I watched the Bill Maher’s comedy/documentary film – Religulous. (The name is a portmanteau of “religion” and “ridiculous”.

I have been a long time fan of Bill Maher because he is hilarious simply by stating facts. It’s an amazing piece of work to watch because Bill tries to interview people from a ton of different religions, not just Christianity. It’s funny to watch people freak out when they see who will be doing the interviews; he gets thrown out of the Vatican simply for being Bill Maher.

As for the budget and profit of the movie, the cost was around $2.5 million and it brought in around $13 million. It ranked 10th in the box off during the weekend it opened but what wasn’t really talked about was that the movie was extremely limited to only 502 theaters and still ranked #10. The only movie that weekend that made more money per screen average was the #1 movie – Beverly Hills Chihuahua.

Religulous is currently 7th among the top 10 highest grossing documentaries in US history and was the highest grossing documentary of 2008.

Film critic Roger Ebert gave the film a rating of 3.5 out of four stars and made the best quote I’ve read in a long time…

“I report faithfully that I laughed frequently. You may very well hate it, but at least you’ve been informed. Perhaps you could enjoy the material about other religions, and tune out when yours is being discussed. That’s only human nature!”

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Sharkys Favorite Religulous Quote (conversation)

Bill Maher – If Santa Claus can hit every house in the world

Steve Berg – No, we don’t believe in Santa Claus.

Bill Maher – Of course not, that’s one man flying all around the world and dropping presents down a chimney. One man hearing everybody murmer at him at the same time, that I get.
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The movie taught me one thing…as an Atheist, I have the same rights as everyone else. It’s funny because we watched the movie on Saturday and then the Family Guy episode on Sunday was about Brian (the talking dog) being an Atheist. Meg (the daughter) tells the world about Brian being an Atheist and everyone in the town shuns him. They refuse to serve him, throw things at him and attack him…sort of like what the Christians faced in the days of old.

Being an Athiest simply means that I do not believe in a God (or Gods) or any other deities out there watching over us, controlling our lives.

I think it’s time that Athiest enjoy the same luxury of discussing our beliefs openly and no longer live in “hiding”. I have always tried to show respect to Christians (without receiving the same); only really discussing my beliefs on my OWN website but now I believe it’s time to react to Christians (and other religions) in a way that allows me to openly defend my beliefs.

Think about this…at least twice a month, I come home to find a pamphlet on my door from a church or religious group, which means they came to MY home, knocked on MY door in order to share their religious beliefs with me; how would the world react if Atheist did the same thing?

The world is FULL of double standards and this is probably the biggest double standard there is. Christians want you to believe that America was “founded on the belief of God” which is totally bullshit. America was founded no the freedom FROM religion just as much as it was founded on freedom OF religion.

When we try to have the word “One nation, under God” removed from our Pledge of Allegiance, Christians go nuts. They claim that you can’t have the pledge without those words, yet the original version did NOT contain those words.

I don’t want to write a huge article about the Pledge of Allegiance but the history has always intrigued me. The pledge was written in 1892 by a Baptist minister who did NOT believe that God should be a part of the pledge. The pledge was written to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Columbus discovering America (a land that had already been discovered several times, but that is another article)

The original pledge – “I Pledge Allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”

In 1923, the National Flag Conference called for the words MY FLAG to be changed to the Flag of the United States of American to ensure that immigrants knew to which flag they were pledging their allegiance.

The pledge became the “official national pledge” in 1942.

The words “Under God” was added in 1954 thanks to a few select Christians pushing for the change.

This changed the pledge from a way to show patriotism to a way for Christians to force American’s to acknowledge their God.

I can’t even spend US currency without acknowledging the Christian God.

How is forcing an American to acknowledge the Christian God in order to survive (spending money) or show allegiance to his country not a direct bitch slap to the third amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America which states – congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion…”.

It is a law, passed by Congress, that all US currency contain the words “In God We Trust” and the United States National Pledge, approved by Congress, contains the words “Under God”.

