Russell Brand nails it

We don't jail the bankers who destroy peoples lives, but we arrest the people who are feeding those people. America's priories are so clear . . . . .

And those CHristian values that so many of our leaders crow about? Apparently, Christian values = Capitalism.

Jesus is weeping.

I'm not a Catholic, but . . . . .

(Via Washington Post):

(Via Keystone Funnies)

“Some people continue to defend trickle-down theories which assume that economic growth, encouraged by a free market, will inevitably succeed in bringing about greater justice and inclusiveness in the world,” Francis wrote in the papal statement. “This opinion, which has never been confirmed by the facts, expresses a crude and naive trust in the goodness of those wielding economic power and in the sacra­lized workings of the prevailing economic system.” 

“Meanwhile,” he added, “the excluded are still waiting.”

I like this Pope! He seems to take the teachings of his Messiah much more seriously than many of the so-called Catholics in this country. And anyone who gets accused of being a Marxist by pieces of waste like Rush Limbaugh is okay in my book.

It remains to be seen if the flock, who considered the pronouncements of other, more conservative  Popes "infallible", is listening.

Pretty Amazing!

Quote for the Day (Son o' God division)

Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God - Jesus

10 Questions to Help Determine if Your Religious Liberty Is Being Threatened

This article (via Alternet) is so good, I'm reposting it in its entirety.

It seems like this election season "religious liberty" is a hot topic. Rumors of its demise are all around, as are politicians who want to make sure that you know they will never do anything to intrude upon it. 

I'm a religious person with a lifelong passion for civil rights, so this is of great interest to me. So much so, that I believe we all need to determine whether our religious liberties are indeed at risk. So, as a public service, I've come up with this little quiz. I call it "How to Determine if Your Religious Liberty Is Being Threatened in Just 10 Quick Questions." Just pick "A" or "B" for each question. 

1. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to go to a religious service of my own choosing.
B) Others are allowed to go to religious services of their own choosing. 

2. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to marry the person I love legally, even though my religious community blesses my marriage.
B) Some states refuse to enforce my own particular religious beliefs on marriage on those two guys in line down at the courthouse. 

3. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am being forced to use birth control.
B) I am unable to force others to not use birth control. 

4. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to pray privately.
B) I am not allowed to force others to pray the prayers of my faith publicly. 

5. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) Being a member of my faith means that I can be bullied without legal recourse.
B) I am no longer allowed to use my faith to bully gay kids with impunity. 

6. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to purchase, read or possess religious books or material.
B) Others are allowed to have access books, movies and websites that I do not like. 

7. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) My religious group is not allowed equal protection under the establishment clause.
B) My religious group is not allowed to use public funds, buildings and resources as we would like, for whatever purposes we might like. 

8. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) Another religious group has been declared the official faith of my country.
B) My own religious group is not given status as the official faith of my country. 

9. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) My religious community is not allowed to build a house of worship in my community.
B) A religious community I do not like wants to build a house of worship in my community. 

10. My religious liberty is at risk because:
A) I am not allowed to teach my children the creation stories of our faith at home.
B) Public school science classes are teaching science. 

Scoring key:
If you answered "A" to any question, then perhaps your religious liberty is indeed at stake. You and your faith group have every right to now advocate for equal protection under the law. But just remember this one little, constitutional, concept: this means you can fight for your equality -- not your superiority. 

If you answered "B" to any question, then not only is your religious liberty not at stake, but there is a strong chance that you are oppressing the religious liberties of others. This is the point where I would invite you to refer back to the tenets of your faith, especially the ones about your neighbors. 

In closing, no matter what soundbites you hear this election year, remember this: Religious liberty is never secured by a campaign of religious superiority. The only way to ensure your own religious liberty remains strong is by advocating for the religious liberty of all, including those with whom you may passionately disagree. Because they deserve the same rights as you. Nothing more. Nothing less. 

By Rev. Emily C. Heath 

Quote for the Day (O.D.ed Comedian Division)

Every day people are straying away from the church 

and going back to God. - LENNY BRUCE

Coincidence?

