Of Abortion and Women

Just imagine that those cuffs are made of coat-hangers and fear

 I have recently come to the assertion that one of the key aspects of fundamental Christian behavior (and often all patriarchal religions in general) is an inherent dislike for females; so much so that it has become a cultural facet of Christina life. Women are not to be trusted, or given power, especially over their own bodies. This belief is taken to the extreme in fundamental Islam, but that's another post. Women in Christian societies are not equal citizens, as indicated by their position in that society, and can be easily illustrated in American society. Women still earn only about 82% (granted, it's a significant increase from what it used to be, but only because of legislation) of what men do, and often because they are relegated to low-paying jobs in the service industry. This is well-known and has been discussed for decades, and is getting better. However, there are still several strong indicators for the supposed inferiority of women in our (mostly) Christian American culture.

The big one is the recent spate of legislation concerning the reproductive rights of females. Despite the complete lack of anything in the Bible regarding the immorality of abortion (though apologist do work hard at nit-picking verses to show that God theoretically disproves of abortions), Christians have gone to great lengths to make it as difficult as possible for women to control their pregnancies, even through rape. Some of these laws require invasive (and unnecessary)  procedures before an abortion will even be considered, and even banning before a women might even know she's pregnant. Not only is this a ridiculous and unconstitutional invasion of a woman's vagina rights, it's it's hypocritical and a huge double standard.
The Bible DOES specifically look down on men "wasting their seed" either through pulling-out or masturbation, but when is the last time you heard of a law that bans or restricts either one of those activities in America? Of course there have been things said about masturbation over the years, and a few sickening contraptions aimed to keep the penis at bay, but much of that thinking went away with the Victorian era. Men have been freed to do with their sexual organs as they please, as long as it's with a woman and she (mostly) consents, and no one can say anything as long as no one sees you. My Penis, My Decision.

The Christian capacity for denying women rights is not constricted to Catholicism and Evangelicalism, I see plenty of it right here in Utah, the center of Mormonism and the Mormon population. At BYU, women are constantly shamed, confronted, and turned in to the Honor Code office for dressing inappropriately, i.e. creating the potential for enthralling the male imagination. This is blatant sexual harassment. I have read and heard countless complaints from people who have seen or women who have been treated like scum for filling out a pair of pants a little too well, or wearing a skirt so disturbingly high that it reveals that salacious "dark hollow" at the--back of the knee. I suppose that these things are bound to happen when you put 30,000 sexually repressed students on the same campus, no matter their level of religious commitment. But the problems are much worse than simple sexual harassment. Rape has been a notorious problem near and on the campus, a problem that is often quietly swept under the rug; Honor Code violations are routinely ignored for male athletes unless it is made public, and women are generally treated as second-class citizens within the church structure as a whole. The wearing pants by women in church has caused scandal enough, but if you start talking about women having the priesthood, the rhetoric gets prickly.
The position of women in the LDS religion is somewhere below men and somewhere above eternal brood mare, granted that woman actually gets into A #1 heaven, the only place you can still be married and have eternal life with your husband--and all his other wives, while he can go off and make planets for you to populate with his other wives' children. Sounds like a good deal to me, but I'm male. Being male in the Mormon church means wielding the power and authority of the priesthood, the control of the organization, and eternal polygamy. Being a woman in the church means getting the right to marry a man in the church and have his children. Yippee.

Now, I wouldn't consider myself a women's-rights activist, but I do believe that a lot of lines have been crossed by the Christian philosophy concerning a woman's body. It seems to me that via the Christian world view, a woman's body is not their own, but rather an object or device for creating children to further God's glory, especially if that woman is poor, ethnic, or conservative. It appears that anything regarding sex is int he hands of a group of old white men and a couple bitter old biddies that don't want people to enjoy the freedom of sexuality, it's expression or ramifications. This is utterly wrong in every way I can imagine, and will eventually cause social stagnation or upheaval. Women need to be treated as equal citizens, and I don't care how much these pasty old misogynists don't like it.
 As for my own views on the subject of abortion: I do not advocate taking lightly such a difficult decision; however, it is not my body, therefore not my decision to make. It's that simple to me.

You're tearing me apart, love!

In lieu of a better title, I'm choosing this altered quote from an infamously bad movie, not just because it's funny, but I'll probably get more hits that way. Sorry for the subterfuge.

