Monday, February 28, 2005

You're Just Downright Creepy, Laura!


Remember Highlights Magazine?

That's right! It's the one with the Can You Find The Hidden Images In This Picture? rubric.

Ahem.


First lady Laura Bush looks on while touring an art exhibit at the National Geographic Museum entitled 'Peru: Indigenous and Viceregal,' in Washington February 25, 2005. Also touring the exhibit with the first lady was Peruvian first lady Mrs. Elaine Karp de Toledo, John Fahey, President and CEO of the National Geographic Society and Susan Norton, Director General of the National Geographic Museum. REUTERS/Shaun Heasley

Laura's obvious adoration of this (cough) object d'art (cough) is just weird.


Heavy sigh, y'all.



Sunday, February 27, 2005

Today's Sermon:
The Gospel Of Google


Note: I could have edited this entry after I figured out what the fascist fundies had done, but I think you'll have more fun following the process of my enlightenment.

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Hee! Hee! Hee!

Ho! Ho! Ho!

Why?

Oh, why do Fascist Fundies try to use Latin phrases when designing their gravitas-seeking logos and emblems?



Of course, the site content is decidedly whacked: George W. isn't fundie enough for these folks; ergo, they're forming a new political party... to the right of Attila The Hun.

See for yourself.

Abortion is evil.

Only true Christians know how everyone else on earth is supposed to live.

Send money so we can continue our fight against the GAWD-less.

Et cetera.

Et cetera.

Several ways to send money!


Et cetera.

But the Latin phrases are the funniest part!


Vive Vale

Hm.

I always thought that meant Hale and Farewell!


It's obvious that these fundies must be trying to say something about LIFE and VALUE.

Hell's Bells, they probably think they've written VALUE LIFE!

Unlike these Fascist Fundies, I actually studied Latin. Of course, it was a million years ago...

So bear with me.


Vive Vale

This is a strange construction. Both verbs are in the imperative singular, which is used for conveying commands. For example, Vive! would be translated as "(You must) live!"

"Vive" is fine. It does, in fact, mean "(you) live!" as a command.

"Vale," however, really wouldn't convey the sense of "be valuable" to the listener. It was used primarily in the sense of "be well!" or "be strong!" as is the case of farewells in many languages, such as "fare thee well!" and "Wassail" or "Waes thu hael" (be thou well).

The only way I'd tend to translate the phrase above would be "Live, Be Well" -- similar to the (in)famous "Live long and prosper." It's not a bad phrase, and it has symmetry going for it.

Still, it doesn't seem to convey what you ask it to. If you want to indicate that all life is valuable, you wouldn't command someone to be well.

I'm sure that the fascist fundies had no intention of saying that making oneself valuable is a good thing in life. Had they, I could have suggested using:

Vive Aestimare.

aestimo, aestimare (1st conjugation verb) "to value, to rate, to esteem, to judge" -- aestimare (passive imperative) "(you) be valuable!"

valeo, valere, valui (2nd conjugation verb) "to be strong, vigorous, powerful, to be influential, to be adequate, to be of value, to be of worth -- vale! (imperative singular, usually used as a farewell) "goodbye."

vivo, vivere, vixi, victum (3rd conjugation verb) "to to be alive, to live, to survive" -- vive! (imperative singular) "(you) live!"

As for the rest of the inscription...

Luceo Descendens, Aucto Splendore Resurgam

He shines as he sets, but he shall rise again in great splendor.

Ahem.

Is that a Jesus reference?

Not according to the gospel of Google.


There is, however, a rather famous painting called Miscianza, by Frederick James.



The word mischianza, or meschianza, is derived from the conflation of the Italian words mescere (to mix) and mischiare (to mingle). The Mischianza was a medley of events held at Walnut Grove in Philadelphia on May 18, 1778, to celebrate the departure of General William Howe, commander- in-chief of the British army in Philadelphia, for his native England. Howe’s officers each contributed 140 pounds to pay for the affair, which included a procession of decorated boats that advanced up the Delaware River and docked near Green Street Wharf, a jousting tournament on a nearby green, an elaborate banquet, dancing, and a colorful display of fireworks. Each guest received an elaborate invitation featuring the Howe family crest and a sun setting into the sea that was mounted with a streamer bearing the motto Luceo Discendens, Aucto Splendore Resurgam (“He is shining as he sets, but he shall rise again in great splendor”).

Man, am I stupid or what?


I've been trying to make sense of this fascist fundie crest by concentrating on the Latin!

Take another look at the crest with the Latin phrases.

Canons. Swords. A drum. Flags.

"Live and be well" at the top.

Notice the sun setting into the sea?

Now read the blurb under the painting again.

Howe's officers and friends (enemies of America, by the way) were saying goodbye.

Vive Vale... Live and be well. (Hale and Farewell!)

Luceo Descendens, Aucto Splendore Resurgam... He shines as he sets, but he shall rise again in great splendor.

The fascist fundies decided to use the Family motto of General William Howe, the Commander-in-Chief of the British Army during the American freakin' Revolution...

They were talking about Howe, not Jesus! Howe had lost the war, but his officers still respected him (He shines). He shall rise again in great splendor, I believe, was wishful thinking.

So here's what must have happened...

The Creator's Rights Party stole the crest of the enemy, erased the name HOWE, and used Photoshop to plug in their party name in order to appear scholarly.

Pitiful.

Just plain pitiful.

They stole the whole thing.

I'll bet they have no idea whatsoever that their crest celebrates the enemy!

What ass wipes!

At least, I figured it out.

They think we belittle them for their beliefs.

Actually, we belittle them for their total disdain of scholarship.

We belittle them for embracing mediocrity.

Most of all, we belittle them for their hypocrisy...

When their self-appointed moral leaders claim that God punishes gays by giving them AIDS, yet deny the hand of GAWD when half of Florida is beset by hurricanes, I heave heavy, heavy sighs.

Vive Vale... Live long and prosper.

Hilarious.

They should add this to their crest...

Ad eundum quo nemo ante iit*

Or this...

Me transmitte sursum, Caledoni!**


Thus Endeth Today's Sermon.


Go forth and study Latin... and Art!

Otherwise, you'll end up as stupid as the members of The Creator's Rights Party.

Sum serius! Vae!***


* To boldly go where no man has gone before

** Beam me up, Scotty!

*** I'm serious, damn it!



Saturday, February 26, 2005

Who Needs Photoshop
When You've Got A
Good Photographer?


