Kiss My-- Left Behind

Will there be a Public Option?

2009-10-28T07:36:00.000-07:00

Currently the Democrats and the Republicans in Congress are doing their usual "good cop, bad cop" routine. The Democrats act as if they will create a Public Option in the new health-care reform package, while conservative Democrats and Republican make noises about stoppid this from happening "by any means necessary."

In fact, the Demo leadership is playing a dangerous game by pretending to support a Public Option while quietly hoping that the conservatives destroy it. Then they can blame the Republicans while taking credit for their half-hearted efforts. IN FACT, neither the Dems nor the Republicans want to give up the enormous amout of money they are currently pulling in from the Health Industry and the Insurance companies.

Save Health Care!

2009-09-03T13:52:00.000-07:00

The easiest and most efficient way to solve this problem is by expanding the Medicaid program. This is the program that pays for medical care for the extremely poor.The easy way is to decide to pay 80% of all major medical costs for families making less than $250,000 a year. Further, Medicare will pay 100% of all major medical costs *if* the family has already purchased a minimal level of health care insurance to cover their basic health care needs. This will influence many families to get health care coverage and drastically lower the cost of basic health insurance.This would be the easiest and least expensive way to save health care, and it would probably also get significant support from the insurance and health care industries.

U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins -- "The Great White Dope"

2009-08-28T05:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, a video of Lynn Jenkins appeared, from one of her town halls, where she states that the Republicans need to find a leader "a Great White Hope" who can challenge Pres. Obama. She then listed off several white congressmen (note that I said congressMEN) who might challenge Obama in 2004.

I guess Jenkins is either too ignorant or too dumb (or both) to realize the racist connotations of her remarks. Back in 1909 there were a lot of sports fans who were looking for a "Great White Hope" who could defeat the World Champion, Jack J0hnson, who was black. They wanted a white boxer who could prove the superiority of the White Race by defeating Johnson.

This was the same attitude that led, in the Berlin Olympics of 1936, for the Nazis and other white racists to look for a runner who could beat Jesse Owens, a black man. Hitler planned the Olympic games to showcase the resurgent Germany and, he hoped, the greatness of his racial purity theories. Nazi propaganda loudly trumpeted the "Aryan Racial Superiority" and attacked the racial "inferiors" of blacks, jews, etc.

When Owens won four Gold Medals, Hitler left the stadium rather than be present for the awarding of these medals. He did not want to have to shake Owen's hand.

Obama in Montana

2009-08-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

"Obama in Montana"-- full text at the end of this post.

I received this as an email, although the exact same message is posted on dozens of Right-wing websites. This seems to suggest a conspiracy to stack the deck at Obama healthcare forums. Frankly I don't see anything here that justifies the hysteria. After eight years of Bush going to specially set-up forums where the makeup of the audience was tightly controlled, I wonder why these guys finally got around to complaining about how political rallies are being stage-managed these days (meaning the last 15 years, or so).

I am particularly interested in this topic because back in 1992 I went to a rally for Pres. Bush in Joplin Missouri. I carried an anti-Bush sign to the rally and was threatened with arrest at least three times. At an earlier rally for Bush at Branson, MO, people were literally beaten up by a group of guys wearing t-shirts labeled "Bullies for Bush"--again, no one seemed to care much about this. It took me two months of contacting media outlets before an article was published in the New Republic exposing the brutish tactics of the Bush Republicans. Here is the citation for the article, if you want to read it:

The New Republic Vol: 207 Issue: 20 ISSN: 00286583 Date: 11/1992 Start Page: 14
Subjects: Presidential elections, Political ethics, Political dissent, Harassment, Freedom of speech

Note that all the facts in this story were verified by professional editors and the story itself has the backing of its publisher, The New Republic. Unlike this so-called "truth" email, someone has done due dilligence to make sure the events described in the article really happened as they were described.

Compared to what happened in 1992, this event in Montana seems rather tame, at least to me. What are the main complaints of this post?

1. 900 tickets to the event disappeared.

What? This happened at all sorts of sporting events. Has this idiot ever tried to get a ticket to a Green Bay Packers football game? or any event where a popular college team is playing. A certain number of tickets are always set aside for special guests, alumns, etc.
For the last 8 years, Pres. Bush only spoke at venues that were closed to ALL outsiders. All of the tickets were handed out to safe Republicans. No one got in who might say something embarrassing about the phoney war in Iraq. So-- big freakin' deal.

