Makers of gods

I have been in arguments and discussions about religion since I was 13 years old. That's when I started the journey that led to my becoming an atheist. It was an 11 year journey, because I didn't decide that I was an atheist until the year before my daughter was born. I was 24.

Many different things led to making that decision. One of them is the realization that we (meaning humans) insist on answers to all our questions. If we don't have answers, we make them up. Here's how I think it might have gone, long ago in a quiet cave late one night when a few of the folks inside couldn't sleep.

Tuggi: It's dark out there.
Farg: Have you noticed that that big shiny thing doesn't stay up there?
Tuggi: Well, Duh!
Farg: What do you mean, Duh? I'm just saying, it doesn't stay up there?
Garph: Where does it go?
Tuggi: That way. (Tuggi points west)
Garph: But why?
Farg: Don't know, do we?
Tuggi: Speak for your self. I have it all figured out.
Garph: Really?
Farg: No not really. He's full of beans, he is.
Tuggi: Am not. There's two of them, you know.
Garph: Two of who.
Tuggi: Two of the great and powerful beings in the sky.
Farg: Oh come on.
Tuggi: The one only comes out at night, and he's not as strong as the day other.
Garph: How do you know?
Tuggi: During the day, you can't look at the bright one. He is that powerful. But during the night, you can look at the face of the other. And he changes.
Farg: He's making this up you know.
Garph: Shhh! I want to know more.
Tuggi: Not making it up. You have seen his change from whole, to partly whole, down to nothing.
Farg: And where does he go when he's nothing?
Tuggi: He goes and gets his light back. The bright one steals it.
Farg: Does not.
Garph: That makes sense. The bright one steals it and the other chases him across the sky.
Tuggi: Exactly.
Farg: Buggers. Your full of bean gas.
Garph: (Hits Farg on head with rock.)
Tuggi: Why'd you do that?
Garph: He doesn't see the truth in what you say. Had to bash him.
Tuggi: Ah. He'll listen better when he wakes up.
Garph: Truth.

So there you have it. The beginning of the gods. The names were changed to protect the innocent.

Now think about it. There are a bazillion gods. Everyone has one, they make new ones from old worn out gods, and have been known to construct them out of whole cloth. Gods explain good and bad weather. Good and bad luck. Victory and defeat. Heck. Gods even explain ugly babies. Gods are everywhere. In trees. Rocks. Holes in the ground. Really good weed. (So I've been told).

I've been told that there is only one true god. Of course, I've been told this by people who define this one true god differently from the others who define him/it/her. Everyone is convinced that their explanation for this god, his history if you will, is the right one. And all the histories are different, too.

All these gods are there to explain things that we otherwise didn't (or don't) understand. Don't have an answer? God did it. And if you can make up answers for what gods did and didn't do, you can make up answers for other things you don't understand. Just ask the creationists. They make shit up all the time.

And all this wouldn't be so bad if people just kept it to themselves, but they don't. They want to teach it in the schools and pass laws.

Too thick to accept the fact that gays and lesbians are the way they are because they were born that way? No trouble, go to the Bible, Koran, or other book of ignorance and it will tell you they are bad. It may not say why, except that they are (insert something awful here) in the eyes of someone's god. Never mind that most of these rules were written by bronze age people who didn't have a clue about genetics, brain chemistry or development, or even the slightest understanding of what makes us tick.

Good god, these people thought a snake could convince a woman to eat an apple. They accepted stories of talking asses. Worse. They accepted stories from talking asses.

Really folks, it is time to put all these poor explanations for understanding away. We have science. We are getting more answers all the time, and these come with real evidence that supports them. Do we still have questions? Yes. What to do? Look for answers and not just say, god did it. In the mean time? Not a problem.

Just say, "I don't know".

More on Death

You know, once you touch on a topic, it can be hard to put it down altogether. I have two other thoughts on the subject. Both have a humorous element (to me anyway).

First is a recurring thought about T.V. shows and holiday breaks. Smallville is a good example here. One of my favorite shows that has gone on break till January 15th. It's at least a two parter, "to be continued" type. My thought was "Oh Great! What happens if I die before the conclusion? I'll never get to see the episode." Heh...

Because I live in the now, because I, like most people can't really get my mind around not having one (a mind that is), I feel like I will "miss" the show. Of course, I won't even miss me, much less missing the conclusion of a two parter, but there is still that little voice that has to have its way.

The second thought has to do with those who have died before us. In my extended family, my mother, father, several aunts and uncles as well as a cousin or two have all "gone on before" me. In short, they have died.

So what do we hear the believers say at important moments in their lives? "I wish my mother was hear to see this...", which is where I would stop but not the religious, "...but I know she is watching from heaven." At which point they look up and usually follow with, "This ones for you Mom."

Now I have several reactions to this kind of statement:

1. I can understand the feeling behind it. I reacted with a serious depression when my mother died 15 years ago next Friday, and I did miss her seeing my accomplishments big and small. I would have loved for her to live long enough to meet her great grandchild.

2. But let us assume for just a moment (before we stop assuming when done with this exercise) that mother is up in heaven right now. What in hell makes you think she has time, or the inclination to be looking down on you at this very moment. Wouldn't she have more important things to keep her busy without spending time looking in on what is going on elsewhere in reality? Doesn't God have Memorex? And time, not being an issue as far as the whole linear thing is concerned should allow one to view all those "important" moments in one sitting, don't you think?

3. And then there is this last issue. What if...what if it is really true that our mothers, fathers and other loved ones are sitting in heaven, (are they in the cheap seats, all the best ones taken by this time?) "watching down on us" all the freaking time? I mean really. I don't want to have to deal with the image of my mother watching me in the john, having sex or for that matter watching "Debbie does..." anyone. I would quickly cease being able to do the simplest damn thing in the toilet or the bedroom. Who in hell thought that up, and what makes them think that is an image anyone with half a mind would want.

I'm Just Saying...

Christian and Muslim

I read a number of blogs and articles on-line, and because I am an atheist, I often end up on an atheist, or atheist friendly site. If you are an atheist blogging, or writing, and make an effort to point out the silliness, absurdity, or downright lies and evil in the lives of many in the Christian church, you will find that sooner or later, someone is going to comment on your blog, respond to your article, or make their own podcast pointing out that you are a coward. And why are you a coward?

