Cruel History

I saw another show on History Channel that has just bugged me. I was turning passed it all hour, uninterested, but stopped there at the end. The show, Biblical Disasters.

Heaven help us. Sure they have a lot of crap on that I let pass without comment. But at the end, in the midst of some religious comments was this, paraphrased, DISASTERS ARE GOD'S WAY OF BRINGING US CLOSER TO OUR NEIGHBORS.

Join with me brothers and sisters, FUCK YOU. I actually wished I had seen it now. Did they give us a nice spin on the Noah flood wiping out all human life, but for this family, that quickly interbred...which I guess brought them all closer. Disaster in Sodom? It did being a far closer daughter-father-daughter dynamic.

The point is they showed all these clips of disaster and suffering and said, "Gee, it clears away the structures around us so we see and appreciate each other, talk to each others, and rely on each other." Uh...yeah. As we bury my only child we can get to chatting. While we struggle to find food or medicine, I can get to know your hobbies. Let's all turn those frowns upside down.

Now a positive attitude and community can be vital to make it through hardships, but to try and make it seems like a gift, a divine gift...and to make it your History Channel shows epilogue...FUCK YOU.

Gaza Worries

AMERICAblog notes a new legal turn in the Hamas controlled regions, i.e. Gaza.

Bringing out the inner knuckle-dragger whether they like it or not. The Guardian:

For the first time since Hamas won Palestinian parliamentary elections nearly four years ago, the group is trying to Islamise Gazan society. In public, Hamas leaders say they are merely encouraging a social moral code, and insist they are not trying to imitate the religious police who operate in some other rigid Islamic countries. But to many it feels like a new wave of enforcement in what is already a devoutly Muslim society.

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The example they give is a group including women who took a swim, in their clothing. When they got out the police (should we call them the religious police now?) met them and challenged the women as to where their male controllers (fathers or husbands) were? And then they beat the crap out of the men there. I have been willing to give Hamas some credit and room to get a stable government going, but this is just wrong and beyond the pale. If they want to screw secular society for religious ends, what are we left with?

Spam and Son of Spam

PZ Myers has pointed out this great video. An atheist finding god. I must say it has shaken my atheistical faith.



I do love that the argument he will have for faith is one that is so true of the pious and the woo loving...it works.

But what of the 3 can trinity?


And I do love the current top snide argument on YouTube. Cause, seeing as the Christian god is real, and spam isn't divine...it's just different...

I think someone is missing the point.

Oh, hell, History Channel

They have another one of those shows on tonight.

Presidential Prophecies...

It's about how some people think that the U.S. presidency creates an amazing power in those that enter office to see the future.

...anyone else having a migraine now...

...Hey apparently historians are studying the prophecies of past presidents...it's true I heard it on the History Channel...

Fuck you, History Channel!

BAD CHANNEL! BAD CHANNEL!

NYT: Fair and balanced

Here is the example that I heard about. From Media Matters, the New York Times wants to follow suit with others to embrace the right wing, and the likes of Glenn Beck. Yee imaginary gods, what have we come to?

...

Just after The New York Times announced it would appoint somebody to monitor the partisan opinion media more closely, and right after editors were chastened for reacting too slowly to buzzworthy news scoops launched by the conservative media, the right-wing press went into overdrive last week.

Like a proud peacock showing off its feathers, the right-wing media was in full bloom, showing the Times all the tricks that have made the movement's trade so renowned. There was outright lying, lying by omission, attempted guilt-by-association, U.S.-bashing, hateful smear campaigns (lots of those), fearmongering, incompetence, and just batshit crazy stuff. (Did I mention the heavy dose of crazy?) All the key notes were hit -- and in just one epic week.

