sins of scarlet

Pennsylvania: why did you elect Eichelberger?

2009-07-08T05:03:00.000-07:00

This is a little dated, but I feel like I need to comment on Pennsylvania State Sen. John Eichelberger (R) statements on a June 19 radio debate. Especially seeing as I haven't heard anything about it in mainstream news.

Eichelberger, in an interview with WHYY Radio about a month ago, talked about his upcoming constitutional marriage proposal and said that gay marriage was "dysfunctional" and would eventually lead to "polygamy, marrying younger people."

But the best part was when the senator decided to add this jewel to the conversation:

"They’re not being punished. We’re allowing them to exist, and do what every American can do. We’re just not rewarding them with any special designation."

Now I'm not the biggest fan of any long-term relationship, but I've always been taught that two people who love each other have the right to have their relationship legally recognized. This, of course, gets into a sticky situation - religion VS politics.

I have also been raised to believe that marriage is a religious institution. And as much as I hate to admit it, marriage should be dictated by religion. Ergo, marriage shouldn't be a political issue whatsoever. As a supporter of the separation of church and state, marriage should be kept in the churches (or mosques, or temples) and the government (federal and state) should issue "civil unions" to peoples wanting their relationship recognized.

This results in a somewhat simple solution to the problem with the debate of gay marriage. If there is no longer a government supported religious institution, then anyone wishing to have a legal merger between two parties can have a civil union. This, in turn, leaves the religious organizations the right to include (or exclude) whomever they see fit for the "holy right" of marriage. And ultimately, people can choose they're own way to define their relationships (wife/husband or partners).

It's actually kind of funny to me. Religious organizations tout on that marriage is something dictated by God, but they are wanting it to be dictated by the government - which is about as far from God as I can imagine.

But most importantly, if we were to actually do what the Constitution exists for and SEPARATE church and state, we could keep idiots like Eichelberger from spreading unnecessary hate and ignorance that only blind-sight his constituents and piss everybody else off.

CLICK HERE to hear audio experts and see a video response from Eichelberger.

Don't use Internet for Hate

2009-07-08T04:59:00.001-07:00

It's a pretty simple concept for the majority of technology users: don't use the Internet to hurt other people. Everybody gets angry, everybody needs to vent, and the Web gives us the ability to express our opinions in a relatively safe environment.

And everybody knows that there are certain things that we do not, under any circumstances, ever do - the most important being post personal information.

But it seems a New York social worker forgot the rules on Internet etiquette last week.

On July 3, CNN.com reported about Long Island mother Margery Tannenbaum, who allegedly posted a sexual personal ad on Craigslist.com about a 9-year-old girl.

The ad did not inform the reader that the girl was underage, but it did give her home number and e-mail address for interested men to contact the child. CNN reported that the advertisement read: "I need a little affection... I'm blond, I'm cute and I'll be waiting."

Margery Tannenbaum is a sick, demented social pariah who deserves whatever public backlash she will receive. We've already seen this behavior once before - with Lori Drew and the "MySpace Hoax" debacle that resulted in the suicide of a 13-year-old girl.

Like Drew, the situation with Tannenbaum is the same old song - her daughter and the 9-year-old victim got into a fight. To get revenge, Tannenbaum posted an ad under the personal's section of Craigslist. The victim's mother told CNN that "she received 22 calls in one day, in all around 40 calls from various men who saw the ad, including some seeking an escort service."

Drew had her misdemeanor conviction thrown out by an appellate court judge, but hopefully Tannenbaum won't get off so easily. It's time we start sending a message to "adults" who think that endangering minors is a respectable way to reap revenge.

Apparently, Tannenbaum has never heard of WhitePages.com and the "reverse lookup." Just because she only put a phone number doesn't mean that one of these men couldn't have looked up the victim's home address and showed up looking for sex.

When Tannenbaum's lawyer was questioned, he said, "I think this has been blown out of proportion to what the actual alleged act was."

Tannenbaum posted a sex ad with information leading interested suitors to a 9-year-old girl. What exactly has been blown out of proportion? How does the mind of any adult not process that posting a sex ad with personal information about someone else is not a reckless, irresponsible, immature and dangerous act?

It doesn't even matter that the girl was a minor. Posting that kind of information about anyone can lead to devastating consequences. It is an absolute breech of personal privacy and perpetrators should have any access to the Internet immediately suspended.

But then again, Tannenbaum probably doesn't think she did anything wrong, which is probably the biggest crime of all. Too bad a lack of common sense and social decency isn't punishable by law.

See the original article at: www.mtsusidelines.com (click the link, it'll take you right to the column)

Pride and Predjudice and Zombies oh my!

2009-06-30T10:46:00.000-07:00

I've never been a fan of delivering a review for something I haven't completed, but then again, that's never stopped me.

Right now I'm reading a book called "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem!" The basic gist is Seth Grahame-Smith takes Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" and tweaks it with zombies (and the occasional ninja).

As a forewarning, I have to say that this book is absolutely hilarious. But it is only funny because I love the original. For those who skipped "Pride and Prejudice" in their sophomore English class, go back and read it. It's better than watching a marathon of reality television.

The zombie-fied version of P&P is so well put together - mostly because Grahame-Smith only changes around some words of Austen's original text and adds in a few scenes or two. Essentially, the original story is the same. The events progress in the same way. Elizabeth and Darcy eventually overcome their complicated problems and express their love to each other - they just do it while defeating a hord of zombies!

It even has artwork! In the words of our beloved former President W. "The best thing about books is sometimes there are fantastic pictures!" The artwork is amazing, but sparse. It's only there for extra amusement, but well done nonetheless.

I'll update with another entry as soon as I am done reading it. As for now, go out and find yourself a copy of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" and get ready to laugh yourself to death - then rise once again to walk among the land of the living.

Speaking out should be a choice

2009-06-22T18:47:00.000-07:00

On Monday morning, 20-year-old Chris Brown pleaded guilty to the Feb. 8 felony assault against 21-year-old former girlfriend Rihanna.

It was announced that Brown would go to trial in March, shortly after Rihanna was subpoenaed to testify. The estimated punishment ranged from probation minimum to four years in jail maximum.

The final outcome on Monday resulted in 180 days of community service and five years of probation for Brown. The court also administered a “complete stay away” order in which Brown and Rihanna must remain 50-feet away from each other. The only exception is at industry events where both are present. The limit is then lowered to 10-feet.

It would be nice to say the media frenzy surrounding the R&B artists is over, but we know that it won’t be until everyone hears Rihanna’s version of the events. And with Brown’s plea agreement, her subpoenaed, public-record testimony was not needed.

Before the scheduled court appearance, celebrities, media and fans alike all clamored for Rihanna’s version of what transpired. Everyone wanted to know what exactly happened.

We then started to receive details via hospital photos and police reports, but still nothing from Rihanna. And despite the fact that we know the basic premise of what happened and have seen the results, people still want Rihanna to talk.

I would like to think that this strong moral outcry comes from a need to publicize the truth about abusive relationships – but really I think the majority of people just want to hear the juicy dirt. If we were really interested in teaching people about how to prevent abuse, we would – with or without Rihanna’s testimony.

In fact, here’s a little lesson on domestic abuse. The May 2000 “Intimate Partner Violence” report by the Bureau of Justice says 20 percent of dating couples between 16 and 24-years-old report some type of violence in their relationships.

This makes Rihanna’s unfortunate situation not uncommon. But instead of trying to reach out to those one-in-five victims, we’ve too busy trying to get Rihanna to spill the gossip about what happened to her. We forget that the important lesson in this situation is starting a dialogue, not rehashing the assaulted pop star’s wounds.

Crimes like assault, rape and abuse need to be talked about – but it’s a heck of a lot easier to talk about them when we aren’t the victims. These are crimes that people – especially teenagers – need to know about, know how to spot and know how to stop. But speaking out about a personal experience as a victim should be viewed as courageous – not as a requirement.

Maybe Rihanna will eventually talk about what happened to her – and hopefully inspire others to stand up and talk about their experiences. But she should also be allowed the opportunity to heal in her own way before she is comfortable enough to relay her experiences with others.

One less distraction for drivers

2009-06-04T14:52:00.000-07:00

I've got terrible road rage. I blame my father. He has it too.

Over the years, I've tried to fight the urge to yell at drivers who can't hear me, chase drivers who cut me off and deliver a well-placed middle finger to drivers who piss me off. I'm usually good about not doing the last two, although I can't seem to curb my appetite to yell obscenities at people who obviously slept through driver's ed.

But thanks to the Tennessee General Assembly, there's one less thing drivers can now do to insight my road rage. Gov. Phil Bredesen signed the "texting while driving" bill into law early last month. It prohibits a person from writing or reading text messages while driving a vehicle.

Like any good legislation, there are people who are above the law. Exemptions include police officers and medical workers - when both are "in the actual discharge of their official duties."

