Religious Buzz Words

I was being forced to listen to Talk Radio (Rush Limbaugh and his ilk), and the host was talking to some cookie-cutter Christian* this morning. She kept using words like "Living the life of dignity," "mighty miracles for His glory" and other hollow words.
Why do they get used? I would venture a guess because they sound grand, and are vague enough that they can be quantified by most anything.

Next time you happen to hear a Christianist** talk, listen to their words. Do they sound like that? Are they full of propagandist language? Do they sound mighty and fine, but have no substance behind them? In all probability, they're just repeating what they heard from their pastor or cult leader, whichever is applicable.

Another type of religious buzz words seems to be the cutesy type--something mom would say, sitting amongst her Precious Moments statues and other knicknacks. Empty phrases that ingrain themselves into your mind that your mother says as you walk out the door. Sickeningly sweet things. Hackneyed, in a wide-eyed, loving sort of way. Things that drip saccharine from the lips of aging CCChristians everywhere. Things like "Be like a sponge. So when you are squeezed from all sides you will ooze with the likeness of the Lord."
I expect a droopy-eyes doll to tell me that.

None of them mean anything more than power. Think about it--what do politicians use to gain power? Buzz words. What do people use to sound like they know what they're talking about? Buzz words. they are in the know. They know the truth. They can lead us to a better tomorrow.


*Cookie-Cutter Christian: n. One who repeats the garbage Conservative Talk Radio spits out, citing Jesus and/or Rush as the proper source of this boundless wisdom.

**I have no problem with Christianity, per se. None at all. But I dislike sheep and people who try to tell me how to live when I didn't ask them. Also, forcing me to follow your beliefs, under the guise of morality, makes me angry. I'm just a flawed human being, but I don't want you telling me what to do. I'm happy enough, wallowing in my heathenism, thank you very much.
It's the people who do the above in the name of Christ who make me angry. I'm borrowing a term from Andrew Sullivan by calling them 'Christianists.'

Ack!

I use FireFox, and I love it. However, nothing seems compatible (except boost and greasemonkey) with the newest update!
This is not ok! I need my scribefire and StumbleUpon!

Clinton's Hypocrisy

More reasons I loathe her.

Hillary Clinton is on the board of directors for Wal-Mart. Has been
been for years. Her campaign is build on several issues that are
contrary to what Walmart does. Contrary to the point that I'm
absolutely amazed no one else has cottoned onto this.

She could at least publicly speak out against the policies (she is,
from what I've heard, Sam Walton's niece somehow [this explains that
five million she donated to herself], and it's not likely she'd be
kicked off the board), even if she can't convince them to change
policies. She's got a lot of power when it comes to this. She could
speak out, and as the former First Lady of the US and Arkansas, and a
current US Senator, she's got an incredible reach.

Wal Mart is accused of the following:

• Treating women like dirt--they almost never promote women to manager.
• Crushing local business--small towns tend to loose about half
  their retail trade within the decade of a local WalMart opening (Those
  of you who say that they create more jobs--they only do so in the short
  term).
• Poor working conditions and inadequate health care-- Instances
  where people were working around the clock without breaks or overtime.
  As a whole, employees are paid so little that they can't afford the
  premiums, according to a number of studies.
  

"On October 26, 2005, a Wal-Mart internal memo sent to the firm's Board
of Directors advised trimming over $1 billion in health care expenses
by 2011 through measures such as attracting a younger, implicitly
healthier work force by offering education benefits. The memo also
suggested giving sedentary Wal-Mart staffers, such as cashiers, more
physically demanding tasks, such as, "cart-gathering," and eliminating
full-time positions in favor of hiring part-time employees who would be
ineligible for the more expensive health insurance and several policy
proposals which may violate the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The memo also accused Wal-Mart's lower paid employees of abusing
emergency room visits, "possibly due to their prior experience with
programs such as Medicaid," whereas such visits may actually be due to
the reduced ability of uninsured or under-insured people to make timely
appointments to see a regular physician. Critics point to this story as
evidence that Wal-Mart purports to be generous with its employee
benefits, while in reality the company is working to cut such benefits
by reducing the number of full-time and long-term employees and
discouraging supposedly unhealthy people from working at Wal-Mart."

