Bad Religion @ MindSay 
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So, since Bad Religion is one of the all-time best bands ever, I thought I'd share this with you guys.
"Cultural Humanism" Awardee is Seminal Punk Singer, Earned Ivy-League PhD in Evolution
CAMBRIDGE, MA - Harvard University's prominent community of atheists and agnostics is poised to honor a rock star and scientist whom they argue is an ideal role model for the nation's millions of non-religious youth.
The Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard has gained considerable national attention in the past year for its unique approach to building a culture and community for the non-religious, and this April 26 it will give its highest honor, the "Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism," to a unique figure: Dr. Greg Graffin, frontman of the influential punk rock band Bad Religion. Graffin, whose "day job" since 1980 has been recording and extensive worldwide touring with a band boasting such hits as "How Could Hell be Any Worse" and "American Jesus," earned his PhD in Zoology at Cornell and is a member of the UCLA's Faculty in Biology, teaching Life Sciences courses covering Darwin and natural selection. Graffin will give an acoustic performance after accepting the award.
"I always put education high on my list of priorities because I thought, Wouldn't it be neat if you can have a singer of your favorite band who also has something more to offer than looking cool - which I don't - or dressing cool - which I don't;" Graffin said. "Those are the things that I try to inspire young people to do, whether it is in the lecture hall or on stage on the Warped Tour."
But Bad Religion, considered among the most influential modern punk bands, has been known for inspiring young people towards a particular set of ideas: those of atheism and Humanism. Graffin's lyrics make plain his passionate disbelief in God. Yet the Harvard Humanists cite his faith in the ability of music and science to improve the world as making the singer unique.
"Graffin is proof positive that atheists can be great ethical role models: young people idolize rock stars, and what more could you want from one than his lifelong dedication to science, education, and Humanism?" said Greg Epstein, Humanist Chaplain of Harvard University.
The award, intended to honor a Humanist or atheist having made a lasting impact on US culture, was presented last year to renowned novelist Sir Salman Rushdie before a sold-out audience of 1100 that Rushdie likened to a celebration of "Atheistmas," and will once again be conferred at Harvard's Memorial Church, the official University Chapel. Graffin was selected for this year's award by the Harvard Secular Society, an undergraduate student group affiliated with the Humanist Chaplaincy. The event is co-sponsored by Newbury Comics, Harvard Book Store, & the Cambridge Forum.
Date: Saturday, April 26, 2008
Time: 8:00pm - 10:00pm
Location: The Memorial Church, Harvard
Get tickets at the Harvard Box Office! $5 students, $10 public.
For information about the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, visit:
http://harvardhumanist. org.
Go!
Go!
Go!
We're only gonna die from our own arrogance...
I was so very incorrect in writing yesterday about not finding much of anything on the marvel of the Twentieth Century - the television. More often than not fate or irony or life in general sets out to prove me wrong. Not long after yesterday's entry hit the Information SuperHighway, a concept was presented that caught my attention was "The illusion of knowledge..."
Yes, I realize that odd concepts strike my fancy and this may be because of the fact that I'm a non-traditional thinker, but at least the concept got me to thinkin'...
Once one thinks he or she knows all the answers, has complete knowledge of it, then the discovery, the wonder, the digging deeper stops, and the subject stagnates and dies. Absolute knowledge kills as absolutely as I'm typing this entry...
Without awe, a sense of wonderment, amazement, there is no life; there is no joy in all things that surround you. When one thinks he or she knows all the answers, he or she has last lost, lost the ability to find joy in the subject, it becomes tedious, a chore that they can do without. The subject is dead. And as we stack the corpse of subjects one upon another, the stench of death will consume the all-knowing one, and they too shall die...
Knowledge in itself is not a bad thing, but assuming that one knows all - all that can be know is know - then knowledge shall destroy the ones that possess it...
This is the Word of the AntiCrust...
Praise be ye who Read the Word for ye are Blessed amongst humans...
OK....that's a lie.
Nothing too amazing happened. Ate some food, went on a date, bought some new music, watched a little TV and had an economic epiphany. After dinner on Friday, I went with Grampire to Target to get the latest Henry Rollins spoken word DVD. All in all, his last one was better but this one was still good if you enjoy listening to someone with a rather high I.Q.
After a Saturday of doing a bunch of homework, I had to mentally and physically prepare myself for my blind date of sorts. Naturally, I was over-anxious, nervy and such but I tried my best to maintain my composure. As usual, I absolutely abhor these meetings because it's always nerve-wrecking for me. I took a few pill-shaped friends to settle me down and went out to meet my companion for the evening. After the date ended, I had a good time. Where it went is not so easy to determine but I got see an old friend, experience live roller derby and break up my usual Saturday night routine of sitting around doing nothing at all.
