Sometime today (Dec 9) my Bell connection will be severed. Sometime on monday the 14th, a new connection will be established via cable.

I'll be back.

Glen Beck 3G's

Yet another controversy appears to be brewing around Fox News host Glenn Beck. Some are accusing him of a blatant conflict of interest concerning his frequent on-air promotion of an investment sold by one of his main advertisers: Gold.

This last time when I was up visiting my folks we were discussing doing favors and having expectations of appreciation afterwards. My mom was telling me how one of the issues she deals with is having expectations after she does something nice for someone, and how this isn't what a true favor is. Doing something for someone shouldn't have any expectations, and this is something she wants to improve on with herself.

I agreed fully, even elaborating that it's not even a favor or a gift once you're expecting something in return. She agreed, of course. I have to admit now that I was baiting my mother. I elaborated a few more times saying that the truly gracious act is one that even refuses repayment, or blushes at thankyou's. In fact, the most gracious act is doing a favor anonymously so that you're not given any sort of credit at all. It's something done for the soul purpose of gift giving, and nothing else. That's the true heroic act.

So I'm up visiting my family and my dad almost walked into a spider web. It'd been constructed right on the sliding door that goes outside. He didn't walk through it however. He brought the little kids, nieces and nephews to see the giant web in the doorway. It was really neat, actually. Then he cleared it from the door with his hand.

This morning I walked into a web on the same door. I came out brushing my face of the web and said "That spider didn't learn its lesson!"
My dad laughed, and then he said something that started an interesting conversation. He said, "Did you look at that web yesterday? It's a feat of engineering! How do you explain how a spider can do that?"

I've always hailed my father for being a pioneer of logic, excluding his dedication to the bible. Indirectly or not I know he was suggesting that the only answer to how a spider can construct a web so structurally impressive is because God made it that way. Of course I was more than ready to explain something to my dad that I had always assumed he believed in despite the bible. I said, "Dad, it's a talent that's been developed over hundreds and thousands of years. It probably started with many unsuccessful attempts at web constructing that left those spiders to starve to death, and not pass down their talents to their kids."

My dad answered back, "You think the spider showed its babies how to make a web, or gave them instructions verbally somehow?"

http://video.rationalresponders.com/video/Tree-of-Knowledge-2009

I held an umbrella today over Margaret Downey as she put atheist book covers on the Tree of Knowledge.  A display outside of the West Chester County Courthouse in their Free Speech zone.  Here is a list of the books on the Tree of Knowledge.  Enjoy the video and photos.  

Amazon just sent me word that of a special deal to pass on to you.  As an amazon associate I'm getting a bonus this weekend for your purchases, through the end of shopping on Monday.  You're also getting more discounts.  Amazon has tons of black friday - cyber monday deals and they're all available here: Black Friday - Cyber Monday Amazon Shopping to support RRS

It's with sorrow and sadness that I announce the Rational Response Youtube account is back online.  In the years of my atheist activism I've never had the pleasure of working with a more frustrating and horribly run company.  It's often seemed to me as if they have 4 employees, 3 of which have their heads up their ass, and the 4th is measuring how far they managed to insert it.  I'd sit here and tell you the stories, but why relive the pain.  Nevertheless a few people asked for our youtube account to be back online, so I've been working on it since October 11th, and they finally managed to do what by law was supposed to be done by October 25th.  I have no plans to upload another video to that account, however it's likely that I will at some point.  I deleted a few videos that I felt were less relevant, and upon seeing some of these videos for the first time in months realized I would prefer to not come off quite as harsh.  Not that I don't think we shouldn't be mocking and laughing at religion, I would like to do it with a slightly more calm demeanor if I can.  Which of course remains to be seen.  

I've decided to put together a little playlist of the videos I'd most want someone to see if they've never seen any of the videos on our youtube account before.  

In Rationality,

Brian Sapient

Here they are... 

I was just walking through the store and saw a copy of "The Purpose of Christmas" by Pastor Rick Warren.  I got swelled up with desire to respond to this book.  It was easy pickins.  I got home and headed straight to Amazon to purchase a used copy (there's no way I'd buy it new).  If I hadn't had the positive fund raising efforts recently I wouldn't have bought it.  I'm semi-considering becoming a flea of this book and writing a book response (not just an internet one).  In fact any of the regulars here would find this book an easy shred.  Seriously every sentence I saw deserved some form of response, even for nothing but to correct the semi-deceptive manner in which he builds his case to love Christmas because of Christ.