What I've Read: God is Not Great

I know the exact moment when it happened. The specific moment in my life when my belief in religion and god and all that came to a stark and sudden end and it was never to come back.

I admit that my questioning of religion and whatnot had been happening prior to this moment, and my faith certainly had been tested long before it. But once it stopped it was gone and it ain't coming back.

I'd like to say that I miss it, but I don't. Not one bit. In fact, I'm glad it's gone because I've found that it did nothing but get in the way. It got in the way of my better understanding and questioning and viewing of the world around me. Religion got in the way of how I viewed social issues, cultural issues, political issues, life issues, science issues, so much stuff that religion clouded for purely stupid and illogical reasons.

Luckily Christopher Hitchens' book was not what turned me. I didn't need this book, nor was it some book that I read in a weakened condition that I'll believe one week and in a couple months change my opinion again back to religion. I felt and thought a lot of these things well before I read his tome on why, as he puts it, "religion poisons everything." I don't subscribe so harshly to his statement there, but I don't discount it, either. His book did crystalize a lot of my thinking and helped give me some additional context and reasoning behind my thoughts. I didn't approach the book as giving me ammunition against religion or anything of the sort. I could just as easily kept living my life and not be chastised by two people on the train on separate occasions that I was "going to hell" just for reading the book (good luck with that whole heaven thing, assholes).

All I know is that religion makes no sense to me. Believe in it if you wish. Doesn't matter to me. I'm not going to attempt to convert you to my thoughts just as I don't think any religious person should bother wasting their time trying to convert me. Those Jehovah's Witnesses that keep coming by every weekend morning to my door, peddle your wares elsewhere. I have my thoughts on religion and I am always willing to discuss them with those who want the discussion. Hitchens' book did give me some other works to pick up and read, and I shall check them out in due time. I've got a long list of books I need to tackle first, though, and I can't spend all my time reading why I shouldn't believe in organized religion when I already don't.

Looking back now it's funny to remember the things I used to argue about. I used to get chappy when people said "god damnit" as if I was somehow going to be punished as well. I used to get into arguments with Dan and Luke in college about god and Catholicism and what I felt was right and wrong. I went to a Catholic grade school and an all-male Catholic high school, where obviously the religious views are rather firm. I still care deeply about my high school but I don't agree with the things it teaches. I still got a damn good education there (even if I was a journalism student, and we all know how good a future-employment decision that was). I'm not disavowing my younger years. I just think I have moved past that now and strive to better myself and not feel limited and held back by what religion offers. I once got all excited when my girlfriend was baptized in college as a Catholic, like it somehow made me a better person. My Catholicism had me convinced I was supposed to believe and defend all sorts of crazy shit, and I'm glad that I personally came about-face on it and got some more information before I continued spouting off some things I clearly had no business believing.

That moment when I truly, once and for all, stopped believing is my own personal moment and it's not necessary for me to share it. If you ever find yourself questioning god and your church and your leaders and whatever else around you, I recommend you read Hitchens' book because it might be the outlet and differing view you need to reinforce whatever direction you choose. You may read it and decide he's a nutcase. You may think he's right on the money. You may think he's somewhere in between. And good for you either way. All I know is that religion, church and whatever else is gone for me and isn't coming back.

Friday Funnies VII

I am an unabashed fan of The Office. It reminds me whole-heartedly of my time working at Scripps. Sorry, but it does. I had some crazy coworkers who fit the bill perfectly. I know others think their office is the same, but this is my blog so suck it, it was my office that fit it best. Anyway, one of my favorite things (that they have sadly gotten away from in recent seasons) was all the pranks Jim would pull on Dwight. Here is a collection of a few someone put together. Some of my personal favorites are missing (like the office supplies in the Jell-O and the one with the red wire), but there are some solid entries here. Enjoy.

Game On: Week of Sept. 18

My column from last week, courtesy of the TC Palm. Games reviewed were The Beatles: Rock Band and IL-2 Sturmovik. Special shout-out in the Beatles review to my good buddy Luke.

What I've Read (sorta): Official Book Club Selection

Last holiday season when driving back to Kentucky for all the family gatherings and such, one great way to pass the time was listening to books on tape. Hey, it was like reading and it made the 9-hour drive go by a helluva lot faster. And at least I was good about getting the unabridged versions!

