Think of the Children! Think of the Children! . . . and he did think of the children.

The Right Reverend Tom Daniels, pastor of the fundogelical hyper-right-wing gay-hating Rio Linda Baptist Church was, big surprise, a big-time supporter of Proposition 8 -- a cynical right-wing attempt to deny human rights to gay Californians -- and he is in deep, deep trouble.

Chicken Shit Sandwich

I like fried chicken.  Whether home made, chain restaurant, fast food or a local dive, fried chicken can be very good.  There are many regional variations -- from the spicy New Orleans style to the rich and bland Maryland -- but the chicken is good.

One Southern chain, Chick-fil-A (known for their humorous 'protest' ads), has damn good chicken sandwiches.  And salads.  And I knew that they were a right wing company but, unless a company has done something really egregious (such as Walmart's stand on unions and their refusal to support their workers), or supports and funds hate groups, I tend to shy away from boycotting a company because of politics or social issues.  Chick-fil-A has, for me, just crossed that line.

Christian Persecution? Yeah. Right.

I just got back from my annual vacation down to Florida.  My in laws are good people.  And the drive down and back is, well, interesting.

This morning found us cruising up the beautiful Cumberland Valley in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania.  That valley is my vote for one of the most beautiful valleys in the country.  The mountains to the northwest and southeast.  The non-existent mountain down the center of the valley (Massanutten Mountain (think about it for a moment)).  Of course, we were driving it in the dark, so the sheer beauty of the valley was not visible. Unfortunately, it is infested with fundogelicals -- and they have discovered electricity (not in the Bible, but they are willing to make exceptions I guess) so all the crosses are illuminated.

Megacat Redux

I realized after posting the picture of our large cat that, without something to compare him to, it is difficult to get a sense of scale (actually, my wife pointed that out).  So, here is Dust, our large cat, next to KC, our normal sized cat (Dust is the one on the left.  With his face stuck in the food bowl):

Civil War-Themed Propaganda Chapel Burns

This morning, I caught a headline in the local paper: "Fire guts Gettysburg Civil War chapel".  Which worried me.  After all, there are some historically significant churches associated with Civil War battlefields -- the Dunker Church at Antietam National Battlefield comes to mind.  I didn't remember one associated with Gettysburg, but the Civil War is not really my forte when it comes to military history. 

Then I read the article.  A "Civil-War themed wooden chapel" founded to "tell the story of Christianity during the Civil War."  

And, for those of you asking for a picture of the giant cat, here it is:

This is Dust, our 32 pound very loveable cat.

The Southern Poverty Law Center recognizes and old truth: Some 'Mainstream' religious groups are hate groups

When it comes to recognizing hate groups, the damage they do, and a willingness to call out these groups, the Southern Poverty Law Center is damn near the top of the heap (and is one of the groups to which I donate).  Whether white supremacist groups, neo-nazis, or the Klan, the SPLC's fight to expose the reality behind the milque-toast facades created by racists and homophobes has shed the light of day on the truth of my country and just how far we have to go.