• Hiring illegals-- they claim the illegals work for contractors, others say they were hired personally by Walmart.
• Forcing Outsourcing--Walmart started the whole thing, and others
  had to do so to keep up. Moreover, they tell companies what they want
  produced and how much Walmart will pay for it. No negotiation, no
  discussion. Do what we say, or loose us.
• Forcing teenaged Mexican baggers to work only tips. Using Chinese sweatshop/prison labor.
• Violating environmental standards across the country:
  "Enforcement agencies agree: when it comes to following rules, Wal-Mart
  can do better:
  

• Slapped with Fines Across the Country. In 2004,
  Wal-Mart faced fines for violations of environmental laws in nine
  states: California, Colorado, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, South
  Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. [Associated Press, 5/12/04; New York
  Times, 4/13/05]
• Forced to Settle Air Pollution Claims. In 2004, Wal-Mart agreed to
  pay $400,000 to the government to settle claims that Sam's Club had
  flouted federal air pollution regulations in eleven states. [The
  Business Journal, 1/30/04]
• Widespread Water Pollution. In 2001, the EPA and Justice Department
  for the first time fined a company -- Wal-Mart -- for violating newly
  adopted standards for stormwater runoff. Wal-Mart paid $5.5 million in
  fines for violations at construction sites in four states:
  Massachusetts, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. Four years later,
  however, Wal-Mart signed an agreement with the Connecticut Department
  of Environmental Protection over storm water violations occurring over
  seven years at 20 stores, and agreed to pay $1,550,000 in penalties.
  [Underground Construction, 8/1/01; Forbes, 8/15/05]
• Contaminating Water in Georgia. Georgia's Environmental Protection
  Division (EPD) fined Wal-Mart for letting polluted storm water run free
  into state waters -- resulting in $170,000 in penalties for pollution
  at two sites. Wal-Mart failed to take basic steps to help clean storm
  runoff, such as maintaining silt fencing around construction zones,
  installing ponds to catch storm water, and failure to keep records. The
  fines ranked among the highest paid in Georgia for violations of the
  Clean Water Act. [Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2/10/05]
• In Florida, Oil Storage Problems. Florida forced Wal-Mart to pay
  $765,000 in fines for operating outside safety restrictions on
  petroleum storage at its auto service centers. The Florida Department
  of Environmental Protection flagged the company for failing to register
  its fuel tanks with the state or install devices that prevent gasoline
  overflows. According to the state, Wal-Mart also failed to perform
  monthly safety checks, lacked current technologies to prevent
  overflows, blocked state inspectors from reviewing records and failed
  to show proper insurance documentation. [Associated Press, 11/18/04] "

Hillary sells herself as (using quotes from her annoying hell to navigate website):

• A women's champion (like I want her to be my Knight In Shining Pink Armor).

"Today, despite the progress women have made, they earn only 77 cents
for every dollar men earn -- and women of color earn even less. Hillary
is leading the charge in the Senate to strengthen equal pay laws and
end pay disparities between men and women. She introduced the Paycheck
Fairness Act to strengthen the penalties associated with wage
discrimination, to ensure that the federal government sets a higher
standard, and to increase oversight of employers. Hillary has also
worked to increase access to capital and other support for women-owned
businesses."

Mhm, sweetie, letting your uncle's company not move women up in the ranks is a great way to show this.

According to WalmartWatch.com:

• female hourly workers earn up to 37 cents less per hour than their male counterparts;
• female full-time employees working at least 45 weeks earn on average
  nearly $5,000 less than male employees in yearly salary;
• women make up 72 percent of Wal-Mart's total workforce, but only 33 percent of its managers;
• and women make up 92 percent of Wal-Mart's cashiers, but only 14 percent of Wal-Mart store managers.

• Increase Rural opportunity--"Hillary also believes that there are many other opportunities to create good jobs..."

When uncle Sammy's company screws over the rural area regularly. Repeatedly. Unendingly.

