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It seems Pope Francis needs to brush up on his Tertullian!

It has been reported (in The ChristLast Media, I must note) that the current Pope does not like the phrase "lead us not into temptation...

"Let no freedom be allowed to novelty, because it is not fitting that any addition should be made to antiquity. Let not the clear faith and belief of our forefathers be fouled by any muddy admixture." -- Pope Sixtus III

Friday, August 31, 2012

Western PA dumbassery.

From Deadspin:

Man pushes teenager off lawnmower, Tebows, drives off

Remember when Tebowing was a thing? Ah, we recall it like it was just yesterday. Thankfully, today's story takes place in Western Pennsylvania, where things often stick around years and even decades after they've gone out of style in the rest of the country.

According to a report obtained by The Smoking Gun, Shenango Township police are on the lookout for a man who assaulted a 17-year-old in front of his house Monday night. The kid drove his lawnmower out into the road when the suspect was driving by, and the suspect got out of his car, shoved the teen off the mower, assaulted him, then:
"The male then walked back towards his vehicle, stopping and kneeling down as if in prayer (a ‘Tebow')."
He then hauled ass out of there. Police are looking for a tall, bald man with glasses, and a predilection for memes at inappropriate times.

[The Smoking Gun]


Clint Eastwood may be a grumpy old man, but he's a grumpy old REAL man.

And he's cooler than George Clooney hopes to be in his wildest fantasies.

From Youtube:

Mittens stinks, but at least he's not a commie.

From Youtube:


Mitt Romney Acceptance Speech at the Republican National Convention (C-SPAN) - Full Speech

He's a babykilling, big-government, lying piece of garbage. Qualitatively, he's no different than the jug-eared commie ghoul in the White [Racist.] House. The difference is quantitative, kiddies. Romney [Repansycans] will destroy us at a slower rate than Okhrana [Democrasses] will, giving us more time to escape or revolt.

Stop me if you've heard this one.

1 million American kids suffer from lead poisoning.

1 out of 6 high school and middle school students are bullied every year.
1 in 88 American kids is born with autism.
1 in 166 American kids is born with autism.

1 in 12 American kids have ADHD.
Odds of your child dying in a car accident are 1 in 23,000.
1 in 6 Americans lives in poverty.
1 in 6 American kids is starving.
1 in 9 elderly Americans is abused.
36,000 Americans die annually from the flu.
12,000 Americans die annually from the flu.
1 in 160 American kids is born with autism.
1 in 150 American kids is born with autism.
1 in 110 American kids is born with autism.
60 million American adults are obese.
1 in 4 girls is sexually abused by age 18.
1 in 6 boys is sexually abused by age 18.

THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS IN THE ICU, BUT IT ISN'T DEAD YET!

From the UK Daily Mail:

Outrage at anti-Obama billboards calling President a 'village idiot' and showing a child giving him the finger


Controversial anti-Obama billboards showing children giving the finger to President Barack Obama have sparked outrage among passing drivers.

The three provocative campaign posters are on display outside a motorbike accessories store off Route 27 in Hanson, Massachusetts.


One shows a little girl raising her middle finger next to the message: 'Thanks Obama. You’ve spent my lunch money, my allowance, my inheritance, 35 years of future paychecks and my retirement. You Jerk. Vote Mitt Romney For 2012!'

Where's my lunch money? One provocative poster shows a little girl raising her middle finger and addresses the President as a 'jerk' for over-spending

Where's my lunch money? One provocative poster shows a little girl raising her middle finger and addresses the President as a 'jerk' for over-spending

Another one of the politically-charged posters, supporting Republican candidate Romney, shows a smiling President with communist hammer and sickle symbols added to his shirt collar.
 
Beneath the picture are the words: 'Somewhere in Kenya a village is missing its idiot. Obama – One Big A** Mistake America. Vote Mitt Romney For 2012!'

Eric Folsom, a father from a neighboring town, told local newspaper The Enterprise that it could put him in a difficult position when he passes by with his six-year-old daughter.

'If she saw that, she’d say "Why is that little girl doing that? What does that mean?"' he said. 'How do I explain that?'

You should tell her she lives in a country becoming less free by the minute and that real men who are outraged about it are willing to use what little freedom they have left to fight back, you inane pansy.

