Give it a rest with the war on Christmas bullshit.
When I was growing up I remember getting Christmas cards that said, "Season's Greetings" and "Happy Holidays" and no one was oppressing Christians. No one complained, but then again there was the Fox News/Right Wing outrage machine to convince people that everyone hates Christmas. (I guess all those Christmas decorations in the stores at the same time the Halloween candy goes on sale is proof how oppressed you are)
So, if someone happens to wish you a "happy holidays" before you assume that person is taking a dump on the sweet baby Jesus take a look at your calendar. If the person saying this is saying it at the end of November, they're talking about Thanksgiving, Christmas and maybe even some other holidays. They're not oppressing you, so put away your fake outrage.
If they are saying it to you in December, again before you assume that they want to burn down your church, again look at a Calendar. 7 Days after Christmas is another big holiday, it's called New Years. Maybe, just Maybe when someone wishes you a Happy Holiday they might be talking about that other big ass holiday a week later.
And I know this one probably goes right to your sense of persecution, but I once worked in a retail establishment that served a large Jewish clientele (this was before Hannity and O'Reilly declared that a war on Christmas existed). We said "Happy Holidays" to everyone to cover Hanukkah, Christmas and New Years. GASP. Heaven forbid we INCLUDE anyone else in your little War on Christmas pity party. But there are actually people who aren't Christian, even some Jews...like your friend Jesus.
So, instead being outraged about how oppressed you are when EVERYWHERE you turn in this country it's NON-stop Christmas from Nov 1 through Dec 31, go work on some real social injustice in this country. Stop complaining about immigrants and how horrible taxes are and why the benefits of those taxes you receive are so much different than the benefits others receive, go behave like your hero Jesus would. Go wash some feet, go feed the less fortunate than you. YOU go celebrate the real lessons of Jesus instead of complaining about how much everyone hates his made up birthday.
And we all know how likely that is to happen..
Tuesday, December 09, 2014
Chronology of "the US doesn't torture"
So, I think it goes something like this over the past 13 plus years
US Authorizes torture
Publicly Government States "We don't torture"
Pictures come out, testimony of Torture
Publicly Government States "That's not really torture"
More evidence of torture
Publicly Government States "America doesn't torture, and we surely don't have our allies torture for us"
Everyone in the world accepts as fact that the US did torture, outsourced our torture and probably did more than we'll ever know.
Fast forward to today
Senate report proves we tortured and it didn't work
Publicly Government States "We don't torture, well maybe we did, but we got all kinds of great information out of it (even if we didn't), but we certainly don't talk about it"
Media is outraged that "Holy Shit, the bad guys will know that we tortured because they didn't know it before"
Media has no problem that the Government lied, continued to lie, possibly acted illegally to thwart the Senate investigation, but is really concerned that the people that have hated us for a long time, have engaged in terrorism for decades are going to find out that America tortured their friends, (because they didn't know it before?), but now they're going to be really angry at America.
Grow up idiots. The Government tortured people, it didn't work, probably created more terrorists. The outrage should be that we tortured and lied about it, not that this report proves it and was released.
US Authorizes torture
Publicly Government States "We don't torture"
Pictures come out, testimony of Torture
Publicly Government States "That's not really torture"
More evidence of torture
Publicly Government States "America doesn't torture, and we surely don't have our allies torture for us"
Everyone in the world accepts as fact that the US did torture, outsourced our torture and probably did more than we'll ever know.
Fast forward to today
Senate report proves we tortured and it didn't work
Publicly Government States "We don't torture, well maybe we did, but we got all kinds of great information out of it (even if we didn't), but we certainly don't talk about it"
Media is outraged that "Holy Shit, the bad guys will know that we tortured because they didn't know it before"
Media has no problem that the Government lied, continued to lie, possibly acted illegally to thwart the Senate investigation, but is really concerned that the people that have hated us for a long time, have engaged in terrorism for decades are going to find out that America tortured their friends, (because they didn't know it before?), but now they're going to be really angry at America.
Grow up idiots. The Government tortured people, it didn't work, probably created more terrorists. The outrage should be that we tortured and lied about it, not that this report proves it and was released.