Because you are not attacking Islam. You are not pissing on Mohammad the way you are pissing on Jesus, or the way you are pissing on their crackers or ritual. You are not pointing out just how silly Islam is. And why are you not doing this? Because, say the Christians, you know that the Muslims will kill you. Then they dare you to prove how brave you are by challenging you to piss on Mohammad.

Now I can understand that when a Christian sees his beliefs attacked, he responds as poorly as anyone else would who is holding on to something that is baseless and tenuous. He responds like a kid in grade school.

"I bet you won't go in there."
"I bet you won't stick that in your mouth."
"I be you won't jump."

Knowing that there are factions of Islam that are totally unstable, and that there are indeed absolute nucking futs out there who would really kill you because you pissed on there version of the make believe world, the nut ball Christians, dare atheists to say the same mean things to even bigger nut balls.

P.Z. Myers in response to rabid Catholics who were threatening the life and education of a Florida college student placed a "cracker", or what is more commonly called a Eucharist, in his trash with a nail pierced through it, and photographed it. He was told the cracker was blessed, which means that if you are a Catholic, you likely believe that the cracker was the body of Jesus. See what I mean by nuts?

P.Z., like so many other atheists was told that he was a coward because he only attacked Christianity. He was told this then, and is told that now, and yet if you look at the photograph, or even bother to read the caption, you will note that also pierced by that rusty old nail was a page from the Koran, and not to be out done, he included a page from atheist author Richard Dawkin's The God Delusion.

And all the above is almost beside the point. The point here is that it is clear that some of the people have Islam envy. They honestly seem to be upset because they don't get to shoot people who blaspheme, or who pick on them. They don't get to burn them alive, or beat and kick them, or behead them. They're impotent little wankers and it bothers them.

Now every day that goes by, I hear Christians make callus and downright nasty remarks about atheists or atheism, and you know what? That's O.K. I can live with that. If it bothers me, I will post here on my blog, or question the speaker, or write to the miscreant, but I won't harbor a desire to see them killed, maimed or injured. Telling me there is a god, doesn't hurt me. Telling me I'm going to hell just doesn't worry me. The only time I get bothered is when Christians try to make their beliefs into laws I am supposed to follow. Then we will have a problem.

Oh, and the reason we don't always say something about the Islamist nut jobs, is because we live in a country whose religious makeup has a majority of Christians. We focus on the bigger pest, thanks to the extremist right wing Christians, it's easy to know who that is.

4 Seasons

Another Photoshop Creative project, this one being a tutorial. You start out with the picture of the Tree in the field and all else is done in PS. This took the better part of the night. Still fun though.

Photoshop Creative

Photoshop Creative is a great magazine for Photoshop users who want super tutorials, tips, ideas and tools. This magazine is published in England. I got it at Barnes and Noble.

They have a readers contest that provides six images which you can use anyway you want to create your own art work. Use one, two, all, any combo, and feel free to add your own to make something unique. The four images above are the ones I used to create the work below.

I don't think I'm done with this one, but you can never tell. I like it.

Keith Olbermann on Prop 8

Life after Death...

Do you want an exorcise that I found interesting and, admittedly, a little disconcerting? Here is the prelude to the exercise.

I am an atheist. If you ask me, I will tell you that I do not believe in a god. Any god. Your god. His god. Their god. None of them. In fact, I gave up the belief in gods before I gave up the belief in a continued existence beyond physical death. But that too, went away.

I don't believe that I (me, myself whatever that means) will continue beyond the point where my brain ceases to function. When your brain dies, you die. Period.

The reason for both of these decisions on my part to “not believe” is the same as my reason for not accepting the existence of alien visits from other planets. There is no evidence. None.

Now don't get me wrong. I would love to discover that some how, some way, there is an after life existence. I like the idea of sticking around this big ol' universe now that I'm here. Though I have to admit that the idea of an unending existence strikes me as unlikely and undesirable. I can truly get that after a few thousand years, things could get boring. Well maybe a few thousand thousand years.

I understand that there is no reason to believe that I existed prior to my birth in 1953. And I say prior to my birth because there is no reason to believe that there was any kind of identifiable “me” conciseness prior to my birth. While the brain has some pre-birth programming, there is no great awareness.

So when the time comes, there will be an end to this ride I'm on. However it happens, one day I will cease to be, just as I was before my birth. There will be no me. So this was the birth of this little exorcise.

One night I was thinking about all this, and I closed my eyes and put myself in that moment before death. (As best as I could being I haven't had to do that for real yet.) I put it in terms of an accident. Seeing that truck coming at me and then bam. Blackness. Only I would not be aware of the blackness. I wouldn't know that I was dead because there is no longer a me.

I would see that truck coming and then nothing. As there would no longer be a me, there would be no memory of the truck hitting me, or of the years before that moment. Just an end.

My honest reaction was one of being somewhat disturbed. I like existing. It's something of a comfortable rut that I've fallen into, and I'm in no rush to get off the ride. And frankly, it's hard to really put yourself into a place where you can even get a sense of what not existing would be like.

So I find it disturbing. Does this mean that I must now hope for something beyond this life? No.

Does my desire for continued existence warrant my believing in such because it is comforting? No.

Does it give any support to “Life after Death”? No.

It just means that I am human. This is my only guarantee of having a life, and I am not going to waste it going to church, believing in gods, or an “after life” or anything else that takes away from living in the now. Because then is done, and later only goes on so long.

Jay Spears: SMAK DEM CHRISTIANS DOWN

This is a fun video in a "not a Christian" kinda way. (NSFW)

Election Nov. 2008

It is now 12:20 AM and the United States has a new President elect. Barack Obama. I am thrilled that McCain lost, and also happy that there are only 3 months of Bush left.

That the Dems won most of the House seats as well, makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. The Republicans blew it, and this election tells you that.

So far Prop 4 - the Abortion Limits measure is loosing 53% No vs 47% Yes. It has been 36 years since Roe v. Wade, and there is a lesson to learn here. Yes, a court decision brought about the legalization of abortion, just as court decisions have brought about many other changes, but after 36 years abortions are still legal.

