GODLESS LIBERAL EMBRACES HELL

Privacy Declared Obsolete

2009-10-17T02:36:00.005-05:00

Just because you think you're being watched, that doesn't mean you're paranoid. Not these days. Or at least, not if you use the internet.

Internet browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer; Firefox; Chrome) need to be revamped to allow us a modicum of privacy and to allow what's done in the seclusion of our own homes and on our own computers, to stay in our own homes and on our own computers. Not to be collected as part of a monumental database to be used for whatever nefarious purposes the government/business/hacker has in its convoluted mind.

Or is personal privacy a concept belonging to a bygone era? Go to the website mentioned below and you'll have an inkling of what I'm talking about. . . and make sure to click on About, and then on some of the items in the column on the left.

We already know that the American government is working at making it ever easier to spy on whatever citizen it may even suspect of terrorist tendencies. If such techniques as these (but much more advanced, of course!) provide it with incomplete and misleading results, or if it decides to alter the actual results to support its unfounded suspicions, Heaven help the innocents. And that could be you or me.

Now put that sort of spy technology also into the hands of the best and brightest intellects who are employed by big corporations, or who are going solo in pursuit of power and monstrous bank accounts, and we have a vastly greater number of eyes upon us. Not to mention the occasional insane extremist out there.

Oh, but I forgot! We have more pressing problems to worry about, right? The economy, health care, insurance, etc. . . They are of the utmost importance, yes. Yet without freedom, and privacy, we have nothing.

Let's hope that privacy isn't truly obsolete, and that it isn't too late.

(See: What the Internet Knows About YOU.)

Self: Only the Slender Are Worthy‏

2009-08-16T13:08:00.001-05:00

Self Magazine recently incensed a great many of its female readers when it chose singer Kelly Clarkson of American Idol fame to grace its cover -- and then apparently chose to Photoshop her picture to make her appear considerably thinner. Self features "fitness, nutrition, health, and beauty advice," and this August issue touts on its cover, "Total Body Confidence," with Kelly saying, "Stay true to you. . ."

Yet given this admittedly Photoshopped (i.e., digitally enhanced or modified) cover, Self is saying that Clarkson wasn't good enough as she appeared in real life, and the editor's blog post on their website, try as it might, did not convince me otherwise. Why didn't the magazine just choose another of the cookie-cutter beauties we usually see on covers emphasizing flawless looks, sex appeal, and youth? (Although I understand even these models are Photoshopped as well, to make them seem perfect.)

I suppose the aim was to celebrate Clarkson for her talent, drive, and confidence, not to mention making a profit off her ardent fans. At any rate, Self has severely undercut its credibility, if it ever had any, by claiming to preach to girls and women, Be the best that you can be, and now revealing its credo as, Only the slender are worthy.

Men may snicker, along with those lucky females who stay forever thin without trying, but an endless deluge of this dogma in its myriad forms is very effective brainwashing. And it does not serve to convert us into dainty eaters with petite figures, but instead drums into us the damaging lesson that we will be judged and found wanting, because extra weight makes us inferior human beings.

Don't Say That! (On Talk Radio)

2009-06-24T11:57:00.001-05:00

I listen to "talk radio" (no, not Dr. Laura and not Rush Limbaugh!), and after years of simply rolling my eyes, grimacing, and shaking my head at the opening words of the average caller, I now present examples of What Not to Say:

Hello, thank you for taking my call! Long time listener, first time caller! Oh, I need to turn my radio off? Hold on for just a minute then; sorry! I'm back now. You don't want me on speakerphone? Okay; there. Can you hear me? Hello, how are you? Beautiful weather here; yesterday it was spitting rain and grey, and my weatherman Carl on Channel 4 says tomorrow it will be 90 degrees and humid -- it's not the heat, it's the humidity! I was telling the girl who answers your phone -- she's really very sweet, you should pay her more! -- how much I love your show! You are my favorite host since Merv Griffin! Remember that show you did two and a half years ago on another subject? By the way, are you related to the Smithtown Joneses by any chance? Well, my mother said to say hi and that she just loves you! I know I'm supposed to make this brief, so I just have three quick questions, and then after that I'll have a little followup. I forget your guest's name -- what was her name again? No, that other lady! How do you spell that? Is that a Russian name? Small world, my neighbors down the block came from Russia! Anyway, first I have to give you a bit of background information. Back in 1982 -- or was it '83? I know it was the year of the awful flood in the dinky town to the south. . . What? You have to move on? But I didn't get to ask my questions!

Bear in mind that on radio talk shows you may be allowed only a few seconds to voice your question or comment. But at least that means less time for all this inanity!

Burqas Not Welcome in France

2009-06-23T09:03:00.002-05:00

President Sarkozy of France addressed Parliament on June 22nd and spoke out boldly in favor of banning the burqa there. The black or blue, tent-like garment is frequently worn by Muslim women in Islamic countries to maintain modesty and prevent triggering sexual desire in men.

The burqa covers the wearer so completely that surely she is unrecognizable. With the most extreme forms of this attire only the woman's eyes and the bridge of her nose may be visible, as well as her hands and shoes. Such a covering can be hazardous when crossing a busy street because it restricts the field of vision. All individuality is forfeited, and the women so dressed put me in mind of the unfortunate "Elephant Man," the Englishman Joseph Merrick, who sometimes resorted to covering his face in public to avoid frightening or offending others during the latter 1800s.

I agree with Sarkozy that the burqa is not religious expression, it is the subjugation of women who should be liberated from this ugly imposition that can't help but erode their spirits and sense of worth.

Here are some of President Sarkozy's words --

It is a question of freedom and of women’s dignity.

We cannot accept in our country women imprisoned behind bars, cut off from social life, deprived of identity.

The burqa is not a religious sign, it's a sign of subservience, a sign of debasement -- I want to say it solemnly. It will not be welcome on the territory of the French Republic.

Chicago Radio Host Waterboarded

2009-05-23T11:08:00.001-05:00

Americans are still arguing over whether "waterboarding" is torture. We have been using this technique to obtain information from our captive terrorist suspects -- anything to obtain a confession, it seems. And it seems, understandably, that the victims of this and other brutalities we have inflicted will say anything to make the torture stop. So what is the information worth that we have acquired in this way?

