bombs from the left coast

Here is a little song celebrating our position at #37 in the world in healthcare.

"We're Number 37"

Come one, Come all
Down to the hall
Were gonna make noise
Were gonna bust balls
Were gonna disrupt
Were gonna jump in the fray
I got a list of all the things that were supposed to say
Were gonna get real rowdy
Have a barrel of fun
But were the USA so by the way be sure to bring a gun
And buddy

Were Number 37
Were the USA
Were Number 37
And were so proud to say
We got old people crying at the pharmacy
Pay your deductible
This aint the land of the f-f-f-free Grandma
Were Number 37
Were the USA

People of the town come on down
And if you got a crazy rumor you can spread it around
I kind of like my insurance and I like my health
The other 47 million can go treat themselves
To some prayer in chapel
Fold your hands and pray
Because we are a Christian nation and that is the Christian way
And brother

Were Number 37
Were the USA
The big Number 37
And were so proud to say
Were #1 one in tanks
Were #1 in planes
Were #1 in war with #2 for brains
Were Number 37
Were the USA

I drew a Hitler mustache on the president
Yea! Aint that neat
My brother had a hernia operation last year
And now hes living out on the street

Were Number 37
Were the USA
The big Number 37
And we want to keep it that way
Be sure to bring the kids
All of the boys and girls
Because the #1 health care system in the world.

Is inFrance???

Were Number 37
Were the USA
Were Number 37
And we got something to say
We pay more for less
40% in fact
Lets bite some fingers off
Shout at the handicapped
Cause buddy
Were Number 37
Were the USA

Were Number 37
Were the USA
Were Number 37
Were the USA

Carville on Airport Security: 'Go Measure My Penis and Let Me Get on The Airplane'

2010-01-08T15:14:00.000-08:00

Carville on Airport Security: 'Go Measure My Penis and Let Me Get on The Airplane'

Rachel Maddow tea bagging the tea partiers

2010-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

Rachel Maddow tea bagging the tea partiers.

Insightful expose on all things tea party.

Health Care: Senate Democrats Admit They Blew It (VIDEO)

2009-12-16T18:16:00.000-08:00

Health Care: Senate Democrats Admit They Blew It (VIDEO)
Here's a video that shows what the Democratic leadership might sound like if they were forced to tell the truth about how they caved to Joe Lieberman and the Republicans in this latest round of the health care fight.
AirAmerica

Gold, women and sheep

2009-12-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Prescott Financial Sells Gold, Women & Sheep

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

Stephen Colbert targets all those conservative talk show hosts -- Glenn Beck especially -- who shill for gold sellers like Goldline, both in advertisements and on their shows: "The money is perfectly laundered."
TPM

Bill O'Reilly: "The Atheists Are Just Stupid For Making People Angry"

2009-12-15T20:24:00.000-08:00

Bill O'Reilly: "The Atheists Are Just Stupid For Making People Angry"

December 15, 2009 on FOX News with Ann Coulter via http://atheistmedia.com

McCain Attacks Harry Reid for Slavery Remarks in Health Care Debate

2009-12-08T09:52:00.000-08:00

McCain Attacks Harry Reid for Slavery Remarks in Health Care Debate.

First 'bionic fingers' unveiled

2009-12-08T09:46:00.000-08:00

First 'bionic fingers' unveiled

British scientists have unveiled what they say are the world's first bionic fingers, suggesting they could change the lives of thousands.

100 false Republican claims about health care reform

2009-12-08T09:37:00.000-08:00

100 false Republican claims about health care reform

New DNC ad attacks Republican misinformation on health care reform

Our Girls, Tribute to Conservative Women

2009-12-05T18:25:00.000-08:00

Our Girls, Tribute to Conservative Women by Lloyd Marcus
From the "American Tea Party: 12 great songs to Take Back America" cd album by Lloyd Marcus, Unhyphenated American.
A catchy bit of right wing nuttery!

Student to Obama: Legalize Drugs, Prostitution to Stimulate the Economy

2009-12-04T13:09:00.000-08:00

Student to Obama: Legalize Drugs, Prostitution to Stimulate the Economy
Good question, disappointing answer.

What would you say if you were Obama?

Atheist Billboard Stirs God Debate

2009-11-24T16:37:00.000-08:00

It is the Central Florida billboard condemned by Christians. Now it is pulling people into a big debate over God in Lakeland. Atheists invited people to join them, and Christians are pushing back firmly.

Thanksgiving Prayer William S Burroughs

2009-11-23T15:56:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving Day, Nov 28,1986 first appeared in the chapbook Tornado Alley, with illustrations by S. Clay Wilson. Gus Van Sant then made a short film of Burroughs reading the text.
This poem resonates today as exposing what has gone horribly wrong in the USA, or maybe what has always been wrong.
Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 28, 1986

William S. Burroughs
For John Dillinger
In hope he is still alive
Thanks for the wild turkey and the Passenger Pigeons, destined to be shit out through wholesome American guts
thanks for a Continent to despoil and poison
thanks for Indians to provide a modicum of challenge and danger
thanks for vast herds of bison to kill and skin, leaving the carcass to rot
thanks for bounties on wolves and coyotes
thanks for the AMERICAN DREAM to vulgarize and falsify until the bare lies shine through
thanks for the KKK, for nigger-killing lawmen feeling their notches, for decent church-going women with their mean, pinched, bitter, evil faces
thanks for Kill a Queer for Christ stickers
thanks for laboratory AIDS
thanks for Prohibition and the War Against Drugs
thanks for a country where nobody is allowed to mind his own business
thanks for a nation of finks — yes,
thanks for all the memories all right, lets see your arms you always were a headache and you always were a bore
thanks for the last and greatest betrayal of the last and greatest of human dreams.

Mrs. Betty Bowers: Less is Mormon!

2009-11-23T00:16:00.000-08:00

America's Best Christian, Mrs. Betty Bowers, calls out Mormons and schools all Americans on the unconstitutional craze of doling out civil rights by popular vote.

