* radical sapphoq

Dear Mister President

2012-02-11T00:54:00.000-05:00

Dear Mister President,

     This week I watched more teeth get kicked out of the A.D.A. -- no love to the folks who decided that someone could be fired from a religious institution for having NARCOLEPSY-- and the continuing drama of you and some other folks messing with the Internet. No love.

     As if that wasn't bad enough, I saw a newsbite of you saying that religious organizations do not have to provide birth control to their women employees but the insurance companies will have to offer it. Nothing, absolutely nothing, is "free." So now there is one more government mandate. Who will wind up paying for this one? Not the government of course.

     Actually, I think religious institutions who accept public monies such as Medicaid and ahem, the faith-based office thingy should be required to play by the public rules ahem, the same employment laws that everyone else has to play by. I also think that the government should get out of the healthcare business as well as the marriage industry. But putting those things aside for the moment, I will continue onward through the insurance companies issues.

     Alright, so given that nothing is "free," just where do you think the money will come from for the latest mandate. You think the insurance companies will reach out to women who work at religious places out of the "goodness" of their "hearts." Oh really. Now that right there is funny. This latest idea of yours will come out of the pockets of all of the people who are working. Insurance premiums for everyone will go up.

     So Mister President, once again, thanks for nothing.

                      No Love,

                      radical sapphoq

Copyleft tags: I Support Anonymous: Use as you will

2012-02-10T10:44:00.000-05:00

I made them myself from photographs I took. You get to use them at will as you wish. copyleft. play nice, no hotlinking.
aka radical sapphoq

Black March Still On

2012-02-10T10:16:00.000-05:00

Dear People,
In spite of (or perhaps partially because of) outcries by MIPAA and RIAA that all the hullabaloo is not about censorship but rather about ripped content on the Internet, the Black March is still on. In the past week or so, I've read through a lot of stuff on the net both for and against the Black March Boycott. Since corporate Hollywood is now trying to rewrite the issue more to its' profit lines, I figure that the boycott will have an effect on the bottom line. I believe the figures of loss that they often use (and quoted by the FBI as well as by Lamar Smith and other politicians) are inflated to say the least.

Two ISPs in the Netherlands were ordered to block access to Pirate Bay, some folks in Hawaii endeavored to shut down public television stations there and fought against a law that would have required their ISPs to keep notes on where folks went on the web (for "crime" of course), and there is a movement to get Google to either de-list or lower rank of P2P websites and those sites which link to them.
When I was a kid (oh yeah I was one of them once) I used to tape songs off the radio. Nowadays a video on UTube of a preschooler singing along with a song playing on the radio in the background as she plays with her dolls is removed for copyright infringement. Cripes. Give me a break.
So people can say all of this is about "crime," "pirates," "save-the-children," "Internet Terrorism," all they want to. I support Black March and furthermore, I support Anonymous. Anonymous has been instrumental in getting the word out about the unrest in Europe over ACTA and are fighting the foes of Net Neutrality.
To be clear, I am no hacker. I lack the skills to do so even if I wanted to. Furthermore, I am for peaceable assembly of the people without violence. What skills I do have are in the area of writing, research, reporting, and making graphic art from my photographs. A war must be fought on all fronts. We need Anonymous just as we need the suits that go in to speak with the politicians just as we need the Black March boycotters just as we need the Occupy protesters and the tweeterers and the bloggers.

sapphoq review says: These are scary times that we are living in. Now is not the moment to hide in our fear. I will not live in fear. Now is the moment to act. Now is the moment to be brave, be very brave.

http://black-march.com/

http://anonops.blogspot.com/2012/02/black-march-join-us-expect-us.html

http://www.disinfo.com/2012/02/anonymouss-black-march-media-survival-guide/

http://www.zeropaid.com/news/98654/operation-black-march-an-anonymous-movement/

http://megauprising.com/black-march/

http://www.blameitonthevoices.com/2012/01/black-march.html

http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120130blackmarch

http://donttreadonmike.com/2012/02/02/operation-black-march/

http://www.the99percenteconomy.com/2012/01/take-part-in-the-black-march-protest-against-internet-censorship/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_organizations_with_official_stances_on_the_Stop_Online_Piracy_Act

http://projects.propublica.org/sopa/

http://www.inquisitr.com/184848/never-mind-worrying-about-the-ides-of-march-because-black-march-is-coming/

http://everythinginbudget.blogspot.com/2012/01/black-march-worldwide-consumer-rally.html

http://www.iamsuperleah.com/2012/02/black-march.html

http://www.riaa.com/news_room.php?content_selector=riaa-news-blog

http://blog.mpaa.org/BlogOS/

http://blog.copyrightalliance.org/2012/02/in-case-you-missed-it-what-wikipedia-won’t-tell-you/

[comments available free, article is not]: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204616504577171193402114300.html?mod=googlenews_wsj#articleTabs%3Dcomments

http://blog.copyrightalliance.org/2012/02/the-art-of-the-takedown/

http://blogs.wsj.com/tech-europe/2012/02/06/protests-mount-over-anti-counterfeiting-treaty/?mod=google_news_blog

http://www.cato-at-liberty.org/how-copyright-industries-con-congress/

http://blog.mpaa.org/BlogOS/post/2012/01/10/Standing-Against-Those-Who-Trumpet-the-Economic-Value-of-Theft-.aspx

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/opinion/what-wikipedia-wont-tell-you.html?_r=2&ref=opinion

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/blogpost/post/acta-is-europes-sopa-moment/2012/02/02/gIQALIwDlQ_blog.html

https://www.accessnow.org/policy-activism/press-blog/acta-protest-feb-11

http://www.forbes.com/sites/erikkain/2012/01/29/dutch-isps-refuse-to-block-the-pirate-bay/

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-57367226-281/hawaiian-politician-backs-away-from-web-dossier-law/

http://www.disappearednews.com/2012/02/help-kill-zombie-bill-save-public.html

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2012/01/pirate-party-of-catalonia-wants-to-sue-fbi-in-spain-over-megaupload-seizure.ars

http://torrentfreak.com/us-voters-censorship-is-a-bigger-problem-than-piracy-120127/

http://torrentfreak.com/google-now-censors-the-pirate-bay-isohunt-4shared-and-more-111123/

http://torrentfreak.com/copyright-industry-calls-for-broad-search-engine-censorship-120127/

http://torrentfreak.com/riaa-misinformation-may-be-a-dirty-trick-but-it-works-120209/

http://blog.twitter.com/2012/01/tweets-still-must-flow.html

http://chillingeffects.org/twitter

Moneybags Media Wants You to Do Nothing

2012-01-29T17:02:00.000-05:00

Richard O'Dwyer 23, from U.K. Being Extradited to U.S.A. for LINKING to Copyright Content

2012-01-29T01:49:00.001-05:00

Richard O'Dwyer is a 23 year old computer student and citizen of the United Kingdom. He set up and ran the wildly successful TVshack website from his bedroom. His site provided links to copyrighted material. It is reported that he did not himself host any of the material on any servers. His website is not illegal in England. But he was arrested anyways on November 9, 2010. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement folks were apparently the ones to file the charges. A judge over there last week approved the extradition. Richard O'Dwyer's lawyer is planning to appeal the decision.

Richard faces extradition via a reciprocal agreement between Britain and the United States which was designed with terrorists in mind. There is also a rather weird claim that the United States somehow owns or is intimately tied to all domains ending in dot com or dot net (as the original TVshack site did) because they are registered through (I believe is) VeriSign Global Registry Services.

There is also an allegation that CBS through it's very own C/Net website made available downloaders and search tools used for such sites as the BitTorrents, Limewire, and others. And I remember C/Net offering those. The video below talks about a lawsuit being brought by a bunch of artists against CBS for being the main distributor of these tools. Basically, an entertainment mogul is accused of popularizing the P2P (Peer to Peer) websites and now the entertainment moguls via Big Hollywood and the RIAA are crying, "Omgz, you bad pirates are cutting into our profit margin." And thus we have Richard O'Dwyer who is wanted to stand trial for linking to material being offered on the P2P sites that Big Hollywood popularized.
Folks, don't forget Black March 2012. A battle needs to be fought on all fronts. Boycott buying books, vids, and songs during March 2012. And don't go to the movies either.

radical sapphoq says: This is so very very wrong. I am appalled and disgusted that this sort of thing is happening. Twice now in a few weeks. First it was Kim DotCom in New Zealand. And now Richard O'Dwyer.
Folks, we are in serious trouble. Whether you agree or not, please take the time to copy paste some of the links I used in researching this blog post into your browser.
I will be watching for further news on Richard O'Dwyer and if he does indeed land on American soil, I will endeavor to attend his trial if at all possible.

http://www.deadline.com/tag/richard-odwyer/
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/clegg-is-silent-over-computer-student-facing-deportation-to-us-6289846.html
http://tek-bull.com/2012/01/richard-odwyer-loses-us-extradition-battle-over-copyright-infringement.html
http://escapeesblog.wordpress.com/category/courts/ <--- scroll down to Jan 20
http://www.techdirt.com/blog/?tag=extradition
http://youtu.be/PU4unZKNp6k
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/115273-British-Student-Loses-Extradition-Battle-Over-Copyright-Violation
http://the-tap.blogspot.com/2012/01/odwyer-loses-extradition-case.html
http://juliasblog-the-fight-of-our-lives.blogspot.com/2012/01/epidode-2-full-of-evidence-from-mike.html?showComment=1327816153913#c2010952248793974574
http://www.friends-extradited.org/
http://www.fairtrials.net/
http://www.filmon.com/cbsyousuck/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087135/Richard-ODwyer-US-extradition-pact-misused-says-Sir-Menzies-Campbell.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
http://infowebstorm.com/category/personal-liberty/libertarian-issues/ <--- jan 14 scroll down to
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2087120/Richard-ODwyer-Gary-McKinnon-Blatant-misuse-extradition-laws.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2087574/Richard-ODwyer-extradition-A-naive-British-student-facing-10-years-chains.html
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/tvshack-richard-odwyer-copyright-pirate-281455
http://www.blockaid.me/2012/01/bad-news-for-richard-odwyer/

Black March 2012 Boycott

2012-01-28T13:13:00.000-05:00

Black March...boycott buying books, music and don't go to the movies either

2012-01-27T12:10:00.000-05:00

Hey I was looking for this:
http://black-march.com/
radical sapphoq pledges not to buy any music or books or go to any movies during the month of March.

Brandon Wegner and the School Newspaper

2012-01-27T02:01:00.000-05:00

Brandon Wegner wrote an opinion piece for his public school's newspaper which was against same gender couples adopting children. He was asked to write it and he did. Brandon Wegner is a Christian. He used scripture to explain his viewpoint. If references to scripture were not wanted, that should have been made clear when he was initially asked to write the piece. A member of the faculty serves as advisor to the school newspaper. The faculty member could have forbidden the piece to be published, or at the very least consulted with his or her supervisor if there was any question.

A same gender couple with a child who attends the school called the principal to complain. They were given an apology. The apology referenced the words "bullying" and "disrespect."

Superintendent Carlson then confronted Brandon Wegner directly. The superintendent threatened to expel him.

These are some of the facts of the case as reported by Fox News-- and only by Fox News.

radical sapphoq says:
Brandon Wegner was asked to write an argument against same gendered couples adopting kids. He did so. That I or anyone else agrees or disagrees with his stance is not the issue.

His opinion was published in the school newspaper. There is no mention of the faculty advisor trying to censor or otherwise change the words that Brandon Wegner wrote.

A same gendered couple whose child attends the school was offended. That is the risk that one takes when freedom of speech is allowed to take place, albeit even the limited freedom of speech that is permitted to high school students in the interest of maintaining order in a public school setting. An apology was issued. I don't know the reasoning behind the decision to give the couple an apology.
The apology referenced "bullying" and "disrespect." I read nothing in Brandon Wegner's article that hinted at either. Brandon Wegner did not write "All same gendered couples should be shot/ forced to live in gay ghettos/ denied all freedoms..." or anything like that. He also did not write "Same gendered couples are ignorant and stupid/ smell badly/ suck..." or anything like that.

The Superintendent was wrong in his actions in my opinion. There is no indication in the report that Brandon Wegner had been asked to keep his beliefs out of his writing. There is also no evidence of Brandon Wegner making a ruckus or otherwise acting in a way that indicated that he hated the child of the same gendered couple or intending to do anything like firebomb the child's parents' car or litter his school's football field with Chick Tracts referencing homosexuality as against the beliefs of Christians who take the Bible literally. If Brandon Wegner had threatened violence or acted in a violent manner, then suspension or expulsion would have been warranted.

All reports I found on the internet listed their source as being Fox News. This sort of thing should have been reported by many other news teams who could have sent out their own reporters to cover the story.

This story is about one student who wrote an opinion that he was asked to write. The school newspaper published the opinion. Sorry, but I don't see how Brandon Wegner could be judged as being wrong for doing as he was asked to do.

I don't know what the beliefs of the principal, faculty advisor, or superintendent are in respect to same gender partners adopting a child and I don't care. What happened to Brandon Wegner was wrong. The superintendent, based on the reports that I read, had no reason to threaten Brandon Wegner with suspension.

Disclosure: I have been involved with g.l.b.t.i.q. issues for a number of years.

http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/atty-says-school-threatened-punished-boy-who-opposed-gay-adoption.html
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/assets/pdf/U0183892114.PDF

Anonymous Retaliates for Shutdown of MegaUpload

2012-01-21T13:49:00.000-05:00

Anonymous, I salute you. Anonymous, I feel that I love you.
In shutting down government and movie industry websites, you have won my heart and soul. PIPA, SOPA, and their ilk are designed to benefit the Corporations and Big Industry. Any "savings" obtained from shutting down the "Evil Pirate Sites" /smirk aren't going to be passed along to the creators and artists nor to us the consumers of various forms of eye candy and ear candy anyways. Of that I am sure.

Meanwhile, politicians and uber christians will continue to shout about how bad hactivism and the web and pr0n and anything they don't understand are. Why the Untied States feels it is the duty of the government to police the internet's vast electronic borders escapes me. Hey people, lighten up. If you don't like what is on the channel or where the url takes you-- change it or hit your back button. Duh.

Alternative uncensored internet via satellites and stuff that is already being talked about and tested-- I'm ready for you. And kudos to 2600. Anywhere that two or hackactivists gather, there shall Innovation and Great Wisdom also be.

radical sapphoq

Anonymous in the news-- a sampling:
http://www.news24.com/SciTech/News/Anonymous-loose-knit-group-of-hacktivists-20120120

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/department-of-justice-site-hacked-after-megaupload-shutdown-anonymous-claims-credit/2012/01/20/gIQAl5MNEQ_story.html?tid=pm_business_pop

http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/20/anonymous-splinter-group-now-targeting-democrats-for-sopa-support/

http://vator.tv/news/2012-01-20-four-megaupload-execs-arrested-anonymous-responds

http://rt.com/news/anonymous-french-website-megaupload-365/

http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=56257&t=1&c=35&cg=4&mset=1011

http://www.araratadvertiser.com.au/news/national/national/general/websites-crippled-as-copyright-war-gets-personal/2427687.aspx

http://www.securityweek.com/downloads-loic-dos-attack-tool-spike-anonymous-inspires-online-protests

http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2012/01/online-file-sharing

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=139031

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20120121/BUSINESS09/120121008/Megaupload-raid-could-open-huge-can-worms?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CHome%7Cs

http://www.wbur.org/npr/145529027/five-questions-answers-about-the-megaupload-case

http://www.csoonline.com/article/698441/security-roundup-anonymous-attacks-doj-riaa-sites-israeli-palestinian-cyberconflict-escalates

And the Madness Continues

2012-01-20T10:13:00.000-05:00

Digital art sample based on photographs taken by the blogger d.b.a. radical sapphoq.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/desopa/

http://howto.cnet.com/8301-11310_39-57359004-285/how-to-bypass-sopa-blocking-to-reach-sites-directly/

I woke up this morning to some news coverage on the television being watched by S.O. So the Kiwis have rolled over without so much as a bad word and given up Kim Dotcom to almost certain extradition. Looks like he will getting an unwelcome trip to the land of the free and home of the brave in order to answer charges. Various news articles suppose that there is a store of porn, kiddie porn, illegally uploaded movies, music, and other subversive items on at least one leased server in Virginia. Some of the media are reporting that the founder of Megaupload can face around twenty years in a fed pen for violation of U.S. copyright laws. Anyone scared yet?

I don't give a rat's ass about how much money Kim Dotcom has made, what kind of salary he draws, what cars he drives, the art hanging in his hallway, or what he eats for breakfast. The man had an idea and it was a success. Love or hate the man and his vision, the fact remains that Megaupload was wildly popular and made money. That some percentage of folks used his site to share movies or vids or music does not concern me. Big Hollywood-- along with its' cast of rich performers-- is in no danger of starvation. What is frightening to me is that the country I live in can reach across the miles to touch at least four people living in other places that have different copyright laws. That's OVERREACH as far as I'm concerned. Whether or not this particular raid was planned on the heels of Black Out Day and just before January 24th in order to demonstrate how "bad the pirate companies are, boys and girls" is up for speculation. I can only hope that this bit of heavy-handed showery on the part of the good ol' FBI backfires for the supporters of SOPA and PIPA.

Already, talented folks are fiddling with ways to circumvent the D.N.S. blocking of any sites that may materialize if these draconian laws pass. I encourage folks to download their own copies of one or more anti-SOPA tools now and save them in a secure location for use if needed. There are two urls below my Fungus Among Us picture that I've included which you can copy into your web browser and visit if you so desire. Or you can web search "anti-SOPA tool" for yourself if you prefer to. "Forewarned is forearmed" is the caveat that I was taught in my youth. It is not that I want to download a ton of movies or songs or videos on the sly. It is more that I rebel against my government or other governing body blocking my access to wherever I wish to go on the internet. I don't need to be protected from my own self.

The world has changed and the internet is part of that change. I feel a bit of nostalgia for the days when we recorded songs off of the radio for our own personal use and yes, sharing with friends. To be sure the quality wasn't very good. And certainly we were not claiming that we wrote or sang the songs we had stored on our cassette tapes. It used to be that one was allowed to make one copy of an album as personal backup. It used to be that reviewers who used their blogs to criticize large institutional organizations or write a review of a restaurant were not faced with lawsuits. It used to be that one could quote from a book for use in a critical essay without having to deal with subsequent court action. In a society where folks are arrested for pointing out holes in security rather than thanked for the information, it is scarcely any wonder that hackers became a secretive lot and the need for an organization such as Anonymous has arisen.

The battle for free expression needs to be fought on all fronts. There is a place for the folks shutting down websites with Denial of Service attacks just as there is a place for the folks who sign Google's on-line petitions. Although the rads and the suits are frequently and publicly at odds with each other, we should be joining arms as brothers and sisters in this war and all others that speak up for the commoner. I learned years ago during my days in Act Up and as a founding member of Queer Nation Albany the necessity of an approach which involved the rads burning an effigy of a xenophobic politician and the suits showing up the next day in order to talk with politicians about the issues in a calm fashion.

I lack the skills to join Anonymous and am at most a script kiddie-- and barely that. So I am doing what I can-- signing petitions and contacting my Senator and Congressperson. As of right now, I am boycotting Big Hollywood. What are you doing?

radical sapphoq

urls of some of the many many articles that I read via Google News:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-57362609-261/megaupload-assembles-worldwide-criminal-defense/

http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/19/2719223/megaupload-criminal-copyright-justice-department-conspiracy

http://www.hackingnetflix.com/2012/01/the-real-problem-with-the-anti-piracy-bills.html

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/

http://news.techeye.net/internet/big-content-ignores-sopa-failings-in-enormous-show-of-force

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-china-internet-20120120,0,31035.story

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/sopa-petition-gets-millions-of-signatures-as-internet-piracy-legislation-protests-continue/2012/01/19/gIQAHaAyBQ_story.html

http://www.pcworld.com/article/248401/were_sopapipa_protests_a_success_the_results_are_in.html

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-57360665-503544/sopa-pipa-what-you-need-to-know/

http://www.xda-developers.com/announcements/xda-is-back-sopapipa-still-a-threat/

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71641.html

http://www.stopthewall.us/?gclid=CNDKjcTx3q0CFcZM4AodDjgjZg

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2012/jan2012/pers-j19.shtml

https://www.eff.org/issues/coica-internet-censorship-and-copyright-bill

So Fair Use is Dead

2012-01-19T21:56:00.001-05:00

This example of my digital artwork was created from a photograph that I took of some snow after my dog pissed on it. I don't like the DMCA. I don't like SOPA. I don't like PIPA. Find another way to protect your pocketbooks oh big Hollywood. You politicians who support this latest broadly worded madness, your laws do not protect me. I support Google and Wikipedia and all other sites on the internet that observed black out day in protest of our American politicians who are endeavoring to create laws about something that they do not really understand. And I think not going to movies for awhile sounds pretty good to me.

radical sapphoq

An Open Letter to Jessica Ahlquist

2012-01-15T05:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Jessica Ahlquist,

Thank you for standing up for our Constitution-- and the Separation of Church and State. I read about your case on Daylight Atheism. I also found the Rhode Island Supreme Court Decision at http://www2.turnto10.com/mgmedia/file/445/cranston-prayer-banner-ruling/

I salute your bravery. In my opinion, it is far easier to be an activist away from one's own community than it is in one's own "backyard." I have found that out through my own experiences with participating in Queer Nation actions in other cities vs. writing a letter to the editor of my hometown newspaper.

I've searched the Internet and have read through all of the responses that I found generated by the court's decision. Sadly, I am not amazed by hatred and verbal abuse contained in some number of those responses. As you well know, bullying is not confined to high school students. The enthusiastic expression of a sincerely held religious belief is easily distinguishable from threats to "mess you up."

I wish you the very best in your future endeavors,

radical sapphoq

To the Vatican

2011-12-23T10:18:00.000-05:00

Dear Vatican, Popes, and all the rest:

     I have been educating myself about Rwanda and the genocide there in 1994. You have claimed that actions of the individual are not necessarily condoned by Rome. Allowing a priest who fled Rwanda to continue in priestly functions, i.e. work as a priest, in Florence UNDER A DIFFERENT NAME certainly seems like complicity to me. Whether he calls himself Anthanase Seromba or Don Anastasio Sumba Bura, you surely cannot honestly claim not to have known what happened over there in Rwanda before showing up in Florence, Italy. Did you think he fell from the sky? Yeah, he turned himself in to answer charges of perpetrating [perceived] racial [actual] violence and murder. But only under pressure by external sources. Anthanase Seromba is where he belongs-- in a prison in Dabon serving out his life sentence for genocide and extermination. No thanks to any of you.

                                    No Love,

                                    radical sapphoq

http://www.arushatimes.co.tz/2008/12/un_tribunal_3.htm
http://www.unhcr.org/refworld/publisher,ICTR,,,48b690172,0.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/mar/29/pope-catholics-rwanda-genocide-church
http://www.americamagazine.org/content/article.cfm?article_id=10171
http://www.mail-archive.com/stopnato@listbot.com/msg01466.html
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/priest.sentenced.to.life.for.role.in.rwandan.genocide/17336.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16189347/ns/world_news-africa/t/ex-priest-gets-years-rwanda-genocide-case/

One Less Lunatic

2011-05-15T11:09:00.002-04:00

On September 9, 2001 I was down in a basement doing finances for the place I was working at and doing quite a bit of cursing. My assistant ran down the stairs. She began furiously knocking at the office door. This action was in direct contradiction to my wishes to be left alone while I cursed and swore at the numbers before me.

"What?"

"Television...plane...crash..!" Nothing ever excited my assistant but whatever it was had rendered her practically incoherent. Somewhat annoyed, I got up and followed as she plowed back upstairs and into the living room. Smoke filled the television screen. "A plane ran into the Twin Towers," my assistant said, pointing. A second plane then crashed and the Towers were collapsing. "Oh shit," my assistant said.

I passed the rest of that day in an anxiety-ridden fog. I was afraid that the bombers would get Albany next. I stayed overtime that day, waiting for each of my people to return home from day programs across the Capital Region. I was horrified to discover that at one of those programs, the staff turned on the television and watched the horror all day, practically ignoring the developmentally disabled folks they were there to provide a service to. Had I known, I would have gone to pick up my two people who attended that program and brought them to the safety of their home. As it was, I waited until every last van had left the driveway. I stayed for dinner that night. I had to know that every single one of my people was safe.

One of my people in the days to follow became obsessed with the television reports. Another had nightmares. I pulled the plug on the television and announced that it was "broken." The horror receded. The television "got fixed." Life went on.

