Here is some profound nonsense I found online http://www.flickr.com/photos/gindymcallister/415565083/ (my take on this nonsense follows each sentence of the quote -all of the qsections are part of one comment on a marginally funny photograph)
“The believer tells himself that he is going somewhere special because he is not strong enough to face the truth that he is just decomposing into the same earth as millions of humans before him.”
I would be less bothered by the idea that I will cease to exist than face an unknown afterlife. More often superstitions and religious beliefs are more scarey than science. If you are going to make suppositions like this think that there are more alternatives that dreamt of in your own very limited philosophy.
“The atheist lives his life knowing that each day is the most important of his life, and that every word and action is critically important because this is the only chance he gets to live well and leave the world better than when he came into it.”
Faith makes us look at our innate nature the nature that says there is nothing else but my life that is important to me. What has an achiest to compel him not to be selfish? Why would you want to leave the world a better place after your gone? Simple you want to live on by your actions in life. Is this just not the atheist way of finding a heaven? That said you’re making assumptions about a broad group of people without any real anthropological basis.
“The believer lives each day pretending that he is forgiven all his selfish and perverted acts, and deceives himself that he will be going to Disneyland when he dies so nothing in this life is important.”
No most believers are paranoid that they won’t live up to the faith’s entrance requirements to heaven so work their asses off to be good so they can get in, that is the incentive. Most faiths have stipulations on such perverted acts as you say these keep you from heaven and better yet send you to hell. No one no faiths describe heaven as a Disneyland. At this point you cease to be rational and take on ridicule. Why do you think anyone will take this ramble seriously?
If you are going to paint a rosie picture of atheism fine but at least populate your world of atheists with humans not saints, and have the decency of not painting believers as frightened sinners. I know believers have been doing this to your type for years but returning the favour is just Childish.
I know many atheists that laugh at believers for believing in something that they “know” not to be true. From a subjective point of view I can accept that. However, making silly assumptions about the reason for faith, and broad statements about the motives of both believers and atheists just makes atheists look naive and somewhat stupid.
I believe for reasons of my own not reasons you fantasize about. If you want to shake me from my beliefs then talk to me rationally not spew ridiculous suppositions on human nature and ridicule.
Before Stephen Harper put a kibosh on Parliament there was a fleury of activity to get things passed. There was also a hectic series of motions and questions. All in all, Parliament was in full motion. For something dysfunctional it was functioning rather smoothly but not as a Conservative might like. So since he wasn’t getting his way even though the game was progressing Stephen shut down the game. Hmmmm good politics that. What we have is Peace Order and Not So Good Government. It is also not good sportsmanship.
This would be like the Stanley-Cup being shut down because Mike Babcock (Detroit Red Wings) didn’t think he could win (which like Harper he couldn’t as we saw in 2009). So what would happen if a NHL team refused to play in the Stanley-Cup. Simple no one would watch it millions of dollars would be wasted sponsors would sue them and those that carry the game would let the second round companies take the game. So quality in the game would go down and so would interest. No sale of Tshirts, no advertising blitz nadda nothing. It would be a colossal disaster of epic proportions for the NHL. The other team would win by default I assume.
Wow – Politics and Hockey aren’t that different are they? OOPS I forgot in the Case of Parliament no one really cared that all that money was wasted, and the other team which should have won didn’t.
So let’s see we have a Prime Minister writing a book on hockey, and he pulls this, do you really want to read the book? Do you really want him as coach of Canada (so to speak). Harper refuses to score and Ignatief has no idea how to capitalise on it. As Canadians we should take hockey more seriously and learn from it. The game must go on.
The Harper Government Promised Transparency
The promise of Transparency is just a promise and one so easily broken by a dysfunctional Parliament.
Cabinet minister’s office blocked report’s full release
Release of report delayed by 82 days past legal deadline after Paradis staffer’s intervention
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/story/2010/02/08/public-works-report-
blocked.html#ixzz0exyhXIzw
Media have no flight plan on PM’s plane
Journalists travelling with Harper are being kept on the plane to ensure the Prime Minister
doesn’t face any questions in his short jaunt from the bottom of the staircase to his waiting limousine.
Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/politics/insidepolitics/2010/01/media-have-no-flight-plan-on-pms-plane.html
‘Muzzle’ Placed On Federal Scientists
Environment Canada has “muzzled” its scientists,
ordering them to refer all media queries to Ottawa where
communications officers will help them respond with
“approved lines.”
Read more: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=47bf0fba-b98f-43fb-89fb-58b6464a7
b24&k=65248
Richard Colvin faces ‘reprisal’ for detainee testimony
Intelligence officer and ex-diplomat Richard Colvin arrives at a Commons special committee on
Afghanistan on Parliament Hill on Wednesday, November 18, 2009.
Letter accuses Conservative government of retaliating against diplomat who blew whistle on
Afghan torture by refusing to pay his legal bills
Last night I spent an hour with my personal trainer. This guy is great, knows his stuff ,and has the most unique way of making people smile while torturing them.
Think about this if the Canadian military were to strip an Afghan down to his shorts and make him carry a fifty pound lead weight on his back while reciting “this is good for me this is making me a better person,” they would call it torture, unless it was the US Military then there it would be called “Enhanced interrogation.”
That said, my upper body feels like a truck ran over it and my lower body feels like Its still parked there. I know that eventually this will make me into a young Arnold Schwarzenegger physically but hopefully a better politician, but I want the hours lost to intense pain back. However, all is good the pain is subsiding and I can now raise my hands over my head without feeling like my limbs are going to snap off.
Monday
I would KILL for a coffee!
Tuesday
The next person that drinks the last coffee in the pot without making more is a DEAD MAN!
Wednesday
Coffee may not KILL me but I will KILL for coffee!
Thursday
That is one KILL er cup of Joe!
Friday
Coffee keeps me sane if it weren’t for coffee I probably would have KILLed some one by now!
Saturday
I say we KILL the marketing guy that decided that Starbucks should close early on Saturdays!
Sunday
A two hour church sermon and two baptisms they better serve coffee in between or some one is going to DIE.
Don’t Blame me over half of these are from Letterman 
10. Citizens of the NRA
9. Gretskynappers
8. Drop outs from the school of foreign policy (sorry that’s just for old G W Bush advisors)
7. Continent hogs
6. Surfboard-Riding Barbarians
5. Processed cheese junkies (they call it American Cheese AKA melted Cheddar trimmings)
4. Upper Mexicans
3. Pizza-gorged Convertible jockeys
2. Star-Spangled Sissy Boys
1. Puckstops
For my American readers (all 2 of you) feel free to contribute your own top ten nicknames for us hyped up igloo building hockey junkies who know what real beer tastes like.
hee hee hee hee ……
I’m an “us” (for reference only, in reality I am a traitorous us at times)
1. Capitalists (them)
2. Socialists (us)
3. Christian Fundamentalists (them)
4. Liberal Christians (us)
5. Islamic fundamentalists (them)
6. Liberal Muslims (us)
7. Jewish Fundamentalists (them)
8. Achiest Jews (both but mostly them)
9. Radical right (them)
10. Radical left (us)
11. Liberals (us)
12. Conservatives (them)
13. New Democrats (us)
14. Greens(us)
15. Red Tories(them)
16. Creationists (them but I am half way to being a them))
17. Evolutionists (us)
18. Atheists (mostly us (but I am a Them here))
19. Ecumenicalists (us)
20. Dispensationalist (them)
21. Anti-dispensationalists (us)
22. Bloq (them)
23. Rednecks (them)
24. Those that believe in Global warming was caused by humans (us)
25. Those that don’t believe Global warming was caused by humans (them)
etc….
I really hate that we have this bipolar approach to everything it is always us versus them, but it is inevitable that we do this as we are humans. That said I suspect we have no idea how to separate us from them. I have heard staunch Christians spout very anti Christian ideas, like don’t give to the poor it only creates more poor people (how they get that I really don’t comprehend).
