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In case you need an example of why I grow increasingly skeptical and anti-religious as the years go by, let me share with you a bit of something to make you think:

The rescuers were there in uniform, and the girl’s parents were interviewed. A reporter asked, “What do you want to say to the rescuers?” The father responded, “I want to tell them that we thank God for sending them!” Folks, let’s get some priorities in place here. This wasn’t a miracle, in any way. God didn’t send the rescuers, a telephone operator did. God didn’t supply the oxygen that the child received, nor the other first-aid techniques they applied. The rescue squad saved the girls life, after the omnipotent, all-seeing, omniscient one to whom churches have been erected all over the state – allowed the child to fall into the water.

(Tip of the godless man’s hat to James Randi.)

David Morgan-Mar is an awfully clever fellow, the man responsible for the inaccurately named “Irregular Webcomic.” Today’s entry is amusing on its own merits, but what broke through my general posting malaise is the commentary he wrote to go along with the comic. To wit:

Nothing anyone does can invalidate the pleasure you got out of enjoying some work of fiction or art in the past. You enjoyed it - you can’t un-enjoy it.

This is why, even though the last few years’ worth of (for instance) Anne McCaffrey’s writing output disappointed me on various levels, I can still go back and read the books I love without the experience being “tainted” by what comes later. I don’t grok the notion of being “betrayed” by an author or musician or filmmaker.

Anyway, go read Mr. Morgan-Mar’s commentary on “betraying the fans,” a good piece of writing that I wholly agree with.

I’ve always had a few knacks, among them a knack for being proven wrong almost immediately after making a definitive statement. This time the knack which has bitten me in the backside is that which gives me the utmost in perfectly ironic timing. If I do something, there’s a good chance that if I’d simply waited a day or two I’d have known not to do that something.

On Sunday I purchased the license code for the City of Heroes/City of Villains “Good Versus Evil” edition for the kids’ account so they could get some extra character slots per server and go into supergroup bases and such like that. So, guess what yesterday’s press release from NCSoft had to say?

Today we announced the acquisition of City of Heroes from Cryptic Studios™ and the formation of our new Northern California studio which we are informally calling NCsoft® NorCal [...]. Nearly the entire City of Heroes team from Cryptic Studios has joined the NCsoft team and together we have formed the core of our new studio.

Okay, so far so good. What’s the catch?

All players with City of Heroes retail accounts will now have access to City of Villains, and all City of Villains retail accounts will now have access to City of Heroes. Players that didn’t previously have access to “the other side” will find that they do now.

Oh. Well… I suppose that’s a good thing… for people who didn’t plunk $30 down for said “access to City of Villains” a mere 48 hours beforehand! Dagnabbit.

(It bears mentioning, footnote-style, that the “GvE” edition provides a few in-game perks that probably won’t be given away with this “access to” bonus from NCSoft. Still, I could’ve bought the code for said perks alone and spent twenty dollars less. Such is my life, eh? And the kids get the benefit now instead of having to wait ’til NCSoft blesses everyone. So. There’s that, at least.)

Broadcasters have tentatively agreed to anti-payola settlements that could shake up music playlists at some of the nation’s largest radio chains. Four major broadcast companies would pay the government $12.5 million and provide 8,400 half-hour segments of free airtime for independent record labels and local artists [...] the monetary settlement is part of a consent decree between the FCC and Clear Channel Communications Inc., CBS Radio, Entercom Communications Corp. and Citadel Broadcasting Corp.

Oh. Shucky darn. I guess Entercom will have to drop-kick some more of their “overpaid” workers and staff up the sales department some more, eh? If I was a better man I’d probably feel bad about this news on some level, yet somehow I just can’t. Actually, I find it terribly amusing…

(From: Stations agree on anti-payola settlement - Houston Chronicle, by way of Slashdot.)

Not that I mind a good quack from time to time, but there are quacks out there who give quacking a bad name. At least they can provide us some amusement on occasion, though…

By following the simple advice I heard on a Dr. Phil’s show, I have finally found inner peace. Dr. Phil proclaimed the way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you have started. So I looked around my house to see which things I have started and hadn’t finished; and, before leaving the house this morning, I finished off a bottle of Merlot, a bottle of Cardonay, a bole of Baileys, a butle of Kehuha, a pockage of Tim Toms, tha mainder of my Prozic and Valum scriptins, the res of the Chesescke, some cofee an a baxa cholates. Yu haf no idr who gud I fel.