Through the Regan and Bush 1 years, and through the Bush 2 years, the Republicans have had ample opportunities to mount serious challenges to abortion rights, but have only been able to whittle away at them. Abortion rights are here to stay. It's been three decades, let's find something else to do with all that wasted time.

Prop 8 is, at this time, passing 52% Yes vs 48% No. This is the measure that is stripping married Californians of their right to be married. But only some Californians. Just those who are gay and lesbian. That's right. Californians are voting to deny gays and lesbians the right to stay married. And this is something that is going to come back to haunt us. After all, if we were to change the target of this outlandish attack from gay and lesbian couples and make it mixed race couples, or anyone who didn't have plans to procreate, there would be quite a blow back over it. This is bigotry plan and simple. It is ugly. And I am sorry to say I know people who will likely have voted to deny equal rights to fellow Californians just because their biology is different.

Hateful and sad.

I am willing to bet that Obama is a man of his word, and will work to reach across party lines. I wonder if the right wing of the Republican party will have the balls to do the same thing.

The News and the Nuts

Ignorance and stupidity can kill. We've seen it on the highways where drunks stupidly get behind the wheel and kill thousands of people each year. After years of vaccines bringing deadly childhood diseases to near extinction, we have ignorant people telling mothers and fathers to not vaccinate their children because they are mistaken in their belief that vaccines cause autism. They don't, but the press gives these idiots a bigger voice than they deserve and that volume confuses people. We also see it with evolution. This is a scientific matter, not open to a vote or opinion. The evidence is bloody overwhelming, and yet nearly every time some ignorant creationist/I.D.iot decides to try introducing it into the school, the news (print, radio and T.V.) gives it "fair and balanced" treatment.

IF...Someone tried to get schools to teach that the earth was flat, or the center of the solar system the press would not bother with "fair and balanced", they would make it clear that scientists have a mountain of evidence to show it's spherical and orbits the sun, and there would be no nonsense. But with all the evidence that science has to support the theory of evolution, and the fact of evolution, the press plays the "teach the controversy" line like there was a controversy. There isn't. Not in science.

And now, the press has again done what it can to stir up fear where none need exist. The LHC (Large Hadron Collider) in Europe, went on line today. Protons were kicked up to near the speed of light (99.99999898% or 299,792,454.9 meters per second). Scientists have made it clear that they are not playing with the fate of the earth. No black holes will destroy our world, in fact, they can't even form.

So where is the harm in the "news" outlets making such a big deal. After all, they just want to sell papers. Tell that to Chayya, a 16 year old (and likely unstable) girl who was so sure that the world was going to end that she drank pesticide to beat the rush. Now so far as I know, this poor girl is the only one to do this, and that's a good thing, and also when you take into account the shear number of people who live on the planet, well, it clearly could be worse. But there is more.

People all over the world are afraid that very soon there will be no world to be all over. The press has played to the ignorant folk who insist that there is a danger, and people are running off to whatever works as a church for them, praying that their version of a god will protect the world. Seriously people, we need to tell these nuts, ignorant and stupid people to get an education and some understanding of science so we can see less of this crap.

Banned Book Week

It's Banned Book Week, which this year will last more than a week. The 2008 celebration of Banned Books Week will be held from September 27 through October 4. Here are some of the books that are on the lists of banned books:

1. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
2. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
3. Harry Potter (Series) by J.K. Rowling
4. Forever by Judy Blume
5. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
6. Alice (Series) by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
7. “The Golden Compass,” by Philip Pullman
8. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
9. Goosebumps (Series) by R.L. Stine
10. The Color Purple by Alice Walker
11. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous
12. Blubber by Judy Blume
13. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
14. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
15. Deenie by Judy Blume
16. Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
17. A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
18. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
19. Cujo by Stephen King
20. James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
21. The Anarchist Cookbook by William Powell
22. Ordinary People by Judith Guest
23. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
24. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
25. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
26. Carrie by Stephen King
27. Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume
28. The Dead Zone by Stephen King
29. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
30. Where’s Waldo? by Martin Hanford
31. Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman

These are either books I've read (in red) or heard about, or authors of note.

I don't much care for censorship in any of its forms, on television, at the movies, in schools or public libraries or newspapers and magazines. Often the reason for removing a book from public library shelves is that we must protect our children. Bullshit. People who want Harry Potter:fill in your favorite volume here, or The Golden Compass banned wish to keep views that don't fit their narrow religious criteria from showing others that there are ideas that compete with their own.

Too bad.

What makes this nation work, when it works, is the free exchange of ideas. I think an awful lot of Christian ideas are pure crap, but I also support their Constitutionally given right to express those ideas. I also support the Constitutional rights of non-Christians to point out why they are crap to begin with.

Now I think it's time to read a banned book. I have many of them on my book shelves. I'm currently reading Darwin's The Voyage of the Beagle. I have to admit that I have not read it before. I will probably make some comments about it when I am done.

So go forth and read a book. It doesn't even have to be banned.

Non Sequitur

One of my favorite comics is Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller . I get it on a daily basis via my email. Here is one of his latest and one of the reasons I like his work.

2012

According to the loose nuts on the internet, 2012 will mark the end of the world. Assuming for the moment that they are right, would now be a good time to party like it's 1999? I'm just asking.

Living in a world without gods

I started having discussions about atheism, religion, philosophy and such over 36 years ago, in high school. While watching the movie Contact (1997), I heard Matthew McConaughey's character make the comment that he would not want to live in a world without god in it. I have heard that same comment made by my best friend in high school, people at work, at parties and in many other situations. My take on this comment is:

Too bad. You don't get to vote.

In this universe, either there are/is gods/god or there are no gods. Period. We don't get to vote, the universe is not a democracy/republic/monarchy. We don't get a vote, we can't push through an initiative, and we can't overthrow the king/dictator/ruler. So it doesn't really matter to the universe whether or not you want to live in it if there is no god. As a matter of fact, if there is no god pulling the strings (quantum or otherwise) then you have been living just fine without one. That's the funny part.

Imagine hearing someone, a child for instance, saying, "I don't want to live in a world without a Santa Claus". This kid is in for a rude awakening somewhere down the line. And all the belief in the world will not make Santa real. There is no Santa. Million's of believers in Santa, will not make him any more real. Building institutions meant to pass on his rules for life would only make money for the institutions, and likely silly rules to live by.

