Dew

Dew soaked spiders web
Originally uploaded by MimaD

Tsu yu no yo wa
tsu yu no nagara
sari nagara

This world of dew
is a world of dew,
and yet, and yet.

Issa

Segregation

Segregation
Originally uploaded by TechnoMeister

Thought it was a relic from the 50's, eh? Guess again my friend. Here is a repulsively current example from Alternet:Rights and Liberties.

Here's a charming summer story out of Philadelphia: A private swim club kicked out some 60 summer camp kids out of their pool on the grounds that they were Black.

NBC reports: "The Creative Steps Day Camp paid more than $1900 to The Valley Swim Club. The Valley Swim Club is a private club that advertises open membership. But the campers' first visit to the pool suggested otherwise."



"When the minority children got in the pool all of the Caucasian children immediately exited the pool," Horace Gibson, parent of a day camp child, wrote in an email. "The pool attendants came and told the black children that they did not allow minorities in the club and needed the children to leave immediately."

One camper named Dymire Baylor told NBC: "I heard this lady, she was like, 'Uh, what are all these black kids doing here?' She's like, 'I'm scared they might do something to my child.'"


The most incredible part? The Valley Swim Club's defense: "There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club," John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement.

As if it needs saying, it is dumbfounding that in the Obama era such blatant bigotry continues to persist in this country. Sobering, outrageous, and sad.

Thanks for reading,

Liliana Segura,

Editor, Rights & Liberties Special Coverage

Palin's Intimidation

Patience
Originally uploaded by federico.bebber

The soon to be former governor of Alask is blowing hot. She is really pissed that, in light of garbled resignation address and tissue thin reasons for abandoning her post half way through the first term, people have the audacity to speculate that there are darker motives than simply that people are picking on her. Her lawyer has issued a statement threatening lawsuits agains a blogger and the NY Times and The Washington post for even suggesting that there are rumors! This is a person who claims to stand for the Constitution. This is a person who called a candidte for president, 'someone who pals around with terrorists'. This is a pathetic and deluded creature who can dish but not take and who believes in the right to bear arms, but not freedom of speech.
Someone needs to remind Sarah that she isn't REALLY a barracuda.

God Grinds Her Teeth Every Fourth of July

Fantasy Fest 2007 Patriot
Originally uploaded by HotMoviesTheBlog

Saturday, we celebrate Independence Day, the 4th of July. We do this with parades, picnics, shooting off millions of dollars worth of fireworks and fly lots of flags(or maybe paint them on). In thousands of churches across our fair land, sermons will be preached extolling the foundation of a Christian nation, the nobility of the "Founding Fathers" and their commitment to freedom and Christian beliefs. The more fundamental the church, the more prominent the flag in front and the louder the bleating about freedom, 'Christian nation' etc.
Don't get me wrong. Living in the USA is lots better than living in North Korea, The Congo and many other places, as near as I can tell.
But I do object to the sermons. Even the more moderate sermons that extol the revolution are full of shit for one important reason, and here it is:

Obey the king's command, I say, because you took an oath before God. 3 Do not be in a hurry to leave the king's presence. Do not stand up for a bad cause, for he will do whatever he pleases. 4 Since a king's word is supreme, who can say to him, "What are you doing?" Ecclesiastes 8

And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's Mark 12

Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, Titus:3

And the coup de grace, the word of Paul, which fundamentalists pay far more attention to then the reputed words of Jesus.

3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.Romans 13

There you have it boys and girls, moms and dads, ladies and gents, the very WORD OF GOD, according to the fundies, "God-Breathed" and in -freakin' -fallible! But do they acknowledge these passages on the 4th of July? You can bet your leather bound, words- of -Jesus- in- red, King James study Bible that they do not. And why not? Because it contradicts all their blather about Christian nation, founded on the Bible, horse muck.

Notice, please, these are not some ambiguous proof texts taken from one book of the Hebrew Bible such as they dredge up to condemn abortion. These are references from both the titular head of the church, Jesus, and the fundamentalist's true source of instruction(when it suits them) , the Apostle Paul. Plus, I cited a tiny selection representative of a huge number of teachings saying this same thing throughout the Hebrew and Christian writings, namely, be obedient to the king, the rulers, the magistrates, the authorities, etc.
Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, et al, flat out went against the so-called word of god at the cost of millions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives, causing death and destruction to those who were obedient to the "word of god" , those who remained loyal to the king.
If these hypocritical, blowhard bible-thumpers were really "Bible believing" they would preach the truly relevant texts on the 4th of July and either condemn the rebellion as sinful, or call for a return to obedience to Britain and the Crown. After all, they have no problem calling for overturning laws giving women reproductive rights and LGBT folk the rights to equality in marriage. They are proud to call themselves conservative and claim obedience to the teachings of the Book. Why not in this matter?