The law does not apply to people who are in a vehicle when it is not moving. So if you wanted to text it up with a friend, make sure you do it at a stoplight. Entering a telephone number to call someone is also allowed. So texting is bad, but flipping through your contact list is a-OK.

Tennessee is not the first state to take a stance against cell phones on the road. Many other states actually prohibit the use of cell phones while driving all together. Some prohibit handhelds, but allow speakers and headsets. Comparatively, Tennessee is actually pretty chill on cell phones and driving.

While flipping through coverage on the texting and driving legislation, two sides became very clear. One thinks the legislation is unnecessary. Tennessee already has a "driving while distracted" law that allows officers to ticket someone who is obviously impaired - perhaps by a text message.

The second group applauds legislatures for protecting our roads - one less evil to distract people while operating a 5,000-pound death machine.

Honestly, I just think it's a sad day when we have to make common sense law. I've texted and driven - on empty roads with no one around or while sitting in traffic. Texting while driving is dangerous if you put yourself in a dangerous situation.

It has gotten to a point where people seem more preoccupied with doing everything but driving in their cars. I've seen everything from eating morning breakfast to putting on makeup. On one occasion I saw a woman driving with her knees so she could text.

Technology is amazing, but we are starting to use it more like an idiocracy rather than a society full of intelligent individuals. It takes very little effort to visualize the negative ramifications of texting while driving - just think about ramming your car into a tree at 70 mph.

But for those who still want to text and drive - fear not. The law does not take effect until July 1. So enjoy your last month of being able to text and drive without a $50 ticket.

ORIGINALLY POSTED: www.mtsusidelines.com on June 3, 2009.

Watchmen amazes; perfectly portrays graphic novel

2009-03-06T03:55:00.000-08:00

“The accumulated filth of all their sex and murder will foam up about their waists and all the whores and politicians will look up and shout ‘Save Us!’

“…and I’ll look down, and whisper, ‘No.’”

And so opens Watchmen, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. The character Rorschach delivers the above lines about fifteen minutes into the movie and the theme resonates through the remaining two hours.

Seeing Watchmen on opening night was one of the most enjoyable movie-going experiences I’ve had in a while. Spectacular is only slightly befitting of a description.

The movie excels in all aspects.

Character development is the shining beacon of this movie. The story mainly concentrates on six characters: Jon Osterman (Dr. Manhattan); Dan Dreiberg (Night Owl); Adrian Veidt (Ozymandias); Laurie Jupiter (Silk Spectre); and Edward Blake (The Comedian).

Six characters and only about two hours are allotted to properly develop those six plus a plethora of supporting characters. And yet, the story moves seamlessly, providing expediential growth, changes and insights into all the characters – even The Comedian whose death sparks the movie.

Cinematography was beautiful. There were times that I looked at the screen and felt like I was reading the graphic novel. The scene when Dr. Manhattan is standing on Mars with the starlit sky background was one of the best shots in the entire film.

As with any superhero movie, fight scenes can be difficult. Too much and it becomes cheesy. Too little and it becomes stagnant. The greatest weapons used by the superheroes were their actual talent as fighters. In fact, the only real character with any supernatural power is actually Dr. Manhattan. Fight scenes were intricate but to the point. Sound effects were modest but still gave the air of traditional crime noir.

I won’t get into the deeper meanings of the story and characters, but it is worth noting that I left the theater dissecting and examining Moore and Gibbson’s creation equally as much as when I read the novel version. But as I said, I’m not going to discuss the metaphorical meanings in this review.

But the best thing about Watchmen is that it stays true to the original comic.

In fact, the only thing that unfortunately omitted is background information provided in depth about the particular universe that the world resides in.

The only particular plot-hole I found somewhat distracting is Richard Nixon runs holds the president’s office for five terms during the span of the movie. Term legislation was passed during the time of Franklin Roosevelt and limits a person to only two consecutive terms in office.

Overall, I would definitely splurge on the outrageous and overpriced fees of the local movie theater to see it again. But a word of warning, if you do not like the crime noir genre of superhero fantasy – do not see this movie.

It is not a requirement that you read the book, you will understand everything that is going on. But I highly recommend picking up a copy and reading it when you can. Like I said earlier, it help to fill in some of those slight plot-holes.

Before wrapping up, a few interesting things to note: when I said they stayed true to the book, I do mean that Dr. Manhattan does appear nude in a number of scenes. By the end of the movie, you are used to seeing the computer-animated penis graphed onto the glowing blue body.

Another thing, the credits are wonderful but there is no “special” scene at the end of the movie. If you are waiting through the credits to see an extra – don’t. It isn’t there.

As I give Watchmen a 10 out of 10, I leave you with these final words from Dr. Manhattan:

“But the world is so full of people, so crowded with these miracles that they become commonplace and we forget – I forget. We gaze continually at the world and it grows dull in our perceptions. Yet seen from another’s vantage point, as if new, it may still take our breath away.”

Human teeth found in Walmart accessory

2009-03-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

According to the Associated Press, a man shopping in a Falmouth, Mass. Walmart found teeth in a wallet.

The man was looking to purchase the pocket accessory but upon unzipping a compartment, he found the ten adult teeth. According to officials, the man turned over the teeth and wallet to store employees and then left the scene.

The AP writes: "Police investigating the incident told The Cape Cod Times that the teeth belong to an adult, but since there was no blood or gum tissue on the teeth, they would be unable to perform DNA tests."

Walmart spokespersons have said that the incident is "isolated" but will investigate.

I guess you really CAN buy anything at Walmart, whether you want to or not.

Lesbian banned from XBox Live

2009-03-03T20:39:00.001-08:00

Apparently, an XBox Live user identified as "Teresa" is permanently banned from the gaming system because of her sexuality.

Teresa referred to herself as a lesbian on her profile page and apparently received such harassment and reviews from other users that Microsoft banned her account.

The XBox Live system is set up so players can review other players. Negative reviews are usually an indication of cheating - but not so much in Teresa's case.

According to Joystiq.com: "...Microsoft noted that users may not 'create a gamertag or use text in other profile fields that include comments that look, sound like, stand for, hint at, abbreviate or insinuate content of a potentially sexual nature. Profiles that do are asked to change the language and suspended until changes are made.'

"The company also stated that it does not allow Gamertags or profiles to identify any form of sexual orientation, though it is allowed in voice chat 'where context is more easily explained to all players involved.'

"Finally, Microsoft stated that harassment is "not condoned" and "taken very seriously.'"

Microsoft is asking for Teresa to step forward but for now, she has been permanently banned from the system.

My only question is would this happen if the person was heterosexual? By no means am I implying that Microsoft is discriminatory, more specifically I want to know if a "straight" person would have received the same "harassment."

But I think we all know the answer to that question.

CMA announces 2009 inductees

2009-02-04T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Country Music Association announced their 2009 Country Music Hall of Fame inductees today.

Charlie McCoy is the 2009 inductee for Recording and Touring Artist. McCoy was introduced by friend and 2007 inductee Mel Tillis.

Roy Clark is the 2009 inductee for Career Achieving National Prominence from World War II to 1975. Clark was introduced by friend and 2003 inductee Carl Smith.

Barbara Mandell is the 2009 inductee for Career Achieving National Prominence from 1975 to the present. Mandell was introduced by sister Louise Mandrell.

Congratulations to this trio for their achievements and success in the country music industry.

For more information on the Country Music Hall of Fame, please visit their Web site at: http://www.countrymusichalloffame.com/.

Don't Taser me babe!

2009-02-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

The summation is two 18-year-old girls were fighting at Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla. In an attempt to break up the fight, the resource officer (a police officer assigned to keep peace and order at the school) decided to Taser them.

Both girls were immediately taken to the hospital. Separate hospitals actually - just in case, I guess.

"Tasering them, that's serious. They could've done some serious damage to her, nerve damage or whatever. You don't just Tase somebody like that. That's a lot of voltage going through her body," said Janice Robinson, mother of one of the girls, to Local 10.

This is absolutely and utterly an unnecessary use of force. Fights are terrible but maybe if these girls had pulled out weapons, a taser gun might have been called for.

Whatever happened to the days of teachers pulling students apart while shouting "anyone standing here in ten minutes gets detention for a week!"

Honestly, I don't think it's such a bad idea to just let students brawl for a few minutes. It might be somewhat barbaric, but it could allow them to work off some steam before planting their butts in the confines of in-school suspension.

And let's not kid ourselves, as soon as these girls are back on their feet, they'll be back at each other's throats. This time though, it'll be out of the Taser's watchful range.

As for the officer, nothing was said about how he'll be handled. Maybe a lawsuit from the parents of the kids would send a message that says protection that a firm grip is better than an electric shock.

SIDENOTE: The event actually took place at 7:30 a.m. Can't kids today at least wait until after grown-ups have had their morning coffee?

ORIGINAL STORY:

Officer Shoots 2 Girls With Taser Gun At High School
BSO: Resource Officer Stops Students Fighting

POSTED: Monday, February 2, 2009

UPDATED: 5:00 am EST February 3, 2009

POMPANO BEACH, Fla. -- A school resource officer shocked two teenage girls with a Taser gun at a high school in order to stop a fight Monday morning, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office.

