The Commander-in-Chief is the New Boogyman

Can you imagine being thousands of miles away from your loved ones, fighting in Afghanistan?  It can be a stressful environment, ya think?  So what does Obama do to help manage the morale of the trooops he is commanding in his role as President? 

Like I need this shit?!

Why he tells them their kids are gonna go hungry starting August 15th, ha, ha, ha, ha!!!!

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said Sunday during an unannounced visit to Afghanistan that he doesn't know whether soldiers will continue to receive paychecks if an agreement over the U.S. debt ceiling cannot be reached. 

Mullen said August 15 would be the first payday jeopardized if the United States defaults. Soldiers normally get paid in two-week increments, making the last assured payday on August 1, he said.

Oh . . . fuck him.  Any Presidnt using scare tactics to demoralize the American troops in a war zone to advance a political agenda is beneath my contempt.  As my dear friend, Cuchieddie, would say, get a rope.

Where is the mainstream media on this?

Fiscal Responsibility: the New Racism

[T]he Justice Department has asked several banks to relax their mortgage underwriting standards and approve loans for minorities with poor credit as part of a new crackdown on alleged discrimination, according to court documents reviewed by IBD. 

Prosecutions have already generated more than $20 million in loan set-asides and other subsidies from banks that have settled out of court rather than battle the federal government and risk being branded racist.

Eric Holder, not content with running guns to Mexican drug cartels, now wants to kill the solvency of American banks.  It seems denying loans to low income applicants is not good business or a prudent move, especially in light of record foreclosures . . . ah, no, to Holder it is racsim.

Oh, I'm sorry, not low income people - minority applicants are the ones to gain favorable treatment from banks, else the banks face litigation.

For example, the government has ordered Midwest BankCentre to set aside almost $1 million in "special financing" for residents living in predominantly black areas of St. Louis. The program includes originating conventional home loans at fixed prime rates for African-American borrowers "who would ordinarily not qualify for such rates for reasons including the lack of required credit quality, income or down payment."

Oddly enough, if I presented my lily-white ass at the bank with the same lack of qualifications, I could expect to be denied.  WHat is the difference?  With me, it's just good business.  With a Black person from St. Louis, it is insidious racism, inherent in the US banking structure.  Who knew?

Or the threat thereof.  It seems "non-disclosure" is controlling in settlements - "don't tell other banks how we determined you were 'racist' so we can see how far we can get with this scam."  Are the theories of the DOJ in alleging that the refusal to make risky loans due to discrimination against minorities sound? 

One such theory — "disparate impact" — holds that merely a difference in loan application outcomes is enough to prove racial discrimination — even if no intent exists on the part of loan officers to contrast based on the color of applicants, and even legitimate business factors — such as credit scores and down payments — help explain disparities in loan outcomes between white and black applicants. 

Under this broad theory, banks have been accused of racism simply for failing to open branches or aggressively market mortgages in black neighborhoods — regardless of the demand for, or viability of, such loans in those areas.

Redressing wrongs or being punitive?  This is not a program designed to look at the problems that arise when someone who has no income save government entitlements and a bad credit report cannot qualify a loan and see what can be done in that case - for example, loans with down payments of less than 20% are subject to private mortgage insurance so as to address the risk that the bank is assuming.  This is a new morality play in the DOJ's mind. 

In announcing a recent $2 million settlement with Dallas-based PrimeLending, Civil Rights Division chief Tom Perez said, "We will require lenders to invest in the community that they've harmed."

Another Reno protege, Perez has compared bankers to Klansmen. Only difference is, he said, bankers discriminate "with a smile" and "fine print." He said this kind of racism, though more subtle, is "every bit as destructive as the cross burned in a neighborhood."

What harm?!

Loan approval as envisioned by the DOJ

The denial of civil rights based upon one's race of ethnicity is bad and a violation of law.  Rights.  You do NOT have a right to a mortgage, you do NOT have the right to buy a house . . . or a car . . . or a yacht.  These are goals that require certain criteria - such as stable income and good credit.  You may even be able to argue that race should not be a barrier to the opportunity to attain a mortgage - but understand, simply because you have the opportunity, it does not mean you are guaranteed the result that you want.

In our current financial crisis, the banks have been hard hit.  They do not need this unncessary and fiction-based shakedown by Holder & Co.  What happens when these "reparations" lead to more foreclosures?

Oh, Eric Holder doesn't care.  He figures him and his cohorts - including Barack Obama - will be long gone . . . with the money.

Perez has required bank defendants to earmark potentially millions in funding for inner-city community organizers — who must be approved by Justice. Critics say lenders are being forced to bankroll Acorn clones that often exist just to shake them down for risky loans. 

[DOJ spokeswoman Xochitl] Hinojosa declined to provide a list of these "qualified organizations."

There, there is the transparency promised by Obama - another falsehood, another lie.  When will people wake up and demand an accounting? 

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?  The mainstream media has long ago divested themselves as the guardians of the truth. 

BTW, low income does not mean there is no person in that category who can qualify for a loan.  Smaller mortgages, pooled resources, larger down payments . . . I have seen it happen in Hispanic and Asian neighborhoods among "low income" persons.  Start out small, work your way up.  Maybe the kitchen doesn't come with travertine marble counter tops, and maybe you and your sister's families live together for a few years while saving for the next real estate investment . . . but it does happen.  WHo will be the champion of these people when their neighborhood lender has gone belly up from having to write bad loans to satisfy Eric Holder?

Updated: 
Three more U.S. banks failed Friday, including the first this year in Virginia and Indiana, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.   With the latest failures, 61 banks have failed in 2011 . . .

I Know John Galt

"I'm just quitting . . ."

Context: 

As a mine operator in a nearby area, he was attending the meeting to listen to what residents and government officials were saying. He listened to close to two hours of people trashing companies of all types and blaming pollution for random cases of cancer in their families. Several speakers clearly believe that all of the cancer and other deaths they see in their families and communities must be caused by pollution. Why? Who knows? Maybe just because it makes for an emotional story to blame big bad business.

Cash Is Still King

A letter and plan filed by My Father's House Church International is one of several proposals offered to the cathedral’s board of directors, which was reorganized this week. On Saturday, Crystal Cathedral spokesman John Charles said he did not believe the proposal was “a viable plan.”

