More Radio Peace off the air !!

So first it was three hours. Then it was two. Then it was two, but with
the 07:00 AM to 08:00 AM hour in Portuguese ("Happy Days") and now it
is down to one lonely hour.

Yes people, Radio Peace, the Catholic Church's radio outreach in South Florida is now live only from 08:00 AM to 09:00 AM with "Religion, Politics and the Culture" with Dennis O'Donovan.

And how ever much Dennis says he is respectful of opposing views - he isn't.

This show is a standard right wing gabfest with some Catholic ideas you might not find on Glenn's or Rush's shows - namely an anti-death penalty stance and support for illegal immigrants.

Other than those two, Mr.O'Donovan's "show" is indistinguishable from any other ranting nutbag with a microphone.

And that is why he has sponsors. And that is why he is the only one left on the air.

Which actually is rather a shame.

Irony Alert

Yesterday ( 9/10/09 ), the Alliance Defense Fund announced it had received an anonymous donation of $9.2 million to aid it in its defense of the First Amendment and Freedom of Speech - especially on college campuses, where they put equal weight behind the discussion of all speech, like the theory of Evolution and the delusion that is Intelligent Design.

Did no one else see the irony of an ANONYMOUS donation for protecting FREE SPEECH?

Sounds like a donation to protect speech the donor doesn't want challenged or even debated.

I'm sure this point is lost on the lawyers at the ADF who just see a big pile of cash.

The Time Has Come

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the time has finally come to address a issue that truly frosts this humble correspondent's nads.

I am of course, referring to radio preachers who say "C'mon now" and "Are you still out there?" when preaching their most heretical loopiness before a live audience.

The two most egregious charlatans who keep on doing this on my radio are Charles Capps and Joyce Meyer.



They say these things when they realize they gave gone too far in their latest Biblical distortions and they want the reassurance that they still have the audience in the palms of their grossly manipulative hands.

Charles Capps in particular likes to say stuff like "Don't worry. This will all work out" before he goes on to expound his "teachings" that are so contrary to anything Jesus had to say, that they are in fact simply, lies.

And while we are at this, Joyce, what the heck is a "Practical Bible Teacher"?

Clearly not a pastor or any kind of orthodox ordained minister. This woman has no insight and brings no Biblical revelation. She's just a "conference speaker", telling bad jokes and dropping the baby Jesus' name every now and again.

And the audiences for both of these people laugh nervously because though they want to believe, what they really want is to not look like fools duped by the likes of these people.

C'mon now!

GI Joe

This movie so wanted to be about Sienna Miller's cleavage, but alas the PG-13 rating meant that the camera could only pan past it and not lovingly linger.


The characters in this movie, ( good or bad ) were one dimensional and wholly unengaging. I really didn't care who lived or who died.

I really thought this entire movie was a waste of my time. In the end I felt beaten down by the CGI. And effects can't be an entire reason for a movie.

That's why this sucked and the upcoming 2012 looks so bad.

New favorite religious loon on the radio

Check out Sid Roth. I swear this week he had a guest on his "show" who said that God had supernaturally, during a church event, given people GOLD TEETH !!

Why would God do gold and grills?

Surely if God is in the dentistry business, he'd just give you a perfect set of what he designed in the first place?

Doesn't God giving out gold teeth imply his original design is somehow inferior? So God made a mistake with "natural" teeth and now he has had a chance to think things over he really prefers gold over enamel?

This is just one example from Mr Roth's radio show. If you listen everyday, you'll hear something just as outrageous.

Please click on the title of this blog entry to link to Mr Roth's website.

Durian Fruit

Last week someone at work ( Thanks Danh! ) gave me a stinky durian fruit to try.


Oh my! Even after it had been kept in the refridgerator at work in a sealed solid plastic box and wrapped around with two plastic bags, once the package was removed from the coolness, the smell was noticeable. It was noticeable and it was VERY BAD.

As others have described it before me, it smelled like something had died and was rotting, but with a hint of mustiness - like this thing had been rotting for a long long time. And the smell is strong, almost overpowering in what can only be described as its foulness.

So I drove the durian home and put it in my freezer ( as wrapped ) and inside a further small sealed cooler.

The next day, I transferred it to the main part of the refridgerator to thaw it out ( it had frozen solid ) and I went to work, with the intention of eating it that night.

When I got home, my refridgerator upper shelf smelled real bad.

So I put the cooler in the car along with a bottle of soda and drove out to a local park with the intention of eating this foul smelling thing as far from people as possible. In Indonesia, you can't take these things into hotels or on public transport. I didn't need my neighbors complaining to the Home Owners Association.

When I got to the park and opened up all the packaging, the smell was horrible, putrid and really unpleasant. But I persevered, unwrapped the very very soft fruit ( Hmm ripe! ) and without breathing in through my nose, I took a big bite.......


It was wonderful - just as some colleagues described - like a sweet pudding, with a hint of garlic and onion. Somehow the lovely taste completely negated the smell. While eating it, I had no sense of the rotten smell at all. The taste was all pervasive and actually, pretty damn great.

As you can see below, I ate it all up.....


Andrew Zimmern on the show "Bizarre Foods" has totally fallen in my estimation - he spat it out after one taste and said "never again".

I think the people who loathe this fruit somehow either physically still smell it while eating it or, and this is more likely, they come in predisposed to not liking the taste because the taste and the smell MUST be connected right?

Except, in the weirdest of ways as I can attest, the smell and the taste are not connected at all.

What a great experience this was.

PS I left the little cooler in my car. Four days later, someone remarked while putting a tennis racket in the trunk, "What is that smell?". I grinned inanely.

And the smell in the refidgerator? That went away when I stirred the open container of baking soda for a bit.

What is irritating me

The numbnuts advertising agency who "re-branded" the Sci Fi Channel as SyFy and the executives at that channel who went to all the meetings, sat trough all the presentations and then still gave the green light to such a monumentally stupid marketing decision.

And one of the reasons given was "newer overseas markets don't even know what 'Sci Fi' is."

That's a crock for one good reason :-

Geekdom transcends national borders. The people who like it know what "Sci Fi" is. And if the executives at SyFy don't know that, then they should not be executives at any channel showing Science Fiction content.

All they have done is piss off their core viewing audience with a marketing gimmick so lame that it is difficult to put into words how much damage this change has wrought. I hope they get crapped on by a fleet of Arcturan stunt pigs.

And the name "SyFy"? Pretentious and horrible, like "SoBe" here in South Florida but without anyone being interested in it.

And also of course ( to alienate geeks even more ), so very gay looking - like an Ikea name for a wooden spoon.

Truth In Advertising

Today on one of my C-SPAN channels, Fox news shill Monica Crowley was interviewing an "author", Brian Jennings who has written a book about the supposed coming censorship of talk radio.

She finally got around to asking if the Obama administration would out and out reintroduce the Fairness Doctrine" or bring it back in some sneakier form and Mr Jennings response was ( and I kid you not ) :-

"If they do, then they can expect a tea party that is incredulous".

---||---

Yes. "Incredulous". As in :-

Incredulous: Adjective: unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true.

Now a tea party is just an event. In and of itself, it can't be incredulous. The people participating might be, but if the doctrine was reintroduced even they have to accept what is being offered is true, otherwise why protest?

So Mr Jennings gets the quotation remarks around "author" because he doesn't know "incredulous" from "incredible".

What a sad sack Mr Jennings really is.

Father Albert out of the Catholic Church just in time

This week, the disgraced Roman Catholic priest from Miami, Father Albert Cutie announced he will become an Episcopalian.

This caused Archbishop Favalora to have a little hissy fit. But it looks like Father Albert will be having the last laugh because now the it has been announced that up to 14 Catholic churches in the Miami archdiocese may have to close.


Here is Archbishop Favalora in full on hissy fit mode.

A spokeswoman for the archdiocese, Mary Ross Agosta is quoted as saying that the closings are needed because "We're looking at finances and a shift in the Catholic population."

She did not add "And because we lost our Superstar Priest who was our best TV asset to fleshly temptation"

I'm sure that Father Cutie's loss is simply huge for the Catholic Church in South Florida.

I couldn't be happier.

Lovely News

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb of Wisconsin on Thursday May 28th denied motions to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Freedom from Religion Foundation against the National Day of Prayer.

I'm guessing this will be the only time we will see President Obama and Shirley Dobson on the same side of ANY lawsuit.

Good for this judge!

It all may be a lost cause though because the judge actually wrote that "the defendants arguments have merit and ultimately may be successful". The reason the motions to dismiss were rejected were simply because they are "premature" as summary judgment is yet to be issued on the FFRF's original suit.

Damn! I thought this ridiculous notion of a "National Day of Prayer" was in danger!