Given the number of efforts to prove a god exists, and the level of success, we can be relatively sure that there is no god. And here you are with all these folks needing to decide whether or not to stay in this world.

It is a silly statement. You are living in this world. Gods abound in our imaginations by the thousands, but only in our imaginations, and no amount of wanting will make them any more real. I'm just saying.

The Danger to the Middle Class

I'm thinking that somewhere in the late 60's or early 70's, the corporate rich, the people in high places, the really right wing folk at the top, decided they didn't like the middle class. As long as we did what we were told, and didn't overstep our place in life, we were fine, but when we started telling the pols what to do, and demanding that we actually be heard, they decided that they didn't want to share power.

In the 80's, with the help of Ronald Regan, the religious extremist on the right, lot's of fear and a very troubled Democratic party, the newly updated, even more corporate friendly Republican party started to give away the store.

They started by killing unions.
They continued by deregulating industry after industry.
They pushed so far to the right that many Republicans became Democrats by default.
They gave disproportionate power to religious fear and hate mongers.
They propped up their hate and fear machine with radio talk hosts who ooze venom.
And they squeezed the middle class as best they could.

When the Republicans lost the White House, they took control of the Congress and tried to make the eight years of the Democrats time in office as challenging as they could. They tied up the Administration with one attack after another, and finally had to make do with a blow job in the White House. Still, the Democrat in office left a trillion dollar surplus on exiting the job, and that was after the Republicans had run us into serious debt.

The job of the corporations got easier when they were able to take the Congress and the White House. The real push to sell out of the middle class began the day George W. Bush lied to the American people while taking the Oath of Office. He promised to protect the Constitution, when in fact, he was going to use it as toilet paper during his administration. George, Dick, and Co. sold us to their friends in oil, they let the banks run wild, they started a war and rewarded Dick's old pals with sweet contracts and the right to kill, maim and steal all they wanted.

Now they are facing a Democratic take over of the House, Senate, and Administration and they are still playing games. They want us to believe that the middle class isn't about to die a painful death. They want us to ignore the fact that the economy is in the toilet with the Constitution, and the Republicans put it there. The big spending, big government Republicans. The invasive, prying, hiding under your bed Republicans. The same Republicans that have created the biggest debt in our history, and a bloated government that beats anything any Democrat would ever try for.

I don't believe for a second that the Democrats are going to solve our problems without us putting boots to their asses, but at least with them, we stand a chance of putting off the train wreck a little longer, during which time, we will have a chance to try and diminish the damage, and perhaps start us on a path toward a healthy middle class once again.

What If!

One of the things that you will run into sooner or later if you go out at all is the hand out given to you by someone who wants to convince you that they have the real goods on some subject. One that I have seen on-line, handed out at a 4^th of July fireworks event is called, “What If...”. It asks several questions in a “what if” manner, and then answers them as though the only possible answer is the one they provide. In this case, the “they” I speak of are Christians. Each question is followed by their chosen answer and selected Bible verse.

While I don't have all day to address each and every “what if”, I will touch on a few.

What if there really is a Creator-God? What implications does that make for me, His Creation?

• Well, there are so many possibilities here. First of all, why assume this god is a He? Gender is a product of biological necessity which evolved in many species, and would have very little function in what most people think of as a god. Does he have female gods to share his time with? Are there little baby gods out there like Trelane of Star Trek's “The Squire of Gothos” episode? Without knowing what kind of god he is, there is absolutely no way of ascertaining what, if any implications there are for me. Actually, I can't see any that would matter. The “fact” that he is a creator-god, does not mean he created me.
  

What if that Creator will hold man, His Creation, accountable in a day of judgment?

• Well, now we have a problem. I know that the Christians handing out this pamphlet think this creator/god is “their” god, but there is no guarantee, now is there? There are as many religions out there as there are fleas on a dog, if not more. So we don't really know what he would hold us accountable for. It is possible that he doesn't like people who push their beliefs on others. Now what implications would that make for the bloody Christians?
  

What if the Creator-God really loves man, His Creation?

• Boy they really want to pound home that “His Creation”, thing don't they? Well, if he really loves me, then no problem. Just as I love my daughter and wife, and would go to all kinds of trouble to see to it that they ended up all right, I am sure that this god would want to do the same for me. IF...he really loves me.
  

What if the Creator-God has a son named Jesus?

• Well then, assuming this is the Jesus of the Bible, and that the current right wing fundamentalist view of him is correct, then I'm screwed aren't I? But ..., there is the problem that Jesus is such a sketchy historical character, and that there are so many possible ways of interpreting the New Testament (just look at all the different Christian denominations and individual beliefs about him), that I really don't feel that there is much chance of Jesus being a problem for me. And “what if” the Gospels got it all wrong (very likely), and Jesus really isn't about sending anyone to hell because we didn't buy into a 2000 year old fairy tale?
  

This is where I'll stop for now. Playing “what if” can be fun, especially if you can turn it around.

What if there is no god.

What if we are what we appear to be, an evolved species on a small planet near the edge of a medium sized galaxy amongst billions of galaxies in a nearly 14 billion year old universe?

What if all these religious trappings are man made madness that distract us from so many other important things in life?

What if, while wasting time praying, proselytizing, and pushing gods, the opportunity to enjoy life is passing you by?

Now that's sad!

Muslims and Sharia Law

The Traditional Values Coalition, a right wing group, have their panties in a twist about Muslims who are pushing Sharia law in the U.S. They are upset about attempts to get recognition for Islamic law in areas where Muslims are in greater number.

Efforts are already underway here in America to introduce Sharia enclaves in some communities. In these enclaves, Constitutional concepts like one person/one vote would be replaced by Sharia concepts which values a woman’s vote at half that of a man. In many instances, Sharia law allocates rights based on gender and religion (Islam is the only legal religion) rather than individual rights. In the United Kingdom and France, such enclaves exist and have caused conflict between Islamists and the country’s civil law.

They also worry about conflicts with Muslims who are complaining about having to violate their beliefs.

