A major factor in Northern Europe's religious development is that the countries have state churches to which the majority of their populations adhere to (more or less; by default, the majority is entered into the church books as congregants, probably at birth).
A state church will necessarily act differently than an independent church as a state church is usually accountable to the state political government and thereby accountable to public opinion (whereas an independent church is only minimally accountable to its respective governmental authorities and can more easily act without democratic regard [though this can cause a backlash through a loss of congregants and income]). This is in addition to the general social accountability a church incurs once it reaches a critical size and to the normal conformity-enforcement a centralized church develops (for example, if a Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran priest strays too far away from church orthodoxy, he or she risks being fired from the church and losing both his or her parish and monetary support; you can also see this in the Roman Catholic Church).
Norway's welfare system probably owes more to socialist / social democratic political actors, though the appeal of social justice probably brought the Christian Democrats on board. It should be noted that a major part of the system, the national healthcare system, was developed with the support of the Norwegian private business community, which saw the benefits of having the government responsible for their workers' well-being rather than the potential arbitrariness of private health insurance companies. The other parts of the welfare system are set up to appeal to our generalized greed; everyone in Norway gets welfare, from the poorest to the richest. By generalizing welfare, the social democrats ensured that even wealthy recipients would be disinclined to remove it (as they themselves see that money come in to themselves, for example, in the form of governmental child support). To make a system last, it's probably best to simultaneously appeal to our highest ideals and to our basest instincts. That we all pay in to it (through taxes) is another equalizer.
This equalizer, by the way, is one of the reasons parts of the anti-immigration arguments get a foothold among Norwegians; when immigrants are seen as enjoying the fruits of the Norwegian social system without paying into it (by either working illegally or deliberately not working at all), this feeds into a social distrust that can undermine the trust the social system relies on (the idea that we're all in it together).
As for the US, that's a big other story. Some bits to consider are the US' youth, its decentralization, some of its underlying ideologies (political, economic, social, and spiritual), its immigrant-composition, its seemingly national millenarianism, and its objective and relative successes.
Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Monday, January 31, 2011
Some longer Twittering
I recognize that the John Edwards perspective is one of gloom, and could be one of the lines of thought that enabled the US tendency for apocalyptic anticipation (millenariansm). My comment was more of a snarky rebuttal rather than a measured response, as I feel that kind of gloom doesn't necessarily deserve much more (at least if I'm not in a giving mood).
Norway has a few fiery Protestants, but we mostly exported them over to the US back in the 1800s / early 1900s. Significant parts of US Evangelical Christianity owe something to Norwegian Evangelism. We've had the benefit of a mollifying state church, one that took part in the bid for democratization and independence (the delegates for our 1814 constitutional congress were determined at a church parish level).
Our state church remains Norwegian Evangelical Lutheranism.
Norway has a few fiery Protestants, but we mostly exported them over to the US back in the 1800s / early 1900s. Significant parts of US Evangelical Christianity owe something to Norwegian Evangelism. We've had the benefit of a mollifying state church, one that took part in the bid for democratization and independence (the delegates for our 1814 constitutional congress were determined at a church parish level).
Our state church remains Norwegian Evangelical Lutheranism.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Rudy Giuliani on Piers Morgan Tonight
I'm watching Pier Morgan's interview with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani and am having flashbacks to how uninspiring Rudy was back in 2007-08.
He reminds me of those automated baseball / tennisball throwers, shooting out soundbytes with a regular interval. While this is sufficient for some voters, I know it isn't sufficient for what I want from a president and I doubt it's sufficient to get the partisan fire burning among the voters he wants to court.
Rudy also fails to offer any kind of vision of where he wants to take the US. What goals does he have for the country?
Rudy claims that we've been victorious in Iraq? What victory? His hypothetical claims of belief regarding Iraq's alleged stockpiling of nuclear weaponry/materials are ludicrous.
I am merely mortal and I have reached my limit. Off the TV goes.
He reminds me of those automated baseball / tennisball throwers, shooting out soundbytes with a regular interval. While this is sufficient for some voters, I know it isn't sufficient for what I want from a president and I doubt it's sufficient to get the partisan fire burning among the voters he wants to court.
Rudy also fails to offer any kind of vision of where he wants to take the US. What goals does he have for the country?
Rudy claims that we've been victorious in Iraq? What victory? His hypothetical claims of belief regarding Iraq's alleged stockpiling of nuclear weaponry/materials are ludicrous.
I am merely mortal and I have reached my limit. Off the TV goes.
Monday, January 24, 2011
I left that for this?
In 2006, I moved from Miami back to Norway. In a nutshell, I left this:
Crandon Beach, Key Biscayne, 28th of February, 2003
for this:
Hellvik Beach, Nesodden, 24th of January, 2011
Crandon Beach, Key Biscayne, 28th of February, 2003
for this:
Hellvik Beach, Nesodden, 24th of January, 2011
Creative writing practice 24th of January
Been skimming through jobs to apply for and felt like doing some creative writing. Here's the result (yes, yes, it is in need of editing):
It was a warm early summer's day. Sunlight streamed through the treetops, onto freshly moistened soil and plants. Birds sang and fluttered among the trees with the enthusiasm they often have after a storm. The air was crisp with the smell of wet dirt.
Of course, none of this mattered to Ben Lindeman as he gripped onto the knife stuck in his stomach. Dying is a distracting enterprise and one has rarely has the inclination nor the time to appreciate the bluebells below when one's blood pours out on them. Indeed, it was so distracting that he didn't even bother to get upset about his now torn and bloodied dress shirt.
Shock, pain, and a little bit of relief (for imminent death is nothing if not fatalistically relieving) prevented Ben's hands from removing the knife. It stung his innards even more as he dropped down to his knees, his hands jerking it slightly due to his less-than-graceful collapse. Seconds after (though they seemed like minutes to Ben's scrambling mind, as he reviewed the highlights of his life and found them...wanting) he fell forward, crushing the blood-soaked bluebells and a patch of buttercups.
It was a warm early summer's day. Sunlight streamed through the treetops, onto freshly moistened soil and plants. Birds sang and fluttered among the trees with the enthusiasm they often have after a storm. The air was crisp with the smell of wet dirt.
Of course, none of this mattered to Ben Lindeman as he gripped onto the knife stuck in his stomach. Dying is a distracting enterprise and one has rarely has the inclination nor the time to appreciate the bluebells below when one's blood pours out on them. Indeed, it was so distracting that he didn't even bother to get upset about his now torn and bloodied dress shirt.
Shock, pain, and a little bit of relief (for imminent death is nothing if not fatalistically relieving) prevented Ben's hands from removing the knife. It stung his innards even more as he dropped down to his knees, his hands jerking it slightly due to his less-than-graceful collapse. Seconds after (though they seemed like minutes to Ben's scrambling mind, as he reviewed the highlights of his life and found them...wanting) he fell forward, crushing the blood-soaked bluebells and a patch of buttercups.
Monday, September 06, 2010
3-D movies
My comment to this Facebook Status message:
My take: 3-D should be reserved for simulators and amusement park rides. The point of the third visual dimension is to give a sense of interaction and interactive immediacy, which most movies are unsuited for as they (or, the vast majority of them) are not interactive (and attempts at audience interaction haven't been substantially successful).
For example, 3-D would be awesome in a well-done downhill ski simulator, where we'd get an approximation of the experience of whizzing past the trees (and that approximation would be a major point, if not the point of the simulation; it wouldn't be about a story or characters, but about a visual-spatial experience). Other simulators include deep sea diving, mountain climbings, and visiting impressive locations (real and fictional; imagine a 3-D tour of Minas Tirith).
I have two 3-D experiences that stand out in my memory: seeing Avatar last year and taking the Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. While Avatar's 3-D was cute (though it distracted me from the story...which I might be thankful for), the 3-D in the ride strikes me still as a far more impressive experience. When the Green Goblin threw a fireball at the audience, we got the visual experience of fire coming against us (which was supported by a smaller, though warming fireball for the heat effect).
***
As a side-note, I wonder when we'll have the first 3-D porno, which seems slightly more in line with the simulation experience rather than the narrative experience.