My Father's House Church broadcasts a twice-a-week program called “Latter Day Kings,” which officials say draws at least 10,000 viewers. The church would also set up an escrow fund to repay the cathedral’s debts, using 75% of donations received monthly.

Their $50 million depends on future, yet-realized donations.  Tod's cash offer trumps that.

I'm still on the side of Tod getting his cathedral this way.  I have seen the pictures of other churches built by the chosen architect and they're monstrosities.  At least this is (a) a monstrosity that has become blended with the Orange County landscape, and (b) cheaper than building to spec.

My Dog is Pathetic

DigiTravel Log: Haunted Knoxville Ghost Tour

Let's face it.  A ghost tour, that is, a tour of "haunted" spots, is a bt of a snipe hunt.  The chances of you actually seeing or experiencing some sort of "phenomenon" are slim and, of course, it comes with no guarantee of seeing anything . . . save a tour guide trying to keep you entertained to the point where you don't start to think, and I paid good money for this?

It really is a hard gig, made harder when the spirits don't want to cooperate.  The only time when you can count on them to appear is when summoned by Madame Leota, and she was no where in sight last night.

I have been on ghost tours in a number of cities.  I enjoy them because I like hearing stories and history.  That is not surprising.  Mankind has been telling stories meant to amaze and frighten each other for centuries before the advent of television and video games.  We like "wild" stories.  And, more deeply rooted, we want to believe in ghosts because no one wants to think that they die and that's it.  No mas.  The eternal, dreamless sleep.

And actually experiencing some sort of weird, inexplicable shit?  Icing on the cake.  I don;t expect it and I don't mind, so long as the stories are good . . .

That being said, the ghost tour with Haunted Knoxville Ghost Tours was unique in one aspect, but lacking in another.  First, the good:

The tour allowed you to be the investigator.  You know all those cool gadgets that we have seen Jay and G. and Zak play around with?  EMF detectors?  High frequency radios to hear - hopefully - ghostly voices?  They have them and let you play with them.  No heat deterctors because - alas - as is with most public ghost tours, all activities occur outisde and not in buildings.  So if you have ever wanted to be a ghosthunter and try to determine, man, am I spiking due to activity or exposed wiring?, this is the tour for you.  Our tour leader, J., did a good job of explaining we were working together as a team, so between his equipment and our cameras (let's face it, be it DSLR, point-and-shoot, or iPhone, everyone has a camera), maybe we would catch "something."

Did we?  Well, I don't think so, or rather, maybe we did not catch enough.  No orbs appeared on the cameras of the group, and while there were a few moments of "I think I got something on the EMF!", nothing really materialized.  I will say this, there was one moment when Katherine and I were goofing around with the radio frequency thingie.  The idea is that you can ask the ghost a question and they use the frequency between stations to answer; I guess it is easier for them.  We were at the site where two men - post-Civil War but one had been with the Union and the other with the Confederacy - has an argument and the one shot the other.  I asked the question, "Are you two together in the afterlife?" and suddenly a very distinct and loud, "NO!" came across, even to the point where Katherine, who was holding the device, felt a tingle go through her hand and up her arm.  Well!

But here is where there is some room for improvement.  The pace was somewhat slow and since it started at 10:00 pm at night and lasted over two hours, people were getting tired.  I noticed some of the folks just weren't into the whole EMF meter thing and I believe they came on the tour to be entertained . . . by history, by stories, delivered with a bit of a flair, and maybe, just maybe, see a ghost.  At times the walk felt more like a trudge (I can't fault the guys for the weather - if you want to go one a ghost tour in Tennessee in July, you are going have to accept the fact that the weather could be hot and sultry, as it was last night).  The delivery of stories needs some work, as well as the stories themselves - yes, a lot of research was done but I am not sure the people want to hear that much detail - or, at least, give us the Reader's Digest version; as someone who has appeared in court to argue cases before ADHD-afflicted judicial officers, brevity, brevity, brevity!

And . . . pick a different path.  Walking around modern buildings where previously stood older buildings and hearing the stories about the now gone older buildings is not really that much fun.  Especially when we are by a federal court house and have to be admonished not to point cameras towards the building.  I have wandered through the streets of Old City in Knoxville - at least there, if nothing else happens, cool stories and funky atmosphere make for a good time.

Now, J. did say that they are in "beta" mode.  I propose that they consider offering two tours:  one for the would-be investigator and one for the tourist.  One geared to cool devices and limited in the number of people attending, the other more of a larger group with stories galore.  In fact, the business side of me even thinks you can charge more (the tickets were only $20 apiece) for the "investigator's tour."

Now, knowing that my biological brother is coming in Thanksgiving, would I drag him on it?  Oh, yes, most definitely - Greg likes that sort of thing and he is always up for some paranormal happenings (well, he does live in New Jersey, after all).  As for adopted baby brother coming this winter - naw, John isn't a believer and would probably get us kicked off, making somewhat snide remarks as he did in the Whaley House in San Diego (Docent:  "I've seen spirits here."  John:  "After how many margaritas?").

And as for you, gentle reader?  Aw, go for it - always keep an open mind and enjoy the history of a beautiful old downtown, in Knoxville.  Also cool - meeting spot in the Market Square offer you great opportunities for a fine meal before the tour!  Plus, during the summer - free Shakespeare plays!  Culture, dining, spooking - all in one evening!

Phellow Photogs:  a pain to shoot - go with a high ISO, and all the accompanying noise, or use flash?  I didn't wnat to drag around a flash unit, so I used my on-camera flash.  I have captured "things" before using both methods; the only advantage to non-flash shooting is the ability to take multiple shots without having to wait for a flash unit to recycle.  And, of course, I do it in RAW, baby!

Here's Your Second Commandment Violation

On Tuesday morning, Arif Mubashir called his teenage daughters to his room and shot them while the rest of the family, including their mother, watched. His wife Musarrat called the police after the incident. 

Mubashir shot the girls after their brother said two of them were in a relationship. He told police officials that he had killed his daughters because they were both “without honour”. The man said his daughters Sameena, 14, and Razia, 16, were in a relationship with college boys from the neighbourhood and the sisters had helped each other. “I should have been told immediately but the girls sided with each other. They were both corrupt,” Mubashir told Tandlianwala Police Inspector Javed Sial.

