Freedom Of Speech – Just Watch What You Say

“Dear God, Protect our President and the people of Ct. Mend the
parents broken hearts, give them peace and the strength to go on.
Keep all the citizens in your loving arms. In this I ask in your
son Jesus name.” – Huffpost comment

“Wow, how silly of you.” – Huffpost comment response.

Ah…another warm, loving antitheist.

Neither rain nor sleet nor horrific tragedy shall keep them from their appointed rounds. I was surprised there wasn’t an anti-SNL protest for choosing the song “Silent Night”. I guess 20 dead children is enough to warrant a one-day reprieve, if only for purposes of public perception of propaganda. Then again, I’m demonstrably daft given prior perusal of posts. -Puppy >.< Yip!

Why My Posts Sometimes Seem To Support Certain Groups/Ideologies/Ideas And At Other Times Oppose Them – Quote Rip By Puppy

“If you make enemies on both sides of the border, you’ll end up dead.”
“We all end up dead. It’s just a question of how, and why.” – Braveheart

“Authenticity is invaluable” – Jim Jarmusch

“Well that’s the test of all tests, if you ask me.” *Pauses briefly* “I’m in.” – Young Guns

“Those things that are easily understood are rather shallow.” – Yamamoto Tsunetomo

In The A-Spirit Of The A-Season…

To those that suggest a world without religion would promote
greater free thought and world peace, a few examples of famous
Atheists/Antitheists in (relatively recent) history and what
they “accomplished”.

Mao Zedong (Mao Tse-Tung):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mao_zedong

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin

Joseph Stalin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_stalin

Saloth Sar (Pol Pot)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pol_Pot

Benito Mussolini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benito_mussolini

Slobodan Milosevic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slobodan_Milo%C5%A1evi%C4%87

Nicolae Ceausescu
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_ceau%C8%99escu

Jacques Hebert
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_H%C3%A9bert

Tomas Garrido Canabal (Founder of the “Red Shirts”)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom%C3%A1s_Garrido_Canabal

Enver Hoxha
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enver_Hoxha

Moral: It’s not the religion, it’s the morality.  Peace.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Better, Better…But WAHHHH!!!!

Well, Crusading Atheist propaganda is certainly sharpening and becoming (while not more intelligent) certainly more effective (Which, as famous propagandists historically concur, is the only necessary thing).

2011: “37 Million Americans know MYTHS when they see them… What myths do you see?” (Pictures of Jesus, Santa, Poseidon, and the Devil) – American Atheists

2012: “Keep the Merry! Dump the Myth!” (Picture of Santa for “Merry”, picture of Jesus for “Myth”) – American Atheists

KIDS SKIP THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!!!!!!!

Now set aside the obvious contradiction in these two billboards by the SAME ORGANIZATION (One says Santa is a myth, the other implies quite obviously that, since you can’t “keep” AND “dump” the same thing, ONE of the pictures logically is NOT a myth…and since “myth” is next to Jesus, Santa is therefore, according to American Atheists, NOT a myth).

Thank you.

They must have had a meeting after 2011 and someone said “You know…putting Santa on that billboard was a mistake.  It made people think we’re just a bunch of arrogant little jerks who don’t care how many children who see it cry profusely as long as we make our point.”

So, to give credit where credit is due, they learned from their mistake and refocused their propaganda so that they could avoid crying children AND ALSO, at the same time, make those kids ask their parents “Why is Jesus up there with Santa, and what is a “myth”?”, thereby pushing their propaganda into people’s heads while they’re YOUNG, which, as ANY propagandist will tell you, is the BEST time to do it.  (e.g. Hitler Youth).

Maybe they’ve been watching ‘The Goebbels Experiment’, but whatever the cause, they’ve figured out the following, as quoted from Adolf Hitler: 

“The most brilliant propagandist technique will yield no success unless one fundamental principle is borne in mind constantly – it must confine itself to a few points and repeat them over and over.”

Can’t wait for next season, maybe they’ll put out a film. ‘Triumph Of The Reason’?

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Anton LaVey vs. Yamamoto Tsunetomo – Jarmuschian Rip/Riff by Puppy

I mean, come on, it’s not even a fair fight…but here goes:

“Self-preservation is the highest law.” – Anton LaVey

Now moving on to the higher primates…

“He felt that a resolution to die gives rise to a higher state of life, infused with beauty and grace beyond the reach of those concerned with self-preservation” – Wikipedian analysis of Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Analysis: Unless you’re convinced that you, YOURSELF, are the very essence of all that is good and wonderful about Humanity, and therefore you MUST survive to pass on your incredibly vital genes that noone else could possibly hope to possess…the fact is, there are (always have been, and always will be…either sadly or fortunately) PLENTY of people for whom self-preservation is the 1st, 2nd, 3rd…25th priority.  So don’t worry…Humanity is safe.  How can any thinking person with any semblance of consciousness not UNDERSTAND this?

