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I just thought that was a fun title. Obviously there is no such place as hell. It’s sad, though, that idiotic statements made by Christian evangelists like Pat Robertson aren’t proof enough to believers that they might be following the wrong type of people.
Robertson is one of the most direct, and venomous morons in evangelical history. He’s no stranger to making despicable statements of biblical proportions, if you’ll pardon the pun. For example, when level-headed citizens of Dover, PA voted their school board out of office for supporting intelligent design, Roberts made this comment on his 700-Club broadcast:
“I’d like to say to the good citizens of Dover: if there is a disaster in your area, don’t turn to God — you just rejected Him from your city.”
Most recently, again during a 700-Club broadcast, Roberts commented on the earthquake disaster in Haiti:
“They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon the third, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil.”
If this guy doesn’t sound like a complete idiot to you, you need to have your head examined. Seriously.
I have but one word for Pat Robertson and his ilk: JERK!
If you’d like to assist the ravaged people of Haiti, please follow one of the links below…
American Red Cross
US Department of State
We knew nothing before we were born, and we’ll know nothing after we die. That is why it is important that we appreciate as much about life as we can while we are here. Life is limited, but our enjoyment of it doesn’t have to be.
The phrase “Live and learn” has generally come to mean: we make mistakes as we blunder through life and we learn from those mistakes.
It’s true, but we can look at that phrase another way: literally. Living is more than existing, it’s being a part of the world, realizing our connections with other species and life forms here on earth. Living, for me, is seeking to understand how we came to be, in reality, not just accepting a fantasy that some unseen supernatural being decided we should be here. Say it like that and it sounds ridiculous. It’s amazing that so many people still entertain the idea of creation, with so much evidence to counter the idea.
Sorry to those who might find that thought offensive, but it’s not my responsibility to protect you from the facts.
Throughout history, scientific discoveries have lead us inevitably to another conclusion: this planet has been here for a very, very long time, and it has been inhabited by life for a very, very long time. It’s wonderful to consider this reality. It’s liberating, and uplifting to welcome this magnificent truth. It’s awe inspiring.
We should feel compelled to learn more about the world, it’s history, and evolution. And the science that enables us to understand more and more about life as we see it to be, not as we think it to be.
Time to really LIVE, and LEARN.
 Is the ‘Avatar’ Movie Making Viewers Nauseous? - ABC News.
The original form of this post continues below, but I must add this preface to state that I wrote my original post rather hastily, and overlooked the fact that some people are more prone to motion sickness while viewing films produced with 3D technology.
But, I do maintain that misinformation created the initial hype, and that has prompted many more people to become vocal about their experience, making it seem that Avatar has a greater ill effect on people than other 3D films.
It appears that misinformation and hearsay are at it again. No one seems to want to go find the facts for themselves. They’d rather believe the erroneous information they gleen from others.
If people are not now predisposed to feeling nauseous because the idea has been placed in their mind, the only other reason they may feel sick while watching the movie Avatar is because they consumed too much candy or popcorn.
So, how did this idea start? One critic, bent on smiting James Cameron, claimed that the sophisticated 3D effects in Avatar are “vomit inducing.” All you need are a few headlines that read like the one above to start the rumors flying.
I won’t be going to see Avatar, but that’s only because I don’t like to sit in a movie theater for two and a half hours. I’ll wait until it comes out on BlueRay and watch it on my hi-def widescreen at home.
Through talking about various feelings we learn, “hey, I’m not the only one who gets that feeling sometimes,” and it allows us to feel better about ourselves, since our struggles and issues aren’t always unique to us.
We’re not outcasts, we’re all quite the same, as far as feelings and thoughts are concerned. For the most part. Many of us are afraid to talk to others about things we feel, and so, we never really learn that others have the same thoughts or feelings. Therefore we limit ourselves, and are destined in a sense, to feeling alone or different, or maybe strange, compared to others. You know, not “normal.”