"Waterboarding" doesn't seem to be a fitting term. "Forced drowning" is more accurate.

The outrageous radio show host, Erich "Mancow" Muller of WLS in Chicago, a right-winger, volunteered to be waterboarded, after having expressed his opinion that it was not torture. Take a look at how that went!

More on the topic here.

Atheist Dawkins' Five Minute Interview

2009-05-19T01:42:00.005-05:00

Richard Dawkins, author of the bestselling book on atheism called The God Delusion, is an acclaimed British evolutionary biologist. Last year I received in the mail an ad for the magazine Free Inquiry, published by the Council for Secular Humanism. Included was a note from Richard Dawkins encouraging me to subscribe. His opening paragraph:

If you live in America, the chances are good that your next door neighbours believe the following: the Inventor of the laws of physics and Programmer of the DNA code decided to enter the uterus of a Jewish virgin, got himself born, then deliberately had himself tortured and executed because he couldn't think of a better way to forgive the theft of an apple, committed at the instigation of a talking snake. As Creator of the majestically expanding universe, he not only understands relativistic gravity and quantum mechanics but actually designed them. Yet what he really cares about is "sin," abortion, how often you go to church, and whether gay people should marry. Statistically, the chances are that your neighbours believe all that -- and they can vote.

I think that sums up Christianity rather nicely!

Below is a quickie interview of Dawkins from BBC News online:

Celebrities and news-makers get grilled in exactly five minutes by Matthew Stadlen in a series for the BBC News website.

RichardDawkins.net is "The Official Richard Dawkins Website."

A Skeptical Look at Passover

2009-04-09T23:58:00.005-05:00

Since I'm not religious, I had to look this up. Jews observe Passover this year beginning yesterday, Wednesday the 8th, at sunset. According to Wikipedia:

Passover. . . is a Jewish and Samaritan holy day and festival commemorating God sparing the Hebrews when he killed the first born of Egypt, and is the seven day Feast of the Unleavened Bread (it lasts eight days in the diaspora) commemorating the Exodus from Egypt and the liberation of the Israelites from slavery.

My knowledge of Passover comes almost entirely from the classic 1956 movie The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston as Moses. I view religion of any stripe as being on a par with ancient Greek and Roman mythology. In the video below, comic and political pundit Marc Maron of the internet show Break Room Live gives us his thoughts on our present version of "The Ten Plagues" of the Old Testament:

Also see the article posted on the e-zine Slate which is called, A Skeptic's Guide to Passover: Scientific explanations for the parting of the Red Sea, the 10 plagues, and the burning bush. It's worth a read.

Depressant Drug for the Annoyingly Cheerful

2009-04-06T11:43:00.002-05:00

A news video about a prescription drug just approved by the FDA, from The Onion. Because we're all imperfect, and we all need Big Pharma to make us into better people, right?

I'm as Mad as Hell!

2009-03-17T12:41:00.008-05:00

A timely and relevant rant from the satirical 1976 movie, Network. The senior news anchor Howard Beale vents his outrage on live TV in this now classic speech, hitting a nerve with the people, while his cynical network can only see ratings and dollar signs --

I don't have to tell you things are bad; everybody knows things are bad. It's a depression. Everybody's out of work, or scared of losing their job. The dollar buys a nickel's worth, banks are going bust, shop-keepers keep a gun under the counter, punks are running wild in the street, and there's nobody anywhere who seems to know what to do, and there's no end to it.

We know the air is unfit to breathe and our food is unfit to eat. And we sit watching our TVs while some local newscaster tells us that today we had fifteen homicides and sixty-three violent crimes, as if that's the way it's supposed to be!

We know things are bad, worse than bad -- they're crazy.

It's like everything everywhere is going crazy, so we don't go out anymore. We sit in the house, and slowly the world we're living in is getting smaller, and all we say is, "Please, at least leave us alone in our living rooms. Let me have my toaster and my TV and my steel-belted radials, and I won't say anything. Just leave us alone." Well, I'm not going to leave you alone.

I want you to get mad!

I don't want you to protest, I don't want you to riot, I don't want you to write to your Congressman, because I wouldn't know what to tell you to write. I don't know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the Russians and the crime in the street. All I know is that first, you've got to get mad. You've gotta say, "I'm a human being, god damn it! My life has value!"

So, I want you to get up now. I want all of you to get up out of your chairs. I want you to get up right now, and go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell, "I'M AS MAD AS HELL, AND I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THIS ANYMORE!"

Songs for a Broken Heart, Part 2

2009-03-09T12:59:00.010-05:00

(In no particular order, with links to YouTube videos -- I'm not necessarily recommending the videos, just the songs. Also, although I found all these songs on YouTube, many may soon be pulled down due to copyright infringement. If that happens, you may only find this statement, or something similar: "This video has been removed due to terms of use violation.")

Nobody Knows, The Tony Rich Project
The End of the World, The Carpenters
Baby Grand, Billy Joel & Ray Charles
Just When I Needed You Most, Randy VanWarmer
How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, Michael Bolton
How Do I Live, Trisha Yearwood
Alone Again, Gilbert O'Sullivan
Without You, Mariah Carey
Since I Don't Have You, The Skyliners
Love Has No Pride, Linda Ronstadt
Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain, Willie Nelson
Since I Fell for You, Dusty Springfield
Am I That Easy to Forget, Jim Reeves
Long Long Time, Linda Ronstadt
Are You Lonesome Tonight, Elvis Presley
My Strongest Weakness, Wynonna Judd
I Can't Stop Loving You, Jim Reeves
Stand Tall, Burton Cummings
Only the Lonely, Roy Orbison
All Out of Love, Air Supply
Nights in White Satin, The Moody Blues
In Dreams, Roy Orbison
Against All Odds, Phil Collins
Send in the Clowns, Judy Collins
(In the Arms of the) Angel, Sarah McLachlan