Former Teen Idol Kirk Cameron is on a Crusade to Debunk Evolution

2009-11-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

CNN: Former Teen Idol Kirk Cameron is on a Crusade to Debunk Evolution

Ann Coulter Debates Cheech & Chong About Legalizing Marijuana

2009-11-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

From FOX's Geraldo Rivera: Ann Coulter Debates Cheech & Chong About Legalizing Marijuana - 11/16/09

Ohio State Students Swim In Their Own Pee

2009-11-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

MSNBC's David Shuster: Ohio State Students Swim In Their Own Pee - 11/20/09

Christian Bootcamp Seeks to Arm Home-Schooled Youths for "Spiritual Warfare"

2009-11-19T22:55:00.000-08:00

Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, Assistant Director of Operation Save America, is worried. According to studies by the Barna Research Group, California pollsters specializing in tracking religious and spiritual attitudes, only nine percent of teenaged Christians believe in moral absolutes. What’s more, Barna reports that the vast majority of kids raised Christian will abandon all or part of their faith by the time they finish high school. "Assembly of God leaders estimate between 65 and 70 percent will depart, while the Southern Baptist Council on Family Life estimates roughly 88 percent will leave," Thomas writes.

http://www.atheistmedia.com/ AlterNet

MSNBC Interviews Clueless Sarah Palin Supporters At Book Signing

2009-11-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

MSNBC Interviews Clueless Sarah Palin Supporters At Michigan Book Signing - 11/18/09

Rationalizing homophobia on Hannity

2009-11-14T00:33:00.000-08:00

Rationalizing homophobia on Hannity

On Hannity, Andrew McCarthy attempts to explain why homophobia isn't "hatred"

Outcast by religion in Israël

2009-11-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes religion can be the reason of a family break-up. Orthodox jews in Israël, for instance, can be completely ostracised when they decide to give up the faith of their parents.

Maddow on child labor endorsing, pro-slavery freaks (Video)

2009-11-12T23:00:00.000-08:00

Maddow on child labor endorsing, pro-slavery freaks.

The Senate Finance Committee has included sections in the Customs Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Reauthorization Act of 2009, that would ban the importation of goods made “with convict labor, forced labor, orindentured labor under penal sanctions.”

Industry lobbyists and foreign governments profiting from child labor form an “ad hoc” coalition to oppose it.

Business Groups ‘Worried’ About The Effects Of Banning The Importation Of Goods Made With Child Labor Shocking resistance by business groups to legislative measures that ban slavery and child exploitation. Best "Rachel" line at (06:13) "...you child labor endorsing, pro-slavery freaks!! (Begins about 3:00 minutes in).

Expose: Republican deception and misinformation (Video)

2009-11-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

A collection of inaccurate, false and misleading Republican talking points on health care reform courtesy of the Democratic National Committee.

Slavery still has defenders?

2009-11-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

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

SNL Spoofs Fox News: 2009 Elections

2009-11-09T17:58:00.000-08:00

Cartman - Pokerface (Full Song Remix)

2009-10-31T18:13:00.000-07:00

Drugs advisor: Alcohol more harmful than LSD

2009-10-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

The Government's chief advisor on drugs policy, Professor David Nutt has said that alcohol and tobacco are more harmful than cannabis, ecstasy or LSD.

Billionaires for Wealthcare: Guerrilla Theater: Public Option Annie

2009-10-23T20:06:00.000-07:00

Billionaires for Wealthcare is a grassroots network of health insurance CEOs, HMO lobbyists, talk-show hosts, and others profiting off of our broken health care system. We'll do whatever it takes to ensure another decade where your pain is our gain. After all, when it comes to health insurance, if we ain't broke, why fix it?

Homage to a Meme

2009-10-21T23:47:00.000-07:00

Patton Oswalt - Sky Cake

2009-08-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

WorldNetDaily: Jesus claims Obama is anti-christ

2009-07-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Breaking: WorldNetDaily reports Jesus identified the anti-christ by name: Barack Obama. According to the report, President Obama, leader of the free world, is in fact, the anti-christ.

Indiana atheist on Fox

2009-07-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Inage of Jesus in frying pan

2009-07-30T20:47:00.000-07:00

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

Baseball playing robot

2009-07-30T20:33:00.000-07:00

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

Birthers Deconstructed

2009-07-30T20:28:00.000-07:00

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

Shatner reads Palin Tweets

2009-07-30T20:06:00.001-07:00

Feel the groove....

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Opinion // Current // Groups

2009-07-19T22:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings Currenteers,

There is a new group at current: Opinion. This group is dedicated to commentary, opinion, editorial or op ed posts. Please have a look: Opinion // Current http://bit.ly/3A4DZd

All points of view are welcome and encouraged.

Please join.

Please contribute.

Peace

PETA condemns Obama for murdering innocent fly

2009-06-18T16:58:00.000-07:00

Obama’s ninja-like moves, which resulted in the murder of said fly on Tuesday, has resulted in harsh condemnation of the president by the animal rights group. Well, maybe not that harsh. They view Obama’s actions as perhaps more of a teachable moment. “He isn’t the Buddha, he’s a human being, and human beings have a long way to go before they think before they act,” writes Alisa Mullins on the PETA blog. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Is President Obama a cruel abuser of insects? Or, most honorable, Ninja Master? You make the call.

Check-it RT @current

Atheist Billboard to Go Up in South Florida

2009-06-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

The first atheist billboard in South Florida is about to go up thanks to an anonymous donor! The billboard is sponsored by FLASH: Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists.

From the FLASH website:

One of our long term dreams has been to put up a billboard. Thanks to a donor that wishes to remain anonymous that time has come. Barring complications, June 22 should be the start date and be up for one month. Our billboard will be on Sunrise Blvd. facing the west (east bound) between the Swap Shop and I-95. Chip in below and keep it up for another month.

