Merry Christmas from your friendly neighborhood Atheist

I know, strange words to hear from an atheist. One might instead expect a, "Bah, humbug!" So why would an ardent critic of all religion be wishing you a Merry Christmas?

Before my parents get their hopes up, I still don't believe in God or that he had a son. What I do believe in is the power of the Christ story to bring out the best and worst in society. At Christmas time, through all of the bustle and road rage, I witness small, unselfish acts that remind us of what the Christ story was supposed to be about.

As you gather with friends and family this holiday, no matter what your belief system is, take some time out to do at least one small, selfless thing for someone in your life. Whether to "glorify your God" or simply to improve the species, do something to ensure we all have a merry Christmas.

Vegetarian Goodness day 4

So, for health reasons (I am a fat ass who was sprinting to a heart attack) I have become a vegetarian. I am on day four into the world of rabbit food and I have to admit, I don't miss meat that much. That is not to say I would be able to walk into a steakhouse and order a salad but I can get out of a Burger King without a twinge. I feel better, I have noticeably more energy, and I never get up from the table groaning and looking for a wheel barrow to get my ass to the car. At least at this point, four days in, it feels good. I'll keep you posted in case I get to the point I decide to kill someone for a lick of steak.

It is kind of weird writing a blog that doesn't have me screaming obscenities about some outrage. So to end in true form, fuck the fucking fuckers. There. That feels better.

Day 3

So here I am at day three. When I started this vegetarian thing I figured by day 3 I would kill someone for a lick of a steak. I had a breakfast this morning of a fresh mango and an apple. My lunch will consist of a sandwich with fresh cucumber, tomato, avocado, herb goat cheese, and a slice of provolone on 12 grain bread. I don't really miss meat that much. I'm not saying I could sit in a high end steak house and not go nuts but I am doing alright.

Changes

Cows of the world may breathe a sigh of relief. As of yesterday I have become a vegetarian. Surprised? So was I. After a good hard look at my health I realized I need a healthy change. So I have cut out both meat and most processed foods. Why? The only fat vegetarians I have ever met are ones who eat high fat, high salt processed foods like chips and fried foods. So I have stuck primarily to raw fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads, and the occasional dash of cheese. I have supplemented this with multi-vitamins to make up for the nutrients missing from the standard vegetarian diet.

What I have discovered in the last 48 hours is an increase in energy, a decrease in blood pressure, and after I eat I don't have the feeling that I need a wheel barrow to wheel my fat ass to the car. I will be making note of my progress here. As of now my weight is about 302 lbs. and my blood pressure is at 130/85. I wear a 42" waist pant. Lets see where this takes me.

A truly black Friday

First, I want to send my condolences to the family of Jdimytai Damour, the 34 year old New York Wal-Mart employee trampled to death by the stampeding bargain hunting savages.

I have watched those in the media try to blame it on Wal-Mart, the police, or the sale itself and each time they do I get a little angrier. Have we as a species descended so far that the people in that line can't be blamed for the horrid acts they have committed in the name of greed? How far have we sunk as a nation that we don't stop to realize that the only people to blame are the fucking animals who crashed through those doors and snuffed out the life of an innocent man? All this just for the sake of a fucking deal on a fucking Xbox, Wii, or whatever other piece of electronics stuffed plastic the media have convinced us we are bad parents if we don't get?

Does anyone else see what kind of society we have created? The fucking animals refused to leave the store when police tried to clear the store! After they trampled a man to death, they started shopping. THIS MAN WILL NEVER SEE ANOTHER CHRISTMAS BECAUSE OF THESE ANIMALS AND THEY FUCKING CONTINUED TO SHOP! Yet analysts in the media have the gaul to try pinning the blame on everything but the mob who valued deals over human life.

To every steaming pile of shit to step through those doors that morning, every worthless waste of flesh who used this poor man as a door mat, I hope you look at the gifts under your tree this year and remember EXACTLY what they cost. I hope every time you close your eyes at night, you hear the screams of Jdimytai Damour's family in your ears. I hope every step you take you remember that your feet helped trample the life out of an innocent man just so you could buy cheap shit. Live a long life, remembering exactly what you did. Merry fucking Christmas you worthless wastes of fucking flesh.

