LDS First Presidency vs. Glenn Beck

SALT LAKE CITY 12 March 2010 In a letter to be read in all U.S. congregations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the First Presidency urged Mormons to participate in the 2010 United States Census:

"The United States Constitution mandates that a census be counted every ten years. This census is used to determine the makeup of state legislatures, local school boards, and other government bodies and to determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Church also uses census data for planning purposes.

"The Census Bureau will soon deliver census questionnaires to every household in America. We urge all members to respond to them in an accurate and timely manner. It is an important obligation for all citizens to be counted in the census."

First Presidency On Census
One of the best tools in furthering genealogy is the census records. The LDS church has one of the best genealogy databases in the world.

But Glenn Beck says:

"Today they are asking the race question to try to increase slavery. Your dependence on the master in Washington. No way, don’t answer that question."
GlennBeckCensusSlaveryLink

Glenn Beck is putting himself at odds with the LDS church so often and so thoroughly that one wonders when and how he will be dealt with. He's published 5 New York Times Best Selling books, 2 on his faith/conversion and 3 on his politics that becomes more radical everyday. Should he be asked to cease and desist making the members of the LDS church look like cracked out lunitics, which one will he give up. I'm betting he drops his "faith" in a New York minute. His political stunts are far more lucrative.

The Bad Girl's Club Tea Party

Okay, I've mentioned before that I'm a reality show junkie. This last season was an all time low. Physical violence is frowned up on and the victim usually has the final say if the chick that hit her gets sent home. There was one girl (Natalie) this year who was particularly vile. She was a loudmouthed skank who claimed to "run LA" and know all these celebrities (which proved to be untrue). She had a nasty habit of spitting on people, which just smacks of low class (She even spit on one of the the girls on the reunion show:
Watch! Oh, my bad, that's a "Teabagger" spitting on Congressman Cleaver. Ohhhh, I think there was some money wagered on the truth of that happening. Nasty cameras, they're everywhere. I seem to remember Hannity asking for proof. Good thing he did! We hate unsubstantiated claims of trashy behavior. Anyway there were debates about whether or not some of the things that one of the girls said qualified as racism but they had Perez Hilton there to referee. Wait, isn't Perez Hilton the gay guy who got smacked in the face for calling Will.i.am a f***ot? How can he be the judge of what is racist when he's homosexual that throws out homophobic slurs? See what you think: Watch Oops, that would be Fox News talking about the atrocious behavior of the 'Teabaggers"...
At the Bad Girl house there were numerous fights. One of the problems was Flo, a very physically big and strong girl with serious anger management issues. Her threats were downright frightening:
Watch
Oh, oops, that was Tea Party freaks.. Wrong clip.

Well I guess you can probably watch the Bad Girls Reunion online. I've got you started with Part one of the reunion, you can take it from there. I think I've made my point.: Here
Or just another day of Tea Parties: Here

Yin and Yang

There has to be hell for there to be heaven. I came home from the Mormon Women's Literary Tour so excited and inspired I mentioned that it was the best day I'd had in a long time. I was tired and I have to skip on the pill schedule to do stuff like that and drive so I wasn't ready to blog about it. Unfortunately, I woke up to the YANG!! My head was all time bad yesterday and I was in the "puke from the pain which makes the pain worse and can't hold down pain pill" cycle. My daughter had improv last night and it has to be an act of natural disaster to miss something like that. Soooo.. REALLY bad day!

As promised though a bit late here's my experience at "Our Visions, Our Voices: A Mormon Women's Literary Tour....

When I walked in to the small foyer area there were a few people milling about (mostly women)I recognized Joanna immediately but much to my surprise SHE recognized me! I asked how she knew it was me as she hugged me and it was, of course my "Yes We Can!" Obama shirt I bought in Oahu last year which, incidentally, was the last place I wore that shirt with no reservations that I was going to be attacked somehow. Safety was pervasive in this group of ladies and so was acceptance. I had come alone but a lady from my ward was there (more, I think, for Danielle Dubrasky who is assistant professor of creative writing at SUU)and it wasn't a large crowd but definitely and appreciative one.

The first thing we did is went through each person in the audience and say "My grandmother's name was ..." As I waited my turn I went back and forth on which grandmother's name I should say but because this was about the strength of women and with the part about Mormonism, I chose my maternal grandmother's name. When we were done, Joanna said that each of us had written a poem. It's a poem that I'm very proud of and recognize it's a very profound one. I thought about that and that it wasn't true. I HAD spoken the words but God, my ancestors, and my grandmother had my them profound. One of the audience members that gave his grandmother's name caught my attention because the names weren't common and his accent familiar. I have written since I was a little girl and I've been published, yet this group of women made me inferior, intellectually. I turned around to see who had given this exotic name and it was my English professor from college. I've talked about my some of my experiences of Upward Bound in past blog entries, so I won't prolong this with that. My "Bridge year" of UB (which is after I graduated from High School and before I applied to college as a freshman. My SAT score was so high, particularly in English qualified to CLEP English 101 and skip right to the last and only class I needed to be done. It was a summer class so it lasted 2 hours and my fellow classmates were either in their junior or senior year and I wasn't even a freshman. (I also had a chem class that was 2 hours NOT including lab days). I nearly broke down and begged the UB director to let me drop the class. I was no match for my classmates (at least that's what I believed). He made me stick it out. My professor was from India. His accent was SOOO thick and it seemed WAY ironic to be taking English from a man who's English I barely understood. On the day of our final exam he asked us to bow our heads and he proceeded to say a prayer in Hindi. We all glanced around at each other in bemusement but, hey, I'll take all the help I can get and I pulled a pretty decent grade (B+). So it was pretty cool to see him there too.

