Two Videos

One for Hillary is fun



One for McCain which is just plain baaaaaaaad

Some time with wild man, "racist," Rev. Wright

Christmas day 2007 sermon









Now that you've seen the whole thing in context - might it be possible that the sound clips were purposely cut to be inflammatory? Of course.

Might it be possible the other clips were also cut as to be inflammatory? Of course.

I cried from my bed, "Tuskegee!"

crossposted on DailyKos
*******

For the past week and a half I have been on bed rest as I recuperate from surgery. I have snuck down occasionally to read DailyKos and other blogs, and print out various posts to read while in bed. (Someone ought to do a study of what happens when a political junkie gets sick. It isn’t pretty.)

Since the Rev. Wright controversy began in earnest I have been watching and reading and wondering why “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male” clinical studies from 1932 to 1972 are not mentioned more.

Strike that. I have wondered why the experiments aren’t brought out immediately, whenever someone mentions Rev. Wright’s beliefs about HIV/AIDS.

The Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male" was a clinical study conducted between 1932 – 1972. It’s subjects were 399 poor and mostly illiterate African American sharecroppers in Tuskegee, Alabama, who had Syphilis.

They were systemically, and for 40 years, denied and even blocked treatment for Syphilis, even when safe and effective treatment was available. Told only they had “bad blood,” they unknowingly infected their wives and their children.

The study itself was unethical. Even if has stayed with in it’s initial purpose, a 6 month study to see if non treatment for Syphilis was better than the toxic treatments (available in 1932), it's participates did not have or give informed consent.

To suffer and to die from Syphilis is horrific.

To read the CDC produced time line, makes the mind swim.

Our own government did this to it’s citizenry. That fact and that fact alone may be keeping many whites from believing or even remembering this dark chapter in this country’s history. It is hard to come to terms with.

But that fact and that fact alone is why many African American’s believe that our government created the AIDS virus to kill the African American community in micro and the African community in macro. Even the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) report found that among the 1056 African American member churches 1/3 of cogregants felt that that AIDS was an artificially engeered virus, and 1/3 believed that is was a form of genocide.

Research Ethics: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study remains one of the most outrageous examples of disregard of basic ethical principles of conduct (not to mention violation of standards for ethical research). In 1976, historian James Jones (1981) interviewed John Heller, director of the Venereal Diseases unit of the PHS from 1943 to 1948. Among Heller's remarks were the following: "The men's status did not warrant ethical debate. They were subjects, not patients; clinical material, not sick people" (p. 179).

The suspicion and fear generated by the Tuskegee Syphilis Study are evident today. Community workers report mistrust of public health institutions within the African American community. Alpha Thomas of the Dallas Urban League testified before the National Commission on AIDS: "So many African American people I work with do not trust hospitals or any of the other community health care service providers because of that Tuskegee Experiment" (National Commission on AIDS, 1990).

The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), one of the country's major civil rights organizations, has been providing AIDS awareness education through a program called RACE (Reducing AIDS through Community Education). In 1990, the SCLC conducted a survey among 1056 African American Church members in five cities. They found that 34% of the respondents believed that AIDS was an artificial virus, 35% believed that AIDS is a form of genocide, and 44% believed that the government is not telling the truth about AIDS.

That’s only 1056 of the African American Christian churches and mosques of the many thousand in this country, in 1990. That does not take into account other religions that are predominately African American in this country like Santeria and Rastafarianism.


The 2000 census gives the African American population in this country at 36.4 million, or 12.9% of the total US population (281.4 million). This includes people who "reported Black as well as one or more other races." Could 1/3 of this population, or 4.3% believe, to this day, that the government is behind HIV/AIDS?

That's not a small number; one third of an entire minority population.

So why among all the shows I watched yesterday was Tuskegee only brought up as an answer to Rev. Wrights beliefs about HIV/AIDS on Chris Matthew's "Hard Ball?" Why was Tucker Carlson allowed to keep bringing it up, without any response, on Dan Abram's “Verdict” last night?

