 "Thus says the Lord of hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; do not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise evil in your hearts against one another." - Zechariah 7:10 | |
 "Christianity is being concerned about your fellow [people], not building a million-dollar church while people are starving right around the corner. Christ was a revolutionary person, out there where it was happening. That's what God is all about, and that's where I get my strength." - Fannie Lou Hamer  God, we pray for all legislators, presidents, judges, and advisers. Give them wisdom and strength to lead, and the courage to seek justice for the poor and marginalized. Amen. | |
BUCKNACKT'S SORDID TAWDRY BLOG We should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive & well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate, bier or wein in hand, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming "WHOO-HOO, WHAT A RIDE!!!!!!"
30 September 2011
WORDS OF WISDOM FOR ALL OF US IN THESE DIFFICULT TIMES 30SEP11
29 September 2011
Attend a Rally & Public Hearing on the Keystone XL Pipeline 29SEP11
ANOTHER call to action against the keystone xl pipeline, this from the League of Conservation Voters.....
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10 Signs God Is Furious With the Right from ALTERNET 16SEP11
ENJOY!
Editor's note: the following is satire... for the most part.
Why is it that whenever disaster strikes, right-wing religious nuts seem to have all the fun? Some might say it's just because they're sadists, but they always seem to find the silver lining. 9/11? God's calling on America to repent! (No, not for it's foreign policy, you dummy!) Hurricane Katrina? It was that darned homosexual parade the organizers forgot to tell anyone about!
Whatever disaster strikes, there's always an up-side in religious rightland, always somebody to point the finger at with glee. How come they get all the fun?
So when the East Coast got a one-two punch last month, earthquake-hurricane within a few days of one another, it got me thinking. When another hurricane followed up afterward, it was more than I could bear. And so, I offer you a list of God's Top 10 Targets from a not-so-right-but-possibly-
There are at least three different ways to approach this subject, and we have examples of all three. First is to identify specific target groups for repeated offenses—sinners who just won't mend their ways. Second is to identify geographic targets for specific offenses—sin city or state, as the case may be. Third is to identify specific individuals.
1. Republicans, for bearing false witness.
It's not just one of the Ten Commandments -- the Bible has repeated warnings against slander, false testimony and plain old lying. But Republicans apparently think that God was talking to somebody else—the exact opposite of their usual assumption—especially since Barack Obama arrived on the scene. Obama was born in Kenya, he is a Muslim, he's a socialist, a Marxist, a fascist, he hates white people (like his mom and his grandparents), he hangs out with terrorists. It goes on and on and on.
God has repeatedly told them not to act like this—yet they pay Him no mind. It's not just Obama, either. When it comes to science, things get just as bad, be it evolution, global warming, reproductive health, or gender orientation; when the science isn't on their side, the lying and slander take up the slack. It's not just that the science is against them, you see. Scientists are fraudsters; they are always conspiring against God and his people, according to some of the more whacked out types—like GOP senators, for example. God may have a great deal of patience, but when folks start trying to drag Him into the mix, that's when the earthquakes and hurricanes begin.
2. The Religious Right, for ignoring Jesus on the separation of church and state.
More than 1,600 years before John Locke and 1,700 years before Thomas Jefferson weighed in on the subject, Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God those things which are God’s.” (What's more, he said that, in part, as a way of opting out of a tax revolt!) But the Religious Right defiantly continues to oppose Him. God's been extremely patient with them over the years, but that patience has finally run out, as the most anti-separationist elements of the Religious Right—known as dominionists—have come increasingly to the fore. Some might say they're embarrassing Him personally. Others will say it's starting to get really dangerous. Whatever the reason, God's had enough.
3. The nativist right and the GOP, for a rash of anti-immigrant laws.
“Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 22:21 could not be clearer—unless, of course, we switched from the King James Bible to the New International Version: “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”
But for some in the GOP, them's fightin' words. All they can think about is disobeying God. They are positively possessed with the Satanic spirit of disobedience. It began with Arizona's SB-1070 last year. And while a number of states followed Arizona's lead with anti-immigrant laws of their own, the most notorious was Alabama, which faced "a historic outbreak of severe weather" in April.
The same day the law was signed, Alabama’s Episcopal, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches filed a separate lawsuit, claiming the law unconstitutionally interferes with their right of religious freedom. Church leaders said the law “will make it a crime to follow God’s command.” Among other things, the suit said, “The bishops have reason to fear that administering of religious sacraments, which are central to the Christian faith, to known undocumented persons may be criminalized under this law.” If criminalizing Christian sacraments isn't inviting divine retribution, what is?
4. The predatory lending industry and all who enable them.
There are numerous Bible passages condemning usury. Typical of these is Exodus 22:25: "If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest." Naturally, the whole of modern capitalism is built on ignoring a broad reading of this. But predatory lending is a particularly egregious form of defiance. It's proved rather costly to our country as well.
A Wall Street Journal article on December 31, 2007 reported that Ameriquest Mortgage and Countrywide Financial, two of the largest U.S. mortgage lenders, spent $20.5 million and $8.7 million respectively in political donations, campaign contributions, and lobbying activities between 2002 and 2006 in order to defeat anti-predatory lending legislation. Such practices contributed significantly to the financial crisis that plunged us into the Great Recession. But it seems that wasn't a clear enough lesson, especially since those who lobbied most intensely benefited most from the bailouts as well, according to an IMF study. So earthquakes and hurricanes are an old school, Old Testament way for God to make his point.
