The Uninspired Manifesto

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

This Is Your Child On Drugs

Couresy of FatDave at Bile Duct.
So I was watching TV the other day and saw a new Partnership for a Drug-Free America commercial. Actually I don’t think they’re called that anymore. They have some new 21st century name or something. Anyway, you know who I’m talking about. The commercial featured an average looking teenage boy doing a talking-head monologue that went something like this:

"Hey teenager, are your parents watching this with you? Good. Have they talked to you about the drug ecstasy yet? No? They still think partying is about drinking beer, huh? They don’t know good kids just like you take ecstasy. They’ve never asked about the vitamins in your room or the glow-stick jewelry. Ecstasy can kill you and drugs are bad."

OK, I don’t think he actually said “drugs are bad”, but I forget how he wraps up.

Anyway, I just want to say thank God for this commercial! It’s high time parents were made aware of the drug ecstasy (not to be confused with the emotion ecstasy) and its inextricable link to glow-stick jewelry. Where there is glow-stick jewelry there is, without a doubt, ecstasy. Probably ketamine too.

But unfortunately, this commercial doesn’t go nearly far enough toward educating parents. Every drug out there has definitive warning signs, so as a public service I’m going to list them below.

By far, the biggest indicator of drug use in general is moodiness and rebelliousness in teenagers. Non drug using teenagers are perfectly happy, self-actualized individuals that have super relationships with their parents and their entire families. If your teenager shies away from family activities and seems to want to spend a lot of time out of the house or alone, seek counseling immediately.

If your teenager exhibits moodiness and rebellion, the music he or she listens to and the way they dress can help you determine exactly what drug they are addicted to. Generally speaking, if your child listens to the same music you listened to when you were young, it’s a safe bet they take the same drugs you did. Classic rock means marijuana and 80’s pop is a sure sign of cocaine.

Here are some specific warning signs that your child is in trouble with drugs and other nefarious activities.

Does your child wear baggy hip-hop clothing and listen to rap music?

Your child smokes crack.

Does your child wear tie-dyed t-shirts and listen to The Grateful Dead, Phish, Widespread Panic or Government Mule?

Your child smokes pot and takes LSD.

Does your child listen to The Velvet Underground or Nirvana?

Definitely heroin. If no track marks are evident, he or she shoots it under his toenails or eyelids.

Does your child listen to heavy metal music?

Methamphetamine.

Does your child listen to the blues?

Your child shot a man in Memphis.

Does your child listen to Marilyn Manson?

Your child worships The Devil and fucks dead kittens (unless your child is a girl, in which case she fucks live dobermans).

Does your child listen to techno dance music?

Ecstasy and ketamine again. That this was left out of the PSA described above is a huge disservice to paranoid parents.

Does your child wear ripped clothing, dye their hair funny colors and listen to punk rock?

Your child sniffs butyl nitrate and is probably bisexual, unless they are just a poseur.

Is your child a high-school cheerleader or football player?

You have nothing to worry about. Your child is a good old fashioned red blooded American alcoholic.

Does your child listen to 1940’s swing music by black bandleaders?

Your child smokes marijuana, but spells it “marihuana”.

Does your child lift weights?

Duh!! Steroids!! If your daughter lifts weights she probably also wolfs muff.

Is your child a teen starlet?

She smokes cigarettes and snorts cocaine.

Does your child wear Wranglers jeans, shirts with snap buttons and listen to country and/or western music?

Again, nothing to worry about. It’s only beer and Jack Daniels.

Does your teenage daughter spend much of her free time at the mall?

Your daughter sucks cock for money.

Does your teenage son spend much of his free time at the mall?

Your son sucks cock for free.

Does your child listen to Christian rock?

Your child is an idiot. They also have no taste and no friends.

Would your child rather spend time on the internet than watching TV?

This is huge. The best you can hope for is that your child is a geek. Other signs of geekdom include reading when not required to (especially science fiction), Monty Python and Dungeons and Dragons. Dungeons and Dragons is also a sure sign of Satanism, so seek immediate religious counseling and possibly exorcism.

If internet use is high but no symptoms of geekdom exist, there is only one other possibility. Your child is meeting middle-aged men in chat rooms then meeting them at the mall to have sex with them.

Does your teen seem nervous around the opposite sex?

Your child is homosexual.

