Belief in "God" has nothing to do with Patriotism

Ask anyone I know, they'll tell you I'm a "Militant Atheist". They'd be wrong, of course, I do not take up arms, burn down churches, murder Christian physicians, or fly airplanes into mosques. I don't even like the word "atheist", it's a label that delusional religious folks came up with to single out and marginalize those of us that refuse to believe in or "respect" their silly fairy tales.

No, I would characterize myself as an "Outspoken Non-Believer", or "Skeptic". If a person makes an extraordinary claim and expects me to believe that claim, they better have damn good, credible evidence to back it up. Religion, especially the three pillars of Abrahamic Idiocy, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, lack all of the above. All three claim to have evidence, which always turns out to be fabricated or at the very least, completely unverifyable.

Also, I don't care how many delusional people are infected with a religious mind virus, regardless of the strain...it is NOT up to me to prove that their imaginary friend does NOT exist. That's called a logical fallacy, "Burden of Proof" flavor.

I honestly wouldn't have a damn thing to say about religion if the religious would keep to themselves, stay out of our legislative processes, keep their ignorant noses out of the science classroom, and most of all, quit trying to marry "God" and country.

This guy:

Florida man says Home Depot fired him over "God" button.

...is a prime example of the latter.

But, you say, he was just wearing a button, right? It's not like he refused to comply with the company dress code or something! This is just another War on Christianity®, isn't it?!?

"A Home Depot spokesman said Keezer was fired because he violated the company's dress code.

"This associate chose to wear a button that expressed his religious beliefs. The issue is not whether or not we agree with the message on the button," Craig Fishel said. "That's not our place to say, which is exactly why we have a blanket policy, which is long-standing and well-communicated to our associates, that only company-provided pins and badges can be worn on our aprons."

Oh, er...well, how 'bout that.

I have a dress code at my job that I must adhere to...I may not like it, but it sure as shit isn't worth losing my job over. Home Depot sounds like they are in the clear on this one.

But that isn't even what chaps my ass about the story, it's this shit:

"It feels kind of like a punishment, like I was punished for just loving my country," Keezer said."

NEWSFLASH, moron, if you just want to "show your love for your country", as you claim, then wear one of those American flag lapel pins. Otherwise, you're just prothlesizing, plain and simple.

But maybe this good, honest Christian had no other option:

"Fishel said Keezer was offered a company-approved pin that said, "United We Stand," but he declined."

Natch. Again, his intent had nothing to do with patriotism, and everything to do with prothlesizing disguised as patriotism. This reminds me of the compelled patriotism one is forced to endure at Major League Baseball ballparks during the seventh inning stretch...one could write an entire blog post on that alone.

Then there is this bullshit:

"Skorupa noted the slogan on Keezer's pin is straight from the Pledge of Allegiance.

"These mottos and sayings that involve God, that's part of our country and historical fabric," Skorupa said. "In God we trust is on our money."

Skorupa has obviously consumed too much revisionist Kool-Aid. The slogan was not part of the original pledge...it was added much later. Our currency didn't have that First Amendment shredding phrase on it originally either.

Cases like this are EXACTLY WHY these idiotic statements do not belong on our currency, in our pledge, or in our ballparks...delusional revisionists just LOVE to pull these "examples" out of their pockets as *cough*, "evidence" to perpetuate the myth that the US is a "Christian Nation".

I live in this nation, I love my country, and I am not a Christian.
The revisionists are wrong...period.

So long, and thanks for all the Kung Pao...

Today, I mourn the loss of a good friend: Wan Fu Chinese Restaurant on West Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, Texas...they shut the doors for good last night.

Yours truly has been gorging himself on their cuisine for 12 years now, my bloated wasteline being a testament to the fact. Great dumplings, great Kung Pao, perfect Garlic Chicken, all gone with the click of a lock.