In Minneapolis in 2006, a number of Somali cabdrivers refused to carry passengers with alcohol. The Muslim Brotherhood was behind this publicity stunt. The airport’s initial plan was to cave to Sharia law and create Sharia-compliant and Sharia non-compliant cabs. An Islamic “fatwa,” or order was issued by the Muslim American Society in June 2006 and sent to the Metropolitan Airports Commission. The fatwa stated that Islamic law prohibits Muslim cabdrivers from carrying passengers with alcohol “because it involves cooperating in sin according to Islam.”

Now I do, in fact, share concerns about rampaging religions wanting to do things their way, all the while ignoring secular law. For example, Christian pharmacists who refuse to fill prescriptions for birth control, or the morning after pill, and Doctors who refuse to perform legal procedures because it, "involves cooperating in sin" according to Christianity. If you want to force women to wear large black sacks and then kill them if they don't? Fine. But as long as you live here, in the U.S., you don't get to force your stupidity on others. Ditto for Christians.

We live in a secular country, and if your wife or daughter wants to go about her day without observing Islamic dress codes, more power to her. And if you are stupid enough to assault her, or worse yet, kill her, then we will put your sorry ass in jail where it belongs. And I think it is time we showed that we mean what we say, and make sure that Christian pharmacists either dispense the medicine they are supposed to, or they can bloody well retire, and let more competent people do the job.

I really think it is time to quit giving religion the respect it doesn't deserve. You want to believe in a god? Fine, you have that right. But you don't have the right to force it on others, and just because I respect your right to believe, it does not mean I have to respect your belief.

Pat Condell

Pat Condell is an atheist. If your go to his website at http://patcondell.net/ , you will notice that he calls it Godless Comedy, and he hits it on the head. I've enjoyed listening to his videos on youtube, and just visited his site for the first time.

But what got me to write about it was the last comment he makes on his FAQ. I love the quick comeback, and this one is perfect.

Q: Prove God doesn’t exist.
A: That’s a tough one. Show me how it’s done by proving Zeus and Apollo don’t exist, and I’ll use your method.

Absolute perfection.

It's Evolutions Birthday

While I know that Americans are going to focus more on the 4th of July than on the 1st of July, it is an important note that 150 years ago today, papers written by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace were read to a meeting of the Linnean Society of London on July 1st 1858. In short, today is Evolutions birthday.

Evolution is the foundation of modern biology, and perhaps the most supported theory in science. Visit the web site The Beagle Project for a more complete description of the history of this day.

RichardDawkins.net has an exclusive video titled Dawkins on Darwin.

This will be a great opportunity to brush up on your understanding of evolution and it's history.

Enjoy.

Phil...

Photoshop x3

Hello all.

Just a little experiment of my own. I used Photoshop Elements 5 and one of Jessica's head shots.

Created two frames, each of which has the original picture in it, and each treated with different filters. I may yet play with this some more.

Phil...

Why Do Ghosts Have Clothes On?

Why do ghosts have clothes on,
Is a question I must ask.
And to find the proper answer,
It will be an awful task.

It's a mystery that eludes us,
As in the case of Auntie Bea.
We buried her in pink chiffon,
But she's haunting us in tweed.

And Uncle Ned the nudist,
Took a dirt bath in the buff.
But when he haunted sister Jane,
He had clothes and all that stuff.

Grandma Sal thinks somethings up,
Because of Grandpa Jed
His favorite color's earthy brown,
But he turned up wearing red.

Do you think there is a tailor,
Who makes clothes for the deceased? 
Making sure they're wearing proper duds,
Their shirts and trousers creased.

We may never know the truth of it,
For there are other mysteries too.
Like why when ever spotted,
All a ghost can say is boo?

© Phillip Moon

3 Generations

A continuation of the style learned from the previous tutorial.

Outside the Frame

I did this a few months back, and thought as long as I was posting some of my efforts, I would include this one as well.

A pretty cool effect.

I just realized that I hadn't blogged about the Rock and Roll Marathon that Jessica and I walked on June 1st in San Diego. We had a good time training for it, and in the process I lost 25 pounds. As I have no use for them, I am not looking for them, nor am I hoping to replace them. They may remain lost. I further hope to lose another 10 or 15 pounds between now and Oct. 12 when Jess and I plan to walk the Long Beach Marathon.

We walked the marathon in 7 hours, 9 minutes and 42 seconds. Still we reached our goal, which was to successfully complete the marathon in the time alloted. We'll try to better our time in the Long Beach Marathon.

Here we are after our walk.

Intro for Jessica

I put this together when I discovered a new function in After Effects.

Jessica in Art Form

I have once again gone to a Photoshop Tutorial, this one at Video-Fx-Universe.com. I was able to make a cool picture of Jessica, using one of her head shots, and turning it into a cartoon/drawing style. I think it turned out pretty good.

This was a rather easy tutorial and the result has all kinds of uses of a commercial nature.

Concerning reasons to believe - part 1.

There are plenty of people out there who think that they have irrefutably solid arguments for the existence of a god. Usually, if you live in the U.S. as I do, they are arguing for the existence of the god of the Christian religion. This god gets the “g” capitalized so that God becomes a proper name. And for some reason, Christians seem to think that if they “prove” a god exists, the only one that could mean is their god. The big G god. I'm not sold on that particular notion, but then, I'm am an atheist, so there you go.

Here are some arguments borrowed from P.Z. Meyer's site from a letter he received listing 50 proofs for god. I am going to present a few at a time just for fun.

"Atheism is a faith in that which has not been proved. The disbelievers have not witnessed anything to not believe in, whereas the believers believe because they have witnessed. There is no 'good news' to preach in atheism."

Actually, the disbelievers have not witnessed anything that would compel them to believe, so they do not. Had I witnessed something that truly proved there was a god, I would be silly to continue to disbelieve, now wouldn't I? Also, I know many people who believe in a god that have not witnessed anything that could be considered godish in nature, yet still believe because of childhood training, fear, rigidity, or just a desire to think there is something out there greater than themselves that is in charge of all of this. There may be other reasons as well. And lastly, I see lots of 'good news' in science, living, love, play, work and other human endeavors.

"How much of the atheist's faith relies on anger with God as opposed to genuine disbelief in God?"

