipeds with no gills stuff it into a suffocating box and cover it with wet weeds to die?

“Or one might take the tip of a pencil and magnify it. One reaches the point where a stunning realization strikes home: The pencil-tip is not solid; it is composed of atoms which whirl and revolve like a trillion demon planets. What seems solid to us is actually only a loose net held together by gravity. Viewed at their actual size, the distances between these atoms might become leagues, gulfs, aeons. The atoms themselves are composed of nuclei and revolving protons and electrons. One may step down further to subatomic particles. And then to what? Tachyons? Nothing? Of course not. Everything in the universe denies nothing; to suggest an ending is the one absurdity.

“If you fell outward to the limit of the universe, would you find a board fence and signs reading DEAD END? No. You might find something hard and rounded, as the chick must see the egg from the inside. And if you should peck through the shell (or find a door), what great and torrential light might shine through your opening at the end of space? Might you look through and discover our entire universe is but part of one atom on a blade of grass? Might you be forced to think that by burning a twig you incinerate an eternity of eternities? That existence rise not to one infinite but to an infinity of them?

“Perhaps you saw what place our universe plays in the scheme of things – as no more than an atom in a blade of grass. Could it be that everything we can perceive, from the microscopic virus to the distant Horsehead Nebula, is contained in one blade of grass that may have existed for only a single season in an alien time-flow? What if that blade should be cut off by a scythe? When it begins to die, would the rot seep into our own universe and our own lives, turning everything yellow and brown and desiccated? Perhaps it’s already begun to happen. We say the world has moved on; maybe we really mean that it has begun to dry up.

“Think how small such a concept of things makes us, gunslinger! If a God watches over it all, does He actually mete out justice for a race of gnats among an infinitude of race of gnats? Does His eye see the sparrow fall when the sparrow is less than a speck of hydrogen floating disconnected in the depth of space? And if He does see… what must the nature of such a God be? Where does He live? How is it possible to live beyond infinity?

“Imagine the sand of the Mohaine Desert, which you crossed to find me, and imagine a trillion universes – not world but universes – encapsulated in each grain of that desert; and within each universe an infinity of others. We tower over these universes from our pitiful grass vantage point; with one swing of your boot you may knock a billion billion worlds flying off into darkness, in a chain never to be completed.

“Size, gunslinger….size…

“Yet suppose further. Suppose that all worlds, all universes, met in a single nexus, a single pylon, a Tower. And within it, a stairway, perhaps rising to the Godhead itself.

Would you dare climb to the top, gunslinger? Could it be that somewhere above all of endless reality, there exists a Room?...

“You dare not”

And in the gunslingers mind, those words echoed: You dare not.

The secret to ruling the world...

Many…many…many people have dreamed about ruling the world. And so far none have succeeded, not even God. Whom, of all people should have the easiest time. Ah, yes, I almost forgot, the reason he doesn’t rule the world is because he doesn’t exist. Nevertheless, the secret to ruling the world is through a deity and the religious fervor that goes with it. If history has taught us anything it is that; hell hath no fury like a holy war.

Just look at the state of the world today, every monotheistic religion has their nuts (I’m sure the polytheists have their nuts as well, but perhaps they’re just a little more subdued). But not only that, the nuts do whatever they think god wants them to do. Some strap bombs to their chests, others prefer little boys, and some prefer to hate anything that is not white and heterosexual.

So the question is: “How does one unite all of these religious fanatics under one banner?” let alone getting them to sit in the same room. The answer is to become their god and capitalize on the next coming as it will truly be a global event. The down fall of previous prophets/gods/power-mongers was that they didn’t have the internet, TV, or satellite radio. In today’s modern age the only people that will be left out will be are those living in the rainforest.

