Apathy Sketchpad

Here’s a few quick things too big for Google Reader; too small for their own blog posts. (Not really sure why they’re too small; I’ve done two-line posts before now, but it’s my blog and I’ll do what I like.)

Fist, this fantastically silly story from the Telegraph:

Satanist father and Christian mother fight for Sunday morning custody rights

Kristie Meyer has cited the religious beliefs of her former husband, Jamie, as the main reason why an Indiana judge should restrict his visitation rights. … However, legal experts have warned that the American Constitution prevents judges from showing a religious preference. …Mr Meyer may now be asked to prove that Satanism, which he says is about celebrating man’s desires rather than worshipping the devil, is a real faith.

Sounds to me like an eminently sensible faith, compared at least to Christianity.

Meanwhile, legal observers say his former wife may have to show that Satanism - which is recognised as a religion by the US Internal Revenue Service - is harmful to their daughters’ upbringing. Mrs Meyer has argued that her ex-husband’s public expression of satanic beliefs has embarrassed their children.

Can you really legislate on the basis that parents mustn’t embarrass their children?

Pat Roberts, her lawyer, has asked the judge to order Mr Meyer to drop off the children at his ex-wife’s church so they can attend with her during his visitation time. “Frankly, (it) can be emotionally damaging or confusing to children when they’re faced with these two different forms of worship,” Mr Roberts told the Chicago Tribune.

Yes, if you go around exposing children to alternative viewpoints, the indoctrination might not work. Honestly, I can’t see any other way of reading this.

… “Allowing them to go to church for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning is… not unreasonable.”

I think it is, but probably for a different reason. I hope that reason prevails in this case, and honestly I think it will.

Also, in case you missed it, here’s a comic I drew at Ghost Hamster.

Now, below the fold, some replies I sent to 419-scammers which the scammers did not respond to.

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My diary at work is, perhaps predictably, full of little doodles and cartoons. Here are four in no particular order from the first quarter of this year. They’re my favourite four that I think people outside my office will understand. Well, some people outside my office.

I can’t help shake the feeling this would make a great T-shirt. (Or at least my hi-res version would.)

A bit ago, Randall changed the design of xkcd.com and in doing so very inconsiderately broke my xkcd Wallpaper Randomiser. Well, now I’ve updated it, so if you used to use it then you can download the new version and use it once more.

As before, the source code is available, so you can see just how little has changed and just how easily you could have done this yourselves, you lazy bottoms.

I am posting here to alert you to two shiny new websites. The first you may already be aware of.

Jump Leads is Ben Paddon’s new project. Well, I say “new”. Actually it’s about a year old now, but it’s just starting to really Go Places. He’s had the concept for a year or so, and he’s been writing it for about as long, but only recently has he found an artist to draw the actual comic. So the website will launch on the 6th. There are a few ‘episodes’ written, each of which will update one page at a time like a comic syndicated in a newspaper. These have been written variously by Ben, Euan and myself. I hear Friz is also officially on the list but hasn’t actually finished anything yet.

The second website is Channel Flip, which is Friz’ new project. (I have refrained from linking to Friz’ website since it appears to have turned into pornography, presumably after he let the domain lapse.) It describes itself as a satirical TV blog. It has updates from Friz, Paul, someone called Joey and myself. It updates rather more, and officially launches on last Friday.

As well as these, you can (hopefully) still cee me here and on RealVG. I just can’t stop blogging.