What I did find disturbing last year were the stories I read that even though the NDP is a non-partisan event, in her position as Chairman of the NDP Task Force, Shirley Dobson only wanted Christians in her organization - and she interviewed potential volunteers and quizzed them about their Christian Faith.

Of course, if she was just Chairman of the "NDP Christian Task Force" that would be :-

a) More accurate....and.....

b) A clarification that Shirley Dobson DOES NOT have any kind of overarching national role in an event that isn't ( by Presidential decree ), for Christians only.

Shirl and Dobbo every year try to bend the NDP to their Christian will. I'm sure that of the people who even know the NDP exists, the majority don't know that it is open to people of all faiths.

The Dobsons certainly never say so as they pump up Shirley's role from a simple coordinator for one faith's participation in the event to "Chairman of the National Day Of Prayer Task Force".

But that's "Doctor" for you - a man with a slippery and superficial understanding of the Bible in general and that pesky commandment about bearing false witness in particular.

Returning to "Utter Evil"

I want to just make another couple of points regarding James Dobson's broadcast of May 14th 2009, the great "Utter Evil is coming out of Congress" program.

In the program Dobbo bemoaned the fact that the Democrats control all the branches of government, the Presidency, the Congress and ultimately the Judiciary via the Supreme Court. "Which will only get more liberal". So there are now no "checks and balances" on what the hated Democrats can do. He said in effect that checks and balances to stop the excesses of one party running amok were a good and desirable thing.

Of course what the old goat completely failed to mention was why he was so vehemently against checks and balances when the Republicans controlled the Presidency and both houses of Congress - when just the Supreme Court provided some very light reins to restrain their excesses.

Oh. That's right. They were "Activist Judges". So they must have been the "wrong kind" of checks and balances. You know the kind? Those that James Dobson doesn't like.

What a Republican shill Focus on the Family has become. Now they don't even bother to say that purely political programs are brought to us by "Focus On The Family Action".

They really are that contemptuous of the law.

This week Tom Minnery said on one of the the "Focus Action Updates" on the Citizenlink website discussing the California Supreme court ruling upholding Proposition 8, "Our side raised nearly $40 million and some of that money came from Focus on the Family" [ to initially pass Prop 8 ]. Shouldn't that have been Focus on the Family Action providing the money?

Someone really needs to investigate the 501.c(3) status of Focus on the Family because Dobson and Minnery are definitely playing fast and loose with its tax exempt status.

What else?

I know. During the program Representative Gohmert actually quoted and I guess, expanded on, a quote by Chuck "the convicted felon" Colson that is so freaking stupid that I feel obliged to put it out for the ridicule in deserves.

"You can't have the morality of Woodstock without producing a Columbine, [or a Madoff]".

WOODSTOCK CAUSED COLUMBINE?

What monumental Arschloch-ing stupidity. And what an unbelievably insensitive thing to say to the families of the Columbine dead. "The morality of a rock concert in upstate New York in the 1960's caused your child's death". WTF? What is "The morality of Woodstock" anyway? Free love? Peace? Those things caused deranged killers?

Un-freaking-believable. THIS MAN IS IN CONGRESS FOR GOODNESS SAKE!!

WOODSTOCK CAUSED BERNIE MADOFF?

Deregulation caused Bernie Madoff. Greed caused Bernie Madoff. Republicanism without checks and balances caused Bernie Madoff.

The Travails of Father Albert

So finally I have to come to the Father Albert Cutie story.

Not too sure how much traction this story is having nationally, But down here in South Florida it is quite a big deal - especially after Father Albert himself introduced that perennial Dade County element - "It was CUBAN SPIES that made me do it".

Let me give a little background. I see the Father Albert story as simply the latest cherry to precariously sit atop South Florida's rancid Archdiocese of Miami.

For me, it all started a number of years ago when 1040 AM WLVJ, a rabid Protestant radio station all of a sudden allowed three hours of Catholic programming every morning. And who opened every daily broadcast? You guessed it, Father Albert praying "The Angelis" whatever that is. I can only guess that WLVJ needed the money for them to allow the Roman Catholic Church to take such a daytime stranglehold on their broadcast schedule.

So we had three hours of Catholic propaganda every day. It surely could not last.

And it did not.

First to go was "Catholic Answers Live!", a phone-in program based out of San Diego. Clearly it being on at 09:00 AM made it spectacularly NOT LIVE! here in Florida.

I was disappointed to see it go because I kind of liked hearing the lunatic certainty of dogma. At least they got in a few licks against WLVJ's regular anti-catholic audience. It that respect, it was kind of subversive.

So then we were down to two hours ( 7:00 to 09:00 )

Father Albert would introduce the whole thing ( I think as a recording ). He certainly every day completely ballsed up the emphasis on the prayer at one point completely altering its meaning. You had to hear it. As Mike Myers would say "He had the emPHAsis on the wrong SylLABle". I always will wonder why they didn't have Father Albert record it again. Probably because he thought it was fine and he was the "superstar priest" so no one would say anything.

So the first hour was a mishmash - some elements being the same every day and others rotating in on a weekly basis. Typically it would be :-

1. Father Albert
2. Sister Ann Shields and "Food For The Journey"
3. Conversations with the Archbishop John Clement Favalora
4. "Breakfast For Your Spirit" with Philip Carlton a 30 minute phone-in where they had to BEG for calls. They usually got a couple, Sometimes they got none at all. Which left Philip in full on waffle mode - very bad radio.

That would typically cover 07:00 to 08:00. Let me say now that Philip Carlton has the WORST VOICE FOR RADIO EVER - it wavers and cracks. He sounds like he is two seconds away from actually croaking.

And let's not get to talking about Archbishop Favalora - He "umms" he "aahs", he clears his throat, he "umms" some more. Simply terrible radio. Awful. You simply cannot listen. He should never do radio again until he improves his diction.

And that brings us to a segment that fell away next - that was the occasional bit called "Life Matters" from the "Respect Life Office" of the Archdiocese. This was spectacularly inappropriate anti-abortion screed every week. I don't want to hear abortion details over my cornflakes - and I guess neither did the audience because this segment bit the dust.

One time I heard a woman call Philip Carlton to say that she missed "Life Matters" because she played it to her young daughter on the way to school. Talk about child abuse. It was always so graphic. I was glad to see it go. It certainly was never appropriate fare for young girls.

And then one day "Pow!" the entire hodgepodge that was the 07:00 to 08:00 hour was gone and replaced by an hour of worship music in Portuguese called "Happy Days!"

Awww! No more Father Albert!

So all we have left is the 08:00 to 09:00 hour called "Religion, Politics and the Culture" with a lay apologist called Dennis O'Donavan. This I guess remains on the air because it is a traditional US radio talk show - a right wing host trumpets his dogmatic opinions and denigrates ( "in love and with respect" ) any callers who disagree with him.

Because this works as radio, there are sponsors for this show and it remains on the air. Dennis says he is respectful of he callers - HE ISN'T.

So that is a brief history of "Radio Peace" on WLVJ showing in just a few hours of programming the ineptitude of the Roman Catholic Church here in South Florida. They got into radio because they could. They sucked at it. They now have one program left in English - a program that brings nothing essentially Catholic to the table.

And in such a weak and badly run Church can a man with the peccadilloes ( sexual and egotistical ) of Father Albert Cutie rise to a position of prominence and influence.

Of course, he's done for now. In the eyes of the Church diddling with a WOMAN has to be the ultimate sin - and a DIVORCEE too! OMG! Next thing you know Father Albert will say she was a Cuban Honey Pot - just to try to save his own skin.

Of course that won't work. WOMAN+DIVORCEE=DONE FOR.

I feel sorry for the woman herself. There were already fisticuffs outside Father Albert's Church between his aged supporters and more traditional wrinkled adherents to Church teaching.

I bet the congregation is not treating this woman well at all.

Doesn't the Bible say we are all sinners? I guess people won't forgive her because she took away their superstar priest. I'm sure they see her as some sexual temptress who snagged Father Albert with her wiles.

When of course, Father Albert broke his vows because, like John Edwards, he sees himself as a big shot and he thought he could get away with it because the organization he works for likes him.

He was and is, simply WRONG about that.

Focus On The Family Brodcast for 5/15/09

Today on the Focus On The Family broadcast they played a recording taken at the National Day of Prayer and it contained a short speech by Representative Michele Bachmann ( R-Minnesota ). In this address she was explaining about prayer and its importance in her life and she said "the still small voice told me stay home [that day] and to attend my local Republican endorsing convention. Oh that still small voice!"


Listen to that. God or the Holy Spirit or the Baby Freaking Jesus PERSONALLY told her to be a Republican. I think that's significant. GOD TOLD HER to be a Republican.