Comic book collector convicted for owning comic

2009-05-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

A prolific American collector of Japanese manga comics has reportedly been convicted under the 2003 Protect act of pedophilia for ordering comics which were intercepted by customs.

According to wired's threat level blog, the collector, Christopher Handley, was prosecuted for mailing obscene matter, and possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. Three other counts (not listed) were dropped in the plea deal.

Christopher Handley, described by his lawyer as a “prolific collector” of manga, pleaded guilty last week to mailing obscene matter, and to “possession of obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.” Three other counts were dropped in a plea deal with prosecutors.

Comics fans are alarmed by the case, (.pdf), saying that jailing someone over manga does nothing to protect children from sexual abuse.

“This art that this man possessed as part of a larger collection of manga … is now the basis for [a sentence] designed to protect children from abuse,” says Charles Brownstein, executive director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. “The drawings are not obscene and are not tantamount to pornography. They are lines on paper.”

Sentencing may extend to 15 years in prison.

Oppose Spiritual Heritage Week

2009-05-27T13:44:00.000-07:00

Today, Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia, the Founder and Chairman of the Congressional Prayer Caucus, and twenty-four other members of the House of Representatives, co-sponsored a resolution in Congress that would “affirm the rich spiritual and religious history of our Nation's founding and subsequent history and express support for designation of the first week in May as America's Spiritual Heritage Week for the appreciation of and education on America's history of religious faith.”

The resolution, H.RES. 397, would put Congress on record as “recognize[ing] the religious foundations of faith on which America was built are critical underpinnings of our Nation's most valuable institutions and form the inseparable foundation for America's representative processes, legal systems, and societal structures.”

In addition, the resolution “rejects, in the strongest possible terms, any effort to remove, obscure, or purposely omit such history from our Nation's public buildings and educational resources” and justifies the need to keep “under God” in the pledge.

Last year, when a similar measure was introduced, 93 members of the House of Representatives co-sponsored this legislation.

Our elected officials need to know that these "Christian nation" resolutions distort America's history and exclude the history of atheists, humanists, freethinkers and other nontheists who have made significant contributions to our nation.

Their denial of the secular nature of our government means that these members of Congress are not only disagreeing with Americans who know that we are not a Christian nation (and never have been), but they are also disputing our President who recently promoted America’s secular heritage abroad during a trip to Turkey.

In this new era of promoting science and evidence, no representative should feel compelled to support the agenda of the Congressional Prayer Caucus and their attempts to infuse personal religious values into public policy.

Twitter Whore

2009-05-25T13:21:00.000-07:00

http://current.com/items/90101086_twitter-whore.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALbH63Ali9U

Twitter Whore

follow me

http://twitter.com/unimatrix0zero

2010: Year of the Bible?

2009-05-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

A Republican House member wants President Barack Obama to make 2010 the Year of the Bible.

There's no sign that Obama will get the chance in the foreseeable future. Georgia Rep. Paul Broun's resolution would have no force of law if passed. And it can't be passed unless majority Democrats, who referred it to a committee, bring it to the floor for a vote.

The resolution reads in part:"The president is encouraged ... to issue a proclamation calling upon citizens of all faiths to rediscover and apply the priceless, timeless message of the Holy Scripture which has profoundly influenced and shaped the United States and its greatDemocratic form of government, as well as its rich spiritual heritage, and which has unified, healed and strengthened its people for over 200 years."

Told of the measure, several Democrats and liberal and atheist bloggers objected. Some said it would violate the separation of church and state by advocating one book of faith over others.

Broun said the nation's values are based on those espoused in the Bible."The national year of the Bible resolution reminds us that our great nation was founded upon biblical principles and that religious freedom is guaranteed by the Bill of Rights," he said in a statement. The resolution has 14 co-sponsors.

There is precedent. By signing proclamation 5018, President Ronald Reagan designated 1983 the year of the Bible, "in recognition of the contributions and influence of the Bible on our Republic and our people."

"I encourage all citizens, each in his or her own way, to re-examine and rediscover its priceless and timeless message," the proclamation reads.

Creationism as superstitious nonsense violates First Amendment?

2009-05-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

A federal judge has ruled that a history teacher at a Southern California public high school violated the First Amendment when he called creationism "superstitious nonsense" during a classroom lecture.

U.S. District Judge James Selna issued the ruling Friday after a 16-month legal battle between student Chad Farnan and his former teacher, James Corbett.

Farnan's lawsuit alleged that Corbett made more than 20 statements that were disparaging to Christians and their beliefs.

The judge found that Corbett's reference to creationism as "religious, superstitious nonsense" violated the First Amendment's establishment clause. Courts have interpreted the clause as prohibiting government employees from displaying religious hostility.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Was the Judge right? Should a teacher be prohibited from saying creationism is "religious superstitious nonsense"?

New Humanism Channel on Current

2009-05-03T18:29:00.000-07:00

http://current.com/groups/humanism

"Man is the measure of all things" Protagoras

"Faith means not wanting to know what is true" Nietzsche

What is Humanism?

Humanism is an optimistic stance that entails self determination and the dignity and worth of all people. More than a negation of the supernatural, Humanism is a process by which truth and morality is sought through human investigation.

Tools of the investigation are reason, science, and the scientific method. Humanism rejects tradition, revelation, and/or mysticism (the supernatural) as appropriate or legitimate tools for determining what is true and moral. Our quest is for the good; our questions revolve around the nature of the good life.

The ultimate goal is human flourishing: making life better for all humans; promoting concern for the welfare of other sentient beings and the planet as a whole. The focus is on doing good and living well in the here and now, and leaving the world a better place for those who come after.

Humanism on Current

As a channel we will investigate the human condition where politics and religion intersect. Informed by science, inspired by art, and motivated by compassion, our task is to question the world in pursuit of the good, for one and all.

With an eye towards human and civil rights, church and state, oppression and discrimination, life and death; the Humanism channel will explore all manner of intolerance, bigotry, and injustice. Our task is to explore and expose inhumanity, while promoting the humane, the just, the wise.