My take: 3-D should be reserved for simulators and amusement park rides. The point of the third visual dimension is to give a sense of interaction and interactive immediacy, which most movies are unsuited for as they (or, the vast majority of them) are not interactive (and attempts at audience interaction haven't been substantially successful).
For example, 3-D would be awesome in a well-done downhill ski simulator, where we'd get an approximation of the experience of whizzing past the trees (and that approximation would be a major point, if not the point of the simulation; it wouldn't be about a story or characters, but about a visual-spatial experience). Other simulators include deep sea diving, mountain climbings, and visiting impressive locations (real and fictional; imagine a 3-D tour of Minas Tirith).
I have two 3-D experiences that stand out in my memory: seeing Avatar last year and taking the Spiderman ride at Islands of Adventure in Orlando. While Avatar's 3-D was cute (though it distracted me from the story...which I might be thankful for), the 3-D in the ride strikes me still as a far more impressive experience. When the Green Goblin threw a fireball at the audience, we got the visual experience of fire coming against us (which was supported by a smaller, though warming fireball for the heat effect).
***
As a side-note, I wonder when we'll have the first 3-D porno, which seems slightly more in line with the simulation experience rather than the narrative experience.
Friday, July 09, 2010
Twitter Follow Friday and Reasons
These are some of the Twitterers I recommend following and why I recommend them. The text may change as I find new reasons or better explanations for why I recommend them.
#FF @AMSbossybear
Bossybear is served by @Amsterdirk and is a royal bear that travels mostly around Amsterdam, making claims to what he likes and dispossessing what he doesn't like. These claims are documented with photographs and posted here: Bossybear's twitpic feed. His most frequent statement is "Mine!" He has also met such luminaries as Logan McCree (here's their NSFW encounter).
#FF @MoRocca
Mo Rocca is a comedian, most known from his performances on The Daily Show. He usually tweets humorous takes on current events.
#FF @AndyTowle
Andy Towle is news blogger who focuses on news relevant to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (GLBTQ) persons and their supporters. His blog can be found here: TowleRoad
#FF @BrianJMoylan
Brian Moylan is a news blogger and commentator at Gawker.com, with a special focus on GLBTQ issues presented with a big dash of wit. His blog entries on Gawker can be found here: Gawker - Brian Moylan's posts
#FF @GawkerTV
Gawker.tv is a sub-site of Gawker that takes on video clips, whether from the World Wide Web or television. It can be highly addictive, especially if you primarily work on a computer. The site can be found here: Gawker.tv
#FF @BrentSpiner
Brent (aka Data/Lore from Star Trek:TNG) indulges in a narcissistic personality disorder worth checking out. If you reply to him, be prepared to get burned and entertained.
#FF @BorowitzReport
Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, who regularly tweets about current events. You can check out his site here: the Borowitz Report
#FF @Hakonbogen
Norwegian comedian and 8-bit gaming enthusiast who also works with plastic bead art. His work includes plastic bead ties and bowties and a recreation of the first level of Super Mario Bros. His blog can be found here: Garlic in Sink (in Norwegian).
#FF @Gawker
Premiere Hollywood-DC gossip and news review blog. Their site can be found here: Gawker
#FF @I_am_Ozma
Ozma provides smart reflections and questions about current events. Her tweets are worth reading and following.
#FF @StephenAtHome
Stephen's personal tweets; funny statements from the pundit we know and love. His professional website can be found here: The Colbert Nation
#FF @SarahKSilverman
Sarah's unabashed commentary on events and the world around her. Her website can be found here: Sarah Silverman Online
#FF @JoeMyGod
LGBTQ news blog that regularly includes commentary on the aforementioned news. The blog can be found here: Joe.My.God
#FF @ggreenwald
Glenn is a former Constitutional law professor and now blogs for Salon.com. His reflections provide an island of socio-political sanity in a mad, mad world. His blog can be found here: Glenn Greenwald
#FF @ebertchicago
Blogger, news linker, and notorious retweeter, Roger's a great find within the Twitterati. His website and blog can be found here: Roger Ebert at Chicago Suntimes
#FF @donttrythis
Adam Savage of MythBusters fame provides silliness and geektastic links. His website can be found here: Adam Savage Bio
#FF @wilw
Geekdom from Wil Wheaton, a.k.a. Ensign Wesley Crusher. His blog can be found here: WWdN: In Exile
#FF @Joan_Rivers
Joan being Joan (what more could you ask for?) and with a new season of How'd You Get So Rich?. Also Joan's new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work has received rave reviews.
#FF @jackmackenroth
Jack is a source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of acerbic Twittering. Mostly the last bit, so you should have a thickened skin before following him.
#FF @rodmccullom
LGBTQ news blogger with frequent updates and discussion. His blog can be found here: Rod 2.0:Beta
#FF @badbanana
Tim provides delicious tweet bons mots.
#FF @thinkgeek
Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. And who can resist such adorable monkeys? Their monkeys also called out our would-be robot overlords during Twittergate. Their store can be found here: ThinkGeek: Stuff for Smart Masses
#FF @YahtzeeCroshaw
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, the man behind Zero Punctuation.
#FF @BPGlobalPR
Unofficial public relations Twitter account for British Petroleum. Frequently informs and shows us how #bpcares.
#FF @AMSbossybear
Bossybear is served by @Amsterdirk and is a royal bear that travels mostly around Amsterdam, making claims to what he likes and dispossessing what he doesn't like. These claims are documented with photographs and posted here: Bossybear's twitpic feed. His most frequent statement is "Mine!" He has also met such luminaries as Logan McCree (here's their NSFW encounter).
#FF @MoRocca
Mo Rocca is a comedian, most known from his performances on The Daily Show. He usually tweets humorous takes on current events.
#FF @AndyTowle
Andy Towle is news blogger who focuses on news relevant to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and queer (GLBTQ) persons and their supporters. His blog can be found here: TowleRoad
#FF @BrianJMoylan
Brian Moylan is a news blogger and commentator at Gawker.com, with a special focus on GLBTQ issues presented with a big dash of wit. His blog entries on Gawker can be found here: Gawker - Brian Moylan's posts
#FF @GawkerTV
Gawker.tv is a sub-site of Gawker that takes on video clips, whether from the World Wide Web or television. It can be highly addictive, especially if you primarily work on a computer. The site can be found here: Gawker.tv
#FF @BrentSpiner
Brent (aka Data/Lore from Star Trek:TNG) indulges in a narcissistic personality disorder worth checking out. If you reply to him, be prepared to get burned and entertained.
#FF @BorowitzReport
Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, who regularly tweets about current events. You can check out his site here: the Borowitz Report
#FF @Hakonbogen
Norwegian comedian and 8-bit gaming enthusiast who also works with plastic bead art. His work includes plastic bead ties and bowties and a recreation of the first level of Super Mario Bros. His blog can be found here: Garlic in Sink (in Norwegian).
#FF @Gawker
Premiere Hollywood-DC gossip and news review blog. Their site can be found here: Gawker
#FF @I_am_Ozma
Ozma provides smart reflections and questions about current events. Her tweets are worth reading and following.
#FF @StephenAtHome
Stephen's personal tweets; funny statements from the pundit we know and love. His professional website can be found here: The Colbert Nation
#FF @SarahKSilverman
Sarah's unabashed commentary on events and the world around her. Her website can be found here: Sarah Silverman Online
#FF @JoeMyGod
LGBTQ news blog that regularly includes commentary on the aforementioned news. The blog can be found here: Joe.My.God
#FF @ggreenwald
Glenn is a former Constitutional law professor and now blogs for Salon.com. His reflections provide an island of socio-political sanity in a mad, mad world. His blog can be found here: Glenn Greenwald
#FF @ebertchicago
Blogger, news linker, and notorious retweeter, Roger's a great find within the Twitterati. His website and blog can be found here: Roger Ebert at Chicago Suntimes
#FF @donttrythis
Adam Savage of MythBusters fame provides silliness and geektastic links. His website can be found here: Adam Savage Bio
#FF @wilw
Geekdom from Wil Wheaton, a.k.a. Ensign Wesley Crusher. His blog can be found here: WWdN: In Exile
#FF @Joan_Rivers
Joan being Joan (what more could you ask for?) and with a new season of How'd You Get So Rich?. Also Joan's new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work has received rave reviews.
