Existential Ennui

~ Searching for Meaning Amid the Chaos

Existential Ennui

Tag Archives: AFA

Illusions of Significance?

09 Wednesday Feb 2011

Posted by Sherry in Essays, Human Biology, Humor, LifeStyle, Media, Medicine, Native American, Psychology, religion, Satire, teabaggers, The Wackos, What's Up?

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

AFA, brain, Bryan Fischer, Christianity, Christine O'Donnell, food, Frances Pivens, Glenn Beck, GOP, gourmets, human medicine, mind, Native Peoples, Patriot Act, religion, right wing media, right wing wingnuts, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity

One of the side effects of being sentient or self-aware, at least at human levels, is our propensity to try to get inside the heads of other people.

We ponder why Sally did this and why Don did that. We find certain behavior curious, ridiculous, courageous, all by our own standards as we have come to believe them.

Even more curious, we tend to project intention onto objects. We kick the car, and scream at malfunctioning vacuum cleaners.

Do we create God as well? In our minds? Of course every atheist would say yes. Science gives no definitive answer, and perhaps will never have such a capacity.

Still, the mulling of such ideas is useful. Read Slate’s article and also take a gander at the book it’s based on: The Belief Instinct.

***

The Atlantic has an interesting one on “foodies”, those gourmet nuts who gush about food as if it were sex. Which it is for them no doubt. It is pure gluttony at some level. Are you the type who reads breathlessly a description of some dish? Or do you skip to the chase? Are you the type who scours the Internet looking for odd ingredients not to be found in even the most up scale Piggly Wiggly? Or do you think good old domestic cheddar is just fine? The author points out that Livy said that when we glorify the chef, we are heading for the end. What do you think?

***

Here’s one for ya. Remember Christine O’Donnell? Witchy poo? Well she’s another one that missed the trolley. Ms. abstinence is trying to keep her little political life afloat, by going after George Soros, and all the groups he funds. She’s operating out of her house, with her tiny little PAC. She’s soliciting funds–nice to pay the rent and heat as a “business expense” isn’t it. She also claims that Barack Obama considers her his biggest threat. If you want more, please go the SciFi Channel.

***

Most of the world could ignore the blatherings of Glenn Beck except for the fact that his nearly insane followers become Rottweilers with the theories he gives them. Frances Fox Pivens has been one of his targets. Based upon an article she co-wrote in 1966 about helping welfare recipients receive their due, she has been raised to the level of a founder of the marxist/socialist/destruction of America “tree” that arises out of Beckian mental illness. Vilified in the most ugly terms (I’ve read the comments) in The Blaze, and else where, Dr. Pivens has been subjected to e-mail harassment and many a death threat. She responds with some commentary on the rise of the crazies.

***

It does seem to me, in the last couple of years, that the claims of the extreme right have become more and more outlandish. Especially so of Beck and perhaps Limbaugh as well. They seem more and more emboldened to spew invective at whole groups, call the President any creature this side of Arcturus, and to generally make fun of anything non-white and educated beyond the 10th grade.

At the same time, there is a definite change in the numbers. As to Beck, his TV watchers are down 50%, and radio stations are dropping him. Limbaugh has been losing ground as has Hannity on his radio show.

How to explain? I think it’s an attempt to shore up the shrinking numbers. But the people who are leaving are precisely those who are tired of the “Muslim President” cry, and are searching for something a bit less biased. The hard core will never depart and don’t need the increasingly wacky theories. They generate enough of their own!

***

In a major “oops” House Rethugs failed to pass an extension of the Patriot Act. It seems that House Tea Partiers joined forces with House Dems to deny the leadership its  passage and leaving them somewhat embarrassed. It will undoubtedly pass under different House procedures, but still, it goes to show that the GOP has a snarly tiger by the tail.

***

One of our favorite wackadoodles is Bryan Fischer, head of the AFA. He is obsessed, as you know, with homosexuality (which explains ever so much). He has a new target: Native Americans. Incensed by the invocation,  he tells Native Peoples that it is high time they got with Christianity and gave up their filthy pagan ways. Oh Bryan, you eat, drink, and sleep hate. I bet you could collect all the people in the world that you like in your very own living room.

***

Oh, what? Oops! Doin’ a bit of the happy dance. (Whispering) they are eating their own again. Come watch! Beck looks into his crystal ball and sees that the precious Right is now agin’ the Tea Party and all of them REAL patriots. They are trying to assassinate us! “Or maybe it’s just a coincidence,” he ponders, “but I don’t believe in coincidences,” his insane brain says. “Talkin’ about freedom” he spittles, and “wildcards” who must be suppressed. Oh gosh, I should feel sympathy for one who is but a step from the rubber room, but dang if I can feel THAT emotion. Glee would be more like it.

Well, enough.

What’s on the stove? Fried chicken, mashed taters and gravy. (Which means I don’t have to do dishes!)

Related Articles
  • The real threat of Glenn Beck’s fantasies (3quarksdaily.com)
  • Alexander Zaitchik: Is Glenn Beck Sinking? (huffingtonpost.com)
  • New York Times: Leave Frances Fox Piven Alone! (nicedeb.wordpress.com)

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What a Difference a Day, errr, Month? Makes?