I had read a little bit about the women scheduled to speak and so I knew what I was in for, for the most part and they were all amazing in their individual ways. Joanna was, of course, the one I was most familiar with because of her writings on HuffPo and her blog. She had some really fun stories with which I identified having had similar experiences in life. The fun part of all of this was that they spoke of things I've thought of have never been sure we can speak these things aloud because there's no telling what is a smite-able offense. Mostly it was a relief to here her tell me that she agreed that Glenn Beck is NOT an example of our faith that we want to be judged by.

Zoe Murdock spoke of her father's spiral into polygamy, which reminded me of a friend of my mom that studied the scriptures to a degree of fanaticism that lead to apostasy. For Zoe it turned her family upside down and led to the early demise of her mother. She read a portion of her book Torn By God to us and it was riveting. It also spoke to the dangers of venturing into places that make a seemingly rational person begin to think that they can learn enough to second guess God. I think I saw a stack of her books that I assume were for sale and am kicking myself that I didn't buy a copy there but I intend to send for it through her website: http://zoemurdock.wordpress.com/

Susan Scott came from Ontario Canada to be a part of this tour. She is a member of the Community of Christ aka the RLDS which was the first offshoot of the original LDS church. Their beliefs are not so different but in those early years there were some differences and our faiths are very compatible and coexist very peacefully. I loved Susan and her stories. I wanted to kidnap her so my Sunday School class could meet her.

Lisa Van Orman was so fun. I loved the story about Marcus. It was humorous but touching and remarkable. I can't imagine the gift that Lisa is in Marcus's life and I'm sure that is why she shared that story with us. Marcus is a gift too Lisa as well. I actually found her story of Marcus online. How cool is that??
Listen to the audio of Sex Candles.

Every woman on this tour was amazing and I've only touched on a few of them. To read more about each of them, follow the link I gave at the beginning. I am so happy to have had the chance to attend this and I hope it becomes an annual tour. I'll certainly always be there. After it was over the ladies invited me to dinner with them. I could feel the set back with my headache on it's way, but even so I probably should have accepted their invite. It was truly an amazing experience and reinforced my belief that agree or disagree, everyone I meet teaches me something new. This has been my favorite lesson for a very long time!! I will be keeping in touch.

I'm struggling with the headache. I've thrown up so much there's blisters on the back of my throat. I probably could have blogged this better had I waited but I went ahead while it was still fresh in my mind. I'll likely be adding along the line as I intend to keep in touch with as many as I can.

Tonight is Mormon Girl Night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm so excited and honored to have the chance to meet Joanna Brooks, AKA Mormon Girl, tonight. Interestingly enough I was reading HuffPo (okay that isn't interesting, I always read HuffPo) and one of the blog titles popped out at me:
Glenn Beck is acting up again; is Mormonism to blame?
I'm all, HECCCCCK to the NO! He's barely even coherent, that's not OUR fault! Anyway turns out she has a blog too. Only her's is good and on Huffpo. Mine is one of those things you read and then hate yourself for it because you want to object but you can't because you don't want to admit that you read it. Ya know? Further down on her blog is an entry titled: Why do Mormon girls rule the blogosphere? As I responded earlier to a friend... YES, it IS the same as journaling and for $15 you can get it printed up into a book and give it out as Christmas presents!! I posted some thoughts on her blog and actually sent her an email. She responded that she wished it wouldn't be too far for me to travel to go to this event she's doing as she travels through (I think) 3 states with some other women who are also bloggers and liberal (I'm not clear on religion with all of them but that part isn't what is important to me.

Yeah, soooo, it's really exciting except for the part where they are all scholars and I live in a dark hole in the ground.. (Did everyone hear that massive voice of insecurity for being a college drop out?) I am really excited. I can't wait to meet everyone and how amazing is it that I just met her and she's speaking nearby?? Total fated moment!

I'm so grateful to have found a niche. Honestly, after awhile it IS a bit unnerving.

I'll update afterwards with my take on the evening. I'll link to her blog then too. I really like her.
I am so tired but it was an awesome night. I'll post Joanna's blog link here and blog about my night later.
AskMormonGirl

Blog entry preempted

I've been researching for my newest entry and that usually takes a while depending the topic. Today's entry is started but I've had some requests for the address. So with reservations I've given the link out to a few people I know around me. Don't mistake this for an apology, but this has been where I vent my frustration, my highs and my lows. It's personal and a bit like opening everything inside myself for the world to see.

I've always made it clear that I don't write to be read, this is why I don't proof read. I occasionally look back and reread something I've edited major mistakes and sometimes I think "WTH?????" I literally make zero sense.

I find comfort in Jon Stewart and while most clips I embed are censored, they are still a bit raw and if I post it UNcensored I try to include a warning. Don't make the mistake of watching a clip I post around sensitive ears. On the other hand, he's had some remarkable interviews that have been so amazing and insightful I've had my kids watch them.

