I really don't like RSS as a medium for digesting site updates. I was using Google Reader for a while, but I didn't like the fact that I had to actively mark things as read. I much more prefer a passive medium such as Twitter or Facebook in which I can just scan my incoming feed for links that interest me and ignore the rest. So basically, if a site doesn't have a Twitter or Facebook account that it publishes updates too, I generally won't bother checking back.

Yeah, sure. Why not.

I would pick Calvin, from Calvin and Hobbes, and I would track down that bastard clone that keeps pissing on shit and I would beat the crap out of him and feed him to my pet tiger.

I would say the former is more annoying. You typically can't argue with smug condemnation. These people are usually confident in their beliefs and can't be bothered to evaluate an opposing argument. Some might consider this extreme faith to be commendable, but I disagree. There is always a slight chance that everything you know is wrong. Listening to and evaluating an opposing viewpoint can open your eyes to flaws in your argument or even bolster your position if the counter argument is flawed.

Note that I am using the term "faith" above loosely and I'm not limiting this statement to religious beliefs. There are plenty of myths and scientific principles that people cling to even in the face of mounting evidence against them. Also, it doesn't do any good to be smug when you are being asked the same question for the 1000th time. You may be tired of answering and providing the same counter argument, but it may very well be the first time that the opposing party is hearing your response. Being smug about it (ala the infamous "Hitch Slap") doesn't help your argument.

I'm not terribly picky when it comes to Mexican food - tacos, burritos, fajitas, nachos - all too yummy to resist. As long as it's vegetarian and flavorful and coated with entirely too much cheese, I will consume it heartily.

Like, personally? Well, I've done my bit (2 kids) and then got the operation to stop that from ever happening again.

I am not familiar with that text, and so cannot comment on it. As to if the biblical character of Jesus ever really existed, I am willing to submit that there very well may have been an actual person to whom the biblical events were attributed to. However, I am not willing to submit that he was of a divine, virgin birth, nor am I willing to submit that he performed real miracles. If anything, I am willing to consider that he may have been a traveling preacher akin to the modern day Benny Hinn. That is not to say that he was a snake oil salesman, but at least a very charismatic person preaching what he believed to be true, whom others easily identified with and could find comfort in. It would be impossible to know if this man ever even put stock in the myth that would arise around him, or if it was a tale that was attributed to him posthumously through misinterpretation or exaggeration.

Another explanation could be that he was simple an amalgamation of many different men or stories. Or that he was simply part of an invented story, made to assuage the fears of men and give them comfort during difficult times: "Repent and fear not, for the son of God is among us!" We still hear the same thing today, 2000 years later: "Repent and fear not, for the son of God shall return!"

I had to go back to my Netflix rating history to answer this one. I've given 1 stars (meaning: loathed it) ratings to over 80 movies, but the one that stood out the most was Eagle Eye. The fact that the protagonist disables the super computer by what amounts to smashing it's mouse was just too ridiculous of an exaggeration to forgive. Now there are lots of dumb, unrealistic computer-related scenes in movies, but this one takes the cake. And for that - worst movie ever.

I have a 4-y-o and a 6-y-o, and I find at those ages it's difficult to present such an abstract idea such as gods and religion in an objective way. Perhaps these ideas would be easier for a 10-y-o to grasp, but for this age group we try not answer those questions with strictly "yes" or "no".

Instead, we try very hard to expose our children to lots of different types of mythology and creationism tales so they understand that human history is filled with lots of different gods and goddesses. We find that this makes it easier to handle questions about contemporary God(s) because we can reference the stories and point out that mankind has always had ideas about higher powers and that some people find comfort in thinking about a guiding force for the universe.

We also present them with lots of scientific information (age appropriate of course) that explains humankind's current understanding about the the universe and about Earth's and mankind's history. Our hope is that this gives them the context that they need to make up their own mind about what they choose to believe, and hopefully makes them thirst for more knowledge. (I find modern science to be much more intriguing than contemporary mythology, and my hope is that they will feel the same way.)

