NOM's List Of Boycotts Will EXPLODE!: 75 (Republican!) Politicians And 278 Corporations, Organizations and Municipalities File Amicus Briefs Supporting Gay Marriage

Not one, but two bombshell amicus briefs supporting same-sex marriage (against California Prop 8) and the overturn of DOMA were filed this last week and the amount of prominent politicians, statesmen, corporations and non-profit organizations is staggering: over 350! 

       WASHINGTON — Dozens of prominent Republicans — including top advisers to former President George W. Bush, four former governors and two members of Congress — have signed a legal brief arguing that gay people have a constitutional right to marry, a position that amounts to a direct challenge to Speaker John A. Boehner and reflects the civil war in the party since the November election.“We are trying to say to the court that we are judicial and political conservatives, and it is consistent with our values and philosophy for you to overturn Proposition 8” - Ken Mehlman.

As of Monday, the list was 75 strong. Among them:

Meg Whitman, former Prop 8 supporter and candidate for governor of California
Stephen J. Hadley, a Bush national security advisor
Carlos Guteirrez, commerce secretary to Bush
David Stockman, Ronald Regan's first budget director
Deborah Pryce, former House Republican leader
John Huntsman, former Republican Primary Presidential Candidate
Ken Mehlman, former Republican National Committee Chairman
...and three former Republican governors (Whitman - NJ, Weld and Swift - MA)


Afterwards, an amicus brief requesting the overturn of DOMA (Defense Of Marriage Act) was handed to SCOTUS, with signing corporations, organizations and municipalities chiming in for marriage equality. Below is a partial list of the corporations, showing the diversity as well as size (partial A-Z):


A - Adobe Systems, Amazon.com, Apple, Inc.
B - Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston Medical Center, Corp.
C- CBS Corporation, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Securities
D - Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Deustche Bank, AG
E - EBay, Inc. Eldercare, Inc.
F - Facebook, Inc., 500BC
G - The Goldman Sachs Group, Google, Inc.
H - Homeward Pet Adoption Center, Horizon Air Industries
I - Intel Corp., Intuit, Inc.
J - Jet Blue Airways, Johnson & Johnson
K - Kimpton Hotel and Restuarant Group, Kinzer Real Estate
L - Levi Strauss & Co., Liberty Mutual Group, Inc.
M - Mars, Inc. Microsoft Corporation, The McGraw-Hill Companies
N - New York Life Insurance Company, NIKE
O - Oracle America, Orbitz Worldwide
P - Pfizer, Inc. Puma Spring Vineyards
Q - Qualcomm, Inc.
R - Ray Holley Communications, Resource Systems Group, Inc.
S - Silicon Valley Progressive Faith Community, Starbucks Corporation
T - Total Home Improvement, Inc. Twitter, Inc.
U - U.S. Balloon Company, Unigo, LLC
V - Viacom, Inc. Vulcan, Inc.
W - Walt Disney Company, Wasserman Media Group,
X - Zerox Corporation
Z - Zynga, Inc.

Also: 41 law firms, 16 professional organizations, and 19 municipalities

NOM de Plume

The National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has often stated that it is not really anti-gay or homophobic, but the disingenuous statements are rendered moot when considering the vehemence with which they attack any corporation or politician going against their views: consider their international boycott of Starbucks and Google (inciting foreign headquarters to be boycott with anti-gay ads). The organization has even come up with "enemies lists" of politicians who support same-sex marriage.





You Gotta Have Amici

NOM also filed its own amicus briefs with SCOTUS, along with Family Research Council and - wait for the shock - Westboro Baptist Church. And while the last is certainly not the kind of group one wants to ever associate with, NOM may need all the help it can get.
Amicus Curiae briefs, (or Friend-Of-The-Court briefs) can carry weight in influencing courts: they can be the conscience of the courts, in fact, because they expound on far-reaching implications of the court's decision. The corporations represented in amici briefs present a picture of what some of corporate America believe. And since Citizens United, courts themselves must consider corporations to have a voice in determining equal rights. In fact, most of the 75 politicians who signed on for the Prop 8 amicus brief cited their support of Citizens United. Irony knows no bounds.

Battle Of The Briefs - It Goes Deeper Than You Think

Whatever the outcome of the decisions, the resulting opinions will carry weight for future court cases, and it is no secret that Supreme Court Justices do not entirely write their own opinions. Their law clerks do:

Slate:
       "While justices are responsible for the substance of their opinions in each case, their clerks usually do the majority of the writing. These clerks follow a code of secrecy about the process of writing each opinion.After oral arguments and the initial vote, the senior justice for the majority opinion chooses a judge (who may be himself or another justice) to be responsible for writing the opinion. Unless this judge is Justice Antonin Scalia, who has often taken on the task of writing opinions himself, the judge will then usually select one of his or her clerks to take the first crack at drafting the opinion. The judge will then discuss with the clerk what the opinion should say and may provide a detailed outline or just a few rough notes. Each justice is allowed to have up to four clerks—bright young law graduates, usually from Ivy League schools and often in their mid-to-late-20s—with the exception of the chief justice, who gets to have five.

So amicus briefs could, in fact, influence more than just SCOTUS, but their clerks as well. And don't forget, even dissenting opinions carry legal weight and are cited in subsequent cases: every jot and tittle written by the clerks can influence future cases.

Upshot: the decisions - assenting or dissenting - will have teeth for a good time to come. These cases may count as some of the most important civil rights cases in the nation's history.

The Devil Won't Wear Prada. But He's Keeping His Hottie ....And Just About Everything Else.

KEEPS: "His Holiness", Archbishop Georg Gänswein, full papal staff, "Benedict XVI", use of Castel Gandolfo, papal apartments, strings to the papacy
LOSES: ruby slippers, diamond-encrusted gold toilet flush, fisherman's ring, Swiss Guard, Twitter account
GAINS: "Pope Emeritus", relief at foisting off a lot of headaches to the next poor mensch

The life of a scandal-laden Pope Emeritus will not be easy for Benedict XVI, but he will manage, especially in the companionship department:

     Vatican City, 14 February 2013 (VIS) - Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Prefect of the Prefecture of the Papal Household and secretary to Benedict XVI, will continue to carry out both roles and will thus accompany the Pope during his stay at Castel Gandolfo and at the monastery that he will retire to after his resignation from the papacy. The papal household, or "memores", which has served the Holy Father during these past eight years will also move to the same monastery.

How Archbishop Ganswein will fare remains to be seen, for unless the monastery chosen by Benedict is in Vatican City, the devoted, hunky secretary may have to shuttle between jobs. Devotion has its price.

Pope E-Mary-tus

The relationship between the Pope and his secretary has long been a matter of speculation, especially in light of the latest Vatileaks revelation: a secret network of gay priests:

       The priests, it seems, are allegedly being blackmailed by a network of male prostitutes who worked at a sauna in Rome’s Quarto Miglio district, a health spa in the city center, and a private residence once entrusted to a prominent archbishop. The evidence reportedly includes compromising photos and videos of the prelates—sometimes caught on film in drag, and, in some cases, caught “in the act.”

If His Holiness has had a long-term affair with his secretary, it is evident that only the next pope will know, for the contents of the 300-page dossier that supposedly led to Benedict's resignation holds many, many secrets. As one prelate put it, the dossier will be like "the 118th cardinal in the conclave." And the next pope may be sharing Benedict's "longtime companion." That will make for a cozy, tight-lipped arrangement.

Perks and Pedophiles

Surrounded by his faithful secretary and his staff, Benedict may still live in absolute luxury, pomp and circumstance: the papal "household" can be quite immense, involving scores of clergy and dignitaries:

 wikipedia:

       The Papal Household or Pontifical Household (Latin: Domus Pontificalis), called until 1968 the Papal Court (Pontificalis Aula),[1] consists of dignitaries who assist the Pope in carrying out particular ceremonies of either a religious or a civil character.It is organised into two bodies: the Papal Chapel (Cappella Pontificia), which assists the pope in his functions as spiritual head of the church, especially in religious ceremonies; and the Papal Family or Household (Familia Pontificia), which assists him as head of a juridical body with civil functions.

True, it may be scaled down a bit due to the advanced age of the pope and lessening of activities, but the fact remains that Benedict will be attended to by a "court" costing the Vatican million$ each year, a sum which can be used to pay off some of the many lawsuits going against the Church and its priests.