Which is odd because he told me all Republicans are in league with Satan and should be exposed for the Pharisees that they so evidently are - Praising themselves for the adulation of the crowd. "He [my husband] started a ministry for at-risk children." and "He [the Lord} gave us 23 great foster children to raise". Clap! Clap! Clap! You are so pious Michele, so godly!

Dobson of course praised her to the hilts as "some one to watch in Congress". He clearly is passing on her being AN IDIOT.

This is the woman who called for Congressional investigations of fellow Americans because, in her twisted universe, they are "unpatriotic".

Her latest gaff ( lampooned dead-on by Jon Stewert ) was to try and pin swine flu on Democrats in the clumsiest of ways by equating the last outbreak as also occuring under a Democratic President ( Jimmy Carter ) - when of course it was under Gerald Ford.

What a partisan hack she is. There is no Republican talking point she won't parrot and no Democratic policy she won't sneeringly denigrate.

Focus On The Family 5/14/09

The Focus On The Family broadcast for 5/14/09 was a doozie.

Doctor said that "utter evil" was coming out of the US Congress and various State Houses so we had to have a special broadcast about what's going on....

His guests were :-

1. Tom Minnery - the Focus on the Family hack
2. Gary "the dwarf" Bauer of "American Values"
3. Representative Louis Gohmert of Texas ( why isn't that a surprise? )
3. Representative Steve King of Iowa

He said he had "dozens" examples he could choose from to show this "utter evil" but he only chose to mention :-

1. The confirmation of Kathleen Sebelius as the Health and Human Services Secretary.
2. The Federal Hate Crimes Bill ( this is where the bulk of the broadcast fell )
3. A California law about sperm donation and "sperm washing". TMI there Doctor!

So let's just say Doctor Dobson hates Governor Sibelius and move on to the meat of the broadcast.

Both of the politicians knowingly misrepresented the Federal Hate Crimes Bill so that they could parrot the Republican talking point that "Paedophiles are a protected class in this bill".

Heck Congressman Gohmert used to be a judge and shame on him for stirring up falsehoods about this bill. "Some judge is going to rule that sexual orientation is whatever you are orientated to sexually".

No they are not you lying idiot Republican you.

Sexual orientation is defined in US law. It is homosexuality or heterosexuality.

It is not like some of the paraphilias Doctor Dobson listed ( but shied away from saying what they are ) will become "sexual orientations" or "gender orientations" under this law :-

1. Urophilia - aka "water sports"
2. Necrophilia - surely even Dobson drones know what this is?
3. Sadism
4. Paedophilia
5. Incest

or even some Dobson didn't mention...

6. Dendrophilia - "you are a GIANT Redwood aren't you?"
7. Knismolagnia - Oooh I'm tickled pink!
8. Sinophilia - Everyone loves eating Chinese don't they?
9. Partialism - I love your eyes/armpits/knees/elbows just not "those rude bits".

No one with these deviancies is going to become a member of a "protected class" under the Federal Hate Crimes Bill and shame on the people on this broadcast who said they are. All they are trying to do is SCARE PEOPLE.

---||---

And then very briefly they talked about some law in California about sperm donation.

James Dobson's seems to have some inside knowledge on the subject of sperm washing. Apparently ( for him ) it is not foolproof. I imagine he washes his every night.

Dobson was concerned that a 2007 California law that allowed people ("homosexuals" ) with STDs and even AIDs to donate sperm ( which gets washed ) now is going to be changed to "weaken the protections" for the women who get this sperm. Apparently ( according to Doctor Dobson ) they now won't be told the health status of the donors.

I would be concerned too if I believed anything that Dobson says.

I can't give blood in the US because I lived in England 25 years ago. So I don't believe that changes to California laws ( if they are even allowed ) will weaken or endanger US citizens because the California Legislature is bowing to the Homosexual Lobby.

Again, it's just scaremongering from Focus - business as usual in Colorado Springs.

Miss California was on Focus On The Family

Quotes from the Carrie Prejean ( Miss California ) interview with James Dobson.

"These women are beautiful, intelligent. They're driven. Some of us have law degress. We're very educated. We don't solve all the answers in the world. [ We don't have all the answers. ]

Remember, this woman wants to be a teacher.

"I don't see how I got first runner up I really don't. After I answered my question I thought "OK I'm going to be fourth runner up". I don't, I can't say I was going to win or not, but I do know that had I not gotten that question, the outcome would be different."

Er...if the outcome was going to be different, then she's either saying :-

a) She would have won with a politically correct answer - which she admits she can't say.

Or....

b) She would have been even lower in the judging with the politically correct answer. Which implies both that her answer was the "right one" and that towing the pro gay marriage line would have been the wrong thing to do. ( if she wanted to win )

This woman can't speak two sentences without them being contradictory. She couldn't walk the intellectual walk with human cerebellums for shoes.

Family News In Focus - April 2009

So here is the analysis of the stories run on "Family News In Focus" for the month of April 2009.

Not counting the days where stories were repeated from the previous day and Friday April 17th when the link to "Family News in Focus" was broken, the total number of stories commented on was 101.

The total number of comments, discounting those of reporters, was 169

The total number of comments from "Focus On The Family" stooges was 31.

I have lumped all the following together in the "stooge department" :-

1. Focus On The Family Action
2. Focus On The Family
3. Family Research Council ( because Doctor Dobson was involved in setting it up, pre-FoFA )

So 18.3% of all comments were from people who work directly or indirectly for James Dobson.

As I predicted, the winner for comments from FoFA was Jenny Tiree. Step forward Jenny and take your 2009 "Shilling for an Old Trout" award. You deserve it. Truly.

I ran into that pesky FoF vs FoFA thing. Gary Schneeberger was described one time as working for FoF and another as working for FoFA. Yes, that 501.c(3) status is pretty damn flexible it seems.

What surpised me most was the sheer number of FoFA "commentators".

Carrie Gordon Earll (2)
Bruce Hausknecht (2)
Daniel Weiss (4)
Dawn Vargo (2)
Candy Cushmann (1)
Ashley Horne (2)
Jenny Tirree (5)
Bill Spencer (1)
Chad Hills (1)
Gary Schneeberger (1)

Two other names jumped out as talking heads for sale :-

Wendy Wright of "Concerned Women for America" (4)
Professor John Kent (3) - a "gambling expert". Hint: He's against.

And the kicker......

How many people were actually heard who were AGAINST the
Focus On The Family slant to a story?

1. Perez Hilton ( in a clip lifted from the Today program - 4/22/09 )
2. Winston Blacksone - A PROPONENT FOR POLYGAMY ( 4/1/09 )

And these I would describe as "neutral" to a particular story.

1. Donald Trump on the Carrie Prejean "I believe in opposite marriage" debacle ( 4/22/09 )
2. Pam Young a spokeman for Eastern Michigan University ( 4/10/09 )
3. Andy Fell of UC Davis ( 4/6/09 )

Of course, that means that of the 169 commentators I listened to,
164 towed the Focus on the Family line.

That is 97%. I think I'll repeat that - it sounds kind of important. NINETY SEVEN PERCENT of the people heard on one month of Family News in Focus broadcasts agreed with James Dobson's bias on any particular "report".

How is Family News in Focus in any way "news" with this level of bias in its reporting?

As I stated at the beginning of this exercise, I am not in favor of bringing back the Fairness Doctrine. It isn't coming back no matter how many times loons like James Dobson tells you it is.

All I am asking for is a little truth in advertising. Is that too much to ask?

How about rebranding "Family News in Focus" as "Doctor Dobson's Opinions in Focus"?

What it isn't is "News". With no context or even remote explantion of the contradictory arguments to a story, there is simply not enough infomation in a Family News in Focus broadcast to allow a rational person to take a rational position on the items covered.

Therefore I choose to dismiss Family News in Focus as just hot air from right wing gas bags.

It works for me.

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/30/09

AND FINALLY WE COME TO THE LAST DAY OF APRIL !!!!!

1. FCC and Fleeting Expletives*
Comments from :-
a) Dan Ised of the "Parents Television Council"
b) Wendy Wright of "Concerned Women for America"

* And some bleeped quotes from Cher and Nicole Ritchie

2. Gambling In Delaware
Comments from :-
a) Tom Grey of "Stop Predatory Gambling"
b) Susan Edger of the "Delaware Council on Gambling Problems" **
c) Brian McCarthy and NFL spokesman

** A "gambling neutral organization". Really from the title?

3. Gay Activism
Comments from :-
a) Tom Lang a spokesperson for "KnowThyNeighbor.org"
b) Jerry Cox of the "Family Council"

4. Missouri Conscience law
Comments from :-
a) Joe Ortworth of the "Missouri Family Council"

5. Substance Abusing Parents
Comments from :-
a) Joe Grafere of the "Substance and Mental Heatlth Sevices Administration"
b) "Doctor" Joann Condi of FoF

6. Abstinence at Chino Valley High AZ
Comments from :-
a) Pam Malarky ( how appropriate is THAT name?) of "Project SOS"

*********************************

Phew! I have finally finished.
One month of Family News in Focus is over!