Here are some of the books that we use to help form their world view:
* People, by Peter Spier
* Life On Earth: The Story of Evolution, by Steve Jenkins
* Brother Eagle, Sister Sky: A Message from Chief Seattle, by Susan J. Jeffers
* Stories of Greek mythology
* Creationist tales from Africa, Native Americans, Egyptians, etc.
* Even Christian stories, when presented in the same context as other myths and tales (i.e. not as historic "fact")

Robo-dialers.

Need more sit-ups.

It used to be a Corvette Stingray. Then I bought a Jeep Wrangler. Now I'm all like "Stingray Who?"

"You like Chinese food."

I'm still around. Just scaling back on the social network front for a while. Fell free to ask me something though.

spontaneous, curious, and easy-going

I have a recurring theme in my dreams in which I know I'm late for class, but either can't find the class room, can't find my locker, or don't have the combination to my locker. These dreams are ridiculously stressful. I recently met someone who has nearly the exact same recurring dream, so clearly it has some hidden meaning. Maybe just that high school sucks and true hell would be to be stuck there forever because you can't ever pass a class you can't find.

Bio changed. Yes, I've been sailing before but I'd like to go much more (read: own a boat).

I've owned lots of records in my life. As a kid, I remember playing along with an old Star Wars/Ewoks story on vinyl. I think the first rock record I owned was by Men At Work. I remember buying singles for Def Leppard, Fresh Prince and INFX on vinyl. I still have some 7" records from hardcore bands that I listened to in my 20's, as well as the 12" pressing of my band Fragment's album Angels Never Came.

The claim is bogus and unarguable, but as an atheist you of course know that. I think my response would depend on how the conversation had gone up until then. If it had been a heated debate then I may just choose to walk away as we clearly were getting no where and the chance of having a rational conversation would be approaching zero.

However, had it been a polite debate to that point, I may have asked for them to help me understand that statement better. If there is a secret message in the Bible, why is it only available to devotees? If there is hidden meaning, what is the key that unlocks it? (Is it baptism? Accepting communion? Some meta-physical key that has no logical trigger?) I think it would be interesting to see what drives that claim.

(This question stemmed from one of my previous answers, in which I said that I had a theory that satisfied my own curiosity about the meaning of life, though not everyone might enjoy it. Some people asked me to expound on it, so here is a rough overview of my theory.)

There is no meaning to life. Life is random and chaotic, from it's mysterious beginnings to it's inconceivable end. We are here by chance and chance alone. But while we are here, we should make the most of it. We should be good for the sake of being good. We should strive to make life better for our descendants just as our ancestors worked to make it better for us. We should live for ourselves, but never at the cost of someone else's life. By the same token, we should be considerate of other people's lives and allow them to live for themselves. All of these things lead to a peaceful society, one that can exist well into the future. Our meaning, our purpose, should be simply to promote the existence of this society so that future generations can build on it and promote it as well - an endless cycle of innovation and evolution. An endless march towards civilizations unknown.

A bit utopian and objectivist for sure, but that's my take on it. It sounds a lot less hokey if you imagine it being spoken aloud by Carl Sagan, like the closing dialog at the end of one of his episodes of Cosmos.

My favorite piece of advice was courtesy of Uncle Vester (played by Bernie Mac) in House Party 3:

"Boy, just be yourself. If people don't like you for being yourself... F*** 'EM! Let me tell you something. I scored with a girl when I was about your age. I try to please her poppa all the time; wen' out my *way* to please her poppa. I came in one day, I said, "Nice weather we having." He said, "You can't say that. You can't say that; it might rain." I said, "Nice tie you got on." "You can't say that; wife try to choke me with it." Point I'm trying to tell you, son, is be yourself. People who don't like ya for being yourself... F*** 'EM! F*** 'EM against the wall, with handcuffs on and crazy glue on their lips!"

Live your life for you, not for someone else's expectation of how you should live it. And be yourself, not what someone else expects you to be.