So, it keeps occurring to me; when disasters hit places like Haiti and New Orleans, Evangelical Christians like Pat Robertson have portrayed them as God striking those people for their sins. If it was true in those cases, what does Hurricane Isaac bearing down on Tampa for the Republican convention mean?

I'm just sayin' . . . . .

(By the way, thinking God is some sort of hairy thunderer raining retribution down on the masses is kinda silly no matter what the circumstances, as far as I'm concerned.)

Zach Wahls Speaks About Family

This puts a human face on an issue that has been flogged mercilessly by the religious right. All I can add is: who would Jesus hate?

California Dreaming---or nightmares

The rest of the country often thinks of California as a bastion of progressive thought, but we seem to cover all extremes. On our way back from a visit to Redding in the North Central part of the state, my wife snapped these pictures:

This was on Interstate 5, and shows a truck trailer that I have passed there many times over the years. I don't mind people who have differing religious beliefs from mine, but the way this image revels in the gorinesss of its topic is---well, disturbing. I think of the many children exposed to this message, and can't help but feel it has spawned a few nightmares.

For those of you who think of California as hippies, medical cannabis, and liberals, here's the other, darker side.

Dear God

It's been a while.

Let us pray:

Pat Robertson: Haiti?! I Thought They Said "Hades"

(Via The Borowitz Report)

VIRGINIA BEACH (The Borowitz Report) - Just hours after saying that God was punishing Haiti for making a "pact with the Devil," televangelist Pat Robertson retracted the statement, telling TV viewers, "Haiti? I thought they said ‘Hades.'"

Rev. Robertson said that he had heard the report of the earthquake on the radio and had misinterpreted its location: "For the life of me, I thought God was punishing Hades, which does in fact have a pact with the Devil."

Apologizing for his "goof," the televangelist told his TV audience, "Golly - people must've thought I was being an insensitive asshole."

(Seriously, people like Mr. Robertson and Mr. Limbaugh, who seem so quick to try to make political hay out of horrendous human suffering, should be told to SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!)

Quote for the Day (Frank Zappa Division)

Because sometimes only Frank will do:

Remember there's a
big difference between
kneeling down and 
bending over. - Frank Zappa

Quote for the Day (Founding Father Division)

Mingling religion with politics may be disavowed and reprobated by every inhabitant of America. - Thomas Paine

At what point do conservatives grow up? Oh, they don't . . . .

You've seen this:



Now look at this:



Oh my! (Via Alternet)

Proposition 8: The Musical!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Criminalizing "Happy Holidays?"

(Via Talk to Action)

Holiday Harangue: Utah Lawmaker Wants To Mandate `Merry Christmas'

By Rob Boston

The Religious Right's annual whine-fest about the "War on Christmas" is coming along right on schedule. James Dobson has issued his list of "naughty and nice" retailers, and Donald Wildmon is doing land-office business selling in-your-face buttons and stickers criticizing anyone who fails to say "Merry Christmas" (a nice move during the season of peace).
It's all well and good to leave the carping to Religious Right leaders and blowhards like Bill O'Reilly, but I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop: input from elected officials.

Right on time, state Sen. Chris Buttars of Utah has appeared. Buttars is promoting a resolution encouraging retailers to use the phrase "Merry Christmas" instead of the more generic "Happy Holidays."

"It would encourage the use of `Merry Christmas,'" Buttars told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I'm sick of the Christmas wars - we're a Christian nation and ought to use the word."

There are a couple of points to consider here: One, it's amusing to see right-wing Republicans, who normally adopt a hands-off attitude toward regulating business, trying to force retailers to use certain terms in their ads or in-store greetings. Talk about micro-managing!

As Jim Olsen of the Utah Retail Merchants Association pointed out, Buttars' plan isn't even practical. Many stores these days are owned by national chains, he noted, and decisions about ads and language used is made at home offices, far from Utah.

Buttars would probably argue that the resolution is non-binding. That's true, so what's the point (other than giving Buttars an opportunity for more grandstanding)? If we really want to be serious about this, nothing short of a federal constitutional amendment barring anyone from uttering or printing the phrases "Seasons Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" from Thanksgiving until the Epiphany will do.

