Burning sea turtles alive in the Gulf - or - How could this get worse?

Now we can add torticide (ok, made-up) to the list of atrocites BP is committing on a regular basis.  THIS from the Raw Story about how they're burning sea turtles ALIVE in the controled burns.  Sad
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Republicans behind Joe Barton APOLOGIZE TO BP for making them pay for thier crime

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Some notable quotables to keep in mind when considering your god or mine.

I feel like a bit of a rant today, but rather than use my own words, let's look to some Founding Fathers, some church leaders, some great thinkers of the last, oh, few thousand years:

"The most detestable wickedness, the most horrid cruelties, and the greatest miseries that have afflicted the human race have their origin in this thing called revelation, or revealed religion…Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is none more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to itself, than this thing called Christianity...My mind is my own church."
-Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason (1794):


“In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people.”
-James Madison


"History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government. This marks the lowest grade of ignorance of which their civil as well as religious leaders will always avail themselves for their own purposes"


“Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined, and imprisoned, yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half of the world fools and the other half hypocrites.”
-Thomas Jefferson

"Lighthouses are more helpful then churches."
-Benjamin Franklin

Barbara Ehrenreich on the perils of self-delusion and the cult of positive thought

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Rick and Bubba surprise no one with thier ignorant faith-fuled hatred

When this kind of blind faith-fueled hatred and misinformation hits millions of willing blood-thirsty ears, I get nervous. Should you be so moved, here are a few of the numbers for Rick and Bubba's largest sponsors -- call them and voice your feelings:

Vermont Teddy Bear (hilarious) 802-985-3001
FTD  800-736-3383
ServiceMagic.com 303-963-7200 (you can guess from the area code where they are)

Give 'em a call!  Be courteous. Be firm.

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Why Not?

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Brilliant photo-journalism book WHAT MATTERS available free online

HERE is the index of an amazing world-view changing compendium of WHAT MATTERS.  The book, published in 2008 pairs photo essays with amazing incisive work from experts in each field.  From Darfur to the polar ice cap, from poverty to war, the images are unforgettable and evocative, and the written materials are smart but accessible.  A must read, it is available free online.  Spend some time with just one chapter if you can.  Go to www.whatmattersonline.com for more.
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I'm troubled on "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day"

I've just watched a video of a recent uprising at a university lecture hall.  During a lecture on the limits of free speech.  In Sweden.  It is shocking and frightening, and utterly stark raving mad.

I'm troubled because I feel like sharing the video here, but I don't want to unfairly prejudice anyone who isn't familiar with immigration and assimilation in Northern Europe, so if you don't consider yourself that up-to-date on the massive struggles with national identity and religious freedoms that are taking place in the EU right now, get your salt grain ready.

If you're wondering about the Everybody Draw Mohammed Day, here is the FB page for it.  If you've been living under a rock, HERE is the recent caterwauling over South Park's recent episode and it's being censored.  And here is the story about the video you're about to see, but the basics are:

Man sketches Mohammed (there are over seven MILLION "mohammed" results on google image)

Man gets threatened repeatedly, including by an insane American woman who plots his murder.

Man gets physically attacked during a lecture on freedom of expression, pepper spray is necessary to subdue the crowd chanting and screaming for allah. The scene is unbelievable.  I post it as a cautionary tale.  Religion is a dangerous drug.  For more on that, if you're interested, HERE.

the video after the jump...

In a perfect world . . .

Seen on the sidewalk at 22nd Street . . . Wishful thinking :) KIDDING!  We love you guys!
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Trolleys coming back to Brooklyn?

Now this would be a great thing!  There is talk of using an unused $300,000 appropriation to look into putting light rail or trolley into Red Hook.  It would open up a part of Brooklyn that is under-served by the current MTA system, and could prove a model for other above-ground mass transit in the city.  (may I suggest cross-town trolleys on 23, 34, 59, and 86th Streets, and several lines linking Brooklyn and Queens?)  Trolleys once crisscrossed the entire borough.  Full article HERE.
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