Saturday, November 08, 2014
ASU beat ND
I love to see Notre Dame get beat, especially after being so highly ranked despite beating no one worth mentioning. Look at the records of the teams they beat if you don't believe me. Nice job eeking out that win against Navy.
Anyway, the ASU coach once again got all preachy about God and how God has his hand on the ASU team. No first of all, all of that God talk in sports is stupid and frankly should be an insult to anyone who believes in God, it assumes that God really gives a shit about who wins a football game. But lets run with that idea for a moment. Let's say God does care who wins a late season American college football game, what would it say about God that he favored Arizona State University over Notre Dame. I don't know much about ND, but I do know that they have a lot of faculty and students who feel pretty close to God. Ever been to ASU? It's one of the most wild places in collegiate America. Drinking, Sex, Drugs, while I"m sure exist at ND, ASU crushes ND in those areas. It would seem like a stretch to me that if God was picking sides, he would pick Arizona State to win football games as ASU doesn't seem to follow a whole lot of the teachings in the Bible on a regular basis.
But hey, what do I know. Maybe God IS a Sundevil
Anyway, the ASU coach once again got all preachy about God and how God has his hand on the ASU team. No first of all, all of that God talk in sports is stupid and frankly should be an insult to anyone who believes in God, it assumes that God really gives a shit about who wins a football game. But lets run with that idea for a moment. Let's say God does care who wins a late season American college football game, what would it say about God that he favored Arizona State University over Notre Dame. I don't know much about ND, but I do know that they have a lot of faculty and students who feel pretty close to God. Ever been to ASU? It's one of the most wild places in collegiate America. Drinking, Sex, Drugs, while I"m sure exist at ND, ASU crushes ND in those areas. It would seem like a stretch to me that if God was picking sides, he would pick Arizona State to win football games as ASU doesn't seem to follow a whole lot of the teachings in the Bible on a regular basis.
But hey, what do I know. Maybe God IS a Sundevil
Monday, August 11, 2014
Robin Williams
I didn't really think I'd take to the Social Media to comment on Robin Williams death, but here I am. As others have said he was always a part of my life. From the time of Mork and Mindy up to literally 3 days ago when my kids were watching a replay of "Good Will Hunting" he seems to always been entertaining as long as i remember.
It seems that he might have killed himself and had been battling depression and as someone who has dealt with Depression a few times in my life, to the point of taking medication, I guess to some extent I identify with that battle, but clearly I never got to that point. I never felt really suicidal so I don't pretend to know the extent of what he was going through.
I found Williams tiresome at times, those times when he was always on. He didn't need to be, but I think fans expected it so he was always over the top, but he was a smart guy and was so funny just being funny straight without the wacky voices and sheningans you'd see in his late night TV interview appearances.
Another connection to him I felt was the movie Aladdin. Not even my favorite work of his, but at the time this movie came out on VHS I was managing a Blockbuster Video in Massachusetts. The movie Aladdin was played on the big screen and throughout the store daily. Multiple times daily. I ended up seeing that movie over 100 times, I've never seen another movie anywhere close to that. I knew every word and to this day Williams' Genie makes me laugh.
I'm sad that a guy with so much going for him decided that dying was his last option. I've known other people who've killed themselves and to this day their suicide makes me angry. I'm sure the people that know and love Williams will be angry too as will all his fans all over the world.
RIP Mr. Williams
It seems that he might have killed himself and had been battling depression and as someone who has dealt with Depression a few times in my life, to the point of taking medication, I guess to some extent I identify with that battle, but clearly I never got to that point. I never felt really suicidal so I don't pretend to know the extent of what he was going through.
I found Williams tiresome at times, those times when he was always on. He didn't need to be, but I think fans expected it so he was always over the top, but he was a smart guy and was so funny just being funny straight without the wacky voices and sheningans you'd see in his late night TV interview appearances.
Another connection to him I felt was the movie Aladdin. Not even my favorite work of his, but at the time this movie came out on VHS I was managing a Blockbuster Video in Massachusetts. The movie Aladdin was played on the big screen and throughout the store daily. Multiple times daily. I ended up seeing that movie over 100 times, I've never seen another movie anywhere close to that. I knew every word and to this day Williams' Genie makes me laugh.