I make no bones about who I like and who I dislike. I would also like to say that the words "stupid people" cannot be claimed or copyrighted, I have used it long enough that Glenn Beck's latest book title is totally jacked.

Umm.. I think I may have cursed a few times... I've written fluff under the pressure of watching my readership grow and not wanting to disappoint. I love Johnny Depp and my husband knows full well I'd become a bigamist if Johnny Depp proposed to me... I think that basically covers it. Just remember I think of it as my own little country and it's not a democracy. It's a dictatorship, and I can say anything I want because I say so :)

I'm going to check out my front page and do some editing to that simply because it's probably out of date.

Tonight I feel success!

My children again watched a historic moment that we worked for together with a majority of US Representatives passing the Health Care Bill. It was another night of pride and happiness as we listened to the people we elected chanted "Yes we can!" The histrionics and shameful behavior of the opposition can wait until tomorrow. Tonight is a night for the courageous! A night of democracy at it's finest.

I can't help but think of Ted Kennedy tonight. He fought the battle but though we lost him when we needed him most, his life work was not in vain.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

I've never marched with a sign or attended a tea party, but I've listened and I've learned. From town hall meetings and research. From the words of people of all walks of life and bipartisan debates. President Obama wasn't put into office by marching, angry people, with ugly words. He won by people who quietly but with determination demanded change. He has always recognized that and he recognized our efforts again tonight because we worked for this night with as much determination and love for our country as anything we've ever done. Grassroots. That's what we are, we reach for the sky from the bottom up. Sometimes we hold it in our very hands.

Say it once again.. I'm not alone!

I think I heard heavenly music. It sounded like this:

Because I found another liberal Mormon chick!! AND she's embarrassed by Glenn Beck too!!!!
Her site is wonderful Check it out: http://www.askmormongirl.com/
Note her numbers taken from the Gallup Poll. 8% of Mormons polled described themselves as liberal.
*The musical backdrop for my epiphany is written and composed by the AMAZING Michael McLean. Performed by John Canaan.

Glenn Beck... Yeah again..

Headline from Huffpo:

Iowa Congressman And Glenn Beck Agree: Sunday Health Care Vote Is 'An Affront To God'
(That's also a link.)

"Faith has been perverted," Beck responded, then repeated. "They are going to vote for this damn thing on a Sunday, which is the Sabbath, during Lent." (Beck)

You know, he's right. The Sabbath day is the LAST day we should be considering the health of our people. Remember in the Bible how Jesus just stepped over the blind, the lame, and those suffering because to help them on the Sabbath was an affront to GOD?? Besides, Sundays are all fine and good for Godless Democrats but Republicans are in Church on Sunday learning the evils of lying, stealing, and adultery (It's not really adultery if it takes place in Argentina. (If your day of worship isn't on Sunday, then you probably are some sort of heathen and don't count.)

I've found this blogger who is LDS and she has hit the nail on the head: Joanna Brooks.
But this cloud has a silver lining. It's called JON STEWART:
Intro:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Intro - Progressivism Is Cancer
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

Full segment:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Conservative Libertarian
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

What drives people to internet freakiness...

I'm usually pretty savvy when it comes to spotting a freak and I guess I'm not on top of my game so much anymore. So I've made friends online and I've made enemies. If I take the time to delve I often find that there is something innately odd and twisted in the ones that cross that line from dedicated friend to internet bully, troll, certifiable nut job. Sometimes it slips by me, the whole research part. Sometimes there are internet crushes that feel harmless to me but alarm my friends. Usually they just move on.

So there's this guy that has had an entire YEAR to get over his issues with me, after all there should be no contact with me but he keeps coming back for more. I realize we have a common interest and run ins are inevitable but L E T   I T   G O!!! Start with, not coming here.

Here's my theory: The hiding behind a screen name added to spending a LITTLE too much time working at Disney, MAD magazine, blah blah blah... Turns a possibly, slightly bent, person into some perverse person with multiple screen names. Not normal, screen personalities, but gender bending, poor impression of a ghetto bad girl wannabe, and a name so sick that ONLY lunatic trash could come up with it. And he carries on conversations with HIMSELF!!! So wacko that it's hard to believe it's not a lonely geek in mama's basement, but no. Seriously coming out of Disney in Burbank.

*Sigh* This can NOT be true.. But it is.

I know I'm repetitive in my blogs entries sometimes, but these unbelievable things keep happening. It's mind blowing to think that this can happen in our country but it IS happening and it has to stop.

I've told this story before but it was my first experience with this sort of thing so I'm going to repeat it. In high school, I did some wheeling and dealing and managed to have PE requirements waved for more science classes and the class I had scored was biology which was what I intended to be my major. My teacher was fresh out of college, he was enthusiastic, a bit volatile, and challenging. I was shy and introverted but I loved to learn and I loved biology and had an edge because I had studied on my own for years. My teacher came into class, obviously angry. He told us to open our textbooks to the chapter on evolution and tear it from our book. One of my classmates was the daughter of the school superintendent and felt that evolution clashed with his beliefs of creationism. My faith, as well, but I'm not that stupid. I wish I'd have had the confidence to attend a school board meeting and demand my right to a full education, after all, he wouldn't be in charge of everything we learned later in life and had put us at a disadvantage. I have that courage now.

In a recent blog, I spoke again of my issues with the "tea parties". That they cheapen real historical events when they are nothing more that dissenting racists spouting hatred and lies. They are meetings for radical idiots with barely enough IQ points to be dangerous. They will be a black eye on the history of America.

