tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193541182024-03-14T14:56:40.372+11:00BEEP! BEEP! IT'S ME."Begin at the beginning,and go on till you come to the end: then stop." (Lewis Carroll, 1832-1896)beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.comBlogger351125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-87948336458409698092010-01-30T08:10:00.015+11:002010-02-02T18:04:49.777+11:00"Thick as a Brick" or Lego Navels?<div align="center"><a href="http://www.thebricktestament.com/"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5432275432205946994" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/S2NRuWK3kHI/AAAAAAAAAXg/Ns_V41-A9pE/s320/adam+eve.jpg" /></a> <span style="font-family:times new roman;"></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#663366;"><strong>The Mystery of the Belly Buttons </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong></strong></span><br /><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>It has been a long time. I haven't posted here for ages and it certainly doesn't help when one forgets the password in order to access the blog and moderate it. If there is anyone out there who tunes in occasionally to see what I have to warble on about, I am here and contemplating what article to write next as well as intermittently contemplating my navel.</strong></span> </div><div align="left"><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Hmmm - Maybe Adam and Eve didn't have navels? A-hah, perhaps that is the next post! As forethought on this, I shall post an attractive artistic representation concerning said subject. </strong></span><br /></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>Not a navel in sight. Though they do appear a little "artificial."</strong></span> </div><br /><br /><div align="left"><a href="http://www.thebricktestament.com/"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#663366;">The Brick Testament</span></strong> </a></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#663366;"><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thick_as_a_Brick">Thick as a Brick</a></strong></span></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#330033;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=toHlMD50eYY">"Thick as a Brick" Youtube - Jethro Tull</a></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;color:#663366;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;color:#663366;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;color:#663366;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;font-size:130%;color:#663366;"></span></strong></div></div>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com35tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-64916167418700149992007-09-09T21:18:00.000+10:002007-09-09T21:43:45.345+10:00I Just Want To Wish You Well<p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYlyghmTSIU"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JYlyghmTSIU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Bernard Fanning - "Wish You Well"</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Hello heathens, miscreants, agnostics, atheists, skeptics, free-thinkers and assorted other human beings who do not wish to be so titled. Those of you who have watched my youtube presentation of my last holiday <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VCEKfpFOGs"><em>Hats, Holidays and Halitosis</em> </a>will have listened to a track from the Australian band <a href="http://www.powderfinger.com/"><em>Powderfinger</em></a> which hails from Brisbane, Queensland. <em></em><a href="http://www.bernardfanning.com/"><em>Bernard Fanning</em></a>, who is singing the song, "Wish You Well" is the lead singer of this band and the song is from his solo album called "Tea And Sympathy." The lyrics for the song can be viewed <a href="http://www.moron.nl/lyrics.php?id=72727&artist=Bernard%20Fanning"><em>here.</em></a> The latest album by Powderfinger is called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/powderfinger"><em>"Dream Days at the Hotel Existence."</em> </a>Bernard Fanning is a very talented singer/songwriter and homegrown so all the better. Anyway, I just want to wish you all well, even lapsed catholics. ;)</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Other Songs by Bernard Fanning and Powderfinger</strong></span></p><ul><li><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Bernard Fanning - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS8z1QO9ayQ"><em>Songbird</em></a></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Powderfinger - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0O-2ax6KUE"><em>On My Mind</em></a></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Powderfinger - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEjUdaPcrNA"><em>My Kind Of Scene</em></a></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Powderfinger - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1ZkbDbJRk4"><em>My Happiness</em> </a></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Powderfinger - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mwgdN687SU0"><em>Passenger </em></a></strong></span></div></li><li><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Powderfinger - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ni_QkdyHLUk"><em>Lost and Running (from the latest album)</em></a></strong></span></div></li></ul><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/music" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=music" />music</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/video" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=video" />video</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/life" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=life" />life</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/wish" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=wish" />wish</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/personal" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=personal" />personal</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/brisbane" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=brisbane" />brisbane</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/australia" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=australia" />australia</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/atheist" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=atheist" />atheist</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bands" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=bands" />bands</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/musicians" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=musicians" />musicians</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/lyrics" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=lyrics" />lyrics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/resolution" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=resolution" />resolution</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-73547268643007966492007-08-08T11:27:00.000+10:002007-08-08T12:14:25.407+10:00Hats, Holidays and Halitosis<span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>It was that time of the year again when I wandered off on holiday; usually somewhere up or down the coast. This year it was to Rainbow Beach which used to be a quiet, secluded part of the Queensland coastline but has recently seen much more development. I will miss the innocence of these places in Australia. There used to be literally hundreds of undeveloped areas of coastline and now with the ability to make lots of moolah, Queensland's coastline will mimic the tourist destinations of the rest of the world. That is, they will be filled with overweight, pasty people frying themselves in the hot Australian sunshine. Most of us like the tourist dollars but still manage to suffer from Nimby Syndrome. (Not In My Back Yard)<br /><br />Even though it is winter here, hat wearing, or at least cap wearing is recommended. The mornings might be crisp and cool, but the sun is unrelenting and will fry many an unsuspecting tourist to a crisp before they can say, "Oh, how Cuuutteeeeee." In the typical Australian way of seeing the positive in a potentially dire situation, the response to "What do you think of global warming?" is likely to be " Well, now the sausages will cook themselves." Potentially this leaves Australian men more time at the BBQ to do what they do best - holding a stubbie of beer in two hands instead of one. ;)<br /><br />So where does the halitosis fit in? Well, after 4 glasses of champagne, 2 glasses of red wine and a steak the size of a cricket pitch, YOU wake up the next day and smell your own breath. (Too much information probably.)<br /><br />Anyway, watch the video and have a glimpse of the Queensland coast.<br /></strong></span><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4VCEKfpFOGs"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4VCEKfpFOGs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Winter Holiday</strong></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span></p><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/holiday" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=holiday" />holiday</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/travel" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=travel" />travel</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/photography" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=photography" />photography</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/photos" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=photos" />photos</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pictures" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pictures" />pictures</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/life" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=life" />life</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/personal" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=personal" />personal</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/australia" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=australia" />australia</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/queensland" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=queensland" />queensland</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/beach" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=beach" />beach</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vacation" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=vacation" />vacation</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/coast" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=coast" />coast</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tourism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=tourism" />tourism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tourists" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=tourists" />tourists</strong></span></a>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-39123097506491752812007-07-29T17:12:00.000+10:002007-07-29T17:36:28.509+10:00Abortion, And Other Sundry Religious Amusements<p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/g13cwcCR2os"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/g13cwcCR2os" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>How to Get Laid at an Anti-Abortion Rally</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Firstly, I would like to apologise for not posting on my blog for a while. I have been lazy and should be severely chastened. So, if there are any regular readers left out there please accept my apology for not being here to discuss the controversial subjects which you know I do like to do.<br /><br />Anyway, back to the game at hand. This response of mine on a blog triggered a few responses.<br /><br />"It amazes me sometimes that theists will fight tooth and nail to protect a bundle of cells, but dropping thousands of bombs on sentient adults doesn’t seem to pose much of a problem."<br /><br />Is an acorn the same as an oak tree? Should we ascribe the same rights, value and meaning to a bundle of cells as we do to a fully formed sentient human being? I think that the majority of people who are opposed to abortion are opposed to it because of a religious belief that a clump of cells contains a soul. People do disagree with abortions for many reasons, but the primary reason I think is because of a religious belief associated with the idea that a clump of cells has a soul. Under those circumstances of belief, I would suggest that those people who believe that should not have abortions. However, if their primary reason for opposing all abortions is a religious one, then they are by default, requiring that everyone share that religious belief if they demand abortions to be illegal on that basis. I agree that there are times when it is right to take life. And so do most people on the planet. War certainly wouldn’t be as popular as it is, if human beings didn’t find ways to justify it. Capital punishment wouldn’t be as popular if people didn’t believe for various reasons, (many of them religious ones) that they were doing the right thing. </strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><br />There may be reasons why I would oppose the termination of pregnancy but a religious one wouldn’t be persuasive for me. And I suspect that the reason that the majority of people oppose the termination of pregnancy IS a religious one. So, any ideas other than religious appeals to the supernatural, would be considered - but not perhaps accepted. If, you believe that there is NEVER an instance where it is appropriate or right to kill another human being including that of self-defence, capital punishment or during times of war, then I can accept the consistency of your position even though I may not agree with it myself. I don’t believe that people have souls. So, if you oppose all killing on that basis, then I wouldn’t agree with this reason - perhaps I would find some other reason acceptable though.<br /><br />If the major reason you have for all abortions being illegal is your belief that a soul inhabits each or most human beings, then you are in effect demanding that I also have faith in said supernatural concept. It is within your rights to believe that demons inhabit trees, rocks, and people if you so desire. I have no legal desire to remove this delusion from you. If, however your major reason for opposing abortion is because of your faith that human beings have an incorporeal mind which survives death you may not demand that I also consider this to be a valid or true reason to ban abortion. Otherwise, you are in effect demanding that religious beliefs which I do not share, should be able to decide for me.<br /><br />If a belief in the supernatural is a persuasive argument for you, then you really should be doing your outmost to make sure that not only men, but women also lead responsible sexual lives. But the argument that tikki tikki tembo inhabits a bunch of cells is not persuasive to me. As abortion in the majority of circumstances is legal, it is not up to me to provide reasons why it should be illegal. That job is for those who disagree with it. Until then, no supernatural appeals to souls will be considered a persuasive argument by myself.<br /><br />And what does the Bible have to say about abortion?<br /><br />Very little, except:<br /><br />22 “If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely [or, as the endnote says, she has a miscarriage] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.<br />23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,<br />24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,<br />25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise. (Exodus 21:22-23)<br /><br />And God doesn’t seem to have any trouble with abortions, as Numbers 5 says.<br /><br />Perhaps in its crudest terms of expression, the topics of abortion, euthanasia, suicide, infanticide and rape are basically asking the question - “who owns what?” (A crude way to express it perhaps, but I think it may devolve to this concept.) A person who believes in a god would probably say that god owns us and our individual lives. A person who believes in god and the state reflecting the wishes of said god, might believe that god owns our individual lives and that the state acts on god’s behalf. A person who doesn’t believe in a god or gods might say that the state, as highest authority, owns our individual lives. For me, I don’t believe that a god owns my individual life, nor do I believe that the state can act on a supposed god’s behalf. I also don’t believe that the state can own my life. As a result, I would neither support laws (either from a god or the state), which made abortion compulsory or illegal.<br /><br />What authority outside of yourself, do you believe has the ultimate say over your life, if any? If you do not own your own life it would seem to me that you are in servitude to either a god or the state. Neither of those ideas appeals to me much.</strong></span></p><p align="left"></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/abortion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=abortion" />abortion</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/reproductive+rights" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=reproductive+rights" />reproductive rights</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pro-life" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pro-life" />pro-life</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pro-choice" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pro-choice" />pro-choice</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bible" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=bible" />bible</em></strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-29174775908358637632007-07-03T10:52:00.000+10:002007-08-07T07:54:44.828+10:00Who put the “BOMP” in the bomp bah bomp bah bomp? Who put the “MEEP” in the beep beep its me?