Quitting in comfort amid controversy is nothing new to prelates (many bishops and cardinals resign), but Benedict's resignation leaves so many questions that, as Betty Bowers put it,l he may truly be the Sarah Palin of Popes.

Does The Day Create The Headlines OR ... Do The Headlines Create The Day?

A blogger is deluged with hundreds of headlines a day. RSS feeds rule his life - they help form his opinions and  his daily psyche. To some, their home page is like keeping the pulse of some wild, uncontrollable beast.  To others, it's more like a worn-out machine, running in stops and starts, hiccuping along the day. 

Here's what the fodder for writing on religion, politics and LGBT issues looked like today (midday)

U.S. Senate Confirms Chuck Hagel

Meg Whitman, Prop 8 Supporters, Now Same-Sex Marriage Advocate

Conn. School, Under Pressure, Approves Student To Wear Anti-Gay T-Shirt

Was State Senator (CA) Rubio Auditioning For A Job At Chevron?

Despite NRA's Urging, Survey Shows Teachers Oppose More Guns In Classrooms

Medical Marijuana Has 70% Support In Florida

Balloon Crash In Egypt's Luxor Kills 19

Jesus Set The Minimum Wage

Letters To George Zimmerman Revealed

Boehner Tells Senate To "Get Off Their Ass This Time"

Farah: National Debt Violates At Least Two Commandments

Harvey: Obama's push for LGBT rights a "Humanitarian Disgrace"

Is Tim Tebow Marginalizing The Religious Right?

GOP Congressman Introduces Congressional Amendment To "Permanently Ban Obamacare"

The Shrinking Workforce

Against The Good 'Ole Days

McConnell Fires Back After "Race-Baiting" Attack on Wife

Chris Christie Not Invited To CPAC

Church Sign Of The Day: Your Miracle Is Still In Your Mouth

Guns For Beyonce Tickets Proposed

Oscar 2013: Hollywood's CIA Celebration*

Pick and choose. Pick and choose. 

Like some bizarre smorgasbord, the headlines for news and opinions tempt ... and repel, but we have to deal with them, ingest them and make sense out of the worlds of religion, politics and LGBT rights. 

Pity the poor blogger who tries to focus on EVERYTHING. He would get lost within an hour.

Never to return. 

*Culled from rss feeds from:

AP: Top Stories

CNN: Top Stories

Yahoo: Top Stories

LGBTQ Nation

Firedog Lake

Religion Dispatches

Joe.My.God

Think Progress

The Dish

Crooks and Liars

OpEdNews

Right Wing Watch

Cast Those Demons Out Of Your Clothes From Good Will!

Perennially senile Christofascist Pat Robertson nails it right on the head: he dimly remembers a vague story about a witch in some Thai or Asian (whatever) backwater who put her spirit into a ring and a girl who bought it, well, "all hell broke lose!" 

He laughs at the practice of casting out demons form every Goodwill item, but his is a "better safe than sorry" attitude that is patently ridiculous. Of course, tell that to the little old ladies who were, at the time of the broadcast, placing their hands on the TV screens hoping Pat would cure their hemorrhoids. 

Vatileaks Or VatiGAYte? Which Resignation Reason Do You Prefer, Il Papa? And Does It Really Matter?

Organized Religion May Be Satan's Greatest Masterpiece - Anon

Pope Benedict XVI has unloaded the heaviest burden on any one man in Christendom: with a papacy wracked with scandals and corruption, "Il Papa" has managed to shrug off a mountain of ills to his successor. Take your pick as to the reason for his resignation: pedophile priest cover-ups, Vatican bank money-laundering, Time Lord (see below) or ...

The latest:

A potentially explosive report has linked the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI to the discovery of a network of gay prelates in the Vatican, some of whom – the report said – were being blackmailed by outsiders.

The pope's spokesman declined to confirm or deny the report, which was carried by the Italian daily newspaper La Repubblica.

The paper said the pope had taken the decision on 17 December that he was going to resign – the day he received a dossier compiled by three cardinals delegated to look into the so-called "Vatileaks" affair.

And the infamous dossier in question has been sealed - ready for the next pontiff to deal with. It's three hundred pages of Vatican in-fighting, factions, bank improprieties, sexual abuse and secret, blackmailed gay networks. The last facet of the dossier was fueled years ago with aspersions implicating the pope himself and his involvement with his private secretary.

And, of course, the American media has made the most of it.

Denials - Sort of:

     Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone said it was "deplorable" that as the time for the Roman Catholic cardinals to elect a new pope approaches, a rash of "often unverified, unverifiable or completely false news stories" has appeared.
Such unfounded stories "cause serious damage to persons and institutions," he said, and are an attempt to influence the cardinals' free will in the election "through public opinion."

Influence Of Free Will.

The makeup of the cardinal electorate is stunningly conservative: with over half of them elevated to cardinal by Benedict himself, and the other half made cardinal by John Paul II (also a conservative), the chances of a progressive pope being elected are exceedingly slim.

And "moderate" might not make it, either, because a "moderate" might not be able to clean up the scandals and give the papacy what it really needs: transparency. The dossier holds too much for conspiracy theorists to ruminate about and the "deplorable" "unverified" aspects of it. And those aspects may never be revealed to the satisfaction of the rest of the world. The cover-ups in the Catholic Church seem too pervasive to instill confidence in any moderate protecting even a small portion of the papacy's secrets.

And Ratzinger's will must be considered as well: with half of the electorate beholden to him for their positions, it is unlikely that the cardinals will dismiss any "favorite" off hand. The position of "dowager" pope has never been tested as to influence, and working behind the scenes as puppeteer is not without credibility.

Reasons For Resignation

So do the reasons given for resignation - old age, burden of scandals, passing on the problems of the Vatican to another prelate - really matter? Do Vatileaks or VatiGAYte count in the scheme of things to come? They may count to the Catholic laity who need to question in order to bring about reforms, but to the "faithful" - (those in third world countries in particular, where "liberation theology" has suppressed, for example), the reasons for resignation matter very little - only the election of a continuing, conservative pope matter to carry on all-important "tradition". Front-runners for pope like Timothy Dolan of New York, Peter Turkson of Ghana and Francis Arinze from eastern Nigeria are all conservatives. Although Dolan has the burden of his pedophile cover-up story as Archbishop of Milwaukee, the strength of traditionalism may yet again gloss over this negative. Turkson and Arinze have the masses of faithful in Africa much like the Musevenes in Uganda have, although Nigeria is considered to be the most corrupt nation in the world.

So whatever the reason for resignation, enacting reform isn't one of them. The papacy may continue on its course of Vatican II reversals.

At any rate, it doesn't look good for the future of the Vatican ... or Catholicism.

College Protests Ain't What They Used To Be, But Angry Students Still Manage to Tip Jerry Brown's Slight-Of-Hand

UPDATE: After a two-day sit-in, "Occupy CCSF" resulted in a promised meeting of San Francisco City College with its chancellor, Thelma Scott-Skillman.

To chants of "No cuts! No fees! Education it must be free!" students at San Francisco City College marched through the campus on Feb. 21st to protest cuts that could harm the school's accreditation. It was a vocal, lively group, but small in comparison to the old protests of San Francisco's past.

Of course, the protests of the 60s and the 70s are distant memories and the tenures of Gov. Jerry Brown (two terms) have made their mark on the fiscal psyche of California. But while the protests of yore were large and boisterous, the tenacity and intensity may have remained - at least with this protest - and in it, Jerry Brown may have met his match

More Stingy Than Reagan

The tenures of Jerry Brown and Ronald Reagan as governors have often been compared to each other in terms of social issues: while seen as a progressive in terms of social issues (like education) it was in the fiscal area where Brown has proved more conservative - and more ruthless.

wikipedia:

After taking office, Brown gained a reputation as a fiscal conservative.[9] The American Conservative later noted he was "much more of a fiscal conservative than Governor Reagan."[10] His fiscal restraint resulted in one of the biggest budget surpluses in state history, roughly $5 billion.[11][12] For his personal life, Brown refused many of the privileges and perks of the office, forgoing the newly constructed governor's residence and instead renting a modest apartment at the corner of 14th and N Streets, adjacent to Capitol Park in downtown Sacramento.[13] Instead of riding as a passenger in a chauffeured limousine as previous governors had done, Brown drove to work in a Plymouth Satellite sedan.[14][15]

With a reputation like that, it was no surprise that Brown threatened enormous cuts in education to offset the state's $16.5 billion shortfall unless the stated would acquiesce to a property tax hike.

