Gay Marriage

This is infuriating.  It's been in the making for a while.  I'm really here to comment on idiotic politicians and clergy (from that article):

Such marriages run counter to "the intent of Almighty God," said the Rev. Tom Parrish, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. "I've sat at the bedside of many [dying] gay men. I deeply love them, but I deeply disagree with them."

What exactly do you disagree with, Tom? Do you disagree with their gayness?  If so I disagree with your hair.  How stupid! 

The Rev. Bob Battle, pastor of Berean Church in the shadow of the Capitol, also said gay marriage runs counter to the Adam and Eve creation story in Genesis. A longtime politically conservative civil rights leader, he added that, "I don't think this has anything to do with civil rights."

According to the dictionary:

civil rights

pl.n.

The rights belonging to an individual by virtue of citizenship, especially the fundamental freedoms and privileges guaranteed by the 13th and 14th Amendments to the U.S. Constitution and by subsequent acts of Congress, including civil liberties, due process, equal protection of the laws, and freedom from discrimination.

So apparently it DOES have to do with civil rights, Bob.   By definition. "[. . .]and freedom from discrimination"

"We should give this to the public to decide," Limmer said.
"This is the time for Minnesota to have this public dialogue."

 So can we have your paychecks back, since you're offloading your work onto the ballot?  Hint: This is a constitutional republic, not a direct democracy.  One of the main goals of our system of government is to protect the minority from the fucking mob of people against it.


Seriously you homophobes, go fuck yourselves.

~Nic

Burqanstocks

So I was reminded tonight of the French ban on the Burqa (among other religious garb).  This has annoyed me since I found out about it.  The law is just as repressive as the symbolism it seeks to destroy.  I am not a religious scholar in any sense, so I won't pretend I am able to delve into what the Burqa means or symbolizes.  I do know that in the defense of civil liberties, any and all garments (try me) should be allowed, provided full consent of the 'wearer'.  This is the same civil liberty stance that has put me in awkward positions such as supporting Fred Phelps and his ridiculous crusade against homosexuality.

Speaking of homosexuality, I am reminded of my liberal cohorts who have been seduced into answering the 'timeless' question of whether or not homosexuality (among other things) is "genetic" or "natural" or if it's "programmed" by culture.  That's a stupid question.  Stop answering, it doesn't matter.  Let's say it's programmed (like religion): people have, in this country (supposedly) the autonomy to believe, think, and do whatever they want (this is obviously arguable, but only because we tolerate the closed minded who in turn tolerate nothing.. true liberalism).  If someone were to choose to be gay, that's their right.. a civil liberty.  If someone were born gay, it is their right to 'be' as gay as they please (don't read into that).. also a civil liberty.  The answer is the same, so long as you ask the right question: Why should someone be denied the right to do whateverthefuck they want so long as no person is hurt (against their will), and no (sacred) property is hurt.  I could go on for pages and pages, but I'll stop here.

The more you try to police people into thinking like you do (regardless of intent), the more resistance you will find.  It's almost as if we're "programmed" that way.

~Nic

Could it be?

The Rapture has begun?  Or should people pay attention to the weather, and seek shelter?  It doesn't make sense why so many people have died from these storms.. Maybe it's the building codes?  Resistance to the gubermint telling trailer park owners to build tornado shelters? IDK.. I am grasping at straws here.

~Nic

Thanks balloon juice. Lookup your favorite large donor

http://www.fec.gov/finance/disclosure/norindsea.shtml

Thanks Balloon Juice!

~Nic

Can I get a McFlurry with proles?

McDonald’s “Hiring Day” Turns Wild After Car Runs Over People

sad

~Nic

S&P VS GOP: Nothing makes sense anymore.

It would appear as though we're in a positive feedback loop.

(CNN) -- Standard & Poor's lowered its outlook for the nation's long-term debt Monday, saying the political grousing over the deficit could put more pressure on the still shaky economic recovery.

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

 (FOX News)South Carolina Republican Sen. Jim DeMint warns he will filibuster vote on debt ceiling unless lawmakers add a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution, adding a new twist in deficit battle.

 Grab your asses.

~Nic

**EDIT In another twist, checking the  10 Year T-note (^TNX), the interest rate was DOWN today about 1.15% when I checked.  WTF?!?!?

**EDIT EDIT It appears that Krugman beat me to this by hours: http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/18/sp-can-call-bond-vigilantes-from-the-vasty-deep/

Class warfare.