Analysis will start in May. I'm guessing the person who has commented most will be Jenny Tiree of Focus On The Family Action - a Dobsonian stooge hawking the FoF line on a Focus On the Family daily propaganda show.

Is that in any way "News"?

I don't think so.

But let's not jump to conclusions before I've really looked over all this data.

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/29/09

1. Vandalism at Seattle Megachurch
Comments from :-
a) Ken Hutcherson the "Pastor"
Joseph Backholme of the "Family Policy Institute Of Washington"

2. Violence in places of worship
Comments from :-
a) Steven Henschell of "Calvary Chapel San Diego"
b) Rudy Rudicell founder of "Sheepdog Ministries"

3. 100 days of Obama
Comments from :-
a) Ashley Horne of FoFA
b) Jim Daly, FoF President

4. Obama News Conference ( not on Fox )
Comments from :-
a) Tim Graham of the "Media Research Center"

5. FoF Prayer Vigils for Children in Foster Care
Comments from :-
a) Scott Hosenbaugh a "Show Hope" spokesman

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/28/09

1. Craigslist
Comments from :-
a) David Miller of "Citizens for Community Values"
b) Daniel Weiss of FoFA

2. Marie Ann Glenden
Comments from :-
a) Deacon Keith Fournier of "Catholic Online"
b) Thomas Peete of "American Papist Blog"
c) Susan Forney of the "Catholic League"

3. Adopting from the Foster Care System
Comments from :-
a) Cora Nuckels an adopter
b) Sharon Ford of the "Department of Human Resources CO"
c) Kellie Rissotie of "FoF's Adoption Service"

4. Pro-Life License Plates
Comments from :-
a) Russ Amerling of "Choose Life Inc"

5. NARAL vs Abstinence Education
Comments from :-
a) Valarie Huber of "National Abstinence Education Association"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/27/09

1. DC Stand For Marriage Rally
Comments from :-
a) Derrick McCoy a "Coordinator"

2. Christians as Right Wing Extremists
Comments from :-
a) Gary "the Dwarf" Bauer of "American Values"
b) Dr Janice Krauss of "Concerned Women For America"

3. Governor Sibelius
Comments from :-
a) Judy Smith of "Concerned Women for America of Kansas"
b) Marjorie Denithauser of the "Susan B Anthony List"

4. FRC Honors Phyllis Schlafly
Comments from :-
a) Connie McKay of the FRC

5, FoF Marriage Simulcast ( NOT NEWS THEN )
Clip of :-
a) Beth Moore of Living Proof Ministries
Comment from :-
b) Jenny Tiree of FoFA ( I think she's going to be a big winner soon )

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/24/09

1. Issuing Marriage Licenses in Iowa
Comments from :-
a) Douglas Napir of the "Alliance Defense Fund"
b) Brian English of the "Iowa Family Policy Center"

2. Dave Ramsey Puff Piece
All you hear is Dave yakking his usual schtick.

3. Plan B over-the-counter sales
Comments from :-
a) "Doctor" David Hagar of the "Physicians Resource Council"
b) Wendy Wright of "Concerned Women for America"

4. Clarksville Indiana Sex Shop Protests
Comments from :-
a) Brian Wikkins of "Reclaim Our Culture Kentuckiana"

5. Wisconsin School Graduations to be held in a Church
Comments from :-
a) Jeleanne Appling of the "Wisconsin Family Council"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/23/09

1. Gambling in Philadelphia
Comments from :-
a) Jethro Highcoe of "Casino Pree Philadelphia"
b) Diane Berlin of "Casino Free PA"

2. Craigslist
Comments from :-
a) Lisa Thompson of the "Salvation Army National HQ"
b) Linda Smith of "Shared Hope International"

3. Importance of Grandparents
Comments from :-
a) Gavin Harper of the, get ready for this, "Christian Grandparenting Network"

4. Georgetown University amd Joe Biden
Comments from :-
a) Patrick Riley of the "Cardinal Neumann Society"

5. Sexting
Comments from :-
a) Daniel Weiss of FoFA

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/22/09

1. Miss USA and The Gay Marriage Question
Comments from :-
a) Donald Trump
b) Carrie Prejean ( for it is she ) with Matt Lauer*
c) Perez Hilton ( an idiot ) also with Matt Lauer*
d) Jessica Hedley a "former pageant contestant"

* Clips from the Today Show

2. Day of Silence
Comments from :-
a) Karen England of the "Capital Resource Institute"
b) Randy Thomas of "Exodus International", a de-gaying "ministry"

3. Online Casinos
Comments from :-
a) John Kent of the University of Illinois. Him AGAIN?
b) Mark Andres of "Casino Watch"
c) Jime Leech a "former Congressman"

4. Praying on a School Campus
Comments from :-
a) Brad Daykus of the "Pacific Justice Union"

5. The Pulpit Initiative Debate"
Comments from :-
a) Benjamin Ball of the "Alliance Defense Fund"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/21/09

1. Video Game Addiction
Comments from :-
a) Douglas Genteel a "lead researcher"
b) Bob Waliszewski of Pluggedinonline ( FoF really )
c) Kurt Bruner author of "Playstation Nation"

2. Dave Ramsey ( a puff piece ) DEFINITELY NOT "NEWS"
Comments from :-
a) The idiot himself
b. Katie Humberson a sheep "in the crowd"
c) Lucille Dawsey "a grandma" and also a sheep.

3. Porn in Montana
Comments from :-
a) David Miller of "Citizens for Community Values"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/20/09

In the home stretch now....

1. National Day Of Prayer Flights
Comments from :-
a) Jerry Kress from "Prayer Flight"
b) Patrick Carlyle a pilot.

2. Indiana School Choice
Comments from :-
a) Jeff Grantly of "School Choice Indiana"

3. US International Gambling Report
Comments from :-
a) John Kent of the University of Illinois. Looks like a tame Professor they always go to for an anti-gambling comment.

4. Becoming Politically Active
Comments from :-
a) Ashley Horne of FoFA

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/17/09

They broke the link on the FoF website. No new stories on citizenlink.org as of 19:00 Eastern.

*****


So let's talk about Jimmy Dobson's appearance on the Hannity TV show and the spin put on what he said by this mouthpiece Mr Gary Schneeberger.

Dobson did indeed say ""We are awash in evil and the battle is still to be waged. We are right now in the most discouraging period of that long conflict. Humanly speaking, we can say we have lost all those battles."

He did go on to say that he still puts his trust in Jesus to make it all better. But there is no denying he said "We lost all the battles" - even if completely contradictorily earlier, he ( Dobson ), said that FoF had some successes in its campaigns.

Schneeberger tried to spin "we have lost all those battles" as "we lost some points in the last election". What a liar.

So even though Jimmy Dobson is putting his trust in the Lord to come through in the end, I will repeat myself and remind you once again that he did say "We lost ALL the battles". You can't parse "all" to be "some in the last election cycle".

Schneeberger also blamed "the left wing media" for quoting Dobson out of context and he stated that the story originated in the Daily Telegraph in the UK. What he didn't say is that the Daily Telegrapgh is the most right wing quality newspaper in Britain and it is a natural ally of all James Dobson holds dear. So really, this isn't a "quoting out of context" issue at all. It's quoting something stupid that he really said.

The best thing was Dobson justifying himself on Hannity with something like "this wasn't a press release. This was me addressing the FoF staff" as if he had said these things in one venue and not the other, the words would somehow have different meanings?

The fact that this story came out shows really it is time for Dobson to go. How many times in the election were comments from candidates ( "clinging to religion and guns" ) made public when spoken in front of supposedly closed friendly audiences? Did James Dobson learn nothing from Obama?

And finally we come to the true reason he said what he said.

He was having a little "Pity Party" about stepping down at Focus and he wanted his ego stroked by the audience. "No, not true Doctor, you did GOOD things. You showed those gays where the closet is. Don't beat yourself up. We love you Doctor".

That's what we did it for - Pitiful Adulation. And the words got out and came back to bite him.

End of Story.