In a referendum, the state said "yes":

Mercury News:

      Overcoming decades of anti-tax sentiment in California, Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 -- billed as a tax hike to rescue the state's schools -- has emerged victorious in surprisingly decisive fashion.

But then ...

Bloomberg:

      Most Californians would be surprised to learn that 100 percent of education’s share of the tax increase proposed by Governor Jerry Brown will go to pensions instead of classrooms. But that would be no surprise to longtime observers of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, which administers teacher pensions.

Where Did It Really Go?

At the rally, one of the main points about Jerry Brown's dealings was that he pulled not one, but two switcheroos: one of the protesters, 45-year-old Pat, student at San Francisco City College questioned the measure: "We know that the money was supposed to go into the pension fund, but now hear that it is in 'reserve', so now we're wondering, really, where it went."

The Question Of Accreditation

The most serious problem of cuts to colleges and universities within California is the problem of losing accreditation, since thinly stretched budgets and losses cause accreditation boards to pull the treasured status. Lack of proper accreditation would, as one student put it "reduce City College to a rinky dink junior college."





Back To The 60s

In a scene straight out of old-time Berkeley (from Save CCSF) :

     While waiting for a response from the Chancellor, students and allies shared their stories about why they loved CCSF, sang songs, studied, made signs, ate pizza and fruit donated by faculty and community supporters, and slept wrapped in blankets on cold floors. For first-year student Christian Guevara, this was his first participation in a political action: “I occupied because I felt that this wasn’t just another issue. I couldn’t just continue on my way. I knew that I had to be here.” Dozens of new students got involved in the movement.

What now?

Today's meeting will seek to present these demands to the chancellor:

1) Call on the Board of Trustees to reverse all cuts to classes, services, staff and faculty. Stop downsizing the mission of CCSF and promote equity.

2) Organize town hall forums at all campuses so that students can have their voices heard.

3) Make a public statement calling for Prop A funds to be used for education as voters intended. Call on City Hall to give CCSF a bridge loan until Prop A and Prop 30 funds become available.

4) Speak out against CCSF being put on “Show Cause” without prior sanction. Call on the Department of Education to take action to stop the ACCJC’s misuse of the accreditation process.

The students have also stated that if these demands aren't met, they will take "other actions." 

The battle for San Francisco City College has begun. 

Obama is the Anti-Christ, Gun Control Is Un-Biblical, Gay Marriage Will Destroy Civilization!! What Next, Paranoid America?

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear - not absence of fear - Mark Twain

Today's main American paranoid rants: Obama will take away your guns and enslave you! Christians will be persecuted to extinction. Of course, they're without merit, but tell that to the ranters: those Rabid Religious Right First Amendment freaks out to kill everyone who isn't Christian.

OK, paranoia is contagious, no matter which side of the political aisle you're on. The liberal obsession with the Koch brothers certainly matched Glenn Beck's obsession with George Soros. And it's easy to develop a paranoia about paranoia. Yet it does seem that the Right has taken paranoia to its outer limits, depending on God to support it, and making sure that people are uneducated enough to embrace it. 

Headlines and quotes coming from the Right are more WTF? than OMG! For example, World Net Daily headlined: 

WILL OBAMA BUILD A DEATH STAR?

And get this:

"Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality." - James Rutz is chairman of Megashift Ministries

They're All Coming To Get You!

Does anyone remember the paranoid cold war spoof The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming!? Transport some of the film's dimwitted characters to the present and it's reasonable to assume that they would fit right in to today's paranoid groups.

In the movie, however, the idiocy was shelved and the paranoia was removed once the villagers discovered the Russians to be ... humans just like them. Unfortunately, today's paranoids are not prone to discovery.

Or education. They enjoy their paranoia too much to ever realize that their paranoia might be groundless, or at least a lot less threatening than they thought.


Richard Hofstadter, in his seminal work, The Paranoid Style in American Politics, wrote( three years before The Russians Are Coming!) about a phenomenon that crept into the American political psyche: 

Although American political life has rarely been touched by the most acute varieties of class conflict, it has served again and again as an arena for uncommonly angry minds. Today this fact is most evident on the extreme right, which has shown, particularly in the Goldwater movement, how much political leverage can be got out of the animosities and passions of a small minority. Behind such movements there is a style of mind, not always right-wing in its affiliations, that has long and varied history. I call it the paranoid style simply because no other word adequately evokes the qualities of heated exaggeration, suspiciousness, and conspiratorial fantasy that I have in mind.
In a sense, that style is being utilized by the NRA, the Christian Right and the Tea Party. Notice how Salon's Alan Berlow, when writing about the Sandy Hook Massacre and the NRA (Held Hostage by NRA Paranoia), makes a statement akin to Hofstadter's about the acute paranoia of the NRA:

Whether or not the uniquely horrifying details of this latest massacre will be enough to break the National Rifle Association’s suffocating muzzle on any rational discussion about guns remains to be seen. And that, as much as the horror of Sandy Hook Elementary School, speaks volumes about the perverse state of our national debate about guns.

The operative words here are "suffocating muzzle" - creating a state of suspicion where education about gun violence in this country is out of the question.

Of course, gun control is perhaps the most rabid of recent U.S. paranoias and serves to encapsulate just how far paranoia can go - and how much political clout it can obtain.

Wayne LaPierre:

“A heinous act of mass murder—either by terrorists or by some psychotic who should have been locked up long ago—will be the pretext to unleash a tsunami of gun control.”

"Responsible Americans realize that the world as we know it has changed," he wrote. "After Hurricane Sandy, we saw the hellish world that the gun prohibitionists see as their utopia. Looters ran wild in south Brooklyn. There was no food, water or electricity. And if you wanted to walk several miles to get supplies, you better get back before dark, or you might not get home at all."

“With four more years of Obama, your firearms freedoms are gone. And we’ll spend the rest of our lives mourning the freedoms we’ve lost… Every freedom we cherish as Americans is endangered by Obama. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

And while LaPierre has been roundly criticized for his stance that more guns should be on the streets and in the hands of Americans, the paranoia he feeds upon has escalated, not abated. In sense, it has been fed and continues to be fed by all forms of right-wing media and even pulpits: Pastor Gary Cass jumped into the fray with his statement, "You can't be a Christian and not own a gun." 

A Compilation Of The Paranoid Style

U.S. paranoia has reached its zenith with the Christian Right against so many things: from Obama being the Anti-Christ to Pokemon. Yes, Pokemon.

Christian Answers 

To gain the competitive edge, a trainer must use magic potions to heal and strengthen his Pokmon, and wear magic badges to control the stronger Pokmon. In addition, the really powerful Pokmon have psychic powers and can throw curses. This bears disturbing similarities to witchcraft.

Robert Jeffess:

“President Obama is not the Antichrist. But what I am saying is this: the course he is choosing to lead our nation is paving the way for the future reign of the Antichrist.”

 Chuck Norris and Pat Robertson:

“...a legion of demons would be unleashed to wreak havoc on society and help enact his evil socialist agenda, destroying all that is good and free.”

Of course, no set of Christian Right paranoia would be complete without fear of other religions and persecution:

The war against yoga:

A small but vocal group of parents, spurred on by the head of a local conservative advocacy group, has likened these 30-minute yoga classes to religious indoctrination. They say the classes — part of a comprehensive program offered to all public school students in this affluent suburb north of San Diego — represent a violation of the First Amendment.
After the classes prompted discussion in local evangelical churches, parents said they were concerned that the exercises might nudge their children closer to ancient Hindu beliefs.

"Bishop" Harry Jackson

"I think we're being set up -- for people of living faith who believe in a born-again experience who follow the Bible -- to be seen as knuckle-dragging Neanderthals who need to come into the 21st century," Jackson said.

Actually, this may not be far from the truth, for stupidity and lack of education are enablers of paranoia. Then again, since preachers like Jackson don't believe in evolution, they may not have bothered to evolve. The Gospel for Christians; Fear and Insecurity in Theology21 is a good treatise on the paranoia promulgated by today's right wing Christian leaders and it points out the blatant irrationality of most claims. It also pointed out that Pat Robertson's book, The New World Order was reviewed as a "catch all for conspiracy theories."

