Guess What They Have in Mind for Homosexuals?

Those Assembly of God folks sure have a keen sense of humor. NOT.

It may not have been as gruesome as Mel Gibson's movie, but many parents and children got upset when a church trying to teach about Jesus' crucifixion performed an Easter show with actors whipping the Easter bunny and breaking eggs.

People who attended Saturday's show at Glassport's memorial stadium quoted performers as saying, "There is no Easter bunny," and described the show as being a demonstration of how Jesus was crucified.

Melissa Salzmann, who brought her 4-year-old son J.T., said the program was inappropriate for young children. "He was crying and asking me why the bunny was being whipped," Salzmann said.

Patty Bickerton, the youth minister at Glassport Assembly of God, said the performance wasn't meant to be offensive. Bickerton portrayed the Easter rabbit and said she tried to act with a tone of irreverence.

"The program was for all ages, not just the kids. We wanted to convey that Easter is not just about the Easter bunny, it is about Jesus Christ," Bickerton said.

Performers broke eggs meant for an Easter egg hunt and also portrayed a drunken man and a self-mutilating woman, said Jennifer Norelli-Burke, another parent who saw the show in Glassport, a community about 10 miles southeast of Pittsburgh.

"It was very disturbing," Norelli-Burke said. "I could not believe what I saw. It wasn't anything I was expecting."

Cooking for Jesus

I stole this recipe from Norbizness over at Happy Furry Puppy Time. It just sounds divine. (Hee hee, pun intended.)

(1) Resurrection Rolls: Give each child a marshmallow, this represents Jesus... Then wrap up the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll.. This represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after death... Place in a 350 degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes (The oven represents the tomb--pretend like it was three days!)... When the rolls have cooled slightly, the children can open their rolls and discover that Jesus is no longer there, HE IS RISEN! (The marshmallow melts and the crescent roll is puffed up, but empty). Alleluia.

Good Friday

Who casts not up his eye to the sun when it rises?
Who takes off his eye from a comet when that breaks out?
Who bends not his ear to any bell which upon any occasion rings?
Who can remove it from that bell which is passing a piece of himself out of this world?
No man is an island, entire of himself;
Every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less,
As well as if a promontory were,
As well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were:
Any man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in mankind, and
Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.

John Donne


Iraqi dead: 8,800 - 10,600 and rising
Coalition Forces: 744 and rising

How was Condiliar's Performance?

I confess I had little to no interest in Dr. Rice's testimony. No one in Bush's administration is capable of telling the truth. I listened to her briefly, trusting that I could find a summarization of her testimony in the blogosphere. I never expected it to be done as quickly and succintly as this. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Neal Pollack's summarization of Rice's testimony to the 9/11 commission:

Lie, lie, distortion, half-truth, pander, manipulation, pseudo-intellectual bombast. Dodge, dodge, feint, lie, dodge, avoid, subject change, lie, slander, pretentious generalization, character assassination, bald-faced lie.


Oversimplification, undersimplification, condescension, insult, insult, lie, avoidance of responsibility, avoidance of question about avoiding responsibility, cheap political point, utter, malicious lie.


Grimace, slither, dodge, lie, deliberate misinterpretation of history, nonpartisan character disparagement, narrative designed by public-relations experts to create maximum “connection” with American public. Appearance of professionalism, resoluteness, capableness, preparedness. Major omission of lie to create partial truth. Lie for political convenience. Lie for partisan gain. Lie to protect the economic interests of an incredibly small number of people. Reception of flattery. Dispersal of flattery. Abuse of good will afforbed by ten people who are trying to gather evidence without partisan bias. Backhanded dismissal of all criticsism. Denial of any responsibility in orchestrating what will almost certainly become the most tragic and bloody war of this generation.


Rinse and repeat.

I came across this over at NTodd's place.

Which Famous Homosexual are You?

I was quite disappointed that I wasn't the answer to my own question, but I'll settle.

Which Famous Homosexual are you?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey


This is from Diana. We're all feeling pretty bad today, so maybe this will lighten the mood somewhat.

I Yam Not a Drag Queen!
(although I played one once in a movie about my life)

Amy over at Blog Amy has the scoop on cross-dressing Republican state house candidate, Sam Walls, 64 of Johnson County. [For those not immediately familiar with Texas, Johnson County is south of Ft. Worth towards Waco.]

"... [P]ictures of Walls in women's clothing - several of which were provided to the "Fort Worth Star-Telegram" - began circulating late last week around Burleson and Cleburne, rival towns on opposite ends of the district.

