Good News (and Bad News)

Focus on Fascism the Family, on of the most intolerant voices of the religious right, has retired (from the AP):

The Associated Press has learned that James Dobson has resigned as chairman of the conservative Christian group Focus on the Family (make that Focus on Fascism).

Jim Daly, president and chief executive officer of the Colorado Springs, Colo.-based ministry, said Friday that Dobson will continue to host the organization’s flagship radio program and speak out on moral issues (Damn.  We will keep hearing from him and his misogynistic, racist, homophobic, hyper-right-wing ‘morality’).

The departure of the 72-year-old Dobson as board chairman is part of a succession plan. He founded the group in 1977 (which, coincidentally, is about when the religious right decided America should be a theocracy).

Dobson began relinquishing control of the group six years ago by stepping down as president and CEO (and stepping up his rabid rantings).

The good news?  We might hear less of Dobson’s religious right brand of intolerance — at least at the political level;  the radio idiocy will continue.  The bad news?  Those hoping to take his place as the voice of the Christian radicals are trying to out-conservative and out-intolerant each other.

450 Miles in a Minivan

(((Wife))) and I just returned from a 450-mile trip, in the rain, on I-80.  Round trip.  And we came back with my (((Son))), his fish (the snail (named ‘Raoul’ (no, I have no idea why)) did not survive), and all of his clothing (dirty).  I did see a few things which struck me as amusing:

You Can’t Make This Shit Up XII

I’m sure that some of you have heard that certain Republican governors (cough which sounds like Jindal) are planning to refuse some of the money in the Democratic economic stimulus package.  Why?  Well, in Jindal’s case, it is because he is running for President in 2012 and wants to solidify his base early.

These are Sick Fucks.

UPDATE (133524FEB09):  Upon further study (with help from comments) I have decided that this is either a very well done Poe, or a very scary site designed to scare women away from health care.  I lean more toward the latter explanation.  I now doubt that the site actually has such a database. The site, most likely, is an attempt to terrorise women into making a decision based upon guilt or fear, rather than what is best for her.  If so, it may be legal, but they are sick fucks.   However, the mere fact that it is believable says much about how insane things have become in the United States.

A website, called AbortionTracker.com (warning — this is a very sick site), has taken upon itself this mission: “We wish to help make the world a better, more conservative, wholesome, place, by God, so we will always protect your personal privacy above all else.”  Actually, that is their privacy statement.  And the privacy is promised only for those who invade the privacy of women who legally visit women’s health centers and send the information to AbortionTracker.

Carnival of the Godless #111

The Atheist Blogger has the 111th edition of the Carnival of the Godless.  And I’m in it.

Also:

You Can’t Make This Shit Up XI

Pennsylvania is a nanny state.  We have laws to protect us from potential harm.  Oh, we can still ride our motorcycles and ski without helmets.  We can still gamble, bet on the horses, drink hard liquor, wine and beer, and speed (almost) with impunity.  But we cannot name a company in a way that “constitute[s] blasphemy, profane cursing or swearing or that profane[s] the Lord’s name.”  Thank you so much for protecting us.

Will You Help Me Find My Pink Unicorn?

This morning, I got up for work at 0630 and (((Wife))) asked me, “Will you help me look for my car keys?”

I paused for a moment.  (((Wife))) never (and I mean never) misplaces anything.  I can ask her where my Queen 2-bladed hunting knife is and she will know.  Exactly.  To the point of telling me what is on either side.  So after the pause, I said, “Sure.  Where’s the last place you remember having them?”

She smiled.  Then she asked, “Will you help me look for my pink unicorn?”

Marriage is a Civil Right

Not a Religious Right

One of my best friends is gay.  Which means, of course, that he is denied one of the very basic human rights:  the right to marriage (unless, of course, he uproots himself, his career, and his partner and moves to Massachusetts).  A few states use ‘civil unions’ to provide weasel room.  They are afraid of the religious right, even though marriage is an act governed by civil law.

Marriage is, legally, a civil act.  If a couple wishes to marry in a church or other religious building or setting, that is their option. But it is the state legislatures, not the pastors, priests, rabbis and imams, which decide who can legally marry, often overruling religious groups — age and number of wives are two examples.  When (((Wife))) and I married, a justice of the peace performed the ceremony.  The key phrase?  “By the authority vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I now pronounce you man and wife.”  No god, no church, no religion involved.

An Internet Time Waster (That is really worth the time)

This is one of the things I love about the internet:  I can waste incredible amounts of time and bandwidth looking at, for instance, 10 different animated/illustrated versions of evolution (the last one is fantastic — think Kansas).  (And a huge hat tip to Greg Laden (he runs a blog called Greg Laden’s Blog))

Abstinence Only Sex Education:

Still Does Not Work.
But It Does Cost Millions.

Feministing.com has a fantastic article about, once again, the failure of abstinence-only sex education.  The writer points out the sickness of one of the lessons of ATM (Abstinence ‘Til Marriage) — blame the girl who gets raped because she’s a slut and put herself in a bad situation.  I really cannot add much.  But I did notice other absurdities in the ATM website.