It is what I, as a 45 year old white American woman, screamed, cried, bellowed, impotently at my TV last night. “It’s Tuskegee!”

It’s not ancient history. The study only ended after whistle blower, Peter Buxtun, went to the Washington Star in 1972. The story was published by that paper on July 25, 1972. The next day it was the front page of the New York Times .

Rev. Wright was 30 years old.

On May 16, 1997 President Bill Clinton apologized for the Tuskegee experiments.

This is not ancient history.

To think that it would be easily wiped away from the minds of a community so used and abused is naïve.

For a right wing conservative pundit to harangue that community for not trusting their government, is absurd. To have that same conservative pundit go on and paint those who believe that the government has something to due with HIV/AIDs, as crazy at best, or fostering a lie, at worse, is to draw out, in the starkest detail the disconnect within the white community.

It’s easier to sweep it under the rug and try to forget. I think the white community has by and large, forgotten or tried minimize the lasting effects of the “Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male.”

But we need to remember.

“It’s Tuskegee!,” should be the central and continual answer when any and all pundits bring up Rev. Wright’s beliefs about HIV/AIDS. It's an answer that should be given forcefully and loudly, even if one has to interrupt.

Otherwise it is tacit approval to minimize the lasting effects of an unethical experiment that was only haulted because of a whistleblower. Without Peter Buxtun, the CDC would have allowed it to continue until the last infected African American male in the study died.

Without answering that charge it tacitly minimizes the African American experience.


Americans and their government are like twelve steppers. Every once in a while they need to do, they must, take an inventory.

*****
Bib.

Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male

U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee

Remembering Tuskegee

The Presidential Apology

2000 census

Research Ethics: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study

Updated: I forgot to add that an addtional 201 poor and mostly illiterate un-infected African American sharecroppers in Tuskegee, Alabama, were in cluded in the study as controls.

Hillary Clinton Endorses McCain

Rachel Maddow can barely disguise her disgust:



Hillary is using scorched earth policy and thereby disqualifies herself as deserving the Democratic nomination.

I'm really at a loss. If she does ge the nomination, which I can't see how she can, but if. . . is my fear of a conservative SCOTUS enough to get me out to vote for her? Or has she made it physically impossible for me to vote for her (as in I get ill, knots in the stomach, etc. just thinking about it – so I can’t even make it into the polling place)?

Here is the whole segment:


John Aravosis (Americablog) says that there is dirt on her that he will launch to save the party if she doesn't pull out tomorrow. Seeing how she can be, John be careful.

I laughed and laughed and laughed

My favorite line:

"You look them in the eye and say, 'the world is a tough dangerous place, it always has been. It's no reason to reupholster the inside of your trousers and vote like a moron every time they say boo.'"

This is why we must defeat McCain

(So sit down Nader and shut up! People are beginning to think that since you do nothing to create a third party in the intervening years of a presidential race, you are a Republican stooge sent to take votes away from Democrats.)

So how long did Exxon sit on this waiting for a Supreme Court stacked in their favor? How do you think they will rule in favor of the oil company or the little people?

Supreme Court hears Exxon Valdez case


If McCain wins, he will put more justices on the SCOTUS that are further to the right than Roberts. He has said so and promise this to the Republican far right Christian base.

How do you think a women's right to choose will fair if that happens?

A vote for Nader is a vote to end pro-choice and force pregnancy and birth on all women. (These folks have said they will go after birth control too)

And this is supposed to gin up excitement?

If this is supposed to be Hillary's answer to Obama's video, well I'll let you be the judge.



Now compare it to Will.i.am's Obama's video


Okay beyond the fact that Will.i.am's is totally grassroots and a volunteer effort by all involved and HIllary's has paid preformers, this isn't even up to the standards of an "Up With People" song.

Her support video is really, really, really awful. I don't think the music for her vid would make it to elevator music. And I wonder what would Simon Cowll think of the song? Can you hear him?