Current is a unique and beautiful experiment in virtual community. As members of the Current community we are social pioneers, participating in a bold new adventure made possible by intellect and reason, science and technology. As pioneers we have a responsibility to future generations. We must make this work. We must practice tolerance and civility. We must learn to disagree without being disagreeable. We must strive to be good to one another.

The Humanism channel is a big tent. Feel free to tag "Humanism" to any post that deals with the human condition, with man's inhumanity to man, with the clash between sacred and profane. Issues both national and international are welcome. Misogyny, homophobia, and persecution of any kind are all humanist concerns. Any issue where human dignity and human worth comes into question is a Humanist issue.

Ultimately our journey is a philosophical investigation. Let us proceed in love as we move towards wisdom.

Peace,

unimatrix0

Christians support torture more than non-believers

2009-05-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

If you believe in Jesus, chances are you believe in torture. No doubt Jesus would be proud.

Results from a new Pew Forum poll show that evangelicals and Catholics are more likely than other groups (and more likely than average) to approve of "the use of torture against suspected terrorists." Those most likely to approve of torture some or most of the time are white evangelical Christians. Those least likely are "unaffiliated" and those who rarely or never attend church services.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Why are Christians more likely to support torture than non-believers?

Sex in the dumpster

2009-04-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

POLICE have arrested a young naked couple after they were discovered having sex in the back of a garbage truck.
The police officer's surprise discovery came after reports of people walking suspiciously behind a business in an area of British Columbia last week.

"When the officer was out of his car having a look around, checking doors he could hear noises coming from the dumpster," said Sgt. John Price.

The officer called out and got no response, so he pulled out his flashlight and took a look inside.

"He peeked over the edge and in the bottom of the dumpster, a man and a woman (were) full-on nude, intertwined, oblivious to his presence," Price said, confirming the pair were in the act.

The couple complied when ordered to put on their clothes and get out of the dumpster.

A 26-year-old man was taken into custody on an unrelated outstanding warrant. A 30-year-old woman was simply told to go home.

Jesus license plates in Florida

2009-04-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

Check out the proposed new religious license plates for the state of Florida: The "Trinity" plate proposed by Sen. Gary Siplin, D-Orlando, (see above).

Jesus is to be mass-produced, imprinted on metal, given a reflective coat and sold for money. His crown of thorns will lie just beneath the "FLORIDA" across the top of the plate; his outstretched arms will be truncated to the left and right by the tag numbers, so that one does not actually see the cross, the nails, the wounds — no, we would not have that! The words "SUNSHINE STATE" will be stamped across his unscathed, unlashed torso.

And yet, if even this censored Passion is still too strong for one's taste, the Legislature is producing an alternative "faith" plate as well, that one with a stained-glass window, a prettied-up cross and the slogan, "I Believe."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Is this a good idea? Is this freedom of religion? Is this state endorsed religion? Is this just tacky?

Englishwoman fined for noisy sex

2009-04-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

ODD NEWS

A 47-year-old Englishwoman has been convicted of flouting a city order to keep her love-making sessions quiet, officials said.

The Daily Telegraph reported Saturday that Caroline Cartwright, 47, was found guilty of breaching a noise abatement notice served on her after police received 25 complaints about her loud sessions with husband Steve.

She was fined more than $760, The Sun reported.

"I am not making the noise on purpose," she told magistrates in Sunderland. "I have no desire to hurt anybody or damage any property."

More Gun Control Please!

2009-04-04T17:31:00.000-07:00

In Pittsburgh on Saturday, three police officers were murdered, reportedly by an assault-weapon wielding man shooting ‘hundreds of shots’ who apparently believed the gun lobby propaganda that an ‘Obama gun ban’ would lead to his ‘rights being infringed upon.’

This was just a day after 13 were gunned down in Binghamton, New York by a murderer who reportedly ‘hated America and talked about assassinating the President’ while his former co-workers felt that someday he might ‘come in mad one day and shoot people.’ These shootings were preceded by a month of shootings including eight shot dead in a North Carolina nursing home, five in a Santa Clara, California shooting, four police officers in Oakland and ten in Alabama.

After each horrific shooting, some leaders in Washington have said the solution is to do nothing, simply continue to enforce the existing laws, just as we have been doing. The gun lobby, meanwhile, calls for weakening our already paltry laws to get more guns to more people in more places. It is time for the gun lobby to stop stoking fear among gun owners with false claims about the government. It is time for the gun industry to stop capitalizing on those ginned-up fears to spread weapons of war among the public.

The gun lobby’s rhetoric has consequences. Today, we have seen how profound those consequences can be.

“We have a gun crisis in America. As important as the economic crisis is, the right to be safe at home and work and play needs at least as much attention from our policymakers as the right to economic security. It is time for leaders in Washington to drop empty platitudes after each horrific shooting, and instead do what they're paid to do: show backbone, and enact reasonable laws to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. At the very least, require Brady background checks for all gun sales; restrict military-style assault weapons to the military and law enforcement and help law enforcement crack down on corrupt gun sellers. What we’re doing now is not working.

UN adopts anti free speech resolution

2009-03-28T19:49:00.000-07:00

The U.N.'s top human rights body has approved a proposal by Muslim nations urging the passage of laws protecting religion from criticism. Members of the Human Rights Council voted 23 in favor of a resolution Thursday to combat "defamation of religion." Eleven nations, mostly from the West, opposed the resolution and 13 countries abstained. The resolution was proposed by Pakistan. Muslim countries have cited the inflammatory effect of cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad as an example of unacceptable free speech. Critics say the resolution, while not binding, will have a chilling effect on free speech and may worsen relations between faiths. ------------------------------------------------------------------- This is bad news for anyone who values free speech. The UN has given cover to extreme fundamentalists (mainly Islamic); cover to torture, imprison and harass those who would dare to dissent. The irony is that the resolution has very little to do with human rights. Rather than protecting people, the resolution offers protection to religions; a protection which can all to easily translate into protection for a state, a state guilty of violating human rights, the very human rights the UN ostensibly seeks to protect. Ironic, isn't it?

topics: News and Politics, Politics, News, Religion, United Nations, Free Speech, Humanism + add

unimatrix0
added this

US facing gun crisis

2009-03-25T22:39:00.001-07:00

According to the 2007 Small Arms Survey, there are currently 270 million guns owned by civilians in the United States–that’s nearly half of all guns owned worldwide!

