Brand Name Faith

God knows that everybody in Hollywood, (and more generally California) is going straight to hell. I mean, we hear it all the time from the purveyors of righteousness. But you know, some of those "Jesus" movies have some remarkable profit margins. Let's face it, they will kill Jesus over and over and over again, as long as you keep paying.

So, grab your credit cards (the economy is doing great!) and rush right over to Fox Faith! Yes that's right, F-O-X & Faith. First there was your local FOX "affiliate", the brash new kid with the irreverent Simpsons and the far-out X-Files. Then there came Fox "News", We Report, We Decide - or something like that. We all know now that their gimmicky personalities and swooshy sound effects are a Gen X revamp of the Rove School for Shepherding.

And now the final member of the axis, the "I could not have named it better myself" Fox Faith. "FAMILY AND CHRISTIAN FILMS THAT EVERYONE CAN ENJOY!" (Note the all caps is their idea not mine.) Um, well, not everyone. Anyway, I dug around on the sight and in the church resources area is a "Sunday School Lesson" (they assure us multiple times it can be used "anywhere") for "Strawberry Shortcake: Seaberry Beach Party", (no I never saw any Strawberry Shortcake movies - not that gay) I found an amazing bullet point:

Even though the Sea Serpent has wronged Blueberry Muffin and Seaberry Delight by holding them captive, all the girls still reach out a helping hand. Why do you think they form a human chain to save the serpent? Should we always forgive others who treat us poorly? Read Matthew 18:21-22 and Luke 6:32-36.

Now I wonder what Jesus had to say about that. For the record, Luke 6:35 - 36 are below (WEB) and perhaps the Senate will read it before they take their vote today on the treatment of "detainees".

35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back; and your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind toward the unthankful and evil.

36 Therefore be merciful, even as your Father is also merciful.

Jesus is right, but I'm sure FOX is just trying to make a buck.

Terrorist Tracking, Identification, and Prosecution Act of 2006

I am still in the denial stage about this... must... breathe....
but here is the ACLU's take on the matter.

“May whatever god you believe in, have mercy on your soul.” - Q

Spare Change

"Weaponized Latent Analysis" is the most surprising thing to me personally that has "changed" over the last five years. Here is a great post. Of course, countermeasures will create a whole new and bothersome level of abstraction in a pseudo-science, which I find very entertaining.

"Deity Brinksmanship". This is so pathetically sad I deleted my rant and just cried instead. It's not new. My deity brings the souls to the yard, and their deaths are better than yours, damn right, they're better than yours! I could teach you, but I have to consume your will. I mean, aren't there enough ways to die without the need to go around making them up?

"Human Dignity" is a concept that our President of the United States needs to clarify. It's not a concept he will ever grasp. Imagine that we treat the "terrorist" the same way we treat you, George.

"Disinformation Agenda" is now a standard policy of the powerful to mislead. We all know that transparency, honesty, is security. Opaqueness is frail, requires trust, and invites corruption. Obfuscation, interference, and manipulation are the roots of the "neo dark age". You won't be happy without us!

"Giggleticians" are people who say outrageous things on TV as fact followed by a eerie grin, giggle or snort. Examples: "The «insert any» indicators are doing great! (hehe)", "This «insert any» will save poor people money. (grin)", oh "They are weak on «insert any»! (snort)".

"Quantizing Reality" - it is in your mind. We know that we don't really know what the fuck is happening but we know it's more than we think - just not much. I think, therefore, you are.

"Love Energy". Communicate, communicate, communicate. Especially when it hurts. The choice to care is the true gift of being human. Yes it is risky and difficult. Yes it can be harmful. Yes it can make all this mean something.

Tranquility Base

Global = World
War = WAR
Terrorist = Those against US

I wonder what it's like to be one of our leaders. To hate people so much we send others to kill them. If we can't kill them, then you have them destroyed. All along we dine and hunt and holiday and whatever. I wonder if the Walgreens computer calls us at 11:00AM on Sunday to remind us our prescriptions are ready.

I wonder what it's like to have a good credit score. I wonder if people actually enjoy it as much as they should. It's the modern caste designation and if you don't believe me then yours is better than mine. The most delicious part is that it's definition is opaque. Get used to it. Can your kids spell opaque?

Hell I wonder what it's like to have clean carpet. I have been told to "stop whining and get on with life". Oh yea the pharmacy.