How in the world did this AFP photo make it past the editors?

US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) speaks in Bratislava 24 February 2005. Europe is realizing Bush's 'vision' might work and should stop demanding from the US 'a high price for its political favors'(AFP/Joe Klamar) LINK

There's no source citation for that asinine "Europe is realizing Bush's 'vision' might work" remark...

But it just doesn't get any clearer than this photo, folks!

Be sure to click the link and rate the photo before it's freeped into oblivion!


Friday, February 25, 2005

This Week's
Backside
Of The
Bell Curve

Winner!


The Republican Party's
Favorite Fister


Colorado State Rep.



Bill "I'll Cram My Fist Up Your Ass!" Cadman


What is it with Republicans and sex, anyway?

They say these bizarre fisting things, make bizarre fisting threats against Democrats, and yet the mainstream press (except for one brave columnist) refuses to publish what Cadman said.

Cranky Cadman

At the time this was written Wednesday afternoon, Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, still hadn't forthrightly apologized for warning a colleague Tuesday on the floor of the House, "If you try that again, I'll ram my fist up your ass."

Instead, Cadman was splitting hairs. He insisted the responsibility was reciprocal: The fellow he'd threatened, Rep. Val Vigil, D-Thornton, should have to apologize, too, because Vigil had told Cadman he was "garbage." In fact, Cadman suggested, Vigil should apologize first, presumably because he'd "started it," to use the playground lingo appropriate for these two legislative titans.

Well, of course Vigil should have apologized immediately, too. But an individual's responsibility to do the right thing is not contingent on others acting first. What is shocking is not only Cadman's reluctance to express regret but the fact that he wasn't absolutely mortified by what he'd stooped to say. It would never occur to most people to use such an expression even in private, no matter how incensed they were over an affront, let alone utter such words in public before other elected officials. LINK

Here's where bloggers differ from journalists...

Journalists are supposed to write what was said, who said it, where it was said, and when it was said... while presenting both sides of political issues.

Ahem.

(From the Denver Post's account)...

What: A Republican lawmaker used a vulgar term to intimidate a Democrat with whom he had a disagreement over an amendment to a bill.

Who: Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, said Wednesday he regretted the vulgar remark he made to Rep. Val Vigil, D-Thornton.

When: The day before(which means that you have to do your own research, lazy readers!)

Where: Though he regrets having lost his temper on the House floor, Cadman said he wasn't the first lawmaker ever to do so. (You have to read the entire article to get to this tidbit.)

Both sides? Cadman used a vulgar term (which reporters won't quote), but Vigil used the dreaded word garbage.

Bloggers dig for the dirt, connect the dots, and try to flesh out (Remain calm, Cadman!) the story:

What: "I'll cram my fist up your ass!"

Who: Rep. Cadman told Rep. Vigil that he would cram his (Cadman's) fist up his (Vigil's) ass.

Where: On the floor of the Colorado State House Of Representatives.

When: Tuesday, February 22, 2005

WHY (as I understand the exchange): Cadman called Vigil's amendment GARBAGE.

Vigil replied, "Well, you're garbage."

To which, Cadman yelled, "Try that again, and I'll cram my fist up your ass!"

Both sides? One brave columnist actually quotes Cadman, but most accounts leave out the details of the exchange!

Vigil says garbage, but Cadman wants to fist him.

To a journalist, that's both sides.

No attempt whatsoever to expose the truth.

Which begs the question:

Is Bill Cadman garbage?

To answer that question, bloggers go to the most obvious (free) source: google.com!

Rep. Bill "The Fister" Cadman really is some piece of work, folks:

Critics say bill guts concealed-carry law

By The Associated Press

DENVER — A proposal before the Legislature would gut Colorado's concealed weapons law by ending background checks and eliminating required training for owning a weapon, opponents said.

One of the measure's 10 sponsors said it would eliminate government oversight of a constitutional right.

"I don't have to get some government authority to grant me the ability to assert my right," said Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs.

"I would call this the 'reaffirmation of your Second Amendment rights bill," he said. LINK

Sharks to Keep Swimming
Industry lobbyists help sink predatory lending curbs
by Terje Langeland

Unscrupulous mortgage lenders who prey on poor and uninformed consumers will continue to operate in Colorado without constraints, following the defeat last week of a proposed state law that would have reined in the worst offenders, consumer advocates say.

Despite sailing through the state Senate on a 24-8 vote, the measure -- aimed to restrict so-called "predatory loans" -- was killed by the House Information and Technology Committee in a 6-5 Republican-controlled party-line vote. Among those opposing the bill was the committee's vice chairman, Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs.

Supporters of the legislation, named Senate Bill 73, blamed its defeat on lobbying by the lending industry, and the influence of industry money. LINK


Faculty defend free-speech rights of UCB prof amid public outcry

February 3, 2005

By Jefferson Dodge

Despite the threat of a punitive budget cut from the Legislature and calls from the governor for Ward Churchill of CU-Boulder ethnic studies to resign or be dismissed, CU faculty leaders are defending Churchill's right to make controversial statements under the principles of free speech. --snip--

Several legislators said that if CU does not take action against Churchill, the University would be penalized. Rep. Bill Cadman ( R-Colorado Springs ) called for a supplemental bill to the 2004-05 budget to strip CU of general funds equivalent to the amount of Churchill's $94,242 salary. LINK

AG reviews bill to unmask donors

By Trent Seibert
Denver Post Capitol Bureau

Apr. 3, 2001 - The fate of a bill that could force secret political committees to say who their backers are hinges on a report from the state attorney general.

The report, which could be delivered to the legislature as early as this morning, examines Senate Bill 92 to see whether it could stand up in court if it becomes law.

It's not the first time the bill will be heard in Sinclair's State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee. It passed that committee on a 6-3 vote March 27, but committee member Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Col orado Springs, said later that he had voted wrong and wanted to vote again.

Cadman said he should have done more research initially because he questioned the bill's constitutionality. "It's my fault," he said. "I wish I had voted against it." Reconsidering bills is so rare it prompted some to say it was a move to kill a bill that many politicians don't like because it gives citizens more information about campaigns. LINK

From J.B. Holston...