5. The GOP, for its contempt for the poor.
For more than half a century, the GOP has attacked Democrats and liberals for their concern for the poor. At least since the 1980s, the neo-liberal wing of the Democratic Party has tried to distance themselves from the poor, and reposition the party as defenders of the middle class, instead. The GOP has responded with policies to impoverish the middle class as well, so that they can be safely demonized, too.
But the GOP's venom for all but the wealthy has reached new heights during the Great Recession. Not only should those who caused the crisis be taken care of while all others suffer—far too many national Democratic politicians seem to agree on that one—but a renewed rhetoric of contempt for the poor has emerged, in direct contradiction to what Jesus said, in Luke 6:20: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
Increasingly, it seems, Republicans don't think poor people are even human. In January 2010, South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Baurer (R) compared poor people to stray animals: He told an audience that his grandmother told him "as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed." He compared this to government assistance, which he said is "facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better." Then, in early August, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, the frontrunner for the GOP senate nomination, compared poor people to scavenging racoons. Talk like that is what causes earthquakes and hurricanes.
6. Privatized public utilities, for the worship of Mammon.
Public utilities are natural monopolies, totally unsuited to private enterprise, since there is no competitive marketplace. This, of course, makes them perfect targets for monopoly capitalists—Mammon's greatest worshipers.
Against them, God struck a mighty blow. In Mansfield, Massachusetts, which has had its own municipal power service since 1903, electrical service was restored for most customers within 24 hours after Irene hit, even though 4,000 out of 9,500 households had lost power—quite unlike what happened to nearby communities served by a commercial outfit. According to a local report, the storm “uprooted old trees and knocked down utility lines all over town.”
“Unlike homes and businesses in Easton, Norton and Foxboro, however, local customers did not have to wait for National Grid to respond with crews or listen to a recording on the telephone.... [M]uch of Easton waited three days for power to return and areas of communities such as Foxboro are still in the dark.” According to another report, about Foxborough, “The outrage expressed... is similar to the movie Network in the scene where people flung open their windows and said, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore.'”
Then there are a couple of geographically specific targets:
7. Virginia.
Virginia was the site of the earthquake's epicenter and the second state where Irene made landfall, so the state is a target-rich environment.
There's House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. On God's bulls-eye scale, the epicenter near Mineral, Virginia is in Cantor's district—a direct hit. And in budget negotiations this year, Cantor's contempt for the poor came through loud and clear. He's been the most aggressive congressional leader when it comes to budget-cutting and pushing the economy as hard as possible over the cliff. Then, after the earthquake hit, Cantor said any federal relief would have to be offset with spending cuts, and quipped, “Obviously, the problem is that people in Virginia don’t have earthquake insurance.” He reiterated his demand for offsetting cuts when Hurricane Irene hit shortly afterward—even though he voted against such a provision after Tropical Storm Gaston hit the Richmond area in 2004.
Then there's Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. No way he escapes God's wrath. Cuccinelli's widely criticized witch-hunt against eminent climate scientist Michael Mann represents the most extreme right-wing attack on the mythical “climate-gate” scandal, which consisted primarily of scientists making snide remarks about ignoramuses like Cuccinelli. He's all wrapped up in sin of bearing false witness. Which is where Hurricane Irene comes in—although it surely doesn't help that Cuccinelli is suing to keep people sick, and has told Virginia's colleges and universities that they can't ban anti-gay discrimination.
And, of course, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has tried to have it both ways with God, as well as with the people of Virginia. On the one hand, all the way back in 1989, he wrote a Christian Reconstructionist M.A. thesis, “The Republican Party’s Vision for the Family: The Compelling Issue of the Decade” at the College of Law at Pat Robertson’s Regent University. McDonnell's authorship of the thesis came to light during his 2009 campaign for governor, but because the establishment is in deep denial about Dominionism in general, and Christian Reconstructionism in particular, the full weight of his thesis never really sunk in. On the other hand, McDonnell has tried very assiduously to walk away from that past, given that almost no one wants to admit to such extreme views. He's wobbled back and forth on a number of issues, but generally tried to strike a reasonable demeanor—in sharp contrast to Cuccinelli. But God doesn't like folks who run hot and cold, which is why McDonnell's a target, too.
Finally, just to be a wee bit bipartisan about it, we need to include Virginia's Democratic Senator Mark Warner in our list—though with a bit of twist. On the day of the earthquake, Warner was scheduled to speak at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpepper, Virginia. He arrived about 10 minutes after the quake, according to the local Star Exponent, which reported:
8. North Carolina.
Hurricane Irene could have barreled directly into South Carolina, but it delivered a stiff upper-cut to North Carolina instead. And why not? Governor Bev Perdue tried her darnedest to protect the state. She vetoed its draconian budget bill, only to see her veto over-ridden. It too was an attack on the poor -- the bill didn't just fail to balance spending cuts with tax increases, it actually let a temporary one-cent sales tax expire, along with some income taxes on high earners, while cutting $124 million in local education funding on top of $305 million cut in previous years. Perdue also vetoed a highly restrictive abortion law—one that, among other things, has a 24-hour waiting period, and force-feeds anti-abortion propaganda to women seeking an abortion—call it the “Bearing False Witness By Doctors Act.” But that veto was over-ridden as well—by a single vote in the state senate. So, really, God's hand was forced on this one. He had no choice but to strike North Carolina, and strike it hard.