As Good As It Gets

I don't usually talk about my own personal health here but it seems I can say things on the blog that I can't explain face to face.

I went to the doctor yesterday for my monthly checkup. For weeks now I have been contemplating the right questions to ask him, the right tone, meditating on it even. He comes in with a smile on his face and his shields on maximum - I have a tendency to be a bit confrontational, seriously, when my life is at stake. I consider him a good friend and I really don't intend to be belligerent, so I've been trying really hard to reach him.

What is clear is that nobody really knows what is "wrong" with me. I mean yes, I am infected with a terminal disease. But so are many others, and for them, a relatively "simple" drug combination allows them to lead relatively "normal" lives. I am not one of those people. My drug combination is 5 drugs instead of 3, and I need other 9 drugs to counteract the side effects of those 5. I literally have a prescription for every occasion. I can't leave the house, or "do" anything really, without following the regimen. And even then, I'll be the one who has the "accident" in the restaurant and has to ride the bus home with shit in my drawers.

We discussed a couple of possible reasons, like brain thinning. But there is nothing to be done really. So I'm the one who's crazy.

My doctor said that sometimes I might have to "pretend" so that people will like me. "I know you don't want to hear that." he added. That's why I love the guy. It is also why I hate the world.

He tells me I could live another 20 or 30 years, which I just pretend not to hear. Not like this. Right now I can "pass" but I'll never really be close. Dementia may be horrible, but at least it's something to do. I'm confident I'll be really good at it.

I couple years ago a man I loved pushed me out of his life because he got sick. He did not want me to be his caretaker. At the time I was devastated, jealous (of his caretakers) and angry. Now I find myself on the other side of that coin and believing he is right.

Now is all that I have. Now it is time for my meds. I will do the math, you guys go have fun.

Covenant Sex

“What is unacceptable for even liberal Christians is sex without commitment. It is a deeply entrenched, Christian conviction that covenant life is best for the individuals in the relationship as well as for the community in which they live. The rightness or wrongness of sex should not be considered, they believe, on the basis of what body part goes in what orifice, as conservatives insist. For liberals it still must be judged on whether or not promises are made and kept. The problem for many liberals is that the notion of two men or two women marrying is still too “out there”: calling the promises that gays and lesbians make between themselves “marriage” is thus still farther than many on the left are willing to go.” - Sex and the Liberal Christian

What really gets me is all those "good Christians" who sit back and judge me simply because their god made them straight. Oh and you can just see how deep this conviction is entrenched for them.

"For liberals it still must be judged on whether or not promises are made and kept." BULL-FUCKING-SHIT. My promises will NEVER be good enough. It's not integrity we're talking about it's policy, and the point is that I must be judged. "Wives obey your Husbands." So are you the man or the woman?

I wish for just one damn second this world would stop and look at the price of "faith".

Republican Terror Squads

You know what, I'm thinking I'm all for S. 2453 and S. 2455 that the Senate Judiciary committee will be voting on as early as tomorrow. I mean, the President deserves to have super powers that make him invincible whenever the warning beacon shines in the sky. Naturally.

But why stop there? Why not require the executive branch to create specific units whose sole mission is to end "ter-ra"? Are they serious or not? Everybody knows that once you find the terrorist you have to torture and kill them, so I say we add those freedoms to the list as well. Duh.

Now that we have "home-grown" terrorist, everybody is a terrorist until proven innocent and placed under surveillance. I think we should add "econo-terrorists", anybody who may say any bad news to threaten our economy in any way, to the list of known axis powers.

Also, it seems perfectly reasonable to assume that anybody who disagrees with the President is a terrorist. You are either with him or against him. Any "true" American trusts the President at all times, but especially during a looming emergency like ter-ra.

Nothing feels safer to me than an all-powerful secret police state. It's only temporary, simply until we rid the universe of ter-ra. Only then can we really ever be free, right? Oh won't the Lord be so pleased!

God You Smurf Me Too

I'm serious people, when your time comes...

Two killed in Britain as inflatable art takes off

Again, this morning, I awoke to find two guys emptying the FOUR dumpsters for the building into the alley looking for recyclables. It was broad daylight, the garage across the way was open, people were just ignoring it because it's not their problem. The economy is strong, the tax breaks are working, and we are safer than ever before.

Some people seem able to suspend their disbelief and carry on the premise it will be alright in the end. Some part of me wishes I could remember what that felt like. Grim is the nature of the future. Now is the only time we have. You can change the future only by acting now. Be beautiful. Love thy stupid insane neighbor, even if that means calling security to get them out of your dumpster.