Now we need to unite them under one banner, how? How do you unite billions of people who share different beliefs, have different cultures, and prefer different types of meat (I don’t know about you but a shitzu does sound tasty). The answer is quite simple, you have to focus on the nuts, the crazy’s. “Now listen here James, if you try to form another cult I’ll kick your ass out of my basement so fast…!!” “Yes mom….”.

Okay, so going the cult route has been vetoed by my mother, but perhaps there is another option. The next ruler of the world needs to set up sleeper cells that slowly recruit people to their ‘training camps’. Don’t forget the lure, you need something to lure people to your cult, people looking for a place to belong. So an edict is sent out to recruit all of the first borns…..err….we’ll settle for the stereotypically disaffected youth. You know the ones who are ‘individuals’ and being themselves. “And for God sakes don’t let the recruits take any lessons this time!!! No flying lessons, no boxing lessons, no whacking lessons….NO LESSONS!” The recruits are commanded to hide out until a large enough force is formed and the time is right.

Jumping forward 30 years, we now have tens of thousands of fat, old, lazy, socially awkward religious nuts holed up all across the world. The time has come to set the plan in motion. “Onward soldiers of GOD (or whatever you choose to call yourself, god does have a nice ring to it though), go forward and reclaim that which is rightfully yours…"

Minutes later, half of them die in the effort required to turn off the tv, another ¼ melt in the sunlight, and the lucky few that don’t die from tubbiness get their asses handed to them by Mounties on big f’n horses.

This all sounds pretty dismal from a ruling the world point of view. But the world has indeed been united, and best of all, all of the religious nuts are dead, keeled over in hallways across the world, and wearing track pants that are possibly soiled.

Brb….some recruitment agent just knocked on my door…

Arguments for God

To make up for my ultraweak post this morning I am posting a top 10 list.

During my many years as an atheist I have often asked people ‘why they believe in God?’, or ‘how they know God exists?’, or ‘what evidence they posses to support their claims?’ This list is the top ten answers I have received, listed in no particular order.

1. Fuck you!!!

2. Duh…he’s God.

3. I feel him here (while pointing to some inane part of their body, which likely contains unidentified cancer)

4. I…I…I just know

5. Fuck off!!!

6. How else do you explain this!!! (while gesturing to a bar full of drunken people, I’ve often though of drunks as being closest to ‘god’.

7. My mom and dad and that guy with the white collar told me there was a god.

8. But…there just has to be a god.

9. Who do you think wrote the bible asshole!!!

10. Why do don’t you go kill yourself you atheist pig. Fuck You!!!! (occassionally accompanied by spittle/giant green gobs).

Sorry for the strong language in this post, I’m just reciting the statements they way they were said to me, often in a rather venomous tone.

Feb 10 - A sad week for cool science

Well irony has jumped up and slapped me in the face this week as the amount of ‘cool’ science is rather limited. Despite this I have trawled the net and compiled some of the more interesting scientific finds.

Oetzi Man – 5200 years later and he’s still being picked on.

Earlier this week scientists reported that through the aid of genetic analysis they were able to determine that he carried genetic defects consistent with modern infertility. It is speculated that his inability to get it up was the reason he was shunned and outcast to the inhospitable mountains to die. Man, have times changed!! All you sterile men take this as a warning in the even the history repeats itself.

Iceman may have been infertile.

The ultimate men’s bathroom….

Self cleaning materials have been touted as the way of the future, however they traditionally have only responded to wavelengths present in natural sunlight. New work has created titanium based nano particles that respond to a large range of wavelengths making them more practical for use in hospitals…and yes…your home bathroom.

A bathroom that cleans itself.

Unfortunately this is the only ‘worthy’ science news this week.

Remember…this is a good ebaums day.

Spot On - Political Cartoon

Saw this in the Toronto Sun today and thought it was a perfect comment on the ridiculousness surrounding the Mohammed cartoons.

