Mark Zuckerberg---The Winklevoss Twins and A CROSS-EYED POSSUM! The Fuss Over The $50 Billion Facebook Empire!

GUS-The Cross-Eyed Opossum

(Update June 22, 2011: Today, the Winklevoss Twins abandoned their lawsuit against Mark Zuckerberg and FACEBOOK and will take the $65 million awarded them in 2008. Their litigation will not be going to the U.S. Supreme Court. FACEBOOK is going 'public' in a few months and it's value is now estimated in the $100 billion range, meaning the the Winklevoss 'take' is about $200 million in today's dollars. Not bad.

We do, however, have some advice for the "Winks". Cash in at the earliest possible time. Remember FRIENDSTER and MY SPACE? Is FACEBOOK headed into the same destiny?
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(Update May 16, 2011: On April 11, 2011, a 3 Judge 9th Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled against the Winklevoss twins in their effort to have the 2008 court settlement with Mark Zuckerberg set aside in order to sue Zuckerberg again for more money. The Winklevoss's immediately filed for a full hearing before that Court. Today, that request was denied which paves the way for a U.S. Supreme Court proceeding. Stay tuned!)
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January 31, 2011:


The picture (above right) shows a real cross-eyed opossum. We don't know his name, so we'll call him Gus. He lives the good-life at a zoo because he wouldn't survive in nature because of his visual disability creating a compromised perspective on those things around him. But, more about Gus later.

Mark Zuckerberg

So, OK! We finally saw The Social Network. The movie about the creation and success of FACEBOOK and the people who did it. The story of Mark Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins among others. 

A large part of the story follows the intellectual property law suit filed by the Winklevoss's against Zuckerberg saying Zuckerberg took FACEBOOK as his own property, cut them out of the mix, while they were integral parts of it's creation. Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss's were students at Harvard at the time.

The Plaintiff Winklevoss twins With Defendant Zuckerberg

The Winklevoss's settled their lawsuit with Zuckerberg and Zuckerberg payed them $65 million several years ago. 

FACEBOOK is now estimated to be worth $50 billion and the Winklevoss's want more. A lot more.


The Winklevoss twins now want to return the $65 million to Zuckerberg and start over again and have litigated to do so. Their case is somewhere in the civil courts as we write with no definition as to what will happen next.

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss-Olympic Rowing Team-2004

The film, we thought, was even-handed  in telling the Zuckerberg-Winklevoss story. There seems to be no 'bad guy' or 'good guy' in the scenario (to us). To us it seems to be a situation of different perspectives with billions of dollars hanging in the balance.

And this is where 'cross-eyed' Gus comes in.  Gus has a sight perspective all his own. To him, his perspective is reality. 


The Winklevosses also have a perspective about how FACEBOOK was established and Zuckerberg has a perspective too. A perspective quite different from the plaintiff's in the law suit against him. 

Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss

This is a thought provoking story and we want to offer up the questions of Zuckerberg and the Winklevoss twins to readers. Is this a 'good guy-bad' situation? Did Zuckerberg simply out maneuver the Winklevoss's in a business sense? Is Zuckerberg a thief who stole from the Winklevoss's?


Your comments and opinions are appreciated.


Gus has his perspective. Whats yours?


J.

OSCAR! The Academy Awards and the Political Nature of HOLLYWOOD!

Hooray for HOLLYWOOD! 

Americans love their movies!  

People all over the world like movies. But Americans LOVE them. So much so that they spend billions of dollars each year buying tickets to see them. Then they spend billions more on DVDs to see their favorite movies again. And billions more on the toys, books, product placements and all things attendant to them. Hollywood movies are BIG BUSINESS! 


Americans also love awards ceremonies and shows. One of the BIGGEST is 'THE OSCARS'!  And this is BIG BUSINESS too. In many ways! The next BIG Oscar Show will be telecast this coming February 27.

Unfortunately, with the BIG BUSINESS of Hollywood comes the politics of BIG BUSINESS. And such is the BIG disappointment to those of us who love film. A DISCONNECT!  A disconnect to the people who buy those billions of dollars of tickets each year.    