More than a few have implied that this perspective is a root issue with my general discontent. With that comes the idea that I should choose some other perspective so things don't feel so bad. I always find myself seriously considering it until the pain shoots up from my feet again and reminds me what perspective really is.

God wants a big war. Grab your annotated literature and automatic weapon.
Veto hope and let's go.

P.S. More love, from God

God I Smurf You

Words are the most dangerous things on the planet.

In fact, words are what describe every evil idea. Often times, they can come together into radical groups or gangs and convey an even more complex web of alluring death.

Words can sway the masses, move a soul, or not. Words cause and cure fear.

Words are free, cheap, costly, and expensive.

Words are deeds and bonds. Words are a curse and a blessing.

Words say fear is the greatest motivation. Hope not.

"We want to put the monkey on crack."
"Can you use a rat instead?"

I Am The Cure

In answer to other questions, a majority of the Britons questions described Americans as uncaring, divided by class, awash in violent crime, vulgar, preoccupied with money, ignorant of the outside world, racially divided, uncultured and in the most overwhelming result (90 percent of respondents) dominated by big business.

The full article is here. I still can't figure out which part is so horribly bad. Why can't the rest of the world just die or whatever.

I came across a word today I had never heard... "emos" in this posting on GroupHug.us. I found 14 definitions for emos at urbandictionary.com that each tell a story on their own.

Today while I watched the crazy homeless man dumping big bags of bird seed in the alley. I asked him why and he said "everybody's got to eat" with a big smile. I just frowned and shook my head. All 300 or so of these pigeons will return here every day, probably until they die, expecting to find mounds of bird seed. Are we looking at this bird flu thing all wrong?

How will America survive a great economic depression? Besides eating pigeons.

Also in my blogroll I found a funny cartoon.

Over.

Our Leaders Are Insane

The Senate Commerce Committee "debates" network neutrality laws.

Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) explained "Maybe there is a place for a commercial net but it's not using what consumers use every day."

No I never use VOIP, streaming audio/video, or CHAT...

Read his comments in this Wired blog 27B Stroke 6. I also HIGHLY recommend listening to the totally tubular audio stream if your ISP or US Senator doesn't block it and you can suffer the folly of horrifying truth.

It just doesn't get any clearer.

Terminal Stigma

I could care less about lesbian adoption or lesbian marriage. The Red Cross has no restrictions on lesbian blood.

The "LGBTQ" Pride parade was a lonely and painful and torturous event for me this year. I am not one of "them" and I never will be. "They" are totally over me and my gloomy issues, blame me for AIDS, and made their position very clear: assimilate or die.

Every single guy I have talked to that did seem to have "fun" was also not sober. Most of them were obliterated. Lucky I suppose.

Oh well, time for my afternoon cocktail. Average retail price, $82! What a bargain. I wish I felt like living.

I want to be vibrant.

Empty Facade

200,000 Children

SACRAMENTO — The Legislature is expected to once again blow its deadline for passing a state budget today as Republican lawmakers vow to block any spending plan that expands state-funded healthcare for children in the U.S. illegally.

Immigration Issue Snarls California Budget Plans

Hundreds of thousands of poor children are uninsured in California. Fuck 'em.

I love watching Republicans eat kids. Don't forget to say grace.

WAIT! I have the perfect idea, like duh, let's honor them with an event.

G-Day

Today marks the 62ed anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy. It is a pivotal moment in the short history of man. It is a monument to bravery and a vivid reminder of the price of peace. The souls involved will always be an inspiration.

Today I have watched the Senate of the United States posture and redeem their debts, pandering for righteousness no less. Now I could go off for days about all this crap, y'all know that. Not to mention that pesky war thing. Anyway, pshaw.

I am going to boil this all down: When I see a straight, rich, white, land-owning male talking about "traditional marriage" I also see clearly that what you and I call marriage is nowhere near what this guy is talking about nor the traditional meaning, much less "since the beginning of time" as said by the congressman. Power is so sexy. Mr. President I move that we adjourn until they cover that big, thick quorum. It's so distracting.

The fact that the constitution protects all of us is the source of its worthiness of allegiance.

I am beginning to think my fatigue is being caused by the President of the United States standing on my back. I doubt that's covered in my policy. Now I have to go back to the pharmacy and have the monthly incompetence tirade.