“Self-preservation is the opiate of the masses.” – Puppy

Why Fascism Has Historically Favored Atheism – Bleedin’ Obvious Observation By Puppy

It’s easier to get people to do what you tell them to do when they’re convinced the leader of the state is the supreme, ultimate authority on everything.  That being no longer possible through “God-King” myths, it is done via propaganda often to create a “Cult of Personality”.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cult_of_personality

Revisionist History – Satire By Puppy

In the spirit of the Holidays, let’s take a “what if?” look back…the year, 1897:

Title: Is There A Santa Claus?

“Dear Editor: I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says “If you see it in THE SUN it’s so.”
Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?”

“Crusading Atheist Editor:
What are you, stupid?  I mean…GROW UP!  LIES!  ALL LIES!  Thanks for writing.”

Deep Puppy Thoughts (Part 19)

There should be a “Crusading Atheist/Antitheist Cable Network”.

They can take all the great Holiday classics we know and love and edit them for “truth-telling” purposes.

THINK OF IT!

The ending of ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’:

“Hark the herald fictional creatures made up by humankind for their own comfort sing, glory to the new-born human being who was not in fact the son of God so don’t kid yourself…”

-Puppy >.< Yip!

The Latest Great Atheist Achievement

I read an article where an atheist individual with (I believe) sponsorship and/or support from an atheist group spent the time and energy that could have been used on hundreds of “Pro-Humanity” causes to instead put up a billboard next to a nativity scene in which they (Kids, please stop reading here) outed Santa Claus as a fraud.  Oh, and objected to religion.

Now, my major complaint here is…since anyone with ANY degree of intelligence knows that an atheist billboard isn’t going to convert a “believer” any more than seeing a nativity scene is going to convert a “disbeliever” or “non-believer”, and that BOTH are free expressions under the First Amendment of the United States (You know…freedom of speech/religion-nonreligion and all that):

Why do you want to make little children cry?

I mean…imagine the scene, parents taking their kids to see Santa, they’re all excited and happy to say what they want for Christmas…they’re not thinking about the existence or non-existence of God, they’re not being “brainwashed” (Unless you think Santa Claus must be exposed as a fraud on SHEER PRINCIPLE), they’re not doing anything except BEING HAPPY…and then the parents have to console them and explain that the billboard is wrong so they’ll stop crying.

Ummm…can you say “childhood trauma”? 

Is there a crusading atheist actually there to back up the billboard, too? “Don’t listen to them, kids!!  Santa is a FRAUD!!!”

Or, to put it simpler: “Tellarites do not argue for a reason, they simply argue.” – Sarek

The Battle Cry Of The Fervent Anti-Theist

“All your religion are belong to us!”

Most of these radical types are in the same vein as the pre-prison Derek Vinyards of the world:  They’re angry (at something they don’t quite understand, or that they can’t do anything about), and so they group together en masse for a good old fashioned mob-mentality Two-Minutes Hate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two_Minutes_Hate

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Politics In America Today – Editorial By Puppy

It’s obvious to anyone that isn’t blinded by their own convictions or the convictions they have promised to follow even if proven shaky and/or untrue simply to maintain party unity that a major reason the Republican Party seems so fractured, out-of-touch, and just plain ignorant and/or self-blinded to reality is the following:

“Freedom of Religion” means exactly that: Freedom to choose what religion, if any, you believe in and to practice your faith in the context of your life without infringing on anyone else’s same right.

It does NOT mean merging Religion with Politics and using as your only basis for support “It’s what I believe as a *Insert Faith Here*.”

The days of that argument holding any water at all began to decline quite a while ago.  It wasn’t a sudden dropoff, but like the 50’s propaganda films that seemed well-intentioned but slightly out of touch then and completely absurd and laughable now, there is a similar trajectory.

The fact that Americans are progressively, by generation, less and less likely to be indoctrinated in any particular Faith will eventually lead to two things:

1) Belief will become a more personal, meaningful, and DEEPER thing, since it will be increasingly chosen by individuals through the process of self-exploration and exploration of perspectives, one’s own and those of others, and not slapped on them by their parents or community.

2) The number of people that can be accurately described by Albert Einstein as “Crusading Atheists” will dwindle to a small, angry minority just as offensive and abhorrent as in-your-face “Crusaders” for any form of belief.  There being no more “cause” to be angry about, the remnants will simply be angry “about” something else…for some people aren’t angry for reasons, they simply pick a reason to affix their anger to.

P.S.: The “banning” of any religion or form of spirituality is not only WRONG by definition (banning beliefs?  Read ‘1984’)…also, it can’t be done.  Beliefs can NEVER be destroyed.  Ideas can NEVER be “done away with”.  It’s been tried…doesn’t work.  So apart from being immoral, it’s also completely illogical, impractical, and a complete and utter waste of time. 

Instead of protesting religion “telling people how to think” by “telling people how to think” (Does anyone else see the Republican Math here?), how about this…everyone leaves everyone else alone to decide, on their own, with their own minds and without propaganda from either side, without any form of coercion at all…”What do I believe?”.

THAT would be a monumental step forward in the “evolution” of humanity, and it would be achieved through ACTIVE ENCOURAGEMENT OF FREEDOM, rather than FORBIDDANCE OF FREEDOM.  Now…what’s wrong with that?  Peace.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Perennial Halloween Wishes

For those of you that celebrate All Hallows’ Eve/Samhain in a religious sense, happy Holiday.