So if we have to place groups of people into these stupid boxes lets see if we can get them straight. Above is a list of groupings not entirely inclusive sorry, and beside each is the word either “us” or “them”. In reality most of these are neither, or are a combination of both. I am not going to define how I decided those that are us and those that are them, because that might sway your choice. First decide if you are an Us or Them and then put this at the top of your comment. Then cut and past the list once done rank them as us or them. Use your own judgement. I am just curious to see in this bipolar world if we agree on who are us and who are them. I will give this a week and see how many people respond, if any, and then I will total up the scores for Us’s and thems. I could have sent this via email but I HATE SPAM so don’t distribute this as an email please.
Don’t get me wrong I don’t believe in true “us’s and thems” but many people do I just want to see what people define as the camps, because I know there is not concensus and this may prove my point that there are no true us’s and thems. Even in those that read this blog (I could be wrong).
In an article on the CBC website a person (Tracy J) commented that:
I can see another Quebec versus Canada type of situation forming also in Calgary. Soon it will be English Calgary versus Chinese Calgary. When people come to this country they should NEVER be given citizenship unless they have shown and have signed forms agreeing to do their best to assimilate into Canadian society and to learn and operate in the Canadian languages instead of trying to force their own languages and traditions to take hold in this country.
After all, didn’t they leave their countries because they thought ours was better? Why then, do they want to turn ours into theirs?
Multiculturalism is OK, but the destruction of all Canadian tradition and languages and replacement of it by other traditions and languages is not. Canadians are also extremely foolish and naive paying taxes to ensure that people who come here can be catered to in their own language, thereby ENCOURAGING those who move here to REFUSE to learn our languages and traditions.
This person does not see themselves as racist (slightly deluded I think). Why because Canadians are so distinctly different from the rest of the world and Calgary is the best example. We speak Canadian don’t you know not English, That is “our Language” we have distinct Canadian traditions like painting Easter eggs (Definitely not a Ukrainian idea) Damn all you immigrants why can’t you just assimilate resistance is Futile . (All this served with a healthy dose of Sarcasm)
Let’s cut the crap. Canada has always had Ukrainians Dutch German Africans Asians etc…. it is only now we are starting to treat them with respect. Vancouver and Montreal’s China Town have been there for generations. We have had synagogues and mosques and churches of all faiths for a long time, it is only in the last 40 years we have made it illegal to write nasty slogans on their walls or burn crosses on their lawns (Yah I know that is more an American Nastiness)
So let’s face it, Canadians come in all colours and act in all manner of divers ways no need to assimilate because you come ready made to be a Canadian when you get off the boat plane train etc… I eat curry drink vodka and like Kosher dills I am of German and English origin so I open some Christmas presents on Christmas eve and know who Guy Faulks is, and I am Canadian Isn’t it great ! Maybe Tracy J needs to learn what it is to be Canadian and then assimilate with the rest of us?
Leave it to Beaver and Andy Griffith make the 50’s look great, but was it really? I don’t know how many times I have heard the right beckon for a return to the good old days of the 1950’s when we all lived wonderful lives and just got along peachy keen.
Here are a few things they knew in the 50’s (and a modern day perspective on them)
1. Evolution was bad (sorry guys if you believe evolution is a myth today you’re now considered the lunatic fringe)
2. Western civilization is the high point of world society (conceit of the first order – been to Japan recently)
3. Women should stay at home and make babies it says so in the Bible (reread Proverbs 31 you missed a few parts – Try making your wife do this today and see how long you stay married)
4. No one was Gay in the 50’s unless they drank too much Homosexuality was a criminal perversion (making a significant part of the population criminal – sorry if you think there weren’t as many gays then you’re delude but we already knew that)
5. Living together before marriage was living in Sin (now it’s expected)
6. Smoking didn’t cause cancer and it was your God given right (Lung cancer is your God given right? Isn’t this like God sanctioning suicide?)
7. Rock music was bad (yah I know even you folks have dumped this one)
8. Segregation was good (try being Black in the 50’s that couldn’t have been much fun thank you Jim Crow)
9. New chemicals and technology were going to solve all the worlds problems (DDT and thalidomide were such a good idea)
10. Corporal punishment made students better behaved (You gotta love institutionalize child abuse – The strap just taught me that the principal was a sadistic old fart)
11. Seat belts killed more folks then saved them ( What’s the first thing that goes through your mind during a car crash today? Answer “Oh My God.” What’s the first thing that went through your mind during a car crash in the 1950’s Answer – the windshield.)