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/16/09

1. Doctor Dobson is NOT Retiring
Comments from :-
a) Gary Schneeberger of FoFA

2. Gambling in MA
Comments from :-
a) Chris Minno of "MA Family Institute"
b) John Kent a "University of Illinois Professor"

3. Catholic Adoption Agencies in the UK
Comments from :-
a) Reverend Jim Richards of the "Catholic Children's Society"
b) Matt Barber of the "Liberty Council"

4. What Makes The Economy Grow?
Comments from :-
a) Jay Richards of the "Heritage Foundation"

5. Yet Another Piece on Gay Marriage
Comments from :-
a) Jenny Tiree of FoFA

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/15/09

Here was a BIG BIG day. With the Family News in Focus site and the link on the Focus On The Family website had COMPLETELY DIFFERENT stories......

1. Adult Stem Cells I
Comments from :-
a) Wesley J Smith of the "Discovery Institute" Yes, THOSE charlatans.
b) Dawn Vargo of FoFA

2. Funding Gay University Club
Comments from :-
a) David Williams a "Student Body President"
b) Carrie Gordon Earll of FoFA

3. Adult Stem Cells II
Comments from :-
a) David Prentiss of FRC

4. Malaria Nets in Africa
Comments from :-
a) Jordon Foxworthy
b) Mark Hannlin of "Compassion International"

5. Love Won Out Ad Banned ( what was missing yesterday !! )
Comments from :-
a) Gary Schneeberger of FoF
b) Jeff Johnstone "FoF pet ex-gay"

6. TrueTolerance.org ( puff piece for an FoF website )
Comments from :-
a) Tom Benyano "opened a chapter in Fairfax County VA"
b) Candy Cushmann of FoFA
c) Josh Bollenger of the "Alliance Defense Fund"

7. Kids "Risky" Behavior
Comments from :-
a) Rob Jackson a "Counsellor"
b) Steve Earle an "Author". Alas, not THE Steve Earle.

8. Vermont Law on Sexting
Comments from :-
a) Cynthia Logan "whose daughter commited suicide"
b) David Weiss of FoFA

9. Justice Ginsberg - She's quoting "Foreign Laws" again mommy!
Comments from :-
a) Ed Waylon of "Ethics in Public Policy Center"
b) Kurt Levey of the "Commitee for Justice"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/14/09

What a balls up. The same as yesterday.........

1. Abortion Clinic Closure in Oakland CA
Comments from :-
a) David Whitaker of the "Pregnancy Medical Clinic" in Union City CA
b) Day Gardener of the "National Black Pro-Life Union"

2. Planned Parenthood Annual Report
Comments from :-
a) Wendy Wright, President of "Concerned Women for America"
b) Joy Yearout of the "Susan B Anthony List"
c) Jenn Jerew of "Women Influencing the Nation"

3. Slots in Valley Forge
Comments from :-
a) Diane Berlin of "Casino Free PA"

PLUS.......

4. Marriage in Rhode Island
Comments from :-
a) Jenny Tiree of FoFA

All day, the link of the broadcast was to a story about "Bias Against Christian Ad", but that story never played.

Oh dear.

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/13/09

1. Abortion Clinic Closure in Oakland CA
Comments from :-
a) David Whitaker of the "Pregnancy Medical Clinic" in Union City CA
b) Day Gardener of the "National Black Pro-Life Union"

2. Planned Parenthood Annual Report
Comments from :-
a) Wendy Wright, President of "Concerned Women for America"
b) Joy Yearout of the "Susan B Anthony List"
c) Jenn Jerew of "Women Influencing the Nation"

3. Slots in Valley Forge
Comments from :-
a) Diane Berlin of "Casino Free PA"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/10/09

One third of the way through the month of recording the people allowed to comment on Family News in Focus broadcasts.

And so we come to Good Friday, where the daily broadcast was real late in hitting the websites. But better late than nothing to monitor I guess.

1. Student Expelled frm Eastern Michigan University Counselling Program.
( Hint: She hates The Gays )
Comments from :-
a) Julia Ward the expelled "counsellor" herself.
b) Pam Young a spokesperson explaining the University's diversity policy
c) Jeremy Tedesco of the "Alliance Defense Fund" So Ms Ward's lawyer.

2. Are there "benefits" from the current economy?
Yes there really was no news today because....
Comments were from :-
a) Dr Laura. Comments lifted just straight out of the FoF daily broadcasts from earlier this week.

So there's a thing, the "news" is your own FoF programming. Brilliant!

I think Jim Daly has found a way to get costs at Focus under control.

3. Easter Celebration
Comments from :-
a) H. B. London FoF "Head of Church and Clergy"

So now "news" is your own employee saying "Happy Easter"? WTF?

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/9/09

1. Harry Knox, Another Obama Appointment FoF Does Not Like
Comments from :-
a) Dr Micheal Brown with the "Coalition Of Conscience"
b) Susan Fawnee of the "Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights"

2. National Organization for Marriage Ads
Comments from :-
a) Maggie Gallagher, President of NofM
b) Jenny Tiree of FoFA

3. Elimination of the Invocation at University of Maryland
Comments from :-
a) Jay Sekulo of the ACLJ
b) Matt Staver, Chairman of "Liberty Council"
c) Brad Daykis of the "Pacific Justice Institute

4. Abortion
Comments from :-
a) Saron Foster, President of "Feminists for Life"

5. Gay Student Housing at Texas Christian University
Comments from :-
a) Jeff Johnstone of FoF

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/8/09

It was a little late in the day before the Citizenlink website got updated. I guess they were all apoplectic about.....

1. Vermont allows Same Sex Marriage.
Comments from :-
a) Steven Cable of "Vermont Renewal"
b) Bill Spencer of FoFA

2. Internet Gambling
Comments from :-
a) Chad Hills of FoFA
b) Dr Guy Clarke of "Stop Predatory Gambling"

3. Rescinding Conscience Protection for Medical Workers

WHAT AGAIN? I told you so.

Comments from:-
a) Wendy Wright of "Concerned Women for America"

4. Red Envelope Campaign
Comments from :-
a) Chris Otto described as the "Project Founder"

I sent a white envelope representing the three times more children lost to SPONTANEOUS ABORTION.

5. Montana Physician Assisted Suicide
Comments from :-
a) Bill Tofler of "Physicians for Compassionate Care"

Heck, is there any other kind dume-ass?

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/7/09

This is a bizarro world sometimes. Today the broadcasts first repeated the items of yesterday.....

1. Gay Marriage in Iowa
Comments from :-
a) Doug Napir of the "Alliance Defense Fund"
b) Bruce Hausknecht from FoFA

2. Showing Pirates II on College Campuses
Comments from :-
Pat Truman a "Former Justice Department Lawyer"
Andy Fell of UC Davis

3. Love Won Out De-Gaying Conferences
Comments from :-
a) Mike Geyky who used to suffer from "same sex attraction", an ex-gay.
b) Melissa Fryrear a conference "keynote speaker"

Amd then we had the NEW stuff :-

4. Rescinding Conscience Rights for Medical Workers
Comments from :-
a) Deidre McQuade of the "US Conference of Catholic Bishops".
Er..a WOMAN??

Isn't this a second bite at this cherry? Keep reading, they'll
flog this horse some more before the month is over. Trust me.

5. April is Abortion Recovery Awareness Month - in Tex-ass
Comments from :-
a) Hiram Sassa of the "Libery Legal Institute"

6. School Choice Survey
Comments from :-
a) Virginia Walden-Ford of "DC Parents for School Choice"
b) Andrew Campanella of the "Alliance for School Choice"

7. Iowa Justices say "mothers and fathers are a stereotype"
Comments from :-
a) Jenny Tiree of FoFA

8. Defeat for Illinois FoCA
Comments from :-
a) Eric Scheidler of the "Pro-life Action League"

9. California "Gender Identity" law
Comments from :-
a) Robert Tyler of "Advocates for Faith and Freedom"

10. North Dakota Same Sex Attraction Bill
Comments from :-
a) Tom Fryer of the "North Dakota Family Alliance"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/6/09

And so it goes on......

1. Gay Marriage in Iowa
Comments from :-
a) Doug Napir of the "Alliance Defense Fund"
b) Bruce Hausknecht from FoFA

2. Showing Pirates II on College Campuses*
Comments from :-
a) Pat Truman a "Former Justice Department Lawyer"
b) Andy Fell of UC Davis

3. Love Won Out De-Gaying Conferences
Comments from :-
a) Mike Geyky who used to suffer from "same sex attraction". So an ex-gay.
b) Melissa Fryrear a conference "keynote speaker"

Yes for a de-gaying conference from Focus on the Family, the keynote speaker is called "Fry Rear". You can't make this stuff up.

------

*A few notes on the Pirates II story.

It was very noticeable that they ( Family News In Focus ) would not say the name of the movie or that it was produced by Digital Playground. All they would say was that it was a "parody of Pirates of the Carribean" and that it was made my a Southern California production company. That would be DIGITAL PLAYGROUND in case you missed that before.