Take a look at last years OSCARS. The 'best' film of the year was the forgettable 'Hurt LOCKER'.  This wasn't just a mediocre film. It was a stinker. A film that spent 6 months in theaters and couldn't muster  more than $16 million in box office receipts. Why the Oscar for Best Film? Because the Hollywood politicos wanted to be politically correct and give the statue to a woman for the first time. Hooray for Hollywood and their 'politics'. 

Also, take a look at the Best Performance by a leading actor in a film for last year. Jeff Bridges won the Oscar for playing a drunken  cowboy singer in a tired old story that  has been done over and over again in Hollywood.  Why? Because  the politics of Hollywood wanted to give it to him. Not because his performance was the best performance, it wasn't even a good performance. It looked like he mailed it in. But maybe because Bridges had 2 big budget films coming out in 2010, and maybe because they wanted to give it to him because of his body of work over the years. We've always liked Jeff Bridges. He's almost always entertained. We always got our moneys worth. But an Oscar? For 'Derelict Cowboy?   Hooray for Hollywood! 

This year Jeff Bridges is in the Oscar Best Actor category AGAIN for playing a drunken cowboy.  Yes! Another drunken cowboy!  Only this time he's better. Will he win? Maybe. But the superior Best Actor  last year was Colin Firth in A Single Man. And this year Firth is up again for his even more superior performance in The Kings Speech. Will HE win this time around? Maybe. 

Also this year we have Natalie Portman up for the Best Actress award  for her superior performance in Black Swan. Arguably the best female performance on film since Charlize Theron in Monster a few years back. Will Portman win? Probably not because Hollywood politics has it that Annette Benning should get the Oscar this year for her performance in The Kids Are Alright. Benning's was alright too, but not even in the league of Portman's Black Swan. Hooray for Hollywood! 

HARLOW c.1930-Never Won An Oscar!

And so it goes. The politics of Hollywood are alive and well in tinseltown. But in the process these 'politics' insult the people who buy the tickets and insult excellence in the fine art of acting! 

Hooray for Hollywood!


(For a complete rundown of this years Oscar nominees, box office receipts and some film history, go to boxofficemojo.com).

J.                    

Michelle Bachmann Speaks! Cranial Emissions and Synaptic Misfires From The Twilight Zone of 'THE TEA PARTY ASYLUM'!

U.S. Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann

Cranial Emissions? Synaptic Misfires? The Tea Party Asylum? What are these? How do they relate to one another? Read on. They will be defined in the personification of Michelle Bachmann's very own "State of Union" message presented this past week.
---------------------------------------------------

Calling ALL Space Craft! Calling ALL Space Craft!

Houston? We have a problem!

And Houston DOES have a problem along with the many cities and States where there are Tea Party enclaves. That problem is (space-case) Michelle Bachmann, the self anointed-appointed  Queen and spokesperson for The Tea Party. 
 
The Tea Party has a lot to say. Some good things. But, with Bachmann saying them they come across as 'spacey' misfires that compromises the Tea Party message. 

Last Tuesday night, after President Obama delivered HIS State of the Union speech and the Establishment Republicans presented their following rebuttal, Michelle Bachmann (looking like she'd been 'beamed' into the television studio from another planet) spoke. 

We're not going to critique much of what she said because so much of it was convoluted. Those 'beam us up, Scotty's' come at price, and we're chalking it up to the 'beamed-out micro-waves' somehow compromising Michelle's synaptic system.

We will point out that Michelle 'misfired' on the U.S. Constitution with considerable error. Which was a BIG fop aw given the FIRST TENANT of the Tea Party Contract with America is 'TO PROTECT THE CONSTITUTION'! The framers of The Constitution owned slaves!

It also appeared that Bachmann was talking to 'another audience' in another world. She was not talking to the camera. She was talking to to side of it as though she was speaking to a twilight zone group of ET's.  

On a very practical note, we can't imagine the financial backers  are pleased with anything about this fiasco.

