Exorcism Of The Day

Clip recap: "Molested as a child and unloved by her father, Velkis was tormented by rejection and abuse. This exorcism was a physical workout for all involved. Watch the end for the surprising name of the chief demon."

Live Faith-Healing By Pat Robertson

Right there over the tee-vee!

Russians Petition To Get Alaska Back

NPR opens this story by declaring that it's not an April Fool's joke.

President Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea is reigniting talk in Russia of taking back Alaska from the United States, which purchased the territory from a czar for $7.2 million nearly a century and a half ago. Most of the talk is tongue-in-cheek, but comes at a time of heightened sensitivity in the West over whether Russia is planning further incursions or land grabs. A recent petition written in clunky English on the official White House website seeks Alaska's secession and return to Russia. So far, it has generated more than 37,000 signatures — or more than a third of the 100,000 needed to get the Obama administration to formally respond. According to the website, the petition was created by "S.V." of Anchorage on March 21. But the Moscow Times writes Monday that the petition was actually uploaded by a pro-Kremlin outfit called Government Communication G2C, which was trying to show flaws in the White House petition system, rather than to get Alaska back.

NPR adds that last year an "obscure Russian group" filed a demand with the US federal government for the return of Alaska, claiming that the legalization of gay marriage (which Alaska doesn't have) voided the 1867 Alaska Purchase. 

Emergency Proselytizing Teams Deployed Onto Homeless And Hungry Storm Victims

Oh brother.

UCLA Study: GOP Women Are Prettier

World Net Daily is promoting a study by a UCLA graduate student which claims that Democratic female members of the U.S. House tend to look butch compared to their delicate feminine GOP counterparts.

“Female politicians with stereotypically feminine facial features are more likely to be Republican than Democrat, and the correlation increases the more conservative the lawmaker’s voting record,” said lead author Colleen M. Carpinella, a UCLA graduate student in psychology. According to a report on the UCLA website, “The researchers also found the opposite to be true: Female politicians with less stereotypically feminine facial features were more likely to be Democrats, and the more liberal their voting record, the greater the distance the politician’s appearance strayed from stereotypical gender norms.”

The study also claims that Democratic male members of the House look more "traditionally masculine" than male Republicans.  But according to the totally unbiased researcher, that's OK, because it's "unnecessary for Republican men to exhibit masculinity through their appearance. Their policy advocacy and leadership roles may already confer these characteristics on them."  

Obama Called Jesus A Liar

Portly hypocrite Matt Barber continuously bashes people for not adhering to scripture. And yet he lives.

Quote Of The Day - Del Tackett

"A lot of the studies have shown that homosexual activities and tendencies and desires and so forth often come from a deep pathology within the home and oftentimes that is traced to a lack of a proper role model. That lack of a proper role model can be on both extremes, it can be on one end the tyrant, which is not the biblical mode, not the biblical understanding of headship and leadership, it’s an abusive tyrant mode, or, which is more prevalent, on the other end, is this abdication, it’s the absence, it’s the guy who is just drinking beer on the couch, just flipping through the channels, and he has no leadership role at all." - Del Tackett, head of Focus On The Family's Truth Project, which sells $99 Christian training DVDs.

Jesus Is Not Gluten-Free

I actually see Cher, but whatevs crazy lady.

Tops Are Just As Damned As Bottoms

God's Gentle People have re-translated the Bible to make it more clear that homosexual tops are just as damned as "passive" participants in man-on-man sex.

“Debates among Christians about the teaching of the Bible on homosexuality over the last twenty years sparked considerable scholarly interest in relevant words and texts,” said Moo in an interview with The Christian Post. “This research showed that two Greek words in this verse referred, respectively, to the passive and active participants in male homosexual activity.” Moo also explained the problem with the previous translation for a verse like the one in 1 Corinthians 6:9. The 1984 NIV rendering did not make clear whether homosexual activity per se was being condemned or whether only certain kinds of ‘offensive’ homosexual activity was being condemned,” said Moo. The updated NIV makes clear that the Greek words here indicate any kind of homosexual activity. The updated NIV also reflects the fact that the key Greek word here refers to males.

The theologians at Free Republic weigh in:

-"For those interested, the Greek words are ‘sodomite’ and ‘catamite’. Pitchers and catchers."
-"Two women can’t actually have sex."
-"A sodomite is the adult male homosexual rapist. Pitchers and catchers, sodomites and catamites. Always paired together."