Here's some "Up With People" to make some comparison (and hopefully clear out that horrendous sludge of Hillary's video from your brain.)





Actually, sadly no, it's going to take this to blast it out. Crank it up!



Or even this



Oh hell, let's just make this musical Friday with 2 more. It may take all to clear the awful Hillary vid and music from your brain.

I concur. Mitt, F-YOU!

Voted - Obama

One Voice

I'm for Obama

When the primary season began I had four candidates I liked:
Richardson
Kucinich
Edwards
Obama



Lyrics:
It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.

*****

Video by Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSuMdkff0_o&feature=related

Well at least SOMEONE is paying attention

I've been saying this on several of the blogs I comment on, and now, thankfully, someone has taken a closer look:

BOSTON - It's part of Mitt Romney's core narrative: Massachusetts, in the throes of a fiscal freefall, fell back on his CEO skills and turnaround wizardry to spark — in his words — "a dramatic reversal of state fortunes and a period of sustained economic expansion."

It's a rosy opinion of Massachusetts' economy that few in the state share. Instead, observers say, the state's recovery from a disastrous 2001 recession has been tepid at best, and Romney gives himself more credit than deserved on job creation and balancing the state budget.

Romney says that by the time he left office, the unemployment rate in Massachusetts was lower and the state had recovered nearly 80,000 jobs from the low point of the recession.

A fuller look reveals a state still struggling to recoup the jobs washed away in the recession, while much of the rest of the country has already sailed past pre-recession highs. . .


. . . Massachusetts is one of just six states that hasn't added back all the jobs lost during the recession.

"Our losses were steeper, and our gains have been slower and as an end result we are still nearly 100,000 jobs down," said Dana Ansel, research director for the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, a nonpartisan think tank.

The state's unemployment numbers also showed little movement during Romney's tenure.

Romney and the Republican's don't want this widely reported but Romney's predecessor was a Republican as was the governor before her. And even the governor before that one was a Republican. While it is easy to assume Romney inherited an office mismanaged under the Democrats to support his claims. especially since this is Massachusetts, and Romney doesn't want to correct that assumption, it is simply not the truth.

Observers say Romney can claim some legitimate fiscal successes — vetoing spending increases, fighting against tax increases, and helping lure some businesses to Massachusetts, including a new facility being built by Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Yes he vetoed spending increases for one of the Commonwealth's most important industries, education. This veto meant that teachere in the states Universities and Colleges went without pay increases to keep up with the cost of living AND those institutions went without needed improvements. This caused Massachusetts to fail from 3rd in education to 5th and while that might not seem like a huge drop, where would you rather go to school?

The fact is the slow recovery can be partially laid at the cutting of the educational budget. When many businesses in towns/cities in MA rely on the "industry" of higher education, not funding it ripples through their economies and the state's as a whole.

Romney's economic claims challenged

"If a man doesn't have a job or an income, he has neither life nor liberty or the possibility of the pursuit of happiness. He merely exists" - MLK

From the "War On Greed" website:

Dear presidential candidates,

Buyout industry executives with multi-million dollar incomes have been exploiting a tax loophole that allows them to pay a lesser tax percentage rate than most of the workers in the companies they manage. This is a disgrace!

Make a pledge, if elected, that you will work to close the buyout industry's tax loopholes.

Sign the petition


Something else you might want to look into:
Stop revisionist Christian nation House Resolution 888

Ceding the Narrative

Last Thursday, I believe it was on Keith Olbermann, the guest interviewee made a statement that just threw me, and underscored how the Democrats have allowed the likes of Limbaugh, et. al to “over write” history. The guest, while discussing John Edwards said that the only people who think that Ronald Reagan was a bad president is the far left. He pointed to the absolute orgasm of the cult of personality displayed for the week long funeral of the former president of the United States as proof. No one challenged him on that notion.

Why?