If you want your world to resemble the 1950’s with its stability and cloistered world view and misconceptions fine but for those of us that would live in this century please don’t force us to swallow the idea that the past was better than today
I know I have been getting increasingly cynical about Canadian Parliamentarians, going so far as to call our Parliament a farce. But today I visited Glen Pearson’s Blog The Parallel Parliament, and my faith was restored. If you live in London North Centre you live in a riding that truly has someone worth voting for.
Mr. Pearson was the volunteer director of the London Food Bank, and helped to direct the Ontario Association of Food Banks. Along with his wife Jane Roy, Mr. Pearson did human rights and development work in Sudan, founding an NGO entitled Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan.
His writings on his Blog show him to be a man who cares for others first and is not afraid of hard work in the support of others. This is the sort of politician Canada needs.
And you can find him on Facebook
Stephen Harper thinks Canada is a game to play. Stephen this is no game people rely on you to RUN this country. If you want to stay in power fight for Canada. If you slip in popularity then prove to us why you should be there, don’t run away and hope we forget about what you are and aren’t doing. Your job is to make us believe in you because sorry we DON”T !
—————————————————From The Arends Family—————————————————
The holiday season has got me thinking about wishes. What do we wish for what do we wish for others. There are the superficial wishes which are good like we wish you a Merry Christmas. In most cases that is inevitable but in some cases the wish is more sincere like if you say it to a street person. Then there are the more specific ones I wish your son or daughter will make it home for Christmas. Then there are the broader but more thought out wishes like may your paths always be straight implying may your life be easy. The problem is I would like to wish for someone a wish that is both good and realistic. Wishing for world peace is not only pithy but also naive. Although doing so is idealistically good, the idea that simply wishing for it might help to bring it to being, is naive. Even if we all wish for it we often do not see our actions as leading to it. I seriously think that electing George W Bush was an action that worked against world peace, but did anyone think this when they cast their vote? I doubt it.
So what should we wish for our selves and others?
I actually do have an answer for that a wish many of you might have heard many times but never really thought about. I will give credit where it is due as the Irish tend to be the best at blessings wishes and prayers likely because over the years they have had more reason to wish for better.
So with out further ado……
May you live in interesting times !
If you have read this post before you will notice the change to the title, as CBC has rectified the problem, to some degree.
CBC ran an article on Son Pham a young boy that is just about finished his treatments to remove a growth from his face. A feel good story.
Unfortunately some vulgar person wrote in the following comment.
smash_the_left wrote:
Posted 2009/12/21
at 1:59 PM ETAs a Canadian ans a taxpayer, I want the doctour(s0 and administraters who made this dicision explain their actions before a public inquiry. Heads should roll over this.
————————————Hmm! Someone in Canada needs to be told that Canadian patients (especially ones who pay taxes) come first and that Canadians do not pay taxes so that some Vietnamese can come here for some cosmetic surgery so that his fellow villagers do not vomit every time they see him.
This implies that Son Pham is just a “vietnamese” not a person, and that he is so ugly that his fellow man vomits at the sight of him. It is straight hate speech.
I have to credit CBC they have moderated further messages from Smash_the_left (even though I had to send an email to thier Ombudsman first) I would hope they have suspended his account but, that might be a bit too much of a reaction.
At Christmas time we try to be more generous more giving but some of us are obviously more selfish and more hateful.
Merry Christmas folks may there be more joy in your hearts than that found in Smash_The_left’s cold heart.
Thank you CBC
Thanks to Steve Sutherland for the link
Sorry my input here of late has boiled down to the brief one paragraph piece. Life tends to get in the way of Blogging and I have to apologise to Joe who I lured over here from Holigolitely’s blog an haven’t had the time to engage him as promised. That said, I have to post this reference to Don Newman’s story from the CBC website.
Entitled - Stephen Harper and the politics of suspicion – it is the most accurate description of the Harper era of politics that I have ever read.
