Who in the hell thought it was a good idea to reenact the Plains of Abraham anyway?
Seriously.
Was it because all of the enmity between French and English is a long lost memory?
Was it the utter lack of concern voiced by the Quebecois regarding their culture?
Was it the fact that there hasn't been any terrorism on the subject in about 40 years?
Yeah, obviously reenacting the battle that led to all of the stress between francophone and anglophones these last two centuries was a fabulous idea.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Those Sexist Virgin Radio Ads
In case you're not from Ottawa, or at least Virgin Radio hasn't opened a station in your area, there's a kerfuffle around these parts over a series of ads that Virgin has pasted around town for one of its features, "The Gods of Rock".
The ads feature somewhat sad looking pregnant teenage girls and young women with the caption "Lock Up Your Daughters, The Gods of Rock are now in Ottawa". It spawned the Facebook group linked above and a pile of articles denouncing the ads for sexism. The best one I've read is probably this one mailed in to the Ottawa Citizen. You may see others as well as a whole blog dedicated to the ads.
Yes, the ads are sexist. And I can tell that, at least as far as the poster of the article I cited in concerned, many of the protests are consistent.
But there's something I have to point out because, like it or not, a lot of the people criticizing these ads are deeply hypocritical. I can't tell which people in particular without doing a lot of cross-referencing. But here are the problems with the Virgin ads:
1) they portray women as victims
2) they portray rock stars as heroes
3) they then idolize the rock stars for making the women victims
Have I got it right? I think so. It's crass and juvenile, but maybe they're hoping their target audience is too. It won't be the first time such a thing has worked.
Now let's get to the hypocrisy.
I'd like to ask the people who write angry letters about these ads a question. That question is simple.
So, yeah, trash the stupid Virgin Radio ads. But when you're done with that, take a look at your religion and try to weather the roaring thunder of a tidal wave of cognitive dissonance.
The ads feature somewhat sad looking pregnant teenage girls and young women with the caption "Lock Up Your Daughters, The Gods of Rock are now in Ottawa". It spawned the Facebook group linked above and a pile of articles denouncing the ads for sexism. The best one I've read is probably this one mailed in to the Ottawa Citizen. You may see others as well as a whole blog dedicated to the ads.
Yes, the ads are sexist. And I can tell that, at least as far as the poster of the article I cited in concerned, many of the protests are consistent.
But there's something I have to point out because, like it or not, a lot of the people criticizing these ads are deeply hypocritical. I can't tell which people in particular without doing a lot of cross-referencing. But here are the problems with the Virgin ads:
1) they portray women as victims
2) they portray rock stars as heroes
3) they then idolize the rock stars for making the women victims
Have I got it right? I think so. It's crass and juvenile, but maybe they're hoping their target audience is too. It won't be the first time such a thing has worked.
Now let's get to the hypocrisy.
I'd like to ask the people who write angry letters about these ads a question. That question is simple.
Do you go to church?You see where I'm going here? If you're complaining about these ads and you're a Christian, you have a lot of explaining to do. Your entire religion is based on the impregnation of a virgin by a god. You could try to argue that it was voluntary, but only an idiot believes that a 14 year old girl can give informed consent.
So, yeah, trash the stupid Virgin Radio ads. But when you're done with that, take a look at your religion and try to weather the roaring thunder of a tidal wave of cognitive dissonance.
Bwahaha! Atheism On Your Bus!
I know what you're thinking: shouldn't we atheists be dispelling the myth that we're out to eat babies or go on raping and pillaging?
I suppose, but I still think we should occasionally avail ourselves of ripe opportunities to laugh maniacally.
To wit: Ottawa refuses Atheist bus ads.
Apparently, the city has been allowing ads with bible passages on them but has refused the atheist ads which say, as they did in Britain: "There's probably no god, now relax and enjoy life." They wisely put it in all-caps to save the trouble of deciding whether to use a capital 'G' for the deity.
But talk about playing in to our hands. The Christian and religious majority are constantly harping on about how hard done by they are, about how persecuted they are, about how they can't even say "god" anymore without being vilified and mobbed by hordes of evil atheists.
But, when you get right down to it, it's really the atheists that have the hardest time just being who they are without having someone else's beliefs crammed down their throats.
When I see something like this, I know that it's generating yet another wave of cognitive dissonance that crashes against the faith of the religious.
And I see that it is good.
I suppose, but I still think we should occasionally avail ourselves of ripe opportunities to laugh maniacally.
To wit: Ottawa refuses Atheist bus ads.
Apparently, the city has been allowing ads with bible passages on them but has refused the atheist ads which say, as they did in Britain: "There's probably no god, now relax and enjoy life." They wisely put it in all-caps to save the trouble of deciding whether to use a capital 'G' for the deity.
But talk about playing in to our hands. The Christian and religious majority are constantly harping on about how hard done by they are, about how persecuted they are, about how they can't even say "god" anymore without being vilified and mobbed by hordes of evil atheists.
But, when you get right down to it, it's really the atheists that have the hardest time just being who they are without having someone else's beliefs crammed down their throats.
When I see something like this, I know that it's generating yet another wave of cognitive dissonance that crashes against the faith of the religious.
And I see that it is good.
Sunday, February 08, 2009
In a joint statement ...
... the Liberal and Conservative parties declared that democracy has died in Canada.
Oh, no, wait. They just declared that the issue of the alleged attempt to bribe Chuck Cadman in to voting in step with the Conservative Party to bring down the Liberal government of Paul Martin, is a dead issue.
What do they mean by "the matter was dropped"? Are the Liberals, under that sycophant to the wealthy Michael Ignatieff, really telling us that there was no attempt to bribe Chuck Cadman? Am I really supposed to be happy to know that no one will be held accountable - in our supposed democracy - when the attempt to bribe an MP in a confidence vote is caught on tape?