The piece then became even more bizarre. Family News in Focus said it was they who had ratted out UC Davis to the authorities about the "public" showing of Pirates II from Digital Playground. Then Mr Truman said what they wanted was for the cops to simply enforce the law. Then Mr Fell said porn was not illegal and that the UC Davis PD had told them that they were not violating the law. In fact Lt Matt Carmicheal of the UC Davis PD was quoted as saying that they "had followed the letter of the law."

And then the piece ended with Mr Truman saying that he was happy with UC Davis PD's response!!


So when the dust had settled what was this story about? Nothing happened at UC Davis and the quoted anti-porn advocates were happy with that outcome. Of course the movie was withdrawn from being shown at the University of Maryland where a threatened removal of state funding quickly achieved Focus' desired censorship goal. No-one commented directly on that case. Strange they should have concentrated on the campus where they effectively lost their case?

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/3/09

And on to day 3 we go.......

1. Gays In The Military
Comments from :-
a) Lt Colonel ( Rtd ) Bob McGiness ( my emphasis on RETIRED )
b) Elaine Donnely of the "Center for Military Readiness"
c) Peter Spring of the "Family Research Council" ( another Dobsonian front )

2. Kansas High School vs The National Education Association
Comments from :-
a) Gary Sigell a "track and field coach"
b) Tracey Bailet, spokesman for the "Association of American Educators"

3. Pro-life order in Congress
Comments from :-
a) Representative Stephen King
b) Representative Chris Smith

4. Rescinding Medical Conscience Regulations
Comments from :-
a) Justin Aquilla of the "Susan B. Anthony List"

5. Adult Stem Cell Trials
Comments from :-
a) Dawn Vargo another Focus Of The Family Action ( FoFA ) stooge and from listening to her irritating voice, a Valley Girl.

*********

At least with the last item, they didn't end with the standard lie that Adult Stem Cells are currently used in over 70 cures or treatments.

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/2/09

OK day 2...

1. New York State Court cases on Single Sex Marriage
Comments from :-
a) Brian Rolme of the "Alliance Defense Fund"
b) Jason McGuire of "New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedom"

2. Effects of the Recession
Comments from :-
a) Ron Blue of "Kingdom Advisors"
b) Todd Cohen, publisher of "The Philanthropy Journal"
c) Dan Busby, presient of the "Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability"

3. Casino in Arizona
Comments from :-
a) Deborah Shesby of the "Center for Arizona Policy"
b) Diane Berlin of the "National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling"

4. First Amendment in San Diego
Comments from :-
a) Robert Tyler of "Advocates for Faith and Freedom"

5. Pro-life float banned at the Tulip Time Festival
Comments from :-
a) Carol Brower of "Right To Life Michigan"

Family News In Focus - Comment Analysis 4/1/09

Let me say two things up front.

1. I am NOT in favor of the return of the Fairness Doctrine. With the fragmentation of today's radio markets, it is just not going to happen - no matter how much right wing blowhards try to tell us different.

2. I am in favor of honest reporting. So to this end, I have decided to listen to every Family News In Focus broadcast for the month of April and just to note down all the names of the people and organizations that comment in their daily stories. I have excluded their own reporters because (a) the same names will turn up all the time and (b) I think that by definition of where they work, they already have an agenda.

I will listen to the broadcast on the citizenlink.org web site as well as to the link to the Focus On The Family daily broadcast page. These are usually the same, but at least on April 1st, they were different. Perhaps I got some March 31st stories too.

So here goes for April 1st 2009....

1. Anti-Planned Parenthood
Comments from :-
a) Kristin Hawkins of "Students For Life"

2. Research that Abortion Harms Women
Comments from :-
a) Priscilla Coleman - "author of one such study"
b) Carrie Gordon Earll - Focus On The Family Action ( FoFA )

3. Pro-Adoption
Comments from :-
a) Kurt and Margret Berky - Adopting Parents "Of course as a kid he is better of because he is going to church now"

4. Canadian Polygamy Court Case
Comments from :-
a) Winston Blackstone - THE POLYGAMIST !!
b) Dave Quist of "The Institute for Marriage and Family Canada"
c) Bruce Hausknecht of FoFA ( Natch. This one is going to be a trend )

5. Brain Research - Pictures Objectifying Women
Comments from :-
a)"Doctor" David Stevens of "The Christian Medical and Dental Association"
b) Daniel Weiss of FoFA ( Surprise !! )

6. Adults Only Websites
Comments from :-
a) Bob Peters president of "Morality in Media"
b) Rick Shots of "The National Coalition for the Protection Of Children and Families"

7. Effects of Abortion
Hey, isn't this two bites at the cherry? See item # 2
Comments from :-
a) Doctor Priscilla Coleman ( again ) described as a "lead researcher" - whatever that it.
b) Catherine Coils of "The Alliance for Post Abortion Research and Training" - APART? How twee.

*******

By my reckoning that's one person with a contrary view to the "report" being heard - step forward Mr Winston you raving polygamist you.

So how can this be "news" when I have no context in which to decide if the speakers are mainstream or just Dobsonian stooges?

Time to put the record straight

This is an email I had to send to the propaganda wing of
Focus On The Family ( aka "Family News In Focus" ) :-

...snip...

Whenever you have a piece on your "news" broadcast about
stem cell research, you always end the piece with "Adult Stem
Cells are already involved in treating over 70 diseases and
conditions"

That is a LIE. Use "the Google" and read what universities say.
You know, REAL DOCTORS. MDs, people like that. Not that idiot
from the "Christian Medical and Dental Association"

Please stop repeating this lie. Aren't you supposed to be a
"Christian" organization? Have you heard that one about
"not bearing false witness"?

No. I didn't think so.

Also please look into what "Research" is. You can't have
treatments with embryonic stem cells UNTIL YOU HAVE
DONE THE RESEARCH.

By your argument, we would have no heart transplants
now because, when they were introduced you could say
"No one has survived any transplant procedure." So that
"research" inititially also yielded no cures, no treatments.

Guess what? More research made heart transplants work.

MORE RESEARCH.

Focus Does It Again - Serial Killer Series II

This week ( ending March 27th 2009 ) Focus on the Family continued its salacious "Serial Killers" series of radio programs when "Doctor" Bill Maier interviewed David Berkowitz aka The Son Of Sam.

The programs were pretty nauseating, with Maier "hmm-ing" and "ah-ing" to show he has "understanding" and "compassion" for this monster.

I can't believe Maier is a broadcaster at all. His "reaction noises" during interviews are so inapproprate and out of place. But he cares, he really does. That's what those noises are subtly telling us. He has picked up the habit from James Dobson. Neither know how to use a microphone to stop programs being about THEM, about how THEY feel - and by extension, how WE are supposed to feel.

They are manipulators. Horrible, horrible manipulators of pain and suffering. Serving it up to us in programs like those on Berkowitz and Bundy and then telling us how we are supposed to feel about them.

Why did they even have the interviews with Berkowitz? After the Dobson/Bundy love-in, I thought we might be done with this stuff.

Well we had the programs for two reasons :-

1. Because The Son Of Sam ( who brutally MURDERED six people ) has "found Jesus" in jail.

Well whoop-tee-doo. Berkowitz was a monster then and he's still a monster now. Like Bundy, he wanted to "be" someone. Now he gets his wish for fame by Focus On The Family pandering to him.

2. Because Berkowitz said he saw pornography when he was younger.

And even though he said pornography had NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS CRIMES, it didn't stop James Dobson saying "Oh yes it did".

I kid you not, Dobson quoted Ted Bundy as an authority and he then said something like "So as we see, pornography is ALWAYS involved in these crimes" ( Because TED BUNDY TOLD HIM SO ?? )

What a pernicious ax-grinding liar James Dobson is.

Safety vs Liberty

Today on CNN former Vice President Cheney said he thought we are now less safe under the policies of President Obama than we were previously. This is a pet mantra of Republicans, but I think it is time to call them out on it.

Wasn't this a country built at least in part on the phrase "Give me Liberty or give me Death"?

Now the liberties we have lost in the last eight years may indeed have made us safer, but the correct response to the statement of the former Vice President is "so what?" As Americans we should care more for Liberty than our personal safety - otherwise people like Patrick Henry have become irrelevant and we have failed to both uphold and live up to the very great ideals that founded this great nation.

Of course, Republicans will now say we haven't lost any liberties, But, what do you call the "sneak and peak" provisions of the Patriot Act? I call them unconstitutional.

This whole "more safe vs less safe" argument is completely bogus and those that use it lessen what it means to be an American. And they use it because they want us to be afraid.

The Most Useless Of Advice

I must say that the most useless piece of advice being repeated ad nauseam by the talking financial heads on TV is "You should put aside 6 to 9 months of living expenses in case you are laid off in the current recession".