#FF @jackmackenroth
Jack is a source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of acerbic Twittering. Mostly the last bit, so you should have a thickened skin before following him.
#FF @rodmccullom
LGBTQ news blogger with frequent updates and discussion. His blog can be found here: Rod 2.0:Beta
#FF @badbanana
Tim provides delicious tweet bons mots.
#FF @thinkgeek
Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. And who can resist such adorable monkeys? Their monkeys also called out our would-be robot overlords during Twittergate. Their store can be found here: ThinkGeek: Stuff for Smart Masses
#FF @YahtzeeCroshaw
Ben "Yahtzee" Croshaw, the man behind Zero Punctuation.
#FF @BPGlobalPR
Unofficial public relations Twitter account for British Petroleum. Frequently informs and shows us how #bpcares.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Revelation 3:15-16
One of my favorite Bible passages is the combination of Revelation 3:15 and Revelation 3:16 (English Standard Version (©2001)):
In terms of theology and faith, I have significantly more respect for the hardcore faithful, those whose lives truely reflect their belief in whatever their faith is in. If your world contains a creator deity, how can you not let the deity and its existence permeate throughout your life? My respect is not contingent on whether their values or conclusions concur with mine, but on whether their lives are consistent with what they hold to be divine truth.
My reason for disrespecting and dismissing many fundamentalists and other "faithful" is that their faith is, to me, obviously hollow. Too often their extremes are informed by insecurity and personal doubt, leading their faith-inspired action to be predicated not on the assumption and assurance of divine existence, but on their need for self-validization (often at the expense of others, including their fellow faithful). Other times, it is informed by terrestial desires, with a religious justification slapped on to make the achievement of those desires respectable or to cover them up (staining both the desire and the religion). These terrestial desires include the desires for personal growth and angst-relief, where the faith is a base tool, a means rather than an end in and of itself.
The latter is also why I find many if not most of the semi-theosophist beliefs repellent. The faiths are not the same, they do not lead to a universal truth (though many broadly appeal to a common ground on occasion), and they seek and apply significantly different values. The wishy-washy "God is love and accepts all" message that is popular with semi-Christians nauseates me. This message turns something that is supposed to exist on its own (something that is supposed to be real, and often be more real than anything else) to only exist for us, our pleasure, our vanity; the Creator can or will no longer make demands on its Creation, but instead is an amorphus blog that we can appeal to whenever we feel like it.
Mind you, I specify "semi-theosophist beliefs," meaning those beliefs that claim a more specific identity (probably for the convenience of whoevers spouting off) but inject major elements that are not part of that specific faith. For example, the Abrahamic God(s) are staunchly monotheistic and express abhorrence to any other worship, so to claim that they're cool or down with Hindu deities is an outright lie and an absurd one at that.
I have few qualms about those who are and identify themselves as Theosophists, as it is a separate faith that establishes all other faiths as attempts at reaching it (and therefore that all other faiths are not equal to, but subordinate to the Theosophist universal truths). It is not wishy-washy; it asserts its universal truth and does not open for an equality of faiths.
This passage from Revelations reflects my sentiment on this, with the beautiful imagery of the Christian divinity spitting out those who are half-assed about their faith in it. I identify myself as cold, as I claim and hold to be true that the Christian divinity (like all other current human faiths) is a fairy tale. Its god and stories are myths, untrue stories that contain lessions on either true things or things we hold to be true (such as the desirability of the Golden Rule). Whatever reality, "real" truth, the Bible holds is limited to its non-supernatural stories (and even some of them may be untrue, due to either mistakes or intention). At most, it tells us of Jewish history and lessons about humans within an Abrahamic and later Christian value system. We should appreciate as such.
I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!
So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.
In terms of theology and faith, I have significantly more respect for the hardcore faithful, those whose lives truely reflect their belief in whatever their faith is in. If your world contains a creator deity, how can you not let the deity and its existence permeate throughout your life? My respect is not contingent on whether their values or conclusions concur with mine, but on whether their lives are consistent with what they hold to be divine truth.
My reason for disrespecting and dismissing many fundamentalists and other "faithful" is that their faith is, to me, obviously hollow. Too often their extremes are informed by insecurity and personal doubt, leading their faith-inspired action to be predicated not on the assumption and assurance of divine existence, but on their need for self-validization (often at the expense of others, including their fellow faithful). Other times, it is informed by terrestial desires, with a religious justification slapped on to make the achievement of those desires respectable or to cover them up (staining both the desire and the religion). These terrestial desires include the desires for personal growth and angst-relief, where the faith is a base tool, a means rather than an end in and of itself.
The latter is also why I find many if not most of the semi-theosophist beliefs repellent. The faiths are not the same, they do not lead to a universal truth (though many broadly appeal to a common ground on occasion), and they seek and apply significantly different values. The wishy-washy "God is love and accepts all" message that is popular with semi-Christians nauseates me. This message turns something that is supposed to exist on its own (something that is supposed to be real, and often be more real than anything else) to only exist for us, our pleasure, our vanity; the Creator can or will no longer make demands on its Creation, but instead is an amorphus blog that we can appeal to whenever we feel like it.
Mind you, I specify "semi-theosophist beliefs," meaning those beliefs that claim a more specific identity (probably for the convenience of whoevers spouting off) but inject major elements that are not part of that specific faith. For example, the Abrahamic God(s) are staunchly monotheistic and express abhorrence to any other worship, so to claim that they're cool or down with Hindu deities is an outright lie and an absurd one at that.
I have few qualms about those who are and identify themselves as Theosophists, as it is a separate faith that establishes all other faiths as attempts at reaching it (and therefore that all other faiths are not equal to, but subordinate to the Theosophist universal truths). It is not wishy-washy; it asserts its universal truth and does not open for an equality of faiths.
This passage from Revelations reflects my sentiment on this, with the beautiful imagery of the Christian divinity spitting out those who are half-assed about their faith in it. I identify myself as cold, as I claim and hold to be true that the Christian divinity (like all other current human faiths) is a fairy tale. Its god and stories are myths, untrue stories that contain lessions on either true things or things we hold to be true (such as the desirability of the Golden Rule). Whatever reality, "real" truth, the Bible holds is limited to its non-supernatural stories (and even some of them may be untrue, due to either mistakes or intention). At most, it tells us of Jewish history and lessons about humans within an Abrahamic and later Christian value system. We should appreciate as such.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Twitter Follow Fridays
Instead of regularly #FF spamming my Twitterfeed every Friday, I'll be linking to this blogpost. I will update this entry with new #FFs as they come about. It will include all past #FFs. I may also elaborate on them, now that I no longer have 140 character limit.
#FF @AMSbossybear We all belong to Bossy Bear, so it's our duty to follow him on his (mis)adventures.
#FF @AMSbossybear Bossy Bear is King of All He Sees and Hears. We are his subjects and must obey his command to follow.
#FF @AMSbossybear Bossy Bear is King of All He Sees and Hears. We are His subjects and must obey His command to follow Him.
#FF @AMSbossybear Bossy Bear is King of All He Sees and Hears. He recently braved the streets of Amsterdam all by His Royal self.
#FF @MoRocca Regularly provides the humorous insights and observations worth reading (and retweeting).
#FF @AndyTowle LGBTQ news blogger that provides breaking news as it happens.
#FF @AndyTowle LGBTQ news blogger that provides breaking news as it happens. http://www.towleroad.com
#FF @BrianJMoylan Gawker blogger, witty, funny, and poignant. Comments often on LGBTQ issues.
#FF @BrianJMoylan Gawker blogger, witty, funny, and poignant. Comments often on LGBTQ issues. http://gawker.com/people/BrianMoylan/posts/
#FF @GawkerTV Dangerously addictive blog-news focused on video clips.
#FF @GawkerTV Dangerously addictive blog-news focused on video clips. http://tv.gawker.com/
#FF @BrentSpiner Brent indulges in a narcissistic personality disorder worth checking out.
#FF @BrentSpiner Brent (aka Data/Lore from Star Trek:TNG) indulges in a narcissistic personality disorder worth checking out.
#FF @BorowitzReport Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, w/ regular tweeting.