I went to the gym almost daily. I watched for reports of the dead, searching for the names of folks I knew in the City. The stock market plummeted. The economy began its' free fall souring. I wished fervently that we had gone in and bombed Iran like crazy people back when the students took over the American Embassy instead of trying to "negotiate" with terrorists. Perhaps if we had, 9/11 wouldn't have happened. I declared this to anyone who would listen. (I still believe that today). Life went on.

Wars came. Politicians got elected. People got killed. Our airports now had security checks. Some folks didn't like that. I figured those people in the airplanes on 9/11 would have welcomed the inconvenience of long lines and airport employees with dampened senses of humor if it would have kept them alive. I had my car accident, got my own brain injury. I went cross-country by myself for three weeks in order to retrieve "pieces of my soul" from places I'd never been. During that time, I discovered that there was no security on the trains.

Our country got crazy with religion. More people died. More politicians got voted in and voted out. I was in a chat group on the web that Sunday night when someone said that Osama was finally dead. One of the moderators attempted to keep the chat group on task. That wasn't going to happen. "This is big," I typed. I myself was a mod of that group but suddenly I didn't care about our stated purpose.

Some things I don't understand. In response to hearing about Castro's editorial about how we were "wrong" for killing Osama in front of his family (no, I haven't read the piece yet. It is on my list for another post) my instant retort was, "Screw that." He didn't give a shit about the families of all the people that he had arranged to be killed. I don't give a shit about him dieing in front of his family. Go ahead and call that unchristian of me if you like. I am not a christian anyways and so I really don't care. And I don't understand how the Pakistani government could not have known that Osama was in their midst. I heard that something like 81 Pakistanis were killed a day or two later for their troubles.

Yes, there is one less lunatic alive in a world full of lunatics. My dad says there will be more bombings over here as a retaliation-- smaller targets. And more people will die.

To the people who make decisions about who we may bomb, lets get some balls shall we? Pull our troops out and bring on the nukes, I say. Any bastards who dare to bomb us ought to be nuked out of existence along with their families and friends and countries of origin.

radical bloodthirsty sapphoq

Taliban Attacks and Airport Passenger Searches

2010-11-13T00:35:00.003-05:00

Over on the Google newsite, I noted the juxtaposition of two stories. One involved a report that the Taliban attacked both an airport and a foreign military base in Afghanistan. The other was a backlack against the new body scanners in use in some airports in the United States and invasive patdowns.

Afghanistan OnLine ( http://www.afghan-web.com/woman/ ) admits to the burning down of girls' schools and RAWA ( http://www.rawa.org/women.php )reports that the most recent burning down of a girls' school took place this past Monday. Things are not good in Afghanistan, not at all.

Meanwhile, back in the United States, some folks are afraid of radiation leakage from the body scanners that a few airports are currently using. ( http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/11/12/travel.screening/?hpt=Sbin ). And a few folks are calling patdowns invasive and humiliating
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/12/AR2010111206580.html ). The issue cuts a bit deeper than todays' news stories cover.

At this year's Autreat, there was a presentation about airport security. The full-body scanner that folks are having fits over may actually be beneficial to people who are sensitive to touch who don't use wheelchairs or have prostheses. ( http://autisticcats.blogspot.com/2010/07/autreat-2010-presentations.html ). Another blogger talks about the experience that a female amputee went through ( http://www.thebredafallacy.com/2010/06/on-being-modular-iii.html ). Peggy-- the woman amputee-- took down her initial blogpost about her experience but has left up a post explaining the fallout she experienced from trolls ( http://amputeemommy.blogspot.com/2010/06/lost-message.html ). Peggy's story attracted a bit of attention from the T.S.A. I hope that she will continue to be a catalyst for change. ( http://www.wate.com/global/story.asp?s=12700154 ). It is noted that she was not allowed to reassure her four year old son as he sat next to her crying because someone yelled at him for holding her hand! One worker insisted that Peggy give him both her prothesis and the cloth that covers it-- which must be kept sanitary-- rather than wanding the artificial limb. ( http://www.swisswuff.ch/tech/?p=325 )

There are some able-bodied Americans who don't care for body scanners and others who refuse to fly. It remains the concerns of folks with disabilities that I find most compelling as a woman with brain damage. We the disabled among you cannot be lumped into one population. The concerns of amputees about airport security procedures and possible ameliorative measures are different from those of folks on the autistic spectrum.

So yes, there are problems, severe problems with national security. I maintain that our train stations remain severely lacking in security measures. If I were a terrorist, American train stations would be on my target list. I went halfway across the country on trains. At no time did anyone express the slightest concern over what I may have been carrying in my baggage or on my person. Security wasn't lax on the trains. It was non-existent. And in these times, that is as scarey as the knowledge that any one of us can be detained for an undefined period of time because of the National Patriot Act.

I am obligated to point out that in the United States, we get to choose how we wish to travel. There is no one telling me that I have to take the airplane or the train or that I am restricted to the female only bus, no one dictating that I must be accompanied in public by a male relative, no one demanding that I see the world through a burqa. And there are a bunch of loved ones who now wish that our airport security was tighter on September 11th.

radical sapphoq

George and Lucien

2010-05-18T10:53:00.004-04:00

*kudos to the mate for pointing this one out to me*

CAUGHT

Baptist minister George Rekers with rentboy dot com Lucien on a ten day trip in Europe. For seventy five bucks a day, Lucien carried George's luggage-- and shared a hotel room, a couple of meals, eight hours, and possibly a daily hour of what has been called sexual massage albeit without the sex.

George Rekers is a co-founder of Family Research Council and was-- until after this particular story broke-- a board member of NARTH-- those folks that offer therapy to those gays who want to change over to the straight side of the streets. He also is "against" gay adoption. He maintains that he himself is not now or ever has been gay.

Lucien, the gay male escort, maintains that he only advertises his services on the rent boy site and that George did feel the heat when Lucien administered his sexual without the sex massages.

radical sapphoq maintains that if one is against gay adoption, then don't adopt a gay. Furthermore, George Rekers may indeed "not be gay." Some gay folks refer to this particular condition that George may have as "straight appearing and straight acting." Others prefer the phrase, "Bisexual perhaps."

Now Read This Linden Labs

2010-03-09T08:30:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago, I reported the presence of an eight year old child and her fourteen year old real-life sister on the Main Grid over at Linden Labs' virtual world Second Life (no infringement of their copyright intended...). The fourteen year old has not presented a problem as far as I can tell. The eight year old is entirely a different story.

This particular alleged eight year old appears to live in the state of Florida. It is reported that her real-life mother allows her to "play Second Life." This particular alleged eight year old told her "second life mother" (yes folks can have virtual families on Second Life... no infringement of their copyright intended...) that she is eight years old in real life. She would only admit to me that she "is fourteen" but since the age of sixteen is now the cut-off age, I dutifully reported her in-world utilizing the handy dandy abuse report form. I am a big meanie I know and probably a snitch as well but-- too bad. The virtual mom continues to want to give the alleged eight year old yet another chance to clean up the profile and quit joining groups that are not fit for any eight year old to be exposed to.

This particular alleged to be eight year old girl in real life uses her avatars plural (as she keeps signing up for more and more avatars) to sign up for some groups which no eight year old should be exposed to period, such as a "pony girls high school" group where attendees are "taught" or "trained" to be obedient submissive "pony girls." Folks, that particular group may be fine for adults who are into that sort of thing but NOT for an alleged eight year old child. In fairness, I believe that the owner of that group does not realize that the alleged eight year old child is only allegedly eight years old in real life. This child has belonged to other groups involving avatar virtual pregnancies in the past as well.

Her virtual mom reassures me that the eight year old has cleaned up [one of her many] profile[s] however the group that promises to train pony girls in the proper ways and thrills of b.d.s.m. is still present-- as is another group that promises personalized "care" for a fee.

I am absolutely horrified that the alleged eight year old's mother [who does not play Second Life herself] apparently allows her child access to Second Life...no infringement of their copyright intended... and horrified that Linden Labs has not BANNED her I.S.P. Clearly this is a case where I.S.P. bannation should occur [in my unhumble opinion].

The bottom life is that Second Life...no infringement of their copyright intended... is an adult or near-adult (drat the presence of 16 and 17 year olds now) party to which those alleged to be under the age of 16 have not been invited. Mark Linden, or any of you other Linden employees, I hope you are reading this. And I hope you do the right thing by following up on the original abuse report that I filed, investigate traffic originating from the I.S.P. of the alleged eight year old child, and then bring on the bannation hammer.

And real-life Florida mom of eight year old child who you allow to "play Second Life," you can also do the right thing by contacting Linden Labs yourself and asking for your I.S.P. to be banned. You might also consider locking up your computer and only allowing your fourteen year old, eight year old, and five year old (alleged ages) access to said computer when you are parked in a chair next to them watching every action they are taking on said computer.

radical sapphoq

Short summary of Linden Labs' Second Life sex scandals back in 2007:
http://www.safernet.org.br/site/noticias/second-life-virtual-child-sex-scandal

This blog has moved

2010-03-09T00:31:00.002-05:00

This blog is now located at http://radicalsapphoq.blogspot.com/
because google is dumping the ability to ftp to anything other than
a custom google domain subdomain.

My buddy Jeremy Crow says to just go with it and so I have.
Sometime soon I will move my pictures here rather than keep them
on the domain site and I will be reverting the domain site to the
freebie version where I will just have a page of where all my stuff is
located on the web or something.

Well, whatever.
I will be make some posts during the week.
Cheerio, but not like the cereal.

radical sapphoq

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://radical.sapphoq.com/atom.xml.

My Insurance Company

2009-12-28T19:39:00.005-05:00

My insurance company is trying to kill me.
-radical sapphoq

*more in a few days*

A Modest Proposal for Health Care for Americans

2009-11-15T10:42:00.002-05:00

I propose these things in order to ensure basic health care for every United Statsian citizen:

(1). That there be public health clinics in every county which would provide health care for anyone who is unable or unwilling to pay for insurance.
(a). These clinics would be staffed by medical personnel who have just graduated. Thus every physician would be required to work for say two years full-time in these public health clinics before being allowed to go on to group or private practice.
(b). These public health clinics would provide the following: medical exams, urgent care facilities, eye exams and cheap glasses for those who require them, audiology services and cheap hearing aids for those who need them, prescription drugs which are bought wholesale at discounted rates the generic versions only.
(c). Available at the public health clinics via referral would be the services of other specialists-- also physicians who have just graduated-- mental hell, podiatry, internal medicine, gyn, gut docs, diabetes specialists, obesity specialists, bone docs, neuro docs, pain docs...etc.

(2). That there be charity hospitals available in every state which would provide hospital services for anyone who is unable or unwilling to pay for insurance.

(3). That those of us who are able and willing to pay to get out of the public health care system thus affording more choice and more experienced docs will be able to choose to do so.

(4). That abortions only be provided when there has been rape, incest, or genuine medical necessity (i.e. carrying to term will result in death of the mother, fetus lacks brain stem...).

The public health clinics and charity hospitals would be paid for via:
A). redirection of funds from faith-based office (eliminate it), faith-based "grants" (eliminate it), and school voucher programs (eliminate them).
B). medicaid funds (eliminate medicaid).
C). taxes on alcohol, tobacco, and gun ammo.
D). a fat tax (anyone who is above optimal weight and has not lost weight in the last fiscal year).
E). a foodie tax (all fast foods, candy, ice cream, sweets, butters...).

The newly graduated medical personnel would be paid minimum wages for their time in the public clinics and charity hospitals.

Any other practical details would have to be worked out by folks who are more knowledgeable than I am about such things.

Harsh? Yeah, it's harsh. But these are trying financial times.

radical sapphoq

Net Neutrality-- three cheers for Julius

2009-09-22T16:24:00.002-04:00

Hidden away on page A13 in this Sunday's Albany Times Useless-- I mean Times Union-- was a small article from Associated Press titled F.C.C. plans to propose 'Net neutrality' rules. Yesterday F.C.C.'s chair Julius Genachowski delivered a speech to the Brookings Institute which included some proposals that would help ensure that the internet remain an information highway without threat of slow down or shut out of content by I.S.P.s. The full content of this speech is available at the following u.r.l.:
http://www.brookings.edu/events/2009/0921_broadband_communications.aspx

The bad ol Internet Service Providers are upset and crying government interference.
(http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125354032776727741.html ). They want to be able to do things like select what legal content (especially if it is related to a service which their own company provides) is allowed to consumers or at least how fast such content can be accessed. Nothing in the proposal will prohibit providers from adopting tier plans or blocking high-end users from downloading stuff during peak flow times. Their objection that folks will merely move away from the I.S.P.s who block content they want is meaningless in the face of a certain reality that right now in any geographical area of the United States, very few of us have the option of moving from one I.S.P. to another. In a field where my choice is between two providers, that is hardly any choice at all.

radical sapphoq says: Bravo Julius!

Health Care Reform the Obama Way

2009-09-04T13:33:00.005-04:00

By now everyone has heard about the thousand page packet of Health Care Reform being advocated by President Barack Obama. The dems for the most part are backing it and the repubs for the most part are crying foul. From the news coverage alone, I was unable to pick up exactly why there was a bunch of folks talking about killing off grannies. So I turned to my friend Jeremy Crow who wrote back to me this answer:

A quote by Obama that you should look up on the internet, is his statement
"we aren't going to give a 100 year old man a pacemaker, we are going to send
him home with morphine" .. This was in response to an article about how evil
"Anthem" gave a 92 year old man authorization for a pacemaker after his doctor
called them and told them personally that the guy had a high level of life enjoyment
and was willing to pay for it out of pocket (which he didn't have to in the end). The
topic was brought up because under Obamacare he would have voided his insurance
by paying for it himself because he was "interfering" with the Government-approved
method of action...

The law NOW is that all people that crawl into an emergency room have to be treated
regardless of ability to pay or money already owed (or in the case of all the illegals,
ability to prove legal address .. Thus completely FREE) but under Obamacare like all
Socialist plans, you can be denied and the Government backs it as THEY wrote the
rules.

The argument here is that it will finally start denying illegals access to healthcare BUT
as we know, the politicians are lying to us and will change that the second they get us
to believe they won't .. I use seat belt laws as the example for this .. They always say
"we won't pull you over for seat belts alone" and then within a year they ALWAYS
change it .. It is the same type of lie that scares us here ...

Oh as far as the killing granny thing .. It is written in the healthcare bill that they
will have life expectancy requirements for care, and in the event that it isn't
cost-effective to prolong life they will prescribe pain killers, life end therapy,
and on request life decision specialists {Dr Kevorkian in other words} .. Ask
[a mutual blogging buddy from Australia] about eye surgery and cancer
treatments in one of those wonderful socialized medical places :(

This issue is problematic and I continue to believe that there aren't any "easy answers" to the mess that healthcare in the United States has become. I remember the birth of the health maintenance organizations. I even remember what healthcare was like "before" in the days when
we basically paid for services and the insurance company would provide reimbursement by mail later on.

To the charge that what is being proposed is socialized medicine, I can only nod and say, "Yes of course it is." That in and of itself is not a reason to say no. What is bothersome to me is the government meddling in healthcare in the first place. I dislike what healthcare has become. I dislike the HIPPA Laws which supposedly are for our "protection" but have further made a mess
of things. (For example, supposedly because of the HIPPA Laws, our dentist's office no longer allows anyone but the patient to be in the examination room. The idea that any particular agency which supposedly has a good reason for wanting my medical files can get them without my permission is nauseating to me. And the idea that some folks have of encoding our records into a chip implanting into a shoulder or wherever makes me want to move to anywhere that this will not be done. Okay, that is three examples).

It is certainly admirable to want to ensure that basic healthcare is available to all citizens (NOT to illegal aliens). It is necessary that we continue to seek ways to make basic healthcare practical and affordable. The insurance companies have their own vested interest in this thing as does the medical profession. The insurance companies are basically interested in insuring the healthier people who are likely to stay healthy and not require expenditures. The doctors (who would have vastly preferred the pay-as-you-go system to remain in place) do not want to be forced to take less money and less money from the insurance companies (and here I am thinking of Medicaid rates especially).

For some time now, the health maintenance organizations have tried over and over again to dictate to doctors what tests they may order and when, what drugs they may or may not prescribe, when a sick patient can be referred to the more expensive specialist. And yes, we have "death squads" now, in the form of review committees within the insurance companies who can and do deny care to the most sickest by labeling expensive treatment as "experimental." It is not just granny being killed off these days. Having been forced to take on the sicker people, the insurance companies take measures to keep their own costs and risks down. Because the bottom line for any insurance company is that writing policy for any individual is a gamble. No one wants the sick or the disabled on their rolls.

I see nothing wrong with providing end-of-life counseling to those who wish it. Such counseling is available now through hospices. Although Jack Kervorkian is a whack job [ever read his interview in Playboy magazine some years ago?] who perhaps delighted in his helping people to kill themselves a bit too much, I think that there will continue to be terminally ill patients who wish assisted suicide for as long as there will be inadequate pain relief provided to them. I worked in a nursing home once where there was an elderly woman with end-stage leukemia who was refusing all pain meds. She was screaming in pain and the nurse was crying, begging her to allow some relief. The woman kept refusing and she died in mid-scream. That woman refused pain meds by her own choice. There are people in hospitals being denied pain relief because the nurses are afraid that they will become addicted. One of my close friends with a severe leg fracture (right above her knee prosthesis) was denied pain relief for that reason. I had to fight for her to get pain meds before an ambulance ride to another facility 90 miles away!).

And yes, more research is needed in the areas of pain management for all of us (here I am thinking of those of us who have fibromyalgia and are usually classified as "drug-seeking" because what is currently available does not address the pain adequately) and not just the terminally ill. If an insurance company refuses to pay for "experimental treatment," there is a process of appeal (and the patient is usually dead before getting through such a process). Perhaps alternate funding for experimental treatments can be developed.

radical sapphoq says: The name-calling by all sides of this issue can stop anytime now. People who oppose healthcare reform as it is currently written certainly have valid objections. Those who are in favor of it also have valid reasons for liking it.

Insurance companies base their profits on predicting the odds of having to pay out large sums of money for any individual policy. It is part of capitalism and a free market economy. We need competition between insurance providers in order to continue to have choices.

There are pros and cons to socialized medicine. I am not convinced that socialized medicine is the way to go. (And I also suspect that the health care reform bill in its' present state will not pass due to the powerful insurance and medical lobbies).

I dislike the idea of government meddling in healthcare. I don't trust the politicians to do what is correct for the average citizen nor for disabled folks.

I believe that every citizen (but not any illegal aliens) have a basic right to basic health care. I would support basic health care for all citizens (via the use of "clinics" perhaps) paid for by our taxes with the option to purchase more comprehensive coverage and choice of providers available to those who are willing and able to pay for such coverage.

My opinions may change as I get better informed. I do intend to read the entire thousand page document probably sometime next week.

Obama and the cardiologists and other docs:
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2009/06/15/text-of-obamas-speech-before-the-ama/
http://cardiobrief.org/2009/06/15/dr-barack-obama-speaks-out-on-cardiology/

http://www.acc.org/advocacy/weekly/archives/july_09/072909.cfm#2
http://qualityfirst.acc.org/Pages/default_new.aspx
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aRqnpw9ZInJ4

anti-Obama health care reform:
http://www.michnews.com/J_Grant_Swank_Jr/jgs82009.shtml
http://proteinwisdom.com/?p=15209
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/08/11/little-girl-at-obama-town-hall-has-not-so-random-political-connections/
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/malden/2009/08/a_girl_from_malden_asked.html?p1=Well_MostPop_Emailed2 <---see letters especially

pro-Obama health care reform:
http://voices.kansascity.com/node/5718
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/08/22/obama_decries_outrageous_myths.html
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/08/06/healthcare/

we already have death squads built in our current health insurance plans:
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2009/08/11/denial_of_care/?source=newsletter

recommended for news that effects us oldsters and others:
http://www.seniorsworldchronicle.com/
http://lewinreport.acc.org/

Michael Jackson is Dead

2009-06-30T20:53:00.002-04:00

Michael Jackson died of food poisoning I heard. Upon second autopsy, an eight year old sausage was found in his stomach. A tasteless joke. Sorry.

Michael Jackson, famous child singer from The Jackson Five, is dead at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009. Preliminary results indicate cardiac arrest. All of you probably already know that. Oh well. Michael Jackson's life journey was riddled with stories of his own child abuse, accusations (acquitted) that he abused kids at his Neverland Ranch, a ton of plastic surgery, and songs hitting the charts. The most recent "news" involved the leaking of an autopsy photo (FALSE as of present) and stories about addictions to/use of/abuse of painkillers (YES, there are a variety of reports of addiction).

radical sapphoq says: My initial reaction was, "Good riddance to another pedophile." In doing web searches, I came away with a heightened sympathy for Michael Jackson, even if I don't now understand why he went through all of those plastic surgeries (and judge the results to be f'ugly) and even if yeah, I suspect that he may have been reckless in his behavior toward boys and may have abused them sexually (although the prosecutor did not prove the case and Michael Jackson was acquitted by a jury of his peers). As a survivor of sexual abuse and rape myself, I recognize that true compassion deserves to rest with the victims (if there are any, I truly do not know in spite of my strong suspicions).

As a human being, I feel compassion for Michael Jackson's three kids left behind by his death. As a hardass, I will say that when one person dies, we (individually, collectively, the world) lose one person. When one person dies, that person loses everyone. And regardless of how many people are in the room, each of us dies alone.

Any mistakes are my own. Sources:

Michael Jackson is dead at the age of 50.
http://www.tmz.com/2009/06/25/michael-jackson-dies-death-dead-cardiac-arrest/

Michael Jackson was the child star of the Jackson Five.
http://www.classicbands.com/jackson.html

He and sister Janet Jackson grew up to each become stars in their own rights.
A myspace page tribute to Michael Jackson the musician:
http://www.myspace.com/michaeljackson
Lyrics of Michael Jackson songs:
http://www.azlyrics.com/j/jackson.html

Michael of the white glove, the moonwalk, and the song Billie Jean.
Yup, I can do the moonwalk:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billie_Jean

Michael holding a baby-- his-- out a third floor balcony in Berlin.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/2494249.stm

Michael and the accusations of molestation of one boy at Neverland Ranch. Talk of prior sexual misconduct with other boys. Acquitted.
http://www.statemaster.com/encyclopedia/Gavin-Arvizo
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/13/jackson.trial/

Michael and use of painkillers.
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/MichaelJackson/story?id=7938918&page=1
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1195626/The-addiction-pills-took-Michael-Jacksons-life--finally-destroyed-him.html
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090629/jackson_painkillers_090629/20090629?hub=Entertainment

Michael becoming almost-white-Michael with a slitted reptilian nose over time. Site has pictures and descriptions:
http://www.anomalies-unlimited.com/Jackson.html

Jokes are halfway down and not for the easily offended or squeamish.
http://williambader.com/mj.html

Rumors of an autopsy photo being leaked. N.B. The Sun is a Brit tabloid.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1895958/michael_jackson_autopsy_photo_still.html?cat=33

Tiananmen Square, I honor

2009-06-08T16:38:00.002-04:00

June 4 was the twentieth anniversary of Tiananmen Square. On June 4, 1989 Chinese students gathered on Tiananmen
Square in Beijing demonstrating for a free-er more democratic China. Chinese tanks came and mowed them down. Many
students died-- even those who had evacuated the square-- and some bystanders as well. Thousands of people died.

On June 4, 2009 the square was closed and a heavy military presence was keeping an uneasy peace. Blogs and social
networking sites were shut down for the day. Wu'er Kaixi, a student who has been exiled, was denied entrance into
Macau where his parents live. Other dissidents were made to leave Beijing or forced to stay indoors. The Chinese
authorities did not want any debate, discussion, or memorials of that day twenty years ago where many died for their
vision of democracy. The government has never taken any responsibility for the bloodshed.

I wasn't there when the tanks came. I wasn't there when shots rang out across the square. I wasn't there for the
massacre. To the Chinese people who were murdered, to their families and friends, to those left behind I want you
to know that one Westerner remembers and honors all of you.

radical sapphoq

Portland Press Herald, Thursday June 4, 2009, page 8. China takes hard-line stand on 'massacre' anniversary.

J. Maarten Troost, Lost on Planet China. New York: Doubleday, 2008. paperback, 382 pps.

Playing for Pay

2009-05-15T16:24:00.002-04:00

http://www.dailytech.com/UK+Investigators+Claim+Ganglords+Used+PlayStations+to+Run+Businesses+from+Prison/article15141.htm

According to an agency in the U.K., some prisoners over there are utilizing interactive gaming tools to communicate with others on the outside. Bill Hughes of S.O.C.A. (Serious Organized Crime Agency) is quotes as saying this is happening and the Prison Service is concerned. The Prison Service denies same.

