ATTACK DEAD PEOPLE YOU USELESS FUCKS

AMERICAblog

A lead religious right “research” group has concluded that Dr. Sally Ride’s pancreatic cancer may be due to her being a lesbian.  They deduced this from looking at the obituaries of lesbians in San Francisco papers.  Seriously.
Dr. Ride was the first US woman astronaut. She recently died of pancreatic cancer.
The attack comes from a well-known hate group, the Family Research Institute, that’s been promoted by all the lead groups of the religious right, including the Family Research Council, the American Family Association and the Concerned Women for America.

The End is Near...??

Finally a backlash against urban hipster foodies? I've training and a certificate in patisserie from Le Cordon Bleu. My brother is a professional chef. I abhor the elitist food trends just to make a buck. So I appreciate the seriousness (and humor) of this article from Slate: The Great GoogaMooga and elitism: What Brooklyn’s food festival says about foodies.

Quotes:

"So much of the festival seemed designed to congratulate those self-satisfied consumers who act like they deserve a Congressional Medal of Honor for spending $10 on a bratwurst. ... a crowd gathered to watch celebrity chef April Bloomfield butcher a pig, as if she were Hemingway diagramming a sentence."

and this...

‎"The trend toward locally, ethically sourced ingredients prepared thoughtfully is a good one... But foodies’ focus on ingredient and chef pedigree has morphed into an aesthetic cult for the wealthy, in which status trumps sustainability."

Very telling...

"Bloomfield makes food for rich people to excrete."

Now, go devour your breakfast pain au chocolat.

Nine Tons and What Do You Get?

A Mayan temple built from 9 tons of chocolate, that's what. The small white and dark chocolate Alpine village that our Superior class at Le Cordon Bleu made in our course work was nothing compared to this monument! From designboom:

quinza [sic] specialty foods has created the world's largest chocolate sculpture: a replica ancient mayan temple weighing 18,239 pounds.

...
the chocolate temple will be on display at the quinza institute of chocolate and pastry in irvine, california, USA from june 4th until the date of december 21st, 2012 upon which the mayan calendar ends and the massive dessert sculpture will be destroyed.

More, with photos at QZNA.COM.
Image © qzna specialty foods.

Burlington's Embarrassing Regulations

Ridiculous bureaucracy.

What heppened to this couple is an embarrassment to the city.

Andy Bromage in Blurt/Seven Days: Burlington Couple Busted For Gardening Structures in Front Yard

"We want to control our own food as much as we can," says Rooney, who lives on South Willard Street near Champlain College. "Sustainable living. We live in Vermont. Grow your own food. All that stuff —– we believe in all of it."

But last month, the couple got a notice from the Burlington Code Enforcement Office that their gardening structures were a code violation and would have to come down to avoid penalties. The code office received anonymous complaints — three of them — about the homemade hoop houses.

Rooney says he was told that, under city zoning regulations, hoop houses qualify as "stable structures" and that the couple's raised garden beds qualify as "retaining walls" — both of which require permits from city hall. So does a two-foot-high metal fence that lines the garden to keep out hungry rabbits.

"This is ridiculous," Rooney says on a recent spring day.

Rooney and Dorn are master gardeners, certified through classes at the University of Vermont Extension School and hours of apprenticing. Their front yard on South Willard Street, a well-heeled part of town with stately colonial homes, has been turned into an urban gardener's paradise — with bountiful gardens, peach, apple and pear trees, and strawberry beds alongside the steps that lead up a slope to their front door.

But to at least one neighbor, the hoop houses are an out-of-place eyesore. Rooney says he doesn't know who made the complaint. He called one neighbor to inquire about it, but says he never heard back.

Urban agriculture is alive and well in the Intervale, why not allow it in other neighborhoods? City council, are you listening? As a friend remarked after reading this story, "What a great example for others in a tight economy: grow your own healthy food! Beat the high cost of quality nutrition! Find your own solutions, in a cold climate!"

She said it with a straight face.

REUTERS: 'Clinton warns against "new colonialism" in Africa'

Meanwhile...

This is not satire from The Onion.

This is for real from Reuters

"Members of a new Texas association are starting a college scholarship program for a group of students they say do not have as many scholarship options as others -- white men. Colby Bohannan, a student at Texas State University in San Marcos, and some friends have formed the non-profit Former Majority Association for Equality, which will provide the scholarships."