For a recent trip the wife and I decided to venture into the audio book world once again to help pass the time. Our selection: Official Book Club Selection by Kathy Griffin. As you can imagine, the decision was not mine at all. Actually, it did help that the book timed out perfectly for the drive, so there was no need to worry about having leftover book unheard.

The wife is most definitely a fervent Kathy Griffin fan. Not sure how much of a fan she was before the she started her show on Bravo! but nevertheless she has not missed an episode and follows her comedy like the Bronx follows the Yankees. I got her tickets for Griffin's show in June and luckily I didn't have to attend with her, as she took a friend of hers and everyone came out happy about the experience in the end. And I just got her tickets to Griffin's return to DC in January, and thankfully she has already secured a guest to go with her (thank you, Kristin!).

I must say, only catching glimpses of My Life on the D List while her eyes are glued to its every moment, I enjoy Griffin's humor though it's clearly not meant for me. I don't know (or care) about 85% of the celebrities she mocks, though when she gets in some digs I can at least remember hearing the person's name in passing. Her book is not rife with this celebrity humor, so you may be disappointed if that is what you are going in for.

In fact, what is amazing is how good the book is because it's an autobiography and Griffin has had one helluva interesting life thus far. Talking about her family (especially her brother), the life and times of coming up through the ranks of comedy, her time on Suddenly Susan when her coworker offed himself, her friendships with so many comedians I have known more about (like Janeane Garofalo, Phil Hartman and Andy Dick), the details of her failed marriage. There is a lot to digest in this book and not all of it is even remotely good stuff. But she tells it with her dry-wit humor and self-deprecating style, and you end up feeling happy for her in many ways by the time it ends. And if nothing else, you get a wonderful sense of how much comedy means to her and how great her parents have been at supporting her.

So whether you are up for reading (or listening) to the book, I recommend it and think it's worth spending the time with.

Friday Funnies VI

One of the first (and still one of the best) stand-up routines I ever saw was Robin Williams Live at the Met. This is him, back in the mid-80s, at his most insane and off-kilter. His mind goes so fast that you can barely keep up, and while nothing is the most drop-dead hilarious, the pure frenetic nature of it is primo stuff.

What I've Watched: American Meth

Say what you want about the legalization of pot and whatnot, but I have to tell ya, meth right nows seems to be the worst thing man ever created, maybe next to nuclear bombs and Glen Beck.

Some dumbass way back in the day thought this drug could have a purpose, and instead it has evolved over the years and now is one of single biggest problems facing people under the age of 35. Don't believe me? Fine, then watch American Meth and let's talk it out.

When I visited my sister in Denver in the spring, I chuckled and took a snapshot of an anti-meth billboard. I've watched the new Breaking Bad TV show and it's good but certainly makes cooking meth seem like hanging out with Tony Soprano, and it doesn't do a good enough job making you realize how crazy this drug makes you. I've read stories in magazines about meth addiction, and Fast Company even did a huge feature on the lengths the state of Montana is going to try and stop people from doing this drug.

Instead of just showering you with horrible images and vignettes that tear you apart (it does that, don't worry), the documentary also spends lots of time with people who are recovering and others who are making every effort to spread the word.

The scariest thing I have learned about meth from reading up on it is how powerful it hooks you, from the first hit. I've read more than one user say that unlike any drug ever created, meth gives you a high that is so good that you are hooked after the first hit. I know tons of people who have smoked weed, dropped acid, did X and cocaine and whatnot, and the ones I know of who have seen people do meth say it's unlike anything they've ever witnessed.

Just watch the doc and see the 24-year-old mother of four who looks like she's 57 and tore up. Or the mother who used meth all 8 months she was pregnant and listen to her talk about her baby having meth in its system when she was born. It's not a totally depressing movie, though I certainly may make it sound that way. I just think, beyond anything else, kids should be shown the 5-minute clip where the guy goes through all the materials used to cook meth. Cat litter, battery acid, drano, antifreeze. I know there are people out there who just wanna get high, but this is some crazy shit, and I can only hope it never gets hold of someone I know.