So I've been considering what have been the biggest problems facing the social fabric of our wonderful country for as long as I have politically interested in it (about ten years, give or take), and I have come to some sort of conclusion. It isn't the evolution of the modern family, changing (and defying) gender roles, or the acceptance of lifestyles other than that of white republicans that are tearing apart this country. Amazingly, it's the opposite. Attempts at institutionalized discrimination, hatred, fear, are what have been pulling at the frayed seams. Two consenting (see: over 18 and of sound mind) adults of the same gender loving each other hardly merit the downfall of Western civilization, neither do kids growing up in the home of said consenting adults.
The backlash and vitriol concerning the conservative stranglehold on  morality, disguised as a fight for "traditional values," has only increased in tempo and volume recently; this is due, in my opinion anyway, to the decreasing appeal of the Republican party in general. The newest attack on living an alternative lifestyle, which apparently is going to rend this country apart, is the reversal of gender roles in the home. Working mothers, stay-at-home dads, and even (gasp!) single parent households are further destroying the conservative notion of the "traditional" family. As if marriage equality wasn't bad enough, these shuttered-minded pundits declare that no good comes from women bringing home the majority (or all) of the bacon. Fox's own Megyn Kelly had a few things to say about her colleagues comments.
Not all the news about our social welfare (in the sense that it concerns us as a society) has been negative. A few more states have gone the way of more inclusive equality standards, Rhode Island, Delaware and Minnesota have all passed successful legislation, and Illinois is close. In my own discriminatory state, I attended the very popular Pride Festival, and saw no outward forms of protest all weekend (not that they didn't exist, they just weren't noticeable). On the radio, I've been hearing Macklemore's marriage equality ballad "Same Love" quite regularly.
No matter how much hate and fear is spread on the internet, I believe that equality (in marriage, anyway) will win out, as it is supported by love. All I can think about when I hear the tired arguments about how gay marriage will destroy straight "traditional" marriage, is that they are the same arguments used to support slavery, segregation, and miscegenation. Not to mention keeping down women, other races, religions, etc. Hate just doesn't work in bringing people together forever.

Too Many Puppies

See their demon eyes?

Sing to the tune of "Winnie the Pooh"

Rolling in poo,
Playing in poo,
Scruffy little puppies all covered in filth.
They're sleeping in poo,
Eating near poo,
And really really need to go.

Do you know what puppies smell like? Cthulhu's balls. No matter how adorable they are, they reek, they're messy, and no one wants to take care of them. This is the part of owning a puppy that many people forget when they see those fluffy little pups. They're horrible. However, this isn't their fault. Not the mother of the puppies either. Because an ignorant, careless dog owner never got his female dog fixed, she had a litter of nine puppies. Nine. NINE. And they're all in my house, so they didn't die in an animal shelter. This was her third litter of unwanted puppies, and the mother of the owner had had enough, and wanted her and the puppies gone. So we saved them, and now my house smells like puppy filth, no matter how much or often we clean.

For the sake of whatever God you do or do not believe in, please get your pets fixed, so I don't ever have to live with the smell of puppies again. Ever. Nine puppies!!

Shocked and Appalled? Not so much

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V'ere are your PAPERS!?!

If you have not been paying attention recently, the Arizona governor just signed a law that essentially gives police the authority to stop anyone they have "reasonable suspicion" to be an illegal immigrant, and demand they provide identification proving they are a citizen, and if not provided, they can go straight to jail, with the possibly of deportation. The moment the bill was passed, everyone started weighing in, of particular note was John McCain's daughter, Meghan McCain. Her father has as well, just today commenting that it was the Obama Admin's fault due to their failure to 'secure our borders,' ignoring the FACT that Bush's hollow gesture of erecting 700 more miles of fence was just that, a hollow gesture. The border with Mexico is 1,969 miles long, and over 250 million people cross it every year, whether legally or not. It's disrespectful, ignorant and outrageous to accuse Obama of one more thing that Bush let fall though his fingers.
This whole spectacle ends up being just another bandage on an open wound, where the problem is multi-faceted and significant. Mexico is doing little to stop the flow of immigrants and drugs, our visa and naturalization processes are too complicated, difficult and expensive, and Americans are far too overtly racist. There WILL be problems with racial profiling; American citizens will be harassed due to their ethnic background. This is not right, and the solution needs to be more comprehensive than a knee-jerk reaction that will simply weed out a few illegals in Arizona and send them home, with plenty of opportunity to come right back over the border. I can't tell what a good solution would be, I'm not invested enough in all the issues and politics surrounding this particular dilemma, but I still know when something isn't right, and demanding to see someone's papers because they 'look' like they don't belong is something we tried to put a stop to some years ago, if you will recall.

