A whimsical moment.

So much bad news these days, a little of this is certainly a welcome respite.

Atheist group puts up monument in response to Ten Commandments monument.

Courtesy of Yahoo News: 

A group of atheists unveiled a monument to their nonbelief in God on Saturday to sit alongside a granite slab that lists the Ten Commandments in front of the Bradford County courthouse. 

As a small group of protesters blasted Christian country music and waved "Honk for Jesus" signs, the atheists celebrated what they believe is the first atheist monument allowed on government property in the United States. 

"When you look at this monument, the first thing you will notice is that it has a function. Atheists are about the real and the physical, so we selected to place this monument in the form of a bench," said David Silverman, president of American Atheists. 

It also serves another function — a counter to the religious monument that the New Jersey-based group wanted removed. It's a case of if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. 

American Atheists sued to try to have the stone slab with the Ten Commandments taken away from the courthouse lawn in this rural, conservative north Florida town best known for the prison that confines death row inmates. The Community Men's Fellowship erected the monument in what's described as a free speech zone. During mediation on the case, the atheist group was told it could have its own monument, too. David Silverman, president of American Atheists, stands on a Ten Commandments and says why he thinks … 

"We're not going to let them do it without a counterpoint," Silverman said. "If we do it without a counterpoint, it's going to appear very strongly that the government actually endorses one religion over another, or — I should say — religion in general over non-religion."

Let me just go on record as saying that the idea of Atheists putting up a monument to rational thought seems a little ridiculous to me. It is kind of like  putting up a statue commemorating breathing.

Shouldn't be necessary.

However I do understand the desire to have a counterpoint to this.

I mean that is just obnoxious.

Besides there is not ONE Christian living today who follows those ten commandments. Not one.

Oh well at lest the Atheists made their point which I ma sure was welcomed by the goodhearted. loving Christians in the area. Right?

About 200 people attended the unveiling. Most were supportive, though there were protesters, including a group from Florida League of the South that had signs that said "Yankees Go Home." 

At one point someone in a car driving by tossed a toilet seat and a roll of toilet paper at the crowd. Neither struck anyone. At another point, Eric Hovind, 35, of Pensacola jumped atop the peak of the monument and shouted his thanks to the atheists for giving him a platform to declare Jesus is real.

Oh yeah, what was I thinking?

You know every time I see another monument to the Ten Commandments or a saint go up, or see another church or temple being built, I just remember this.

The monuments and statues may indeed endure, but the reasons behind them, and the Gods they were meant to worship, will someday be lost in the fog of history.

I have little doubt that someday our children's children will study about Jesus Christ in Edith Hamilton's new and revised book on Mythology, right along with other great religious icons such as Ra, Zeus, and Thor.

Perhaps the most remarkable moment from yesterday's inauguration.

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Courtesy of MSNBC:

Perhaps the most remarkable moment from today’s inauguration was an unscripted one. After delivering his speech, President Obama was leaving the dais and heading into the Capitol building when he stopped, turned around, and gazed out at the scene of people gathered on the Mall, a wistful smile on his face. 

“I want to look out one more time,” the president said to someone standing near him, “because I’m not going to see this again.” 

Hard to blame him for wanting to soak that in, don't you think?

Below is a gif of the President stealing a kiss from his wife as his two girls tease what other, You know like a perfectly normal family NOT having the head of their household sworn in as the most powerful man in the country.

I was thinking yesterday that this may be one of the most normal families to occupy the White House in decades. The Right Wing keeps trying to suggest that the President is "other" than us, but to me he, and his family, seem just as goofy, playful, and loving as the rest of us.

By the way I love that look that Michelle shoots at the girls after her smooch.

(H/T to Gawker)

Update: Here is the video that the gif was taken from.

I KNEW They looked familiar!

Click the image for appropriate theme music.

So THAT'S why Mitt seems to stiff, and Ryan seems so....creepy.

Of course to be fair Herman Munster seemed more human, and Eddie Munster had better math skills, but other than that.....

I know, I know, I'm such a stinker!

I think I found a Sarah Palin bookmark.

You can't see her face, but still pretty sure its her.

Iowa restaurant renames its chicken salad, "Santorum salad." Ahh, the jokes just write themselves don't they?

Courtesy of Livewire:

A Pizza Ranch manager in Boone, Iowa, has renamed the restaurant’s chicken salad “Santorum Salad,” after Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.

Jokes don't actually write themselves, so let's see what we can come up with.

I'll start.

"Rick Santorum believes that a chicken should be considered a chicken at the moment of conception. So this could just have easily been an egg salad, and he would never have noticed the difference."

"You can see how this would be the perfect choice for Santorum. White chicken, in white mayonnaise, served to white people, with a taste for the bland."

"I refuse to eat it. I Googled 'Santorum' and you would NOT BELIEVE what the ingredients are to this salad!"

Okay that's it for me. Anybody else got one?