Secondly, I must point out to Sen. Buttars that we are not a Christian nation. Our Constitution gives no preference to Christianity. That secular document, in fact, mandates the separation of church and state. (Ironically, America's first "Christian nation" advocates, the Puritans, banned Christmas celebrations. Christmas was not declared a federal holiday until 1870.)

Finally, is this really all Buttars has to do? If my legislator were wasting time on something this frivolous, I'd suggest a long vacation.

Utah Rep. Rep. David Litvack, who is Jewish, pointed this out to the Tribune. Litvack said he has no problem with people wishing him a Merry Christmas but added, "There are many more pressing issues that we've been elected to address. We're a nation of many faiths, and we as leaders should be finding ways to build common ground and respect, not entrenching one side over another."

Buttars says he's sick of the Christmas Wars. I am too. I'm especially sick and tired of the Religious Right's "Christmas Police" trying to tell the rest of us what to say and how to celebrate this month - and now actually trying to bring government pressure to bear! I never had a problem wishing anyone a "Merry Christmas," but this year I'm going out of my way to use something else instead - especially when addressing anyone who has bought into this "War on Christmas" claptrap.

So in that spirit: Happy Holidays, Sen. Buttars!

All I can say is: Amen to that . . . .

The Legend of God's Gun:

(Via Tbogg)

OKLAHOMA CITY -- An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference.
Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle until one of the event's organizers was unable to attend.

The church’s youth pastor, Bob Ross, said it’s a way of trying to encourage young people to attend the event. The church expected hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada.

“We have 21 hours of preaching and teaching throughout the week,” Ross said.

A video on the church Web site shows the shooting competition from last year’s conference. A gun giveaway was part of the event last year. This year, organizers included it in their marketing.

“I don’t want people thinking ‘My goodness, we’re putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill,'” said Ross. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.”

Ross said the conference isn’t all about guns, but rather about teens finding faith.

“You make a lot of new friends down here,” said Vikki Goncharenko, who attended the conference. “You get to meet new people. There's a bunch of things that are going on. It's just, you have a wonderful time.”

Friday evening, Ross said the gun giveaway had been canceled. Pastor emeritus Jim Vineyard, who ran the event, injured his foot and wouldn’t be able to attend. The gun giveaway was also removed from the church Web site.

Ross said the church would give the gun away next year instead. He said the church spent $800 buying the gun for the promotion.

Gosh, it's like these folks aren't even trying to seem like they are not bat shit crazy anymore. And say, would $800 be better used say---oh, I dunno, maybe buying food for the poor. Ah, but what would JESUS do?

Thou shalt not suffer a wizard to teach!

(Via Tampa Bays Local News)

Substitute teacher Jim Piculas does a 30-second magic trick where a toothpick disappears then reappears.

But after performing it in front of a classroom at Rushe Middle School in Land 'O Lakes, Piculas said his job did a disappearing act of its own.

"I get a call the middle of the day from the supervisor of substitute teachers. He says, 'Jim, we have a huge issue. You can't take any more assignments. You need to come in right away,'" he said.

When Piculas went in, he learned his little magic trick cast a spell that went much farther than he'd hoped.

"I said, 'Well Pat, can you explain this to me?' 'You've been accused of wizardry,' [he said]. Wizardry?" he asked.

(SNIP)

After the magic trick, Rushe's principal requested Piculas be dismissed. Now, Piculas believes the incident may have bewitched his ability to get a job anywhere else.

"I still have no idea what my discipline involves because I've never received anything from the school district actually saying what it entails," said Piculas.

As a substitute teacher, the Pasco County School District considers Piculas to be an "at will employee." That means the district doesn't need to have cause for not bringing him back at all.

Gee, it's hard to know what to say about something like this. It almost seems too weird to be real, like some sort of urban legend. Is this school in Florida REALLY this bat shit crazy dumb? If the teacher had pulled a rabbit out of a hat would they have burned him at the stake? Do they believe he actually made the toothpick disappear? Sent it to another dimension or something?

These are such funny times . . . .

We're All Going to Hell!

If you aren't familiar with The Bastard Fairies, you are going to hell! Please, allow me to save you!

Now go here and download their CD for free! That's better, isn't it?

Absolutely the coolest thing about not believing in evolution:

We get to ride dinosaurs!!!!