2. The protesters did not get to stand right where they wanted to.

Jezuus, this one really pissed me off! When we protested Bush in 1992, the rest of my friends were herded off to an "official protest area" that was surrounded with crime scene tape. The protest area was behind a hill and about a half mile away. A police officer tried to take a camera away from a college student because he took pictures of the cops. Why don't you whiners just suck it up! You were close enough to see the hanger, which is more than my friends got.

3. They served lobster.

I find this detail a bit hard to believe. Would anybody in their right mind serve lobster in Montana? And who ate the lobster? I suspect that this is just a manufactured lie. The fact is, there are no verifiable names on these posts or emails. The person who "vouches" for the original email is also anonymous! So is there anyone with a real name who can really state that this stuff happened? I don't think so. The email smells to high heaven. Montana is beef country, and this detail is included to stirr up the readers.

4. Furniture was shipped in.

Okay, so what? I imagine that this was paid for by the Democratic Party. Back when I went to the Bush rally in 1992 there was all sorts of stuff shipped in too, but in this case the federal government (meaning my taxes and yours) paid for the shipping because Bush was supposedly there to announce federal funding for Highway 71. Yeah, that's right, I was threatened with arrest three times and got to pay for the Bush rally, too!

5. Union members were bussed in to the rally.

Again, this seems unlikely. This detail might sound more believable if the forum where held near a large city, but that doesn't seem to be the case. This sounds like another lie to me.

6. Some of the union members seemed a bit too feisty and combative.

Jeeeeesus! I had a huge Missouri State Trooper face me down. This guy was 6'3" and looked like he could kill a bull with his bare hands. He threatened to arrest me immediately if I didn't leave the area. Other people at the rally were also threatened physically. A group of Campus Republicans (the rally was held at MSSC in Joplin) threatened a young couple who held up an anti-Bush sign. Even worse stuff happened at Bush rallies in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and in Branson, Missouri.

I found out later from a local newpaper editor that the Missouri State Police were ordered "strongly encouraged" to donate their free time to provide security for the Bush rally. The Governor of Missouri (a Republican, of course) told them to use their vacation days and go to the rally in Joplin. Jeeeeeeeeez!, no wonder that trooper was so pissed off! He was basically forced to be there. I guess I was luck to leave that day with all my parts intact.

Anyway, here is the email. You can believe it or not. Personally I think it was manufatured in some Right-wing loony's basement. It is rather cleverly put together, but the lobster bit was probably a bit too much... to much gilding the lily, I think.

---------------------------------------
HERE IS THE EMAIL.
---------------------------------------

Subject: Fw: Montana

Friends,

Rest assured that I am erasing every name on the emails that I received. I feel that with the current "Big Brother" in Washington, it is better for everyone if we all erase any names on emails that might be interpreted as "fishy".

This was received from a very reliable source that I have know for over 40 years. No question about its authenticity. This was sent to me today from a friend in Maine. Please read and
forward on. Joan received this today from one of the ladies that was in our water
aerobics class - scary. This is from a friend who lives in Bozeman, Montana. Thought you
would be interested in the truth about how his visits are orchestrated. Her husband is a former Navy pilot and Delta Airlines captain. I left her name off.

Hello All,

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date. On about Tuesday Bill found out that they would be holding the
"Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Bill knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is
around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public. FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$

During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how
excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$
Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday.
Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request.

Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED.
This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!!

And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Bill and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight.

Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said

they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd. The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh,
and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)
Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.
If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away.
None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds. We did have some local news media around us from this state and
Idaho. Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head. It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes.........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names.

Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!
I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America, more like the USSR!! I was physically nauseous. Bill and I have been around
when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues.. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC. Scary!!

Subject: Fw: Montana

Friends,
Rest assured that I am erasing every name on the emails that I received. I feel that with the current "Big Brother" in Washington, it is better for everyone if we all erase any names on emails that might be interpreted as "fishy".

This was received from a very reliable source that I have know for over 40 years. No question about its authenticity.

This was sent to me today from a friend in Maine. Please read and forward on. Joan
received this today from one of the ladies that was in our water aerobics class - scary.

This is from a friend who lives in Bozeman, Montana. Thought you would be interested in the truth about how his visits are orchestrated. Her husband is a former Navy pilot and Delta Airlines captain. I left her name off.

Hello All,

By now you have probably heard that President Obama came to Montana last Friday. However, there are many things that the major news has not covered. I feel that since Bill and I live here and we were at the airport on Friday I should share some facts with you. Whatever you decide to do with the information is up to you. If you chose to share this email with others I do ask that you DELETE my email address before you forward this on.