"Why do many atheists shake their fists & spend so much time ranting & raving about something they don't believe in? If they are no more than a fizzled out battery at the end of the day, then why don't they spend their lives partying, or getting a hobby?! Why don't they leave this 'God nonsense' alone?"

Two for the price of one. Atheism is not a faith. It is a rejection of a belief. I know people who have been angry with god. They are called Christians, Jews, Muslims, and many other names, but not atheist. See, an atheist does not believe in a god, and so, wastes little time being angry with it. And most all of the atheists I have met and read over the years have all held a genuine lack of belief in gods.


As to fist shaking, ranting and raving, this is usually aimed at believers who feel that laws based on their version of god (the Christian one as a rule) and it's rules as they have been interpreted from some religious book, should be applied to everyones lives, and not just their own. Also, you will find that there is much less of the fist shaking, ranting and raving than just simple, truthful and un-gilded statements that put our ideas and feeling about gods in words that are not sufficiently PC or reverential for the believer. See I don't believe in gods, I don't worship them, I don't revere them, and I don't worry about saying that this god is evil, or that one a tyrant, he is vain, and she is not so pretty as she believes. They don't exist. But as long as people out there believe that they can make me live by laws that have only a religious basis, or accept the teaching of religious nonsense as scientific fact, then there will be times when I shake a fist, rant and rave a little. But I will try to be calm and not so ranty first. If they would just keep their religiousness to themselves, I could ignore this whole god nonsense.

And about that “fizzled out battery at the end of the day”, line...

It's all about the journey for me, I have more than one hobby, and living is the party.

The Science of Evolution

Science has been an interest of mine from as far back as I can remember. I always enjoyed finding out how something worked, what made the planets do what they do, why was fire so fun to play with, and so darned hard to control.

I remember when I was 11 or 12 years old, coming home from church (at that time a So. Baptist church) after listening to the idiot in the pulpit having expounded on Adam and Eve vs. Evolution. Turns out he was responding to a discussion that took place in one of the youth groups. He pontificated on the literal nature of the Bible and the errancy of science. Of course, what he knew about science would rattle around in a thimble.

I was baffled then, and I am baffled now about how otherwise intelligent people can decide to ignore the facts placed before them by science, and consciously adopt a view that literally has no support in the real world. And in order to hold to the religious views, they must sometimes make up the silliest stories to explain away the science.

Did you know that Satan put fossils into the ground to confuse people and cause them to doubt the Bible? Unless, of course, it was the Bible's god that put them there to test the faith of his followers.

Fossils are amazing evidence for life that has gone before and it's transitions from simple to complex forms. There are clear trails showing transitions from, for example, a small land animal to whales over some 10 to 15 million years. Yet the millions of years themselves produce objections from those who deny the validity of scientific measurements because it messes with the 6000 years claimed by Mr. Usher and modern creationism. A time frame that comes about through the sole use of the Bible, sans any science, and Mr. Usher didn't even have the status of infallibility on the subject. It was his interpretation of Biblical “evidence” that got him to 4004 B.C. as a date for the beginning of the world.

Fossil evidence is not complete by any means. It never will be. That's why it is so nice to have many other disciplines in sciences that make up for the lack therein. Paleontology, morphology, molecular biology, embryology, and geochemisty all provide further evidence for the story presented by the fossil record. Paleoenvironmental, paleobiogeographical, vestigial, and chronological evidence put the icing on the cake. Whales evolved.

For a really good article on the evolution of Whales, read “The Origin of Whales and the Power of Independent Evidence” byRaymond Sutera (My source for the above information).

Izzy Legit's Title work

Andrew Giannetta (Director, DP, and son-in-law) has many projects that he works on, and one of them needed a bit of title FX work done. That was my job. The project is Izzy Legit, Putz to Player, and I have a partial of the clip from the web site here. Feel free to check out the rest of the clip if you are curious, and don't hesitate to tell me what you think. I'll pass it on to Drew.

I had fun doing this. Drew's idea, and my execution.

First Commercial FX Title Work

This is my day for posting my video work. At the same time I was making my professional acting debut in a commercial for Buy Cheap Software dot Com, I was also acting in another capacity for Andrew (who is both a Director of Photography and Director). I was the title effects person on the commercial that did make it. So below is the very short title effect that I did for the first commercial.

First Commercial Principal Role

So a about a year ago, I worked with my son-in-law Andrew Giannetta on a commercial for Buy Cheap Software Dot Com. This was the second commercial of two, and alas, is the one that will never be seen. But it's mine, and I did it, so here is my first professional appearance in a commercial. I'm the guy in the back.

In the Background - CSI:NY

I'm working again.

Those are words I never thought I would be happy to actually utter, but I am.

I have now shot three episodes of The Suite Life on Deck. This show is doing 3 weeks on and one week off, and that worked for me this week when I was booked to work on CSI:NY for 6 days. CSI is shooting at an old closed bank in downtown Los Angeles near 6th and Spring. This bank gets used for many different shows because it has that classic bank look. It is, however, empty most of the time and that leads to us having to share it with the regular inhabitants.

Rats. Lot's of them. Big Gray Rats, with attitudes.

I saw one make its way across the bank on my second day on set. He just walked calmly as you please along the teller windows, counters, and under the set up for the sound man, who said, "What the Hell", and scooted up onto his chair. The rat didn't even slow down to watch the funny human. I followed him to an area where he slipped behind a pile of wood and then I went back to holding. Later that day, I followed another two rats who joined up with a third.

During a rehearsal, a single rat (though I did not actually ask if he was single) decided to walk across the set under the feet of actors, crew and cameras. There was much in the way of surprise, and many whoops and much laughter. The rat, in fact, received a standing ovation (mostly to facilitate running if the rat decided to head toward anyone).

Someone had fun the next day by dragging a fuzzy gray rat looking thing on a string and running it by people standing on set, or in the case of background, laying down on the floor. Good times.

Crew said that the last guy to turn out the lights at night opted not to walk slowly out the door, and was in fact escorted by many large gray critters. Nice of them to let us use their building for the show.