While the temptations facing teens in the 21st century are many, by familiarizing yourself with the warning signs and remaining vigilant, you can save your children. If your child exhibits any of these warning signs, they should be institutionalized at once.
posted by Nick at 10:13 PM 0 comments

Colbert Report 'Best Of' DVD

From TVShowsOnDVD.

Calling All Heroes!!!

Comedy Central's

"The Best of 'The Colbert Report'" DVD

Hits Stores on Tuesday, November 6


NEW YORK, July 30 /PRNewswire/ -- In this age of skepticism and not getting it, Americans want the truth...iness. No one has more truthiness than it-getter, flagophile, and four-star American hero, Stephen Colbert. This collection of "The Colbert Report's" finest moments shows The Nation how Colbert better feels the facts, better justifies injustices and better knows the districts. Released via COMEDY CENTRAL Home Entertainment and Paramount Home Entertainment, "The Best of 'The Colbert Report'" DVD arrives in stores nationwide on Tuesday, November 6 and will also be available at http://shop.comedycentral.com.

"The Best of 'The Colbert Report'" DVD is a single disc and features the best sketches from the following: "The Word," the 434-part series "Better Know a District," "Tip of the Hat, Wag of The Finger" and "Threat Down." It will also include guests "nailed" by Colbert such as George Lucas, Barry Manilow and Willie Nelson.

"The Colbert Report," with Stephen Colbert assuming a dismissive, Bill O'Reilly-like persona while commenting on the issues of the day, has recently received four Emmy Award nominations: Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series, Outstanding Individual Performance In A Variety Or Music Program for Colbert's performance and Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. Director Jim Hoskinson was cited for Outstanding Directing For A Variety, Music Or Comedy Program. The show was nominated in each of these categories last year, bringing its total number of nominations to eight.

"The Colbert Report" airs Monday-Thursday at 11:30 p.m. following "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart." Each episode repeats Monday-Thursday at 1:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (all times ET/PT).
posted by Nick at 12:51 PM 0 comments

Monday, July 30, 2007

The Power of Prayer

From Debunking Christianity.


I was skeptical at first, but this proves it.... I guess I was wrong.
posted by Nick at 10:30 PM 0 comments

The Great American God-Out

Story courtesy of Friendly Atheist.

This will be fun.

On November 15th, Dr. Lydia Hartunian is organizing The Great American God-Out. Modeled after The Great American Smokeout, it’s a chance for religious people to try to go God-free for one day.

(That day, by the way, is a Thursday, not a Sunday. No need to fear God’s wrath on a Thursday!)

So how does it work?
… just for a day–people will [act] as if there is no god; people will live as if there only exists the goodness of self and others to sustain healthy living!



Join individuals across the nation (and across the world!) who will celebrate a day marked by peace, love, kindness, strength and appreciation for all the beauties of the natural world.

It’s a lofty goal to get religious people to take her up on this challenge, but even the thought questions are at least worth asking:
1. Say there is no god, would you no longer love your family, friends, children, pets or significant others? Why or why not?

2. Say there is no god, would you stop hoping for a cure for cancer? Why or why not?

3. Say there is no god, would you stop caring about the health of the environment? Why or why not?

4. Say there is no god, would you want orphaned children to find loving homes? Why or why not?

5. Say there is no god, would you want auto-engineers to design a safe car that gets great gas mileage? Why or why not?

6. Say there is no god, would you want Osama Bin Laden to be captured? Why or why not?

7. Say there is no god, would you want child-abusers to be punished by law? Why or why not?

8. Say there is no god, would you teach children to be selfish? Why or why not?

9. Say there is no god, would you steal money from an unattended purse? Why or why not?

10. Say there is no god, would you steal an item from a large department store? Why or why not?

FINALLY: Say there is no god, identify at least one reason you would still have to keep on living, be happy and that would bring meaning to your life. (Think hard–you can do this!)

The point is that your answers would not change whether you believe in God or not.

There is also an ongoing list of ideas/events you can engage in that day.

You’ll be hearing about this more in the future, but consider this a heads-up for everyone interested! Hopefully this will help to open up a few eyes...
posted by Nick at 10:18 PM 0 comments

Sunday, July 29, 2007

The Simpsons Movie



So, I woke up this morning, earlier than I wanted to, all so I could make my way to the local mall and check out The Simspons Movie. Being the first movie I'd actually paid to see in quite some time, it was somewhat a surreal experience, in as much as when I walked out, I wished I had chosen something else... particularly 'Talk To Me', because its a much better film, but it wasn't playing there. I almost dropped in on Sunshine, buit I've seen it three times already, and I know that crispy guy would freak me the fuck out if I saw him on a 50 ft. screen.

