The Greatest American Hero

Who could it be?

Believe It Or Not ...
it's just Free!

Well, I gave you some hints a few days ago, but no one directly guessed what I'd be this Halloween. Anyone remember that TV show "The Greatest American Hero" from the early 80s? I've long been told that I resemble that guy, especially when my 'fro was biggger. With the costume and some help from a wig, I transformed myself into this superhero. And with some help from Photoshop, I believe I can fly ...

To get into character, I've been watching episodes of the show from the "the complete series" DVD box set. It's quite a flashback watching the adventures all over again. The reluctant Reagan cold-war era crime-fighting trio of Ralph Hinkley (William Katt), Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp), and the lovely Pam Davidson (Connie Sellecca) made a great team, for 44 episodes over 3 seasons. Rumor has it that a new motion picture based on the series is under development.

Apologies if that irresistably catchy theme song is now stuck in your head.

Richard Dawkins

Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins may well be the next Carl Sagan. Like the late, great Sagan, Dawkins writes popular science books and is increasingly seen on TV. Unlike Sagan, he's not coy about his atheism. And that's only helping his popularity. His newest book "The God Delusion" is a New York Times best seller and is the #2 selling book on Amazon.com. (Read the first chapter here.) In its cover story this month, Wired magazine calls Dawkins "the leading light of the New Atheism movement."

We have Dawkins to thank for the term "meme" to describe how Darwinian principles might be extended to explain the spread of ideas and cultural phenomena. For better or worse, bloggers know about memes - you can't stop evolution!

I heard Dawkins speak at the Palace of Fine Arts Theater this evening. From the applause, the laughter, and the questions-from-the-audience segment, it seemed as if every one of the 1000+ attendees were atheists. Could this be the start of a bold new coming-out-of-the-closet movement?

The BBC has produced a two-part documentary on Richard Dawkins, and titled it "The Root Of All Evil?" (a title chosen against Dawkins' wishes - they even rejected his proposed compromise, "The Root Of Some Evils.") These are powerful and provocative episodes, and here they are for you to watch. Go get a cup of tea, sit back, and prepare to think. (Look for a segment with now-disgraced Pastor Ted Haggard in Part One.)


The Root Of All Evil, Part One: The God Delusion (47:51)


The Root Of All Evil, Part Two: The Virus Of Faith (42:54)

A Super Costume

My Halloween costume is in!

Care to take a guess what I'm gonna be this year?

Hint: My costume's supposed to give me super powers, but I can't figure out how to make it work.

What are you going to be for Halloween?

Freedom From Religion Foundation Convention: Day Two

The Freedom From Religion Foundation's annual convention continues today, starting with a "Nonprayer Breakfast" and a "Moment of Bedlam" in which we made as much noise as possible for a few seconds (to the delight of both adults and kids in attendance, and to the confusion of the hotel staff). After breakfast, welcoming remarks were made by FFRF Co-Presidents Annie Laurie Gaylor and Dan Barker. This is one unique leadership team: Gaylor makes more introductions than Barker, because he entertains us with his piano playing and singing. Here's a sample of one of his witty and catchy tunes. Mr. Barker is also the author of the classic Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist which has inspired many to unshackle themselves from religion.

Honors were given to the morning's speakers: Philip Paulson received the "Atheist in Foxhole" award for his federal challenge of a religious cross on state land in San Diego. Paulson v. City of San Diego has been ruled in his favor, but the city keeps putting up legal roadblocks. The "Freethought Heroine" award went to Dr. Wafa Sultan, a former Muslim who riveted the Islamic world with her outspoken Al-Jazeera TV debates with a Muslim cleric. She now lives in California, free of religious oppression in her native Syria. Lastly, Denver Post editorial cartoonist Mike Keefe won the "Freethought in the Media: Tell It Like It Is" award. Keefe's cartoons can be viewed here.

After lunch, we heard Salon.com's Michelle Goldberg weigh in on the rise of Christian nationalism. This is the topic of her first book, Kingdom Coming. Attorney and former Air Force JAG Mikey Weinstein delivered a passionate speech about how we must not keep silent about the creeping evangelism in the military. (Amusingly, the outside roar of the "Fleet Week" Blue Angels provided the soundtrack to his speech.) His new book is With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military.

A booksigning (with sold-out books and long lines) preceded the banquet dinner and a drawing for "clean" money -- $2 raffle tickets bought a chance to win various denominations of pre- "In God We Trust" US currency.

The most anticipated speaker was Julia Sweeney, of Saturday Night Live (and "It's Pat!") fame. These days, she has found a niche in performing critically acclaimed monologues. Tonight, after being presented the "Emperor Has No Clothes" award, she performed her latest monologue, "Letting Go Of God." For about two hours, she told of her long personal journey from devout Catholic to matured atheist. She is very well-read and well-traveled, and her "spiritual journey" involves, among other things, Santa Claus, nuns, the Galapagos Islands, Buddhist temples, and Deepak Chopra. It begins and ends with Mormon boys. The whole monologue is deep, heartfelt and funny too. It made me think of an extended Garrison-Martineau dialogue. I bought her hot-off-the-press CD recording of LGOG, and am eager to listen to it again soon. (It's a beautifully packaged 2-CD box with a 102-page booklet with the complete show transcript.)

By all measures, this was a successful convention. It's nice to know that America is growing more secular, and that more people are talking about Freedom From Religion!

Freedom From Religion Foundation Convention: Day One

Since 1978, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has been working to keep state and church separate and to educate the public about the views of nontheists. Today, the FFRF begins its twenty-ninth annual convention, right here in San Francisco.

With 505 registered attendees, it was a big crowd -- but not too big to prevent meeting everybody, including the speakers. (It was a pleasure meeting Julia Sweeney, who speaks tomorrow. See photo below.) The two featured speakers tonight: Richard Sloan and Sam Harris. Dr. Sloan studies allegations of the health benefits of prayer and faith, and points out the methodological failures and ethical problems of attempts to merge medicine with religion. His new book is called "Blind Faith: The Unholy Alliance of Religion and Medicine." Mr. Harris is the author of "The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason" and the new book "Letter to a Christian Nation." "The End of Faith" is becoming a very popular book, as it is becoming more and more obvious that the more religion we have -- the more "fundamental" it gets -- the more problems we all have.

After these stimulating speakers, we unwound at a local karaoke lounge for some libation stimulation!

Bridge To Bridge Run 2006

The annual Bridge To Bridge Run is perhaps the best all-around race of the year. From the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge, this 12K race winds along the beautiful coast of the San Francisco Bay. The weather is crisp and cool, the scenery is incomparable, and the 9:30 AM start time means not having to get up so early. Runner's World magazine loves this race too!

A hi-carb, high-protein meal (chicken, meatloaf, potatoes, and a liter of dark beer) the night before helped give me the juice to finish the 12K in an hour and two minutes. Could I have finished in under an hour by consuming less (or more) beer? Further experimentation is needed ...