Seriously, I can envision a bunch of grown men hunched over consoles behind bars playing "Super Mario" (tm) or some other such game as a means of ordering hits or whatever.

Members of organized crime who are in jails and prisons have always found ways to communicate their directives to those on the outside. Whether it is via ultra-small handwriting in letters or elaborate hand signals, prisoners will continue to create code. I have to hand it to the fellows who figured out how to use gaming consoles to charge minutes to their cell phones-- very creative, guys.

radical sapphoq

CHANGING MY OWN TELEVISION CHANNELS

2009-04-28T20:25:00.001-04:00

Changing My Own Television Channels

PHILIP ROSEDALE: "look at how we can make the overall experience appropriately safe and controlled for everybody. So that's the general direction that we're taking there."

I am responsible for my own safety thank-you. Furthermore, I do not need nor want a controlled experience. Nor do I care for the overused word "appropriate" or derivatives thereof.

I am an atheist. I do not call the cable company and demand that a rep come right over to turn off the preachers on my television. I change the channel myself.

You don't like something going on in a parcel? Then get out. Change your own television channel. If you linger there, well that's just mental masturbation.

And yes, forcing the PG places to move to a PG continent would be far better than this "we Lindens are instituting this move to Porno Land" mentality. Let them who wish to be controlled (or have a controlled environment) opt in for the move.

So the merging of the two grids is a bloody rumor. Fine. I for one hope it never comes to pass. I'm sick of hearing WE MUST PROTECT THE CHILDREN. Parents, monitor the activities of your own rug rats. I don't have children for many reasons. It is not my job to watch your kids. But I digress.

As for the child avie sex thing/porn ring/German reporters/ propositioning no0bs/whatever it really was...that launched all this silliness in the first place: I don't care. The courts are taking care of that case. Pedoheads should not be allowed on the internet, period. Civil rights for all civils.

Those adults who are not fantasizing about baby raping (the vast majority of us) basically-- well, okay. I cannot speak for anyone else. I would like to see a reasonable response to all of this, such as checking the "Yup I've of age and I am willing to live with the idea that not everyone does or believes the same way I do so let me in" box.

By actively policing content, Lindens, you very well maybe subjecting yourselves to more lawsuits and legal responsibilities. That is, unless you --like Live Journal-- also plan to sell out to a Russian company or someplace else where an oppressive government imprisons their citizens for attempting to have some form of creative expression.

I have lived through the Live Journal messes of the last several years (and the ultimate selling of Live Journal to the Russians for a heap of money). And now this.

Land prices: falling.
Blood pressure: rising.

Hey, I'm an adult. I'm going to make the healthy choice and go out for some vigorous exercise. Then maybe later on I will be in a calm enough state to enjoy some simulated sex act between pixels.

The intrawebs are for pr0n.

SpikeQ Frog

civil rights for all civils

http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?p=2408880#post2408880

Lipodiesel Leftovers

2008-12-29T11:50:00.002-05:00

A plastic surgeon-- Craig Alan Bittner-- is in trouble for allegedly using leftover fat from his patients to fuel two cars, (among other things which may be more serious). Apparently some law says this is a no-no. Myself, I think it is an excellent idea. Though if the fat in question was being sliced off of me, I would want it to fuel my own car. Of course, by time the idea runs through red tape, it won't be cost-effective anymore. Purifying the fat and rendering it sterile is the rub. Hmmm, perhaps the future holds plans for a fat factory.

There is indeed the possibility that Bittner's spiel on a website was a created fantasy.
More will be revealed.

radical sapphoq

http://www.nydailynews.com/money/2008/12/29/2008-12-29_beverly_hills_doctor_accused_of_using_fa.html

Fussing over Christmas 12/25/08

2008-12-25T19:59:00.002-05:00

Christmas is here and the commercialism factor continues to run high what with grown men in Santa suits, "must have for happiness" advertisements, and dwindling parking spaces at the malls. As usual, some stores have instructed their employees to say "Merry Christmas," others have instructed their employees to say "Happy Holidays" or nothing at all. People get up in arms over all of this. I understand why. As a non-believer I myself get sick of hearing about "the Reason for the Season" at 12 step meetings. As an atheist, I endeavor to extend to believers the tolerance for their beliefs that they often deny me for my unfaith. And there are those sincere Christians who grumble about the retail circus that Christmas has become. I have a solution that should satisfy everyone with a bit of work.

Quite frankly, if Christians want to "take back Christmas" I think they should be encouraged to do so. Here are some things I wish the Christians would do in order to reclaim Christ-Mas:

(1). The date that Christians celebrate Christ's being born should be changed. In this way, Christians can easily dissociate themselves from the retail madness that occurs every December.
Let historical research be done and let the Christians agree on some other date.

(2). Santa Clauses, Christmas trees, lights, decorations, the sending of Christmas cards, and presents should all be given the hatchet. Don't import the messy secular commercialism into the new date. Teach little Christian kids that only the ungodly indulge in such things in December and that as a Christ-like family, real Christians don't engage in worldliness. After all, the sacred and the profane shall not mix.

(3). Rename the new day. Christians can call the new holy day either Christ-mas [an old pronunciation] or simply "Christ's Birthday."

radical sapphoq

Getting Out of Gitmo

2008-11-12T11:23:00.002-05:00

Camp Justice in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba is slated for closure. Fear strikes at the heart of this blogger. I will not deny that beating on the terrorists there was a bad idea. Nor will I condemn President Bush for his hand in creating Gitmo. All of that falls under "old news." In establishing that business not as usual, President-Elect Obama has picked on the one thing that is full of controversy.

The folks housed in Guantanamo Bay are not nice people. They are not P.O.W.s because they are not legal combatants and therefore not covered by the Geneva Convention. They are not American citizens and therefore not habeus corp writ material. They are human beings who like blowing up other human beings in vastly illegal ways. The International Herald Tribune (iht) article states that many of the prisoners there are without a country that wishes to take them. Otherwise, they are eligible for release back into society. Any countries wish to volunteer? I don't see why they can't go back to the countries that they used to live in if indeed some percentage of them are in effect free men being held at Camp Justice.

Some of the folks will get a sort of military trial, possibly on U.S. soil. Others will have a special justice system created for them as it seems they are the holder of secrets. These secrets are powerful stuff. Plans to blow up more Americans and all of that. Some human rights groups are all for getting rid of Gitmo and giving the land back to Cuba.

Quite frankly, my hawkish nature continues its ascent. The terrorists who are at Guantanamo Bay should be disposed of, as in terminated. They aren't protected under national or international laws. They do not have our best interests at heart. They wish us dead. Well, I wish them dead too. If there are any innocents residing in Camp Justice, let Mexico or Israel have them.

radical sapphoq

http://www.wikio.co.uk/international/americas/caribbean/cuba/guantanamo_bay
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/10/america/NA-US-Obama-Guantanamo.php
http://havanajournal.com/politics/entry/president-elect-obama-working-towards-closing-guantanamo-bay-prisio/

The Presidential Race in the United States

2008-10-27T19:27:00.004-04:00

I dislike both of them.

Obama has more of my issues but I don't believe he can give the country the leadership we need.
McCain has the leadership but I am sick of religion (specifically but not limited to fundamentalist Christianity) being pushed into politics and what is happening to the separation of church and state.

*I think we have to drill for oil within the United States while continuing to develop the technology that (hopefully one day) will enable us to become totally free from foreign oil sources, environmental groups be dammed.

*I think that a public education should be exactly that and non-sectarian in nature. I am opposed to the use of taxpayer funds for school vouchers.

*I am opposed to having an office for faith-based organizations and charities and stuff.

*I am opposed to the government giving any sort of money or grants of any nature to religious organizations that are involved in social services programs of any nature.

*I am opposed to the privatization of social security.

*I am opposed to allowing people who entered our country illegally to have a path to citizenship.

*I am opposed to providing illegal aliens with drivers' licenses and permission to stay on because they marry a United States citizen or have a baby on U.S. soil.

*I am opposed to forcing AIDS educators to talk only about abstinence as a way to prevent the transmission of HIV, both in our schools and abroad. I think that high school kids, with parental permission, should be told that no sex is the best however that condoms is one way that can prevent AIDS (but not all the time as rubbers do break). I think that adults in places where AIDS is a huge epidemic should be told about other options besides abstinence and to quit frucking monkeys if any of that is still going on. I think that anyone who contracts AIDS should be counseled to consider never having sex again or only having sex with someone else who has AIDS. If someone who has AIDS decides otherwise, they should definitely be taught safer sex practices if they don't know them and to be reminded about condoms, dental dams, and other forms of barriers. Furthermore, I think that men and women who engage in oral sex should be told about dental dams. Women together know about dental dams. Let's talk about sex. Oh, wait. More another time. I'm no Dr. Ruth.

*I am opposed to giving people new mortgages, especially those who were not credit-worthy in the first place when they got their loans. I understand that I don't know much about economics and that folks more qualified than I have other ideas about what to do with the world economic crisis.

*I am opposed to the crooks who helped to cause the crisis getting away with their huge salaries and no jail time.

*I am opposed to the government giving us tax stimulus checks although I am not rich enough to be able to afford to send mine back.

*I am opposed to all the so-called fixing that has been done to Medicare and this "donut hole" shit which causes much financial hardship among our senior citizens and disabled folks on Medicare.

*I don't know what should be done about the medical insurances stuff. I only know that something needs to be done.

*I am opposed to abortion except in cases of rape, incestuous rape, or to save the life of the mother. Although I am reluctant to go all the way with pro-life and outlaw abortion, I am equally reluctant to go all the way with pro-choice. A woman's life is valuable and a woman should be able to govern her own body.

*I am opposed to pharmacists not providing a pill to rape victims which would not allow the fetus to implant. I believe that once an egg and sperm unite, there is new life there. However, it is inexcusable that a pharmacist will not provide doctor-ordered medication to people on the basis of a religious belief. That a rape victim would have to travel to a different drug store is inexcusable. Better yet, let that pill be offered in every emergency room to every rape victim.

*The United States maintains a stabilizing military presence in many foreign places and the natives do not want us to leave. I believe that we should not pull out of Iraq all at once. I believe those decisions need to be made by military experts and not by the populace.

Nifty net polls tell me that the candidate who has the most of my issues (51%) is Ralph Nadar. I didn't even know he was running. I think I will write in my dog.

spike

Bugging Over a Frog

2008-07-31T21:57:00.003-04:00

sung to the tune of "House of the Rising Sun" sort of:

There is a frog in Bolzano
hangs on a cross does he.
With a beer and an egg in froggie hands,
green death upon a tree.

Now the Pope has come to Brixon fair
in the mountains near South Tyro
where the province people are incensed
saying the poor dead frog must go.

Now Franz is on a hunger strike
though the museum moved the art
now Martin Kippenberger's frog is on the third floor
yet the Catholic reaction is off the chart.

You can call these lyrics ill-mannered and crass.
You can call me a Pope-hating scum.
You can call me a disrespectful atheist
Cuz I find the fuss to be dumb.

*radical sapphoq, all rites reserved*

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article4436051.ece

After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo,

(and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices the Pope is still standing on the curb.

"Excuse me, Your Holiness," says the driver, "Would you please take your seat so we can leave?"

"Well, to tell you the truth," says the Pope, "they never let me drive at the Vatican

when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today."

"I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I cannot let you do that. I'd lose my job!

What if something should happen?" protests the driver, wishing he'd never

gone to work that morning.

"Who's going to tell?" says the Pope with a smile.

Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel.

The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it,

accelerating the limo to 205 kph. (Remember, the Pope is German.)

"Please slow down, Your Holiness!" pleads the worried driver, but the

Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens.

"Oh, dear God, I'm going to lose my license -- and my job!" moans the driver.

The Pope pulls over and rolls down the window as the cop approaches.

The cop takes one look at him, goes back to his motorcycle, and gets on the radio.

"I need to talk to the Chief," he says to the dispatcher.

The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going 205 kph.

"So bust him," says the Chief.

"I don't think we want to do that, he's really important," says the cop.

The Chief exclaims, "All the more reason!"

"No, I mean really important," says the cop.

The Chief then asks, "Who do you have there, the mayor?"

The cop says, "Bigger."

The chief asks, "A senator ?"

The cop says, "Bigger."

The chief asks, "The Prime Minister?"

The cop says, "Bigger."

"Blast it man," says the Chief, "Who is it?"

The cop says, "I think it's God!"

The Chief is even more put out by this. "What makes you think it's God?"

The cop says, "His chauffeur is the Pope."

*a joke traveling the internet*

Benjamin Collard is Collared in the Continuing Communion Caper Review

2008-07-31T03:03:00.007-04:00

Repercussions from the communion caper of June 29th continue. Now Webster Cook's student-senator friend Benjamin Collard is being collared by the fundie Catholic Campus Ministries for the same thing as his buddy. He is being charged with identical charges in fact: misconduct, disruptive conduct, and giving false identification.

Andrew Cook was impeached by the Student Senate and may be voted out of that office. A separate body, not the Senate, may or may not decide to throw him (and his buddy Benjamin Collard) out of school as in expel.

Meanwhile, sanity prevailed at the University of Minnesota and nothing is going to happen to P.Z. Myers there. P.Z. took a stolen consecrated wafer gotten from anonymous and stabbed it with a rusty nail. He then chucked it in his garbage can along with pages torn out of both a Koran and a Richard Dawkins book, a banana peel, and coffee grinds. Mark Shea got pissed off about that and called P.Z. Myers crazy. To his credit, Mark Shea did acknowledge that not all atheists are like that. Bill Donahue's contribution was to call the wafer wasting a form of discrimination. And then the Confraternity of Catholic Clergy (on July 29) said that P.Z. Myers had done a bad thing, made really bad arguments about how the rest of us aren't allowed to say bad things about other peoples' religions (gasp!), and called for a day of prayer and fasting sans sackcloth. Of course, P.Z. Myers should apologize with sincerity. The last just isn't going to happen. P.Z. Myers responded with a cartoon drawing with the caption, "Your crackers are not safe."

sapphoq says: In the style of LOLcats, P.Z. Myers might have done better to label the cartoon, "All yer crackers are belong to us."
If Jeebus would have just teleported out of the damned plastic baggie and then sent an e-mail assuring all of his followers that he was unharmed, the whole mediac mess could have been avoided.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/myfox/pages/News/
Detail?contentId=7009782&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/21/politics/uwire/main4280808.shtml

http://scienceblogs.com/terrasig/2008/07/
crackergate_as_a_threat_to_the.php?
utm_source=sbhomepage&utm_medium=link&utm_content=channellink

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/write_to_ucf.php

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/the_great_desecration.php

http://catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=13368

http://markshea.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html#3556126510000458712

http://christiannewswire.com/news/517137313.html

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/the_confraternity_of_catholic.php#comments

Crackers over Crackers 7/13/08

2008-07-13T00:48:00.005-04:00

"Once we all realize that none of us knows
what the hell any god might want or say,
and most especially not semi-literate, bigoted morons
who can barely speak, once we stop pretending
our books and mythologies are sacred enough to die or kill for,
or that we have the right to change anyone's mind by force or fervor,
then we might awaken to sunshine and laughter.
Until then, everything you know is bogus."

Thus Spake Guru Greenbaum, June 15, 2005

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

“It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ."
saith Catholic League president Bill Donohue over at:
http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1459

because oh noes, a Catholic student at the University of Central Florida was taking a communion wafer back to his pew http://www.wftv.com/news/16798008/detail.html in order to show a non-Catholic friend and then got man-handled by a woman who ceased only after the student Senator Webster Cook put the thing in his mouth.
He took the wafer to his dorm room for a week where it resided in a plastic baggie.

Bloggers weighed in pro and con, including the illustrious P.Z. Myers (and the Catholic League is now after his yob for it) who called the host a frackin' cracker and promised to do bad things to any communion wafer sent to him by readers.
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2008/07/its_a_goddamned_cracker.php#more

In turn some politician in Virginia became concerned for the safety of Catholics slated to attend the Republican convention in Myer's home state of Minnesota and wants extra security to protect them from him. (Gasp!) http://www.catholicleague.org/release.php?id=1460

The upshot was that student Cook returned the wafer after receiving death threats.
http://www.wftv.com/news/16806050/detail.html

To answer Bill Donahue regarding:
“It is hard to think of anything more vile than to intentionally desecrate the Body of Christ."

radical sapphoq says:
Yeah Bill, here's one.
Roman Catholic priests who RAPE little boys and girls.
Roman Catholic Dioceses who then move the priests to different parishes in order to COVER THE RAPES UP.
Oh, that's two.

Hey, I was raised a Roman Catholic.
I've never had to endure any man of the cloth groping me or trying to sex me up at a young age.
I did endure at least one nun in school not believing me when I tried to tell her that my mother was drinking alcoholically and violent.
Water over the dam.
I survived my childhood and teen-aged years.
Okay, so Webster Cook was in violation of Roman Catholic protocol by not eating the wafer before returning to his pew. And putting the wafer in a plastic baggie and keeping it for a week in his dorm room was probably distasteful or even lacking a certain amount of tact expected of a student Senator.

Webster Cook was insulted by being manhandled at a Mass.
Bill Donahue and some Roman Catholics somewhere are insulted that he took the wafer away.
I am insulted that priests have gotten away with kiddie rape and molestation.

Here's a memory from the archives:
I was forced by my alcoholic violent vindictive mother to attend a Roman Catholic High School. At that school, I was introduced to drinking, drugging, cheating, heresy, and a tad of groping teen sex. I also had a best friend in high school.
One day, my best friend in high school showed me a cache of communion wafers. She said she knew where they were kept in the school chapel. She invited me on a raid and I went with her. That raid was the first of many that both of us went on together. We always had something to snack on-- those little communion wafers.
Readers, be outraged if you will.
1. The statue of limitations has long since run out on this one.
2. The priests. And uh, (tm) who is thinking of the CHIL---LUMS?

Let the comments begin maybe.

Drinking on the Holidaze

2008-07-07T22:14:00.003-04:00

A bunch of folks in a bunch of places got arrested for driving while intoxicated over the holiday weekend. I used to drive around drunk and high years ago before I became abstinent. Based on that and subsequent experience with a stoned driver resulting in my t.b.i. later on, I have to say, "This is uncool, people." We have Mothers Against Drunk Driving; we have D.A.R.E.; we have Alateen; we have billboards with pictures of now dead people on them. None of it is enough.

I know a few people will say things like one can get a drunk driving charge from using mouthwash or the tests were biased or fixed or it was only once and blind dumb luck.
Quite frankly, I am tired of the excuses.
Folks who get drunk during the holidays, whether at barbecues or at bars, should stay put.
As in don't leave. As in take a cab or bus or sleep on the barroom floor or go home with a
friend or whatever.
Some towns have free taxi service for drunken prom kids or rowdy New Year's Eve
revelers.
Will places have to provide this stuff on other holidays because grown-ups can't police themselves???

Disease be damned.
You drink and drive you should serve some time in jail before being certified for a drug court program (if you are lucky enough to qualify for one).
You drug and drive you should serve some time in jail before being certified for a drug court program (if you are lucky enough to qualify for one).
Sorry folks.

What part of "drunken/drugged up drivers do kill people and cause permanent damage in the lucky survivors" don't you get?
Morons.

radical sapphoq

306 Arizona:
http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/07/07/20080707az-holiday-duis0707-ON.html

1704 California:
http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_9809969

692 Ohio:
http://www.newsnet5.com/news/16807602/detail.html

More on Victoria and the Psychic 6/21/08

2008-06-21T10:31:00.003-04:00

credit: xkcd comics at http://xkcd.com

Actually, the psychic was really really wrong. Victoria is equipped with a G.P.S. system (because the school had "lost" her a couple of times before apparently) with a listening-in device.

And there is no male between the ages of 23 and 26 that Victoria is around. I tend to agree with some of the folks who commented on Daylight Atheism that if Victoria's mother had a boyfriend or relative or neighbor of that age (and Victoria hadn't been equipped with a listening device), that man would be sitting in a jail right now.

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1079288
and
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_23845.aspx
and
http://www.daylightatheism.org/2008/06/the-harm-psychics-do.html

Those of you who are for the psychics will not like what Daylight Atheism readers have to say about it. The only thing I can tell you is that yes Virginia, psychics have been known to do some harm with their predictions.

radical sapphoq on Victoria and the psychic

The Politics of Autism; and a Story of a Psychic and an Autistic Child

2008-06-20T22:01:00.003-04:00

What's not in the news: the organization Autism Speaks (tm) is having shit fits again over anyone who dares to use their name. Some folks may remember when the organization went after an autistic girl for launching a parody website. The website is currently living at http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com/ntspeaks/. I encourage anyone who cares to go there and see what upset the organization Autism Speaks (tm).

Now Autism Speaks (tm) has issued a takedown order to Zazzle //and Zack of Aspie Web demanding that his teeshirts be pulled from the Zazzle site. The uh offending trademark violating (smirk) teeshirt can be seen over here at Aspie Web:
http://www.aspieweb.net/aspieweb-being-bullied-by-autism-speaks/ . Zazzle did write back to Zack stating that Autism Speaks (tm) did indeed contact Zazzle: http://www.aspieweb.net/proof-that-autism-speaks-is-attacking-autism-self-advocacy/
Zack made some other stuff now and it can be found at:
http://www.aspieweb.net/
aspieweb-vs-autism-speaks-fight-for-the-right-for-autistics-to-speak/

An excellent post by Amanda over at: http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=542#comment-173070
explains how Autism Speaks (tm) derives its' numbers and other stuff-- worth reading.

Meanwhile, Lawrence Benjamin Arnold has secured the domain http://www.autismspeaks.eu where he plans to focus on self-advocacy issues of autistics everywhere and particularly in Europe where autistics have a nice record of speaking out.
For one example see:
http://www.autism-hub.co.uk/autism-speaks-dont-speak-for-me/index.php

radical sapphoq says: Zach is correct. Autism Speaks (tm) does not speak for us yet the organization feels free to include us who can talk and wipe our own asses in their numbers. Something stinks there. Over at google news, there is no mention of the legal crap that Autism Speaks (tm) is pulling on Zack who is not supportive of their particular message. You know the one. The one that says that autism can/should/will be cured. That mercury in vaccines causes autism (has been disproven so thoroughly by scientists that it appears that Autism Speaks (tm) backed down on that one). That autism is a tragedy. Oh, wait. Only the kinds that make for a kid to be non-verbal and needing all kinds of extra help for activities of daily living. The rest of us can go rot. And since we won't quietly go away, Autism Speaks (tm) can conceivably come after any one of us that it can. Pissed off? Doesn't begin to describe my emotional state at the moment.

The blogger sapphoq is not affiliated with the organization known as Autism Speaks (tm) in any way, the blogger sapphoq did not ask Autism Speaks (tm) http://www.autismspeaks.org/
if she could use their trademarked name, the blogger sapphoq is not sponsored by Autism Speaks (tm) in any way. The blogger sapphoq has opinions.
http://www.publaw.com/fairusetrade.html
It is difficult to blog about what an organization is doing without mentioning the name of the organization.

In the news: an autistic girl in Canada. Seems the educational aide went to a psychic who asked her, "Are you working with a girl whose name starts with a V?" (yes). "She is being sexually abused by a guy between the ages of 23 and 26." The school did the only logical thing-- Children's Aid Society was called. (Americans: think Child Abuse Hotline or D.S.S.).
Mom was then presented with a list of "behaviors" that could possibly constitute signs and symptoms of sexual abuse. Mom protested. Victoria is severely autistic. The Children's Aid Society fortunately was not willing to put stock in a psychic's tip. The report was taken and then quickly dismissed. Mom has sought legal advice regarding the possibility of lawsuit. Meanwhile, Victoria is not going to school. Mom is not going to work. The two are home together all day.

http://www.nationalpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=597195

http://toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080618/
psychic_abuse_080618/20080618/?hub=TorontoNewHome

http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=71516

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/newstoday/article/329416

http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5hM0zeYRJKc_mp6Lk1JVDqVLIdwSA

http://www.barrieadvance.com/barrieadvance/article/108266

radical sapphoq says: What stupidity! The "for entertainment only" psychic prompted this whole thing. And as almost always, it is the kids who suffer. Victoria was in a self-contained classroom with five other kids. She is non-verbal, entering puberty, lacks inhibitions. The principal interpreted licking a table and gyrating against staff bodies as being indicative of sexual abuse. Some people don't have the sense they were born with.

The psychic should be prosecuted as being fraudulent, the teacher's aide should be fired, and Victoria should be going to school somewhere.