<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RomeoMb6_dI/AAAAAAAAAQs/1IG9qI26AnQ/s1600-h/meepmeep2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082768067834609106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RomeoMb6_dI/AAAAAAAAAQs/1IG9qI26AnQ/s320/meepmeep2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>With thanks to </strong></span><a href="http://baconeatingatheistjew.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#6600cc;"><strong>BEAJ at Bacon Eating Atheist Jew </strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>for this little titbit of information.<br /><br />Apparently, I am much older than I thought. Shocking I know. And I mean MUCH older.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#6600cc;">"Skeletal remains from a 220-million-year-old dinosaur reveal a prehistoric road runner of sorts, whose svelte figure and long legs allowed it to evade predators lickety-split."</span></em> (I must say that I hold my age remarkably well under the circumstances. 220million years old, who would have thunk it? It appears to be so much like me that I am gob smacked.)<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#6600cc;">"The creature stood about 12 inches tall at the hips and weighed just 4.4 pounds. Its head-to-tail length was about 3 feet, with about half of that taken by the tail. The new species is aptly named Eocursor parvus, meaning 'early little runner.'"</span></em> (Obviously I won't be requiring that people refer to me by my latin name of Eocursor parvus. Perhaps only on formal occasions or at fancy dress balls. It is also evidence of how the vocalization of this particular dinosaur has changed over time from the classic "meep meep" to the more modern, "beep beep."<br /><br />Anyway, I am ecstatic that my predecessor has been found and so rigorously identified, after all, as a dinosaur, I would hate to have a type of primate as my common ancestor. We dinosaurs have our pride, you know. </strong></span></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong></div><div><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#000000;">LINK: - </span><a href="http://www.livescience.com/animals/070622_dino_junior.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Meep-Meep! 'Road Runner' Dino Discovered</span></a></span></strong></div><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bSp3zqqpvMo"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bSp3zqqpvMo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><br /><br /><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>"Who Put The Bomp"</strong></span></p><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/dinosaur" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=dinosaur" />dinosaur</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/dinosaurs" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=dinosaurs" />dinosaurs</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/science" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=science" />science</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/evolution" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=evolution" />evolution</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fossils" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=fossils" />fossils</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/paleontology" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=paleontology" />paleontology</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/palaeontology" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=palaeontology" />palaeontology</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/prehistoric" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=prehistoric" />prehistoric</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/who+put+the+bomp" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=who+put+the+bomp" />who put the bomp</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/meep" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=meep" />meep</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/meep+meep" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=meep+meep" />meep meep</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/beep" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=beep" />beep</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/beep+beep" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=beep+beep" />beep beep</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/road+runner" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=road+runner" />road runner</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/roadrunner" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=roadrunner" />roadrunner</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/satire" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=satire" />satire</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-6965184414752515232007-06-29T13:58:00.000+10:002007-07-01T13:36:36.273+10:00“First we make our habits, then our habits make us.”<div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RoSDrsb6_cI/AAAAAAAAAQk/UXvAQMLUG_E/s1600-h/pavlov_cartoon.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5081331066266648002" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RoSDrsb6_cI/AAAAAAAAAQk/UXvAQMLUG_E/s320/pavlov_cartoon.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>I have been tagged by <a href="http://deeplyblasphemous.blogspot.com/2007/06/tagged-by-meme.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Chris at Deeply Blasphemous</span> </a>, <a href="http://goldbricker.blogspot.com/2007/06/tagged.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Kriscinda at Goldbricker</span></a> , <span style="color:#6600cc;"><a href="http://thegallopingbeaver.blogspot.com/2007/06/last-meme.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Dave at The Galloping Beaver</span></a> </span>, <span style="color:#6600cc;"><a href="http://atheisthaven.blogspot.com/2007/06/atheist-haven-has-been-tagged.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Beast at Atheist Haven</span></a>, and <a href="http://fishwars.blogspot.com/2007/06/ive-been-tagged-and-i-liked-it.html"><span style="color:#6600cc;">Nona from Fish Wars on Cars</span></a>. </span>I am very late at doing this meme and consequently, I am sure that all the blogs I read have been tagged already. Perhaps I can just link back to some of them without requiring them to repeat the meme over.<br /><br />Here are the rules.<br /><br /><em>We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.<br />Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.<br />People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.<br />At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.<br />Don't forget to leave them a comment telling them they're tagged, and to read your blog.<br /></em><br /><br />This was much harder than I expected. What do I tell people about me? What could possibly be interesting to the rest of the blogging community about myself? I have no idea but here goes.<br /><br /><br />Eight Random Facts Or Habits:<br /><br />1. I could read reasonably well before I went to school. I couldn't write though. In retrospect, I think I was probably a natural left-hander like my mother, but I was being encouraged to prefer my right-hand. I think I can remember my Aunty, who was a teacher, placing a pencil in front of me and asking me to pick it up. According to my memory, which may be accurate or inaccurate at this stage, I continually tried to pick it up with my left hand much to the disappointment of those viewing the experiment. ;) Nonetheless, reading has always been a pleasurable activity for me and is probably one of the distinct reasons why I find the internet such an attractive place.<br /><br />2. I always think that I am right. In other words, I start with the premise that I am right and work from there. I am quite conducive to being shown otherwise, but I do not assume that others know better than I do unless they are a recognized expert in a particular field and even then I find that I am quite willing to challenge them on their assumptions. (This exercise of completing eight random facts or habits may turn into a litany of my flaws.) I have always been opinionated and I don't consider this by necessity, to be a negative characteristic. After all, I have to lead MY life; I can't lead anyone else’s. I was encouraged to classically "think for myself” and once in the habit of this, it is virtually impossible to defer to others through an appeal to authority, an appeal to age, an appeal to gender, or any other fallacious appeal that at least some of us, find compelling. I was encouraged to be a self-determining adult.<br /><br />3. My favourite sandwich is white bread with vegemite and rare onion. You may all gag now at the thought, and gas masks are highly recommended during and after consumption of said sandwich.<br /><br />4. Over the years I have methodically stripped away the vestiges of superstition and meaningless ritual from my life and feel much the better for it. Though I am aware that many people enjoy the imposition of external power structures, mores and belief systems upon their lives, I am not one who thrives on rigid structure or routine. It saps my energy and my enthusiasm. Nothing depresses me more than the thought that I must complete a certain set of behaviours within a given time frame and in a specific pattern. For better or for worse, I am unquestionably individualistic.<br /><br />5. One ritual I have no intention of parting with at the moment, probably because I find it pleasurable, is the use of scented candles. Good quality scented candles burning in the house with few other light sources, is very relaxing and contemplative.<br /><br />6. I have a fascination with what makes people tick. That is, what drives them - how they think, and why they believe what they believe. Obviously, this also extends to myself. It is of endless fascination to me that none of us have the exact same visual, visceral, intellectual or emotional reactions to the same object or experience. Obviously, we are not meant to behave as if we are clones of each other, yet so much of societal influence is an encouragement towards conformity. I do not make a "good drone." I actively rebel against the business model which treats people as identicals, or machine parts. I think the politically correct term is "human resources."<br /><br />7. I have been "addicted" to computer gaming; more specifically, play station and nintendo games. Many of the strategy games are challenging and thought provoking. I also enjoyed first person action and role-playing games. And if I disappear from here for any length of time, it is probably because I have found a play station game which is taking my attention. I rarely use game cheats unless I am stuck on the same level for a couple of days, then I might weaken and look up some info concerning it on the net. I like to complete the game and don't see a lot of sense in buying a game and not mastering it to its conclusion.<br /><br />8. I like a glass of red wine with my dinner, preferably a grenache, but I am not really that fussy. One is just right. Two is enough to send me off to the land of nod. Three and I am dancing on tables singing "Hey Big Spender" at the top of my lungs. Not really, but if you were kind enough to read this far, I thought you deserved a disturbing image of me to complete the picture.<br /><br />Now to tag some other blogs. Ok, I give up. If you would like to be part of this meme, please tag yourself.</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><br /><br /><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_y2wB0-UqdM"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_y2wB0-UqdM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/meme" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=meme" />meme</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/habit" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=habit" />habit</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fact" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=fact" />fact</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tag" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=tag" />tag</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/me" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=me" />me</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/about+me" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=about+me" />about me</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/personal" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=personal" />personal</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/individualism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=individualism" />individualism</strong></span></a> </div>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-440097915662866782007-06-18T11:50:00.000+10:002007-06-18T14:43:36.268+10:00"What Sort of Marriage, What Costumes, What Physiology and Phrenology..?"<div align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RnXlg9d2JsI/AAAAAAAAAQc/1CuQ9utiFB8/s1600-h/gaymarriage.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5077216509348423362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RnXlg9d2JsI/AAAAAAAAAQc/1CuQ9utiFB8/s320/gaymarriage.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>The topic of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Same-sex_marriage"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">gay marriage</span> </a>is hot on the press again and being discussed on a few blogs around the ridges. After listening to quite a few arguments concerning the subject of marriage, it seems to me that there is a great deal of discussion about the definition of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">marriage</span></a> itself. What it is, what it is not and why. Talk to a variety of people and each seems to have a view of what a marriage is and what it is not. Many people seem to have a view of marriage which derives from their religious beliefs, but to assume that marriage is only that which confirms our complies with our religious beliefs, is to only acknowledge part of the larger picture.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>To assume that marriage throughout history is derived from a specific religious belief, flies in the face of <a href="http://marriage.about.com/od/historyofmarriage/Learning_About_the_History_of_Marriage.htm"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">history</span></a>. My understanding of human relationships and history suggests strongly that marriage is not specifically aligned with the advent of either judaism, christianity, hinduism, buddhism or islam. That various religions have formulated their version of what a marriage is and goes on to claim that ALL marriages must fit their religious precepts, is an indication of religions trying to redefine what marriage is and the history of it.<br /><br />In other words, marriage predates judaism and as such it predates christianity. If one wants to pretend that the only kind of marriage is one formalized through a specific religious construct, then all I can say is that the revising of history has been successful in this case.<br /><br /><em>"Although the institution of marriage pre-dates reliable recorded history, many cultures have legends or religious beliefs concerning the origins of marriage."</em> - Westermarck, Edward Alexander (1903). The History of Human Marriage. Macmillan and Co., Ltd., London. ISBN 1402185480 (reprint).<br /><br />Marriage as a concept, existed prior to judaism and consequently christianity and islam. One only needs to look at <a href="http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/bride.htm"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">Ancient Egypt</span> </a>to see this. And certainly <a href="http://www.cyonic-nemeton.com/AncientSex.html"><span style="color:#cc33cc;">pagan marriages</span></a>, (those who were not one of the big 3), existed prior to these religions and during the expansion of these religions.)<br /><br />In other words, neither jews nor christian, nor muslims created marriage. They created a concept of marriage which fitted their religious precepts and then went on to claim that marriage under all circumstances must comply with their religious precepts. If you want a "christian marriage" - go right ahead. If you want a "jewish marriage" - go right ahead. If you want a "hindu marriage" - go right ahead - but don't try and pretend that you invented the concept of marriage and that all marriages must fit your religious precepts.<br /><br />Marriage existed prior to the jewish version, the christian version or the islamic version. Religions do not OWN the concept of marriage. They have just formalized a natural process of pair bonding into their respective religions and tried to convince us that no other type of marriage except the ones they espouse, are allowed to exist.<br /><br />The marriage contract, as we in the west know it, involves consent which is why it is restricted to those who are able to give consent on their own cognisance. This rules out marrying your goldfish if you believe that it looks at you in that "special way", as it is not capable of responding in kind to your declaration of love and marriage. The issue of consent or consensual sex is also what makes paedophilia wrong whether you have a religious belief that it is wrong or not. Paedophilia is illegal because a contract for sex cannot be made without consent. Children are unable to give consent on their own cognisance, so paedophilia is sex without the legal consent of one of the parties. Sex without consent is rape. Easy to see why it is illegal and a crime. The same goes for bestiality or people in love with their goldfish. The issue of a contract requiring mutual consent is what keeps paedophilia and bestiality illegal.