14 Friday Jan 2011

Posted by Sherry in Barack Obama, Dinosaurs, Essays, Evolution, Gay Rights, GOP, Humor, Media, Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, Satire, science, Sociology, The Wackos, What's Up?, Zoology

≈ 16 Comments

Tags

AFA, astrology, Bryan Fischer, DADT, dinosaurs, evolution, gay rights, Glenn Beck, GOP, homophobia, Huckabee, Media, Obama, Palin, polling, right wing extremists, Romney, science, Tim Pawlenty, voters

Well, slap me with a wet noodle. You remember me? Mad woman. Not literally mad, as in certifiable, but angry mad, ready to dump a sitting president and turn the page? Yes, you do remember.

Well, it’s hard to admit that at 60 years old, I’m still an idiot a lot of the time. Moreover, I spent some under grad years studying the fine art of politics as well as living through lots of political times. You’d think I would know better.

It appears that the brilliance of Barack Obama once more is most apparent to most of the people. This has not happened over night, and certainly isn’t a result only of the speech of a life-time in Tucson. The polls were edging upward before then.

But, things have changed, and one can but cast a bemused look upon Republicans who are looking at empty hands and wondering, “has it indeed slipped from our grasp once again?” Riding high in November, the GOP is beginning to mutter. To be sure, nothing is set in concrete yet, and given the fickleness of the public, it would be unwise to assume that “it’s in the bag” for 2012. Not at all.

Still, one has to be amazed at the resilience of the President. Today, he beats Romney and Huckabee in mock match-ups and slaughters the grifter, Palin. The big switch is the Independents who have moved to the Obama column. This poll straddled the Tucson tragedy, and has some impact but doesn’t include the speech given by Obama. There is only a 6 point differential between those who think we are on the right track-wrong track, down from a 24 point differential a couple of months ago. Obama’s approval rating has moved up to 53%.

We shall see what the future holds. But clearly most of us who were ready to move on were simply wrong. Obama has played his poor hand extremely well, and has accomplished much in the lame duck session.

The GOP will have a tough time selling a “NO” or repeal everything scenario I suspect with voters. The polls, dang ’em, just keep getting in the way of the agenda.

***

Speaking of agenda, the Extremist Right didn’t take civility on as a mantra for long. Once they realized that nobody except them viewed the President’s speech as a chastisement of the Left, they went back to their usual ranting. One, I”m told, said, “but the President must have been pointing to the Left, there is nobody on the Right who needs such a chastisement!”  Delusion lives on it seems in the rock heads of the Extremist Right.

***

Proof that nothing changes, Tim Pawlenty, who on Jon Stewart, the other night, refused to agree that there is something new in the vilification of Obama that has not been present in American politics before. Stewart suggested that painting the President as  Hitler, as a Socialist, as not an American, and as not a Christian didn’t reflect true beliefs but were being used as political ploys by certain GOP members and sympathizers. Pawlenty continually feigned ignorance of Stewart’s true meaning and kept pointing out that there was vitriol on both sides.

Now Pawlenty has appeared with Bryan Fischer, of American Family Association fame, and claimed that he would re-institute DADT if president. It’s not so much that he said this, bad and deluded as that is, but that he appeared with hate-monger Fischer at all. Fischer is a virulent homophobe, one who decries giving the Medal of Honor to a “defensive” action instead of a killing hero. As to DADT, Fischer has vowed to over turn it and has claimed that McCain would lead their forces. McCain has repudiated any such notion.

Pawlenty, who for a moment, suggested he would not have acted as Palin, seems unwilling to stand up for any real principles, but again, simply plays to the lowest common denominator of the Republican base. His chances of being the nominee are nil.

***

Efforts are underway to induce Fox Noise to fire Glenn Beck. Jewish Funds for Justice submitted a 10,000 name petition to the News Corp, calling on them to end their association with the hate-mongering extremist. I admit that we try to watch Beck from time to time, just to see, but frankly, after ten minutes, it’s so awful you just can’t. He parades a slew of pseudo-scientists, historians, economists, etc., to “prove” his wacky mean and dangerous conclusions, all to a live audience of nodding automatons. It’s surreal.

The petition included some of the more egregious accusations of Beck, which makes references to Hitler some 400 times in eighteen months. His comments are widely regarded as anti-semitic and a distorter of the Gospel. For instance he claims that social justice issues are a perversion of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.

***

Don’t know if you heard this, but the darn earth moves. Okay, so you probably knew that. But it moves in relations to the stars, and THAT is a damnable thing. If you are into astrology. Which I’m not, but still. I’m an Aries, and so is the Contrarian. At least we were. I don’t know what he is, being an April 8. But me? I’m a April 15, and that now makes me a Taurus. I don’t like it. I am trying to figure out who to complain to. Is nothing sacred?

***
Warning: the following may be hazardous to the mental health of closed minds. Others read on. A new dinosaur has been found! A small guy, but pretty darn mean. Read all about Dawn Runner, who hails from Argentina, at PBS’s Rundown Blog. He’s most primitive.

Related Articles
  • Pawlenty, Stewart spar over rhetoric (politico.com)
  • Whatever It Takes (talkingpointsmemo.com)
  • Tim Pawlenty Wants To Return To The Days Of DADT (lezgetreal.com)
  • Jon Stewart To Tim Pawlenty: ‘Why Is The Right So Fearful Of Tyranny?’ (VIDEO) (huffingtonpost.com)
  • From Palin to Pawlenty, GOP Presidential Prospects Grapple With Arizona Massacre (politicsdaily.com)

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