Have we allowed history to become so fragmented in our minds that we forget all that happened, in it’s totality, under Ronald Reagan? Have we allowed the right to re-write history leaving out all the negatives and consequences that that presidency gave us? If we accept “Gospel of Ron,” by trying to ignore those pushing it, we are guilty of tacit approval of it and it’s eking into mainstream thought and reporting. There are many consequences of Reagan’s policies that we are dealing with today and dealt with on 911.

Reagan was not the greatest or maybe even a great president. And the left shouldn’t have allowed that meme to take hold. Now, brick by brick, they need to dismantle the falsehoods and the fragmentation of problems of Reagan, because his entire legacy, especially the horrendously bad policies he made are lost to popular history.

Here are some examples:

The Reagan Administration cut veterans benefits, especially those of disabled veterans. My ex-husband, a disabled Nam vet, had his benefits under Reagan cut from over 50% to 15%. It was the work of Senator Gary Hart’s office that got them raised back to at least 30%.

Ronald Reagan reversed the “green” direction of R&D and adoption of a lifestyle and technology that would have reduced our dependence on foreign oil, and therefore the possibility we would be held economic hostages to oil companies and OPEC. He removed tax incentives and credits given to businesses and homeowners for adopting solar energy and putting in solar panels. He ended SERI, the Solar Energy Research Institute. He also removed the solar panels from the White House. Conservation and going green was all “bunk” and an anathema to the American lifestyle as far as he was concerned.
Thank him every time you pay your energy bills this winter, or put gas in your car.

Reagan also ended the Air Marshall program. In so doing subjected airline staff and passengers to over a decade long “air rage” problem. With no law enforcement on board, passengers and staff were subjected to hours inside closed quarters to the belligerent and the violent. One man went so far as to defecate on a food cart, which the passengers and staff had to smell and even look at for the rest of their entire trip. If there had been Air Marshals still in the air, 9-11 may not have happened.

Speaking of the airlines, Ronald Regan broke the first air controllers union and there for set the model for breaking unions although out the country. Think that’s good? Big business has a ton of lawyers and money on their side, if you get hurt on the job, or you are subject to unfair labor practices, without unions, who stands up for you?

There, (viola!) four examples of the problems with the Reagan presidency and legacy right off the top of my head, and there are many more.

Ronald Reagan was not our worst president. The man currently in the White House has shown us that. But his policies disqualify him for “sainthood.”

Why are we allowing the right to write into history his deification?






This is the revised posting of my hurried and porring written attempt on Saturday. Thank you Sassmo

To Willingly Burn an Organ in Your Body

Background:

Way back on May 24, 2007, Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon posted "The source of our collective delusions may be summed up in one sentence"

The “controversy” over the FDA approving the pill Lybrel, which is just a non-stop birth control pill that stops your period, speaks volumes about Americans’ general back-assedness. Women in other countries have been using pills to stop the inconvenience of having periods for something like decades now, but Americans, we have to freak the fuck out over this. A nation of techno-lovers can turn into a nation of Luddites at the very hint of women benefitting from technology in any way. At Feministing, Ann found that ABC News is already running with the “bitches are out of control” angle. This is the titular sentence that diagnoses our collective insanity: . . .

She included this clip from "Your World with Neil Cavuto"


Here is my first response to the clip:

WARNING – DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE SQUEAMISH

Hey Unruh STFU!

I’m 44, past my “baby making” prime. . . my period has been a problem for 11 years and I am actually enslaved by it.

No lie.

My period is so heavy that I run through a Super Plus Tampax tampon in a 1/2 hour .. and I do this for 3 f-ing days straight. And have done this for 11 years.

I have been to doctors and specialists and they won’t give me a hysterectomy because it’s a “healthy” organ. My own reason is that I feel orgasms in my entire uterus, not just the cervix, so I kind of don’t want to become the “female eunuch.”

I have been hospitalized for hydration issues and anemia issues because of my period. I cannot hold a full time job at this point in my life because I would spend all of my vacation time, all of my sick time and then some on the f-ing toilet.