BSO said the two 18-year-old girls began fighting at about 7:30 a.m. at Blanche Ely High School. They were identified as Kayla Robinson and Latia Johnson.

Before the first school bell rang, a school resource officer came upon a group of girls locked in a brawl. He tried to break it up, but when the students refused to back off, another deputy fired his Taser gun, striking both Robinson and Johnson, Local 10's Roger Lohse reported.

Both girls were taken in for medical clearance. One went to North Broward Medical Center, and the other went to Imperial Point Medical Center.

The teenagers were OK, but Robinson's mother, Janice Robinson, said she is shocked the deputy did not find a safer way to break up the fight.

"Tasering them, that's serious. They could've done some serious damage to her, nerve damage or whatever. You don't just Tase somebody like that. That's a lot of voltage going through her body," Janice Robinson said.

Local 10 took Robinson's concerns to BSO, which provided a copy of the agency's policy on when deputies are allowed to draw their Tasers. Section 6.4 reads:

"When all other alternatives to restrain, secure and prevent injuries have failed and/or there may be a likely risk of injury to the deputy."

In this case, BSO said there were hundreds of other students gathered around as the school resource deputy physically tried to separate the girls. The second deputy thought the crowd was becoming unruly and felt the Taser was the safest way to restore order.

"You have a school resource deputy there. At any time, someone could have even reached for his weapon. So you want to gain control of the situation as soon as possible. You want to minimize any injuries, and you want to protect everyone that's involved -- our deputies, the students, everyone," said Veda Coleman-Wright of BSO.

Kayla Robinson, Johnson, 18-year-old Ashley French and two juveniles are charged with misdemeanor counts of simple battery and disrupting a school function.

The two juveniles were released to their parents. The other three were expected to post $1,000 bond to be released Monday evening.

It is unclear what sort of punishment the students will face from the school district.

Copyright 2009 by Post-Newsweek Stations.

Pole dancing distracts students

2009-02-02T11:07:00.001-08:00

Anyone who says that they wouldn't get distracted by a pole-dancing tutorial during their lunch break is outright lying.

And this was exactly the result of a risque display during a health drive at a London school.

Apparently, the school hired 32-year-old Sam Reemer, owner of the pole-dancing company "The Art of Dance," to display modern fitness pole dancing as a part of the schools health drive. Unfortunately for the school, the 1000-something teens were more inclined to take videos and pictures with their cell phones than absorb the exercise lesson.

The Sun paraphrased Reemer as saying "pole dancing is appropriate for young teenagers at school as it is a mix of dance moves and gymnastics and is excellent for fitness."

Similar workout programs like "Flirty Girl Fitness" and "pole-aerobic" classes are becoming increasing popular in the USA. But is the price of good fitness coming at the sacrifice of a moral standard? Is there a morality price attached to good health?

All I really know is I wish we had pole dancers displaying techniques during lunchtime. It would have been an incentive for me not to sneak off campus everyday.

ORIGINAL STORY:

School holds pole dance class

By: Vince Soodin, The Sun

Gawping teenagers watched a busty brunette give a pole dance lesson during their school lunch break.

A packed crowd of around 1,000 teenage students – aged 14 to 19 – saw the saucy display as part of a health drive.

Students videoed the dances on their mobiles.

A row has now erupted at South Devon College in Paignton after the demonstration prompted a wave of complaints from teachers.

The demo – held in a public area of the school – was run by Sam Remmer of pole dancing company The Art of Dance.

The 32-year-old said she was invited as part of the school’s Be Healthy Week.

But returning to the college two days later for the second demonstration she was told to move inside the sports hall and away from the main public area as there had been “a number of complaints”.

She was told staff had complained that after the first performance pupils were more interested in watching their mobile phone footage than they were in their afternoon classes.

Mrs Remmer said: “I was told pupils were distracted from their afternoon lessons because they were swapping pictures and videos.”

Mrs Remmer also said she had agreed to carry out the demo for free – providing she could post videos of the event on the internet for advertising.

However when teachers saw the videos on YouTube they demanded Mrs Remmer took them down.

She said: “The college are trying to distance themselves from the display as much as possible. I was contacted by the vice principal who argued that I should not be making the event public.

"I consented to removing the videos that had students in them as they had not signed any consent forms, but I refused to remove the videos filmed in the sports hall as they did not feature any students or references to the college."

Mrs Remmer said unless people are educated in the differences between modern fitness pole dancing and lap dancing then “negative stereotypes will not go away”.

She said pole dancing is appropriate for young teenagers at school as it is a mix of dance moves and gymnastics and is excellent for fitness.

The college has refused to comment on the issue.

But vice principal Pat Denham did say there was a “pole fitness demonstration but no pole dancing” and the college had received no “official” complaints.

The college has contacted Mrs Remmer and demanded she remove all videos relating to the display from the internet.

Child killer could get sentenced to death - again

2009-01-27T07:55:00.001-08:00

This is precisely what is wrong with the American judicial system. They don't understand the laws of nature. They think they can kill people - twice.

Joseph Duncan, a 46-year-old convicted sex offender sentenced to death for killing 9-year-old Dylan Groene, has been brought up on charges in the death of another boy.

Anthony Martinez, a 10-year-old Californian boy, was kidnapped in April of 1997. His body was found two weeks later, naked, bound and bludgeoned.

According to CNN, "Authorities reportedly discovered the boy's body by following vultures to a remote section of a nearby canyon. The body was partially buried under a pile of rocks and bound with duct tape."

If convicted, Duncan can be sentenced to death - again.

I understand the concept of multiple death sentences. Everyone wants a piece, everyone wants their justice. It just seems that after the first sentence is carried out, the second (or any subsequent death sentences after) is completely useless.

Wouldn't it just be easier to make him work for the rest of his miserable life? Then kill him?

We could tie him up on a string, hang him from a tree, and invite local youth groups and orphanages to come to the jail and beat him like a pinata.

Or we could just stick him in permanent confinement with a group of hardcore rapists.

Whatever it is, I know we could do something a little more creative than giving him a second death sentence.

On a side not to this story, the other thing I found interesting was the fact that Duncan supposedly committed his first sexual offence at the age of 12.

You think that would have been a signal to someone in young Duncan's life that something was horribly amiss. Which now brings to light the interesting question: is Duncan a victim of circumstance and negligence by people who should have been able to help OR is Duncan just a heartless SOB?

ORIGINAL STORY:

Child killer Duncan faces charges in another slaying

(CNN) -- A convicted sex offender who was sentenced to death for killing a 9-year-old Idaho boy is scheduled to be arraigned Monday on charges related to the killing of a 10-year-old California boy.

Joseph Edward Duncan III is expected to appear in court in Riverside County, California, to answer to charges in the 1997 abduction and murder of Anthony Martinez, said a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's office.

Investigators have charged Duncan with murder in Anthony's death.

Law-enforcement officials also are investigating whether Duncan, who committed his first sexual offense at the age of 12, can be tied to other crimes, according to CNN affiliate KTLA in Los Angeles, California.

Martinez was kidnapped on April 4, 1997 from an alley near his home in the city of Beaumont, the station reported; the boy's naked body was discovered a little over two weeks later.

Duncan has confessed to killing Martinez and crushing the boy's head with a rock, KTLA reported, citing court documents.

Authorities reportedly discovered the boy's body by following vultures to a remote section of a nearby canyon. The body was partially buried under a pile of rocks and bound with duct tape, according to KTLA.

Duncan, a high school dropout and drifter, was sentenced to death last August for the torture and murder of Dylan Groene, a 9-year-old Idaho boy.

He was convicted of kidnapping Dylan and his then 8-year-old sister before torturing them at a remote campsite and fatally bludgeoning members of their family.

In 2007, Duncan pleaded guilty to murder and kidnapping counts in state court for the hammer-attack murders of three other Groene family members.

If convicted of murdering Martinez, Duncan can be sentenced to death again.

Start treating Obama like a politician

2009-01-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday morning, the world came to a grinding halt as billions of people stopped to watch the inarguably historic inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America. The world witnessed as he became the first black leader of the free world.

At this point, I'm sick of hearing about Obama. Yes - I realize that he is now the president and will make news for the next four years.

But it isn't his politics I'm sick of hearing and seeing - it's his image. I'm sick of Barack Obama the celebrity, and with the recent passing of the inauguration, the Hollywood glamour will hopefully dissipate.

I am happy that he is our president, but this is precisely what I expect - President Barack Obama - not Obama-rama Spectacular Blowout Bash Supreme.

Supporting a candidate is a necessary aspect of political life. Creating a "rock star" persona and marketing him as a god that excrements rainbows and unicorns only sets up his presidency for failure. It sets the standards bar impossibly high.

He will not make money grow on trees.

He will not smash poverty and successfully enact universal healthcare.

He will not save all failing industries in America or return homes lost due to faulty advice from greedy bankers.

