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<livejournal>
<entry>
<itemid>60235</itemid>
<eventtime>2008-10-06 17:24:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2008-10-06 21:26:05</logtime>
<subject>Bagdad Bob</subject>
<event>
I don't remember his name, but I'll him "Bagdad Bob." You remember the guy that was in Iraq as we invaded it? He was saying how the Iraqi's were defeating our tanks in huge numbers and marching without fear to defeat the Americans...AS our tanks were rolling into Bagdad? I think of this when I think of McCain and the Republican party right now.
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<entry>
<itemid>60669</itemid>
<eventtime>2008-10-16 13:08:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2008-10-16 17:21:40</logtime>
<subject>Joe the Liar</subject>
<event>
So, we have Joe the Plumber who says he was just some random plumber that just "happened" to show up and ask Obama all of these questions on the weekend and who just "happened" to be undecided. Well, he's not <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/16/95127/280/275/632293">undecided.</a>. In fact, he's <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/The_Joe_file.html">not even registered to vote</a>. He's a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/off-the-bus-reporter/joe-the-plumber-not-votin_b_135201.html">racist</a> who said that Obama 'danced like Sammy Davis Jr.' during the debate. Nor is he actually <a href="http://steveyoungonpolitics.com/say-it-isnt-so-joe-wurzelbacher-not-a-real-plumber/">a plumber.</a>" He is, in fact, <a href="http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/joe-plumber-more-joe-keating-family-">related to Keating</a>, of the Keating 5 fame and fortune. But is the Media saying anything about this? Let's surf the net, shall we? CNN: 1 Pro McCain mention, no mention of any of the above. 1 Pro Obama article of Biden slamming Mr. Plumber and mentioning some of the above. MSNC: 1 Prominent story showing Joe's lack of a Liscence ABCNews: 1 VERY slightly pro Obama Article that does not mention any of the above but that does mention he would, in fact do well under an Obama Tax Cut. CBSNews: No mention of "Joe" at all. YAY CBS News! Yahoo/AP: 1 Pro McCain article. No mention of any of the above charges. (that took about a 5 minute google search) 1 Headline that DOES mention that Joe the Plumber has no liscence. Google: 1 Pro Joe article, no mention of any 'charges'.
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<entry>
<itemid>60766</itemid>
<eventtime>2008-10-24 13:40:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2008-10-24 18:05:10</logtime>
<subject>One Year Later</subject>
<event>
If you're Mormon, you're probably not going to want to read this. I honestly recommend you don't. <lj-cut> That is not to say that I plan on doing nothing but attacking the LDS church in this post, but I will be saying things that LDS people probably don't want to hear. It has been approximately one year since Freedom day. Technically that's October 26th, but I don't want to write this on Sunday. I want to do it today. So what has happened in a year? What have I learned? Well a lot really, but lets start with the basics. The first thing is that the world did not end. I did not kill myself in despair and life has actually gotten better instead of worse. The church honestly had more of a negative effect in my life than it had a positive one, and I am a far better person because it is gone now. Let's start with The Good and the Bad The Bad There is something to be said for losing an absolute firm conviction of one's cosmology. I can't really honestly explain this to anyone who hasn't been a member of the LDS church sufficiently. Indeed, even if you were or are, I can't explain the level of my devotion sufficiently. I was never a fanatic. I was quite reasoned in my approach but I'm not exagerating when I say that if the Prophet had said that the sun was really Green I would have been more inclined to believe him than my own eyes. I'm not kidding in that. I had had personal spiritual experiences confirmed over and over again to the point that the reality as dictated by the LDS church was more important, driving and real to me than the reality constructed based on my own personal experiences; BECAUSE the self affirming spiritual experiences made it a PART of my reality. The problem was, that when the Prophet himself performed an evil act, something that is one of the four corner stones of a true LDS testimony, and did not die, I knew beyond doubt something was wrong. I started digging, and I learned things that were fundamentally contrary to LDS theology. Even if Joseph Smith had at one time been a prophet, there was no way that the Church could have continued without being utterly smighted by the almighty for some of their actions. But the point is; my sureness gave me all the answers. The church provides a lot and my own spiritual meditation and understanding filled in a lot of the other gaps. I knew where I as going, why I was here and where I had come from. I knew my purpose in life. Of course, the countervailing anguish for the evil in the world was a side effect