17 Mar 2006
'South Park'-Scientology Battle Rages On

Ohmigod! They've killed Kenny! Scientology may finally have bitten off more than they can chew.

'South Park' creators Trey Parker, left, and Matt Stone pose at their offices in Los Angeles on Oct. 14, 2005. The battle between the pair and the celebrity-endorsed religion of Scientology, raged on this week in a tempest over a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise. They said Thursday, March 16, 2006, they won't relent in their feud against the religion, based on the self-help book 'Dianetics' by founder/science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard.( AP Photo/Ann Johansson)AP - "South Park" has declared war on Scientology. Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of the animated satire, are digging in against the celebrity-endorsed religion after a controversial episode mocking outspoken Scientologist Tom Cruise was yanked abruptly from the schedule Wednesday — with Internet rumors it was covert warfare by Cruise that led to its departure.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Frozen French Fried

Dark, very dark, humor ... and alliterative, too!

Faulty freezer forces cryogenics' cremation

(link) [The Register]

00:00 /Humor | 0 comments | permanent link

Students Flock to Seminaries, but Fewer See Pulpit in Future

This really highlights a subtle, but interesting, difference between larger religions, such as Christianity, Islam or even Hinduism, and smaller movements, such as Heathenry.

Not having "professional" clergy, the Heathen clergy that I know all work another job - from the assembly line or the cash register to tenured professor and electrical engineer. We're structurally different in other ways, too. Most Heathen kindreds have at least two, if not three, "clergy" persons (the goði, or priest, the gyðia, or priestess and the Lawspeaker, who serves as a stand in goði and also as the 'president' or secular head of the group. All are generally considered equals - there are no "associate pastors", so to speak, along the ancient paths.

There's always been quite the debate in Heathen circles about the need for professional clergy, too. Some see it as an intrusive custom from the East, best left with the monotheists, while others feel that without it, we'll never be a "real" religion.

I guess I fall somewhere along that spectrum: as commonly thought of a "Heathen pastor" is a contradiction in terms. But at some point we need to develop some sort institutional leadership paradigm that somewhat analogous to the "parish ministry", especially as we grow. I know that if I had the time and cash (that is, if I were to win the lottery), I'd like to get myself to a public university for a degree in Indo-European Studies and give it a shot...

Protestant seminaries' enrollment is up, but a larger portion of the graduates are interested in taking their religion into other careers.

(link) [New York Times]

00:00 /Asatru | 2 comments | permanent link

The budget: 'How do you vote against it?'

You either push the button maked "Nay", you answer the roll call "Nay" or you otherwise mark your ballot "Nay".

Seems pretty f***ing simple to me ...

The Senate probably will give President Bush most of the money he wants for the Iraq war and Gulf Coast hurricane reconstruction while setting aside bipartisan worries about the enormous costs of both.

(link) [CNN.com]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

iTunes Use Surges Past QuickTime, RealPlayer

It's not all "halo effect" - iTunes is simply superior software to the competition, no matter what portable player you use.

Forget increased sales of Mac computers, think media players. The iPod 'halo effect' shows its true power in recently compiled statistics from Nielsen/NetRatings and Apple. From the report on WebSiteOptimization.com: 'Podcasting is taking off and iPods are seemingly ubiquitous. Unique users of Apple's iTunes player should pass RealPlayer by mid-2006 with nearly 30 million users in the US alone. People are tuning in over twice as long with iTunes than with RealPlayer or Windows Media Player. As broadband penetration increases we are spending more time on our computers.'

(link) [Slashdot]

00:00 /Technology | 1 comment | permanent link