Research shows that gun violence is directly linked to the easy availability of firearms. The key difference between the United States and other industrialized nations, however, is our rate of lethal violence from guns — not our overall rate of violence.

Shockingly, in the United States:

* There are approximately 90 guns for every 100 people.

* Each year, an estimated 4 million guns are sold by licensed dealers.

* Between 34-40% of households have a gun.

You would think Americans were stock piling weapons for a revolution or war, but the truth is it’s simply become part of our culture — a culture of violence that we have become increasingly numb and accustomed to.

Additionally, the gun lobby is very effective at convincing Americans that they need guns in their home, in their cars and in the workplace for self-defense. To be effective though, a homeowner, for example, would need to be sitting by the door holding a loaded gun and ready to fire it 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It would be an isolating and anxious way to live.

Facts are not on the gun lobby’s side either. Rather than making us a safer society, the proliferation of guns in the U.S. is in fact making us less safe as a nation. With more than 30,000 gun deaths each year, over 12,000 of which are homicides, we are the most violent industrialized nation on earth.

Creationism in Texas

2009-03-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

The Texas Board of Education votes this week on a new science curriculum. The new curriculum is designed to challenge evolution, and introduce creationism, a step that could influence what is taught in biology classes across the nation.

The proposed curriculum change would prompt teachers to raise doubts that all life on Earth is descended from common ancestry.

This is an assault on modern science, and an assault on reason. Good people need to stand up against religious ignorance and superstition.

The far right agenda must be stopped. Christianity is often a backward, ignorant world view that preaches hatred for those who are different or dare to speak out.

The repercussions could be devastating. Texas is such a huge textbook market that many publishers write to the state's standards, then market those books nationwide.

To deny evolution is like a denial of gravity. To deceive children by teaching creationism is criminal.

Texans should be outraged. Teaching creationism in a science class is child abuse.

Banned in Ohio

2009-03-24T17:04:00.001-07:00

The latest issue of Nintendo Power has been banned from a middle school library in Ohio because of the cover, which features a piece of artwork from Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars.

Censorship is never the answer.

More Gun Control Please

2009-03-23T21:58:00.000-07:00

U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly made a great ruling recently, halting the Bush Administration’s last minute attempt to allow loaded, hidden firearms into America’s national parks and wildlife refuges. The judge issued an injunction restoring prior rules in those public lands that weapons be unloaded and safely secured.

Bringing a concealed gun into a national park is simply ridiculous. I do not want some trigger happy yahoo packing a gun into a park where me and my family might be spending time.

There are too many guns in our society, and too many gun related deaths and injury. Education is a start, but we need to do more.

Those who own and possess guns put everyone around them at risk. There should be strict and stringent requirements for those who own and possess fire arms. Aside from criminal background checks, individuals desiring to own a gun should be made to pass competency tests (both written and practical) as well as a psychological evaluation. The cost of these examinations and evaluations should be paid by the individual desiring to own a fire arm.

Guns should be restricted whenever and wherever possible. We need more gun control, not less. It is time to take action. It is time to stop the gun lobby's radical agenda. It is time for Democrats to reclaim their leadership on the prevention of gun violence. It is time to support meaningful and comprehensive gun laws to address the gun violence crisis in America.

More Americans say they have no religion

2009-03-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that the Roman Catholic population has been shifting out of the Northeast to the Southwest, the percentage of Christians in the nation has declined and more people say they have no religion at all.

This is good news for all free thinkers who value reason and truth.

Be brave; be strong; be an atheist!

Prop 8 & Gay Marriage

2009-03-06T21:57:00.000-08:00

A mistake was made in California. The passage of proposition 8, a constitutional amendment defining marriage as being only between a man and a woman, was a mistake. The California state supreme court now has a chance to correct that mistake. Let us hope they do the right thing.

Civil rights, human rights, gay rights, should not be put up for a vote. The minority must be protected from the tyranny of the majority. It is time to put away the hatred and bigotry. The discrimination has gone on too long. Our religious institutions are largely to blame, for it is from these institutions the bigotry and hatred comes.

Gay rights are civil rights are human rights. Discrimination is always wrong. In the future, those who oppose gay marriage now, will appear as ignorant and foolish as those who opposed interracial marriage fifty years ago.

Make no mistake, if you oppose gay marriage you stand on the side of ignorance and hate; you stand in darkness and shame.

Indeed, it is only a matter of time. Prop 8 passed with only the slightest majority. Studies show the proposition passed based on the votes of the old and the uneducated. The old will die. The uneducated can be enlightened. Very soon the majority will recognize what many Americans recognized long ago: homophobia is wrong.

Conservatives love porn!

2009-03-06T21:24:00.000-08:00

A recent study has shown that conservatives subscribe to more on line adult entertainment (porn) than their liberal counterparts. In particular, the study shows Christian fundamentalists and Mormons consume the most porn.

States that consume the most porn tend to be more conservative and more religious than those that consume less porn. The biggest consumer was Utah, with 5.47 subscriptions per 1,000 users; where as Montana bought the least with 1.92 per 1,000. Eight of the top ten biggest consumers of porn voted Republican in the 2008 Presidential election.

Residents of the 27 state that have banned gay marriage have 11% more porn subscribers than those states that do not explicitly ban gay marriage.