Songs for a Broken Heart, Part 1

2009-03-09T11:01:00.012-05:00

Can't Cry Hard Enough, The Williams Brothers
It's a Heartache, Bonnie Tyler
Unbreak My Heart, Toni Braxton
What's Forever For, Michael Martin Murphy
At This Moment, Billy Vera & the Beaters
Crying, Roy Orbison & k.d. lang
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams
All By Myself, Eric Carmen
Nothing Compares to You, Sinead O'Connor
Water From the Moon, Celine Dion
Yesterday, The Beatles
Broken Hearted Me, Anne Murray
Only Women Bleed, Alice Cooper
Love Hurts, Nazareth
Insensitive, Jann Arden
You Don't Bring Me Flowers, Barbra Streisand & Neil Diamond
Never Gonna Fall in Love Again, Eric Carmen
I'll Never Fall in Love Again, Tom Jones
I've Done Enough Dyin' Today, Larry Gatlin
Starry Starry Night, Don McLean
How Much I Feel, Ambrosia
I Go Crazy, Paul Davis
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Bee Gees
I Can't Make You Love Me, Bonnie Raitt
MacArthur Park, Richard Harris

Ranking Two Presidents Named George

2009-02-23T18:22:00.001-06:00

The 22nd of February was George Washington's birthday. C-SPAN's Historians Survey of Presidential Leadership, the results of which were just released, ranked him at number two, second only to Lincoln. According to C-SPAN, "a cross-section of 65 presidential historians ranked the 42 former occupants of the White House on ten attributes of leadership." Rounding out the top five were Franklin and then Theodore Roosevelt, and Truman.

And how did George W. Bush rank? He came in at 36th. (I'd say that was quite generous.) No doubt he will just shake this off and say he was misunderestimated, and that the history books in a century or two will be wise enough to appreciate what he accomplished during his terms in office. "History takes a long time for us to reach," he once remarked.

George Mason University, VA, conducted a History News Network Poll last March about then-President Bush, which got responses from 109 historians. "98.2 percent assessed the presidency of Mr. Bush to be a failure while 1.8 percent classified it as a success." And, "more than 61 percent of the historians concluded that the [Bush] presidency is the worst in the nation's history."

Here are some further excerpts from the April 1st HNN article written by Robert S. McElvaine about their poll:

. . .Among those who responded are several of the nation's most respected historians, including Pulitzer and Bancroft Prize winners.

"No individual president can compare to the second Bush," wrote one. "Glib, contemptuous, ignorant, incurious, a dupe of anyone who humors his deluded belief in his heroic self, he has bankrupted the country with his disastrous war and his tax breaks for the rich, trampled on the Bill of Rights, appointed foxes in every henhouse, compounded the terrorist threat, turned a blind eye to torture and corruption and a looming ecological disaster, and squandered the rest of the world's goodwill. In short, no other president's faults have had so deleterious an effect on not only the country but the world at large."

"Bush does only two things well,” said one of the most distinguished historians. “He knows how to make the very rich very much richer, and he has an amazing talent for f**king up everything else he even approaches. His administration has been the most reckless, dangerous, irresponsible, mendacious, arrogant, self-righteous, incompetent, and deeply corrupt one in all of American history.”

. . .another remarked that Bush's "denial of any personal responsibility can only be described as silly."

Mr. Bush, George Washington would surely agree, if he were alive today at age 277, that you belong at the bottom of the heap, and that posterity will revile your name.

Obama Reads Bush's Letter

2009-02-08T12:49:00.026-06:00

In accordance with tradition, outgoing President Bush left a letter in the Oval Office for his successor. Performer Jordan Peele and writer Owen Burke now reveal the contents of that very private letter.

Obama Reads Bush's Letter - watch more funny videos

Beware of Zombies!

2009-02-05T14:43:00.018-06:00

A clever prankster changed the message on this Texas road sign. I love it!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

President Obama's Inaugural Address

2009-01-20T13:52:00.004-06:00

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because We the People have remained faithful to the ideals of our forbears, and true to our founding documents.

So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land -- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America -- they will be met.

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.

On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.

We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted -- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things -- some celebrated, but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.

Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions -- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act -- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions -- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.

What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them -- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works -- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account -- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day -- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control -- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart -- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort -- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus -- and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West -- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment -- a moment that will define a generation -- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends -- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism -- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility -- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence -- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed -- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have traveled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:

Let it be told to the future world...that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive ... that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet [it].

America. In the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.

Photos of Palestinian Life & Death

2009-01-09T14:53:00.000-06:00

Photos from Palestinian Mothers, who can only pray that their families survive another day, in a land of exploding bombs and desperate food shortages.

Israel, how many deaths are enough?

(These photos were posted by Nahida, of Jerusalem, Palestinian Territory, Occupied, on the website Palestinian Mothers.)

Singing Horses Game

2009-01-08T14:50:00.002-06:00

A silly cartoon with nice a cappella voices that you make sing or silence by clicking on the horses! Just a pleasant diversion.

NLG Condemns Israeli Massacre of Gazans

2008-12-29T22:43:00.002-06:00

Today's NLG press release:

The National Lawyers Guild Condemns Illegal Israeli Massacre of over 300 Gazans, Calls for Ceasefire and Urges Participation in Protests
Monday, December 29, 2008, 01:57 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 29, 2008
Contact: Marjorie Cohn, NLG President, marjorie@tjsl.edu; 619-374-6923
Radhika Sainath, NLG Free Gaza Committee, radhika.sainath@gmail.com; 917-669-6903

New York. The National Lawyers Guild (NLG) condemns Israel's massive bombardment of the Gaza Strip which has left over 300 dead and 1,400 wounded, with the tolls mounting. The Israeli Air Force dropped more than 100 bombs in dozens of locations throughout the Gaza Strip as children left school on Saturday. The dead include men, women and children in school uniforms.

"International law forbids the targeting of civilians," said Radhika Sainath, a civil rights attorney and member of the Free Gaza Committee of the NLG. "Israel must comply with laws of war and the Fourth Geneva Convention." Today's massacre marks an escalation of Israel's two-year blockade of the Strip which has deprived 1.5 million Palestinians of necessary food, medicine, fuel and other necessities. In November 2008, the United Nations stated that it had run out of food to feed over 750,000 needy Gazans.