Finally, there are two individual targets to consider:
9. Rick Perry.
While the one-two punch of the Virginia earthquake and Hurricane Irene were far removed from Texas Governor Rick Perry's stomping grounds, God had not forgotten Perry, but was merely preparing to toy with him. Perry, after all, had responded to a terrible drought in Texas not by implementing any long-term policy measures (which might make Texas better able to deal with the prospects of more severe droughts to come as global warming impacts increase), but by calling on Texans to pray.
Back in April, Perry proclaimed the "three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas.” Since then, however, things have only gotten worse, as Timothy Egan noted in the NY Times “Opinionator” blog, "[A] rainless spring was followed by a rainless summer. July was the hottest month in recorded Texas history....Nearly all of Texas is now in 'extreme or exceptional' drought, as classified by federal meteorologists, the worst in Texas history. Lakes have disappeared. Creeks are phantoms, the caked bottoms littered with rotting, dead fish.”
Somehow, though, it seemed like most folks outside of Texas had no idea of Perry's failed prayer initiative. That's where God came in, following up Irene with the tantalizing prospect of a Gulf of Mexico storm that would finally bring relief to the Longhorn state. But alas no. First Tropical Storm Jose petered out entirely, then Tropical Storm Lee turned to Louisiana instead. If you pray with Perry, you obviously take the Lord's name in vain. As one frustrated Texan wrote on Reddit, “Perry's prayer has been answered. The answer was 'No'.” God is making things perfectly clear, as Richard Nixon would say: If you want someone praying for America in the White House, Rick Perry is not your guy.
10 God.
Yes, it's true, God Himself was one of the main targets of God's wrath, particularly during the earthquake, which did remarkably little damage to the living. But, as Rob Kerby noted at BeliefNet, churches took some pretty hard hits:
Why is it that whenever disaster strikes, right-wing religious nuts seem to have all the fun? Some might say it's just because they're sadists, but they always seem to find the silver lining. 9/11? God's calling on America to repent! (No, not for it's foreign policy, you dummy!) Hurricane Katrina? It was that darned homosexual parade the organizers forgot to tell anyone about!
Whatever disaster strikes, there's always an up-side in religious rightland, always somebody to point the finger at with glee. How come they get all the fun?
So when the East Coast got a one-two punch last month, earthquake-hurricane within a few days of one another, it got me thinking. When another hurricane followed up afterward, it was more than I could bear. And so, I offer you a list of God's Top 10 Targets from a not-so-right-but-possibly-
There are at least three different ways to approach this subject, and we have examples of all three. First is to identify specific target groups for repeated offenses—sinners who just won't mend their ways. Second is to identify geographic targets for specific offenses—sin city or state, as the case may be. Third is to identify specific individuals.
1. Republicans, for bearing false witness.
It's not just one of the Ten Commandments -- the Bible has repeated warnings against slander, false testimony and plain old lying. But Republicans apparently think that God was talking to somebody else—the exact opposite of their usual assumption—especially since Barack Obama arrived on the scene. Obama was born in Kenya, he is a Muslim, he's a socialist, a Marxist, a fascist, he hates white people (like his mom and his grandparents), he hangs out with terrorists. It goes on and on and on.
God has repeatedly told them not to act like this—yet they pay Him no mind. It's not just Obama, either. When it comes to science, things get just as bad, be it evolution, global warming, reproductive health, or gender orientation; when the science isn't on their side, the lying and slander take up the slack. It's not just that the science is against them, you see. Scientists are fraudsters; they are always conspiring against God and his people, according to some of the more whacked out types—like GOP senators, for example. God may have a great deal of patience, but when folks start trying to drag Him into the mix, that's when the earthquakes and hurricanes begin.
2. The Religious Right, for ignoring Jesus on the separation of church and state.
More than 1,600 years before John Locke and 1,700 years before Thomas Jefferson weighed in on the subject, Jesus said, “Render therefore unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God those things which are God’s.” (What's more, he said that, in part, as a way of opting out of a tax revolt!) But the Religious Right defiantly continues to oppose Him. God's been extremely patient with them over the years, but that patience has finally run out, as the most anti-separationist elements of the Religious Right—known as dominionists—have come increasingly to the fore. Some might say they're embarrassing Him personally. Others will say it's starting to get really dangerous. Whatever the reason, God's had enough.
3. The nativist right and the GOP, for a rash of anti-immigrant laws.
“Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Exodus 22:21 could not be clearer—unless, of course, we switched from the King James Bible to the New International Version: “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.”
But for some in the GOP, them's fightin' words. All they can think about is disobeying God. They are positively possessed with the Satanic spirit of disobedience. It began with Arizona's SB-1070 last year. And while a number of states followed Arizona's lead with anti-immigrant laws of their own, the most notorious was Alabama, which faced "a historic outbreak of severe weather" in April.
The same day the law was signed, Alabama’s Episcopal, Methodist and Roman Catholic churches filed a separate lawsuit, claiming the law unconstitutionally interferes with their right of religious freedom. Church leaders said the law “will make it a crime to follow God’s command.” Among other things, the suit said, “The bishops have reason to fear that administering of religious sacraments, which are central to the Christian faith, to known undocumented persons may be criminalized under this law.” If criminalizing Christian sacraments isn't inviting divine retribution, what is?
4. The predatory lending industry and all who enable them.
There are numerous Bible passages condemning usury. Typical of these is Exodus 22:25: "If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not be like a moneylender; charge him no interest." Naturally, the whole of modern capitalism is built on ignoring a broad reading of this. But predatory lending is a particularly egregious form of defiance. It's proved rather costly to our country as well.
