Deuteronomy 27:
Some basic commandments against tricking blind people, incest, bestiality, killing and stealing your neighbor's land by messing with it's landmarks. As far as zaniness goes, it's pretty tame.
Deuteronomy 28:
Old Testament god is sure imaginative. I mean, really, forcing people to eat their own children if they fail to follow his commandments? That's cold. But, man does he drone on. There's like forties lines about what god is personally going to do to the Hebrews if they fail to follow his commandments. Personally. He's not going to allow bad things to happen, or ask satan to do it for him, he's going to personally fuck the Hebrews up in the most creative ways possible.
But, joking aside, this chapter is pretty obviously written during or soon after the Hebrews were sent into captivity in Babylon. It's the Hebrew writers trying to come to terms with the fact that their "god" has allowed them to be captured by foreign invaders and asking, "why?" Well, because you didn't follow god's commandments. Easy as pie.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Unemployment Leaps to 10.2%
From Rawstory
The unemployment rate in the U.S. soared to a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October and employers cut more jobs than forecast, underscoring why Federal Reserve policy makers say interest rates will remain low until the labor market recovers.
Payrolls fell by 190,000 workers last month, compared with a 175,000 drop anticipated by the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. The jobless rate gained from 9.8 percent in September and exceeded 10 percent for the first time since 1983.
The Democrats had one opportunity to get it right, and they blew it. The stimulus package was too little, too late. The American economy is being re-adjusted to a new paradigm, a paradigm where 9%+ unemployment is the norm because consumer spending has been re-adjusted to a lower rate. With consumer demand being flat, and no additional government spending to stimulate demand, there is no need for businesses to rehire workers. They can fill the available demand for products and services with the people they have now. And we are facing another set of mortgage re-adjustments next year which will act to erase billions more in home value and cause even more economic hardships and further depress consumer spending. We are, in a word, screwed. This will probably cause Obama and the Democrats to get thrown out of office at the first available opportunity, and, I would care, but the economic hardships that we soon will face eclipses any political calculations one can make.
Awful.
The unemployment rate in the U.S. soared to a 26-year high of 10.2 percent in October and employers cut more jobs than forecast, underscoring why Federal Reserve policy makers say interest rates will remain low until the labor market recovers.
Payrolls fell by 190,000 workers last month, compared with a 175,000 drop anticipated by the median forecast of economists surveyed by Bloomberg News, figures from the Labor Department showed today in Washington. The jobless rate gained from 9.8 percent in September and exceeded 10 percent for the first time since 1983.
The Democrats had one opportunity to get it right, and they blew it. The stimulus package was too little, too late. The American economy is being re-adjusted to a new paradigm, a paradigm where 9%+ unemployment is the norm because consumer spending has been re-adjusted to a lower rate. With consumer demand being flat, and no additional government spending to stimulate demand, there is no need for businesses to rehire workers. They can fill the available demand for products and services with the people they have now. And we are facing another set of mortgage re-adjustments next year which will act to erase billions more in home value and cause even more economic hardships and further depress consumer spending. We are, in a word, screwed. This will probably cause Obama and the Democrats to get thrown out of office at the first available opportunity, and, I would care, but the economic hardships that we soon will face eclipses any political calculations one can make.
Awful.
Ft. Hood
I wish to express my condolences to the families of the slain personnel at Ft. Hood. I grieve for your loss.
What we know is that a lone gun-man, an American-born, Muslim psychiatrist from Virginia, who treats PTSD and was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan shot up Ft. Hood, killing 13 and wounding 30. There are unconfirmed reports that he also expressed sympathy with the idea of Muslims attacking American soldiers or was bullied for being a Muslim. Fortunately, he was taken alive, so we should get some idea of his motivation soon enough. Then he will be court marshaled and put to death.
I will speculate, however, that his religion had some part to play in this massacre. How much of a part, we do not yet know. But it's clear to me that he is another victim of the mind-poison that is religion, in this case, the particular strain of Islam. The world will be a much better place when people recognize the dangers of believing in magical sky-fairies and learn to embrace reason.
What we know is that a lone gun-man, an American-born, Muslim psychiatrist from Virginia, who treats PTSD and was scheduled to deploy to Afghanistan shot up Ft. Hood, killing 13 and wounding 30. There are unconfirmed reports that he also expressed sympathy with the idea of Muslims attacking American soldiers or was bullied for being a Muslim. Fortunately, he was taken alive, so we should get some idea of his motivation soon enough. Then he will be court marshaled and put to death.
I will speculate, however, that his religion had some part to play in this massacre. How much of a part, we do not yet know. But it's clear to me that he is another victim of the mind-poison that is religion, in this case, the particular strain of Islam. The world will be a much better place when people recognize the dangers of believing in magical sky-fairies and learn to embrace reason.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Republican Party In-fighting Costs Them House Seat
From Watertown Daily Times
For the first time since the mid-19th century, a Democrat will represent Northern New York in the U.S. House of Representatives.
William L. Owens, the Democratic and Working Families candidate for the 23rd Congressional District special election, won a tight race Tuesday night.