On Wednesday, August 5th it was announced locally that the President would be coming here. There are many groups here that are against his healthcare and huge spending so those groups began talking and deciding on what they were going to do. The White House would not release ANY details other than the date.

On about Tuesday Bill found out that they would be holding the "Town Hall" at the airport. (This is only because Bill knows EVERYONE at the airport) Our airport is actually located outside of Belgrade (tiny town) in a very remote location. Nothing is around there. They chose to use a hangar that is the most remotely located hangar. You could not pick a more remote location, and you can not get to it easily. It is totally secluded from the public.
FYI: We have many areas in Belgrade and Bozeman which could have held a large amount of folks with sufficient parking. (gymnasiums/auditoriums). All of which have chairs and tables, and would not have to be SHIPPED IN!! $$$$$
During the week, cargo by the TONS was being shipped in constantly. Airport employees could not believe how it just kept coming. Though it was our President coming several expressed how excessive it was, especially during a recession. $$$$$

Late Tuesday/early Wednesday the 12th, they said that tickets would be handed out on Thursday 9am at two locations and the president would be arriving around 12:30 Friday.

Thursday morning about 600 tickets were passed out. However, 1500 were printed at a Local printing shop per White House request. Hmmmm......900 tickets just DISAPPEARED.
This same morning someone called into the radio from the local UPS branch and said that THOUSANDS of Dollars of Lobster were shipped in for Obama. Montana has some of the best beef in the nation!!! And it would have been really wonderful to help out the local economy. Anyone heard of the Recession?? Just think...with all of the traveling the White House is doing. $$$$$ One can only imagine what else we are paying for.

On Friday Bill and I got out to the airport about 10:45am. The groups that wanted to protest Obama's spending and healthcare had gotten a permit to protest and that area was roped off. But that was not to be. A large bus carrying SEIU (Service Employees International Union) members drove up onto the area (illegal)and unloaded right there. It was quite a commotion and there were specifically 2 SEIU men trying to make trouble and start a fight. Police did get involved and arrested the one man but they said they did not have the manpower to remove the SEIU crowd.
The SEIU crowd was very organized and young. About 99% were under the age of 30 and they were not locals! They had bullhorns and PROFESSIONALLY made signs. Some even wore preprinted T-shirts. Oh, and Planned Parenthood folks were with them.....professing abortion rights with their T-shirts and preprinted signs. (BTW, all these folks did have a permit to protest in ANOTHER area)

Those against healthcare/spending moved away from the SEIU crowd to avoid confrontation. They were orderly and respectful. Even though SEIU kept coming over and walking through, continuing to be very intimidating and aggressive at the direction of the one SEIU man.

So we had Montana folks from ALL OVER the state with their homemade signs and their DOGS with homemade signs. We had cowboys, nurses, doctors you name it. There was even a guy from Texas who had been driving through. He found out about the occasion, went to the store, made a sign, and came to protest.

If you are wondering about the press.....Well, all of the major networks were over by that remote hangar I mentioned. They were conveniently parked on the other side of the buildings FAR away. None of these crowds were even visible to them. I have my doubts that they knew anything about the crowds.
We did have some local news media around us from this state and Idaho. Speaking of the local media...they were invited. However, all questions were to be turned into the White House in advance of the event. Wouldn't want anyone to have to think off the top of their head.

It was very obvious that it was meant to be totally controlled by the White House. Everything was orchestrated down to the last detail to make it appear that Montana is just crazy for Obama and government healthcare. Even those people that talked about their insurance woes.........the White House called our local HRDC (Human Resource and Development Committee) and asked for names. Then the White House asked those folks to come. Smoke and mirrors...EVERYTHING was staged!!!!!!!!!!!

I am very dismayed about what I learned about our current White House. The amount of control and manipulation was unbelievable. I felt I was not living in the United States of America, more like the USSR!! I was physically nauseous. Bill and I have been around when Presidents or Heads of State visit. It has NEVER been like this. I am truly very frightened for our country. America needs your prayers and your voices. If you care about our country please get involved. Know the issues.. And let Congress hear your voices again and again!! If they are willing to put forth so much effort to BULLY a small town one can only imagine what is going on in Washington DC. Scary!!

Do Cherokees Make Better Lovers?

2009-03-15T09:46:00.000-07:00

Several American tribes tend to look down on the Cherokee. The tribes located west of the Mississippi, in particular, tend to scorn the Cherokee and especially any Whites who claim to be of Cherokee descent. Every time a White states that he (or she) has Indian blood, the Sioux (or Cheyenne, or Apache, etc.) in the room snickers at this, in part because it seems that every other White has some Indian blood--and it always seems to be Cherokee.