Subscriptions are also more prevalent in states where surveys indicate conservative positions on religion, gender roles, and sexuality. In states where more people agree that "Even today miracles are performed by the power of God" and "I never doubt the existence of God," there are more subscriptions to this service. Subscriptions are also more prevalent in states where more people agree that "I have old-fashioned values about family and marriage" and "AIDS might be God's punishment for immoral sexual behavior."

This story is worth a good chuckle, and serves as a pointed moral lesson concerning repression and hypocrisy.

Punishing Bush & co

2009-03-01T15:56:00.000-08:00

Truth and reconciliation: Crimes of the Bush administration.

The country is faced with a dilemma: What to do about the high crimes and misdemeanors of the past administration. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) has suggested a "Bush Truth Commission".

Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary committee, plans to hold hearings on creating a panel to investigate crimes of the Bush administration. The proposed truth and reconciliation committee would investigate the use of torture, warrantless wiretapping, extraordinary rendition, and executive override of laws.

However, there are objections to such an approach. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) rejects Leahy's proposal. Pelosi objects to giving anyone immunity, something Leahy's proposal would grant to those who cooperate. Pelosi wants all those guilty prosecuted.
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Is Leahy right? Is immunity the best means for truth and reconciliation? Or is Pelosi correct? Does justice demand a pound of flesh? What course of action is in the best interest of the country?

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The truth is more important than retribution.

Atheist outrage in Arkansas

2009-02-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Rep. Richard Carroll has introduced a bill to repeal Article 19, Section 1 of the Arkansas state constitution, which says:

"No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any court."

In Arkansas an atheist is not allowed to hold office or testify in court! And to think, some people deny that atheists are discriminated against. How is it that such a blatant form of discrimination has been allowed to remain in the Arkansas constitution? Where is the outrage?

Happy Valentine's Day

2009-02-14T22:16:00.000-08:00

Love is poetry and dirty dishes, and sticky stuff between the legs.

The Future is Androgynous

2009-02-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

Bus Slogan

2009-02-08T08:46:00.000-08:00

go here & make your own!

http://ruletheweb.co.uk/b3ta/bus/

PostModern Heroes

2009-02-07T23:14:00.000-08:00

One can appreciate the natural beauty of the world without resorting to superstitious non-sense, e.g. "a higher power". Many presume atheism is negative. This is incorrect.

It is refreshing that atheist columns are getting attention. Perhaps people are tired of being bamboozled by spiritual charlatans. Perhaps people are escaping the darkness of religious superstition and spiritual obfuscation. Perhaps people are moving into the light of reason.

A new postmodern hero is emerging. A hero who challenges dogma and rejects magical thinking. Will you be a postmodern hero? Be brave, be strong, be an atheist!

Role Models and their bongs

2009-02-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

Important historical information about marijuana from Huff Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robbie-gennet/on-role-models-and-their_b_164378.html

"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica." - Abraham Lincoln (from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany)

"Hemp is of first necessity to the wealth & protection of the country." - Thomas Jefferson, U.S. President

"Make the most you can of the Indian Hemp seed and sow it everywhere." - George Washington, U.S. President

"We shall, by and by, want a world of hemp more for our own consumption." - John Adams, U.S. President

"Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marihuana in private for personal use... Therefore, I support legislation amending Federal law to eliminate all Federal criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marihuana." - Jimmy Carter, U.S. President

"I inhaled frequently. That was the point." - Barack Obama, U.S. President

"The war on drugs has been an utter failure. We need to rethink and decriminalize our nation's marijuana laws." -Barack Obama, January 2004

"The illegality of cannabis is outrageous, an impediment to full utilization of a drug which helps produce the serenity and insight, sensitivity and fellowship so desperately needed in this increasingly mad and dangerous world." - Carl Sagan, renown scientist, astronomer, astrochemist, author and TV host

"Why use up the forests which were centuries in the making and the mines which required ages to lay down, if we can get the equivalent of forest and mineral products in the annual growth of the hemp fields?" - Henry Ford, whose first Model-T was constructed from hemp fibers and built to run on hemp gasoline

"Prohibition... goes beyond the bound of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded" -Abraham Lincoln

"The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this." - Albert Einstein quote on Hemp

Evangelical Atheism

2009-02-06T20:21:00.000-08:00

Strong, strident, evangelical atheism is a political strategy to force thought and discussion. The more atheism is brought out of the darkness and discussed openly the more people will be willing to identify as an atheist. In this way hearts and minds can be brought to the truth.

As an atheist I want to recruit people. I do not want any important public decision made by anyone who believes in superstitious non-sense. The stakes are too high to tolerate and humor such ignorance.

Religion is the problem

2009-02-06T07:55:00.000-08:00

Religion is the problem. It has always been the place where cowards and bullies take refuge. Christians are no better. Religion's m.o. has always been to scapegoat one group - progressive women, progressive blacks, non-believers, etc. Religion is the place where ignorance and superstition is given comfort and nurture.

If you are religious, you are part of the problem. There is blood on your hands. I encourage all good people of sound mind and strong character to stand up and say "no" to religion. Let us end the ignorance and madness once and for all.

Be brave, be strong, be an atheist!

Chrome Drip

2009-02-05T22:10:00.000-08:00

Chrome drip

SuziRiot... rants from the left: Blogroll Amnesty Day 2009

2009-02-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

making a link

SuziRiot... rants from the left: Blogroll Amnesty Day 2009

Preternatural President

2009-02-03T23:40:00.000-08:00

President Obama is cool. His calm demeanor is a valuable political asset. The economy is crumbling, the sky may be falling, yet President Obama remains unflappable.

Yes we can!

Should Sam Go?

