Have a happy Darwin Day!

No more posts from me about the BS war on christmas, I said pretty much all I wanted to say on that topic back in this post a few years ago. The only thing I have to add this year on the festive season is regarding the FFRF's display up in the Northwest. I used to live just a few blocks from the Capitol Dome in Olympia WA, and for the record I don't think there should be any religious or non-religious displays of any kind there. However, if you are going to host a nativity scene, christmas tree/holiday tree/whatever the F you want to call it tree, or a menorah on government property you've got to make space for a Flying Spaghetti Monster diorama.

That is the slippery slope you are on if you take the nonsensical liberal attitude that all will be great and peaceful in the world if we just put every single possible view side by side in the public square. It's right there in all those ancient books theists like to hold up with pride, they all say in one form or another - Join Us or Die. NO, islam is not a religion of peace, NO, christianity is not about goodwill towards your fellow man, NO, judaism is not about lending a hand. Sorry theists but these are the facts, read your own damn holy books if you dare to argue with them.

There are Atheists who celebrate christmas, saying things like it is basically secullar these days anyway, or why not lift it off from the christians, just like the christians lifted it from the Romans Saturnalia. Maybe I'm in the minority but I just find it completely bizaare that non-religious people celebrate christmas. I also find it dumb to try to duplicate all the supposed fun with a copycat holiday like "The Solstice" or the latest nonsense Humanlight. I would just as soon celebrate Kwaanza (a contrived celebration conceived by a rapist in the '60s which consists of a hodgepodge of traditions from warring African tribes)

So what is an Atheist to do? Well the one word answer is NOTHING. What is so great about December that you need to have some great holiday that month anyway? Why celebrate the beginning of Winter? I suppose if you love skiing, but aside from that, it is a dark/cold time of year. Why not have a big celebration a few months later to celebrate that you made it through the season?

So my proposal is this, lets make Darwin's Birthday the big day for us! It happens on February 12, after you have made it through the worst of Winter, with things looking brighter and brighter every day. Unlike christmas, Darwin Day does actually happen on the birthday of the person it is meant for. You can obviously avoid all the crowds at the mall and probably get better deals as well if you get all your gifts in February. If I were a retailer I would support this as well, instead of having slow business for 11 months of the year with one big spurt in December, if the 18% or so of US citizens who are non-religious decided to shift their shopping to February it would take a bit of the pressure off that one month and even things out a bit more.

In all seriousness, Darwin Day is a day I am going to start celebrating. If you want to join in and have ideas for how we are going to do it, drop me a line. I will keep you up to date with my plans as we get closer to DD 2009.

Only 56 shopping days 'til Darwin Day!

Blame where blame is due on Prop. 8

Stop wasting time blaming Blacks, Mexicans, Seniors, Ruralites, Suburbanites and whatever other group for passing Prop 8 which took rights away from California citizens.

There is only one group to blame - the religious. Direct your anger where it needs to be directed: towards the religious people who come in all colors and ages. The liberal attitude of accepting all people's beliefs has now backfired on you. The major religions are all blatantly anti-gay. They may not highlight certain passages as much in progressive congregations but no churches can escape the truth. Their books say Gays are the scourge of the earth, plain and simple. It is not even a matter for interpretation.

I have said for years that people have the right to believe whatever wacky thing they want, it doesn't mean I have to respect it. Those liberals out there who have felt a need to respect religious beliefs, can't complain now when they manifest themselves.

There is something you can do though, as it is illegal for a tax-exempt organization like the mormons to raise funds and endorse a political campaign you can call them out on it. They certainly broke the law in this case and you can send a letter to the IRS complaining. If they get enough of them, who knows? It's very easy and quick, just fill in your name on the form they have already completed for you at this site.

Personally I don't think any church deserves tax-exempt status, but until then, maybe we can enforce the current law and at least knock one of these suckling pigs off the government coffers.

At last, the skepticklish endorsement for president . . .

vote for a third party! Pick your favorite. Don't waste your vote on Obama or McCain, use your valuable vote to send a real message this time.

Myself, I will vote Libertarian this time around because their philosophy seems to be closest to my own. I happen to have a lot of issues with their candidate Bob Barr and almost didn't go that way, but being a realist I know the name on a third-party ticket doesn't matter, as my vote is support for some real change and support of their platform in general.

In 2004 I went for Kerry almost entirely because he was not Bush, but I just can't waste my vote like that again. Before that I voted for Nader in both 2000 and 1996, so I'm not new to the third party scene. I'm just older, wiser, and have had to deal personally with the government firsthand, which has only served in convincing me that the government that governs least - governs best.

Do the math where you live! I live in California, voting for Obama would be like filling an eyedropper with water from my tap at home, driving down to the beach and then squeezing it out over the Pacific Ocean. Voting for McCain would be the reverse of that. If that's the effect you want your vote to have then enjoy. Personally I'm not going to waste my vote this time around.

McCain '08 . . . Palin '09 !!