And he will certainly not make all of his supporters happy.

If Obama manages to successfully end the Iraq conflict, set our economy on a track to recovery and still have a little time to nurture the areas of education, healthcare and international relations, I think his term will be quite successful.

The problem is that many hardcore Obama-rama supporters act no better than concert groupies - sporting fashion buttons, bumper stickers and gaudy t-shirts in lieu of actual awareness. For some reason, the new fad seems to be being politically "active" via star-worship.

Not all Obama supporters have this attitude, but there are definitely those who only have a copy of Shepard Fairey's portrait of Obama because they think it's cool.

The attitude of Obama's supporters, however, was significantly more bearable than hardcore John McCain supporters who thought it cute to show off Curious George plushies with Obama buttons and yell obscenities about Obama during McCain's concession speech.

But once again, the same rule applies. Not all McCain supporters were like this, but I'm sure that the majority of the ones that were only acted like idiots because it was the "popular" way to show support for McCain. This includes Facebookers with "NObama," monkey-themed profile pictures.

The atmosphere surrounding the election proves that the celebrity cloud wasn't limited to just Obama but engulfed McCain as well. His supporters were just as eager and willing to turn their presidential candidate into an entertaining commodity rather than promoting his political platforms. Both are guilty of parading around shows like Saturday Night Live with about as much dignity as a state fair sideshow.

About the only performer in the 2008 political drama that wasn't backstage-pass worthy was Joe Biden. But then again, look who his competition was - Sarah Palin. How do you compete with someone who would probably do just about anything for green-room access?

Despite the better efforts of starry-eyed fans and media outlets obsessed with image over issues, Obama did reasonably well Tuesday, covering his overall goals in the inauguration speech, although the speech itself was somewhat dismal as he meticulously outlined the stormy skies ahead.

"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost, jobs shed, businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly, our schools fail too many and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet."

In summary: we're screwed.

So in the wake of these crises, the American people need someone to look to. It should be our president, whose duty it is to lead us through our dark times. My fear is that people expect an entertaining celebrity and will be sorely disappointed with the result.

Barack is a pop idol, but President Obama is not a superstar - only a man with a mission to make our lives better.

And that should be enough for the American people.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.mtsusidelines.com/home/index.cfm?event=displayArticle&ustory_id=b3f0770c-d7d4-4202-9f1d-c9cae7613730

© Copyright 2009 The Sidelines - Posted 01/22/09

Video games do not equal combat

2009-01-15T12:11:00.000-08:00

I love video games.

I got my first console when I was in elementary school - a Super Nintendo. In middle school I received a Playstation for Christmas. And finally, after a long wait similar to Cartman and the Wii, I got my Playstation 2 as a junior in high school.

The world of interactive entertainment has definitely evolved from the heydays of killing brain cells in shady arcades. Video games help to develop hand-eye coordination, logic and puzzle-solving skills, and continue to turn entire generations into tech-savvy beings. And despite limited time to play, I still engage in video games as often as possible.

So I was very disturbed to hear a CNN report yesterday about a new military recruitment facility in a Philadelphia shopping mall.

According to the report, the $12 million facility "has 60 personal computers loaded with military video games, 19 Xbox 360 video game controllers and a series of interactive screens describing military bases and career options in great detail."

Jesse Hamilton, a recent veteran of Iraq, spoke out against the new recruitment effort and said, "[The Army Experience Center is] very deceiving and very far from realistic. You can't simulate the loss when you see people getting killed. It's not very likely you are going to get into a firefight. The only way to simulate the heat is holding a blow dryer to your face."

The fact that the military might be trying to make a vague connection between actual warfare and a video game like Call of Duty 4 is utterly insulting to all active and veteran soldiers. It's almost saying their job was and is no harder than pushing a few buttons.

Comparing warfare to simulated combat is like seeing "Schindler's List" and proclaiming you can sympathize with Holocaust survivors.

To clarify, this topic has nothing to do with the military overall. I'm not up for writing much about whether I support or disapprove of the war or my opinion on our outgoing and incoming presidents' foreign policies.

What I do find interesting, however, is the area of military recruitment. I constantly refer to the recruitment mall next to Hobby Lobby off of Old Fort Parkway as "piranha row."

I call it piranha row because recruiters will try to get as many bites at a potential recruit as possible - anything to boost the Army's ever dropping enlistment rate.

To be fair, I am an Army brat via my father, so my dislike of recruitment officers started at a very young age. By the age of 12, I was receiving US Army paraphernalia - bags, visors, Frisbees, sunglasses.

When I was 14, I joined my high school's JROTC program. This was mostly out of respect for my father, who was, at the time, the executive officer of the program.

When I was 15, a sophomore, the Army recruiter came to visit.

I, along with my fellow classmates, were told to come to school in dress uniform and give up our lunch periods to stand with the Army recruiter to talk with our fellow, non-JROTC peers. We were supposed to sell the army life, despite the fact that we hadn't lived it. I just found it to be useful excuse not to be forced to find a seat in our already over-crowded cafeteria.

I ditched JROTC my sophomore year and refused to sign-up or respond to any postcards, letters or e-mails I had, and do still occasionally, receive.

But after reading another recruitment-themed story on Dec. 22, 2008 at Comcast.net, I'm actually starting to feel like recent recruiters are little more than Uncle Sam's punching bags. The story talks about the multiple suicides that have plagued the Houston Recruiting Battalion over the past three years. All soldiers served combat tours before becoming recruiters.

One death in particular, Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Henderson, is the main focus since his widow, Staff Sgt. Amanda Henderson, and Texas Sen. John Cornyn (R) have pressed the state senate for an investigation into Patrick's suicide.

According to Amanda, her husband worked "13-hour days, six days a week, often encountering abuse from young people and their parents… When he [Patrick] and other recruiters would gripe about their pressure to meet their quotas, their supervisors would snarl that they ought to be grateful they were not in Iraq."

Barely a year after taking the recruiting position, 35-year-old Patrick hanged himself in his backyard shed with a dog chain.

Wretched isn't strong enough to describe Patrick's last year of life and tragic isn't nearly appropriate enough to describe his death.

Whatever causes these soldiers' distress, the added pressures of creating a magical illusion of play fighting through entertainment and promising real-life, video game glory at the potential cost of young Americans' lives is more than enough to cause any human being distress - especially when that person knows the truth.

At this point, I'm not sure what's worse: asking soldiers to out-right fabricate combat situations to boost enlistment numbers or being the person who has to lie to unsuspecting young men and women?

I just hope we don't start opening martial arts studios asking kids to train with Mortal Kombat and then turn around, expecting them to break cement blocks with their bare foreheads.

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/15/09

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:

http://media.www.mtsusidelines.com/media/storage/paper202/news/2009/01/15/Opinions/Video.Games.Do.Not.Equal.Combat-3586507.shtml

"Baby Daddy" rises with the surrogacy trend

2008-12-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

Tina Fey's fictional, single-parent, baby-proofing days may be over after her release of "Baby Mama" earlier this year, but the parental adventure is just beginning for many people who decided to conceive via surrogacy.

An interesting fact in the growing trend of surrogacy is that many parents are single, and some are actually men.

According to CNN, two surrogacy agencies have seen a significant growth in the number of single men wanting to have children.

This is absolutely amazing. Men are finally starting to be respected as caregivers.

As a feminist, I believe equality is the ultimate goal. But it seems that as women have gain momentum in becoming "providers," men have made very little progress in the area of "care giving."

Women can now bring home the bacon, but men still can't use a skillet.

Men have begun to take a more proactive role within families, helping partners (both gay and straight) raise children. But single parents experience the biggest hardships. Unfortunately, the only single parents we ever seem to hear about are single women.

But single men are doing the exact same thing as single women when it comes to parenting. Both must generate a steady revenue to support their family; foster a safe and nurturing environment for the growth and development of their prodigy; and both have to deal with the social stigma that come with being single parent.

The root of the problem for both men and women who are single parents lies in the fact that they are single. Single-ness is an unspoken unacceptability within our society. Because, for whatever reason, we believe that we can't love ourselves enough to lead a productive and healthy life.

So we look for another to support us and we pity those who have not found someone. But what about children?

These men and women - these single parents - aren't really single or alone. They have families, children who love and support them. And if love and support is the only thing needed to form a wholly functional family, I'd say these parents are doing a pretty good job.

---------------------

Single men turning to surrogates

By Ronni Berke - CNN Senior Producer

NEW YORK (CNN) -- Jeff Walker says from as far back as he can remember, he always wanted to be a father.

"It was always something I knew, from the time I was a child." Just like his 3-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, who says she wants to be a mommy someday, Jeff says, "I knew I wanted to be a daddy."

Walker, a Manhattan music executive, says he and his partner had talked about adopting a baby years ago. But after three emotionally draining, failed attempts at adoption, they decided to turn to surrogacy. They contacted Circle Surrogacy, a Boston agency that specializes in gay clients. Their child was conceived with a donor egg, and then the embryo implanted in the surrogate, or carrier.