There is, however, an explanation for this.

The Cherokees are better lovers. In fact, they are so prolific because they follow the old rule"
"Make love, not war."

Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the Cherokees are simply better at reproduction (let's keep this scientific)

There are three reasons for this:

1. Cherokees are better looking than other indians.

My grandfather, Ray Lee, was a tall, thin man who was very distinguished-looking. After WWI he was a professional wrestler (back when it was real) in Southeast Missouri and was a regional champion. He wrestled as "Ray the Indian" and was undefeated until he retired.

My Uncle Gene is also quite good-looking. He is not a male model, but a few years ago he appeared in a photo layout in Southern Bride.

2. Cherokees have more money.

Cherokees have always been good with money. My ancestors took the indian name "Dollar"--well I guess it's not exactly indian, but they had that last name--and they did fairly well as farmers.

3. Cherokees can hold their liquor.

This is the last, and more important rule.
Actually the rule reads "You should consume less alcohol than your date."

Enough said.

Sarah Palin in 2012 ?

2009-03-10T13:30:00.000-07:00

There is talk that Sarah Palin is planning a run for the Presidency in 2012.

Amazing!

After barely surviving 8 years of arrogance and stupidity, why would we put a George Bush wannabee in the White House ?

Is Our Economy Really Failing ?

2008-09-28T13:00:00.000-07:00

The American economy has been in a slide for over a year. So why _now_ are we needing a $700 billion bailout ?

It is because the White House has decided that McCain is going to lose. And so Bush's friends and political allies on Wall Street want to make one last grab for the cash. They want to get their hands -- one more time -- into the cookie jar and grab as much as they can before George leaves office. They have dropped their hypocritical cant about "leaving thing to the marketplace" and are pushing for government intervention in the Market.

This Bailout is proof (as if we needed it) that they are all about using the government to fill their own pockets.

The news is full of the proposed $700 billion bailout. The fact is that no one can know with any certainty what will happen if the bailout goes through. All we can know for certain is that Bush will try to "capture" as much of the $700 billion as he can for his political allies-- and the taxpayers will be out $700 billion dollars in taxes.

The bestselling economics book "The Black Swan" shows that we cannot predict the future. So why should the taxpayers saddle themselves with this enormous debt?

Whether or not the bailout goes through, the only thing we can be certain of is that the American Middle Class will have to carry the burden of this disaster for decades.

enter "The Bankrupt State"

2008-09-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

There is a little known plan created by the Neo-conservative think tanks called "The Bankrupt State." The plan is to get control of the government, with a Republican President and Congress, and then spend the federal government into bankruptcy. It doesn't matter what they spend the money on--though of course they want to channel as much of the money as thay can into the pockets of their political supporters--it only matters that they essentially bankrupt the government by creating an enormous national debt. This plan was carried out under Reagan, Bush, & Bush II.

The point of this plan is to so hobble the federal government with debt that it will have to focus on essential functions of government. Other needs, like the environment, social services, oversight of corporations, social justice will not be funded. The big corporations--who support the Republicans--are especially concerned to stop investigations of corportate corruption. Recently it was disclosed that the Justice Dept. is actively investigating only 10% of major corporate crimes. Of that 10% only a tiny fraction will ever go to trial.

The administration of George W. Bush has pursued this plan with a vengence. This is the primary reason we went to war with Iraq. The quickest way to spend money is on a war. The Bush administration has squandered many billions in Iraq and much of this money went into the pockets of Defense contractors and Bush's (and especially Chaney's) political friends. It is in the best interests of Bush's friends to prolong the war in Iraq for as long as possible, in order to squeeze every last nickel out of the war contracts. So don't look for an end to the war anytime soon. If the Democrats do get control of the House or Senate, look for Bush to block any investigation of war profiteering in the name of "national security."

Stephen King

2008-09-16T12:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, apparently Stephen King has won the National Book Award. This has happened because, even though King is (at best) a third-rate author, he has the support of several publishing houses who want to curry favor with him.

I guess the answer is:

Yes, Virginia, you can put lipstick on a pig.

Crime in Washington, DC

2008-08-04T13:05:00.000-07:00

Years ago we had a local bar called Windjammers here in town. It attracted the worst sort and was a watering hole for local criminals. I had a friend who owned a bookstore just across the street from Windjammers.

He called the local police many times to complain about the noise, vandalism, guys puking in the street, etc. And then there was the three weeks from hell, when the toilet broke at Windjammers and people--male and female--were urinating in the parking lot.