I may not be able to handle this pill because I couldn’t handle the progesterone I was given to help shut down my period, but leave me with a uterus. But I’d at least like to be given the opportunity to try this drug.

So take your blonde from the bottle empty head (that I am ashamed to know that you and I hail from the same ethnic location) and stop interrupting when Mary Ellis (? correction needed) is telling THE TRUTH.

I LIVE WITH THIS! IT EFFECTS EVERY FUCKING THING I DO and DON’T GET TO DO!
(like going out for a picnic with my family, etc.)

STFU!!!!!

P.S. until you propose to pharmacologically castrate 13 year old boys so they can’t run a run and screw everything that moves - don’t you dare make girls bare the sole responsibility for hormones you misogynistic twits!

The next day, on the 25th, I added this:

I deleted a bunch of stuff from my post about my period that I now think I should have left in. Because it not only effects me it effects those who live with me.

Like my husband who shares the bed I sleep in - one that looks like someone was murdered in it. After this last menses I had to wash our sheets three times before I got any headway on the stains.

He also deals with “3 night a week pogo” as I am up and down throughout the night trying (in vain) to stay ahead of things. I get no sleep which makes me real pleasant to deal with. (think PMS on roids)

Everyone in this house get’s to deal with the mine field of chux placed anywhere and every where I sit during my period so “I” don’t ruin the furniture (that one is really good for the ego).

They get to deal with an out of commission bathroom while I clean it up because while I just averaged filling a super plus tampon every half an hour truth is that is the best case senario. Generally I have an accident which lets me know it’s time. I must then clean the bathroom floor, the toilet (seat and outer bowl and pesdestal) and the shower after each use.

I generally run through my entire waredrobe of stay at home clothes in one day. Sometimes, before I have a chance of getting clean clothes I have to resort to a set of non stay at home, generally stain free bit of clothing. Those then become a new set of stay at home clothes.

Wearing black in the summer time is oh so pleasant.

On the up side, and Ms. Unruh should be very pleased that the lack of finding a way to meadically reduce my flow, sans surgery, has convinced all four of my children that it is due to the somewhat larger than normal family we have. I don’t believe any of them, if they decide to have children will have more than 2.

My rant produced some good results Wayward suggested this:

Clytemnestra - I believe there is a new procedure where the doctor cauterizes the uterine lining. No periods (or extremely light periods) and no hysterectomy.

You may want to talk to your gyno about that.

After hearing this I resolved to find a new gyno along with a new primary care doctor. My gyno had retired years ago and my primary doctor was retiring at the end of May 2007. I decided, however, to wait a few months until after my sons' summer vacation.

In October I began the rounds of doctors and tests. And again my pap smear came back normal. I also had a biopsy done and that came back normal. Ultrasound came back normal, yada, yada, yada. I laughed when I was told this, as it was the same thing we had/have always heard.

My new gyno also began to go through my options for treatment. She talked briefly about birth control to stop my periods including Lybrel. Huh, wow, using birth control to stop a problem that doesn't, according to Leslee Unruh and her ilk, even exist.

My new gyno, this time a woman, I don't know why I went with a man the last time, and I discussed more options when she came to ablation. I jump on this immediately. We discussed this some what. They use an ablation therapy called Novasure. We talked about the possibility that since I have had a tubal ligation sometimes that area is burned more and becomes a source of chronic pain.

Okay.

We also talked about the possibility of loss of sensitivity, which is small. But ablation can make it harder to detect cervical cancer.

So I made an appointment for another round of testing. This one is a more in depth ultra sound where they fill the uterus with fluid looking for fibroids. After that I will have another meeting with my doctor to decide if this is something I really want to do.

I have begun reading the pamphlet given me:

Stop living with heavy bleeding.
A heavy period isn't normal.
More than 7 million women in the United States suffer with a very heavy menstrual period each month. This can have a major impact on their lives. Consequences of a very heavy period can include severe pain, fatigue, embarrassment, and iron-deficiency anemia. A heavy period may be caused by such conditions as fibroids, polyps, and hormonal changes. . .

