Save kids from religious zealots!

The thoughts of a 7 year-old:

"At the end of the service, the Pastor calls forward people who want healing, cos Jesus healed the sick when he was on Earth. But the same cripples go forward every week. And I asked my mom: "maybe this isn't working?"

I got in trouble for asking that."

Ok, maybe Peter isn't PC by calling handicaps "cripples", but he sure as hell knows something is fishy. This is the branch of Christianity Peter has to endure:

"The Pentecostal family of denominations form one branch of conservative Protestantism within Christianity. A major defining feature of Pentecostalism is their belief in Glossolalia -- the ability to speak "in tongues". Another is the unusual freedom and spontaneity exhibited during their religious services. Otherwise, their beliefs and practices are similar to those of other conservative Christians. They strongly oppose abortion access, equality for sexual minorities, and same-sex marriage." source: religioustolerance.org

Cartoon source: Huffington Post

Unborn fetus dolls handed out in an elementary school in Virgina. wtf.

What is worse than the extreme Right in the United States? The extreme Religious Right.

From the Crooks and Liars website:

"Oakwood Elementary's principal was placed on administrative leave Friday as school officials investigated why life like, 4-inch-long plastic fetus dolls were given to dozens of third-, fourth- and fifth-grade students.

On Thursday, the school staffer thought to be responsible for handing out the dolls was placed on leave."

There's a picture of the "doll" these crazies handed out. And if you read the entire post on Crooks and Liars, the blogger goes on to say:

"Even though the article didn't mention it specifically, I would be willing to bet the students receiving these "gifts" were girls, not boys, too. That's what we need...to intimidate and indoctrinate the girls at a young age while giving boys a pass. Good job, Virginia. "

I can only agree with Karoli. If this happened at the school my son was attending, I'd freak out. Maybe that's why I decided to raise my son in Europe where nobody would dream of trying to brainwash kids like that. Without prior parent consent no less. Despite living in a country with a shitload of Catholic holidays (Austria), the majority of the people take it with nonchalance ie good for holidays but not much else.

Why is a country that was founded on the basis of religious freedom full of such puritanical tyrants? I don't get it.

What's new?

I have not written anything in a while. Therefore, I expect its time to get on the ball again. What has happened over the past months:

Obama has passed tepid health care reform. Considering the bruha, I still think the passage of this legislation is historical. (Americans can be so retarded, honestly. The way the far right is reacting, you'd think Obama just passed a kibutz mandate or something......geez or a law banning guns, which, in fact, would be a good thing.....but no......it's not going to happen, sadly)

Sarah Palin is still around. I posted a comment on a fb's friend status in regards to Ms. Palin, voicing my surprise how anyone can stand listening to her grating voice. Some woman, in turn, responded: "Only women would make disparaging remarks about Palin's voice. " Um, no. Her voice is annoying. Its like nails on a chalk board. Its like a cow in labor. Its like a screeching crow. She not only sounds retarded, she is retarded. I suppose its totally un pc to say that as she has a child with a mental disability. Sadly, I state nothing but the truth.

Jay Leno is back on The Tonight Show. Since I have no other options, I watch it. Does he have no shame though inviting Karl Rove onto his show? The guy is a liar and doesn't deserve to have his mug on any form of media.

The Catholic Church is once again involved in a child abuse scandel. Ho hum you say? I say high time to impeach the Pope. According to articles I've read in the New York Times and Spiegel International, the Pope formerly known as Cardinal Ratzinger had direct knowledge of abuse cases in the US, Ireland, Germany and Austria. Its time to pull back the curtains and reveal whats underneath. Centuries of corruption, deceit, misogeny and lies need to be tackled head on. And I don't care if I felt sorry for the Pope while I watched about 63 seconds of the Easter Mass........those kids who were abused and muzzled with threats deserve retribution. We are in the year 2010. This is like major future space age time. The Catholic Church is still in the 16th century when it ruled supreme. Lets get with it and blast this hoax into the 21st century.

What else? Oh yeah, Tiger 'I am a replicant" Woods is back. Now, thats ho hum.

Watch this space.

Extremism in America

I received this letter from the ACLU today and I wanted to share this with anyone who cares to read it. I have long believed this topic to be a disturbing part of the American political fabric.

Your religious beliefs are your business and has no place in politics.

Dear ACLU Supporter,

“Extremism” isn’t just some vague notion or talking point for media pundits. It’s very real, it’s very dangerous, and right now, it’s taking root in communities all across America.

From the grandmother who can’t adopt her grandchild because she is gay to the student singled out in his grade school class for expressing his religious beliefs, the consequences of this extremism -- if left unchecked -- can have devastating impacts.