Islamophobia

Paranoia regarding Sharia law inculcated into the American landscape is field worthy of volumes, but perhaps the best example of Hofstadter's "paranoid style in American politics" lies with the witchhunt spawned by Michele Bachmann:

Salon:

“The events in Benghazi have proved that the United States remains under attack, both in the Middle East, and here in the United States,” she continued last night. When the moderator noted that there’s no proof that the Muslim Brotherhood was involved in the Sept. 11 attacks on U.S. diplomats in the Libyan city, Bachmann replied that “we are only just beginning” to investigate and suggested that all radical Islamists groups are tied to the Brotherhood.

And, Of Course, Gays Will Eat Your Children

World Net Daily's list of 10 worst attacks on Christianity:

7. “The overt homosexual participation in Obama’s presidential inaugural events by ‘Bishop’ Vickie Eugene Robinson, the Gay Men’s Chorus of Washington, D.C., and a homosexual marching band.”

Whither Paranoia?

Whether it involves indoctrination of children by homosexuals, Obama's "Islamification" of America, or the demons hiding in Halloween candy* the country seems to be getting more paranoid by the minute, the momentum greater than ever before. There are a multitude of panaceas and remedies for such a condition, but they may all boil down to: education. 

And there are people who are paranoid of education. Perhaps we should treat those first.



* Pat Robertson, of course.

Dolphin Falsh Mob! It's A Sign Of The End Times!!!

... or something like that. The beauty of the group of over 100,000 dolphins in the ocean will be overshadowed by "prophets" like Cindy Japan-is-shaped-like-a-dragon Jacobs issuing dire warnings and bizarre foreshadowings. 

This beats birds falling from the sky by a landslide! It must mean SOMETHING!!

DJesus Uncrossed or Rambo Jesus? Aren't They The Same, Bryan Fischer?

For years, Bryan Fischer, the most righteously arrogant man on the planet, has touted a kind of Rambo Jesus - a Messiah who will come back to kick ass. He's also an ardent NRA supporter and rip-snortin' vigilante. So why is Bryan Fischer upset at SNL for DJesus Uncrossed? (See below). He's just warning, of course. Just warning. The man is actually salivating at the possibility that DU will come to pass. 

Such are the ways of the righteously arrogant.

Savage Sunday

The savagery of today's religions is brought out in a horrible video of events this last month. It is not for the feint of heart. Nor is it for those who wish to keep faith in humanity. Those of us who do, need to remind ourselves that there are other people in the world less virulently "religious", hence kinder and more compassionate and ultimately ... more human. 



This video elicits a simple reaction: gather these people up and build a wall around them, isolate them so that they cannot co-habitate with humanity, for humanity does not deserve them and they do not deserve humanity. They will beat, enslave, murder and discriminate - all "in the name of God." 

Perhaps the most disturbing aspect of the video is the hypocrisy of zealots: from violence in an Amish community to teens telling reporters that they "love" homosexuals but don't want them attending a prom, 

The producers of the YouTube videos series, ConversationwithA, may have a problem in obtaining widespread viewership since it promotes atheism, but it can constructively be viewed as one absolutist view pointing out the hypocrisies of absolutist views. This position, however, is not without its merits: today's America is so dumbed-down that only shocking, black-and-white imagery  can be effective. Nuance and metaphor are only for those whose I.Q. are above that of a dead flashlight battery.*

Savage Sunday Points

It may not seem ironic, the video airing on a Sunday: for what day of the week would better suit it than one in which America is steeped in religion. It is a savage counterpoint to the (sometimes) clandestine savagery of religion, the underbelly of piety of which few dare speak in highly religious countries like America. 

Here are some of the news items featured:

• Pat Robertson says having a picture of Buddha in your house is idolatry and tells the owner to set it on fire because it may be demonic.
• Leader of an Amish Community is accused of violent acts and sexual abuse against members who don't agreed with him.
• Passersby in London are accosted by a Muslim sect for "looking gay" and not adhering to Sharia law.
• A fatwa is issued against Kashmir's all-girl rock band.
• Indonesian Muslims discourage people from celebrating Valentines Day.
• Saudi Arabian cleric issues edict that all baby girls should be forced to wear burkas
• Noted Saudi preacher who raped and tortured his five-year-old to death is given shockingly light sentence.
• Mother who thought 2-year old daughter was possessed by an evil spirit throws away body in trash.
• Thousands of children accused of witchcraft in Democratic Republic of the Congo are being violently abused by their own parents in response to the teaching of their pastors who tell them that the children are possessed and the cause of their poverty.
• Headline: House Bill 2647 Could Prevent Aizona Atheist From Graduating High School.
• A "kiss-in" outside Moscow's parliament became violent when the protesters were attacked by people who disagreed with (gay or straight) public displays of affection.

Love On Sunday

Another shocking aspect of the video is its demonstration of a total lack of love for humanity: from brutal clerics to doggedly fundamentalist teenagers, the lack of love for neighbors (and even kin) is appallingly evident, no matter the cries of "we don't really hate anyone." Negativity is rampant, steeped in righteousness and paranoia. And while one could argue that the religious attitudes are "fringe" and relatively small, that negativity has an far-reaching impact on the psyches of whole countries: even in church-going America, the love on Sundays has turned into a diatribe of hatred and despair, a polemic against almost any form of "Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself."

We are seeing the dark side of religiosity on a day when we are supposed to be aware of our humanity.  



*After all, it is a country in which half voted for George Bush - twice.

Meet Judie Brown: The Ole Time Nun In Drag And Grand Inquisitor

I'd never heard of this woman before, but an item in Right Wing Watch caught my eye:

American Life League: Excommunicate Catholic Democrats for Being Under 'Demonic Deceit'

Just who the hell would call for the excommunication under those circumstance, I had to know. It seems that the American Life League is the oldest (supposedly largest) "grass roots" Catholic pro-life organization wit the ear of the Vatican. And its founder, Judie Brown, is more like that nasty, moralizing nun we boomers remember all too well:

“As the faithful watch the accelerated destruction of morality in America and the Henry the VIII style tactics of the attempted destruction of Catholicism in America by Obama and his ‘Catholic’ drones, one wonders where most of America’s bishops are,” Brown laments, “Why have these high-profile destructive Catholics not been publically rebuked?”

Great, just what we need, a rabid Sister Mary Ignatius who is not in the least bit funny.

To cut right to the heart of the matter, why haven’t each of these hypocrites been publically and unequivocally excommunicated?

Perhaps, Judie, it's because few have had the gall nor the authority to call for excommunicating anyone. Moralizers who are so eager to send the souls of their enemies to hell are the most counterproductive people whether in regards to faith and morals or just plain surviving. Such righteous arrogance like Brown's is totally out of control.

Since I'm on a Betty Bowers kick, check out the Perfect Christian's take on abortion. Beat's Brown's for honesty anyway.

Fickle Friday

Fridays are unpredictable. Sure, they promise untold pleasures for the weekend, but they can be venture into frustration: you have to clean up the shit you didn't do during the week - and in a hurry! And the haste that makes the waste - oy vay!

And there's really nothing casual about it. You may look casual, but do you FEEL casual? 

Betty Bowers On Bowing-Out Benedict

The nation's BEST Christian skewers Benedict and serves his resignation en brochette. 

Paranoia Paranoia Burning Bright - In The Forest Of The Right

I'm writing about the paranoia promulgated by the Right - especially the Christian Right. 

Any suggestions/thoughts?

The 5-year-old Tornado-Stopper: Prophetess' Daughter Has The Gift Of ... Scam

Cindy Jacobs' husband (whatever his name is) relates how their daughter stopped a tornado. It doesn't help that Cindy Jacobs is dressed to look like Barney the irritating purple dinosaur. 



This stupidity may be entertaining, but really, it has to stop.

The Rubio Speech Heard Round The Water Cooler

Stephen Colbert had the best take on it:

"Don't worry, Marco, nobody will notice that you gave a speech."

Theories Theories Burning Bright: New Reports In Dorner Holdout Suggests Police Set Fire. Police Deny.

The Dorner saga has been extended - with controversy about how he died.

And in a way that may confirm Dorner's claims of the LAPD's brutality.


Huffington Post:

     "Unconfirmed police audio from the standoff Tuesday evening with alleged cop-killer Chris Dorner suggests the fire in the cabin where the suspect was holed up may have been started by the police, the Guardian speculates.

In the police audio, which was broadcast on CBS affiliate KCAL-TV on Tuesday, frantic voices of officers can be heard, including one officer apparently saying "Burn it down" or "Burn him out," while another officer appears to shout, "F***ing burn this motherf****r!"