The debate was so rancorous that lawmakers met in face-to-face shouting matches, an upset staffer wept during a hearing and Democrats were barred from speaking.

and, in their effort to protect democracy,

Republicans cut off questions and forced votes with loud bangs of the gavel. ....

After an emotional hearing before the House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee, an upset clerk cried while calling the roll for a vote.
The measure passed the panel on a 7-2 vote, with Rep. Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, telling Democrats, "There will be no discussion. You will vote yes or no."

House committee thwarts effort to expand hate crimes law

The bill passed the Senate on a voice vote. It was then referred to the House Committee on State, Veterans and Military Affairs.

“Hate crimes exist, we can’t deny this,” Rep. Mark Larson, the bill’s sponsor in the House of Representatives, said during committee hearings. “And it is the government’s responsibility to protect its citizens – all citizens.”

The Christian Coalition of Colorado ailed thousands of letters in Larson’s home district branding him a “leader for the radical homosexual agenda.”

Rep. Bill Cadman, who opposed the bill, expressed his concern that such laws would give special treatment to groups such as homosexuals.

Republican committee members killed the bill on a 5-4 party-line vote. This was the eighth time the bill has been introduced since 1991. [HC2001] LINK

GOP Rising Star Becomes "Un-person"
The savage and Orwellian tale of a shamed Colorado GOP player

by Dave "Doctor" Gonzo

It's enough to make you cringe these days to see Republicans in action. If they're not contradicting their own words with their actions, they're busy coming up with other ways to show their true "values".

After all, actions speak louder than words -- and nobody "speaks" Orwellian quite like your garden variety conservative Republicans. --snip--

Case in point: the bizarre and disturbing tale of one Randy Ankeney. --snip--

Mr. Ankeney is described in an article in the September 6, 2001 online edition of the Rocky Mountain News as "a fixture in El Paso County Republican politics until his arrest in July in a sex scandal involving a young girl." The article fills in a few more details: he named his dogs Reagan and Nixon, and was active in coordinating election campaigns for local and state Republicans. He had worked since last November as one of Colorado Governor Owens' economic development representatives. --snip--

The politician Ankeney is reputedly closest to, state Rep. Bill Cadman (R-Colorado Springs) was, according to the Rocky Mountain News, "reluctant to comment." LINK

Reluctant to comment?

Now that you know a bit more about Bill (The Future Fister) Cadman, do you believe he was truthful in his response to the Rocky Mountain News?

And that's the difference between bloggers and journalists.

Bloggers want the truth.

The whole truth.

And nothing but the truth.

So help us.


Thursday, February 24, 2005

What's Wrong With This Headline?


Tsk.
Jobless Claims Rise More Then Expected

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of new claims for U.S. jobless benefits climbed more than expected to 312,000 last week, government data showed on Thursday, while a more reliable job market gauge fell to its lowest level in more than four years.

Initial claims for state unemployment insurance rose by 9,000 in the week ended Feb. 19, from an upwardly revised 303,000 the prior week, the Labor Department (news - web sites) said.

The number of claims came in well above the 305,000 Wall Street economists had forecast.

A Labor Department analyst said there were no special factors behind the rise in fresh claims. LINK

Correct!

Very good, Class!

The people who write and/or type these headlines control what you read, see, and hear.

Feeling good about that?


White Smoke Watch:
Will The Pope Die Today?


The Pope has been rushed to the hospital again.

Which begs the questions...

Will even more extraordinary measures be taken to keep Il Papa technically alive than the last time?

What purpose would that serve other than creating a travel-window for the college of cardinals and their supporters to reach Rome?

Will the church once again turn to medical science to circumvent the will of God?

Will success spoil Rock Hunter?

Will Il Papa finally give up the ghost?

Remains to be seen. (No pun intended.)



Wednesday, February 23, 2005

First Kill All The Lawyers Bloggers!


But for bloggers, Jeff Gannon Jim Guckert, Gay Porn Site Hooker/ $50 Journalism School "graduate," would still be lobbing idiotic Q's at White House Press Secretaries and pResidents.

But for the determination of true patriots, the Gannon/Guckert story would have disappeared down the memory hole by now.




Shame on us evil bloggers!

Shining the light of truth on Gannon/Guckert threatens the BushCo dream of All Happy American Families learning to consume more and more Must Buy Products by watching TV commercials over and over and over and over...




Shining the light of truth on BushCo makes Americans wiser...

And that's the last thing that BushCo wants.


Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Conjuring the Corleones


I hear that Chalabi has dropped his bid to become the brand new Iraq's brand new Prime Minister.

So why was this image the first thing I thought of?





Shiites Pick Al-Jaafari As Iraq PM Nominee

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Ahmad Chalabi dropped his bid Tuesday to be next prime minister of Iraq (news - web sites), a decision that would make conservative interim vice president Ibrahim al-Jaafari the sole United Iraqi Alliance candidate for prime minister, a senior alliance official said.

The decision came after three days of round-the-clock negotiating by senior members of the United Iraqi Alliance, which emerged from the Jan. 30 elections with a 140-seat majority in the 275-member parliament, or National Assembly.

The office of Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, confirmed that Chalabi has withdrawn. LINK

Hm.

Someone must have made him an offer he couldn't refuse...





Now you, too, can send a similar warning!

Kropserkel.com
sells Godfather Horsehead Pillows...




They're a bit pricey, but sometimes that haunted look on the recipient's face is absolutely priceless!


Learn English &Take Your
Birth Control Pills
Or Lose Your Children


Hm.

Time to check the Bullshit-O-Meter.


Yep.

Getting rather deep, folks!


Learn English, judge tells mothers

Warnings in Tenn. stir rights debate


By Ellen Barry, Los Angeles Times | February 22, 2005

LEBANON, Tenn. -- A judge hearing child abuse and neglect cases in Tennessee has given an unusual instruction to some immigrant mothers who have come before him: Learn English, or else.

Most recently, it was an 18-year-old woman from Oaxaca, Mexico, who had been reported to the Department of Children's Services for not immunizing her toddler and for missing appointments. At a hearing last month to monitor the mother's custody of the child, Wilson County Judge Barry Tatum instructed the woman to learn English and use birth control, The Lebanon Democrat newspaper reported.

Last October, Tatum gave a similar order to a Mexican woman who had been cited for neglect of her 11-year-old daughter, said a lawyer who is representing the woman in her appeal. Setting a court date six months away, the judge told the woman she should be able to speak English at a fourth-grade level by that meeting. If she failed, he warned, he would begin the process to terminate her parental rights.

