Today's Cultural Warfare Update

This was going to be a standard CWU, but it's ended up being mostly the Focus on the Family Cultural Warfare Update, with a couple of non-FotF articles up front, and with a few Faith and Freedom Network reprints (essentially) of Focus on the Family ACTION ITEMS included. There'll be a second one with the rest of the news, tomorrow sometime. I'll likely start it tonight, but won't get it done until tomorrow.

Marketwatch article on the surge in ads placed around the Gay Games in Chicago talks about anti-gay boycotts and related efforts;

Raggedy Ann in a Barbie Doll World demonstrates exactly how bizarrely wrong the fundamentalists are on GBLT marriage rights and marriage has an institution;

Nebraska Supreme Court upholds state Constitutional amendment banning marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships; Focus on the Family is most pleased; also, Tennessee's anti-marriage amendment can go to the ballot; includes ACTION ITEM to support Federal anti-marriage amendment;

Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM to oppose embryonic stem-cell research bill in Congress;

The Nevada fundamentalist high school student who swapped out her planned speech for a sermon and got cut off is suing the school for turning off her microphone;

Focus on the Family can't take their victory and go, they have to slam "judicial arrogance" for not agreeing with them enough that the Massachusetts anti-marriage amendment could get to the ballot if approved by the legislature; interestingly, we learn that even fundies like The Wrath of Khan; anyway, it includes an ACTION ITEM to support a Federal anti-marriage amendment;

The Faith and Freedom Network sends out an ACTION ITEM to oppose stem-cell research via the same lineup of bills (and same support/oppose marching orders) as we've seen out of Focus on the Family and other fundamentalist groups;

Another Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM against embryonic stem-cell research;

Focus on the Family ACTION ITEM - yet another - on the House vote on the anti-marriage "Marriage Protection Amendment";

FotF reports that the South Dakota abortion ban citizen's initiative - apparently having passed a comprehensive ban in the legislature wasn't good enough, they're working on an initiative - has a note in the ballot description noting that if the state is sued and loses, it'll probably have to pay attourney's fees; fundamentalists are upset that's in there;

FotF ACTION ITEM to demand the House of Representatives pass a resolution supporting "In God we Trust" as the national motto;

FotF ACTION ITEM against Michael Schiavo, who they continue to describe as the state-sanctioned murderer of a "disabled woman"; the weird thing about this ACTION ITEM is that there's no specific action mentioned, even though they've tagged it with their "ACTION" label;

The FCC has requested tapes of 30 live sporting events to look for "inappropriate comments" being made by spectators with the possibility of leveling indecency fines if any such commentary made it out over the air; Focus on the Family gleefully notes the massive surge in fines they helped get passed, so say goodbye to live sporting events and hello, tape-delay, if Focus on the Family's friends at the FCC have their way;

FotF reports on anti-gay teachers in the NEA opposing NEA language saying that legally-recognised civil unions, domestic partnerships, and marriages should be respected; note again the use of "Concerned," which has come to mean "fuckhead" in local lexicon;

FotF rails against GBLT-rights groups as violent and hateful; in particular, they have a hate-on for GLSEN; includes an ACTION ITEM to support their "ex-gay" "Love Won Out" ministry;

Focus on the Family support-article on the Boy Scouts and their continued receipt of public funding despite explicit discrimination on the basis of religion - and also against GBLT people, of course, but there's no Federal antidiscrimination law on that basis, of course;

FotF reports on surging sales of broadcast-delay machines in response to new higher FCC fines for indecency;

FotF extensively quotes CWA wonk Warren Throckmorton in an attack-piece on the idea of gender dysphoria - the case bringing it up is the five year old in Florida; "John Paulk, former manager of gender issues at Focus on the Family, is outraged." Well, duh;

Faith and Freedom Network echos Focus on the Family's line about the Massachusetts Supreme Court ruling mentioned above; gosh, I wonder if they've got the same subscriptions I do;

FotF reports Bush pledge to veto any expansion of embryonic stem cell research;

FotF: "Teachers have Non-NEA Options";

FotF: "A woman who was tried in February for ending a full-term pregnancy by shooting herself in the stomach has been charged a second time, according to the Suffolk News-Herald";

FotF: GBLT rights will destroy churches worldwide;

Fundamentalist group sues Michigan State University over DP benefits for employees, claiming that offering DP benefits violates Michigan's anti-marriage ban; "State universities can't turn around and recognize same-sex marriages by just calling them 'domestic partnerships' or 'civil unions' or anything else";

FotF attacks Sen. Graham (R-SC) for blocking a judicial nominee from his state over his role in supporting the Bush administration's pro-torture policies; Focus on the Family demands the block be lifted;

Focus on the Family pushes one of their presentations which I normally don't list, but this one's interesting in that it makes their view pretty stark: you're with 'em, or you're with Satan: "In this unusual presentation, best-selling author Frank Peretti explains our two choices for living: we place God on the throne of our lives, or we replace Him with humanism, mysticism, harmful philosophies, or the lust for power and control."

( Articles and excerpts below )

this and that and other things

In case you've been distracted by the news from Israel and Lebanon, Baghdad is on the verge of collapse. I saw an estimate from the Jordanian government a few days ago indicating they believed over half a million Iraqis had fled to their country; the person reporting it suspected the number was actually higher. This report says the total number was around 900,000 by the end of last year, to all countries. That's only using official numbers, is six months old (and the situation has not improved) - and about 4% of the population.

To get an equivalent number of Americans, imagine 11.6 million Americans fleeing out of the country to get away from a civil war here. That's 4% of 290 million.