Texas, in it's arrogance threatened to secede from the union and they are the only state with a clause in their state constitution to do so. I say do it. Hell, let's save them the trouble and sell the stupid state to Mexico. Why? Because they are literally rewriting history. They have changed the way that things will be taught as history. You know how freaked out all the birthers are about President Obama being born in Kenya, Iraq, the North Pole?? They ARE okay with taking the 3rd American President and primary author of the Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson and replacing him with John Calvin in the history of Enlightenment thinking because he was religious right. He was also NOT American. He was FRENCH!!! What happened to freedom fries? Boycotting Target? I mean that was STUPID but this is 'a few longhorns short of a herd' kind of stupid. This is one of a list of historic altering to suit the far right lunatic fringe. I mean, I'm all about keeping God in the Pledge of Allegiance, on our currency. I even think prayer in school should be a right for our children. Athiests can have a moment of silence to ponder where the spark that created the complex DNA from the primordial soup, because they will NEVER explain THAT crap. But you can't rewrite history.
I think that religious tolerance is way overdue. I think it's important to teach acceptance, and whether you worship Buddha, Allah, God, etc. Our country is changing. There's no stopping progress nor should their be. Faith in a higher being is positive but tamper with history and we WILL lose our last tenuous hold on the things our founding fathers did in the name of God and religious freedom. Now why do I care if Texas choose to become even MORE stupid?? Because it doesn't just effect their children:

Decisions by the board -- made up of lawyers, a dentist and a weekly newspaper publisher among others -- can affect textbook content nationwide because Texas is one of publishers' biggest clients.

 Remember the intellectual giant that came up with "No Child Left Behind?" Yeah, the guy from Texas? The only progress I saw as a parent was from the volunteer work that I and other willing parents, did as a reading mom in my children's classes. How are people going to undo the tangle of lies that is being taught at school when we have so few parents that could care less if their kids can even read????
Here are links for the rest of BS coming out of the Lone Brain Cell state:
Texas Textbook MASSACRE
Open Letter by Jeff Schneider
NY Times Texas Conservatives win vote on textbook curriculum

Umm, what's that word I'm looking for??

I have to say, being a HUGE minority (Fanatic Democrat) is no easy task when you're surrounded by Republicans. It's a little 'Daniel in the Lion's Den-ish'. Some dude stopped by my house to try to sell me cancer insurance. Everyone knows I'll let anyone in to visit me so long as they realize that I have a faith, I have a political position, and I'm not buying anything unless it's Samoa cookies or the stuff from the citrus cleaner dude. Kevin (insurance man) was also LDS but inactive and practicing Kabbalah. He informed me you can do both and I assured him that I've long been a Buddhist Mormon. We were talking about the problems many people in our country have had accepting our new President and how ridiculous some of the stuff is that people come up with. If you had someone in an isolation booth from the 70s or 80s and told them about politics in the past 2 years, they'd think it was a joke, or that they'd lost their mind. Fairly rational people and they cling to tinfoil hat nonsense. Living in a predominantly Mormon state and area that is rural is that much harder because there are so many people who cling to conservative opinions without really understanding all aspects of politics. Even I have been shocked at the racism and the willingness to parrot crazy accusations without having any earthly clue where it started or even what it means.

So.. I was looking for something this morning, and as we all know my attention wanders but I found the COOLEST site. I'm not telling what it is yet because I'm going to do a series of blogs from it and I'm not sure how to approach it or how to put it across on here. What I was ACTUALLY looking for was something that I didn't know that the LDS church still uses. It's called Bishop's Storehouses. There was one in the hellhole town I went to school in that was built in the 1800s and the older buildings in that town and a few others have been preserved. In the early days of the church members were chased  from state to state to evade mobs. In those days at least 3 Temples were intended and 2 were completed*. These people, despite the poverty, despite the deaths and sickness of countless people. Despite murder by their own countrymen they persevered. Their 10% tithes came in the ways they could contribute. Time, money (whenever possible), food, meals, clothing. Men paid their tithes by building the temples and women gathered glass, precious china (often precious heirlooms that made the trip as far as possible), and earthen ware crushed to be used in the stucco so it would shimmer. Beautiful architecture, woodwork, all done voluntarily. They worked together with no member being of no value. Everyone could and DID do something to help in the building of the temple and the care of these pioneers. I looked up Bishop Storehouses because the ones I see around me are old and wanted to post a picture of one. I found pictures and some definitions that surprised me. They are still in use. They run in conjunction with the church's humanitarian program feeding and providing for people all of the world that are in need as well as people in our own country. I have been to the cannery here in my town where, with my husband and other ward members we literally can enormous amounts of food, assembly line style. We can all that we have ordered and paid for to keep in storage in case of times of need. But we can more than we need to help stock these storehouses for those in need. I was told today by a good friend of a couple of more recent stories.
In one story there's a man who buys cars that are deemed worthless and fixes them up so they are useful to people who need them or sold at blue book value in lieu of 10% of wages.
The other is a man who doesn't earn a lot of money but somehow acquired a piece of land. He donated the land to the church for use of one the many things that are built for the members such as chapels or temples. Some for church run farms (again, voluntary work. No pay.) The man in this case paid tithes in advance for the good of the community instead of 10% of a meager paycheck. As I pointed out earlier in this post, being a conservative religion, members are oft-times Republicans (don't confuse that with being instructed by the church on politics). There's a word for this thing that my faith has done through out it's history and dating back into the bible... What's the word... Hmmmm....*crickets chirping*.... OH YEAH!!! It's called Socialism. Whoa wait! Socialism=Obama=Antichrist, commie, Nazi, dictator!!! Ohhh someone seriously messed up here. The people around me, that do so much good, donating of their time, talent, and care are freaking Socialists!!! EEEEEK!!!! This means one of two things:
They and their tinfoil hat wearing embarrassment of a Faux Newsman, Glenn Beck doesn't know what Socialism means...
OR
Said torch wielding, tea party-ing, race baiting ignoramuses really believe the Grimm fairy tales of horror that can only be taken seriously if you listen to Coast to Coast and Art Bell. MAJOR embarrassment either way but I think I can help:

so·cial·ism

 /ˈsoʊʃəˌlɪzəm/ Show Spelled[soh-shuh-liz-uhm]

–noun

1.

a theory or system of social organization that advocates the vesting of the ownership and control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc., in the community as a whole.

2.

procedure or practice in accordance with this theory.

 More to come later on the fate of the early temples, the horrors of running from murdering mobs, and other stuff we don't do a lot of whining about.

For more info on Bishop Storehouses: Wiki link
If the Obama secret society of good deeds, come for you in the night, be sure to let me know because as I've said before, I GET the memos and there hasn't been one yet that says we are REQUIRED by Obama law to feed homeless people or send money to Haiti or Chile. I think that he thinks that thats kind of a "No DUH" issue.

Oh, and one more thing... I think I may be a Socialist. Not because I'm a Democrat but because I'm a Mormon.

Outlandish.

I've been asked what the Hatter said to Alice at the end. He said "Fairfarren" which means "May you travel far under fair skies." In the language called Outlandish.

Disney released a glossary of terms. Some of them you will recognize if you've read Lewis Carroll (I actually watched a family member express her realization that there's a book.. She's a teacher...) Some of the terms are new to this adaptation:

• Bandersnatch, The: evil creature under the control of the Red Queen.
• Brillig: 4 o’clock in the afternoon. When one begins broiling things for dinner.
• Crims: The central area of Underland.
• Downal wyth Bluddy Behg Hid: Down with the Red Queen, the slogan of the Resistance.
• Ezel: High, go higher, go up.
• Fairfarren: Farewell. May you travel far under fair skies.
• Frabjous day: The day Alice slays the Jabberwocky and frees Underland from the oppression of the Red Queen.
• Frumious: Dirty and smelly.
• Futterwacken: The Underlanders’ dance of unbridled joy.
• Gallymoggers: Crazy.
• Gribling: The day Alice will return to Underland.
• Guddler’s scut: Thief’s butt.
• Gummer Slough: Dangerous swamp of thick viscous mud.
• Horunvendush Day: The day the Red Queen took control of Underland.
• Jabberwocky: A deadly creature employed as the Red Queen’s ultimate weapon.
• Jubjub Bird: A Bird under the control of the Red Queen.
• Kiotchyn: ‘Heads’ up or ‘pay attention’.
• Naught for usal: It’s no use trying.
• Noge: Go low down.
• Nunz: Wait or ‘Don’t go, not now’.
• Oraculum: The Calender of all the days of Ulnderland. Each day has its own title and illustration.
• Orgal: To the left.
• Outlands: The untamed land to the west of Witzend.
• Outlandish: The old language spoken only in the Outlands and used by the Underland resistance as a secret code in the revolution against the Red Queen.
• Pishsalver: A potion that makes one shrink.
• Queast: A land to the east, but ‘not in the least’.
• Quillian: The following day after Alice returns.
• Saganistute: A wise person of poetry and vision.
• Salazen Grum: A port city where the Red Queen lives.
• Shukrn: Faeces. Ewww.
• Sloth: Slowly
• Stang: To the right.
• Slurvish: Selfish or self-centered.
• Snud: A region in the south of Underland.
• Tulgey Wood: Where Alice meets the Jabberwocky.
• Underland: The real name for the place Alice calls Wonderland.
• Upelkuchen: A cake that makes one grow.
• Slurking urpal slackush scrum: rude or dirty words of the most foul meaning.
• Witzend: The western land where the Mad Hatter and March Hare were born.
• Yadder: Far away. Way yadder beyond the Crossling in Snud.
• Zounder: A warning to ‘look out behind you!’

Orrin Hatch steps up. Good for him.

I have a love/hate with Orrin Hatch. I liked this article in the SL Tribune:

Hatch ashamed of Republican fundraising tactic

Politics » Presentation spoofed Obama as "The Joker," Pelosi as Cruella De Vil.