But what is normal? We’re all just evolved animals struggling with haphazardly wired, imperfect brains. We think we’re supposed to be perfect, and that if we aren’t there must be something wrong with us. Well that’s not true. We’re all screwed up to a certain degree. It’s learning, understanding and coping that helps us tweak that wiring and improve what we have.
It’s an uphill battle, and we need to step out of our comfort zone sometimes, but it is well worth it.
Like Stephen Hawking says in the song, Keep Talking, from Pink Floyd, “all we need to do, is make sure we keep talking.”
Recommended reading:
Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind
If there ever was a need for a book burning it would be to erradicate the nonsense spouting from the likes of Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. I understand that it’s not right to censor, and instead educate and inform, but this mockery makes me so angry I really do feel like burning one. Maybe I’ll buy a copy and just tear out Ray Comfort’s preface to build a fire with. That might help me feel a little better. I’ll burn photos of Cameron and Comfort while I’m at it to satisfy my psychotic bent as well. Just kidding. Well, maybe…
What book am I talking about? Seems “Bannana Man” Ray Comfort — famous for his claim that its comfortable shape, non-slip grip peel, convenient opening tab, and ripeness color-indicator are proof that the bannana was designed by God. There are 5 year old children with better logic — has taken it upon himself to publish a version of Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” and include a preface of his own design which attempts to discredit Darwin’s theory, which is now fully established and accepted.
Kirk Camoron (I know that’s not the way he spells it) has been making the rounds at college campuses to promote the new publication, which comes about on the 150th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s original groundbreaking work. Luckily many students have been giving far-right fundamentalist Christian Cameron a run for his money in the intellectual department.
Watch this Youtube video of college students debating with Cameron on evolution vs. creation. They had answers, and pleasantly stated them. Cameron had nothing to offer that could not be refuted with scientific evidence. Sound quality is poor, and ignore the trumpet.
Fundamental Christian television host Bill O’Reilly also steps into the picture. He had Kirk Cameron on to talk about Comfort’s added preface to Darwin’s work, and asked what Cameron would say to atheists in an effort to convert them. Cameron took the challenge and presented the tired argument about irreversible complexity, comparing the camera lens and the eye. Another Youtube video shows us the O’Reilly/Cameron farce and presents the evidence for evolution of the eye, and how it is not actually perfect. If it was designed by a perfect God, why would so many of us need glasses? And why would bats have to rely so heavily on radar to catch their dinner?
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Simple arguments, like the convenience of a bannana and the irreversible complexity of the human eye, are the cornerstone for fundamental belief in a supreme being, a creator of all things, who knows all, sees all, and can answer prayers. A quest for knowledge, a desire for understanding, and a wonder of science and the natural world can chip away the cracked facade of blind faith, shining a welcome light into the dim recesses of self delusion and ignorance.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: one great place to start is Carl Sagan’s The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.
Give it a read. You’ll be amazed at what you’ve been missing.
By the way, bannanas are a product of evolution, just like humans. But they’ve been “selected” to be the way they are now, ever since humans started farming them. That’s not to say that we wanted them to have a convenient open tab, or non-slip grip. Just worked out that way. Monkeys don’t necessarily use the tab. Guess God didn’t clue them in to how handy he made it.
  I’m reviewing the Garmin nüvi 255W GPS because I own one, and I LOVE IT! I purchased one for my girlfriend back in September and she’s been raving about it since, seriously. If you want to step into the high-tech world of cool convenience for your next road trip, you need a GPS navigation system, and I personally recommend the Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator
I can’t say enough about this great GPS unit. It has taken me to camping trips in New York State, Holiday gatherings in PA, even Michigan — not hard I know, Interstate 80 east from where I am, but if you aren’t paying attention you can easily bear right instead of left and take the wrong highway. The Garmin nüvi 255W tells you when to “stay left” or “stay right” and pays attention to the directions so you can just drive and enjoy the scenery!
