We Need the Right to Die on Our Own Terms

This is not a suicide note. I'm not ready to die just yet. There are still a few things I'd like to do first. This is also not some sort of abstract thought experiment in which I write about something to clarify my thoughts or try to provoke thought among my readers (although it would be great if it managed to do so). I've been thinking about this subject for a while now, and I mean what I am about to say.

When it comes to death, there is something I very much want for myself and for each of you: the option to die with dignity when we decide we are ready. I'm not talking about our families having the option to pull the plug without conservative politicians interfering, although I'd like us to have that right too. No, I am talking about something far more controversial than turning off the life support.

The option I want for myself, you see, is active euthanasia (i.e., physician-assisted suicide). Should I decide that I'm ready to go in order to spare myself some pain and suffering, I'd like the option of a lethal injection. We do this for our pets and recognize it as a compassionate act. Why do we deny ourselves the same option? We should be able to end our lives in much the same manner.

Why Bloggers Should Include a Photo in Every Post

This tip is going to seem obvious to many bloggers. Most of you are already doing it. Believe it or not, I think it took me almost two full years of blogging to get in the routine of doing it regularly. It is also something some of the newer atheist blogs I visit have not yet figured out. It is possible that this is adversely affecting their traffic. That's why I figured I'd mention it.

Include a Photo in Every Blog Post

Include at least one photo in every blog post. Why? The first and most important reason is that content with photos tends to perform better on many social media platforms, which is where many of your visitors are going to share, promote, or interact with your content. When it comes time for you or your visitors to share your blog posts on social media, those who encounter it there are more likely to interact with it when it contains an image. Professional bloggers and marketers have known this for some time and have shared ample evidence to support the impact of visual content.

Theirs is a Jealous God

There are many things that bother me about the sort of god many Christians claim to worship. The image above captures at least one of them fairly well: the absurdity of thinking that a god so powerful, wise, and loving would demand worship from humans and condemn them to eternal punishment for not believing in it. There are plenty of others, but we can stick with this one for now. Doesn't it seem obvious that only a god created by humans would have such petty desires or a need for veneration?

A Brief Review of The Hunt (2020)

The Hunt (2020) certainly generated a fair amount of buzz on social media due to it being a bloody satire of our current political polarization. How could a film about a small group of "liberal elites" hunting "deplorables" for fun not generate at least some attention? But did it deliver? Was it any good? No, not really.

In fairness to The Hunt, it was not an easy film to market. It had some horror elements but didn't deserve to be labeled a horror film. I'd label it as more of an action-thriller with a few great comedic lines. Expecting something along those lines vs. horror might have helped, although it wouldn't have been enough to save the film.

The film got off to a great start, and I have to say that the first 20 minutes or so were solid. A group of conspiracy-minded conservatives wakes up in a clearing next to a cache of weapons with no idea how they got there. Just as they find the weapons, someone starts shooting at them. Of course, they quickly conclude that those doing the shooting are liberals who are hunting them because that is the popular conservative conspiracy of the times (which turns out to be accurate) in the film.