By Matt Canham
The Salt Lake Tribune

Updated: 03/07/2010 04:21:55 PM MST

Sen. Orrin Hatch said he is "ashamed" of a Republican National Committee presentation that called for demonizing Democrats and President Barack Obama to help raise money.
"There is no excuse for that kind of stuff," said Hatch, R-Utah, during an appearance on "Meet the Press" on Sunday. "It shouldn't have happened. I'm ashamed of that."
Hatch's comment was in response to a question about a 72-page Power Point presentation created by the RNC's finance director that included a slide labeled "The Evil Empire," which showed Obama dressed as "The Joker" with the word socialism written underneath. It also depicted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Cruella De Vil and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid as Scooby Doo.
The RNC delivered the presentation to potential fundraisers in Florida last month. Someone leaked it to the press last week.
RNC Chairman Michael Steele has denounced the fundraising tactic, telling reporters in Tennessee during the weekend that there is no reason "to play boogeyman."
"Meet the Press" host David Gregory asked Hatch if Steele should be removed as head of the party over the flap.
"I don't think Michael Steele knew about that. If he did, I would be very concerned," Hatch said. "He was one of the first to come out and say that was irresponsible."
Hatch, a key Senate GOP fundraiser, called Steele "a good face for our party," who because of his position will face criticism regardless of what he does.

Link to SLT

I have a healthy dislike of Steele, though.

My Critique of Alice in Wonderland

My niece was a bit disappointed in Alice in Wonderland and didn't know that there was a book. I've always hated the early Disney version (I have serious Disney issues with a lot of the cartoons)but I offered her the following explanation:

They took parts from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and used parts from each. The theme in Wonderland was the cards. The cards in Looking Glass was chess. The Mad Hatter and The March Hare was in both, but even Alice is different. There are characters that are only in one book or another. Carroll wasn't on LSD btw, he used opium for chronic migraines, but the sub genre "nonsensical" was deliberate. Many authors have used his ideas as patterns. There's often things in JRR Tolkien's writings that show he was a student of Carroll.
Just a Reader's Digest summary.

Further, on the the LSD myth, in the cartoon Alice eats mushrooms that have been misinterpreted to be the hallucinogenic species and the hookah used by the Caterpillar (which made an appearance in this version). The potion ingredients are listed by the White Queen and yet Alice STILL drinks it. The characters are so engaging and memorable. The nonsense is more sensible than anything we see these days, with "Madness" being a positive thing as the Hatter is loyal and filled with integrity. The Cheshire cat unpredictable but in a good way and the Caterpillar is wise and enigmatic. It's a thinker movie and not just for children.
It makes mockery of people who dislike it because they don't understand it. It also shows how few of our children have ever been educated in Olde English (Anglo-Saxon) works like The Canterbury Tales (actually Middle English), Beowulf, and The Jabberwocky as an independent poem. Johnny Depp even quoted some of it and I almost HEARD the fellow theater occupants say "HUH?!"

Last of all, just like Willy Wonka, Tim Burton managed to bring it all around to the moral... I hate when they miss the moral!

Roseanne Barr has a PhD in Mormonism.... NOT!!!

Okay, verbal diarrhea from Roseanne Barr and so inappropriate. Yeah, I know, a losing battle, but if you read the previous prayer post, you KNOW I'm a lost cause. Roseanne's comments in block and regular, mine in regular and bold.

"marie osmonds poor gay son killed himself
because he had been told how wrong and how sick he was every day of his life by his church and the people in it. Calling that "depression" is a lie!

In the note that I read that was left by him before his suicide, there was no mention of being unhappy about being gay. He did describe his last cigarette which is frowned upon by our faith but I didn't get the impression it was that either. Depression is the leading cause of suicide and though he didn't mention it in the note, I'm going out on a limb here. He was probably depressed.

Yet the Osmonds still talk lovingly about their church, saying nothing about its extremely anti-gay Crusade. Marie also has a gay daughter! Hey, I want her and all the gay kids in the world to know that they are just fine being gay and that they deserve love and respect instead of insults and rebuke! I have gay people in my family and my circle of friends and I am kicking bigot ass and taking names!

The Mormon faith doesn't have an anti-gay crusade. I've never got the memo on the anti-gay crusade and I read all the memos. I assume that Rosanne has Marie's daughter staked out just, in case... I have all sorts of people in my family and circle of friends, some are gay some are straight. Some straight out of sci fi.... I don't remember insulting or rebuking anyone for life choices that only effected themselves. I'm trying to kick bigot butt, but religion has little to do with it.

That is how its done in my religion—(I have my own religion that I made up for myself and it is a great religion that actually works and respects facts and not fantasy!)Gerald Lund one of the ex church apostles has three gay kids himself.

Gerald Lund  was never an apostle he's been in the Second Quorum of the Seventy and he's a very popular author to members and non members alike. There actually is an apostle whose son is a white supremacist but even God has some real beauties. Roseanne has a religion.. I'll bet the hymns are lovely.

Yet, even though the people they say they love the most in all of their public displays and speeches (THEIR KIDS AND FAMILY!!) are gay,– their own children,for crying out loud- these people cannot find the christian decency and compassion within themselves to stop their hypocritical gay bashing!!

There may be Mormon people who are gay bashers, and Catholic people, and Baptist people, and Jewish people, and atheist people. There are people who are abusive and horrific to the people they should love but it's not confined to any particular religion. Roseanne Barr is a testament to that.

How sickening. I know so many mormon kids who were gay and committed suicide, and I just cannot and will not stay quiet in order to not offend bigots anymore. It is all so terribly depressing.

I know a people who were straight and committed suicide for no reason apparent to anyone they know. Suicide isn't a black and white issue. You can't begin to delve into the hearts and minds of people who find suicide to be their only option.