• Nationalized Health Care-- "It puts the consumer in the driver's
  seat by offering more choices and lowering costs. If you're one of the
  tens of million Americans without coverage or if you don't like the
  coverage you have, you will have a choice of plans to pick from and
  that coverage will be affordable. Of course, if you like the plan you
  have, you can keep it."

I suppose this is her way of apologizing.

• Wants to secure the border and prevent illegal hiring. "Hillary
  strongly believes we need to do more to know who is in our country by
  securing our borders and ensuring that employers comply with the law
  against hiring and exploiting undocumented workers. She supports
  deploying new technology that can help stop the flow of undocumented
  immigrants into the country and an employer verification system that is
  universal, accurate, timely, and does not lead to discrimination and
  abuse by employers."

I cannot help but laugh at this. I really can't.

• Someone who will increase the standing of America world wide--"As
  president, Hillary will lead by the words of the Declaration of
  Independence, which pledged "a decent respect to the opinions of
  mankind."

More BS courtesy of She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Wordlessly letting women and minors be exploited is a greaaaaat way to start.

• Save the children: "America is ready for a president who fights
  for our children. Hillary has spent her lifetime as an effective
  advocate for parents and children.

From her first job out of law school at the Children's Defense Fund to
her time as First Lady of Arkansas and of the United States to her
service in the Senate, helping children has been at the center of
Hillary's public life.

In the White House, Hillary will continue her lifelong work to create a
world where every child is cherished, loved, and able to fulfill his or
her potential."

Yes. Having them work too many hours (on school nights, too!) and miss
meal breaks or not be paid is a great effing way to do that.

• Clean up the environment,

"Hillary has a bold and comprehensive plan to address America's energy
and environmental challenges that will establish a green, efficient
economy and create as many as five million new jobs.

Centered on a cap and trade system for carbon emissions, stronger
energy and auto efficiency standards and a significant increase in
green research funding, Hillary's plan will reduce America's reliance
on foreign oil and address the looming climate crisis.

Setting ambitious targets, the plan would reduce greenhouse gas
emissions by 80 percent from 1990 levels by 2050 to avoid the worst
effects of global warming, and cut foreign oil imports by two-thirds
from 2030 projected levels, more than 10 million barrels per day."

Yup. That's the way to go. Mhm.

Do I expect the campaign to match up entirely with Mal-Mart
policies? No. But I do expect her to speak out on the most flagrant and
harmful to the very things she's trying to fix.

Links:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com

http://walmartwatch.com/issues

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wal-Mart (I can and will provide more links on this for anyone who asks)

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/secrets/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/interviews/lehman....

Anger

I have realized that I have somehow developed unbounded anger for other young people. I know countless kids, my age and younger, who are convinced that their inactivity and unwillingness to better themselves is somehow sticking it to the white-collar, white-male elite who run this godforsaken and corrupt country.

Fear

It's not my thing to use blogs as diaries, because, well, why would you be interested in my little life? I'd rather you be interested in something I have to say than who I talked to today.
But this is related to a recent mile stonearoundtheneck that our nation has reached--4,000 of our young men and women are dead.

I have a fair number of friends in one or another branch of the military, and I dread seeing a face I know gracing the cover page of my local newspaper. I walk around my neighborhood and see RIP stickers on cars for people in my 'burb who've died. I don't ever want to face the opportunity to get one of those for someone I love. Articles that discuss this topic I read with the deepest trepidation, worrying I'll see a name I know. A face I know.

#4,000, whoever you are, may you rest in peace.

Bert and Ernie, Menaces to Society.

I know the gossip of my coworkers is not a reliable source of news. And I am very much aware that what I say now could be vicious rumor( but I doubt it. West Baptist Church has made me believe that even the most heinous and stupid actions in the name of God are still possible in this supposedly enlightened day and age) But there was a conversation among those whom I work with who have children in the break room the other day that made me very, deeply agitated.

Seems that certain "family oriented" groups have been and are trying to get certain characters of the much-loved children's TV show "Sesame Street" changed and/or eliminated from the show.

Surely, what could be wrong with the critters who inhabit that sound stage street that taught so many of us numbers and letters? Apparently, some of them are teaching the children of America bad morals.