'Racist': Another one of the signs at the busy intersection shows Barack Obama with communist symbols on his collar and says: 'Somewhere in Kenya, a village in missing its idiot'

'Racist': Another one of the signs at the busy intersection shows Barack Obama with communist symbols on his collar and says: 'Somewhere in Kenya, a village in missing its idiot'

James Brown, of Brockton, said the signs outside Sullivans Inc were racist and 'ridiculous', and showed that the U.S. as a nation 'needs to grow up.'


'I don’t know how anybody can approve of that,' said Mr Brown, a 28-year-old teacher.

GET YOUR KIDS OU OF THE GOVERNMENT INDOCTRINATION CENTERS SO IMBECILES LIKE THIS BROWN GUY CAN'T WARP THEIR MINDS.


'If you want to support Mitt Romney, you can put up positive messages for Mitt Romney rather than negative slogans for Obama. That type of statement is real redneck. It’s regressive and not progressive.'

However, others found the boards amusing, honking or stopping to take pictures as they passed.

Stephen McGrath, a 26-year-old naval veteran from Plymouth, said: 'People are sensitive nowadays anyway. I’ve seen (Obama portrayed) with Hitler moustaches. It’s hilarious, the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time.'

'Bankrupt America...yes we can!' Town officials say the signs are distracting for drivers and illegal, as the store's owner has no permit to display them
'Bankrupt America...yes we can!' Town officials say the signs are distracting for drivers and illegal, as the store's owner has no permit to display them

The offending finger has now been covered over with packing tape and the authorities are debating whether the boards are even legal, since owner Robert Sullivan did not get a permit from the building commissioner to put them up.

Town official Bob Curran said the eye-catching signs could be distracting and dangerous for pedestrians and drivers.

Mr Sullivan’s lawyer, however, said he is protected under the First Amendment and that he is entitled to 'free speech'.

The signs are just the latest anti-Obama displays to cause outrage. 
Earlier this month, a protest was staged beneath an Indiana Tea Party billboard that compared Barack Obama to Osama bin Laden.
It read: 'The Navy SEALS removed one threat to America. The voters must remove the other.'

Extreme tactics: The posters erected in support of Republican candidate Mitt Romney have been called offensive and ridiculous - but others find them funny
Extreme tactics: The posters erected in support of Republican candidate Mitt Romney have been called offensive and ridiculous - but others find them funny

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Football's bigger in Texas.

From AP via Yahoo News:

Texas school to open $60M football field of dreams

ALLEN, Texas (AP) — Call it the palace of high school football: A gleaming $60 million facility with seats for 18,000 roaring fans, a 38-foot-wide high-definition video screen, corporate sponsors and a towering upper deck.

Welcome to the new home of Eagles Football.

As school districts across the country struggle to retain teachers, replace outdated textbooks and keep class sizes from ballooning, the wealthy, burgeoning Dallas suburb of Allen is preparing to christen its new stadium with a sold-out Friday night matchup against defending state champions Southlake Carroll.

It's not the biggest high school stadium in football-mad Texas, but Eagle Stadium is the grandest, with a spacious weight room for the players and practice areas for Allen High School's wrestling and golf teams. The school district decided to build it in a down economy, knowing full well it will never recoup the costs.

It's a decision that local officials and team supporters defend, saying the stadium will serve as a community centerpiece and source of pride for years to come and will more than pay the costs of operating it.

"There will be kids that come through here that will be able to play on a field that only a few people will ever get the chance to play in," said Wes Bishop, the father of a junior linebacker on the team and head of the local booster club.

For longtime Allen fans, it's a giant step forward from a facility that district spokesman Tim Carroll called "inadequate in almost every way."

The old building opened in 1976, when Allen had fewer than 8,000 residents, with 7,000 permanent seats, one concession stand and one set of bathrooms. As the town grew to its current population of 87,000, the school had to add portable toilets and rent temporary bleachers, which added 7,000 seats at a cost of $250,000 a year, Carroll said.

Today, the high school has 4,000 students enrolled and a 700-member band that's among the biggest in the country. Collin County, which includes Allen and other Dallas suburbs, is one of the wealthiest areas of Texas — and home to some of the state's top football teams.

About 63 percent of voters supported a $119 million bond package in 2009. Construction on the stadium began a year later. District officials went with more expensive concrete seating over all-aluminum benches, adding perhaps $4 million more to the cost, according to officials. But they said they expected this stadium to last decades.

"Our intention is not to recoup the money it cost to build the stadium," Carroll said. "It's not practical to say we'll get that money back. (But) the revenue we receive from the stadium will far exceed the cost of operating it."