Perhaps it's less time to sack Donald Rumsfeld and more time to put him on trial. Maybe some corruption charges might be in order as well.

Friday's miles: 13.3
Miles out of Hobbiton: 1101.2
Miles out of Rivendell: 636.2
Miles out of Lothlórien: 181.2
Miles to Rauros Falls: 227.8

Biking today included substantial portions of zoom, with something just under four minute miles the entire trail distance between murksouth and the shops. (Then add ten minutes for the single mile up the hill. Erf.) As an experiment, I rode it in 3,6 instead of my usual mostly-3,7, only pedalling a lot faster than my usual pace; one of the mechanics at the UW bike shop suggested it, she said it'd help me build leg strength. It certainly felt different, and I paced - and eventually passed - someone on a Skeery Bike wearing Specialised bikeshorts, after pacing them most of the trip. Also: more f'ing bike cops - well, okay, one copcycle - in Lake Forest Park's asshat zone.


Solar-charged resin "stone" lantern, bought in a pair for $20 at Costco

ETA: Click here for daylight photo taken later

Thursday I was at Edo getting lunch while out running errands - including the Costco run that bought the above-pictured solar-powered garden lantern - and discovered that apparently "vegetable tempura" and "tempura udon" are both okay, but "vegetable tempura udon" is just one word too many. After the third try - where I finally got a combination of udon with no tempura and a side-plate of tempura (but it was vegetable tempura) - I got exasperated and started spewing Japanese at the guy running the till, which, somewhat to my surprise, seemed to, um, work. I wasn't really expecting that. You'd think I'd have tried that earlier, but I consciously didn't, mostly because the second guy (a teriyaki cook)'s first language was Spanish, not Japanese.

I now want about four or six or so more of those little lanterns. They're awfully, awfully cute. So far, the two I've got have been going full-strength since around 9pm or so - three and a half hours and counting, on a single day's charge. Better yet, they use standard AA NiMH batteries, so if the batteries die, I can replace them with ordinary NiMH from anywhere.


Very Much Like Ice Cream

George Orwell's The Road to Wigan Pier is online in complete text. It's notable for several reasons, not the least of which is a rather accurate and awfully, um, horrific (to me) description of deep-seam coal-mining. If you think that switching from oil to coal is how to solve our energy picture, you should at least read chapter two, about coal mining.

( zomg quizfest )

Today's Cultural Warfare Update

Concerned Women for America do not like Senator Barack Obama;

The Culture War extends down to summer camp, where Creationism Camps are teaching children to reject evolutionary theory before they get to science classes in school;

Concerned Women for America "uncovers" the "lies" - and insist that emergency contraception causes abortion. Note that this is not RU-486, this is Plan B, and this is part of the greater war on contraception coming up;

"Liberal Christianity is paying for its sins" - like being GBLT-tolerant;

Zell Miller gives CWA a rhetorical handjob, supporting their cultural warfare efforts;

CWA ACTION ITEM condemning Sen. Graham (R-SC)'s efforts against pro-torture judicial nominee Haynes, asking its members to call and write in support of the nominee;

CWA condemns attempt to form U.N. Women's Rights Agency;

CWA congratulates Senate over resolution supporting "In God We Trust" as the US national motto;

Focus on the Family Canada on Canadian support for "traditional families," noting that in 2005, "only" 39% of Canadian men supported same-sex marriage rights - 56% of Canadian women did, and I'm aware of no indication that support has fallen;

FotF article opposing Canadian policy on embryonic stem-cell research;

Canada Family Action Coalition claims GBLT people don't actually support marriage rights;

"How America Went Gay" calls progress on GBLT rights "brainwashing";

LifeSite: gay-brother study proves homosexuality is "abnormal";

Traditional Values Coalition congratulates Senate on "In God We Trust" resolution;

TVC happy about recent court decisions upholding anti-lesbian and gay marriage bans;

Massachusetts legislature adjourns until November 9th, thus avoiding a vote on a state amendment to ban marriage for lesbian and gay citizens; I believe this kills the effort;

AFA reports on fundamentalist evangelical effort at Gay Games;

AFA: Jews for Jesus to launch renewed NYC effort;

One of the things that continually bothers me is the degree of micromanagement the fundamentalists want over individual lives; one transgendered kid in Florida and they're all over it and what they demand should be done instead of the parents, doctors, and people directly involved;

The AFA continues its propaganda campaign against the Episcopal Church USA;

Family Research Council condemns Massachusetts assembly, asks, "is Massachusetts still a republic?" when it fails to vote on supporting an anti-gay constitutional amendment;

Concerned Women for America's Robert Knight has an audio feature on the Gay Games in Chicago has the usual compliment of red meat anti-gay fun, and also an assertion by Robert Knight that Walgreens is sponsouring the gay games so more people get AIDS and they can sell more anti-viral drugs to infected gay men; there's a fair bit of diseased, perverted queers milage here that they don't type up because then Google can find it, but, well, that's what I'm here for; there's also Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute on the recording, talking about perversion centres;

Concerned Women for America's Mike Mears talks about new state laws midway through 2006; complaints about South Carolina's age of consent adjustment, talks about Arizona's anti-marriage signature effort.

( Articles, transcriptions, and excerpts below )

Relayed from lj kathrynt

kathrynt asked me to relay that she is home and she's fine, but that the Burning Hand is having significant hardware issues (at least one dead router which is also their wirless router, and a dying KDM switch) and accordingly have no internet connectivity. Or, as she put it, they're having "problems that would drive me drink, if I wasn't, you know, third trimester pregnant." She's hoping they can deal with the issues in a couple of days and be back online soon.