#FF @BorowitzReport Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, w/ regular tweeting. He was on fire during 0 follower/following.
#FF @BorowitzReport Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, w/ regular tweeting. http://www.borowitzreport.com/
#FF @Hakonbogen Norwegian comic (in Norw.) specialized in absurd statements.
#FF @Hakonbogen Norwegian comic and 8-bit enthusiast who also works with plastic bead art.
#FF @Hakonbogen Norwegian comic specialized in absurdity. His blog, Garlic in Sink: http://hvitlokivask.blogspot.com/ (in Norw.).
#FF @Gawker Premiere Hollywood-DC gossip and news review blog.
#FF @Gawker Premiere Hollywood-DC gossip and news review blog. http://gawker.com/
#FF @I_am_Ozma Excellent, quick reflections; humorous provocateur.
#FF @I_am_Ozma Ozma provides smart reflections and questions on current events that are worth reading and following.
#FF @StephenAtHome Stephen's personal tweets; funny statements from the pundit we know and love.
#FF @StephenAtHome Stephen's personal tweets; funny statements from the pundit we know and love. http://www.colbertnation.com/home
#FF @SarahKSilverman Sarah's unabashed commentary on events and the world around her.
#FF @SarahKSilverman Sarah's unabashed commentary on events and the world around her. http://sarahsilvermanonline.com/
#FF @JoeMyGod LGBTQ news blog that regularly includes the context of aforementioned news.
#FF @JoeMyGod LGBTQ news blog that regularly includes the context of aforementioned news. http://joemygod.blogspot.com/
#FF @ggreenwald Glenn's reflections provide an island of sanity in a mad, mad world.
#FF @ggreenwald Glenn's reflections provide an island of sanity in a mad world. http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/index.html
#FF @ebertchicago Blogger, news linker, and notorious retweeter, Roger's a great find within the Twitterati.
#FF @ebertchicago Blogger, news linker, and notorious retweeter, Roger's a great find within the Twitterati. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/
#FF @donttrythis Adam (of MythBusters) provides silliness and geektastic links.
#FF @donttrythis Adam (of MythBusters) provides geektastic links. http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/meet/adam-savage.html
#FF @wilw Pure geekdom from Wil Wheaton, aka Ensign Wesley Crusher.
#FF @wilw Pure geekdom from Wil Wheaton, aka Ensign Wesley Crusher and a guest murderer on Criminal Minds.
#FF @wilw Pure geekdom from Wil Wheaton, aka Ensign Wesley Crusher. http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/
#FF @Joan_Rivers Joan being Joan (what more could you ask for?).
#FF @Joan_Rivers Joan being Joan (what more could you ask for?) and with a new season of How'd You Get So Rich? http://tinyurl.com/35ru2ve
#FF @Joan_Rivers Joan's new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work premieres this week and is receiving rave reviews.
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of Twittering :-)
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of Twittering. It was also his birthday yesterday! :-)
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of caustic Twittering.
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of acerbic Twittering.
#FF @rodmccullom LGBTQ news blogger.
#FF @rodmccullom LGBTQ news blogger with frequent updates and discussion.
#FF @rodmccullom LGBTQ news blogger with frequent updates and discussion. http://rodonline.typepad.com/
#FF @badbanana Tim provides delicious bon mots, fun and quirky.
#FF @badbanana Tim provides delicious bons mots, fun and quirky.
#FF @thinkgeek Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. And who can resist such adorable monkeys?
#FF @thinkgeek Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. Their monkeys called out our would-be robot overlords during Twittergate.
#FF @thinkgeek Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. This week, Timmy the Monkey is noting the end of Lost with dress-up.
#FF @YahtzeeCroshaw The man behind Zero Punctuation: http://tinyurl.com/3kdj4t. His 27th birthday was last Sunday. Birthday-follows!
#FF @BPGlobalPR Unofficial public relations Twitter account for British Petroleum. Frequently informs and shows us how #BPCares.
#FF @BPGlobalPR Unofficial public relations Twitter account for British Petroleum. Frequently informs and shows us how #bpcares.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @ConnerHabib Funny and enjoyable porn actor. Frequently links to NSFW photos of what he's doing.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @ConnerHabib Hot, humorous porn actor. Interacts well with fans and followers. And such a cute face!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon An energetic, humorous, and ever so perky twitterer, Michael is well-worth following.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon A spunky twitterer and porn star whose "Monster" is a size-queen's fantasy incarnate.
(#NFF =Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon Super hot and super sharp porn star. Host of http://xxxmichaelbrandon.com/ibp.asp (NSFW)
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon Winner of the Lifetime Achievement 2010 Grabby award! Congrats to Michael & Monster!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger, with humor and a sense of deviousness.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger, who includes reflection and shows his caring side as well.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger, who includes reflection and shows his caring side.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger with a caring side. http://mrsteed64.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger with a reflective side. http://mrsteed64.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous, but highly provocative sex and sexual exploits blogger.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous, but provocative sex and sexual exploits blogger whose birthday's tomorrow!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous, but provocative sex and sexual exploits blogger.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous & provocative sexual exploits blogger http://iblastinside.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous & provocative sexual exploits blogger: http://iblastinside.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Provocative sexual exploits blogger now on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/iblastinside
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @studfucker Dominant and reflective man. Sexual exploits blogger: http://studfucker.dreamwidth.org/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @XavierMuscle Cute and sweet bodybuilder who's getting ready for an upcoming show.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @XavierMuscle Cute and sweet bodybuilder.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @XavierMuscle Cute and sweet bodybuilder. http://www.xaviermuscle.com/bio.html
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx Hot and funny, it's also his birthday-week! Birthday follows FTW!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx Hot and funny fellow.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx We must ally ourselves and end his kitty-punching ways!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx Hot fellow who has gotten serious with @AnthonyPalaz88. New-cute-couple-follow FTW!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Josh_Griffin Cute fellow, recently changed his ID to be sans "XXX" and, oddly, received flack for it.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @USJOCK Regular/semi-regular free-spirited cammer.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @USJOCK Regular/semi-regular free-spirited cammer and blogger.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @USJOCK Regular/semi-regular free-spirited cammer and blogger http://camjock.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provides a perspective on porn that's provocative and much-needed.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Twitterer who shines much-needed attention to discrimination in porn on the production-side.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Porn actor who shines much-needed attention to discrimination in porn on the production-side.
(#NFF = NaughtyFollowFriday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Porn actor who shines much-needed attention to discrimination in porn on the production-side.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provocative porn actor who has started blogging, at: www.chasecoxxx.com/blog
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provocative porn actor who recently started blogging, at: www.chasecoxxx.com/blog
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provocative porn actor now in Paris who recently started blogging, at: www.chasecoxxx.com/blog
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @AustinWilde Naughty, wild, and humorous.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @AustinWilde Naughty, wild, and humorous porn actor. He's gorgeous to boot!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @AustinWilde Winner of Best Newcomer 2010 Grabby award, alongside @SamuelColtXXX!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Funny and self-depricating (and a bit of a fashionista).
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Suffered from food-poisoning this week. Help him recover with some Twitter-love!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Consumer of kittens (after @JoshGriffinxxx has tenderized them) and maybe a furry.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Who has returned whole and well from his adventures in Mexico with @MrDimarco.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Porn actor & fashionista who predicted the return of the ascot way ahead of anyone else.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Funny and self-depricating porn actor (and a bit of a fashionista).
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Funny and self-depricating porn actor who's also an Aldous Huxley fan.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Winner of Best Newcomer 2010 Grabby award, alongside @AustinWilde!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Travman69 Overall hot fellow with a gorgeous (but seldom seen) face.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Travman69 Overall hot fellow with a devilish smile and eyes that'll leave you like putty in his hands.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Travman69 Hot sexual exploits twitterer (who I wish would twitter more :-D ), who's also way cute.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @robromoni Winner of TLA's Twitter-Maniac: Most Profilic in the Biz award.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @robromoni Big-time twitter, and all-around hot goofball.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @robromoni Big-time twitterer.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @RaceCooperxxx Poor fellow went to the DMV, then had to go to Canada, and then return to the DMV
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @RaceCooperxxx Has presumably returned from Canada and has either faced or is ready to face the DMV.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @DieselWash Porn actor who's a frequent YouTuber (with behind-the-scenes footage).