<br /><br />Surely one would agree that the important issue in a contract of any kind is that of mutual consent. The ability to give consent on one's own cognisance is the underlying feature. Unless, of course, you support the marrying of children as child brides at the age of 9 or 10 - regardless of their ability or willingness to consent? Now, where did I read about instances like that? Oh yes - in so-called holy books.<span style="font-size:+0;"><br /><br /></strong></span></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>So, Christianity gets to say what a christian marriage is. Judaism gets to say what a jewish marriage is and islam gets to say what an islamic marriage is. However, they don't get to dictate to those OUTSIDE of their specific religion what a marriage is. If, however, the only reason you can give for not marrying your goldfish or your cat, or perhaps your favourite teddy bear, is a scriptural one, or one associated with your religious beliefs; where in passage and verse does it say that you are not allowed to marry your underpants?</strong></span></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><div align="left"><br />I think that if a referendum was held in Australia today concerning gay marriage that it would pass. However, the conservative government and conservative "christian prime minister" that we have now decided to rewrite the definition of a "marriage" so that the door to marriage for gay people is shut. I believe that this is a case of him inflicting his personal religious beliefs on the rest of the population. He has the right to his own religious beliefs, he does not have the right to impose them on others.</div><div align="left"><br />As I have mentioned previously, you also have the right to believe according to your religious position, that homosexuality is wrong, but it is an insufficient and irrelevant reason for those who do not share your religious beliefs and by demanding through law that it be banned, you are in effect demanding that I object to gay marriage because of religious beliefs I do not hold. It is tantamount to saying - "My religious beliefs will decide for you even if you don't share them."</div><div align="left"><br />This isn't good enough.<span style="font-size:+0;"><br /><br /></span></strong></span><em><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;">"I think men who have a pierced ear are better prepared for marriage. They've experienced pain and bought jewellery."</em> - Rita Rudner</strong></span><br /></div><p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMsnqQHOwFg"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/IMsnqQHOwFg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>The Kinks - "Lola"</strong></span><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/marriage" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=marriage" />marriage</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/relationships" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=relationships" />relationships</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gay+marriage" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=gay+marriage" />gay marriage</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/same+sex+marriage" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=same+sex+marriage" />same sex marriage</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/civil+union" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=civil+union" />civil union</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/homosexual" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=homosexual" />homosexual</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion+and+politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion+and+politics" />religion and politics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-55036786799533378862007-06-14T16:50:00.000+10:002007-06-14T17:27:23.337+10:00The Highway To Hell: Or The Loving Eternal BBQ<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RnDtENd2JrI/AAAAAAAAAQU/iFIynSMxywM/s1600-h/whatdoyoumean.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5075817436636653234" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RnDtENd2JrI/AAAAAAAAAQU/iFIynSMxywM/s320/whatdoyoumean.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>So what is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Highway_to_Hell_(song)"><span style="color:#ff0000;">"The Highway To Hell?"</span> </a>I would consider that it is the antithesis of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_brick_road"><span style="color:#ff0000;">"The Yellow Brick Road."</span></a> Now some of us, freethinkers, sceptics, atheists, agnostics and the like, consider the idea of a place like hell to be part of interesting mythology, but mythology nonetheless. I guess the "Highway To Hell" is that road that so called unbelievers, nonbelievers or disbelievers are on. If that is so, I am on that highway and beetling along at breakneck speed. No doubt <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy#Blasphemy_laws"><span style="color:#ff0000;">blasphemers</span></a> top the list when it comes to a place on Hell's Highway and as a practiced blasphemer, I may actually be coming first. Obviously, threats of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Hell, Hades</span> </a>and the devil are of no consequence to those who consider them to be all but primitive campfire stories. But I suppose they do keep the kiddies in line.<br /><br />One of the problems of the concept of hell is one which is closely related to the problem of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil"><span style="color:#ff0000;">evil.</span></a> As in, how can an omnipotent, omniscient and omni benevolent god consign some people to hell forever where they will be eternally punished? Is it love to create a heaven and a hell, then tell people they better do as you say and love you and get your name right or you're going to burn them for eternity? Does that pass for love?<br /><br />And now for a little background about hell. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gehenna"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Gehenna</span></a>, (or gehenom or gehinom) has sometimes been described as a final punishment for the wicked and sometimes as a spiritual forge in which souls are purified after death. The name derived from a burning garbage dump near Jerusalem (the valley of Hinnom), sometimes identified as an entrance to the underworld. Gehenna also appears in the New Testament and in early Christian writing to represent the place where evil will be destroyed. It lends its name to Islam's hell, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jahannam"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Jahannam</span></a>.<br /><br />The word is supposedly derived from the Greek meaning the Valley of Hinnom's son. The valley forms the southern border of ancient Jerusalem and stretches from the foot of Mt. Zion, eastward, to the Kidron Valley. It is first mentioned in Joshua 15:8. as a deep, narrow ravine at the foot of the walls of Jerusalem where refuse was burned. It is here that the bodies of executed criminals or others deemed unworthy of a proper burial were dumped. The association with hell derives from the tradition that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caananite"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Canaanites</span></a> sacrificed children to their god <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moloch"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Moloch</span></a> in this place.<br /><br />Eventually this valley became Israel's "garbage dump". In it would be thrown refuse as well as dead animals and the dead bodies of criminals. This "dump" was perpetually on fire to rid the land of these unclean things. Jesus, who spoke more about hell than love, used this word 11 times to describe the suffering of those who do not trust in Him before death.<br /><br />The Christian philosopher <a href="http://www.dpjs.co.uk/hell.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Origen</span></a> also argued that the literal terrors of hell were false, but they ought to be publicized in order to scare simpler believers.</strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><br />That having been said, watch the video, enjoy the music and find out why I am on "The Highway To Hell."</strong></span><br /></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/o9Lmnom6t-Q"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/o9Lmnom6t-Q" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hell" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=hell" />hell</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hades" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=hades" />hades</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/The+HighwayTo+Hell" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=The+HighwayTo+Hell" />The HighwayTo Hell</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/evil" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=evil" />evil</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Gehenna" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Gehenna" />Gehenna</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Origen" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Origen" />Origen</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/satire" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=satire" />satire</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Moloch" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Moloch" />Moloch</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-12947454126131490642007-06-11T22:17:00.000+10:002007-06-11T22:41:53.611+10:00I Come From A Land Down Under Where Women Glow And Men Plunder<p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kT06sBs16Z4"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kT06sBs16Z4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#006600;"><strong>" I Come From A Land Down Under"</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Ever wondered why Australia is called the "Land Down Under?" Ok you haven't, but maybe some people don't know. It is a colloquialism which refers to all things Australian because of Australia's position in the southern hemisphere. When one looks at a map in the most common way, Antarctica appears at the 'bottom' of the page, and north appears to be "up" and south appears to be "down." Now if cartography developed in Australia, we would have all you northern hemispheric centrists as "downunders."<br /><br />According to the description listed beside the video: -<br /><br /><em>"This is some traditional Australian Dancing. This is what the convicts used 2 do in their spare time and to the same music. Ahh-Just watch it." </em>(My suggestion is to watch out for Australians cause they are the biggest bullshit artists you are ever going to meet.)<br /><br />Nevertheless, this is a video made by a couple of aussie guys doing what aussie guys go best and that is making dickheads out of themselves. :)<br /><br />When you watch the video, you will see an Australian flag. On the flag you will notice the Union Jack which symbolizes that Australia was claimed as a British Colony. The Southern Cross is the constellation called surprisingly, The Southern Cross. It is comprised of 4 major stars in a kite pattern and is easily recognizable from the Southern Hemisphere. The other major symbol on the flag is The Commonwealth Star or Star of Federation which has seven points to denote the six states and the combined territories of the Commonwealth.<br /><br />One of the guys is dancing around a Hills Hoist which is an Australian version of the rotary clothesline. Its distinguishing feature is a crown and pinion-winding mechanism invented by Adelaide based Lance Hill in 1945. As most places in Australia have good clothes drying weather, the Hills Hoist has been a common feature in many Australian backyards. In part of the clip a guy is also riding a unicycle and carrying a cricket bat. Cricket, if you hadn't guessed, is a National obsession for many Australians.<br /><br />The song used is by Men at Work and is called "I Come From a Land Downunder"<br /><br /><em>Travelling in a fried-out kombi<br />On a hippie trail, head full of zombie<br />I met a strange lady, she made me nervous<br />She took me in and gave me breakfast<br />And she said,<br /><br />"Do you come from a land down under?<br />Where women glow and men plunder?<br />Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?<br />You better run, you better take cover."<br /><br />Buying bread from a man in Brussels<br />He was six foot four and full of muscles<br />I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"<br />He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich<br />And he said,<br /><br />"I come from a land down under<br />Where beer does flow and men chunder<br />Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?<br />You better run, you better take cover."<br /><br />Lying in a den in Bombay<br />With a slack jaw, and not much to say<br />I said to the man, "Are you trying to tempt me<br />Because I come from the land of plenty?"<br />And he said,<br /><br />"Oh! Do you come from a land down under? (oh yeah yeah)<br />Where women glow and men plunder?<br />Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?<br />You better run, you better take cover."<br /></em><br />This song was used as a theme song by the crew of Australia ll when they won the America's Cup in 1983. I remember the yachting race well as it was the first time that another country broke the US's stranglehold on the race. Most of Australia sat up glued to their TV sets in the wee small hours to catch a glimpse of John Bertrand's crew doing the seemingly impossible. It goes without saying that a lot of Australians also had a small celebrationary drink as a result. The next day, the Prime Minister of Australia at the time, Bob Hawke went on National television and uttered his immortal line that any boss, who sacked a worker taking a sickie because he was up late celebrating the win, was 'a bum'. So, many of us didn't go to work. I know I didn't. :) I can't imagine the present Prime Minister, John Howard being quite as "Australian."</strong></span></p><p align="left"></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/australia" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=australia" />australia</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/men+at+work" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=men+at+work" />men at work</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/down+under" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=down+under" />down under</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/southern+hemisphere" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=southern+hemisphere" />southern hemisphere</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/aussie" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=aussie" />aussie</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/america%27s+cup" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=america%27s+cup" />america's cup</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bob+hawke" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=bob+hawke" />bob hawke</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/john+howard" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=john+howard" />john howard</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humor" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humor" />humor</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humour" />humour</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-24679426035089151062007-06-08T10:02:00.000+10:002007-06-08T11:07:44.216+10:00What Is Fascism?<p align="center"><object height="300" width="375"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9yLKJKX59U"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/b9yLKJKX59U" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="375" height="300"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>What Is Fascism?</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fascism"><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Fascism"</span></a> is one of those terms that many people use when they want a word to describe a political ideology that they don't like. To call someone a "fascist" has become an attack on someone's character and morality. Consequently I have heard people on the left, middle and right of politics call each other "fascists" on regular occasions. But what does it actually mean and how would someone be able to identify a fascist? Is fascism the sort of political ideology to be aspired to, or is it always something to be confronted and despised?<br /><br />People seem to be able to understand easily that a communist is someone who believes that the state should control aspects of society including the economy. They seem to understand that a capitalist is someone who believes that means of production are mostly privately owned and operated for profit and that the various ideologies of socialism are somewhere in between. (For more complete descriptions of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communism"><span style="color:#ff0000;">communism</span></a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitalism"><span style="color:#ff0000;">capitalism</span></a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socialism"><span style="color:#ff0000;">socialism</span></a> click on the links.) But what do people mean when they call someone a fascist? The word seems to be used more often than not as a way to say - "I don't like you and what you stand for."