Here we fucking go again (I feel like I should come up with a new cliché).  You'd think after spending most of my conscious life thinking about and debating politics, I would learn that there's virtually no movement of ideas within an ideology.. yet hope springs.. ephemeral..  generally in fits and starts, if at all.  Anyhow:

Millionaire A states: "If I really have to change my lifestyle because I'm being overly taxed, then I'm kind of doing something wrong to begin with. . ."  

Millionaire B states: "Increasing taxes on the wealthy means punishing the more fortunate and successful people of a society, and more so, violates their free will to independently help individuals who they would like to help . .  Punishing success in any field is evil." 

 A: It would seem that A wasn't born with a silver spoon in his ass.

B: It would seem that B should see a proctologist. 

Here's a cheap shot: Is punishing success at being a burglar evil?  No?  So where then is our arbitrary line to be drawn?  Perhaps some reduction should be applied... or maybe defining our terms: the greatest weapon against spin/propaganda.  I am looking too deep into this, but there's a point hiding in there somewhere.

I'm ignoring the infantile claim that such a thing as "free will" exists, and specifically in the way it's being used.   "Free will"?  I dare you to reduce it.  Then define it. 

~Nic

Pink pride

So apparently, liking the color pink means nothing other than a male human is gay. 

“This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity,” psychiatrist Dr. Keith Ablow wrote"

Yeah?  Abandon all trappings of gender identity, eh?  Yes, it's possible the child has the ability to understand what exactly is going on, and he only likes pink because he's a flaming homosexual.  Or maybe he's just a fucking kid, and his mother isn't going to flip out about shit that doesn't matter.  Who knows, and moreover, who fucking cares.

"J.CREW, known for its tasteful and modest clothing, apparently does not mind exploiting Beckett behind the facade of liberal, transgendered identity politics.”

I answer this with "The Catholic church, known for it's tasteful and modest clothing, apparently does not mind exploiting alter boys behind the facade of saving their immortal souls."  Wait, that's hardly fair, how about this: "Christians, known for their tasteful and modest clothing (hardly), apparently do not mind exploiting children behind the facade of a big imaginary friend in the sky, instilling in them ideologies they are not old enough to understand, and creating a life-long fear of doing anything that might be part of human nature, fun, or even remotely intellectually stimulating , lest they burn in hell for eternity".

Fucking hypocrites.

~Nic

Libertarians call for permanent government shutdown

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 8, 2011

Contact: Wes Benedict, Executive Director
E-mail: wes.benedict@lp.org
Phone: 202-333-0008 ext. 222

Libertarians call for permanent government shutdown

WASHINGTON - As elected officials put on a dog-and-pony media show about a temporary shutdown of small parts of the federal government, the Libertarian Party calls for a permanent shutdown of most of the federal government.

Libertarian Party Executive Director Wes Benedict said, "Just think how a permanent government shutdown would allow so many Americans to regain the blessings of liberty.

"Education would blossom as the Department of Education ended its War on Learning, no longer wasting our money and preventing educational innovation with one-size-fits-all centralized mandates.

"Job opportunities at companies big and small would multiply, providing opportunity and choice for American workers.

"The world would enjoy peace as we withdrew our forces from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Our government spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined. Millions of industrious men and women who work for the military and its contractors could be focusing on building up our economy, rather than tearing down others'.

"Crime would plummet as the government's War on Drugs ended, no longer sustaining a giant violent black market and overfilling our prisons.

"The life of many poorer Americans would improve as welfare programs stopped, no longer trapping low-income families in an endless cycle of government dependency.

"All Americans would feel a huge burden lifted every April, as they were no longer required to wrestle with a byzantine and oppressive IRS.

"But most importantly, Americans would once again be free of unjust and unconstitutional violations of their unalienable rights."

Benedict added, "We're not talking about eliminating the federal government. We want to end all federal activities that are not authorized by the Constitution, and we want to cut everything else as much as we can. In 2000, the federal government spent $1.8 trillion. This year it's expected to spend $3.8 trillion. Things are going the wrong way -- fast."

For more information, or to arrange an interview, call LP Executive Director Wes Benedict at 202-333-0008 ext. 222.

The LP is America's third-largest political party, founded in 1971. The Libertarian Party stands for free markets, civil liberties, and peace. You can find more information on the Libertarian Party at our website.

Tripped upon

I accidentally downloaded this.. Maybe everyone else has already heard of Phideaux Xavier, and I am way behind -- but if you love prog rock, you'll fucking love this shit.

~Nic