Out of my Comfort Zone

There was to have been a broadcast debate today between a Creationist and a Biologist. Ray Comfort (of the Banana Proves Creationism fame) against PZ Myers (a.k.a Pharyngula). But the station wimped out, and broadcast Comfort in relative quiet comfort today, and will allow Myers to respond tomorrow morning (Weds.…

Continue ReadingOut of my Comfort Zone

Atheist Coming Out Party 2008

This Saturday, I visited the Atheist Coming Out Party in Westerville, Ohio. The event had numerous hosts and sponsors- American Atheists, Students for Free Thought, Secular Student Alliance, and many, many regional skeptical and atheistic groups. As such, the event drew in atheists, secular humanists, skeptics, and other assorted heathens…

Continue ReadingAtheist Coming Out Party 2008

Naked Bike Ride 2008 – St. Louis – to protest our dependency on oil and celebrate our bodies

Here is the simple goal for those participating in Naked Bike Ride: Protest our dependency on oil and celebrate the power and individuality of our bodies. In America, most people tend to have a warped attitude toward bicycles. They see bicycles as toys and amusements, not as incredibly efficient and serious modes of transportation. More than anything else, Naked Bike Ride is an attempt to change this attitude and to get people to choose bicycles rather than gas guzzling motor vehicles, whenever possible.

This combination was pure marketing genius. If 1,000 people had assembled in the middle of St. Louis to promote alternative sustainable methods of transportation, the media wouldn’t have given a rat’s ass. Because these organizers promised to wrap this serious message about bicycle riding in a package of nudity, however, the media was there in droves.  Here’s an video interview of two of the organizers.

Now, what kind of nudity did those curious media types actually see when they got to the assembly prior to the bicycle ride? Well, they saw some of this:

man with woman costume 8 2 2008 8 33 26 am

As well as some of this:

assembling for naked bike ride 8 2 2008 8 51 01 am

The evening could also have been accurately called Slogans Painted on Partially Naked People on Bikes Night, but that would have been unwieldy.painting-bodies-8-2-2008-8-39-10-am

This use of nakedness to promote the message that we desperately need to start using sustainable transportation methods has been successfully executed in numerous other cities. Tonight, the event came to my home town. erich-vieth-ride-a-bike-8-2-2008-9-23-22-amI decided to both participate in a minimally naked way …

Share

Continue ReadingNaked Bike Ride 2008 – St. Louis – to protest our dependency on oil and celebrate our bodies

More of my favorite quotes

I collect quotes (who doesn’t?). Really, it’s a good hobby. It’s cheap and often interesting. When they are really good quotes, it’s like a novel condensed to a mere sentence.

The first two of this set are about one of my favorite topics, rampant materialism. The others all relate closely to one another, but only if you have a wild imagination or if you think of a very broad topic like “meaning of life.” Without further ado:

Who is content with nothing possesses all things.
— Nicolas Boileau Despreaux

Wealth is the number of things one can do without.
— Feodor Dostoyevsky

The trouble is that you think you have time.
— Zen Master

Observe your enemies, for they first find out your faults.
— Antisthenes

A hole is nothing at all, but you can break your neck in it.
— Austin O’Malley

War is when the government tells you who the bad guy is. Revolution is when you decide that for yourself.
–Anonymous

Never mistake motion for action.
— Ernest Hemingway

Share
Share

Continue ReadingMore of my favorite quotes