A Wall Street Journal article on December 31, 2007 reported that Ameriquest Mortgage and Countrywide Financial, two of the largest U.S. mortgage lenders, spent $20.5 million and $8.7 million respectively in political donations, campaign contributions, and lobbying activities between 2002 and 2006 in order to defeat anti-predatory lending legislation. Such practices contributed significantly to the financial crisis that plunged us into the Great Recession. But it seems that wasn't a clear enough lesson, especially since those who lobbied most intensely benefited most from the bailouts as well, according to an IMF study. So earthquakes and hurricanes are an old school, Old Testament way for God to make his point.
5. The GOP, for its contempt for the poor.
For more than half a century, the GOP has attacked Democrats and liberals for their concern for the poor. At least since the 1980s, the neo-liberal wing of the Democratic Party has tried to distance themselves from the poor, and reposition the party as defenders of the middle class, instead. The GOP has responded with policies to impoverish the middle class as well, so that they can be safely demonized, too.
But the GOP's venom for all but the wealthy has reached new heights during the Great Recession. Not only should those who caused the crisis be taken care of while all others suffer—far too many national Democratic politicians seem to agree on that one—but a renewed rhetoric of contempt for the poor has emerged, in direct contradiction to what Jesus said, in Luke 6:20: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God."
Increasingly, it seems, Republicans don't think poor people are even human. In January 2010, South Carolina Lt. Governor Andre Baurer (R) compared poor people to stray animals: He told an audience that his grandmother told him "as a small child to quit feeding stray animals. You know why? Because they breed." He compared this to government assistance, which he said is "facilitating the problem if you give an animal or a person ample food supply. They will reproduce, especially ones that don't think too much further than that. And so what you've got to do is you've got to curtail that type of behavior. They don't know any better." Then, in early August, Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning, the frontrunner for the GOP senate nomination, compared poor people to scavenging racoons. Talk like that is what causes earthquakes and hurricanes.
6. Privatized public utilities, for the worship of Mammon.
Public utilities are natural monopolies, totally unsuited to private enterprise, since there is no competitive marketplace. This, of course, makes them perfect targets for monopoly capitalists—Mammon's greatest worshipers.
Against them, God struck a mighty blow. In Mansfield, Massachusetts, which has had its own municipal power service since 1903, electrical service was restored for most customers within 24 hours after Irene hit, even though 4,000 out of 9,500 households had lost power—quite unlike what happened to nearby communities served by a commercial outfit. According to a local report, the storm “uprooted old trees and knocked down utility lines all over town.”
“Unlike homes and businesses in Easton, Norton and Foxboro, however, local customers did not have to wait for National Grid to respond with crews or listen to a recording on the telephone.... [M]uch of Easton waited three days for power to return and areas of communities such as Foxboro are still in the dark.” According to another report, about Foxborough, “The outrage expressed... is similar to the movie Network in the scene where people flung open their windows and said, 'I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore.'”
Then there are a couple of geographically specific targets:
7. Virginia.
Virginia was the site of the earthquake's epicenter and the second state where Irene made landfall, so the state is a target-rich environment.
There's House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. On God's bulls-eye scale, the epicenter near Mineral, Virginia is in Cantor's district—a direct hit. And in budget negotiations this year, Cantor's contempt for the poor came through loud and clear. He's been the most aggressive congressional leader when it comes to budget-cutting and pushing the economy as hard as possible over the cliff. Then, after the earthquake hit, Cantor said any federal relief would have to be offset with spending cuts, and quipped, “Obviously, the problem is that people in Virginia don’t have earthquake insurance.” He reiterated his demand for offsetting cuts when Hurricane Irene hit shortly afterward—even though he voted against such a provision after Tropical Storm Gaston hit the Richmond area in 2004.
Then there's Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli. No way he escapes God's wrath. Cuccinelli's widely criticized witch-hunt against eminent climate scientist Michael Mann represents the most extreme right-wing attack on the mythical “climate-gate” scandal, which consisted primarily of scientists making snide remarks about ignoramuses like Cuccinelli. He's all wrapped up in sin of bearing false witness. Which is where Hurricane Irene comes in—although it surely doesn't help that Cuccinelli is suing to keep people sick, and has told Virginia's colleges and universities that they can't ban anti-gay discrimination.
And, of course, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell has tried to have it both ways with God, as well as with the people of Virginia. On the one hand, all the way back in 1989, he wrote a Christian Reconstructionist M.A. thesis, “The Republican Party’s Vision for the Family: The Compelling Issue of the Decade” at the College of Law at Pat Robertson’s Regent University. McDonnell's authorship of the thesis came to light during his 2009 campaign for governor, but because the establishment is in deep denial about Dominionism in general, and Christian Reconstructionism in particular, the full weight of his thesis never really sunk in. On the other hand, McDonnell has tried very assiduously to walk away from that past, given that almost no one wants to admit to such extreme views. He's wobbled back and forth on a number of issues, but generally tried to strike a reasonable demeanor—in sharp contrast to Cuccinelli. But God doesn't like folks who run hot and cold, which is why McDonnell's a target, too.
