Jun 16
Kumquat commented on Photos From The Georgetown Carnival.
I second (third?) the love for Boe. His kind of generous free spirit is refreshing to see- nothing vulgar about it!
Jun 11
Kumquat commented on For Just $69 (Each), You Can Attend a Daddy/Daughter Purity Ball in Bellevue This Weekend!.
The whole $69 bit is more proof we live in a universe where the line between satire and reality is just erased.
Jun 11
Kumquat commented on Rand Paul Aide Frets Over America's "Judeo-Christian Heritage".
Besides the content, I see a lot of similarities in syntax and tone between David Lane and our own Siddha!
Apr 30
Kumquat commented on Brave CBS Reporter Speaks Up for Underprivileged Older Christian White Men.
Yes. Check. Those attributes alone are not enough to- um- get you a cookie? What?
Apr 22
Kumquat commented on You Don't Know Either, Amanda Palmer.
Well, again, I feel empathy for Dzhokar and I feel grossed out by Amanda's poem. Somehow, I don't feel I'm giving into mob mentality over this one, and I don't feel like I'm betraying my empathy for Dzhokar and his brother over not liking this particular poem. In fact, I'd say not liking this poem is pretty incidental to my response to anything that happened in Boston.
Apr 22
Kumquat commented on You Don't Know Either, Amanda Palmer.
Or I guess what Matt from Denver said.
Apr 22
Kumquat commented on You Don't Know Either, Amanda Palmer.
I don't want to speak for Megan's outrage, but since you are asking, I'll offer my own, Delirian.
I find the poem offensive because it does *not* do the thing that you are claiming it does- it does not humanize Dzhokar- it attempts to speak for him, and in a way that is incredibly off putting, and ultimately just points the finger back at Amanda Palmer. As humans who collectively experienced (at a once or twice remove, depending on who you are on this thread) something horrific, and are still processing it, it's off putting and offensive to have a public figure (which, you know, is the sort of result of being a successful artist- she is a public figure) take all of that awfulness and then just turn the spotlight on themselves. "Wait, wait, see how provacative and risque I'm being!" is what comes across from this poem. Whether that's because of clumsy artistry or that's the intent, it's still really annoying and not really useful. And, honestly, a lot of crap is offensive because it's crap. Seriously, people devote their lives to dissecting other's artistic output based on the metric of "is this crap or not".
I agree with you that it is paramount to remember the humanity of Dzhokar. You can hold that position and also hold that this poem is crap.
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I find the poem offensive because it does *not* do the thing that you are claiming it does- it does not humanize Dzhokar- it attempts to speak for him, and in a way that is incredibly off putting, and ultimately just points the finger back at Amanda Palmer. As humans who collectively experienced (at a once or twice remove, depending on who you are on this thread) something horrific, and are still processing it, it's off putting and offensive to have a public figure (which, you know, is the sort of result of being a successful artist- she is a public figure) take all of that awfulness and then just turn the spotlight on themselves. "Wait, wait, see how provacative and risque I'm being!" is what comes across from this poem. Whether that's because of clumsy artistry or that's the intent, it's still really annoying and not really useful. And, honestly, a lot of crap is offensive because it's crap. Seriously, people devote their lives to dissecting other's artistic output based on the metric of "is this crap or not".
I agree with you that it is paramount to remember the humanity of Dzhokar. You can hold that position and also hold that this poem is crap.
Apr 8
Kumquat commented on The Morning News: Margaret Thatcher Dies, Hillary Clinton Writes a Book, and Chile Digs Up a Nobel Laureate.
Was there an article I missed somehow that #4 pertains to, or is it just sort of a random comment that didn't fit anywhere else today, and just ended up here? Is it somehow linked to the Nutella one? The worst date ever one? I'm just so confused by the placement here!
Mar 25
Kumquat commented on Gaytheists.
Actually, now that I think about it, my father in law's super conservative church was *way* more on the ball- and fiercely advocating for- protection against human trafficking than anyone else I am aware of. They take in people who've been illegally trafficked, help them find housing, navigate within the immigration system, help them find employment, etc etc. They also do lots of work to try to influence local and state legislation. His church is abysmal when it comes to gay rights (or even environmentalism), but they were really at the forefront of this particular issue.
Humans: we are a mixed bag!
Humans: we are a mixed bag!
Mar 25
Kumquat commented on Gaytheists.
From @55: "If religion could demonstrate to us just once that it is able to take the lead when it comes to social or scientific progress (take climate change, take education - in particular science - in particular evolution, the backbone of biology -- take gay rights, take stem cell research, take space exploration and research, take women's rights especially in other parts of the world, just to name a few current issues), we'd have nothing else to talk about."
I think that Martin Luther King Jr, a Baptist Minister, did a pretty solid job of taking the lead on the Civil Rights Issues of the day.
Quakers have a solid record of taking radical stances and leadership roles around the issues of slavery and women's equality in the 1800s, and in promoting pacifism and peaceful protest for the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
I'm not super well versed on this, but it seems like I've recalled that during the Islam Golden Age, serious scientific advances were made, encouraged by the Muslim leadership of the time and place.
Anyway, none of that is to deter you from being an Atheist, or to assert that a life with religion is superior to a life without religion. I do think you are making some very broad claims while ignoring some evidence that challenges those claims.
If you remove religion from the world, people will go on being shitty to each other and they will go on being amazing and generous to each other, much the same as now. And they'll find all sorts of reasons to support or justify their behaviors and decisions, much the same as now. It's part of the complexity of being human. History seems to do a great job of demonstrating that as well!
Anyway, Blake, you sound pretty committed to your cause. I'm unlikely to join you, since I find my faith helps me be a better person, and gives me great comfort in times when life is shitty, but I wish you and yours success in getting together a like minded community. I know that I feel a lot of comfort and peace in attended services with my own (liberal, progressive, religious) like minded community!
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I think that Martin Luther King Jr, a Baptist Minister, did a pretty solid job of taking the lead on the Civil Rights Issues of the day.
Quakers have a solid record of taking radical stances and leadership roles around the issues of slavery and women's equality in the 1800s, and in promoting pacifism and peaceful protest for the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
I'm not super well versed on this, but it seems like I've recalled that during the Islam Golden Age, serious scientific advances were made, encouraged by the Muslim leadership of the time and place.
Anyway, none of that is to deter you from being an Atheist, or to assert that a life with religion is superior to a life without religion. I do think you are making some very broad claims while ignoring some evidence that challenges those claims.
If you remove religion from the world, people will go on being shitty to each other and they will go on being amazing and generous to each other, much the same as now. And they'll find all sorts of reasons to support or justify their behaviors and decisions, much the same as now. It's part of the complexity of being human. History seems to do a great job of demonstrating that as well!
Anyway, Blake, you sound pretty committed to your cause. I'm unlikely to join you, since I find my faith helps me be a better person, and gives me great comfort in times when life is shitty, but I wish you and yours success in getting together a like minded community. I know that I feel a lot of comfort and peace in attended services with my own (liberal, progressive, religious) like minded community!
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