The ACLU is taking on these extremist forces at every turn and in every state. But we need you to be there by our side. Be a part of our Acting Together: 100,000 Gifts Campaign and send a powerful message: we won’t let extremists use the power of the government to impose one narrow view of morality on the rest of us.

If you believe religion has no place in our government, take action. There are real consequences to letting extremism gain a foothold in our communities. As just one example, before the ACLU brought suit in federal court, the public school students of Cheatham County, Tennessee were taught that the United States is a “Christian nation,” that the separation of church and state doesn’t exist, and that there’s no such thing as an atheist. Only by having a strong ACLU across the country can we stop this kind of abuse.

You can make your support go even further. If you take part in the Acting Together campaign, your donation will be matched dollar-for-dollar, doubling its impact.

View the extremism map and take the next step -- make a matching gift donation to the ACLU’s 100,000 Gifts Campaign and get your free “I Care about the Constitution” bumper sticker.

You’ve been there for the ACLU before. Now, we need you to keep up the fight and join this extraordinary campaign to protect the cause of liberty.

Thanks for all you do,

Anthony D. Romero Executive Director American Civil Liberties Union

Marcus Brigstock on Religion

Is it easier to rule a drunk public? Or a junked public? Vodka vs Burgers

Russia tries, once again, to rein in Vodka Habit. A great article from today's NYT's. Somehow, thought it fitting, as its cold outside and grey.......just the right time of year to take up drinking.

(The below is a short summary of the article and my corresponding theory)

Above-average alcohol consumption has been a problem in Russia for centuries. Catherine the Great seemed to condone it, as this statement she made reflects: It is easier to rule a drunk public. [Um, I think her tactics have been adjusted to modern times, fat food replacing liquids with the similar side effects: turning brains and muscles into mush. ]

Since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, drinking in Russia has increased to staggeringly high levels. It may not be visible on the streets, as police efforts to remove drunks from public places is now more effective.

The average Russian consumes 4.75 gallons of pure alcohol, compared to the United States, which is less than half that amount. Ok, the US makes up for that discrepancy via junk food.

Result: life expectancy way down, productivity of work force way down, health care costs up.

This ingrained tradition of vodka, the main drink of choice, has hindered Russia in its development, especially since the opening up to Western Capitalist ventures.

President Dmitri Medvedev is marching down the path toward sobriety. Several other leaders before him attempted, more or less unsuccessfully, the same thing. Well, except for Boris Jelzin. Where's Jelzin, when you need him?

The tradition of high alcohol consumption and anti-alcohol campaigns also go back centuries. Its intrinsic with the history of this sprawling country.

One of the most spectacular failures were Gorbachev’s measures. He ordered stores to empty their shelves of vodka and historic vineyards destroyed. That didn't go down well. Short term relief, long term bad for Gorbachev. Empty shelf law revoked. Vineyards were goners for good.

President Medvedev is determined to succeed where others before him have failed. I think he might. He's short. Short guys are way ambitious. No matter how much this habit is intrenched in Russian culture, Medvedev says that other countries with similar habits have managed to address the problem. (um, which ones?)

Among the suggestions that could bring about a long term alleviation of the situation: heavier taxation and the closing of unlicensed distilleries. A half a liter of vodka currently costs approx. $2. (See, and thats why fat food should be taxed and prices increased)

In Russia, unlicensed distilleries produce half the vodka people drink. To make matters more difficult, the protective hands of corrupt officials further undermine the reduction of these operations.

Dr. Nemstov, of the Moscow Psychiatric Research Institute, a leading alcohol expert (they have an alcohol expert? wow), says it would be foolish to simultaneously put constraints on beer sales. People will drink, no matter what. Add to that the fact that the breweries, for the most part, are owned by foreign corporations and they spend millions to lobby government officials. Its so nice to know corruption is an international language.

At the various drunk tanks located throughout the country (where drunks are brought in to sober up), the fines are still reminiscent of the Soviet Times: $3.50 is hardly enough to scare anyone off of being caught again.

Just like $5 for a super jumbo grease fat flab sodium nitrate offensive isn't gonna scare the junk food addicts off.

An awesome post by Bob Cesca and why we need to stop eating crap

Bob Cesca is one of my heroes and certainly one of the best writers on American Politics out there today. Well, in my humble opinion. His lastest blog for the Huffington Post points out the underlying decay (one of several unfortunately) festering in our health care system.

Everyone is talking about the Health Care Reform bill, and rightly so. Noo one (in their right mind) can deny the fact that its a complete train wreck, and if this chance now isn't grabbed by the balls, we doomed, doomed I say (to paraphrase a fed ex ad). Sounds funny, but its not. And its going to happen. The doomsday thing. And its coming faster than The Day After Tomorrow.

