The Intelligent Designer

 Howz about a quick hitter, a bong hit of a post, morning wake and bake/post...and then later I'll get down to that good 'ol (serious) atheist blogging that I heart so much. I'm not a consumer and I have no allegiance to any brands or anything. I'm slightly miffed, if that is the correct word, at all the whoopla of the passing of Steve Jobs (I don't have a phone of any kind, or an iPod, I'am writing on a borrowed iBook...but it's a G4). I just like stuffs that works and if possible, looks good. Still I can appreciate all the hearting that peeps have for their technology guru/savior/God if you will, Steve-o. Here's some thought's on the dude and the new book about dude.

Steve-o's dad was a tool head wrencher that taught him about good design at a young age. Personally I think design doesn't get enuff attention and is waaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyy under appreciated. It is art. That is how I see it. So any who...Steve-o's dad said something like...yea, anyways boy design is totally important, even if you can't see it. Just like a fence or a cabinet or drawer that has a front and back and even if you don't see it, you will know it's there. That is so awesome. Doing good work for the sake of doing good and great work. Sort of reminds me of my Catholic upbringing. We/I/you/us were guilt tripped into always doing the correct thing because the great surveillance camera in the sky was watching...always. Why not just do the correct thing, because it is the right thing to do. Go figure.

When Steve-o was totally dyeing, ya know he had the cancer, he told the biographer (Walter Isaacson) that he was 50/50 on the existence of God. Really peeps the big "D", death, will make ya think about all the atheist-y and religious stuffs like nothing else (and I say that because I struggle with the not as big "D", depression, which, at least to me, is very much like death. any who...). He also says that he hopes that there is an afterlife.

"...I want to believe that something endures, that your wisdom that you accumulate, that the knowledge that you have somehow is able to endure after you die." And then he goes on to say, "...Maybe {there is just} an on/off switch" and when you die, that is it. Don't forget, dude dabbled in Buddhism for a while, that is after he dumped Christianity. It is very Buddhist and very human to want to believe and desire that you go on somehow (c'mon atheists, admit it. just be honest, yo). And at the same time, it is very materialist, especially when the reports of your coming demise are not greatly exaggerated, to admit that when it's over...it is over.

Steve-o's passing is truly epic in the way that the peeps mourn him. Like I said, not a big deal-eo to me, but I can appreciate (is that the correct word to use?) what he has done and how he has changed the way people communicate, listen to music and even, the way we navigate thru the world. I have a feeling that there will be a new Internet meme going around that goes something like this...

WWSJD.

* NPR