Countdown to Backpedaling Widget

Over on the right, in the sidebar, you should see a countdown clock entitled “Countdown to Backpedaling”. (If not, then something went wrong.)

If you’ve been listening to Ask an Atheist, then you should recognize this as a widget version of the Countdown to Backpedaling clock. And if not, then you should definitely be listening to them. Because they’re cool.

At any rate, it’s a clock that counts down to May 22, the day after Jesus’ return and the Day of Judgment, when the backpedaling and excuses begin.

So anyway, now you want to know a) where to download this, b) how to install it, and c) how to complain to me about all the problems you’ve had with (a) and (b).

Download

The main download page is .

If you’re using WordPress, you can download , put it in your wp-content/plugins directory, and with any luck, a “Countdown to Backpedaling” widget should magically show up in your “Widgets” control panel. You can then drag it into position, and it should work.

If you’re using some other software, you’ll want . Installation depends on what you’re using, of course, but you should be able to insert it anywhere that takes HTML.

Configuration

The main configuration option is the “show_secs” variable at the top. If you want to see seconds in the countdown, set it to true. If you find the seconds’ flashing annoying, set it to false.

You can also look through the CSS part, and edit as you please. You might need to change the width.

I might improve on this, if time permits and I don’t get raptured before getting around to it.

If you have any comments or complaints, leave a comment. Bug reports accompanied by a rum and Coke will get higher priority. Bug reports accompanied by a patch will get even higher priority.

The Great Atheist Rapture

So, remember the superstitious folks who think that Jesus will make his great comeback tour on May 21, 2011? Well, Ray Garton, during his recent interview on the Irreligiosophy podcast, had a simple but brilliant idea that I think deserves to be spread around:

If you have superstitious friends, family members, coworkers, etc. who believe in rapture twaddle; and if they know you’re an atheist, then on May 21, sneak out and leave a pile of clothes behind. Make them think you’ve been raptured.

The downside of this is that May 21, 2011 falls on a Saturday, so it won’t work with coworkers, unless you work Saturdays. But maybe you can come to dinner with your family, excuse yourself to go to the bathroom, change into spare clothes that you’ve stashed under the sink, and sneak out the window. Or something. Use your imagination.

Arguably, me posting this might give the game away, but I’m not too worried about that: the people who’ll be fooled by this trick won’t read this. They probably recoil from any atheist site as if they’d been burned with pornographic acid or something.

(And speaking of the May 21sters, here’s a shout-out to the Countdown to Backpedaling.)