Finally, just to be a wee bit bipartisan about it, we need to include Virginia's Democratic Senator Mark Warner in our list—though with a bit of twist. On the day of the earthquake, Warner was scheduled to speak at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation in Culpepper, Virginia. He arrived about 10 minutes after the quake, according to the local Star Exponent, which reported:
- The building had been emptied of its staff and the approximate 75 people who came to hear Warner so the former governor talked from under a tree atop Mount Pony.
- “I was not going to mention the fact that one of the last times I was in Culpeper there was a tornado,” he said of an appearance years ago at CulpeperFest marked by wild weather. “If you don’t want me to come back, there’s an easier way to do this. If we start seeing frogs, it may be a sign of things to come,” he said.
8. North Carolina.
Hurricane Irene could have barreled directly into South Carolina, but it delivered a stiff upper-cut to North Carolina instead. And why not? Governor Bev Perdue tried her darnedest to protect the state. She vetoed its draconian budget bill, only to see her veto over-ridden. It too was an attack on the poor -- the bill didn't just fail to balance spending cuts with tax increases, it actually let a temporary one-cent sales tax expire, along with some income taxes on high earners, while cutting $124 million in local education funding on top of $305 million cut in previous years. Perdue also vetoed a highly restrictive abortion law—one that, among other things, has a 24-hour waiting period, and force-feeds anti-abortion propaganda to women seeking an abortion—call it the “Bearing False Witness By Doctors Act.” But that veto was over-ridden as well—by a single vote in the state senate. So, really, God's hand was forced on this one. He had no choice but to strike North Carolina, and strike it hard.
Finally, there are two individual targets to consider:
9. Rick Perry.
While the one-two punch of the Virginia earthquake and Hurricane Irene were far removed from Texas Governor Rick Perry's stomping grounds, God had not forgotten Perry, but was merely preparing to toy with him. Perry, after all, had responded to a terrible drought in Texas not by implementing any long-term policy measures (which might make Texas better able to deal with the prospects of more severe droughts to come as global warming impacts increase), but by calling on Texans to pray.
Back in April, Perry proclaimed the "three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas.” Since then, however, things have only gotten worse, as Timothy Egan noted in the NY Times “Opinionator” blog, "[A] rainless spring was followed by a rainless summer. July was the hottest month in recorded Texas history....Nearly all of Texas is now in 'extreme or exceptional' drought, as classified by federal meteorologists, the worst in Texas history. Lakes have disappeared. Creeks are phantoms, the caked bottoms littered with rotting, dead fish.”
Somehow, though, it seemed like most folks outside of Texas had no idea of Perry's failed prayer initiative. That's where God came in, following up Irene with the tantalizing prospect of a Gulf of Mexico storm that would finally bring relief to the Longhorn state. But alas no. First Tropical Storm Jose petered out entirely, then Tropical Storm Lee turned to Louisiana instead. If you pray with Perry, you obviously take the Lord's name in vain. As one frustrated Texan wrote on Reddit, “Perry's prayer has been answered. The answer was 'No'.” God is making things perfectly clear, as Richard Nixon would say: If you want someone praying for America in the White House, Rick Perry is not your guy.
10 God.
Yes, it's true, God Himself was one of the main targets of God's wrath, particularly during the earthquake, which did remarkably little damage to the living. But, as Rob Kerby noted at BeliefNet, churches took some pretty hard hits:
- “Churches seemed to bear the brunt of Tuesday’s 5.8 earthquake on the East Coast.
- “Significant damage was reported to Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral and St. Peter’s Catholic Church, historic St. Patrick’s Church near Baltimore, and two churches in Culpepper, Va., close to the epicenter — St. Stephen Episcopal Church and Culpepper Christian Assembly.”
SALISHAN; ELABORATE WELFARE HOUSING PROJECT IN TACOMA, WA
HERE is an e mail making the rounds, fanning the flames of hatred and ignorance that are so prevalent among the gop, tea-baggers and extremist right wing. Many people who forward lies like this are Christians and so would do well to check out the facts before participating in spreading lies, deceptions, propaganda, fear and hatred.
Elaborate Welfare Housing Project
Claim: Video clip shows Tacoma housing development "built for illegal immigrants" who are receiving "refugee pay."
Example: [Collected via e-mail, July 2011]
Origins: As noted by Kathleen Merryman of the Tacoma News Tribune the video clip linked above about the Salishan housing development on Tacoma's East Side has garnered a good deal of attention for that community:
For complete information, we recommend reading the News Tribune's thorough debunking of the video.
Last updated: 28 July 2011
Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2011 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
 | FALSE |
Example: [Collected via e-mail, July 2011]
I want to move to Tacoma.. to the good life!
Here is a development in Tacoma WA (Salishan) that was built for Illegal Immigrants! 1325 Homes created! Refugee Pay offers them $2642 per month in SSI benefits, plus Food Stamps, plus Section 8 Housing. You will see new expensive cars in this video. Wouldn't you like to get a free ride like the illegals?
Here is a development in Tacoma WA (Salishan) that was built for Illegal Immigrants! 1325 Homes created! Refugee Pay offers them $2642 per month in SSI benefits, plus Food Stamps, plus Section 8 Housing. You will see new expensive cars in this video. Wouldn't you like to get a free ride like the illegals?
Origins: As noted by Kathleen Merryman of the Tacoma News Tribune the video clip linked above about the Salishan housing development on Tacoma's East Side has garnered a good deal of attention for that community:
William B. Mount is going viral on Salishan.