2009-02-03T21:40:00.000-08:00

Sam Adams is a mayor under siege. Adams is under fire for lying about a 2005 sexual relationship with an 18-year-old legislative intern, Beau Breedlove, while he was a city commissioner.
Adams was beginning a run for mayor in 2007 when rumors of the affair began to surface. At the time Adams denied any sexual contact with the intern. Adams, the first openly gay mayor of a top 40 US city, now admits the lies he told about the affair were a mistake. In addition to apologizing to the city at large, Adams went out of his way to apologize directly to the Portland gay community. Nevertheless, the question remains: Should Sam go?
Most agree that it is not the homosexual nature of the affair that is troubling. Rather, it is the deceit around the affair; and, to a lesser extent, the age of Beau Breedlove at the time of the affair. Rumors persist that the affair began before Breedlove turned 18, although both the Mayor and Breedlove deny this.
Should Sam go? The political truism holds true: the cover-up is worse than the crime. Why did Sam lie? Why did he not simply utter a “no comment”? Why, oh why? Now Portland is left with a mess. What looked to be a young, dynamic Mayor, with enthusiasm and ability; is but now another dirty politician, awash in scandal. And Portland weeps for what might have been.

The War on Drugs

2009-02-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Prohibition does not work; prohibition is a historical and contemporary failure.

Marijuana should be legalized, taxed and regulated for medical and recreational purposes.

Drug use and abuse should be treated as a medical problem, rather than a criminal problem.

All those incarcerated for non violent drug violations should be released immediately.

The war on drugs is a war on Americans. Let us end the assault on our friends and neighbors.

http://current.com/items/89780707/time_to_rethink_expensive_futile_war_on_drugs.htm

The Bible and Truth

2009-02-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

(this is my reponse to a post on current: http://current.com/items/89777589/the_bible_and_truth.htm
The Bible is a huge document with many authors, many strands, and indeed two distinct volumes - old and new testament.

To say the bible is true or false is a meaningless claim. The bible is a multiplicity and can not be reduced to a singular, binary, true/false proposition.

The short answer is this: there is no god, no heaven or hell, no life after death. There is only this natural world, which is much older than the bible claims. Man evolved from lower species; there was no creation and no creator.

Jesus was a man, albeit a great moral teacher, as was Socrates and Buddha.

Ultimately the bible and it's supporters encourage ignorance and fear and shun reason and knowledge. Hence, religious superstition is responsible for much of the worlds pain and suffering.

I encourage all good people to step out of the darkness of religious superstition and into the light of reason. Be brave; be strong; be an atheist!

Green Taboo: Population

2009-02-02T15:35:00.000-08:00

http://current.com/items/89778083/green_taboo_population.htm

Population: The elephant in the room. Uncontrolled population growth threatens to undermine efforts to save the planet; the environmental movement must stop running scared of this controversial topic. It's the great taboo of environmentalism: the size and growth of the human population. It has a profound impact on all life on Earth, yet for decades it has been conspicuously absent from public debate. Most natural scientists agree our growing numbers and our unchecked impact on the natural environment move us inexorably toward global calamities of unthinkable severity. They agree the need to address population has become desperate. Yet many environmentalists avoid the subject, a few objecting strongly to any focus on our numbers. Some activists insist acting to influence population growth infringes on human rights; they maintain that it is best to leave the problem alone.
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What do we do about the population problem? How do we address the problem without infringing on human rights? Perhaps more to the point, is it a human right to have as many kids as you please?

Dawkins of the Gap

2009-02-01T01:11:00.000-08:00

Atheist porn and techno for the late crowd.

http://current.com/items/89774435/dawkins_of_the_gap.htm

Ceremonial Deism: The National Religion

2009-01-31T16:41:00.000-08:00

Ever wonder why, when we pledge allegiance, we say "under God"? Ever wonder why our money says "in God we trust"? Do you ever wonder why these phrases, which seem to endorse and establish some sort of religious belief, i.e. god, are sanctioned by the US government? Even when the constitution explicitly forbids the establishment of religion? You are not alone.

Many people have wondered and complained, some through the courts. The US Supreme Court, in its infinite wisdom, settled on an explanation termed "Ceremonial Deism", a phrase coined by the former dean of Yale Law School, Eugene Rostow. Ceremonial Deism is a legal term used in the United States for nominally religious statements and practices deemed to be merely ritual and non-religious through long customary usage.

Ceremonial deism is offensive to everyone. The non believer is offended for obvious reasons. But the serious believer is also offended. The supreme court is allowing "in God we trust" on our money and "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because these phrases are deemed to be "merely ritual" and "non-religious". Hence the Supreme Court is telling the devout believer that when they say "under God" in the Pledge or read "in God we trust" on our money there is nothing of religious significance going on, merely some meaningless ritual.

Hence the Supreme Court offends everyone while pleasing no one. More than this, by allowing these religious phrases to be sanctioned by the US government, the Supreme Court is violating the first amendment to the constitution. The US Supreme Court, by embracing the explanatory force of Ceremonial Deism, is, in deed and word, establishing a national religion. This defacto national religion is, paradoxically, empty of any true religious faith or conviction; a religion that is shallow, superficial and without consequence.

And that is where we now stand. A little known phrase, Ceremonial Deism, stands as the official national religion, a religion that is by definition, merely empty ritual devoid of any religious depth or significance. Is this what we want for the USA?

Atheists use Obama to promote secularism

2009-01-21T12:35:00.000-08:00

The American Humanist Association will be using Obama to promote the virtues of secular family life. The AHA will use Obama's image in a prominent ad to be included in a special inauguration issue of the Washington Post. The ad praises the non-religious upbringing of Barach Obama. Obama's mother was a staunch defender of secular humanism.

Obama Dreams

2009-01-19T21:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.dumbwhore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/3194197590.jpg

Something fantastic is about to happen. What are your thoughts as we approach this momentous occasion? Do we dare to dream? Are we damaged goods bound by cynicism and disappointment? Or can we make a fresh start, and recreate an America that is loved and respected abroad, while being civil and compassionate at home?

The greatest 16 minutes of the 20th century

2009-01-18T22:21:00.000-08:00

The greatest 16 minutes of the 20th century.