of this. Because I knew my place in the order of things, and that I choose to fight evil, I actually gave a damn, which opened me up to actually being hurt when people did evil things. People like Gordon B. Hinkley. Who is now dead. Fortunately. But there have been lingering effects. First among them is that I still give a damn about the world and the people in it. Only now I don't have the absolute certainty that God is on my side and that I wield His power and that with sufficient faith I can literally command the elements. And make no mistake, I believed I could do that. A part of me, subconsciously, probably still does. But rationally speaking anyway, I'm just some schmoe trying to make the world a better place, only I have very little resources to do anything about it. So I sit at the computer and read the news like a man possessed. I write letters and get on the internet but know that my actions are limited. I will also forever retain the LDS taste for the Apocalypse. I never really understood the insidiousness of having people have a year's supply of food really means. It might seem like a practical preparation for disaster, but the truth is that is a useful tool for a perpetual reminder that Jesus could come NOW, tomorrow, the next day, at ANY TIME. And you'd better be prepared for it. Forever. We have our food supply and as time goes on, we'll be self sufficient power wise and food wise and numerous other things. I'm not going survivalist, but I am preparing in case of an apocalypse. I can't not. The Good A lot of things. First off the bat, I think the best thing is that I have not given over my life to opposing the church. This is not an attempt to be 'neutral'. I am not neutral. The church is an evil organization. Sorry, let me clarify that. Mormons are generally cool. Except for their Republican bent, Mormons really are honorable and cool people who I love to deal with. Except the older cheap bastard ones. But anyone of my parents generation or younger are generally cool. The leadership of the LDS church are total fuckers. Every last one of them. They are, honestly and completely in my opinion, tools of Satan on Earth. But as long as Mitt Romney isn't President or VP, their reach is limited, despite the damage their doing in California. They're no more a threat to humanity than other large organized religious bodies bent on limiting our personal freedoms. They should be watched, but I don't have to dedicate my life to fighting them. Because honestly if I did they'd steal my life a second time. I don't view my whole experience as negative in the church. My child hood taught me valuable lessons. My ward was pretty cool. Even my mission was a good experience. It helped me to become a man and actually grow up some. The lessons I learned on my mission will help me for the rest of my life. No, the years I consider stolen were Age 21-30, where I wasted the best years of my life trying to match their incredibly stupid bullshit standards for finding a wife. The good that came from this is that I met Jennifer. But I don't excuse the church for this, not one little bit. Other good things: I have retained my faith in Christ. This was hard to do, but fortunately my belief and relationship with Jesus Christ began in spite of the church not because of it. Indeed, more recent personal experiences taught me that the Lord loved me despite the crap shoveled by the church. I am free. I have tasted alcohol. I still find it vile but if I wanted to, I can drink it now. My children will be free. October 26th will be a bigger holiday than Christmas in our house if I have anything to say about it. I, for one, do not have to take place in a campaign I find morally repugnant to keep gay people from marrying. Those are just a few things. And to quote a random stupid missionary I heard once, "We got a 10% raise and Sunday's free." That means a trip to Ireland, numerous movies, and plays. Financial solvency. We've been paying OFF our credit cards instead of adding more debt to them just trying to SURVIVE. And it means an extra day a week. It means no callings. No random judgments from random people in the ward. I have a loving wife who has made all of this more possible. Without her help, my experience would have been much darker. I also have the struggles and pain of my mother and brother who helped give me a path to make my experiences easier. And above all, it means NO MAN ON EARTH IS RESPONSIBLE OR CAPABLE OF DICTATING MY MORAL CODE. There is none save God, and God alone who can tell me what is right or wrong. I am free. And as God is my witness, I'll do everything I can to make sure my children and their children's children's children stay the same way. </lj-cut>
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<entry>
<itemid>61022</itemid>
<eventtime>2008-10-30 16:38:00</eventtime>
<logtime>2008-10-30 20:39:48</logtime>
<subject>The Slowest Week EVAAAAAAR</subject>
<event>
Time is moving at a slow slow pace. Sure the signs are good, but the stakes are so high. Skill 5 more days to go. And then three months on top of that of Bush. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARG!
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