Doc Ott’s Apologia Blog

Oh my FSM…

Here is a very well done documentary on what some evangelicals are doing to ‘teach’ their kids about religion. They are not the fanaticals, they are a sizeable force in America.
Innocent, vunerable children. Brainwashed by adults. Sick.
As the father of a 6 year old girl, I am absoluelty apalled by this video. I would NEVER make my kid profess anything this extreme. even if I believed such.. I only hope that when she is an adult she makes a _conscious_ choice as to what she chooses to believe.

Jesus Camp

Darn scary. Worth the time to watch.

Who knows, maybe I need a new blog…

Wired - Battle of New Atheism A nice little arguement about the rise of atheism and death of organized religion.

Albert Einstein Excerpt on Becoming an Freethinker and an Atheist . ‘nuf said.

Mid-Michigan Atheists and Humanists - A ‘local’ group to me that meets once a month up in Lansing. I might have to road trip up there…

Graveyard of the Gods - Freethinkers discussion board. I could hang out here for a while…

Freedom From Religion Foundation - Founded and housed in my home town, this gorup is growing and even has a podcast.

A nice little article that exposes many of the standard arguements I make from time to time…

Richard Dawkins: Why There Almost Certainly Is No God - Yahoo News

An interesting article. I guess I never really thought of him as a dictator, but with only 1 veto in 6 years, I know he has congress on his side.

About our ‘dictator’ - The Boston Globe

Wow, I have heard many times that the bible has been re-written and heavily edited over the centuries (heck, even in my lifetime)
I wonder if the religious right will say that this is all bull or if they will change their opinion based on this new version.

‘Gospel of Judas’ Surfaces After 1,700 Years - New York Times

Of course there is also the gospel according to Thomas, and the gospel according to Mary, but copies of those do not lie in hotel rooms, do they.
There are all of these early christian writings too, of which I believe few are in the ‘bible’

Why not?

How many different ways can you explain the same concepts to happiness? Maybe if you give them the gist of it in a different format, people can better use it. Translation: Here is another site that has great ideas to help you enjoy life more.

Life Tools - Personal Development Toolit

Here is another cool article talking about how having ADD might not be the worst thing. In a technology job, it might be an advantage.

I feel more vindicated…

Because of my personality, I have always been a ‘leader’. In small groups I tend to take a leadership role, and that is usually OK with people. When people want something done, they tend to come to me. Some people are just natural leaders. I was cool with that, and enjoyed the attention it garnered.
As of late, I have fallen away from the desire for those positions. I am much less quick to volunteer to do projects, lead groups, etc. I have found myself withdrawing from groups that I was a former member (or leader) of. This back wards transition seems awkward. Most people look for more power and influence in their lives (promotions, new jobs, new assignments) and I seem to have stepped back.
I am not quite sure why. Am I simply trying much harder to enjoy my small time here on the blue marble? Focusing on my wife, child, and dog instead of the rest of the population? Who knows. What I do know is that I am more relaxed, more happy, more forgiving, more laid back, and healthier than I have probably ever been in my life. So, I guess that means its all a good thing.

“Money can help you to get medicines, but not health.
Money can help you to get soft pillows, but not sound sleep.
Money can help you to get material comforts, but not eternal bliss.
Money can help you to get ornaments, but not beauty.
Money will help you to get an electric earphone, but not natural hearing.
Attain the supreme wealth, wisdom, and you will have everything”
-Benjamin Franklin

I like the smell of fresh flowers, most people do. If I take a big sniff of one, I instantly relax a bit. It is no surprise that research confirms this. So I thought, why not have a fresh flower always handy from with which to smell, and not just in my office?
About once every 2 weeks I go buy a bouquet of flowers, usually carnations (I buy flowers for my wife on a regular basis too, don’t worry) and each day I pin one to my shirt. I built a little holder such that the flower does not have a pin through it and I can easily remove the flower to smell it.
Now, whenever I have a few seconds and need to relax a bit, I take the flower out of the holder and smell it. Very simple, easy and cheap.
Another side effect is that it cheers up people around me, which cannot be a bad thing.