Sal Russo? You have a lot of work to do!


J.

PRISON FOR THE POPE? If Not, Why Not?

Pope Benedict-2010

(For reference information please see our article dated January 25, 2011, "The Pope Pontificates Again......", earlier articles on the history of 'The Church'.)


First we need to clarify that although we have been rude, crude and nasty to 'The Church' and other 'Christian' businesses, as well as to The Muslim hierarchy and those in control of that faith and others, our intent has been to parody and bring satire to some salient specific points we want to make regarding those organizations and their leaders. 

We can understand  that readers would, in many cases, take our words literally and believe we include 'the people' who follow these faiths in our net of denigration.  Such is not our intent or purpose. However, when we have included disparagement on the memberships of certain religions, we have done so with opinion coming from solid evidence. 

For example, the extensive PEW study and findings about American Muslims being MUSLIM FIRST and many of those being MUSLIM ONLY! 


As a matter of fact, we did not like our own opinions and comments in our articles about American Muslims. Those opinions, however,  were based on  evidence and hard fact coming from the respected PEW organization and we stay by our opinion based on this and other verified information.

We nonetheless  believe and accept the fact that the vast majority of people who call themselves 'Christian' or Muslim or 'this or that' are well intended, GOOD people with good hearts. We respect these people although we disagree with them when it comes to their belief system.

Our argument and what some might call venom is in no way directed toward these GOOD PEOPLE! 

Our disdain and disparagement of these religions is meant for the organizations and  their 'BUSINESS' leaderships.


A wise man once said, and Christ implied, "Once a religion becomes 'organized', it is a DEAD religion". We take some 'truth' from this message, "dead" meaning 'not valid' because 'man' has usurped spiritual nature for earthly and secular power and greed. 


Just like Enron, Bank of America, G.E., Sony, BP, Blackwater, The Carlisle Group and so many other businesses with clear business models, with CEO's, Presidents, VP's of Divisions, Boards of Directors and on and on,  is not The Roman Catholic Church a 'business' with their business model? Is not the Pope a CEO of sorts?

When crime and criminality are found in these businesses are not the Directors and CEO's culpable in crime? Prosecuted? And if convicted, incarcerated? 

Ken Lay, CEO of Enron,  was found guilty of 'conspiracy' a few  years ago and sentenced to prison, but died before serving his term.

Leaders from a myriad of businesses are in prison now for their 'white collar' crime and other crimes. 

So, why should the Pope not be charged with known crimes occurring  during his tenure?   There have certainly been competent investigations and surely some findings of criminality. Yet, the pedophilia, child molestations and conspiracies to cover up those crimes have NOT been charged in any court of law anywhere. Why not?

California Department of Corrections

Will there be charges filed against the Pope in some competent court at a later date?


It's possible, but not likely. Again, why not? If these 'crimes coming from The Church' came from the Bank of America there would be no question about such charges being filed. 


But for a moment, consider the 'unlikely'. If the unlikely did happen and the Pope charged with these abusive crimes, would it be PRISON FOR THE POPE?


Your comments are welcomed!


J.
                                                                      

January 2011 --- 3 of the MOST VIRAL POSTS FOR THE MONTH!

BUZZFEED.COM PROVIDES A MONTHLY TALLY OF THE MOST VIRAL BLOGS. HERE ARE 3 OF THEM! 
OCTOMOM IS BACK!

 .....AND WE HAVE COLBERT IN A PHOTO FROM THE MID-90'S

........AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO FORGET WHAT'S HIS NAME










J.

Bristol Palin-News! Bristol's "SEX WEEK" Cancelled! From The Gossip File!

Bristol Palin

Todd and Sarah's likable child, Bristol Palin, has had her "SEX WEEK" at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri cancelled.

Washington U. presents a 'Sex Week' each year to educate the student body about the joys and responsibilities of cunnilingus and all things sexual attendant thereto. It also presents new sciences, discoveries and medical identifications and protocols in the treatment of  STD's.

Bristol, now 20, who experienced motherhood as a teen, was invited to 'sex week'  to speak for a fee of $20,000.  