I hope the Times is enjoying its new-found, front-row seat to the right-wing media's slow-motion crack-up, where I doubt even the denizens can keep track of the avalanche of falsehoods, smears, and lies that now tumble out on a daily (hourly?) basis. The whole enterprise has come unglued by Obama's presidency. And where serial mendacity was once the rule, a whole new level of crazy has been achieved in 2009. Even conservative blogger Rick Moran last week called out the "lunacy" that fuels so much of the Obama hate; a hate that's stoked around the clock by conservative media.

And now the Times can chronicle it every day because editors there think they might uncover news leads.

Good luck with that. The truth is, the partisan right-wing press this year has morphed into a minefield of paranoia, distrust, and hate. But, hey, if The New York Times thinks it's going to mine some news nuggets in the fever swamps, be my guest. Whoever is tasked with tracking the right-wing media, though, ought to get combat pay because, trust me, monitoring the endless layers of misinformation and sheer lunacy that now power the conservative movement's media deadens the senses pretty quickly. It's a permanent port hole into the dark recesses of American hate politics.

Nonetheless, in honor of the Times' (highly questionable) decision to pay even more attention to the stories that are bubbling up on the far-right blogosphere, talk radio and Fox News -- to get hip to all that right-wing "buzz" -- let's examine what just a seven-day span looked like.

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Halloween: Sexy edition

In a list of stories of interest on Feministing was the yearly favorite, show Halloween is used to try to get women to dress up exclusively as sexy ___. It is truly ridiculous. In the link they offer they have a number of of choices including a Finding Nemo (really!) number and a sex...I mean female ghostbusters outfit. The outfit should be a baggy uniform and a proton pack. But apparently I am wrong, and it needs to be very tight and show lots of cleavage...and the list goes on. But really, it makes it seem like Halloween is about creating images for guys ogling women, not for people to dress up and have fun (and, yes, there is more than one type of fun). It is sad. Why not let the ladies dress up in baggy outfits? Or just look grisly? Or be weird?

A good send up of all of this is found in this video. All that can be said is sexy mustard, and frog.

It can all almost ruin the fun of Halloween, but screw 'em. It's bigger than them. Let's take it back.

What makes a serious threat?

TPM notes a recent arrest.

Two men, John Iannucci, 38, and Jessup Bowllinger, 27, were arrested Tuesday in New Haven, CT when they were found driving with a pipe bomb, two shotguns, various bomb-making materials, ammunition, a can of propane and SWAT uniforms. One had apparently been arrested for bomb making earlier this year and was awaiting trial.

Here's our report.

Hmm...pipe bomb? Guns? More materials for bombs? And uniforms (maybe with armor)?

If they were more foreign sounding, I think this would be breaking news on the cable news already. How many white guys are being caught with weapons and explosives, and it just isn't news? Seriously.

Olbermann Special Comment

Last night Keith Olbermann had one heck of a one hour special comment on the health care fight.

It must be seen.

It is available in parts on MSNBC.com.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Or you can get the show from sources like iTunes to watch and share.

The stories shared and the trouble we are having as a nation are damning. To do so poorly for so long for so many Americans is unforgivable. We just sit back and let this suffering and death continue? Hell no.


It is horrible to hear about people that can't go and get medical tests for hear of losing insurance due to what may be found. To hear about illness wiping out so many families savings...all of this makes it clear that these democrats that just block this work now need shaming and political fear put in them. I hope, as is rumored, that their is a chance that those that help a filibuster are going to face a loss of seniority and power. Good. Let them consider that they may actually face a downside to backing insurance companies over the ill. And the media has to be drug to free clinics across this country to damn well cover the desperate straights of those in need of medical aid.

There are too many stories and we should all be aware of them. The people who are driven to poverty, the people denied insurance, the people directed away from the treatments they need, all need to be known.

As AMERICAblog has noted the difference between costs in the US and elsewhere are just stunning.

My $2,000 eye surgery in France would have been $20,000 here

And we need better than no reform, shitty reform that helps no one, or delays. We have been arguing about this for nearly a century. Time to act.

Too cool.

Well this is a sight you need to see.