Wingnut Word Salad

"For society, and a majority of our society, to be asked by a very small minority to change its ways — and everybody can interpret that for themselves; that can be constitutional, that can be by law, that can be by faith — the homosexual community wants to go and start its own churches and get married, they’re free to do that. And I don’t see that being unreasonable to say, why should people who believe this in a big way that’s been around for a long time turn around and alter what they feel is their sensibility just because those folks feel like, ‘We’re not being treated equal.'" - Actor Stephen Baldwin, saying something something something.

Yours For $150: Actual Brimstone That Killed Homos At Sodom & Gomorrah

Now on sale at Ark Discovery:

Brimstone samples from our search of the cities of the plain can be yours. Comes in an attractive 12" x 8" display case with glass top. A great conversation starter at your church, home, or office. These are available for a limited time. $150 for a medium size sample of brimstone, at least 1/2 inch in diameter. No returns, all sales final.

The certificate of authenticity is a nice touch.

Today In Predictable Navel-Gazing Over-Intellectualizing Queer Theorist Attacks On Dan Savage

In what feels like a rerun of this JMG post about an earlier attack on Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project, today blogger Renee Martin announces that Savage is unworthy of an MTV show. Because he's only interested in the civil rights of people who look just him. Or something.

Simply because Savage is a gay man, does not mean that his cisgender, able-bodied, thin privileged, class privileged, White male body, does not represent several dominant norms, from which he can and does benefit. While he is quick to point out any homophobia that prevents him from joining the dominant class, his continual dependency on isms, suggests that his real goal is not true equality, but eradicating that which prevents him from fully enjoying all of the privileges normally assigned to a White male, cisgender, able bodied, thin, class privileged existence.

I recall one organizer grumbling to me back in San Francisco that hardcore queer activists would never be satisfied until the grand marshal of the pride parade was a "transgender polyamorous handicapped hearing-impaired immigrant two-spirit woman of color." Which would be a totally wonderful thing so see, IF that person has achieved something worthy of leading the parade.

But tokenism for the mere illusion of diversity is still tokenism. So if not Dan Savage, then who? Where is our non-white, non-thin, non-abled, non-cisgender nationally famous sex advice columnist deserving of a show on cable television?

PREDICTABLE: Navel-Gazing Over-Intellectualizing Queer Theorists Attack Dan Savage's "It Gets Better"

At almost the moment that Dan Savage shared his idea for helping LGBT youth, I began pondering the inevitable backlash from the queer theorists who relish attacking any project (no matter how innovative, effective, or sincere) merely because it came from a member of the "patriarchal ageist classist gay white cis-male privileged ruling class." I've read a few such predictable rants since the moment the It Gets Better Project launched, but this one takes the cake.

I'll just excerpt one bit of this drivel, where the author attacks Savage's own initial video.

Promoting the illusion that things just “get better,” enables privileged folks to do nothing and just rely on the imaginary mechanics of the American Dream to fix the world. Fuck that. How can you tell kids it gets better without having the guts to say how. This is a video for rich kids for whom the only violent part of their life is high school. It’s a video for classist, privileged gay folks who think that telling their stories is the best way to help others. Telling folks that their suffering is normal doesn’t reassure them– it homogenizes their experience. It doesn’t make them feel like part of a bigger community, it makes them feel irrelevant.

From my privileged classist gay white cis-male walk-up studio apartment, let me just say, FUCK YOU, LADY.

For a more nuanced reaction, let's go to Matthew Rettenmund.

"Telling people that they have to wait for their life to get amazing—to tough it out so that they can be around when life gets amazing—is a violent reassignment of guilt." This is laughable. Violently laughable. We're talking about kids considering suicide, and the writer thinks that the "reassignment of guilt"—if that's even what this is about—is "violent"? No, violent is hanging yourself. This is the kind of writer who probably refers to unpleasant words as "rape," too. The writer thinks it's "ageist garbage" to tell kids they're depriving themselves if they don't survive their teen years. Is it really ageist to say life improves as you age? It also argues that kids are being pre-blamed for not having the guts to make it to the promised land, but isn't it really just an extension of hope, an encouragement to continue living? Note to essayist: Stay away from romcoms.