I am an Athiest and I will fight for my rights to believe how I wish and still be considered a loyal American. Maybe I will start going door to door….

~~~~ShArky~~~~

MORE FAVORITE QUOTES FROM RELIGULOUS

Benjamin Franklin – Lighthouses are more useful than churches.

Thomas Jefferson – Christianity is the most perverted system that ever shone on man.

Bill Maher: If you belonged to a political party or a social club that was tied to as much bigotry, misogyny, homophobia, violence, and sheer ignorance as religion is, you’d resign in protest. To do otherwise is to be an enabler – a mafia wife.

Bill Maher: Rational people, anti-religionists, must end their timidity and come out of the closet and assert themselves. And those who consider themselves only moderately religious really need to look in the mirror and realize that the solace and comfort that religion brings you actually comes at a terrible price.

Bill Maher: Religion is dangerous because it allows human beings who don’t have all the answers to think that they do. Most people would think it’s wonderful when someone says, ‘I’m willing Lord, I’ll do whatever you want me to do.’ Except that since there are no gods actually talking to us, that void is filled in by people with their own corruptions and limitations and agendas.

Just click on The Sharkettes to your right to see more of these gorgeous girls!!!

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There are times when I love having my own little website; it allows me 100% freedom of speech.

If you are from Danville, Kentucky…then you probably know Bob Rowland. Bob (I have no respect for the man, so Mr. Rowland is OUT of the question) was the principal of Danville High School back in 1994; the year I was expelled.

Now, I’m not one to hold grudges…ok, yea, actually I am. Let me explain the situation…exactly how it happened and clear up a ton of rumors.

Back in 1994, I started having really severe headaches and the doctor prescribed me a narcotic called Midrin. My mom called Bob’s office and explained the situation to them and everyone agreed that the pills would be kept in the office and if I got a headache while at school, I was to go to the office and get one.

A few days later, I had a headache and went to the office. The lady behind the desk gave me the entire bottle and told me to keep them with me because she didn’t have time to give me the pill every time I had a headache.

On the way back to class, I ran into a friend (no need for names). I went to the water fountain and took my headache pill. This friend asked me what I was taking and I told him it was for my headache; he said his head had been hurting all day and asked if he could have one.

I’m a freshman in high school, pretty naïve and didn’t really have a clue what a narcotic was to begin with; it was a headache pill and he had a headache…I gave him one.

This moron was sitting in the back of his last class, pretending to sniff cocaine along with another “friend”. The next day, all three of us are called to the office and he is accused of sniffing cocaine and I was the supplier; he was actually sniffing the powder that was inside of the Midrin. He wasn’t the smartest guy out there and that is probably why.

Here is where Big Bad Bob comes into play. He holds me in his office after the final bell rings and pats me down (I wondered why he believed I had hidden cocaine so close to my dick because he checked there more than once.) Bob continues to hold me well over 5pm. I lived right behind the high school and I wasn’t home yet. My mom was currently calling Danville High School and being told that all the students were gone for the day. She was also calling the police department, who informed her that I was being held at Danville High School while they decided if I was a notorious cocaine trafficker.

The police tells Bob that the white powder was the Midrin I had given to my friend; which I never denied.

Long story short….Bob suspends me and puts me up for expulsion.

I was a decent student and I was even in a program called ADVIT…which was for kids that had college potential but wouldn’t be able to afford it. It was to get us ready and improve our grades to ensure we would get a scholarship. I entered my expulsion hearing with my former elementary school principal (Mr. Atkins) behind me because he knew me personally and knew I was a good kid. I also had two Danville Police captains behind me because they also knew me personally because they were friends with my mom. I had a ton of teachers and even witnesses that said I wasn’t in the class at the time of the incident.

During the hearing, Bob explained how I was in the back with the other two, snorting away, which was a 100% total lie; I wasn’t even in the same damn class at the time. I had a couple board members on my side but because Bob had requested I get expelled, they decided to use me as an example. Bob refused to allow me to bring witnesses in because they were underage and refused to name the person who was telling them that I was sniffing white powder…because the person didn’t exist.

Bob realized that this was a huge opportunity to show the community that he was actually doing something; a big “drug” bust…local principal won’t stand for drugs in his school type shit.

There was a newspaper reporter there and the entire story hit the front page of the Danville Advocate (I actually still have the newspaper). What Bob didn’t realize is that a friend from the class that I was ACTUALLY in at the time had told her mom that she knew I wasn’t involved. It had been determined during my suspension that I was having headaches because I needed glasses and this friends mom actually send the money in to buy the glasses for me because she was so upset about the way Bob had handled the situation. Her daughter was friends with Bob’s son, Aaron and she had told Bob what her daughter had said.

I went to Toliver Elementary, Bate Middle and Danville High School with Aaron and he was always a smartass and I finally realized where he got it from…his dad was a total prick. I bring Aaron up because he was always an asshole and acted like he was better than everyone else because of who his daddy was. One of my clearest memories from Toliver Elementary was trading his retarded ass a bunch of “autographed” baseball cards. After we traded, he was talking shit and I said “they aren’t worth as much as you think because they aren’t even big name players” and I’ll never forget what he said…”yea, but they are autographed….you’re just stupid!!” and he went his own way, probably telling all of his friends how he had “ripped” me off. The cards were autographed by my mom…

All of this is brought up because on www.amnews.com, there is a big story about Bob’s retirement and it talks about what a great principal and Superintendent he was and I can tell you, from first hand experience, that the entire article is one huge work of bullshit.

For the year I was at Danville High School (regular and night school), I crossed paths with Bob several times and from day one, he was a total prick to the “less fortunate” kids…but he was DA SHIT to those rich fucktards. Bob kissed ass and sucked their dick daily, I guess in hopes of having the upper class of Danville, KY write about how great he was when he finally decided to retire.

The Danville School System is 100% better off without an asshole like that in charge.

The folks that knew me and was behind me know exactly what happened and Mr. Atkins was even at my Boyle County High School graduation; he brought me a coin set from 1997 (one of those cased sets that include never touched currency from that year). I still have that to this day and it will go to my son when I die, it showed that he believed in me and he was proud and it meant the world to me…and still does.

The fact is, Bob knew how this entire situation would affect me and that it was hurting a decent student who already had a limited shot at success and he didn’t give a shit…he never gave a shit about the students he was over; only the ones that may help give him a good name.

So, while the name Bob Rowland may have high meaning to most people in Danville, he’s still a worthless piece of shit to some of us.

I know I promised to write something about the INFAMOUS SHARKY EXPULSION FROM 1994 on Facebook today but I deleted it by mistake…you’ll have to settle for a bullshit post today and I’ll post my big article tomorrow…get over it.

I’m excited.

Yea, I think that is the best word to describe it. Today it’s in the 70s.

Jackie and I are discussing the plans of taking Evan to Newport Aquarium in April; this will be the first time he will really get excited about it. Last year was ok but he was still more interested in the toys that he brought with him; this year it will be totally different.

Just to see the look in his eyes when he sees the huge aquarium; he always wants to see the “fishies” when we go to Wal-Mart, so I can NOT wait for this trip; it’s going to be amazing.

Stuff like this is what makes being a dad so awesome, being able to introduce different things to your child and seeing the amazement in their eyes as they see things they their mind can barely even understand. Evan has seen a shark on TV and even saw one the last time we went to Newport, but this time, he will really SEE it..he will sort of understand what it is and really understand just how large it is.

I’m also excited because in a few weeks, Jackie and I will be starting the Get Healthy Frankfort Challenge (formerly Frankfort’s Biggest Loser…not allowed to use that name any longer because NBC doesn’t make any money from it!!!) and we are going to get healthy together. The awesome weather just means that we will be able to start walking every night like we did before and that is always fun.

Plus…I consider myself a decent photographer and I much prefer taking pictures outdoors so this is going to be a great Spring/Summer for us!!!

Be sure to keep checking the EVANS DAD section for pictures and blogs about the trips we take with Evan.

Be sure to keep checking the SHARKFIN PHOTOGRAPHY section for all the awesome photography I’m going to take over the next 6 months or so.

If you are interested in doing a photoshoot or anything like that, just email me at sharky@sharkysworld.com (CENTRAL KENTUCKY ONLY!!!) I usually work extremely cheap…maybe even free!!! (check out my work in the SHARKFIN PHOTOGRAPHY section!!!)