I'm very lucky that I had a hankering for some Kung Pao Shrimp yesterday afternoon, otherwise I would have discovered their demise during lunch this week and gone postal.

I spoke with the owner and he cited ever rising food costs after Katrina as the culprit.

All the years I've been going to Wan Fu they've always been friendly, provided great service, and the food quality was never once compromised. Those times when I'd get a little burnt out on the place and subsequently take a break from it, never once did I get an annoying "Where have you been?!?" from the owners or employees (I actually quit going to a different place years before I discovered Wan Fu for that very reason).

Adios, good friend, you shall be missed.

Yes, I'm bummed.

:^(

--Browncoat

Good, er-ay-uh, Riddance!

I know it's rude to speak ill of the recently departed, but I'd rather be rude than dishonest:

GOOD RIDDANCE to that piece of shit Ted Kennedy!

The only "legacy" that corrupt, leftist, machine politician leaves behind is the rubble of what's left of our alleged constitutional republic.

I'm as relieved to see him part as I was when this self-righteous ass-hat croaked:



And while I'm at it, how about some preemptive "rudeness", i.e. others I will be overjoyed to see six feet under:

1. Barney Frank, Architect of the current recession.

2. George W. Bush, Architect of the accelerated US Police State.

3. Pat Robertson, Another Religious-Right Asshat.

4. Tom Daschle, Why is this guy still being quoted in the media...oh yeah, the media are nothing but a bunch of leftist, partisan DNC ass-kissers.

5. Nancy Pelosi and this entire crop of socialist-democrats infesting Congress.

6. All Neo-Con Republicans currently infesting Congress.

7. Rick Perry and his anti-evolution dimwit religious coherts who corrupt Texas Politics and make Texas science-education a laughing stock.

8. And of course, The Obamessiah and his socialist regime. (I'd include his Useful Idiot, "Progressive" flock, but some of these unfortunates are friends of mine).

Ahhh, I feel much better now.

:^)

--Browncoat

How Misinformation is Born

The other night I'm sitting at Pop's Safari Room having a discussion with fellow libertarians regarding how the USA has become the self-appointed World Police, the insanity of the Iraq War, and how tax-payer dollars are being spent on propagandist recruitment advertising by the U.S. Military to sucker young men and women into joining these unneccesary, meddling conflicts around the globe. The main focus of our ire wasn't military recruitment or even military advertising, but specifically, propaganda-style recruitment a la those ridiculous Kid Rock "American Warrior" videos one gets bombarded with before every movie at the theater.

See, I have no problem with military recruitment or advertising for the sake of recruitment. We need to keep our military staffed, I get that. And there's nothing wrong with laying out the benefits derived from military service, i.e. learning a trade, college tutition, serving your country, etc.(all, let's not forget, at the expense of taxpayers)

But I have a problem with popular entertainers creating testosterone-driven, nationalist propaganda music videos to brainwash young minds into thinking it would be "cool" to join the National Guard because Kid Rock says it's bad ass!

That night, this led to a discussion of the Nazi propaganda films, Hitler youth, etc. and as luck would have it, there was a couple sitting near us who were not part of our group, and who apparently had not heard all of the lead-up to the Kid Rock/Nazi propaganda portion of the discussion. The gal portion of the couple spoke up first, asking us in a fairly disgusted tone, "So, you don't think the military should be able to recruit?", followed by the guy she was with pointing out that he was an 11 year veteran of the Air Force.

There was no mistaking the assumptions made by said couple: Libertarians are anti-armed forces. I tried frantically to explain what led up to the bashing of the Kid Rock video, and that libertarians are FAR from anti-military, but alas, I could tell the seeds of misinformation were sown. Plus, being the crappy "salesman" that I am, I failed to convince them of what a ludicrous piece of propaganda the Kid Rock video truly is.

We're all doomed.

What's wrong with this story teaser?