However, after strong student protests and the threat of boycott of the conference, University officials uninvited her. To her credit, Bris understood and returned the 20k to the school with no hard feelings.

Sarah and Levi

Earlier in the week 'Bris' appeared on a radio talk show in Anchorage and confessed she had a new boyfriend and was 'thrilled' with the relationship. She declined to divulge his name, however, using good sense.

Bris also said she was happy about ex-paramour Levi Johnston's new squeeze, saying "life moves forward". 

At least one of the Palin's seems to have some common sense.

Way to go, BRISTOL!

J.                                                                  

Jay Carney-News! Selected as White House Press Secretary!

Jay Carney

Meet Jay Carney! 

Today White House Chief of Staff  Bill Daley announced Jay Carney, VP Joe Biden's Chief Spokesman, will become the new White House Press Secretary, replacing Robert Gibbs in this very visible post.

Carney is a White House 'insider'. Well respected and knowledgeable on Foreign Policy, Jay Carney brings a youthful animated presence to the job. He also brings a somewhat combatative nature to it as well.

Jay Carney was educated at Yale with a degree in journalism and has previously worked at Time magazine and CNN.   

Carney is married and has two children. He is 45 years old.

J.                                                                               

Don Imus-News! A Voice From a Bygone Era Resurfaces! Trashes Rachel Maddow Saying 'SHE' is A "Sniveling Coward"!

Don Imus

There is good reason no one listens to or pays any attention to what Don Imus says anymore. IT'S NOT 1973!


Phyliss Schafly is not drooling her bible thumping venom anymore with her bee hive "do"  in her 'bell bottom' pedal pushers and we've heard nothing from Imus since he had that 'slurring' outburst about a women's collegiate basketball team some years back.  In fact, we thought both Schafly and Imus were in an assisted care facility in El Paso or some such.

Phyliss Schafly-c. 2007

But yesterday, appearing on FOX BUSINESS NETWORK (We didn't know FOX had a 'business network'),  a cadaver-like Imus trashed and bashed Rachel Maddow from MSNBC for not coming to the defense of Kieth Olberman in his trouble with his station. 

Imus said, "Maddow is the worst kind of gutless coward.... sniveling......", and on an on. 

Rachel Maddow-2007

We are bewildered by Imus's emotional tirade which must have taken enormous  energy.  They are odd words coming FROM A GUTLESS SNIVELING COWARD who may have been suffering from embalming fluid depletion.


Accordingly, we have no further comment.


J.

Mitt Romney-NEWS! Emerges as The Clear Front Runner for the GOP Nomination For President! New Hampshire Has Spoken! Some Analysis and a PREDICTION!

Mitt Romney

The New Hampshire Republican Caucus recently held it's 'straw vote' for their favorite in the 2012 race for President. Mitt Romney was the clear winner and becomes (at this moment) the front runner as the GOP standard bearer.

Although it's a long way to the White House, and certainly there will be surprises in the months ahead, and it's very early, 'Romney's win' is nonetheless important and impressive. 

His victory was a 'wipe-out' to others in the New Hampshire race. He had big double digit numbers compared to single digits for the rest. Almost all the 'others' presently considered for the nomination were on the ballot. Some campaigned, some did not. Romney did campaign and his results were stunning.

John Huntsman Jr.

Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani, Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee, and the only 'announced' candidate 'birther king' Andy Martin were in the mix.  John Thune , Governor Rick Perry from Texas and John Huntsman  Jr. were not. Probable contender,  (Independent) Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York also did not campaign. With the exception of Martin,  these contenders have not announced their candidacies. Romney has not announced his candidacy either.


Publicly, the losing contenders have said little about the New Hampshire results. Those who have spoken have dismissed the results as too early and have been coy about running for the Presidency. 

But for the record, ALL mentioned above have active exploratory committees right now and most have offices in a number of the key primary States, including New Hampshire.


Although it's very early in the process, we are predicting RIGHT NOW who will be the Republican nominee for 2012!  But first a brief analysis.


