I know this is going to upset people but I'm just so fed up with religion. Actually religion can't be held responsible for the actions of its practitioners. Let me refine this idea. What I'm truly tired of is people who use religion to justify any sort of inhumane, self-serving, narrow-minded agenda. Having stated this I realize that religion itself is not the problem it's people. If you remove religion from the stage people will use political affiliation, ideology, race, ethnicity, or whether you like Star Trek or not as a platform from which they will launch their abuse upon others.
I initially began this blog with the thought that religion is all mythology (which I still think is true) and that the false nature of religious beliefs was responsible for injustice. I don't think that really is the case. There are many decent people who do immeasurable good and are religious. My feeling however is that they would likely be decent with or without religious concepts.
What I really am fed up with then is thoughtlessness. Monotheism was an invention that seems to have begun in the Middle East. It took the forms of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (and Zoroastrianism). Prior to this people believed in many deities and accepted the existence of other gods and goddesses. At some point the idea that there was a single correct way to be religious entered into civilizations practices: One God, Sin, Heathen, 'I'm right, you are wrong'. Warfare was simply about conquering people and benefiting from the resources in pre-biblical times in the ancient Middle East. Conquerors even adopted the religions of the people they conquered. Commencing with monotheism came warfare based on belief. Persecution.
The Romans persecuted Christians and Jews for their beliefs. They didn't persecute Egyptians, Greeks, Gauls etc for their beliefs the simply oppressed them to control their land and wealth. Monotheists presented a new threat to the Romans in that they presented a divide based on religious belief. "You are with us or you are against us." You believed only in THE GOD and all his trappings or you were a pagan.
In other words the Romans could not accept Christians (whereas they could accept Egyptian, Persian, Germanic, Pictish, Greek, Phoenician, Syrian, and Indian religious notions among others), because Christians could not accomodate pagans. The history books are full of examples of Roman Christians who refused, based on their religious convictions, to accept Roman, Egyptian , Greek religious traditions. All the while these peoples did not fight over religious ideas. They fought over trade routes, resources, and land, but not over Zeus, Isis, Neptune or Vishnu.
So it's not religion I'm fed up with; it's a mindset. May Freya smile upon you and St. Christopher guide you safely home.
1/30/2004
1/29/2004
1/27/2004
Chairman of the Board
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Call me irresponsible - call me unreliable |
1/26/2004
Welcome Baby Girl!
My dear friends Bob and Anna brought a sweet baby girl into this world last Saturday while I was eating homemade pizza and drinking beer and playing Rummy. I wish the three of them a whole lot of love and bliss.
1/24/2004
My Fingers Are Numb
I walked home this morning, I walked to the grocery store and back, I went for a walk through Parc LaFontaine with Sophie, we walked down Mt. Royal and ran into her ex. I walked home from Sophie's and I'm only thawing out now. Alefia just called and invited me over, but I'm not walking. I'm taking the 24 and then I've got a ride home with Mappie. Yes the world needs to know this. I'm only blogging this because I was going to blog something else when the phone rang. I hate this entry but I've done it now so it's staying. Goodnight.
1/23/2004
My Other Job
I've been reading a lot of history lately, mostly things about the ancient Mediterranean world. I think this explains why I had this dream last night in which I was a member of a family that produced olive oil. I was filling up urns and jars with freshly pressed oil for shipping to Anatolia. The sun was shining and I felt that this was a good life. It's -15 C in real life but the sun is shining and I do have greek olive oil but that's where the connection between dream and life ends.
1/22/2004
1/19/2004
The Perfect
We can probably all remember those days when everything just seems to go wrong, but once in a while the gods bless with a day in which everything is right I was fortunate enough today to have one of those. Of course it began with a nice weekend so that when I woke up this morning I was brimming with 'penso positivo'. The sun was shining, the sky was blue and I felt this utter calm through and through.
I had to some research for a client downtown and I hadn't really been out of my neighbourhood since I returned to Montreal after Christmas. It's just been that cold. So it was a thrll to see all the faces and the beautiful Montreal women as I rode the 24. I don't know how these things work. There are beautiful women all over this world but it just seems that Montreal has a higher percentage of them for some reason.
I also met my financial advisor for the first time and opened up a new mutual fund account and realized I'm not afraid of money and numbers anymore (I know it sounds weirder than it is). I did some grocery shopping, found the $80.00 O'Reilly DHTML book I wanted on sale for under $20.00, did my research and came home to a message from Sophie telling me that the events in the dream that woke her up in the middle of the night Saturday had in fact been verified.
I walked over to Sophie's for dinner and on my way met JP. He had his gall bladder removed last week but he was feeling great he said. Sophie and I spent a quiet evening eating, drinking, talking, laughing and playing games and it was so nice. So simple a day. Really nothing special except everything was so easy and pleasant and satisfying.
On the way home I was walking through the park. The snow was deep and soft and the wind blew whispy tails of snow along the ground between the trees. I was listening to the song 'Electricity' by Joni Mitchell and the stars were all twinkling in the clear frozen sky. The chord changes matched perfectly with my environment. From across the park I could see the light of my door and when I entered the house it was toasty and welcoming.