AS A CARTOONIST I MUST APOLOGIZE TO THOSE MUSLIMS WHO ARE RIOTING OVER THE RECENTLY PUBLISHED CARTOONS OF MOHAMMED. THEY FOUND THEM OFFENSIVE AND UPSETTING AND I ARGREE. I PERSONALLY WOULD NEVER DRAW SUCH A CARTOON, BUT INSTEAD HAVE RESPECT FOR THEIR RELIGION AND CULTURE AND CONFINE MY DRAWINGS TO HEAVILY ARMED, MASKED MEN THREATENING DEATH TO A YOUNG WOMAN OR THE PURE ACT OF BEHEADING A MAN LIVE FOR THE TV CAMERAS.
DONATO

The Art of Floor Crossing

This commentary will discuss the intricacies of how to rise to power while pissing off the entire electorate of a riding. Who knows, perhaps we can all learn how to be true cowards from this.

David Emerson is another federal politician from the ever federalist province of Quebec. As a child he was likely beaten repeatedly for switching between teams after they were already picked. After surviving many painful years of flip-flop pond puck he moved on to university to study economics receiving a B.A, and M.A. and a Ph. D.

After this it gets boring….click the Wiki link if you want to know more.

Now things start to get interesting. Emerson, the current MP of Vancouver-Kingsway was elected as Liberal in both 2004 and 2006, and his predecessor in the 2004 was also a Liberal, and before that a Liberal. In fact the last time the Conservatives won the seat was way back in 1958. Days shortly after his election in the 2006 he cowardly defects to the Conservatives so he can have a cabinet position and ‘forward the interests of his riding’. And to top it all off… he refuses to run in a by election (at least he’s smart enough to know that the people who elected him only vote liberal).

During the election campaign he referred to Jack Layton (leader of the NDP Party) as having a ‘boiled dog’s head smile’. Wow!....Wow! I couldn’t even think of something like that….I mean…this guy is a genius.

But then again Emerson is known to be full of shit which is evidenced by a comment he made on election night (Jan 23, 06). "I'm going to be Stephen Harper's worst enemy,"..."We're going to stir the pot and you better believe we are going to make a heck of a lot of noise."

Mr. Emerson (not that you will ever see this) I am disgusted that you are an elected member of our country. Your post-election switch to the Conservative Party is the equivalent of a military-coo in Canada. Your electorate are held hostage by your pigheaded-cowardly-selfish ways. As a horribly disgraced Canadian, who doesn’t deserve to live below the 60^th parallel, much less in Vancouver, I suggest that you exile yourself to a small piece of land I call…….Alert. Bon voyage Mr. Emerson…I hope your ass sticks to the seat of your dingy.

cygnorant

I propose the addition of a new word to the English language. This word will be the perfect word to describe people that we all to often encounter, yet lack the correct vocabulary to describe them. I propose…

Cygnorant (pronounced sig-nor-ent)

This is word describes a person who is both cynical and ignorant. A cygnorant embodies the best human qualities, all that’s missing is a little bit of religious zeal and we have ourselves a….well that’s not the point.

Before we can really understand the mindset of a cygnorant person we need to briefly examine each of the component qualities that combine to make such an individual a really role model for society (er well maybe Bush’s role model).

Cynic – as defined by dictionary.com a cynic is ‘a person who outlook is scornfully and habitually negative’. Tell me that doesn’t describe the perfect date.

Ignorant – as defined by dictionary.com ignorant is ‘lacking education or knowledge’.

Separately these two characteristics seem harmless enough; however, put them together and they for a very annoying personality. The cygnorant person often touts knowledge (incorrect knowledge) about the dismal state of affairs the world is in. They love to argue, and will never concede, even when faced with facts proving them wrong. In terms of representation within our ‘gloriously educated western culture’ they are the second most common type of person you will find. The most common by far are the ignorant.