Anyway, on to the Simspons movie. If you haven't seen it yet, there will probably be spoilers, so avert your eyes. The real tragedy with this film is that all the positive reviews say there about as many laughs as your three favorite simpsons episodes put together, and that's completely untrue. It's not that I didn't laugh, its just all the really funny parts have already been shown in the trailers... except for Bart getting drunk and Homer flipping off the town... that was some funny shit. Still, the laughs are few and far between, and the plot, while mildly coherent, seems drawn out even for the 80-minute running time.

The other thing that really bothered me was the dialouge. I really hoped they would have left the writing to people they brought back from earlier seasons, but a lot of it seems like shit from the new guys, and anyone keeping up with the last few seasons know how bad the writing is. That, combined with a few sub-plots that went nowhere, and added nothing to the overall film, while not completely turning me off, really fucked up the experience. In the end, there were worse movies I could have seen, so... i guess that's something.
posted by Nick at 10:45 PM 0 comments

Anti-Atheist Commercial

Thanks to Resist Blog, and The Non-Prophets for the story.
A Christian group is spending money to get this commercial on the air. It's on Youtube right now, and they aim to spread it around. They want to "end atheism."

Watch the video, and imagine if they were talking about Jews, or Blacks, or women...

I guess as long as evil atheists like me are allowed to live freely in this "Christian" country, we're a danger to all the good little Christians. Maybe they better starting rounding up me and all my atheist friends. I'm sure they can set up some nice re-education camps quickly. There's always ovens. Surely we must be stopped. Removed. Eradicated.

Watch the video and wonder what their final solution to the atheist "problem" might be.

[And for a debunking of the "facts" they present, check out this link.]

I'm not even going to begin with the number of things wrong with this ad; for that, check out the link in the story. What I really want to know is who the fuck has enough free time and money to actually put this shit together?
posted by Nick at 6:07 PM 7 comments

Fuck Yes!

Story courtesy of The Animation Blog.
Futurama returns November 27th


Do you hear that? That’s the sound of millions of people with good taste in TV cheering the return of Futurama! Fans of the series will be glad to know that the show will return on November 27th as a full-length movie being released on DVD. The initial release will be followed by 3 more DVD movies!

After all 4 DVD movies have been released, they’ll be chopped up into 16 episodes which will air on Comedy Central along with NEW episodes created for Comedy Central.

Welcome back Futurama, welcome back!

I've been waiting so fucking long for this. Hopefully, fans will make the transition to Comedy Central so we can have plenty of new episodes.
posted by Nick at 4:25 PM 0 comments

Saturday, July 28, 2007

*sigh*... Why... Just, Why?

I linked to this article in my previous post, but it was so fucked up, I just had to share it with you.

From The Houston Chronicle.
Murder suspect says he was doing God's work

A Cypress man charged in the death of a Southwest Airlines flight attendant said Saturday that he was doing God's work when he went to a Montrose-area bar last month, hunting for a gay man to kill.

"I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet," said 26-year-old Terry Mark Mangum, charged with murder June 11. " ... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Interviewed in the Brazoria County Jail Saturday morning, Mangum said he feels no remorse for killing 46-year-old Kenneth Cummings Jr., whom relatives described as a "loving" son who never forgot a holiday and a devoted uncle who had set up college funds for his niece and nephew. He worked at Southwest for 24 years.

Mangum, who described himself as "definitely not a homosexual," said God called on him to "carry out a code of retribution" by killing a gay man because "sexual perversion" is the "worst sin."

Mangum believed Cummings to be gay.

"I planned on sending him to hell," he said.

Cummings disappeared June 4. His charred remains were found June 16, buried on a 50-acre ranch near San Antonio owned by Mangum's 90-year-old grandfather.

Mangum — who claimed he has studied the Bible for "thousands and thousands and thousands of hours" — said God first commanded him to kill during a "visitation," or dream, while he was in prison in 2001. He said his victim must be a man because men "carry the harvest of the sinner."