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @DieselWash Winner of the Best Supporting Actor 2010 Grabby award!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @StreetMuscle501 Sexual exploits blogger who's had a tough week waiting in lines. Give him some love!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @WolfHudsonXXX Porn actor also known as The King of Kink. Frequent Formspring responder.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @WolfHudsonXXX Porn actor also known as The King of Kink. Funny fellow. Frequent Formspring responder.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Former porn star, now director Chris Steele has joined Twitter! Give him a big welcome!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Porn director Chris Steele whose recently released Jersey Score, a porn parody of the MTV series.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Porn director Chris Steele whose Jersey Score is making headlines http://tinyurl.com/32t69qt
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Former porn star, now director Chris Steele who has been "making porn so [we] don't have to."
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Porn star, now porn director Chris Steele who has been "making porn so [we] don't have to."
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @nakedsf Good-looking sexual exploits twitterer and a responsive Formspring user: ask him some questions.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @nakedsf Sexual exploits twitterer. Ask him some questions at: http://www.formspring.me/nakedsf
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @nakedsf Sexual exploits twitterer. Help ask him some questions at: http://www.formspring.me/nakedsf
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @BubbleJock Sex and sexual exploits twitterer, painter who's trying to reach 2,000 followers by week's end.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Beefymuscle Sex and sexual exploits twitterer who won the 2,000th follower race with @BubbleJock.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @MichaelLucasNYC Michael's Men of Israel won the Best International Movie 2010 Grabby award this week.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @randyblue This week, Randy Blue won the Best Web-Based Porn Site 2010 Grabby award.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @tristanjaxx Poor fellow has to deal with the DMV this week. Show him and his gorgeous mug some love!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @MatthewRushXXX Gay porn star with a smart sense of humor. http://matthewrushxxx.blogspot.com/
#FF @AMSbossybear We all belong to Bossy Bear, so it's our duty to follow him on his (mis)adventures.
#FF @AMSbossybear Bossy Bear is King of All He Sees and Hears. We are his subjects and must obey his command to follow.
#FF @AMSbossybear Bossy Bear is King of All He Sees and Hears. We are His subjects and must obey His command to follow Him.
#FF @AMSbossybear Bossy Bear is King of All He Sees and Hears. He recently braved the streets of Amsterdam all by His Royal self.
#FF @MoRocca Regularly provides the humorous insights and observations worth reading (and retweeting).
#FF @AndyTowle LGBTQ news blogger that provides breaking news as it happens.
#FF @AndyTowle LGBTQ news blogger that provides breaking news as it happens. http://www.towleroad.com
#FF @BrianJMoylan Gawker blogger, witty, funny, and poignant. Comments often on LGBTQ issues.
#FF @BrianJMoylan Gawker blogger, witty, funny, and poignant. Comments often on LGBTQ issues. http://gawker.com/people/BrianMoylan/posts/
#FF @GawkerTV Dangerously addictive blog-news focused on video clips.
#FF @GawkerTV Dangerously addictive blog-news focused on video clips. http://tv.gawker.com/
#FF @BrentSpiner Brent indulges in a narcissistic personality disorder worth checking out.
#FF @BrentSpiner Brent (aka Data/Lore from Star Trek:TNG) indulges in a narcissistic personality disorder worth checking out.
#FF @BorowitzReport Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, w/ regular tweeting.
#FF @BorowitzReport Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, w/ regular tweeting. He was on fire during 0 follower/following.
#FF @BorowitzReport Andy is an expert 140-characters-or-less humorist, w/ regular tweeting. http://www.borowitzreport.com/
#FF @Hakonbogen Norwegian comic (in Norw.) specialized in absurd statements.
#FF @Hakonbogen Norwegian comic and 8-bit enthusiast who also works with plastic bead art.
#FF @Hakonbogen Norwegian comic specialized in absurdity. His blog, Garlic in Sink: http://hvitlokivask.blogspot.com/ (in Norw.).
#FF @Gawker Premiere Hollywood-DC gossip and news review blog.
#FF @Gawker Premiere Hollywood-DC gossip and news review blog. http://gawker.com/
#FF @I_am_Ozma Excellent, quick reflections; humorous provocateur.
#FF @I_am_Ozma Ozma provides smart reflections and questions on current events that are worth reading and following.
#FF @StephenAtHome Stephen's personal tweets; funny statements from the pundit we know and love.
#FF @StephenAtHome Stephen's personal tweets; funny statements from the pundit we know and love. http://www.colbertnation.com/home
#FF @SarahKSilverman Sarah's unabashed commentary on events and the world around her.
#FF @SarahKSilverman Sarah's unabashed commentary on events and the world around her. http://sarahsilvermanonline.com/
#FF @JoeMyGod LGBTQ news blog that regularly includes the context of aforementioned news.
#FF @JoeMyGod LGBTQ news blog that regularly includes the context of aforementioned news. http://joemygod.blogspot.com/
#FF @ggreenwald Glenn's reflections provide an island of sanity in a mad, mad world.
#FF @ggreenwald Glenn's reflections provide an island of sanity in a mad world. http://www.salon.com/news/opinion/glenn_greenwald/index.html
#FF @ebertchicago Blogger, news linker, and notorious retweeter, Roger's a great find within the Twitterati.
#FF @ebertchicago Blogger, news linker, and notorious retweeter, Roger's a great find within the Twitterati. http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/
#FF @donttrythis Adam (of MythBusters) provides silliness and geektastic links.
#FF @donttrythis Adam (of MythBusters) provides geektastic links. http://dsc.discovery.com/fansites/mythbusters/meet/adam-savage.html
#FF @wilw Pure geekdom from Wil Wheaton, aka Ensign Wesley Crusher.
#FF @wilw Pure geekdom from Wil Wheaton, aka Ensign Wesley Crusher and a guest murderer on Criminal Minds.
#FF @wilw Pure geekdom from Wil Wheaton, aka Ensign Wesley Crusher. http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/
#FF @Joan_Rivers Joan being Joan (what more could you ask for?).
#FF @Joan_Rivers Joan being Joan (what more could you ask for?) and with a new season of How'd You Get So Rich? http://tinyurl.com/35ru2ve
#FF @Joan_Rivers Joan's new documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work premieres this week and is receiving rave reviews.
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of Twittering :-)
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of Twittering. It was also his birthday yesterday! :-)
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of caustic Twittering.
#FF @jackmackenroth Source for LGBTQ news, Project Runway insights, and a whole lot of acerbic Twittering.
#FF @rodmccullom LGBTQ news blogger.
#FF @rodmccullom LGBTQ news blogger with frequent updates and discussion.
#FF @rodmccullom LGBTQ news blogger with frequent updates and discussion. http://rodonline.typepad.com/
#FF @badbanana Tim provides delicious bon mots, fun and quirky.
#FF @badbanana Tim provides delicious bons mots, fun and quirky.
#FF @thinkgeek Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. And who can resist such adorable monkeys?
#FF @thinkgeek Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. Their monkeys called out our would-be robot overlords during Twittergate.
#FF @thinkgeek Wonderfully geeky online store and twitterer. This week, Timmy the Monkey is noting the end of Lost with dress-up.
#FF @YahtzeeCroshaw The man behind Zero Punctuation: http://tinyurl.com/3kdj4t. His 27th birthday was last Sunday. Birthday-follows!
#FF @BPGlobalPR Unofficial public relations Twitter account for British Petroleum. Frequently informs and shows us how #BPCares.
#FF @BPGlobalPR Unofficial public relations Twitter account for British Petroleum. Frequently informs and shows us how #bpcares.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @ConnerHabib Funny and enjoyable porn actor. Frequently links to NSFW photos of what he's doing.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @ConnerHabib Hot, humorous porn actor. Interacts well with fans and followers. And such a cute face!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon An energetic, humorous, and ever so perky twitterer, Michael is well-worth following.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon A spunky twitterer and porn star whose "Monster" is a size-queen's fantasy incarnate.