Not Since Rodney King

Not since Rodney King have the subjects of LAPD brutality and racism dominated the media. The video of King's beating shocked the country. The revenge killings, Dorner's manifesto and the ensuing manhunt have shocked the world.

Denial

"Deputies did not intentionally burn down the Southern California mountain cabin where fugitive cop killer Christopher Dorner apparently made his deadly last stand Tuesday, the San Bernardino County sheriff said Wednesday.
'We did not intend to burn down that cabin to get Mr. Dorner to come out," Sheriff John McMahon said at an afternoon news conference.
He said deputies initially fired "cold" tear gas into the cabin newar Big Bear Lake, then switched to "pyrotechnic-type" rounds" known as "burners."

"Burners"


There is "cold" tear gas and "hot" tear gas - known as a "burner". The statement of the round being "pyrotechnic-type" may have been a slip on the part of McMahon, since "pyro" ANYTHING gives images of fire and not just heat. Therefore, a denial using the term is rather odd and needs clarification or qualification: notice McMahon did not say that the "burners" might have caused or abetted the fire. Also note that reports say that SEVEN "burners" were deployed. Were seven "burners" necessary? The questions about the use of these incendiary devices may linger on for a long time.

Drivers License

Reports of Dorner's Drivers in the ruins also raise questions as to his discovery: if the cabin was engulfed in flames as videos prove, how could the man's driver's license go left unscathed? Was it that far from the body? If so, why?

Identification

The identification of the charred body as Christopher Dorner's may take some time. How the LAPD will handle that length of time may demonstrate just how determined the police force is to tamp down the theory that Dorner was, again, ahead of the manhunt

Theories Will Go On And On

Whether or not the charred body found in the burned-out cabin is Christopher Dorner's the conspiracy theories and intimations of LAPD brutality will continue. Dorner and his manifesto set the stage for theories and investigations.

Will there be absolute transparency about the manhunt and the cabin fire? Reports of limiting reporters on the various scenes of the manhunt have also come about:

Orange County Register:

     "First, as helicopters circled above the site of the standoff between Dorner and law enforcement, officials asked news helicopters to move farther from the scene. Second, the San Bernardino District Attorney's Office sent a message on Twitter saying, "The sheriff has asked all members of the press to stop tweeting immediately. It is hindering officer safety." A few hours later, the tweet was removed." 

From the onset of the manhunt, it was posited that the LAPD did not want to take in Christopher Dorner alive because of the possibility of ensuing statements shedding light on the force's continuing brutality an racism. Reporter and former police officer Michael Ruppert was extensively interviewed on the subject of Dorner's manifesto - how much of it was true to Dorner and how much of it may have been added.

So far, it seems that if the LAPD cannot absolutely prove transparency in all aspects of the manhunt, the theories will go on and on and on.

The Sinking Ship Of The Vatican: Is Desertion Necessary?

Perhaps as a sign from above, St. Peter's dome was struck by lightening after the announcement by Benedict that he was resigning from his position of Supreme Pontiff. It was a stunning sight, caught on film at the right moment. A sign from God?




Some say that such a reaction from above may actually echo the sentiments of millions of people around the globe to Benedict's papacy.


“Both as Cardinal Ratzinger and as Pope, Benedict devoted himself to a process of undermining, silencing, and marginalizing the theologians, priests, and religious who committed themselves to the liberation of the poor." - Jennifer Hughes, Associate Professor, Humanities UC Riverside
The Sinking Ship of The Vatican

Benedict's papacy has been rife with scandal in two primary areas: cover-ups of pedophile priests and shady dealings with the Vatican finances. Of the latter, points in two OpEdNews articles come to mind: The Vatican's Fake Occupy Implodes and, more recently, The Vatican's Golden Toilet Flush bring out the profligacy of the Vatican and how it cared more for making money than giving to the poor. Liberation Theology was, in fact, given an act of defenestration, of execution and Ratzinger showed the world that Catholicism was going to reverse the progress initiated by John XXIII.
It was also going to cover up, cover up, cover up.

And it is because of these scandals, that Benedict is leaving the Vatican in less-than-better shape. To many, the Vatican is considered a ship, slowly sinking in a sea of traditionalism that no longer suits the needs of the modern world. It has reversed course from Vatican II while fighting the consequences of pedophile priests and decades of cover-ups. It has also been enthroned on financial cover-ups which, over the years, have shown the Vatican to be incredibly rich, caring for the poor less and supremacy more.


Too feeble to carry on?
"both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me."
To many, it is inconceivable that Benedict has admitted his mind is not as sharp as it once was to carry on the role of the papacy. And while he has looked more haggard of late, his deterioration seems a bit sudden to those who have watched him closely. But to those who watched the waning life of John Paul II, there's something of the quitter in Ratzinger's decision: it's more "I'm too old for this stuff. Let someone else battle the scandals and deal with the cover-ups."

There is a Twitter profile - #QuitterPope - which deals with the situation in an irreverent, but spot-on manner. It is also indicative of the ill will generated by Ratzinger's papacy.
What Now For Ratzinger?

"Will Pope Benedict now become Dowager Pope, showing up at Vatican dinners in enormous velvet hats to deliver withering one-liners?"

"The pope quit his job to spend more time with your children."

- Betty Bowers

REGENSBURG, Germany (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI is planning to stay out of the public eye following his retirement at the end of the month and will probably not write any further works during hislifetime, his brother said Tuesday after talking with the pontiff.
While many people like OPEDNews' own Rob Kall and Matthew Fox says "Good Riddance," the situation of a retired pope may not be dismissed as easily as one might think: what will the Vatican be spending on a papal retirement? How extravagant will it be? Benedict will definitely not be cared for in some obscure monastery in the Alps. Will the pope who wears Prada afford the luxury of a gold and diamond-studded toilet handle in the papal apartments and be attended to by monsignors and bishops? Possibly. Will he receive all the trappings of a retired monarch, like chauffeur-driven limos and those ever-present Prada shoes? Probably. After all, Ratzinger is a traditionalist and even former popes have to keep up appearances. 

More importantly, will he continue to pull strings?

The Next One: The Devil Wears Prada





While parodying pundits like Betty Bowers are having a field day with Ratzinger's resignation, the seriousness of the candidacy looms: will the next pope carry on the regressive policies? After all, many of cardinals standing were hand-picked by the the pontiff to keep up the pace of such regression.

Will reluctance of transparency still be the order of the day?

More importantly, will the new pope continue to wear Prada?

Is The Fake Dorner Manifesto Anderson Cooper's Dan Rather Moment?

To date, there is no response from CNN or Anderson Cooper about the supposed "manifesto" read on air and composed by Christopher Dorner. 

And while it may have been a mistake - much like Dan Rather's reading of the false report on George Bush's military career - the mistake should be noted. Dan Rather corrected and apologized. Will Cooper? 

The newsroom anchor's job can sometimes be thankless: if you don't dig up the material yourself (or don't have the time), you must relay on the reports of others - and the credibility of what's been placed in front of you.You have to trust the rest of the staff to have done enough due diligence on the material that it is true and accurate. Journalists know that repeated apologies for inaccuracy are death to their careers.

So now the question arises: who wrote the last 30% of the manifesto? And who handed it to Cooper? We may never know, since newsrooms like CNN are convoluted teams, and getting to the absolute source of the fake manifesto will be difficult.

The Obvious

What is obvious to any reader of the two manifestos is that someone wanted to portray Dorners as exceptionally left wing. With the exception of "I am not a f*cking Christian," Dorners gives us little insight into his politics* in the first ten pages. What follows, however, is an outpouring of admiration for decidedly liberal media and political figures. It also accentuates a violent, calculated nature - one which was not brought out in the first part of the manifesto. True, there are inconsistencies (his admiration for George H.W. Bush, support of Chick-fil-A) but they serve to highlight the effusive, liberal tone of the piece. The following is the addition in its entirety, parts of which Anderson Cooper read aloud. I have emphasized those sentences and phrases which seem to indicate a deliberate left-wing portrayal. The reader may judge for himself.