Daily Douchebaggery

This douchebaggery is far more extensive than a single incident, and those culpable are many. Tuesday was a historic day for America, with the signing of a bill with such far-reaching importance that it will affect our children and grandchildren. The Health-Care reform bill narrowly passed through the House and Senate, and was signed into law by President Barack Obama. This is not the douchebaggery that I speak of.
During the health care reform debate, and his presidency in general, torrents of indescribable hatred, disguised as patriotism and Christianity, continued to flow unabated. The Tea Partiers are some of the worst of the group, last week mocking a man with Parkinson's who was peacefully protesting their protest, and before the vote on the reform bill, were tossing such epithets as 'nigger' and 'faggot' at certain members of congress, and laughing. Compassionate conservatism my ass. This is not protest, this is mean-spirited bullying. The conservatives aren't getting their way so they throw tantrums. It shows a lacking of any party morality, and Bob Herbert of the New York Times puts it even better as a complete lack of class.
The GOP should be held accountable for this, tacitly approving of these ugly, hateful tactics used to rile up a large group of ignorant, fearful people to push their agenda, which seems to only be tearing down and fighting anything Obama tries to do. Their small army of pocketed pundits on the various right-leaning television and radio stations do much of the work for them, bluntly calling for insurrection, impeachment and protest in complete ignorance and diametrically opposed to facts. Bombastic radio host Limbaugh threatened to leave the country if the bill was passed, claiming he would go somewhere else for his health care, like Costa Rica (which has nationalized medicine) but of course backed out of his claims at the last minute.
There are many other reasons and instances I could bring up to support my nomination of the entire GOP, the Tea Party and anyone else who supports their ideals for constant and impressively ignorant douchebaggery, but I don't have the time.

Facebook Activism

I joined Facebook last year at the promptings of a certain individual, and, much like Myspace, have regretted it ever since. I like the ability to connect with friends and family around the world, catch up with old compadres and chat with cousins you don't get to see. However, some of these people have little else to do but sit on their computer and play Farmville all day, constantly poking their friends and making various useless comments. Fine. This I can deal with, but there is one thing that I get which I have found exceedingly aggravating, and that is the 'cause' function of this site. You can join any various hollow cause with a few mouse clicks, and then 'invite' all your friends and relatives, assuring that they know you support this particular empty effort. I have not joined a single one of these, despite many friendly attempts by people in my circle. No, I will not join to Keep God in Schools, the last place religion needs to have any influence. Sorry. I don't care if it's to Stop the Senseless Slaughter of Endangered Field-mice by Feral Cats, I'm not going to join an effort that you yourself will do nothing more about than to mention 'how very sad' this is, or how important, knowing that in days-no-hours, you will give it little or no more thought. Please stop this, and I will stop deleting your requests, and I might even try to take you more seriously as a person. Regards, an annoyed Internet user.

Lyrics Schmerics

I have a bizarre and morbid fascination with bad lyrics, which may be why I catch myself listening to Pokerface, or the occasional country song when I happen to be in the wrong car at the wrong time. There are several reasons why I may not like a particular band or style of music, whether it's because I find it boring, generic, tedious, too 'pop music', or the band has such a low sense of musical integrity *cough* 3 Doors Down *cough* that I just can't listen to them. But every once in a while, I hear something that I have to stop and think about for a minute, and I become obsessed with how utterly and magnificently terrible it is.

Some classic gems amidst the bag o' jewels that was 70-80's hair metal scene are lines like:
"I'm hot, sticky sweet, from my head to my feet" Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar On Me and
"Only time will tell, if we stand the test of time" Van Halen - Why Can't This Be Love

In that same vein of horrid, and more recently in the music scene, I have found a new goldmine of sentences gone awry; Canadia's own Nickelback. They have two kinds of songs; sad/sappy songs and dirty/sexy/stripper songs. I actually heard a local DJ refer to Nickelback as 'stripper music,' a humorous and more-than-apt term, in my opinion. Some of their worst include Animals a,d Something in Your Mouth, but their newest entry in lyrical torture, Shakin' Hands. the chorus goes something like this:
"Well she ain't no Cinderalla when she gettin' undressed
'cause she rocks it like the naughty wicked witch of the west"

When I first heard this, I was hoping it was a joke, because I didn't think anyone would take music like this seriously. Is it worse that Chad Kroeger looks like Jesus? I think so. The Antichrist of good music. If you happen to come upon this song on the radio, do yourself a favor and turn it off. You should thank me.