My friend called the police again, but the cops who arrived to take his complaint said, "We can't close them down. If we want to find some crook, all we have to do now is come here to the bar. If we close the bar, then they will all scatter to the four winds and we'll have to hunt for them."

We are now in the same situation, but on a national level. When Bush leaves office in January 2009, a whole lot of low-lifes will also be let loose on the streets (and I'm not just talking about his last-minute Presidential pardons). But fear not! We have a chance to keep all these crooks in one place. All we have to do is elect McCain and all those guys will stay in Washington DC.

Granted this is bad for DC, but that place is already messed up

William Stafford, 1914-1993

2008-06-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

William Stafford, 1914-1993

Here's another reason why the National Book Award can't be taken seriously. Stafford got the National Book Award for Poetry back in 1963. How anyone can take his uninspired blathering seriously is, well, hard to comprehend.

The National Book Award is always given to mediocrities who are perceived by their peers (the selection committee) as non-threatening.

Military Recruiters

2008-06-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

I guess we always knew that military recruiters were (and are) a bunch of A-holes. Michael Moore showed this very clearly in his movie Farenheit 9/11. But the latest scummy techniques, used by Marine recruiters is to tell young men that they are qualified to work in "Logistics" and to suggest that they will spend their military career working in warehouses.

In fact, the young recruit will end up in logistics in the more general meaning of the term--delivering supplies. That is, he will end up driving trucks in Iraq and getting shot at by the insurgents.

Men of God ?

2008-06-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Dallas police described a 56-year-old substitute teacher as incapacitated when they arrested him at a Richardson Independent School District middle school.

According to the police report, Thomas Brownlee had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and alcohol on his breath. In fact, the report stated that Brownlee was "a danger to himself and others."

The substitute teacher was arrested for being drunk in the classroom. Evidently he was sooooo... drunk that the police didn't give him a sobriety test for fear he would fall and hurt himself. The teacher was a minister.

A reporter asked Rev. Brownlee about his car's vanity license plate, "IMBLZT" -- is that supposed to mean "I'm blitzed" (drunk)? No, Brownlee said--he's also a minister, he explained, and to him it means "I'm blessed."
--Dallas Morning News)

Christianity, or any religion for that matter, is not what people think and do. It is the product of an idealized notion of how the universe works. We can talk all we want to about Liturgies, Prayers, Devotions, and Charities, but these are just the end product of a concept. People are devoted to their religions—each one has a specific set of beliefs—and they are willing to make major sacrifices and devote all their personal resources to supporting this concept. And they do this even when the leaders of the church turn out to be abusive thugs, thieves and even child-molesters. For The Religious, the real world is a separate category kept in a seperate mental box, and their life experiences do not connect with The Belief, which is often maintained and upheld in spite of the evidence.

For example, on a daily basis ministers are found to stealing church funds, seducing sons and daughters, manipulating elderly members into giving their life savings to the church, etc, etc, etc. But rarely are these criminals caught and punished by the church. Often it is the intervention of others—meaning non-believers or believers in some other church—who investigate and prosecute criminal acts. I know of several cases where a local minister was caught stealing from the church. In some cases the church asks for the money to be returned, but the thief is never prosecuted—mainly because that would reflect badly on the idealized notion of Christianity. Most church members are willing to “forgive and forget” rather than create a public scandal. The usual excuse is that they do not want to create a “stumbling block” for new recruits—those who are still “weak” in their belief and commitment to the faith. Most congregations are willing to take the long view: that it is better to suck in a batch of new recruits (and their money) rather than punish wrongdoing in the church and risk losing membership. Some churches will put up with ministers who exhibit truly bizarre behavior: drug addiction, addiction to pornography, alcoholism. The Catholic Church protected child molestors for decades, and they even defended them from criminal investigations. And these “men of God” are to be admired and respected?

The Simple Faith of Dogs

2008-06-11T07:29:00.000-07:00

A new book recently came across my desk, called _Dogspell: The Gospel According to Dog_.

At first I thought maybe _Dogspell_ was a new version of the musical _Godspell_, but using barking dogs-- kind of like the Christmas music cds put out by “Jingle Dogs” or the even more annoying “Jingle Cats” music cds, where a group of cats meow out Christmas classics like “Here Comes Santa Claws” or “Meowy Christmas.”

As it turns out _Dogspell_ is a book that wants to guide Christians to a better understanding their relationship with God. According to the publisher, the author “Uses [the] metaphor of dog’s unconditional devotion to its human and the joy it finds in [this] relationship….”