So I bet you think I'm going to vote Obama now that Palin is potentially a heartbeat away. Well I live in California so voting for BO is like piling coal on Newcastle. Our 55 delegates are his even if BO decides to hold a press conference naked in bed with a 12yo boy next month.

So I still honestly haven't decided who to give my vote to. I will probably end up writing in a name. However, for those of you who do live in swing states it is time for me to stop saying I don't give a damn who wins and admit of the two evils I am rooting for BO. Palin put me over the edge, but admittedly on the war issue BO always got favored status from me.

So just thought I would help spread this short video of our soon-to-be president in action at a Wasilla church a few months back. Enjoy, her leadership qualities are obvious even without her hair in a bun.

They are at a megachurch for christ's sake!

Time to chime in about the election again. I already pointed out last year I wouldn't vote for either Obama or McCain because of their god talk in the primary campaign. The response I often get is that Obama has to pander to the evangelicals in the campaign. When he takes office we will see that he is intelligent after all and really doesn't believe in any of that nonsense.

So the first big joint appearance by the two major candidates is in a megachurch hosted by a pastor who says he would never vote for an Atheist. So have the Atheists for Obama disbanded yet? Yes, evangelicals won the election for Bush last time around, but why give this comparatively small group all the power again?

People who want a completely secular government make up at least 20% of the electorate. That includes non-religious Jews, Atheists, and progressive religious folks who support maintaining a wall between church and state. It is not a small group and why would any of you vote for Obama or McCain based on their constant mixing of superstitious BS with politics?

Sorry, but believing in things that have no evidence to support them is dumb and I don't vote for dumb people. Unfortunately I don't really have an alternative for you at the moment, even Bob Barr, the Libertarian, has an abysmal record on issues important to secularists. At this point I'm thinking I will have to write in NONE OF THE ABOVE, if you have a better candidate let me know. For all of my fellow Atheists who still must vote for the big BO I will leave you with this quote that you can reflect on as you enter the voting booth.

I BELIEVE IN THAT jESUS cHRIST DIED FOR MY SINS AND THAT I AM REDEEMED THROUGH HIM. THAT IS A SOURCE OF STRENGTH AND SUSTENANCE ON A DAILY BASIS. I KNOW THAT I DON'T WALK ALONE, AND I KNOW THAT IF I CAN GET MYSELF OUT OF THE WAY, THAT I CAN MAYBE CARRY OUT IN SOME SMALL WAY WHAT HE INTENDS. AND IT MEANS THAT THOSE SINS THAT I HAVE ON A FAIRLY REGULAR BASIS HOPEFULLY WILL BE WASHED AWAY.
Barack Obama

Please give me back my Excite Email!!

Sorry this post has nothing to do with Skepticism today, just a rant.

I have had an excite email address for nearly a dozen years now. You know Excite don't you, the portal that never quite made it? Well needless to say I always thought they had the best free email and believe me I've tried quite a few. Excite email may not have had gobs of storage but they had a simple quick interface.

Well the brains behind Excite decided we all wanted an overly-complicated slow interface to access our email. An interface full of ads and things you don't need that forces you to read your email through a little slit. Well not me, and now I have the fun task of having to look for a new email site, and then letting all my contacts know it. Let me know if you have any ideas.

3. Daylight Savings Time

#2 Acupuncture

Sam The Skepticat #1

Crappy food is universal

I would like to propose a ban on website petitions, blogs and rants that do nothing but wine and complain about what a crisis it is that their favorite regional fast food from such and such part of the country is not available in the part of the country where they now live. Sorry folks but regional fast food is still FAST FOOD!

There is just no way you are going to convince me that you can't find something equivalent where you now live. People wax poetically about White Castle Burgers, In 'n Out Burgers, Dunkin Donuts Coffee, Sonic slurpees, and whatever other slop they were raised on. It's almost as bad as religion, if you didn't grow up into it, I guess you just don't get it.


All you have to do is try some of these supposed gourmet things for the first time as an adult and you can see that the emperor wears no clothes. I moved down to CA from WA a year ago now and I can't think of any food or drink I am dying to get that they don't have down here in one shape or another. I suppose that's because I'm an adult now and I can live just fine without Taco Time's Tater Tots, Herfy's Wacky Burger Box or the Pizza Haven Buffet.

Ron Paul shows he's just as stupid as the next politician

Consider any praise or endorsement I made for Ron Paul in the past to be retracted. When you say something completely idiotic like he does in the clip below you are guaranteed to lose my vote and that of anybody else with any scientific knowledge in their head.



So long Paul, it was nice knowing you. Next time think before you speak. If you aren't smart enough to accept evolution you certainly aren't smart enough to run this country.

If that didn't convince you watch his latest TV ad which ends with him saying he will protect "our god-given freedoms."



Screw you Ron for making me think you were an atypical politician all these months. You should have spewed your BS right from the start and saved us all some time. So I've no idea who to throw my valuable support to now, I've heard good things about Mike Gravel let me know if you have any other ideas. As usual I'm not holding my breath for a decent politician to come around.