The In-crowd

The past few years, I've been noticing an increase in the profusion of hipsters and scenesters infesting Provo and Utah County at large. This I find quite amusing, since Provo really has no 'scene' to speak of, and is definitely not hip. Three small bars, a few coffee shops and a pool-hall make up the 'night-life' of our town, and the newly opened club, which I will not even bother naming to give them the free advertising, admits teenagers, immediately rendering it un-hip. And if you're over 20 and hanging out at a club that is filled with teenagers you are either a) a pedophile, b) a loser with nothing better to do or c) a loser pedophile that can't get a ride to a better club in Salt Lake.
The hipsters invariably end up at Denny's or the Rice King for their evening fare, the latter is kept alive by this annoying and useless segment of our populace through some cruel hoax perpetrated by a crueler god. Oh great and terrible Cthulhu, how have be angered thee?!? The only classy joint downtown, Spark, I have heard called 'too hip for Provo.' Most scenesters seem to avoid it anyway, preferring to haunt the few small music venues downtown, crowding around outside, the interior buzzing with teenage chatter and shittily amplified music from the mostly uninspired and uninteresting local bands. They occasionally manage to pull in a decent act, who can't be heard over the mmsing kids and 'cool' college students talking about how this place or that place is soo much better, we should go hang out there instead.
They usually spend their nights wandering downtown like so many tight-jeaned, hair-dyed, ironically-bespectacled zombies, alternately standing in front of the various venues, trying to look cool without looking too cool or comfortable, like, 'Meh, I could go in, but its just not indie/hip/scene enough for me, besides, I spent all my money on this new fedora that doesn't fit properly, We should go get huge plates of fried rice at the King and complain about how all the bands we liked last year all sold out and these new ones we found out about on facebook are so awesome, indie, raw and unique, just like everything else we listen to.'
It hurts my head to keep thinking like a scene kid, so I have to stop before I start combing my hair to the side and growing ironic facial hair. Seriously, are their lives this boring that they have to pretend to have some scrap of anti-culture to cling to just to get through the day? I guess I don't really need to ask that kind of rhetorical question.

With Love, From Alaska

Palin supporters are out in force this week due her book tour, which had inexplicably made its way to No.1 bestseller on Amazon--before it came out in print. This butterfly effect of blind allegiance and patriotism is being seen everywhere, most specifically in any city the Holy Palin touched down in to do a book signing. Although not sure why they support her, you betcha, they do. In droves.



My favorite line is from the guy in the beanie at about 1:48 who says, "I don't know what she knows or doesn't know." Can ignorant Republicans always be so predictable? It would seem so. But what would happen if she really ran for the presidency and won? SNL gives us a possible look into the future. Thanks HuffPost.

High on LDL

I have a fast-food addiction. Since my teenager years, I have been enamored with the idea of a quick, tasty meal, made cheap by mass production and known by relentless advertising campaigns. McDonald's was one of my first loves, like many innocent, ignorant children fed by hasty working parents with no time to feed their noisy bunch of rugrats. As I grew older and got small jobs, providing me wit some minimal source of income, my fast-food tastes expanded. Taco Bell, Burger King, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Carl's Jr., various local chains and such. I loved to eat, willing to try almost anything and everything. Every time a new item menu was introduced, I was sure to be there, cash in hand for a taste at what was 'New' in the health vacuum of the fast-food industry.
Whatever came into popularity in the restaurants, I was sure to try it; ancho/poblano, chipotle, "fresh", spicy, whatever. It was cheap, tasted good, and great for socializing. We all went out, be it for Taco Bell, Wendy's, Del Taco, Carl's Jr., Taco Time, Pizza Hut, even McDonald's, the ultimate in fast-food.
But I eventually began to learn things. Like, fast-food wasn't good for you. We expanded to other, sit-down chain restaurants. Denny's, Outback, Village Inn, anything that said 'buffet'. It wasn't fast-food, so it must have been better. There were a few local favorite holes-in-the-wall we would frequent, but not many. The next six or seven years would remain pretty much the same. Eating out far too often, with very little quality food. It was cheap, and we were relatively poor. We experimented with better, foreign foods, Japanese, Thai, Indian, but the regulars were still staples. Burgers, fries and a Coke.
I also learned a great deal more about fast-food and the fast food industry. I own a copy of Fast Food Nation, I watched Super-Size Me, and have Morgan Spurlock's book, Don't Eat This Book. I contribute to a blog dedicated to finding drinks that are better for you. I know better, but I still have problems eating that which is not good for me. I have tried to stop, but it lasts about a week, and I relapse. I think to myself, 'It's only a burrito. It can't be as bad for me as a cheeseburger. Yes, I will have the sour cream and guacamole.' 'I'll just get a burger, no fries and a lemonade or some tea instead of a Coke.' I made a few baby steps. I don't order soda nearly as often as I used to at restaurants. I'll go for the chicken, pork or fish instead of the beef. I cook at home more often. I work out 2-3 times a week. But I still crave that cheap, easy food.
Me and my equally fast-food addicted girlfriend have begun to make a concerted effort to eat less fast-food, buying groceries and cooking at home instead of going out. It is often cheaper, more fun and interactive than sitting at a restaurant. We do go to restaurants though, but try to avoid fast-food. We often aim for foreign cuisine, since it is usually healthier. It was Japanese this weekend, along with two home-cooked dinners and some quick breakfasts in the kitchen instead of the drive-thru. We've been over a week without ingesting something from that came to us through a small window. We're just taking it day by day.
I am an addict, like many of you, whether or not you realize it. Fast food is not good for you, far from it. Watching Super-Size Me was a great eye opener, and helped to bring about the end of my McDonald's visits. Trying to eat a McGriddle sealed the deal. I never ate there again after ingesting that sin against food. But I found many other sources for my drug. Carl's Jr. and Del Taco remain some of my weak points. Although, after a recent attempt to eat breakfast from Burger King, I believe it will join my list of places I will never eat again. I"m a recovering fast-food junkie, and I know I will always be at risk of relapse. I have easy access to Subway food, though it isn't much better for than any other fast food. I make my own lunches whenever possible, and visit small, local joints when I need a lunch. As long as I have support and a strong will, I may become fast-food free some day. Here's hoping.