Wise words from Keith​ Olber​mann

Keith​ Olber​mann had a great commentary on the Proposition 8 issue that I think everyone, no matter what their stance on the issue, should see.



In case Youtube removes it for copyright violation the gist is that this issue is about the human heart. Why should an issue like this matter to those who voted for it or supported Prop 8? People keep talking about redefining marriage. Without a redefinition of marriage in 1967, blacks and whites could not be married in 16 states. The parents of the new president could not have been married in almost one third of the country he has now been elected to lead. Nobody is asking you to accept their expression of love. They are only asking you to embrace the concept of love. 50% of marriages fail no matter how much you try and here is a group of people overjoyed at taking that chance on lifelong love. With so much hate and meaningless division in the world, this is what your religion tells you to do? If you want to honor your God, spread happiness. Show me any scripture in any holy book against this and then tell me how you can believe that and the scripture that reads, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

While my paraphrase doesn't do the video justice, you get the point. If for some reason this video gets pulled from youtube, find it somewhere and watch it. It is important.

Accepted American Bigotry

So overall the elections went well, unless you count every ban on gay marriage up for a vote passing. We have finally elected a black president but we still see fit in this country to deny people in love the right to marry simply because of Judeo Christian bigotry against homosexuality. To all of my gay and lesbian friends, my heart goes out to you. To borrow from the civil rights movement, we shall overcome.

History in the making

As I sit here catching my breath I am filled with hope. CNN just made the official call that Barack Obama will be president. When Martin Luther King spoke of having been to the mountain top and having seen the promised land, a day like today is what he saw. The realization of the dream begins its culmination tonight. I am such a swirl of emotion right now I don't feel I can wax sufficiently poetic to capture the significance of this moment but I felt I must log this moment in time. It is my hope that this night will truly change the course of our nation. Words fail me.

UPDATE: McCain just conceded. His concession speech is the best he has given this whole election. It is both graceful and gracious. Well fought Senator McCain. Your concession speech has set a tone of unification after a divisive and long election. Thank you.

The Big Day

I voted this morning. It is the first time I have ever voted almost straight Democrat. Most importantly, I placed my vote for Barack Obama, the first politician to ever inspire me. As I try to make it through the day without gluing myself to the hundred channels of election coverage I find myself both worried and hopeful at once.

As I stood in a record line this morning filled with young first time voters in a precinct that usually looks like a sparsely populated retirement home I felt a glimmer of hope. By the discussions going on in line there were at least eight Obama voters in a row in front of me and two more in back meaning in a district filled with McCain signs there were at least 11 people in a row casting a vote for change. It felt good to be a in a little flotilla of blue in a sea of red state voters.

As the final days of the campaign wound down I stopped focusing as much on the dirty lies of the McCain supporters and looked at the other issues around the country. Two popped immediately into view.

First, the dirty ad campaign of Elizabeth Dole claiming that Kay Hagan was supported by the Godless Americans and implying that she made promises to that group were as vile as all of the racist things said about Barack Obama. What offended me more though was that Kay Hagan not only defended her faith and denied the lies that she had made promises to the Godless Americans but in doing so implied that Godless Americans are an Anti-American group to be feared. I am a Godless American you intolerant hate mongering bigots. The time is coming when Americans will see the lies about us for what they are and equate them with the stories Nazis told about the Jews. The smartest among us are Atheists. Does being smart make you a bad American?

Speaking of hate mongering, I have something to say about Proposition 8 in California. I think any California resident reading this should call their local civil rights attorney and start a class action lawsuit to strip any religion that has contributed to this hate filled campaign of its precious tax exempt status. That's right Mormons, I am looking squarely at you. You still believe that in the Celestial Kingdom all righteous men will have more than one wife and have only suspended polygamy here due to bigamy laws. Don't believe me? The manifesto of 1890 only repeals the practice, not the doctrine. You of all people should be ones to talk about a "1 man, 1 woman" definition of marriage. Most of all, Mormon interference in this election by supporting Prop 8 from both wallet and pulpit stands in direct violation of federal tax codes governing church tax exempt status. Catholics and Baptists, you are in the same boat. All of your hate mongering money machines need to be taxed and taxed now. Religion is a multi-billion dollar industry. When your pulpit and coffers are used to support legislation of any kind you should be subjected to the same taxes as the rest of us. When you worship in private and keep it private, I have no problem. When you play in the public sphere, you must also pay in the public sphere. Until you open your pockets and pony up taxes like everyone else, your mouths need to stay the fuck shut.