Alex Barton, Asperger's and General Public MisEducation

2008-06-13T19:41:00.002-04:00

The family of Alex Barton, the little Aspergian misbehaving five year old kindergardener, has decided to sue the school district for his treatment by teacher Wendy Portillo. It is reported that although he enjoyed talking on television, Alex is still evidencing signs of trauma. An attorney from the Liberty Legal Institute's Dallas branch office states that the suit is not without merit. Public opinion as expressed at the end of another article-- published by the T.C. Palm on June 7, 2008 range from "Oh noes Alex will have to goto court and that sucks," to "Give 'em a buck and be done with it," to "Yup, there is a case there." The blog Thinking in Metaphors over at
http://autisticnation.typepad.com/thinking_in_metaphors/2008/05/wendy-portillos/
comments/page/2/ is the place to go for a better understanding of the legal issues involved.

Autism, along with many other disabilities, continue to be misunderstood by the general public. Now I know that the general public does not have to understand every disability. But kids in a regular classroom should have the benefit of some accurate information. The real bother of the whole thing is that while "inclusive education" is the current buzzword, kids in general are not given any explanations about the conditions and disorders that may be effecting a few of their classmates. Thus a good friend of mine was left recently to explain Tourette's to his nine year old son. Nine year old was accused of not demonstrating an, uh, inclusive attitude because he had yelled "shut up" when a classmate kept cursing in the classroom one day. Apparently some regulation or concern about private medical information prevented the teacher from offering any useful information. The same reg or concern prompted the teacher to claim (erroneously in my estimation) that my friend did not have a right to explain Tourette's to his son either. Talk about insanity. If kids cannot talk about their differences, how are they ever going to come to an understanding of those differences? In my estimation, "Don't ask, don't tell" does not work when it comes to building community.

Now we have a teacher who decided to have a bunch of five year olds tell another five year old what they don't like about him or his behavior. Uncool for any child to have to go through. That teacher needs to find a different line of work. And in light of the lawsuit, the Florida school system would do well to inservice all of its' teachers on autistic spectrum disorder. Autism is indeed a broad spectrum of disorders. The three that illustrate a wide range of intellectual prowess and behavioral manifestations are classic (Kanner's) autism, Asperger's, and pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (P.D.D.-nos). [There are two other disorders included in the spectrum which probably should be moved to a different category.] Having been forced to sit through a few "sensitivity training sessions" myself, my own prejudice is that they don't do much. I still hold that the information should be offered to teachers as well as to the students and their parents. It is at least a beginning. Furthermore, any teacher who works in an inclusive classroom ought to be dually certified-- in special education as well as in elementary or secondary education (or whatever their primary field is).

The general assumption that "all people with autism" are screaming self-stimming innocents and perpetual children is one that I personally am a bit tired of dealing with. Just last night on secondlife dot com, my avatar tried to explain to someone who was annoyed with my adopted cousin's verbal behavior that yes indeed Aspergians can be verbally obnoxious just like anybody else. The avatar to whom this short explanation was directed had protested, "He doesn't have autism! Autistics don't provoke people." Interesting how any of us can suddenly know more than the neuropsych people who have spent years in testing and observation and diagnosing of a variety of disorders and conditions.

Autism in all of its' manifestations is not something that needs curing as the Autism Squeaks parents would have us believe. Nor is it something that should be celebrated in all of its' aspects. If the Aspergian bank teller wishes to keep his job, he needs to attend to matters of personal hygiene just like the rest of us. An autistic adult who is not able to communicate her basic needs or desires certainly has a tough life journey that not many of us would envy or want to emulate. Similar things could be said of any disabling condition or disorder. There was a time when I thought that traumatic brain injury was the worst thing that could happen to me. Then it did happen through the actions of a driver who really should not have gotten stoned before getting behind the wheel of his automobile. Traumatic brain injury is not the worst thing. And autism is not truly the thing that needs curing. The worst thing is ignorance and it is ignorance that needs healing.

radical sapphoq

References:

http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/2980678/29447288

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/jun/07/alex-barton-family-plans-to-sue/

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-0612autisticboy,0,5446826.story

http://www.libertylegal.org/

Wendy Portillo Speaks, after a fashion

2008-05-31T17:15:00.002-04:00

Here is the link:
http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/29/
police-report-reveals-teachers-side-incident-which/
?feedback=1#comments

According to Wendy Portillo:
1. Alex was voted out of the classroom for the rest of the day, not for good.
2. Alex was under a desk, pushing it up with his feet.
3. Second discipline referral that day.
4. Ms. Portillo wanted Alex to hear from other kids the impact of his behavior.
5. Ms. Portillo stated there are inaccuracies in a written report.

Alex's short list of crimes accused of by other students as noted by Alex to a police officer:
1. eating paper
2. picking his nose
3. eating his boogers
4. biting his shoelaces

Alex's list of bad things about Ms. Portillo as noted by Alex to a police officer:
1. She told Alex Barton that she hates him [at the time of the incident].
2. She scratched him.
3. She stepped on his shoelaces.
4. She pulled his shirt collar.

N.B. Ms. Portillo and other kids in the class refuted the last three allegations from Alex.

At least one parent has stated that Ms. Portillo is:
1. exceptional
2. caring
3. top-notch

My good friend Jeremy Crow (and those who are unfamiliar with his writing really ought to seek out his blogs) does not defend the teacher however he does point out that there has to be more to this story than is written. To that I certainly agree. I have to wonder if this incident was isolated or if it was a larger part of a long chain of incidents. Perhaps there have been other on-going issues and problems and this was the end result.

What the teacher did, as reported-- in my opinion-- was morally and ethically wrong.
This situation does bring up questions about inclusive education, the availability of aides in each classroom, teacher supervision, and the accuracy of testimony of children. I don't have any answers, just a bunch of thoughts and suppos-eds.

Seems to me that this incident surely was not the first indication that Alex Barton and Ms. Wendy Portillo were having a problem. As the adult and a teacher, Ms. Portillo has the responsibility to seek out supervision when there is a child that she finds extremely vexing in her classroom that she is either unwilling or unable to deal with.

The questions of inclusive classrooms vs. resource room pull-outs vs. special education classes I shall leave to those better qualified to answer. http://autism.about.com/b/2008/05/30/
your-thoughts-requested-how-far-should-teachers-go-to-include-children-with-autism.htm
My own observations are anecdotal in nature only and thus aren't anything to base a course of action on. Here I must point out that Alex Barton was in the process of testing on May 27th and now has been labeled as having Asperger's and A.D.H.D. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/30/earlyshow/
living/parenting/main4140155.shtml

The question about the accuracy of testimony of children-- children are not always very accurate. There are court cases and things written about elsewhere that point this out. To wit, the McMartin case and the children satanic sexual abuse scares of the 80s and 90s hold some examples.
http://www.newamerica.net/publications/articles/2001/the_devil_in_the_nursery

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/mcmartin_daycare/5.html

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/psychology/mcmartin_daycare/9.html

http://abusearticles.wordpress.com/2007/12/02/
investigative-issues-in-ritual-abuse-cases-part-1-and-2-1994/

http://www.religioustolerance.org/ra_mcmar.htm

http://www.religioustolerance.org/ra_case.htm

http://www.rickross.com/reference/false_memories/fsm66.html

http://www.illinoisfms.org/200505ar.html

The question about the accuracy of testimony of the accused-- let's just say that adults have been known to be reckless with the truth in a cover-your-ass world. What will come of this remains to be seen. I gather from perusing other blogs that the Dr. Phil show folks http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/
may/29/30gt-autistic-student-mom-receive-worldwide-hed/
have called Melissa Barton, looking for an appearance on his show. And that Alex's mother is talking about suing.

Ms. Portillo continues under administrative duties as of this writing. And Alex continues to not attend school, apparently due to his mother's wishes. He did get to talk on the telephone with a schoolmate and will get to visit this summer.

radical sapphoq

Voted Out of Kindergarten-- Alex Barton

2008-05-28T00:15:00.002-04:00

The blond-haired little boy stared back at me from a photo distributed on the w.w.w. [w.w.w. = world wide wasteoftime]. In a parody of democracy in action, Alex Barton was voted out of kindergarten for the remainder of the school day last Wednesday. His crime? Having a neurological condition called Asperger's and some associated behavioral problems. The teacher-- a Wendy Portillo-- cajoled her class into voting. And reportedly had children describe what they didn't like about young Alex. One reported adjective was "disgusting." Two kids voted to keep Alex in the classroom that day. The majority voted that he be excluded. Alex who was just returned to the class from the principal's office for his behavior spent the rest of the school day in the nurse's office. Needless to say, Alex has not been thrilled about his experience.

Although folks on both sides of the issue have resorted to name-calling, what I find even more repugnant are the public comments which support Wendy Portillo in her actions. Her excuse ran something like teaching the children about tallying. I wasn't there but I have an opinion anyways-- bovine fecal matter to that. Was the teacher lying about the whys and wherefores of her ill-advised election activity a la Survivor fashion? Nah, she was just being reckless with the truth.

Yes, I know how difficult it can be to maintain reasonable discipline and order in any rowdy bunch of human beings. Been there, done that. Yes I am intimately acquainted with the cluster of symptoms which comprise Asperger's. Of course I know how aggravating it is to herd cats.

I also know the frustration of living with atypical neurology.

I do not belong to the Autism Squeaks camp. [Autism Speaks but not for me, a curebie organization of unhappy parents]. I don't understand why forcing eye contact is such a big deal to neurotypicals, don't wish to blend in, will not give up my passions, and certainly will continue to celebrate diversity. I hate all clothing that is not cotton. I detest polyester and nylon in particular. I don't use makeup or wear high heels. I used to stare at the dust specks illuminated by the sunlight pouring through a window. I was clumsy rather than graceful and the last to be picked for any gym class team. I have been accused of staring too long, daydreaming, having obsessions with the things that are of intense interest to me, being intense or too intense or thinking too much about weird things or the wrong things, eating food in a specific order rather than varying what is on the fork from bite to bite, eating the same thing for breakfast daily, not making small talk, not caring about small talk or the lives of celebrities, being a geek or a space cadet or pedantic, not fitting in. And worse, daring to be content with my own company and my own internal focus and my own way of being.

No Child Left Behind. One Child Voted Out.

radical sapphoq says: A huge phooey to Wendy Portillo. As an adult and as a teacher, I cannot believe that she didn't have other options for dealing with a misbehaving five year old.
While I support reasonable discipline and consequences for one's actions, I abhor what happened to Alex Barton. I sincerely hope that he will find a new classroom where he is valued for who he is, a teacher who knows about the issues that people on the broad autistic spectrum face and who has a better arsenal of tools for keeping order in a classroom.

Bev over at Autism Square 8 has an excellent list of who to write to should anyone feel so inclined:
http://aspergersquare8.blogspot.com/2008/05/not-special-support-alex-barton.html

Educate yourselves if you wish to. Here is a partial incomplete list which includes two news articles from the same newspaper in Florida and some other bloggers who are blogging about this crapola:

excellent thoughts about this whole mess
http://lastcrazyhorn.wordpress.com/2008/05/25/the-golden-rule/

Laura Hershey
http://crip-power.com/2008/05/27/thoughts-on-alex-barton-and-the-way-we-organize/

the politics of exclusion
http://qw88nb88.wordpress.com/2008/05/25/mend-the-link/

Amanda
http://ballastexistenz.autistics.org/?p=538

an interview with Alex Barton and his mother
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/27/earlyshow/main4130288.shtml

two Palm Beach Post articles-- links working as of 5/28/08
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/treasurecoast/content/tcoast/epaper/
2008/05/27/0527slteacher.html#comments

and
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/treasurecoast/content/tcoast/epaper/
2008/05/23/0523slclassvote.html?cxntlid=inform_artr

No I didn't die

2008-05-10T14:56:00.004-04:00

I've been one of the clone-drones participating in Linden Lab's SecondLife:
http://www.secondlife.com/

where indeed there are political discussions and pretty much everything else in the virtual world as there is in real life. There is even a group or two who protest the rampant consumerism that exists in SecondLife. Anonymous is there, replete with flying phantom boxes and pictures of old men getting it on with other old men and bedsores. Anonymous has land there on SecondLife (no I won't say where. Let's just say that as a bisexual woman, I am willing to ignore the ribbing of gays and feminists because I support Anonymous when it comes to Scientology.) A.A. meetings are there. So is an active Aspie community as well as some t.b.i. survivors.

A brief synopsis of what I think about some of the current events going on:

1. It appalls me that President Bush welcomed the Pope with such open arms. Used to be that fundamentalist Christians were equating the Pope and the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church with such things like the Beast, the mark of the Beast, and going to hell. Okay, so politically the President couldn't snub the Pope I suppose. But did Bush really have to go pick up the Pope himself? On the plus side, as far as I know, no rounds of golf were shared by the two of them during the Pope's stateside visit.

2. I am sorry that the government is giving most of us a rebate check because the country is in financial debt. On the other hand, I could use the money. Anyone who really hates the idea is welcome to send me their cash.

3. I am weary of the Clinton/Obama run-off. I want them to get it over with and just pick whoever is going to run on the democratic ticket. And I am not convinced that the country will be better off with either of those two as president (if the Democrats "win.") I mean, some folks wanted a Democrat-controlled Congress. So far I haven't seen any great things come out of this Congress.

4. I hate VESID.

spike

Don't Panic Folks. Antidepressants Still Do Work. 2/28/08

2008-02-28T19:13:00.001-05:00

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/568939_print <--- That is the link to the print-friendly version (easier on the eyes to read) of an article regarding the literature review in question that has been popularly and erroneously reported by the press with inflammatory headlines such as "Gasp! Oh noes! Anti-depressants do not work."

[N.B. http://www.bugmenot.com/view/www.medscape.com will yield several user names and passwords that one can utilize to view the article.]

According to the Medscape article Study Identifies Bias in Favor of Publishing Positive Antidepressant Trials written by Marlene Busko, "The team identified the phase 2 and 3 clinical-trial programs for 12 antidepressants approved by the FDA between 1987 and 2004, which involved 12,564 adult patients. They also determined whether the FDA judged the studies to be positive or negative with respect to primary end points."

Actually, the literature review (which was published in The New England Journal of Medicine on January 17, 2008) maintains that S.S.R.I.s are more effective than placebos; however not so much more effective as the public has been led to believe. In other words, this review says yeah the stuff works but maybe the difference between the drugs and the placebos are not as great as the public has been led to believe.

a).The FDA uses the data that is favorable to the purposes of the FDA (in deciding to license a drug for use).
1). Negative results are sometimes used by the FDA as showing positive results.
2). Negative results are sometimes ignored by the FDA.

b). A bias may exist in reporting or people do not always have access to negative research study results.
1). Peer review journals may not accept negative research studies' results for publication at a similar rate to the acceptance of positive research studies results.
2). Some researchers for whatever reasons may not submit those studies.

In terms of the numbers of test subjects, in many cases more people were used in the discounted research studies than in some of the studies that were reported/factored into the FDA decisions to license a drug. The discounted studies often had a higher reliability factor than the ones that the FDA based their licensing decisions on.

This particular study was a review of the literature available rather than its' own research study using . The reviewers found that a bias exists in the public reporting of results rather than that the "antidepressants don't work" as incorrectly reported by the popular press.

The team was quoted in the Busko Medscape article as saying:
"Each drug, when submitted to a meta-analysis, was superior to placebo. On the other hand, the true magnitude of each drug's superiority to placebo was less than a diligent review of the literature would indicate."

There was no mention in the original literature review of the distinction between those who are clinically depressed and those who are experiencing situational depression. The purpose of the original literature review was not to take a side on the shrinks rule and N.A.M.I. mommies know best vs. the anti-psychiatry debate.

The reporting of this literature review by the popular media (e.g. newspapers) has been absolutely horrible and inaccurate.

radical sapphoq

cross-posted to some other places.

Leak on Wikileaks, Leak On

2008-02-23T22:49:00.003-05:00

Any of you who have been following the drama over at Wikileaks will be glad to know that following this here linkage: http://88.80.13.160/wiki/Wikileaks will get you there (a mirror site from Sweden) for the time being anyways. Alternate linkage outside of the United States was part of the original plan-- to have sites set up in various countries should the courts of one country succeed in getting a shutdown order. Here's another one, this one is based in England: http://www.wikileaks.org.uk/wiki/Wikileaks .

Wikileaks protects whistle-blowers from corporations (or governments) who would much rather not have folks tattling on any suspicious practices. Recently, a Swiss bank challenged Wikileaks and now the site is facing a court battle with the United States versus responsible exercise of the First Amendment. Bloggers across the internet have protested the February 15 court decision and this blogger too joins in the fray. Buzz-flash has quite a few things to say about this whole mess over at: http://www.buzzflash.com/articles/contributors/1545 .

Quite amazing to me is that the court case took place in the United States. While the order to erase the D.N.S. from U.S. servers will certainly not hold up on appeal,
http://commons.globalintegrity.org/
2008/02/us-court-order-shuts-down-activist-site.html<--- here
it is disconcerting that this case involving documents regarding a Swiss bank doing business in the Cayman Islands made it court on United States soil. Still, we are far better off living here than in places like Egypt where one can be severely physically beaten for dissident web-surfing and document leaking or in Red China or even Vietnam where folks have been imprisoned for similar activities.

radical sapphoq
cross-posted all over

Wikileaks

first amendment

censorship

sapphoq

Autistic Kids Grow Up...

2008-02-14T01:19:00.001-05:00

Christopher DeGroot had autism. Because he reportedly would bolt from the apartment that he lived in with his parents Nicolaas and Agnes, they locked the windows and doors. Because they needed to go do things like feed their horses without their son, they left him alone in the apartment which was secured against his escape into traffic. Their 19 year old son who had severe autism was left alone in
their apartment for several hours a day so they could go do chores. In my opinion,
leaving a severely disabled man alone in an apartment without supervision is wrong
on so many levels. Even if Christopher DeGroot possessed the knowledge of what to
do during an emergency, the deadbolt on the door and the locks on the windows precluded any means to get out. And if he was unable to act during an emergency on
his own behalf due to his disabling condition, he should have had a (hired if necessary) caretaker supervising him in his parents' absence.

On Sunday May 14th, 2006 the apartment did indeed catch on fire. Two family cats were saved. One firefighter was injured. 77K of damage was caused to the apartment building and stuff inside of it. Christopher, then 19, had to be airlifted to a hospital in Portland, Oregon. The burns covered 80% of his body. He died on Friday May 19th, 2006.

Nicolaas and Agnes reported to the police station as requested for questioning. They were charged with first-degree arson and first- or second-degree manslaughter. (Report of the manslaughter charges differ in degree). The fire was thought to be caused by arson, specifically by Nicolaas and Agnes DeGroot setting fire to paper in the middle of the living room floor and then leaving their son to burn while they left to feed the bloody horses.

Yeah, they had their day in court where they (via separate attorneys) were allowed to Alford plea the charges. An Alford plea means that the defendants admit that the State can prove its' case against them, but falls short of admitting any guilt on the part of the defendants. The original charges were pled down to criminal negligent homicide.

Two people testified that Nicolaas and Agnes De Groot were cool and devoted parents. Nice to their autistic son, caring about his needs, blah blah blah. The judge decided that the parents did not intend any bad vibes when they left their severely autistic son alone in the apartment without any supervision. He sentenced Nicolaas and Agnes DeGroot to six months in the county jail.

This is a case that in my opinion should never have been allowed to be Alford plea'd.

Autistic kids do grow up to be autistic adults unless their uh devoted parents kill them.

spike

Parents charged with first-degree arson and first- or second-degree manslaughter:
http://democratherald.com/articles/2006/05/22/news/local/news02.txt
http://www.cityofalbany.net/services/news_releases/show_item.php?id=521

Alford pleas and a sentence to six month in the county jail:
http://www.dhonline.com/articles/2008/02/08/news/local/2loc01_jail.txt#blogcomments

Christopher DeGroot
autism
manslaughter

Good Mourning Stupor Tuesday

2008-02-05T08:51:00.000-05:00

Teens used to be given ice pick lobotomies. I once knew an old man. He was given one back in the day. He was a rebellious teen. Among other "horrid" transgressions, he smoked cigarettes. He still does. Years wasted on the back wards. Oh bloody hell. Shove him into a group home. The food is better there at least. Here's some more pills. We don't know if you truly would have needed them as an adolescent but you sure do need them now.

Every label is a catch-all. So the labels will keep devolving.

Briefly the nation mourns the fall of another pop icon star into the throes of mania. Dressing without underwear is grounds for psychiatric imprisonment even of the the rich and infamous. I feel badly for her doggies. I weigh in on the side of animal welfare, not animal rights. I detest PETA and their dog houses for wolves campaign over at Penn's Caves. Evolution, anyone? The wolves came first. They didn't want the dog houses that you forced the owners of Penn's Caves to airlift/drop in. They pissed all over them and tore them up. And went back to their dens which they had carved out of the side of the mountain that is theirs. We have forgotten how to live. My feet have forgotten how to feel the nuances of bare uneven ground. The cane leans against the wall of a hallway. I force my feet to feel. I never gave a damn about the supposed window of improvement after a traumatic brain injury. There are no bars on my windows. Somewhere in a locked ward, a pop star is forced to put on underwear daily. Compliance has its' own rewards. If she is proper and placating and fawning, she may get to pick today's movie. If she becomes invested in the goals you have set up for her, she may get out in ten days.

Devolving from dogs to wolves, from dog houses to dens.

Neuroleptics have helped people to become productive members of society. Some folks who weren't able to work, who were plagued by hallucinations and or other rotten malfunctions of their neurology are now able to work. A few even manage to hold down real jobs, not the legalized poverty of sub-waged existence found in the sheltered workshops or T-projects. "It's better than staying home," the salaried proponents of The System retort. Oh yeah. Warehousing the different is good because society is judged by outward appearances. Shove the disabled out of sight. We the forgotten people-- fat people, people who hallucinate, curse too much, limp, are missing limbs, don't wear proper white cotton underwear, aren't properly happy about our situations-- don't deserve to have a voice. So a charity made up of parents sues an autistic teen for daring to mock it with her own website. These parents think they can speak for us who endure their sterilized tandrums. Some folks get diabetes or T.D. from the wonder drugs. Hard to tell. To weigh the good against the bad. For some folks with frucked neurology, the drugs are very very necessary. For the rest-- bright shiny pills with their empty promises of happiness. It's not happiness that the world needs now. And it's not love. And it's not bunches of parents coming out with bright shiny videos about how we have frucked up the family finances and broken their hearts. If only there was a cure for ignorance. For all of our shiny packaged advancements, we still can't figure out how to live together on this planet without blowing each other up into smithereens.

From grappling with tough stuff to neuropathy and smart bombs.

We need more research. More development. Psych drugs with better profiles, less side effects. The same care taken for psych drugs in clinical trials as is taken for all the others. The same attention to what is judged acceptable when it comes to side effects. What male teenager will greedily suck up any medicine that has "not being able to get it up" as a side effect? Only the truly insane. In the space provided below, list all of the non-psychotropics which have impotence as a side effect that we routinely administer to teens and young adults. Shrinks, first do no harm. Parents, saltpeter calms down raging hormones. Are you insane? We need to stop the guesswork. We all deserve more than that. Genetics, genomes. That is where the future of medicine lies. And once the neuro patients make room in the waiting room for the "psych" patients, we all might be better off. The N.A.M.I. mommies are WRONG. The vast preponderance of their kids do not need to be drugged. We are all wrong. Everything is neurology. Too bad the neurologists can't diagnose worth a damn.

Don't despair, repair.

My friends-locked Live Journal post about the so-called war on Christmas got flagged. Someone decided that my take on the news was an adult concept. Teens should be shielded from grappling with something that was freely available on Google news. Oh for crying out loud! I changed it back just before I put all entries save for this week's into private lockdown. SUP sanitizes the site, Aggregated feeds with advertisements and sponsored content pop into reality on the browser because sometimes we are oh so bored. We need entertainment. We are all excited now as we skate over to Explore Live Urinal. Uh, no thanks. Go sanitize your own toilet. The essay on the so-called war on Christmas can be found on other journal sites where the religious reich hasn't taken over.

I could have been great. Instead I am reduced to dead black words. I too piss on your dog houses.

spike

I Support Anonymous

2008-01-30T01:20:00.000-05:00


The Chanology Project just might be true love do0ds.