(#NFF =Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon Super hot and super sharp porn star. Host of http://xxxmichaelbrandon.com/ibp.asp (NSFW)
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Michael_Brandon Winner of the Lifetime Achievement 2010 Grabby award! Congrats to Michael & Monster!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger, with humor and a sense of deviousness.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger, who includes reflection and shows his caring side as well.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger, who includes reflection and shows his caring side.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger with a caring side. http://mrsteed64.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @meetthebreeder Engaging sexual exploits blogger with a reflective side. http://mrsteed64.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous, but highly provocative sex and sexual exploits blogger.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous, but provocative sex and sexual exploits blogger whose birthday's tomorrow!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous, but provocative sex and sexual exploits blogger.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous & provocative sexual exploits blogger http://iblastinside.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Kind of dangerous & provocative sexual exploits blogger: http://iblastinside.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @IBlastInside Provocative sexual exploits blogger now on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/iblastinside
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @studfucker Dominant and reflective man. Sexual exploits blogger: http://studfucker.dreamwidth.org/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @XavierMuscle Cute and sweet bodybuilder who's getting ready for an upcoming show.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @XavierMuscle Cute and sweet bodybuilder.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @XavierMuscle Cute and sweet bodybuilder. http://www.xaviermuscle.com/bio.html
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx Hot and funny, it's also his birthday-week! Birthday follows FTW!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx Hot and funny fellow.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx We must ally ourselves and end his kitty-punching ways!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JoshGriffinxxx Hot fellow who has gotten serious with @AnthonyPalaz88. New-cute-couple-follow FTW!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Josh_Griffin Cute fellow, recently changed his ID to be sans "XXX" and, oddly, received flack for it.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @USJOCK Regular/semi-regular free-spirited cammer.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @USJOCK Regular/semi-regular free-spirited cammer and blogger.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @USJOCK Regular/semi-regular free-spirited cammer and blogger http://camjock.blogspot.com/
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provides a perspective on porn that's provocative and much-needed.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Twitterer who shines much-needed attention to discrimination in porn on the production-side.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Porn actor who shines much-needed attention to discrimination in porn on the production-side.
(#NFF = NaughtyFollowFriday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Porn actor who shines much-needed attention to discrimination in porn on the production-side.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provocative porn actor who has started blogging, at: www.chasecoxxx.com/blog
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provocative porn actor who recently started blogging, at: www.chasecoxxx.com/blog
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @JuicyGigolo Provocative porn actor now in Paris who recently started blogging, at: www.chasecoxxx.com/blog
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @AustinWilde Naughty, wild, and humorous.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @AustinWilde Naughty, wild, and humorous porn actor. He's gorgeous to boot!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @AustinWilde Winner of Best Newcomer 2010 Grabby award, alongside @SamuelColtXXX!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Funny and self-depricating (and a bit of a fashionista).
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Suffered from food-poisoning this week. Help him recover with some Twitter-love!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Consumer of kittens (after @JoshGriffinxxx has tenderized them) and maybe a furry.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Who has returned whole and well from his adventures in Mexico with @MrDimarco.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Porn actor & fashionista who predicted the return of the ascot way ahead of anyone else.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Funny and self-depricating porn actor (and a bit of a fashionista).
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Funny and self-depricating porn actor who's also an Aldous Huxley fan.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @SamuelColtXXX Winner of Best Newcomer 2010 Grabby award, alongside @AustinWilde!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Travman69 Overall hot fellow with a gorgeous (but seldom seen) face.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Travman69 Overall hot fellow with a devilish smile and eyes that'll leave you like putty in his hands.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Travman69 Hot sexual exploits twitterer (who I wish would twitter more :-D ), who's also way cute.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @robromoni Winner of TLA's Twitter-Maniac: Most Profilic in the Biz award.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @robromoni Big-time twitter, and all-around hot goofball.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @robromoni Big-time twitterer.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @RaceCooperxxx Poor fellow went to the DMV, then had to go to Canada, and then return to the DMV
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @RaceCooperxxx Has presumably returned from Canada and has either faced or is ready to face the DMV.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @DieselWash Porn actor who's a frequent YouTuber (with behind-the-scenes footage).
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @DieselWash Winner of the Best Supporting Actor 2010 Grabby award!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @StreetMuscle501 Sexual exploits blogger who's had a tough week waiting in lines. Give him some love!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @WolfHudsonXXX Porn actor also known as The King of Kink. Frequent Formspring responder.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @WolfHudsonXXX Porn actor also known as The King of Kink. Funny fellow. Frequent Formspring responder.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Former porn star, now director Chris Steele has joined Twitter! Give him a big welcome!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Porn director Chris Steele whose recently released Jersey Score, a porn parody of the MTV series.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Porn director Chris Steele whose Jersey Score is making headlines http://tinyurl.com/32t69qt
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Former porn star, now director Chris Steele who has been "making porn so [we] don't have to."
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @dirsteele Porn star, now porn director Chris Steele who has been "making porn so [we] don't have to."
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @nakedsf Good-looking sexual exploits twitterer and a responsive Formspring user: ask him some questions.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @nakedsf Sexual exploits twitterer. Ask him some questions at: http://www.formspring.me/nakedsf
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @nakedsf Sexual exploits twitterer. Help ask him some questions at: http://www.formspring.me/nakedsf
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @BubbleJock Sex and sexual exploits twitterer, painter who's trying to reach 2,000 followers by week's end.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @Beefymuscle Sex and sexual exploits twitterer who won the 2,000th follower race with @BubbleJock.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @MichaelLucasNYC Michael's Men of Israel won the Best International Movie 2010 Grabby award this week.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @randyblue This week, Randy Blue won the Best Web-Based Porn Site 2010 Grabby award.
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @tristanjaxx Poor fellow has to deal with the DMV this week. Show him and his gorgeous mug some love!
(#NFF = Naughty Follow Friday) #NFF @MatthewRushXXX Gay porn star with a smart sense of humor. http://matthewrushxxx.blogspot.com/
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Our second property on Nesodden
My parents bought the property about twenty years ago, following the bursting of the 1980s housing bubble and the subsequent collapse in property values. Their primary interest was to prevent others from buying it and developing it in a way that would reduce the view from our house. Owning it also let us remove view-blocking trees at our discretion.
It's a forested property, featuring a single red cabin, variation in elevation, and many trees (including a wild cherry tree). The soil is fertile and home to many blueberry bushes and little creatures.
In recent years, my mother started thinking about building a second house. It would be on this second property and it is intended as a relatively cheap way to ensure a separate house for my brother and myself without having to spend unnecessary amounts of money buying a new property with a house (especially during the current housing bubble).
We have hit two obstacles in building this house: first, the municipality put a moratorium on future construction and development until it had finalized a development plan for the community; second, an archaeological sampling of the property found pieces of worked flint, evidence of Stone Age human habitation. Elaborating on this second point, archaeologists theorize that this part of Norway was inhabited by the Nøstvet culture and that this property was beach front property approximately seven thousand years ago (the land had been suppressed by the prior Ice Age and has since risen significantly).
Area currently protected for further archeological investigation.
The first-mentioned obstacle is the most significant one though, and early this year it came to a close when the municipality ended the moratorium (it has not yet finalized its development plan, which it has taken several years to work on thus far). We are now seeking to have the property as a whole released from its status as being of archaeological interest (which also prevents us from starting construction) and are pushing for an excavation to be done as early as possible this summer.
It's a forested property, featuring a single red cabin, variation in elevation, and many trees (including a wild cherry tree). The soil is fertile and home to many blueberry bushes and little creatures.
In recent years, my mother started thinking about building a second house. It would be on this second property and it is intended as a relatively cheap way to ensure a separate house for my brother and myself without having to spend unnecessary amounts of money buying a new property with a house (especially during the current housing bubble).
We have hit two obstacles in building this house: first, the municipality put a moratorium on future construction and development until it had finalized a development plan for the community; second, an archaeological sampling of the property found pieces of worked flint, evidence of Stone Age human habitation. Elaborating on this second point, archaeologists theorize that this part of Norway was inhabited by the Nøstvet culture and that this property was beach front property approximately seven thousand years ago (the land had been suppressed by the prior Ice Age and has since risen significantly).
Area currently protected for further archeological investigation.