What is the percentage of people currently living paycheck to paycheck? I seem to remember it is ( frighteningly ), A LOT.

To many people, this advice is quite useless. And even if people who are in the hole NOW started to put aside some money in case the pink slip arrives, how long would it take to get to 9 months of expenses?

I'm guessing at least a couple of years and maybe longer.

So if the nasty recession can just put itself on hold for two years, people can ready themselves for its consequences RIGHT NOW.

When you are in a recession, telling people how to prepare for a recession is stupid.

BIG NEWS: James Dobson steps down at FoF

Friday February 27th 2009 will be a day that lives in blessedness because dear reader, that was the day that "Doctor" James Dobson announced thet he was stepping down as chairman of Focus On The Family. And so his personality-ministry moves ever closer to being no more. Hooray!

Unfortunately he will still be doing the daily radio broadcast and the FoF monthly newsletter, but as an indicator that his influence is waning and that Focus will eventually fade away all together, this is simply GREAT NEWS.

I will of course continue to listen to the radio program and keep sending my comments to the gulag in Colorado Springs. After all, Dobson always says they read and value all correspondence from listeners.

The recent shows on "purity" sure have been icky doozies - They yakked on and on about telling even very young children about "mommies and daddies" but before the programs ran they said "you may want to take little ones ( including even maybe young adolescents ) to another room"

The people at FoF are clearly confused.

Yes, I'm talking to you "Doctor" Bill Maier and "Doctor" Julie Slattery.

Sometimes there is a Good Political Story

Every so often, a political story bursts through the grime and gridlock that is Washington DC and touches people all across this great nation, a story of hope over hypocrisy and the possibility of a storm of change blowing the serried ranks of Old White Lawyer Guys in the halls of power.

No. It's not Obama. That Change is not The Change We Were Really Looking For.

I'm talking REAL CHANGE, something stirring in the the political nether regions.....

I'm talking about Stormy Daniels running in 2010 for the the Senate Seat in Louisiana currently occupied by David Vitter, a client of the DC Madam.



Go here to sign up... http://www.draftstormy.com

It sure is going to be fun.

Purity? Balls!

So I keep listening to the Focus of The Family broadcast about "Purity Balls" with Randy and Lisa Wilson. It gets creepier every time I listen, but as with everything from FoF it is well worth a second and third go around to pick up some more blatant mistruths.

I have already pointed out in a previous blog entry that Mr Wilson is a serious Bible mis-quoter, but on further review I now see that so is Mrs Wilson.

During the course of the program Mrs Wilson describes an oaken chest that her husband makes for each daughter - she calls it a "hope chest", but in reality it's just a 21st century Chastity Belt Substitute.

Because on a girl's wedding day she gives a covenant she wrote to her husband when she was THIRTEEN that she keeps in the damnable chest. Stuff he daddy had her write about remaining "pure" for that one special and godly man who gets to deflower her..Eeew! Just think of what is going through Randy Wilson's mind when he's making these chests. Eeew! It doesn't bear thinking about. News just in Randy - your daugther's sexuality is not yours to bestow or lock away.

Any ways to get back to the mendacious Mrs Wilson...

She says that the chests are make of oak because her daughters are "oaks of righteousness from Isaiah".

Except of course the term "oaks of righteousness" ISN'T IN ISAIAH.

Everything the woman says ( just like he husband ) sounds Biblical, BUT IT JUST ISN'T.

Here are the verses that mention oak.

Isaiah 6 11-13

Then said I, Lord, how long? And he answered, Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

and the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return, and shall be eaten: as a teil tree, and as an oak, whose substance is in them, when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof.

So no "daughters" there.

How about Isaiah 44-14 - a section on "The Folly of Idolatry"...

He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest: he planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

Nope. No "daughters" again.

How about Isaiah 1 27-31 : "The Judgment and Redemption of Zion", not too daughterly I'm guessing.

Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

Well, where's the daughters? I see you do get a "righteousness" in there.

AND THAT IS ALL THE OAK IN ISAIAH.

"Well what about righteousness?" I hear you ask.

Perhaps what Mrs Wilson was grasping for and spectacularly misunderstanding was Isaiah 61 1-6 : Good Tidings of Salvation to Zion

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called Trees of righteousness, The planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

But ye shall be named The priests of the LORD: men shall call you The ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

But alas no cigar. Clearly the "Trees of righteousness" are priests in Zion. That means they HAVE TO BE men.

So Lisa, you lose. No woman can be a "tree of righteousness" let alone an "oak of righteousness".

You did sound convincing to the gullible though.

Latest Focus On The Family Whopper

On the Family News in Focus broadcast of Tuesday February 10th 2009, a woman named Joann Condie who was simply identified as a "Christian Counsellor" uttered a statement of such shattering mendacity that I had to look up the harpie on the Google.....

And guess what? Yep, she works at Focus on the Family. She's nothing but a Dobsonian stooge.

Family News in Focus is James Dobson's daily dose of "redefining Truth one Lie at a time". But I can't for the life of me think why they chose not to identify Ms Condie as a Focus staffer - they usually do say "Here's Joe Schmoe of Focus On The Family Action". Why hide this woman's affliation?

But what did Ms Condie ACTUALLY say?

Well, the piece was about availabilty of pornography in the US and its disemination to people who are "shocked" by it - like some who were recipents of the Comcast Superbowl incident.

They also said some 10 year old kid in Florida ( not identified ) was damaged FOR LIFE because the first message he got on his new phone was pornographic. Really? FOR LIFE? Heck what would even constitute pornographic SMS message? Inquiring minds want to know.

The Focus people of course, gave no details.

And then after talking about this poor "traumatized" kid ( FOR LIFE don't forget ), Ms Condie made the following statement :-

"There are many who, in fact, one image, one time, can be, ah, engraved in their brain that years later they can have an advanced sexual addiction - never having to go online, never having to purchase DVDs or anything else".

That is a word of word quote - Ms Condie is not the most articulate 'counsellor" out there.

But what she clearly is a BIG FAT SCAREMONGERING LIAR.

The Worst EVER

The Focus On The Family broadcast of Monday January 26th will without doubt go down in history as the worst thing that James Dobson ever did in his long and mendacious career.

It was a 20th anniversary rebroadcast of Dobbo's pre-execution interview with the charismatic lying psychopath, Ted Bundy.

Ted said "I want my words to be remembered" and James Dobson was more than willing to oblige just because (a) Ted said he had given his life to the Baby Jesus and (b) he told Dobson EXACTLY what he wanted to hear - "Porn made me do it" - Lurid Detective Magazines. Oooooh!

And Dobson nauseatingly lapped it up like a dog returning to a monster's vomit.

He even got to the sickening question of "What did you feel like, after that first killing?"

AAAARRGGHHHH!!! No one needs to ask that. No one needs to know. Of course Ted, said something like "It was like coming out of a dream" - distancing himself from his actions. And Dobson lets him have his say. He never attacks him or challenges him. He just lets him lie and say whatever he wants. It wasn't an interview, it was a puff piece with that sweet porn center that Dobson so wanted to hear.

And Ted is so solicitous, saying "better men than I have studied this" and then he goes off giving us his lying opinion anyway and trying to justify himself. All the while Dobson is deferential and just as bad as bad can be.

He even lets Bundy get away with saying he is a "normal man, with this 'one thing' that I had to keep secret".

No Ted. You really are a MONSTER.

This interview annoyed me more than ANYTHING that James Dobson has ever done.

You can't rely on the statements of a monster to in any way justify your pet crusades against what you fatuously perceive as society's ills. You cannot. And if you try to, you are an idiot.

Even that day Bundy wanted to be in the news. He wanted to confess to more killings to get a stay from his execution. He still wanted to be famous and James Dobson walked right into that penitentiary and he simply OBLIGED HIM.

James Dobson was as gullible a fool 20 years ago as he is today.

Wherever Ted Bundy is now, I'm sure he is thanking Dobson for the publicity and laughing at him in equal measure.

The Theocratic Cat is out of the Constitutional Bag

This week I was listening to the Chistian radio station WAFG 90.3 FM here in South Florida and I heard something on a broadcast called "Vocal Point" that I feel needs wider dissesmination.

On Friday December 19th on the "Vocal Point" program "Doctor" Gary Cass of an organization called "The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission" uttered the following statement that needs to be heard throughout this great country :-

"The Church is the Secret Government of the World"

Let me repeat that because it sounds pretty freaking significant.....

"The Church is the Secret Government of the World"

Seems to me that this statement is directly in conflict with the Constitution, which let me remind you, is the highest law in these United States.

The presenter of the program was audibly gobsmacked by this zinger and he and "Doctor" Cass had to back peddle like crazy to try to put this Pro-Theocracy Cat back in the Constitutional Bag.