From $cientology: Church of the Holy Censor Available at: http://www.whyaretheydead.net/mirror/xenu.ca/pickets/leaflets.html

One of Scientology's preferred sayings is "Think for yourself". Why, then, does Scientology censor its own members? It all started on March 13th 1998, at the L. Ron Hubbard birthday celebration in Los Angeles. Mark Ingber, a Church of Scientology official, announced that Scientologists would be given an opportunity to sell Scientology books and recruit for Scientology through nearly-identical promotional websites (getting 10% of the money that these recruits end up spending in Scientology, but that's another story). To put up one of these sites, a Scientologist has to sign a contract. Here's a short excerpt from that contract: "If you wish to use this authorization regarding the Marks and the Works, you must: ... (6) agree to use the specific Internet Filter Program that CSI [Church of Scientology International Incorporated] has provided to you which allows you freedom to view other sites on Dianetics, Scientology or its principals without threat of accessing sites deemed to be using the Marks or Works in an unauthorized fashion or deemed to be improper or discreditable to the Scientology religion;" "Deemed improper or discreditable", eh? Boy, aren't Scientologists lucky to have someone there to decide for them what facts about their religion they can and cannot see. If they didn't use this filter, they might find out about the suspicious deaths in Scientology and the uncomplimentary things that judges have said about Scientology. Can't have Scientologists finding out the ugly facts behind Scientology, can they? So, Scientology tries, through this internet filter, to prevent its members from reading negative information about Scientology on the internet. This internet filter does 4 things to words and websites that Scientology doesn't like: The filter blocks a list of websites. Anyone with the filter installed can't access these websites, AT ALL. Examples of blocked sites include: http://www.xenu.net, http://www.entheta.net, http://www.lermanet.com, all websites containing information the "Church" of Scientology doesn't want its members to see. The filter blocks a list of newsgroups. Anyone with the filter installed can't access these newsgroups, AT ALL. Some of these blocked newsgroups include: alt.religion.scientology, alt.support.ex-cult. Since scientology claims it's not a cult, why would it need to block an ex-cult newsgroup? The filter blocks a list of words, that will be removed from a web page or email message. Some words blocked lead to odd combinations: NOTs and Anima are blocked, so "I'm not sure that animal is healthy" gets changed to "I'm ure that l is healthy". Other words blocked are peoples' names: Deana Holmes (a critic of Scientology), Bob Minton (another critic of Scientology, who appeared recently on NBC's Dateline). Why does Scientology try to prevent its members from reading about these people? What does Scientology have to hide? The filter has another list of words, that will stop an internet page from loading, or kick a user from an IRC channel (remove him from the discussion). If the filtered computer sees one of these words, the computer will stop receiving data through the present connection. These words include: Entheta (refers to http://www.entheta.net), xenu, Fishman Affadavit, Bare Faced Messiah (a critical book on Scientology, in the Books on the Net section at http://www.xenu.net). These words and websites are only some of the terms blocked by the Scientology internet filter. The whole list can be found at: http://www.taniwha.com/crack.list.html Some information sources, for further reading: Operation Clambake: http://www.xenu.net (Lots of information!) Canadian Critical Scientology Information: http://xenu.ca Occupied Clearwater: http://www.xenu-city.net Deaths in Scientology: www.b-org.demon.nl Church of Scientology Censors Net Access for Members: http://www.xenu.net/archive/events/censorship/

[end of copy and paste. N.B. this docu is available as a pdf download and is meant for distribution.]

In case any of you have been dead, drugged beyond recognition, or doing mundane things like working-- as a public service-- I am providing a brief synopsis of recent events. The Church of Scientology is considered to be a cult by some [including Germany] and has been blamed for a handful of deaths. A vid of Tom Cruise (remember him?) appeared on You Tube briefly. The Church of Scientology or someone over there didn't like this. Believing the appearance of this vid to be a violation of copyright, a takedown order was issued. Some pissed-off hactivists known individually and collectively as Anonymous or Anon declared a sort of internet war. This internet war apparently involved D.D.O.S attacks, faxes, and phone calls. Leafleting has also been carried out in select cities and more actions protests are slated for February 10th or thereabouts.

Warren Buffett approves of these goings-on and so do I. Sure, I am anti-censorship. And the folks of scientology have a legal right to publish their ideas. Protesting has a noble history. It is through protesting that some things get done. The message gets out. The meme gets around. The stuff gets to go surfing electronically. Well, okay some of the stuff that Anon is doing might border on illegal or might be illegal. I am not a cop, lawyer, or judge. Some other folks will have to decide all of that stuff later on maybe. Meanwhile, in retaliation at least one site where Anon hangs out was attacked in turn by an organization calling itself "The Regime." That particular site is now back up and in service as of this posting.

My sources are below. Many of them support Anon. At least one doesn't. And several are official scientology sites, as far as I can tell. Adding .nyud.net/ to the url will cause any that are loading slowly to speed up. spike

http://cominganarchy.com/2008/01/25/is-the-war-on-scientology-4gw/ http://partyvan.info.nyud.net/index.php/Project_Chanology

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,972865,00.html <----5/6/91

http://whyaretheydead.net/ http://www.factnet.org/Scientology/memorials.htm

http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9857666-57.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9858436-57.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9858603-57.html http://www.news.com/8301-10789_3-9858956-57.html?tag=recentPosts

http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,141839-c,hackers/article.html
http://www.xenu.net/
http://www.xenu.net/news/20080122-OC_pressrelease.html

http://www.scientology.org/
http://www.scientologyreligion.org/sitemap.html http://www.volunteerministers.org/seminar/index.html
http://www.lronhubbard.org/

http://factnet.org/?p=240
http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/PROJECT_CHANOLOGY http://www.warrenellis.com/?p=5476#comments http://theunfunnytruth.ytmnd.com.nyud.net/
http://preview.tinyurl.com/2zvstv [Open in new window] or
http://tinyurl.com/2zvstv [Open in new window]

All of the words below are either businesses which may be associated with Scientology or owned outright, or terms associated with Scientology.

Dianetics. Sterling Management Systems. The Way to Happiness Foundation. Applied Scholastics. Fair Game. Old Mayo. Citizens Commission on Human Rights. Concerned Businessmen's Association of America. HealthMed. Foundation for a Drug-Free World. The Drug-Free Marshals of Seattle. The Drug-Free Marshals of Los Angeles. Say No to Drugs, Say Yes to Life. Volunteer Ministers Corp. Religious Technology Center. E-Meter. Clear. The Bridge. Operating Thetans. Engram. Lead the Way to a Drug-Free U.S.A. Drug-Free Ambassadors. Golden Era Productions. Bridge Publications. New Era Publications. International Hubbard Ecclesiastical League of Pastors. Scientology Missions International. Narconon. Criminon. Feshbach "stock busters." Flag Service Organization. Fort Harrison Hotel. Field Auditor groups. Class V Churches. Celebrity Centre Churches. Saint Hills. Advanced Organizations. Freewinds. The Drug Busters. Food for All. Hands of Hope Quilt. Sea Org. The National Commission on Law Enforcement and Social Justice. Koenig photometer. Purification Rundown. Effective Solutions. Suppressive person. Disconnection. Linksfield House. Emotional Tone Stress Test.

What a Year

2008-01-17T23:42:00.000-05:00

http://news.livejournal.com/105371.html

2007: the biggest public relations foul-up I have ever seen in my life.

2007: the year I learned more about legal matters and electronica than I ever wanted to learn.

2007: the year I learned how to back up my El Jay via LJBooks to my hard drive.

2007: the year I discovered fanfic as the direct result of what was happening at El Jay. So I got a new interest: Yaoi. (I ship Remus and Sirius; and some others which won't be mentioned.)

2007: the year I learned that some people consider drawn pictures of fake characters of a book to be just as bad as the RAPE I endured during my childhood. No love on that one El Jay.

2007: the year I began cross-posting to both Commie Journal and to Insane Journal just in case there continues to be witch hunts of whatever variety. My journals at C.J. and at I.J. remain public. Same posts though.

2008: the year I went friends-only on El Jay in order to protect myself as much as I can from the WhacKKKos 4 Installationofspyware trolls and others of the religious reich.

2008: the year I adopt a wait-and-see attitude regarding El Jay.

2008: the year I dance naked in the woods and perform strange incantations on behalf of Marta who has been appointed to be the voice of sanity and to answer what she can in the comments of anything posted by "the lj staff." [Damn the wicked html.)

Disclaimer: No real or imaginary children were harmed in the thinking of the thoughts which I have typed in this post.

spike
sapphoq on Commie Journal and on Insane Journal and some other places

Blessed Trinity

2008-01-09T00:41:00.000-05:00

The professionals hand out boxes to all of us. The boxes have covers but we know that there are rainbows in our boxes. We can hear the rainbows twirling around and making giggly noises.

The professionals tell us, "You all need to quiet down and listen to our instructions."

"Fuck your instructions!" someone yells. "You professionals are the stoopids," adds another.
"Your behaviors are unacceptable," the professionals chant together. "You both need a ten minute time-out."

The two go to their time-out chairs smiling, because the rainbows in their boxes are now tap dancing and singing a rather risque drinking song.

The time-out is over. Before the professionals can stop us, we all run to the barred windows. The youngest in the group opens all the windows.

We let the rainbows out of our boxes. They escape through the slits and blow kisses at us as they fly away.
We return to our seats and sit quietly in awe and wonder.

The professionals pass out M&Ms because we are now sitting quietly with our [now empty] boxes and no longer arguing with them about the contents.

Or:
The autistic youngster wants to reach for something and can't manage it so he uses the arm of a friendly adult to get it.
The standard issue kid whines and throws a temper tantrum and maybe climbs up on the furniture and breaks a leg.

Or:
Those that accuse us of not having this other mind thing don't recognize that we do. We are quiet about it. And we are free from the compulsion to arrange the environment into socially acceptable small talk.

spike

Christmas Wars 12/20/07

2007-12-20T14:16:00.000-05:00

In 2004, it was decided by certain up front Christian folks that Christmas was being assaulted by the rest of us. Either we were too materialistic or not reverent enough or totally indifferent to the birth of Christ. The holy day itself was being drowned out by the loud obnoxious ads enticing us to support retail businesses during the festival of lights, tinsel, and horizontally-challenged Santa Clauses. Wow. Suddenly, Christmas was in need of defense and legal teams. I didn't really give two shits about it. Apathy and brain injury are companionable bedmates.

Fast-forward to the last couple of weeks ending the year 2007. A couple of things happened. The first was that my atheist husband rebelled against the company Christmas party and the subsequent concern of a loud-mouthed co-worker when he refused to kick in a couple of bucks for a present for the boss. The second was my attendance at a 12-step meeting where "spirituality" was one of the topics.

It was the day of the staff Christmas party-- a small affair involving co-workers and Christmas cookies. He refused to participate in the frenzied conviviality which is the mark of staff parties everywhere. Instead, he chose to take his routine lunchtime walk outside. I didn't find any fault with that choice.

The last hellhole that I had worked at expected the managers to take part in every friggin' staff party that came along. Being as I don't drink and don't really enjoy giving up my free [unpaid] time to hang out with my co-workers-- after my attendance at one or two of these things-- I stopped going. The higher end bosses were pushy yet I held my ground. I told them the truth. The parties weren't my thing, didn't relieve my stress, and weren't something I wanted to spend my time doing. Period. Life went on in spite of my refusal to participate in what for me would have been social fakery.

At the last hellhole, someone or other was always hitting us up for money-- a group Christmas present for the Jewish boss, a present for whoever was having a baby shower that week, a few dollars here, a couple more there. I gave, stupidly. My husband likewise also gave to various group efforts at making merry in his own place of employ. After his walk on the day of the staff Christmas party, he was asked to donate a few bucks towards a Christmas present for the boss. This time, he said, "No."

And then hell broke loose in his hellhole. Husband was the only one who had refused as it turned out. Begging co-worker proceeded to announce his refusal to everyone within earshot-- which as it turned out was the entire staff. Husband got pissed and pondered several versions of offensive e-mails which he would have liked to write in response but knew he couldn't.

While hell was breaking loose at his job, I was attending the 12 step meeting where the topic of "spirituality" was rapidly disintegrating into how materialistic the world is, how Christ's birthday was being shit upon by the unholy masses, how most everyone got it all wrong, how Jesus is the reason for the season. Rather than cause division in the room, I left and went to another meeting where the topic was indeed more centered on issues related to recovery.

"Let's celebrate Solstice," my husband proposed to me when he got home, knowing that as a non-wiccan witch I gave a nod to the passing of the seasons. "Screw that," I said. "Solstice just marks an astronomical event in the sky. Let's be evil Roman satanists and go whole hog out for Saturnalia!" He agreed even though none of his ancestors hailed from Italy.

Some of mine did. Perhaps they were the pagans watching the march of Christianity overtaking Europe and mourning the loss of sacred groves to the new religion. Perhaps they were the soldiers burning down the groves or the builders erecting churches over the hallowed ground now declared to be profane. More than likely, they were just regular folk hanging out in Southern Italy working the fields or selling stuff in their stores or whatever the hell it was they did on a daily basis. I sort of doubt that they had to attend staff holiday parties or chip in for a new toga for the boss.

Christmas is not really my holiday. I grew up in a Christmas-celebrating family and that was alright I guess. I have a variety of memories of Christmases past. I remember the giant Christmas tree at Rockerfeller Center in the City, the street vendors celebrating roasted chestnuts, the two guys who loaded up a canoe in Bambergers' with unpaid for Christmas presents and carried it down the elevator and out the front door without being stopped, the Santa Clauses and the fact that some had blue eyes and some had brown led me to conclude that the whole Santa thing was a story, my mother's fake green tree, my dad's fake silver ones, snow, vacations, the cranberry red raincoat and cool red ski outfit with the decorative corn cobs that my dad gave me one year and my mother throwing them out [she did this to everything he gave me every Christmas], lasagna at my aunt's, antipasto at my step-grandmother's, lights, decorations, my dad's repertoire of fun songs fitting the season. I also remember going to church.

Up until this year, husband and I participated in the secular madness. Lights got strung, expensive presents which we increasingly could not afford got bought year after year, the tree went up, the cats got to adjust the decorations on the lower branches, the dog got excited, visits got made, food got eaten, wrapping paper got thrown out and so on. This year, we decided to buy minimal sorts of gifts for our two families. I've been out of work for four years due to complications of traumatic brain injury after all. We took a severe financial hit on that one. We acknowledged our reality and this year acted accordingly. This year, we will not be crying about money we could not afford to spend. The lights, tree, and decorations remained in their boxes in the attic. Our lives and the lives of those around us continue in spite of the fact that we have decided to live within our means, energy levels, and non-beliefs. I am thankful that in the United States of America we can make our choices as we see fit.

We don't have any human kids. It certainly wasn't for lack of trying. They just didn't happen. Consequently, I've never had children to explai the whys and wherefores or the politics of Christmas to. I've never had to explain that public school students are permitted to sing traditional Christmas carols as written along with secular songs, never had to protest against a teacher informing my children that they are destined for hell, never had to educate my children on the varieties of traditions as practiced by tons of people in tons of places. This year, as the Shrub and presidential candidates air their stupid little commercials slash campaigns wishing the voters a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or both, I won't be having to explaining what is really going on in those commercials to my offspring. For that I count myself spared.

I don't decide where I will shop on the basis of whether employees have been instructed to say "Merry Christmas," "Season's Greetings," "Happy Holidays" or nothing. I don't choose my friends on the basis of what they celebrate or don't celebrate this time of year. While I don't ascribe to the notion of an inherently Christian nation or to the idea that anyone who doesn't believe that Jonah could have survived in the belly of a whale for three days, seen that oh so controversial movie "The Passion of Christ, or rejects the whole Jesus as savior routine is automatically going to the sulphur pits to burn forever and ever Amen, I don't hate people who do embrace those concepts. It does not harm me to wish people who celebrate Christmas a "Merry Christmas." It does not offend my essence to have strangers automatically assume that I celebrate Christmas.

You want to know what really bothers me? Okay, so that is a rhetorical question since I am going to tell you anyways. What really frosts me is that the House of Reps recently took time out to pass that ridiculous nonsense about the importance of Christmas and Christianity. Oh I know that Christianity has a bunch of followers. Some of those followers [particularly in other countries] are not having a happy time of things because of their faith. American Christians who have the nerve to broadcast that they too are among the persecuted might wish to try life in Pakistan or Egypt or even Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, in New York City several Jews riding a subway got beaten up. Apparently, responding "Happy Chanaukah" to ten people wishing you a "Merry Christmas" can result in a bloodbath. Similar to the bloodbath of the execution of Christ I suppose. Except that it was a Muslim who came to the aid of those getting the modern day ass-kickings. Abortion rights or civil rights for those of us who are non-hetero does not equate Christianity being made illegal in the United States.

Christians in the United States who fight abortion rights or the inclusion of actual or perceived sexual orientation in hate crimes are not threatened with death daily. A family in heavily Muslim Pakistan who recently converted from Islam to Christianity is in hiding in fear for their lives. An iman in England is now wanting to kill his converted to Christianity daughter. Christians in West Papua are in danger of wholesale genocide courtesy of Muslim Indonesia. Christians are faced with the possibility of being gunned down over in Iraq where recently a 24 year old woman was killed in just that manner.

To the Christians in the United States who are clamoring to get on the persecuted-for-my-faith bandwagon, get a clue. Go visit the http://www.persecution.org website which as near as I can make out is a website run by Christians for Christians. Life over here is pretty damn good. Please remember that. This so-called war on Christmas is a smokescreen. Dump it. Let's all get on with the business of learning how to live peacefully with each other in spite of our differences, shall we?

*radical sapphoq dedicates this blog to her husband*

References:

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll1143.xml

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/110-hr847/show

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:1:./temp/~c110BEkQLq::

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c110:2:./temp/~c110BEkQLq::

http://www.opednews.com/articles/opedne_press_re_071216_council_for_secular_.htm

http://news.haaretz.co.il/hasen/spages/933597.html

http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/933597.html

http://www.amazon.com/tag/politics/forum?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx1S3QSZRUL93V8&cdThread=Tx26TMNMWN3OF9C

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/12/11/america/Subway-Attack.php

http://newsfeedresearcher.com/data/articles_n50/idn2007.12.13.01.17.04.html

http://www.libertypost.org/cgi-bin/readart.cgi?ArtNum=210267&Disp=4

http://tailrank.com/4233849/Jews-subway-hero-a-muslim

http://listen.family.org/daily/A000000807.cfm

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/docstudy/newsletters/A000000324.cfm

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58101

http://www.jewsonfirst.org/xmaswar.html

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=109267452&blogID=339197053

http://www.expertclick.com/NewsReleaseWire/default.cfm?Action=ReleaseDetail&ID=19283

http://www.411mania.com/politics/columns/65556/Story-Time-with-E-12.20.07:-I-Declare-War-on-Christmas.htm

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071220/OPINIONS02/712200338/1006/OPINIONS

http://www.seeingtheforest.com/archives/2007/12/wingnuts_rool_o.htm

http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=cs_&page=NewsArticle&id=9509

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nica-lalli/preemptive-strike-on-the-_b_76566.html

http://www.defendchristmas.com/

http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/12/26/051226ta_talk_hertzberg

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_FESTIVUS_NATIVITY_WIOL-?SITE=WIFON&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://www.news-leader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/OPINIONS/712190346/1091

http://www.arktimes.com/Articles/ArticleViewer.aspx?ArticleID=fb5bb7d5-fe72-4783-b60f-826bef6ccd2d

http://www.egcitizen.com/articles/2007/12/18/lifestyles/lifestyle02.txt

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2007/12/the-christmas-a.html

http://www.christianpost.com/article/20071219/30555_'What_Would_Jesus_Really_Do%3F'_Examines_War_on_Christmas.htm

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/12/20/bush-christmas/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/09/AR2005120901357.html

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2005-12-18-gunn_x.htm

http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/11/21/christmas/

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=29995

http://www.mymerrychristmas.com/2006/avoidchristmas.shtml

http://mediamatters.org/items/200712190011?f=h_latest

http://mediamatters.org/items/200511210003

http://www.townhall.com/blog/g/61796534-6536-4388-9bad-3b45dee758e4

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/headlines/ci_7766915

http://www.starexponent.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CSE/MGArticle/CSE_MGArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1173353927157

http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071219/COLUMNISTS02/71218064/1194

http://www.revolutionreality.com/2006/06/13/illegal-christianity/

http://www.persecution.org/suffering/index.php

http://www.persecution.org/suffering/newssummpopup.php?newscode=6659

http://community.livejournal.com/lj_policy/1227.html

2007-12-08T23:35:00.000-05:00

...the lack of notification when an entry has been administratively set to "Explicit Adult Content" is a problem, and we are working on implementing a way to notify you...We also feel it is important that content which has been set as containing "Explicit Adult Content", or "Adult Concepts" clearly indicate that this is the case.
*Appeal for said administrative decision???
And how is the decision decided???
And why are yous crawling through friends-locked posts???
What exactly is an adult concept??? Cursing? Politics? Freedom from your religion? Witches? Lesbians? Bisexuals? Gays? Trans? AIDS? Death? Bad-mouthing Putin? Dissidence??? Revolt? Wank? Thought? Atheism? Secular Humanism? Animal welfare rather than animal rights? Rape? Sexual abuse? Surviving childhood sexual abuse?
If I wanted someone to police my thoughts, I would not have moved away from my mother.

For those who see the adult content lj-cut, we realize they may not see the lj-cut intended by the author of the post. This is something for which we do not have an immediate solution...and are open to any suggestions you might have.
*Here's a suggestion. DUMP IT. Translation: don't. Don't get involved in these petty censorship issues with the right-wing whacKKKos who are trying to dictate their ideas and impose their version of fundamentalist dominionist christianity upon the rest of us. Or is it Putin himself that we are battling???
A couple of words for you: Safe Harbour.

Additionally, we are determining what the best option available is for users who initially entered an incorrect date of birth. As a temporary solution, ...contact coppa@livejournal.com with their username and a copy of any government issued identification which includes a date of birth.
*Other places are content with the use of a credit card as proof of age.
How about just kicking off all the minors who didn't have the sense to lie about their ages when signing up?
And send any of yous a copy of government issued i.d.??? Dream ON.

...our Abuse report form does not properly indicate that our Hate Speech policies apply to members of any sex, gender, or sexual orientation. We assure you this is simply an oversight...the Abuse Prevention Team's Hate Speech policy has, and will continue to apply to these groups.
*That is bogus. NOT GOOD ENUF. The abuse team in my experience is only interested in finding ways to tell us to check the FAQs and not to bother them with any serious issues. Can you say: stalkingharassmentimpersonationhatecrimesanorexicsuicide???

...we feel it is important to give you an update on our plans to resolve these outstanding issues, and welcome any additional feedback you may have on how to further improve the adult content flagging system.
*Additional feedback on how to further improve the adult content flagging system. My feedback is welcome, eh? Here is my feedback: DUMP IT.

For any lj user who has managed to read through this post and gives a shit, sapphoq has accounts at insane journal, commie journal, blogger, multiply.
And for those who don't give a shit about where I will be, I still hope that you will find a better home where free thought is not illusionary.

Finally, on all of this BULLSHIT about how we MUST protect other peoples' little rugrats and not write mean things in our journals:
KISS MY PUTINKIN.

What you people are doing is far more obscene than a few curse words and naughty bits about Harry Potter fucking Draco or Snape or whoever.

And all you people working for Live Journal Inc., in a couple of years when SUP decides to move the offices out of San Francisco, I hope you enjoy living in other countries.

spike

Fuck censorship...Fuck censorship...Fuck censorship...

El Jay Selling Out to a Russian Company

2007-12-03T01:16:00.001-05:00

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=19&entry_id=22378

http://community.livejournal.com/lj_2008/1343.html#cutid1

Ah ha! Six Apart is selling Live Journal. Perhaps then that is part of the reason for the idiocy that is infesting El Jay these days.

We will see what we see. I don't know if a Russian Company will do better with Live Journal or not.

radical sapphoq watching the lunatics in the hallways

Live Journal Waves Censorship Flags Around Again

2007-12-03T00:33:00.000-05:00

Over at http://www.livejournal.com/press/articles.bml , Live Journal in the Press speaks nothing about the latest thing that has gotten many users in a tizzy. All of the articles referred to are from 2003 and 2004. Live Journal and its' dictatorial company Six Apart are both set upon becoming an embarrassment to the cause of freedom of electronica.

Users are now being asked to flag each others' journals for content that is adult sexy, adult themes, hate speech [with sexual orientation left out-- shame on you El Gay], offensive and one other category that I cannot think of right now. There is an inherent bias in all of this. If journals containing g.l.b.t.i.q. content are flagged, there won't be too many eyebrows raised. And witches-- lots of people don't want the witches around either. Filthy non-god heathens, atheists, sex outside of marriage, gasp drugs, rape memories...the list goes on. I propose adding dominionists and revisionists to the list. And that is the problem inherent in believing "in self-expression." There is always a risk that some folks are bound to express themselves in ways that at least one of us will not care for. And what the hel ever happened to parents supervising their kids on the net???