The first-mentioned obstacle is the most significant one though, and early this year it came to a close when the municipality ended the moratorium (it has not yet finalized its development plan, which it has taken several years to work on thus far). We are now seeking to have the property as a whole released from its status as being of archaeological interest (which also prevents us from starting construction) and are pushing for an excavation to be done as early as possible this summer.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Formspring: What's your favorite genre of music?
What's your favorite genre of music?
Popular music: Soundtracks.
When I listen to music, I let my imagination take charge and visualize some kind of drama that fits in with the music (in effect, I take the music I'm listening to and base a narrative scene off of it, making the piece into a soundtrack piece).
This makes pre-existing soundtracks easier for me as I have often seen the film or played the game they're from (or know of them sufficiently) to connect memories with that music. For example, the theme pieces of The Legend of Zelda series bring out the emotions I felt toward and the memory of playing those games, sitting in front of the TV and feeling the excitement of playing Link's adventures.
I'm rarely able to simply listen to music; in my mind, I must do something with it, it must accompany something.
Popular music: Soundtracks.
When I listen to music, I let my imagination take charge and visualize some kind of drama that fits in with the music (in effect, I take the music I'm listening to and base a narrative scene off of it, making the piece into a soundtrack piece).
This makes pre-existing soundtracks easier for me as I have often seen the film or played the game they're from (or know of them sufficiently) to connect memories with that music. For example, the theme pieces of The Legend of Zelda series bring out the emotions I felt toward and the memory of playing those games, sitting in front of the TV and feeling the excitement of playing Link's adventures.
I'm rarely able to simply listen to music; in my mind, I must do something with it, it must accompany something.
Thursday, October 01, 2009
The PowerPoint competency deficiency
Due to its aggressive strategies, Microsoft dominates the personal computer market with its operating system, Windows, and its word processing / spreadsheet / presentation suite, Microsoft Office. One application is noteworthy for its widespread use in presentations and increasing use in academia, the presentation program PowerPoint.
Unfortunately, most people using PowerPoint have little or no clue as to how PowerPoint should be used. A common temptation is to copy and paste in everything they want to say (their manuscript) into the file and then read off of the file. I suspect they think this is better than simply having and reading a typed (and printed) manuscript because their audience can follow along; this line of thinking is simply wrong on both counts.
If you read from a printed manuscript, yes, you may lose us if you focus a lot on your paper; however, our attention (to the extent we're giving to your presentation) will be on you and not on your bursting-at-edges flood of words that's attacking both us (visually and mentally) and whatever PowerPoint template you've chosen to defile. We'll be looking at and listening to you.
If you dump your entire manuscript onto your PowerPoint presentation, we will not follow along. We're reading your slides for the first time and, most likely, not have your line-of-thought and the speed it grants you in reading and understanding your own words (the nightmare scenario is when you yourself don't understand what you were thinking at the time you wrote the text).
***
Dear reader, I love PowerPoint. It's a simple, useful, and standardized presentation tool. Because I love it, I abhor its misuse. So, here I offer a quick list of "rules" for employing PowerPoint:
1. Be brief. PowerPoint is not your personal manuscript; it is our "tool" for understanding the organization of your thoughts and ideas. Keywords and dependent clauses will be your friends.
2. Understand and obey your template. When you chose or use a background, be aware of its effect on your audience's attention and whether your text or images complement or jarr against it.
3. Complementary images and text. Make sure the images you include in your PowerPoint presentation are relevant and can be justified either explicitly with text or implicitly with context.
4. "Widows" and "Widows with children." "Widows" (single words that end a paragraph on a new line) are ugly and distracting enough when reading a longer piece; they're down-right nauseating in a PowerPoint presentation. In a PowerPoint presentation, however, there's also "Widows with children" (words rather than a single word) whenever the ending of a paragraph does not reach at least half the line-length of the lines above it; when repeated, this becomes as distracting or maybe even worse than the regular "Widow."
This is just a brief list inspired my irritations at the PowerPoint presentation I'm currently visiting. It's less of a trainwreck that fascinates than one that causes migraines by its sheer wrongness.
Unfortunately, most people using PowerPoint have little or no clue as to how PowerPoint should be used. A common temptation is to copy and paste in everything they want to say (their manuscript) into the file and then read off of the file. I suspect they think this is better than simply having and reading a typed (and printed) manuscript because their audience can follow along; this line of thinking is simply wrong on both counts.
If you read from a printed manuscript, yes, you may lose us if you focus a lot on your paper; however, our attention (to the extent we're giving to your presentation) will be on you and not on your bursting-at-edges flood of words that's attacking both us (visually and mentally) and whatever PowerPoint template you've chosen to defile. We'll be looking at and listening to you.
If you dump your entire manuscript onto your PowerPoint presentation, we will not follow along. We're reading your slides for the first time and, most likely, not have your line-of-thought and the speed it grants you in reading and understanding your own words (the nightmare scenario is when you yourself don't understand what you were thinking at the time you wrote the text).
***
Dear reader, I love PowerPoint. It's a simple, useful, and standardized presentation tool. Because I love it, I abhor its misuse. So, here I offer a quick list of "rules" for employing PowerPoint:
1. Be brief. PowerPoint is not your personal manuscript; it is our "tool" for understanding the organization of your thoughts and ideas. Keywords and dependent clauses will be your friends.
2. Understand and obey your template. When you chose or use a background, be aware of its effect on your audience's attention and whether your text or images complement or jarr against it.
3. Complementary images and text. Make sure the images you include in your PowerPoint presentation are relevant and can be justified either explicitly with text or implicitly with context.
4. "Widows" and "Widows with children." "Widows" (single words that end a paragraph on a new line) are ugly and distracting enough when reading a longer piece; they're down-right nauseating in a PowerPoint presentation. In a PowerPoint presentation, however, there's also "Widows with children" (words rather than a single word) whenever the ending of a paragraph does not reach at least half the line-length of the lines above it; when repeated, this becomes as distracting or maybe even worse than the regular "Widow."
This is just a brief list inspired my irritations at the PowerPoint presentation I'm currently visiting. It's less of a trainwreck that fascinates than one that causes migraines by its sheer wrongness.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
New marriage law
*flag waving*
Norway will over the course of today and tomorrow finally provide equal marriage options for homophilic and heterophilic couples. About frickin' time!
*more flag waving*
Norway will over the course of today and tomorrow finally provide equal marriage options for homophilic and heterophilic couples. About frickin' time!
*more flag waving*
Friday, March 14, 2008
Thoughts on Cloverfield
In the interest of disclosure: I had already read reviews of the film and knew who was going to die and how. Oh, and I strongly dislike watching "home videos," an aesthetic Cloverfield aimed at in its exposition.
Cloverfield failed to engage me on any successful level. While I enjoyed and was swept up by the shaky-cam cinematography of the Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield's was too artificial for me to suspend my disbelief; it just felt pretentious and made me continually aware that I was watching a disagreeable movie.
The one moment that caught me was the obvious 09.11.2001 reference / exploitation; since that day, anyone who saw and experienced watching the fall of the World Trade Center towers (in-person or on TV) will likely connect the implosion of high towers to that day.
The more I think about it, the more Cloverfield's cinematography strikes me as that of a first-person shooter game as opposed to the BWP. See the end part of Doom, the movie, for another example of this FPS cinematography; I suspect that Cloverfield and Doom match up in this regard.
The characters were stock white, yuppie persons and the actors had a thankless job in portraying such dead-on-arrival roles. Just about none of their moments were memorable (except for the "main dude" bit).
Something finally struck me about many of these monster-disaster movies when watching Cloverfield: was there a massive circus in one of the other boroughs or possibly a freebie-evening at a Teddy Bear Workshop in Queens? Manhattan was utterly childless on the evening the Cloverfield monster struck.
The Cloverfield monster was by far the most interesting part of the film.
Cloverfield failed to engage me on any successful level. While I enjoyed and was swept up by the shaky-cam cinematography of the Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield's was too artificial for me to suspend my disbelief; it just felt pretentious and made me continually aware that I was watching a disagreeable movie.
The one moment that caught me was the obvious 09.11.2001 reference / exploitation; since that day, anyone who saw and experienced watching the fall of the World Trade Center towers (in-person or on TV) will likely connect the implosion of high towers to that day.