ADDED TO THE ACTUAL MANIFESTO OF CHRISTOPHER DORNER

Whatever pre-planned responses you have established for a scenario like me, shelve it. Whatever contingency plan you have, shelve it. Whatever tertiary plan you’ve created, shelve it. I am a walking exigent circumstance with no OFF or reset button. JRIC, DOJ, LASD, FBI and other local LE can’t assist and should not involve themselves in a matter that does not concern them. For all other agencies, do not involve yourself in this capture or recovery of me. Look at the big picture of the situation. They (LAPD) created the situation. I will harm no outside agency unless it is a deadly force/IDOL situation. With today’s budgeting and fiscal mess, you guys can not afford lose several officers to IOD or KIA/EOW. Plus, other officers should not have to take on the additional duties and responsibilities of dead officers. Think about their families, outside agencies, Chiefs/Directors.

Outside agencies and individual officers on patrol. If you recognize my vehicle, and confirm it is my vehicle thru a dmv/want warrant check. It behoves you to respond to dispatch that your query was for information purposes only. If you proceed with a traffic stop or attempt to notify other officers of my location or for backup you will not live to see the medal of valor you were hoping to receive for your actions. Think before you attempt to intervene. You will not survive. Your family will receive that medal of valor posthumously. It will gather dust on the fireplace mantel for years. Then one day, it will go in a shoe box with other memories. Your mother will lose a son or daughter. Your significant other will be left alone, but they will find someone else to fill your void in the future and make them just as happy. Your children, if you have them, will call someone else mommy or daddy. Don’t be selfish. Your vest is only a level II or IIIA, think about it.

No amount of IMINT, MASINT, and ELINT assist you in capturing me. I am off the grid. You better use your feet, tongue and every available DOD/ NON-DOD HUMINT agency, contractor to find me. I know your route to and from home, and your division. I know your significant others routine, your children’s best friends and recess. I know Your Sancha’s gym hours and routine. I assure you that the casualty rate will be high. Because of that, no one will remember your name. You will merely be a DR# and “that guy” who was KIA/EOW or long term IOD/light duty in the kit room. This is exactly why “station 500″ was created. Unfortunately, orphanages will be making a comeback in the 21st century.

If you had a well regulated AWB, this would not happen. The time is now to reinstitute a ban that will save lives. Why does any sportsman need a 30 round magazine for hunting? Why does anyone need a suppressor? Why does anyone need a AR15 rifle? This is the same small arms weapons system utilized in eradicating Al Qaeda, Taliban, and every enemy combatant since the Vietnam war. Don’t give me that crap that its not a select fire or full auto rifle like the DoD uses. That’s bullshit because troops who carry the M-4/M-16 weapon system for combat ops outside the wire rarely utilize the select fire function when in contact with enemy combatants. The use of select fire probably isn’t even 1% in combat. So in essence, the AR-15 semiautomatic rifle is the same as the M-4/M-16. These do not need to be purchased as easily as walking to your local Walmart or striking the enter key on your keyboard to “add to cart”. All the firearms utilized in my activities are registered to me and were legally purchased at gun stores and private party transfers. All concealable weapons (pistols) were also legally register in my name at police stations or FFL’s. Unfortunately, are you aware that I obtained class III weapons (suppressors) without a background check thru NICS or DROS completely LEGALLY several times? I was able to use a trust account that I created on quicken will maker and a $10 notary charge at a mailbox etc. to obtain them legally. Granted, I am not a felon, nor have a DV misdemeanor conviction or active TRO against me on a NCIC file. I can buy any firearm I want, but should I be able to purchase these class III weapons (SBR’s, and suppressors) without a background check and just a $10 notary signature on a quicken will maker program? The answer is NO. I’m not even a resident of the state i purchased them in. Lock n Load just wanted money so they allow you to purchase class III weapons with just a notarized trust, military ID. Shame on you, Lock n Load. NFA and ATF need new laws and policies that do not allow loopholes such as this. In the end, I hope that you will realize that the small arms I utilize should not be accessed with the ease that I obtained them. Who in there right mind needs a fucking silencer!!! who needs a freaking SBR AR15? No one. No more Virginia Tech, Columbine HS, Wisconsin temple, Aurora theatre, Portland malls, Tucson rally, Newtown Sandy Hook. Whether by executive order or thru a bi-partisan congress an assault weapons ban needs to be re-instituted. Period!!!

Mia Farrow said it best. “Gun control is no longer debatable, it’s not a conversation, its a moral mandate.”

Sen. Feinstein, you are doing the right thing in leading the re-institution of a national AWB. Never again should any public official state that their prayers and thoughts are with the family. That has become cliche’ and meaningless. Its time for action. Let this be your legacy that you bestow to America. Do not be swayed by obstacles, antagaonist, and naysayers. Remember the innocent children at Austin, Kent, Stockton, Fullerton, San Diego, Iowa City, Jonesboro, Columbine, Nickel Mines, Blacksburg, Springfield, Red Lake, Chardon, Aurora, and Newtown. Make sure this never happens again!!!

In my cache you will find several small arms. In the cache, Bushmaster firearms, Remington precision rifles, and AAC Suppressors (silencers). All of these small arms are manufactured by Cerberus/Freedom Group. The same company responsible for the Portland mall shooting, Webster , NY, and Sandy Hook massacre.

You disrespect the office of the POTUS/Presidency and Commander in Chief. You call him Kenyan, mongroid, halfrican, muslim, and FBHO when in essence you are to address him as simply, President. The same as you did to President George W. Bush and all those in the highest ranking position of our land before him. Just as I always have. You question his birth certificate, his educational and professional accomplishments, and his judeo-christian beliefs. You make disparaging remarks about his dead parents. You never questioned the fact that his former opponent, the honorable Senator John McCain, was not born in the CONUS or that Bush had a C average in his undergrad. Electoral Candidates children (Romney) state they want to punch the president in the face during debates with no formal repercussions. No one even questioned the fact that the son just made a criminal threat toward the President. You call his wife a Wookie. Off the record, I love your new bangs, Mrs. Obama. A woman whose professional and educational accomplishments are second to none when compared to recent First wives. You call his supporters, whether black, brown, yellow, or white, leeches, FSA, welfare recipients, and niamp;er lovers. You say this openly without any discretion. Before you start with your argument that you believe I would vote for Obama because he has the same skin color as me, fuck you. I didn’t vote in this last election as my choice of candidate, John Huntsman, didn’t win the primary candidacy for his party. Mr. President, I haven’t agreed with all of your decisions but of course I haven’t agreed with all of your predecessors decisions. I think you’ve done a hell of a job with what you have been dealt and how you have managed it. I shed a tear the night you were initially elected President in 2008. I never thought that day would occur. A black man elected president in the U.S. in my lifetime. I cracked a smiled when you were re-elected in 2012 because I really didn’t think you were going to pull that one off. Romney, stop being a sore loser. You could’ve exited graciously and still contributed significantly to public service, not now. Mr. President, get back to work. Many want to see you fail as they have stated so many times previously. Unfortunately, if you fail, the U.S. fails but your opponents do not concern themselves about the big picture. Do not forget your commitment to transparency in your administration. Sometimes I believe your administration forgets that. America, you will realize today and tomorrow that this world is made up of all human beings who have the same general needs and wants in life for themselves, their kin, community, and state. That is the freedom to LIVE and LOVE. They may eat different foods, enjoy different music, have different dialects, or speak a second language, but in essence are no different from you and I. This is America. We are not a perfect sovereign country as we have our own flaws but we are the closest that will ever exist.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time an authoritative figure has lied on me.

Mr. Freid, assistant principal, Cypress HS. Remember when you lied to my mother and the police officer in your office about stating that you never stated to me in a private conversation that you know the theft suspect (Miranda) stole my watch. Let me refresh your memory. A physical education teachers assistant, a student, stole the list of combination codes to peoples lockers, from the P.E. teacher. That student then opened many of those lockers and stole students personal property. My watch was taken in that multi theft an I reported it to you. A week later you discovered that the theft suspect was Paul Miranda, a student. You stated to me in private that you know for a fact he stole my property. When I attempted to retrieve my property from the suspect. Campus security was called and you lied and stated that you never stated to me that you “know he stole my watch”. You sat there and lied to their faces right in front of me. You said it with such a deliberate, stern face. I never forgot that and was not surprised when 13 years later I was lied on again in the BOR by Teresa Evans. maybe you can confess to your family at the very least in the private of your own home. After that, contact my mother and apologize for lying to her in 1996.

If possible, I want my brain preserved for science/research to study the effects of severe depression on an individual’s brain. Since 6/26/08 when I was relieved of duty and 1/2/09 when I was terminated I have been afflicted with severe depression. I’ve had two CT scans during my lifetime that are in my medical record at Kaiser Permanente. Both are from concussions resulting from playing football. The first one was in high school, 10/96. The second was in college and occurred in 10/99. Both were conducted at Kaiser Permanente hospitals in LA/Orange county. These two CT scans should give a good baseline for my brain activity before severe depression began in late 2008.