The Garmin nüvi 255W is packed with convenient features, and lets you store favorite locations which is great because we all know there are those places that we can never remember how to get back to. Plus, if you don’t know how to get back home from where you happen to be, you can set a “Home” location so all you have to do is tell the nüvi to take you there. Done!
The Garmin nüvi 255W is loaded with handy features, including Points of Interest, which lets you browse local attractions, shopping, dining, auto services, etc. I’ve already used that feature to pick a place to go for dinner. I was amazed at all the great restaurants nearby that I had never even heard of! I also used that feature to find the nearest Best Buy so I could pick up my new surround sound system.
Not sure what the address is, or can’t find a particular location in the Points of Interest section? Search for it by name using the handy search feature. Just type in the name of the place you’re looking for and see if the Garmin can find it for you. It will most of the time. I haven’t stumped mine yet.
Another feature I love is Where Am I?, which shows your current lattitude and longitude, elevation, nearest intersection or address, nearest police station, hospital, gas stations, and more.
Now that’s what you need if you’re in an emergency! But it’s also handy to have if you want to text a friend your coordinates so they can find your location on Google Maps or something. Very handy if you’re driving along some winding, rural road in the middle of Pennsylvania, and running low on gas. Happened to me.
Use caution though, I have had a few instances where the gas station I was taken to turned out to be a deserted lot with a vacant concrete structure. Had to drive a few more miles to find another. This situation is not exclusive to the Garmin though. The mapping data is used by many GPS systems, so keep your updates current!
The most convenient feature is the talking navigator, in your choice of male, female, English, Australian, and others. Mine includes German, French, Chinese, Japanese and various dialects. You’ll have a laugh when you hear the navigator mispronounce a local street name, which happens from time to time.
The big, colorful map is there, but you don’t really need to look at it. In fact, you’re safer if you don’t. Not too often while you’re driving anyway. KEEP YOUR EYES ON THE ROAD friend!
If you’ve been considering which GPS navigator to buy for your next road trip, or for a Christmas gift, look no further than the Garmin nüvi 255W 4.3-Inch Widescreen Portable GPS Navigator because it has all you need and more. Click that link and head over to Amazon.com, check out all of the extra features I didn’t mention here, and read all of the great reviews.
It’s a good product, that’s all there is to it.
H1N1 Spreading Faster Than Vaccine, CDC Says - H1N1 - FOXNews.com.
Good going FOXNews for designing a headline to incite fear among the public. I’m sure other media outlets are doing the same. Is widespread panic a small price to pay for some good ratings, advertising revenue. I don’t think so.
Of course, they can defend their headline by revealing the boring truth in the body of the article, such as the quote from CDC Director Thomas Frieden… “Essentially what we’re seeing is that the virus continues to be spreading across the country and we are seeing a steady increase in the availability of the vaccine, but not as quickly as we’d like it to be.”
Devising headlines to grab a readers attention is one thing. Penning one that will unnecessarily alarm the public should be a crime.
Yes, the H1N1 ‘09 virus is spreading. That’s what happens with viruses, they spread. But we must remember that H1N1 is not going to kill everybody, and fewer have died from this particular virus than have died from more common flu strains.
We do not need to resort to panic, and we should not listen to the misinformed fearmongers. There is no need for undue fear and anxiety, but the news outlets seem to prefer that approach so they can reap the rewards.
People, calm down, learn the facts for yourself and do not panic.
You’ll either find this post informative and entertaining, or an utter disgrace. Either way is okay with me.
This is not a carpet bombing of all music stores and the decent guys who may work in them. This is a direct hit on music store morons who don’t know their ass from their elbow but think they do, and for which reason I won’t step into too many music stores to shop.
Since my early days as a guitarist I’ve had an aversion to shopping at music stores. Why? Aside from the show-offs, and wannabes playing guitars their mom’s wouldn’t shell out the money for, we have the clerks who are so dripping with self righteousness that they probably use some of it for hair gel to mat their mop down.