After six months' planning, Mangum said, he went to E.J.'s, a Montrose-area club, where he met Cummings. After they drank a couple of beers, he said, the two went to Cummings' home in Pearland.

Mangum said he stabbed Cummings with a "6-inch blade."

"It's not that I'm a bad dude," he said, expressing concern that people might view him as "strange." Pausing briefly, he said, "I love God."

You come to a point, after reading stories of this nature for so many years, that you have to seriously ask 'Is insanity a requirement for belief in religious doctorines?'. It always seems to amaze me that conservative christians can continually say that atheists can't justify their moral system. Presumably, however, christians have access to a superior moral system (ultimately expressed in the "nature" of their god, but only practically accessible through their the bible) which provide the guidelines for the only truly moral life. Still, they are just as quick to dismiss cases like this (of which there are so fucking many) as an individual who mis-interpreted the scripture.

What the fuck is there to mis-interpret? As I recall, the bible is chock-full of hideously violent acts, most of which make Mangum's act seem downright polite, and all of which are justified by christians today the same way that Mangum justifies his own actions- "I believe I'm Elijah, called by God to be a prophet... I believe with all my heart that I was doing the right thing."

Look, all moral systems come from the same place... you. Your life experience defines your morals, not some fucking book. If it did, every christian on the planet would be just as insane as this piece of shit. I know I say this a lot, but we only live once people. Don't fuck it up.
posted by Nick at 11:30 PM 1 comments

They Hate You For A Reason

Story from The Washington Post.
U.S. Hindu organizations are urging presidential candidates to denounce the protesters who disrupted the Senate as the first-ever Hindu opening prayer was being delivered this month.

Ante Nedlko Pavkovic, Katherine Lynn Pavkovic and Christan Renee Sugar -- identified in the Christian media as a couple and their daughter -- were removed from the Senate floor and arrested by Capitol Police on July 12 after they began shouting, "This is an abomination," and asking for forgiveness from God.

The three, from Davidson, N.C., were arrested and charged with disrupting Congress, a misdemeanor.

A brief prayer was then delivered by Rajan Zed, a chaplain from Reno who was invited by Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.).

Several Christian organizations spoke out against the prayer, before and after it was delivered. The American Family Association circulated a petition, urging its members to contact their senator to protest the prayer. "This is not a religion that has produced great things in the world," it read. The Rev. Flip Benham of Operation Rescue/Operation Save America issued a statement saying the prayer placed "the false god of Hinduism on a level playing field with the One True God, Jesus Christ."

Although the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington issued a statement July 17 saying its members were "deeply saddened" by the interruption, no senators present spoke out against it publicly, according to the Hindu American Foundation and the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

Both organizations said they are disappointed with the legislators, and they sent letters this week to presidential candidates and senators, asking them to condemn the incident.

"We call on you to follow the example set by [Reid] and take a stance in defense of religious freedom and equality, in the face of opposition from extremists and fundamentalists," the ISKCON letter said.

A focus of the Christian organizations was the perception that Hindus are polytheistic. "Our national motto isn't 'In gods we trust,' " Janet L. Folger, president of Faith2Action, said the day before the Senate prayer.

However, the U.S. Hindu groups say this criticism reflects ignorance of the monotheistic underpinnings of their faith. Hinduism has many deities, all manifestations of one god.

Although there were only three protesters, said Ishani Chowdhury, executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, "if you look at it as a reflection of a larger number of people . . . we need people to condemn what happened and highlight the need for dialogue."

First of all, I don't support prayer of any kind in the US Senate, being an obvious conflict with the constitution, but this issue brings up an even bigger 'Church-State Seperation' issue. When any one religion is favored over others, people are going to be offended. Just because the majority of the population is christian at this point in time, doesn't mean that can't eventually change. So what would happen to all those fundameltal xians if the population became overwhelmingly Jewish or Hindu? Would you just abandon your faith because its no longer the most popular? You have to learn to stop looking at what benefits you personally and fucking think about everyone else.