After Elizabeth was born, Walker and his partner separated. He then made a critical decision -- to become a dad again, single, and by choice.

"I realized my family, my two-dad family was going to look different than I thought it was going to look," he said. Without a partner, he would face even steeper challenges raising Elizabeth and a sibling alone. Walker says he gave the decision a lot of thought.

"That was the only part that was really controversial, because I do think there are a lot of challenges that single parents face, but at the same time I felt I was capable of handling those challenges," he said.

His second daughter, Alexandra, was born two years ago to the same surrogate, implanted with an egg from a different donor.

Walker, 45, is one of a growing number of single men -- both gay and straight -- who are opting to become fathers alone, with the help of gestational surrogacy.

Surrogacy experts say because the practice is not regulated, many surrogacy arrangements are handled privately by individuals. Precise figures are hard to come by, but experts say there's no doubt the United States is experiencing a surrogacy baby boom.

Celebrities like Ricky Martin and Clay Aiken announced this year they had had babies with the help of surrogates and the the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology, representing scores of reproductive clinics, reports that the number of gestational surrogate births in the country quadrupled between 1996 and 2006.

Surrogacy experts say gestational surrogacy has increased steadily since the advent of in vitro fertilization in the early 1980s, because it provides an extra layer of emotional and legal protection for the client. The egg donor usually does not even know the client, and unlike the legally contentious "Baby M" case from the 1980s, the surrogate is not giving birth to her genetic child.

"It rises as an issue far less frequently with gestational surrogacy, because women never see it as their child to begin with," said John Weltman, president of Circle Surrogacy.

His agency, which expects more than 70 babies to be born in 2009, has seen a 50 percent growth in the number of single male clients over the past year.

Walker and other men are willing to pay well over $100,000 to have a baby through surrogacy -- the final cost depending on the number of IVF treatments necessary and how much is paid by insurance.

Circle is not the only major surrogacy provider experiencing a single-dad surge. At Growing Generations, a Los Angeles, California, agency that facilitates about 100 births a year, the number of single men seeking surrogates has doubled in the past three years, spokeswoman Erica Bowers said.

Although most of their single male clients are gay, surrogacy providers say a smaller but growing number are straight. Steven Harris, a New York malpractice and personal-injury attorney, says he gave up trying to get married when he realized his primary motive was to start a family.

Harris, 54, says he knew he made the right decision after 21-month old Ben was born.

"I thought getting married was the only way to go, because I did want a family. But having Ben, I feel complete now," Harris says.

Original Article:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/12/23/single.men.parenting/index.html

Score one more racism point for the South

2008-12-24T19:06:00.000-08:00

I am a Southerner, whether I like it or not.

I was born in the South, raised in the South, attend school in the South and will probably stay in the South for a while.

Despite my frequent gripes about the narrow-minded bigots and unintelligent rednecks I occasionally encounter, I really think it is an amazing place to live. It feels like home.

But living inside the South and looking at it from the outside are two very different things.

INSIDE: warm, friendly, down-to-earth and helpful.

OUTSIDE: bigoted, unintelligent, dirty and backwards.

Anytime I encounter someone outside of the South, the conversation usually begins as follows:

Them: "Oh wow, what a cute accent you have. You're not from around here are you?"

Me: "No, I'm from Tennessee."

*At this point, there is usually a reference to Nashville (and country music), Jack Daniels or Orange.*

Me: "Yes, I live outside of Nashville; No, I don't like country music; No, I've never been to the distillery; No, I don't go to UTK or watch their football games."

And this is usually where the conversation comes to a screeching halt - due to the fact that I am not, what they consider, a "Southerner."

I don't want to sound hypocritical, so I should probably denote that not all non-Southerners think like this. There are probably about as many non-Southerners who think we are dirty mouth-breathers as there are Southerners who think Northerners are uppity carpetbaggers.

Regardless, assumptions run amok through both cultures. So when something like what happened in High Point, North Carolina (see story below) makes the news, it comes as no shock that another point is scored in favor of the Southern stereotype.

First and foremost, any racial slurs or gestures are absolutely unacceptable in any manner and in any part of the country. However, because this happened in a southern state, the implications of the message are far more severe.

It's bad enough that we're looked at as having a foundation of racism thanks to slavery and resistance to the Civil Rights Movement (in various areas of the South). But times are changing, attitudes are improving, and the people who originally held degrading and oppressive thoughts are steadily dying out, leaving behind a generation of more accepting and open-minded individuals - with the exception of a few.

Honestly, I don't think that the South has any more racists-minded residents than any other region in our country. Once again, the stereotype just lends itself to the assumption that we do. I've definitely run into a few people who assume we all run around barefooted and sleep with a shotgun under our pillow.

If anything, one of the most predominate qualities of the Southern culture is the concept of respect and honor.

I just wish that people, like the two teens from High Point, had enough respect for the honor and dignity of our region.

-----------------

2 charged after Klan-like hoods found outside school

By J. Brian Ewing, Staff Writer (News and Record)

HIGH POINT - Two teens were charged with hanging four Klan-like hoods around the campus of High Point Central this morning.

David Lee Hughes, 16, and Mitchell James Dawkins, 16, were both charged with placing an exhibit with the intention of intimidating and misdemeanor larceny.

Police Capt. Tony Hamrick said the hoods are made of white vinyl and had holes cut in them. They were actually traffic cones turned inside out. The cones had recently been stolen, and other traffic cones were found in a vehicle near the school, according to a news release.

Three of the hoods were hung near the bus parking lot at the school, and the fourth was hung from the school's flagpole.

The hoods were found about 5:30 a.m. today by a school custodian.

No nooses were found, Hamrick said, despite earlier reports from school system officials stating there were.

Hamrick said there have been no recent race-related issues at the school that he is aware of. The incident does not represent the atmosphere at the school, he said.

"This is an irresponsible prank we take seriously," he said.

Two officers will remain on the campus for the remainder of the school day.

Hughes and Dawkins, who are both white, were released to the custody of their parents.

ORIGINAL STORY:

http://www.news-record.com/content/2008/12/15/article/2_in_custody_after_klan_like_hoods_found_outside_school

Military recruiters double as Uncle Sam's punching bags

2008-12-22T17:00:00.000-08:00

Right next to Hobby Lobby, off of Old Fort Parkway, sits the Murfreesboro military recruitment offices - or as I call it, "piranha row."

I have never liked military recruiters. My father was in the military and since the day I was born, I've apparently been on their "must have" list.

By the age of 12, I was receiving US Army paraphernalia - bags, visors, Frisbees, sunglasses.

When I was 14, I joined my high school's JROTC program. This was mostly out of respect for my father, who was, at the time, the executive officer of the program.

I may not like the military, but I will respect the fact that my father served our country and the military has provided him and my family a stable living for the better part of my life.

When I was 15, a sophomore, the Army recruiter came to visit.

I, along with my fellow classmates, were told to come to school in dress uniform and give up our lunch periods to stand with the Army recruiter to talk with our fellow, non-JROTC peers.

We were supposed to sell the army life, despite the fact that we hadn't lived it. I just found it a useful excuse not to be forced to find a seat in our already over-crowded cafeteria.

After my sophomore year, I quit the JROTC program and devoted myself to the school paper. The "liberal" media was, and still is, the best way I have found to serve our citizens, because a well-informed community makes for a stronger country.

But even though I ditched JROTC and refused to sign-up or respond to any postcards, letters or e-mails I have (and still do on occasion) receive, I still held somewhat of a grudge against the recruiters that went after me and my high school friends with promises of money, fame, glory and candy.

After reading the article posted below, I feel sorry for military recruiters. With two wars, the majority of the world against us, the switching of executive administrations and the ever-mounting pressure felt by our armed forces, I'm honestly shocked that the suicide count isn't higher.

It makes me wonder how many attempted suicides aren't known to the public.

It makes me think about the lies the military executives tell recruiters.

It makes me question whether these people we ask to protect us feel like they are treated with any scrap of dignity - particularly by their superiors.

It makes me sad that our country has gotten to this point.

It's shameful.

___

By: The Associated Press

Sgt. 1st Class Patrick Henderson, a strapping Iraq combat veteran, spent the last, miserable months of his life as an Army recruiter, cold-calling dozens of people a day from his strip-mall office and sitting in strangers' living rooms, trying to sign up their sons and daughters for an unpopular war.

He put in 13-hour days, six days a week, often encountering abuse from young people or their parents. When he and other recruiters would gripe about the pressure to meet their quotas, their superiors would snarl that they ought to be grateful they were not in Iraq, according to his widow.

Less than a year into the job, Henderson — afflicted by flashbacks and sleeplessness after his tour of battle in Iraq — went into his backyard shed, slid the chain lock in place, and hanged himself with a dog chain.

He became, at age 35, the fourth member of the Army's Houston Recruiting Battalion to commit suicide in the past three years — something Henderson's widow and others blame on the psychological scars of combat, combined with the pressure-cooker job of trying to sell the war.