You may be asking yourself, as I have, "What sort of bullshit Christian right junta are we living in?" Well, those of us who do not understand the finer points of raising children in an environment where there are no messages whatsoever that take away the innocence of childhood and the sanctity of good Christian living. Allow me to relay the points that were told to me.

Point one: Oscar the Grouch should be removed from the show. Because his representation of homeless people (he lived in a trash can, and ergo was homeless. Never mind he's a freaking monster, and his proud race of green acrylic furred peoples may choose to live in trashcans, as a facet of their culture) portrayed a negative stereotype: that homeless people both exist and are very grouchy about their existence. It somehow allowed kids to infer that homeless people are grouchy.

Now, if you had no home, wouldn't you be grouchy? I know I would be. Especially in America, where it's somehow OK to treat homeless people like animals. And anyone who watched Oscar in action knows Oscar wasn't always grouchy. He just didn't like people making a lot of noise outside his trashcan--when he was learning about the letter k, he was a fairly content ball of fuzz.

But, no, cranky and homeless people are undermining children's sense of right.

Point Two: Bert an Ernie, obvious homosexuals, should find other living arrangements, as their current situation (living together and sharing a room, albeit with separate beds) is a clear indicator of their homosexuality. I have never met a child of Sesame Street watching age who immediately assume that two men sharing living quarters are buggering one another. That's the transference of homophobic parents onto Bert and Ernie--two innocent little Muppets whose only crimes may be bizarre attachments to paper clips and rubber duckies-- are gay. Kids don't immediately connect so-called "deviant" sex with how people are living together. Unless, of course, they are taught by their parents to do so--making it an entirely adult assumption.

And even if Bert and Ernie ARE gay, who gives a shit? It's not like they're making mad puppet love brought to you by the number 3. The point of Sesame Street was to teach counting, numbers, and how other people live and work. That's why there were people and monsters who were different colors residing there.

Point Three: Snuffalupagus, Big Birds' imaginary friend, is an obvious drug reference. You see, because only Big Bird can see him, he's a clear hallucination.

Really? Because when I was little, when you had a friend onyl you could see, you weren't trippin' on LSD, or even schizophrenic. You had an imaginary friend. big Bird has the mentality of an eight-year-old, but never mind that. Imaginary friends are the stuff of drug addicts and blemishes to our society.

Point Four: Cookie Monster's new "cookies are a sometimes food" mantra. The argument for this new change of heart towards his beloved tasty treats (something I think tastes far more of out-of-control PC beliefs more than the Radical Right) was that his zeal was "encouraging childhood obesity". Riiiiiiiiight. It's all a blue muppets fault that YOUR kid is fat. It's not, say, a parent's inability to teach their children about correct portion sizes and feed them nutritious, healthy food. It's not the parent's fault they don't encourage their children to play active games outside.

No, your kid isn't fat because you gave into their whining for a PlayStation or Nintendo DS and let them play it nonstop (I have nothing against video games. I just think sometimes they should be turned off for a game of freeze tag), because you feed them "quick" and toxic foods, and because you don't have the time to teach them about savoring foods and proper portion sizing. Your kid isn't fat because you don't have the time to explain to them that a) Cookie Monster is a monster, not a little kid, and because of that he can get away with things they can't, and b) Cookie Monster is a fat little monster BECAUSE of his love for cookies.

It's not your fault, folks. This one's all cookie monster.


I am so beyond livid at the current state of children's programming. It's been sugar0coated and nice-ified to the point where none of it feels different from any other show. There are no cartoon characters smashing one another with mallets, and I have yet (on my days where there is very little to do before I ship off to work) to find one which adequately deals with the subject of "stranger danger". But hell, we're teaching preschoolers how to speak Spanish!

I'm so sick of this country, I'm sick of the overly-liberal, who attack people wearing leather jackets and drink milk (if you have ever seen a cow who has not been milked for a while, you know how desperately cows need milking. They don't care what you use it for. Too much milk in an udder is painful to a cow and can cause serious infection).