Marie please don't talk about how your faith in your church has helped you get through this one! Please get some integrity and tell that church of yours that you will leave it and stop giving it ten percent of your money if they don't stop trying to destroy your kids' and all gay people's civil rights and dreams and hopes!!

Roseanne, don't tell anyone how to live, love, and grieve. You have no room to tell people how to live their lives, how to act. You are definitely not qualified. 

G-d is trying to use you for something good and this is your opportunity! Your church is wrong and on the wrong wrong wrong side of things! Get as vocal about that as you are about your diet. G-d bless you too, Marie. Take a hard look at the facts now as you use this very sad time for introspection, healing growth and prayer, and become a strong symbol for loving mothers who make no apologies for hatred against their own kids!"

"Judge not, lest ye be judged" God said those words. God. God with an O in the middle of the G and the D. Have some respect. Or is that YOUR calling in the religion you invented.

"yes i know that people get mad at me for the things i say
here that they think are insensitive and unkind. I say what I think needs to be said, though, and I always will, even if nobody listens. I really could care less. My opinion is my own and is well thought out. I decided a long time ago that I would not cower and stay silent when I feel things are wrong, whether it wins me fans money or praise or the opposite of those things. I am not a wimp, I am no democrat!"

Blah, blah, blah.. Thank heavens for that. I can tell you now, I'm Mormon AND Democrat and I'm personally glad that you are neither. We'd be ashamed of you. You are insensitive, you've shown your disrespect for everything you possibly could. I'm pretty sure we won't be suffering through your absolute disgraceful performance of the National Anthem. You are embarrassing just being an American. You embody everything that other countries consider to be crude, rude, and unrefined about America.

Marie Osmond's son has a name, Michael Blosil. I pray that he has found some measure of peace he wasn't feeling in life. I believe God knows Michael's heart and that he knows each person on this Earth and he loves each of us, even Roseanne Barr. Even me, though I am as judgmental as they come. I also pray for Michael's family. I can't even begin to fathom their pain.

A Catholic Mother's Prayer..

That is the title but this is a Mormon mother's prayer as well. My mom just read it to me. I recognize the point of it. She says it fits her but I know it's TOTALLY me:

Lord, Thou knowest I am growing older. Keep me from becoming talkative and possessed with the idea that I must express myself on every subject. Release me from the craving to straighten out everyone's affairs. Keep me from the recital of endless detail. Give me wings to get to the point. Seal my lips when I am inclined to tell of my aches and pains. They are increasing with the years and my love to speak of them grows sweeter as time goes by. Teach me the glorious lesson that occasionally I may be wrong. Make me thoughtful but not nosey; helpful but not bossy. With my vast store of wisdom and experience it does seem a pity not to use it all. But Thou knowest, Lord, that I want a few friends at the end.

I do my best to keep my wisdom and complaints here, but I'm human. I bet I'm not the only daughter she wants to read it to either!  
☺

You are invited to a teaparty!

Please RSVP (Racists. Supremacist. Vacuous. Prejudice)

No secret that the Tea baggers are among the most loathed people on The Patch. Partly because they are really stupid people with questionable objectives comparing themselves to some of the best of our country's historic heroes with REAL oppression. Actually it's contradictory. "Taxation without representation" they refused to pay taxes to the King of a country that was no longer theirs. It's a mockery. The tax cuts to middle class Americans by the Obama administration is the largest in history $288 billion. I'm a middle class American. Most everyone I know are middle class Americans (and Republican). That makes no sense to me. My other problem is the agenda behind it. I truly believe it's racially motivated. These people are cheered on by the same cast of characters that I often include in my posts:
Rush "busted with Viagra" Limbaugh calling the President a "black man-child."  Sarah "terrorist alert" Palin (Show me another case of a President being accused of terrorism or plotting their take over of America shortly after leaving the womb). Fox News is just an absolute haven of racist nut jobs but their prize lunatic, Glenn Beck has his TV forum AND radio show. His antics and accusations are just unbalanced and embarrassing to my faith. Right wingy dingy radio personality Jim Quinn called President Obama a "little wuss from Kenya" who Quinn wants to "slap silly."  I find it hard to believe that ANY American is okay with this, let alone actively supporting it. My respect (for lack of a better word) lies in Dale Robertson, Tea Party activist and operator of TeaParty.org because he's  addressing these people's REAL issue head on. Totally dissipating any visions of proper people pinky in the air sharing an afternoon of civilized conversation and showing what these people are really about:

 

Dale cut to the chase. No beating around the Bush (no pun intended.. okay it was) and not ashamed of the completely off base and inexcusable use of the n-word or the fact he's on a first grade spelling level. Maybe he can get these people to drop the completely stupid "Tea Party" name and call it was it is: KKK and Kake? Bigotry and biscuits? Stoopid and sweet tea? You are racist. We get it, shut up now.

Just a thought..

*Update: Having just come out of Black History month, it would be nice if America struck words like the N-word out of the their vocabulary. ALL American's. White and black.

Hope and change, Republican style.

 

Their best candidate has been dead for 21 years but he's STILL the only one making sense. Ouija anyone? 

Yes, this is for sale currently.

Unemployed? No help for your family? Move to Chile, Bunning isn't budging.