One last thing I thought was rather funny. From the beginning of my time with Central Casting, I listed my pant size as 38 X 34 (the 38 being the waist) even though the only way I could wear that was below the waist. In fact, I really wore a 42 X 34, but so deep in denial was I that I hardly noticed. Well in the last few months, I have lost 20 pounds, and some accompanying inches around the waist. So when I went to CSI:NY to work, and wore the wardrobe they provided, I discovered that the pants they gave me were too tight. I thought that they must have given me a 36, because I was just barely able to buckle them (though I was able to buckle them at the waist, rather than below). I checked the label on Friday, and it turns out I was only partly right. They were size 34. That was a nice way to end the week

Take care,

Phil...

Planet go Boom

I am learning to use and abuse the Adobe After Effects program. There are a lot of things in the movie making business that I am going to have to learn, and I have a nice head start on special FX. The effect that follows was done from two tutorials that I modified, named "Dead Planet" and "Planet Explosion".

I used a pre-made explosion from Particle Illusion 3, as well as the small white debris field came from PI3 as well. The Shatter effect blows up the planet and the red and brown debris come from the particle effects in AE. The planet Earth was also created in AE using a flat map and a sphere.

Lots of fun, and though the planet explosion has it's faults from a realistic point of view, it is perfect as a learning tool and fun to look at.

OpenOffice.org 2

While I am on the subject of open source programs that are great replacements for the more expensive name brands, I thought I would bring up Open Office Suites 2. This next paragraph is from their web site:

"OpenOffice.org 2 is the leading open-source office software suite for word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics, databases and more. It is available in many languages and works on all common computers. It stores all your data in an international open standard format and can also read and write files from other common office software packages. It can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for any purpose."

I use this program for my office suite, and it is great. Easy to use, and free. It has all the same functions of that other companies program (the one with MS in the title). Check it out, and see if it meets your needs. It's available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Fun with Inkscape

I play with many graphics programs. A new one that I just started playing with is a vector graphics program called Inkscape, and it's great for creating web graphics, among other things. Following the instructions of a tutorial called "Inkscape-Screencast5 - Photo Popping Fun", which is a podcast video, I created the simple but satisfying picture on the left.

There are many other programs that I use, and as I go along, I'll highlight some of them here. Many of them, like Inkscape, are either freeware or open source, a wonderful way of getting excellent programs that are often top of the line for what they do.

(I don't work for inkscape, nor do I get payment for this post from anyone.)

In the Background - Suite Life on Deck

Weeeee....

Well Suite Life is back, only it's different. It's now The Suite Life on Deck, and takes place on the deck of a luxury liner owned by London Tipton's father (owner of the Tipton Hotel that the Suite Life of Zach and Cody took place in.). Zach and Cody, and London Tipton join the cruise as students in Seven Seas High, a schooling opportunity that has the kids, and many others, on board learning as they ply the seas. Dylan and Cole Sprouse, Brenda Song, and Phil Lewis are all back in their roles from the first series, and there are the crew and passengers who are portrayed by many of us background types who walked the halls of the Tipton Hotel.

Yes, I'm back too. And what a first week I had. I am union now, and Michelle (our 2nd 2nd) asked for my return, so with luck I will be on the show regularly, and with many Thursdays, as well as Fridays. This week, on the show's premiere episode, I was featured.

Being featured in background means that I was put into action with one of the leads, in this case in two scenes with Phil Lewis (who plays Mr. Moseby). There is a risk in getting a featured action when doing a show, and that is, the Director, 1^st AD, Writer, or Producer could walk up and say, “Oh...he'll never do, I want someone else”. So when you are handed a featured bit, you stamp ruthlessly on the urge to jump up and down like a school girl, shouting “yippee”, and look exactly like the professional everyone thinks you are. As they explained to me what we were going to do, and that I was going to get to mug for the camera to allow Mr. Moseby to say the line scripted for him, I never even let out the little “eeps” that were trying to come to the surface. Indeed, I kept my composure and performed with calm and confidence. Yep.

Then came the last scene of the day. Michelle came over and told me she needed me to stand in center stage, and hold the binoculars so Mr. Moseby, could again, interact with me. This time they had me looking up at the sky, which was the lights and walk ways above our heads, and Mr. Moseby would walk over and take the binoculars. We rehearsed the scene, and afterward, someone saw me with the binoculars hanging over my neck, and thought that having Moseby grab them and then have to pull them off my head would be even funnier, so we did a quick rehearsal and figured out how to make it work. Now there was a problem earlier in the day, when someone nearly passed out and they were afraid that we could have another injury, so the strap around the neck was dropped, and instead, we would just have him take them from me.

Now here is how you save your featured bit, and get the notice of the crew at the same time. I called over the script supervisor who was standing nearby, and suggested that when Mr. Moseby tried to take the binoculars, I would not let go of them, and he and I would have a short game of tug o' war instead. She liked the idea and took it over to the Phil, the Director, and others that were discussing some issue of the scene, and they liked it. That became the choreography, and when the first episode of the season airs, I will be seen in two scenes, one at the opening and one near the end of the show. I waited until I was off the lot, and on my way to the car before acting like an over excited kid at a party.

I know I have said it before, but I really am glad that I gave up the security of my job and moved back to So. California to get involved in this whole business. I am having a heck of a journey, and if I never get all I want to out of this, I am going to enjoy the trip. I'm writing scripts, doing computer effects, acting, producing, and having a ball, and yes there are tough spots and not everything is turning up roses, but frankly, when you're doing something you love doing, whining about what isn't working is just silly. I'm in this for the journey, and with any luck it will be years before the ride ends.

Phil...

Science

Here are a few of the inventions, discoveries and theories that make our everyday life what it is. Science, the Scientific Method, and systematic research are what make things like these happen, and quite frankly, not religions.

Our advances in science, technology, manufacturing, and the understanding of the world around us did not come from the Bible, the Koran, the Vedas, or even from the Tao Te Ching. Without science, many of my family and friends would be dead, killed by disease or accident. Without the modern Theory of Evolution on which modern Biology is firmly based, many of the drugs that help us fight cancers and other diseases would be nowhere to be seen.