Israel claims that the attack is in response to Palestinian rocket fire, which caused no recent Israeli deaths and few injuries. However, Israel's "rolling bombardment" and impending ground invasion is grossly disproportionate in light of the minimal damage caused by Palestinian rockets. “The law of war prohibits collective punishment and the targeting of a civilian population disproportionate to military necessity. Israel has flouted both these prohibitions, that follow its illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and its sealing of Gaza, subjecting Gazans to near starvation,” said Marjorie Cohn, NLG president and a professor of international law at Thomas Jefferson School of Law. “The Human Rights and Security Assistance Act mandates that the United States cease all military aid to Israel, which has engaged in a consistent pattern of gross violations of internationally recognized human rights.”

Israeli military spokesman Avi Benayahu stated that the Israeli bombardment of Gaza was "only just the beginning," showing utter contempt for international norms and the lives of innocent Palestinians. The Guild calls on the entire international community, and the United States in particular, to demand an end to Israel's blockade of the Occupied Territories and its murderous assault on the Palestinian people. We urge everyone to join in the demonstrations planned across the country in opposition to this latest attack on the rule of law by Israel and we call on both sides to immediately reinstate the cease fire.

Founded in 1937 as an alternative to the American Bar Association, which did not admit people of color, the National Lawyers Guild is the oldest and largest public interest/human rights bar organization in the United States. Its headquarters are in New York and it has chapters in every state.

A listing of planned demonstrations and protests in the USA can be found on the NLG site below the press release, here.

Elements of Christmas 2008

2008-12-25T20:39:00.002-06:00

Christmas is special to me even though I'm an atheist and wasn't raised in a religious family. My parents were Protestant by default, in a vague kind of way. When I was little, a magical Santa came every year to bring presents. As an adult I view the story of Jesus as a myth and I focus on the aspects of Peace, Hope, and Joy.

This year I was happy to hear The Chipmunks' song again, and the weirdly dark Grinch tune. I like the playfully sexy Santa Baby by Eartha Kitt, too. (Sadly, she passed away on the 25th at age 81.) I love the traditional songs as well. About the only ones I truly dislike are Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer, All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth, and Something's Stuck Up in the Chimney (which turns out to be Santa, in case you're lucky enough not to have heard this one). At last I found a version of I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus that I actually do like, by John Mellencamp! Mostly I listened (for free) to Slacker.com's Seasonal genre, a wonderful source for music of all kinds.

And this year I played with ElfYourself, "brought to you by OfficeMax," where you could "Turn friends and family into dancing elves!" It was produced by JibJab, which has done some memorable political send-ups. To me at least, the ElfYourself dance videos were hilarious! JCPenney's department store offered a cyberspace punishment for any man not giving his lover JCP diamonds: The Doghouse. The offender's photo could be posted on this handy site.

I appreciate the classic movie It's a Wonderful Life as much as anyone but don't feel the need to see it every December. Instead I enjoyed the warmhearted comedy Elf for the second year. Buddy (Will Ferrell) is a human raised as an elf at the North Pole who goes to New York to find his real dad. An overgrown misfit of an elf, he stands out among other adult humans as much for his childlike sense of wonder as for his bumbling style. The quirky musician Leon Redbone also adds to this movie's charms.

Turning to cold reality, I got my white Christmas, plus a numbing 3° high and enough ice to disable my car for a few days just before the holiday. My ice melt product had no effect when I sprinkled it on the sidewalk. Kids no doubt cheered the school closings! Much of the nation experienced similar weather.

Rev. Fred Phelps, the man who loves to hate, made it into the public eye once again by telling us that believing in Santa Claus is a ticket to Hell for our kids. Phelps is known for picketing the funerals of gays. Is he mentally ill? And James Dobson's Focus on the Family organization made a list to tell us who was naughty and who was nice so we'd all know which merchants to patronize. The criterion? Did they say "Merry Christmas," or did they forget about Jesus and instead say "Happy Holidays"? Seriously!

Overspending and materialism is wrong at Christmas -- or anytime. Children only want more and more if you always indulge them, and will grow into adults who mindlessly consume goods without gaining emotional fulfillment. Those who were raised frugally can be brainwashed by advertising. The entertaining movie What Would Jesus Buy?, which features The Church of Stop Shopping and warns of the coming Shopocalypse, makes this point well.

Every Christmas brings to mind for me a certain passage in the famous children's book, Little House on the Prairie. The author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, based it on her own pioneer life. Little Mary and Laura are ecstatic with their gifts, all of which were in their stockings hung from the fireplace. Each of them receives a tin cup, a peppermint stick, a tiny heart-shaped cake, and a new penny.

I tend to see December 25th as anti-climactic, something of a letdown after all the long, fantasy-laden buildup. Anymore it is a quiet day for me. There is no tree in my house because my dog and cat would demolish it. I feel a bit guilty after that 12 ounce bottle of eggnog with an incredible 750 calories. My holiday is unworthy of the artist Norman Rockwell, or printmakers Currier & Ives, and I can feel really low at times. Yet I know that I'm more fortunate than a great many others. And so my spirits rebound in spite of the frequently frigid weather and the too short hours of daylight. Which is the reason for this holiday, after all.

W's Nightmare Before Christmas

2008-12-18T12:51:00.005-06:00

From Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films --

The Bush administration isn't about to let democracy or the will of the people stop them from further ruining this country before they leave office. Knowing he can't get his long list of favors to his Republican cronies through Congress, Bush is doing a last minute end-run, jamming as many rules through the executive branch as he can during his waning days in power. These so-called "midnight regulations" will allow factories to pollute more, further restrict women's access to abortion services, cut off aid to needy families in the middle of a recession, and much more -- all without Congress' oversight or approval. It's wrong, it's antidemocratic, but, sadly, it's legal.

Greenwald recommends the Rolling Stone article, Bush's Final F.U.

This Brave New Films video is a parody of The Night Before Christmas, combining a touch of humor and a serious message. Send friends a link to SantaBush.com to use as an informational, Christmasy e-card.