For those of you that celebrate Halloween in a party/dressup/trick-or-treat/scary movies sense, have a good time.

For those few that (having reached adulthood, especially) still affix any ‘Crow’-ish notions and/or actions to this evening, I suggest watching the following and then laughing at yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPLWbTh9_Nk

10/16/16: FAIR USE: CRITICISM – One of the best bits in the history of TKITH. Further installments available, sequels not as good as original.

Exchange of the Day (Part 2)

“Why the big secret? People are smart. They can handle it.”

“A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous
animals and you know it. Fifteen hundred years ago everybody
knew the Earth was the center of the universe. Five
hundred years ago, everybody knew the Earth was flat,
and fifteen minutes ago, you knew that humans were
alone on this planet. Imagine what you’ll know tomorrow.”

– MIB

Today’s Contestant – Puppy Specialty Subject – The Bleedin’ Obvious

Sorry to break some hearts, but…

There will ALWAYS be atheists.

There will ALWAYS be theists.

Those, ladies and gentlemen, are the facts.

The world will reach the next stage of “evolution” when BOTH sides have shed their fanatics.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Why I’m Glad I’m Flawed

*Spock* It would seem that NOMAD is now seeking “perfect” life forms…perfection being measured by its own relentless logic.

*NOMAD* “What is the meaning.”
*Uhura* “What?”
*NOMAD* “What form of communication.”
*Uhura* “I dunno what he…oh…singing, I was singing.”
*NOMAD* “For what purpose is singing.”
*Uhura* “I dunno…I like to sing…I felt like music.”
*NOMAD* “What is music.  Think about music.”

*Kirk* “What’d you do to her?”
*NOMAD* “That unit is defective. Its thinking is chaotic.  Absorbing it unsettled me.”
*Spock* “That “unit”…is a woman.”
*NOMAD* “A mass of conflicting impulses.”

– Star Trek, ‘The Changeling’

While I Have Your Attention…

Something actually INTERESTING:

“Tsunetomo believed that becoming one with death in one’s thoughts, even in life, was the highest attainment of purity and focus. He felt that a resolution to die gives rise to a higher state of life, infused with beauty and grace beyond the reach of those concerned with self-preservation. Some viewed him as a man of immediate action due to some of his quotes, and in the Hagakure he criticized the carefully planned Akō vendetta of the Forty-Seven Ronin (a major event in his lifetime) for its delayed response.” – Wikipedia, Yamamoto Tsunetomo

Faster, Puppycat! Mock, Mock!!

‘First – What is an atheist agenda (and why capitalize atheism)?’

Because that’s proper English usage.

‘If you think that atheism means something other the disbelief in deities’

Ummm…no offense, but…”than” disbelief.  Actually…I take back the “no offense” part.  I say that in an a-offense way.

‘and/or evidence for such you need to reconsider your definitions rather than create strawmen to knock down.’

I’m not a rich man, I’m not a handsome man, I’m not a smart man, I’m not an educated man, I’m not a well-dressed man, I’m not a tall man, I’m not a straw man, I’m not a milk man, I’m not a gingerbread man…

‘Second – Atheism ‘purports’ nothing of the sort, another strawman.’

Hey…why did you capitalize “atheism”?  (See Above)

‘Third – If you want to assign particular beliefs to groups that hold them while also not believing in gods feel free to do so.’

Fifth…

‘Atheism in itself have no more opinion on homosexuality than on ice cream flavors.’

I HATE to be nitpicky, but…”has”.

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US.

10/24/12: JUST TO CLARIFY…AGAIN…I am NOT poking fun at this person BECAUSE of their use of language.  As was made clear to me by comments he made regarding my “ganglion”, which I sorta know the definition of but not precisely, his position was this…although he’d never come out and SAY it: “You’re an idiot, I’m really really smart.  Therefore, you are inferior and I can mock you and if you don’t understand, that’s your own fault for being an idiot.  BUT…if you make fun of my incorrect English usage, you’re being mean…” 
Even though ignorance of proper English usage is EXACTLY THE SAME as ignorance of the exact meaning of “ganglion”. 
Point: Intelligence does not grant license to be a jerk.  Noone is “better” because they’re smarter…contrary to what supra-intellectual elitists might WANT you to believe, there are plenty of perfectly reasonable, sensible, intelligent people that are NOT inherently inferior because of their lower IQ’s.  It’s about morality, not MENSA scores.
Or, to quote John Cleese regarding outrage felt by my mocking of ignorance, after I was…mocked…for…ignorance (???!!!): “Do I detect the smell of burning martyr?”

-Puppy >.< Yip!

First Citiwide Antitheist Bank – English 101

‘His is agnostic in the same way as most people who state that they do not believe in a god.’

His what?  His best friend, his dog, his cat, his third cousin, who?

‘Stating that something like a god categorically does not exist is a positive claim.’

“Like” a god?  What’s “like” a god?  A demi-god, someone who looks really old with a long beard, what?

‘Something most people who have thought about this probably would not do.’

That’s not true…plenty of people have stated that god does not exist.  I don’t know if they used the word “categorically” (that’s a good one, btw…try ‘Balance Of Power’), but that statement is not true.

