Monday, November 27, 2006
Crusading for nothing
Once and just once I was intrigued and almost tempted to stop and talk to a religious nut.
He had the standard act, sitting behind a wallpaper pasting tables covered in pamphlets on a busy shopping streets from where he pushed his brand of religious fanaticism. The difference was that this fellow was pushing atheism.
Now this is a pretty hard sell, I mean you can't offer a great deal can you! Your common or garden religions offer some pretty nice options, for a start there's eternal salvation for just an hour or so a week chanting some drivel that was written by con men a thousand or two years ago (ok so I’m showing my personal views a little here) but what can atheism offer.
“You're all alone and with no one to help you except yourself!”
Put like this I can see why the other options may look pretty good (except catholicism’s purgatory and islam’s suicide bombings maybe, but at least they're entry tickets to nirvana).
But think about it another way, no god, allah, brahma, adonai, messiah or anyone… you are in control of your own destiny, you're own master (ok, George W may be able to f**k with that but essentially...) that has to be good doesn’t it?
I don't intend to hit the streets and start preaching myself but if I wore a hat I'd take it off to that lone nutter!(on Elizabeth street in Brisbane as it happens).
He had the standard act, sitting behind a wallpaper pasting tables covered in pamphlets on a busy shopping streets from where he pushed his brand of religious fanaticism. The difference was that this fellow was pushing atheism.
Now this is a pretty hard sell, I mean you can't offer a great deal can you! Your common or garden religions offer some pretty nice options, for a start there's eternal salvation for just an hour or so a week chanting some drivel that was written by con men a thousand or two years ago (ok so I’m showing my personal views a little here) but what can atheism offer.
“You're all alone and with no one to help you except yourself!”
Put like this I can see why the other options may look pretty good (except catholicism’s purgatory and islam’s suicide bombings maybe, but at least they're entry tickets to nirvana).
But think about it another way, no god, allah, brahma, adonai, messiah or anyone… you are in control of your own destiny, you're own master (ok, George W may be able to f**k with that but essentially...) that has to be good doesn’t it?
I don't intend to hit the streets and start preaching myself but if I wore a hat I'd take it off to that lone nutter!(on Elizabeth street in Brisbane as it happens).
Thursday, November 23, 2006
A lengthening list
It must almost be next year as a diary for 2007 was dumped on my desk yesterday.
Being a bit of a luddite I don't have any of this blackberry/ palm pilot nonsense so I rather like having a little leather bound book to tell me what I'm meant to be doing and next years edition of the AIA diary is a bit of a beast and includes a reduced atlas of the world.
I have to admit here that I'm having a slow week so flicked through the pages ticking off the places I've been then the places I really must get to. When I left the UK I had a vague notion of doing a bit of Africa, Oz and Asia but it would appear the must go list has grown faster than the have beens.
Is it realistic to try and add over 10% of the countries on Earth to my have beens before I'm 35? There wont be a lot of time for working but I can live with that, if anyone knows next weeks lottery numbers ...
Being a bit of a luddite I don't have any of this blackberry/ palm pilot nonsense so I rather like having a little leather bound book to tell me what I'm meant to be doing and next years edition of the AIA diary is a bit of a beast and includes a reduced atlas of the world.
I have to admit here that I'm having a slow week so flicked through the pages ticking off the places I've been then the places I really must get to. When I left the UK I had a vague notion of doing a bit of Africa, Oz and Asia but it would appear the must go list has grown faster than the have beens.
Is it realistic to try and add over 10% of the countries on Earth to my have beens before I'm 35? There wont be a lot of time for working but I can live with that, if anyone knows next weeks lottery numbers ...
Friday, November 17, 2006
thought for the day
Some people are like slinkies
not really good for anything
but they still bring a smile to your face
when you push them down a flight or stairs
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Rant therapy
At last I've found it, something I can rant about, it's bl**dy stupid superstitions.
For example, it's unlucky to put an umbrella up inside... I mean really, I've done it on many an occasion and nothing bad has ever happened to me, ever (save for the whole heat stroke and pissing blood recently but that doesn't count).
An equally stupid are walking over three potholes in a line and crossing the path of a black cat, really... In fact the only superstitions I'll accept and then only under exceptional circumstances are:
Stepping on a crack - only if raining, you may get a muddy spray up your leg!
Walking under ladders - only if painters are up them so could drop paint on you
Break mirror - irritating but only bad luck for the mirror
and finally the idea that not making eye contact when you say "cheers" will bring you seven years bad sex. Frankly I can't see how this could happen but for the sake of manners and not wanting to risk it (though at least bad sex implies you're getting some!)
Not much of a rant and its over now but doesn't it feel good!
For example, it's unlucky to put an umbrella up inside... I mean really, I've done it on many an occasion and nothing bad has ever happened to me, ever (save for the whole heat stroke and pissing blood recently but that doesn't count).
An equally stupid are walking over three potholes in a line and crossing the path of a black cat, really... In fact the only superstitions I'll accept and then only under exceptional circumstances are:
Stepping on a crack - only if raining, you may get a muddy spray up your leg!
Walking under ladders - only if painters are up them so could drop paint on you
Break mirror - irritating but only bad luck for the mirror
and finally the idea that not making eye contact when you say "cheers" will bring you seven years bad sex. Frankly I can't see how this could happen but for the sake of manners and not wanting to risk it (though at least bad sex implies you're getting some!)
Not much of a rant and its over now but doesn't it feel good!