Santa Claus Is Watchin' You!

2008-12-12T12:30:00.002-06:00

. . . Consider yourself warned! This is a humorous music video of a Ray Stevens Christmas song.

Prop 8 -- The Musical

2008-12-06T11:21:00.006-06:00

In California a month ago, the majority of the people who went to the polls voted in favor of Proposition 8, a ban on gay marriage. I see it as discrimination, and would have voted against it had I been a resident there.

Some famous names in show business have made a clever, three minute musical to protest the ban. Conceived and written by Marc Shaiman (playing piano), it is a cyberspace hit. The performers include Jack Black (as Jesus), John C. Reilly, Neil Patrick Harris, Kathy Najimy, and Margaret Cho. Enjoy!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Xmas Lolcat

2008-12-05T12:36:00.004-06:00

A colorful holiday photo from ICANHASCHEEZBURGER.COM -- see the kitten?

Satire: G.W. Bush Library Museum

2008-11-30T13:41:00.002-06:00

This is an excerpt from The George W. Bush Library / A Tribute to Incompetence, by Allen L. Roland --

A highlight of the museum will be the ROOMS OF DECEIT, which include:

1. The Hurricane Katrina Room, which is still under construction.
2. The Alberto Gonzales Room, where you can't remember anything.
3. The Texas Air National Guard Room, where you don't have to even show up.
4. The Walter Reed Hospital Room, where they don't let you in.
5. The Guantanamo Bay Room, where they don't let you out.
6. The Weapons of Mass Destruction Room (which no one has been able to find).
7. The Iraq War Room. After you complete your first tour, they make you go back for a second, third, fourth, and sometimes fifth, tour.
8. The Dick Cheney Room, in the famous undisclosed location, complete with shooting gallery.
9. Plans also include: The K-Street Project Gift Shop -- where you can buy (or just steal) an election.
10. The Airport Men's Room, where you can meet some of your favorite Republican Senators.
11. Last, but not least, there will be an entire floor devoted to a 7/8 scale model of the President's ego.

Of course, there will be an autographed copy of My Pet Goat, which is in a climate-controlled, laser beam protected, heatproof, shatterproof case.

To highlight the President's only positive accomplishments, the museum will have an electron microscope available to help you locate them. Good luck.

Karma for Coulter

2008-11-26T03:12:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I came across some news on the web about Ann Coulter, the gangly, six-foot, incendiary-tongued right-wing pundit and author. Seems she has fallen and broken her jaw and must have have it wired shut.

Those of us on the political left can't help but feel that in a sense this is her comeuppance from the universe for her innumerable vitriolic remarks hurled at liberals and many others. Coulter has a new book coming out at the end of December, which needless to say bashes Democrats and President-Elect Obama. She must be champing at the bit, figuratively, at least, to make the rounds promoting her latest. Not to mention the strain of being forced to spend the Thanksgiving holiday all but mute. (Frankly, she doesn't look like she'll care about missing the feasting.) And then her 47th birthday is the eighth of December.

Coulter's statements have often seemed to be nothing less than prosecutable libel or slander, but, possessing a law degree, she wouldn't likely make herself vulnerable to a serious lawsuit. She has earned her fortune, and stays in the heady limelight, through her moonstruck rantings. Coulter is the darling of the right-wingers, saying what they may not dare to. For example:

God gave us the earth. We have dominion over the plants, the animals, the trees. God said, 'Earth is yours. Take it. Rape it. It's yours.'
It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact.
Liberals love America like O.J. loved Nicole.
I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much... how do we know their husbands weren't planning to divorce these harpies? Now that their shelf life is dwindling, they'd better hurry up and appear in Playboy.

This last statement was written about four 9/11 widows.

So all I would say to Ann Coulter is -- I've never seen you so appealing, and silence has never been so golden.

Although I believe she still has the use of her hands, for writing. . .

How Low Can We Go?

2008-11-25T22:16:00.005-06:00

The writer H.L. Mencken remarked, "No one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people." Showman P.T. Barnum supposedly quipped, "There’s a sucker born every minute."

I use these quotations to voice my opinion of two new products sold online, The Beerbelly, and The WineRack. Maybe I am the last in the nation to hear about them, but today they did come to my attention, and I had to search them out on the internet just because they sounded so, umm, god-awful.

I hate to think that I am possibly helping to advertise them, but here are brief descriptions. The Beerbelly is a "sling" worn over the stomach which has a "bladder" to hold 80 oz. of beer. The sellers claim that when a shirt is over this, the user will merely appear to be a man with a fat, fleshy, beer belly. The beer is sucked through tubing.

The WineRack is similar but for women, so it hides 25 oz. of an alcoholic beverage inside a bra, also giving the wearer a larger bust size in the bargain.

I wonder how many of these will be under Christmas trees this year? Just what the alcoholic and the underage drinker were needing! They are advertised as being great for sneaking beer into concerts, parties, sporting events, and movies. So will paunchy males and busty females now have to submit to searches for beer bladders and tubing? Even worse, I heard about these products on Air America Radio, and a writer was relating how he successfully wore a Beerbelly device to board a plane while researching just how secure our airports really are.

In regard to these fine examples of American ingenuity, I have to wonder -- does Homer Simpson know about these yet?

Vampires for Good Christian Girls

2008-11-24T23:43:00.007-06:00

The new vampire movie Twilight is earning big bucks. I might like it, but I'm content to wait till Redbox offers it as a dollar rental. It's said to be romantic and pretty bloodless, and I generally avoid movies that do have blood and violence. Except for the occasional zombie flick. Or vampire flick. . . How can you make a real vampire story without it being bloody, anyway?

Twilight is based on a hugely popular series of novels geared toward teen girls. I understand that the novels are "moral" in that they have no sex scenes. That's fine -- sexuality and soft porn is pushed onto us from every direction these days, and I find it worrisome to consider how it may be affecting children and young teens. It's good that there are current books and movies available without graphic sexual content, so that young people who aren't ready for the subject can steer clear of it, and others will discover that a story can indeed be riveting without it.