The post which is supposed to answer concerns expressed about the so-called flagging uh actually censorship-of-others tools found here at http://community.livejournal.com/lj_biz/243946.html doesn't. The promise made several months ago of clear policies and definitions remains un-addressed.

From http://www.livejournal.com/site/about.bml the reader is told that the "we" of Live Journal believes in self-expression and diversity. To that I can only say, ,sarcasm> "Yeah, right. Walk this way to see the bridge I got for sale in Brooklyn." < /sarcasm>.

sapphoq says: The machinations of Six Apart are truly something to watch. Hey if El Jay wants to become vanilla, El Jay will have to do that without any more help from my bisexual bucks. I am currently cross-posting to Insane Journal. And Commie Journal is looking better daily. Yahell 360, another great defender of censorship, is going under on January 31, 2008. Maybe I will live long enough to see Live Journal go the way of 360.

*radical sapphoq opposing censorship over and out*

http://nebris.livejournal.com/2638077.html

http://victoria-lane.livejournal.com/1249934.html

http://www.livejournal.com/poll/?id=1098177&mode=enter

Flag it. Offensive Content.
http://community.livejournal.com/lj_biz/243697.html?page=1#comments

http://sivullinen.livejournal.com/124283.html

http://www.livejournal.com/manage/settings/

http://delphinios.livejournal.com/176516.html

http://stewardess.livejournal.com/282189.html

http://witchqueen.livejournal.com/422180.html

http://elfwreck.livejournal.com/225654.html

http://nikolasco.livejournal.com/392213.html

http://stewardess.livejournal.com/282506.html?view=5778314#t5778314

China Gives U.S. the Goods

2007-11-22T01:26:00.001-05:00

Bunches of toys and some other stuff manufactured in mainland China have been recalled over the past several months-- 80 000 flashing pacifiers, 274 000 defective fluorescent shop lights, 55 000 imported Fisher Price toys-- pet food ingredients, batteries, and tires raised initial concerns starting in March.

The state of California has filed a lawsuit. Chinese toy manufacturers are wanting to sue as well.

Meanwhile I have to wonder: Is the Chinese government trying to kill us? The more benign explanation is inadequate standards and cost-cutting measures in Chinese factories. Chinese factories are privatizing. The mediacs want us to believe that is at the crux of the problem. That's nice but how does a date rape drug wind up in Aqua Dots? 21 million toys made in China were recalled this summer and the Chinese toy makers are insulted enough to consider suing? Give me a break peeps.

It was bad enough when kidney failure was one of the side effects of the pet food ingredients from China, bad enough when a shop lamp from China can explode. Now babies risk choking on detaching pacifiers and little kids can be hurt by lead and a date rape drug. Stop it. Boycott all Chinese goods. It just might be safer.

Call me reactionary. I do not care. None of the kids on our list are getting anything made in China. So be it then.

I know toys from other places get recalled. I point out that the amount of stuff from China getting recalled is obscene. We are getting crap from China. Crap that is potentially injurious to the health of U.S. citizens. I don't think that we should have to put up or shut up on this one. Don't buy anything from China. It just might kill you or your offspring. Let Chinese factories come up with a definitive plan of action if they wish to keep exporting to the United States. Let them implement said plan, get the lead out, eliminate the harmful ingredients. Until we have proof that what is coming to our shores from China is safer than it has been since the spring, I am spending my cold green American cash on American goods.

radical sapphoq

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gQ7dKIXx1kLxgzGPaDLMv3nn_M0gD8T2EDI00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/opinion/340661_toys22.html

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071121/BUSINESS06/711210415/1019

Professor Dumbledore and Unrequited Love

2007-10-26T21:14:00.000-04:00

"Don't join the book burners. Do not think you are going to conceal thoughts by concealing evidence that they ever existed."
Dwight David EISENHOWER
American general and 34th President of the United States (1890–1969)

The J.K. Rowling fictional series regarding a young male wizard and his adventures during his school years while attending a school of magic remains the most challenged books of this century. J.K. announcing at Carnegie Hall that Dumbledore was gay may not help her books remain on the shelves of sectarian libraries everywhere. Nor does it do much in my opinion to further [or detract from] the issues that gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersexed, queer, and questioning deal with in everyday living. With gay bashings and hate crimes flourishing in a nearby county and the continued assault on civil rights for non-heterosexuals in the United States, I find it difficult to care that a fictional character is a homosexual. Nothing in the books themselves-- aimed at a primarily juvenile audience-- addressed Dumbledore's sexual orientation. There were no mentions of a lover and no steamy sex scenes. When I was engrossed in the books and the movies, I spent zero time analyzing which characters might not be straight. I didn't care. Perhaps that makes me less of an activist for the variety of causes for the community of which I am a part. So go ahead, try to rip my radical identification card out of my pagan bisexual hands. It won't work yanno. But don't despair just yet. After all, the hetero-or-die crowd can still rejoice that both hockey and Iran are safe from the likes of us. Bully for them!

An article appearing in the Boston Globe yesterday indicated that a parochial school priest removed the Harry Potter book series from the school library. An article in the Salt Lake Tribune drew a distinction between the ability to rightly decide between reading material that may or may not be appropriate for oneself and one's legal charges [read: children] and the allergies that public institutions [read: public libraries] have to folks challenging reading material for all patrons of the public institution. St. Joseph's School in Massachusetts is not a public institution and so the priest was acting within his office to do as he wished with the Potter books.
If a priest wishes to believe that Hogwarts accurately portrays what witchcraft is about, he obviously is vastly *unfamiliar* with real circle work. Young Harry Potter fans everywhere can sleep at night comfortable in the knowledge that reading a book or watching a movie cannot convert one to either witchcraft or to *falling in love with someone who happens to share the same gender* that they do.
Kinda makes one wonder about the priest though.

Did a chord resonate deep within when young Harry's wand picked him at Ollivander's in Diagon Alley? Or was there a sort of crush on the fictional Dumbledore who for all his cavorting with Harry demonstrated not one molecule of misplaced pedophilic affection? Or a fantasy of the old tottering wizard showing up at the rectory to rectify some misunderstanding regarding the difference between pedophilia and gay love, between fictional and human children [something which those who run Live Journal still show evidence of confusing], between the transfiguration of Professor McGonagall from a feline sitting on a desk and the transubstantiation of blood to wine and body to wafer? Alas, how does one measure accurately the differences between fantasy and reality?

Dumbledore is gay [and dead too], unlike the entire country of Iran and all hockey teams where nary a gay can be found. Hatred is real and has direct and sometimes bloody consequences. J.K. is worth a cool four mil and pedoheads will continue to gather in chat rooms strung out across electronica. In comparison to the news of the day, the announcement of Dumbledore's gayness is hardly worth all the fuss it has been stirring up. I remain a staunch advocate of civil rights for all civils. The vids on YouTube will continue to amuse me at random intervals. No real or imaginary children were harmed in the typing of this blog post.

radical sapphoq

Think of the CHIL-DREN

2007-10-17T00:08:00.000-04:00

In Missouri, orphanages and homes for the children of immigrants were started up because of need in the late 1800s. Children of immigrants-- some who were half-orphans-- were at increased risk for placement in these places because of serious illness of a parent or because the family could not financially afford to take care of all of its' members. Religious organizations were at the forefront. There were orphanages for children of German immigrants being run by several sects. Girls were taught to cook and sew. Boys were taught to chop wood.

Missouri is the stomping grounds for many religious homes for children today although for different reasons. Thanks to some ultra-religiosos, there is a popular but mistaken belief in allowing religious homes to govern themselves in some states without a need for any real oversight or state licensing. The thing is, state regs would force the hiring of more staff who are better qualified, some increased supervision of their charges, and the adoption of regs that they are reluctant to kowtow to. Specifically, in the growing industry of sending troubled teens away for treatment, corporal punishment. Corporal punishment is allowed in the Bible, according to these places. The folks in charge invoke a higher authority when challenged-- no less than the personage of the Divine White Heterosexual Male Master himself.

When Brother Lester Roloff opened the Rebekah Home for Girls in Texas, state requirements had been relaxed due to Governor-at-the-time [now President] Bush's interest in perpetuating the de-regulation of regulations over religious outfits and the Rebekah Home could engage in paddling the girls, denying them reading materials and the basic right to practice the religion of their choice, putting girls in isolation rooms for up to several weeks on end without allowing them to wash or bathe, monitoring their correspondence, and chaining them to pipes. Most religious outfits had already gone along with the state regs in Texas. The Roloff homes [there were several at the time] and a few other radical fringe groups celebrated the ruling. Waco happened and H.R. 2482 expired which meant once again that homes such as Roloff's would have to be licensed and regulated.

Roloff moved his homes to Florida, Mississippi, Georgia. He placed them under the auspices of the Independent Baptist Church-- a sect which he founded. That was on the advice of his attorney. Brother Roloff was killed in an small aircraft crash in 1962. His successor, Reverend Bobby A. Wills moved the homes to Missouri because Mississippi wanted licensing.
There are currently six or so homes existing today which have ties to Brother Roloff. These homes all train troubled teens in the Bible and the knowledge of the necessity of getting saved. They also believe in corporal punishment, restricting or supervising correspondence with those outside, and physical isolation from the temptations of the world. The Rebekah Home for Girls is still in Texas-- an empty campus with an eye for re-opening awaiting the favor of President Bush once again. Bad enough to have all these faith-based programs paid for by our taxes methinks. Even worse that they do not have to play by the same rules as the rest of us.

The school possessing the most notoriety was perhaps the one run by Bob Wills. There are entire websites devoted to the Mountain Park Baptist Boarding School and its' legal woes. Driven from Mississippi, the school and three others settled in unregulated Missouri. Several former students have begun lawsuits alleging abuse. September 2007's Free Thought Today newsletter out of Madison, Wisconsin contains an essay by one of the plantiffs-- Carrie Louise Nutt. Her essay on page 12 is titled, "Christian Schools for the Damned." She paints a severe picture of censorship, fear, and punishment. Mountain Park was closed in 2003. It's sister school is alive and well in Florida.

Survivors of Mountain Park and other places like the infamous Elan School in Poland Springs, Maine are speaking out. A websearch will bring you to a Fornits Board where Elan folks commiserate on the things endured during their stay. As it turns out, the school itself is not quite the hang-out-in-the-rugged-wilderness that its' website advertises. Elan also has Group Meetings and also a note about the humiliation practiced there on the teens. Group Meetings, called G.M.s by the initiates, are feared. Residents "get their feelings out" on the assigned scapegoat of the day by the dorm mates conducting an open group physical attack followed by staff haranguing with the kids joining in. A G.M. can last from 4 hours to 24 hours. Total brutality was reserved for the runaways. The "splitters" are hunted down in the woods [the Evan School is surrounded by woods] by physically strong teens and beaten most severely.

Supporters will say that the harsh discipline gave them their child back or that their child got Jesus or is now living a decent life. Detractors tell different harsher stories. The harsh stories are not limited to Independent Baptist Churches' schools/homes for teens. Most folks are familiar with the wilderness camps that are advertised for the emotionally deranged teen. Some may even recall teen boot camps which were popularized by teevee talk show host Jenny Jones and others. Boot Camps and Wilderness Camps also do not have to follow some of the more peskier regs-- like staff qualifications. Nowadays a desperate parent can send off their troublesome teen to such faraway places as Samoa and Jamaica. Places outside of the U.S.A. definitely do not have to follow our rules. And there is something else too. The kid may come back dead or maimed. Websites set up by "consultants" who "recommend" the perfect program for children to go to are partially to blame. And then one also has to wonder why a parent would trust an electronic stranger to know where their kid should go without ever meeting said "consultants."

I have never faced having to put my child on a PINS petition or watch them go off to prison in handcuffs. I have never had the experience of unmitigated hatred by my offspring or the heartbreak of having to place my child in residential treatment. I don't have any kids. It wasn't for lack of trying. It just didn't happen. I don't know the anguish of having to make a decision that must be heart-breaking. I do know survivors of institutional abuse. The troubled teen industry has become an industry. Sure there are good folks out there. There are indifferent folks out there too, desperate folks, dangerous folks. Children are our future. But please don't tell me to Think of the CHIL-DREN and then turn around and support yet another faith-based initiative which adds up to improper treatment of kids in order to skirt some regs and oversight, beat the hell out of them in accordance with the dictates of some book, and censor their every breath.

radical sapphoq

http://edlabor.house.gov/hearings/fc101007.shtml

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/
fullpage.html?res=9F0CEEDC
153DF934A15754C0A9679C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/article_index/
article_display.cfm?id=233&style=large&SiteTopicRequest=17

http://www.stlgs.org/DBinstitutionsOrphanagesStLOrphanages.htm

http://www.isaccorp.org/

http://www.teenliberty.org/

http://www.teenliberty.org/mtnpark.htm

http://www.rickross.com/groups/mountain_park.html

http://florida.educationbug.org/private-schools/
16310-palm-lane-baptist-boarding-academy.html

http://64.233.169.104/search?q=cache:20lNPqvkssgJ:www.mountainparksurvivors.com/info/
30years.html+bob+and+betty+wills&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us&client=firefox-a
[cached]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lester_Roloff

http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?id=120&rc=1&list=multi

http://www.nospank.net/colloff.htm

http://www.lighthouse-baptist.net/Roloff.shtml

http://www.peoplesbaptist.net/page.cfm?id=22

http://www.isaccorp.org/vca/lester-roloff.11.17.02.html

http://www.isaccorp.org/mtpark/roloffhistory.pdf

http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/texas2.htm

http://www.happinesshillhome.com/

http://mpcourtdocuments.netfirms.com/candyh_.htm

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/07/opinion/nyregionopinions/07CIszalavitz.html

http://cafety.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=281&Itemid=87

http://www.elanschool.com/html/home_page.html

http://fornits.com/wwf/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=2f04d4d8d0712b349d58a472e94344f7

http://greenversussuescheff.blogspot.com/

http://www.referralfreezone.info/

http://www.teenbootcamps.com/

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/20071013-1231-bootcampdeath.html

http://www.63days.com/1-mom/

http://www.wwaspinfo.com/

Rhonda Gruber

2007-10-04T20:23:00.000-04:00

Rhonda Gruber is an agnostic witch living in Horry County, South Carolina. She and her husband were recently arrested for allegations of harassment and child neglect. She has a sixteen year old son who may or may not be on a prescription drug for A.D.H.D., guns in the house, and an affinity for illegal drugs and extra-marital sex by her own admission.

When she was arrested, she self-described as a witch. That appeared in the police report because she said so, not because the cops down there really care much about those things. [Horry County includes Myrtle Beach, a really neat place which I have been to-- not your typical southern small town at all]. She used this "as a witch" statement to claim that she is being persecuted as a witch.

Her son was arrested for threatening to shoot some kids at school with one of the guns in the house. Verification of his alleged R.O.T.C. "with marine boot camp" status could be neither verified nor disproved. Her sixteen year old son is allegedly being held in juvie for his alleged threats [until trial?]. The booking site for Horry County does not list the names of minors. What it does show is that Rhonda Gruber's bail was set at 5,000 dollars and her husband's at 500.

Rhonda Gruber has been rather busy. She has sent her appeal all over-- it asks for donations as well as advice and protective energy-- and she has now taken her cause to the A.C.L.U. To date, the A.C.L.U. has not decided if it will be involved or not. She claimed to at least one blogger that Al Sharpton is defending her. She has also been cleaning up her risque myspace profile and naughty pictures; and no longer publicly displays a list of her myspace friends. [She has two myspace blogs-- one for herself and one for her mail-order witch business].

The search warrant was written for items such as child porn, computers, thumb drives, illicit drugs and paraphernalia, and guns. No witch tools were listed for seizure. Rhonda Gruber was not arrested for anything to do with witchcraft. The concern of Horry County is not with what spiritual path she professes to practice.

radical sapphoq's current verdict: NO money for Rhonda Gruber. NO sympathy for someone hiding behind religion in order to excuse bad behavior. And the following advice: take some responsibility for your actions lady.

References:

Below is one e-mail from Rhonda Gruber which was sent to an incredimail witch group I frequent. Spelling was left alone.
Following that are the sources I used for this post.

radical sapphoq

> >
> > My name is Rhonda Gruber AKA Wicked Lil Witch and I am a Proud Witch. I
> > am currently being persecuted as a Witch by a Lt. Kevin Duke of the
> > Horry County Police Dept. My life and the lives of my family and
> friends
> > are being threatened and destroyed by this man with the backing of
> > countless other officials.
> >
> > I was arrested Monday Sept 10th '07 by Lt Duke for Breach of Peace,
> > Child Endangerment/ Neglect and 1st degree Harrassement.
> >
> > This all began around the end of May '07 from many false police reports
> > from a neighboring family, The Luisettis, who also seemed to think I
> > deserved to be arrested for my religious beliefs. They stated such in
> > their police reports. When this began to become a pattern of filing
> > false reports, we began seeking Police protection FROM them. We were
> > told numerous times that we had no reason to receive their protection,
> > just to ignore them. Yet they continued to file their reports on us. We
> > were told the only we could do is file a Civil Suit. This wouldn't fix
> > the problem for quite awhile if ever.The Police Dept on numerous
> > occasions, even refused to file any reports for us.
> >
> > We had at one point searched out help from Magistrates in the area. One
> > told us that filing these reports was most definitely something the
> > Police could do something about and that they should but he was fairly
> > certain that they wouldn't. He went on a 10 min rant about it to us. He
> > even took the time to gives us copies of the laws on filing false
> > reports, which we took to this Lt Duke, who after realizing we weren't
> > going to leave his office too easily, Then wrote us report stating that
> > the report from the Luisettis was investigated and the allegations were
> > unfounded and seemed to be stemming from harrassement from the
> neighbors.
> >
> > Now Monday, my 16 yr old son was targeted for their harrassment . In
> the
> > morning the Luisetti's daughter had a young man assualt him at the bus
> > stop. We filed a report that morning. That afternoon another allegation
> > from their daughter that he beat her up Friday on school property which
> > led to his suspension since the school wouldn't investigate it other
> > than her statement and her 2 friend's statements. She would have been
> > getting on the bus at the time while he was on the other side of the
> > building getting a ride from one of his friends. Then as we were
> sitting
> > in my garage workshop working on getting the suspension investigated by
> > the school board, waiting to see if the death threat my son received
> was
> > going to take place. The threat came from the Luisetti's daughter
> > getting a young man to "kill" my son due to the beating she received
> > from him. He was supposed to be coming to our house after school. We
> > were then visited by an irrational Lt. Duke as he whipped into our
> > driveway screaming that Spencer was reported to be brandishing and
> > pointing an assault rifle at the Luisettis. Which isn't even close to
> > what he was doing. Duke then stated that is is tired of all this and
> > someone is going to jail. He didn't care to hear anything we had to to
> > say about our side. Anytime I was trying to say something I was told to
> > shut up or be arrested. He was VERY aggressive and yelling. He
> seemed to
> > trying to provoke an altercation. I freely admit I was upset and a
> > little loud but I was trying to defend my son. I was never violent or
> > out of control. I was just pissed and trying to make some sense out of
> > the situation. When I was told to shut up I did which seemed to further
> > anger Duke. I was only arrested after they put the cuffs on my son. I
> > then told my Husband to find a f...ing attorney and quick. This was
> when
> > they arrested me.
> >
> > I was never read my Miranda Rights to this day but the questions they
> > asked me were used in my arrest. Doesn't seem legal to me...
> >
> > My charges of Child Endangerment were due to the fact that we have
> > several legal weapons around a minor. I must inform you my son is an
> > ROTC member with Marine Boot Camp training in weapons, can disassemble/
> > reassemble an M16 on the field. He was also on the Rifle Team last year
> > and is Athletics Team Commander. He also knew our weapons, from target
> > shooting and cleaning. He even pointed out to the Police Weapons Expert
> > how to release the clip and open the bolt chamber as they couldn't. He
> > is very safe and well versed in weapons. I must point point that is
> > legally old enough to have a hunting license. He is also looking to
> join
> > the National Guard on his 17th B-Day, Oct 3rd this yr. Upon his 18th
> > B-Day he was planning a Military career. We are proud of him and is a
> > really good person. We are very upset with all the things being alleged
> > about him.
> >
> > To summarize:
> > We are being persecuted because of my spiritual choices, not being
> > Christian. Lt. Duke has a web page stating his religious beliefs and
> > infertility and adoption problems which leads us to the belief that he
> > can no longer separate his personal feelings from his ability to do his
> > job in an objective manner. He seems to have appointed himself as a
> > personal victim's advocate for allegedly neglected and abused children.
> >
> > The fact that I am a practicing witch is being noted in complaints and
> > warrants against me and my family. It has even been voiced in court
> > along with allegations stating I have cast spells on 2 cops and the
> > luisetti family by the solicitor during proceedings. My familiar
> > pyewacket seems to have been mishandled during the search of our home.
> > She was running and flinching from us the day after. I am very hurt by
> > this. Though this can't be proven, I know my animal and this is not her
> > normal behavior.
> >
> > We have always tried to help others and be good people, so this is very
> > hard for us to deal with. I am lucky to have a very strong supportive
> > circle of friends and family or we would still be in jail. My in-laws
> > had to take the majority of their retirement fund for some 20 thousand
> > dollars to hire a powerful law firm to help us. Though I will never be
> > ashamed of being a witch, I am so very sorry for all the trouble and
> > loss of money it has cost them to stand up for us.
> >
> > The reason for this letter is that we need all the help we can find to
> > fight this. Whether it is positive protective energy, advice, or
> > donations to help pay for this. I will not rest until I have made a
> > difference for all that believe in freedom of religion. I don't want
> > this to just disappear, I want to make a stand for all free thinkers
> > against persecution. We all know the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
> >
> > For all that believe in freedom of choice, please stand behind me or
> > even beside me in court while I fight. I am not a quitter and I have a
> > loud voice. I always stand up for what I believe in, all I ask is to
> not
> > have to stand alone in this. It's time to fight for what we all believe
> > in, not just lie down and take it. I have enclosed the papers that are
> > in my possession to prove my claims. I will include more as they come
> > into my possession. I am not easily scared although they are trying to
> > intimidate us. Threatening phone calls have been made to family and
> > friends even now. In supporting us, you are also supporting yourselves.
> >
> > We are looking to get this story out to as many places as possible. The
> > more people who are aware the harder it will be for them to get aware
> > with it!
> >
> > We NEED your help!!!
> > Blessed be.
> > Rhonda Gruber
> > AKA wickedlilwitch@ gmail.com <http://gmail.com>
> > 843-997-7558 or 843-602-0160 (happy to answer questions)
> >
> > WE NEED THIS TO SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE PLEASE HELP RALLY SUPPORT FOR
> > RHONDA GRUBERS CASE.. THIS WILL MOST LIKELY BE A MAJOR LANDMARK CASE...
> > INCLUDING THE ACLU MOST LIKELY

If you do not think that the ACLU should support someone who is using the word "pagan" and "witch" to hide bad behavior then please please, please email them at:
ACLU @ intake4aclusc@aim.com

Same letter as above reproduced in scads of other places including:
http://kansascity.tribe.net/template/CreateMessage.vm?replyto=9f243f94-0959-43d

http://weblog.xanga.com/LadyValkyrie37/619176861/
persecution-of-witches-part-2-rhonda-gruber--xanga.html

http://weblog.xanga.com/LadyValkyrie37/617514333/
persecution-of-witches-still-happens-to-this-day.html

http://www.topix.com/forum/city/graniteville-sc/TDF5ERH89DSI6TGQO

http://community.livejournal.com/glbt_pagan/453883.html

http://gazelle.covenspace.com/blog/2007/09/29/heads_up_witch_in_trouble

http://www.bebo.com/Blog.jsp?MemberId=4820519579

http://shamanism.tribe.net/thread/d5e5a0d7-8edc-409d-90d8-7eef3c107ed4

Doubts being expressed:
http://www.mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=168560&page=2

http://semanticsearcher.com/details/18444229419957114046/rhonda%20gruber

http://forum.myspace.com/
index.cfm?fuseaction=messageboard.
viewThread&entryID=43358265&groupID=100021146&adTopicID=27
&Mytoken=711AD0F2-D21E-4CF1-A15C9BD6FA500A8865601777

http://mysticwicks.com/showthread.php?t=168560&page=2

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=15564298&blogID=315233396

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=68116470&blogID=314972145

From Stacey's myspace:
http://blog.myspace.com/
index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=107303420&blogID=314218492

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=107303420&blogID=315645790

http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=107303420&blogID=316238477

No appearances of this story on any news site that I can find, however:
http://www.horrycounty.org/depts/detention/bookings/index.asp
Rhonda and Steven [husband] were both arrested for harassment and for unlawful
neglect of a child...