Often, as I consulted the current “dude on duty,” I thought to myself, “Forgive me for walking into your store oh great one, I must be a total loser because obviously you’re a music god. Now just sell me some strings and picks.”
Why would I venture into a music store? To consult someone who might actually know what they’re talking about.
For example, give me the guy at Music Den in Ledgewood, NJ (forget his name, this was back in the 90s) who could tell me why the Bill Lawrence acoustic guitar pickup was worth the $50 if I was using it for live gigs. He said something like, “no feedback problems like you might find with cheaper models, but not as expensive as some more higher end models, which may just be overkill for your needs… You don’t want to mic it unless you’re recording. The Lawrence is great for live acoustic.” Verses the kid who might only say, “Well, you get what you pay for, hehe.” Thanks.
Give me the younger, long-haired, pierced eyebrow guy at the Music Den in Kinnelon. He’ll give you the down and dirty, and not try to sell you on anything. He’ll present the facts, give you the rundown on price, and let you decide. [Note to his boss: He's an asset. You don't want an annoying salesman, you want someone who makes people return to buy more stuff!] He sold me a pedal for my kick drum, and rooted through boxes to find the one that was in my budget. He is a straight up good music-store-guy.
Give me Bill Blois at Pompton Music. Nice guy, not overbearing, knows his stuff but doesn’t act like it. It’s on my way home from work and I’ve stopped in a few times.
Who do I avoid? Guitar Center. To be honest I’d rather buy music equipment and accessories from Amazon.com , or Musicians Friend, which is married to Guitar Center anyway. I’ve met two decent guys at the Guitar Center in Wayne, NJ. One plugged me into an effects rack to try out some pedals and handed me a sweet Les Paul. The other sold me a set of decent headphones, in my budget, for mixing and monitoring.
Face it, for recording components, interfaces, rack effects, mic cables, mics, etc., it’s easy enough just to visit some music forums, read reviews, make a decision and find the best deal online. Local music stores are good for strings, straps, guitars, and stuff too heavy to ship, like amps, that you’d want to try out anyway.
During a recent trip to Michigan I purchased yet another acoustic guitar to add to my collection. This time I tried out some models at Elderly Instruments in Lansing, settled on a nice Alvarez, and ended up talking with the counter guys for about 45 minutes about Greco Les Paul replicas and other stuff. Nice, straightforward guys. I’ll definitely stop in there again if I’m in the area.
But no thanks to the guy at Guitar Center who told me “yeah, it’s a standard pot for wah-wah pedals…” and handed me a potentiometer specifically designed to be mounted in a guitar for volume control, NOT for a Dunlop Crybaby. Go open a wah pedal and see for yourself pal. Or the guy who said, “none of these things come with user manuals anymore!” Yeah, right sherlock.
If I need to buy a new amp I’ll stop in at Pompton Music and see what he has, or maybe stop into the Music Den and play around. But I prefer to avoid the places where everybody’s brother is trying to show off to everyone else, and the help are walking around like mod zombies with self righteous gel, too cool to talk straight with the customer.
I remember driving home from work one night many years ago, when I worked at an auto warehouse in Wharton, NJ. A meteor zipped across the sky. The glow was as big as a dime held at arms length, bright white with a blue-ish halo and a firey tail. It was an awesome sight to behold.
This morning I open up my iGoogle home page and see this…
Brought back that memory. I, for one, intend to look skyward as often as I can. You never know what you may see.
There’s a lot of paranoia spreading around this year regarding vaccinations for the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. My previous posts have many links to helpful information and I urge you to read through those sources. But I have found a podcast produced by the CDC which should help to explain what the 2009 H1N1 virus is and what to expect with vaccines. It should help to put your mind at ease and is a convenient way to learn what you need to know in order to avoid the fearmongering that has been spreading around the web, especially associating this years vaccine with the 1976 vaccine issue.
Click the link below and press play on the player (you may have to scroll down a bit after the page loads), which appears on that page…
CDC - Podcasts.
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