Sunday, December 31, 2006

How I’d like to spend New Year’s Eve

Champagne and Reefer!

Muddy Waters pretty much nails it with this song!

Still trying to work up the energy and fortitude to post my reflections on 2006… we shall see…

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Marines reject scripture-quoting dolls donated to Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots rejects talking Jesus dolls

VALENCIA - A local company that makes talking Jesus dolls that quote the Bible donated 4,000 of its dolls to the U.S. Marine Reserves’ Toys for Tots, only to have the toys rejected.

A spokesman for One2believe, a division of the Valencia-based Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co., claimed the Marines, in turning down the 4,000 Barbie-size dolls that the company values at $80,000, violated their own mission “to help needy children throughout the United States experience the joy of Christmas.” The company’s Messengers of Faith collection also includes the Virgin Mary, Moses, David and Esther dolls.

“I don’t understand why they can’t accept a toy that promotes good values,” said Michael La Roe, who runs the One2believe division. “I just think that it shouldn’t be that big of a deal.”

I think the Marines did the right thing.  They can’t take the chance that a non-Christian kid would end up getting one of these toys, and don’t want to worry that a Muslim kid will end up with a Jesus doll, possibly causing the family offense.  But more importantly… does Mr. LaRoe even know any kids (or more particularly, any kids who aren’t Jesus freaks like himself)? I’m thinking he doesn’t - because otherwise he’d know that even for a kid who’s dirt poor enough to be receiving gifts from Toys for Tots, a doll that quotes scripture totally SUCKS as a gift and hardly deserves to be called “a toy.” Perhaps that’s the true reason the donation was rejected, but no one wanted to hurt Mr. LaRoe’s feelings!

At any rate, I’ve no doubt fundy parents will snatch up enough of these abominations to keep One2Believe in the black, giving them one more tool for their indoctrination arsenal.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

Here’s hoping my geek mojo’s strong…

I’ve missed doing a few upgrades to Expression Engine, and am going to attempt to catch up. This should be fun… or frustrating as hell! Either way, it needs doing, so here I go…

Downtime’s doubtful, but always a possiblity.

Ciao for now!

UPDATE (11:25 PM): It seems to have worked.  Oh JOY!!!

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Elections: Not too depressing overall

Well, we’ve got another 4 years of the Governator; but I can live with that.  He’s sufficiently restrained by the Dems in the CA legislature not to be too dangerous.

For the most part, things went the way I’d hoped (except for Lieberman winning in CT - what’s wrong with those people?).  The ballot measures that passed or were rejected were pretty much in line with the way I wanted them to go, and the people I liked for various other local offices got in.

However, Angelenos are embarrassingly disinterested in politics.  I watch the LA Fox channel for news in the morning (mostly because I LOVE Jillian Barberie and Steve Edwards), and this morning they had Nischelle Turner out talking to “regular folks” about yesterday’s elections.  While the caption for the video calls voters’ reactions “interesting,” it’s easy (and depressing) to see that people are more knowledgeable and emotionally involved in the local fucking sports teams than they are about how and by whom they’re being governed. Disgusting.

Wow!  Just got a really exciting piece of breaking news: Rumsfeld is stepping down!!!  Halle-fucking-lujah and good riddance!

Dobson to Aid in Counseling Haggard

Call me skeptical, but somehow I doubt that this “restoration” process has as much to do with restoring the spiritual health of the hypocritical, lying, delusional scumbag Ted Haggard as it does with restoring his reputation so that in a few years he can return to his job of manipulating rank and file believers while simultaneously influencing public policy.

By The Associated Press

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo.—Focus on the Family founder James Dobson will be one of the people overseeing counseling for the Rev. Ted Haggard, the evangelical pastor who was fired amid allegations of gay sex and drug use, a senior official of Dobson’s organization said Monday.

The counseling process, called restoration, could take years, said H.B. London, vice president for church and clergy at Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs-based ministry.

“I think it may be more in helping to set the requirements of the restoration, set the ground rules,” London told . [sic]

Haggard was forced out as senior pastor of the 14,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs on Saturday after a former male escort alleged they had sex repeatedly and that Haggard sometimes was on methamphetamines during their trysts.

In a statement read at the church Sunday, Haggard confessed to unspecified “sexual immorality,” accepted responsibility for his actions and asked forgiveness.

Dobson will join pastor Jack Hayford of The Church on the Way in Van Nuys, Calif. and the pastor Tommy Barnett of First Assembly of God in Phoenix in overseeing Haggard, according to a letter from Haggard read at New Life services on Sunday.

“Those men will perform a thorough analysis of my mental, spiritual, emotional and physical life. They will guide me through a program with the goal of healing and restoration for my life, my marriage and my family,” Haggard wrote.

Hayford’s spokesman said he was not available for comment Monday. Barnett did not immediately return a call.

(The Church on the Way is one of the 168 houses of worship within a 5 mile radius of my house. Scary.)

Having these particular, powerful leaders of the Evangelical movement “overseeing his counseling” is clearly (to me, anyway) nothing more than circling the wagons and commencing the damage control. I’ve no doubt that Haggard will reappear on the political stage within a relatively short period of time, hat in hand and tears a-streaming, to proclaim he’s been washed in the blood of Jesus and restored, exorcised of the demons that had control of him, or blessed by some other Christ-o-riffic miracle that will convince the flock he’s worthy to return to a position of leadership.

As soon as he can convincingly deny that he loves the cock, to the satisfaction of his “restoration team,” Pastor Ted will be back. Having the endorsement of the high priests of the Religious Right will virtually guarantee he’s welcomed with open arms by the regular church-going folk who hang upon the every word of Dobson, et al.

There is none so blind as he who will not see…