1349 - 2,000 Jews are burned at the stake in Strasbourg.
1949 - United States charges the USSR with deporting 14 millions into labor camps.
COINCIDENCE? I think NOT!
"It is enough that the people know there was an election. The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything."
- Uncle Joe Stalin
"Voting machines used by as many as a quarter of American voters heading to the polls in 2012 can be hacked with just $10.50 in parts and an 8th grade science education."
- Argonne National Laboratories
FROM THE CHURCH OF INEFFABLE STUPIDITY:
I recently took Honey shopping, creative food items for her, and scotch for me. I was sporting my brand new Village Atheist t shirt from FFRF (Freedom From Religion Foundation). Didn't even think about wearing it, since it so clearly spells out how I think. It was warm, very warm for a January, and my shirt was in plain view for all to see.
Then something happened. Actually several things. This woman was leaving the store when she glanced at my T-Shirt. She stopped, put her hand to her open mouth, in obvious horror, and gave me the most evil, nasty look that she used only once before, when she came home early and found her husband in bed with her sister.
At first I was confused as to why. Then, glancing at my shirt, I looked her in the eye and gleamed my nicest possible smile. Not a smirk (which has often been compared to the Cheshire Cat's), but a full blown out and out smile.
Her only words followed: "You're evil! You're . . . you should be in jail!"
Her method of showing Christian love, no doubt.
Another couple had followed her out of the store to the parking lot, unaware of her hate-filled gaze. Then, they heard her words and looked at me, wondering what just happened. Then, they both saw my T-Shirt, and quickly understood what happened. The guy started to laugh - at her, and his partner, a woman in her quite pretty 30s, could not stop her own giggle as she gave me two thumbs up.
Perhaps some background would help. I live in der sudensuburbs of Chicago, in which churches far outnumber bars (How I let that fact escape me when I move here, I will never know) Within a two mile radius, there are 14 churches, (our city council foolishly refused a permit for a mosque to take over a bankrupt church building, and later lost all honor in the following litigation) all christian based, and two pubs.
The necks are so red here, that I swear people use sun lamps on them. McCain out polled Obama by 18 points, even though Cook County (Chicago) in general was a landslide for him. I even had a complaint about one of my steel statues, a 6 foot high gargoyle, with large wings folded behind him. He stood erect. And I mean erect, with a foot long cock. Luckily both the police and city manager agreed that it was an impressive piece of art, and fit in nicely with my other pieces. They did ask that I turn it slightly to his erection wasn't quite the first thing that people saw when they drove by.
In other words, to say that this area is conservative is like saying that Sarah is an idiot, Michelle is brain damaged, or that Mitt is unelectable.
- - -
I confess that I have been watching the spectacle more commonly known as the GOP Nomination process with unmitigated joy and pleasure. Not content with pushing the president past the center, to the right (at least in his first two years) they have leap-frogged over each other, trying to grab their own holy grail - the Teabugger vote.
At the same time, the horrible counsel from Bill Daley has finally been silenced in the Oval Office, and the results have been tremendous. For the first time in years, we finally see someone staring down the GOP nuts and refusing to play their games. (This new spine has led to Obama's approval rating going over 50%, a rare place until now)
The result is that a oddball nutcase, a senator kicked out decisively, most likely a card carrying member of Opus Dei, is now ahead in the polls across the country. Even better, with the exception of South Carolina, the turnout for the GOP has fallen since 2010 - a non-presidential year. Interestingly, the GOP turnout in 2004 was 1.5% greater than 2008. Right now, the 2012 turnout looks like that fall in GOP turnout is accelerating, not reversing. The fact that GOP leaders are far more conservative, and frankly, obscenely aggressive about it, is having an impact.
The reality (ies?) is this. There is no liberal media bias, except printed in the scripts of RW talk radio. Even worse, the majority of the people are told by corporate media that they are conservative, until you ask them specifics. If you hear something often enough, it must be true. But, a clear eyed look at reality, especially on medicare, social security, cutting military, stopping wars, protecting reproductive rights of women, and on so many more issues, and the results are stunning. We are, for the most part, a liberal-moderate country, with the unfortunate and embarrassing acne-like outbreaks of wild-eyed, bible based, craziness, such as is present in the Bible Belt.
The most pleasing thought after looking at the self-imposed GOP mess? The further nuts and off the rails they go, the more likely we win both houses and keep the presidency.
- - - -
No sermon would be complete without an honor role. The Church of Ineffable Stupidity proudly presents today's sAINTs.
1. Pastor Cyprian Meier (ND) Convicted of taking financial advantage of a vulnerable adult. (Stealing $29000 from a paralyzed church member)
2. Father Kevin McAuliffe (NV) Convicted of mail fraud and stealing $650,000 in church funds to underwrite his gambling hobby.
3. Luis Barbos, Raimundo Gomes, & Edilson Duarte (Brazil) Convicted of molesting multiple choir boys and altar boys. They filmed their rapes, and sold the videos for additional profit.
4. Minister Jeremy Fulton (NY) Convicted of raping five young girls at his baptist church.
5. Arnold Mathis (FL) Accused of forcing oral sex with one boy. Parents now believe that over 30 boys were accosted, raped, and abused.
Breaking news:
The Jesuits claim to be doing good work in Haiti. In fact, they brought 21 boys to Iowa to attend a Jesuit run school, Fairfield University, with room, board, and books included. While there, a jesuit professor, Douglas Perlitz, repeatedly sexually assaulted them. They finally had enough and sued.
Pastor Stephen Galiher (Pat Robertson's employee) was tooling around in the Ministry's beamer (what the FUCK is a christian ministry doing providing beamers to their pastors?) while wielding a 0.24 blood alcohol level. He hit and killed David Rhodes in the process. because of all his good works, he got five years probation.
Now, that's ineffably stupid.