And guess what?

They failed.

Have we finally heard out in the open, the Christian Right's true goal for this country?

"The Church is the Secret Government of the World"

If "Doctor" Cass is in any way working towards this "Secret Government" goal, then he is conspiring to pervert the US Constitution and he should suffer the consequences of that.

Response to a Focus On The Family Drone

Below is my response to a letter left on the Times Union of Albany NY website by someone called Monica Marti who stated she was a "Manager Media and Public Relations" at Focus On The Family.

Dear Ms Marti,

I am writing to you regarding your letter to the website timesunion.com of 12/14/08.

It doesn't matter for how many years "Dobson's radio broadcast has been
'helping' millions of families...." ( your quote ), the problem is when
Dobson goes off on one of his anti-gay marriage rants, his homophobic
attitudes are reinforced in the minds of his "followers". And as a
"psychologist", I am sure that that is his covert intention.

You can't cite "good works" as the sign of someone's veracity and trustworthiness.

You have to look at their deceitfulness and mendacity. And James
Dobson exhibits quite enough of those two qualities each year for us
to know that he is indeed a homophobe.

We go by his deeds not by his folksy schtick.

And he is such a liar too. Ask him who won the Battle Of Franklin.
Ask him to explain the Anthrophic Principle again. Ask him to explain
why Elizabeth Dole is such a godly woman when she ran one of the most
hateful campaigns of the last election.

James Dobson is a dangerous ignorant buffoon.

After Further Review....

So I went back to the Focus On The Family December 1st and 2nd programs about The Civil War Battle Of Franklin and another example of the towering ignorance of James Dobson leaped up and bit me like the metaphor it most clearly is.

As I have previously blogged, in these programs Dobson keeps saying how interested he is in in the Civil War and how he considers himself a "Civil War buff". So in effect he is setting himself up as someone who probably knows more about it than say, Joe Six-Pack or this made up "Fred" guy, who they say supports Doctor and his legions of darkness.

So, he sets himself up for his own fall because, in a towering display of not knowing his musket from his balls, "Doctor" says to the historian at the Franklin site, "This was a victory for the Union forces" and that my friend ain't so.

The Historian had to correct the Expert by saying that in ANY Civil War battle, the victor is judged to be the side that held the field when the opponents withdrew.

And of course in the case of the Battle of Franklin, that side was THE CONFEDERACY.

Amazing. James Dobson knows nothing about stuff he personally studies for a hobby. Makes you think about what he really knows about his "academic field".

But that's not the kicker. What this complete reversal of understanding about who won and who lost and who eventually won and who eventually lost seems to be is, a perfect metaphor for the whole Gay Marriage Debate.

In the Battle of Franklin, the Confederacy won, but in reality they took such huge losses there that it was the beginning of their defeat. And so with Prop 8 in California and Amendment 2 here in Florida. The Focus on the Family types won the day in November 2008, but time and demographics are against them. When Dobson is gone and groups like Focus On The Family are again marginalized politically, then there will be new Amendments and gay marriage will be legal everywhere and then this whole non-issue will be OVER.

Battle of Franklin - 1864
Focus On the Family contributions for 2008 - down $5 million
James Dobson's ignorance - Priceless

Lies Focus On The Family Told Me

I've been trawling the Focus on the Family web site listening to past broadcasts and I came across as pair of doozies from September 15th and 16th 2008.

The two part program was called ( very disingenuously ), "A Father's Commitment To Purity" and was about a guy ( Randy Wilson ), who is the instigator of a nationwide phenomenon called "Purity Balls" and about his putting his daughters through public humiliation in a vain attempt to keep them "pure" for their husbands.

But really, these programs were about this man's purient interest in the sex lives of of his own daughters. Eeeew!

The programs should have be called "A Father's Unhealthy Interest in His Daughter's Purity".

I defy you to listen to these recordings and not feel the need to shower afterwards.

Anyways, right at the start of these very scary programs Randy Wilson authoritatively says that in the book of Proverbs it says "Our brides are a gift from God".

THAT IS A LIE. MY BIBLE SAYS NO SUCH THING. NOT ABOUT BRIDES, NOT ABOUT WIVES.

But that's how this works isn't it? Lie, but do it with conviction.

Why was I not surprised to learn that Mr Wilson used to work for Focus On The Family, the home of Biblical mendacity? And now he is the "National Field Director for Church Ministries for the Family Research Council" - so he's still lying for Jesus for a living then.

Best Week Ever On Focus On The Family

December 1st and 2nd's radio programs were both, for want of a better term, "holiday recordings" of "Doctor" Dobson's taken at the site of the Civil War Battle of Franklin in Tennessee. Apparently the good doctor has been in Tennessee still writing his opus "Bringing Up Girls", but he still had some time to go out and record personal jaunts like this one.

One of the things I love about Dobson, almost as much as the "tsk tsking" and the sighing to show us his sympathy ON MATTERS THAT ARE FREAKING OBVIOUS is when he ventures into areas about which he knows diddly squat and then falls flat on his overly pious behind.

In the case of this week's programs from Tennessee, he produced two classic howlers, even after he had informed us that he was a "Civil War buff".

1. He didn't know when the Battle of Shiloh was - he thought it was AFTER the Battle of Franklin.

2. He kept referring to the Battle of Franklin as the "Gettysburg Of The West" when really it was known as the "Pickett's Charge of the West".

But of course Dobson lies with such authority that I'm sure many people must miss that what he says is just plain wrong.

For the record, The Battle of Shiloh was fought on April 6th and 7th 1862. The Battle of Franklin was November 30th 1864.

The "Gettysburg of the West" was The Battle of Glorieta Pass - as any Google user can find out.

What was also interesting was Dobson's admission that because he is distantly related to General Lee ( he was called "Lee" as a child ), if he had been alive at the time of the Civil War, he would probably would have been fighting for the Confederacy. I'm thinking that's a piece of biography you might want to keep to yourself there Doc.

Anyways, if Monday and Tuesday weren't full of enough nutty goodness, we then came to Wednesday and a program devoted to hand wringing and lamenting the job cuts at the Focus On The Family campus/gulag in Colorado Springs. Doctor was in fine form, taking no responsibility for anything and not realizing that perhaps the $5 million shortfall at the "ministry" might be because Jesus is not pleased with how Focus has been using "the Lord's resources". $590k to defeat Prop 8? Not wise spending there in tough economic times.

The program was GREAT, with Dobson saying he "loved" the people he was kicking in the teeth and that some had been with him for 20 years and oh yes, some of them "will have difficulty finding another job". And a Merry Christmas to you to Doctor. 20% gone, 80% left.....

I wonder how much money that he could have gotten for FoF went to Focus On The Family Action for all its machinations during the past political season? It would be kind of ironic if FoF as a "ministry" becomes economically unglued because of the monies that were syphoned to FoF Action.

And on Thursday? Somewhat unprecedentedly they repeated Wednesday's program because "due some technical difficulties", not all the FoF listeners had gotten to hear Doctor in full on sackcloth and ashes mode. The program was just as funny the second time around. The man is almost a definition of insincerity. It oozes off him - like slime of a slug.

And the week was rounded off with an old program about that "great patriot" and trampler of the Constitution, Colonel Oliver "All I can get is a gig on Fox News" North.

I swear the people at Focus on the Family must have a mandatory irony bypass before they can work there. It's the only explanation.

BarlowGirls

Today ( December 6th 2008 ) I was listening to Focus On The Family's "Weekend Magazine" show with "Doctor" Bill Maier and he had bit with a Christian group called "BarlowGirl" singing "Its the Most Wonderful Time Of The Year".

OMG. But these sisters - Alyssa, Becca and Lauren - CAN'T SING AT ALL.

At the end of the verses when a powerful rising cadence is needed, they produced this horrendous weak sound that was bad beyond belief. There is simply no horse power in these girls' voices at all.

All I could think of as I heard them butcher this classic song was how much better it would be if it was sung by someone who has talent in the singing department - someone like Jennifer Hudson for example.

How the heck did these talentless wannabes ever get a record contract?

Why Sarah Palin represents business as usual

Did you catch Governor Palin speaking at her son's Iraq deployment ceremony? She said "You'll be there to defend the innocent from the enemies who planned and carried out and rejoiced in the deaths of thousands of Americans."

I guess that is technically true if you stop to think about it.

But most people don't stop and I think, just like when I first heard heard her, all that registers is the same tired 9/11 and Iraq conflation the GOP talking heads have pushed since the invasion.

Subtle Mrs Palin is. Some might say she has already partaken of Bush's Koolaid. By this speech, she clearly showed she is definitely "more of the same".

Go Obama!