If I got a free cookie from Cookies by George and it was stale, am I allowed to complain, or do I have to keep my mouth shut because it was free? (Just to confirm: I didn't get said cookie at a Cookies by George location. At the store, I'm sure they don't sell stale cookies. Just very very yummy cookies. Mmm.)
If I got the cookie at the blood donor clinic because I donated blood, does that mean it actually wasn't free, so I do have a right to complain? Or does the fact that they never promised me Cookies by George and they don't always have Cookies by George mean it really was free?
Friday, May 16, 2008
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Sympathy for the beaver
"All them birds and predators just take from the land, but the beaver always gives a dam."
--The Arrogant Worms
There's a buffer zone between the plant where I work and the nearest neighbourhood. The buffer zone is basically a park, but it's owned by the owners of the nearby plants. One day last week during my lunch break, I went for a walk with a co-worker, and we decided to walk down a trail that goes along a creek. As we got closer to the end with the beaver dam, we saw lots of freshly-cut trees lying on the ground, with lots of teeth marks where they were cut. The beavers had been busy.
When we got to the dam, we saw another co-worker. He showed us two beaver traps that had been set on the dam. (I'm not sure if they were set by the city government or by the company that owns the land.) He said a couple of beavers had been caught and killed earlier that week.
I couldn't help but be disappointed. They're killing our national animal! And then the less sympathetic side of me kicks in and reminds me that beavers are a pest when they're in a city. The co-worker who showed me the traps pointed out how few tall trees there are near that part of the creek, and he said it's because of years of beaver activity.
Maybe it's necessary to keep the beavers out of the city to keep the park in better shape, but I wish it wasn't necessary. Are these trees any more important than the ones they cut down to build the plants? Besides, I still think the area around the creek is beautiful even if all the trees are short. But maybe it would get a lot worse without any animal control around there, and maybe it's harder for predators to get into the city so beavers can naturally do more damage there.
--The Arrogant Worms
There's a buffer zone between the plant where I work and the nearest neighbourhood. The buffer zone is basically a park, but it's owned by the owners of the nearby plants. One day last week during my lunch break, I went for a walk with a co-worker, and we decided to walk down a trail that goes along a creek. As we got closer to the end with the beaver dam, we saw lots of freshly-cut trees lying on the ground, with lots of teeth marks where they were cut. The beavers had been busy.
When we got to the dam, we saw another co-worker. He showed us two beaver traps that had been set on the dam. (I'm not sure if they were set by the city government or by the company that owns the land.) He said a couple of beavers had been caught and killed earlier that week.
I couldn't help but be disappointed. They're killing our national animal! And then the less sympathetic side of me kicks in and reminds me that beavers are a pest when they're in a city. The co-worker who showed me the traps pointed out how few tall trees there are near that part of the creek, and he said it's because of years of beaver activity.
Maybe it's necessary to keep the beavers out of the city to keep the park in better shape, but I wish it wasn't necessary. Are these trees any more important than the ones they cut down to build the plants? Besides, I still think the area around the creek is beautiful even if all the trees are short. But maybe it would get a lot worse without any animal control around there, and maybe it's harder for predators to get into the city so beavers can naturally do more damage there.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
He's smarter than you
Thanks to the magic of Photoshop and video editing, we can now watch Richard Dawkins rapping about atheism:
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Did I promote a cult?
"I told one guy his place was to be a pimple on the ass of the body of Christ."
--Ole Anthony
About a month ago, I posted this quote from a man named Peter Rollins: "God spoke to me, repeating four simple words: 'I do not exist.'" Then I linked to an interview with Peter Rollins, done by The Wittenburg Door. I mentioned that Rollins had a very interesting way of thinking about God and that The Wittenburg Door is one of my favourite websites.
Today I found an article there about Ole Anthony, the founder of the organization that owns The Wittenburg Door. The organization is called the Trinity Foundation, and publishing Christian satire isn't its only activity; it also investigates televangelists and manages affordable housing projects, among other activities. The article is written by a friend of his, who is quite involved in running The Wittenburg Door (he is two of the most frequent writers on the website--yes, he goes by two different names). It makes Ole Anthony sound like an eccentric man who stands up for the little guy and doesn't care about offending people. He also has a strong sense that following Jesus requires sacrifice. That quote at the top of this post is from this article.
Today I found an article that told a different story. This one paints him as an egotistical control freak. His organization that helped people who'd been controlled and victimized by religion was controlling and victimizing people itself.