Whining and Dining

Here is an excerpt of a great conversation I had this morning with a friend of mine.

Xavier said (10:25 AM):
http://www.winechateau.com/
this is awesome
and shipping is often freeeee
danithius says:
oh ho? Online wine? Are they even allowed to ship to Utah?
Xavier says:
yeah
I can get a case of this really good Zinfandel I like for 65 bucks, free shipping
danithius says:
wow. How much in a case?
Xavier says:
12
danithius says:
holy wow
Xavier says:
about 5.39 a bottle
danithius says:
of that Gallo (sic?) stuff you were talking about?
Xavier says:
yeah
danithius says:
nice man
Xavier says:
oooh, spirits too
danithius says:
circumvent the Utah liquor conglomerate altogether, I dig
Xavier says:
yeah
wait
Domestic State Restrictions
Currently, we are NOT shipping to: Illinois, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Utah.
must be why the shipping was free
danithius says:
arrrg I knew it
hmm or those states are all the ones with puritan alcohol laws
Xavier says:
http://wi.shipcompliant.com/StateDetail.aspx?StateId=65
I got all excited for nothing
danithius says:
felony state?? geez
you can bring in up to a quart, "if all taxes and markups have been paid and clearance is received from the liquor control commission."
you've got to be kidding
Xavier says:
yeah, I learned that in my paper research
you have to file paperwork to bring a bottle of anything back with you, and pay taxes
danithius says:
I do remember... it's just so... what's the word
Machiavellian? no...
Xavier says:
ridiculous?
danithius says:
heh that works
just like they've gone to every possible extent to put a giant wet blanket upon its citizens...
Xavier says:
or perhaps, a dry blanket
danithius says:
heh touche
but seriously, I bet the people on the liquor commission point to that stipulation and go, "look, we're making every effort to accommodate our citizens"
"we're being reasonable" or something like that
Xavier says:
as long as they don't enjoy themselves
too much
danithius says:
oh of course, that goes without saying
of course you can bring in outside spirits! You simply have to visit your local liquor commission, pay the necessary markup and taxes, and fill out some paperwork to receive proper clearance
Xavier says:
and that's only because they hold a monopoly on liquor inside the state, they don't want anyone cutting in on their business
I mean their love and concern for Utah's citizens
danithius says:
uh huh
it's suffocation by bureaucracy
kind of like how the green card application process deters a lot of (legal) immigration
Xavier says:
not to mention citizenship
danithius says:
but honestly I don't think it decreases the number of immigrants much, just legal ones. You're basically forcing people to break the law
Xavier says:
anyone up for a run to Wyoming?
danithius says:
lol exactly

I may actually need to go up there this winter. Anyone need anything?