Oh, to be clear - he didn't just shoot the two.  He shot all six of his daughters.

See, some people . . . oh, let's be honest, some Catholics . . . get upset with me because I drop the occasional "fuck", "shit", "ass", and whatnot when I am writing about things that get me upset, and frankly what I think other people should get upset about, if only for a bit.  More than once in the past, I have been accused of violating the second commandment.

You shall not take the name of the LORD, your God, in vain. For the LORD will not leave unpunished him who takes his name in vain.   Exodus 20:7

Sometimes I see things that get me so mad, I even revert back to Bronx days and deliver a solid, "Jesus Christ!"

Well, I'm sorry - as I have said to people before, it's my blog and you do not have to click on it and read any of it.  But I wish to make it clear - I do not consider popular profanity to be a violation of the second commandment.  Sure, my language may be crass or coarse, and to some ears that is offensive, but I don't consider it sinful.

But . . . wantonly killing your own children for the sake of "honour" as determined by shari'a, the law of your god, Allah?

Hmmmm . . . yeah, I think that pretty much violates the second commandment.  When you have things like that happening in the year 2011, and organizations like NOW are too busy demonizing Sarah Palin to take notice, speak up, or do anything . . . yeah, I'd say things are pretty fucked.

And those bishops and cardinalswho hid child molesters in the Church - there's a special place in Hell for you motherfuckers.

Have a nice day!

Day-o, DAY-O!

Harry Belafonte: Obama lacks "moral courage" and "vision."

Daylight come and me want to go home . . .

Greatest. Headline. Evuh.

Harry Potter dwarf spared jail over juggler's hat sex act.

And the accompanying picture is badass, too . . .

McNugget Holocaust

The Independent once stated, regarding the singer Morrissey, that "most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status he has reached in his lifetime."  Shame that . . .

British singer Morrissey is facing harsh criticism after comparing the recent terrorist attacks in Norway to the slaughter of animals for fast food at a concert in Warsaw, Poland on Sunday night.

"We all live in a murderous world, as the events in Norway have shown, with 97 dead," said the 52-year old former lead singer of The Smiths, before adding: "Though that is nothing compared to what happens in McDonald's and Kentucky Fried shit every day."

PETA in the past has likened the killing of animals for human consumption on par with the Holocaust and the death of 12 to 13 million people in the Nazi concentration camps.  Because in terms of morality, a chicken's life and Anne Frank's has equal value, to these dumbshits.

And for most of them, the unborn . . . just a "byproduct of consumption."

But maybe Morrissey has a point.  Because if he and my dog were both trapped in a burning house, and I could only save one of them, well, let's just say my Christianity would be put to a severe test.

Because You Can't Strangle Someone With a Cell Phone

The Guardian UK has a hilarious essay today about classic movies and how their plots have been made obsolete by technology.

What do you mean, I don't get Amex points?!

Before checking into the Bates Motel in a deserted California backwater, Janet Leigh consults Trip Advisor on her iPhone and reads: "Smelly, dirty, really creepy owner, constantly talks to a mother no one ever sees. Filthy shower, manager's office smells of stuffed birds, no Wi-Fi. Often travelling alone on business as a cutting-edge website designer, I foolishly checked into the Bates for a night with a gift voucher my ex gave me, and let me tell you, I spent 10 sleepless hours with the chest of drawers propped up against the door, sharpening my toenail clipper, terrified that the owner was going to come in and hack me to pieces with a butcher knife. Oh, another thing: No cable." So Leigh doesn't check into the hotel, there is no horrific shower scene, and Psycho does not become a classic.

I Love Commercials That Make Me Cry

And here is one of those.

From Thailand.

(Thanks to IOwnTheWorld.com for this treat)

And Speaking of The Crescat . . .

. . . that "must read" Cathoblog . . . . I stole this from her.

Mark 16, Baby!

And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

         -- Matthew 16:17-18

The  Crescat has suggested she and I visit a snake handling church while she is in my neck of the woods next month.
I mentioned this to the DigiHusband.  He simply replied, "Of course you're going," and settled down to watch some television.  He'll watch the kids.

There is one listed at less than 50 miles from here - shoot, I'll go scout the location.  Damn it, I hope they got weekend services . . .
I'm charging my camera batteries now . . .

Sylvan

Sylvan, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

Another HDR picture of my back woods. See me in a few months - I'll take the same picture when the fall color comes in.

Bat Shit Crazy: Cynthia McKinney

Okay, first, she's at a peace conference . . . in Iran.  Which is so well known for its efforts towards justice and peace.

Second, she's talking to the Iranian, how the United States is the most violent in the world and whose government basically assassinated anyone who spoke a word against the United States.  All of them!  JFK, Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Jr. - all were assassinated by government agents.

Which begs the question . . . is she delusional or just not important enough.?  Because Cynthia there, she's still drawing breath and has yet to achieve room temperature. 

Wonder If There is a Special Place in Hell for L. Ron Hubbard?

Listen to this soliloquy from the great-grandson of L. Ron Hubbard.

Here is my wish: the total and complete destruction of Scientology.  It is more than a cult - it is a criminal organization and its leaders are dangerous thugs.

BTW, I learned recently that defectors from Scientology are called "squirrels" and that there are "squirrel busters" - loyal sheep of L. Ron - who make it their lives' missions to harass people who see the truth and leave Scientology.  Now, I like squirrels, so I'll consider the vermin to be the Scientologists.

Smoky View Meadow

Smoky View Meadow, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

This morning I needed some stress relief, so I processed this HDR shot of my back meadow. Playing with pixels and sorting them out in Photoshop helps to sort the ones in my head.

Why It Can Be Easy to Hate Plaintiff Attorneys

Toxicology reports released days after the July 26, 2009, collision determined Diane Schuler of Long Island, N.Y., was drunk and high when she crashed her minivan into an SUV occupied by three men. 

But her husband, Daniel Schuler, contends it was the state's "negligence, carelessness and recklessness" in its design and maintenance of the highway that "solely" caused fatal injuries to his daughter, Erin, 2. 