Many of us know Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 "I Have a Dream" speech from snippets and news clips. If you have time for reflection today, watch it here, all the way through. It's unmissable. In an era of open injustice and brutal hatred, King challenges his listeners to actively build a better world for themselves and their children. We know the highlights, but watching the whole 16-minute speech makes the context of '63 shatteringly clear, and underscores the clarity and power of MLK's vision.

Legalize it!

2009-01-18T21:51:00.000-08:00

http://www.jackherer.com

Legalize the Medicinal and Recreational Use of Marijuana

Burning Bush

2009-01-18T13:23:00.000-08:00

Good bye monkey-boy!

Mormon Gulag

2009-01-17T22:26:00.000-08:00

something to investigate further: http://current.com/items/89727606/west_ridge_gulag.htm

Geneticaly Modified Organisms

2009-01-17T18:32:00.000-08:00

It is of paramount importance that all genetically modified food and other modified consumer products be clearly labeled. The public deserves to know and to have a choice.

As we move forward into this brave new world we need transparency and rigorous testing. We must hold the multi-nationals to a strict standard and write laws and regulations that reflect the fundamental fact that corporations are here to serve people; people are not the servants, property, or guinea pigs of the corporations.

With that said, I am not anti-science or even against the use of GMOs. I am for fairness and transparency.

Social Networks

2009-01-17T17:51:00.000-08:00

Facebook is like 8 track tapes, something else will be here soon. If anything such communication will become more prevalent. It is nevertheless odd. There are somethings people will tell strangers they will not tell certain (real world) friends or relatives. We are in the process of learning how to construct our virtual self. We will all be looked back upon as odd and primitive. I suspect future generations will have even more complex levels of communication

Meet the Brights

2009-01-11T01:02:00.000-08:00

What is a bright?

A bright is a person who has a naturalistic worldview
A bright's worldview is free of supernatural and mystical elements
The ethics and actions of a bright are based on a naturalistic worldview
Is Your Worldview Naturalistic?
Think about your own worldview to decide if it is free of supernatural or mystical deities, forces, and entities. If you decide that you fit the description above, then you are, by definition, a bright!

On this website, you can simply say so and, by doing so, join with other brights from all over the world in an extraordinary effort to change the thinking of society—the Brights movement.

Reason and Purpose
Currently the naturalistic worldview is insufficiently expressed within most cultures, even politically/socially repressed. To be a Bright is to participate in a movement to address the situation. (Note: the upper case Bright signifies someone who fits the definition and registers on this Web site.)

There is a great diversity of persons who have a naturalistic worldview (free of supernatural and mystical elements). Some are members of existing organizations that foster a supernatural-free perspective. Far more individuals are not associated with any formal group or label. Under the broad umbrella of the naturalistic worldview, the constituency of Brights can undertake social and civic actions designed to influence a society otherwise permeated with supernaturalism.

The movement's three major aims are:

Promote the civic understanding and acknowledgment of the naturalistic worldview, which is free of supernatural and mystical elements.
Gain public recognition that persons who hold such a worldview can bring principled actions to bear on matters of civic importance.
Educate society toward accepting the full and equitable civic participation of all such individuals.

Atheist Manifesto

2009-01-06T22:44:00.000-08:00

There is no god, or anything else that would qualify as supernatural.

Don't buy the lie. Faith is an excuse for not thinking. Belief in god is intellectual suicide.

Be brave, be strong, face the truth: we are animals here on this planet, mammals that live and die like any other mammal.

There is wonder and mystery and beauty in this world; don't waste this one life believing in some silly superstitious non-sense.

The atheist needs to prove nothing. The atheist accepts the natural world as it appears. It is the believer that must prove there is some invisible force, the proverbial old white dude in a white robe pushing all the buttons in some magic control room that no one can see.

In short, the burden of proof is on the believer.

Belief in god is dangerous; belief in god leads to war, death, pain and miserey; belief in god is a tool of oppression.

Be a zealot for the truth. It is a crime that people teach children that there is a god, and a heaven and a hell. To force a child to accept such non-sense is an insult to the intelligence and should be treated as child abuse.

Everytime the atheist makes people more aware of the possibility of atheism it is a victory. Anytime the atheist can plant a seed of doubt it is a victory.

The fact that a majority may believe in the supernatural is not an argument for the supernatural.

At one time the majority thought blacks inferior, thought the sun revolved around the earth, and even that the earth was flat.

The majority has a horrible track record.

And it is funny how the Xians love to threaten the non-believer with hell. No doubt Jesus would be proud.

Nevertheless, we must face the truth, again and again and again. Much damage has been done.

The truth: there is no god; jesus is some dead dude, not divine but no doubt charming, and just another bag of rotting flesh.

I encourage all believers to give up the shackles of faith, the bondage of belief, the cursed darkness of religion, and be born again into the sweetness of reason and light.

Be a hero. Be an atheist!

feed your head

2009-01-02T17:20:00.000-08:00

check this out

the veil on current

2009-01-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

check out the pod on current

The erotic aspect of the hijaab is fascinating. On one hand the covering only heightens mystery and the erotic. And yet the whole idea of the hijaab was to somehow de-eroticize women, and this for their own protection.

The whole mess is terribly sexist. It is as if we are prisoners of gender and sexuality, and so must perform the grossest contortions.

The west is not immune to such contortions, as the pod points out. Indeed, fake boobs and the hijaab can be seen as two sides of the same coin.

Yet there is often a backward ignorance around the hijab. It enforces an immature impression that every man is just a dog in heat and that every woman is such a great temptation that they must cover themselves so that the men will be able to maintain control of themselves. This notion is silly and naive. More than this it is insulting to assume all men are sexual children who can not control their actions.

No doubt the most important thing is that a woman has a choice to cover or not. When a woman is forced to cover she is a victim. To force a woman to cover is to oppress that woman.

I voted this up.

Question 2009

2009-01-01T14:57:00.000-08:00

check this out:

http://current.com/items/89671887/question_2009.htm

happy new year

2008-12-31T19:24:00.000-08:00

happy new year