by Hemant Mehta
Chilean artist Sebastian Errazuriz will be handing out popsicles at his art opening this weekend at Gallery R’Pure in Manhattan’s Flatiron District… but these aren’t just any frozen treat.
These popsicles are made from holy wine AND have cross-shaped tongue depressors with the Anointed One stamped on them.
I think they’re just perfect for the summer, don’t you?
Here’s an interesting documentary project: Michael Wilson is an atheist from New Zealand and he’s heading out on a road trip:
I will be test driving religions around my country of New Zealand (sometimes referred to as Godzone). I am planning to visit many groups who think theirs is the one true religion and everyone will get the chance to pitch their god or gods.
I will also be talking to experts in religion including professors who have had their lives threatened and even faced trial for heresy.
He’s trying to raise the funds he needs to complete the movie and distribute it via iTunes, Netflix, and eventually for free. If you’d like to contribute, you can do so here.
Here’s a short film featuring a young atheist having to deal with his religious parents in the wake of his brother’s death. It’s not even 30 minutes long — perfect for a college group meeting — and it’s called “Parrot.” Just FYI, there’s some nudity:
If you like the film, considering making a small donation so the creators can continue to create work like this.
Reader Sharla created these nifty necklaces promoting two things dear to so many atheists: Equality and the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
She has more jewelry available at her Etsy shop — check it out, buy something, and support crafty atheists!
@ologies made this nifty atheist wallpaper in case your desktop needed some sprucing up:
You can download several different sizes (for free, without the logo) on the website!
And, for extra fun, try to find some of the following:
Lisa Marie Presley has a new album out and the first single from it is called “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet.”
Why should anyone care about it?
Because if you look closely at the lyrics, it appears that she’s taking some not-so-subtle jabs at the Church of Scientology. She’s been a longtime member of the cult, but maybe she’s trying to get out for good:
Lay down the truth, don’t make a sound
Just a piece of fruit who’s hit the ground
I don’t respond, I’ve lost the plot
Unethical, not what I thoughtYou can think that I’m evil and I’m off the rails
You ain’t seen nothin’ yetI’m a bit transgressive and suppressive as well
Well you ain’t seen nothin’ yetAm I a disruption to your corruption?
You ain’t seen nothin’ yet
Tony Ortega of the Village Voice spoke to people familiar with Scientology and they agree that these lyrics are a giant “fuck you” to the cult:
When Scientology excommunicates someone, it declares them a “suppressive person” or “SP,” and instructs other Scientologists to “disconnect” from the SP — even the members of the SP’s own family. Church members live in fear of being “declared,” and will do almost anything to stay in the good graces of the church so they can remain in contact with other family members.
No Scientologist of good standing would describe themselves (even jokingly) “a bit suppressive,” as Lisa Marie labels herself here.
…
… we’re obviously reading a lot of things into these lyrics that Lisa Marie may not have intended, but at the minimum this is an extremely unusual statement for a longtime Scientologist to make, and we hope she speaks publicly about it soon.
If more of the celebrities who share similar views would speak out, it could do more to bring down the cult than any of the stories of abuse.
(Thanks to Fred for the link)
Religious symbols have different meanings to different people and Crispian Jago doesn’t hold back in his word art:
There are two other images at his site.
As I mentioned before, photographer Chris Johnson is working on a project that features 100 atheists (myself included) talking about what gives them joy and meaning in this life:
Each portrait will be paired with a short message from the subject about some aspect of joy, meaning or passion in life. It could focus on the love of a beautiful relationship, the joy of a rewarding career, the pleasure of a treasured pastime, the impact of a powerful experience, or any other topics.
The goal of the book is to dispel the common misconception that the lives of nonbelievers are somehow emptier or less meaningful. This idea is not only false, but harmful as well. It hurts those who are afraid to “come out” as an atheist because they’re scared what those close to them will think. I hope this book can reach out and serve as an inspiration.
Chris is raising funds for the project on Kickstarter but time is running out — and if the goal isn’t met, no money is given toward the project. So if you’d like to support the project, please make a pledge now.
If you live in the upper midwest, George Hrab is coming to Wisconsin to do a show at the House on the Rock resort on Saturday, March 31st:
Hrab emceed The Amazing Meeting last summer and the crowd *loved* him. Here’s him performing a song called “God Is Not Great“:
Tickets are only $20 and you’ll be surrounded by an awesome group of skeptics. (if I wasn’t out of town that weekend, I’d be there in a heartbeat.)
The Damsels of Dorkington, a hilarious group of heathens, are trying to raise enough money to travel for their performances in 2012. (In case you’re not familiar with them, this parody of “I Kissed a Girl” is a good place to start.)
We are traveling to various conventions all across the country, and we typically don’t get much help (if any) from the conventions themselves. That leaves us stuck with pricey airline tickets, rental cars, and hotel fees. We want to continue coming to your cities (and hopefully others!) to make you laugh and discuss all things nerdy, but we need your help to do that!
The highlight of Skepticon IV for me was hanging out with the four of them, for several hours, in a bar, doing random math problems, while making all sorts of inappropriate jokes. These are fun people! Help them spread their dorkiness! I chipped in what I could. Please consider doing that, too. They’re almost at their goal, so let’s put them over the top.
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