Kiss My Bias

I was recently called out on exposing my personal biases in a recent post, and rightfully so. I'll be the first one to admit that I'm biased. I'm young, intelligent, poor, and angry. I grew up with a passed-down religion, but drifted away in my late teens and finally broke free a few years ago. It hasn't been enough time to heal. I live in a Conservatively dominated religious area, a near opposite of what I may be considered. Not showing a bias is nearly impossible, especially if you have a short temper and an attitude. But, really, am I the only one guilty?
As far as I am considered, everyone is biased in some way or another. Media outlets are nearly all heavily biased, despite claims to being "fair and balanced." If the content was completely two sided and politically correct, no one would watch it, because it would come off as boring. Journalists try to remain unbiased, as do documentary filmmakers. And how well do they do in theaters? It takes biased gentlemen like Micheal Moore to really make money. Too bad he's a douchebag, using tricky editing and playing off people's emotions. But it just proves my point. Everyone is biased, whether it is against certain skin colors, intelligence levels, chosen automotive brands, weight, religion or whatever you find most displeasing in a person.
Does this excuse me or anyone else from at least trying to maintain some semblance of fairness when they write, speak or make inappropriate hand gestures? Probably not, but I can still try, and at least admit when I'm being biased. It is a personal problem, and can be overcome. I have really tried, honestly, to overcome the antipathy I grew up with toward Mexicans, from growing up in Southern California. Biases get passed on, picked up, or just develop, due to one bad experience or years of them.
Right now, the biases I haven't yet deconstructed are toward the fervently religious, conservatives, Republicans and bad drivers. They just make me so angry. And don't get me started on blacks and the Jews.

LDS WTF

As someone who grew up religiously, I learned all the cute, kitschy little catch phrases and mnemonic devices that helped you remember certain things about your faith, and being Mormon, we have our fair share. Latter Day Saints is LDS. Choose The Right, CTR. YM/YW, PEC, the Y, NCMO . Trials and Tribulations. The Word of Wisdom. Hold to the Rod. Articles of Faith. Bear your Testimony. Families are Forever. Called to Serve. Milk before meat. Isn't it about . . . time? They go on and on.
I have come to see my former faith, Mormonism, turned into easily repeatable bumper-sticker quotes. I saw one car just the other day with at least three. One CTR sticker, one R U LDS ? sticker, and those goddamn omnipresent stick figure people, used by Mormon soccer-moms to proclaim their penchant and proclivity for procreation, which is apparently their only other purpose after gossiping about other church members behind their backs and taking anti-depressants by the handful. I saw one minivan with eleven people on the back window. That means nine kids. NINE. From one woman. Why would anyone put themselves through that? If you asked Mrs. Duggar, she would probably give you some bullshit answer about them being gifts from God, when in reality, she just can't seem to keep her legs closed. But I digress.
You know that your religion has become mainstreamed when you have stores dedicated to selling accessories and other crap specifically for your religion. I always thought that CTR rings had a purpose, to be an ever present reminder for you to 'choose the right.' It's more of a useless symbol to me now, just a sign to inform potential suitors that you still think you're twelve and believe a ring will keep you from doing something you aren't supposed to. Purity rings? Wedding rings? Never mind.
All the religious paraphernalia I see just comes off as an attempt at trying to disguise a love of material things behind the mask of faith. Certain clothes are required for a person to enter the Mormon temples, and to be seen as true, faithful members. You have to buy stuff to prove your faithfulness. Sounds more like brand loyalty than faith to me. "Yes, I have my quad and my brand-new leather carrying case, with my gold-embossed name on both of them. I just bought this new church-bag for my mom with Relief Society Mom embroidered on it, and a Christus replica for dad. Isn't that so fetchin' awesome?"
There is an entire bookstore chain dedicated to selling literature to Mormons, covering all genres, including fiction, ironically. Living in Utah Valley as I do, I get to see a local culture that is so saturated with religion that it cannot separate itself from consumerism. Most business is geared toward serving those individuals who love to proclaim their religious status while proclaiming their financial one as well. "Yes, I have Lexus and I drive like a sleepy, drunk, angry twelve-year-old, but I'm LDS and God has blessed me so it's okay." So NOT okay. There is a very bold and obvious contradiction here, where members of a religion that seems to motivate frugality and humility breeds a society of zealous, prideful, want-driven hypocrites who desire to make every effort the show that they are better than--whoever. Add young marriage and rabbit-like breeding to the equation and it's no surprise that Utah consistently leads the nation in bankruptcy filings.
Think about it. Utah is about 50% Mormon, give or take. Mormons are required to give 10% of their gross income to their church to remain in good standing. Then there is the American desire to display your social rank with 'things.' New cars, big house with a maintained lawn, and any combination of 4-wheelers, dirt-bikes, jet-skies and snowmobiles. Then, fill that hole in your soul with more, religious goods, like multiple pictures of a very white Jesus, prophets living and dead, and temples you've seen either never or dozens of times; religious jewelry, books, crafts, and oh-my-god Christmas decorations. That's one for another post.
What it all comes down to in my angry little mind is that Mormons don't really feel fulfilled by their religion, they need stuff to fill that hole, be it religious or otherwise. What would Jesus do? Buy more! I can walk through my neighborhood and count SUV's that cost more than 30K and run out of fingers before I circle the block, and this is a very religious neighborhood. I'm no different, when it comes to wanting. I'd like a nice big house and a new car and all the toys, but I know I can't afford them. And I don't try and hide me desires behind my bumper-sticker religion, they're my selfish desires to have things. But I don't really feel it necessary to try and keep up with the Johnson's. I have my shitty apartment, my cars, paid off, and my motorcycle, not paid off, and that's enough for me right now. God wont provide more for me if I start believing in him again, just the banks and the credit card companies with their cash advances and Annual Percentage Rates. Thanks, but no thanks.
Well, maybe just a few small things. Could I possibly get a set of those blood-red undergarments and a Jupiter talisman so I can be more like Joseph Smith? A couple young wives would be nice too.