(snip)

About Heavy Periods
Do you suffer from heavy bleeding?
Does your menstrual cycle seem abnormally long or heavy? Are you afraid of leaking through a pad or tampon? Have you been diagnosed with anemia from blood loss? If so, you may have menorrhagia (pronounced: men-o-rahj-ah).

Menorrhagia is defined as unusually heavy or long-lasting menstrual periods. It occurs in 1 out of every 5 women.

1 in 5????? If this is so prevalent why didn't anyone publicly call out Leslee Unruh on her absurd statement? How many woman are too embarrassed and never brining it up to their doctor? It took me years before I even told my doctor, thinking it was the price of having 6 pregnancies.

I can't hold a job because of my periods. What do women do who have a job but have no health insurance? Wear diapers during their menstruation cycle? I know that every time we had to change insurance companies I would get nervous what we would get denied due to a preexisting condition. Thankful that at least we live in Massachusetts so I would always have insurance some how.

So now while I read everything it is hitting me, I will be "burning" an organ. All the good and bad implications clear. Tto help myself, to get my life back, I may have to "harm" myself.

from Novasure

and "thank you" wayward!

Sherri Shepard, really ignorant or playing a part?

I had been struggling for a title for this post. First because I can't believe anyone so ignorant could be on television. Second because I can't believe Whoopi doesn't walk over and pop her little head off, she's not using it anyway. Third because where ever this dim wattage went to school needs to be closed. Fourth, I CAN'T BELIEVE ANYONE IS SO DOG DAMN IGNORANT OF EVEN THEIR OWN FAITH!

If she's playing a part. . . Sherri, please, please, stop!

First we had Sherri Shepherd tell us that she doesn't know if the world is round or not. (I aint even going say anything about the evolution talk)
(BTW nice try to change the subject with what is really a non sequitur (go look it up in the library, Sherri)

Now the woman reports that there was nothing before Jesus. What? (I'm having a Scobby Doo moment)


Sherri go open your Bible to Luke and re-read the Christmas story. (Tis the season afterall)

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. Luke 2:1-7 KJV

Okay you know that guy, Caesar Augustus, he was a Roman and he pre-dated Christians because Jesus hadn't even been born yet.

Now I know this may shock you but there is a book of the Bible that pre-dated the story of Jesus, it's called, the OLD Testament. Go read it sometime. It talks about Moses, who was the adopted son of a Pharaoh (that's the King in Egypt) - he was raised in a home that didn't believe in the God you believe in, they believed in many Gods. And when he heard the word of the God of the Hebrews (thems the people you know of as Jews - which PREDATED Jesus) he librated his people, the Hebrews, from his adopted family.

Oh if you look in your Bible, the first Chapter in Matthew there's all them names that you've probably ignored:

The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren; 3 And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram; 4 And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon; 5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias; 7 And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa; 8 And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias; 9 And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias; 10 And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias; 11 And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon: 12 And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 13 And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 14 And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 15 And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 16 And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Matthew 1:1-16 KJV

.Thems all Jews/Hebrews, a faith and people that PRE-DATE Jesus Christ.

Really you can't be that f-ing stupid. Especially when you frame so much on your faith and the Bible. I haven't even gone into ancient history which includes the Greeks, the Sumerians, the Harappans, the Aryans, etc. etc.

Maybe, before you embarrass yourself again, you or The View should register you in a university or community college Ancient History course (among others I'd suggest). Either that or follow Mark Twains advice:

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.

Do something great this holiday season, become an organ donor

I have been an organ donor since I was 18. At that time designating yourself an organ donor on your driver's license was only a few years old. I believed it in strongly then and I still do. It is even in my living will.

Now, some 27 years later, it is a friend of mine who has liver disease and needs a liver transplant. He is one of the nicest people you will ever meet. We don't always agree on everything he's far more to the right that I am politically, but we can have civil, respectful conversations and even listen to each others points of view.