‘You cannot categorically rule one out(any more than elves or mermaids but oh well).’

See, now you’re just being a snarky little a$$.  What looks like a “concession” is in fact intended as a backhanded mockery of anyone that could DARE to believe in ANY sort of supreme being.  So what looks like polite conversation is basically your pretentious, a-holier(I just made that up!)-than-thou way of saying “Anyone that believes in God as anything more than a BARELY possible myth is a MORON”.  THAT is what you just said.  You can frame it elegantly, but it’s the same statement.

‘I do agree with you when you state that you are not clever.’

I’m a clever person who talks loudly in restaurants!!!

‘You are demonstrably daft.’

Did you use “demonstrably” and “daft” together for the supercool “alliteration” effect?  Bravo!

‘I should have perused your previous replies on this page prior to replying to your post.’

Wow…you LOVE alliteration.  You do know that just because you begin 5 words with the same consonant doesn’t make you any more right or less snarky, right?  Just checking.  Here, try this one…”Peter Piper Picked A Peck Of Pickled Peppers”.  Great, huh?

‘I do apologize for the typo and that you were not bright enough to sort it out.’

No, let me splain…a “typo” is when you type something incorrectly…say, for example, a spelling error.  When you completely leave a word or three out, that’s not a “typo”.  That’s a “big fcken mistake”.

‘It should have read “We should not have to define ourselves by what WE do not do or do not believe”‘

De Doo Doo Doo, De Da Da Da…The innocence will pull me through.

‘I do not need to describe myself as an a-mermaidist or a-golfer (as I also don’t play golf) or a-elfist.’

Wait…a golfer, or a golfer?  I’m easily confused by small shiny objects.

‘No anger at all.’

Of course not, you’re more of a robot than Joel…what’s your fav, ‘The Changeling’ or ‘The Ultimate Computer’?

‘If anything just the annoyance of using a phone to post.’

So you’re annoyed?  Well…that’s something.  Could I possibly get a “quite put out”?

‘And do feel free to quote me to your heart’s content. Your blog is an expose on you far more
so than anyone you care to quote there.’

THANKS!

-Puppy/Some AtP guy.

How Do I Get Anything Out Of This? The Answer Is Simple…VOLUME.

‘He does not like the baggage that others assign to a particular “ism”.’ (Neil deGrasse Tyson)

Said baggage, in this case, is “getting angry and in-other-peoples-faces about atheism”.  That is the baggage he so desperately wants to avoid, because he can’t STAND people like that.

‘Listen to 2:35 on which is where he makes his case.’

So the previous 2:34 he was just babbling for no apparent reason, and should be ignored?

‘Earlier he states there is no evidence for a god which is good enough for most of us.’

That is incorrect.  Unless by “us” you mean atheists/anti-theists.  If you mean “us” as I believe you do, talking about people in general, that is a false statement, since the majority of people DO NOT believe there is “no evidence for a god”.  Whether I agree with that or not is irrelevant…your statement is false.  Or, as Joel might say: “NON-SEQUITUR.  YOUR FACTS ARE UN-COORDINATED.”

‘That he does not want ignorant theists or atheists to make assumptions about anything further than his position on the lack of evidence for a god is rather diplomatic.’

What the fck are you talking about?  Wow…I need to read ‘Atlas Shrugged’ now, to make sure the world NEVER, EVER falls into your hands.

‘The world is rife with fools’

Why is it that you like to use the word “rife”, but you lack basic writing skills?  Is it some sort of over-compensation for a perceived inadequacy?

‘who assume all sorts of idiotic things from a simple declaration regarding non-belief in fairy tales.’

Who assume that because he says “I’m Agnostic”, that means “I’m Agnostic”.  Oh yeah…that’s really idiotic.  I don’t know what came over me.  He CLEARLY meant something else.  And you, of course, know what “Agnostic” means more than he does…because quite clearly, your mind is superior to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s. 

‘He is quite right when he says the concept of atheism should not exist.’

Hey!  You converted!  Great…I thought you were gonna be an angsty antitheist forever, but this is quite a sudden turnaround.  So what faith are you, now that you’ve disavowed atheism?

‘We should not have to define ourselves by what do not do or do not believe in.’

ALL YOUR BASE ARE BELONG TO US.

‘In other words he’s as much an a-theist as he is a non-golfer.’

What if he golfs?  Nice game, golf…get out in the sun, really pleasant…ahhhh…

DISCLAIMER: For those who may be wondering, the sarcastic comments concerning this guy’s improper English usage are NOT “because” he doesn’t type very well.  It just so HAPPENS that he doesn’t type very well, and I am making sarcastic comments about that because he’s a pretentious wanker.  Thank you.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

The Wiccan Agenda – Satire By Puppy

I was, of course, aware of the Homosexual Agenda, in which the world’s homosexual population plans to clandestinely infiltrate all of society, until they show ‘Glee’ on every channel and the only legal music is show tunes.  Thanks to Das But for alerting me to this.

However, I’ve recently been informed of an even MORE insidious conspiracy…

AtP’s Joel (He’s not stoned, he’s just really tired) recently imparted this bit of wisdom to me:

“…the reason there haven’t been any Wiccan despots in history is because Wicca is a relatively recent invention.”