Schuler claims that the state "negligently allowed" unsafe conditions; "failed to properly mark and/or delineate the appropriate lanes"; and failed to put up proper warning signs such as flashing arrows, barriers and cones. The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages for financial and emotional hardship, noting Bryan Schuler is disabled after the crash.

I remember this accident and how horrific it was.  The surviving child reported that the children knew something was wrong with Diane Schuler and were screaming at her to stop driving before the crash occurred.  He reported that they "knew" she was drunk.

But the asshole can't stop there . . .

The New York Post reported Tuesday that Daniel Schuler also filed a separate lawsuit last week in state Supreme Court against Warren Hance, whose daughters Emma, 8, Alyson, 7, and Kate, 5, were killed. That case argues that because Hance owned the minivan that Diane Schuler was driving, he is in part liable, according to the Post.

Warren Hance is his brother-in-law.

There is a special place in Hell for Daniel Schuler and his attorney . . .  Counsel - "solely?"  Really?  Fuck you.

It Just Occurred to Me . . .

Regarding my post below re: Steven Hopp's restaurant - it is actually people in the inner city that do not have access to fresh and/or organic produce.

So why not have the retaurant there?  Unless, Hopp doesn't think that is as nice a place to live for him and his family, or to have a business.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Can't Tell Charlie He Is a Locavore

My neighbor, Charlie McDaniel, has a heart as big as his girth, which in itself is pretty sizeable.  I love him to death, both for the help he has shown to a family just moved in, as well as his folksy nature.

This past weekend, part of our dinner menu featured "Ambrosia" corn, which is similar to the "Peaches and Cream" that I ate from upstate New York as a child.  I did not buy it from the local farmers market, featuring a number of certified organic growers.  No, Chalie dumped a bunch by my side door, straight from his garden.  I shucked it, cleaned out the itty-bitty bugs that come from just-picked produce, and it was delicious.

Some people don't share that luck, I reckon.

But in the heart of Appalachia, where there isn’t a critical mass of suppliers or customers for whom the term “locavore” rolls naturally off the tongue, the restaurant remains something of a curiosity. Mr. Hopp is, once again, a pioneer. The 50-seat Harvest Table has not yet turned a profit. Over the past several years, it has struggled to build a fan base among the area’s predominantly blue-collar residents for whom the average annual income is $15,750, and many of whom view local and organic food as out of reach.

Well, no, it's not out of reach . . . it's out back, behind the house.  The New York Times reports in an article entitled "Local Food Has Been No Easy Sell," that restauranteur Steven Hopp just can't get the locals into his fine-dining establishment.  His restaurant, Harvest Table, is located in Meadowview, VA, a small town along Interstate 81.  Roanoke, VA  is 126 miles away.  Greensboro, NC is 164 miles away.  Big city folks are just not going to travel that distance for a meal with any frequency.

But I don't like the tone set by the Times that it is the locals to blame for Mr. Hopp's failed experiment.

For many here, “farm fresh” food is not necessarily more appealing than the chain restaurants that are anathema to Mr. Hopp. “If you go over there and eat, you have to pay $20,” said Kay Thomas, 69, who has been farming in Meadowview with her husband for a half-century. “You can go to Pizza Hut and eat for $6. With the economy the way it is, you have to watch what you do.”       

It was no wonder that some residents were furious when in 2009, the County Board of Supervisors rejected a plan for a truck stop with a McDonald’s for Meadowview. Supporters of the proposal said it would have lured customers for local businesses off the highway, created jobs and provided a more affordable dining option than the Harvest Table.

The article portrays the locals are sort of culinary barbarians, and I can imagine some Manhattanite, reading this article, and sitting back, thinking, well, that's why they deserve heart disease, cigarette sin tax, unemployment, and Walmart . . .

But the reporter fails to consider that for many people in rural areas, a kitchen garden is a regular feature of the summer, and activities such as canning and preserving are more frrquently seen.  Why should someone who is making minimum wage go into Harvest Table for a salad when they have all the fixings back behind their home?  And furthermore, for that family treat, why not the Pizza Hut? 

I notice in my local Walmart - yes, Walmart, I can buy certified organic produce from California.  Or I can buy local Grainger county tomatoes and South Carolina peaches.  Which option is more "locavore?"  The organic items cost more and are shipped all the way from California.  Or, I receive the benefice of my neighbor, who has also left zucchini, summer squash, and cukes by my side door.

“Anything you can get into a little town like this is good,” Terry Hagy, who owns Hagy’s Garage and Wrecker Service in Meadowview, said of Mr. Hopp’s venture. “But we’ve got farmers and working people here. They don’t have time to sit and order a meal. They run in and grab a burger.”

Maybe the problem is that locals, being farmers themselves, just don't see the sense in buying what they themselves grow.

I don't think Steven Hopp is out to be some sort of culinary crusader, determined to drag the cro-magnon cooks into a new enlightened age.  But sometimes a business model does not work because of assumptions made; I don't see anything in the article that support the writer's opening presumption that locals view "local and organic food as out of reach."  The locavore movement has been in place for centuries in rural places . . . not out of reach, but just out back.

Knoxville in Top Ten

Actually, Tennessee has TWO cities that made Kiplinger's 10 Best Value Cities for 2011, with Nashville coming in at #3 and Knoxville at #5.

I suppose I should update my Blogger profile to reflect the fact that my family and I have moved from Santa Ana, Calif. to Knoxville, Tenn. (actually, we are living just outside the city limits in a town called Powell).

The back part of our property

Transitions are hard, but not impossible.  I still sorely miss the people whom I have left behind in California.  But with each day, the local becomes more familiar and I am reminded of what else remains in California, that I did not like.  Californians still say, "Ah, you miss the weather."  Yes, outhern California does have some of the best weather, by far.  But I have to ask, how much of it is appreciated from inside a vehicle as people commute upteen hours to jobs just to make ends meet.  By the way, I have rediscovered the sultriness of a summer's eve, taking it easy on the porch, as the lightning bugs entertain us.  Maybe it is my New York genes, but the dreaded humidity - so feared by Californians, despite its anti-wildfire properties - has not been a problem.

What is interesting to note in Kiplinger's list is the fact that only one Western city - Colorado Springs - is listed.  The South and the Midwest dominate, due primarily to cost-of-living but also having unemployment rates less than the national average.  In that regard, California simply cannot compete.