There's something inherently wrong with your beliefs and yourself personally if you feel that any expression of religion contrary to your own needs to be protested. I hate a lot of things that these assholes do. I hate it when some 'morally right' christian blows up an abortion clinic in 'The name of God'. I hate it when they hold up signs on street corners warning about the 'dangers of homosexuality'. I hate how there are three fucking 24-hour christian television networks in my cable package, yet they get pissed off when PBS wants to run an atheist tv show at two in the mother fucking morning! You know what I do? I write a couple blog posts to vent my anger, and fall the fuck asleep, because you fucking douchebags that want to opress everyone who disagrees with you are the REAL threat to our way of life. The sooner you learn that and change your ways, the beter off the entire world will be.
posted by Nick at 10:51 PM 0 comments

The 'Potter' Craze

Who is James Dobson? Why, he's the head of the evangelical group 'Focus on the Family'; you know, the group that's responsible for destroying everything I love, from rap music to porn. Anyway, given the release of the final Harry Potter book is taking up headlines in newspapers across the country, he might as well get his two cents in.

According to the Washington Post, Dobson recently praised the series:
Christian parenting guru James Dobson has praised the Potter books. Catholic News Service, an entity of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has put them on its list of recommended children's books.

But, according to the 'Focus' website, the Post article was mistaken, and cited comments made on Dobson's radio program years earlier:
Dr. James Dobson wants all friends of Focus on the Family to know about an error involving him that appeared on Page 1 of Wednesday's Washington Post. In a story about Christians' views on the Harry Potter books and films, reporter Jacqueline Salmon wrote that "Christian parenting guru James Dobson has praised the Potter books."

This is the exact opposite of Dr. Dobson's opinion — in fact, he said a few years ago on his daily radio broadcast that "We have spoken out strongly against all of the Harry Potter products." His rationale for that statement: Magical characters — witches, wizards, ghosts, goblins, werewolves, poltergeists and so on — fill the Harry Potter stories, and given the trend toward witchcraft and New Age ideology in the larger culture, it's difficult to ignore the effects such stories (albeit imaginary) might have on young, impressionable minds.

First, let me make it clear that there is no love lost between me and the Harry Potter series. I have never liked the books and I hated the movies even more. Not because of any idealogical differences, mind you, but rather just because they suck. Still, I would never protest or discourage others from reading the books because I'm not an fascist asshole that wants to control people. Mr. Dobson, if you want to talk about the effects of made-up stories on impressionable young minds, why don't we look at all the indoctornation parents force on children through the Bible, in some cases bordering on fucking child abuse. Don't criticise a book brave enough to be labeled fiction when it makes more fucking sense than your holy book.
posted by Nick at 2:46 PM 0 comments

Killing In The Name Of...

Story courtesy of The Washington Post.
17 Christians Convicted in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia -- A dozen Christian men were convicted Thursday and sentenced to up to 14 years in jail for beating to death and beheading two Muslims to avenge the government executions of three Christians in Indonesia last year.

Five other Christians received eight-year terms for burying the pair, who were set upon by a mob as they drove though a Christian neighborhood on Sulawesi island a day after the Sept. 22, 2006, executions of Fabianus Tibo and two other Christian militants.

"It has been proven that they carried out acts of terror together and tried to hide the crime by hiding the bodies," said head judge Ahmad Subari.

Two of the 12 found guilty of murder were sentenced to 14 years in jail each, while the other 10 got 12 years.

It was not clear whether any of defendants intended to appeal.

The executions of the three Christian militiamen took place despite an appeal by Pope Benedict XVI to spare the men and claims by human rights groups that their trials were unfair. The revenge killings were the bloodiest incident in several days of protests at the executions.

Okay... let me get this straight... they led a group and killed two Muslim men that had absolutely nothing to do with the killing of the other Christians, just to protest the government? Have you never heard of signs or marching... or at the very least a fucking petition. You don't kill two innocent people because of something your government did that pissed you off.

And they wonder why atheists always talk shit about religions...
posted by Nick at 2:12 PM 0 comments

Evangelical Softball...

Thanks to Friendly Atheist for the story.

It’s real. How much fun with wordplay can you have with this one?
… it doesn’t matter if a base runner is safe—so much as if he’s saved.

What are the rules for Evangelical Softball?
In the Cape Cod (Mass.) Evangelical Church Softball League, players become ineligible if they don’t attend two Sunday services a month.

In eastern Massachusetts, teams in the evangelical league are limited to three “unsaved” players each—and must turn in a roster specifically highlighting them as such before the start of the season, so that others in the congregation can pray for their salvation and mail literature to their homes. (The rulebook cautions that “‘Outreach Players’ should not be selected for their athletic ability,” but rather for their genuine interest in finding Christ.)