There are no insults thrown, and no talking down to each other, it's political civil discourse, that would be nice to see. BTW he called Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity etc. "flame throwers" and he doesn’t like them. He also calls Michael Moore one too. Well, no one is perfect ;-)

I never got to hear him play in his band, But here he is at the Little Bear (a renowned Colorado night spot) in 1987. He's the one in the stripes.

Here is one of his visits to the hospital. He told me that he created the video the day after he got out of the hospital



He also has a compelling story about his friend Ardis, who had end stage liver disease. He took care of her and she passed away before he was diagnosed with the same illness. He may not last 5 years.

If you aren't an organ donor already, do something great this holiday season and become one!

For more information:
http://www.organdon or.gov/
http://www.unos. org/
http://www.organdon or.org/
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/organ-donation/FL00077

Does your faith approve?
http://www.transplantforlife.org/miracles/religion.html

Here is his blog Billy Bob's Wildride (Billy Bob is his liver, his is Bob)

Should we hold a candlelight vigil for the children of Texas? And for the children in the entire US.

AUSTIN (AP) — The state's director of science curriculum said she resigned this month under pressure from officials who felt she gave the appearance of criticizing the instruction of intelligent design.
The Texas Education Agency put Chris Comer on 30 days paid administrative leave in late October, resulting in what she described as a forced resignation.

The move came shortly after Comer forwarded an e-mail announcing a presentation being given by the author of Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse. In the book, author Barbara Forrest says creationist politics are behind the movement to get intelligent design theory taught in public schools. Comer sent the e-mail to several individuals and a few online communities.

Comer, who held her position for nine years, said she believes evolution politics were behind her ousting.

"None of the other reasons they gave are, in and of themselves, firing offenses," she said.

TEA officials declined to comment Wednesday on the personnel matter, but they explained their recommendation to fire Comer in documents obtained by the Austin American-Statesman through the Texas Public Information Act.

"Ms. Comer's e-mail implies endorsement of the speaker and implies that TEA endorses the speaker's position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral," the officials said.

Next year, the State Board of Education begins a review of the state science curriculum, which will set standards for classroom instruction and textbook selection.

read more

Let's forget for the moment that the state (not religous) education agency (Texas Education Agency) just said that it must remain neutral on an issue that is not science but being interjected into the sciece curriculum.

Let's also forget for a moment that is has already been ruled by a court in PA that ID is creationism, and religion, and by putting it into a public school science classroom there is a violation of the establishment clause.

Let's also ignore that for those who want to teach creationism to their children can do it in a homeschool setting, a religious day school setting, a relgious after school program, in church on Sunday morning and in their homes 24/7.

Putting it in a public school setting where there are children who are Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Buddist, Pagan, Atheist, etc. violates their parental rights (something right wing Christian's like to argue for, a lot). In teaching a religous concept as science, which is not, concepts that may conflict with the parents relgious choice and desire for their children, we in effect create a state sanctioned religion. This is why only science should be taught in a public or public charter school science classroom.

We can also ignore the fact that by teaching creationsim as science the state of Texas is doing a huge disservice to it's children who will not do well outside the state in their adult life but also in attracting actual science teachers to the state.

Maybe we should organize a candlelight vigil for the plight of the children in Texas.

But wait, maybe we should organize a candlelight vigil for the plight of Americas children, because this is why you should care:

Texas is one of the largest, if not the largest, purchaser of textbooks. Because of this; what they demand be included in textbooks often finds it's way into textbooks for other states, and the standard issue textbook. It's cheaper and less work for an editor and publisher not to change too much.

With Comer's force resignation it seems clear that Texas is moving to calling into question evolution and including creationsim in the science classroom. What will that do to America's textbooks?

The war on science continues. You need to take a stand.

Read more:
National Center for Science Education
A DEFEAT FOR "INTELLIGENT DESIGN"
Judgement Day, Intelligent Design on Trail - - - Watch the program

It's offical; Dominionists for Huckabee

Not that this is a surprise, he is one himself.