''The court specially informs the mother that if she does not make the effort to learn English, she is running the risk of losing any connection -- legally, morally, and physically -- with her daughter forever," reads a court order from the hearing, according to Jerry Gonzalez, the Nashville lawyer who represents the woman. LINK

Debate?

Debate?

What's there to debate?

It seems to me that the only debate topic in this sleazy Tennessee courtroom is...

Due Process.

Listen up, Judge Tatum!

When every single one of Tennessee's native-born Anglo Saxon Backside Of The Bell Curve is given 6 months to pass an English proficiency test and proves (male & female, alike) that their pharma-induced birth control methods are working, then we'll debate the merits of your ruling, you Nazi!

Xenophobia is a hell of a thing!

If you don't understand what Mexicans are saying about you in the checkout line, take a flippin' Spanish class...

And we'll test your proficiency after 6 months!

At that time, we'll remove every child from your family if you flunk the language test or can't prove that you're all taking FDA-approved drugs to prevent pregnancy!



Monday, February 21, 2005

Threefold Sadness


John Raitt


Broadway star John Raitt dies at age 88

Baritone created role of hero in 'Carousel'

Associated Press
Originally published February 21, 2005

LOS ANGELES - John Raitt, the robust baritone who created the role of Billy Bigelow in the original New York production of Carousel and sang with Doris Day in the movie The Pajama Game, died yesterday. He was 88.

Mr. Raitt, the father of singer Bonnie Raitt, died of complications from pneumonia at his Pacific Palisades home, his manager, James Fitzgerald, said in a statement.

Mr. Raitt had become well-known on the West Coast for his handsome presence and ringing voice when he was invited to New York in 1944 to try out for the role of Curly in the road company of Oklahoma! He was rushed from Penn Station to the St. James Theater and an audition with Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers.

In 1995, Mr. Raitt recalled: "I hadn't sung since California, so I said, 'Do you mind if I warm up?' I sang Figaro's aria from The Barber of Seville. Then I sang all of Curly's songs."

There was silence when he finished. Much more...

Such a voice!

Such stage presence!




There used to be a time, boys & girls, when talent lit up Broadway and invented the term SRO...

Not just carefully publicity propelled movie star names on marquees.

People could actually act, sing, and dance...

At the same time.

There was no need for flash editing.

5 to 15 seconds of choreography superimposed over multi-filtered studio recordings and 10¢ would get you a cup of coffee if you had to compete against the likes of John Raitt for a Broadway role.



More Sad News




Hunter S. Thompson


Hunter S. Thompson shoots self in head

"Fear and Loathing" author dead at 67

By Troy Hooper and Claire Martin
The Denver Post

Post file
Hunter S. Thompson in his Woody Creek home, February 1997

Aspen - Hunter Stockton Thompson, who coined the term "gonzo journalism" to describe the unique and furiously personal approach to reportage exemplified in his 1972 book "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," died Sunday night of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his Woody Creek home. He was 67, family members said.

Pitkin County Sheriff Bob Braudis, a friend of Thompson's, confirmed the death. Thompson's son, Juan, discovered his body Sunday evening.

"Dr. Hunter S. Thompson took his life with a gunshot to the head. ... The family will provide more information about (a) memorial service ... shortly. Hunter prized his privacy and we ask that his friends and admirers respect that privacy as well as that of his family," Juan and Anita Thompson, Hunter Thompson's wife, said in a statement.

"Details and interviews may be forthcoming when the family has had the time to recover from the trauma of the tragedy," Braudis said from Thompson's compound, Owl Farm.

Countless fans strove to imitate Thompson's startlingly candid first-person accounts that described legally errant escapades fueled by drugs, alcohol and nicotine, yet he maintained a savagely private personal life.

"Obviously, my drug use is exaggerated or I would be long since dead," he told a USA Today reporter in 1990.

He famously threatened to shoot trespassers, providing endless fodder for cartoonist Garry Trudeau's ongoing portrayal of Thompson as the hard- living Duke, named after Raoul Duke, a character in "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas." The book was made into a 1998 movie starring Johnny Depp.

--snip--

In 1959, Thompson went on to become a Caribbean correspondent for Time magazine and the New York Herald Tribune. After relocating to South America, he wrote for the National Observer, and then returned to the U.S. and became the West Coast correspondent for The Nation.

Rolling Stone magazine publisher Jann Wenner learned of Thompson from his columns for Scanlan's Monthly and Ramparts, and hired him as national affairs editor. This propelled Thompson and his cynical, heady reporting style to international fame. People who really did read Playboy for the articles began picking up Rolling Stone for Thompson's caroming take on politics, particularly his incendiary coverage of the 1972 presidential campaign. Much more...
Here was a writer...




Fear & Loathing in America
September 12 2001

by Hunter S. Thompson

And it was not even Bombs that caused this massive damage. No nuclear missiles were launched from any foreign soil, no enemy bombers flew over New York and Washington to rain death on innocent Americans. No. It was four commercial jetliners.

They were the first flights of the day from American and United Airlines, piloted by skilled and loyal U.S. citizens, and there was nothing suspicious about them when they took off from Newark, N.J., and Dulles in D.C. and Logan in Boston on routine cross-country flights to the West Coast with fully-loaded fuel tanks -- which would soon explode on impact and utterly destroy the world-famous Twin Towers of downtown Manhattan's World Trade Center. Boom! Boom! Just like that.

The towers are gone now, reduced to bloody rubble, along with all hopes for Peace in Our Time, in the United States or any other country. Make no mistake about it: We are At War now -- with somebody -- and we will stay At War with that mysterious Enemy for the rest of our lives.

It will be a Religious War, a sort of Christian Jihad, fueled by religious hatred and led by merciless fanatics on both sides. It will be guerilla warfare on a global scale, with no front lines and no identifiable enemy. Osama bin Laden may be a primitive "figurehead" -- or even dead, for all we know -- but whoever put those All-American jet planes loaded with All-American fuel into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon did it with chilling precision and accuracy. The second one was a dead-on bullseye. Straight into the middle of the skyscraper. LINK

When will there come such another?