Rhonda Gruber's tame myspace profile and blog:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=169358434
or
http://www.myspace.com/bwitchedproducts
and
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=169358434&blogID=311277126

Stormy Wiccans: triggering total****updated 10/13/07

2007-09-28T01:59:00.000-04:00

Following links a couple of days ago, I found a board called Pagan Nation and claims by author A.J. Drew concerning Gavin and Yvonne Frost. Yes, I posted on Pagan Nation. Yes I answered questions regarding ritual and rapists, not fully understanding why the questions were being asked. I thought, "Oh, a dude who cares about rape." Yeah, I have read some part of at least one of A.J.'s book and yeah, I am aware that in terms of historical research he does not come close to Issac Bonewits' marvelous skills at ferreting out information [nor is he as inaccurate as Ed Fitch, or Edain McCoy and the Irish Pumpkins]. I didn't know exactly what I had stumbled into until tonight, upon further investigation.

Gavin and Yvonne Frost, founders of the Church and School of Wicca have become embroiled with A.J. Drew in a controversy regarding material which appears in at least three editions of one of their books. Specifically, A.J. Drew is questioning the inclusion of instructions related to the use of dildos by adolescent girls [with the help of their dads if necessary] and a calender to do it with, and the snipping by mothers of any penile skin which potentially interferes with the sexual pleasure of teenaged sons. The problem is that the Frosts claim that these things were included within an historical context, that folks under the age of 18 should not be initiated into a coven, that A.J. Drew's quotes and webshots of the pages in question are not accurate. A.J. Drew counterclaims that these instructions are pedophilic in nature-- thus rendering the book unsuitable for marketing and distribution-- and that the Frosts are advocates of pedophilia. The larger issue is the insensitivity or blind acceptance by the majority of the pagan public without question. Complicating the issue is the many reprints of the book from 1972 through to the present day. The 1999/2000 printing contains the disclaimer regarding the age of 18, the 1995 printing does not.

Wikipedia [not considered to be good enough evidence] quoted bits of the disputed excerpts on their site and Percival has screenshots of three pages on a Freeweb site [again, not considered to be good enough evidence and no, not a sock puppet of A.J. Drew. I recognize Percival's name from another blogging venue]. Over on Live Journal, blogger Dionysusdevotee records both his disgust at the non-reaction of the NonFluffyPagans El Jay community and disgust with A.J. Drew for inserting other non-pertinent material into his complaint. [Whether or not the Frosts ever ran a bordello is irrelevant to the issue at hand]. One of the folks commenting states correctly that it is up to A.J. Drew to provide proof of his allegations and not up to us the audience to go looking for it ourselves.

There has been extensive name-calling and threats on all sides, which now also includes the Pagan Pride Project folks [not related to the larger national organization by a similar name] of Fayettesville, Arkansas. A.J. Drew freely admits that he called in the police and alerted them to the possible sale of a book containing instructions on sexual abuse of minors. A.J. Drew also is allowing a ritual at his Witches' Ball next weekend involving survivors of rape and effigies, possibly of the Frosts themselves as of this writing, being stomped into smithereens. He claims that 80 rounds were fired into an effigy of himself. With accusations flying on both sides, it is difficult to sort out culpability.

Here I must insert that Jack T. Chick is indirectly involved. [Head shake]. Gavin Frost had one student via his correspondence course whose name is John Todd. John Todd has gone back and forth between practicing Wicca and a form of fundamentalist Christianity. John Todd allegedly assisted a runaway over state lines and was convicted of statutory rape, for which he spent six months in county lock-up. He was further suspected or accused of using his coven in another state as a cover to garner ripe underaged females for sex. Todd's bad behavior was not limited to covens as there are reports that he also was trying for underaged females in Christian circles and indeed got one teenaged sister-in-law with child. Todd's army records were dug up through the efforts of the magazine Christianity Today and even way back then-- before his becoming a student of the Church and School of Wicca and before his involvement with preaching-- there were indications of trouble. One notation described Todd as a habitual liar. Various Christian ministries began to distance themselves from Todd, however Jack Chick didn't. Jack Chick featured Todd and his fantastic claims in several of his comic-style tracks. Jack Chick referred to Gavin Frost as "the pope of the occult" and to Issac Bonewits as some kind of strong armed muscle man or guard. Kerr Cuhulain wrote a striking article on Witchvox which detailed John Todd's fantastic claims regarding Wicca at: http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=cabc&c=whs&id=4669
[Read the whole thing. It is excellent].

When the Frosts referred to A.J. Drew as B.D.D., I wanted to speak out and I did so. A response from Shadowhawk and my response to the point Shadowhawk raises has been reproduced below. The original exchange can be found at: http://gavinandyvonne.blogspot.com/2007/09/plausible-evasions.html

I have a traumatic brain injury caused by an automobile accident.

I am not amused by the use of the initials B.D.D.

Please educate yourselves about brain injuries [traumatic and acquired] and then hope like hell that it never happens to you.

spike

September 26, 2007 9:19 AM

Shadowhawk said...

When one such as Aj Drew uses a Brain injury as an EXCUSE for vendettas and bad behaviour in general the BDD fits

September 26, 2007 9:34 AM

sapphoq said:
[a botched cut and paste job of Shadowhawk's quote followed by:]

Those of us who do have brain injuries-- whether from accidents or falls or physical confrontations [traumatic] or strokes, operations, poisonings, or tumors [acquired]-- do have BRAIN DAMAGE. In that sense, and in that sense only, "brain-damaged dude" is an accurate moniker.

Brain damage/brain injury is not who we are. I know that I cannot blame everything on my brain injury. I strongly doubt that A.J. Drew's actions can be explained [or excused] by his brain injury. All of us, with brain injuries or not, are more than our labels. To excuse our own personal bad behavior is to act as if we are our labels.

***

None of us are one-sided or all-bad or all-good or all-knowing. That statement includes A.J. Drew, the Frosts, and people on one side or the other or who wish to remain neutral, and the entire human race.

Name-calling cheapens all of us and weakens the arguments for both sides of this. That is something that I probably should have said first.

***

At this point, I believe this matter will have to be settled [as much as possible] by the courts. I think I read in this blog somewhere or in the comments that there is indeed a court date set. I must confess that I am astonished that A.J. Drew and the Frosts have not been told by their respective lawyers [or are ignoring the advice of their lawyers?] to stop trying the case electronically in the public arena of the internet.

***

Putting aside any personal feeling or experience or thought or opinion about the written material at the heart of this matter, I will close with the following statements:

I support the Frosts' right to write, publish, and sell their material. Part of the risk of having freedom of speech is that someone will come along and say or write things that are offensive to someone else. I am willing to take that risk in order to continue to live in a free society.

I support A.J. Drew's right to question inclusion of certain material in the book and subsequent revisions WITHOUT alleging that the Frosts have ever personally engaged in such behaviors or are in favor of such behaviors.

I support the Frosts' right to respond or not respond to A.J. Drew's questioning of the material as they see fit.

I do not support A.J. Drew calling the police in reference to possible selling of the Frosts' book at a pagan event in Arkansas. I think there are better ways to publicize that one has serious qualms about things which are written in a book.
Deciding that a book should not be distributed in the United States is up to the legal system, period. Our suppositions are conjectures only.

I do not support either side making claims or unsubstantiated allegations against the other without citing sources. Information without names and supporting documents is meaningless.

I do not support any blog which lists people or websites as supporters of pedophilia without proof, period.

I do not support name-calling of any kind by anyone. I do understand that this issue is emotionally charged and the difficulties [not excused by brain injury/brain damage or neuro-typical status] inherent in refraining from the name-calling.

I wish everyone the best in sorting this one out and in addressing the issues in a rational sane manner with the help of professional advocates within the legal system.

With respect to all,
brain-damaged spike

Personally, I found the instructions for adolescent or pre-adolescent girls involving two homemade dildos to be disturbing. I don't like the idea of a dildo chart, two sizes of dildos, dads helping their daughters with these things, or of moms snipping intimate parts of their sons' anatomies to ensure their sexual pleasure. I'm not crazy about partner-swapping either but that does not involve the under-aged. The choice of monogamy or some form of polyamory is between the adults involved. Because I am not residing in a prison or other institution and because I am fortunate to live in a country which has freedom of speech, I support the right of others to write about things that I find disturbing as well as to express viewpoints which are contrary to my own.

It is not for me to judge whether or not the Frosts advocate ritual child or teen sexual abuse or even speculate on the whys of the decisions of authors and their publishers. I will say though unequivocally that I despise the inclusion of such information in a primer on any form of modern [hey, the 70s are not that far gone and the year 2000 is less than a decade gone by] Wicca. Quoting from historical documents and ancient texts is one thing, manuscripts preserved from antiquity is another, and fiction quite another. This book in all of its' reprintings is none of those things.

I was at a diner today for lunch. An acquaintance was talking about standards of reality. We as a society have learned to expect rudeness and lewdness. Consequently, when the Frosts' book was published in 1972, there was no public outcry. And that is when it should have happened. Oh, perhaps not by A.J. Drew if he wasn't around yet. [A.J. Drew's excuse about not his not blogging on the internet yet wears a bit thin in my estimation]. Certainly those who came along before us could have raised an alarm. I remember 1972. In 1972, the backlash against survivors of incest had barely begun. We knew what constituted child abuse then. We were aware of rape, even of date rape and rape by husbands. [Rape by women and mothers was not freely acknowledged. Rape of men was thought to happen only in prison cells]. In 1972, women were meeting in each others' homes to hold Consciousness Raising Sessions. The book Sisterhood is Powerful was in its' heyday.

I also remember, years later, Madonna's book with the metal covers containing her sexy poses. There was also a shot there of a German Shepard Dog between her legs looking up. The suggestion of beastiality was clear to the casual reader. "Oh, that is just a staged shot," a friend told me. I stopped listening to Madonna's music. I did not reconcile myself to her when she transformed into some macabre mother of the year. It was too late.

There is something to avoiding any appearance of. In failing to do so, the Frosts and Madonna have lost their opportunity to get a hold of my bisexual bucks. In other words, I have read the Frosts' book at the bookstore. I will not buy it. Plenty of other people will, paying astronomical amounts of money over on e-Bay. And that is how it goes in a free market economy. And I am sure that I have books on my bookshelves which other folks may find objectionable. No one is forcing anyone to buy anything. That is the beauty. We have become conditioned to the staged shots and the glossing over of what we do not wish to absorb. That is our shame.

radical sapphoq

References:

Don't forget to read the comments in all of the blogs listed. They are not to be missed. *spike*

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-reviews/0963065769/
ref=cm_cr_dp_all_top/
102-0034957-0041759?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books#customerReviews
Customer reviews of The Good Witches' Bible, 1972 printing.

http://st09.startlogic.com/~pendrago/goodwitch.html//
Pendragon's review.

http://www.freewebs.com/controversialstudy/WB/ChapterIV.htm
seventh printing

http://www.controverscial.com/Gavin%20and%20Yvonne%20Frost.htm
George Knowles weighs in.

http://ajdrew.blogs.pagannation.com/2007/08/22/wiccan-dead-beat-dads-encouraged/
A.J. quotes from the 1972 version.

http://dionysusdevotee.livejournal.com/158630.html?thread=426406#t426406
comments very telling

http://web.archive.org/web/20040911095822/http://www.cornerstonemag.com/
pages/show_page.asp?267
John Todd

http://www.kt70.com/~jamesjpn/articles/john_todd_and_the_illuminati.htm
John Todd and a few wild claims regarding witchcraft

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Todd_(occultist)
John Todd [wikipedia may not be free from bias..

http://www.holysmoke.org/jtc-cri.txt
various christian ministers on John Todd

http://www.witchvox.com/va/dt_va.html?a=cabc&c=whs&id=4669
Excellent article on John Todd and other oathbreakers.

http://www.skepticfiles.org/mys3/jtc-jtc.htm
Jack Chick

http://usminc.org/wictchsbible.html
Christian detractors of Wicca and the Frosts

http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/2007/07/witch-warriors.html

http://thepagantemple.blogspot.com/2007/07/gavin-and-yvonne-frost.html
Two posts at the blog of The Pagan Temple who is one of the commentators at the Frosts' blog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_and_School_of_Wicca
the Frosts' on wikipedia

http://www.wicca.org/Church/index.html
Frosts' homepages

http://www.wicca.org/gavinandyvonne/teaser0507.html
coherent thoughts of the Frosts' without namecalling.

http://gavinandyvonne.blogspot.com/
the Frosts' blogspot. Scroll through to find what you need.

http://pagannation.com/ubbthreads.php/ubb/rwb
A.J. Drew's site and board.

http://ajdrew.blogs.pagannation.com/
A.J. Drew's blog.

http://www.wicca.org/courses/basiccourse.html
Minors without parental permission must pay a bit more.

Edited by sapphoq on 9/20/07 because of botched cut and paste of Shadowhawk's original response to sapphoq.
******************************************************************************
*******************************************************************************
UPDATED ON OCTOBER 13, 2007
I have continued to think on these things and I suspect I will be thinking on these things some more. I have been reading the Frosts' blog tonight. Plus, a man took the time to e-mail me a message over at yahoo 360 concerning my cross-posting there. I thought his comment was important so I published it there, where it will remain unless he asks me to take it down.

The link is: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-6zDXuBYiera.0qS4YeKj?p=2322
Please read the comments. One is by my friend David who was involved with the Frosts and neither had nor witnessed anything untoward and one includes the message I got from Essus.
So far Essus has not written requesting that I take down his words. If he does, I will. I do appreciate his corrections to my assumption/inability to find information about any protests occurring in 1972 after the first edition of the Frosts' book was published.

I visited the Frosts blog on blogspot where I found the battle still raging onward.
My newest comment there:

https://www.blogger.com/
comment.g?blogID=7357027421761048480&postID=1847382548132471077

Hello everyone,

Here is what I do not understand:
Why is all of this stuff about a book coming up NOW?

The book wasn't published yesterday.

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

Having said that, I will now say this: the Frosts have a right to write whatever material they write in whatever context they write it just like any other writer; the publisher has a right to include, exclude or ask for a rewrite of any part of the book just like any other publisher; and people have a right to buy a book or not buy it.

The risk we run in a free society that has freedom of speech is that we will run into material that we may not personally agree with or like or understand.

While I do not understand the whys and wherefores of the material presented and thus may find it offensive because of my own individual viewpoints, experiences, and misunderstandings and I have exercised my right to say so...

I don't get to dictate to others what I think they ought to do.

Maybe we can all allow the courts and the lawyers to do their thing and just get on with it, shall we?

sincerely,
spike

Over at A.J. Drew's blog, I found him discoursing on protected vs. unprotected speech. My civilian understanding of the law is that we do not get to decide willy-nilly what is protected, what isn't, what is obscene, what is pornographic...from a legal standpoint. I believe that is something that a court has to decide. I am not a lawyer so I may not be correct. I shall have to further research the question. At this time, I strongly believe that I am correct that legally a court has to decide this protected vs. unprotected thing.

And a blogger that has written a very level-headed post I found over at:
http://childoffire.blogspot.com/2007/08/entering-freezer.html
A pretty cool blog all in all and one that deserves a regular readership.

This is the end of my posting on the Frosts. I will publish any comments that are civil and refrain from name-calling. Rational discourse and intelligent discussion of differences are endorsed. This is my playground and I get to set the rules. The rules here are (a). no spamming, (b). no anonymous posts, and (c). no profanity, name-calling, intentional rudeness.

And if there are no comments-- perhaps that will be valuable information for me as well in terms of a somewhat non-existent readership.

spike of radical.sapphoq

Senator Larry Craig

2007-08-29T01:09:00.000-04:00

I first became aware of this story via MSNBC news the countdown program "will you be talking about this story tomorrow" thing.

The background is briefly that Senator Larry Craig R-Idaho was arrested for lewd behavior in a Minneapolis airport bathroom and didn't tell the republican senatorial folks in D.C. about it. He pled guilty to a lesser charge.

Apparently he "tapped" the foot of a plainclothes cop in the next stall or "has a wide stance" [MSNBC] and wound up touching said foot of set cop. It is alleged that he also stuck his hand three times into the adjoining stall in some fashion or other, changed stalls, and used his briefcase to block anyone from peering under his stall.

***

I am a bisexual woman so if any of you wish to accuse me of homophobia or xenophobia, go right ahead. I don't care. I am stating the following based on what I know: Some gay men are whores for sex with strangers and for a time public restroom stops on the Northway [I-87] in New York State were closed. These were the restrooms where no other services with a human being attached-- i.e. information desks-- existed.
So yeah, men looking for a quickie do patrol public restrooms along with some other places.

***

My opinion is that I really do not care if Senator Larry Craig is gay [he denies being gay] or bisexual or was overcome by temporal epilepsy seizures or whatever. I don't care if he did it or not. While perhaps he should have alerted his bosses to possible political backlash [in the manner that the senator from Louisiana did when he ran into trouble due to visiting prostitutes], the fact that Senator Larry Craig was in a restroom in an airport doing whatever he was doing or not doing is really none of my business. Oh, if he did, I think it is rather tacky of him and in poor taste using poor judgment; but I care more about leadership qualities and stuff like that when it comes to politicians.

Clitton was stupid for thinking that he could get away with the Lewinsky thing in the white house-- he might have done better with a presidential prostitute who was both blind and deaf-- but I digress. The point is, people have sex. Whether we think they should or whatever, people have been having sex for a long time now and they probably will continue to do so, even at times when most of the rest of us would exercise some prudence.

People do plead guilty to lesser charges in order to avoid the courtroom and I cannot fault Larry Craig for that. He pled guilty to "disorderly conduct." Larry Craig will now be facing a possible Senate investigation as well as a court fine and a year's worth of unsupervised probation. [Ten days in jail were suspended.] Whether or not he is guilty of violating a Senate Code of Conduct is not for me to decide.
The voters of Idaho will also decide whether to give his seat [a seat which has long been held by republicans] to a Republican or a Democrat at some future date. As I do not live in Idaho, I won't be voting for or against him in Idaho.

So in short, let the man alone.

Jeepers.

radical sapphoq

sources: MSNBC countdown, teevee

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/29/us/29sting.html

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070829/
FRONTPAGE/708290352

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/
2007/08/28/AR2007082801664.html

http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A300760

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/08/28/publiceye/entry3213948.shtml

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/senate-gop-leaders-seek-craig/
story.aspx?guid=%7B69F6333D-50B5-4EA4-BC00-10FF2145E90F%7D

http://www.townhall.com/Columnists/BenShapiro/2007/08/29/
is_larry_craig_the_face_of_the_us_senate

http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation/story/251659.html

http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=699618

The arrest report: http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=6994041

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6967559.stm

http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070829/cm_thenation/45227750

On You Tube, the vid I saw on MSNBC: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8C3tR9Yl4g

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-craig_boxaug29,1,1950352.story

Story has made Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Craig

Craig's website: http://craig.senate.gov/releases/pr082707a.cfm

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/GOP_Senator_Larry_Craig_arrested_in_0827.html

Craig's Mitt Romney You Tube video as of this typing is up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2b1N74bQUE

http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=6455

http://www.startribune.com/587/story/1386023.html

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2007/0828071craig1.html

Michael Woodbury

2007-08-20T19:58:00.000-04:00

In today's Portland Herald was an article detailing the guilty plea of Michael Woodbury to the senseless murder of
three guys. Woodbury had entered a store in Conway thinking about stealing a car. Instead, he shot the store owner
[Woodbury was wanted in five states and did not wish the store owner to be able to identify him] and then shot down
the two guys blocking his exit from the store. He ran off in the woods, was found walking along some railroad
tracks, and confessed everything to the cops. Against the advice of his attorney, Woodbury did the only decent thing
and pled guilty. He declined to raise the "I am severely mentally ill" defense. Instead he chose to acknowledge
his responsibility and stated that he was not fit to be allowed in society. He was sentenced to life without any
possibility of parole.

Woodbury had begged not to turned loose out of prison on May 4th after his last sentence was done. He had written
a letter to prison officials asking to be sent to the state hospital. So consequently when he got out, he went on
a five state crime spree and ended it in the sixth state by shooting down three men.

So goes it. Seems to me that if a guy is saying, "Hey, I feel like killing people" someone should pay attention to
that and care enough to make arrangements to send him onward to the state hospital.

Or perhaps Michael Woodbury could have found a way to turn himself in [breaking a window in a local emergency room
while screaming, "I am the lamb of god" comes to mind] and garner enough attention to make it stick. It seems these
days that only the NAMI mommies are successful at getting anyone committed for psych treatment.

I'm sorry that he got out of prison to commit more crimes and then to off three people. I rejoice that Michael
Woodbury chose to stop the perpetration of attorney-sponsered fraud and allow himself to be put away for life.

There may not be any winners in this whole state of affairs, but at least there won't be any more losers.

radical sapphoq

In Congo

2007-07-29T17:30:00.000-04:00

with a big shout-out to Elder RavenFire for alerting me to this story.

Over in the Democratic Republic of Congo there is a huge problem. The folks there are poor and many of them are rather superstitious when it comes to who to blame family troubles on. Kids eight years of age and younger are being shuttled off to churches and ministers for sessions promising to deliver them from demons for a hefty fee. The lucky kids are forced to vomit out objects [which were inserted into their bodies by the ministerics] and thus vomit out Satan too. The less fortunate are dumped in the streets, beaten, forced to leave home and become children of the street.

Street living is hard in Congo. The natives do not have spare change, often having difficulties themselves when it comes to feeding their families. [Jobs do not always pay on a regular basis and that includes government positions]. Ex-pat Americans and India Indians are well-off tooling around in their Mercedes et. al. but they are in a distinct minority of 1 percent. 14% of the water is potable, meaning the other 86% is contaminated and vectors of disease. Street kids wash in filthy water in alleyways when they can. They eat when they can. Some manage to get into shelters. Unfortunately, the shelters often provide a place to sleep and education for a year. The aim is to reunite the children with their families. The method is education: It is irrational and cruel to believe that your child is a witch.

Women are gang-raped [sometimes by government Mau-Maus] and have their genitals pierced or multilated in the act of. They then go to hospitals where they face operations to repair perforated anuses or to reconstruct genitals out of what is left. Some become pregnant by their rapists, adding yet another difficulty to becoming mainstreamed back into Congolese society. A few of the lucky ones learn how to make shea butter, perhaps selling it to places like Bath & Bodyworks for a pittance.

[Yes, some men have also been brutalized by the Mau-Maus and raped. The vast majority of gang rape vics in Congo are women].

Then there are the widows who have been accused of witchcraft. They wind up in witch camps where the chiefs beat them, demanding that they do labor. Some of them can't physically draw water several times a day or labor in the fields. If a grandchild comes to live with them at the camp in order to help them, that grandchild is often rejected by the family that originally accused their widowed relations of being witches.

This stuff has been documented since 1999 as happening in Congo. Why the fuck haven't we heard much if anything about it?

radical sapphoq

http://www.thefullmonte.com/congo.htm
Congo

http://etext.virginia.edu/users/fennell/highland/harper/congo200.html
Congo

http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=101232003
Congo

http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71295.htm
Congo

http://www.everyculture.com/Bo-Co/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo.html
sterilized picture of Congo cultures

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article362215.ece
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/05/23/koinange.rape.war/index.html?iref=newssearch
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/05/31/congo.rape/index.html?iref=newssearch
gang rapes of Congolese women, also disgusting
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/06/19/koinange.africa/index.html?iref=newssearch
rapes in eastern Congo, toward the bottom

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/article726977.ece
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article679077.ece
London kids being taken to Congo by their parents and being dumped there.

http://www.charismatic.org/congo.htm
five pentecostal churches in Congo

http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/0622/p13s01-lign.html?s=widep
http://www.witchesinexile.com/
Uganda witch camps

http://www.fiacat.org/en/spip.php?article87
Benin, Nigeria, Liberia, Angola, South Africa, Cameroon, and ESPECIALLY IN the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

http://hrw.org/campaigns/drc/2006/katanga/victims.htm
Katanga [in Congo]

http://media.guardian.co.uk/site/story/0,14173,1514334,00.html
Congo

http://skepdic.com/witches.html
skepdic on witches

Sylvia Plath and sleep apnea

2007-07-17T23:01:00.000-04:00

Awesome woman she was, melancholy in the good old-fashioned way.
Well okay, crazy then if you must be picky about it.
Yes, she was a wonder. Wonderful stuff she wrote.
When Sylvia Plath decided to end her life with the gas pipe,
she left out milk and bread. For whom?
A question left unanswered still.