Mr. Owens garnered 61,666 votes, or 49 percent, with 90 percent of the precincts reporting at 1 a.m. Conservative candidate Douglas L. Hoffman came in with 57,073 votes, or 45 percent. Republican candidate Dierdre K. Scozzafava, who dropped out Saturday, had 6,976 votes, or 6 percent.
At his victory speech in Plattsburgh, Mr. Owens thanked the voters.
...
Mr. Hoffman rode a surge of support from conservatives. He was endorsed by the Club for Growth, a prominent conservative political organization, and many conservative Republicans, including former vice president candidate Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn.
Mr. Owens' win could signal renewed strength among Democrats, or at least reassure them of Republicans' perceived weakness. New York now has only two Republican representatives in its 29-seat Congressional delegation.
"They're in a civil war over the definition of their party," said Paul Blank, a Democratic consultant. "And the extremists have won."
The article does a piss-poor job of explaining what really happened in N.J. Scozzafava was targeted by the Right-wing, Tea-bagger portion of the Republican party for being a RINO. They completely turned on her, endorsed the Conservative party nominee, Hoffman, and drove her out of the race because she was not ideologically pure enough. They screwed themselves out of a House seat, and now a Democrat has won, the first time in over a hundred years. Way to go, dumbasses.
For the first time since the mid-19th century, a Democrat will represent Northern New York in the U.S. House of Representatives.
William L. Owens, the Democratic and Working Families candidate for the 23rd Congressional District special election, won a tight race Tuesday night.
Mr. Owens garnered 61,666 votes, or 49 percent, with 90 percent of the precincts reporting at 1 a.m. Conservative candidate Douglas L. Hoffman came in with 57,073 votes, or 45 percent. Republican candidate Dierdre K. Scozzafava, who dropped out Saturday, had 6,976 votes, or 6 percent.
At his victory speech in Plattsburgh, Mr. Owens thanked the voters.
...
Mr. Hoffman rode a surge of support from conservatives. He was endorsed by the Club for Growth, a prominent conservative political organization, and many conservative Republicans, including former vice president candidate Sarah Palin, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn.
Mr. Owens' win could signal renewed strength among Democrats, or at least reassure them of Republicans' perceived weakness. New York now has only two Republican representatives in its 29-seat Congressional delegation.
"They're in a civil war over the definition of their party," said Paul Blank, a Democratic consultant. "And the extremists have won."
The article does a piss-poor job of explaining what really happened in N.J. Scozzafava was targeted by the Right-wing, Tea-bagger portion of the Republican party for being a RINO. They completely turned on her, endorsed the Conservative party nominee, Hoffman, and drove her out of the race because she was not ideologically pure enough. They screwed themselves out of a House seat, and now a Democrat has won, the first time in over a hundred years. Way to go, dumbasses.
Maine Votes Down Gay Marriage
Yahoonews/AP
PORTLAND, Maine – Maine voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in New England, the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.
Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.
With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.
Damn. What a damn shame. The forces of hate win again.
PORTLAND, Maine – Maine voters repealed a state law Tuesday that would have allowed same-sex couples to wed, dealing the gay rights movement a heartbreaking defeat in New England, the corner of the country most supportive of gay marriage.
Gay marriage has now lost in every single state — 31 in all — in which it has been put to a popular vote. Gay-rights activists had hoped to buck that trend in Maine — known for its moderate, independent-minded electorate — and mounted an energetic, well-financed campaign.
With 87 percent of the precincts reporting, gay-marriage foes had 53 percent of the votes.
Damn. What a damn shame. The forces of hate win again.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
I Did Not Know That...
Noble Rot is the benevolent form of a grey fungus, Botrytis cinerea, affecting wine grapes. Infestation by Botrytis requires moist conditions, and if the weather stays wet, the malevolent form, "grey rot", can destroy crops of grapes. Grapes typically become infected with Botrytis when they are ripe, but when then exposed to drier conditions become partially raisined and the form of infection brought about by the partial drying process is known as noble rot. Grapes when picked at a certain point during infestation can produce particularly fine and concentrated sweet wine. Some of the finest Botrytized wines are literally picked berry by berry in successive tries (French for "selections").
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Driving the Peterbilt Commentary: Deuteronomy 25 and 26
Deuteronomy 25:
Here's a good one. God tells you what to do if your brother dies before he gets his wife pregnant: you screw her! What a way to keep it in the family. For this pimping piece of advice, this chapter gets a What the Fuck label. Congratulations. Plus, god approves of lashing as punishment for crimes, up to forty! Plus, if a women grabs a man's balls during a fight to keep him from beating-up her husband, you cut off her hand. Nice, huh? It's like all the crazy customs of a middle-east desert culture wrapped up in a god-approved little package. Plus, don't cheat in weights and measures.
Deuteronomy 25:
Moses takes about giving god first-fruits, tithing for the Levits, Orphans, widows and strangers, and tells the Hebrews to keep his commandments. Nothing to see here, move along.