Lifetime Penalty

Finally, a term that slips through the Republican Phraseology Reinvestor.

On May 15, 2006, every American that has not signed up for a Medicare Part-D drug coverage plan will be assessed a penalty when they finally do. If it doesn't affect you now, at least you have your health.

This is a fee for being old and poor, but not too sick until after Monday. Neocompassionate neoconsertivitism.

Charging outrageous prices for saving your life is just good capitalism. You should be rich and save your money in case something might happen. The economy is doing great!

Caller ID

Now look. I have to PAY the dsl/cell/local/long distance/ballpark company to see who is calling me. An additional fee for Call Waiting Caller ID, like it's really so much more complicated than regular caller ID. If they are going to tell President Bush who's calling it seems only decent to inform me as well.

OK So there's a nerd in the corner wearing a cheap NSAT&T cap writing down every phone number, time, and duration of your teenage daughters phone usage. Can't tell you what he's going to do with all that data, we're in a time of war you know. It's not like it's some monster with a gun or one of those DateLine child molesters.

Do you know what this collection of data is now worth? It is the ULTIMATE reality show. It is pure treasure.

So is it civil disobedience if I pick up my phone and call a random number? What if we all call the White House just to check-in?

Abomonial Gayman

Iraqi police kill teen over gay sex work

So this is what my tax dollars are doing for Iraq. Training murderers to slay children in a petty fatwa.

What gets me is that, in my experience, Christian America won't object. Won't say a word or even a prayer.

The struggle for gay civil rights is not like the American Civil War and the fight to end slavery. It's much, much, much bigger. The global suffering and carnage is beyond imagination. I know many think it's a joke, probably even God.

You want to stop terror? Start with yourself.

Save The Internet

Please tell your congress person you want free choice and network neutrality. Or let AT&T pick which sites you want to see.

Potential Bitch

There is no greater adversary than ones own potential. Bla bla bla bla bla.

Everybody is always so sure about what I could be doing. If I would just apply myself it should be better.

In the few times I have managed to far surpass the wildest expectations, I was thusly informed that the problem was the potential was measured incorrectly. I'm not great I'm an anomaly.

Unfathomably, I remain myself. Obviously to the dismay of my great-ass potential.

Nothing is impossible.
Everything that can happen, does happen.
Create your reality.

Don't tell me what kind of day to have.

Holy San Francisco

Today in the mail I received a 65 page booklet, shaped like Reader's Digest. The cover says "What's Next? EARTHQUAKES TSUNAMIS AIDS TERRORISM Are you PREPARED? SAN FRANCISCO EDITION". An explosion is the background graphic with the smoking end of a radical pipe (a big wave) at the top and four gorgeous, sun-shiney, marketing photos of the 4 unquestionably phallic architectural symbols in town.

My first thought was that somebody down in city hall was getting waaaay too freaked out. Who had authorized this? On the back is a classic shot from the 1906 quake aftermath, the anniversary is this week. Beside my address label (Resident) is a giant crack in what looks like solid rock. It better not say to have tuna under my bed.

But the text on the back ends with "Are we nearing the end of the world? What then?" What then? Couldn't be city hall.

Indeed when I ripped open the little sealer dots I found the most wherefores, well-nighs, and ye shalls I have seen in a very long time. One section (there are 11, each starts with a mini giant crack graphic) "The Coming Crisis" seems to attempt to compare and contrast the laws of God and men. They then appear to advocate some sort of Sunday-Sabbath "Curfew" as the only way to cease the calamities that God hath brought. Anyway, long story short, they say that spiritualism is assimilating Christianity, which is surprising, because in fact, Christianity has assimilated every mythos it ever encountered - starting with spiritualism.

So yea I'm all riled up about this thing when I finally make it to page 1 and 2, just inside the cover. A black and white bleed (edge-to-edge photo) of the 1906 quake. Probably Market St. On one page is the table of contents and the other is the following message:

Dear Reader,

What's Next for San Francisco?

God only knows. And not only does He know, He cares. And He cares enough to tell us.

What's Next?, written by one who eye-witnessed the devastation of the Great San Francisco Earthquake, will give you unparalleled insight into the future and the events that will soon and forever change the course of human history.

What's Next? The ancient Hebrew prophet Daniel foretold “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” Upon this “time of trouble” we are now entering. The stage is now being set for the final conflict between good and evil.

What's Next? We might have cause to fear if it were not for the fact that God has charted a course to safety for all His children who are willing to follow Him. It is left with us to choose what road we will take.