The rulebook of the Stateline Evangelical Softball League in Rockford, Ill., requires long pants at all times; in especially hot weather, shorts are OK only if both managers agree—and only, the rulebook notes in red type, if they are “moderate and knee length.”

Stealing is not allowed.

What other quirks might this game have?

Lots of sacrifice bunting.

No suicide squeezes.

Something about how three outs make up a Holy Trinity.

My atheist friend Neil adds this: “They’re swinging at nothing.”
posted by Nick at 12:42 AM 0 comments

Thursday, July 26, 2007

I'm Back!

I'm back online, but I don't really know for how long. In the upcoming week, I'll be switching from DSL to cable, so hopefully there won't be as many hiccups in my service. Anyway, I missed a lot of stories in my time off, but, as always, I'll only cover those that intrest me, or make me laugh...
posted by Nick at 11:02 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

My Apologies

Sorry to everyone out there, but I won't be able to post any new articles for a while. I'm having some problems with my internet connection, and my service provider (Fuck you AT&T -- so gonna drop them) so until I can clear it up, I won't be posting anything. In the meantime, you'll just have to get your news from a blogger that knows how to report things in a timely manner.
posted by Nick at 11:03 PM 0 comments

Sunday, July 22, 2007

Bush Outlaws All War Protest In United States

Article courtesy of Winnipeg Independent Media Centre


In one of his most chilling moves to date against his own citizens, the American War Leader has issued a sweeping order this week outlawing all forms of protest against the Iraq war.


President Bush enacted into US law an ‘Executive Order’ (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_order_%28United_States%29) on July
17th titled "Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq", (http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070717-3.) and which says:


"By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, as amended (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)(IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.)(NEA), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,


I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, find that, due to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States posed by acts of violence threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people, it is in the interests of the United States to take additional steps with respect to the national emergency declared in Executive Order 13303 of May 22, 2003, and expanded in Executive Order 13315 of August 28, 2003, and relied upon for additional steps taken in Executive Order 13350 of July 29, 2004, and Executive Order 13364 of November 29,
2004."


According to Russian legal experts, the greatest concern to the American people are the underlying provisions of this new law, and which, they state, are written ‘so broadly’ as to outlaw all forms of protest against the war. These provisions state:


"(ii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, such an act or acts of violence or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or


(b) The prohibitions in subsection (a) of this section include, but are not limited to, (i) the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit of any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order, and (ii) the receipt of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services from any such person.


(c) the term "United States person" means any United States citizen, permanent resident alien, entity organized under the laws of the United States or any jurisdiction within the United States (including foreign branches), or any person in the United States.


All agencies of the United States Government are hereby directed to take all appropriate measures within their authority to carry out the provisions of this order and, where appropriate, to advise the Secretary of the Treasury in a timely manner of the measures taken."


To the subsection of this new US law, according to these legal experts, that says "...the making of any contribution or provision of funds, goods, or services by, to, or for the benefit...", the insertion of the word ‘services ’ has broad, and catastrophic, consequences for the American people in that any act deemed by their government to be against the Iraqi war is, in fact, supporting the ‘enemy’ and therefore threatens the ‘stabilization of Iraq’.


In an even greater affront to the American people are the provisions of a law called The Patriot Act, (http://www.aclu.org/safefree/resources/17343res20031114.html) and that should they run afoul of this new law they are forbidden to allow anyone to know about it, and as we can read as reported by the Seattle Times News Service: (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2002527215_patrioted29.html)


"The [Patriot] act also expands the use of National Security Letters, which are a kind of warrant that the Justice Department writes for itself, authorizing its agents to seize such things as records of money movements, telephone calls and Internet visits. Recipients of a National Security Letter are not allowed to tell anyone about them, and so cannot contest them."


It is interesting to note, too, that this is not the first time that the United States has unleashed the brutal power of their government against its citizens to further their war aims and stifle domestic dissent, as during the European conflict of World War I they enacted a law called The Sedition Act of 1918 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedition_Act_of_1918) and which "...forbade Americans to use "disloyal, profane, scurrilous, or abusive language" about the United States government, flag, or armed forces during war."


It is curious to note that after the enactment of this new law there has been no protest by any of the other political leaders in the United States, with the exception of the only Muslim member of the United States Congress, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, (http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/07/17/critics_muslim_rep_likened_bush_hitler/6980/) and who compared President Bush to the Nazi War Leader Adolph Hitler by stating the attacks upon the World Trade Center could be likened to the burning of the Reichstag.


