Xmas is always such a pain. And I don't mean to sound all Scrooge-y or Grinch-ish; I love the idea of coming together with family and friends to celebrate life and relationships, and I think the middle of winter is a good time for that kind of thing. No wonder so many belief systems of all kinds recognize the winter solstice as a conspicuous time of year. But don't go thinking that I'm arguing for some kind of "alternative" religious viewpoint.

I'm an atheist.I love being an atheist. I feel as good about being an atheist as most folks feel about being devoted to any religion, club, or team. Sometimes I even want to tell people about it, to prosyletize the joy of living in a godless world. But what's the point?

Still, it's sometimes made very clear just how on the outside we are. The holiday season brings it to the forefront. How will I raise my children to be proud of their atheism in the face of such cultural pressure to believe the lie? How do we celebrate the completion of a year, the bonding of a family, the accomplishments and hardships of a community without encouraging the destructive impulses of Christianity?

Public school funds can be diverted to counterproductive religious schools. Faith based organizations are being given more and more responsibility. In some states it is possible to be forced to sit through prayer before receiving state and federal assistance. The religious radicals of Christianity have led us into conflict over and over again; conflict within our western, American culture as well as conflict with other religious radicals. The past few years have exposed in bitterly clear ways the full effect of religious wrath and the numbing, dumbing effect of religion as the proverbial opiate of the masses.

Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas all refuse atheists the right to hold office according to clauses in their state constitutions. Massachusetts excludes non-Christians from equal protection under the law.

These are just a few examples of more gratuitous discrimination that many will dismiss as relics of old attitudes. But the attitude still very much exists. We're told to pray by the President often. Our crusades in the Middle East (the Administration's words; not mine) are a playing out of age-old religious differences, which were played out, in the first place, in service of dubious economic goals. Our Pledge of Allegiance... Our God Bless America... Our Shortsighted Ignorant Approach to Humanity...

Happy New Year

So Paul and I are both in DMS, and Holly's in my digipoeticals course, and I play Second Life (when First Life isn't ruining everything for everyone), and I write. So I think it was only a matter of time (and me getting off my ample backside) before I was posting on the Estrip. I don't live on Elmwood, but I do offer an open WiFi node in the Parkside neighborhood of B-Lo.

What do I do? Little bit of dis, little bit of dat. This blog will be a more personal, creative look. It is the community face of Shawn aka Cottonmouth aka Coughs-Twice aka Gorehound aka Daigoro. You can see many other faces in the links in my sidebar.

A little about me? I moved to Buffalo last year from Moscow, Idaho, home of hippies, commies, queers and freaks of all kinds. After seven states, over a dozen public schools, one Catholic school, and endless transience, Moscow is the only place I've managed to call home so far. Locating in Idaho for so long has bred a synergistic bond between myself and my CRT (my spiffy new LCD is making quite the good impression as well), and while I wouldn't call myself anti-social, you're hard-pressed to get me out of the house. I am working hard to perfect the on-demand lifestyle and deal with the various ethical and critical baggage that comes with that mode of existence.

I now live with my wife, Sarah, and my little dog, Janis. We're all fans and students of popular culture (yes, even the dog). Sarah and I (not the dog) co-own a videogame website called GamesFirst! I most respect folks who are not afraid to look something up, and I try real hard to be a nice guy.

I guess that's enough about me for an introduction. We'll be getting to know each other over the coming days, months, years? Now, tell me something about you...