Braindump

Every so often here in Untitled Life I feel the need to write but have so much information I wish to convey that it all comes out at once and rarely in a full cohesive thought. That is when we have the fun of a braindump where I throw up all of my thoughts in a single stream of though post and let you sort it out... or slink away slowly to call the men in white coats to pick me up.

First, last Sunday was the First Annual Texas Freethought Convention. It went well even considering some planning mixups. Originally I had been set to speak but due to scheduling and two big name speakers coming out, I got bumped. I did get to perform the de-baptisms which was a fun, tongue in cheek way for those baptized as children to undo something done to them without their consent. Purely symbolic silliness but it was all in good fun. Overall it was a great day and I was lucky enough to meet some fellow atheists from all over Texas, giving me hope for this red state. A special shout out goes to Anastasia, my fellow recovered Mormon, and Kelli and Staise, the documentary filmmakers and fellow hardcore atheists who will be immortalizing this first here in Texas. Also, much love to FACT, American Atheists, and all of the other local and national organizations that made this possible.

In other news, it looks like Barack will win the White House. That said, I will not breathe a sigh of relief until they have sworn him in. If McCain wins even with the polls predicting a Barack landslide I am taking to the streets. I don't care if I am the only person in this red state protesting. I get the feeling I won't be. Republicans be warned. The American people are tired of your dirty politics. We will not have another election stolen.

My wife got the call Tuesday that her great grandmother had been diagnosed with late stage Hodgkin's Lymphoma. While she will be going through chemo her prognosis looks grim. Ester is the kind of grandmother everyone wishes for. She is always ready with a smile and a hug for her family. Until recently she could run circles around any of us, maintaining a little shop in the flea market and caring for her many grand and great grandchildren. She has led an amazing life and if I can leave this world accomplishing half of her life I will die feeling fulfilled. Ester, we love you and if you leave us, you will be mourned and missed.

Heros and Monsters

"Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster and if you gaze into the abyss the abyss gazes into you." — Friedrich Nietzsche

America currently stands on a precipice overlooking a great abyss. This soul sucking chasm's gaping jaws await as on all sides we are pushed towards it by the "monsters" we are told are seeking to kill us. Fear is used by our leaders to prod us into giving up our basic liberties. Our collective rage is quelled and misdirected by leaders who scare us with shadow puppets. We need a hero.

The hero is one who can shine the light on the puppet show and rid us of the shadow monsters, leaving only the puppet masters and the real monsters. This opens avenues of escape once blocked by fear. This hero needs to guide us away from the precipice and rally our nearly broken spirits. There are real monsters to fight and we must be ready for them.

Every day I gaze into this abyss that looms so large, wondering if anyone else even sees it. Some days it gazes back. There are days when I find the fight to pull the world from the edge exhausting. I know I am not the hero this world needs. My light simply isn't big enough to dispel all of the shadow monsters. I can see the puppet masters with their giant lights, projecting monstrous shadows yet few around me can see the same.

I feel like I am standing by a train track, watching those around me standing on the tracks. I am screaming warnings of an oncoming train but they are too immersed in their iPods to hear me. When I try to pull out their ear buds to scream the warning, they simply anger that I have stopped the music and refuse to hear anything further. I wonder if they will move when the tracks start to rumble or will they even notice? Maybe when the glaring light is bearing down on them, or will they simply think it sunrise?

Is there anybody listening or am I simply screaming into the storm?

How can this happen?

How can the race between John McCain and Barack Obama be this close? After eight years of an idiotic right wing nut job in the house that almost no one approves of, how can the Republicans in America want more of the same? Can we afford another pair in the White House who think God put them there? Can we afford two ardent supporters of a war that was started on a lie and is currently responsible for trillions of dollars of debt? If we as a nation were to spend half of what we have wasted on this war of lies here at home, not one child in this country would go without health care. Invested in education, millions of lower income students could turn the tide of poverty by going to college. Republicans talk of ending the "welfare state" and yet refuse to invest in the one idea that can fix that, education. Instead they send our young men and women into countries that hate us to die bringing democracy to countries that want theocracy. Speaking of theocracy, should John McCain die in the White House, likely due to his age and health history, we would have someone in the White House who believes that God put her there to enact "his" plan to rid the world of abortions, even for rape victims. She would continue by furthering "his" plan to end the teaching of evolution and replace it with creationism. She would set up the Christian answer to Sharia Law in this country. We have to stop this lunacy and we have to stop it now. We must do everything we can to prevent the election of McCain/Palin.