Here's a good one. God tells you what to do if your brother dies before he gets his wife pregnant: you screw her! What a way to keep it in the family. For this pimping piece of advice, this chapter gets a What the Fuck label. Congratulations. Plus, god approves of lashing as punishment for crimes, up to forty! Plus, if a women grabs a man's balls during a fight to keep him from beating-up her husband, you cut off her hand. Nice, huh? It's like all the crazy customs of a middle-east desert culture wrapped up in a god-approved little package. Plus, don't cheat in weights and measures.
Deuteronomy 25:
Moses takes about giving god first-fruits, tithing for the Levits, Orphans, widows and strangers, and tells the Hebrews to keep his commandments. Nothing to see here, move along.
Friday, October 30, 2009
17,000 Children Die Due to Lack of Health Insurance
From Rawstory
Lack of adequate health care may have contributed to the deaths of some 17,000 US children over the past two decades, according to a study released by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
The research, to be published Friday in the Journal of Public Health, was compiled from more than 23 million hospital records from 37 states between 1988 and 2005.
The study concluded that children without health insurance are far more likely to succumb to their illnesses than those with medical coverage.
"If you are a child without insurance, if you're seriously ill and end up in the hospital, you are 60 percent more likely to die than the sick child in the next town who has insurance," said Fizan Abdullah, lead writer of the study and a pediatric surgeon at Hopkins.
With some seven million children in the United States currently uninsured, the problem needed addressing immediately, the report said.
Wow. That's awful.
Lack of adequate health care may have contributed to the deaths of some 17,000 US children over the past two decades, according to a study released by the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.
The research, to be published Friday in the Journal of Public Health, was compiled from more than 23 million hospital records from 37 states between 1988 and 2005.
The study concluded that children without health insurance are far more likely to succumb to their illnesses than those with medical coverage.
"If you are a child without insurance, if you're seriously ill and end up in the hospital, you are 60 percent more likely to die than the sick child in the next town who has insurance," said Fizan Abdullah, lead writer of the study and a pediatric surgeon at Hopkins.
With some seven million children in the United States currently uninsured, the problem needed addressing immediately, the report said.
Wow. That's awful.
Economic Growth of 3.5% for 3rd Quarter
Rawstory
The economy grew at a 3.5 percent pace in the third quarter, the best showing in two years, fueled by government-supported spending on cars and homes.
The Commerce Department's report Thursday delivered the strongest signal yet that the economy entered a new, though fragile, phase of recovery and that the worst recession since the 1930s has ended.
Many analysts expect the pace of the budding recovery to be plodding due to rising unemployment and continuing difficulties by both consumers and businesses to secure loans.
Still, the much-awaited turnaround ended the streak of four straight quarters of contracting economic activity, the first time that's happened on records dating to 1947.
It also marked the first increase since the spring of 2008, when the economy experienced a short-lived uptick in growth.
Keep your fingers crossed.
The economy grew at a 3.5 percent pace in the third quarter, the best showing in two years, fueled by government-supported spending on cars and homes.
The Commerce Department's report Thursday delivered the strongest signal yet that the economy entered a new, though fragile, phase of recovery and that the worst recession since the 1930s has ended.
Many analysts expect the pace of the budding recovery to be plodding due to rising unemployment and continuing difficulties by both consumers and businesses to secure loans.
Still, the much-awaited turnaround ended the streak of four straight quarters of contracting economic activity, the first time that's happened on records dating to 1947.
It also marked the first increase since the spring of 2008, when the economy experienced a short-lived uptick in growth.
Keep your fingers crossed.
Obama Blocks torture Photos Release
From Rawstory
Earlier this month, the House and Senate inserted language into the Homeland Security appropriations bill that would shield photos of detainees in the US's war on terror from the Freedom of Information Act. The language, which was added at the prodding of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), effectively blocks an ACLU lawsuit currently before the courts that would have forced the government to release the photos under Freedom of Information statutes.
As Daphne Eviatar noted at the Washington Independent, "President Obama initially agreed to release the photos, but changed his mind after consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others at the Pentagon, who warned the photos would endanger US servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan."
At issue are 21 photos of detainees in US custody that the Department of Defense has been fighting tooth and nail from releasing. As Raw Story reported earlier this year, those photos may show acts of sexual abuse being carried out against detainees.
Major General Antonio Taguba, the author of a report on allegations of detainee abuse in U.S. prisons in Iraq, said that photos exist depicting the following:
–An American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner.
–A male translator apparently raping a male detainee.
–A female prisoner having her clothing forcibly removed to expose her breasts.
Other photographs depict sexual assaults on prisoners with a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube, according to Taguba.
Obama's really in a tough position on this one. He could veto the bill which would affect the appropriations for homeland security, all in an effort to release photos that he believes would harm the country's best interest, or sign the bill, violating his pledge of open government. Clearly, he chose the path of least resistance. Unfortunate. We could have shown the world that we face our failures head-on and refuse to hide our shameful conduct from view like criminals. We were better than the torture, we are better than this.