Sarah Palin is not a viable candidate. The 'establishment doesn't like her And her negative ratings across America are in the 60 percentile.  She has a big tag on her ear and is  standing at the gate of the political glue factory . She's "toast" in the establishment GOP. Palin cannot win the Presidency! Establishment Republicans have stopped her, whether she knows it or not.


Karl Rove, Dick Cheney, Lynn Cheney, George H.W. Bush through Barbara, Newt Gingrich and others have and are working openly as well as covertly to 'stop' Palin. In our opinion, they have succeeded.

Newt Gingrich

Unannounced candidate Gingrich is the mix to be 'on stage' with Palin should she decide to run. If 'wonders never cease' and Palin does not run, look for Gingrich not to run either. Gingrich is a savvy, bright GOP establishment insider. He also cannot win a presidential election or even a primary. He's not viable. He knows it. He does not expect to get the nomination. Gingrich is 'that' contender, however, who will stop Palin if it goes that far.

Mike Huckabee IS a viable candidate. The more he speaks, the more substance he demonstrates. But, he doesn't 'pack the gear', so to speak, to win a general election and he's not a GOP insider. Huckabee is not 'wired' as others are and has little chance in the primaries. He will be knocked out of the race after the first few State Primaries, but will pick up some delegates before he's gone. Expect him to 'announce' by May 2011.

John Huntsman Jr. IS a Washington "insider's" insider!  He's viable with excellent credentials. Smart. Respected. He will probably decide to run for the presidency for name exposure and to learn what needs to be learned prior to his big push for 2016. In 2016, Huntsman will be a powerful   contender and he just may be the President of these United States some day. But not this time around.

(Update: Today, January 31, 2011, Jon Huntsman gave his resignation as Ambassador to China effective April 30, 2011, to President Obama.  Informed speculation believes Huntsman will announce his candidacy shortly after his resignation date.)


(For more information about Jon Huntsman Jr., see our article, "Jon Huntsman Jr.! Is He The Great White Hope.............", dated January 2, 2011.) 


The only announced GOP contender, Andy Martin,is a 'one trick pony', a 'birther' and is seen more as comic relief than anything else. But he will stay in the race to the bitter end (to get his message out) unless his money runs out.

Governor Rick Perry

Governor Rick Perry from Texas has a Presidential Exploratory Committee, offices in Iowa, Ohio and other mid-western States, has written book about the national economy that also dabbles in U.S. foreign policy, but tells the press he'll wait for some signals to come from 'the people' before he considers a run for the GOP nomination. Expect his announcement TO RUN this coming Summer or before.


Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of New York, was a popular contender  in the 2008 cycle. But he ran out of gas early, both in popularity and money. He failed miserably in the early primaries and could not generate much enthusiasm. This time around he has some solid money behind him and the promise of some 'insider' buzz. But he has not done the 'work', the grassroots 'stuff' it takes to win a GOP nomination. His political style is sloppy and uneven. Look for him to announce early. He will lose early and will return to his lecture circuit.


This leaves John Thune and Mitt Romney in the top spots. Both have been working at the grassroots levels for several years in the 'red' States that count for a nomination and both are saying and doing the right things, the 'right' conservatism to be able to 'run' to the 'center' should they get the 'nom'. 


Romney has better name ID right now, which could detract from him when the primaries get started. More people will want to know who Thune is as the primary season gets rolling and and he's ready with considerable credentials and an ingratiating speaking manner. Thune is 'downhome' and articulate at the same time. 

Senator John Thune

Both Thune and Romney look, sound and act presidential. Romney will portray his ability as an executive. To govern and make the hard decisions that must be made to balance the nations checkbook.

Thune will come across as the 'man' who can get things done. A manager of 'all things Washington', including foreign policy. 

The race will be a good one. And the candidates just as good. Both would be decent, substantive GOP candidates.

But in the end, although our prediction comes from basic study of the track records of these candidates, with only very, very early information available to us, and with  many caveats, twists and turns and missteps from both sides to come, we predict NOW THAT JOHN THUNE WILL BE THE GOP STANDARD BEARER IN 2012! 