The Ignorant

We all know these people, we have them in our family, we work with them, we go to school with them, and we see them on the bus. They are the people who blindly, and happily go about their day without a second thought about what is going on around them. When they pick up the paper, they switch to the sports page; when they turn on the tv they immediately flip to a soap, or the game, or Judge Judy; when they talk to you it is always shallow and meaningless. What is the common thread that these people are avoiding? The world around them, news, elections, issues that matter and effect their daily life. They live in a world where they assume that nothing will change, ‘so why should they care’. Ignorant people are the easiest to get along with (assuming you’re not looking for a stimulating conversation), you just need to mention the Leafs, or the hot waitress and you can have hours of knee slapping fun.

The Cygnorant

The next most common person is the ‘cygnorant’. This is the person who knows just enough about what is going on to be cynical about the world, but not enough to for a halfway intelligent opinion about anything that is remotely important. The cygnorant is the hard-headed individual who thinks they have a clue about what is going on and will not yield even when presented with conflicting evidence. The best time to meet these people is at a bar, when they are drunk and a major political event is taking place. It is at this time when the cygnorant will be all fired up looking for an argument over the issue at hand. Generally you find cygnorant people in high numbers near academic institutions, namely university. Here you encounter those who are educated in a specific field and thus they feel it gives them the right to act like they know everything about every topic. This is because they feel that their degree in the ‘history of buddhism’ makes them an authority figure on issues such as global warming and genetically engineered crops.

The True Cynics

Here I am making the distinction between the ‘cynic’ and the ‘cygnorant’, most cynics fall into the category of cygnorant. I am reserving this discussion of cynics to those who don’t fall into the category of cygnorant, these cynics who are smart enough to realize that they don’t know everything. The ‘cynic’ is a most formidable foe in an argument in their field, but will quickly concede in the face of refuting evidence. The cynic is also known to point out holes in arguments of others, even if they are not familiar with the area. The cynic is a critical thinker, who has a thirst for knowledge, and a passion for educated conversation. The most aggravating person to a cynic is not an ignorant person, but rather a ‘cygnorant’ because it is not even remotely possible to hold a half-way intelligent conversation with a cygnorant.

More on cygnorants to come in the future.

devolution of a nation

At the risk of sounding like a 'conspiracy nut', or a 'doomsayer'; I'd like to make one comment: "The reversal of our great nation is upon us!!!" Well, if it had been a majority government that may have been true. Thankfully it was minority which means a few extra checks and bounds. However, Mr. Harper certainly isn't waiting to get his agenda rolling, which some may take to be the sign of a great leader, I on the other hand am a tad bit frightened.

(CBC)

Lets look at a few of his accolades and commrades:

1) Recently re-elected Mr. Harper ran an election campaign touted the importance of Canada-US relations, yet what is his first move as PM? To prod the Americans over sovereign of the northern passage. (Northern Passage - BBC) It even made headlines on BBC!

2) He welcomes floor crosser David Emerson with open arms, despite being upset when Belinda Stronach crossed the floor. At least we haven't elected a 'flip-flopper' I believe the term is. Imagine being in Emersons riding, who elected as a liberal in 2004 had the confidence of his riding going into this election. Then days after being elected in 2006 he defect to the conservative party with complete disregard for his electorate. This is the true sign of a spineless coward. However, the floor crossing episodes of Stronach and Emerson highlight some major deficits inherent in the current system. A system where an MP was not allowed to change parties without being relected by his/her electorate would be a far more democratic system and would prevent a demise to anarchy.
(Photo-CBC)


3) Mr. Harper is also against gun control . Wheter he is for leaving guns in the hands of people who may accidentally kill their kids, or that more guns equals a safer society? I will never know. And the opinion of some that guns are only coming from the states will be intereted to know that approximately 40 handguns were stolen from a private collection earlier this week. Let me guess, 'these guns were stolen by a collector?', or better yet 'they were stolen to be used in criminal offences in another country?' Not likely, with the escalations in gun violence in Toronto recently it is likely that these guns will be used in future crimes that will impact us locally.