<br /><br />One thing that many people will agree about fascism is that it is anti-democratic. That it opposes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberalism"><span style="color:#ff0000;">liberalism</span></a>. A couple of quotes express this view.<br /><br /><em>" The liberty of a </em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>democracy</em></span></a><em> is not safe if the people tolerate the growth of private power to the point where it becomes stronger than the democratic state itself. That in its essence is fascism - ownership of government by an individual, by a group or any controlling private power. "</em> - President Franklin Delano Roosevelt<br /><br />Mussolini defined fascism as being a right-wing collectivistic ideology in opposition to socialism, liberalism, democracy and individualism. He wrote in The Political and Social Doctrine of Fascism: -<br /><br /><em>"Anti-individualistic, the fascist conception of life stresses the importance of the State and accepts the individual only insofar as his interests coincide with those of the State, which stands for the conscience and the universal will of man as a historic entity.... The fascist conception of the State is all embracing; outside of it no human or spiritual values can exist, much less have value.... Fascism is therefore opposed to that form of democracy which equates a nation to the majority, lowering it to the level of the largest number.... We are free to believe that this is the century of authority, a century tending to the 'right', a Fascist century. If the nineteenth century was the century of the individual (liberalism implies individualism) we are free to believe that this is the 'collective' century, and therefore the century of the State."<br /></em><br />I prefer the simple version stated by Robert A. Heinlein: -<br /><br /><em>"Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire."</em> - Robert A. Heinlein</strong></span></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fascism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=fascism" />fascism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fascist" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=fascist" />fascist</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/liberalism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=liberalism" />liberalism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/democracy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=democracy" />democracy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/individualism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=individualism" />individualism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/collectivism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=collectivism" />collectivism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/communism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=communism" />communism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/socialism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=socialism" />socialism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/capitalism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=capitalism" />capitalism</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-77671979222359974032007-06-04T16:52:00.000+10:002007-11-22T20:25:14.539+11:00"I Can Make You A Man" - or "What Is A Wimp?"<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RmO29Qn9u3I/AAAAAAAAAQM/cBvMR3E0jE4/s1600-h/atlas1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5072098768900176754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RmO29Qn9u3I/AAAAAAAAAQM/cBvMR3E0jE4/s320/atlas1.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> Click on image to enlarge - "I Can Make You A Man" - Charles Atlas</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">~*~</span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>From: <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2007/06/delusions_of_machismo.php"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Dispatches from the Culture Wars -</span> </a><br /><br /><em>The Worldnutdaily has a column up with the following headline:<br /><br />Leave it to the ladies<br />Exclusive: Pat Boone honours women leaders who've stepped up due to male 'wimpiness'<br /><br />(Pat Boone. Talking about male wimpiness. Pat Frickin Boone, who could only seem macho if he stood next to Andy Williams. Someone really needs to come up with some sort of irony transplant surgery.)<br /></em><br />And what does someone mean by "male whimpiness?" I suggest that the term isn't meant to apply to when guys get sick and want to be mothered incessantly. Is "male whimpiness" the desire not to kill furry little animals with a sub-machine gun? I dunno. What IS "male whimpiness?"<br /><br />In the 1940s, the word "weakling" or "wimp" was used before the word "nerd" was used widely.<br /><a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wimp"><span style="color:#ff0000;">wimp</span></a> : –noun 1. a weak, ineffectual, timid person. 2. a person lacking in courage or confidence<br /><br />What is it with gender stereotyping? Some cultures seem to gravitate between the idea that a male isn't a "real man" unless his balls are dragging in the dust, (and his knuckles probably as well), and a female isn't a "real woman" unless she can pull out of her vagina a freshly baked tray of chocolate chip cookies the instant guests arrive. Regardless of how one expresses it, the concept of gender and gender roles is a polarizing factor in many cultures. Why did this polarization occur? A hint to this question might be found in one of the other comments posted on the article.<br /><br /><em>"It comes from the idea, popular in fundamentalist circles, that in God's ideal world only men are to be in positions of leadership. The only excuse for a woman to lead is when the man has wimped out of his responsibility and the woman is forced to reluctantly take over. The perfect biblical illustration is the story of Deborah and Jael which I posted about a few weeks ago. There's a link to a whacked out fundamentalist website that goes into detail about this very <a href="http://primordial-blog.blogspot.com/2007/05/deborah-and-jael.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;">issue</span></a>."<br /></em><br />I think that this comment may have hit the nail on the head. Religions seem to push the gender stereotype more than any other dynamic. Judaism, Christianity and Islam, from my understanding, are probably the biggest players when it comes to gender stereotyping. What do you think?<br /><br />Of course <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8yWvx56GV8"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Frankenfurter from "The Rocky Horror Show" was also a fan of Charles Atlas.</span></a> I am not sure it was what Charles Atlas had in mind.</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><br /></div></strong></span><div align="center"></div><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gender" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=gender" />gender</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gender+roles" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=gender+roles" />gender roles</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gender+stereotyping" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=gender+stereotyping" />gender stereotyping</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/wimp" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=wimp" />wimp</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bible" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=bible" />bible</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/the+rocky+horror+show" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=the+rocky+horror+show" />the rocky horror show</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/frankenfurter" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=frankenfurter" />frankenfurter</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/I+can+make+you+a+man" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=I+can+make+you+a+man" />I can make you a man</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/charles+atlas" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=charles+atlas" />charles atlas</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humour" />humour</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humor" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humor" />humor</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/satire" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=satire" />satire</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-21342796341320654242007-06-02T00:29:00.000+10:002007-06-08T15:48:44.708+10:00GOD'S VENDETTA AGAINST KITTENS<div align="center"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RmAxZAn9u2I/AAAAAAAAAQE/5eBeLN2ywfE/s1600-h/God-kills-kitten.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5071107486153292642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RmAxZAn9u2I/AAAAAAAAAQE/5eBeLN2ywfE/s320/God-kills-kitten.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Nzs32k0Tm4"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Nzs32k0Tm4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>God's Vendetta Against Kittens - "Everytime You Masturbate God Kills a Kitten"</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>For centuries, all forms of sexual pleasure unlikely to result in population increase have routinely been denounced as wrong. This goes a long way to explaining why some religious folks have had a hard-on for those who waste seed. Perhaps I should express that differently.. Some people of religious conviction believe that it is wrong to indulge in sexual activity which does not result in procreation. This concept probably stemmed from ancient times when male seed was associated with abundance in the same way that the seed of various crops was also associated with abundance.<br /><br />Regardless of various "modern religious views", masturbation has been quite a popular past time throughout history and prior to the Abrahamic Religions was part of many cultural religious practices.<br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><em>"A clay figurine of the 4th millennium BCE, from a temple site called Hagar Qim on the island of Malta, depicts a woman masturbating. However, in the ancient world depictions of male masturbation are far more common. A figure of a masturbating male from a Neolithic cemetery in Greece is roughly contemporary with the Malta image and likewise suggests fertility rites. From the Sumerians, who invented the first written Western language, we find references to the Mesopotamian god Enki masturbating, his ejaculation filling the Tigris River with flowing water."</em> </span></strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><em><span style="color:#000000;">"<span style="color:#000000;">Male masturbation</span> became an even more important image in ancient Egyptian cosmology. When performed by a god it could be considered a creative or magical act, but a mortal human masturbator might not receive such approval. According to one major creation myth the god Atum appeared on the Primordial Mound out of the void of Nu. As the first "thing" in the midst of nothingness, Atum relieved his loneliness by masturbating. His ejaculation resulted in the appearance of the first god and goddess, Shu and Tefnut, who became the parents of all other elements of the world. An alternate version indicates that the god Ptah, architect of the universe, maintains cosmic order through continual masturbation. The yearly flooding of the Nile, on which Egypt depended entirely, was also said to flow from the secretions of the Nile god Hapy. Min, the god of male potency, was always shown standing with an immense erection, often held in his own hand. The vegetative god Osiris, King of the Dead and Lord of Eternity, resurrected himself through an act of sacred masturbation, an association with seed-force and cyclic regeneration. Osiris conceived his son Horus, Lord of the Living and the Falcon of Light, in this way."<br /></span></em><br />If we skip to the "modern era" we have someone like Cereal magnate John Harvey Kellogg declaring "sex for anything but reproduction" to be "sexual excess." He also recommended circumcision as a way to discourage male masturbation. (Obviously female circumcision is much more successful at discouraging female masturbation. Suffice it to say, I am more than glad that he didn't recommend this as well.)<br /><br /><em>"The eminent neuropsychologist James W. Prescott has said: "Deprivation of physical affection in human relationships...constitutes the single greatest source of violence in human societies." We might want to take a cue from our close relatives the Bonobos and consider the social benefits of increased sexual satisfaction."</em></strong></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">LINK: - <span style="color:#ff0000;"></span><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a href="http://www.jackinworld.com/library/articles/history.html">MASTURBATION THROUGHOUT HISTORY</a></span></span></strong></p><p align="left"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/masturbation" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=masturbation" />masturbation</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fertility" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=fertility" />fertility</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/history" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=history" />history</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/masturbation+and+religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=masturbation+and+religion" />masturbation and religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sexual+taboos" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=sexual+taboos" />sexual taboos</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sex+and+procreation" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=sex+and+procreation" />sex and procreation</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Kellogg" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Kellogg" />Kellogg</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Bonobos" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Bonobos" />Bonobos</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kittens" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=kittens" />kittens</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/god" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=god" />god</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/satire" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=satire" />satire</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humour" />humour</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humor" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humor" />humor</strong></span></a></p></div>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-17351236254791190762007-05-30T23:19:00.000+10:002007-05-30T23:51:39.543+10:00"Clothes make the man, but nakedness makes the human being."<p align="center"><object height="325" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wdfdhfJq6LM"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wdfdhfJq6LM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="325"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">Spencer Tunick</span> - Melbourne</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>A while ago I wrote a piece about Spencer Tunick and his photography. It was called <a href="http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/03/now-lies-earth-all-danae-to-stars.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Now lies the earth all Danae to the stars." </span></a>What I failed to include was this video when he organized some of the people from Melbourne, Australia to be part of one of his nude photographic sessions. The day was enjoyed by all who participated it seems, except for a lonely protester who wanted to use the photographic session to voice his religious opinion. There's one in every crowd apparently, but to the cheering of the crowd he was removed from the scene. Even the police at the end of the shot seemed a little sad for the poor man and gave him a consoling pat on the back. What needs to be remembered is that this was a legal photo shoot with willing participants who were not paid for getting naked. But at least according to the lone protester, god was upset with this display of nakedness. What do you think? </strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><br />By the way, those of you who may be offended by naked Australian wobbly bits bouncing around in full view, should avert their eyes from the video. </strong></span></p><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/nakedness" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=nakedness" />nakedness</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/nudity" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=nudity" />nudity</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/tunick" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=tunick" />tunick</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/spencer+tunick" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=spencer+tunick" />spencer tunick</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/photography" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=photography" />photography</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/art" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=art" />art</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/photos" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=photos" />photos</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/protest" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=protest" />protest</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/protester" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=protester" />protester</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humour" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humour" />humour</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humor" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humor" />humor</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-40582554461451396802007-05-29T09:52:00.000+10:002007-05-29T10:35:05.952+10:00The Tu Quoque Fallacy: Or Atheism is a Religion Too.