Sarah Palin

Holy fuck on a stick. Sarah Palin, the new Republican VP nominee, scares the living bejesus out of me. If John McCain wins, this far right wingnut Pentecostal will be one heartbeat away from the presidency. If this woman doesn't make you scared, you either aren't paying attention or should be committed. This woman wants Creationism in our science classes, God in our government, no sex ed in schools, and no abortions for anyone, ever. This in 2008. This is the best Republican can come up with? Are they out of their fucking minds? Rhetorical question...

First, I know a few Pentecostals and they are generally good people. Good people who believe they can speak in tongues, believe the Bible to be the infallible word of God, the sick can be healed through prayer, and one can be "saved" through "acceptance of Jesus Christ." That is fine for an individual who isn't making key decisions on how the most powerful nation on earth is run.

The bottom line about abortion is it is a valid medical procedure for women who for one reason or another can't carry the pregnancy. There are plenty of valid reasons for it and the decision in the end must be between the woman and her Doctor. If you don't own a uterus, you don't get to be involved.

Abstinence education DOES NOT FUCKING WORK! Texas teen pregnancy rates are through the roof here in Texas as a direct correlation. Condoms save lives, prevent disease, and prevent unwanted pregnancy. Parents in America are so sexually repressed that they can't teach their kids what a condom is and how to use one. Teens have sex. Teens who are educated about it are more likely to wait to start having sex and once they do are smarter about it. Studies have come in by the thousands that real, honest sex education prevents disease and pregnancy. Anyone fucking stupid enough to deny that has no business in a position of power, period.

Creationism is the clear attempt of religious lunatics, the people who brought you the inquisition and flat earth theory, to pry their way back into science classrooms. Creationism and intelligent design are NOT FUCKING SCIENCE. They are religious propaganda.

In the final analysis, if you want a theocracy, vote Republican. If you want sane, rational government, vote Obama. People like Sarah Palin must be fought at all turns in the same way one might oppose Adolf Hitler.

I was gonna let it go...

I was going to let CNN's telecast of the Presidential Evangelical forum pass. I swear I was going to pretend not to give a shit. I figured there would be no surprises, and there really wasn't. The questions were all softball lob shots with no surprise questions. It was a nonstop love-fest with the standard fare about pro-life / pro-choice, platitudes, and empty pandering to the evangelical set. I was going to leave all of that be. That is until every single mouth breathing neanderthal talk radio host on both sides couldn't shut off their drool holes about it. The conservatives complained that the interviewer was not a real Evangelical because he doesn't discuss sin enough in his church. The liberals were annoyed by the clearly conservative slant of the questions. By the end of the day all I wanted to do was relax after foaming at my radio sufficiently doctors almost gave me a rabies shot.

So I sit down to surf the net and chill. The problem is, CNN is my homepage. Then I just had to pop. The most important point that every single pundit misses has nothing to do with whether the church hosting the forum was to liberal or conservative. The biggest problem with this forum is that it was in a church, hosted by a minister, and the product of this religious exercise is being used to help choose the president of a nation whose constitution strictly prohibits the mixing of church and state. You might as well just fucking inaugurate Sun Myung Moon. Son of a bitch, we did...

Are they all insane?

The more I listen to politicians on both sides, the less sane I think they are. Take the energy policy debate. You have the "DRILL HERE, DRILL NOW" crowd screaming for new offshore drilling and drilling in ANWR. On the other side we have the Democrats calling for no new drilling at all and instead investing in "green" technology. Somehow there is no middle ground. There are thousands of ready made wellheads, ready for drilling and no one is stopping the oil companies from drilling. There is no need to fight for ANWR or extra offshore drilling locations. We need to invest further in "green" technologies that will move us away from dependence on oil. We need all of this and we need it now. The most annoying part is that not one politician is needed for these decisions. Oil companies already have clearance for thousands of acres of drillable land. There are plenty of market demands for green technology. No governmental interference required.