I am hoping that I get visitors from California, if only to escape the congestion for awhile, but ideally certain people I would like to see move here.  That is not something that will happen suddenly, but to my friends back there - keep an open mind.  Don't let inertia make your life unsustainable.

Digital Roundup

Becuase some things are worth spending that much time on.

Rep. David Wu resigns amid scandal - well, he got more action than Wiener did and wasted less newsprint over it.

Brown signs California DREAM Act - why would private funding need a piece of legislation to tell them how they can spend their money?

Harry Potter Posts Biggest 2nd Week Decline Ever for a Blockbuster - is it a sign the movie stinks or is it more a sign that audiences have limited attention sp . . . squirrel!

And finally . . .

Believe it or not, I saw this on Facebook this morning as a depiction of Jesus Christ.  Day-um, He's got Hisself some stylist!  That weave is awesome!

Why? Because I Can!

Both vile and stupid . . .
This wsa brought to my attention today by one of my prayer warrior friends, Alfonso Pedroza:

The Oklahoma City University School of Theatre plans to sponsor a terrible attack on the Mother of God, a play that depicts Our Lady as a lesbian, as a student-directed stage reading.

According to The New York Times, the playwright himself is a homosexual, and this is how he describes his play: “I wanted the Garden of Eden in Central Park, and Mary as a lesbian mother, which would certainly help me comprehend immaculate conception.”

That last quote was from the 1998, when the playwright was interviewed.  Reading that, I can see that he hsa no friggin' clue as to what is the Imaculate Conception, instead ignorantly believing it to be - along with most of the world and, sadly, many Catholics - "how Mary got pregnant."

Wow, OCU, you're so edgy doing this play.  And safe, you cowardly assholes.  Because anti-Catholicism is a bias that is acceptable to dispay blatantly and sometimes it seems the only religion attacked by those in the "artistic" community, be it plays like this or immersing a Crucifix into a jar of urine.  So, when will OCU do a play where the prophet Mohammed is depicted as a drag queen?  I am not suggesting they do, but even they know that would be racist . . . and likely dangerous.

Humanae Vitae: Told You So

And that brings us to yet another irony worth contemplating on this fortieth anniversary: what widespread rejection of Humanae Vitae has done to the character of American Catholicism.

As with the other ironies, it helps here to have a soft spot for absurdity. In their simultaneous desire to jettison the distasteful parts of Catholicism and keep the more palatable ones, American Catholics have done something novel and truly amusing: They have created a specific catalogue of complaints that resembles nothing so much as a Catholic version of the orphan with chutzpah.

Thus many Catholics complain about the dearth of priests, all the while ignoring their own responsibility for that outcome—the fact that few have children in numbers large enough to send one son to the priesthood while the others marry and carry on the family name. They mourn the closing of Catholic churches and schools—never mind that whole parishes, claiming the rights of individual conscience, have contracepted themselves out of existence. They point to the priest sex scandals as proof positive that chastity is too much to ask of people—completely ignoring that it was the randy absence of chastity that created the scandals in the first place.

An outstanding article.  Read it now!

Here Come the Brides (Or, Isn't It Bad Enough the Straight People Are Stupid)

I have found that on most occasions, the highlighted couple of the New York Times'" Sunday's "weddings and celebrations" are, in fact, self-aborbed narcissists by the article they write. Now, I am all about non-discrimination, so having skewered many a straight couple, I should only take the Grey Lady to task for publishing two of lesbiandom's biggest derps on the onset of New York now celebrating gay marriage:

Meet Julia and Alissa:


What is important to know about Julia is the self-imposed angst she had coming out. What this has to do with her wedding is anyone's guess, unless Julia wants us really to know her . . .

GROWING up in New Market, Md., Julia Wood realized she was attracted to girls in the fifth grade but hoped — even knelt down and prayed — that the attraction would go away.

Okay, really, fifth grade?  Why not start with birth?  The fact that Julia chooses to let us know what was going on some 15+ plus years before her finding happiness - without doing the same for Alissa - is, well, odd . . .

But we soldier on . . . unless, of course, she is still pissed at her faith for rejecting her homosexuality like that. But, since it is never revealed what faith that is, let's just assume Julia is taking a passive-aggressive stance to whatever it may be. Can't be Catholic as it is de riguer for the NYT to bash Catholics.

Ms. Wood had gone to divinity school partly to study the Bible for messages about homosexuality. She said she came to this conclusion: “God created me to be gay, and I needed to be proud of it, and I needed to say it.”

$50,000+ per year of your parents' money spent on tuition to find out that?!  I mean, tell me if I'm wrong, but the Bible is . . . one thing.  Do you really need a degree to find out what it says about homosexuality . . . only to find the answer in a platitude?!  Ask for your money back!

She sent a mass e-mail to her family and friends, then hid out in a friend’s room for days, terrified about how people would respond. “I would say about 80 percent of the people I e-mailed had a negative response,” said Ms. Wood, who is the sort of person you might find in a cafe deep in conversation about an obscure poem or art film. 

Okay, the NYT kills me here.  What has her "coming out" via mass email  got to do with the fact she is likely a habitue of cafes?!  The two do not make sense together.  People who go to cafes to engage in deep conversations about an obscure poem or film are likely to announce signaificant events in their life by spam?  Becuase nothing says I respect you mom/dad/sibling/relative/close friend by letting you know an intimate fact about me in a mass email.  I would have done the same when I finally popped my cherry, except email wasn't available then.  So I used a postcard and bulk mail.

So who did she meet?

Friends describe Ms. Ginsberg, now 28, as a perfectionist who can be hilarious and hapless. At work, all of her files are color-coded, and when she speaks, her sentences are crisp, grammatical and complete. “At one point in her life, she wanted to be a dental hygienist because she liked the idea of lining up all the instruments on those skinny drawers that dentists use,” said her mother, Erika Hoff.

"A perfectionist who can be hilarious and hapless."  In short, Monk.

She added: “When she asked me out, I was so excited. The Cubbyhole was the only gay bar I knew of in the city, so I mentioned it.” The Cubbyhole, in Greenwich Village, happened to be one of Ms. Wood’s favorite hangouts.     