And the far left continues to eat its progressive own in the cause of some mythical gaytopia.

Florida Nurse Fired Over Decades Old Nightclub Drag Act

A nurse in Florida has been fired and told he can no longer work in his profession because his employers discovered that he was busted for "promoting a lewd performance." That horrific act? Working as the drag queen emcee of a wet jockey shorts contest 34 years ago.

From South Florida Gay News:

For the past 15 years, Ray Fetcho has been an acclaimed and honored employee at Victoria Villa, an assisted living facility in Davie, recognized for his “compassionate service to the elderly.” On March 31, 1976, Fetcho, performing as ‘Tiny Tina’ at the Copa in Dania Beach, was charged and convicted of promoting ‘lewd and lascivious’ behavior by throwing small buckets of water on boys’ briefs while hosting the irreverent ‘Wet Jockey Shorts’ contest. Last month, that dated conviction from his past became a nightmare. Last week, Ray Fetcho was summarily fired from the job he has loved and cherished. A state licensing agency, the Agency for Health Care Administration, doing a routine screening inspection of nursing home employees, told him he would be ineligible to remain on the job at his facility “because of the lewd act conviction” from thirty plus years ago. During the 1970’s and 80’s, the Copa was the most renowned and preeminent gay bar in South Florida. It was an international destination for tourists and a ‘coming out’ venue for anyone local, gay, and seeking an all night dance club.

I attended Tiny Tina's wet jockey shorts contest at Fort Lauderdale's Copa many, many times over the years. As I recall, it was always on a Tuesday night and was pretty much THE thing to do if you got restless at home in the middle of the week. And it was always hilarious. Ray Fletcho has retained famed civil rights attorney Norm Kent to appeal this ridiculous case.

In Case You Missed Lost Last Night

Hydrogen bomb. Time travel. Satan. Smoke Monster. Death by impaling. Body switching. Gunshot. Gunshot. Magic sand. Alternate universe. More Satan. Magic water. Resurrection. Satan.

2010 Golden Globes

The winners.....

Best Motion Picture - Drama "Avatar"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama Sandra Bullock, "The Blind Side"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama Jeff Bridges, "Crazy Heart"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical "The Hangover"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Meryl Streep, "Julie & Julia"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical Robert Downey Jr., "Sherlock Holmes"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Mo'Nique, "Precious"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds"

Best Animated Feature Film "Up"

Best Foreign Language Film "The White Ribbon"

Best Director - Motion Picture James Cameron, "Avatar"

Best Screenplay - Motion Picture Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner, "Up in the Air"

Best Original Score - Motion Picture Michael Giacchino, "Up"

Best Original Song -- Motion Picture "The Weary Kind," "Crazy Heart"

Best Television Series - Drama "Mad Men"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama Julianna Margulies, "The Good Wife"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama Michael C Hall, "Dexter"

Best Television Series - Comedy "Glee"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical Toni Collette, "United States of Tara"

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television "Grey Gardens"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Drew Barrymore, "Grey Gardens"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Kevin Bacon, "Taking Chance"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Chloe Sevigny, "Big Love"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television John Lithgow, "Dexter"

Sexual Hazing In Afghanistan

I can't post any of the photos here, but you might want to wander over to Gawker and see what kind of shenanigans the private security company hired to protect the U.S. embassy in Kabul are getting up to.

Wonder what it's like to guard State Department facilities in Kabul? In photos first published by Gawker, security contractors get their kicks peeing on one another, simulating anal sex, doing "butt shots," and "eating potato chips out of ass cracks." These photos were provided to us by the Project on Government Oversight, which has just written a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton detailing its investigation into the "Lord of the Flies environment" that has overtaken the private contractors who guard State Department employees in Kabul, Afghanistan. According to POGO, employees of ArmorGroup North America—a unit of contracting giant Wackenhut—get their jollies off by "deviant hazing [that] has created a climate of fear and coercion, with those who declined to participate often ridiculed, humiliated, demoted, or even fired."

Gawker calls it "desperately homoerotic fratboy" hazing. It's like a really bad gay porn flick, really.

Sarah Palin's Farewell Speech

Obfuscation Olympics gold medalist Sarah Palin demonstrates her amazing prowess. To thunderous applause, Palin asks the media, "How about in honor of our soldiers, you quit makin' things up?"