To Alcohol!

I am so happy that a doctor has confirmed by belief that it is okay to be a moderate alcoholic. What's more, it may keep me from being anxious or depressed, and in fact that hasn't been much of an issue in my life since I started drinking. I rarely drink more than a few beers, cocktails or glasses of wine, and I have never had a blackout or been too drunk to remember where my bed was. I've never had a hangover, or done something I regretted later. I've puked a few times, but that comes with learning how and what to drink. Note: whiskey and OJ is bad news, and never try and finish the rest of that box of wine by yourself, there's more in there than you think.
Granted, very few can honestly claim the things I have, in an era of binge drinking that has overshadowed the idea of moderation. Quantity over quality, it seems. That's not what drinking should be about. I've agreed for a long time that parents should drink with their kids and teach them how to be responsible. Telling them no and turning your back to them isn't the greatest way to teach a segment of our population that notoriously avoids following shallow rules that aren't actually followed by their creators. Our society is so ill-informed that, as Rassmusen reports, only 51% of them rate alcohol more dangerous than weed.
Alcohol can be dangerous if used improperly, but we need to stop looking at it like an alluring taboo. As a social lubricant and pleasant, nerve-numbing beverage, it can be enjoyed with near impunity, and it has been seen in studies that light to moderate drinkers live longer. As an adult of the proper age, I enjoy alcohol as a meal enhancement, mind relaxer and calming device. I'm aware of the dangers of consuming it, and the walls I face in society for doing such. I am informed, adult and free to make my own decisions, so I believe that I will have another. And another, and another. But that's it, because I know when to say no.

Daily Douchebaggery

Today I happened upon this picture, and I must nominate an unknown or unknowns for douchebaggery. Whoever the asshole or assholes were that thought it would be funny to cover a cat in duct tape and leave it wandering around should suffer the same fate. Such a prank is not only not funny, but cruel, unusual and downright mean. This may be how either fetishists or serial killers get started. If anyone in Philly knows the douchebag(s) that perpetrated this twisted act, they should seriously reconsider who they keep company with, and turn them in. Douchebag(s).

And while I'm at it, here's another douchebag throwing live frogs into boiling water on live television. This douchebag is named Glenn Beck. Is there no low he will stoop to in his insane efforts to expand his inane and ignorant fan-base? I guess not. Douche.

Sword Play

A few months ago, I posted about a couple of incidents where sword-wielding persons either inflicted harm on each other or robbed businesses with the unconventional weapon. The use of the sword seems to be becoming more widespread. A recent incident ended in the death of a man who broke into a college student's garage in Baltimore; another student in Texas attacked his roommates after finding a soda can in his room.
A quick Google search will bring up a dozen more stories from the past few years of this happening, with varied outcomes. Have guns and regular knives become passe? Or is this just a sign of the economic hardships plaguing our country's good citizens? Or are we just becoming just a little more psychotic every year? I'm definitely not crazy, but I have several friends that own samurai swords, katanas or other various menacing-looking weapons. As for me, I'll just stick to my baseball bats, knifes and asps, thank you very much.
I wonder what the Samurai would think of this. I really hope that crazy isn't contagious.

