"Some Day in the Future" - Back in 1969

I have been working on a project for several years that will explore the future that was sold to me as a child and the future as it happened.  For example, where is my flying car?

Sometimes those future predictions get things right...almost.  This video from 1969 shows what the Internet might look like in the future, even before it was called the Internet.

Census Time

It amazes me how every ten years the nuts come out of the woodwork shouting that the census is illegal.  It's in the frigging Constitution!  It is not only legal, but without good figures on how many Americans there are the government couldn't serve the people's interests in a HUGE variety of ways.  Highway money, education, health care, law enforcement, emergency services, broadcasting, telecommunications, just about every aspect of our lives is affected by this. 

The follow up survey which some folks receive that asks more detailed questions is equally important.  It gives a better picture of who America is and how we live.  Without that information lawmakers would be far less informed as to the makeup of their constituents. (I know some are clueless anyway...but....)

The most common paranoia is that the goverment will be coming to your door to:

A. Take away your hunting rifle
B. Euthanize your grandmother
C. Take away your children
D. Insert crazy idea here!

Here's the deal, they aren't going to do any of that!  So please fill out the census and return it so we can have the representation we deserve in DC, and so we won't have to spend a whole lot more money tracking down the holdouts and wackos, just to count them!

New to CNN - Right-Wing Wack Jobs!

Yes, buckling to the ratings over at Fox, CNN figures it can get ratings by hiring a new right-wing wack-job named Erick Erickson. Formerly a blogger at RedState, his downright stupid remarks are hardly worthy of a new organization.

Take his response to the Census. Part of the survey is a detailed form called the American Communities Survey. This form asks questions that help give the government and lawmakers a better idea of the living conditions and demographics of the country. Without this kind of information it's only an educated guess about how American's live and work. Valuable info such as commute times and availability of indoor plumbing all fall into this survey's purpose. (and yes there apparently are folks without indoor plumbing in the 21st century.)

Erick's response?

"I'm not filling out this form. I dare them to try and come throw me in jail. I dare them to. Pull out my wife's shotgun and see how that little ACS twerp likes being scared at the door. They're not going on my property. They can't do that. They don't have the legal right, and yet they're trying."

This is news? Oy vey!

Karfreitag

That's the German name for Good Friday. More later.

It's Maundy Thursday

It's Maundy Thursday, go wash some feet.

Seriously, it is indeed Maundy Thursday, and for those not familiar with Holy Week activities the services at many churches feature foot washing as part of the service on this day. The act is to commemorate Jesus washing the feet mentioned in the Gospel of John (15-16), "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you."

Tomorrow is of course Good Friday, and one of the most somber services of the year as the church is traditionally stripped of all decorations at the end of the service and left in the dark. Serving as a contrast to Easter when churches are traditionally resplendent in flowers symbolizing the Resurrection of Jesus.

OK enough Christianity 101, hope you all have a wonderful Easter weekend.

Let the Schism Begin! Family Research Council Splits From RNC

The lesbian bondage club scandal, LezBondGate, as I call it, has trickled down to some of the Republicans biggest supporters. Tony Perkins, of the radical Family Research Council is urging his flock to stop supporting the Republican National Committee!

In a CNN report Perkins is quoted as saying in his organizations website, "I've hinted at this before, but now I am saying it -- don't give money to the RNC. If you want to put money into the political process, and I encourage you to do so, give directly to candidates who you know reflect your values."

This may be the latest crack in the monolithic GOP voting block. The fundies are beginning to realize they have "layeth down with dogs" and now they are suffering the fleas! (Quote from Benjamin Franklin, not the Bible by the way!)

Republicans Offers Phone Sex Line In Latest Mailer!

First it's the lesbian/bondage strip club and now this! Looks like the RNC has really loosened up on the "family values" thing. Apparently they sent out a fund raising direct mail piece that looks suspiciously like an official census form. If that wasn't bad enough, they had a number to call on it that was misprinted.

And where did the number send callers? Drum roll please!

A phone sex line! No wonder Sarah Palin asked to be removed from the invitation list for the RNC.

Ben Smith has the story here, and as far as I can tell, it's not an April Fool's joke.

Starbucks Introduces Extreme Sizes

In an effort to stay on the cutting edge of beverage sales, Starbucks introduces the new extra-jumbo sized "Plenta" to their line up of "Tall, Grande, Vente". For those who like their caffeine in industrial size portions, the Plenta features 128fl. ounces of deliciousness. For the lesser coffee fans, who just ant a sip or two, the new "Micra" (2fl. ounces) will give drinker just a quick jolt.

More here on the Starbucks site. (Note to readers: Remember the date!)

Catholic League Continues to Blame Gays for Pedophilia Crisis

Watch this clip and get smoking mad!

Amazing crap streaming from Catholic League President William Donohue's mouth. What's worse, even though the interviewer called attention to the lie that all gays are pedophiles, Donohue continues to assert it using slightly different language. Outrageous!