Mike Huckabee, the Republican presidential candidate and former Southern Baptist minister, is getting help from Tim LaHaye, the Christian conservative organizer and co-author of the apocalyptic “Left Behind” novels.

“America and our Judeo-Christian heritage are under attack by a force that is more destructive than any America has faced” since Hitler, Dr. LaHaye and his wife, Beverly, wrote in letters sent to lists of conservative Christians in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. “Defeating the radical jihadists will require renewed resolve and spiritual rearmament by the evangelical pastors in America.”[..]
C&L

He said this a week or two ago (crusade picture photoshop mine):

Since he bascially, and stupidly, arrogantly, recklessly (and I could add many more disparaging adverbs) declared our "war on terrorism" to be a crusade I went all the way in the photoshopping because you know this is the way Mikey sees it.

I don't support the way we've dealt with terrorism, vis a vis "our ever expanding war" that took our eye off Afghanistan. We are making the world, especially the middle east a fully chaotic and disabled quagmire.

People don't like chaos, they, especially families, like stability, timeliness and no surprise futures. That's why a great deal of energy and time is spent in these areas maintaining the status quo, even in families. We threatened more destabilization through war and they will naturally flock to those who promise to uphold stability and their family and very conservative values, Al-Qeada, et. al. Which means we are xreatring and will continue to create more terrorist and be Bin Laden's largest recruitment tool.

It's human nature, we do it here. We see the world become more chaotic, less predictable, less secure and church attendance, especially conservative church attendance climbs. We flock to leaders who spout tough messures, "law and order," and cowboy diplomacy.

If being a Dominionist isn't enough for you to disqualify Mike Huckbee as president, maybe he reckless nature should be.

Quote on photoshop graphic: C&L

See also:

Dominionism: Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid.

Five Things Mike Huckabee Doesn't Want You to Know About Him

Dr. Bruce Prescott (Mainstream Baptist) - or as I like to say "voice from the inside" - A Reconstructionist Takeover Video, All "Recontructionist" Posts (including those on Huckabee)

Religious Tolerance; Dominionism

Theocracy Watch - Dominionism and Dominion Theology

DailyKos - Dominionist, Dominionism

From me: Representative Republic or Dominion, My Dream, My Nightmare

Wikipeadia - Christian Right, Dominionism, Mike Huckabee

1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States last year

ATLANTA - More than 1 million cases of chlamydia were reported in the
United States last year — the most ever reported for a sexually transmitted
disease, federal health officials said Tuesday.

"A new U.S. record,"
said Dr. John M. Douglas Jr. of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More bad news: Gonorrhea rates are jumping again after hitting a record
low, and an increasing number of cases are caused by a "superbug" version
resistant to common antibiotics, federal officials said Tuesday.

Syphilis is rising, too. The rate of congenital syphilis — which can
deform or kill babies — rose for the first time in 15 years - By MIKE STOBBE, AP Medical Writer

Yah think maybe it's time to end the "Abstinence Only Education" farce and the war on science and health and actually teach people about safe sex and condoms?

Clytemnestra's Variety Show

I really miss the variety shows of yore. They were not only a chance to see quality entertainment, but they exposed us to the talents of our neighbors and the world. No competitions, no call in votes, these shows sent out scouts to find the talent to be on the show. Sometimes they missed, but in general there was always something you could enjoy. And with all the "processed" entertainment we have today, there was a good natured spontaneity, devoid of plots, deviousness and triangulation, that you can't find today.

Variety shows stretched beyond ideologies, feelings of war, social problems and for a moment, just for a moment, it would provide commonality, peace and good will. With all the hardness, contention, bitter discord between red and blue state America, maybe we should bring back the entertainment form.

If I could host a variety show, it would be all live. We'd bring the talent to Boston (or wherever), in front of live audience

But since I can't here is my first "variety show" using YouTube with living talent and talent that has passed away.