And it's one of those superduper ones where they let you have full length programmes and extended films. I'm quite taken with the idea of watching the Royal Institution Christmas lectures that Dawkins did back in 1991. See the full channel here.
We're about to make our wedding website password-only (there are some idiots out there who think it's fun to cancel other people's weddings using the details they put on their sites, plus there's the whole personal safety thing) so I may well go back to posting random wedding stuff on here. I went through a phase of posting 'Weddings I Heart' for a while and today found one that fits the bill. Seth and Dionna had a lovely outdoor countryside wedding, I love her dress and the knitted shrug and the grooms outfit.
Maker Faire is coming to the UK! And not to London or Birmingham or Manchester or places that are just that bit too far to get to from Edinburgh for the day. It's in Newcastle, a comfortable train ride away.
The atheist bus campaign has spread across the UK, will look out for one in Glasgow tomorrow. Of course lots of people are complaining about them to the Advertising Standards Authority and some MPs want to ban them. There's been a discussion about this on the Atheist and Agnostic Crafters group on Ravelry and a few of us are thinking of making lots of counter complaints against some of the hateful religious advertising telling us we are going to hell. There are also posters on the London Tube now as well, I really like these as they include a further quote from Douglas Adams.
Just read the post How To Actually Talk To Atheists (If You're Christian) by Joe the Peacock, via the Atheist and Agnostic Crafters group on Ravelry. Some really interesting stuff in there, I particularly like the unicorn comparison.
However, I'm sick of reading about 'new atheism' and this article makes it seem like Christians are turning people to this new atheism, people are changing their beliefs just because someone annoyed them? Hmm. I don't think there has been a sudden increase in the number of atheists, I think we're just becoming louder, especially in the USA where there is a lot of prejudice and discrimination against us. Anyway, still good reading.
Friendly Atheist posts about a new study that states that religion comes about to promote social bonding and exists because we have imagination. Fascinating stuff.
Edinburgh's Friendly Humanist linked a while back to a post by Greta Christina on dealing with difficult times as an atheist. I think she's summed it up brilliantly.
And mediawatchwatch finds that anything not Christian in the media apparently promotes secularism.
All about Darwin Day.
It's also a month since Jon and I got engaged, and our friend Emily's first birthday. Em, you are an absolute star. Here's a bunny.
Very sweet strip at Cectic, and very apt in this house at the moment.
Fantastically amazing stonkingly brilliant post from Greta Christina about why atheists get angry. Found via Ravelry, where there are knitting groups for everyone.
Our bedtime conversations always seem to come round to us talking about The New Flat. We've just paid out the deposit and agency fees but when we were woken up at 1am by downstairs listening to music in the kitchen we knew it was worth every penny. Not that we were having any doubts but it was a lot of money. Jon counts the days down, sometimes including the few days we'll be in Yorkshire later this month, sometimes not to make it seem quicker. August seems to be a busy month as we're doing a lot of film festival stuff so it should go by soon. There's a few comedy gigs and book events we wouldn't have minded seeing but moving is an expensive business.
Mr Bitch left a comment a few weeks back asking when I was going to knit him a bikers jacket. Should my crochet skills drastically improve and I come into a load of black yarn, I could make him this...
When you're feeling a bit fed up, other people's photos on Flickr can help cheer you up. Jon and I went to see an exhibition by Edinburgh artist Jill Ashforth last year and have been enjoying her photos on Flickr as well. She's just been to Stromness and I'm starting to wish I didn't find the journey to Orkney so stressful... Especially when you come across even more lovely Orkney photos from someone else, including one of a very special home.
Friendly Atheist Hemant Mehta asked readers for quick answers to questions that atheists are often asked by those who believe in a god. He's compiled a pdf of the best answers, and one of mine was included, the answer to 'If you don't pray, what do you do in troubling times?'. I said 'When it's possible, I try to take action to fix the situation. If that's not an option I talk to people I trust and hope that things get better'. If it sounds very simplistic, well, that was the idea of the whole exercise. I can't always 'do something' to help in troubling times, but I can try, and I can talk to those I love and I have to say that's enough for me.
Yummy black bean and sweet potato burritos for dinner tonight, I'm a lucky girl.
...for the creationists to set up a museum. But Friendly Atheist Hemant went along with a bunch of others for a Rally for Reason and investigated just what the museum is all about. Makes for illuminating reading. Part 1 is here and Part 2 is here.
It goes without saying that this sort of thing will not be welcome on my mountain.
Can't believe I missed this, but the Humanist Society of Scotland have launched the Think Humanist site, where you can download 'Thought for the Day'-style podcasts, but all from a Humanist perspective. The BBC doesn't allow secular thinkers on Thought for the Day but it does allow platitudinous speakers...
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