Earlier this month, the House and Senate inserted language into the Homeland Security appropriations bill that would shield photos of detainees in the US's war on terror from the Freedom of Information Act. The language, which was added at the prodding of Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-CT), effectively blocks an ACLU lawsuit currently before the courts that would have forced the government to release the photos under Freedom of Information statutes.
As Daphne Eviatar noted at the Washington Independent, "President Obama initially agreed to release the photos, but changed his mind after consulting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and others at the Pentagon, who warned the photos would endanger US servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan."
At issue are 21 photos of detainees in US custody that the Department of Defense has been fighting tooth and nail from releasing. As Raw Story reported earlier this year, those photos may show acts of sexual abuse being carried out against detainees.
Major General Antonio Taguba, the author of a report on allegations of detainee abuse in U.S. prisons in Iraq, said that photos exist depicting the following:
–An American soldier apparently raping a female prisoner.
–A male translator apparently raping a male detainee.
–A female prisoner having her clothing forcibly removed to expose her breasts.
Other photographs depict sexual assaults on prisoners with a truncheon, wire and a phosphorescent tube, according to Taguba.
Obama's really in a tough position on this one. He could veto the bill which would affect the appropriations for homeland security, all in an effort to release photos that he believes would harm the country's best interest, or sign the bill, violating his pledge of open government. Clearly, he chose the path of least resistance. Unfortunate. We could have shown the world that we face our failures head-on and refuse to hide our shameful conduct from view like criminals. We were better than the torture, we are better than this.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Obama Signs Hate Crimes Legislation Protection for Gays
From Huffington Post
Today, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, critical legislation that strengthens existing U.S. laws by extending federal hate crime protection in cases where the victim was targeted because of their sexual orientation, gender, disability, or gender identity. The new law -- which the U.S. Attorney General Holder called a "civil rights issue that is clearly a priority" -- will also permit federal authorities to assist local governments in hate crime investigations and increase their capacity through training programs.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-legendre/obama-signs-the-hate-crim_b_337198.html
That's one down. Now, we need to get rid of DADT, DOMA, and job discrimination against gays, and we will be set.
Today, President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crime Prevention Act, critical legislation that strengthens existing U.S. laws by extending federal hate crime protection in cases where the victim was targeted because of their sexual orientation, gender, disability, or gender identity. The new law -- which the U.S. Attorney General Holder called a "civil rights issue that is clearly a priority" -- will also permit federal authorities to assist local governments in hate crime investigations and increase their capacity through training programs.
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-legendre/obama-signs-the-hate-crim_b_337198.html
That's one down. Now, we need to get rid of DADT, DOMA, and job discrimination against gays, and we will be set.
How To Know if You Are Out of Touch with Reality
If you are one of the 3 out of 10 people who actually think Palin is qualified to be president, you need to really, really, need to re-examine where you have gone off the rails.
Obama Attends Return of Soldiers
New York Times
President Obama traveled to Dover Air Force Base early Thursday morning, where he met with family members and paid his respects as the bodies of 18 Americans killed this week in Afghanistan were returned to the United States.
The overnight trip was not announced in advance. The president, wearing a dark suit and long overcoat, left the White House at 11:44 p.m. A small contingent of reporters and photographers accompanied Mr. Obama to Dover, where he arrived at 12:34 a.m. aboard Marine One. He returned to the South Lawn of the White House at 4:45 a.m.
October has been the deadliest month for U.S. troops in Afghanistan since the war began eight years ago, with at least 55 troops killed in action. This week alone, about two dozen soldiers have died in attacks and accidents. The bodies returning to Dover Air Force Base shortly after midnight included seven Army soldiers and three agents from the Drug Enforcement Agency who were killed when their helicopter crashed on Monday in rural Afghanistan. The bodies of eight soldiers killed in an attack on Monday also arrived on an Air Force C-17.
On a clear fall morning, Mr. Obama boarded the back of the gray plane at 3:40 a.m., standing watch as Air Force Chaplain, Maj. Richard S. Bach, offered a brief prayer over the cases containing the remains of the 15 soldiers and three federal agents.
The family of Army Sgt. Dale R. Griffin, 29, of Terre Haute, Ind., agreed to have the transfer of his remains photographed early Thursday morning. The other families chose not to, officials said, under a new Pentagon policy that lifted an 18-year ban on media covering the return of U.S. service members killed in action if families provide permission.
As the Commander-in-chief stood on the darkened tarmac and saluted, the flag-draped case was unloaded from the cargo plane in what the military calls a “dignified transfer,” as six soldiers in white gloves and camouflage fatigues carried the remains in precision. Mr. Obama and uniformed officers stood at attention as the case was placed in a white mortuary van parked nearby.
The transfer of the bodies — a solemn, 15-minute proceeding — took place after Mr. Obama spent nearly two hours meeting privately with several family members in the chapel of the Air Force base.
The heaviest decision a president has to make is the decision to send our brave men and women to war. It should not be made on a whim, or rushed, or made under false circumstances and false information. It should be carefully considered, with an eye on our national interest and with all other options remaining open. It's important that the president see the families and observe the fallen to make sure he understands the gravity of his decisions. This is not a game, or a chance to make political points, it's real lives, real families, real fathers and sons and husbands. Always remember that, Mr. President. Always.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
I Did Not Know That...