With the current Provincial Tory walk out and unparliamentary language, and the politics of deceit we see at the federal level maybe it is time we told parliament that it is time to obey the rules of order and restore some respect for the house and the profession.
In other words GROW UP YOU BUNCH OF CHILDREN
This is just a disclaimer to say given my job in the Government is related to Health I cannot comment on H1N1. I am saying this as I have had a few emails on the topic asking why I don’t post on it.
If you want good info on the situation go to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s FluWatch site at http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/fluwatch/index-eng.php, and Health Canada’s site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hc-ps/dc-ma/influenza-eng.php.
PS. I am not allowing comments on this as there is too much BAD H1N1 info out there already no need to add more here.
Here again is Pastor Anderson defending himself from the evil media that objects to the fact that he preached about wanting his president dead. Hey maybe if you want to be considered a nice guy you should move your gun out of the frame before you start taping? This man is such a media whore in so many ways. Is this the role of a man of God? Not in my books.
I vaguely recall another man that wanted a president dead posing with a gun .
Hey they even have the same hair cut and big ears.
Holigolitely posted an article on her blog entitled, “I Wanna Go Out And Do Something Fun and I Don’t Mean Walking Along Some Silly Nature Trail.”
She pointed out that “With every passing day, Downtown Winnipeg gets more and more desolate. The Winnipeg version of progress is truly sucking ass. It seems to me that while we were all home nurturing our children, the boring, anti-fun league took over the city.”
I generally agreed that urban culture has changed and that dives or places were people go to blow off steam are getting rarer, although I like hiking trails.
I guess all of Holigolitely’s readers are not on the same wave length as one reader (Joe) wrote back and blamed the current city decline on laziness.
(See Joe’s first post below)
Okay so I got a bit PO’ed as I really hate when people blame welfare recipients for the big economic problems, I think it is nonsense of the first order. I pointed out that from my socialist opinion that the fault was on the Banks for loaning money.
(see my first post below)
Joe responded to my post pointing out that there are jobs out there but people don’t want to work, and reiterated that people that could not afford to pay borrowed the money so who’s fault is it.
(see Joe’s second post below)
Then I went searching and found the stats for Winnipeg showing that there were not a lot of jobs and I outlined how I saw the financial situation.
(see my last post below)
Joe responded by blaming the responsible and referring back to the lazy (those that won’t work)
(see Joe’s last post below)
Now I have to give Joe credit although I disagree with him he has been very civil not once has he tried to attack me, but has kept to his opinion, the only thing I can criticize him on is a lack of evidence to support his point, but as he said and we both agreed this was getting off topic when it addressed Holigolitely’s original article. I decided that Joe might like to as he said “take this discussion further.”
So I have hijacked it from Holigolitely’ Blog. I don’t feel too guilty as Holigolitely is also a contributing editor here as you know. (that said if she would like to move this back to her Blog I have no problem with that)
First of all I don’t think I will ever agree with Joe on this point so If he choose not to debate it I will understand, secondly I promise to be reasonable and this debate will inevitably end in a stalemate so won’t keep it going ad infinitum.
So Joe as you didn’t flesh out your last point now is your chance as you say to “type a lot of ideas, and take this discussion further”
……………………………………………………………………..
ORIGINAL THREAD
Joe 6 November 2009
I think Winnipeg is becoming increasingly, a welfare town. The neighbourhoods are falling apart. People sitting around with nothing but spare time, getting a cheque from the government. They resort to all sorts of dysfunctional behaviour, but generally don’t go to bars to party. When those who work hard for a living go to their jobs, these people are just going to bed. We are plauged by the lazy.
A wise co-worker pointed out that the rest of North America has been suffering from a Depression, but Winnipeg has not. He suggested that the reason is, Winnipeg has been in a depression for a long time before this…so there is no change here.
Any activity that gets you out of the city is great! Even if it is a boring nature trail… beats getting shanked.