Bob Cesca gets to the core of the issue - our eating habits. A few weeks ago, Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida stated in his gutsy speech in Congress: Republicans plan is for Americans to "not get sick." Or if you do, "die quickly". I think it was either Keith Olbermann or Rachel Maddow who pointed out, that, in fact, its in the insurers interest to not die quickly. But to keep you alive as long as possible, to milk your illness, delay demise at all costs, thereby increasing their profits all around.

And I tend to agree with that assertion. In fact, I think its part of master plan between the health care (care, actually a blasphemy in this context), pharmaceutical companies and the food industry to create a nation of sick blobs.

Just today, an article in the WSJ, states that during this recession, Americans are getting even fatter because they are buying the cheap foods. Why are bad foods cheap? Well, as we can see, they will end up in your shopping cart and they will eventually make you sick. So, who profits? The makers of this stuff that doesn't deserve the term "food" and contains not only absolutely no nutrients, they contain ingredients Frankenstein might have come up with. And a bit further down the food chain of corporate voraciousness, the insurance companies, the hospitals, the Pharma industry. Thats my conspiracy theory.

And its not really that far-fetched, if you think about it.

Most know, the US is one of the "fattest" countries around. All you have to do is travel a bit to see the difference. I did an experiment once, stood in one place in the center of Seattle, and took photos of passers-by. Not great at statistics here, but I'd say that 95% of the people who passed me by were fat. Obese fat.

America is the land of extremes: anything is possible. Unfortunately, the anything possible philosophy goes both ways. You get the extremely overweight, mostly people who cannot afford (or think they cannot afford healthy options) and the other extreme, the super skinny buffed plastic surged Barbie creations we get to see on all media outlets as the supposed "goal". That's how we are supposed to look like. That's what we are lead to believe is the ideal.

Well, I can tell you, both extremes are just plain wrong and bad for your health. In between these two huge dichotomies, are the evil empires. The afore-mentioned industries. Add to that the livelyhood of fitness centers, sales of diet books, weight watcher programs, sales of magazines and fad crash diets......the list goes on and on. Don't get me wrong, I am not railing against self-help books and articles and endorsement of good health. What I am against is the creepy pervasive stench of intentional dumbing down to keep all these industries growing at an alarming rate and to the tune of huge profit margins.

Why is it that in the poorer areas of cities, the streets are plastered with fast food joints? Giving the residents easy access to the worst options possible? Does the over excessive consumption of fizzy drinks, salty foods, artificial additives manipulate the common sense gene? Can someone explain to me how it makes sense to opt for a bag of potato chips as opposed to an apple or a carrot? That buying a can of diet coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Powerade, Sprite, 7up is preferable to just drinking plain water? What is happening to this country? Why is a burger preferable over a bowl of rice? Or oatmeal? Or vegetable soup? There is no argument that makes any of these processed foods preferable over things that actually grow on trees or sprout out of the ground.

Its not rocket science to chrissake to know this. If it doesn't grow on trees or bushes, if its manufactured, its bad for you. And by bad, I am talking death-threateningly bad. Cancer, diabetes, obestity. The percentage of people with diabetes, cancer and major health problems are one of the highest in the world. In the world. Currently, the US ranks nr. 3 after India and China on diabetes. Certainly, not all diseases can be attributed to nutrition or the avoidance of certain foods. Nevertheless, a decent diet and occasional exercise can only be a positive thing, surely.

The effect of these products do not only affect your physical well-being. US ranks nr. 1 in mood disorders, according to a report . Over-sugared, over-salted, over fizzified........is that a surprise? Healthy mind means healthy body and vice versa.

Use your common sense. Go back to the roots. Take that literally. People, do not let your health be gradually undermined by these Big Brother tactics, because thats what this is. You are nothing without your health. You do not need fitness centers, you do not need Weight Watchers, or Jenny Craig, or Dr. Kildare. You need common sense. And if that gene is recessive, something needs to be done to educate parents and children. If you've got the money to pay a monthly fee to LA Fitness or whatever - great. But a run or brisk walk in the park is free. No excuses.

According to some reports, the USA ranks nr. 1 in people over 15 with a BMI of over 30%. While all this information can be misleading as some state, you don't need to look at statistics. Just look around you.

You know, I totally get it, in times of recession, there is depression. And a lot of us look for comfort food. Hey, I do. I eat cheeseburgers, I eat fries. I drink Coke Zero. I don't work out everyday. Far from it. But I think I have a healthy balance. And I can thank my mom, who was a constant ranter against all processed foods. Anyone rememer Jack Lalanne? Well, I do.

And people, its grassroot time here. Not talking about the retards being led by the corporations out there "tea bagging". I am talking about food that grows........and is not manufactured.

Easy, right? Seriously, you can have all the money in the world, the greatest job, you can have it all, but you cannot buy health. Thats where it starts. Your body is the only thing you've got that is truly yours. And should be treated with the utmost care.