The Tulsa Race Riots of 1921 The Tulsa race riot, also known as the 1921 race riot, the night that Tulsa died, the Tulsa Race War, or the Greenwood riot, was a massacre during a large-scale civil disorder confined mainly to the racially segregated Greenwood neighborhood of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA on May 31, 1921. During the 16 hours of rioting, over 800 people were admitted to local hospitals with injuries, an estimated 10,000 were left homeless, 35 city blocks composed of 1,256 residences were destroyed by fire, and $1.8 million (about $21.7 million in 2009 dollars) in property damage was caused. Officially, thirty-nine people were reported killed in the riot, of whom ten were white. The actual number of black citizens killed by white local militiamen and others as a result of the riot was estimated in the Red Cross report[1][2] at around 300, making the Tulsa race riot the worst in US history. Other estimates range as high as 3,000, based on the number of grave diggers and other circumstances, although the archaeological and forensic work needed to confirm the number of dead has not been performed.[3]
And it all started because a black man stumbled into an elevator and accidentally grabbed the arm of a white women. Stupid.
And it all started because a black man stumbled into an elevator and accidentally grabbed the arm of a white women. Stupid.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I.R.S. Sets Up New Unit To Target Super-Rich Tax Cheats
From Rawstory
Offshore tax shelter? Check. Income hidden from tax authorities? Check. New IRS unit specifically set up to target taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars? Check.
IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Monday that the agency has set up a unit specifically to deal with rich Americans who are hiding assets.
"We will take a unified look at the entire web of business entities controlled by a high-wealth individual," Shulman said. "At least initially, we will be looking at individuals with tens of millions of dollars of assets or income."
"The high-wealth unit will focus on trusts, real estate investments, privately held companies and other business entities controlled by rich individuals. While use of sophisticated legal structures are at times legal, there are other instances where they 'mask aggressive tax strategies,' he said."
"You cannot assess compliance among the nation's wealthiest individuals by looking only at their 1040s [tax returns]," Shulman added. "Our goal is to better understand the entire economic picture of the enterprise controlled by the wealthy individual and to assess the tax compliance of that overall enterprise."
This is change I believe in. It's about time we targeted these unpatriotic, tax-dodging, bastards. Good for the *choke* I.R.S.
Offshore tax shelter? Check. Income hidden from tax authorities? Check. New IRS unit specifically set up to target taxpayers with tens of millions of dollars? Check.
IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman told the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants Monday that the agency has set up a unit specifically to deal with rich Americans who are hiding assets.
"We will take a unified look at the entire web of business entities controlled by a high-wealth individual," Shulman said. "At least initially, we will be looking at individuals with tens of millions of dollars of assets or income."
"The high-wealth unit will focus on trusts, real estate investments, privately held companies and other business entities controlled by rich individuals. While use of sophisticated legal structures are at times legal, there are other instances where they 'mask aggressive tax strategies,' he said."
"You cannot assess compliance among the nation's wealthiest individuals by looking only at their 1040s [tax returns]," Shulman added. "Our goal is to better understand the entire economic picture of the enterprise controlled by the wealthy individual and to assess the tax compliance of that overall enterprise."
This is change I believe in. It's about time we targeted these unpatriotic, tax-dodging, bastards. Good for the *choke* I.R.S.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Driving the Peterbilt Commentary: Deuteronomy 23-24
Deuteronomy 23:
This chapter is bad news for people who get their dicks lopped off, (I mean, in addition to the bad news that you've lost your dick) bastards, whores, sodomites and certain nationalities. Plus god is really worried about stepping in shit, so, he orders you to bury it. Also, run-away slaves do not need to be returned. Finally, the law that allows Hebrews to lend with interest only to foreigners. Lots of stuff here.
Deuteronomy 24:
In this chapter, god allows divorce with the provision that he can't take her back after she's been married to someone else because that would be icky. A lot of nice stuff about being kind to poor people, not holding the sins of a father against his children, and not making slaves of your own people. About the best chapter in the Bible so far.
This chapter is bad news for people who get their dicks lopped off, (I mean, in addition to the bad news that you've lost your dick) bastards, whores, sodomites and certain nationalities. Plus god is really worried about stepping in shit, so, he orders you to bury it. Also, run-away slaves do not need to be returned. Finally, the law that allows Hebrews to lend with interest only to foreigners. Lots of stuff here.
Deuteronomy 24:
In this chapter, god allows divorce with the provision that he can't take her back after she's been married to someone else because that would be icky. A lot of nice stuff about being kind to poor people, not holding the sins of a father against his children, and not making slaves of your own people. About the best chapter in the Bible so far.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ten Reasons to Outlaw Gay Marriage
From Hubiestuber at Fark
Top Ten Reasons to Make Gay Marriage Illegal
01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all like many of the principles on which this great country was founded; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of marriages like Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.