But perhaps the author of Twilight is actually peddling abstinence only. In my view Christianity is way too interested in our sex lives, and has convinced legions of devoted followers that sex before marriage is a sin. That's a very personal decision, I feel, and I also believe that it's an unrealistic promise to exact from a young person who is biologically imbued with a burning urge to mate and procreate. Planned Parenthood is around for just this reason.

On Slate.com, one of the women bloggers suggested an interesting analogy. But first let me quote from Wikipedia:

True Love Waits (TLW) is an international Christian group that promotes sexual abstinence outside of marriage for teenagers and college students. . . created in April, 1993. . . In addition, they promote sexual purity, which encompasses not only abstaining from intercourse before marriage, but also abstaining from sexual thoughts, sexual touching, pornography, and actions that are known to lead to sexual arousal.
-- And now the Slate blog post:

THE XX FACTOR: Slate Women Blog About Politics, Etc. . .
True Love Waits (for a Vampire)
Posted Monday, November 24, 2008 10:23 AM By Hanna Rosin

I know none of you are 13-year-old girls, but did any of you see Twilight this weekend? It's a movie about vampire love based on the Harry Potter-for-girls blockbuster series by Stephenie Meyer, a Mormon mom. I loved it, but what struck me most is how much it's an advertisement for the True Love Waits movement. High-schooler Bella Swan falls in love with Edward Cullen, who it turns out is a vampire. He thirsts for her blood, gives her desperate yearning looks. But he controls himself. He is part of a clan of "vegetarian" vampires who have taught themselves to live on animal blood and pass in the human world. In one amazing erotic scene, he shows up in her bedroom and says he will kiss her if she holds really, really still, because if she moves he won't be able to control himself. (By which he means kill her.) They kiss once, and then spend the night talking and snuggling in her room. The problem the True Love Waits movement could never solve is how to get teens to stop after one kiss. This is why the movement failed, except among a small minority of the super committed, who saved even the first kiss until after marriage. The answer, which never seems to have occurred to conservative Christians, is to date a vampire.

A Deluded Republican

2008-11-14T22:47:00.004-06:00

This is a piece that can easily be found on the internet. I think it makes its point well.

Day in the Life of Joe Middle-Class Republican

by John Gray of Cincinnati, Ohio, July 2004
Joe gets up at 6 AM to prepare his morning coffee. He fills his pot full of good, clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards. He takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. His medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised.
All but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employer's medical plan because some liberal union workers fought their employers for paid medical insurance; now Joe gets it, too. He prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. Joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry. Joe takes his morning shower, reaching for his shampoo; his bottle is properly labeled with every ingredient and the amount of its contents because some liberal fought for his right to know what he was putting on his body and how much it contained. Joe dresses, walks outside and takes a deep breath. The air he breathes is clean because some tree-hugging liberal fought for laws to stop industries from polluting our air. He walks to the subway station for his government subsidized ride to work; it saves him considerable money in parking and transportation fees. You see, some liberal fought for affordable public transportation, which gives everyone the opportunity to be a contributor.
Joe begins his work day; he has a good job with excellent pay, medical benefits, retirement, paid holidays and vacation because some liberal union members fought and died for these working standards. Joe's employer pays these standards because Joe's employer doesn't want his employees to call the union. If Joe is hurt on the job or becomes unemployed, he'll get a worker's compensation or unemployment check, because some liberal didn't think he should lose his home because of his temporary misfortune.
It's noontime; Joe needs to make a bank deposit so he can pay some bills. Joe's deposit is federally insured by the FSLIC [FDIC?] because some liberal wanted to protect Joe's money from unscrupulous bankers who ruined the banking system before the Depression.
Joe has to pay his Fannie Mae-underwritten mortgage and his below-market federal student loan because some stupid liberal decided that Joe and the government would be better off if he was educated and earned more money over his lifetime.
Joe is home from work; he plans to visit his father this evening at his farm home in the country. He gets in his car for the drive to Dad's; his car is among the safest in the world because some liberal fought for car safety standards. He arrives at his boyhood home. He was the third generation to live in the house financed by Farmer's Home Administration because bankers didn't want to make rural loans. The house didn't have electricity until some big government liberal stuck his nose where it didn't belong and demanded rural electrification. (Those rural Republicans would still be sitting in the dark.)
He is happy to see his dad, who is now retired. His dad lives on Social Security and his union pension because some liberal made sure he could take care of himself so Joe wouldn't have to.
After his visit with Dad, he gets back in his car for the ride home. He turns on a radio talk show; the host keeps saying that liberals are bad and conservatives are good. (He doesn't tell Joe that his beloved Republicans have fought against every protection and benefit Joe enjoys throughout his day.) Joe agrees. "We don't need those 'big government' liberals ruining our lives; after all, I'm a self-made man who believes everyone should take care of themselves, just like I have."

Change and Hope!

2008-11-04T21:59:00.006-06:00

Dare I say it? It looks like Barack Obama will be our next president! Hurray!!! I have never followed an election this closely in my life, and America desperately needs a leader with the intelligence, the vision, and the compassion which George W. Bush has totally lacked. This brought a smile to my face:

November 4, 2008
McCain aides see 'no path to victory'
Posted: 10:23 PM ET
From CNN Correspondent Dana Bash
(CNN) – Two senior aides to John McCain see "no path to victory," given the night's results so far. The two advisors, who were crunching numbers for the Republican contender, were responding to a question via e-mail from CNN's Dana Bash, who has been covering the McCain campaign. The aides asked not to [be] named because the campaign is not commenting on internal discussions. Three states that went Republican in 2004 have gone for Democrat Barack Obama, according to CNN projections — Iowa, New Mexico and Ohio.

Vote for a Better America

2008-10-30T12:59:00.002-05:00

A Slate V cartoon:

Steal the Election Once, Shame on Me, Steal it Twice. . .

