06 Aug 2003
Why SPAM Works

Swollen Orders Show Spam's Allure. A New Hampshire company appears to be grossing close to half a million dollars each month by spamming people with sales pitches for an herbal 'male enhancement' product. The discovery may explain the intractability of junk e-mailers on the Internet. By Brian McWilliams. [Wired News]

00:00 /Technology | 0 comments | permanent link

Christianity is for Losers

Well, I think I finally figured out one of the appeals of Christianity. Kris and I were talking extensively about this on our recent road trip, and really never came up with exactly what it is that makes people scurry to a god who'll toss them into a fiery pit if they don't love him!

Christians use the same marketing technique as the Dummies books - Christianity is for Losers!

The essence of the Christian faith is that we fall short. We cannot bridge the gap – the gaping chasm between man and God. Only He can bridge it. We must realize that, and embrace it as a foundational truth in both theology and practice. Our righteousness truly is nothing more than filthy rags.

Only people who think of themselves as hopeless, miserable schmucks can be Christians! This plays directly to that part of the human psyche that will often feel it's own inadequecy in dealing with life. Nothing you can do can make you any better - only god can make you better!

According to this writer, Christianity is not a religion: oh, no, far from it. You see, all other faithways are religions, but Christianity is the Truth, and that's a different animal!

In religion, you get what you deserve. True Christian teaching stakes the radical claim that the opposite is true! The Christian does not get the punishment that he deserves, instead he receives that which he does not deserve!

Didn't Dire Straits have a song about this attitude?

00:00 /Asatru | 0 comments | permanent link

Disney Needs a new Senator

Hallelujah!

'Fritz' calls it quits. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, the senator who united an often-fractious tech community because of his views on copyright law and Net filters, is retiring at the end of his term. [CNET News.com]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link

Faith-based Fudging

Ah, statistics! Faith-based Fudging [from Slate]

00:00 /Politics | 0 comments | permanent link