I know journalists sometimes twist things, but if this second article is accurate, this organization just might be a cult. I'm not one to tell people what they can and can't read (I'll probably keep reading The Wittenburg Door myself), but I'd like to remind people to take things with a grain of salt. I still think The Door has some great things to say, but not everything in it is good. And I'd be very leery about joining their organization if the opportunity ever presented itself. The articles I linked to are long, but they are both recommended reading if you ever start reading The Wittenburg Door.
--Ole Anthony
About a month ago, I posted this quote from a man named Peter Rollins: "God spoke to me, repeating four simple words: 'I do not exist.'" Then I linked to an interview with Peter Rollins, done by The Wittenburg Door. I mentioned that Rollins had a very interesting way of thinking about God and that The Wittenburg Door is one of my favourite websites.
Today I found an article there about Ole Anthony, the founder of the organization that owns The Wittenburg Door. The organization is called the Trinity Foundation, and publishing Christian satire isn't its only activity; it also investigates televangelists and manages affordable housing projects, among other activities. The article is written by a friend of his, who is quite involved in running The Wittenburg Door (he is two of the most frequent writers on the website--yes, he goes by two different names). It makes Ole Anthony sound like an eccentric man who stands up for the little guy and doesn't care about offending people. He also has a strong sense that following Jesus requires sacrifice. That quote at the top of this post is from this article.
Today I found an article that told a different story. This one paints him as an egotistical control freak. His organization that helped people who'd been controlled and victimized by religion was controlling and victimizing people itself.
I know journalists sometimes twist things, but if this second article is accurate, this organization just might be a cult. I'm not one to tell people what they can and can't read (I'll probably keep reading The Wittenburg Door myself), but I'd like to remind people to take things with a grain of salt. I still think The Door has some great things to say, but not everything in it is good. And I'd be very leery about joining their organization if the opportunity ever presented itself. The articles I linked to are long, but they are both recommended reading if you ever start reading The Wittenburg Door.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Your Beautiful Mind
I got a new CD recently--"The Impostor" by Kevin Max. I'd like to share the lyrics of one of the songs with you:
The question is
where did this begin
who authored and who finished it?
such a beautiful world
but such a twisted plan
for it to end before we really lived in it
oh tell me why is this happening?
oh tell me why should i believe in anything?
and I find your beautiful mind in everything
but everything can't make me believe
and I find your beautiful eyes see everything
so show me something beautiful please
corporations rise
as the working man will fall
we bit the apple
now the apple is eating us
we want our 15 minutes
and then we want it all
and watch our own image bleeding us
I feel so cold, and i'm growing old
so come on now just finish it
oh tell me what's the purpose of love anyway?
she looks the best when she just walks away
and I find your beautiful hands make everything
and everything is all I need
and I find your beautiful eyes see everything
so show me something beautiful please
oh I cannot figure it ( please show me Lord)
I cannot get into it ( please show me Lord, oh let me see You)
is there a code that I can't crack
my life is slipping right off the tracks
don't even know if I want it back
so take it away from me
and I find your beautiful mind in everything
and everything is all I need
I find your beautiful eyes see everything
so show me something beautiful
I find your beautiful eyes see right through me
so show me what you want me to be
The question is
where did this begin
who authored and who finished it?
such a beautiful world
but such a twisted plan
for it to end before we really lived in it
oh tell me why is this happening?
oh tell me why should i believe in anything?
and I find your beautiful mind in everything
but everything can't make me believe
and I find your beautiful eyes see everything
so show me something beautiful please
corporations rise
as the working man will fall
we bit the apple
now the apple is eating us
we want our 15 minutes
and then we want it all
and watch our own image bleeding us
I feel so cold, and i'm growing old
so come on now just finish it
oh tell me what's the purpose of love anyway?
she looks the best when she just walks away
and I find your beautiful hands make everything
and everything is all I need
and I find your beautiful eyes see everything
so show me something beautiful please
oh I cannot figure it ( please show me Lord)
I cannot get into it ( please show me Lord, oh let me see You)
is there a code that I can't crack
my life is slipping right off the tracks
don't even know if I want it back
so take it away from me
and I find your beautiful mind in everything
and everything is all I need
I find your beautiful eyes see everything
so show me something beautiful
I find your beautiful eyes see right through me
so show me what you want me to be
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The envelope gets pushed
Last week, I promised I'd push the envelope this week. So this week, for the first time in the history of this blog, I am posting a video that I made:
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
Promotional Gimmick, Coming Soon
I'm short on ideas for stuff to write this week. I did think of something to post, but it's not ready yet. Stay tuned. Next week, I'll really be pushing the envelope.
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