It made me think…he’s RIGHT…it all adds up.

So remain vigilant, one and all…next thing you know, our forests will cease to be indiscriminately razed, our soil will cease being contaminated, Nature in general will be respected and treated with dignity, and EVERYONE will live together in peace and harmony, allowing for complete personal freedom without causing harm to any other individual.

“It’s SCARY…it’s SCARY!”

Thanks Joel, GREAT idea…

-Puppy >.< Yip!

“And he just goes ON and ON and ON…”

‘deGrasse Tyson just made the same mistake he was railing against, by ascribing characteristics to a group because of a label.’

So you’re saying that ascribing characteristics to a group because of a label (atheist, agnostic, catholic, jewish, muslim, etc) is a, and I quote, “mistake”?.  So why do you do it, exactly?

‘Calling oneself an atheist doesn’t mean anything about how vocal you are about it.’

True.  But by creating a page aimed at ACTIVELY opposing religion that sort of indicates you’re fairly vocal about it(although you seem to be somewhat confused over the difference between speech and writing since you accused me of “slander”)…putting yourself squarely in the camp of those that deGrasse Tyson (someone your page “Likes”) clearly finds so far beneath his attention that to even ANSWER the question posed to him made him look pained and exasperated.

‘Agnosticism isn’t a middle ground between atheism and theism. There are theistic agnostics and atheistic agnostics.’

A “theistic agnostic” is actually pretty close to the middle…do you need me to look up the word “middle” for you?  I mean, unless you mean the EXACT middle…or is that the median…errr…I dunno, I’m not as smart as you are and I sometimes get my facts un-co-ordinated. 

NON-SEQUITIR…NON-SEQUITIR…I am NOMAD I am perfect…oops.

‘Both you and Neil need to go back to Philosophy 101’

You’re saying that YOU are so much smarter than respected astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson that he doesn’t even know the first thing about what he’s talking about compared to you?

I actually like Philosophy 101, btw…it’s fun and educational without being Ayn-Randian in its snobbery.

‘maybe part of the reason there haven’t been any Wiccan despots in history is because Wicca is a relatively recent invention.’

You’re suggesting there’s a clear and present danger of a Wiccan despot in the near future?  What will they do, FORCE everyone to respect nature and live together in peace and harmony, respecting freedom unless it hurts anyone else in any way?  B@STARDS!!!!!!

Your take on my Wicca question is like Silverchair’s take on Pearl Jam – Sounds KINDA ok, but really dumb and kinda laughable when you really pay attention. 

“Wa-ter out of tap is…*RIFF RIFF* Ver-y hard to driiiiiiiiinnnnk…”

‘But besides that, your point is retarded.’

My point is “retarded”?  Are you saying that my point is physically or mentally disabled, are you making light of physical and mental retardation, or are you just in an angsty tizzy?

‘You may as well ask how many despots didn’t have mustaches for all the difference it makes.’

How many despots DIDN’T have moustaches??? Hmmm…interesting point you make…

‘Your post wasn’t humour until you decided to try to awkwardly portray it as so. It certainly wasn’t satire, in fact I don’t think you even know the meaning of the word.’

Yes it was…let me show you- “satire (n): A literary technique of writing or art which principally ridicules its subject often as an intended means of provoking or preventing change. Humour is often used to aid this.”  So you see, you ARE a joke, even if you don’t get it.  Kiss kiss.

‘Your arrogant, self-righteous, attention-whoring bullsh1t is no way to win friends and influence people. Go back to your hole in the ground.’

D@MN…I watched the wrong video…let me see…here it is…’How To Irritate People’.  Oh well…at least I got to watch some early Cleese.

Wait a second…go back to my hole in the ground? I thought you said, just yesterday…”keep posting”?  Are you rational on alternate days, do you mark certain days on your calendar, what?

Just in case you don’t know…

Propaganda (n): A concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people.

Famous propagandists in history:  Well…just about every dictator, really.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Classic Hypocrisy

AFTER complaining about my posts, here’s a post made on ‘Anti-theist Propaganda’ that was not only completely non-“reprimanded”, but was liked (at last count) 41 times:

(Setting: Job application, man sitting in chair, man behind desk interviewing him)
Interviewer, glancing at “resume”: “It says here that you raped 20
children”
Interviewee, smiling: “And counting”
Interviewer, smiling broadly: “WELCOME ABOARD!”

Sign above office revealed: CATHOLIC CHURCH

Now, by the logic *I* was given, that I was supposedly suggesting all anti-theists are supporters of mass murder and genocide when I was in fact using satire…THIS would suggest that the poster believes that EVERY member of the Catholic Church is a child rapist, or, at the VERY LEAST, supports the idea of child rape.

So, AtP admins…where’s the outrage here?  Or are you tacitly agreeing with that suggestion?

When one of them does it, it’s humor and if you don’t “get it”, you’re stupid or “out of touch”

When someone who doesn’t fall into step with their (self-proclaimed) propaganda DARES to do something that is much more clearly satire, but NOT in support of their agenda, they invite them to, and I quote “fck right off”.