This idea is disturbing in so many ways:

Can this be the spiritual goal of most Christians-- to view the universe on all-fours while sniffing the crotch of God? And think of all the theological questions it raises. Is it appropriate to hump God’s leg only on Sundays? Or Saturdays? Or should this be a daily ritual?

And then there is the question of Evil. How can we address the fact that I have fleas? Why doesn’t God do something about this? Get me a flea-collar! Buy some flea powder! Please, God, do something to clean up all these horrible problems in the world.

I love my neighbor. So can I ask God to send the Mobile Spaying Unit to my neighbor’s house and “fix” them all? (Just my idea for cleaning up the local gene pool.)

What if it turns out that my God is violent and brutal, and he beats the hell out of me with a 2x4 and sells me out to dogfights, like Michael Vick? Am I still expected to lick his hand?

Why is it that people look up to the sky, searching for some invisible master, and abase themselves like dumb animals?

What is it about this idea that makes me want to lie down and lick my own ass, just to get the taste of this out of my mouth? Oops, I can’t reach. A little help here!

The fact is that The Religious never cease to amaze. Sometimes their weird ideas are pretty funny. Other times their violence and senseless bigotry are downright shocking. From female circumcision to bombing abortion clinics, these people are seriously disturbed. Maybe they are trying to work out their own serious emotional problems; both a lack of love at an early age and their overwhelming feelings of worthlessness lead them to accept crazy ideas. And these ideas are truly crazy. Not eating fish on Friday. Not using birth control. Praying with candles and statues, and wishing for miracles. Then they accept whatever crazy shit the preacher tells them, and reject the evidence of their own eyes.

I know of a Baptist preacher in our town (pop. 18,000) who has a congregation of only 25 people. Every Sunday (and Wednesday and Friday) he subjects them to 3-4 hours of yelling and personal abuse (I am *not* exagerating). Why do they put up with this jerk! And worse yet, a few months ago he emptied the church bank account and left town. And some church members still want him to come back! How sick is that?

People can be convinced to believe almost anything. The enormous growth of the Mormon Church in the last century proves, beyond a reasonable doubt, that people can be made to believe almost anything, no matter how goofy it is. The Church of Scientology is equally crazy. And all these religions are, almost without exception, violent and cruel to non-believers. So why do people still fall into the trap of religious belief?

And the National Book Award goes to...

2008-05-27T06:55:00.001-07:00

Here is another case in point on the growing Stupification of the American reading public. Richard Power's The Echo Maker received the National Book Award, one of the country's most prestigious writing awards. Unfortunately, this novel is little more than mediocre shlock. On the other hand, it does have angels-- which seems to be the growing trend in fiction today.

Stinko!!

2008-04-27T13:24:00.000-07:00

Last week I attended a performance of a Beethoven symphony. I arrived at the auditorium and sat in a seat near the front. Just as the performance began, two old trolls walked in and sat in the seats directly in front of me. In a few minutes the scent of hairspray wafted over me and I could feel an allergic reaction in my nose and throat. As soon as I could, I moved further down the row.

Not good enough. The smell was still overwhelming. How much hairspray do you have to put on for crying out loud!

I then moved to the far side of the room.

Why do people feel they have the right to douse themselves with perfume, cologne, hairspray and other loud scents and then go into a public place? Don't they know that many people have strong reactions to that crap?

More on McCain

2008-04-11T07:41:00.000-07:00

I don't think anyone should be surprised by this, but according to the Huffington Post story, John McCain called his wife a "cunt." Cliff Schecter reports in his new book: The Real McCain

"In his 1992 Senate bid, McCain was joined on the campaign trail by his wife, Cindy, as well as campaign aide Doug Cole and consultant Wes Gullett. At one point, Cindy playfully twirled McCain's hair and said, "You're getting a little thin up there." McCain's face reddened, and he responded, "At least I don't plaster on the makeup like a trollop, you cunt."

Nice!

Here is a guy ready to be President

Christian Bookstores-- a contradiction

2008-04-10T17:07:00.000-07:00

The current issue of Christianity Today (April 2008) has an article "How to Save the Christian Bookstore" which suggests that Christians make bookstores more friendly and less obviously religious. Some bookstores (mainly the independently-owned stores, which are in decline) might be able to pull this off. If the focus is truly on using the bookstore as a forum forum for recruiting and indoctrination, this might happen.

But in reality Christian bookstores are primarily in it to make a buck.

I often visit the mall in Joplin, Missouri, which includes a religious bookstore. I've often beem surprised by the staff of the bookstore. Invariably they are very tightly-wound creepy characters, exactly the kind of people you see on The X-Files as running cults in rural towns and practicing cannibalism, child molesting, and other such rituals.