Top Ten Reasons to Make Gay Marriage Illegal
01) Being gay is not natural. Real Americans always reject unnatural things like eyeglasses, polyester, and air conditioning.
02) Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
03) Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
04) Straight marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all like many of the principles on which this great country was founded; women are still property, blacks still can't marry whites, and divorce is still illegal.
05) Straight marriage will be less meaningful if gay marriage were allowed; the sanctity of marriages like Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage would be destroyed.
06) Straight marriages are valid because they produce children. Gay couples, infertile couples, and old people shouldn't be allowed to marry because our orphanages aren't full yet, and the world needs more children.
07) Obviously gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
08) Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
09) Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why we as a society expressly forbid single parents to raise children.
10) Gay marriage will change the foundation of society; we could never adapt to new social norms. Just like we haven't adapted to cars, the service-sector economy, or longer life spans.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Beck Dishonest Quote Mining Dunn To Create Pseudo-Controvesy
From Crooks and Liars
Glenn Beck continued his jihad against White House Communications Director Anita Dunn yesterday on his Fox News program, focusing his rage on remarks she made earlier this year at a D.C.-area high-school graduation ceremony. Here's what he played of her remarks:
"[T]wo of my favorite political philosophers, Mao Tse-Tung and Mother Teresa, not often coupled with each other, but the two people that I turn to most ..."
Not content to do it once, he ran the same snippet again, exactly like that. Twice he described Dunn as saying that Mao was one of the philosophers "she turns to most".
...
Except, of course, that wasn't what she said. You have to hear the rest of the sentence after Beck clips it off.
"The third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers: Mao Tse-tung and Mother Theresa -- not often coupled with each other, but the two people I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is 'you're going to make choices; you're going to challenge; you're going to say why not; you're going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before."
In other words, she found their words handy to make a universal and fairly banal point about being true to one's self. That's all. No Mao-worship.
You also can hear laughter from the audience when Dunn couples Mao and Mother Teresa, so at least it's clear that some in the audience got the joke. Glenn Beck didn't.
Most of all, he doesn't get that crude and hamhanded dishonesty like this only proves Anita Dunn's point, in spades.
Unbelievable.
Glenn Beck continued his jihad against White House Communications Director Anita Dunn yesterday on his Fox News program, focusing his rage on remarks she made earlier this year at a D.C.-area high-school graduation ceremony. Here's what he played of her remarks:
"[T]wo of my favorite political philosophers, Mao Tse-Tung and Mother Teresa, not often coupled with each other, but the two people that I turn to most ..."
Not content to do it once, he ran the same snippet again, exactly like that. Twice he described Dunn as saying that Mao was one of the philosophers "she turns to most".
...
Except, of course, that wasn't what she said. You have to hear the rest of the sentence after Beck clips it off.
"The third lesson and tip actually comes from two of my favorite political philosophers: Mao Tse-tung and Mother Theresa -- not often coupled with each other, but the two people I turn to most to basically deliver a simple point which is 'you're going to make choices; you're going to challenge; you're going to say why not; you're going to figure out how to do things that have never been done before."
In other words, she found their words handy to make a universal and fairly banal point about being true to one's self. That's all. No Mao-worship.
You also can hear laughter from the audience when Dunn couples Mao and Mother Teresa, so at least it's clear that some in the audience got the joke. Glenn Beck didn't.
Most of all, he doesn't get that crude and hamhanded dishonesty like this only proves Anita Dunn's point, in spades.
Unbelievable.
Death Penalty Costs Millions More than Incarceration, Few Results
From Rawstory
WASHINGTON — Even when executions are not carried out, the death penalty costs US states hundreds of millions of dollars a year, depleting budgets in the midst of economic crisis, a study released Tuesday found.
"It is doubtful in today's economic climate that any legislature would introduce the death penalty if faced with the reality that each execution would cost taxpayers 25 million dollars, or that the state might spend more than 100 million dollars over several years and produce few or no executions," argued Richard Dieter, director of the Death Penalty Information Center and the report's author.
"Surely there are more pressing needs deserving funding," he wrote, noting that execution was rated among the least effective crime deterrents.
In just one death penalty trial "the state may pay one million dollars more than for a non-death penalty trial. But only one in every three capital trials may result in a death sentence, so the true cost of that death sentence is three million dollars," the study's author said.
"Further down the road, only one in ten of the death sentences handed down may result in an execution. Hence, the cost to the state to reach that one execution is 30 million dollars," Dieter added in the report entitled "Smart on Crime."
Yes, the study is by Death penalty opponents, but if there numbers are cooked, proponents of the death penalty should be able to find out. If they are not cooked, we need to keep this in mind in the death penalty debate.
WASHINGTON — Even when executions are not carried out, the death penalty costs US states hundreds of millions of dollars a year, depleting budgets in the midst of economic crisis, a study released Tuesday found.
"It is doubtful in today's economic climate that any legislature would introduce the death penalty if faced with the reality that each execution would cost taxpayers 25 million dollars, or that the state might spend more than 100 million dollars over several years and produce few or no executions," argued Richard Dieter, director of the Death Penalty Information Center and the report's author.