Mr. Deity, PZ Myers, and Lucy. We have seen PZ Myers with Dawkins and Mr. Deity with Shermer. But now two great tastes have been brought together. It is hard to decide who is cooler now from being scene with whom? Or who.

Myers has filmed a bit to join with others active in atheism to appear on Mr. Deity. And it is, as always, worth mentioning that if you can help with great show, please do. Because as we all should know, Mr. Deity (and Words) rocks! And I hope they can get there pilot put together.

Foreign Policy: RNC Edition

What is with the Republicans these days. There was a time when a current or former member of government travelling and talking to world leaders without Presidential (Republican) okay was an anathema.

But I keep going over the list of places Republicans are scurrying and have to wonder. TPM has a good list of this stuff.

From as close as Honduras to as far as China they look to be running. To do what? To convince world leaders to act contrary to the wishes of the government they claim to serve. From backing coups to talking down the strength of our economy...this used to be looked down on in my day.

Changin for the Autumn

Well, I usually like the color choices and trimmings tied to the Fall and Halloween. So I figured the blog needed to reflect it. While pumpkin shakes and the feeling of Fall will pass, we'll see how long with last, i.e. becoming annoying or hard to use.

Death Penalty coverup?

As noted earlier, Texas has an embarrassing case of an innocent man executed. TPM notes the story appearing now of how the governor has sacked a portion of the board investigating and the new chairperson has cancelled further testimony.

I guess in Texas crime is relative to the commission investigating it.

Texans also feel the same about teaching, science, and history, I hear.

I may be being a bit unfair, but relatively speaking...

Conservatives: Whose side are they on?

It seems Press Secretary Gibbs had it right. Whose side are they on? And by they I mean so many of the conservatives in this country.

Conservatives had always had a creepy relationship with this nation. When it is securely locked on there place, under there control, doing their will, the country is perfect, divine, and unquestionable. But when it isn't... We have all heard the stories about students after Kennedy's assassination, Kids in the South, having heard the president was dead, and being brought up to just hate him, cheered. How far we have come. What is the cry? We want OUR country back?

They attacks on the government by conservatives have been constant. And the business with the Olympics is the clearest view of just how angry, how blind, and kick to stupidity they are now.

Upon hearing of the USA's loss, the ringing cheers from across the conservative world was just deafening. From all the standard voices on the radio glee was heard as new money that could have come to this country went elsewhere. As those jobs evaporated bloggers and "news"people danced jigs. It was glorious to them.

What was? Obama's loss. It wasn't his to lose. Though the AP is eager to suggest it. One story they did is pretty much as excuse to rad out talking points for attacking Obama in the frame of the Olympics. They even did a story about Chicago being whipped showing a down turned faced Obama beside the words...Charming.

But we are left with many images of conservatives betraying there blind view. During a conference over defending the American dream, they rushed to announce the loss, so the delegates get hoot and yell for joy...I guess winning Olympic glory isn't on their dream list. And the Weekly Standard rushed out a web story saying with exclamation points that Chicago loses. Apparently overjoyed at the idea. It was quickly removed, but not before we all saw where conservatives heads are...in Obama losing.

Now does that sound like a Party of No to you?

More with the History Channel

Well. I just had the ol' History Channel on. They had, surprise, a show on Hitler.

But as the show went from his psychic to the cults to the symbols taken on they noted something else as well.

They suggested that Hitler sought to become the second antichrist set out by Nostradamus...

If you remember the last post on this channel I noted the silly show they had on about the three alleged antichrist of Nostradamus. I sought it was damn silly there. But here is that phrase used to tie Nostradamus and people of note implied to be major players seen in quatrains. I am assuming this is the show I noted The Nostradamus Effect, about current events and quatrains colliding.

So having the phrase again...is this just a new meme now being passed around by Nostradamus true believers? Is this the new schtick, meaning like other updates they will act as if this thinking was the way they approached for ages and that it makes perfect sense fitting in snugly?