Sunday, February 20, 2005

In Memoriam




Sandra Dee
(1942-2005)

Actress Sandra Dee dies

Death follows treatment for kidney disease, pneumonia

Sunday, February 20, 2005 Posted: 5:11 PM EST (2211 GMT)

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Actress Sandra Dee died Sunday at a California hospital, her son told CNN.

Dodd Darin, the son of the late singer Bobby Darin and Sandra Dee, said his mother died at 6 a.m. (9 a.m. ET) in Los Robles Hospital & Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California, where she had been treated for 14 days for complications from kidney disease and pneumonia.

Darin said his mother was 63, though a number of movie Web sites put her birth date variously at April 23, 1942, and April 23, 1944, which would have made her 62 or 60.

Dee was born Alexandra Zuck in Bayonne, New Jersey. Her mother often lied about her age to help her get ahead in work and school, according to the Web site Internet Movie Database.

Work as a model by age 12 led to television commercials and, at age 14, a role in the movie "Until They Sailed," which was released in 1957, the site said. More...

Rest in peace, Gidget.


Must See TV: The Case Of
The Strangely Silent Republican


The Subject:

Gay Porn Prostitute/White House Press Corps
(cough) Member (cough)
Jim Guckert/Jeff Gannon

The Cast:

Bill Maher

Leslie Stahl

Robin Williams

Senator Joseph Biden (D, Delaware)

Tommy Thompson,
former BushCo HHS Secretary (R, Strange Silence)


Crank up the volume and pass the popcorn!




Click Here To Watch



Today's Sermon: Biblical Marriage


Today's Sermon magically appeared in my inbox, presumably sent through cyberspace according to the laws of man-made technology (although I can't prove one way or another if the god of Abraham was involved in any way)...




IN DEFENSE OF BIBLICAL MARRIAGE

The Presidential Prayer Team is currently urging us to "Pray for the President as he seeks wisdom on how to legally codify the definition of marriage. Pray that it will be according to Biblical principles. With many forces insisting on variant definitions of marriage, pray that God's Word and His standards will be honored by our government."

So here -- in support of the Prayer Team's admirable goals -- is a proposed Constitutional Amendment codifying marriage ENTIRELY ON BIBLICAL PRINCIPLES:

A. Marriage in the United States shall consist of a union between one man and one or more women.
(Gen 29:17-28 and II Sam 3:2-5)

B. Marriage shall not impede a man's right to take concubines in addition to his wife or wives.
(I Sam 5:13 and I Kings 11:3 and II Chron 11:21)
C. A marriage shall be considered valid only if the wife is a virgin. If the wife is not a virgin, she shall be executed.
(Deut 22: 13-21)

D. Marriage of a believer and a non-believer shall be forbidden.
(Gen. 24:3 and Num 25:1-9 and Ezra 9:12 and Neh 10:30)

E. Since marriage is for life, neither this Constitution nor the constitution of any State shall be construed to permit divorce.
(Deut 22:19 and Mark 10 )

F. If a married man dies without children, his brother shall marry the widow. If he refuses to marry his sister-in-law, or deliberately does not give her children, he shall pay a fine of one shoe and be otherwise punished in a manner to be determined by law. (Gen 38:6-10 and Deut 25:5-10)


I've long envied the marriage laws of most European countries.

Sure, you can marry in a church, synagogue, mosque, or other sacred space...

But your marriage is not considered legal (with rights and such) until you appear before a secular court judge and seal the deal.

That way, the church and the state are truly separate.

One marriage covenant renders unto your god of choice.

The other renders unto Caesar.

As Jesus of Nazareth said it should be.

So there!

THUS ENDETH TODAY'S SERMON!

Go forth and marry anyone anywhere!

I mean it, damn it!



Saturday, February 19, 2005

Soylent Green Precursor?


Sure, the US Government (AKA BushCo, Inc.) says they're concerned with the dignity of the dead after tsunami-scale disasters.

But one has to wonder...

Is this the inspiration for BushCo's new idea?


Is this the prototype?




Coroner Looks For Way To Shrink-Wrap Corpses

POSTED: 3:40 pm PST February 18, 2005
UPDATED: 4:03 pm PST February 18, 2005

OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Officials in Washington state want to find a machine that can shrink-wrap something pretty big -- a human body.

The Thurston County Coroner's Office is on the hunt for a machine that can wrap human remains in plastic in case of a natural disaster or terror attack.

Officials said the process would make transporting a big number of bodies easier, while also sealing in biohazards like anthrax. And they said it's more respectful than letting bodies remain exposed as happened after the Asian tsunami.

The office has started the bidding process to see who can build such a machine, which is estimated will cost about $50,000. A Homeland Security grant will pay the bill. LINK


What does the coroner in Olympia, Washington know that we don't know?

And what's next, folks?


This reminds me of that hideous old joke:

Have you heard about the new German Microwave?

It seats 25.

Heavy, heavy sigh.


Friday, February 18, 2005

This Week's
Backside
Of The
Bell Curve

Winner!







The Boy Scouts


Ahem.

Scout Oath

On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight.

Scout Law

A Scout is:

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent


FBI probing Alabama Boy Scout organization

Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Posted: 5:27 PM EST (2227 GMT)


BIRMINGHAM, Alabama (AP) -- Boy Scout volunteer Tom Willis knew something was wrong when he saw that 20 youngsters on the list for a scouting program all had the same last name: Doe.

Willis said it appeared someone was listing fake members to boost enrollment, perhaps to bring in more funding from agencies like the United Way or to make paid Boy Scout recruiters look better.

"It was just so blatant. They didn't even try to make up names," said Willis, a dentist from Decatur and a former Eagle Scout who serves on the board of the Greater Alabama Boy Scout Council, which runs scouting programs in northeastern Alabama.

Now the FBI is investigating whether the council padded its membership rolls. It is just the latest investigation around the country into whether the Boy Scouts have inflated their numbers.

The FBI refused to comment. The council said on its Web site early this month that Scout officials were cooperating with investigators and conducting an internal audit.

"Let me assure you that your executive committee considers these allegations to be very serious and is taking necessary and appropriate action," said council board chairman Randy Haines, a banking executive. LINK

Tsk. Tsk.

I hear that a similar investigation is underway in Atlanta, Georgia!

Whatever happened to...?



And what's the deal with banking executive Randy Haines screwing The Boy Scouts?

I thought they frowned on that!

And here's what I'd really like to know...