Sure, many of you “law enforcement experts and specialist” will state, “in all my years this is the worst……..”, Stop!!! That’s not important. Ask yourselves what would cause somebody to take these drastic measures like I did. That’s what is important.

To my friends listed below, I wish we could have grown old together and spent more time together. When you reminisce of our friendship and experiences, think of that and that only. Do not dwell on my recent actions the last few days. This was a necessary evil that had to be executed in order for me to obtain my NAME back. The only thing that changes policy and garners attention is death.

Luis Sanchez, greatest friend, Marine officer, aviator, and an even better father and husband. I Couldn’t have had a better big brother than you. Your spoken wisdom was always retained by me, you old salty Mustang. You sternly told me that no matter what I accomplish I will always be a ni#%er in many individuals eyes. At the time, I did not comprehend your words. I do now. I never forgot the quote you state below. I love you bro.

I never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever feeling sorry for itself. –D.H. Lawrence

Jason Valadao, greatest friend, Naval officer, aviator, Great Father, husband, doctor, and even better human being. I always strived to live my life parallel to your similar values and personal disciplines. Danika is lucky to have found a man like yourself, and you are fortunate to have married an irrefutable imperfect woman. Always focus on your IMMEDIATE family as they are the ones who have loved you unconditionally and always been their to support you in difficult times. I always lived my life as WWJD (what would Jason do). Danika, take care of this guy. Jason, I’m sorry I missed your wedding and you had to find another best man. I’m sorry my predicament with the department stopped me from watching you and Danika get married and arguing with you about issues that were insignificant when I was really angry at the LAPD for what they did to me. I’m deeply sorry and I love you guys.

James Usera, great friend, attorney, father, husband, and the most cynical/blatant/politically incorrect friend a man can have. Best quality about you in college and now is that you never sugar coated the truth. I will miss our political discussions that always turned argumentative. Thanks for introducing me to outdoor sports like fishing, hunting, mudding, and also respect for the land and resources. Us city boys don’t get out much like you Alaskans. You even introduced me to PBR. A beer, that when you’re a poor college student is completely acceptable to get buzzed off of. I’m sorry I’ll never get to go on that moose and bear hunt with you. I love you bro.

Kinta Smith, greatest friend, accountant, entrepreneur, and even better Human being. You are probably the most well balanced person I’ve ever met and the most driven for success. In college, and after graduation, I was inspired by your personal drive. Never settle. When you make your first million, promise me you won’t forget to enjoy it a bit. I know your first reaction will be to invest it somewhere else. Spend a little, just a little. I love you bro.

Jason Young, great friend, entrepeneur, husband and father. You showed me the importance of fatherhood and friendship. Love you bro.

Suzie Clark Cunningham, Kassandra Harrell, Melinda Yates, Cal Jackson, Ryan Smith, The Rebelledos, The Banks, Ben Bines, J. Work, Bill O’neill, Jeremy Fletcher, and Rob Harriston.

You guys were all important and very special to me.** Don’t be angry with me. I missed some of your weddings and unfortunately, some of your funerals. This was a necessary evil.

Some say it is my fault that I was terminated. Yes, DDX, I remember you stating this to me in an angry fit. You said that I should have kept my mouth shut about another officer’s misconduct. Maybe you were right. But I’m not built like others, it’s not in my DNA and my history has always shown that. When you view the video of the suspect stating he was kicked by Evans, maybe you will see that I was a decent person after all. I told the truth. It still hurt that you abandoned me in my time of need. I hope you’re happy, that’s all I ever wanted for you.

Sgt. Leonard Perez, you meant well but you should have known with your time on the job that the department would attempt to protect someone like Evans because of her time on the job, personal friendships, and ethicity. I’m not angry with you, but you should have known as an IA investigator.

Sgt Maggie Faust LPPD, Ofcr John Thomas LPPD (ret), and Chief Eric Nunez LPPD, your guidance and mentoring as a young police explorer was second to none and invaluable as a young man, police officer, and naval officer. Sgt Faust, you forewarned me long ago about joining LAPD as they were “different” and operated differently from other modern law enforcement agencies. I now know it was your humbleness and respect for all who wear the badge and protect their communities that you didn’t just express what you wanted to say, that they lack values and basic ethics as law enforcement officers. Chief Nunez, your fucking awesome. Thanks for the long talks over the years when I was an explorer, college student, Naval officer, and Police officer. Your are a great leader and carry your heart on your sleeve. Your son will be a great Air Force officer with the upringing you provided. John, what can I say? Your just an awesome person and my first exposure to what law enforcement was really about was on our ride alongs. Your realistic approach and empathetic approach to treating all people as humans first is something I carried with me daily. Thank you, every one of you.

Dr. Funahashi, thank you for the superb surgery you performed on my knee on 7/98 in Irvine, CA. I never had the opportunity to thank you for allowing me to live a life free of knee joint pain. Thank you.

CM1 Bissett (Ret.), I learned more from you about leadership than most of my own commanders. You lived by a strict ethos of get it done, and get it done right. I wanted to attend your retirement, I really did. But because of my predicament I was unable to. Hope you and Ritchie are still together. I’ve always held you in high regard.

Sgt Maj. Kenneth “Rock” Rocquemore USMC, Thank you for the intense instruction and mentorship and time spent forging me into a never quit officer. You were challenging as a DI. You made sure the vicious and intense personality I possess was discovered. On a lighter note….Don’t feel humbled you never broke me. I made it a personal goal to never give up years before. The Corp is lucky to have you at the front. Your leadership is essential and needed for all marines, especially staff NCO’s and mentorship and advisement to company grade officers. You are the epitome of a US marine and never forget that.

I thank my friends for the awesome shared experiences. I thank the unnamed women I dated over my lifetime for the great and sometimes not so great sex.

It’s kind of sad I won’t be around to view and enjoy The Hangover III. What an awesome trilogy. Todd Phillips, don’t make anymore Hangovers after the third, takes away the originality of its foundation. World War Z looks good and The Walking Dead season 3 (second half) looked intriguing. Damn, gonna miss shark week.

Mr. Vice President, do your due diligence when formulating a concise and permanent national AWB plan. Future generations of Americans depend on your plan and advisement to the president. I’ve always been a fan of yours and consider you one of the few genuine and charismatic politicians. Damn, sounds like an oxymoron calling you an honest politician. It’s the truth.

Hillary Clinton. You’ll make one hell of a president in 2016. Much like your husband, Bill, you will be one of the greatest. Look at Castro in San Antonio as a running mate or possible secretary of state. He’s (good people) and I have faith and confidence in him. Look after Bill. He was always my favorite President. Chelsea grew up to be one hell of an attractive woman. No disrespect to her husband.

Gov. Chris Christie. What can I say? You’re the only person I would like to see in the White House in 2016 other than Hillary. You’re America’s no shit taking uncle. Do one thing for your wife, kids, and supporters. Start walking at night and eat a little less, not a lot less, just a little. We want to see you around for a long time. Your leadership is greatly needed.

Wayne LaPierre, President of the NRA, you’re a vile and inhumane piece of shit. You never even showed 30 seconds of empathy for the children, teachers, and families of Sandy Hook. You deflected any type of blame/responsibility and directed it toward the influence of movies and the media. You are a failure of a human being. May all of your immediate and distant family die horrific deaths in front of you.

Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough, Pat Harvey, Brian Williams, Soledad Obrien, Wolf Blitzer, Meredith Viera, Tavis Smiley, and Anderson Cooper, keep up the great work and follow Cronkite’s lead. I hold many of you in the same regard as Tom Brokaw and the late Peter Jennings. Cooper, stop nagging and berating your guest, they’re your (guest). Mr. Scarborough, we met at McGuire’s pub in P-cola in 2002 when I was stationed there. It was an honor conversing with you about politics, family, and life.

Willie Geist, you’re a talented and charismatic journalist. Stop with all the talk show shenanigans and get back to your core of reporting. Your future is brighter than most.