The Tacoman once used public access television to air his world view, and now posts videos on YouTube. About five months ago, he and a woman named Jane drove through Salishan on Tacoma's East Side with a video camera and a big box of misinformation. They delivered a 10-minute commentary on the mixed use and mixed-income redevelopment of the worn-out public housing site and posted it on the video sharing site.
The stew of untruths simmered there.
It's at a boil now.
Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Tacoma City Council members are getting e-mails from people hot over what he calls misuse of Social Security funds.
As Ms. Merryman described in considerable detail in an excellent analysis of the video, virtually all of the claims made within it regarding Social Security, foreigners, and illegal immigrants are false: The Tacoman once used public access television to air his world view, and now posts videos on YouTube. About five months ago, he and a woman named Jane drove through Salishan on Tacoma's East Side with a video camera and a big box of misinformation. They delivered a 10-minute commentary on the mixed use and mixed-income redevelopment of the worn-out public housing site and posted it on the video sharing site.
The stew of untruths simmered there.
It's at a boil now.
Tacoma Housing Authority (THA) and Tacoma City Council members are getting e-mails from people hot over what he calls misuse of Social Security funds.
- Claim: "What you are looking at is a $225 million complex, $225 million complex, of housing out of the Social Security budget for 1,300 units."
- False: No Social Security funds were used to redevelop Salishan.
- Claim: "All welfare housing. All Social Security housing for foreigners will get $2,642 a month. All of that comes out of the Social Security budget."
- False: Of Salishan's renters, 97 percent are citizens of the United States, according to THA Executive Director Michael Mirra. "We know of no government program that pays $2,642 per month to foreigners," Mirra said.
- Claim: "The average income in here is about $13,000 per year, not including welfare, not including Social Security refugee pay, not including Women, Infants and Children."
- False: The $13,000 figure is based on out-of-date 2000 Census data. As for the other sources, Mirra said: "We do not know of anyone who gets something called 'Social Security refugee pay.'"
- Claim: "This school was built by Tacoma specifically to house foreigners and welfare recipients."
- False. Lister Elementary School does not "house" any foreigners or welfare recipients.
- Claim: "They mollycoddle these foreigners who come across the border illegally."
- False. THA does not rent to people who are in this country illegally, and 97 percent of Salishan residents are U.S. citizens.
- Claim: "And they don't pay taxes. This housing is free if you are on Social Security refugee pay."
- False. Anyone who buys non-food goods and services in Washington State pays sales tax, and every Salishan household with earned income is subject to federal income taxes. Every Salishan rental household with an income pays rent.
Last updated: 28 July 2011
 | Sources: |
- Merryman, Kathleen. "William Mount's Salishan YouTube Video Debunked."
- The [Tacoma] News Tribune. 26 July 2011.
GOD HAS A SENSE OF HUMOR YOU KNOW......
I have always believed God has a sense of humor and enjoys a good laugh!
"Some people think it is difficult to be a Christian and to laugh, but I think it's the other way around. God writes a lot of comedy, it's just that [God] has so many bad actors."
- Garrison Keillor
- Garrison Keillor
Right-wing blog on Elizabeth Warren's viral video: 'I reach for my revolver' 27SEP11
ELIZABETH WARREN is being attacked by right wing extremist and fanatics, at least one of which has made reference to going for his gun in response her comments on class warfare and taxes. The hatred and suggestion of violence is reminiscent of the extremist comments, blog post and political campaign ads before Rep Gabrielle Giffords D AZ was shot and 6 innocent people were killed and 13 injured at a "Congress On Your Corner" event. The leadership of the gop and the tea-baggers have a responsibility to loudly, publicly condemn these comments. Sign this petition to show Elizabeth Warren you support her right to free speech even if you don't support her politics. And if you want to see what she said check out my earlier blog post this month
Elizabeth Warren Blasts GOP 'Class Warfare' Charge, Tax Cuts For The Rich (VIDEO) 22SEP11
This from Daily KOS....
Elizabeth Warren Blasts GOP 'Class Warfare' Charge, Tax Cuts For The Rich (VIDEO) 22SEP11
This from Daily KOS....
Elizabeth Warren is really pissing off Wall Street and their pro-plutocrat allies in the right-wing media.
After a video of Warren talking about the deficit and the social contract went viral last week (see above), Rush Limbaugh, the Fiscal Times and Rich Lowrey all spent time attacking her. Now, Lowrey has decided to spend another column going after her, and places like the Daily Caller and Reason have piled on. There is also this gem from right-wing blog Wizbang:
Text version:
We're not going to let that happen. At Daily Kos, we're joining with CREDO Action to thank Elizabeth Warren for speaking the truth. She needs to know—and those who might follow in her footsteps need to know—that we have her back in this fight.
Please, click here to sign our petition thanking Elizabeth Warren for speaking the truth.
After a video of Warren talking about the deficit and the social contract went viral last week (see above), Rush Limbaugh, the Fiscal Times and Rich Lowrey all spent time attacking her. Now, Lowrey has decided to spend another column going after her, and places like the Daily Caller and Reason have piled on. There is also this gem from right-wing blog Wizbang:
When I hear the word “contract” IWarren's rapid ascent is scaring apologists for the war that Wall Street, big corporations and the uber wealthy are waging on the middle class. They want to make sure when anyone debunks their nonsense like Warren has, that person takes a big hit so that no one follows.reach for my revolverthink of two unique definitions — formally, a legally binding mutual agreement made between two or more parties, or idiomatically, an attempt to hire an assassin to kill one or more of your enemies.