"GOP Treasurer Roy Giddens, Jr., an elder statesman in the Johnson County Republican Party, met with Walls last week to discuss the photos and was assured there was nothing more than "cross-dressing" involved.

"And as far as Giddens is concerned, wearing earrings, a wig and high-heel shoes does not preclude Walls from becoming an excellent state representative.

"'I don't have a problem with cross-dressing,' Giddens said. 'There are lots of them. People think J. Edgar Hoover was one of the greatest Americans that ever lived. He was a cross-dresser.'"

I don't have a problem with cross-dressing either. Who says Texas hasn't come a long way?

Update: Via The Drudge Retort, we have pictures. I copped one, but if you want to see the rest, go visit the source.

Isn't he/she a beaut!

Let me say this about that: I believe in fashion freedom. Why should women get to wear pants and men can't wear skirts? If it seems I'm making fun of this poor sap, it's because I am. Republicans believe in one set of rules for themselves, and another set for the rest of us poor schmucks. Screw that. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Want to wear dresses and have affairs with your secretary of state, governor, be my guest. I just want to help you get the publicity you deserve. Remember though, until the world is safe for drag queens, it's safe for no one.

THIS is Fucking Brutal Murder!

"Late Tuesday, U.S. warplanes destroyed four houses, killing 16 children. "

Fuck you bunch of wingnuts. You make me sick to my stomach. Eat shit, Owen.

I'm Glad I Didn't Say That

Last week when I saw those awful pictures of the charred bodies of those four Americans, I became sick, literally. It was so gruesome. You know we Americans are real sensitive to that sort of stuff, especially when it happens to us. By the time the bodies had been reclaimed, I had learned that the men were mercenaries. Over the week-end, the major news organizations showed dozens of clips of these private security guys--hired guns, with their expensive sunglasses, guns on their hips. We learned that these guys have been recruited from the elite corps of all branches of the service. These guys are fierce warriors, and well paid. By Monday, they had names, then faces, then families.

Knowing all of this, it is not likely that these guys were there by accident. They didn't take a wrong turn, they were well armed and en route. They were attacked by rocket propelled grenades and automatic weapons, probably because they were an available target. Death was probably instant. Although we cannot know for sure. We're pretty sure they were already dead when the mob went into action to create their own "Mogadishu" moment. Several reports since then have made much to do of the fact that Iraqis are very cognizant of "Blackhawk Down" and the disturbing images within it.

This ugly sideshow has added much fodder to the campaign of the Wing Nuts on the right who say and do everything in their power to demonize Mulims, Iraqis, and liberals. TV from the beginning kept saying what a "brutal" murder it was. Bloggers on the right and bloggers on the left talked of the "brutal murder." Even Kevin Drum referred to the "brutal murder" of the four Americans. The drum beat on the right had begun, and everyone was using it, even the left. The four Americans were brutally murdered by a mob of subhumans, either Iraqi or muslim or both, for chrissake. We Americans like to whip up a fervor when we go to war. Demonization of the enemy is part of the process of whipping up fervor, and the race card is a strong temptation.

Oh, fucking A, I'm offended and shocked by the gruesome mutilation of bodies. A big difference in my mind though, when it comes to extending sympathy is the fact that the four Americans who suffered such awful indignities to their corpses, chose to be where they were. Our soldiers do not have the luxury of choosing to be there or anywhere else. I am offended when anyone says that the four men were brutally murdered while the five marines were only killed in action. I am offended when anyone says that the four men were brutally murdered and casually dismisses estimates of Iraqi casualties that conservatively are estimated at over 25,000. All death during war is brutal.

When I saw those fools in Falujah celebrating this Pyrrhic victory by descecrating those corpses, I got sick to my stomach. In a moment of prescient vision, I saw them turning on each other with the same viciousness. I saw Sunni against Shiite, Kurd against Turkoman and Sunni. There is a terrible civil war coming to Iraq. Bush and Co. will hang in there until June, regardless of American casualties (none of their kids are there), then declare victory and pull out. Bush's withdrawal from Iraq is going to make Reagan's withdrawal from Beirut look like a pageant. After that, he'll look us right in the eye and say, "We won. Anyone who questions our victory is disrespecting the terrible sacrifice of all those young men and women." The crazy wingnuts will jump for joy and call us sorry losers, traitors, even wingnuts.

Then I snapped out of it. Those visions can be disturbing.

I found Sunday's paper this morning, so I thought yesterday was today.