Today, as the United States faces an imminent economic collapse, (http://www.whatdoesitmean.com/index1019.htm) while at the same time its war bill has reached the staggering amount of $648 billion, (http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/194233.html) one of the last freedoms the American people have had to protest their leaders actions against them, and other peoples in the World, has now been taken away from them, the freedom to speak and write in opposition to what is being done to them.



I fear this is the end of free speech as we know it.
posted by Nick at 9:48 PM 1 comments

Saturday, July 21, 2007

God Damn You, Texas!

Thanks to Dogma Free America for the news article.

House Bill 1034 was first filed in the House of Representatives on Feb. 1 with the intention of amending the state pledge of allegiance to add the words, "one state under God," reflecting the United States pledge of allegiance.

"The purpose of this bill is very simple. It is to simply have our state pledge mirror, if you will, reflect our national pledge. Our national pledge says, 'one nation under God.' I think it is altogether right and appropriate for our state pledge to say 'one state under God,'" Rep. Debbie Riddle stated.

The new pledge of allegiance to the state flag is "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God and indivisible." This act did not receive a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house for it to take immediate effect. It is currently waiting on Gov. Rick Perry's desk along with many other bills for him to sign. It will take effect starting Sept. 1.

"I was one of the co-authors of HB 1034 and one of the ideas to amend the pledge was to mirror the pledge of allegiance to the United States flag. This shows intent just like our founding fathers to reflect upon our Judeo-Christian values and heritage in paying tribute to the state and country. Now both pledges of allegiance reference the same language," said Rep. Brandon Creighton.

Houston Community Newspaper

... Let me get this out of the way first... Our founding fathers did not add 'One Nation Under God' to the pledge. Eisenhower added it in the fucking 1950's.

This is by far one of the worst bills Texas state legislature has passed in recent memory. What's worse is that the representative for the area of Houston that I live in fucking authored the bill. Besides being an obvious violation of religous freedom, and state sanction promotion of a single religion, students can only be excused from the pledge if they bring a fucking note from their parents. This is the kind of shit you wish you could fight against, but it has such an overwhelming bid of approval in both the Texas House and Senate.

Understandably, it had me in pretty bad mood, until I found this story...

Trading bibles for porn in San Antonio

A group of atheists at the University of Texas in San Antonio is trying to tempt college kids into trading their Bibles for pornography.

It's part of a program called Smut for Smut sponsored by the student organization called Atheist Agenda.

MSNBC

... Its stories like these that at least restore some of my faith in humanity. That is of course, until the president of the student group goes on Tucker Carlson's show to listen to him spout his bullshit rhetoric... fuck, my head hurts.
posted by Nick at 4:01 PM 0 comments

Thursday, July 19, 2007

If I Believed In God, I Would Curse His Name Right Now...

I love to discuss movie news, but this is more one of those 'what the fuck were they thinking' moments. In a truely stupid move, Ace Ventura 3 is set to begin filming in September.

From JoBlo.com
Because SON OF MASK and DUMB AND DUMBERER taught us nothing about making bad spinoffs of Jim Carrey movies, we bring to you today news of ACE VENTURA 3 that will follow the son of Ace. Yes, SON OF ACE VENTURA. It's an idea so horrendous the creators must've been wearing at least 20 pairs of Bad Idea Jeans. If just the idea of a SON OF ACE VENTURA movie isn't enough to give you douche chills, know that it stars Josh Flitter, that f*cking annoying kid from LICENSE TO WED and NANCY DREW. When someone can say about you that you were the worst thing about LICENSE TO WED, a movie that features more hammy Robin Williams schtick than an all-night marathon of PATCH ADAMS, you know you're in trouble. And we're all in trouble when ACE VENTURA 3 hits theaters. Filming is set to begin this September in Orlando.

Fuck, I'm depressed... at least I was until I heard the original song, 'Chocolate Rain' from Tay Zonday. Check out this new viral video...

posted by Nick at 6:23 PM 0 comments

Threat Alert Jesus!


I found this on a message board, but I'm not sure of the original source. Click the image to see a hi-res version.