Oh Sylvia, when you were coming into your death
did you smell the stink of vinegar and did the bees'
roaring cut off your hearing?
If you still lived today, what meds would be prescribed for you?
How many weeks in between shrink visits for you?
Would they send you off to a day treatment sort of program?
A partial hospitalization thing? Or a "clubhouse?"
Would the professionals mutter against your writings during their staffings?
Would they claim that your writing was part of your sickness?

Benedryl makes me hyper.
Some folks use Seroquel for insomnia.
"Might you have sleep apnea?" I ask people when they talk about insomnia,
"That can mess up sleeping too."

Might I be obsessed with asking random people if they have sleep apnea?
I want the world to get a c-pap machine and to have some real sleep like I get now.
But the world does not have sleep apnea.
And the news mediacs continue to dole out poisoned sugar drinks to the masses.
I swear politicians do not get enough sleep.
Again, the world does not have sleep apnea.
Too bad I think.
Yeah. At least that woulda been a relatively painless fix.

I might be content to leave the practice of medicine to the practitioners if I was convinced that they don't want us to be in their mass guinea pig parade.
Instead, I compulsively read Medscape articles
hoping for more clue-by-fours.

Pills and c-pap for a manageable life.
For me, better than the alternative.

Sylvia Plath thought that she was living in a fishbowl and folks were looking in.
Some say that is a mark of craziness. I rather think there is an element of truth in the most bizarre delusion.
And hers was rather tame.

I've rambled enough.
Here's to better days and a kinder gentler reality.

radical sapphoq

Which Theocracy

2007-07-04T22:03:00.000-04:00

I spike have thought long and hard about this topic for several days and nights. This morning while praying an earnest prayer to no one or

to the Thousand Voices, I saw a bush burning just outside my window. I hastened to spit out the toothpaste and ran outside. I spike got the hose full of holes and managed to extinguish the flames. The smoke cleared. Cussing, I spike cut away the damaged branches. Lo and behold, against the charred aluminum siding, a picture was forming. I spike, a nobody in the world of theos, became gifted with a vision of divine proportions. I hastened to pay attention, so I could faithfully record all that I saw.

I spike, saw with my own two eyes, a parade forming. Much to my astonishment, a momentous chant rose up from the center as one voice. "We are a Christian Nation. We are a religious Nation. We pray. Get over it." I spike trembled greatly.

I spike saw a crowd of onlookers whipped into a frenzy, an alien elven glossolalia streaming from their lips. Three males of a family of recent legal immigrants from Riojo, Spain were beating on drums until their bloodied hands began to gush open. Father and two boys began singing in ascending keys, "Ha-su, Ha-su, Ha-su." The mother was engaged in flagellating herself with a wicked-looking leather whip.

With an inhuman quickness, a Methodist minister from the Troy Conference broke free from the center of the passing parade and rushed over to our Spanish friends. "Stop!" she yelled, attempting to insert herself between the mother and her weapon of faith, "You mustn't. Your bodies are the holy temples--" The eldest boy looked up at her in shock. "We recognize no women as spiritual authorities in our Holy Roman Church," he said in halting English. "Go away," added his younger brother.

A few Dominionists, all fired up from their recent convention down a back road in Carolina, began gathering rocks from nearby front yards. They quickly pelted the Spanish mother and the Methodist minister. "Lesbians," one sneered. "Perversion!" "Adulteresses," shouted others. "Isn't your husband man enough to keep you satisfied?" yelled out an adolescent girl. More rocks rained on the two women. "Abomination!" "We are saved and without sin!" "Die, scum!"

A Jehovah's Witness raced away from a group knocking on door of empty houses [for everyone was either watching or in the mandated Christianity is Cool parade] and a young man in the black suit of the missionary Mormons both reached the women at the same time. Together, they dragged the two women away into the relative safety of an unlocked car. The other Jehovah's Witnesses, missing their companions, ran over into the fray. "Ye must work for your salvation in fear and trembling," they yelled as they showered paper tracts and magazines upon the stoners.

Realizing that their targets had disappeared, some of the accusing crowd began arguing with the Jehovah's Witnesses over salvation and the rest began screaming at the Pentecostals who were still speaking in Elven. "Witches," they hissed. "The age of speaking in tongues has been over with." A stout man shouted back, "No, it's not. Come down to the river this evening and be ye baptized in water and in Spirit!"

And still the parade continued. I spike saw these things with mine own two eyes and heard these things with mine own two ears. Just then, a contingent of Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and Episcopalians came upon the battling Baptists and Pentecostals. "Suffer the little children--" A lone voice interrupted. "The river is full of P.C.B.s! It's not safe for anyone!"

The world around me fell silent then. The parade music and chanting stopped. The on-lookers and the folks who were part of the officially approved organizations on parade came closer to the circle surrounding that one lone woman's voice. Some stopped to gather up more rocks. Others took out guns and cell phones. A young man in fatigues and the beret of a Christian Identity group grabbed one of the drums deserted by the legally immigrated family from Spain. He brought his hands down upon it in slow steady beats. The crowd erupted into loud raucous laughter. Cries of "Al Gore lover!" and "Eco-nazi!" rang out. "Fornicator." The young man began chanting, "The eco-nazis lay with people of other races. The fornicator must die." A couple of sympathizers put in hasty calls to 9-1-1 on their cellphones. They wanted the eco-nazi to be taken away to a re-education camp in Memphis, Tennessee or somewheres like that.

There was no more parade. The humans had congealed into an ugly snarling mass of angry souls. Rocks flew from all directions. "Kill them all and let our God sort them out!" one woman sang with glee. Joel's Army and the Jesus Camp kids loaded their guns and shot into the crowd at random. Windows shattered and bodies dropped. Some Quakers began a peace vigil on the corner. They were quickly picked off. I wept.

Sirens blasted and politico-ministerial-militiamen poured out of large tanks. "Everyone sit down!" came the order bellowed from a megaphone. No one sat. Instead the mayhem continued. Blood rolled freely down the streets into the sewers. Vultures flew overhead. Suddenly, a thunderclap that deafened mine ears and a drenching rain. "Basta!" a Thousand Voices rumbled, "Never again."

I found myself prostrate on the ground before the charred aluminum siding. "Tell the fools," the Thousand Voices whispered deafeningly to me, "Tell them We are done with them. We are leaving, the whole lot of us. And tell them please, that their God doesn't hate shrimp." I felt at once alone. I stumbled into my house then, looking for sanity in an anti-psychotic p.r.n.

Could I charge people admission to see the miraculous charred aluminum siding and the burnt up bush? Should I call the emergency Mental ~~Health~~ Hell number for a psychotropic medication review? Would Americans ever figure out which theocracy is the correct theocracy. I sighed then, knowing that there was truly no hope for us, none at all.

spike

Bong Hits

2007-06-25T23:04:00.001-04:00

Some of you may remember the Alaskan student with the "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner back in 2002. Students were allowed outside during a special assembly in order to view the Olympic Torch and runner pass by. Joseph Frederick unfurled his banner and held it up in order to attract television cameras' attention. The principal confiscated his banner and destroyed it on the spot and then suspended him for ten days.

Joseph Frederick brought a federal lawsuit, claiming that his father [an employee of an insurance company which provides insurance to the public school he went to] lost his job [and was subsequently awarded a smooth 200,000 bucks in damages] and thus Frederick the younger had to drop out of college. No year was given for that. In 2004 Frederick the younger pleaded guilty in a case involving the misdemeanor sale of pot at a University in Texas. It seems that Joseph Frederick's former principal was right on the mark.

The Supreme Court has affirmed the right of principals and teachers to limit First Amendment free speech in schools.

radical sapphoq says: A sad day has come to us all when school principals and teachers have to get a high court ruling to defend the enforcement of an anti-druggie behavior school policy. An even sadder day when conservative groups side with the student for fear of limiting student speech in regards to opposition of homosexuality or abortion.
This student took a historical event and turned it into a mockery, and then had the nerve to declare that he was asserting his right to "say anything at all." Or, alternatively state that he'd seen the slogan on a snowboard and thought it was cute, nonsensical, or worth of emulation.

Bush and getting Bushed

2007-06-06T20:40:00.001-04:00

Most people aren't all idiot or all genius but a mixed up blend.

Bush is no exception.

imo, given the "choices" we had last time, Bush had the most

leadership ability out of all of them.

Quite frankly,

and I may not be rational in this but this was my belief when Carter

was around and still is,

when those Iranian student terrorists took over the American Embassy

27 years or so ago, we shoulda bombed that entire damn country

and cut our losses.

I feel bad for the hostages as I am not inhuman.

But the fact is, we cannot negotiate with terrorists.

The nine hostages would have had a nice monument somewheres

built for them

and perhaps 9/11 would have been delayed or not happened at all.

As it was, the Ayatollah Khomeni went around laughing his ass off

about the USA being impotent and unable to act decisively.

Consequently, we became opportunistic fodder for anyone with a

bomb or a gun.

Bush's mistake was in not nuking the whole entire area.

The war has dragged on entirely too long and if it was

a clean in and out sweep, things might have been better.

So we still have a rep of not being able to act decisively.

Four ppl were arrested last Saturday at JFK airport.

Reason: that airport was a target. Had they not been

arrested...

Meanwhile, Bush has gone soft on the illegal alien issue and

I'm pissed at him for that. Newt Gingrigh however you spell

his name got on the airwaves and read the Mexican law

concerning what happens to United Statians who try that

border trick in reverse. The mediacs, not realizing what he

was reading from, were quick with their accusations. Newt

didn't write the Mexican law. He was just reading it.

I am not a fan of Newt most of the time and I am not a

christian dominionist and in fact not a christian.

However, Newt did nothing rascist by reading from the law

of another country. Furthermore, some of the illegals when

they had their usa-wide protests back in May, had a sign

that read "Read your history. This IS our country." So

now Texas and parts of Arizona are to become part of Mexico

as they wish, not officially but in another way.

I do not agree with some of the things Bush has done and I do

not share the same christian values that he has. However,

I would have respected him far more if he hadn't backed down

regarding illegal aliens, period.

Bush is far from an idiot. His college transcripts bear witness to that.

And Hill the Pill-- sorry. I live in New York. I have no love for her.

She is phony. How do I know this? I've listened to her talk about

the hot-button feel-good issues and I think she should go live in

Massachusetts with Martha's crew. At least that would get her the

hell out of my state.

Guiliani in 2008.

Respectfully and with love even though I am a political hothead,

spike q

ps One of the things that I really like about the team blog "Itching for a coffee"

is that we do not all agree. The exposure to different viewpoints as well

as differing life circumstances and different spiritual or religious paths

is a great thing.

Friendship extends far beyond any ideological boundaries.

Meanwhile, I am involved in the Live Journal clusterfuck. Getting rid of

pedos is a good thing. Getting rid of folks at random who had "incest"

listed in their interests [because they are survivors or in one case a

sociology student] is moronic and then for some Whackkkos 4 Installationofspyware

group to publish the user names of all of the suspendeds and labeling them

pedos when in fact most of them were not is a truly bad thing.

To compound their sins, Live Journal's idiot make fake apologies and the

team then brought back a few of the pedos [without thorough investigation first]

and left some of the survivors still suspended.

Contacting their abuse team in the past about harassment or any other matter

led to a polite form letter, "We can do nothing." Yet some whacKKKos show

up threatening to boycott the advertisers and boom goes the hatchett.

Writing fanfic which involves sexual activity is not the same as seeking out

kids under the age of consent.

The community which discussed the classic book Lolita in Spanish was one of

ones suspended. It was brought back.

Years ago, Live Journal bloggers were aware of a pedo on live journal and they

got the word out via reporting on the news articles about his arrests plural and

the situation. The abuse team suspended the reporters and left the pedo to

do as he will.

Back to my corner now.

spike q.

Live Journal Strikes Out continued

2007-06-05T01:31:00.000-04:00

Information can be found here at http://community.livejournal.com/innocence_jihad/139850.html

Research indicates that l.j. has still not restored some journals and communities that were suspended on the basis of words in an interest list. Some of those should be unsuspended.

Research indicates that some journals and communities that were suspended ought to stay that way.

Fandom journals and communities should be allowed back.
Survivors journals should be allowed back with many public apologies.
Journals and communities which advocated child rape or teen rape under the guise of "love" should not come back.

spike

The End of Live Journal as we know it...

2007-06-02T07:06:00.000-04:00

A better and more plausible explanation for the livejournal strikeout 2007
http://stewardess.livejournal.com/261058.html
Read the post.
Then read her updated post over at Greatest Journal:
http://www.greatestjournal.com/users/stewardess_/683.htm
[Her lj would not allow her to update.]
Then Google "Six Apart IPO."
The bastards are getting ready to go public, i.e. offer stock.
It's not about protecting kids from sexual predators after all.

*******
posted to lj_news:
http://news.livejournal.com/99650.html?view=51080258#t51080258

Going public livejournal/Six Apart, eh?
Congrats.

Perhaps that was really more of what this whole fiasco was originally supposed to be about in the first place; not really about saving children from sexual predators.
Disappointing.

It can be found on Google search engine as well as on various blogs throughout the internet.
To those of you still in the dark:
Google "Six Apart IPO."

Therein lies the answers.
And the end of live journal as we have known it.

How utterly sad.
spike

***

http://gigaom.com/2006/02/19/another-12-million-for-six-apart/

Six Apart Price Pool?

SixApart IPO speculation starts

One reason why Six Apart would buy Live Journal

[thanks lj user shamangirl]

http://nebris.livejournal.com/

Questions Regarding LJ/6A Policies by L.J. user unfilthy

2007-06-01T20:43:00.000-04:00

Long-time Live Journal User unfilthy has written an excellent compilation of questions and concerns about Live Journal policies in light of the recent nefarious l.j.strikeout 2007. Below is the post as it appears at http://unfilthy.livejournal.com/224385.html and reproduced here word-for-word with permission:

Questions Regarding LJ/6A Policies
I've compiled this list because I felt the need to sort through the various concerns and issues raised by LJ/6A's recent words and actions, and writing things down is the only way I know to sort through the piles of information swimming around in my head. I originally posted it as a comment (actually two, as it was too long) to one of LJ's recent news announcements, but with 4998 other comments, and no ability to edit my thoughts, I figured I might as well post it to my journal as well, and possibly get feedback from my friends in case I've missed something (or add links and quotes as needed).

The following is directed at TPTB at LJ/6A

While it's good that you've apologized for screwing things up, and it's good that you're restoring the unjustly suspended journals, and it's good that you've started informing us of your actions in real time now, there are still quite a few issues that still need to be addressed, IMO.

1. The frankly bizarre claim that a journal's interests should be read as likes. Not only is this not the way the members of this site use this feature (not to mention the linguistic improbability of it), but followed to its logical conclusion, it means that the numerous journals and communities for and by people who are suffering from a variety of diseases, who've been hurt or affected in some way by any form of illegal activity, or who are involved in political debate surrounding any controversial issue, are, in your mind, expressing their support for that disease, illegal activity, or controversial political issue, simply by listing it as an interest. Will you be changing the LJ profile page to reflect this unusual reading? Will the interests section be now titled likes? Will there be guidelines telling the user base how to make clear that an interest in cancer, for instance, is an actual interest, as opposed to a like or wish to promote cancer?

2. The types of illegal activities we are allowed to discuss without fear of suspension. What is the future status of journals and communities that include essays, debates, personal accounts, fiction, commentary, fantasy, visual art, or any other form of speech dealing with illegal acts? If a member discusses something illegal, such as terrorism, for instance, or lists it as an interest, does this constitute soliciting or encouraging illegal activities? What about Murder, Rape, Incest, gay marriage, Underage sex, Polygamy, Marijuana, Drug trafficking, Prostitution, Human trafficking, Slavery, Genocide? I, for one, would really like to know where you draw the line in terms of speech relating to those and other illegal things.

3. Determining whether journals are soliciting or encouraging illegal activities. Are 6A/LJ going to actively search for journals they suspect of soliciting or encouraging illegal activities? What are the new criteria for deciding whether a journal/community should be suspended, forced to change its userinfo (or remove content), or left alone? What part will LJ Abuse and its volunteers play in this? Who will make the final decisions? Will there be a right of appeal? Will there be prior notification? Basically, what will the decision making process and procedure be from now on?

4. The "hidden meaning" behind fictional or academic interest. You mentioned the supposed existence of a "thin veneer of fictional or academic interest in events and storylines that include child rape, pedophilia, and similar themes in order to actually promote these activities" as well as your difficulty in telling those apart from fictional or academic interest in these themes that isn't intended to promote these activities. I'd like to know who's going to be the final arbiter of authorial intent. Will you be hiring any consultants who are familiar with the plethora of academic, legal, and political writing debating this extremely complex issue? Will you be working with any sort of professionals in any field relating to this issue? Will you simply rely on the LJ abuse team to judge correctly what the intent was of the people writing the material in question?

5. The inconsistency of LJ Abuse responses. We've heard countless accounts from members who have, over the years, attempted to alert LJ Abuse to the existence of journals and communities that actively and openly encourage illegal activities, including murder, sexual offenses, and other forms of violent crime, and have been turned away, as apparently the LJ Abuse team had been instructed that talking about committing a crime isn't illegal, and so would not be dealt with by LJ. We've also heard that several of those journals and communities are still active. On the other hand, your recent actions indicate that your policies have changed. But then again, you've just overturned your own decisions (and with good reason). So, which is it? Will LJ Abuse be receiving consistent guidelines, and will we, the users, have access to this information?

6. LJ's "zero tolerance policy toward content that supports child abuse, pedophilia, or sexual violence." Since this has not been the case so far, I'd really like to know, what does zero tolerance actually mean? Rape, for instance, is a common theme among women's sexual fantasies. As any person who's studied this subject, or who possesses a reasonable level of common sense for that matter, could tell you, this does not mean that women actually want to be raped. Yet rape is sexual violence. Does this zero tolerance policy mean that any woman who writes about a rape fantasy in her journal is going to be suspended from now on? If she's 17, and so not legally an adult, does this constitute supporting child sexual abuse or pedophilia, as well as sexual violence? Does it make a different if it's posted in a locked post, in a public journal, in a community? What about if the source material of fanfic involves any of these issues, and so is mentioned or used as a basis for fanfic posted on LJ? Is zero tolerance really zero tolerance?

7. Compensation for the owners of wrongfully deleted journals. Fandom is fandom. We've been around for a decades, and frankly, we'd rather gotten used to getting screwed and dismissed. What I'm really interested in, in regards to compensation, are non-fandom journals. I want to know what you intend to do to make it up the survivors of child abuse, sexual abuse, and rape, that you've painted with the same brush as the pedophiles who've hurt them, and whose journals are now listed in various places on the net as part of a list of journals suspended for supporting or advocating pedophilia. The damage you've done there is much worse than anything you could've done to fandom. As a whole, fandom is an incredibly resilient community. As individual women who've suffered abuse, we're not nearly as resilient. What are you going to do to attempt to correct the damage you've caused these women?

I'm a woman, and a feminist, and a member of LJ since 2001, and a paying member for the past 5 years or so, and I would very much like to know what exactly I need to do to make sure my journal isn't suspended, and I don't even write (or read) fanfiction. It's not just a matter of reinstating wrongfully suspended journals, it's a matter of communication and clear guidelines and respect, and above all, TRUST. I want to know these things because otherwise I can't trust that when I wake up tomorrow my journal, or any of my friends' journals, will still be there.

Live Journal Strikes Out

2007-05-31T22:01:00.000-04:00

Live Journal recently showed really poor judgment in getting involved with a group calling itself "Warriors for Innocence" [their main site is going deliberately unlinked due to the spyware infestations] which apparently should be renamed Warriors for Installationofspyware. A huge outcry penetrated the web right into such places as C/Net, Boing-Boing, and Perverted Justice [as of 5/30 and 5/31,P.J. noted that L.J. does not seem to know the difference between fanfic involving Harry Potter and real-life pedos who are into sex with children]. Live Journal suspended the accounts of individuals and communities involved with B.D.S.M., fanfic, rapefic, surviving childhood sexual abuse, and fashion right along with some folks expressing pedophilic ideas. And discussions about the novel Lolita. Then there was the "explanation" about interest lists equaling "I like _____." Stupid, stupid, stupid. Apologies are nice sometimes but it might take far more than that to fix this. Warriors for installationofspyware cross-posted a "Wall of Shame" to two of their blogspot sites.

There are many banners and icons floating around l.j. regarding the strikeout. Evie_dux over at
http://community.livejournal.com/innocence_jihad/99615.html#cutid1 has created the one that heads this post and she has some more that are very cool.

Reading through the blogspot sites [yes, plural] of those supposedly involved in ridding the net of pedophiles [links cited above] and following the profiles of those involved yields quite the picture of who these people are. The cursing is proficient [and I thought I was good at it] and there is name-calling of the variety that divides people into several camps-- fundie christians who are for what they are "doing," pedophiles, and pedoheads [--defenders of pedos, if I am reading this stuff correctly]. There are threats to "investigate," direct statements that this group of vigilantes will "follow" those who abandon Live Journal to other sites where the reporting and contact with advertisers will continue.

These people have no listing of resources for those who have been victimized by the pedos, no mission statement, no legalese, nothing that legit sites like Perverted Justice has in plain site. Ya know what, if I get listed as a pedohead for posting this blog, then so be it. I know who I am and what I am not.

Folks who have survived rape, folks who are fanfics, folks who are not straight or republican or a particular variety of literalist christian, folks who like Harry Potter, folks who have read the novel Lolita and want to discuss it, folks who...do not deserve to be roped into the category of pedo, pedo-defender, or potential pedo.

Folks who are after kids for illicit sex [I will not call it "childlove" because it is not] whether on the internet or off the internet should be civilly committed for life, perhaps given housing on prison grounds within the gates. As for the rest of us, those of us who are civils, leave us the hell alone and we will do the same for you.

radical sapphoq

Who gave you YOUR medical degree?

2007-05-23T11:17:00.000-04:00

I am in recovery. I have been continually clean for more than a quarter of a century.
Yes, I attend 12-step programs regularly.

I have blogging buddies who drink.
I have blogging buddies who use street drugs.
I have blogging buddies who do both.
I have blogging buddies who do neither.
I like them for who they are just fine.

I take pysch drugs as prescribed by one doctor filled by one pharmacy with no apologies to anyone.
If you are not one of my medical doctors, you don't get to tell me not to take them.
I was at a meeting once where well-meaning people told my friend to flush her psych meds down the toilet.
I was the one who took her to the emergency room sometime later to be admitted to the nutward.
Bad advice.

Pain meds are a necessity, period.
I used to work in a nursing home.
An older woman was dieing. She had leukemia.
She had refused all pain meds from the beginning of her illness.
She was screaming in pain.
The nurse tried to get her to accept a shot to ease her pain.
She would not do it.
She died screaming.

The kindest thing any health care professional can do for me on my deathbed
when my body is wracked with pain is to administer a morphine drip.
Other people are welcome to die screaming in pain.
I prefer not to, thank you very very much.

Cancer is painful.
Chemo is full of pain drugs.
Crohns's Disease is painful.
So is Degenerative Joint Arthritis as it progresses.
Guess what?
If I get one of those, I will take the pain meds.
I am not a martyr.

When I had my appendix out, I got put under.
When I had my severely impacted wisdom teeth out, the oral surgeon put me under.
when I got my nose fracture repaired, you can bet there was no way that I was going to consent to stay awake for that.
Medicine has come a very long way since using leeches for blood-letting.
And I am glad of it.
Five hundred years or so ago, appendicitis was a death sentence.

I am in recovery.
I have a few blogging buddies who are in recovery.
I have blogging buddies who aren't.
That is just the way I like it.
I celebrate diversity.

The highest insult that I can give another human being is to attempt to mold them into my image.

spike q.

I am blessed 5/22/07

2007-05-22T17:50:00.000-04:00

I feel blessed because 'a friend' has nominated our address to receive the special holy handkerchief made from paper [on loan]. It came all the way from Oklahoma along with a sealed bible prophecy and instructions to sleep with them by bedside, send the handkerchief and prayer request and donations to the church the next day, and only then to open the sealed bible prophecy.

Along with that, a certain guy named Jack T. has come out with a new cartoon tract called, "Fairy Tales?" In it, little Harry kills two classmates cuz they told him that the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, and the Easter Bunny are lies. He goes to juvie hall and then later materializes on the F.B.I.'s most wanted list along with Osama Bin Laden. I won't spoil the ending for yas.

So I am indeed truly uh, blessed. I hope that the god of the gaps isn't too put out by me opening the special sealed bible prophecy before bedtime. Then again, they knew I was gonna do it.

radical sapphoq