Brenda, warn us to put down our coffee first! Miss What's Up Down South has the world's best collection of excuses turned in by kids in an anonymous school district that needs to stay anonymous as she probably has grandkids going there. At first I thought these excuses might be made up by the kids. I was very good at making up great excuses and signing my mother's name. To this day, our signatures look alike. But back to my point. After reading several, I had this sudden and awful realization that these were written by the parents. Lord, help us. This was my favorite:

"Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the
Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it
was Sunday. "

A French Conundrum


Rick Freedman who writes Worlds on Fire has a post up on the controversial banning of the hijab in French public schools. He has provided for us a balanced discussion of the subject and invites our comments. Read his posting first and take your time to follow some of his links.

I admit to a prejudice against the islamic religion as I see it practiced around the world. Its imans call for death to Jews and homosexuals. Women are treated as chattel, subjected to the will of their fathers, their brothers, their husbands. Does the fact that many cooperate in their denigration as second class matter to me? No. Is slavery wrong if the slaves don't object to it? Yes, I think so. The French think so as well. To their horror, they realized there are ghettos in Paris and Marseilles where muslim women are terrorized by muslim fundamentalists. Being unable to constructively deal with this clash of cultural values, the French decided to declare a symbolic war against this fundamentalist terror, and for their first battle, they banned from public schools the hijab, a scarf popular with many western muslim women. Next to the burqa required in some muslim countries, the hijab seems quite modest. Just to seem fair, they banned yamulkas and religious symbols as jewelry, such as stars of david, even crosses if they're too big, but it was the hijab that they were going for.

The abuse of women in unassimilated muslim cultures does not belong to France alone. There are stories about the mistreatment of muslim women by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and even strangers coming to us from Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, even Australia. Indeed, every country which has opened its doors to immigrant workers has had to deal with the abuse of women in islamic culture. Islamic fundamentalilsm in Europe is like the camel sticking his nose into the tent. Slowly but persistently, it has sought to substitute itself for the laws and values of its host countries.

Should France do anything? You may not like the way your neighbor treats his wife, but unless he starts to beat her, you probably ought to stay out of their business. Even as uncomfortable as it makes you feel.

I empathize with the French for wanting to do something positive for young muslim girls. This law, while well intended, is doomed to fail. For this law to operate successfully, it requires a policeman at the door of each school, and that seems pretty oppressive. This law can only be successful if those at whom it is aimed cooperate. I don't see that happening.

It's a test of will between two determined opponents. France has chosen an unfortunate mechanism for reinforcing the secular nature of its schools.. It will fail and the problem will remain unresolved. The French will continue to struggle with it. Just as we do here.

Friday Cat Blogging



I haven't been able to express myself these past several days. Nothing is right. No words fit. There is a cloud passing between me and the sun, and its shadow chills me. It times like this, the best thing to say is nothing. Tonight I write. Right now I'm going for a 5-mile power walk with a co-worker through the streets of San Francisco.

Any Bets on Who's the First...


Cartoonist to come out with a drawing of Cheney holding a Dubya doll giving testimony to the 9-11 Committee? Am I the only one the see the ironic humor in this situation? If Iwere a cartoonist, I'd have it drawn and be famous by midnight on the West Coast. Whoever picks up on this, please give me my five minutes in the sun by crediting me for the idea. How do I call Mark Fiore?

What She Said

I recently blogged on the pledge of allegiance. Essentially I said it just isn't important to me. In my comments section, an anonymous visitor "YY", took the time to reflect on its effect on her/him as someone from a different culture than my own. So profound was this comment, in my mind, that I wanted to put it on the front page. Here it is:

"As a foreign (Japanese) kid in an American school in the fourth grade when first confronted with the pledge becoming familiar with the pledge was part of learning the new language. The act of reciting an oath to the flag of a country not my own (being just a visitor) did not bother me very much and I understood the politics of it for what it was. What always did bother me was the "under God" phrase.

"Growing up in the latter half of the twentieth century in a secular society, in a non-religious household, my natural inclination was toward, how shall I put it, atheism. I felt a greater deal of discomfort in acknowledging God than in proclaiming allegiance to country not my own.

"Americans typically would not be conscious of the invocation of God that occurs in context of authority as would a visitor from a more secular society. Sudden surprise of finding God reference occurs in typical instances: "In God We Trust" on the currency, in the pledge and in numerous instances of prayer as opening to gatherings. Being non-religious, these reminders do cause some discomfort, as blasphemy would to the religious. YY"

I don't think I could summarize the importance any more succintly than this. Thank you, YY. If you ever come back by this way, linger and get to know us. You are very perceptive and articulate. I'd like to get to know you better.