<div align="center"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5069767838609029970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/Rltu_Qn9u1I/AAAAAAAAAP8/swFDep9dSpg/s320/atheisteve.jpg" border="0" /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong><a href="http://www.atheist-community.org/atheisteve/index.php?id=22"> From : Atheist Eve. (Click link to enlarge.)</a></strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">~*~</span></strong></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>I am going to start a series of posts which just involve a few lines of either my own thoughts on a specific subject, or a few lines of someone else's thoughts on various subjects. Comments are welcomed.<br /><br />My understanding is that a religion would require an explicitly stated set of beliefs. There is no explicitly stated set of beliefs for someone who calls themself an atheist. However, if someone calls themselves a 1. Materialist 2. Naturalist 3. Existentialist 4. Humanist 5. Secular humanist - it could be argued that these philosophies display an explicit set of beliefs.<br /><br />Would the evidence of explicitly stated beliefs mean that these philosophies were a religion? For that you would need to be able to demonstrate how a philosophy differs from a religion, or more pertinently, how it doesn't differ. Off the top of my head, I would suggest that a philosophy involves itself with arguments primarily based in reason and that a religion involves itself in arguments primarily based in faith.<br /><br />Faith, in this context means that regardless of the argumentation or the processes used, that the argument would not under any circumstance change the position of the person of faith. Faith, in this sense, is an unwavering belief, which is not ameliorated or mitigated in the light of new or contradictory evidence or information. Secular humanists, materialists, naturalists or philosophers do not have "faith" of this nature. They may endorse a variety of beliefs, but those beliefs are open to review and to change in light of evidence to the contrary.</strong></span></div><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Tu+Quoque+" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Tu+Quoque+" />Tu Quoque </strong></span></a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Tu+Quoque+Fallacy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Tu+Quoque+Fallacy" />Tu Quoque Fallacy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/logic" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=logic" />logic</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/philosophy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=philosophy" />philosophy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/equivocation" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=equivocation" />equivocation</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/beliefs" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=beliefs" />beliefs</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/faith" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=faith" />faith</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/atheist" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=atheist" />atheist</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/atheistism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=atheistism" />atheistism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/materialism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=materialism" />materialism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/naturalism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=naturalism" />naturalism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/existentialism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=existentialism" />existentialism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humanism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humanism" />humanism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/secular+humanism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=secular+humanism" />secular humanism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/evidence" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=evidence" />evidence</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-26167894780819137832007-05-25T23:23:00.000+10:002007-05-26T09:52:31.057+10:00'Praise the Lord' - Hill$ong Celebrates the National Day of Secularism<div align="center"><a href="http://thinkerspodium.wordpress.com/2007/05/22/national-day-of-secularism-may-the-26th/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5068494397985635138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RlbozQn9u0I/AAAAAAAAAP0/XHmhFdzTd-k/s320/Theocracy.png" border="0" /></a> <a href="http://thinkerspodium.wordpress.com/2007/05/22/national-day-of-secularism-may-the-26th/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>National Day of Secularism May the 26th<br /></strong></span></a><p align="center"><br /><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xEAWPcbTw8k"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xEAWPcbTw8k" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object></p><br /><p align="center"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>"Praise the Lord" - Hill$ong Parody -<span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span></strong></span></span><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#ff0000;">Brought to you by <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/tv/chaser/war/about/default.htm"><span style="color:#ff0000;">"The Chaser's War on Everything"</span></a></span></strong></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Introduction: - " </strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Ladies and Gentlemen in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit let me hear you say "A - men." Let me hear you say "Praise the lord." Let me hear you say "I will empty the contents of my wallet into that little collection plate when it comes around. And it's all Tax free! Hallelujah! "</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;">Lyrics: -<br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><em>"Praise the lord for all the cash I've got. Praise him for my Rolls Royce and my yacht.</em></span></strong></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Serving god ain't hard with a credit card. Jesus died so I could make a lot.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Praise the lord he's made us millionaires. Wave your donations in the air.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>We've replaced our hymns with ATMS. And soon we'll charge a fee on every prayer.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Jesus Christ was a poor man don't you know. He should have used our accountants for his cash flow.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Stop the sermon on the mount he should have had a bank account.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Two thousand years with interest he'd be rolling in the dough.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Praise the lord this song's out on CD just $40.95 plus GST.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Hallelujah plenty of moolah. Solid gold baubles on my christmas tree.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>I've got all of heaven's riches thanks to all you stupid b*tches.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Praise the lord for modern christianity. Whoever said religion should be free."</em></strong></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">~*~</span></p><p align="left"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillsong_Church"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Hillsong Church </em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>(formerly Hills Christian Life Centre) is a Pentecostal Christian church. Its primary location is in Australia where it is headquartered at its "Hills" campus near Castle Hill, to the north-west of Sydney in Baulkham Hills' Norwest Business Park.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>The Hillsong Church has attracted support from high profile politicians, especially from the conservative </em></strong></span><a title="Liberal Party of Australia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liberal_Party_of_Australia"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Liberal Party of Australia</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>. The Prime Minister, John Howard, opened its Baulkham Hills campus and the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, spoke at its annual conferences in July 2004 and 2005. Mark Latham, the former Leader of the Opposition, declined Hillsong's invitation to the 2004 conference, although Bob Carr, the then Premier of New South Wales, (from the </em></strong></span><a title="Australian Labor Party" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Labor_Party"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Australian Labor Party</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>), did attend the 2005 conference. The former New South Wales Liberal Party state director, Scott Morrison (to November 2004), is a prominent member of Hillsong Church.</em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>The Anglican Bishop of Western Sydney, </em></strong></span><a class="new" title="Ivan Lee (Anglican Bishop)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ivan_Lee_%28Anglican_Bishop%29&action=edit"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Ivan Lee</em></strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>, has expressed concern that the extreme emotion of Hillsong services could be manipulative and said that "... their worship is in danger of being experience-centred rather than Bible teaching-centred". </em></strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Of course it is manipulative. It wants people to have an emotional experience, which will encourage them to part with their cash.</strong></span></p><br /><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">In the Australian Constitution - Section 116 - (Commonwealth not to legislate in respect of religion), it states that: - </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#ff0000;"><em>"The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth."</em></span></strong></p><br /><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#000000;">Unfortunately, the constitution doesn't say -<em> <span style="color:#ff0000;">"And no politician will kiss the arse of corporate religion in order to gain a few more votes."</span></em></span></span></strong></p><strong><em><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#ff0000;"></span></em></strong><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/hillsong" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=hillsong" />hillsong</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/praise+the+lord" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=praise+the+lord" />praise the lord</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=politics" />politics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/parody" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=parody" />parody</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/secular" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=secular" />secular</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/secularism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=secularism" />secularism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/secular+state" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=secular+state" />secular state</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religious+right" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religious+right" />religious right</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blog+against+theocracy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=blog+against+theocracy" />blog against theocracy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/national+day+of+secularism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=national+day+of+secularism" />national day of secularism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/satire" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=satire" />satire</strong></span></a> </p></div>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-7441333829595502582007-05-23T21:39:00.000+10:002007-05-23T22:37:10.972+10:00This Is Australia Too<p align="center"><object height="250" width="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/40qUCoEth58"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/40qUCoEth58" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="350" height="250"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>"This Is Australia Too"</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>I mentioned before I went on holidays how I would take a few pictures and post them when I got back. Well, if you click the youtube presentation, you can view those photographs. I didn't take all that many pictures when I away, so you will see similarities in some of the shots. Usually, I would only select a few from each roll and use those, but in order to make the presentation of a reasonable length, I had to use all of them - even the less visually appealing ones. Anyway, to those who read my blog, I hope you enjoy them.</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>One of the reasons I decided to punctuate some of my writings with aspects of my own life, feelings and ideas, is so that people may get an understanding that skeptics, freethinkers, non-christians, non-muslims are real people who have real lives. They are just people who do not share your religious beliefs. </strong></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em><span style="color:#ff0000;">"Shoot straight you bastards. Don't make a mess of it."</span></em> - </strong></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breaker_Morant"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Harry (Breaker) Morant </strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>- executed Australian soldier and poet.</strong></span></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/australia" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=australia" />australia</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/holiday" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=holiday" />holiday</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/vacation" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=vacation" />vacation</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/travel" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=travel" />travel</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/photography" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=photography" />photography</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/photos" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=photos" />photos</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pictures" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pictures" />pictures</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/life" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=life" />life</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blog" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=blog" />blog</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/internet" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=internet" />internet</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blogging" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=blogging" />blogging</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Breaker+Morant" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Breaker+Morant" />Breaker Morant</span></strong></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-23790233648961121232007-05-23T10:04:00.000+10:002007-05-23T10:36:43.591+10:00Blog Against Theocracy: National Day of Secularism May 26th<div align="left"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RlOFOwn9uzI/AAAAAAAAAPs/o5aKynU8LVY/s1600-h/Theocracy.png"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067540494339128114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RlOFOwn9uzI/AAAAAAAAAPs/o5aKynU8LVY/s320/Theocracy.png" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> I have been tagged by Arthur @ </strong></span><a href="http://fivepublicopinions.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-against-theocracy-national-day-of.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Five Public Opinions </strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>for the National Day of Secularism on May 26th.