Michael, you wuss, that'd better not be what it means.
Oh, no, wait. They just declared that the issue of the alleged attempt to bribe Chuck Cadman in to voting in step with the Conservative Party to bring down the Liberal government of Paul Martin, is a dead issue.
What do they mean by "the matter was dropped"? Are the Liberals, under that sycophant to the wealthy Michael Ignatieff, really telling us that there was no attempt to bribe Chuck Cadman? Am I really supposed to be happy to know that no one will be held accountable - in our supposed democracy - when the attempt to bribe an MP in a confidence vote is caught on tape?
Michael, you wuss, that'd better not be what it means.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
You Can't Be Good Without God.
I suppose that's what the Metro Transit Authority in Halifax is telling us when they denied the Humanists an opportunity to advertise on the sides of buses.
Indeed. I can't wait for the obvious corollaries to come through on a broad statement like that. I'm rather offended, quite personally and honestly, when politicians tell us that atheists can't be trusted because we don't believe in god.
The Humanists are simply responding to that multitude of religious people that insist religion and god-belief are necessary for morality, thereby insinuating that the rest of us are incapable of morality. The Humanists are saying that we can be good without god.
And this is controversial?
This stands, to me, as the typical rant of the religious. They get to swing their fists wherever they want: insulting us; tricking our children in to their cult; using our tax dollars to fund their worship. And if ever we tell them to stop insulting us and to leave our children alone then we are persecuting them. Suddenly, it's so difficult to be in that gigantic majority of Christiandom because they're not allowed to punch us in the face with their dogma.
Yes, I can see how that could be offensive: announcing that some of us, despite everything their priests have told them, can lead moral lives without their religion. I can see how that must grate on their nerves. After all of the abuse and scorn they've been permitted to heap on us, after all the nonsense they've taught their children about us, they're forced to face the truth that some of us actually lead decent lives without being cajoled or threatened with eternal damnation. What will their children think of this?
Yeah, that must really tick them off.
h/t to Red Tory.
"So, if anytime we feel there's a message that could be controversial and upsetting to people, we don't necessarily sell the ads."
Indeed. I can't wait for the obvious corollaries to come through on a broad statement like that. I'm rather offended, quite personally and honestly, when politicians tell us that atheists can't be trusted because we don't believe in god.
The Humanists are simply responding to that multitude of religious people that insist religion and god-belief are necessary for morality, thereby insinuating that the rest of us are incapable of morality. The Humanists are saying that we can be good without god.
And this is controversial?
This stands, to me, as the typical rant of the religious. They get to swing their fists wherever they want: insulting us; tricking our children in to their cult; using our tax dollars to fund their worship. And if ever we tell them to stop insulting us and to leave our children alone then we are persecuting them. Suddenly, it's so difficult to be in that gigantic majority of Christiandom because they're not allowed to punch us in the face with their dogma.
Yes, I can see how that could be offensive: announcing that some of us, despite everything their priests have told them, can lead moral lives without their religion. I can see how that must grate on their nerves. After all of the abuse and scorn they've been permitted to heap on us, after all the nonsense they've taught their children about us, they're forced to face the truth that some of us actually lead decent lives without being cajoled or threatened with eternal damnation. What will their children think of this?
Yeah, that must really tick them off.
h/t to Red Tory.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Sam Harris, Sir, You Rule
Over at richarddawkins.net, there's an essay by Jerry Coyne on the subject of religion and science running together and how some scientists manage to remain religious.
The good stuff comes from the responses by various scientists (religious and not) of import and how they deal with the situation. After you've read Krauss's bit on how it's not worth the time to argue with the religious and Dyson's bit on how the number of books reconciling science and religion is a sign of success at doing so, scroll down to Sam Harris's eloquent essay.
Remember to wear goggles. The sarcasm ... it burns.
The good stuff comes from the responses by various scientists (religious and not) of import and how they deal with the situation. After you've read Krauss's bit on how it's not worth the time to argue with the religious and Dyson's bit on how the number of books reconciling science and religion is a sign of success at doing so, scroll down to Sam Harris's eloquent essay.
Remember to wear goggles. The sarcasm ... it burns.
Sunday, February 01, 2009
Oh, no! Not Marijuana!
How can it be? How can it be!
I didn't want to believe it, but he admitted to it! The world's favourite 23-year-old swimming superstar now outed as a heavy drug user when a picture came out on the interwebs of him using ...
What?
Marijuana?
Omigod, people, get a grip.
I suppose we should expect Americans to explode this way, after the way they exploded when they Janet Jackson's breast appeared on television for some fraction of a second. But really. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?
The last time a Canadian Olympian got caught green-handed, remember that? Rebagliatti? Marijuana in his urine? Our whole country was up in arms demanding that he keep his gold medal because a) marijuana isn't a performance enhancing drug and b) it's marijuana, not crack.
Sheesh, people. He's human. And 23. And a superstar. You should be happy it's only weed.
I didn't want to believe it, but he admitted to it! The world's favourite 23-year-old swimming superstar now outed as a heavy drug user when a picture came out on the interwebs of him using ...
What?
Marijuana?
Omigod, people, get a grip.
I suppose we should expect Americans to explode this way, after the way they exploded when they Janet Jackson's breast appeared on television for some fraction of a second. But really. What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?
The last time a Canadian Olympian got caught green-handed, remember that? Rebagliatti? Marijuana in his urine? Our whole country was up in arms demanding that he keep his gold medal because a) marijuana isn't a performance enhancing drug and b) it's marijuana, not crack.
Sheesh, people. He's human. And 23. And a superstar. You should be happy it's only weed.
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