What's Next? How will the story end? We invite you to read on and experience the glorious future now! And in reading, may you learn to walk hand in had with Him who holds the future, is out prayer.

The Publishers

Then in a separate, more opaque block, in a much smaller font, it starts "What's Next? is an abridged version of The Great Controversy by E.G. White, first published in 1884..." They go on to claim a copyright for a 501(c)(3) so they can sue me if they want. Apparently the graphics were added later.

Just for the record, I want to predict that "In the future, things will be bigger and more complicated than ever before.™©®∞" You can quote me on that.

D'oh! The seventh-day Adventist.

People our gods are tearing our world apart.
I heard the good news, now please stop sacrificing the trees, and each other.

Now Kill This

No you can't kill that guy, it's political political. Why not kill somebody we can all agree on...

Muslim leader in Russia calls to killings of gays and mass protests against Moscow gay pride

Welcome to Earth. Enjoy your slay.

WAR IS STUPID

There is always a better solution than fighting.

Fighting is wrong. Is that what we teach the children?

Our leaders have lied to us, are lying to us now, will lie to us again, and have absolutely no doubt that their superior status grants this exclusive right, and moreover, that never do they intend to either reveal the truth or in fact stop what they are doing.

They are not lying about blow jobs, or the number of shoes in the closet. They are not lying about smoking weed or social plans. They are lying about weapons, murders, tortures, spying, stealing, lying, and most of all intentionally hurting innocents.

It's a pattern that is quite typical; a few greedy, power hungry, chameleon-like white guys usurp a church/town/company and immediately begin exploiting everyone they can. The most recognizable feature of these leeches is the inability to question their own rhetoric. I've taken to calling them false prophets.

Today I watched the Vice-President of our United States say that the media was the reason for the negative perception of the WAR. There is no doubt in my mind that he whole-heartedly believes that usually WAR is good. I mean, this little thing here has been a very profitable venture from the start for him and almost all of his friends. In many, many, ways.

When I went back home for Thanksgiving, I was confronted with the idea that only Republicans could be Christians. As I glibly dismissed what had to be a joke, the room fell silent and my sister-in-law said very clearly "no you have to live what is right". I sat there in shock for a second and nobody said anything. They all just sort of looked at me uncomfortably. What was just a lively conversation now reduced to chewing noises. All the words running through my head, but none of them quite fit.. "I don't remember Jesus telling anyone who to vote for." I feel so sorry for them down there, their lives saturated with this relentless and oppressive drivel.

A system where every part is directly controlled by the "top" is called a dominion. Either you do as you are told without question or you are replaced. In real-world effects, creating a culture of exploitation and callousness. Add a good measure of fear, confusion, and oh yes righteousness and you got yourself some real fine sheep. Lousy schools ensure many generations of customers.

One massive organized group a while back took almost total control of the nations power grid at which time they started raising prices just to see how high they could go. Now in my book, messing with the power grid infrastructure at the expense of Americans is terrorism of the highest order. You are messing with Grandma's heat. Do not even get me started on Grandma's health care....

If the terrorist realize they can just put on a suit and get a job running a power plant, we are doomed. America is prime territory for a hostel takeover. I'm sure if you have $9,000,000,000,000 we have some lovely accommodations.

My idea is to sell advertising space on the American Flag, or perhaps on the money. You know, "At Costco we buy", "By Exxon we drive", "In AT&T we live" kind of stuff. Maybe then we could have faith in the right corporations.

So we put a liar in charge and he put the cronies all around and then we act all surprised when they seriously screw up, and just don't mention it. A lie of omission is still a lie. Oh I'M being too harsh? Fine. Hand picked, dissembled, and reconstituted data is not information and to portray it as such is harmful and perhaps traitorous to America.

And I feel fine.

Stellar Phenonmenon

Borrowed from wikipeda entry on Battlestar Galatica

The opening narration (spoken by Patrick Macnee) is as follows:

There are those who believe that life here began out there, far across the universe, with tribes of humans who may have been the forefathers of the Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. They may have been the architects of the great pyramids, or the lost civilizations of Lemuria or Atlantis. Some believe that there may yet be brothers of man who even now fight to survive somewhere beyond the heavens..."

When this narration was spoken, the viewer could see scenes of nebulae and other celestial phenomena

So wow now check out the Double Helix Nebula as shown in today's issue of the journal Nature.