"Over there in Iraq, you're doing this high-intensive job you are recognized for. Then, you come back here, and one month you're a hero, one month you're a loser because you didn't put anyone in," said Staff Sgt. Amanda Henderson, herself an Iraq veteran and a former recruiter in the battalion.

The Army has 38 recruiting battalions in the United States. Patrick Henderson's is the only one to report more than one suicide in the past six years.

The Army began an investigation after being prodded by Amanda Henderson and Texas Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn, a Republican on the Armed Services Committee, said he will press for Senate hearings.

"We need to get to the bottom of this as soon as we can," he said.
The all-volunteer military is under heavy pressure to sign up recruits and retain soldiers while it wages two wars.

Douglas Smith, a spokesman for the Army Recruiting Command, acknowledged that recruiting is a demanding job but said counseling and other support are available.

"I don't have an answer to why these suicides in Houston Recruiting Battalion occurred, but perhaps the investigation that is under way may shed some light on that question," he said.
In all, 15 of the Army's 8,400 recruiters have committed suicide since 2003. During that period, more than 540 of the Army's half-million active-duty soldiers killed themselves.

The 266-member Houston battalion covers a huge swath of East Texas, from Houston to the Arkansas line. Henderson committed suicide Sept. 20. Another battalion member, Staff Sgt. Larry Flores Jr., hanged himself in August at age 26; Sgt. Nils "Aron" Andersson, 25, shot himself to death in March 2007; and in 2005, a captain at battalion headquarters took his life, though the military has not disclosed any details. All served combat tours before their recruiting assignments.

Charlotte Porter, Andersson's mother, said her son — who served two tours in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne and earned a Bronze Star — couldn't lie to recruits about the war and felt an enormous burden to ensure they could become the kind of soldiers he would want watching his back.

"He wasn't a complainer. He just said it really sucked," said his 51-year-old mother, who is from Eugene, Ore. "He felt like a failure."

___

On the Net:

Complete Original Article: http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-national/20081222/Recruiter.Suicides/

Army Recruiting Command: http://www.usarec.army.mil/

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Obama is the new President - Westboro is scared

2008-11-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

I would be lying if I said that I wasn't excited about Barack Obama being our 44th President of the United States of America.

It's an understandable occurrence that not everyone is thrilled with the president elect. Not everybody has to be happy about it.

And just because I like Obama, doesn't mean I support everything he believes. I definitely do not subscribe to the thought pattern that this guy will crap rainbows and bleed miracles.

But then there are the people who are going to go to the extremes - like the Westboro Baptist Church. These people are certifiable, but at least they are equal opportunity haters. Like Obama, they hated George W. Bush, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, victims of Katrina, teenagers killed in car accidents, soldiers who die overseas and the occasional state or two.

No kidding, these people claim to hate Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Kooky right?

Their Web site - godhatesfags.com - gets a pretty fair share of hits. I personally frequent their site to keep tabs on whether they will be paying a visit to Tennessee. At the very least, it would make for a great news story.

But I digress. They recently posted a "news release" about president-elect Barack and notes how he is the "Antichrist." Personally, if these people ever truly wanted to see the Antichrist, all they would have to do is look in a mirror.

The following is their "news release." Enjoy.

BARACK OBAMA IS ANTICHRIST

GOD IS PUNISHING AMERICA BY MAKING HIM
PRESIDENT TO FURTHER CURSE THIS EVIL NATION

Antichrist fit Obama like a glove; to wit: The Man of Sin, the Beast, the Son of Perdition, That Wicked One (i.e., That Lawless One), who wrests, or twists, the Scripture to his own destruction. 2 Pet. 3:16.

By his own pronouncements, and by the events as they have miraculously developed on the ground, presidential candidate - Sen. Barack Obama - is the Antichrist. The word Antichrist means "he that openly withstands Christ, being diametrically opposed to Christ."

Sodomite America deserves Antichrist as her president.

This evil, black Nimrod is on record as supporting same-sex marriage and the wholesale murder of babies; and, his basic theology is pure Arminian heresy, consisting of two Satanic lies:

1) God loves everybody; and,

2) Man has a free will.

He has shredded every part of the Bible which proves him and his sycophants - (i.e., his worshipers) - to be lying murderers and blaspheming hypocrites.

All the Bible aliases for "But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you." 1 Pet. 1:25.

"Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of Gods pake as they were loved by the Holy Ghost." 2 Pet. 1:20,21.

Thus Antichrist Obama has committed blasphemy against the Holy Ghost, Mat . 12:31,32. And Antichrist Obama is bound for Hell for his sins against the Holy Ghost, "cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone." Rev. 19:20.

Amen.

Problem: If this is such an "evil nation," why are the Westboro followers still here?

Answer: If they went anywhere else in this world, they would probably be killed.

Problem: When did Obama openly withstand Christ? It's not like he's declared Mortal Kombat against God.

Answer: Obama is a Christian - just not a WESTBORO Christian. Which means he's really not a Christian to the Westborians.

(Side note: I always find it amusing when Christians hate other Christians. It's like the deaf hating the deaf for being deaf. Now THAT'S hypocrisy at its best Westboro.)

Problem: There is no scripture presented to support the notion that Obama is the Antichrist.

Answer: The Westboro Baptist Church consists of inbred, knuckle-dragging, mouth-breathing, narrow-minded, unhappy-with-their-own-pathetic-existences hillbillies led by a senile, perverted, closeted homosexual named Fred Phelps. Sun rise, sun set.

Obama isn't perfect, but McCain was farther from. I know that everyone can't wait to see what Obama will do, but I really don't expect him to do a lot. Mostly I'm just curious to see how he helps our country's current situations.

In fact, I don't even expect him to get to do or "change" anything that he really wants to in his four years. All I really expect of Obama is for him to work his hardest to clean up the mess we are currently in.

War, economic chaos, social injustice, primitive educational standards. If he can just begin to heal any of these things, I will consider his time in office a success.

So congratulations Barack Obama, 44th President of the United States of America. I wish you the best of luck in leading and representing me, my family, my friends, my country.

And please don't screw up. I really can't stand when the Westborians think they have the right to gloat.

Judgment shouldn't be marginalized

2008-11-04T12:57:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday, a few friends and I attended the Family Worship Center's presentation of "Judgment: Death Row" in Murfreesboro.

The presentation was a variation of a traditional Hell House - a haunted house with a Christian theme designed to lead viewers to a relationship with Jesus in order to save their eternal souls from the fires of hell.

The concept for the original Hell House was "Scaremare" and was pioneered by Jerry Falwell in the 1970s. Scaremare still runs to this day.

Since its development, multiple churches, usually denoting themselves as fundamentalists, have emulated this Halloween pastime, including Trinity Church of Cedar Hill, Texas - whose hellish production was documented by director George Ratliff in the movie Hell House.

It was very obvious that the Family Worship Center spent top dollar on its faithful interpretation of salvation through the intricacy of its set, the man-power it took to run the production and the oh-so-subtle advertisement spots on Comcast.

But even with a decently- sized budget, the overall message delivered by the church left much to be desired - specifically accountability.

The play is set up to take the audience through the lives of several death row inmates, including murderers, rapists and child abusers. It displays scenes of drug use, domestic abuse, suicide, assault, molestation, drinking and death.

Each prisoner has a different backstory.

One was molested as a child. This led him to become addicted to pornography and eventually kidnap, rape and kill children.

Another was unprepared for the burden of motherhood, what with her addiction to an unnamed drug demon. Her baby wouldn't stop crying so she shook it to death.

The crimes of the inmates can go on and on, but the one running commonality among them was their lack of faith in the Family Worship Center's opinion of God.

I say the Family Worship Center's opinion of God because not every sect of Christianity believes exactly what this specific church does. However, through its hell house presentation, the FWC made perfectly clear what will and will not get you into its Heaven.

Suicide and the rejection of God is an automatic admission ticket to become Satan's little errand boy.

The only way to get into Heaven - or have your name recorded in the "Book of Life" - was to ask Jesus to forgive you of all your Earthly sins. But unawareness with the Christian faith was not covered. If you are not aware of the concept of Christianity, do you also go to Hell?

The biggest problem with their version of ultimate forgiveness was there is no accountability for Earthly actions.

For example, the aforementioned child-shaking mother asked the religious figure present at her lethal injection if God could forgive her. He replied the mandatory "yes," because really, let's face it, he doesn't know for sure. She then asked Jesus to forgive her, they injected her with a dose of deadly narcotics, and she dies but then awakens moments later - in Heaven.

Every other non-murderous individual should be outraged at this. This woman is allotted the same reward for living a terrible life that a person who works very hard to remain virtuous gets.

It is true that forgiveness is not fair. But forgiveness should not come without retribution. People should be made to be accountable for their actions and not receive a free ride to a blissful eternity.

In a technical sense, Person A and Person B are both given the same opportunity - life.

Person A spends his life obeying laws, caring for others and trying his hardest to be an overall good person.