Rush Limbaugh's America

Some people live in a little world of their own creation, where logic, reason and reality don't necessarily have to jive wit their own perception. Normally, these people create cults or live in cabins deep in the woods and write manifestos; but sometimes they end up with radio shows.
Rush Limbaugh, never afraid to shoot his mouth off on the most sensitive of topics, has claimed that we need to re-institute one of our painful legacies of American history, the segregation of buses, as reported by Raw Story. This is in response to the beating of a white boy by two black students on a school bus, even though police have pretty much ruled out any racial motivation. Rush has again shown himself for who he is by uttering this string of words, a likely proud racist. Moving backward before the Civil Rights movement, when the white people were in power and told everyone what to do; where they could eat, ride, play, drink and urinate.
Rush is in support of this, so why stop there? Let's re-segregate everything; sports teams, restrooms, restaurants, all public transportation, drinking fountains and schools. Heaven forbid we mingle with other 'races' and gain acceptance of them, that will never do. I hear the KKK is doing well again, Rush, maybe you should throw your support behind the white hoods and call for lynchings of any black man who is caught with a white woman, eh? Send all the migrant workers back to the countries they came from, no matter if they have greed cards or work visas.
In Rush Limbaugh's America, we can all be free again to judge others by their race, age, gender, ethnicity and creeds. It would sure shore up that crumbling white Christian power-structure that O'Reilly is lamenting the loss of. Or we could go back even further, when we owned the blacks outright as slaves, and they had no rights, women either, and we pushed Native Americans off of their land into arid wastelands and only wealthy land-owning white males could vote, but we were still all created equally. That might work well for Limbaugh and his right-wing fanatical cohorts. I just don't know if I would want to live in Rush's America, I like my freedoms and equality with others.

Is a Public Option That Hard to Swallow?

A month ago, Obama declared that the public option was 'not essential' to the health care reform bill, mostly because the Repubs were fighting against it so heartily. Even a few 'blue dog' Democrats were against it. It seemed like the health care reformation would come without a government run insurance program. Fast forward to this week.
It seems that all of a sudden everyone but Dems are coming out in favor of a public option, including 73% of doctors, labor groups, and even Bill O'Reilly. Yeah, that shocked the hell out of me too.
So whether those in Congress fighting against it like it or not, it looks like the public option is back on the table. The insurance companies are going to fight it every way they can, and not because it means a poorer health coverage, but because they don't want the competition. Anything that will force them to be more honest, lose customers and profits, they are definitely going to be against. Do they really care that 45,000 people die every year because they don't have health insurance? Actually, yes, because that's 45,000 premiums they didn't collect before they canceled the policy for some obscure reason.
Insurance companies are not in the business to save lives, they are in it to profit off of healthy people as long as it is convenient for them, and dropping them as soon as possible when something crops up. I'm sure there a re a few smaller insurance companies that might actually give a damn about their customers, but I'm not aware of any. This fight against health care reform is getting ridiculous, and is led my stubborn conservative politicians who wont even bother to read bills they come out against. Maybe if someone tossed a hefty raise for Congress into the bill it might get passed in record time.
Until then, I just hope that I don't get seriously ill or injured in any way and cripple myself financially.

Good for youuu!

One of the big yuppie things to do during the 2000's has been to own a hybrid, be it the ridiculously popular Prius, Toyota and Honda's other attempts, luxury hybrids or good old American made POS hybrids like the Ford Escape. It is a feel-good purchase, letting the owner believe that they are helping not just their status, but the environment. Not so fast.
Those massive battery packs in your hybrid? Nickel-metal hydride batteries full of nickel. That cool electric motor? Full of rare, difficult to mine metals like neodymium. All that stuff has to be mined, shipped, processed and fashioned into parts, which are then reshipped to places like Japan where they are built, and then shipped overseas to America's voracious consumers looking to out-green their neighbor or just show up how great they are for pretending to care about the environment. Another study done by CNW Marketing Research has shown just how inefficient it is to produce and maintain hybrids as compared to other vehicles. Even SUV's and many luxury cars are cheaper to produce.
And what do you get for all that extra cash you lay down for that ego boost? Only better city driving fuel mileage and a heavier, less efficient car. The Prius is notorious for its lack of interior space and poor highway performance. Penn and Teller tackled this one on an episode of "Bullshit!". The 'Smug' episode of South Park also went to great pains trying to get the message across that hybrids are not the answer, but just a step in the right direction. Hybrids aren't necessarily a bad thing, they are a testing bed for new technologies and an indicator that as a society, we're becoming a little more than dimly aware of our effect on the planet.
More fuel efficient car are coming out all the time, and ultra-efficient diesel hybrids are starting to make their way across the Atlantic where they have been driven for years. Volkswagen had brought out their L1 two-seater concept car that gets 170 mpg with a 1 liter diesel-hybrid engine. It's 3-4 years away from seeing the roads of America, but car companies are definitely on the right track. At least in Europe.
Next time you see some smug prick in their Hybrid flying past you on the freeway, don't get mad, just remember that they paid a whole lot more and most likely aren't getting any benefit whatsoever from that over-sized accessory. Not until they can figure out how to run a vehicle off of douchebaggery, anyway.