Any time that science and religion meet and compete over an issue of reality, science wins. It is time we quit acting like science must pass muster with religion. There is no controversy in science over the overall strength of the theory of evolution, no confusion about when the universe began, no difficulty about the approximate age of the earth. The only problems with these subjects are the religious and political opportunists who would rather live with their heads planted firmly in the earth than deal with the fact that science, not the Bible, knows more about our origins. I would rather live in a world where science is respected and used, than in a world where religion is in control. Not only do we need to make sure that Islamic radicalism does not seep into America, we need to make sure that Christian extremists don't get their way either. They want to believe that woman came from Adam's rib, that's fine, but in the schools, it should show up in studies of mythology, not science.

I respect the right of anyone to believe what they want to believe. I do not however have to respect their belief, nor for that matter agree that said belief should be given equal standing with science.

The List:
Hydraulics, Principle of the Lever, Screw Pump, Astronomy, Odometer, Volume Measurements, The Earth is Round, Micro-Organisms, Blood Circulation, Electricity, Theory of Evolution, Laws of Thermodynamics, Heliocentric Theory, The Atomic Bomb, Bridges, Flight, The Automobile, The Computer, Refrigeration, Printing Press, Lighting Rod, Vacuum Storage, Plastics, Radio/T.V., Motion Pictures, Camera Obscura, Film, The Light Bulb, Crossbow, Magnetic Compass, Buttons, Hindu-Arabic Numbering, Gunpowder, Kite, Eyeglasses, Mechanical Clocks, Windmills, Glass Making, Sawmill, Handgun, Scales, Golf Balls, Trigger, Oil Paint, Piano, Violin, Accordion, Pythagorean Theorem, Internal Combustion Engine, Tanks, Parachute, Bells, Maps, Whiskey, Flush Toilet, Water Wheel, Pocket Watch, Etching, Beer, Knitting Machine, Cotton Gin, Microscope, Telescope, Magnifying Glass, Water Thermometer, Submarine, Ships, Slide Ruler, Blood Transfusion, Steam Turbine, Adding Machine, Barometer, Air Pump, Cuckoo Clock, Anthropology, Reflecting Telescope, Candy, Champagne, Universal Joint, Pressure Cooker, Steam Engine, Seed Drill, Tuning Fork, Diving Bell, Fire Extinguisher, Mercury Thermometer, Leyden Jar, Sextant, Chromatic Lens, Navigational Clock, Spinning Jenny, Soda Water, Electric Telegraph, Telephone, Cell Phone, Bi-Focal Glasses, Circular Saw, Hot-air Balloon, Metal Working, Paleontology, Threshing Machine, Geology, Physics, Safety Lock, Chemical Bleaching, Steamboat, Guillotine, Gas Turbine, Bicycle, Gas Lighting, Ball Bearings, Smallpox Vaccination, Precision Lathe, Soft Drinks, Lithography, Battery, Paper, Transistor, Locomotive, Arc Lamp, Plastic Surgery, Spectroscope, Miner's Lamp, Stethoscope, Raincoat, Toy Balloon, Electromagnet, Matches, Microphone, Typewriter, Braille Printing, Sewing Machine, Reaper, Electric Dynamo, Stereoscope, Corn Planter, Wrench, Propeller, Rubber Vulcanization, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Blueprint, Stapler, Elevator, Anesthesia, Antiseptics, Dentistry, Safety Pin, Dishwasher, Gyroscope, Glider, Fiber Optics, Rayon, Pasteurization, Safety Brakes, Pad Lock, Dynamite, Torpedo, Air Brakes, Tungsten Steel, Traffic Lights, Carpet Sweeper, Record Player, Seismograph, Metal Detector, Radar, Pneumatics, Vacuum Tube, Zipper, Zeppelin, Safety Razor, Air Conditioner, Neon Light, Theory of Relativity, Sonar, Helicopter, Artificial Nitrates, Pyrex, Radio Telescopes, Robotics, Psychology, Cathode-ray Tube, Liquid Fueled Rockets, Aerosol Can, Penicillin, Yo-Yo, Neoprene, Road Reflectors, Magnetic Recordings, Radar, Teflon, Cyclotron, LSD, Dialysis, Microwave, Theory of Holography, Velcro, Frisbee, Oral Contraceptives, Solar Cells, Laser, Integrated Circuit, Internal Pacemaker, Microchip, Moon Landing, Organ Transplants, CAT Scan, MRI, X-Ray Machine, Big Bang Theory, Modern Genetics.

Walking

I am preparing for a marathon.

Jessica, my daughter, has decided to whip me into shape. She is doing so by helping me to prepare for the marathon in San Diego on the 1st of June. We started out with easy walks of 1, 2 and 3 miles, and have graduated to one big walk each week. The last big walk for us was 16 miles, or more than half of the marathon distance. Note to those who might follow in our foot steps: Don't map out the first eight miles all up hill.

The 3, 4, and 5 mile walks we take several times each week are easy now. We did one of our 4 mile walks the other day in 58 minutes, which is just what we need to be able to do for the marathon as walkers.

Pepper, my dog, has taken the long walks with us. She has managed to keep up, and at times, reminds me that I'm slowing down. We may have hit the point where she finally tires out, but being as I was probably in worse shape than she was after the 16 mile journey, I have my doubts. She was probably just trying not to make me feel bad about collapsing on the floor upon entering the apartment.

When we started this endeavor I was 200 pounds (roughly 40 to 50 pounds over weight) and happily sedentary. Now I have lost 13 pounds, and can walk 5 or 6 miles without being pooped. The big idea here is to make a life change, to do something that will help improve my health and chances of growing older, and while doing it, I get to spend time with Jessica, which is worth the price of admission all by itself.

Being is Born of Not Being

I guess the best way to start a blog, is to explain the Blog title.

Being is born of not being is from the Tao Te Ching. It fits the way I look at the world.

• For all appearances, the universe came from "not being".
• One moment not universe, then the Big Bang, and poof. You have a universe.
• The world did not exist. Rock, gas, bits and pieces of the universe get together and you have a planet. Earth.
• Life was nowhere to be seen, and then the right elements, molecules, chemicals, find each other and it begins.
• Evolution begins, as it must, and 3 billion years later humans are thinking they're the best things since white bread.
• And some 50 odd years ago, a particularly quick sperm met an egg, and my journey began from not being, to being. A close thing too, I'm sure, as there were a lot of other sperms that would have ended my journey before it began had one of them gotten there first.

And as I will not be in a position to write after I go from being back to not being, I choose to say what I wish to say now.