Go figure.

Ms. Ginsberg, always punctual, arrived first, wearing a dress. She and Ms. Wood, who wore khakis, talked mainly about their shared passion for providing a good education to disadvantaged children.

Honestly, is the sartorial aspect important to this story?  I recall wearing a shirt with a Loony Tunes character when I first met my future husband on our first date.  Of course, I remember that because an adult woman with Downs Syndrome, whilst we were deep in meaningful conversation, came up and starting yelling, "Thass Bugs Bunny!!  BUGS BUNNY!!!" and pointing to me.  At that point, Mark realized my magnetism.

But okay, so now we know what each one wore on her  first date.  Not that it's important when talking about two lesbians unless we are being given a precursor to who's the top . . .

Oh, and Alissa is always on time.

You call it punctual.  I call it OCD . . .

Their relationship became serious quickly, partly because they balance each other so well. Ms. Ginsberg doesn’t mind heights, waiting in lines, vacuuming or killing mice; Ms. Wood hates those things. Ms. Ginsberg lives in the moment; Ms. Wood has her eye on 20 years from now. 

Opinions on vermin control are always important in a relationship.  Especially if you're going to live in a shithole apartment in NYC.  Really, their relationship became serious over their stance on rodent genocide?!

“Alissa is generally joyous and helps me take a break from being serious,” Ms. Wood said. “She makes monkey faces, tells me bad jokes, uses voices and is just really fun and excited most of the time.” 

She makes monkey faces and uses voices . . . sweetie, she's schizophrenic. The bad jokes, on the other hand, are just annoying. I'm sorry, but these are grown women, yes?

Wait, are they really meant for one another?  Do they really have shared values?!

“We cook together,” Ms. Ginsberg said. “I walk the dog in the morning, she walks the dog in the afternoon. We both like a lot of bookshelves.”

Bookshelves.  It's settled then - run to the altar, you crazy kids!  And meanwhile, the dog is thinking,

winning!  Two walks a day!

At this wedding, about 60 guests watched as the brides walked together down the long aisle — Ms. Ginsberg in a wedding gown, Ms. Wood in a pantsuit.      

Evidently, a pantsuit is a must when lesbians marry. But you knew that was coming after the need to let people know what they wore on the first date. Even Julia knew, khakis are simply too casual for a wedding. Thank God.

During their procession, Ms. Wood’s father, Nicholas Wood, played Pachelbel’s “Canon in D Major” on the organ. In her vows, Ms. Wood promised to “kill the bugs, do the laundry and be patient” and Ms. Ginsberg vowed to “apologize when I’m wrong and even sometimes when I’m right.”

And if it doesn't work out . . . there's Terminix.

Felicidades, you guys!

Photowalking in Knoxville

I think the website Meetup.com is a fabulous means of people with like interests to find one another and meet face-to-face, rather than siply make comments to one another in online forums.

It is especially good if you are like me and a recent transplant in a new location.  I joined the Meetup for the Knoxville Area Photographers Group and last night I joined with them for a photowalk called "People and Pets."  The idea wsa to photograph only "people and pets" in downtown Knoxville - Market Square, Old City, Gay Street, and Dog Park.

Here are a few of my shots - more can be seen on my Flickr account.

A DigiPSA: Buy a Filter

Always, always put a simple UV filter on your lens.  Because accidents do happen.  My 70-200mm was in its padded case and fell out of the bag.  When I opened the case later, I found the filter completely shattered from the fall . . . but the lens was fine.  That lens cost me $1000, whereas the filter cost me $35 - cheap insurance.

Extended Adolescence

Dear Brooklyn,

Sorry, but we're not taking the fuckers back.  Ever.

Get some Lysol - we hear it does wonders for the smell from clove cigarettes.

Sincerely,

Wisconsin

What Do We Want! WOMEN PRIESTS! When Do Want Them? NOW! . . . oh, stfu already . . .

Why do I never see the New York Times call for conservative Muslims to allow women to become imams?

Church experts said it was surprising that 157 priests would sign a statement in support of the American priest, the Rev. Roy Bourgeois, because he did much more than speak out: he gave the homily and blessed a woman in an illicit ordination ceremony conducted by the group, Roman Catholic Womenpriests. That group claims to have ordained 120 female priests and five bishops worldwide. The Vatican does not recognize the ordinations and has declared the women automatically excommunicated.

       

That mean, ol' Catholic Church, not allowing those women womyn (preferred spelling by the Polyester Pantsuit Prioress set)to become priests! 

Okay, STFU . . . if Sistuh wants to be Fathuh, the Episcopal church is down the block.

I am not going to get into the Church's explanation for why the priesthood is open to men only.  For shits and grins, let's just say, because it is.  Okay, the last time I looked, membership and participation in the Catholic Church is voluntary.  You don't have to show up on Sunday if you do not like the tenets of faith and you know what?  The Catholic Church does not nhave to bend its rule to meet what you want . . .

Why is bashing the Catholic Church such a fun pasttime at the New York Slimes?  So some priests decide to pull a Corapi (I want what I want when I want it, neener, neener) and they want to report it as if it armed insurrection at the Vatican.  Hardly.  Please keep in mind that the Catholic Church has some 1 billion + adherents, with new ones joining every Easter, voluntarioly and knowingly.  Go figure.

At my old parish, a nun who used to be there once told me that if ordination was open to women, she'd want to be ordained.  I always found her nature to be rather bossy and pushy, but I refrained from telling her it would be unlikely I'd ever step into a Confessional with her.  Of course, this was the same person who also said back in 2005, before the election, that she did not want to see "that Nazi" Ratzinger become Pope.  So much for respect to the Magisterium.

RIP, Amy Winehouse

Not the most surprising news, I'm afraid.

My late mother really liked her song, "Rehab."  I'm sure she has gone up to Amy by now, to take her hand, and ask, "What happened, sweetheart, did it just get too much for you?  Here, sit down, you're fine, now . . ."

To those who succumbed to their demons, extra prayers . . .

Brave New World (So Why Am I Hiding Under the Bed?)

Scientists have created more than 150 human-animal hybrid embryos in British laboratories. 

The hybrids have been produced secretively over the past three years by researchers looking into possible cures for a wide range of diseases. 