(From: James Randi’s Swift, Feb 23 2007)

If you’re anything like me, which in this case means “a geeky weirdo with a fascination not only for the physical sciences but also anything which involves what Marvin the Martian once called an Earth-shattering kaboom,” a description which probably applies any number of Mythbusters fans, you might want to read up on how to destroy the Earth.

Here’s a sample quote to whet your appetite.

The Earth is built to last. It is a 4,550,000,000-year-old, 5,973,600,000,000,000,000,000-tonne ball of iron. It has taken more devastating asteroid hits in its lifetime than you’ve had hot dinners, and lo, it still orbits merrily. So my first piece of advice to you, dear would-be Earth-destroyer, is: do NOT think this will be easy.

I believe I’ve found my new favorite bedtime reading…

While I sit here, miserable but slightly better rested in my room at home, I have amused myself (between naps) by catching up on some of my websurfing. Here’s a delightful gem I found at James Randi’s place…

“THE SKEPTIC’S HOROSCOPE for Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, and Sagittarius (Jan 1, 2007 – Dec 31, 2007):

“The coming year is likely to present challenges; these trials are when your true character will show. Trusted friends can provide assistance in particularly pressing situations. Make use of the skills you have to compensate for ones you lack. Your reputation in the future depends on your honesty and integrity this year. Monetary investments will prove risky; inform yourself as much as possible. On the positive side, your chances of winning the lottery have never been greater!”

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some more tea and scrounge up some lunch…

One of my coworkers pointed me to this CNN article about Iran test-firing some missiles. Here’s the bit that gave us pause, with my emphasis in italics:

“Iranian experts have made some changes to Shahab-3 missiles installing cluster warheads in them with the capacity to carry 1,400 bombs,” state television said. It did not say whether the unarmed missiles fired were carrying warheads at the time.

“It” probably didn’t need to, did it? The mind, it boggles.

Taken from James Randi’s weekly commentary, the following bit of amusement… if you find this sort of thing funny, which I tend to do. These are the “Top Ten indications that you’re over-obsessed with religion,” and by “religion” I assume Mr. Randi means “Christianity.”

Those with a Bible at hand and a poor sense of humor may want to skip the rest of this entry…

#10 – You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.

#9 – You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that humans were created from dirt.

#8 – You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.

#7 – Your face turns purple when you hear of the “atrocities” attributed to Allah, but you don’t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the male first-born babies of Egypt in “Exodus” and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in “Joshua” – including women, children, and trees.

#6 – You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods consorting with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

#5 – You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of the Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is about a couple of generations old.

#4 – You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs – though excluding those in all rival sects – will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering, and yet you consider your religion the most “tolerant” and “loving.”

#3 – While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor “speaking in tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” your choice of religions to be the correct one.

#2 – You define .01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers, and consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% failure was simply the will of God.

#1 – You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history – but you still call yourself a Christian.

Ah, the joys of a Google Talk account. (Which I utilize via Gaim, the same way I use the instant messaging systems of Yahoo, AIM, LiveJournal, ICQ and… ugh… Microsoft. Yes, I have a “Live Messenger” account now. It’s for work. Yay, or something.)

Of course, an IM system is useless without amusing people to chat with. I don’t have as all-encompassing of a “buddy list” as I used to, but those who remain are some quality folks, I’ll tell the world…

Lyse: Day. Not ending. Need to go. Home!
GreyDuck: I feel your pain.
Lyse: I went to the William Shatner school. Could you tell?
GreyDuck: Your. Command of. The. Technique is. Flawless.
Lyse: Excellent!
[...time passes...]
Lyse: I just realized something a few minutes ago
GreyDuck: I do that all the time.
GreyDuck: A lousy memory will do that to a person, though, since it’s often the same few somethings on infinite loop…
Lyse: Days that I wear a shirt that fits snuggly through the chestal region? Probably not the best time to go talk to some of the guys about racks.
GreyDuck: I beg to differ. I would argue that those days are the best days on which to talk to guys about racks.
Lyse: *raspberry*
GreyDuck: Thank you. Thank you veddy much.
GreyDuck: I, and my dirty mind, will be here all week.
GreyDuck: Please tip your waitstaff. Especially if they have impressive racks.
Lyse: LOL
Lyse: you so silly
GreyDuck: This? Is not news.