I checked my e-mail and found more praise for the chinook dog training site that I built for Trish. But the capper of the entire day were the tears and belly laughs that Bob of Filbert provided via this web site. Yes a perfect ending to a perfect day.
I had to some research for a client downtown and I hadn't really been out of my neighbourhood since I returned to Montreal after Christmas. It's just been that cold. So it was a thrll to see all the faces and the beautiful Montreal women as I rode the 24. I don't know how these things work. There are beautiful women all over this world but it just seems that Montreal has a higher percentage of them for some reason.
I also met my financial advisor for the first time and opened up a new mutual fund account and realized I'm not afraid of money and numbers anymore (I know it sounds weirder than it is). I did some grocery shopping, found the $80.00 O'Reilly DHTML book I wanted on sale for under $20.00, did my research and came home to a message from Sophie telling me that the events in the dream that woke her up in the middle of the night Saturday had in fact been verified.
I walked over to Sophie's for dinner and on my way met JP. He had his gall bladder removed last week but he was feeling great he said. Sophie and I spent a quiet evening eating, drinking, talking, laughing and playing games and it was so nice. So simple a day. Really nothing special except everything was so easy and pleasant and satisfying.
On the way home I was walking through the park. The snow was deep and soft and the wind blew whispy tails of snow along the ground between the trees. I was listening to the song 'Electricity' by Joni Mitchell and the stars were all twinkling in the clear frozen sky. The chord changes matched perfectly with my environment. From across the park I could see the light of my door and when I entered the house it was toasty and welcoming.
I checked my e-mail and found more praise for the chinook dog training site that I built for Trish. But the capper of the entire day were the tears and belly laughs that Bob of Filbert provided via this web site. Yes a perfect ending to a perfect day.
Jesus Scares My Dog
Tonight I was coming home from Sophie's and I passed one of the numerous Catholic churches that seem to be on every corner of Montreal streets. There is an oversized statue of Jesus in front, his arms outstretched to embrace the world with his divine love, and as we passed it my dog arched her back and slunk her head low fixing her gaze on him. She kept checking to make sure Jesus wasn't following us.
1/17/2004
My Pal Foot Foot
Legend has it that in 1969 1000 copies of an album called Philosophy of the World were pressed of which only 100 were made available to the general public. The recording which included mysterious songs such as 'My Pal Foot Foot' and 'Who Are Parents?' was made by the three Wiggins sisters at the prompting of their fame obsessed father.
Thanks to the "magic" of the Internet I was able to experience the sonic thrills of the Wiggins sisters the other evening. This is what I have to say on the matter:
They are the best bad musicians I have ever heard. That's not an original statement. They can't play their instruments, but somehow they are using these atonal melodies to hold the chaos together to make highly original and sickly tender music. The name of the group was the Shaggs
Thanks to the "magic" of the Internet I was able to experience the sonic thrills of the Wiggins sisters the other evening. This is what I have to say on the matter:
They are the best bad musicians I have ever heard. That's not an original statement. They can't play their instruments, but somehow they are using these atonal melodies to hold the chaos together to make highly original and sickly tender music. The name of the group was the Shaggs
1/15/2004
It was a Dark and Bloggy Night
Some rumination on Paul Martin's new Liberal Party; I never liked the way that a new party leader steps into the shoes of Prime Minister simply because it was held by the previous leader. Nobody elected Paul Martin Prime Minister. He'll surely call an election soon but I won't be voting for him. Even before his little dance with the idiot king of the south I had made up my mind about this. He is a man "to the manor born". At least Chretien worked his way up the hard way.
Today Jack Layton contacted Sheila Copps over the riding redistribution in Stoney Creek. I don't like Sheila Copps myself every since she weasled out of her resignation over Free Trade promises, but I see what Jack is doing. He's spotlighting for the country Mr. Martin's Machiavellianism.
(then the phone rang and I lost my train of thought)
Today Jack Layton contacted Sheila Copps over the riding redistribution in Stoney Creek. I don't like Sheila Copps myself every since she weasled out of her resignation over Free Trade promises, but I see what Jack is doing. He's spotlighting for the country Mr. Martin's Machiavellianism.
(then the phone rang and I lost my train of thought)
Super-sized Dowry
Conservatives in Washington have managed to dig up 1.5 Billion dollars to be spent on the promotion of Marriage Compare that to what the federal government's budget for Education was for 2003 (3.5 billion).
The thing that irks me is that conservative rhetoric consistently berates government interference in peoples lives and browbeats those 'liberals' who are always trying to legislate morality. Here we have some juicy hypocrisy.
In fact Republicans are as guilty as anyone of wanting to engineer society, whether it's tax cuts for the wealthy 10% or trying to force 'creationism' into school science curriculums. It's what politics is about.
Granted there is a distinction that can be made between social conservatives and economic conservatives, and it's primarily social conservatives that I am referring to here. Economic conservatives have there own set of issues connected to the mythology of the self-regulating market, but that's another topic.