"Surely there are more pressing needs deserving funding," he wrote, noting that execution was rated among the least effective crime deterrents.
In just one death penalty trial "the state may pay one million dollars more than for a non-death penalty trial. But only one in every three capital trials may result in a death sentence, so the true cost of that death sentence is three million dollars," the study's author said.
"Further down the road, only one in ten of the death sentences handed down may result in an execution. Hence, the cost to the state to reach that one execution is 30 million dollars," Dieter added in the report entitled "Smart on Crime."
Yes, the study is by Death penalty opponents, but if there numbers are cooked, proponents of the death penalty should be able to find out. If they are not cooked, we need to keep this in mind in the death penalty debate.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Secret Service says "So Many Threat Against Obama, We Have to cut Back On Counterfeiters
From Boston Globe
WASHINGTON - The unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama, a rise in racist hate groups, and a new wave of antigovernment fervor threaten to overwhelm the US Secret Service, according to government officials and reports, raising new questions about the 144-year-old agency’s overall mission.
The Secret Service is tracking a far broader range of possible threats to the nation’s leaders, the officials said, even as it also investigates financial crimes such as counterfeiting as part of its original mandate.
The new demands are leading some officials, both inside and outside the agency, to raise the possibility of the service curtailing or dropping its role in fighting financial crime to focus more on protecting leaders and their families from assassination attempts and thwarting terrorist plots aimed at high-profile events.
“If there were an evaluation of the service’s two missions, it might be determined that it is ineffective . . . to conduct its protection mission and investigate financial crimes,’’ according to a inter nal report issued in August by the Congressional Research Service.
The report, which was provided to the Globe, said such a review should look at how money and staff are allocated, and whether some of the agency’s functions and workers should be transferred to the Treasury Department.
Wow, whatever could be causing people to go so apeshit over Obama? It couldn't be his race, after all their are no racists in the Republican party, right? Right?
WASHINGTON - The unprecedented number of death threats against President Obama, a rise in racist hate groups, and a new wave of antigovernment fervor threaten to overwhelm the US Secret Service, according to government officials and reports, raising new questions about the 144-year-old agency’s overall mission.
The Secret Service is tracking a far broader range of possible threats to the nation’s leaders, the officials said, even as it also investigates financial crimes such as counterfeiting as part of its original mandate.
The new demands are leading some officials, both inside and outside the agency, to raise the possibility of the service curtailing or dropping its role in fighting financial crime to focus more on protecting leaders and their families from assassination attempts and thwarting terrorist plots aimed at high-profile events.
“If there were an evaluation of the service’s two missions, it might be determined that it is ineffective . . . to conduct its protection mission and investigate financial crimes,’’ according to a inter nal report issued in August by the Congressional Research Service.
The report, which was provided to the Globe, said such a review should look at how money and staff are allocated, and whether some of the agency’s functions and workers should be transferred to the Treasury Department.
Wow, whatever could be causing people to go so apeshit over Obama? It couldn't be his race, after all their are no racists in the Republican party, right? Right?
Analyst Says: 6-8 Years to Iranian Nukes
From Rawstory and Washington Post
For years we've heard conflicting accounts on this issue. There have been claims since the 1990s that Iran was a few years away from a bomb. Then, two years ago, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Iran had discontinued its dedicated nuclear weapon efforts in 2003. Today, the consensus among experts is that Iran has the technical ability to make a crude nuclear device within one to three years -- but there is no evidence that its leaders have decided to do so.
The regime's most likely path to the bomb begins in Natanz, in central Iran, the site of the nuclear facility where over the past three years about 1,500 kilograms of uranium gas has been enriched to low levels. Iran could kick out U.N. inspectors, abandon the Non-Proliferation Treaty and reprocess the gas into highly enriched uranium in about six months; it would take at least six more months to convert that uranium into the metal form required for one bomb. Technical problems with both processes could stretch this period to three years. Finally, Iran would need perhaps five additional years -- and several explosive tests -- to develop a Hiroshima-yield bomb that could be fitted onto a ballistic missile.
Of course, the United States and others would see Tehran moving in this direction, and exposure or inspection of suspected facilities would complicate Iranian objectives. We can further lengthen this timeline by ridding Iran of the essential ingredient for a bomb: low-enriched uranium. On Oct. 1, Iran agreed to ship most of this uranium to Russia for fabrication into reactor fuel; we will know in the next few weeks if it will keep that pledge. If it does, Iran's "break-out" capability -- the ability to produce a bomb quickly -- would be eliminated, at least for the two years it takes to enrich more uranium.
Read the whole article. The most important thing to take from this analysis is that the process would be obvious, with several very public steps that would make clear Iran's intent to possess Nukes and offer us plenty of opportunity to respond. Of most importance to me is the fact that we will have our troops out of Iraq before any such military action occurs.
For years we've heard conflicting accounts on this issue. There have been claims since the 1990s that Iran was a few years away from a bomb. Then, two years ago, U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Iran had discontinued its dedicated nuclear weapon efforts in 2003. Today, the consensus among experts is that Iran has the technical ability to make a crude nuclear device within one to three years -- but there is no evidence that its leaders have decided to do so.