(We love the 'political game'. If anyone has some different analysis and prediction, join in and make a comment.)






J.              

President Obama's STATE OF THE UNION MESSAGE, January 25, 2011! Some Very Brief Comments!

Tonight President Obama, in his State of the Union message walked a tightrope in the whorehouse of a joint session of congress.

Our comments will be very brief. Perhaps thought provoking. Perhaps antagonizing. And perhaps somewhat insightful.


First! As usual, The President was magnificent and in command of what he wanted to present, albeit not in command of what some of us wanted to hear. 

He had his work cut out for him, though. Is it possible to direct a herd of feral cats? He had a 'sputnik' moment in the JFK style while encouraging alternative energy to have an 80% dominance by the year 2035 in the U.S. and the free world led by U.S. technology.


We'll leave the major content of what he said to the talking heads and pundits, but will make some ancillary comment about the overall evening. Suffice to say the content of his speech was (overall) populist with some specificity which is unique to a State of the Union speech.


The joint congress whores did not sit in their usual defined sections. Democrats on the left, Republicans on the right. Instead, there was considerable co-mingling. Their pimps must have been confused. Democrats sitting side by side with Republicans?  Yes, that's what happened.

All of congress wanted to show the solidarity of 'country first' and a 'make nice' atmosphere since the Gabby Giffords assassination attempt in Tucson two weeks ago.  They all wore 'healing ribbons' on their lapels and the vacant chair in Giffords honor was a nice touch.

Senator John Thune was present and sizing up President Obama as his opponent for the presidency in 2012, and Speaker of the House John Boehner cried for us. Twice! Boehner also stood and clapped his hands every time the President said something remotely associated with screwing seniors and children, the sick and the afflicted.


Senators Mitch McConnell and Patty Murray were present (two of the politicians mentioned in our 'ugly politician series). We never saw them side by side and still think they are twins or Patty Murray is Mitch McConnell in drag. 


Aqua Buddha Man Rand Paul was in the audience carrying his Gideon Bible. We looked closely at his 'make nice' lapel ribbon and saw what may have been the outline of a swastika underneath.

Representative Ben Quayle was also observed in the audience, but his alter ego, Brock Landers, from TheDirty.com was no where in sight.

Michelle Bachmann came straight to the chamber from her second 'prayer caucus' of the day with what appeared to be a bottle of Jim Beam in a brown paper sack. It could have been a snack, however. We watched a portion of her angry Tea Party 'rebuttal'  presentation after  the Presidents speech and would opt for the idea it really was a bottle of Jim Beam in that brown paper sack.

Seven members of the Supreme Court were  also present. It seems the two missing members, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas had previous engagements.


Justice Scalia was probably busy working on his 'seminar' presentation for next Monday's Tea Party gathering. And Justice Thomas may have been busy with his lawyers and/or the IRS trying to sort out the fact  he left his ugly wife's income out their 2009, joint income tax return. 

Soon we'll be presenting an article devoted solely to The U.S. Supreme Court.


Stay tuned.............


J.

Catholic Church News! The Pope Pontificates Again! This Time It's Human Rights! (Update: November 17, 2011)

Yes! The Pope has pontificated AGAIN and tossed us yet another of his turds of wisdom with a few dingle berries in the mix upon we miscreants who are too dumb to think for ourselves. This time it's about human rights.

Speaking to the issue of same-sex marriage, The Pope recently said, "Not everyone has the 'right' to marry".  He went on to 'blood-libel' the ongoing investigation of the PROSTITUTION SCANDAL now occurring at the Vatican.  


We don't know if 'everyone' has the right to marriage or not. Isn't marriage an individual-personal decision based on many factors? Factors that DON'T include having  the Pope's nose in them?

Of course, The Pope was speaking of church law and telling it's one billion person membership and everybody else who might deviate from the Popes junk that they were going to hell if they violated "gods will". Which is the same old social control  'blah-blah-quack-quack' the Church has visited upon the western world for centuries; similar in principle to when the Church was telling their subjects they would be turned into frogs if they became literate.