Taco Meatloaf

Now that I have your attention... Thanks, Lisa, it works.

This morning I went visiting, stopped by the Fulcrum to see what Charles2 had to say, and was introduced to Lisa who writes Kamakaze Kumquat. She was great. I didn't have a lot of time, but I read everything she had to say today including links, and still wanted more. So I went into her archives from day 1 to see who this woman is. She's my new best friend. I proudly add to to my list of Cousins in the Heartland. Hey, I llike that. I'm going to rename my blogroll that. Go visit and see what I mean.

What it Says

Amendment 1. Proposed September 25, 1789; ratified December 15, 1791.
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; ...

If Congress passes a law that says we are a nation "under God" then Congress has taken sides in the discussion as to whether or not there is a God. To require a group of school children to then affirm Congress' decision is forcing a religious concept on those children. It seems pretty clear to me.

If the Supreme Court says, "Dr. Newdow, sit down. You're incredibly silly for being here." I would probably agree with them. I think it's an incredible waste of effort and resources. In fairness though, I say that about a lot of issues with which I disagree. Dr. Newdow doesn't need to get your permission or mine to exercise his constitutional rights. It bothered him and he pursued it at his own expense and expertise all the way to the Supreme Court. That's his right. I still disagree with him on the importance, but then I'm a White, Protestant Christian, traditionally raised, so there is no doubt in my mind that the God being invoked is mine. I can afford to be cavalier about it.

As silly as I think Dr. Newdow is though, I have to say that I think he's absolutely right. I also think he's going to lose. Despite what the Constitution says, it means what five of nine justices says it means.

I predict the Supreme Court will allow under God to remain in the Pledge. Millions of kids will continue pledging their little hearts away, never giving any thought to what they're saying, just as they have for the past 100 years. I would like to propose some additional wording to the pledge. They can be tacked onto the end. Here's my proposed sentence: "And I promise to vote in each and all elections."

It would give it a lot more punch than invoking an indifferent God who really doesn't take sides in national disputes.

Friday Pet Blogging



Beauregard's an odd cat. Maybe all cats are odd. I don't know, this is my first. I grew up with dogs. We now have 11 years together. The person giving him to me gave me a line of bullshit about how he was from championship Maine Coon stock.
Maine Coons can get big, real big. Beauregard stopped growing at about 12 pounds. I realized Beau was not a Maine Coon at about 3 years of age when I visited a friend with a real Maine Coon like this one here.

I consider myself fortunate with Beauregard. He has a lot of character. He also enjoys people. I've had parties where it was wall to wall people, and Beauregard gets right in the middle. He doesn't like being treated like a stuffed animal. You may stroke him briefly, in an admiring sort of way. He is a cat after all. He doesn't like being picked up though. How would you like it if strangers 100 times your size picked you up and held you closely. He's not rude about getting away from you, just insistent. He doesn't run away from you once he's free either. It's not you he's rejecting. He just doesn't want to be picked up by a giant he's just met. He likes being on the same level as the company, so he sits on the back of the sofa, or the chair, or the stereo, or on top of my computer as I type--if I let him.

He greets me at the door when I get home, and follows me from room to room, talking. He has a rather small voice which sounds more like chirping than meowing. If I go to the garage, he follows me and hangs out while I putter. In the most charming of ways, he is my constant companion.

A Class Act

Norbizness over at Happy Furry Puppy sums up Richard Clark's testimony Wednesday, calling it a class act. I know a lot of words and their meanings, and I can't think of a word that better describes Clark than that. I thought his response to that idiot Jim Thompson was priceless.
"No, I don't think it's inconsistent at all. I think, as I said in your last round of questioning, Governor, that it's really a matter here of emphasis and tone. I mean, what you're suggesting, perhaps, is that as special assistant to the president of the United States when asked to give a press backgrounder I should spend my time in that press backgrounder criticizing him. I think that's somewhat of an unrealistic thing to expect." (Richard Clark in response to a question by Jim Thompson, former governor of Illinois.)

I haven't had much to say about the 9-11 Commission hearings. There are better people out there who are covering it. My expectations of this commission are absolutely zero. First, it was appointed by Bush & Co. The Republicans on it are party hacks and the Demoocrats on it are suspect. It is not the nature of American politicians to accept responsibility for anything, and that blanket indictment covers Democrats as well as Republicans. That made Richard Clark's apology to the families of the victims of 9-11 all the more poignant: "I also welcome the hearings because it is finally a forum where I can apologize to the loved ones of the victims of 9/11. To them who are here in the room, to those who are watching on television, your government failed you, those entrusted with protecting you failed you and I failed you. We tried hard, but that doesn't matter because we failed. And for that failure, I would ask -- once all the facts are out -- for your understanding and for your forgiveness." (Richard Clark in his opening statement on Wednesday.)