The regime's most likely path to the bomb begins in Natanz, in central Iran, the site of the nuclear facility where over the past three years about 1,500 kilograms of uranium gas has been enriched to low levels. Iran could kick out U.N. inspectors, abandon the Non-Proliferation Treaty and reprocess the gas into highly enriched uranium in about six months; it would take at least six more months to convert that uranium into the metal form required for one bomb. Technical problems with both processes could stretch this period to three years. Finally, Iran would need perhaps five additional years -- and several explosive tests -- to develop a Hiroshima-yield bomb that could be fitted onto a ballistic missile.
Of course, the United States and others would see Tehran moving in this direction, and exposure or inspection of suspected facilities would complicate Iranian objectives. We can further lengthen this timeline by ridding Iran of the essential ingredient for a bomb: low-enriched uranium. On Oct. 1, Iran agreed to ship most of this uranium to Russia for fabrication into reactor fuel; we will know in the next few weeks if it will keep that pledge. If it does, Iran's "break-out" capability -- the ability to produce a bomb quickly -- would be eliminated, at least for the two years it takes to enrich more uranium.
Read the whole article. The most important thing to take from this analysis is that the process would be obvious, with several very public steps that would make clear Iran's intent to possess Nukes and offer us plenty of opportunity to respond. Of most importance to me is the fact that we will have our troops out of Iraq before any such military action occurs.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Obama Administration Okays Medical Marijuana
From ABCNews
The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.
The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.
Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
California is unique among those for the presence of dispensaries — businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services.
Wow. That's incredibly sane. Go Obama!
The Obama administration will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday.
Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws.
The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes.
Fourteen states allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
California is unique among those for the presence of dispensaries — businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services.
Wow. That's incredibly sane. Go Obama!
I Did Not Know That...
Christ of the Ozarks statue is a monumental sculpture of Jesus located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas, atop Magnetic Mountain. It was erected in 1966 by Gerald L. K. Smith, a Depression-era religious and political figure who briefly led the Share Our Wealth movement initiated by Huey Long. The statue is a popular tourist attraction, but remains controversial with local residents due to Smith's association with white supremacist and antisemitic organizations throughout his career.
The statue, which is more than 67 feet (20 meters) tall, was primarily the work of Emmet Sullivan, who also worked on nearby Dinosaur World. The work is modernistic and minimalistic; there is little true facial detail or expression, and the lines and forms are generally simplified. The arms are outstretched straight, suggesting the Crucifixion; however the cross is not overtly depicted. The statue was proposed and built as the centerpiece of a proposed religious theme park which was never fully realized, but an outdoor performance of "The Great Passion Play", styled after that of Oberammergau, Germany, is staged four or five nights a week from the end of April through the end of October in a nearby 4,100-seat amphitheater.
The statue has been parodied many times over the years in local and national publications due to its striking appearance and artistic flaws. Its disproportionate depiction of the figure has inspired a variety of unflattering nicknames, such as "Gumby Jesus" and "Our Milk Carton With Arms".
Driving the Peterbilt Commentary: Deuteronomy 21 and 22
Deuteronomy 21:
More rules to live by from Moses, starting with what to do when you find a murder victim and don't know who the killer is. The answer? Kill a cow. Then, Moses tells you the proper way to capture and rape a war bride and how to get rid of her if later she's not as satisfying as you thought. Moses also forbids you from disinheriting your first-born son if you hate his mother. Moses also tells us to stone disobedient children and not to let hanged dead hang overnight. Truly, a guide to morality that is second to none, because none is better than this crap.
Deuteronomy 22:
In this chapter, god comes out against finders keepers, tells us not to cross-dress, some weird stuff about birds, and not to wear poly/cotton blends. Finally, we get to the meat of the chapter, which tells us to kill, by stoning, women who are not virgins when they get married, people who commit adultery, and rapists but not their victims if they yell for help. Finally, men are forced to marry the women they have sex with if she is not married or betrothed. Also, something about father's skirts. Imagine if a politician ran on trying to instill THOSE Bible in America.
More rules to live by from Moses, starting with what to do when you find a murder victim and don't know who the killer is. The answer? Kill a cow. Then, Moses tells you the proper way to capture and rape a war bride and how to get rid of her if later she's not as satisfying as you thought. Moses also forbids you from disinheriting your first-born son if you hate his mother. Moses also tells us to stone disobedient children and not to let hanged dead hang overnight. Truly, a guide to morality that is second to none, because none is better than this crap.
Deuteronomy 22:
In this chapter, god comes out against finders keepers, tells us not to cross-dress, some weird stuff about birds, and not to wear poly/cotton blends. Finally, we get to the meat of the chapter, which tells us to kill, by stoning, women who are not virgins when they get married, people who commit adultery, and rapists but not their victims if they yell for help. Finally, men are forced to marry the women they have sex with if she is not married or betrothed. Also, something about father's skirts. Imagine if a politician ran on trying to instill THOSE Bible in America.
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