Revoke the citizenship of Fareed Zakaria and deport him. I’ve never heard a positive word about America or its interest from his mouth, ever. On the same day, give Piers Morgan an indefinite resident alien and Visa card. Mr. Morgan, the problem that many American gun owners have with you and your continuous discussion of gun control is that you are not an American citizen and have an accent that is distinct and clarifies that you are a foreigner. I want you to know that I agree with you 100% on enacting stricter firearm laws but you must understand that your critics will always have in the back of their mind that you are native to a country that we won our sovereignty from while using firearms as a last resort in defense and you come from a country that has no legal private ownership of firearms. That is disheartening to American gun owners and rightfully so.

The honorable President George H.W. Bush, they never give you enough credit for your successful Presidency. You were always one of my favorite Presidents (2nd favorite). I hope your health improves greatly. You are the epitome of an American and service to country.

General Petraeus, you made a mistake that the majority of men make once, twice, or unfortunately many times in a lifetime. You are human. You thought with your penis. It’s okay.I personally believe you should have never resigned and told your critics to shove it. You only answer to two people regarding the affair, your wife and children, period. I hope you return to government service to your country as it is visibly in your DNA.

General Colin Powell, your book “My American Journey” solidified my decision to join the military after college. I had always intended to serve, but your book and journey motivated me. You are an inspiration to all Americans and influenced me greatly.

To all SEA’s (senior enlisted advisers), you are just as important if not a greater viability to large and small commands. It’s time you take a more active role in leading your enlisted and advising officers. These are not your twilight years or time to relax. You can either strengthen the tip of the spear, or make it brittle. You decide.

Pat Harvey, I’ve always thought you carried yourself professionally and personally the way a strong black woman should. Your articulation and speech is second to none. You are the epitome of a journalist/anchor. You are America.

Ellen Degeneres, continue your excellent contribution to entertaining America and bringing the human factor to entertainment. You changed the perception of your gay community and how we as Americans view the LGBT community. I congratulate you on your success and opening my eyes as a young adult, and my generation to the fact that you are know different from us other than who you choose to love. Oh, and you Prop 8 supporters, why the fuck do you care who your neighbor marries. Hypocritical pieces of shit.

Westboro Baptist Church, may you all burn slowly in a fire, not from smoke inhalation, but from the flames and only the flames.

Tebow, I really wanted to see you take charge of an offense again and the game. You are not a good QB by todays standards, but you are a great football player who knows how to lead a team and WIN. You will be “Tebowing” when you reach your next team. I have faith in you. Get out of that circus they call the Jets and away from the reality TV star, Rex Ryan, and Mark Rapist Sanchez.

Christopher Walz, you impressed me in Inglorious Basterds. After viewing Django Unchained, I was sold. I have come to the conclusion that you are well on your way to becoming one of the greats if not already and show glimpses of Daniel Day Lewis and Morgan Freeman-esque type qualities of greatness. Trust me when I say that you will be one of the greatest ever.

Jennifer Beals, Serena Williams, Grae Drake, Lisa Nicole-Carson, Diana Taurasi, N’bushe Wright, Brenda Villa, Kate Winslet, Ashley Graham, Erika Christensen, Gabrielle Union, Isabella Soprano, Zain Verjee, Tamron Hall, Gina Carano, America Ferrara, Giana Michaels, Nene, Natalie Portman, Queen Latifah, Michelle Rodriguez, Anjelah Johnson, Kelly Clarkson, Nora Jones, Laura Prepon, Margaret Cho, and Rutina Wesley, you are THE MOST beautiful women on this planet, period. Never settle, professionally or personally.

Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” is the greatest piece of music ever, period. Hanz Zimmer, William Bell, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bob Marley, Sam Cooke, Metallica, Rob Zombie, Nora Jones, Marvin Gaye,Jay-Z, and the King (Louis Armstrong) are musical prodigies.

Jeffrey Toobin and David Gergen, you are political geniuses and modern scholars. Hopefully Toobin is nominated for the Supreme Court and implements some damn common sense and reasoning instead of partisan bickering. But in true Toobin fashion, we all know he would not accept the nomination.
,
John and Ken from KFI, never mute your facts and personal opinions. You are one of the few media personalities who speak the truth, even when the truth is not popular. I will miss listening to your discussions.

Bill Handel, your effin awesome. For years I enjoyed your show.

Anthony Bourdain, you’re a modern renaissance man who epitomizes the saying “too cool for school”.

Larry David, Kevin Hart, the late Patrice Oneal, Lisa Lampanelli, Chris Rock, Jerry Seinfeld, Louis CK, Dave Chapelle, Jon Stewart, Wanda Sykes, Dennis Miller, and Jeff Ross are pure geniuses. I’m a big fan of all of your work. As a child my mom caught me watching Def Jam comedy at midnight when I should have been asleep. Instead of scolding me, the next night she let me stay up late and watchGeorge Carlin, Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor comedy specials with her for hours. My sides were sore for days.

Larry David, I agree. 72-82 degrees is way to hot in a residence. 68 , degrees is perfect.

Cyclist, I have no problem sharing the road with you. But, at least go the fucking speed limit posted or get off the road!!! That is a feasible request. Livestrong you fraudulent assholes.

Cardinal Mahoney, you are in essence a predator yourself as you enabled your subordinates to molest multiple children in the church over many decades. May you die a long and slow painful death.

If you continuously followed me while I was walking at dusk/night I would confront you as well. Too bad Trayvon didn’t smash your skull completely open, Zim. While Trayvon’s body erodes to bones 6 feet under, Zimmerman has put on no less than 40 pounds while out on bail. Zimmerman was arrested for battery on a Peace officer and avoided jail/prison because he completed a diversion program. Thats a history of being an asshole. Zimmerman couldn’t get hired by a LE agency because of poor credit/and a history of violence/restraining orders with women. So what does he do? Designate himself, neighborhood watch captain and make complaints to his city council about the horrible work ethic and laziness of the officers patrolling his neighborhood. Good one Zim. How classy that your father attempts to use his veterans status “disabled veteran” during your bail hearing but doesn’t state what his disability percentage is. Prior service personnel know it can be 5% disability to 100%. You and your attorneys always avoid mentioning your fathers occupation as a magistrate/judge because I’m sure he’s utilized his position to get you out of way more jams then the public has discovered and that your family is not indigent. Oh, tell your wife to stop perjuring herself in court.

KCCO

Anonymous, you are hated, vilified, and considered an enemy to the state. I personally view you as a culture and a necessity that brings truth to a cloaked world. Forge ahead!

Charlie Sheen, you’re effin awesome.

My opinion on women in combat MOS’, Designators, Rates, and AFSC’s. I wish all of you who attempt to pursue combat occupational roles the greatest success in completing, graduating, and qualifying in their respective schools/courses. Many want to see you fail. Remember, everyone of you is a pioneer. There was a time when they didn’t allow blacks to fight the good fight. This is your civil rights. Don’t quit!!!

It’s time to allow gay service member’s spouses to utilize the same benefits that all heterosexual dependents are eligible for. Medical, Dental, Tricare, Deers, SGLI, BX, Commissary, Milstar, MWR, etc. Flag officers, lets be honest. You can’t really give a valid argument to as why gays shouldn’t be eligible as every month a new state enacts laws that allow same sex marriage.

LGBT community and supporters, the same way you have the right to voice your opinion on acceptance of gay marriage, Chick Fil-A has a right to voice their beliefs as well. That’s what makes America so great. Freedom of expression. Don’t be assholes and boycott/degrade their business and customers who patronize the locations. They make some damn good chicken! Vandalizing (graffiti) their locations does not help any cause.

Mr. Bill Cosby, you are a reasonable and talented man who has spoken the truth of the cultural anomalies within the black communities that need to change now. The black communities’ resentment toward you is because they don’t like hearing the truth or having their clear and evident dirty laundry aired to the nation. The problem is, the country is not blind nor dumb. They believe we are animals. Do not mute your unvarnished truthful speech or moral compass. Blacks must strive for more in life than bling, hoes, and cars. The current culture is an epidemic that leaves them with no discernible future. They’re suffocating and don’t even know it. MLK Jr. Would be mortified at what he worked so hard for in our acceptance as equal beings and how unfortunately we stopped progressing and began digressing. Chicago’s youth violence is a prime example of how our black communities values have declined. We can not address this nation’s intolerant issues until we address our own communities morality issues first. Accountability. We need to hold ou”


*With the politicization of religion and Dorner's school experience, it is safe to say that Dorner is referring to Right Wing fundamentalism.

** This list of friends brings up a point: whoever wrote the additional pages knew who Dorner's friends were. Was it possible that someone in the LAPD wrote it?