Queer stuff, considering a church ostensibly committed to saving souls, but ruins lives. Lots of them.


What the Pope did NOT say, and never has said, is that EVERYONE HAS THE RIGHT TO NOT BE ABUSED! To NOT BE sexually, physically, psychologically or emotionally assaulted and violated. 

These abuses and 'crimes against humanity'  have been happening in wholesale lots for centuries at the hand of Catholic Church. They have happened in previous generations. And they are happening now. 

Since the current Pope took office 10's of thousands of abuses have occurred around the world. Children have been the prime targets. 

This also happened very recently under the Popes nose at the Vatican itself if we are to believe the many witnesses who've testified in the prostitution investigation conducted by the Rome police. 

Ireland, England, France, Mexico and the U.S. among other countries have all reported abuses. Numbers of victims have sued 'The Church' and prevailed in civil litigations. Some priests and other Church officials have been tried and convicted in the criminal courts and are 'doing time' in prisons right now. Many more of  'the guilty', however, are still at large, so to speak, transferred to other locations where they can continue their criminal behavior. And apparently usually do according to recent history.

Right now in Santa Barbara, California there is a major case now in both the civil and criminal courts. 28 young men and women have come forth with stomach turning evidence and testimony against a Catholic 'educational' facility for training potential priests (in their adolescence).  Charges date from the 1960's to 2007, in these abuse cases.

Although we've framed these facts in crass, base words, these are incontrovertible FACTS! So, we have a question for the 1 billion or so Catholics in this world. AT WHAT LEVEL OF HYPOCRISY,  CRIMINALITY AND INTRINSIC MORAL DECAY DO YOU ABANDON THIS "CHURCH"?

J.

Update November 17, 2011: This photo of The Pope in a lock-lip kiss with Egypt's al-Tayeb just crossed out desk. Does the Pope need to tell us something? Does he have a softer side?

(Photo credit to the Benetton 'UNHATE' ad campaign.)


                                   

Jared Loughner--Arizona Shooter! Pleads NOT GUILTY In Federal Court! UPDATE!

Loughner-Artist Sketch, January 25, 2011

Phoenix:  Yesterday accused Arizona shooter Jared Loughner appeared in Federal Court and plead NOT GUILTY to the January 8, 2011, assassinations and assassination attempt of Congresswoman Gabriel Giffords that left 2 of her aides and a U.S. District Court Judge dead. 

Jared Loughner-January 8, 2011

Loughner smiled and nodded in court, but did not speak. His next court appearance is calendared for March 9.

Cameras are not allowed in court room, but a sketch artist is, and the picture  of Loughner (above) was done yesterday during the proceedings.

There has been some question about the (now indelibly printed in our minds) FBI mug shot taken on January 8, and an artists court rendering done just a few days later. The mug shot showed Loughner with a shaved head and the artist drawing presented him with some hair on his head.

Here's the story.    

Loughner shaved his head the day of or the night before the day of the shootings. A couple days later an artist portrayed him with some growth of hair on his head.

More to come..........

J.                                                  

Meet JAY BAKKER! America's PUNK PREACHER! Author of 'Son of a Preacher Man'!

Jay Bakker

Jay Bakker comes to his pulpit with a pedigree. He's the son of Jim and the iconic Tammy Faye Bakker, the former heads of the world wide PTL Ministries.

That said, Jay Bakker is his own man. Known as 'The Punk Preacher', he gets that handle because of his tattoos and general 'live-let-live and accept others without condition' philosophy of life.  

Jay has his own ministry, currently functioning from the backroom of a New York City Bar. With 35 to 50 members in attendance at each service, Jay teaches and preaches the pure Gospel of Christ. LOVE! That's it. LOVE!

Jay Bakker Book Cover

Does this membership seem small by comparison to the mega churches sprinkled all over the country? We suppose it does. BUT WAIT!  Jay Bakker has an Internet audience in the 1000's and it's growing. He also has a book out and he's been traveling the country making personal appearances at book stores and doing interviews at television and radio stations to sell it..