2008-10-22T12:06:00.004-05:00

This is an e-mail I received from Florida Congressman Robert Wexler:

I saw it with my own eyes: The Bush and GOP machine stole the 2000 election and the presidency in Florida (not to mention Ohio in 2004) and the results have been catastrophic for our nation and the world.
Don't take my word for it - read the dissent of Supreme Court Justices Stevens, Breyer and Ginsberg in the absurd legal decision of Bush v. Gore: "Although we may never know with complete certainty the identity of the winner of this year's Presidential election, the identity of the loser is perfectly clear. It is the Nation's confidence in the judge as an impartial guardian of the rule of law."
Back in 2000, in Florida, I witnessed the votes of World War II veterans thrown away and GOP thugs bully the Miami Dade elections office into stopping a recount. I swore to myself that never again would the votes of Americans be thrown away and replaced by the votes of appointed judges. Following the 2000 election, I spent 7 years fighting to remove the DIEBOLD electronic machines from Florida and to install a voter verified paper trail which we accomplished last year.
I have bad news: They are trying again to silence our votes.
Most people associate the 2000 election with paper "chads" and the Supreme Court's tragic decision. Yet the voter suppression in 2000 went way beyond not counting votes – from illegal roadblocks near minority precincts to the complete purging of legitimate voters from the rolls through what is called "voter caging "– the practice of using databases to improperly delete voters.
Now, we are seeing signs of voter caging again in both Michigan and Florida.
In Michigan, the state is using a list of foreclosures to purge voters (many of which are still legitimate voters in their districts).
In Florida, my home state, the Republican led Supervisor of Elections is aggressively applying a new law designed to limit voter fraud by summarily deleting voters who might have – as part of a clerical error – a different driver's license or social security number than was put in the database.
If legitimate, legal voters are denied access to the voting booth – we risk a repeat of 2000, in multiple states.
We must remain vigilant, not just in defense of our economy, but in defense of our rights as Americans.
I am working with my colleagues in Congress to call attention to this matter, but I encourage you to contact your state elections supervisor and demand that they allow every person who claims to be a legitimate voter to submit a provisional ballot. [Greg Palast, Thom Hartmann, and others believe this is ineffective. -BD, Blogger]
There is a system in every state to deal with provisional ballots – to verify their legitimacy after the fact.
Voter caging is a threat to our (already challenged) democratic principals. Please join me and pass this email along to spread the word.
If you have not already signed up at www.wexlerforcongress.com, and would like to be on this list, please sign up today.
Sincerely,
Congressman Robert Wexler
DONATE
Paid for by "Wexler for Congress"
PO Box 810669 Boca Raton, FL 33481

Looks Good, But Obama Needs Us!

2008-10-20T20:48:00.002-05:00

Those of us who can't stand the thought of a President McCain and a Vice President Palin must all turn out to vote, or the right-wing with their dirty tricks will claw their way into office even if Obama and Biden are the true winners! We need a landslide to be safe. Stay informed; check at the site at the top right to make sure you can vote; and fight it out rather than settling for a provisional ballot (sometimes called a placebo ballot).

"Steal Back Your Vote," the Movie (Preview)

2008-10-17T01:31:00.007-05:00

From muckraker extraordinaire Greg Palast and the esteemed Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. -- a 15 minute preview of his upcoming 40 minute documentary on vote stealing. This may be happening again with our 2008 election.

Steal Back Your Vote! from Greg Palast on Vimeo.

Also see:

STEAL BACK YOUR VOTE! downloadable comic book to make sure your vote will be counted. A donation of any amount is requested.
Rolling Stone: It's Already Stolen

"Uncaged -- YES on Prop 2"

2008-10-07T15:48:00.006-05:00

Clever and catchy musical cartoon from the Humane Society makes a serious point that isn't too grim to watch. (See the preceding post for further information.)

California's Prop 2: Vote Yes, for the farm animals

2008-10-06T18:42:00.009-05:00

The Humane Society is asking for donations to pay to run the ad below which tells Californians to support Proposition 2. Only about a month remains before our country votes for our next president, and in California, Prop 2 will be on the ballot as well. Factory farm animals all across the USA should be allowed this little improvement in their sad lives. The Humane Society says:

We wouldn't force our pets to live in filthy, cramped cages for their whole lives, and we shouldn't force farm animals to endure such misery, either.
. . . if Prop 2 passes in California, it will lead to more humane farming practices across the nation.
. . . Prop 2 is a modest measure that simply allows animals in factory farms the ability to move and stretch their limbs.
We don't think it's too much to ask, but the factory farming industry is peddling propaganda and scare tactics about Prop 2's supposed burden on egg factory farmers -- when even industry economists concede that production costs will increase less than a penny per egg.
____________________________________
Paid for by Yes on Prop. 2 - Californians for Humane Farms, sponsored by The Humane Society of the United States and Farm Sanctuary (major funders), and other animal protection groups, family farmers, veterinarians, and public health professionals.

YesonProp2.com

_______________________

"Fun with John and Sarah"

2008-09-20T17:24:00.010-05:00

Thanks to Slate.com for this charming political satire in the form of a children's book. (If you believe that John McCain's daughter actually wrote this, I've got an icy bridge to nowhere to sell you!)

Not Just Meat!

2008-09-17T20:50:00.016-05:00

Before they were meat they were animals. Animals capable of feeling pain. And these animals were confined in shockingly tiny cages, called gestation crates (photo above), and tended by sadists. PETA has video evidence of it.

This was life at a factory farm in Iowa for hogs and baby pigs -- a life of beatings, eye gouging, and rape. And more. Frankly, the text stories were enough for me to deal with, but as I've said, there is video, too.

In my own life I have been focusing on my too-skimpy budget, my relationship, my friend's troubles, the presidential campaign. To much of the public this outrage is almost a non-story, since we all have our personal issues to handle, and this country's economic tribulations now hang over our heads every day and dominate the news, along with the 2008 campaign. Still, I say we are lesser beings if we don't face this and correct it.

Pain is pain, whether you were born a human or a pig. Suffering and pain are not felt exclusively by people. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs, according to scientists, although intelligence shouldn't enter into it. . . except for the lack of it in these (criminal) workers.