The more I think about it, the more Cloverfield's cinematography strikes me as that of a first-person shooter game as opposed to the BWP. See the end part of Doom, the movie, for another example of this FPS cinematography; I suspect that Cloverfield and Doom match up in this regard.
The characters were stock white, yuppie persons and the actors had a thankless job in portraying such dead-on-arrival roles. Just about none of their moments were memorable (except for the "main dude" bit).
Something finally struck me about many of these monster-disaster movies when watching Cloverfield: was there a massive circus in one of the other boroughs or possibly a freebie-evening at a Teddy Bear Workshop in Queens? Manhattan was utterly childless on the evening the Cloverfield monster struck.
The Cloverfield monster was by far the most interesting part of the film.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Birthday wishes
I am just going to post some of my birthday wishes on here. That way I can just direct people to my blog should they happen to ask "what do you want for your birthday?"
7,5 kg støpte håndmanualer (x2): http://mobech.no/?prod=1218
The Movies; Stunts and Effects expansion: http://www.amazon.com/Movies-Stunts-Effects-Expansion-Pack/dp/B000FTHEPU
Pirates of Silicon Valley (DVD)
fun and surprising toys
7,5 kg støpte håndmanualer (x2): http://mobech.no/?prod=1218
The Movies; Stunts and Effects expansion: http://www.amazon.com/Movies-Stunts-Effects-Expansion-Pack/dp/B000FTHEPU
Pirates of Silicon Valley (DVD)
fun and surprising toys
Monday, March 10, 2008
The Grudge (Gellar version)
*I know that this is not particularly divergent*
The Grudge with Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the most pointless films I have seen. It is a remarkably lame attempt at a horror film; at most, it provides a few cheap scares without much of an effort to connect the scares into one coherent whole.
The haunting is itself more than enough to work it; the non-chronological timeline of the film gives it a choppy feel and detracts from whenever the film builds up a scare. The flash editing of horror shots (where we are shown something horrible / grotesque for a second and then cut to black) is pretentious, in effect "cock-blocking" us from appreciating what little the film offers of horrific sights.
At least in the television series (which I didn't much care for either), there was one scene where the I was outright disturbed by the film.*
*it's the scene where the homicidally jealous Takeo calls up the object of his wife's infatuation and then begins bashing a bag against the pavement; he explains that the bag contains the fetus he has cut out of Kayako. Now, that's some nasty sh*t.
The Grudge with Sarah Michelle Gellar is one of the most pointless films I have seen. It is a remarkably lame attempt at a horror film; at most, it provides a few cheap scares without much of an effort to connect the scares into one coherent whole.
The haunting is itself more than enough to work it; the non-chronological timeline of the film gives it a choppy feel and detracts from whenever the film builds up a scare. The flash editing of horror shots (where we are shown something horrible / grotesque for a second and then cut to black) is pretentious, in effect "cock-blocking" us from appreciating what little the film offers of horrific sights.
At least in the television series (which I didn't much care for either), there was one scene where the I was outright disturbed by the film.*
*it's the scene where the homicidally jealous Takeo calls up the object of his wife's infatuation and then begins bashing a bag against the pavement; he explains that the bag contains the fetus he has cut out of Kayako. Now, that's some nasty sh*t.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Arrgh...
The next time I am interviewed on German TV, it will be in English.
I am slightly curious about what kind of voice they dub me with...
I am slightly curious about what kind of voice they dub me with...
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Self-determination
I am anxious these days. I feel like there are some major changes on the horizon and how I'll end up depends on whether I shape up or slip out (yes, the clichés are glaring). However, slipping out doesn't entail less than mediocrity, a life where I work a 9-to-5 job and live without any foreseeable drama or excitement.
Shaping up (in this case) means taking action, proactively claiming some control over my life. It entails expressing myself more in both text and visual art. I have scenes and stories that I need to put to paper, if only to free them from my highly biodegradable mind. It includes making choices about where I want to live my life, what I am to study, and what job I want to fulfill.
My mind is made for shaping up; my depression and built-in laziness supports slipping out.
Shaping up (in this case) means taking action, proactively claiming some control over my life. It entails expressing myself more in both text and visual art. I have scenes and stories that I need to put to paper, if only to free them from my highly biodegradable mind. It includes making choices about where I want to live my life, what I am to study, and what job I want to fulfill.
My mind is made for shaping up; my depression and built-in laziness supports slipping out.
Monday, November 05, 2007
What an outfit
Browsing through the TV channels, I came across Rachel Ray's chat show. I gave it a quick look because it was going to focus on fashion and getting dressed for different occasions.
The primary example showed her various, conservative outfits (boring ensembles with little in terms of color and layers). Then she showed her sexy date outfit, a pair of jeans and a blouse.
The blouse was hideous! I dub it Terrorist victim blouse (first I named it Hostage victim blouse). It was a white blouse with some frills and four blood-red splotches; the splotches even had outlines of the crosshairs that aimed in on each of the shots. It reminded me of an Envy dress (a dress meant to represent "envy") from Project Runway's second season, another truly awful piece of clothing. The blouse on RR also had a zipper in the middle that allowed the wearer to show more midriff...ugh!
The next-to-worst thing was how Rachel and her clothing "expert" adored this piece-that-should-never-have-made.
Tim, Michael, and Nina...where were you???
The primary example showed her various, conservative outfits (boring ensembles with little in terms of color and layers). Then she showed her sexy date outfit, a pair of jeans and a blouse.
The blouse was hideous! I dub it Terrorist victim blouse (first I named it Hostage victim blouse). It was a white blouse with some frills and four blood-red splotches; the splotches even had outlines of the crosshairs that aimed in on each of the shots. It reminded me of an Envy dress (a dress meant to represent "envy") from Project Runway's second season, another truly awful piece of clothing. The blouse on RR also had a zipper in the middle that allowed the wearer to show more midriff...ugh!
The next-to-worst thing was how Rachel and her clothing "expert" adored this piece-that-should-never-have-made.
Tim, Michael, and Nina...where were you???
Sunday, October 21, 2007
My preliminary answer on religion
Taken from an e-mail I wrote earlier this month:
I have faith in no deity nor any other form of divine structure. Rather, I have faith in mundaneity, in the accidental, and in hope as a source of comfort (though not necessarily as something with actual effect, other than personal comfort). I also have faith in that karma does not exist; I believe that there is no universal balance structure of good v. bad.
I do not necessarily see theistic faith as a "daddy in the sky" phenomenon. I suspect that it comes from the social construction where we receive external input on the existence of the divine and learn how to look for evidence of the divine. This construction, beyond setting a foundation for our interpretation of the world (and establishing our sense of faith), establishes a dependency on there being something divine; without that divinity, our foundation for meaning crumbles.
For my part, it took many steps to eventually reconstruct my faith from theist to atheist. Because I have actual faith in atheism (including going through the difficulty of realizing that I will not see my adored dead in some afterlife) rather than mere profession to it, I consider myself a true atheist; I differentiate between myself and those "atheists" who are actually temporary agnostics going through some crisis-of-faith period. I have also learned to supplicate myself to hope rather than divinity in times of personal crisis.
I have faith in no deity nor any other form of divine structure. Rather, I have faith in mundaneity, in the accidental, and in hope as a source of comfort (though not necessarily as something with actual effect, other than personal comfort). I also have faith in that karma does not exist; I believe that there is no universal balance structure of good v. bad.
I do not necessarily see theistic faith as a "daddy in the sky" phenomenon. I suspect that it comes from the social construction where we receive external input on the existence of the divine and learn how to look for evidence of the divine. This construction, beyond setting a foundation for our interpretation of the world (and establishing our sense of faith), establishes a dependency on there being something divine; without that divinity, our foundation for meaning crumbles.
For my part, it took many steps to eventually reconstruct my faith from theist to atheist. Because I have actual faith in atheism (including going through the difficulty of realizing that I will not see my adored dead in some afterlife) rather than mere profession to it, I consider myself a true atheist; I differentiate between myself and those "atheists" who are actually temporary agnostics going through some crisis-of-faith period. I have also learned to supplicate myself to hope rather than divinity in times of personal crisis.
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