~~~~ShArky~~~~
SharkysWorld.com

I was looking through a TIME magazine today and saw several pictures from the war in Africa and a lot of the pictures were of children either hurt or dead. There were several pictures of mothers holding their children with the war going on around them and it brought a tear to my eye; not the “mythical” tear but an actual tear.

You have several types of parents; those of us that wanted kids and planned them, those that didn’t want kids and didn’t plan them, and everything in between. You have people who are not fit to be parents and do unimaginable things to their children from hurting them to just giving them away.

Then you have people who want children and are fighting daily, through war, starvation, poverty and violence to shelter them and try to keep them safe.

Having a child is the single, most life altering experience a person can face and I know this because I have lived it. From simple things to huge things; I was never expecting the emotional situation of having a child. I knew I would love him but the amount and depth of that love is unimaginable to someone that doesn’t have children and to some that do.

I think a large majority of parents want to watch their children grow up into strong, productive adults and know that they are going to be safe and be “ok” as an adult before they are truly ready to face death.

I look at Evan at 2 years old, running, hoping, playing, building with his blocks and playing with his Thomas the Train toys and I brace myself for what is coming…those odd middle school years, the rebellious teenage years.

It blows my mind how quickly he has gone from the little newborn yawning in my arms to this 2 year old full of life, laughter and pure enjoyment; no worries, no cares…why can’t all children of the world be in that same position?

Why can’t all parents enjoy raising their children in a safe environment and watch them run and play without the fear of war, terrorism or having your child taking from you in the middle of the night.

This may just be rambling but I have stuff on my mind. I realize that there aren’t a lot of folks who actually read this section of SharkysWorld.com and I’m cool with that…this is more of a personal type place for me to get these feelings out of my head.

~~~~ShArky~~~~
Sharkysworld.com