My young daughter who was my little campaign assistant is still shocked at the stupid people. She's young, she'll learn.. THAT THERE IS NO REASONABLE RATIONAL EXPLANATION!!!! They are tards and they are teaching it to the next generation!! Little tards!! She has at least one story a week about stupid things parents tell their kids. One of the most reoccurring is "We're poor cuz my dad lost his job cuz of Obama." Now I recognize that there are people who abuse unemployment, always have and always will be. The unemployment rate is improving, but with the financial situation that the current administration inherited, there are people legitimately suffering and need help for them and their families. No one knows this better than the people who represent their states on these issues. Senator Jim Bunning (R)Kentucky is standing between the American people and their rights to benefits. No check this month because Bunning is a giant pain in the butt.

Kentucky isn't the only one to suffer from this man's stupidity and arrogance, every state to some degree is suffering. Some worse than others (Nevada for example).
My biggest problem with this stupid man and others like him is that he is objecting, stopping, an interruption but for no good reason. Hours wasted for stupidity sake.
Nevada is one of the hardest hit states. Both in unemployment and in foreclosures but his home state of Kentucky are none too pleased and I'm not sure the rest of the country realizes what any of this means. Here's some updates on what the cost is to our country:
1:01 PM ET -- National Flood Insurance Program expires due to Bunning hold.

The National Flood Insurance Program expired Sunday night after Congress failed to pass a temporary extension of the program that is vital to protecting homes in the New Orleans area.
The lapse puts home sales at risk and could leave homeowners whose policies were scheduled to renew March 1 in jeopardy in the unlikely event that Monday's rains turned out to be heavy enough to cause flooding.

1:10 PM ET -- Bunning's homestate paper slams his 'callous grandstanding.' The Lexington Herald-Leader published a scathing editorial today taking on both Bunning and the two Republicans aiming to replace him this November (who both have supported his efforts):
As long as Republicans were in charge, Sen. Jim Bunning was OK with trading a surplus for a deficit. He voted to put two wars, tax cuts and a Medicare drug benefit on the nation's credit card.
Now that Republicans are no longer in charge, Bunning is drawing the line on deficit spending. He's doing it in a way that shows callous contempt for the more than one in 10 working Kentuckians whose jobs disappeared in the economic meltdown. We've become accustomed to bizarre, egocentric behavior from Bunning. So it wasn't all that surprising when he single-handedly blocked an unemployment benefits extension for a million people, including 119,230 in Kentucky, whose benefits run out this year. About 14,000 Kentuckians will exhaust their benefits in two weeks without the extension.
Bunning's filibuster also denies newly laid-off workers help paying for health insurance. It halts road and bridge projects around the country by furloughing 2,000 federal transportation employees, stops reimbursements to state highway programs and cuts Medicare payments to doctors.
To those who know him, it's not surprising that Bunning answered a Democratic colleague's complaint with a crude profanity. Or that he joked about missing a basketball game while pushing some unemployed Kentuckians into homelessness or bankruptcy.
What is surprising is that Trey Grayson and Rand Paul (son of Ron Paul), the leading Republicans to succeed Bunning, jumped on his one-man band wagon.
Source 

200,000 UNEMPLOYED TO LOSE BENEFITS THIS WEEK 

So, I feel frustration that President Obama hasn't accomplished more. More of the things that he promised. I'm frustrated and I've been a loyal supporter from the beginning. Everyone is frustrated. But when we have ONE profane senator with such ignorant objections that endanger our country, when do we say "Enough is enough!" Our country is under siege from within. From tea parties, and liars who spread discontent and anger. It has to stop. I realize the Hurricane Katrina wasn't a big deal to President Bush. McCain will never know what it is to be homeless or jobless. Not everyone can be paid huge sums of money as a reward for being ignorant and intolerant like Palin. Freedom of speech will keep Limbaugh and Beck from missing a meal. 
In my ward at church we had a missionary in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) learning to speak the language of a country that was just devastated. He hasn't been in the MTC long at all his name is Tanner and he's 19. I asked my Bishop about our members, our temples, and our missionaries in the area. The missionaries were all accounted for but we don't know the damage to the buildings and how much devastation has been done to our members there but we do know this. We will find them and help them. We will help them help rebuild their country with no strings attached. Our church will send food, clothing, money, whatever is needed because it's what we do. 
At church yesterday I listened to Tanner's brother who just returned from HIS mission in Ecuador. Their missions overlapped but they were allowed 2 hours in the MTC to visit because it will be a total of 4 years apart for them. I asked our Bishop if Tanner would be reassigned because his call is to Santiago, Chile. He said "No, he won't be moved, but he may go sooner." Bishop was right. He left today. His language lessons will literally be a crash course as he helps that country in their time of devastation. 
Thanks to Senator Bunning, OUR country isn't so fortunate. Perhaps he could spend some time in Chile. No need to learn the language. Verbally he can stick to "objeción" and hand gestures are pretty universal.

(poor lil fly)

*Oh, I forgot to put the picture up!
**I had also decided to leave the Jon Stewart part out of this, but as much as I enjoy his showing the absolute ridiculousness of this situation (as tragic as that is) his last statement really hits home. I hope you watch it through to that point. This is what he says:
Stewart acknowledged that despite the Democrats' hopes that he'd get sleepy, Bunning was willing to stay up as long as necessary -- even if it meant missing the basketball game he'd planned on watching. Stewart summed up his ridiculousness: "You see that's the difference between Jim Bunning's pain and the pain of the unemployed. Jim Bunning's pain can be fixed by a Tivo."

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