Person B, given the same opportunity of life, squanders his life selfishly, harming other people.

Both people ask Jesus to forgive their sins. According to the FWC, both will get into Heaven.

Person A should be pissed. Luckily for him, he gets to spend eternity enjoying being pissed off.

The fact of the matter is the Family Worship Center has no idea what the requirements are for entry into either Heaven or Hell. Like many other sects of Christianity and other religions, they think they know, but they don't.

And that, above all else, is the concept that terrifies us as humans. The answer to all the "big" questions is very simple - we don't know.

The FWC would like to think that, after we die, we go to either Heaven or Hell. They like to think that the requirement for entry into Heaven is to "confess Christ openly, follow Christ in baptism, be faithful in going to a Bible-believing church, read the Bible, pray daily, give your time, talent and tithes, and be a witness for Christ."

Those are all very nice goals and decent standards to live by. But once again, these are just theories - not guarantees.

Yes, the answer is scary. We will all die one day. Not knowing what will happen to us after we die is absolutely petrifying.

But it isn't a bad thing. We have the fear, so we should use it. The only thing we can do is blindly prepare for what lies after life.

So we help out others in need, love our fellow humans, whether we agree with them or not, and try to maintain a progressive, safe world for ourselves and our posterity. Doing these things is not always easy, and many people mess up. But it's okay because, after all, we are only human.

The FWC message that left much to be desired was that we need to stay out of Hell.

Swing and a miss.

What their message should have been is that we should be good people because it is the right thing to do.

Andy Harper is a senior journalism major

Originally posted on 10/27/08 at www.mtsusidelines.com

Children's safety should be focus, not polygamy

2008-06-17T09:36:00.000-07:00

For the past couple of months, I have been following the case at the Yearning for Zion Ranch in Eldorado, Texas religiously – slight pun intended. My fascination with the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or the FLDS began years ago when I learned about Warren Jeffs, the leader and self-proclaimed profit of the court.

When Jeffs was finally apprehended in August of 2006, I nearly threw a party to celebrate. And it felt like Christmas when Utah courts sentenced Jeffs for 10 years to life for his numerous crimes, including accomplice to rape, incest and molestation.

There are few people on the face of this planet that I would attribute as purely evil –Warren Jeffs in one of them.

But the recent events with the YFZ Ranch have left me somewhat disturbed. I hate the unspeakable horrors the children, girls and boys, face as a part of the FLDS – rape, underage marriage, excommunication and abandonment. But it is equally despicable to see a mother’s anguish at having her child forcefully taken away from her.

In a nutshell, the series of events began in March, after Texas Child Protective Services received a phone call from a 16-year-old girl claiming to have been sexually abused at the ranch. The phone call resulted in a raid of the compound on April 3.

The raid itself resulted in Child Protective Services removing over 500 women and children from the ranch over the next five days. On April 17, a Texas court ruled that the children would remain in state custody and were to be split between 16 various foster home and CPS facilities.

On May 22, an appellate court overturned the original decision, claiming that CPS had no right to remove the children from their homes. Seven days later, the Texas Supreme Court concurred with the appellate decision and ordered that all the children be returned.

“The child custody issues and other court proceedings do not impact the ongoing criminal investigation,” said Jerry Strickland, a spokesman for the Texas attorney general’s office in the Los Angeles Times. “The evidence collected from the polygamist compound and reviewed by investigators will dictate the direction of this investigation.”

Thank goodness the Texas CPS doesn’t give up so easily. The most frequently used argument about the entire situation is that this is somehow an attack on religious freedom or polygamy.

Seriously, who cares if someone chooses to be a polygamist for religious reasons? If having multiple spouses and a pack of children is your passion, then more power to you. If a person can keep all of his wives or her husbands happy and safe; if all the children are developing in a healthy, stable environment, then there is no reason that family should be judged because their views on familiar structure are different from the mainstream.

The problem isn’t polygamy.

The problem is girls being forced into marriage and sexual relations at 14-years-old.

The problem is young men being disowned or run out of their communities because they are “competition” for the older men, who require more wives.

The problem is women being raped for the cause of procreation because some dirty, old man named Warren Jeffs declared that his libido-driven, middle-aged male followers need to sleep with a different woman every night.

The problem has escalated out of control.

“Let’s say you’re a 6-month-old girl, no evidence whatsoever of any abuse,” said Mark Shurtleff, a Utah Attorney General, to the Salt Lake City Deseret News. “They’re simply saying, ‘You, in this culture, may grow up to be a child bride when you’re 14. Therefore we’re going to remove you now when you’re 6 months old.’ Or, ‘You’re a 6-month-old boy; 25, 30 years, 40 years from now you’re going to be a predator, so we’re going to take you away now.’”

Shurtleff disagreed with the removal of the women and children on a very good principle – thought crime. Despite the constant unease of a 1984-esc society, thankfully thoughts, at least in the United States, are not a crime.

However, premeditation and thought are two very different things. If the investigation turns up any evidence to suggest premeditated rape, as in the arrangement of a 12-year-old to a 22-year-old, the perpetrators better immediately end up behind bars.

This might result in another chaotic attempt to rescue women and children from the FLDS, a venture that, once again, might be fruitless.

So the real question, the fact that has left me disturbed, is this: is it better to save a child’s future based on circumstantial evidence of what might happen or honor the rights of the parents charged with the safety of that child?

Mark Shurtleff says no. Texas Child Protective Services says yes. Once again, the country is divided over the welfare of its youngest citizens – excuse the jab at the abortion issue.

The only conceivable possibility for solving the problem is to follow the red-taped, bureaucratic trail of case-by-case examination, investigation, prosecution and resolve. But by the time that happens, Warren Jeffs will have probably been released from his lifetime sentence and marrying his next child-bride.

'The Paper' does not do journalism justice

2008-05-08T10:38:00.001-07:00

"Journalists are the most important part of the world."

At least we are according to Amanda Lorber, editor in chief of the Cypress Bay High School newspaper The Circuit. Amanda and her staff are the new focus of MTV's "The Paper," a reality show about life in a newsroom.

There's only one problem: it isn't a newsroom; it's a high school class. No self-respecting newspaper would allow any external media to chronicle the unimportant, uninteresting and irrelevant events that transpire within their work area.

Journalists exist to relay the news. Obviously, dramatic antics will pop up every now and again, but these scenarios exist in any working environment. The only important and noteworthy thing about a newspaper and its staff is the final product placed on the stands.

With this in mind, The Circuit staff forgot one of the most basic rules of our industry - we are not the story. Journalists don't exist to be the stars of a reality show; we exist to deliver strong, factual, entertaining and interesting news to our audience.

It's already difficult enough to be a doctor or lawyer with shows like "Grey's Anatomy" and "Law and Order." People develop a disillusioned view of these careers and expect every ER doctor to be sleeping with a nurse and every lawyer to have high profile murder cases.

Hopefully, the general audience for these shows can tell the difference between reality and fantasy, but it still warps the perceptions of these career fields. We begin to expect certain actions and events from doctors, nurses, police officers and even journalists. Because of this, industries that should be held in high respect are reduced to primetime soaps.

The unfortunate staff of The Circuit has entered itself into the worst genre of television possible, because everyone loses in a reality show.

Most of these journalistic-hopefuls screwed their careers in the very first episode. After their last issue under the "old" editor in chief, the staff celebrated with a house party that included a game involving ping-pong balls, red plastic cups and a mysterious unseen liquid. Two of the show's characters, Trevor Ballard and Giana Pacinelli, sneaked upstairs for some "alone" time.
Not to say high school students are required to be "innocent," but Web sites like Facebook and MySpace already cause future employees trouble. The first episode of this show is basically like "Minors Gone Wild."

True, these high school staffers could have been drinking water or sparkling cider. Trever and his girlfriend Giana could have just gone upstairs to talk or snuggle. But I doubt future employers will view their actions as such.

The second screw from this reality show comes in the form of character assassination.
Amanda is a self-righteous, obnoxious know-it-all who sends her staff into rage at the sound of her voice. She's about as well-equipped to lead a publication as a first-year med student is to perform heart surgery. Amanda may know the mechanics, but she lacks the grace to direct her nurses and the finesse to keep the patient alive.

The managing editor is anything but. Alex Angert is a sheepish, two-faced mediator between the big, bad editor and his unhappy peers. Instead of plotting to overthrow a leader who cannot be fired by the staff, he should be concentrating on assisting Amanda in making the newspaper the best possible publication. Although, with Amanda's obvious control issues, it's unlikely she'll actually let Alex do his job.

Trevor and Giana apparently didn't get enough "alone" time during the house party, because the only time you see either of them in the season preview, they are groping each other like bunnies in spring.

Adam Brock is a lot less striking than his name implies. The first time this overdramatic queen of advertising throws a tantrum in a real newsroom, he'll be fired. Being passed up for editor in chief is a major let down, but for Adam to drop to his knees and cry in agony, in the middle of a hallway surrounded by his coworkers extinguished any respect his peers had for him.