Hypocrites.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

And ON and ON and ON…

‘Anti-theist Propaganda Oh, yeah, we’re “famous” because you posted about our page on your blog that maybe 5 people read. You’ve really made us look bad.’

First, that’s a false statement.  Second, you’re admitting that you don’t believe I caused you any harm.  Third, you did no research to substantiate that claim.  As for causing “damage” to the reputation of my website…well, that remains to be seen.  (See ‘Libel’)

‘See, what you don’t understand is there’s a f#cking huge difference between “ridicule or criticism”, and accusing people who don’t support mass murder and genocide of supporting mass murder and genocide.’

I didn’t accuse you of supporting mass murder and genocide.  Show me, where exactly I accused you of supporting mass murder and genocide.  The point that I was/am LABORING to make is that there is no “magic cure” for all the world’s problems.  I was using satire to poke fun at the claim that, and I quote, “religion sucks” and that, and I’m paraphrasing here…”the next step in human evolution will occur when religion is done away with”.  The extreme example I used, Pol Pot, was intended as exactly that: an extreme example to show that your “theory” is absurd.  Now, if YOU take that in a radically different way than what I intended, that’s not MY problem…that’s YOUR misinterpretation.

‘If I went onto your blog and started accusing you of being a Nazi or a kiddy fiddler, that wouldn’t be ridicule or criticism, it would be stupidity and slander. Same goes for the bullsh1t you’ve been posting here.’

You’re implying, again, that I accused you of what you said I accused you of as quoted above.  And I believe I have already answered that incorrect suggestion.  Also, slander is spoken…the correct term for what you’re accusing me of is “libel”…which I explain above, regarding your comments directed at my website.

‘So you’ve gone from claiming you were trying to “educate people about Pol Pot” to claiming that your posts were “a joke”.
Get your story straight.’

I was trying to do both, as described above.  It’s called “satire”.

‘I’m just saying for someone who wants people to think they were just kidding all along, you sure did come on pretty strong about Pol Pot being an example of antitheism being taken to its logical extreme and all of us being guilty by association.’

“Wants people to think?” No, you see that implies that I WASN’T being satirical IN ANY WAY, in your opinion, and that I believe the logical conclusion to antitheism is mass murder and genocide.  Which I do not.  Therefore, your statement is false.  If you BELIEVE that the logical extreme of antitheism is mass murder and genocide, then that’s not MY problem…and it’s not MY fault if my satire makes you feel “guilty”, if it does…I mean, what you’re saying here is that you believe I think all antitheists are supporters of genocide and mass murder…at least, that’s the impression that I get.  And my response to that, quite frankly, is go FCK yourself.

‘You’re playing with semantics, and I’m not biting.’

Semantics (n): The study of the relationship between words and their meanings.

Are you saying I should use words without regard to their meanings?  Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of using words?

‘As for how many readers you had, I simply made
a subjective evaluation of your site design and content, and thought “surely there couldn’t be more than five people who would put up with this on a regular basis”. wink’

Do you know the only difference between this “joking” comment and my supposedly “libelous” ones?  There’s a wink-smilie at the end of it.

So, if I had put a wink-smilie on my first post, everything would be hunky-dory?

And a “subjective evaluation” is NOT “adequate research”.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

I refuse to believe in this conversation, but neither do I disbelieve in it.

‘Let’s look at what you’ve done here.’

See, I was right!  Ve-ry su-per-sti-tious…

‘You’ve just compared the admins of a Facebook page to one of the most brutal, misanthropic, insane dictators of recent history.’

I was just ridiculing your just-as-absurd generalizations about ALL religions.  According to your own page’s description: “NOTHING is above ridicule”.  So why can’t I ridicule you?  You do exist, do you not?  And are therefore a “thing”?  So according to your mission statement, I’m doing your job for you.

‘Then you try and act like you have the moral high ground and were just trying to make some kind of point.’

See above.

‘Your extreme example is meaningless.’

Your entire goal is to eliminate religion, in the insane belief that will produce the “next stage of human evolution”.  My extreme example points out that it’s not QUITE that simple…try watching “How To Do It”.

‘You are not making a point here’

If I am saying nothing, why are you bothering to respond?

‘you are not promoting education’

Sure I am.  The Wikipedia Pol Pot link got plenty of hits since I posted.  Education!

‘you are just making yourself look like a colossal a$$hole’.

Well I am colossal.  I’m tremendous.  I’m stupendous.  I’m even superlative.

‘We don’t need to block you’

You don’t need no education…

‘because every time you post you only show the readers of this page how utterly ridiculous you are.’

Well, NOTHING is above ridicule, after all…

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Post-Script

Is the following a logical statement?

“Everyone should think for themselves and make their own decisions.  Therefore, if you want to know what free-thinkers should think and why, come to X and we’ll tell you.”

Or, you can just do your own independent research, evaluate all the available information, decide what you truly believe, and live by it.

I’ll go with the second…BUT you don’t have to…

*SATIRE…SATIRE…SATIRE*

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Just Sayin’

I have no problem with ANYONE because of their faith/lack thereof.

I have a problem with hypocrites/propagandists.

Propaganda, by definition, aims at treating people like sheep.