Will anyone audit council board chairman (and bank executive) Randy Haines?

Is it really such a giant leap from sucking huge sums of money from Congress, The United Way, and Community Supporters (who donate generously to The Boy Scouts) to committing bank fraud?

Heavy sigh.


Thursday, February 17, 2005

They Found Strom Thurmond's Parents!





Oldest Remains of Human Beings Are Identified
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD

Published: February 16, 2005

Scientists have determined that human fossils found in Ethiopia in 1967 are 65,000 years older than first thought, from about 195,000 years ago. The revised date, they said, makes the skulls and bones the earliest known remains of modern Homo sapiens.

The research reinforces the theories of an African origin for modern humans, and the earlier date gives the species more time to have evolved the cultural attributes that probably supported its spread to Asia and Europe from Africa. The new date appears to be near the early boundary for modern human emergence, as suggested in recent genetic studies.

The findings were announced today by a research team led by Dr. Ian McDougall of the Australian National University in Canberra and are being described in detail in Thursday's issue of the journal Nature.

Dr. McDougall, a geologist, and his colleagues reported that a re-examination of the sediments in which the fossils were found and the use of more reliable dating methods showed that the two individuals lived 195,000 years ago, give or take 5,000 years, "making them the earliest well-dated anatomically modern humans yet described."

An expedition led by Richard E. Leakey, the Kenyan paleontologist, excavated the two fossil specimens 38 years ago along the Omo River in southern Ethiopia, near the town of Kibish. The fossil-bearing sediments were dated at 130,000 years, though many researchers, even the discoverers, were never sure this was a valid age for the specimens. Scientists at the time thought it unlikely that modern humans could be more that 100,000 years old. LINK


Just kidding, Strom Lovers!

It's still a nifty story, isn't it?


Wednesday, February 16, 2005

Today's Heroes: Conyers & Slaughter




Congressmembers to file Freedom of Information Act request with Homeland Security, White House on discredited ‘Gannon’

Two Democratic congressmembers will file a Freedom of Information Act request with Homeland Security and the White House, seeking records on the discredited conservative reporter with ties to prostitution and apparent access to confidential CIA information, RAW STORY has learned.

The letter, which is to current Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge (Chertoff is being voted on today and will not yet be sworn in any event), will not mention activist Jim Guckert’s efforts at prostitution, which was revealed by a progressive blog Monday.

Congressmen John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) and congresswoman Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) will sign the request.

“News reports also indicate that Mr. Guckert would not be considered a bona fide journalist by his peers in the press corps, as most of his claims to legitimacy have already been discredited,” the members write in the final version prepared for signature and released to RAW STORY. “Access to the President and his press corps is highly competitive, and many seasoned journalists have not had the honor of attending the events or enjoying the access Mr. Guckert has. “

“We are concerned that such an individual was allowed within a few feet of the President when the public is routinely disallowed any possible contact with either the President or the White House.

The request seeks White House and Homeland Security records regarding, among other things, “the standards the Secret Service or the White House impose on those who are granted access to the President and the White House Briefing Room. Please include all records discussing whether the Secret Service or the White House routinely allow guests to use false names.”

The members also request “all records setting forth or discussing who has the authority, if at all, to exempt an individual or member of the media from security clearance by the Secret Service in order to gain access to the White House Briefing Room,” and “all records of communication between the Secret Service and Mr. Guckert."

The representatives ask that "all records, including telephone conversations, emails, or facsimile communications, be turned over for inspection."

Smart!

Let the State of Delaware deal with the felony prostitution aspects of this guy, Guckert.

Let's make sure that Delaware prosecutors don't ignore this guy!

Ah, everybody has a website!

Special Investigations Section

Delaware State Police

The Special Investigations Section is a group of specialized criminal investigation units that proactively pursue quality of life issues. The Section is under the command of Captain Charles J. Simpson. The section is divided into northern and southern offices under the command of Lt. Patrick Ogden and Lt. Bruce VonGoerres respectively. As always, our biggest successes were team projects with other DSP sections and other law enforcement agencies.

Vice Crimes Unit

The Delaware State Police Vice Unit is charged with the responsibility of investigating vice related crimes involving prostitution, gambling, and child pornography. In addition, the vice unit assists the Office of Professional Regulation as it relates to licensing of massage and adult entertainment establishments.

In February, the unit concluded a month long investigation involving two individuals who operated an Internet based “dating service” site. The site contained prices for explicit sexual activities. Employees of the service agreed to meet undercover officers at a local hotel. The employees, both residents of Pennsylvania, were arrested for prostitution related charges. One of the individuals was found to be a fugitive from Chicago, Illinois on an outstanding fraud charge. He was subsequently extradited to Illinois for prosecution.

During the course of the year, VICE coordinated several multi-agency prostitution stings. The sting operations were designed to tackle the supply-side of the prostitution issue that plagues certain areas of Delaware. LINK

Yes, dear reader, you can report a crime (such as Guckert's prostitution websites) to The Delaware State Police:

Know about a Crime, Call The 1-800-TIP-3333, Hot Line
EMail: Crimestoppers@state.de.us

I hear Guckert has lawyered up.Interesting, isn't it, that freepers hate trial lawyers until they need them?

Who'll pay your legal bills, Guckert?


Tuesday, February 15, 2005

Talon (cough) News May Run,
But They Can Not Hide!


How stupid do you have to be to think that all will be well if you just delete everything written by your Ace Gay Porn Hooker White House Press Corps "Reporter" Jim Guckert Jeff Gannon?

How stupid do you have to be NOT TO KNOW that Screen Capture and Memory Cache are frequently used to prevent stories and pictures from disappearing down the memory hole?

How stupid do you have to be to think that you can simply break the Biography Links on your GOPUSA (cough) News Service's About Us page, and pesky bloggers won't wonder what you're trying to hide?

How stupid do you have to be to think that no one would ever notice that BushCo's White House Personnel Director (31 year-old Dina Powell) and GOPUSA/Talon News Board Member, Richard Powell, might be related?

How stupid do you have to be to think that no one would ever suspect that GOPUSA/Talon (cough) News' Ace Gay Porn Hooker White House Press Corps "Reporter," Jim Guckert Jeff Gannon, was surely given a copy of (or at least informed about) the secret memo outing CIA WMD Agent Valerie Plame in an attempt to smear Ambassador Joseph Wilson?