While the district did not have estimates, Carroll said he expects the stadium to be competitive in hosting high school playoff games and other events. The school has also sold six sponsorships for about $35,000 a year, he said.

The new stadium revives an old argument in Texas about whether communities and their schools have their priorities straight.

In 1982, when the West Texas city of Odessa built a 19,000-seat stadium for a then-unheard-of $5.6 million, it drew scorn from some people who questioned the district's priorities. Odessa would be featured a few years later in the book "Friday Night Lights," a national best-seller that inspired a movie and a TV series.

Ross Perot, the billionaire businessman and former presidential candidate, repeatedly took aim at his home state's football culture as he pushed the state to shed extracurricular activities and increase accountability measures.

"Do we want our kids to win on Friday night on the football field or do we want them to win all through their lives?" Perot said in a 1988 Washington Post column. "That's what we have to start asking ourselves."

Today, neighboring Plano High School's stadium seats more than 14,000 people. Mesquite, about 30 miles away from Allen, has a 20,000-seat stadium. And the Berry Center, a suburban Houston facility with a stadium, an arena and theater, opened in 2006 and cost about $84 million.

"In a couple of years, someone's going to do something that's bigger and bigger," said Robert McSpadden, who runs the high school football site TexasBob.com.

Officials in Allen reject the premise that they're focusing on sports over academics. The bonds approved three years ago also funded a new performing arts center, and Carroll said extra revenue from stadium operations will go into the district general fund. Allen's student test scores are also largely stellar.

But for now, Eagle Stadium is gaining wide notoriety. The No. 8-ranked Eagles' Friday game against Southlake Carroll, which won a state championship last year and is ranked No. 1 in The Associated Press' Class 5A preseason poll this season, sold out in just over a day. More than 2,000 people are expected to watch from standing-room areas.

Bishop's son Zack, a linebacker, said he and his teammates already noticed differences: a more spacious weight room, a softer playing field.

"It's going to be really incredible to step out in front of a full house and a sold-out game," he said.

Chris Wallace, whose oldest son is a senior quarterback, said she had to reassure him when they visited smaller colleges over the summer with older facilities.

"In his mind, this is it," she said. "He can't even believe it's here already."
And there's always room for growth.

Fred Montes, one of the architects of what he called "an incredible project," said the district's master plan left open the possibility for more construction, if needed.

"The end zone that has seats currently can be expanded," he said. "And on the visitors' side, you can always put a deck."

Football's back, baby!


Fairmont (WV) State Fighting Falcons vs Clarion Golden Eagles  [6:00 PM Eastern on Root Sports Pittsburgh]


From Ed Barkowitz of Philly.com:

50 things to ponder about college football


THE KANSAS STATE quarterback had his first completion in July. LSU is pledging to have a more vertical attack in an offense that was mostly horizontal in the BCS title game. And somebody get coach Brian Kelly a road map. He's taking Notre Dame some place it hasn't been in nearly 50 years.

As the annual 50 things to know about college football report rolls through, it's OK to stop and wonder which conference West Virginia is in.

1 Oklahoma State's quarterback in the Fiesta Bowl was 28-year-old senior Brandon Weeden. He has been succeeded by 18-year-old true freshman Wes Lunt, who had a 590-yard game for Rochester (Ill.) High School last year.
 
2 Top-ranked Southern Cal, led by Heisman hopeful quarterback Matt Barkley, hosts fifth-ranked Oregon on Nov. 3 in the Pac-12's most attractive game. The Trojans open the season with a visit from Hawaii on Saturday.

3 Hawaii's new head coach is Norm Chow, who was the Trojans' offensive coordinator during the Matt Leinart/Reggie Bush glory years.

4 The first interesting game of the year is Michigan-Alabama at the Jerry Jones dome on Saturday. It's the first meeting between the two since Tom Brady and the Wolves beat the Tide in the 2000 Orange Bowl.

5 Auto racer Brad Keselowski is a huge Wolverines fan, so he probably will make some enemies among the crowd at the Oct. 7 NASCAR race should Michigan pull the upset. "I don't know how I will be received in Talladega," he told Michigan's athletic website. "If we win that game, I am going to wear my 'M' hat. That should be interesting." A real fan would wear the hat regardless of the outcome. Alabama is a two-touchdown favorite.

6 Kansas State quarterback Collin Klein married former K-State basketball player Shalin Spani in July. Shalin is the daughter of Gary Spani, a former Wildcats linebacker who is in both the College Football and Kansas City Chiefs halls of fame.

