As I was going through the journals that I read daily today, I noticed that I hadn't mentioned The Mighty Kymm lately. She mentions today that she has been thrilled lately to discover that she had been mentioned in a few journals lately, so I thought that I'd jump on the bandwagon and thrill her too. Kymm is one of my daily reads, and she gave me my second award, which is really kinda my first one now, since Sage (of the erstwhile Coffee Shakes) gave me my first one, but dammit, Sage is gone now. Kymm's award, then, has the distinction of being my first award and the last one. O'well...
Tyler and I started working on the arbor yesterday about noon, and quit at about 17:30. We got it all done except for the rigidity supports (yeah, there's another name for them, I'll remember it after I post this). By the time we were done I was completely done in, as in tuckered. I don't think that it helped my back any, either, although I thought that some physical activity should. So, I was wrong again.
We would have been done a lot sooner, but we were working with salvaged redwood decking, and it all had to be sanded before we put it up, so we can put the finish on it to maintain the redwood color. But before we do that, we have to stain the CCA decking, so it'll look like redwood. Next on the deck agenda is building a couple more benches and some planters and putting the lights up.
I did get some interesting feedback yesterday from the Canadian Contingent. What they told me was, in essence, that there are some entries that they didn't enjoy as much as others, but not to worry. And I realized that, yeah, I only hear from people when I really annoy them or if an entry particularly impresses them. This leaves a large number of entries that are OK, but not worthy of mention, really, and a large number that are really not OK, but again, not bad enough to mention. And I guess that's the way things should be.
On the subject of feedback, I have a major delimma
One of the ladies (Cathleen) sent me this quote, which I truly enjoy:
I also got another email yesterday: it is reproduced in its' entirety here, with the original text in white and my comments in green:
well, here it comes, it's the constructive criticism.
Sorry, Matt, I can't leave the wars out. That's a lot like saying murderers are OK, if you leave out the part about killing people.
But religious people are not what you think obviously. I live i the bible belt of america, (western nc) most of my frinds are ahthiests or don't give a dam's. But a lot of them are strongly baptist, including my own girlfirend.
I'll admit that I do tend to exaggerate some on this point. However, given your description (Tehy jsut go to church, accept what is said and don't give it much thought. although naive, simplistic and narrowminded, they are weak and unstable. ) all that they need is a strong leader that will take advantage of their weaknesses. There is historical precedence here.
But if all this were true. If they truly accepted what god is then they wouldn't be like they are. There life would depend on religion so much more then it does. Most of the peole around here go to church on sudnays and think about god for two hours, then go home and watch the rrace on tv. and for the rest of the week work, drink have sex and cuss. never giving god a single thought.
Hipocracy? Y' don't say!
in truth you and i think about god a lot more they they ever will. YOu give tehm too much credit. Religion for them is nothing but a subconscious cushion for when someone dies or other drastic things in life happen.
I did spend a lengthy amount of my life believing this; I no longer do. I maybe give too much credit to the everyday xian, but their leaders/preachers are not necessarily stupid. And the potential does scare me. I consider anything relevant if it has the potential to harm me.
So please do me a favor and don't be a hipocrit about religious people and add links such as "why christains suck" to your page.
It is nice to have your opinion on this.
a reply would be most welcomed.
feel free to post this on your page.
-matt
Matt, I can't quite figger out where you're coming from.
Doug Franklin
nilknarf@nilknarf.net
http://nilknarf.net
I know quite a few xians, and I have no fear of them individually. As a group, however... get them all together, and one of them throws a pebble at me; someone else, not to be outdone, throws a rock. Before you know it, I'm resting under a cairn of bricks and boulders.
This has been said about many minority/majority groups.Gee, one-on-one, they're OK, but get a group of them together and you've got trouble!
That's enough talk about atheism for one day.
More tomorrow....
with colors on this page, and I've been trying to please everyone and struggling with it. The first complaint (comment) was that the white on black was way too contrasty. Then I went to gray, and the first commenter was happy; but then... the gray on black wasn't very easy to read, according to the second commenter. I went to gold on black, and the first commenter wasn't happy, and neither was the second. So right now I'm dithering: to my eye, it all looks good, but I do want to have a pleasing look for everyone. So... what is the BEST font color to use on a black background? Drop me a line at nilknarf@nilknarf.net with your favorite color for a black background in the subject line. I'll go with the majority on this one.
The man who refuses to judge, who neither agrees nor disagrees, who declares that there are no absolutes and believes that he escapes responsibility, is the man responsible for all the blood that is now being spilled in the world. --John Galt & Ayn Rand
"We're born wet, naked and hungry. After that things get worse."
Hi Matt!
First off, thanx for writing.
I'm using your letter and my response in today's entry (http://nilknarf.net970624.htm)
----
From: Dennis McClure
To: nilknarf@nilknarf.net
Date: Monday, 23 June, 1997 23:56
Subject: good points from a fellow athiest.
that's right, one of your fellow atheists has a small bone to pick.
Religion isn't bad.
it's far from it in fact. its good, unless you bring up wars, but if we don't have religion to fight about we'll find something else. So don't blame religion.
let me tell you first that you have too much faith in. They may think of it as their life but in no way are religious poeple ever strong enough to kill someone (literally end someone's life) just because a preacher or "god" told them too. They aren't that strong. YOu seem to speak of them in that situation as if one day they are all going to rise and kill us all. When in fact most religious people don't even think about god Tehy jsut go to church, accept what is said and don't give it much thought. although naive, simplistic and narrowminded, they are weak and unstable.
its good for them and irrelavant to us.
thanks for listening.
It's good to get feedback from someone who kinda thinks the way that I do. And it points out the fact that I feel that it is necessary to exaggerate some. But I've got a message for complacent people, and I feel that is necessary to jar them out of their complacence.