I'm sad that a guy with so much going for him decided that dying was his last option. I've known other people who've killed themselves and to this day their suicide makes me angry. I'm sure the people that know and love Williams will be angry too as will all his fans all over the world.
RIP Mr. Williams
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Ann Coulter rehashes some (most) of Chuck Klosterman's ideas from 10 years ago, Conservatives rejoice at her brilliance
A Tea Party acquaintance of mine sent me this article by Ann Coulter. It sounded awfully familiar.
"Coulter's" piece
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2014-06-25.html#read_more
Compare this to Klosterman's essay in "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" called ""George Will vs. Nick Hornby"
Although Coulter's xenophobia and dislike of people with dark skin is on full display, Klosterman's essay is free of that.
"Coulter's" piece
http://www.anncoulter.com/columns/2014-06-25.html#read_more
Compare this to Klosterman's essay in "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs" called ""George Will vs. Nick Hornby"
Although Coulter's xenophobia and dislike of people with dark skin is on full display, Klosterman's essay is free of that.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
Where is the outrage?
http://www.nj.com/rutgersfootball/index.ssf/2014/05/joe_flacco_working_under_impression_ex-rutgers_star_ray_rice_wont_be_suspended.html
Joe Flacco refers to a suspension of Ray Rice for knocking out a woman in an elevator as "Crazy" and he's not too concerned about it. Come to think of it, no one seems to concerned with this football star commiting violence against women, but when a senile old racist makes racist comments in his own home the Sports Media machine talks about it nonstop for weeks?
Why is there NO outrage for an athlete committing actual violence against women? Why?
ESPN? CNN? NFLPA?
Joe Flacco refers to a suspension of Ray Rice for knocking out a woman in an elevator as "Crazy" and he's not too concerned about it. Come to think of it, no one seems to concerned with this football star commiting violence against women, but when a senile old racist makes racist comments in his own home the Sports Media machine talks about it nonstop for weeks?
Why is there NO outrage for an athlete committing actual violence against women? Why?
ESPN? CNN? NFLPA?
It just seems less earthshattering
Yesterday, Oregon started allowing marriage equality. As I tweeted, my kids are the same. My youngest asked me in the car "Did Oregon start allowing gay marriage today? Didn't that happen a long time ago?" I said a judge found the law unconstitutional. His response, "oh". He could have been asking if it was going to rain tomorrow. Clearly he doesn't understand the struggle that's go on over the past 40 years, but I think he looks at it like we look back other wrongs from the past, that it just seems so foreign to him to him. As if "how could people think that way?".
It's not to say it's not a big deal, even I find myself getting less excited about these things. Maybe it's the inevitably of it, or that it just seems so obvious that it's the right thing and I believe the world sees it that way too,, crazy fanatics notwithstanding. I'm happy, and I'll be really happy when everyone has equal rights to get married, keep their jobs, get housing, etc. Maybe successes have made me unexcited about more recent successes.
It was the same thing with Michael Sam. I'm glad he was drafted, but for me his sexuality wasn't the big deal the media made it out to be. He's clearly not the first gay man to play in the NFL and he won't be the last. His courage to come out was the story, because he's going into a place that may not welcome him, but for the most part people did. I'm sure he'll be called names on the field and it will be a big controversy, but I bet he is called names every day but that doesn't make the news.
I sometimes get the feeling that the reaction to Sam and to gay marriage is straight people patting themselves on the back for being so "open- minded".
I know the struggle goes on and that there are lots of people with hate in their hearts (no matter how they justify it) and that will go on, but the fact that my 13 year old son thought that same-sex couples having the right to marry seemed like the most obvious thing tells how far we've come. It's probably not something I thought about when I was 13.
It's not to say it's not a big deal, even I find myself getting less excited about these things. Maybe it's the inevitably of it, or that it just seems so obvious that it's the right thing and I believe the world sees it that way too,, crazy fanatics notwithstanding. I'm happy, and I'll be really happy when everyone has equal rights to get married, keep their jobs, get housing, etc. Maybe successes have made me unexcited about more recent successes.