I prefer my free-thinkers to think freely of their own volition, without being stimulated a la Pavlov.

Propaganda (n):  A concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people.

Excerpts from FB’s ‘Anti-theist Propaganda’ page

‘Hi Aaron, thanks for sharing.’

Ummm…you’re welcome, Joel.  You know, I expected something really nasty in response…

‘On behalf of everyone on this page, I’d like to cordially invite you to f#ck right off.’

Like that.  And since we’re supposed to be about TRUTH and FACTS, why do you say you “cordially” invite me to fck off?  You’re ANGRY…you’re DENYING the truth. You are LYING.  How is that promoting “truth”?

‘If you know anything about Pol Pot, you’d know that his motivations and actions are so far removed from anything we endorse that your comparison is beyond ridiculous.’

It was an extreme example used to promote thought and education.  Worked, didn’t it?  So…what’s the problem?  Extreme “examples” are great when they serve your agenda, but they’re horrific when they don’t?  I don’t get it…’splain, please.

‘We…promote education for the benefit of the human race.’

So I just educated hundreds, perhaps THOUSANDS of people who, before my post, did NOT know that Pol Pot was a crusading atheist who tortured and killed people for refusing to NOT believe.  So…why aren’t you promoting me?  Isn’t that for the benefit of humanity, to show that you can be anti-theist and still be a total scumbag?  How can you not understand this?

‘Although as anti-theists we are in a position of vehement opposition to religious belief we would never condone violence,’

So you’re saying that, even though you encourage freethinking, NOONE who likes your page/agrees with your anti-theism would EVER commit an act of violence?  Please…now who’s spreading fairy tales?

‘believing that a freethinking individual is entitled to make their own choices’

Ok.  So what you’re saying is, by this direct, unedited quote…is that you think everyone should make up their own mind.  Great.  Point made.  So why do you keep making the same point over and over and over and over again?  Your page makes sweeping generalizations about how everyone that is religious is “brainwashed”…that’s as absurd as saying that EVERY anti-theist is a fanatical POS like Pol Pot.  Oh wait…how is the second any worse than the first? 

WAIT…I’ve got it…because I refuse to be brainwashed into thinking I’m brainwashed…I’m brainwashed.  Got it.

‘and that our duty to our fellow humans is not to force them to share our beliefs but simply to empower them to make up their own minds.

This stands in stark contrast to the Khmer Rouge regime of death
which sought to destroy all educated people and force an entire
country to serve one man’s twisted vision of an extreme socialist state.’

Well, I’ve made up my own mind.  But I’ve got a strange feeling that you WON’T leave me alone…I’ve got a strange…call it a “superstition”…that you’ll send ANOTHER message to me, or someone else will say something really nasty.  Which sort of goes against what you just said, huh?

‘Your earlier statement likening our opposition of religion to “skinning nonconformists alive” is equally absurd, not least because in the countries where most of us are from, religious belief is the norm and atheism is seen as the nonconformist position.’

I was referring to Pol Pot, atheist/anti-theist.  Pol Pot DID, in FACT (since you insist on facts, why don’t you accept them and applaud me for providing them?) skin people alive (among other forms of torture) as well as force them to dig their own graves before being beaten and thrown in, often buried alive by the Khmer Rouge.  The POINT is…your little dream of “doing away with religion will make the world a happy, peaceful wonderful place and everyone will be shiny and happy” is just as absurd as any other fairy tale taken seriously…and Pol Pot is a FACTUAL example of  how your “perfect world” can go HORRIBLY wrong.  But what do I know…I’m not an anti-theist.

‘Many of us either face or fear discrimination on the basis of our lack of religious belief. So maybe you should re-check your perspective.’

You live in Australia, do you not?  I wasn’t aware of the fanatical religious groups that dominated the Australian sphere of influence. Ummm…see below:

“Australia has no state religion, and section 116 of the Australian Constitution prohibits the federal government from making any law to establish any religion, impose any religious observance, or prohibit the free exercise of any religion” – Wikipedia

‘Religions suck.’ – Wow, that’s really profound.  Who wrote this, Anton LaVey?

‘One thing we know is clear- NOTHING should be above ridicule or criticism.’ – Including your page.

‘You are the enemy’ – I thought you meant only to educate/enlighten…”enemy” sounds very…what is the word…dangerous.  Hey, see ‘Pol Pot’ above.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Deep Puppy Thoughts (Part 14)

I’m the captain, the original EAM is ‘Let Me In’, the new one is ‘Let The Right One In’.

Vis:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-k3U3qiqjI&feature=related

-Puppy/Crimson Tide(TM, all rights reserved them)

1/11/14: Disney you SUCK! (If you really wanna watch the clip, it’s the part of the movie where they get into a slowly-building tense argument).

Binders Full Of Mitt

Comments on Mitt Romney’s “Binders full of women”:

– I think someone should create a song hooked around him saying that over and over again, like Orb’s “Fluffy Clouds”

– On a serious note, the Jon Gruden-esque pauses Mitt made while trying to think of what the *BLEEP* (his mental note) to say illustrate how unprepared/unconcerned he was with the question.  He just wanted to not totally fck up and move on to something that actually MATTERED to him.