Ahem.

Dina Powell, the West Wing's Hire Power

By Ann Gerhart
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 11, 2005; Page C01

--snip--

Powell is the president's headhunter, charged with filling hundreds of jobs in the next several weeks -- ambassadors, Cabinet heads, undersecretaries, commissioners. She is the soul of discretion. What's in the safe? Forget it.

Those new people tramping the corridors of federal power will have left some part of themselves with Powell, who at 31 is the youngest person ever to direct the presidential personnel office and its roughly 35 employees.

--snip--

Asked if Powell simply prepares the paperwork or actually makes recommendations on hiring, Office of Management and Budget director Josh Bolten says, "Both."

"It's not at all a case that she collects a few things," says Bolten. "She is the quarterback of the whole process." Margaret Spellings, the domestic policy adviser tapped to become education secretary, who sits beside Powell every morning at the senior staff meeting, dismisses any suggestion that all appointments are masterminded by Rove.

--snip--

On this subject, Powell smiles and says: "We're not short on recommendations."

The process of identifying, then hiring, presidential talent requires "all kinds of research and a lot of discipline," says Clay Johnson, the president's old friend from Midland, Tex., who first handled personnel during the truncated transition in 2000 and then was Powell's boss until January 2003, when she succeeded him. "You cannot lapse into 'Do I like this person?' It's about the job specifications. Everything you do must be first class, showing tremendous respect. But you must tell them, 'You won't get as much credit. You won't get as much money. You must be comfortable with being told no a lot. You aren't going to be able to have your own way.' " That is a difficult transition for many corporate executives to make.

Powell, says Johnson, understands all of this. "She has really good radar," he says.

She [Powell] insists that an hour-long interview be on background, with quotes needing to be approved prior to publication. Even in this format, she reveals not a single confidence or telling detail of the way she works. WaPo LINK


And then there's this...

Be sure to click on Richard Powell's name and see what GOPUSA/Talon (cough) News has done!

What is Talon News, and why does it have press credentials?

Talon News apparently consists of little more than Eberle, Gannon, and a few volunteers, and is virtually indistinguishable from GOPUSA.com.

--snip--

Eberle and Gannon both post on the right-wing online forum Free Republic, and Gannon has also hosted a radio show on Radio Free Republic.

--snip--

GOPUSA's officers and directors show a similar lack of journalism experience, but plenty of experience working for Republican causes:

# Board member Richard Powell "brings a wealth of political and business experience to GOPUSA.com. ... Richard also consults privately for political candidates and policymakers, helping them develop their education message and K-16 education reform policy initiatives. He is a former policy advisor to Texas Governor Rick Perry, and is active in national, state and local political and civic causes." Media Matters LINK

Next question...

How stupid do you have to be NOT TO BE AWARE OF the power of GOOGLE?

I googled "Dina Powell" and biography...

Dina Powell

Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel

Biography:
Most recently, Dina Powell was Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel. From 1999 to 2001, she was Director of Congressional Affairs, Senior Advisor to the Chairman at the Republican National Committee. Previously, Dina was the Member Relations Coordinator for U.S. House Majority Leader Dick Armey.

Powell graduated from the University of Texas at Austin. Allamericanpatriots LINK

Then I googled "Dina Powell" and husband...

Egyptian immigrant finds hire calling in U.S.

Bush aide keeps White House staffed with true believers


Johanna Neuman, Los Angeles Times

Sunday, January 16, 2005

--snip--

Married to a senior public-affairs executive, Powell now has her own daughter, a 3-year-old she describes as a "peanut." Acknowledging the difficulties of being a working mother, she praises both her husband, "an unbelievably supportive partner," and the president, whom she described as running "a family-friendly White House."

She admits that the hours are long and that she sometimes rushes home to have dinner with her family before returning to the White House to finish the day's work. Few of the 4,000 presidential appointees left the administration during Bush's first term, but some are leaving now, requiring successors. Even as the vacancies are filled, she is aware that more will soon be leaving, a never-ending conveyor belt of personnel changes. SFGate LINK


Even the scrubbed bio at GOPUSA/Talon (cough) News omitted this little factoid:

Richard Powell -- Founder and president of JPX Interactive Technologies, Inc., a comprehensive technology integration firm offering consulting, deployment and integration services in the business, government and education market segments; Former policy advisor to Texas Governor Rick Perry LINK to Kos

So I googled "Richard Powell" and JPX Interactive Technologies...

TIP LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

(Technology Immersion Pilot (TIP) Project
Pioneering 21st Century Schools Today)

AGENDA

July 27-28, 2004

Austin Airport Hilton

Opening Session - Overview and Purpose of TIP

Anita Givens, Director of Educational Technology

Richard Powell, JPX Interactive

This session will provide an overview of the Technology Immersion Pilot and set the stage for this two-day conference by providing the framework for exploring the challenges and opportunities of this exciting pilot project. LINK

So let's recap...

Jim Guckert is a gay porn hooker who calls himself Jeff Gannon.

Guckert pays $50 to attend a 2-day "Journalism" seminar hosted by GOP operatives and proceeds to claim he's a graduate of this "journalism school."

(Don't forget that BushCo has been hiring actors to play reporters on TV and paying journalists big bucks to promote BushCo social policy!)


Guckert gets a gig with a GOPUSA Fake News Service called Talon (cough) News (either as a result of that 2-day seminar or some darker, kinkier sex connection to GOP operatives), and he's paid a stipend (not a salary) to write Pro-BushCo crap on said website.

(Don't forget that Guckert was denied Congressional press corps credentials because his News (cough) service didn't meet government standards, namely deriving its primary revenue from subscribers and/or advertising and proving that its reporters' pay constituted the primary portion of their salaries!)


Dina Powell, whose work for Texas Republicans and an Egyptian maiden name lead her to become White House Personnel Director, vets everyone who works in the White House Press and Communications offices.

Dina Powell appears to be married to Richard Powell, GOPUSA Board Member/ Political Candidate Educational Consultant and Friend of Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Richard Powell is on the Board Of Directors at GOPUSA/Talon (cough) News, but his (and everyone else's) biography has been scrubbed from the website.

Jim Guckert Jeff Gannon had to have been designated as a GOP-friendly White House News Correspondent "must hire," which means that no questions were asked concerning his background because SOMEONE IMPORTANT VOUCHED FOR HIM.