The revelation comes just a day after a committee of scientists warned of a nightmare ‘Planet of the Apes’ scenario in which work on human-animal creations goes too far.

What is the Law?

No spill blood!!!

I prefer to read my science fiction, not live it.

Contessa Pwnd

I saw this video a couple of days ago and thought, my God, did that twunt really just ask him if he had a degree in Economics?  That is a classic debate move by stupid people - oh yeah, well, are you a certfied [fill in the blank], or, do you have a degree in [fill in the blank]?  Of course, usually they don't either, but to them that is irrelevant.

As my late mother, the Great Dorothy Martin, would say:  dumb broad. 

And snippy, too.

Better Slums and Gardens

Kudos to the brilliant Photoshoppers over at the blog IOwnTheWorld for this picture.  They are my heroes.

This comes with the news, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, that the Obama administration is "examining ways" to get rid of foreclosures by renting them to . . . well, I guess the same sort of people who foreclosed on them in the first place.

And why? "[B]ecause rents are rising even as home prices in many hard-hit markets continue to fall due to high foreclosure levels."

So Obama is thinking it would "help stabilize the housing market" if the taxpayers government (a) bought foreclosed homes, (b) invested the taxpayers' moneyto fix them up - ask my friends who flip houses how easy that is - and (c) rent them below market or with a subsidy to the type of welfare recipients people who couldn't afford to care for them to begin with.

Brilliant idea, just as was Cash for Clunkers.

Will C-A-S-H, Baby! Remove the Stench of Papsim?

I hope the deal gets made.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange said Friday it has made a $50-million offer to buy the bankrupt Crystal Cathedral.

I was discussing this scenario the other day with a priest friend who suggested that the Schullers would be reluctant to take any offer from the Diocese because it would man their House of God falling into the hands of mackeral-snapping Cat'lics.

Maybe . . . but we are talking about la familia Schuller, who always kept a closer eye, I suspect, on the coffers than the glory.  Certainly, the bankruptcy has been intersting - I would still like to know how Gretchen Schuller Penner bought a foreclosure in Floral Park for $949,000 (realtors talk, sweetie) with a large down payment when it seems she and her husband were earning annual salaries of less than $200,000 from the Crystal Cathedral (leading wags in the old nabe to call the house the "Crystal Meth Palace" because of its past criminal history).

Orange Bishop Tod Brown has said the diocese needs a worship space for the more than 1.2 million parishioners in the area and the 3,000-seat cathedral is a less expensive alternative to building a new cathedral. The diocese has considered a project in Santa Ana that would cost at least $100 million.

And what His Grace does not say is that there is a teeny problem with the new cathedral . . . no one wants to fork over the money for it.  Tod Brown has a personality problem - he hasn't any personality - and the Big Money Catholics in Orange County do not want to help him build a cathedral, that he wants to do before he retires.  And in November of this year, he turns 75 and has to tender his resignation.

So what happened to My Father's House, the church in Norco?  They too offered $50 million.  Or, at least, that's what they said.  I am thinking that they were using it more for publicity and leverage to dupe their followers into more "King's seed offerings", because if it were a serious offer, the Diocese likely would have seen that bid and raised in this card game.

And it's a sweetheart deal for Schuller:

Alan H. Martin, a bankruptcy attorney representing the diocese, said the diocese will pay $50 million in cash within 30 days of the bankruptcy court's approval of the reorganization plan. But first, the plan has to be approved by the Crystal Cathedral Ministries Board and the Creditors Committee. 

The offer from the diocese calls for an immediate deposit of $250,000 and a secondary payment of $750,000. Martin said the diocese is willing to help Crystal Cathedral Ministries phase out its operations by offering a three-year leaseback plan for some of the buildings on campus including the four-story Family Life Center on Chapman Avenue.

Say yes and the money comes in 30 days . . . all of it.  When I would negotiate settlement deals for clients going through divorces, cash talked.  If your spouse was willing to buy you out of a family house, which would you take:  50% of net profit after the house is sold - meaning no money until it is sold - or perhaps less than 50% for cash now?  Uh-huh, I thought so.

Hey, hey - ain't no shame in buying a used cathedral.  In fact, I can see the Diocese spinning the "green" aspects of the deal - reuse, recycle.  And . . . Tod gets his cathedral, and the Diocese gets a landmark.

I wonder what the gift shop will be like?

Waiting for More Facts

Interesting . . .

Anders Behring Breivik, the 32-year-old suspect in Friday's attacks in Norway, held right-wing views, say police.

Police chief Sveinung Sponheim said his internet postings "suggest that he has some political traits directed toward the right, and anti-Muslim views".

Yes, that seems to be bigger news than the tragedy itself in Norway - see, multiculturalism works, it wasn't a Muslim, but a right-wing conservative Christian, so no one panic here, just keep moving along, nothing to see . . .

And yet:

Little is currently known about him apart from what has appeared on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter - and these entries appear to have been set up just days ago.

On the Facebook page attributed to him, he describes himself as a Christian and a conservative. The Facebook page is no longer available but it also listed interests such as body-building and freemasonry.

Continue praying for Norway.

The Proud, the Few, the Constipated . . .

Who green-lit this piece of dreck?  I adore the Corps but . . . he looks like he's dropping a load.

If you're not sure whether a bear shits in the woods, evidently a devil dog does.

Pray for Norway

Following . . . blast in downtown . . . children's camp under attack . . .

Updated: 

From the youth camp on Utoya Island -

The shooting was happening in all different directions.
I was hiding under my bed. It was terrifying. At one point the shooting was very close and I could hear the bullets hitting our building.
The people in the next room started screaming a lot. It worried me. There are a lot of people I don’t know about.

Best online coverage coming from UK Telegraph.  Also UK Guardian.

Group claiming responsibility is "Helpers of Global Jihad."  If you feel compelled to post a "let's not rush to judgment" comment, please don't, because you're one of the idiots who asked the same question when Major Hasan cried "Allahu akbar!" and opened fire in Ft. Hood.

Eyewitness now reporting 20 - 30 bodies lying on beach on Utoya Island. 

Rising Fog

Rising Fog, originally uploaded by Stephanie A. Richer.

July 22, 2011 in Powell, Tennessee.