A smaller, family-owned farm -- as opposed to the large-scale, corporate-owned "factory farm" -- is no picnic, either, for livestock during their brief time on this earth. Pigs must endure having their tails cut off, and castration for the males, without the benefit of painkillers. Later they are trucked to the slaughterhouse -- or call it the meatpackers or the packing plant if you want to sound nicer -- and it may be a long ride of many hours, with the animals overcrowded and unable to lie down to rest. And the end is often brutal rather than quick and painless.

What if this were your cat or dog? They are comparable animals. Farm children in the 4-H organization in fact often raise a single animal from the time it is a baby, lavishing it with the best of care, grooming it, coming to love it, treating it almost as a pet. And I'm sure the animal bonds with the child as well, probably feeling love for him or her in its own way. When this very privileged animal is grown, it's taken to compete at the local fair, then sold there at auction, to be slaughtered for meat. I can't see this as being good for the animal or the child.

These abusive factory farm, or hog plant, workers are depraved, angry individuals. I wouldn't trust them around children, either. In my opinion such an extremely spartan, congested environment cultivates callousness toward animals. In these operations money trumps all. Is it any wonder that some of us refuse to eat meat?

PETA's story can be found here: Undercover Investigation Reveals Hormel Supplier's Abuse of Mother Pigs and Piglets

MSNBC featured the story by AP: Undercover video shows workers abusing pigs

Also see:

Humane Society's Factory Farming Campaign

Rolling Stone magazine's Boss Hog revealing "Pork's Dirty Secret: The nation's top hog producer is also one of America's worst polluters" (Dec. 2006)

And for those who can handle viewing it, a graphic video expose' showing the terrible plight of various livestock animals. WARNING: Video begins playing immediately.

PETA's Meet Your Meat

Obituary for a 3-Year-Old: Eight Belles

2008-05-04T14:42:00.011-05:00

A three-year-old was sacrificed to Mammon, the god of wealth, on Saturday. She ran her heart out and nearly won, at the price of her life. At the Kentucky Derby's wire she had two broken legs and had to be destroyed. Eight Belles died for our sins.

I fell in love with animals as a young child, and my greatest passion was reserved for horses. It was an obsession for me when I was young. I used to regret that I was born too late for the heyday of real "horsepower," but when I matured a little I realized that humankind's mechanization was a blessing for the horse. In this country, at least, the horse no longer had to be a slave to those who only wanted his speed or strength and didn't respect him as a living creature with value beyond dollars and cents.

Or so I thought in my innocence. When we're young we think in terms of black and white. Today's sport of horseracing, dubbed "The Sport of Kings," indeed boasts horse lovers as owners, riders, trainers, spectators, bettors, etc. But the poor creature is commonly sacrificed at the altar of Mammon. A colt of good bloodlines costs a bundle, and with great good luck, may become a champion who repays that many times over. He is pampered with the best of care, but by age two -- far before maturity at age 4 or 6, with bones yet to reach their strongest -- the twin demands of speed and weight bearing are loaded onto him.

There is an old saying among horsemen, "No foot, no horse." A running horse at certain points has all his considerable weight upon just one foot, and a broken leg is not such an uncommon thing with a youngster running at top speed with a weight upon his back. And with a large quadruped who can't adopt a new means of locomotion, recovery is protracted and dicey, and may be deemed an expense not worth taking. The champion thoroughbred Barbaro had the best, most advanced veterinary care money could buy, and plenty of time, but one broken leg from a race still claimed his life in the end. Two broken legs are a definite death sentence.

It is such a sad thing in this supposedly enlightened age that we take beautiful animals that are advanced enough to find joy in life, and callously use them up and dispose of them for our entertainment and monetary gain, and all this while they are still youngsters! Horses have benefitted our human civilization for many centuries, and this is how we repay them. When will humanity learn? It took us so many lifetimes to come to the realization that humans are not the only ones capable of feeling pain. But advanced thinkers like Leonardo da Vinci saw the light.

In the time of horse-drawn carriages and plows in England, Anna Sewell wrote a sensitive book from one horse's point of view, and it can still teach us compassion today. "Black Beauty" tells of horses suffering docked (amputated) tails, useless to flick away biting flies, and carriage horses with their heads and necks held relentlessly high with harness straps, so the poor animals couldn't use them for balance when walking or trotting, as nature intended, and no doubt their necks must have ached terribly. All in the name of fashion, or convenience.

As any human should be able to see, we still have far to go in learning to respect the other animals who also live on this planet. I refuse to believe that they were all "put here" just to benefit us, and therefore we may use them any way we see fit. We humans must outgrow that heartless notion. It is childish, cruel, and egocentric, and has done great harm to other species and to this planet in general.

Regard for others is a hallmark of maturity, and although, relatively speaking, our human species is still a youthful one, surely we have been on this earth long enough to have learned that lesson. I don't believe that the other animals (yes, humans are animals, too!) were put here to serve us and die for us. Eight Belles died for human greed, though she was a higher animal capable of feeling pleasure and pain. When will we learn?

Mark Twain: The War-Prayer

2008-04-08T23:24:00.010-05:00

"O Lord, our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with their little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sport of the sun-flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it -- for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet! We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts. Amen."

In accordance with Twain's request, this was published after his death.

Animal Bill of Rights

2008-04-07T02:40:00.016-05:00

[Note: This is from the Animal Legal Defense Fund. You can sign this by clicking on the title below to go to the petition on their site.]
A Petition to the United States Congress
I, the undersigned American citizen, believe that animals, like all sentient beings, are entitled to basic legal rights in our society. Deprived of legal protection, animals are defenseless against exploitation and abuse by humans. As no such rights now exist, I urge you to pass legislation in support of the following basic rights for animals:
THE RIGHT of animals to be free from exploitation, cruelty, neglect and abuse.
THE RIGHT of laboratory animals not to be used in cruel or unnecessary experiments.
THE RIGHT of farm animals to an environment that satisfies their basic physical and psychological needs.
THE RIGHT of companion animals to a healthy diet, protective shelter, and adequate medical care.
THE RIGHT of wildlife to a natural habitat, ecologically sufficient to a normal existence and self-sustaining species population.
THE RIGHT of animals to have their interests represented in court and safeguarded by the law of the land.