That's how it works in politics, folks.

There's one standard for random people who apply for White House appointments and jobs, and there's a subrosa standard for "must hires."

The White House approved Jim Guckert.

Jim Guckert is a gay porn hooker, who gets called on frequently during press conferences by Scott McClellan and George W.


Read Guckert's
White House
Questions and Answers.


GOPUSA/Talon (cough) News is a Fake news organization.

Talon (cough) News has deleted everything Guckert ever wrote for them.

GOPUSA/Talon News has deleted the links to its Board Of Directors' biographies.

Guckert has now told two different versions to two different journalists of his involvement in the White House's Let's Expose Valerie Plame's CIA Cover & Smear Her Husband mess.


Gulp.

And the MSM (MainStream Media) continues to ignore this story...

Last question...

What did George W. know, and when did he know it?



Monday, February 14, 2005

The Straight Story
On George W.'s Gay Hooker
WH Press Corps Friend


I know you've been asking...

What's the big deal about a fake journalist for a fake news organization gaining WH Press credentials and getting called on numerous times by the WH Press Secretary and the President Of The United States?

You should have been asking...

How did a $200 per hour/ $1200 per weekend GAY PORN HOOKER get to be a WH Press Corps journalist and get called on numerous times by the WH Press Secretary and the President Of The United States?

And why is the MSM (MainStream Media) ignoring this story?

The political party that's hell bent on keeping gays from acting like stable heteros is suddenly VERY QUIET about a GAY PORN HOOKER IN THE WHITE HOUSE.

Does that mean that they approve of this...?



Jeff Gannon Jim Guckert, Gay Porn Hooker

With White House Press Corps Credentials



AMERICAblog.org Has The Story.



Click Here To Read
The Juicy Details



Penny Dreadfuls
And
Vinegar Valentines


The next time you go digging through your family photographs and memorabilia, keep an eye out for old Valentines...











Penny Dreadfuls, also called Vinegar Valentines, were introduced in 1858 and continued in one form or another until the 1970's.

They cost a penny, were printed on cheap paper in crude colors, and featured extremely insulting verse.

Penny Dreadfuls were usually sent anonymously to people one didn't like.

Adding insult to injury, during the 19th century, the person receiving the mail was obligated to pay the postage.

Considering today's litigious climate, I hope that you were cautious in your Valentine's Day correspondence.

DNA samples and fingerprints are pesky little devils!



Sunday, February 13, 2005

Today's Sermon:
The Pharisee Puritans Are Back!




Yes, those pesky Worship My God Or Else folks... against whom our founding fathers warned repeatedly!

Yes, those God & Guns Guys whose reprehensible representatives lie with abandon today on cable news networks about America having been founded as a Christian nation want you and yours to ignore US History completely.


Which brings us to the current issue of The Nation...


Our Godless Constitution

by Brooke Allen

It is hard to believe that George Bush has ever read the works of George Orwell, but he seems, somehow, to have grasped a few Orwellian precepts. The lesson the President has learned best--and certainly the one that has been the most useful to him--is the axiom that if you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it. One of his Administration's current favorites is the whopper about America having been founded on Christian principles. Our nation was founded not on Christian principles but on Enlightenment ones. God only entered the picture as a very minor player, and Jesus Christ was conspicuously absent.

Our Constitution makes no mention whatever of God. The omission was too obvious to have been anything but deliberate, in spite of Alexander Hamilton's flippant responses when asked about it: According to one account, he said that the new nation was not in need of "foreign aid"; according to another, he simply said "we forgot." But as Hamilton's biographer Ron Chernow points out, Hamilton never forgot anything important.

In the eighty-five essays that make up The Federalist, God is mentioned only twice (both times by Madison, who uses the word, as Gore Vidal has remarked, in the "only Heaven knows" sense). In the Declaration of Independence, He gets two brief nods: a reference to "the Laws of Nature and Nature's God," and the famous
line about men being "endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights." More blatant official references to a deity date from long after the founding period: "In God We Trust" did not appear on our coinage until the Civil War, and "under God" was introduced into the Pledge of Allegiance during the McCarthy hysteria in 1954 [see Elisabeth Sifton, "The Battle Over the Pledge," April 5, 2004].

In 1797 our government concluded a "Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli, or Barbary," now known simply as the Treaty of Tripoli. Article 11 of the treaty contains these words:

As the Government of the United States...is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion--as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity of Musselmen--and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

This document was endorsed by Secretary of State Timothy Pickering and President John Adams. It was then sent to the Senate for ratification; the vote was unanimous. It is worth pointing out that although this was the 339th time a recorded vote had been required by the Senate, it was only the third unanimous vote in the Senate's history. There is no record of debate or dissent. The text of the treaty was printed in full in the Philadelphia Gazette and in two New York papers, but there were no screams of outrage, as one might expect today.

The Founding Fathers were not religious men, and they fought hard to erect, in Thomas Jefferson's words, "a wall of separation between church and state." John Adams opined that if they were not restrained by legal measures, Puritans--the fundamentalists of their day--would "whip and crop, and pillory and roast." The historical epoch had afforded these men ample opportunity to observe the corruption to which established priesthoods were liable, as well as "the impious presumption of legislators and rulers," as Jefferson wrote, "civil as well as ecclesiastical, who, being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavoring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all time."Much, much more...

The impious presumption of the fallible and uninspired.

Assuming dominion over the faith of others.

Endeavoring to impose their own opinions on others.

Establishing and maintaining false religions over the greatest part of the world.

Yes, Brothers & Sisters!

Verily I say unto you: The Pharisee Puritans are back, and they already believe that our country to looks like this:




If you read this blog frequently, you know what I call them...

Fascist Fundies.


Beware their sanctimonious smiles and their Rapture Countdown calendars!

Their goal is to make every American as pig ignorant as they are.

Their behavior almost makes me wish that Jesus of Nazareth would take calls on Larry King and set these Bozos straight.

These are not true Christians, Friends & Neighbors!

JC of N had a name for them...

Pharisee.

And here's what JC of N had to say about these guys:

Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. —Luke 18:9-14

Only a true fascist fundie could ignore those words.

Heavy Sighs and
Hymnal Pages!


THUS ENDETH TODAY'S SERMON.


Go forth and study History, Science, Math, The Arts and Humanities.

While you still can.

And I mean it, damn it!