Prominently Displayed

So today in South Burlington I saw a man talking on his mobile while making a "right on red" without even stopping. Not unusual in this fast-paced society, really, but prominently displayed on the rear bumper of his car was a sticker, "HANG UP & DRIVE."

Hey! Hay!

Watch this video: A cool solution to clean up the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.

90210

LOS ANGELES TIMES: - Two members of Congress, Reps. Henry A. Waxman (D-Beverly Hills) and Bart Stupak (D-Mich.), called on Halliburton on Friday to provide all documents relating to "the possibility or risk of an explosion or blowout at the Deepwater Horizon rig and the status, adequacy, quality, monitoring, and inspection of the cementing work" by May 7.

Protégez-vous

Hat Tip to The House of LeMay.

Yesterday's Hits

Wow, yesterday was a record indeed. BI had 596 hits


with visitors coming mostly from a gay UK celebrity messageboard thread.

Man on run after committing criminal damage to a donkey. With his penis.

onthehushhush 22:24, arf, barf, reply
[...]
maybe he'd had a glass too many?

blazingindiscretions.blogspot.com/2010/01/chardongay.html
sgtpeppersstoneyhardcoreband 10:20

HiccUP!

Humourous Link of the Day

This ain't satire, these guys are serious (or seriously idiotic). Of course, the Democratic Party doesn't even come close to being socialist or Democratic Socialist.

From The Real News Network: The Republican National Committee to re-brand the Democratic Party as the "Dem Socialist Party"

Blog against Theocracy 2009

Just a reminder from an American Anglo-Catholic Christian to my fellow Americans.... one of the first treaties our new country signed says that the U.S. is NOT a Christian country.

Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the United States and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbery

Authored by American diplomat Joel Barlow in 1796, the following treaty was sent to the floor of the Senate, June 7, 1797, where it was read aloud in its entirety and unanimously approved. John Adams, having seen the treaty, signed it and proudly proclaimed it to the Nation.

Art. 11. As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion; as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion, or tranquillity, of Mussulmen; and, as the said States never entered into any war, or act of hostility against any Mahometan
nation, it is declared by the parties, that no pretext arising from religious opinions, shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.

Treaty with Tripoli 1796

(h/t toujoursdan)

¡AY, CARAMBA!

Royal jaws dropped when celebrity chef Mario Batali swore in his remarks before 400 guests at a gala dinner attended by the King and Queen of Spain, in Miami's South Beach:- "All you weasel f--- wads in the back corners, can I have 10 seconds of your time?" Batali said into the microphone, impatient that the crowd wasn't quieting quickly enough for his introduction of chef José Andrés, culinary chair of the Biltmore Hotel gala.

Jaws dropped in a glittering crowd that included Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and wife, U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez, the U.S. ambassador to Spain and Julio Iglesias. Gloria Estefan, enjoying the evening with husband, Emilio, chortled.

Batali, wearing pants rather than shorts for once, went on with his introduction of Andrés, whom he called his ''favorite chef in the world,'' noting that Andrés' Los Angeles restaurant, The Bazaar, had just received four stars from the Los Angeles Times.

"The most motherf------ stars of any Spanish restaurant in the U.S.," Batali said. Those who were seated near the royal couple said the queen blanched.

The Republican governor didn't follow royal protocol, either. At the dinner, he kept leaving his seat next to Queen Sofia to greet friends at other tables - as one would at any wedding reception! - and left the event before the royal couple.

Juan Carlos and Sofia are on a visit to the US this week. They took part in the acts commemorating the foundation of Pensacola, Florida, 450 years ago.

Anyway, the first Spanish (and European) town founded in the present territory of the US was St. Augustine, also in Florida, founded in 1565. Florida was a Spanish territory from the 16th century to the 19th century (except 20 years under British rule). It was sold to the US in 1819.

The president, away in Canada perfecting NAFTA relations, also snubbed the king and queen. However, Obama phoned the King of Spain to tell him that he was sorry he would miss the royal visit to the US.

POT QUOTES & FACTS

Teach this stuff in schools and you'll get arrested or fired!

"If the words 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on." - Terence McKenna

In 1916, the U.S. Government Dept. of Agriculture predicted that by the 1940s all paper would come from hemp and that no more trees need to be cut down.

"Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Hohner harmonica." - Abraham Lincoln (from a letter written by Lincoln during his presidency to the head of the Hohner Harmonica Company in Germany)

For thousands of years, 90% of all ships' sails and rope were made from hemp. The word 'canvas' is Dutch for cannabis.