In so far as his ministry is concerned, as Christ did, Bakker does! He physically goes to where he believes he can do the most good. Now there's a concept!  

Bakker was visiting the Bay Area recently and we had chance to hear him interviewed. In a word, GENUINE! Jay Bakker comes across as GENUINE. 

At 31, he's enjoyed a unique life so far.  And  THAT 'life' appears to be continuing.

Jay Bakker is Proud of His Tattoos

At first glance and impression, Jay Bakker looks like what some might interpret as a freak. But when he speaks, he communicates a basic human 'honesty' that is disarming to even the most conservative of critics. He is straight forward without a hint of offensiveness.  Bakker says he is proud of his tattoos, but usually wears long sleeve shirts at public appearances because he recognizes they 'turn some people off' thereby distracting from his message. 

He points out the tattoos are a 'punk thing' from an earlier time in his life, but is quick to say he's found more acceptance in that culture than he experienced in the traditional Christian churches he has also experienced.   


Although his words sound polarizing, his manner in saying them are not. We could not help but see the humor in how this young man might manage, manipulate and maneuver his fundamentalist counterparts. He certainly did so with his interviewer (who at first attempted to make a 'side show' of Bakker ) who is one of the best in the business.

We could not help but make a comparison with Jay to his mother, Tammy Faye.

Tammy Faye Bakker

Also at first glance Tammy Faye Bakker was a painted up, overly made up, almost silly looking character. She was animated in a sophomoric  'girlish' sort of way. She could, however, belt out a 'Christian Spiritual' with the likes of Mahalia Jackson and hold her own in the process. 

In the 1970's and 80's, Tammy Faye was omnipresent on the TV Screens of America and in 36 countries on a daily basis with husband James Bakker on their PTL Ministries Network! They were the first network to have their own satellite.

Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker

It was 1981-82, that Tammy Faye became a leader in accepting people with AIDS, especially children with that dreaded disease. Tammy Faye Bakker was THE FIRST celebrity, from anyplace, anywhere to ACCEPT people with AIDS. Such was shown for all to see as it happened and Tammy Faye Bakker became a beloved icon to millions of people around the world. When she did this, all of the other 'goodness' she was doing, but not registering with then audiences fell into place. She became 'genuine' and honest as few people do in this world. 

A New Kind of Christianity?

We observe and might suggest that Jay Bakker is the male counterpart to Tammy Faye Bakker.

Bakker says that when he hears what so many other preachers and evangelists are saying and doing in the name of Christ (including the Pope)  he questions if he's reading the same Bible they are. And he can quote scripture with the best of them.


Jay Bakker's life has been a full one. So full that we can't even touch the tips of the icebergs he presents in his book on this blog. 


This blog has been harsh and nasty on religion, especially fundamentalist Christianity. When we find a positive story in this subject area we also want to present that too.


Jay Bakker, in our opinion, IS a positive force in and for Christianity. Thus we are compelled to present it!


J.

(Jay Bakker's story includes the fall and loss of the PTL Empire, the divorce of his famous parents, Jim Bakker's criminal conviction of Federal crimes resulting in 5 years in prison, his mother's death and much more.)

Jack LaLanne! Physical Fitness Guru! Health Icon! Dead at 96!

He Did It Without Steroids

Jack LaLanne, a body builder, fitness guru before 'fitness' was in style, and health icon has died! He was 96!

LaLanne died at his home in Morro Bay, California  of pneumonia. 

Jack LaLanne was a health icon. First in the San Francisco Bay Area where he literally invented the modern day 'health STUDIO' and was a Mr. AMERICA! 

Later he became a national and international celebrity! 

 Growing up in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area I met him several times as a child. To me, he was bigger than life! However, standing next to him I found that I was much taller than he. At age 12!

Never mind that. He was a great man! Entertaining and always emitting the BEST OF SPIRITS which were contagious with all who came into contact with him.

Thank you Jack! Your zest for Life and Living is your legacy!

J.