From the expressions on their faces and the twisted body-language it is clear that they are very, very unhappy people who have been trapped in dead-end jobs. Since the owners of the Christian bookstore are probably Christians, we can also be fairly sure that these people are working for minimum wage with no benefits ("they can always rely on God for help") and no hope to escape their taskmasters.

How could you make this place "friendly" when the workers are so miserable and unhappy?

Which is the real John Newton ?

2008-04-07T09:05:00.000-07:00

This is from the description of the book: The Trader, the Owner, the Slave: Parallel Lives in the Age of Slavery--

"There has been nothing like the Atlantic slave trade. Its scope and the ways in which it has shaped the modern world are so far-reaching as to make it almost ungraspable. By examining the lives of three individuals caught up in the enterprise of human enslavement — a trader, an owner and a slave — James Walvin offers a new and an original interpretation of the barbaric world of slavery and of its historic end in April 1807.

"John Newton (1725-1807), best-known as the writer of “Amazing Grace,” was a slave captain who marshalled his human cargoes with a brutality that he looked back on with shame and contrition. Thomas Thistlewood (1721-1786), lived his life in a remote corner of western Jamaica, and his unique diary provides some of the most revealing images of a slave-owner’s life in the most valuable of all British slave colonies. Olaudah Equiano (1745-1797), was practically unknown thirty years ago, but is now an iconic figure in black history and his experience as a slave speaks out for the lives of millions who went unrecorded.

"All three men were contemporaries; they even came close to each other at different points of the Atlantic compass. But what held them together, in its destructive gravitational pull, was the Atlantic slave system."

So who is the real John Newton? The vicious slave trader of the pious author of Amazing grace? Can they really be the same man? And, if so, how does one become the other, given that the intrinsic personality is very likely the same?

Pandering to the Religious

2008-04-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

When you work at a university in the Bible Belt, this is the kind of stuff you have to deal with. The university plays the host for this show:

“AFTERdark,” an evening of music, motivation, and evangelism geared toward college students, will begin at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 1, in the Weede Physical Education Building. The event will include music from country group Blue County, and will feature national guest speaker and author Joe White.

"White, who lives in Branson, Mo., tours the country with “AFTERdark,” speaking to millions of people about Christianity. He has founded 19 schools and an orphanage in Haiti, and is the founder of Kanakuk Kamps, which has hosted more than 20,000 campers from all over the world.

"The free event is open to the public and is being sponsored by PSU’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Cross Quest, and Campus Christians."

A bulk email was sent out to all faculty, and it suggested that faculty could give out "extra credit" to students for attending this religious service. Several days later, and probably because of complaints, the university sent out another email. This email stated that faculty at a state university should probably not be giving extra credit for attending an evagelical Christian religious service.

Duuuuh!

Of course, by the time the second email went out, all the Religious faculty had probably already promised to give extra credit. So the contrary email sent out several days later probably had litte effect. The damage was already done.

After the event, the local newspaper reported that over 1,000 people attended. These 1,000 attendees were, no doubt, students and local ministers and their congregations who had supported and promoted the event. This kind of event, held on a university campus, gives local ministers a chance to prey on young people, usually when they are away from home and at their most vulnerable. This is why religious cults always hang around colleges and universities. It's a good place to find new cult members. One of the very earliest groups to be labelled a "cult" was based on a college campus in Boston.

Who Murdered Socrates?

2008-03-28T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Rise of the Mediocracy as a Social Theory

"No reports are more readily believed
than those which disparage genius,
and soothe the envy of conscious
mediocrity." -- Macaulay (1837)

There is probably no social force more completely overlooked and ignored that the role of mediocrities in shaping human history. From the collapse of the Greek city-states to the collapse of the Soviet Empire, no particular human failing has played a greater role in our history than the mediocrity of the popular opinion makers--"the media elite" and their envy of the accomplished, the able, and the achiever. They not only engage in character assassination, but sometimes go for the real thing.
From the assassination of Julius Caesar to those of Trotsky and Malcolm X, from the forced "suicide" of Socrates to that of Rommel.

In a very real sense, human history is the record of leaders who build empires, only to be destroyed by the envy of their followers, and the resulting decay and collapse as the mediocrities fight among themselves for control of the empire. In a very real sense, human history is largely the record of lions being brought down by jackals, and the resulting disaster as the jackals fight among themselves for the scraps of power and pieces of empire.

