My Evening Commute and a Big Bird

I really must complement the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.  I commute on I-81 and, despite the replacement of no less than 6 bridges between Wilkes-Barre and Scranton, plus some other bridge work, the only major delays I have experienced have been the idiots who speed in the work areas and create accidents.  The traffic is sometimes slow, but the major backups are rare.  The lower speeds (frequently 35 to 45 miles an hour) does let me watch bumper stickers.

This Should Make It Easier to be an Atheist

Atheists have been accused, over the years, of many atrocities.  We tend to joke about it, but, lets face it.  Many of the accusations can be rather, well, difficult to fulfill.  Luckily, Sears has come up with a way to help (from FailBlog):

Hi, Ya’ll

Sorry for the hiatus.  Things have been busy at work, but that really was not the problem.

I Get Mail. And It Isn’t Nearly As Exciting As It Should Be.

Today, I got an email from Tina Jane.  I  did not recognize the address, or the mailer, but, after doing a quick McAfee scan, I clicked.  Then I clicked over to a Google document.  And I realized that I was being witnessed via billytheatheist (at) gmail.com as I read:

Another Christian Thinks Laws Don’t Apply to Christians

A Western Florida high school is learning an important lesson.  Well, the principal (Frank Lay) and the athletic director (Robert Freeman) are learning a lesson.  And it is a lesson with which certain Christianist dominionist fundamentalists have a great deal of trouble.

For the past 20 or so years, (from Americans United)

under Lay’s leadership, Pace High School became known as “the Baptist Academy.” Teachers and staff delivered prayers and invited students or outside leaders to lead prayers during school activities. Teachers read from the Bible and discussed church attendance with students. Students were encouraged to attend religious clubs and incorporate religion into their schoolwork.

Bishop allows villagers to notice ‘reality of nature’

A small village in Switzerland has, collectively, spent the last 331 or so years praying for one thing.  Now they are petitioning the Vatican to reverse their prayers (from Yahoo News (via the AP)):

Since the vow was established in 1678, the deal was simple: the citizens of the isolated mountain hamlets of Fiesch and Fieschertal would pledge to lead virtuous lives. In exchange, God would spare their homes and livelihoods from being swallowed by Europe’s largest glacier as it expanded toward the valley with heavy winter snows.

Carnival of the Godless is up at Socratic Gadfly

Modern Philosophy

Atheists Really Do Exist.

As I was leaving work today, I noticed an older woman sitting alone.  She sat on one of those walker/stools which have become quite popular.  I thought it odd as the park was closed.  So I stopped to ask, “Are you waiting for a ride?”

She smiled at me and, in a beautiful North Carolina Piedmont accent, replied. “Oh, yes.  My husband and I parked at the mall and he just walked over to get the car.  So I hope he’s picking me up.”

I thought for a moment and realized that there may be a problem.  The walkway to the mall is usually locked right at 5:00pm.  So it may already be locked, in which case this could get  difficult.  I explained the situation and told her that I would check an make sure he made it all the way up the ramp, and would also make sure that the main gate was still open so he could get back in.

She beamed at me and said, “Oh, you are so wonderful.  You are a good Christian and one of God’s people.”

The Thursday Gourmet: Uncle Bill’s Chicken

I like garlic.  Hell, in our house, garlic is considered a vegetable.  I’ve been known to go through as many as 10 bulbs of garlic in a month.  Not cloves of garlic.  Bulbs. 

This recipe comes (in a roundabout way) from a garlic cookbook (a collection of recipes from the  Gilroy Garlic Festival) in which it is listed as ‘Uncle Hugo’s Chicken.’  My name is not Hugo.  I have no uncle, much less an uncle by the name of Hugo.  I am an uncle, though, so to her I am Uncle Bill.  Thus, my altered version of the recipe is called:

Uncle Bill’s Chicken