Stealing People's Futures

Greed
Originally uploaded by eggstudio

At first I was very pleased to hear that Bernie Madoff received a 150 year sentence. For the crimes he committed, essentially stealing the future of thousands of people, this is most appropriate for him to serve the rest of his life in prison contemplating greed and what he has done. Then I thought, hell, he doesn't have to worry about having a roof over his head or where his next meal is coming from. Basically he is getting three hots and a cot for the rest of his life in a minimum security prison. I have spent time visiting and counseling in a minimum security federal prison and it was NOT a country club, but it sure wasn't like hard time. It won't be a lotta fun, he'll be bored and the lifestyle will be a touch more austere than his accustomed opulence, but he has security! And that is exactly what he stole from worthwhile non-profits, elderly retirees and so many others. I was thinking, a better lesson for him might be to toss him out and let him live out his life broke and homeless. He should know what its like to have to stand in line for a bed or a meal at a homeless shelter,or to have to worry that winter is coming and he has to figure out how to put on enough socks and coats to sleep on the street without freezing to death. Ah, but he would be free, and he is slick. He has favors to call in from somewhere, he has family. There is no way for him to really feel what he has actually stolen from so many. May his future be one of reflection and remorse.

Guns, God, Grub and Grog

NeoNazi_02
Originally uploaded by Chad Johnson

I am not anti-guns. People have the right to own them, hunt with them, protect their homes with them(even though, statistically that doesn't work out so well) collect, target shoot and masturbate with them. Whatever. But I am pro-common sense, something the morons who run Tennessee seem to be damn short on. The legislature in Tennessee managed to come together in the noble cause of overriding the governor's veto and made it legal to carry guns, concealed I presume, in restaurants AND saloons in the Volunteer state. They just "volunteered" the opportunity for people, such as the charming Nazi pictured in the photo, to carry their weapon into a bar, get sloshed and take deadly action against any slight, real or imagined.
Recently, the president signed legislation allowing guns in National Parks! Have you ever been out in the country during deer season? If not, don't go. If you must, wear LOTS of orange. Boys and their toys outdoors are a fucking menace to unwary bystanders. Now, to avoid slighting the responsible hunters out there, most deer are ambushed while the hunter hides up in a tree-pretty sporting, eh? But at least those people are shooting down, and even if they miss they won't plug some poor slob half a mile away working in his garden. But some fool with a semi-automatic assault rifle who decides to target practice in Yellowstone? Bad plan. Or, Joe Nazi featured above and his pals can now go to our national parks for some military maneuvers. What a comfort. Pity the poor park rangers.
Then there is good ol' boy, Pastor Ken Pagano of Louisville, Kaintuck.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/26/us/26guns.html?th&emc=th
He is in the news for promoting a carry your gun to church day, comin' right up this Saturday night to, “celebrate our rights as Americans!” as a promotional flier for the “open carry celebration” puts it. This celebration will include a raffle for a gun and a picnic. Guns, God and grub-does it get any better?-HOOO-DOAGIES! These are Assembly of God folk, Pentecostals who believe they speak in unknown tongues bringing messages straight from JEEE-hovah while they wriggle about in religious ecstacy. Who knows what smiting the Lord might require of those worthies? I think I'll skip that celebration and avoid the bars and liquor serving restaurants in Tennesee, thank you very much.

Got Any Spare Change?

Any one who walks in big cities has been asked this question by grizzled alcoholics, homeless wanderers, would-be hippies and other urban shnorrers. In the parable of the widow's mite from Mark 12 and Luke 20 Jesus compares what the rich folks give to the Temple offering to what we would call,"spare change". They didn't need it to live on, to buy food or pay rent or buy a pack of smokes. The widow is praised for giving two small copper coins, one to fulfill her obligation and one out of love or devotion to her faith. He says she gave everything.

When Barrack Obama promised us, "Change we can believe in", it didn't sound as if he was talking about 'spare change'. He wasn't promising change that would be easy or politically profitable-at least that was what it sounded like to me and millions of others. Oh, I know he's a politician, and inflated rhetoric is their stock and trade, and he is only human so you expect some pragmatism as well. But when the man goes back on a specific promise to work to rectify injustice to an oppressed group, he is offering them spare change, change that won't cost him any political capital.

In his campaign, Obama promised to work to overturn the odious Defense of Marriage Act that allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages performed in states where they are legal. This legal bigotry also denies federal benefits such as survivor's Social Security benefits to same-sex partners. In spite of his promise, the DOJ filed a brief in a California lawsuit challenging this unjust law supporting the Defense of Marriage Act as reasonable.
At this point witth Obama fighting for HealthCare reform and struggling against a vicious Right-wing campaign, it may be politically expedient to take this route rather than further alienate social conservatives. But than he is offering only spare change to the millions of LGBT folks who campaigned for him, voted for him, and believed in his promis of change. Not even spare change- he has given them chump change.

See http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/opinion/16tue1.html?th&emc=th