We're not going to let that happen. At Daily Kos, we're joining with CREDO Action to thank Elizabeth Warren for speaking the truth. She needs to know—and those who might follow in her footsteps need to know—that we have her back in this fight.
Please, click here to sign our petition thanking Elizabeth Warren for speaking the truth.
Originally posted to Chris Bowers on Tue Sep 27, 2011 at 10:46 AM PDT.
Also republished by Class Warfare Newsletter: The Plutocracy VS the Working Class and Daily Kos.
TAR SANDS ACTION UPDATE 28SEP11
UPDATES on actions plans for protest on 7 OKT and 6 NOV by Tar Sands Action....
Friends-
I have a few important updates to add to the letter I sent around earlier this week.
I'm incredibly pleased by the group of folks on board to support this next phase of our work together - any time you have someone like Tim DeChristopher, who is still sitting in jail for his brave stand against the oil industry, joining with a former White House official like Gus Speth, along with the incredible other organizers and movement leaders who co-signed with them, you can be sure that something special is in store.
It's very important that we continue thinking and acting big, because we don't have much time: the President will be making a decision by the end of the year. I wanted to send you another note to help explain in a little more depth what we have planned:
First: Over 1000 people have already signed up for our big action on November 6th, one year from the next election, when we're going to try to encircle the White House in a giant, solemn protest. We've never tried something this big before - our goal here is to make it clear just how big this movement is, as a reminder to the President that this pipeline is a threat to both our communities and his reelection chances.
We don't have all the plans worked out, but here's what we do know: this will be a daytime protest that will last for several hours, and you'll be able to participate without risking arrest. Hopefully this means we can get as many people as possible to be there. We're scoping it out now, but we're not sure how many people it will take to actually surround the White House.
However early signs are good: the response has been amazing. To join us at the White House, click here to sign up: http://www.tarsandsaction.org/
Between now and then, we have a lot of work to do as well. On October 7th, our friends in DC are holding a big rally outside the last State Department hearing, which is going to kick off a month of organizing across the country leading up to the 6th. For more information about the rally in DC, or to join, click here: http://www.tarsandsaction.org/
We're going to continue showing up at Presidential events (there were 4 different rallies like this in just the past 3 days) to bring our message directly to the president and the national press. Our organizing team is tracking his appearances, and if the President is coming to your neighborhood, they're ready to help you get his attention. Just get in touch by emailing us at info@tarsandsaction.org.
We're also going to step up our actions at local Organizing for America offices. This is our best way to reach the President's political advisors who will play a key role in the final decision. If they start seeing angry folks like you and I - particularly if you worked for or donated to his 2008 campaign - showing up at offices across the country, they'll definitely get the message that it's high time for the President to start acting like the guy we elected. (You know: the one who said that we would be the generation that finally ends the tyranny of oil, and that the oceans would rise and the planet would begin to heal on his watch)
You don't need to know all of the exact details to start pulling an action together. If you have a few folks near you who are interested, I suggest you set up an event on our site, and we'll be in touch to help you get started. Click here to get rolling: http://events.tarsandsaction.
OK, that's what I have for now. I'm really excited by all the work you've been doing, and I can't wait to see you again in DC.
-Bill
I have a few important updates to add to the letter I sent around earlier this week.
I'm incredibly pleased by the group of folks on board to support this next phase of our work together - any time you have someone like Tim DeChristopher, who is still sitting in jail for his brave stand against the oil industry, joining with a former White House official like Gus Speth, along with the incredible other organizers and movement leaders who co-signed with them, you can be sure that something special is in store.
It's very important that we continue thinking and acting big, because we don't have much time: the President will be making a decision by the end of the year. I wanted to send you another note to help explain in a little more depth what we have planned:
First: Over 1000 people have already signed up for our big action on November 6th, one year from the next election, when we're going to try to encircle the White House in a giant, solemn protest. We've never tried something this big before - our goal here is to make it clear just how big this movement is, as a reminder to the President that this pipeline is a threat to both our communities and his reelection chances.
We don't have all the plans worked out, but here's what we do know: this will be a daytime protest that will last for several hours, and you'll be able to participate without risking arrest. Hopefully this means we can get as many people as possible to be there. We're scoping it out now, but we're not sure how many people it will take to actually surround the White House.
However early signs are good: the response has been amazing. To join us at the White House, click here to sign up: http://www.tarsandsaction.org/
Between now and then, we have a lot of work to do as well. On October 7th, our friends in DC are holding a big rally outside the last State Department hearing, which is going to kick off a month of organizing across the country leading up to the 6th. For more information about the rally in DC, or to join, click here: http://www.tarsandsaction.org/
We're going to continue showing up at Presidential events (there were 4 different rallies like this in just the past 3 days) to bring our message directly to the president and the national press. Our organizing team is tracking his appearances, and if the President is coming to your neighborhood, they're ready to help you get his attention. Just get in touch by emailing us at info@tarsandsaction.org.
We're also going to step up our actions at local Organizing for America offices. This is our best way to reach the President's political advisors who will play a key role in the final decision. If they start seeing angry folks like you and I - particularly if you worked for or donated to his 2008 campaign - showing up at offices across the country, they'll definitely get the message that it's high time for the President to start acting like the guy we elected. (You know: the one who said that we would be the generation that finally ends the tyranny of oil, and that the oceans would rise and the planet would begin to heal on his watch)
You don't need to know all of the exact details to start pulling an action together. If you have a few folks near you who are interested, I suggest you set up an event on our site, and we'll be in touch to help you get started. Click here to get rolling: http://events.tarsandsaction.