When I woke this morning, I saw the fog rising off our back woods and grabbed three exposures, hand held, to turn into an HDR image, which I processed with some desaturation and selective color added back in.

Remember These Faces: Victims of Honor Killings

Martyrs for their gender.

Help Catholic Charities of East Tennessee Win a Toyota!

Where's that religious who was yelling at me in comments because of my language?  C'mon, Sister, step up - this is a big fucking deal!

Toyota is giving away 100 cars, and Catholic Charities of East Tennessee is a finalist for one. The non-profit just needs a little bit of gas from the public.As part of its "100 Cars for Good" program, Toyota is giving away 100 cars over 100 days to organizations that could use a new set of wheels. And the public gets to decide who get the new ride each day. 

The nonprofit, which provides housing, meals, counseling and education to the area's seniors, would use the vehicle to replace the 1992 Toyota Corolla it uses for its Interfaith Senior Services program, which transports clients to medical appointments and other essential errands when they can no longer drive.

Voting day is August 14th, right before the Feast of the Assumption.  Make Our Blessed Mother happy and go to Catholic Charities' website to sign up for a reminder email that will be sent to you next month. 

Terminator Seeks to Terminate Spousal Support

*sigh*

I really love how the media can spin something and make it a headline story.

The actor and former California governor is trying to get out of paying spousal support to his soon-to-be ex-wife, Maria Shriver, according to court papers obtained by TheWrap Thursday. 

In a court filing, Robert Kaufman, an attorney for the "True Lies" star, asked a judge to suspend court-ordered payments to Shriver.

Now, as a soon-to-be former California family attorney (just waiting for some cases to clear so I can go on inactive status), I read this and thought, "Wow, have they gone to court already?"  I was thrown off by the language that Kaufman asked a judge "to suspend court-ordered payments to Shriver."  In my lexicon o' lawyers, that means she went to court for temprary orders for spousal support, got it, and now Ahnold is filing his own motion to stop them.

Terminator . . . Skeletor . . . fight!!!

And I was wrong.  Let me explain this headline and tell you why it's a *yawn*.

To start a divorce - actually, the proper term is dissolution of marriage - Maria filed a Petition.  Think of a Petition as a Christmas wish list:  it tells the court what issues are before the Court, i.e., whether there are minor children, or separate property, etc., and it tells the Court what the Petitioner hopes to get from the disso (be like the cool attorney kids and use the shorthand term "disso").  Maria checked a box - that's all - that says she ants the Court to order spousal support to her.  That's it.  Not how much, just that she wants it.

The other spouse - now called the Respondent because he is responding to the Petition - files his Response and Request for Dissolution of Marriage.  The Response and the Petition are virtually identical.  In his, Arnold checked a box - no mas - saying he wants the Court to terminate (yup, actual term, no pun intended) the Court's jurisdiction to award Maria spousal support.

So the Petition and the Response only serve to tell the Court what each party wants.  And, as my late father, the Great Frank Martin, was fond of saying, "People in Hell want ice water but they're not getting any."

There are no orders yet (okay, some smart ass attorney will say, but Steph, technically the ATROs are in effect, to which I say, shut up, I'm talking about the ones with a judge's signature and ATROs have nothing to do with spousal support) and no future hearings scheduled.  If you want to know how I know this, you too can follow the case on the court website:  go here and type in case number BD547043 at the bottom of the page. 

Bishop of Knoxville re: William Casey

From my church's bulletin for this week:

Bishop Richard F. Stika has asked that the following statement in regard to the conviction of William Casey be shared with the faithful of the Diocese of Knoxville regarding Bill Casey. On July 14, a guilty verdict was handed down in Sullivan County Criminal Court in Blountville on charges of one count of first-degree sexual misconduct and two counts of aggravated rape.

From the first day that Warren Tucker brought this horrible crime to our attention, the Diocese of Knoxville has supported his efforts to seek justice. We are brokenhearted at the pain and tragedy Mr. Tucker has experienced over the past years, and we sincerely hope that today’s verdict will bring some healing to him.

On April 14, 2010, Mr. Tucker came to the diocese to tell diocesan officials that during the 1970s he had been sexually abused by Mr. Casey, who at that time was serving as a priest of the Diocese of Nashville in East Tennessee.

We immediately began an investigation into the allegations and notified the district attorney offices and law enforcement officials in Greene and Sullivan Counties, in keeping with diocesan policy on sexual misconduct.

I met with Mr. Casey that afternoon, and he admitted there was credibility to these accusations. At that time I issued a "suspension decree" to Mr. Casey. This permanently suspended him from priestly ministry, permanently removed his priestly faculties, and decreed that he could not present himself as a priest—for example, he could not use the clerical title "Father," wear clerical garb, or act in any priestly capacity.

The following morning I held a press conference to publicly apologize to Mr. Tucker and to invite any other possible victims to come forward. I then sent a letter to all parishes that week to be read at all weekend Masses to explain to the faithful about the tragedy that had occurred to Mr. Tucker and to ask for their prayers and assistance in reaching out to anyone who may have been hurt.

In the weeks following, the diocese held four healing sessions in the areas of the diocese where Mr. Casey had served in order to reach out to any other potential victims and to help all those who were hurting to begin the healing process.

As members of the faithful who support our Diocese in so many ways, I think it is important that you know that the Diocese of Knoxville has no financial responsibility for any claims related to this tragedy since these events occurred over 30 years ago when East Tennessee was part of the Diocese of Nashville. In addition, I want to make it clear that Mr. Casey has been responsible for the cost of his own defense. Furthermore, the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith (CDF) in Rome is aware of Mr. Casey’s offenses and I am observing the CDF’s process for Mr. Casey’s dismissal from the clerical state (also known as laicization).

As followers of Jesus Christ, we are called to pray for all and to love all. It is times like these that challenge us to remain faithful to God who has called each of us to serve Him. I encourage you to join me in praying for all of the priests and faithful of our diocese and I ask each of you to continue to pray for Mr. Tucker and all victims of sexual abuse. In particular, I ask you to pray for God’s healing, his comfort, and his peace as we endeavor to live out our vocations in charity and truth.

Sincerely in Christ,

Most Rev. Richard F. Stika

Bishop of Knoxville