Scratch that; throwing papers down during production and yelling, "You don't see what they do, why can't you see what I see?" and storming out of the room in a huff of his own awesomeness looks to be the final nail in a coffin designated for Adam's professionalism.

If anything, Rhonda Weiss is the only victim in this poorly-acted melodrama. Rhonda, the adviser for The Circuit, plays the role of the overstressed mother-figure bent on pleasing everyone. Too bad her children are unruly and unappeasable, too caught up in their own ambitions, wants and needs to find a place of compromise, ethics and integrity.

These potential future pillars of the journalism industry have shamed the very job they wanted to immortalize. And worse, they have dragged their own good names through the mud, and a good name is one of the most prized processions a journalist can own.

To be fair, these high school students could be amazing people. They could be responsible, talented, journalistically attuned, career-ambitious individuals, but at the end of the season, none of those qualities matter. Because in the end, no newspaper wants to use a byline tattered with a mixture of mud and shame.

Andy Harper is a senior journalism major.

Posted: 4/21/08 on www.mtsusidelines.com

CHECK OUT GAWKER.COM FOR A RESPONSE TO THE ABOVE COLUMN!
http://gawker.com/382169/high-school-journalists-are-so-immature-says-college-journalist

Why hate responsible sex?

2008-02-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Last week, Trojan brand condoms started a new "evolve" campaign, which features a commercial of pigs in a bar trying to pick-up women, but to no avail.

Only when one of the pigs visits the restrooms and purchases a Trojan condom, does he transform into a good-looking, 20-something and is able to catch the eye of a cute, martini-sipping blonde.

The commercial is pure genius, metaphorically speaking. Any man without the sense to properly equip himself for a safe, happy and healthy sex life is nothing more than a sloppy, sexually irresponsible pig.

Trojan does not use their name, only their picture logo, and the commercial phrase that appears at the end of the one-minute slot reads, "Evolve. Use a condom every time."

Two major media corporations have refused to run this advertisement: Fox and CBS. The companies rejected the advertisement, although previous Trojan ads have appeared on both.

According to The New York Times, both CBS and Fox declined comment, however, both wrote letters to Trojan informing the condom manufacturer of the decision to decline running the ad and provided a vague explanation.

"While we understand and appreciate the humor of this creative, we do not find it appropriate for our network even with late-night-only restrictions," wrote CBS.

"Contraceptive advertising must stress health-related uses rather than the prevention of pregnancy," wrote Fox.

Something to note about both television companies: both air ads promoting products for erectile dysfunction.

Wouldn't it be better to put the safety on the gun before loading the bullets? Rather, wouldn't it be better to ensure protection before target practice?

Proper condom use, first and foremost, should be the responsibility of a male. This is not to say women shouldn't know about proper condom usage, but women have other concerns.

A condom is one of the very few forms of "male" contraception: the basic principle being, 'roll it over and ride on in.' Women, however, have to deal with birth control, diaphragms and spermicide.

Men: when was the last time you had to inject yourself with a drug to alter the chemical balance of your body in order to have a safe, sexual experience? Taking responsibility for both the safety of yourself and your partner does not make a lesser man, but a better person.

It seems the real problem the broadcast companies have is the lack of metaphorical comprehension and the inability to look past men being portrayed "literally" as pigs.

In our society, music, movies and the Internet cater to a populous with a right-now, face-value attitude. So it makes perfect since that channels like CBS and Fox, which show graphic violence and strong sexual content, would stifle creative commercials which address the less pleasurable side of sexual health issues.

God forbid we consider using proper protection during a hot, steamy reality television show. Who has time for a condom? Not the drunk, horny teenagers.

Carol Carrozza, vice president of marketing for Ansell Healthcare, the company that produces LifeStyle condoms, was quoted in The New York Times article as saying, "We always find it funny that you can use sex to sell jewelry and cars, but you can't use sex to sell condoms."

The issue of disease prevention, as Fox pointed out, becomes null and void if the cause is not noted, the cause being unsafe sexual practices, which mean the necessity of referring to sex.

Anyone offended by references to sex in condom commercial are missing the point. A company wouldn't advertise an energy drink without referring to the wonderful things one could accomplish if consuming their product.

A condom commercial without sex is like an Allstate commercial without car accidents. Neither concentrates solely on the actions, rather both the Trojan and Allstate primary message is they can offer you a reasonable amount of insurance.

The New York Times article also contained research statistics by the Trojan company. Apparently, only one in four sexual acts involve a condom.

These results may or may not take into account other contraception usage or the nature of the sexual relationship. However, the old proverb still remains: it's better to be safe than sorry.

Of the statistic, Jim Daniels, vice president for marketing at Trojan, said, "That's dramatically below usage rates in other developed countries. Our goal is to dramatically increase usage."

With a 75 percent corner on the condom market, Trojan, with the new "Evolve" campaign, is more interested in increasing condom use than marketing their brand. While no one can deny that the company wants consumers using their product, it is still a notable noble effort on Trojan's part to safely equip society.

With that, Trojan deserves some well earned "cheers" for their new campaign.

Fox and CBS get the "jeers" for being close-minded and oppressive of an informative and entertaining ad.

Perhaps, one day, condoms and contraceptives will no longer be a topic of controversy, or at the least embarrassment. Maybe one day - when pigs fly.

Posted: 6/27/07 on www.mtsusidelines.com

Women should decide; men should support

2008-02-25T16:32:00.000-08:00

"Well aren't you glad your mother didn't have an abortion?"

"I suppose, but it isn't like I would be complaining if she did."

The above dialogue was held between a die-hard "Pro-Lifer" and myself. An interesting fact about the speaker - it was a male.

In our democratic society, men and women are allowed and encouraged to use the right of free speech and religious beliefs without the fear of prosecution.

As intelligent individuals, we are allotted the abilities to form our own beliefs about subjects. The issue isn't about having an opinion, but rather forcing an opinion in a battle where the instigator only has a three-legged dog.

This is not a discussion on the "rights" and "wrongs" of abortion. Abortion is currently classified as a legal, medical procedure but is held as morally and ethically wrong by certain groups and persons.

The discussion is why is it acceptable, even viewed as correct, for a man to tell a woman how to manage her body? It's like taking a car to a mechanic and telling them how to fix the problem.

Reversing roles, would a man rather have a woman picket and protest in favor of required vasectomies or support his decision to have or not have a medical procedure performed?

The problem exists when men are the forefront of the "Pro-Life" movement. The fact remains that men are unable to conceive; therefore we are unable to properly empathize with a woman's reproductive biology.

Comparing social subjects, can a heterosexual person identify with the issues faced by the Gay-Lesbian-Bisexual-Transgender community? Absolutely not, because a heterosexual person does not feel discriminated against for their sexuality.

Can a straight person be a supporter and advocate for the GLBT community? Absolutely.

Again, it isn't about having opinions, but about recognizing one's place within a social issue. Men would do well to remember that it is a woman's body entangled within a complicated web of religion and politics.

Sadly for The Center for Bio-Ethical Reform, this is not the case.

Of the seven directors for the CBR, four are men, including the executive director, the Midwest regional director, the southeast regional director and the northern California director.

I wonder when the last time any of them were pregnant and had to make a decision not just based on faith, but on what would be most beneficial to their physical well-being.

The only other argument to be made is in the case of a man voicing an opinion about his fetus. A man should have his opinion taken into serious consideration in the case of a fetus he helped produce.

The opinion, however, should remain just that. The decision rests entirely with the woman, unless science develops a miraculous way for men to bare children.

As a side note, the discussion of children and abortion in a consenting relationship between a man and a woman is a private matter. A relationship is private and, in theory, both partners respect each other's opinions enough to compromise their sexual lifestyle

However, this goes to the age-old argument of contraception. If the man wanted children, why isn't he with a woman who wants the same? If a man doesn't want children, why isn't he using protection? Accidents and unexpected circumstances arise, but for the most part prevention of children is tremendously easier in our modern day of medicine.

"You can have a rule-making opinion about abortion when you are able to experience morning sickness, swollen feet and breasts, aching back pain and the overwhelming responsibility of carrying a living creature within you for 10 months," sage advice that every mother should bestow on her son.

These are the bodies of women, the bodies of our mothers, sisters, aunts, friends and the only gender capable of perpetuating our species.

Men are not pro-life, nor pro-choice. Men should be pro-woman and support her decision, whatever it may be.

Posted: 9/17/07 on www.mtsusidelines.com

A time for beginnings

2008-02-25T16:07:00.000-08:00

Now is the time for a beginning to this blog.

I'm not quite sure what to do first. It seems this will be an extension of my opinion writing and the column in the Middle Tennessee State University's newspaper Sidelines called "Yeah, Whatever."

To give a good idea of my soon to be plethora of readers (at least I hope), I've decided to post a few of the past columns I've done for the college paper.

They aren't my best, but it's a start. And like everything else, a beginning is in order.

Enjoy.