OK, that's what I have for now. I'm really excited by all the work you've been doing, and I can't wait to see you again in DC.
-Bill
BUFFALO BILLS VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS BUF 34 NE 31 GAME 25SEP11
| American Football Conference - 2011 Regular Season | |||||||||||||||||
| AFC East Team | W | L | T |  Pct | PF | PA | Net Pts | TD | Home | Road | Div | Pct | Conf | Pct | Non-Conf | Streak | Last 5 |
| Buffalo Bills | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 113 | 73 | 40 | 14 | 2-0 | 1-0 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 3-0 | 1.000 | 0-0 | 3W | 3-0 |
| New England Patriots | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 104 | 79 | 25 | 13 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-1 | .500 | 2-1 | .667 | 0-0 | 1L | 2-1 |
| New York Jets | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 83 | 61 | 22 | 9 | 2-0 | 0-1 | 0-0 | .000 | 1-1 | .500 | 1-0 | 1L | 2-1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 53 | 78 | -25 | 5 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | .000 | 0-3 | .000 | 0-0 | 3L | 0-3 |
| AFC North Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Net Pts | TD | Home | Road | Div | Pct | Conf | Pct | Non-Conf | Streak | Last 5 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 85 | 40 | 45 | 9 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 1-1 | .500 | 1-0 | 1W | 2-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 61 | 62 | -1 | 7 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 0-1 | .000 | 2-1 | .667 | 0-0 | 2W | 2-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 54 | 55 | -1 | 6 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 0-1 | .000 | 1-1 | .500 | 1-0 | 2W | 2-1 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 57 | 54 | 3 | 5 | 0-1 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 1-1 | .500 | 0-1 | 2L | 1-2 |
| AFC South Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Net Pts | TD | Home | Road | Div | Pct | Conf | Pct | Non-Conf | Streak | Last 5 |
| Houston Texans | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 90 | 60 | 30 | 9 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 2-0 | 1.000 | 0-1 | 1L | 2-1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 57 | 43 | 14 | 6 | 2-0 | 0-1 | 0-1 | .000 | 2-1 | .667 | 0-0 | 2W | 2-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 29 | 62 | -33 | 2 | 1-0 | 0-2 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 1-1 | .500 | 0-1 | 2L | 1-2 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 46 | 84 | -38 | 4 | 0-2 | 0-1 | 0-1 | .000 | 0-3 | .000 | 0-0 | 3L | 0-3 |
| AFC West Team | W | L | T | Pct | PF | PA | Net Pts | TD | Home | Road | Div | Pct | Conf | Pct | Non-Conf | Streak | Last 5 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 92 | 82 | 10 | 11 | 1-0 | 1-1 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 2-1 | .667 | 0-0 | 1W | 2-1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 2 | 1 | 0 | .667 | 65 | 69 | -4 | 8 | 2-0 | 0-1 | 1-0 | 1.000 | 1-1 | .500 | 1-0 | 1W | 2-1 |
| Denver Broncos | 1 | 2 | 0 | .333 | 58 | 62 | -4 | 7 | 1-1 | 0-1 | 0-1 | .000 | 1-2 | .333 | 0-0 | 1L | 1-2 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 27 | 109 | -82 | 3 | 0-1 | 0-2 | 0-1 | .000 | 0-2 | .000 | 0-1 | 3L | 0-3 |
BUFFALO BILLS 34 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS 31 25SEP11
I have been a Buffalo Bills fan all my life, through thick and thin, and it feels so good to have them starting this season this way. This win over New England is a huge boost to the team and they deserve to be on the cover of SI! BILLS, YOU MAKE ME WANT TO SHOUT!!!!
The Bills are the regional cover feature on Sports Illustrated this week after their win over New England. The cover shot features Drayton Florence’s interception return that broke the 24-24 tie in the fourth quarter. For those that aren’t in Western New York or New England you won’t be able to see it on newsstands, so here it is along with Florence’s thoughts about appearing on the SI cover.
“I’m representing the entire team,” said Florence. ”I wish all the guys on defense could be on there with me, but that’s just one of the things that goes along with winning and as long as we continue to keep winning good things will happen.”
Flo’s SI cover
The Bills are the regional cover feature on Sports Illustrated this week after their win over New England. The cover shot features Drayton Florence’s interception return that broke the 24-24 tie in the fourth quarter. For those that aren’t in Western New York or New England you won’t be able to see it on newsstands, so here it is along with Florence’s thoughts about appearing on the SI cover.
“I’m representing the entire team,” said Florence. ”I wish all the guys on defense could be on there with me, but that’s just one of the things that goes along with winning and as long as we continue to keep winning good things will happen.”
We're Still at War: Photo of the Day for 29SEP11
Soldiers from the Lexington-based Company B, 1st Battalion, 116th Infantry Regiment, 116th Brigade Combat Team train on military operations in urban terrain Sept. 20, 2011 at the Fort Pickett MOUT village. The soldiers exercised their infantry specific warrior skills during their two week annual training period. US Army photo by Staff Sgt. Andrew H. Owen, Virginia Guard Public Affairs.
SEA SHEPHERD E MAIL NEWSLETTER 28SEP11
SEA SHEPHERD updates on the thugs of taiji, Japan, shark poaching in the Galapagos, the seal slaughter in Namibia and the upcoming illegal whaling season in the Southern Oceans.
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