– These binders, did they actually contain women, or just the names of women?  Because if the former, that’d be a neat trick…”Binder Of Holding: Value 20,000 Gold Pieces”

– If Obama ever sees himself behind in the polls after this, he should echo Jon Lovitz’s comment (hopefully with better results) after 3,000 points of light – “I can’t believe I’m losing to this guy.”

-Puppy >.< Yip!

Logic Vs. Emotion – Alright…we’ll call it a draw.

“MCCOY: What’s the matter, Spock?
SPOCK: There’s something disquieting about these creatures.
MCCOY: Don’t tell me you’ve got a feeling.
SPOCK: Don’t be insulting, Doctor. They remind me of the lilies of the field. They toil not, neither do they spin. But they seem to eat a great deal. I see no practical use for them.
MCCOY: Does everything have to have a practical use for you? They’re nice, soft, and furry, and they make a pleasant sound.
SPOCK: So would an ermine violin, but I see no advantage in having one.
MCCOY: It’s a human characteristic to love little animals, especially if they’re attractive in some way.
SPOCK: Doctor, I am well aware of human characteristics. I am frequently inundated by them, but I’ve trained myself to put up with practically anything.
MCCOY: Spock, I don’t know too much about these little tribbles yet, but there’s one thing that I have discovered.
SPOCK: What is that, Doctor?
MCCOY: I like them…better than I like you.
SPOCK: Doctor?
MCCOY: Yes?
SPOCK: They do indeed have one redeeming characteristic.
MCCOY: What’s that?
SPOCK: They do not talk too much. If you’ll excuse me, sir.”

– Star Trek, “The Trouble With Tribbles”

To You Know Who

I miss your lasagna, your coffee concoctions, and your eerily-friendly cats.

But I miss you most of all.

I’m sorry I messed things up.

*hug*

-Puppy >.< Yip!

7/15/13: In accordance with Dae’s pronouncement of my mental state, I must confirm that I still miss you, C.D…although your blocking of me tends to indicate you don’t miss me, so I’ll move on.

Spock’s Way

*Kirk* “…made Mr. Spock and me, brothers.”
*Garth* *quickly* “Mr. Spock…do you consider Captain Kirk and yourself, “brothers”?”
*Spock* “Captain Kirk speaks somewhat figuratively, and with undue emotion;  however, what he says is logical, and I do, in fact, agree with it.”

Deep Puppy Thoughts (Part 11)

Some people might wonder why I list Spock as an “influence”, and not Data.

Well, here’s the reason…

Data is a machine.  A machine programmed to behave as a living being.  It is in his nature, by default and without any effort, to be completely logical and to behave logically at all times.  Thus, it is no more impressive when he does so than when a calculator correctly performs a function asked of it, a television set turns on when you hit the “power” button, or a spider builds a web.  They are inherent functions of the items…even the spider, being a living thing, does not receive praise for its choice to build a web.  That’s what spiders do…they build webs.

Vulcans, on the other hand, even pure-blooded ones, are extremely emotional beings.  That they choose to suppress this emotion, through a conscious decision and with extreme effort, because they believe it is the proper thing to do, is an accomplishment.  Perhaps not always the BEST thing to do, but it is quite an accomplishment.  To struggle mightily to achieve and maintain something is laudable.  To behave in a way inherent to your nature is expected.

-Puppy >.< Yip!

“Or Who Cares?” – Curly Howard

“That’s not cool. That’s not how you play the game.” – Eric Chavez on the Oakland Athletics after they “clapped” and “chanted” too much in the dugout.

First, Eric, the Oakland Athletics are fighting for postseason positioning…they’re a young team, they got excited, so they expressed emotion.  It wasn’t anti-Yankee…it was pro-Athletic.  Loosen up, dude.

Second, who the heck cares what you think?  Just because you’re a Yankee you think anyone on ANY other team gives a sh1t about being lectured on how to “properly” play the game the Yankee way?  Noone outside New York gives a sh1t, and it’s sad that you appear to think that the Athletics might be “properly chastised” after having a Yankee finger wagged at them saying “Nooooo….bad Athletics…”.  The concept that ANYONE outside New York cares about the “Yankee Way” is about as valid as the concept that prior to the 2004 ALCS any Yankee fan considered Yankees-Red Sox a “rivalry”.  Please…

Third, since they were in the dugout, they weren’t actually playing the game at that point.

For an example of playing the game, look at your teammate, Alex Rodriguez, in the 2004 ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.  Notice how he slaps down with his hand in violation of the rules to knock the ball loose from Bronson Arroyo.  Notice how he puts his hands on his head and gets that “What did I do???” 5-year-old look on his face and pouts.

That would be an example of how not to play the game.

If you’re talking about people WATCHING the game, watch the lowlights (Thank you, “Big Eddie”) of every Sox-Yankees game of any importance from 1986-2004.  Notice the “Nine-teen Eight-teen” chants of your fans whenever the Sox inevitably start to lose, basically saying “Our team has beaten you, but that’s not enough…we want to rub your loser noses in it”.  That would be an example of how not to watch the game.

But hey, what do I know?  I’m not a Yankee.  Praise the Heavens above.

-Puppy >.< Yip!