Game On: Week of Sept. 11

Here is my column from last week, courtesy of the Nashua Telegraph. The games reviewed were "Batman: Arkham Asylum" and "Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box."

Friday Funnies V

I cannot believe the Dave Chappelle Show has been off the air for as long as it has. Damn that show was funny. One of the standouts of the show was Charlie Murphy, Eddie's brother, and who knew this guy was so funny? I was stunned. Well, he shows off his better moments when reminiscing with Rick James about their relationship.

Well done, bro ...

Have to take a moment and give a big shout-out to my brother, Michael. His friends call his Soup (because, you know, our last name is Campbell), some people call him Mike, but he's always going to be Michael to me. I like the full names.

2009 has been a big year so far for Michael. He turned 21 last November, so he's treating his liver like any normal 21-year-old guy should. He has been to a casino a couple times, but he's been a fool and played roulette too much and has not quite figured out the machinations of the table games, but I'll set him straight eventually. He bagged fool-heartedly missed the guys' annual Vegas trip in the winter by scheduling a trip to Florida, so he's still got some priorities to figure out. He has himself a steady job. He moved into a new house where his room is larger than a PODS bin, so that is a plus. He isn't begging my mom for money every hour, so that alone makes her happy. As I said, it's been a big year so far.

Sure he's my little brother, but that is by title and not definition. If we were playing football he'd be a running back while I would be ... well ... probably the towel boy. He even recently told me that he quit smoking, which was just awesome to hear, and means that he has an even better chance to whipping my ass. He's also taking the plunge and joining my group's fantasy football league. It's a serious league and it's his first foray into FFL, so he has to represent the Campbell name well (I already do my part, winning the league last year).

Last week he even stepped up and did something I would not have expected ... he sent me a present without telling me. He's all grows up. And not just any gift, but a personally autographed copy of Calipari's new book. I'm not sure what kind of wisdom this book will possess, but now I have memorabilia if/when he loses the UK job for buying an airplane for a recruit. So well done, bro ... keep up the good work.

What I've Watched: Inglorious Basterds

It's rare to find me not liking a Tarantino film. I just like his style, and the hyper-violence and witty reparté he writes into his movies is timely yet possesses so many winks and nods to other movies and directors that it's hard to keep up sometimes but enjoyable nonetheless.

For Inglorious Basterds, what really surprised me was how underwhelmed I felt after leaving the movie. Yes, it's a good movie. There is no doubting it. But I feel like a lot of things were missing and other aspects left half-finished. He doesn't come out with new movies all that often, so perhaps I expect too much from him. Either way, the movie left me wanting more, and that is because I felt it gave me so little.

For one thing, for a movie that is 2 1/2 hours long, there is not very many Basterd scenes in it. Brad Pitt is fantastic in this movie, and shows once again that when he abandons the serious stuff (like Benjamin Button) and explores characters that are kooky or more interesting (Burn After Reading, etc.), he excels. But the other Basterds are hardly ever on screen. You don't get to know them, and the only one with more than 8 lines of dialogue is Eli Roth, and the only time he speaks is when he's bashing in this dude's head. Funny, yes, but there were 7 other soldiers in this outfit and getting to see their exploits and tactics would have been cool.

Landa, the Nazi SS bad guy, is absolutely fantastic and steals the show. There are some other great characters and dialogues, but rarely do any of them have anything to do with the Basterds themselves. You get to know more about the cinema owner's boyfriend than the main protagonists, and it just doesn't make much sense.

As I said, the dialogue is awesome and classic Quentin. The french basement/bar scene is great and heavy on tension as you wait for the scene to unfold. And the way certain stories and the way they refold themselves back into the plot is vintage Quentin and those are moments you live for to see in his movies. The only other real disappointment was the music. At times it was pitch-perfect. Other times it sounded like he recycled the Kill Bill soundtrack, which while genius doesn't fit into this movie's tone and comes off as cheating. That, and it seems like cheating also when he uses the same font type in the credits as in Kill Bill.

I hope he doesn't take too much time off in making his next movie, because I feel like I only got 3/4ths of a Tarantino movie. I need more to get the real fix.

Game On: Week of Aug. 30

Last week's column, this time brought to you by ScrippsNews.com, reviews Wolfenstein and Madden 10.