This idea will go towards explaining how, after taking the nomination, Barak Obama will be mercilessly ripped apart by Joe Scarborough, Glenn Beck, Ann Coulter,.....

More-on McCain

2008-03-10T06:44:00.000-07:00

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

“He’s got a 24-year pro-life record. He was voting pro-life before it was cool, and I admire that. [...] There are six good reasons to vote for John McCain. They all sit on the Supreme Court and they're all over 70 years of age.” - Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) on Senator John McCain

(Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post, 02.08.08)

Still More-on John McCain

2008-02-22T09:33:00.000-08:00

The real story of the McCain scandal is the possibility that McCain traded favors for ... favors. It explains how Vicki Iseman, an lowly Education major from Indiana University (the one in Pennsylvania)got a job as a secretary in Washington DC and then in a few years rose to partner in a lobbying firm. She is the youngest partner at the lobbying firm of Alcalde. Her clients included PAXtv, Religious Voices in Broadcasting, Telemundo, the Hispanic Broadcasting Corporation, and Computer Sciences Corporation. She was obviously plugged in (or vice versa) to the power of Capitol Hill.

As far as his love life is concerned, I don't really care if McCain wants to divorce his current wife and marry a younger woman (again)... But if he keeps this up, we will soon see (in another 7 years) the strange picture of an eighty-year-old man marrying a 28-year-old girl.

As the news coverage unfolds about McCain and the story in the New York Times, it is becoming obvious that someone friendly to McCain's campaign (and probably the guy who is making the rounds of the cable news programs) is the key to this story. The NYT has obviously been working on this story since October, and the McCain campaign decided to lance this boil at this time, after McCain has essentially cinched the nomination and before the Republican Convention and the general election.

It was probably fairly easy to interest the New Republic in covering the story, and it served the purpose of forcing the NYT to publish the story as soon as possible.

More-on McCain

2008-02-21T19:19:00.000-08:00

While many people see the current scandal and (supposed) conflict between Senator McCain and the New York Times as evidence that "The Press" has now turned on their former "darling" McCain, I suspect that the truth is much more sinister.

McCain sits on a committee that oversees the FCC and is in a position to put pressure on many newspapers, particularly those that are owned by media conglomerates. There may have been a "romantic" relationship between Senator McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, Vicki Iseman, 40; but it seems that this "revelation" by the NYT comes at the best possible time for McCain.

1. Better now than in October. The Democrats had to be aware that this scandal would benefit them in the November election. They had no reason to want it to come out now. However the timing couldn't be better for McCain--he now has eight months to fight any brushfires from this scandal.

2. It forces the Right-Wing talk radio bloviators, like Rush Limbaugh, to rush to McCain's defense -- against the "big, bad" New York Times. McCain needs them now, to push Huckabee out of the race.

3. The NYT can be guaranteed to do a half-assed job on this story, much like the job CBS did in attacking G.W. Bush for leaving the Texas National Guard. We know, from statements made by still-living witnesses, that George W. Bush was indeed MIA, but the CBS news organization did such a lousy job of investigation that Bush was effectively "inoculated" against the truth. It seems like much the same thing will happen now with McCain.

Jumper -- the movie

2008-02-17T14:03:00.000-08:00

I went to see the new film, Jumper, a hight-tech sci-fi wonder with tons of special effects and (the usual) poor writing that we have all come to expect from Hollywood. I am amazed that Hollywood studios are willing to invest tens of millions to make a film, but aren't willing to shell out a few grand extra to get good writers.

Every writer I talk to wants to go to Hollywood and write for films. There should be hundreds, if not thousands, of good writers who would like to do a screenplay. Then why is it that we get this horrid, crappy plots and lousy dialog... over and over and over again?

The Sci-Fi Channel movies are clearly the worst offenders in this area. Their films are horribly written.

I think the culprits are the producers and directors who think that, just because they can talk people into investing in a film and green-lighting its production, that they also have the talent to write. Eddie Murphy's _Vampire in Brooklyn_ is a case in point. According to the newspapers, Eddie and his brothers sat around a kitchen table, drinking beer and writing the screenplay.

It shows just how little regard Hollywood has for good writing. The recent writer's strike is proof (as if we needed any) that movie companies think of writers as noisy pests that they can do without.

And, as if that was bad enough, I had to sit through the entire film near an old woman who had some serious hygiene problem--as least I assume she had a serious hygiene problem since she obviously poured a whole bottle of perfume on herself before she left the house.

We had a Russian exchange student stay with us for three months (some years ago) and he did the same thing. Except that he used Old Spice cologne.