Hemp fuel is non-toxic, biodegradable and does not contribute to sulfur dioxide air poisoning.... more facts.

For info closer to home: Vermont Alliance for Intelligent Drug Laws

THE STEIN/UVM BROUHAHA

C'mon, this hockey puck has been kicked around the rink enough. We all knew that Ben Stein is a fuckwit, but UVM President Dan Fogel embarrassed himself even more in his attempt at damage control.

"HOW DO THE WHITE MEMBERS OF YOUR CONGREGATION CLAP?"

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Obama's New Church

Daily Show Full Episodes
Daily Show Tickets

More Funny Videos
Comedians on Tour

THE OBAMA BRAND

From the Guardian

The global reach of Obama's message of renewal is making both subliminal and not so subtle appearances in controversial advertising campaigns from Washington to Jakarta. There is the new flavour of Ben 'n' Jerry's ice-cream: "Yes Pecan!" A new Hennessy Cognac with 44 (Obama is the 44th president) on the label. There is even an Indonesian advert for a form of indigestion tablets featuring a lookalike of the man himself.

Obama's formidable marketing potential was immediately apparent on the morning after the inauguration, when thousands of extra copies of newspapers were printed across the globe to meet demand for readers wishing to keep souvenir copies. Readers of the Daily Express, however, will have noticed their front page made no reference to the new President. It was taken up instead with a full-page advertisement for a Fiat 500 which, it turned out, happened to share its first birthday with the date of Obama's inauguration. "It's a big day for firsts," the slogan said. Rival newspapers contained a simply worded advertisement for Veet, the hair removal company: "Goodbye Bush."

If Fiat and Veet sought to quirkily exploit inauguration day, other companies appear committed to tapping into the longer term marketing benefits of Obama's presidency. Pepsi has unveiled a new red, white and blue logo which has an apparent resemblance to Obama's campaign motif, as part of a longer advertising campaign centred on themes of optimism and renewal.

For instance: another blatant example

MARY IN DRAG - AMSTERDAM'S PINK CHRISTMAS

From Beth Twiston-Davies in FAITH CENTRAL

This is Mary (though I wouldn’t hazard a bet on her virginity). In drag. Part of yesterday’s “Pink Christmas” tableau in Amsterdam. Mary is played, AP informs us, by a “male entertainer” known as Wendy Mills. Unfortunately this photograph doesn’t display the laced high-heeled boots which complete her outfit, but as you might have guessed, the man just behind her to the right, draped in the silver shawl, flashing a glimpse of black leather trunks and spectacularly tacky gold rose, is supposed to be Joseph.

Christian groups have naturally objected to the five-person tableau staged in the yard of an Amsterdam nightclub, and sponsored – to the tune of 15,000 euros – by Amsterdam City Council.

The independent group Christians for Truth says: "By portraying Joseph and Mary as homosexuals, a twisted human fantasy is being added to the history of the Bible.” However, Frank van Dalen, organiser of the “Pink Christmas” (which is accompanied by a Christmas sex toy market) wants the tableau to be an annual affair, a sort of winter complement to Amsterdam’s Summer gay pride parade. He says: "Our objective is not to be offensive. This is about visibility. Van Dalen referred to a report published last month that said homophobia was an ingrained problem in Amsterdam, and that Dutch gays feel the society they live is becoming more assertive about “classical values.”

Wouldn't Benny have a fun time with this? /sarcasm/

BENNY: HOMOPHOBE OF THE YEAR

Rick Warren's nut-job pronouncements of this year are most likely due to spiked grape juice, but what's in Bishop of Rome's communion wafers?

From REUTERS

Pope Benedict said on Monday that saving humanity from homosexual or transsexual behavior was just as important as saving the rainforest from destruction.

"(The Church) should also protect man from the destruction of himself. A sort of ecology of man is needed," the pontiff said in a holiday address to the Curia, the Vatican's central administration.

"The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less."

The Catholic Church teaches that while homosexuality is not sinful, homosexual acts are. It opposes gay marriage and, in October, a leading Vatican official called homosexuality "a deviation, an irregularity, a wound."

The pope said humanity needed to "listen to the language of creation" to understand the intended roles of man and woman. He compared behavior beyond traditional heterosexual relations as "a destruction of God's work."

He also defended the Church's right to "speak of human nature as man and woman, and ask that this order of creation be respected."

I wonder how Akinola and the GAFCONistas will react. The Lead has more comments.