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><a href="http://thinkerspodium.wordpress.com/2007/05/22/national-day-of-secularism-may-the-26th/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>National Day of Secularism May 26th</strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Tagging stage:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>If you are tagged by the meme, then it’s the same old format; mention this entry so people can see the rules and then tag five other bloggers (preferably Australian given the nature of the NDoT.) You can link back to these rules and display the banner.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Blog against theocracy stage:</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>If you have been tagged then in addition to tagging others, it is also hoped that you will write a blog entry about the separation of Church and State in Australia. It could be a critique of Pell’s “normative democracy”, the historic anti-democracy sermonizing of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, inevitable discrimination by the funding of (approved) chaplains in public schools, the state backed imposition of bans on forbidden women’s dress or whatever Church-State issue you find important.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Preferably, such a blog entry would be published on the 26th, but there is no deadline as such. Just a couple of caveats:</strong></span> </div><div align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>1) the church-state anti-theocracy blog entry should mention the phrase “National Day of Thanksgiving”, possibly mentioning that the entry is a response to the NDoT, and </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>2) feel free to add the (again admittedly modest) banner.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>I, in turn, tag the following: </strong></span><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>1. </strong></span><a href="http://dikkiisdiatribe.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Dikkii's Diatribe </strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>2. </strong></span><a href="http://plonkasblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Plonka's Blog </strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>3. </strong></span><a href="http://xnerg.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Skippy the Bush Kangaroo</strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>4. </strong></span><a href="http://dissectleft.blogspot.com/2007/03/atheist-conservatives-i-am-myself-both.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Dissecting Leftism </strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>5. </strong></span><a href="http://www.talkingsquid.net/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Talking Squid</strong></span></a><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/atheist" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=atheist" />atheist</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/culture+wars" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=culture+wars" />culture wars</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=politics" />politics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/current+affairs" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=current+affairs" />current affairs</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/theocracy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=theocracy" />theocracy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/secular" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=secular" />secular</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/secularism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=secularism" />secularism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/+national+day+of+thanksgiving" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=+national+day+of+thanksgiving" /> national day of thanksgiving</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blog+against+theocracy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=blog+against+theocracy" />blog against theocracy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/meme" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=meme" />meme</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;font-size:85%;color:#000000;"><strong><br /></strong></span></div>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-74944685450927182112007-05-19T21:44:00.000+10:002007-05-19T22:00:25.604+10:00There's A Sucker Born Every Minute<p align="center"><object height="250" width="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/thAlUMFfEVo"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/thAlUMFfEVo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="350" height="250"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;">"Money: That's What We Want."</span></strong></p><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><p align="left"><br /></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;">"There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to </span></strong><a title="P. T. Barnum" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._T._Barnum"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>P.T. Barnum</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>, an American showman. The entire quote is "There's a sucker born every minute...and two to take 'em." The source of the quote is most likely famous con-man </strong></span><a title="Joseph Bessimer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Bessimer"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Joseph ("Paper Collar" Joe) Bessimer</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>. </strong></span></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><em>"When Christianity went to Athens, it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome, it became an organization. When it went to Europe, it became a culture. When it came to America, it became a business."</em></span></strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><br /></p></span></strong></span><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/christianity" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=christianity" />christianity</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=politics" />politics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/business" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=business" />business</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/capitalism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=capitalism" />capitalism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/evangelical" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=evangelical" />evangelical</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/fundamentalism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=fundamentalism" />fundamentalism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/america" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=america" />america</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/P.T.+Barnum" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=P.T.+Barnum" />P.T. Barnum</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sucker" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=sucker" />sucker</strong></span></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-83217103021014914812007-05-08T10:52:00.000+10:002007-05-09T19:00:25.495+10:00"This Is Australia" or "Now For Something Completely Different."<p align="center"><object height="250" width="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/0PlaTF66lTw"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/0PlaTF66lTw" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="350" height="250"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>"This Is Australia"</strong></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>I was wandering through some of the photographs stored on my PC the other day and decided that I would make a video snap shot of some of the places in Australia that I have visited. It also made me think about how our environments effect and reflect our cultural beliefs. I have been fortunate to have had ancestors who decided that they would make Australia their home. I also acknowledge at this stage that their decision and the decision of many other settlers to move here has not been so fortunate for the indigenous people who lived here first.<br /><br />This video is just a snap shot of some of the places along the east coast of Australia, yet there is a focus upon one particular little farming community which was also my home town for many years. The music which accompanies the video was specifically written by an Australian group about that little cane farming community. The photographs were taken in a ten year period and also reflect the technology I used at the time, which was an old Canon SLR, so don't expect high quality digital resolution. In fact, I still mostly use the old SLR even though it weighs a ton and the quality of the image certainly isn't as crisp as a modern digital camera. Using the SLR is, however, much more fun.<br /><br />Anyway, sit back and have a peek at the east coast of Australia through the lens of one who lives here. </strong></span></p><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/australia" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=australia" />australia</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/this+is+australia" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=this+is+australia" />this is australia</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/and+now+for+something+completely+different" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=and+now+for+something+completely+different" />and now for something completely different</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/east+coast" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=east+coast" />east coast</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/patio" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=patio" />patio</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cane+fields" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=cane+fields" />cane fields</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cane+field" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=cane+field" />cane field</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humidity" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humidity" />humidity</strong></span></a><strong> </strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">PS: - I am heading off for a few days rest and recreation. Hopefully, I will take a few snaps of my holiday and if I get any which are fit for publication, I will make a short video and post it when I get back. </span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">(The ones of me where I discuss with Beelzebub how to genetically mutate cute little puppies into ravenous hounds from hell will not be published at this time.)</span></strong></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000000;">So, to the readers of this blog, I hope to see you soon. Have fun and may Darwin confer upon you and your descendants many beneficial mutations. Toodle oooo.</span></strong></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-7799127452352672702007-05-05T21:32:00.000+10:002007-05-06T08:58:40.154+10:00Are Theists More Superstitious Than Atheists?<p align="center"><object height="300" width="380"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7JvROoKGd0c"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7JvROoKGd0c" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="380" height="300"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>How Superstitious Are you?</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>What is a superstition? A superstition is the belief that events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship. A causal relationship is the logical relationship between one physical event and another physical event. So a superstition is where there is an event, but there is no logical relationship between an event and the cause, or subsequent event which is ascribed to it.<br /><br />Superstitions are based on cultural beliefs in a supernatural "reality" and they relate to things that are not fully understood or known. Therefore, the type and nature of the superstition may be dependent upon the culture and the origin of the culture. This culture difference is evident when one thinks of the number 13 or the number 4. In Asian cultures the number 4 is considered unlucky and in western cultures the number 13 is considered unlucky. The Chinese pronunciation for the words "die" and 4 are similar, which explains why 4 isn't a favourite number in many Asian countries. In western countries which have a christian tradition, the number 13 is considered unlucky because supposedly there were 13 at the last supper. So superstitions are culturally relevant, but many of them have their origins in a belief in the supernatural.<br /><br />What are the origins of some of these other superstitions?<br /><br />1. Breaking a mirror will bring 7 years bad luck.<br /><em>(Before the invention of mirrors, man gazed at his reflection, his "other self," in pools, ponds, and lakes. If the image was distorted, it was a mark of impending disaster.)<br /></em>2. The devil or evil spirits can enter your body when you sneeze unless someone says "God bless you."<br /><em>(Ancient man believed that his breath was also his soul or "essence of life." A rapid departure of that breath, a sneeze, is the same as expelling life from one's body. Also, it leaves a vacuum in the head which evil spirits can enter.)<br /></em>3. If you spill salt, you must throw a pinch over the left shoulder to ward off the devil.<br /><em>(Salt was once a rare and costly commodity. As such, it was economic waste to spill any. Also, salt is a purifier, a preservative, and it symbolizes the good and lasting qualities of life. It was mixed into the foods used in the religious ceremonies of both the Greeks and Romans. One source of this superstition is Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper. The betrayer Judas, has accidentally spilled salt onto the table.)<br /></em>4. Black cats crossing your path bring bad luck.<br /><em>(The Egyptians worshiped the cat and punished anyone who dared to kill one. In the Middle Ages, however, the black cat was linked to witches and Satan. Since it was believed that a witch had the power to transform herself into a cat, it was thought likely that a cat who crossed one's path was a witch in disguise.)<br /></em><br />Without going through the origin of lots of <a href="http://www.trivia-library.com/superstitions/index.htm"><span style="color:#ff0000;">superstitions</span></a>, it is evident that many of them originate from a belief in the existence of supernatural forces which can either be harmful or helpful. Ancient man always had supernatural explanations for natural events. Supernatural explanations when systemized became religions and that is probably why we still find today that highly religious cultures are also superstitious cultures. That includes the majority of people on the planet except for perhaps those who are atheists, agnostics or skeptics. I haven't met any overtly superstitious atheists, but I have known many superstitious theists. Superstition and religious beliefs appear to walk hand in hand.</strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Religious practices are most likely to be labelled "superstitious" by those who do not share the religious belief. Especially when they include belief in extraordinary events, an afterlife, supernatural interventions, apparitions or the efficacy of prayer, charms, incantations, the meaningfulness of omens, and prognostications. Greek and Roman pagans, (who were theists but not christians), scorned the man who constantly trembled with fear at the thought of the gods, as a slave feared a cruel and capricious master. <em>"Such fear of the gods (<a href="http://www.ancientworlds.net/aw/Post/292806"><span style="color:#ff0000;">deisidaimonia</span></a>) was what the Romans meant by superstition."