Now you never have to be afraid again...
posted by Nick at 4:35 PM 0 comments

The Sunday Morning Challenge

From Jamonation

“What, pray tell, is the Sunday Morning Challenge”, you might be asking yourself. Well, it’s actually two challenges in one. Let me explain the first. We, here at Jamonation, would like to challenge secularist readers of this blog to watch one hour of Sunday morning Evangelical Christian religious television programing and post a comment regarding their resultant thoughts and reaction. I’ve watched these shows occasionally and am amazed that they are broadcast on the public airways. Be on the lookout for Creationist propaganda, fear mongering, the incorporation of patriotism, ties between church and state, threats of eternal damnation and the like. Carefully observe the set, backdrops, audience and music. Oh, and make sure you don’t have a mouth full of coffee when the preacher asks you to send a donation to "help with God's work". The second challenge is merely to see if you can sit through one hour of this kind of programming. Have a laugh or be appalled and tell us about it.

So, on Sunday July 22 / 07:

* Watch at least 1 hour of Evangelical Christian religious television programing.
* Post your reaction here at Jamonation.
* Have fun reading everyone's comments.

** Disclaimer: We at Jamonation accept no responsibility if, for some reason, you are converted to Evangelical Christianity by participating in The Sunday Morning Challenge.

So, If (unlike me) you happen to be awake early enough on Sunday Morning, you might as well give it a shot. Personally, I've had enough xian television for this lifetime, and would much rather spend my time sleeping, or posting on this blog... If only I could combine the two...
posted by Nick at 4:08 PM 0 comments

Michael Vick Indicted

I'm fairly sure you've already heard this story, be it from your local news, CNN, or SportsCenter, but I reaally feel the need to put in my thoughts on the subject. First, the press' view.

Vick and three others were charged with violating federal laws against competitive dogfighting, procuring and training pit bulls for fighting, and conducting the enterprise across state lines.

The indictment alleges that Vick and his co-defendants began sponsoring dogfighting in 2001, the former Virginia Tech star’s rookie year with the Falcons.

It accuses Vick, Purnell A. Peace, Quanis L. Phillips and Tony Taylor of “knowingly sponsoring and exhibiting an animal fighting venture,” of conducting a business enterprise involving gambling, as well as buying, transporting and receiving dogs for the purposes of an animal fighting venture.

Boston Herald


Let me start off by saying that yes, this is a very dispicable act, and I in no way agree with the mis-treatment of animals. That being said, this is not exactly a rare occurance. At least one in three people I know have either been to a dogfight, or participated in one. I myself have attended a few. Fuck, I mean, I'm relatively sure the shit is still legal in Louisiana. (One more reason I hate that fucking state) Trying to make an example out of Michael Vick just because he's in the public spotlight will not deter dogfighting in any way. It's like arresting Tommy Chong for possession; its only going to encourage more pot smoking. Yes, it's cruel... yes, it's terrible, but this is America. If there's money in it, people are going to find a way to do it.
posted by Nick at 2:09 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Rock The Vote... or something.


CNN is apparently running a youtube contest for questions to ask the Democratic presidential candidates during their July 23rd debate. Votes for the different videos are being counted here:

http://www.communitycounts.us/debates/

Right now, the #1 vote getter is a question I would love to see asked: “How will you appeal to non-religious voters ?” The lead is narrowing, though. The initial response from infidels.org forum members and the like is pretty much over. The question was apparently intriguing enough for Newsweek to already do an article on it:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19762059/site/newsweek/

Thank you for your consideration,

Ben Dreidel

Organizer, Capital Region Atheists & Agnostics

http://atheists.meetup.com/531

As of a few minutes ago, the religion question has since moved to the #2 spot, so go there and vote for it. Thanks to Dave Silverman for the links and story.
posted by Nick at 3:41 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

New Blog

Hello Everyone!

This is not my first attempt at a blog, but certainly one that I'll try to maintain with at least some semblance of continuity. This blog will explore issues I read about everyday, mostly about how they affect me or play on my askewed vision of the world around me. I'll try to cover issues as varied as those affecting the atheist community, liberal views, possibly some conservative ones, as well, and anything else that sparks my intrest. If you'd like to contact me for any reason, send a message to darthrandal01@gmail.com, and include the word 'blog' in the subject line, or you can IM me whenever I feel like jumping on AIM, as I go by the same screen name. Thank you, and enjoy.
posted by Nick at 3:17 PM 0 comments