Marriage is a something that two people (or more in some societies) enter into of their own volition. Why a penny of tax money should be spent on anything other than data management in regards to marriage is beyond me.
The thing that irks me is that conservative rhetoric consistently berates government interference in peoples lives and browbeats those 'liberals' who are always trying to legislate morality. Here we have some juicy hypocrisy.
In fact Republicans are as guilty as anyone of wanting to engineer society, whether it's tax cuts for the wealthy 10% or trying to force 'creationism' into school science curriculums. It's what politics is about.
Granted there is a distinction that can be made between social conservatives and economic conservatives, and it's primarily social conservatives that I am referring to here. Economic conservatives have there own set of issues connected to the mythology of the self-regulating market, but that's another topic.
Marriage is a something that two people (or more in some societies) enter into of their own volition. Why a penny of tax money should be spent on anything other than data management in regards to marriage is beyond me.
1/13/2004
When He wasn't Burning Crosses He Invented Sea Monkeys
Last November the "inventor" of Sea Monkeys, Harold von Braunhut, passed away. He was also a member of the KKK and Aryan Nations. He also ripped my cousins and I off when we sent away for some of his lovable sea critters and they never showed up (although Ben did bust Shawn's piggy bank to get the dough. Maybe we shouldn't have sent cash).
Eventually Ben bought some in a packet from the local hobby store. They were dried up brine shrimp. It was pretty cool that they came to life when you put them in water, but they were pretty boring after that and they didn't live long. We should have tried drying them out and rehydrating them again. A zombie sea monkey family that would have been even cooler.
I wonder what would happen if von Braunhut were dunked in water? But how do you stop a vampire sea-nazi. Somethings are better left unknown.
Eventually Ben bought some in a packet from the local hobby store. They were dried up brine shrimp. It was pretty cool that they came to life when you put them in water, but they were pretty boring after that and they didn't live long. We should have tried drying them out and rehydrating them again. A zombie sea monkey family that would have been even cooler.
I wonder what would happen if von Braunhut were dunked in water? But how do you stop a vampire sea-nazi. Somethings are better left unknown.
1/12/2004
1/10/2004
My Big Brother's Bigger than your Big Brother.
What if governments quietly approached software companies and asked them to include specially written codes in their product that was beneficial to the governments needs? What if this was all done secretly, the consumer never informed that the product they have purchased includes this third party code provided by the government?
Well there's no need to ask 'what if'? It's already been done by Adobe with recent releases of their famed Adobe Photoshop image editing software. It includes code to prevent the copying and thus counterfeiting of some currencies. It was only discovered by accident. What a wonderful precedent. Would the conspiracy theorists in the back please use the drool cups provided.
Read the details.
Well there's no need to ask 'what if'? It's already been done by Adobe with recent releases of their famed Adobe Photoshop image editing software. It includes code to prevent the copying and thus counterfeiting of some currencies. It was only discovered by accident. What a wonderful precedent. Would the conspiracy theorists in the back please use the drool cups provided.
Read the details.
1/09/2004
Vixen Love
"Read the logs of poor internet junkies tricked into a relationship with a mindless program"
It's what it says. Guess which one is me! No, not really.
My favourite line: "Judge Demolition: i am sorry to have confused such a vibrant woman"
It's what it says. Guess which one is me! No, not really.
My favourite line: "Judge Demolition: i am sorry to have confused such a vibrant woman"
My Niece
Last Christmas she was a pink blob in a blanket, now she walks and "talks" and has firm opnions on things.
1/07/2004
Time Capsule
I found a folder full of pictures that Steve and I did when we were 12-13. There were different drawing games we played. One was to draw a squiggle and see what the other could turn it into. Another was like the surrealist Exquisite Corpse game. One would draw a head and fold it back leaving only the lines where the nuck joined the torso showing. The other would add to this and so forth. We folded it in four sections so we each drew two sections. Another game was one would draw a goofy character and the other would select a phrase from a comic book or magazine and put the words in a dialogue balloon for the character to speak. And then there was just doodling. This Shark scene is a reference to Jaws. It was drawn in the summer of 1977 or 1978.
1/04/2004
Paul Harvey Riddle
Here's the answer to the following e-mail I recieved this evening.
The answer is "Nothing", at least that's what happens if you press shift whether you send 10 e-mails or none. The riddle is prefaced by a long list of nostalgic advice for an idealized childhood and seems to be set up as a way to get people to spread the list. Very odd, but at least it's not asking for money.
What is greater than God, More evil than the devil, The poor have it,
The rich need it, And if you eat it, you'll die?
Send this to 10 people and then press shift and you will get the answer.
P.S. You won't believe this, but this really does give you the answer!!!!
The answer is "Nothing", at least that's what happens if you press shift whether you send 10 e-mails or none. The riddle is prefaced by a long list of nostalgic advice for an idealized childhood and seems to be set up as a way to get people to spread the list. Very odd, but at least it's not asking for money.
Goodbye Film We Hardly Knew Yee.
I was given a great little digital camera for Christmas so things may be going in a photo direction for a while. I began with the Sophie and Luna New Years greeting. Now here's a sweet shot I took to day of Lu.