Gay Animals - Just in Time for Easter

The New York Times magazine has an extensive article on same-sex couplings in the animal; world. Up to now, many scientists have treated same-sex pairs in the animal kingdom as just an interesting side note, but recent studies show it isn't all that rare.

The Laysan albatross is a startling example. The article tells of how a female pair of these birds nested and raised a chick together and display all the behaviors of a mated pair. These albatross mate for life, so it is a committed relationship!

Read more in the New York Times. (And no this isn't an April Fool's joke!)

Here's Your Sign!

Americablog.com found a treasure trove of signs from Tea Baggers. They call the new language, "Teabonics"! Check this one out and many more.

So many signs, so little English!

Catholic League Blames "Homosexuality" For Church's Scandals

The Catholic League took out a full page add in the New York Times to dispute the assertion that the Vatican has been complicit in covering up the pedophile priests recently in the news. Even though there is a paper trail a mile long that directly implicates the Vatican and even Pope Benedict in the cover-up, they try to deflect the issue by calling the crisis one of homosexuality not pedophilia.

Again the Catholic Church is trying to avoid the elephant in the room. Pedophile priests who were enabled by the church through reassignment and cover-ups. Some day this organization will actually take a cold hard look at their problems and take steps to fix them, but apparently not under this Pope.

The twisted logic used in the Catholic League's ad is ridiculous but I have come to expect that from this bunch. They are trotting out the old lie that pedophilia is strictly a homosexual thing and using that to side step the real problem, accountability and honesty. \

Last time I checked, wasn't LYING was a sin?

Some Republicans Defend Steele's Nightclub Bondage Spree

This is not a joke, but the chairman of the Colorado GOP, a man named....(drum roll) Dick Wadhams, actually defends Michael Steele staff expense of almost $2000 at a bondage themed adult club.

Dick Wadhams? Oh Puleeze!

Mug Shots of Christian Terrorists

Sometimes it is necessary to look into the face of madness to recognize it when you see it again. Above are pictures of the Hutaree Militia that were arrested in raids by the FBI over the weekend.

These folks are accused of planning to use explosives to kill police officers and to assassinate a policeman as a ploy to lure more to his funeral where the bomb would be detonated. These people who claim to be "Christian Militia" members are terrorists plain and simple. Note that none of them wears a turban, is Arabic or a foreign national. Look at them and remember these faces when people begin throwing around the words "terrorist" and "religious extremists". They come in all varieties.

Ricky Martin Comes Out!

In the "it's about time" category, we have singer/heartthrob Ricky Martin who has finally come out as gay on his blog. I understand how tough it can be for a celebrity, but heck people have speculated about Ricky for years and he remained mum. Finally he comes out! Now I only hope he will get a few more records into the charts.

More on the "Christian" Militia

These holy warriors in Michigan I wrote about earlier have been charged with plotting to murder a policeman. The insidious part of their plot was that they planned to attack his funeral and kill more police there. It was part of their holy war on the US Government.

Now as many of you know, I am a convert to Christianity, and us converts are usually the most zealous but I can find no mention of killing police and attacking funerals as part of any mandate given to Jesus' followers. Oh yes there was that part about feeding the hungry, healing the sick, visiting the captive, I got all that and try to follow it as best as I can. For the life of me I just can't find his statement about suckering law enforcement officials into a funeral so you can slaughter them.

What the hell is wrong with these guys? The industrial strength crazy that they espouse has nothing to do with the Bible or Jesus. This is what happens when you get way too bogged down in radical fundamentalism. Trying the parse every word in the Bible and follow it to the letter results in complete wacko-ism.

The right wing in this country is looking more and more like the Taliban. Pray for sanity!

"Christian" Militias Raided in Michigan

This weekend the FBI raided several locations of "Christian Militia" groups. As I have been warning for a while, the right wing is getting increasingly militant and wacko. These latest "Army's of God" were in Michigan. One was a group called Hutaree which quotes several Bible passages on its web site and then states: "We believe that one day, as prophecy says, there will be an Anti-Christ. ... Jesus wanted us to be ready to defend ourselves using the sword and stay alive using equipment."

Funny, I have read the Bible cover to cover and Jesus never says anything about violently defending yourselves. I believe he was the "Prince of Peace" and specifically instructed his followers to "turn the other cheek". I have to really wonder what Bible these guys are reading?

Like the group in Amarillo, these guys have perverted the words of Jesus and wrapped them around their own extreme beliefs. Remind you of some other fundamentalist radicals? Look at what the fundamentalist extremist Muslims have done to Islam.

UPDATE: Indictments were unsealed and the details are astounding. They include conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction. These guys were very dangerous and had explosives, guns, and more. From CNN:

A federal grand jury in Detroit, Michigan, indicted six Michigan residents, two Ohioans and an Indianan on the conspiracy charges, plus attempted use of weapons of mass destruction, teaching the use of explosive materials and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade and Andrew Arena, FBI special agent in charge, announced.