Sunday, it was back to homework. Let me say once again that I hate Maya. I appreciate what it can do and so on but, aside from making video games, I can't see myself ever wanting to use it. Again, Maya can clearly do some amazing things but beyond gaming, it's designed for making overused animation garbage that is wholly unimaginative like Shrek and Shark Tale. Me? I'm fairly old school in that I prefer the classic animation styles. I can't get into the whole CGI explosion when people are still doing hella creative things with pen, paper, 2D and the occasional clay model or action figure. So yeah, I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in working on, watching or creating any sort of Happy Feet knock off involving breakdancing aardvarks. Screw that....give me a talking milkshake any day of the week.
After that, it was off to the Olive Garden for yet another sumptuous meal of epic proportions. From there, Gramps and I stopped at Best Buy to add to the music collections. I re-added Bad Religion No Control due to it's classic status and the new Isis album In The Absence Of Truth. From the 4-5 songs I've listened to so far, this is their crown jewel. It's becoming more evident with each new album that they are moving further and further away from the Neurosis sound they started with and getting exponentially more creative and progressive, bringing to mind stuff like King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree.
Tonight, the Brewers are on ESPN so perhaps I will indulge in some baseball, Milwaukee-style and see the Prince Fielder explosion. I'm telling you, the Brewers are on the cusp people!!!
What was once, is reduced to remembrance
And the generations pass without recompense
What pretension! Everlasting peace
Everything must cease...
I seem to be in some sort of funk at the moment so I shall continue upon this road until the time I find myself thinking along other lines...
Let's see, this week I have written on the joys of working for a major corporation, and I have spelled out my top-secret plan to sell carbon credits to those who are guilty about destroying the environment and yet don't have the brain capacity to change their behavior. So today I shall write on a couple or so topics that have been overly talked upon by the media in recent days. This is funny that though I have banished myself from watching mainstream news shows, I still find that I cannot escape hearing what they think is important...
My plan for Middle East peace. Yes, I realize that the fighting has gone on now for 3,000 or so years, but I can put an end to it within the next 3 years. It is another fine plan, simple and eloquent. What the Western World needs to do is to send some of its female politicians dressed feminine in dresses or skirts - showing a little leg discreetly and not like pop stars of this generation - to all the Middle Eastern heads of state, and these leaders will bow before the greatness of our way of thinking. It has happened already, and so shall it happen again. I'm not saying that these female politicians have to strut their stuff from Mecca to Medina, but they can just show the Middle Eastern heads of state that our way is the correct way...
Ew, I shall probably get some nasty replies to that one...
Now we come to the point in the show where we shall discuss illegal immigrants protesting in the streets. Hey, if folks want to come into this country, there are ways to do it much as there are rules and regulations regarding everything in this life. If I wish to fly on a major airline with my pocket knife, there will be a gentleman or lady telling me that I cannot do as I please even if it is pretty and all nice and shiny and stuff. Next I'm waiting for child molesters or puppy kickers or some other group that is legally questionable to start rioting, demanding their rights. It ain't all that difficult to just follow the rules of the game, and maybe your group will receive a bit more respect in this here Blog...
And now another topic for which some folks will take exception to - the First Amendment Right of Free Speech. When anyone begins to restrict the speech of others' it can no longer be considered free speech. I am not taking sides in this issue for the simple fact that I feel both sides in the dispute are wrong. I am just stating point blank that if one is punished for what one says it no longer is free speech. I personally have been on the Internet for over 12 years and I know what its like for to put my thoughts upon a page and be persecuted for them mercilessly because someone takes exception with me. I have threats made against me, I have had e-mail bombs (that was an interesting item that I'm not sure happens anymore, but having to delete upwards of 2 or 3,000 e-mails is not a joy in my books) and yet I am still here because I have accepted that fact that my thoughts may upset some people. And what's even more ironic is the fact that 12 years down the road on this odyssey, I actually put more of me out in public then in the years gone past...
Ironic it is...
Please address all hate mail to me here at the station and if I enjoy it, I will even place it on my Web site with all the honours it deserves...
This is the Word of the AntiCrust...
Praise be ye who Read the Word for ye are Blessed amongst humans...
Greg Graffin is displayed at the top of my blog, singer of Bad Religion....hmmm I'll have to click on it. I'm back. it's very folksy and country. nice lyrics but too slow for my taste.
Have a good Sunday
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