And I think the so called “kids” are smart to stay home. Going to the bars that remain open is dangerous. With all the street gangs and lack of common decency out there, going out is risky. Maybe they should work on their spelling, granted…. But, I won’t knock them for avoiding the danger.
billarends 9 November 2009
Joe I disagree. I don’t live in Winnipeg but I disagree. Why? Because the first thing those that have money do, when there is a problem is blame those that don’t have money. The issue is that those that have, were greedy and created a situation that has caused this depression. It’s that simple. It has NOTHING to do with Laziness. I would like your definition of Dysfunctional behaviour, would that be hanging out selling drugs because there are no jobs for them to earn money legitimately. And don’t tell me that there are lots of jobs out there or you haven’t looked recently. As for street gangs and crap in Winnipeg give me a break. Winnipeg may not be the safest city on the planet but try going to New York City or Los Angeles or Chicago. Personally I think that investment in Winnipeg is down because entrepreneurs don’t have money to invest why because there isn’t enough out there. Don’t blame welfare don’t blame young people try looking at those that really caused the problem, the people that wanted big returns on their investments so loaned money at interest to those they knew couldn’t pay it back. As for Holigolitely’s original post, she is talking about places these young folks can go that will take them off the street, a solution to depression, not whining about welfare types or street kids etc..
Joe 11 November 2009
Bill, I agree that my comments go beyond the scope of the article, but people generally do not party much if they are unemployed.
For every evil banker handing out loans to the poor, there are eager poor people borrowing more money than they can handle… It just depends on your political perspective on the topic who you think is to blame. I see blame on both sides.
Besides, the company I work for has trouble finding people who want to work. This summer I`ve personally worked over 70 hours every week! The pay is considerably higher than minimum, and I for one am so busy.. I don`t have any time to party…
billarends 12 November
It all depends on what your company does. Keep in mind that most job losses were at the lowest level those that require less training or less education not everyone is cut out to be an accountant or even machinist. Stats Canada recorded and the Winnipeg Free Press reported that “Employment fell by 400,000, or 2.3 per cent, between October 2008 and October 2009, while the unemployment rate rose to 8.6 per cent from 6.3. The manufacturing and construction sectors suffered the largest employment declines in all three economic downturns. StatsCan reports 218,000 manufacturing jobs were lost, or 11 per cent, from October 2008 to October 2009, and the decline was widespread. The agency says manufacturers suffering notable decreases included fabricated metal products; transportation equipment manufacturing; paper and printing; and furniture and related manufacturing. Construction employment dropped by 73,000, or 5.8 per cent, all of it during the first five months.”
Albeit the trend has stabilized, this is no rosie picture to anyone.
As you can see by the stats it is the working poor that caught the brunt of this. Although the reduction in construction jobs was not a total disaster there was a 36% drop in housing starts which means that those that were working will soon not be working unless there is a bounce back before the current jobs end these folks are screwed.
Also the eager people you are describing are not the poor. Most of them would not even think to take on a mortgage it is the working poor the non-lazy ones that are the ones that took the loans and mortgagees and credit cards. If you’re lazy and don’t work people don’t give you money even as a loan banks are greedy not stupid.
Argue all you want that both sides are to blame, from a causational point of view if the banks did not offer the loans then the would be no crisis. If people were not told they could buy a house with no down payment we would not be in this problem. The club of Rome (think tank) back in the 50s and 60’s said that there were limits to growth. More people borrowing money means more money needs to be made, and the only way to do that is to grow the productivity that exists. No growth no money. We are going to hit the limit of growth and thus the banks are going to have to accept that they have reached the maximum amount they can loan before people stop paying it back. My parents taught me to only loan out the maximum amount of money that you are willing to loose. The banks would loan out everything they had if they thought that they would get it all back with interest. Sorry that is just greed.
Joe 13 November 2009
Wow. I could really type a lot of ideas, and take this discussion further, but as you said earlier, we are getting off topic.
All I can say is there will be people who disagree with me.
Irresponsibility is rampant out there. Everyone thinks they are entitled to their piece of the pie, even if they haven’t earned it. This applies to those who do not work for a living, as much as it applies to those who work but are borrowing irresponsibly. Even applies to the Banks who are loaning the money out. There is a general lack of responsibility out there… and eventually it will catch up to us.
michaelsuddard
daniellarocque
abdulalqrim
holigolitely