I saw this headline teaser on CNN.com today...take a guess at why it pisses me off:

Angry crowd confronts senator on health care
A hostile crowd shouted questions and made angry statements today at a Pennsylvania town hall meeting on health care led by Democratic Sen. Arlen Specter. The meeting drew an overflow crowd of about 250 people, with more gathered outside to demonstrate for and against President Obama's push to expand health insurance for 46 million people without coverage while bringing down costs.

*rolls eyes*

--Browncoat

The Knee-Jerk Idiocy Meter

I should really stay away from CNN.com and their Knee-Jerk Idiocy Meter, i.e. their "Quick Vote" polls. The poll I see this morning: "Should texting while driving be banned?". The results: 92% Yes, 8% No.

By all means, let's encourage the idiots in Washington to pass another unenforceable law just so they can justify their existence and get re-elected year after year.

This isn't the first "Quick Vote" that has irked me. Almost every one of these "pulse taking" polls contains a carefully calculated question just begging for the knee-jerk answer. What typically follows the results of these polls is a CNN.com article claiming, e.g., "Majority of Americans Want Texting in Cars Banned". Irresponsible "journalism" like this just provides fuel for more of the knee-jerk legislation that is eating away at our liberties.

We are a nation of childish morons.

Cartoon from The Daily Scoff, along with a humorous related article.

Yes, They Can

Please forgive the redundancy, but this is more of an add-on to my previous post, "An Incoherent Truth".

I got to thinking more about Uncle Sam controlling my health care and how this will indirectly give the government power over my entire life. Many of the interventionist fools I talk about this with just laugh at me, calling me paranoid. I reel off potential infringements of our liberties that may come to pass because of this scam, and I get laughed at again, with them saying things like "They can't do that!"

Well, I've got news for you: Yes, they can. Here is a real-life example I experienced a couple of months ago:

One Sunday afternoon, the Mrs. and I lugged our masses of bulk trash out to the curb, which, while close to the street, is still our property. A week goes by and the bulk trash still hasn't been picked up by the city. No biggie, I have no complaints about this...my stuff on my property. Then we get a notice from the city telling us we have 48 hours to clear the bulk trash from the curb...again, our property. Seems we missed the memo that accompanies the rest of the unnecessary junk in our City of Fort Worth water bill stating that bulk trash week has moved. Fine, my bad, but I tend to ignore the non-bill nonsense that typically accompanies my, again...and remember this...water bill.

Now, consider this: the next new bulk trash pickup day was only about a week and a half away, yet I was going to get fined if I didn't clear the bulk trash off the curb (to the garage, wherever) in 48 hrs, then have to drag it back out a mere week and half later. We call the city to point out how ridiculous this situation was. Sorry, move it or get fined. My first reaction was "Well, screw you, I just won't pay this silly-ass fine."

This is where the real-life example of government control over ones life comes in: Trash pick-up is billed via the City of Fort Worth Water Department. Had I left my trash out and gotten a fine, the fine would be tacked on to my water bill. If I chose only to pay the water portion of the bill, no matter, the city could still SHUT OFF MY WATER because I objected to paying an unnecessary punitive fine for leaving bulk trash on the curb of my property. I can, however inconvenient, live without the trash pickup...I have a truck and can haul it down to the dump if I so choose. Last time I checked, I can't live without water, nor do I have a reasonable alternative to the municipal monopoly on the water supply. Sure, I can still haul my own trash down to the dump if I want, but guess what? The city still gets to bill me for trash pickup because the local-government controlled water system is, naturally, tied to the local-government controlled waste management system. I no longer have the freedom to make a reasonable decision regarding bulk-trash on my curb. Liberty, albeit a miniscule piece, has been lost here.

And you interventionists want the government holding the keys to your healthcare? Can you not see the logical progression of this unmistakeably Orwellian disaster you are supporting, as demonstrated in the example above? Do you really want the government micro-managing your life in the name of cost-cutting(see my previous post)?

"Oh, they can't do that."

Yes, they can.

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