I am sick of all the decisions being made by white protestant republicans in the Midwest who have no sense of humor and transfer all their dirty daydreams onto things like children's TV shows, turning something as innocent as the muppets into "bad moral role models".

I'm sick of the apathy of young people, who choose not to vote because "it's not going to make a difference" or it's what "the establishment" does--all the while forgetting that if people do not vote, the establishment will NEVER change. Who bitch about how bad their lives are but don't lift a finger to try and change them, who buy shirts touting Eco-friendly awareness made on non-organic cotton and printed with toxic ink.

I'm sick of everyone who disrespects literature, especially religious literature. That includes the Christians who think it's OK to tear up literature or burn to Koran. This includes kids who think it's OK to burn Bibles. I don't care if it's not what you believe in, it's a piece of literature, and the ability to access literature and to read it is a gift too many people take for granted. I personally deeply dislike Scientology, but I have never defaced a copy of "Dianetics". It's hugely disrespecful and shows zero maturity.

If you don't agree with something you read, put it down. If you don't agree with something you see on TV, change the channel. If you don't agree with how someone thinks, leave them alone and go find someone who you can better relate to.

The world has already ended, and we're burning in a hell of ignorance and disrespect.

Good Old XKCD

China Removed from Human Rights Violator List Three Days Before Tibet

China Terrorizes Tibet - New York Times

Oh hooray for China! You've been removed from the US State Department's list of gross human rights violators! Yaaaay!
(Even though they admit you're still doing a shitty job)

Oh wait, Tibet's protesting? Gotta shut that down right quick! 600 people in jail and several dead protestors?

No biggie.



I cannot fathom what strings were pulled to get this. Did China have its banks call in the loans we owe? Is that how this happened? Honestly.
China was supposed to behave itself in order to get the Olypmics, and it clearly isn't. This is ridiculous.

Mysterious Gaps

I do not trust Hillary Clinton as far as I can throw her. And this is why.
Large gaps in her log of activity as First Lady, private meetings with un-named individuals. Days of these sort of meetings.
I do not begrudge her some of them, but for them to be to ubiquitous is unnerving and makes me even more wary of her. We do not need more secrets. It's time for an open, transparent presidency.

Out of Town...

Will be so for the rest of the week.

LOLZ!

Prescription drugs found in drinking water across U.S. - CNN.com
This is every Conspiracy Theorists dream! T3h governmentz' trying to control us and make us have more babies!

Fractals

I really like them. They're freakin' awesome if they're done right. But all the ones on deviant art all look the same, more or less. I am annoyed.

Holocaust Videos from MTv

I'm not a weepy person. I'm really not. But this brought tears to my eyes. The fear is palpable, confusion and pain in their eyes, visible in every movement they make in Family Room and Subway.

Family Room:


Subway:

Pub Think MTV Holocaust metro
Uploaded by business-garden

Tragic Killing

On February 12, 2008 an openly gay fifteen year old, Larry King, was murdered by a classmate. He was murdered by the boy he'd ask to be his valentine in light of the impending holiday. That's right, the boy he asked to be his valentine. Somewhere along the line, this classmate decided it was so horrible, so horrific that Larry wanted to be his valentine that he would rectify the situation by simply killing him.

Something has to change.

Our views must change.

Gays are not second class citizens. I am not a second class citizen. There should never be an instance where someone is killed simply because they are gay.

Maybe this kid learned this fear of homosexuality from our culture and the media. From gays being the punchline in some joke, the gay that's made fun of in perhaps even the, "that's gay" phrase that seems to be so popular nowadays. I can even admit to deeming something "gay" every once in awhile. I had a conversation with a coworker just the other day about this. We were talking about how swear words actually start out as being ordinary words, but people start putting different meanings to them and then you get your swear word. He was saying that "gay" had reached that status, I wasn't quite in agreement, but perhaps I should have been. Perhaps by my use of this simple phrase I'm helping spread the homophobia that young kids adopt.

Think about what you say.

Think about the impact this may have on someone with a young mind. Think of the influence you're exerting.

Cause this is unacceptable. Killing because someone is gay is completely unacceptable.


Edited by Scriblerus to incorperate the link properly into the post at 2am on March 2nd