Drink Your Kool-Aid!

Go visit Jesse over at The Gotham City 13, via Michael at Musing's Musings. Kool-Aid. Quenching my thirstitude since I found Jesus. Brilliant, just brilliant. I may have to buy the poster.

Ennui

Listlessness and dissatisfaction. God, what a great word. I'm experiencing it right now. Not my first time, so don't worry for me. Too much.

I having a bit of a disconnect from everything right now. I know you all have felt it, feel it, will feel it, etc. etc. ad nauseum. Nothing matters. Nothing matters. Nothing matters. It doesn't matter how much they lie. It doesn't matter how much they get caught in their lies. They know that their side doesn't believe anything anyone says that's negative. Bush can fart between now and November and his mignons will swear he's singing, joining in the chorus, saying up is down, black is white. Bad is good. I want to focus my thoughts elsewhere. We need to stay balanced, too. Everyone, take a deep breath. Thanks for indulging me. I feel better already. Now, on to today's post.

Old Cat Man's rooster died today.



That's Big Daddy. That's what Old Cat Man called him. He probably called himself Sylvester, or something like that. Big Daddy died today. OCM is marking his passing by taking a moment.

If you haven't read Old Cat Man's blog yet, take a minute or two and stop by. OCM lives on a few acres on the side of a mountain somewheres in Colorado. I think he's in his 60s, retired in the sense of not having to go to an office everyday, but he's wide awake and paying attention, all the time, everywhere. He's also irreverently chronicling our times, cleverly using letters, a bit of photoshop, a sharp eye and biting comment. He and I are close in age and sentiment, yet worlds apart in our experience. As I get to know him, I learn everyday how much more we're alike than different. I'm Gay, he's straight. I live in a mad urban environment, he's up on a mountain in Colorado. Still, our lives and our goals have become interconnected. He may be a new friend to me, but damn, it sure seems close.

Big Daddy's death triggered a lot of thought and memory for me. I grew up in the country with chickens that lived in a yard with a rickety old chicken house with a couple of old roosters, one old, one a little younger. I thought it was natural selection until my cousin told me that it's customary to eat the ones that don't lay eggs, leaving an occasional rooster for whatever reason. You wanted a good rooster, though, cause when a hen decided to nest, you didn't want her incubating blanks.

We boys watched those roosters, too. Remember, we're farm kids. We know the score. That old rooster was getting himself some everytime he turned around. I sure liked that idea, once I learned what "getting some" meant. You hear people say if there is such a thing as reincarnation, they want to come back as a cat and just lie around all the time and purr and get fed. Yeah, and probably be castrated. Farm boys want to come back as roosters. Man, the odds may not be good for becoming Big Daddy, but if you made it, the rewards were great!

Old Cat Man, buddy, I'm with you tonight. Rest in peace, Big Daddy. You had your moment in the sun.

Stupid is as Stupid Does

From the Letters to the Editor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, via Michael at Musings Musings via Atrios.

"Too high a price on naughty words?"

"I was wondering why the Republicans believe that hearing a four-letter word on the radio is more damaging than death or catastrophic injury. Consider that the Bush administration wants to increase FCC fines for indecency up to $500,000 per violation per station, yet at the same time, it wants to restrict noneconomic damages in tort cases to $250,000 or $350,000.

"So if a DJ says a four-letter word on the radio, the harm is so appalling that a fine of $500,000 per word, per station is justified. But if someone is paralyzed, killed or otherwise catastrophically injured, the most the family could get for the (noneconomic) loss would be up to $350,000.

"Apparently, Republicans have reworked the children's adage about words never hurting to: 'Sticks and stones may break someone else's bones, but words will hurt me worsely.'"

Dennis Mulvihill.
(Mulvihill practices tort law.)

This is convoluted logic at its fundamentalist Republican finest. Fining stations for obscene words enhances the power of the state. Limiting the ability of the individual to obtain redress for injury, intentional and accidental, limits the individual. Hmmm. Oh, now I get it. I don't like it, but I get it. Saying "fuck" is dangerous. Getting "fucked" by bad doctors, sloppy hospitals, and such is just part of the risk each of us takes for being so fucking plebeian as to put ourselves in harm's way in the first place. What a brave new world Republicans want to create for us.