It was the same thing with Michael Sam. I'm glad he was drafted, but for me his sexuality wasn't the big deal the media made it out to be. He's clearly not the first gay man to play in the NFL and he won't be the last. His courage to come out was the story, because he's going into a place that may not welcome him, but for the most part people did. I'm sure he'll be called names on the field and it will be a big controversy, but I bet he is called names every day but that doesn't make the news.
I sometimes get the feeling that the reaction to Sam and to gay marriage is straight people patting themselves on the back for being so "open- minded".
I know the struggle goes on and that there are lots of people with hate in their hearts (no matter how they justify it) and that will go on, but the fact that my 13 year old son thought that same-sex couples having the right to marry seemed like the most obvious thing tells how far we've come. It's probably not something I thought about when I was 13.
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Salon becomes more unreadable to reasoned liberals every day
http://www.salon.com/2014/04/08/gentrifications_insidious_violence_the_truth_about_american_cities/
Another example.
As soon the author claimed that buying a property is "violence" I was lost. There might be some legitimate points in the piece but when you engage in ridiculous hyperbole it undermines the entirety of the argument. Why not just scream "Nazi" or "Hitler"?
It minimizes real violence as well. I seem to remember some Salon outrage a few weeks ago when Bobby Knight equated something to "Rape". Why doesn't this author receive the same amount of outrage.
Trying to shock us into making something worse than it really is by equating it to scary words that you expand the definition of is the tactic of the right wing, but I see it more and more on Salon...the new voice of the Left Wing Tea Party.
Another example.
As soon the author claimed that buying a property is "violence" I was lost. There might be some legitimate points in the piece but when you engage in ridiculous hyperbole it undermines the entirety of the argument. Why not just scream "Nazi" or "Hitler"?
It minimizes real violence as well. I seem to remember some Salon outrage a few weeks ago when Bobby Knight equated something to "Rape". Why doesn't this author receive the same amount of outrage.
Trying to shock us into making something worse than it really is by equating it to scary words that you expand the definition of is the tactic of the right wing, but I see it more and more on Salon...the new voice of the Left Wing Tea Party.
Another "family values" Louisiana Republican having trouble keeping the standard he wants to impose on others by law
Man, those Louisiana Republicans have a hard time staying faithful to
their wives while telling everyone how to live their lives , at least this one wasn't paying for it …that we know of
Vitter Paid for it...
http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/07/11/new-orleans-madam-says-sen-david-vitter-used-her-brothel/
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Zealots strike again
http://www.salon.com/2014/03/22/a_terrifying_precedent_woman_to_be_tried_for_murder_for_giving_birth_to_stillborn/
So Mississippi is looking to try a poor black kid for murder based on dubious scientific evidence...does this really surprise anyone? I mean, sure it does b/c when you read about it it's shocking, but that a Southern State would do this to a poor black kid, does that shock?
Can you imagine the outrage if some 30 year old housewife (let's call her White) in Connecticut was charged in the same way for those glasses of Chardonnay she had during her pregnancy? You won't have to, because that won't happen. It sure as shit won't happen to a rich white woman in Mississippi.
The most shocking thing for me, is that this shit has continued to move through the courts over the past few years despite the dubious evidence and lack of scientific causation. But according to all the Tea Party and Right wing fanatics, America isn't racist any more and we should all be free to do what we want without the government interfering.
Yeah right.
So Mississippi is looking to try a poor black kid for murder based on dubious scientific evidence...does this really surprise anyone? I mean, sure it does b/c when you read about it it's shocking, but that a Southern State would do this to a poor black kid, does that shock?
Can you imagine the outrage if some 30 year old housewife (let's call her White) in Connecticut was charged in the same way for those glasses of Chardonnay she had during her pregnancy? You won't have to, because that won't happen. It sure as shit won't happen to a rich white woman in Mississippi.
The most shocking thing for me, is that this shit has continued to move through the courts over the past few years despite the dubious evidence and lack of scientific causation. But according to all the Tea Party and Right wing fanatics, America isn't racist any more and we should all be free to do what we want without the government interfering.
Yeah right.
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