</em> (Veyne 1987, p 211). </strong></span></p><p align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">PS: Don't forget to watch the video I made. </span></strong></p><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/superstition" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=superstition" />superstition</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/culture" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=culture" />culture</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/folklore" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=folklore" />folklore</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/superstitious" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=superstitious" />superstitious</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/supernatural" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=supernatural" />supernatural</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/supernaturalism" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=supernaturalism" />supernaturalism</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/theist" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=theist" />theist</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/atheist" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=atheist" />atheist</span></strong></a> </p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-12158843707125907552007-05-03T13:15:00.000+10:002007-05-05T08:01:13.928+10:00A Brief History of Disbelief<p align="center"><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uhsMKQF1ROE"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uhsMKQF1ROE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object></p><br /><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>JONATHAN MILLER'S BRIEF HISTORY OF DISBELIEF Part 1 </strong></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">From the youtube description of the series: - </span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>In this first ever television history of disbelief, Jonathan Miller goes on a journey exploring the origins of his own lack of belief and uncovering the hidden story of atheism. </em></strong></span></p><p align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Jonathan Miller visits the absent Twin Towers to consider the religious implications of 9/11 and meets Arthur Miller and the philosopher Colin McGinn. He searches for evidence of the first 'unbelievers' in Ancient Greece and examines some of the modern theories around why people have always tended to believe in mythology and magic. </em></strong></span></p><p align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>With the domination of Christianity from 500 AD, Jonathan Miller wonders how disbelief began to re-emerge in the 15th and 16th centuries. He discovers that division within the Church played a more powerful role than the scientific discoveries of the period. He also visits Paris, the home of the 18th century atheist, Baron D'Holbach, and shows how politically dangerous it was to undermine the religious faith of the masses. </em></strong></span></p><p align="left"><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>The history of disbelief continues with the ideas of self-taught philosopher Thomas Paine, the revolutionary studies of geology and the evolutionary theories of Darwin. Jonathan Miller looks at the Freudian view that religion is a 'thought disorder'. He also examines his motivation behind making the series touching on the issues of death and the religious fanaticism of the 21st century. </em></strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>The other parts of the series can be viewed here:</strong></span></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rkW0i1tm7I"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong> 2.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6h-bsoMxhA"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong> 3.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gGUZcSHkHg"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong> 4.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5DUZ5yxXZE"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong> 5.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHmCuaQ46qk"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong> 6.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUDfvT-i7WE"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong> 7.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCYzBKH8ZCI"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 8.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7tqvuysRmk"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 9.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qi2gqdPpyw"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 10.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnfuSPvSKDI"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 11.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXy-B-1q48Y"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 12.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7PtrrNRTKo"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 13.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0TgvZ52KqY"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 14.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jf6UL84ocZA"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 15.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moGQ_FGsroM"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 16.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no-GKZUt0Qo"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 17.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmcSperCBaw"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>A Brief History of Disbelief 18.</strong></span></a></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Each video is only about 10 minutes long. Watch them while they are available.</strong></span></p><p align="center"><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/disbelief" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=disbelief" />disbelief</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=politics" />politics</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/philosophy" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=philosophy" />philosophy</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/science" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=science" />science</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/theology" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=theology" />theology</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/christianity" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=christianity" />christianity</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/islam" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=islam" />islam</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/judaism" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=judaism" />judaism</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/jonathanmiller" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=jonathanmiller" />jonathanmiller</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/jonathan+miller" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=jonathan+miller" />jonathan miller</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/atheist" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=atheist" />atheist</strong></span></a> </p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>They can also be seen at this </strong></span><a href="http://www.huge-entity.com/2007/03/jonathan-millers-brief-history-of.html"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#3333ff;"><strong>link</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> should the other links become inactive. (Thanks for the tip Remy.)</strong></span></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-40448362242075282252007-05-01T09:57:00.000+10:002007-05-03T00:04:42.612+10:00How Many in the Bush Administration Went to Pat Robertson's Law School?<p align="center"><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7kZqFiXADxg"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7kZqFiXADxg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>Bill Maher blasts Regent Law School</strong></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="color:#ff0000;">Video Transcript: -</span> </span></strong></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><em>Now that liberals have taken back the word "liberal", they also have to take back the word, "elite." By now you have heard the constant rightwing attacks on the elite media and the liberal elite, who may or may not be part of the Washington elite, a subset of the East Coast elite, which is overly influenced by the Hollywood elite. So basically unless you are a shit-kicker from Kansas you are with the terrorists. You know if you played a drinking game where you did a shot for everytime that Rush Limbaugh attacked someone for being elite, you'd almost be as wasted as Rush Limbaugh.<br /><br />I don't get it. In other fields outside of government, elite is a good thing, like an elite fighting force. Tiger Woods is an elite golfer. If I need brain surgery, I would like an elite doctor. But in politics, elite is bad. The elite aren't down to earth and accessible like you and me and President shit for brains. Which is fine except for whenever there is a Bush administration scandal, it always traces back to some incompetent, political hack appointment and you think to yourself - "Where are they getting these screw-ups from?" Well, now we know, from Pat Robertson. I'm not kidding.<br /><br />Take Monica Goodling who before she resigned last week because she is smack in the middle of the US attorney scandal, was a third ranking official in the Justice Department of the United States. She's 33 years old and though she never worked as a prosecutor, she was tasked at overseeing the job performance of all 93 US attorneys. How do you get to the top that fast? Harvard? Princeton? No, Goodling did her undergraduate work at Messiah College. You know Messiah, the home of the fighting Christies and then went on to attend Pat Robertson's Law School. Yes, Pat Robertson, the man who said that the presence of gay people at Disneyworld would cause earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor - has a Law School. And what kid wouldn't want to attend? It's three years and you only have to read one book. US News and World Reports which does the definitive ranking of colleges lists Regent's as a tier four school which is the lowest score it gives. It's not a hard school to get into. You have to renounce Satan and draw a pirate on a matchbook. This is for people who couldn't get into the University of Phoenix.<br /><br />Now, would you care to guess how many graduates of this televangelist diploma bill work in the Bush Administration? One hundred and fifty! And you wonder why things are so messed up? We are talking about a top justice department official who went to a college funded by a TV host. Would you send your daughter to Maury Povich U? And if you did, would you expect her to get a job at the Whitehouse? In 200 years we have gone from "We the people" to "up with people", from the "best and the brightest" to "dumb and dumber" and where better to find people who are dumb enough to believe in George Bush than Pat Robertson's Law School. The problem here in America, isn't that the country is being run by elites, it's that it is being run by a bunch of hayseeds. And by the way, the lawyer Monica Goodling just hired to keep her ass out of jail - went to a real law school.</em></strong></span></p><p align="left"></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bill+maher" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=bill+maher" />bill maher</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/george+bush" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=george+bush" />george bush</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/politics" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=politics" />politics</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/white+house" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=white+house" />white house</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/video" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=video" />video</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/humor" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=humor" />humor</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/satire" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=satire" />satire</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pat+robertson" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pat+robertson" />pat robertson</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/monica+goodling" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=monica+goodling" />monica goodling</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/Regent+University+" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=Regent+University+" />Regent University </span></strong></a><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/messiah+college" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=messiah+college" />messiah college</span></strong></a> </p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>H/T to Drunkentune at </strong></span><a href="http://philaletheia.thetruthtree.com/"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>philaletheia</strong></span></a>.</p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-many-in-bush-administration-went-to.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Digg my article" src="http://digg.com/img/badges/91x17-digg-button.gif" border="0" /></a></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-44519249980560505822007-04-29T14:55:00.000+10:002007-05-03T00:07:35.430+10:00'The Kalam Kalamity' - Or God Exists Because I Say So Part 2.<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RjQli8vhx-I/AAAAAAAAAPk/38f7w_T3GN4/s1600-h/GAWDINFINITYb.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5058709563795163106" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RjQli8vhx-I/AAAAAAAAAPk/38f7w_T3GN4/s320/GAWDINFINITYb.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>The concept of Infinity is no longer represented by this hypothetical manufacturer</strong></span></div><p><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span></p><p align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>From: -<a href="http://www.geocities.com/paulntobin/kalam.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;"> Kalam Cosmological Argument</span></a></strong></span></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>The basic argument of the Kalam is as follows:</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>1. Everything that begins to exists has a cause for its existence</strong></span><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><strong>2. The universe began to exist (i.e. it is not infinite)Therefore: The universe has a cause of its existence.</strong></span></span></em></p><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><p align="left"><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Craig's Mistaken Concept of Infinity</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>We will look at the second premise of the argument first. It is strange that Craig is trying to prove infinity is impossible by pointing out oddities which are already well known to mathematicians and logicians. Just because a feature is odd does not mean it involves a contradiction.First in his example of the infinite library of books. His argument is flawed because we can simply remove the books from the library, add the new books together with the ones in it and then reassign natural numbers to each book. No problem, no absurdity.</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>With respect to the problem of successive addition. You can get infinity if you construct a successive addition that has no beginning, i.e. it already reaches out into infinity. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The Universe Being Finite in Time:</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Craig's use of science is really a double edged sword. He claims that science supports the finiteness of the universe. Actually it does not do that at all. All it shows is that our current state of the universe had a beginning about fifteen billion years ago. It does not show that it was the absolute beginning. For instance Stephen Hawking has proposed a four dimensional universe. In this model the universe goes through a period of increasing entropy during an expansionary phase and a period of reducing entropy during the contractionary phase. Furthermore the jury is still out as to whether the universe will end in a contraction (a "big crunch") or whether it will continue to expand forever. If the former is the case, there is every possibility that ours is merely a cycle (of big bangs and big crunches) within an infinite series of cycles.</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><br /><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The Concept of Causation</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>With this we go to the first premise. Is causation an a priori necessity? In other words, can it be shown that it is logically contradictory to speak of ubncaused things, the way it is logically contradictory when we speak of husbands as unmarried spouses? The answer is no. We can conceive of something as being uncaused, it involved no contradiction. As proof, theist conceive of God as being uncaused. Is causation an inductive principle? In other words, is it something which science can show to be true? If it is something which can be resolved inductively, the answers seems to be causation is not a universal principle of science. We note first and foremost cosmologists seem very comfortable with the idea that the universe could have come into existence uncaused. In fact some scientists have suggested that the Big Bang began with a quantum fluctuation. The principle of quantum mechanics allow virtual pairs of quantum particles to appear and exist for a short time before annihilating. In December 1973, in an article for Nature, Edward Tryon of the City University of New York proposed the idea that the universe is "a fluctuation of the vacuum". He showed that such a fluctuation does not violate the conservation of energy. When Tryon's hypothesis is combined with the inflationary theory of the big bang a viable model of creation literally ex nihilo can be constructed. [4] Secondly causation is not a universally observed fact. In the realm of subatomic particles, quantum mechanics dominate. Yet quantum mechanics lead to many non-causational observations that are probabilistic in nature. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>As Timothy Ferris explains:<br />The radioactive isotope radium-224 has a half life of 3.64 days. So if we study an atom of radium-224 for 3.64 days we will have an even chance of witnessing its decay. But we cannot know just when it will decay-this particular atom might wait for years-nor can we, in principle or in practice, assign a causeto its decay. All we can know are probabilities. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Note that he mentioned it is not even possible in principle. In other words quantum mechanics, one of the most widely confirmed scientific theories known, says that it is simply not possible to do, not that our equipment or knowledge is incomplete. Thus causation seems to break down in the subatomic realm. Yet this is exactly the condition the universe was in at the beginning. The universe, was in the domain of quantum mechanics at the beginning, the domain where causality breaks down.</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong><br />Conclusions:</strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Thus in conclusion, the basic premises of the Kalam cosmological argument are either invalid or not proven: </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Craig's concept of infinity is mistaken. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The universe may or may not have a beginning in time. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>The verdict is still out, thus it cannot be used as a premise to prove his argument. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Causation is not an a priori principle. </strong></span></em></p><p align="left"><em><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>Causation is not a universally valid empirical principle, as quantum mechanics have shown. </strong></span></em></p><div align="left"><span style="color:#000000;"><strong>See Also:</strong></span></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/arnold_guminski/kalam2.shtml"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Question of the Metaphysical Possibility of an Infinite Temporal Series</span> </strong></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2007/04/normal_forms_and_infinite_surr.php"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Normal Forms and Infinite Surreals</strong></span></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://scienceblogs.com/goodmath/2007/04/degrees_and_exponents_of_infin.php"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Degrees and Exponents of Infinities in the Surreal Numbers</strong></span></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A593552"><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>Bigger and Bigger Infinities</strong></span></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.springerlink.com/content/g2978217h756002x/"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Principle Underlying Quantum Mechanics</span> </strong></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.ias.ac.in/pramana/v64/p171/fulltext.pdf"><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Pondicherry interpretation of quantum mechanics: An overview</span></strong></a></div><div align="left"><a href="http://www.godlessgeeks.com/WhyAtheism.htm"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#ff0000;"><strong>History and Development of Science and Scientific Naturalism</strong></span></a></div></span><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ojydNb3Lrrs"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ojydNb3Lrrs" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>"So Long and Thanks for all the Fish"</strong></span></p><p align="center"></p><p align="center"><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kalam" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=kalam" />kalam</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kalam+cosmological" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=kalam+cosmological" />kalam cosmological</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/kalam+cosmological+argument" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=kalam+cosmological+argument" />kalam cosmological argument</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/cosmological+argument" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=cosmological+argument" />cosmological argument</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/uncaused+cause" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=uncaused+cause" />uncaused cause</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/infinity" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=infinity" />infinity</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/causation" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=causation" />causation</span></strong></a> </p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/04/kalam-kalamity-or-god-exists-because-i.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Digg my article" src="http://digg.com/img/badges/91x17-digg-button.gif" border="0" /></a></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-91066230003685569992007-04-27T11:26:00.000+10:002007-05-03T00:09:23.092+10:00Pascal's Wager: The Empty Wager<div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></strong><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RjFSN8vhx9I/AAAAAAAAAPc/e22a9PTt2SY/s1600-h/PASCALSWAGERDICEs.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057914256111028178" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/RjFSN8vhx9I/AAAAAAAAAPc/e22a9PTt2SY/s320/PASCALSWAGERDICEs.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>The Empty Wager</strong></span></div><div align="center"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;color:#000000;">~*~</span></strong></div><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><div align="left"></div><div align="left">Pascal's wager is betting on the existence of god. It suggests that belief in god has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Blaise Pascal argued that it is a better "bet" to believe that God exists, because the expected value to be gained from believing that God exists is greater than the expected value resulting from non-belief.<br /><br />This argument has some major flaws. Some of them are:<br />1. It assumes that god (if it exists) rewards belief and punishes non-belief.<br />2. It assumes that the individual has chosen the right god.<br />3. It assumes that the individual is a member of the right religion or sect of that religion.<br />4. It requires that any person who is believing in a god to avoid punishment or gain reward would need to believe in all the religions which consider non-belief punishable.<br />5. It assumes that god/gods would not know that you are believing in order to avoid punishment or to gain reward.<br /><br />So, if you claim that we should believe in Christianity just because of the possibility of being punished for not believing in it, then what are you going to say about other religions which also make such a claim? Based on Pascal's wager, Islam, Christianity and Hinduism cannot all be correct as they do not worship the same god/gods in the same way. So, to escape punishment, for Pascal's Wager to work, you would need to believe in all 3. Or some unknown non-Christian gods might exist, and punish Christian believers for their failure to believe in them. Or some powerful entity might decide to punish those who believe in a god while rewarding non-believers. To avoid punishment from believing in the wrong god, one would need to believe in all of them. This is bound to upset at least one of them, if any of them exist in the first place.<br /><br />Also, if the belief is basely solely on the expectation of reward and the fear of punishment, instead of other things as well, such as the desire to do good, it is not belief with pure intent, which, if any of the gods exist, is bound to piss off at least one of them. I am not sure that "pretending to believe just in case" would score many "god brownie points." This is apart from a lifetime spent in worshipping which my turn out to be the wrong god, or a non-existent god. Thus a life spent on either a wilful delusion or a lie. So it is a fallacy that those who believe have nothing to lose and everything to gain.<br /><br /><em>"Men never do evil so completely or cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction."</em> Blaise Pascal </div><div align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="color:#000000;">~*~</span><br /></span></div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong></strong></span>(Pascal's Wager always reminds me of the part in "The Mummy" where Benny is confronted by the mummy as it is hunting for body parts from which to reconstitute its own body. Benny is trapped against the wall inside the burial chamber with the egyptian mummy advancing towards him. Benny begins to pull out a dozen or so religious amulets from around his neck, and tries to use them as religious talismans to warn off the advances of the mummy. What saves him from the mummy, according to the story, is not his belief in any of the religions, but the fact that he can speak ancient hebrew. The moral of the story seems to be that it isn't belief that is going to save you from a dangerous situation, but knowledge. Specifically in Benny's case, it is the knowledge of another language which makes him useful - even if it was only on a temporay basis. Nonetheless, that part in the movie always makes me laugh as Benny is in effect, pretending to believe in all the gods, in the hope that none of the others, should they exist, be offended.)</div><div align="left"></div><div align="left"><br /></div></strong></span><div align="center"></div><br /><br /><p align="center"><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EaHznKTFkSk"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EaHznKTFkSk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object></p><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Some of Benny's antics from "The Mummy."</strong></span></p><p align="left"><strong><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">LINK:<span style="color:#ff0000;"> </span><a href="http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/sam_harris/2007/04/the_cost_of_betting_on_faith.html"><span style="color:#ff0000;">The Empty Wager by Sam Harris</span></a></span></strong><br /><br /><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pascal%27s+wager" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pascal%27s+wager" />pascal's wager</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/pascal" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=pascal" />pascal</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/blaise+pascal" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=blaise+pascal" />blaise pascal</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/bet" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=bet" />bet</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/wager" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=wager" />wager</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/sam+harris" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=sam+harris" />sam harris</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/letter+to+a+christian+nation" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=letter+to+a+christian+nation" />letter to a christian nation</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/religion" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=religion" />religion</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/god" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=god" />god</span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"> </span></strong><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gods" rel="tag"><strong><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=gods" />gods</span></strong></a> </p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/04/pascals-wager-empty-wager.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Digg my article" src="http://digg.com/img/badges/91x17-digg-button.gif" border="0" /></a></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19354118.post-48423404547189719362007-04-25T12:14:00.000+10:002007-05-03T00:18:33.113+10:00"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"<div align="center"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/Ri7cpcvhx8I/AAAAAAAAAPU/vVfusrG0jbw/s1600-h/anzacove.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5057222036231931842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_VZMdofJetBI/Ri7cpcvhx8I/AAAAAAAAAPU/vVfusrG0jbw/s320/anzacove.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>Anzac Cove - Gallipoli</strong></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>It's Anzac Day in Australia. (25th April) The ANZACs were the combined forces of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. ANZAC Day in Australia is when Australians remember those who have fought in war. The ANZAC legend started during WW1 when Australia and New Zealand combined their forces under British Command to attack the Turks at Gallipoli. Unfortunately, there was a right royal stuff-up and the ANZACs landed at Suvla Bay and were faced with a small beach landing and thousands of well-armed Turks manning the cliff faces above the beach. The ANZACS were blown to hell - "almost blew us right back to Australia."<br /><br />From the words which accompany this video:<br /><br /><em>On 25 April 1915, the Anzacs (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) landed at a difficult and desolate spot on the Gallipoli peninsula and the Turks appeared to be ready for them, a defeat was inevitable, Gallipoli was the plan thought up by Winston Churchill to end the war early by creating a new war front that the Central Powers could not cope with. The Gallipoli campaign was a debacle, Military censorship prevented the true story being told but a young Australian journalist, Keith Murdoch (father of Australian newspaper tycoon Rupert Murdoch) smuggled the story about the scale of the Dardanelles disaster back to the Australian Prime Minister who sent it on to the British Prime Minister David Lloyd George, who was no friend of the British military establishment. It led directly to the dismissal of the British commander, Sir Ian Hamilton who never again was to hold a senior military position. The British Government ordered an evacuation. By day, the ANZACs kept up their attacks with more ANZACs observed to be landing - by night the force was withdrawn, broken only by sporadic rifle and gunfire. On 20 December 1915, the Anzac retreat was complete.<br /><br />A British Royal Commission into Gallipoli concluded that from the outset the risk of failure outweighed Its chances of success. The British had contributed 468,000 in the battle for Gallipoli with 33,512 killed. 7,636 missing and 78,000 wounded.The ANZACs lost 8,000 men in Gallipoli and a further 18,000 were wounded. Australia had a population of five million - 330,000 served in the war, 59,000 were killed. New Zealand with a population of one million lost 18,000 men out of 110,000 and had 55000 wounded.<br /></em><br />This video is for my grandfather who was one of those who landed at Gallipoli in 1915. The song "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" always makes me shed a tear or two around this time of year. So many brave, innocent, young men were led "like lambs to the slaughter." </strong></span><br /><br /><p align="center"><br /><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GlYynHmE8b0"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GlYynHmE8b0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object></p><br /><p align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>"And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"</strong></span><br /><br /><br /><object height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9YFUkxMNiQo"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9YFUkxMNiQo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="300" height="250"></embed></object><br /></p><br /><div align="left"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong>This video extract is from the movie "Gallipoli" which was made in 1981 by Peter Weir. It shows the common occurrence in the Gallipoli Campaign where the young ANZACS were ordered out of their trenches at the bottom of the hill to push forward over the dead bodies of those who had gone before, to try and gain distance up the cliffs. The turks, sitting at the top, picked them off like flies with machine gun fire. They knew they ran towards their certain death.</strong></span></div><br /><div align="center"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><br /></strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/anzac" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=anzac" />anzac</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/anzacs" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=anzacs" />anzacs</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/anzac+day" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=anzac+day" />anzac day</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/gallipoli" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=gallipoli" />gallipoli</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/suvla+bay" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=suvla+bay" />suvla bay</strong></span></a><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://technorati.com/tag/and+the+band+played+waltzing+matilda" rel="tag"><span style="font-family:times new roman;color:#000000;"><strong><img style="BORDER-RIGHT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; MARGIN-LEFT: 0.4em; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px" alt=" " src="http://static.technorati.com/static/img/pub/icon-utag-16x13.png?tag=and+the+band+played+waltzing+matilda" />and the band played waltzing matilda</strong></span></a></div><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/04/and-band-played-waltzing-matilda.html" target="_blank"></a></p><br /><p align="center"><a href="http://digg.com/submit?phase=2&url=http://beepbeepitsme.blogspot.com/2007/04/and-band-played-waltzing-matilda.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Digg my article" src="http://digg.com/img/badges/91x17-digg-button.gif" border="0" /></a></p>beepbeepitsmehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12931640447011071849noreply@blogger.com26