7 "Nothing against [starting center] B.J. Finney," wrote Austin Meek, of the Topeka Capital-Journal, "but Collin Klein's new roommate is significantly better looking."

8 Any school that actively tried to poach Penn State kids must forevermore call its players athlete-students instead of student-athletes.
 
9 Illinois, one of those teams, set up shop in State College seeking transfers and one, lineman Ryan Nowicki, took them up on it. "If you're from our conference and you're going to try and steal our players and then wish us well, then I got a serious problem with that," said PSU linebacker Michael Mauti. The Lions play at Illinois on Sept. 29.

10 Look for Silas Redd, Penn State's most coveted transfer, to start off splitting carries at USC with Curtis McNeal. The Trojans are coming off a 2-year bowl ban and are the Associated Press preseason No. 1.
 
11 Kickoffs have been moved up 5 yards to the 35-yard line and touchbacks will be placed at the 25 instead of the 20. Mark it down: Because of their violent nature, kickoffs someday will be eliminated.

12 Kansas coach Charlie Weis is at his fourth job in the 8 years since he left the Patriots after the 2004 season. He hasn't found a home and the Pats haven't won a Super Bowl without him.

13 Quarterback Dayne Crist followed Weis from Notre Dame to Kansas, which allowed the Los Angeles Times' Chris Dufresne to observe, "Crist's Notre Dame experience wasn't 'Rudy.' It was 'Chucky.' "

14 Clemson has talent at the skill positions, including quarterback Tajh Boyd, but will there be any hangover from the 70-33 thrashing by West Virginia in the Orange Bowl? Clemson hits the ground running with a game against Auburn, but will be without splendid wide receiver Sammy Watkins, who is suspended two games for an offseason arrest for marijuana.

15 Good luck to the "Honey Badger" with whatever demons he's fighting.

16 Georgia Tech linebacker Jeremiah Attaochu started playing football in ninth grade because "I got tired of just watching it." Attaochu is on the Lombardi watchlist.

17 The BCS championship streak for the Southeastern Conference is at six. The league has six teams in the AP Top 25, including No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 LSU.

18 The Big 12 also has six teams ranked by the AP, including No. 4 Oklahoma and newest additions TCU (20) and West Virginia (11), which is located east of everybody else in the league.

19 Arkansas hosts LSU and Alabama and is a national-title darkhorse with the return of all-league quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis, who missed 2011 with a broken ankle.
 
20 The Razorbacks have a new coach this season after Bobby Petrino wrecked his motorcycle and his career in the same accident in the spring. John L. Smith, best known for building high-flying offenses at Louisville, is now in charge.

21 LSU, which couldn't move the ball with a Sherman tank against Alabama in the BCS Championship game, feels it has a bona-fide slinger in quarterback Zach Mettenberger.

22 Metterberger started his career at Georgia, but was kicked off the team following a 2010 arrest. He pleaded guilty to sexual battery for allegedly touching the breasts and buttocks of a woman, but kept himself clean during two concurrent 1-year probation periods. LSU does not play Georgia during the regular season.
 
23 Duke junior guard Dave Harding led a humanitarian mission to Africa with 11 teammates. "We saw a lot of poverty, things that even seeing a picture of doesn't include: the smells and things," he told Fox Sports. "So, struggling through that, talking about that, really helped us all become stronger."

24 Vanderbilt, fresh off a 6-7 season that ended with a loss in the Liberty Bowl, has renovated its stadium to include a giant video scoreboard and a new artificial surface.

25 "If you think of pro sports, we're that small-market team, even though in the SEC we're in the biggest city [Nashville]. We're the small-market team. We're the only private school. We've got the smallest enrollment. We've got the smallest alumni base. It's more expensive to go here. It's harder to get in, so we're kind of that small-market team, that engine that keeps having to say, 'I can, I can, I can.' And we're doing it. But make no mistake. We want to be better." - Vanderbilt vice chancellor David Williams.

26 Nebraska is wearing all-red unis for its home night game against Wisconsin on Sept. 29. It's wearing black helmets for the first time, too. A bit contrived, but it should be quite a scene in Lincoln.

27 "There's no such thing as a [transition] year in college football, certainly not at Ohio State and certainly not with myself and our staff and our players," said new coach Urban Meyer. The Buckeyes, 6-7 last year, are coming off their first losing season since 1988.

28 On the one hand, NCAA president Mark Emmert said Penn State's harsh punishment was "to make sure the university establishes an athletic culture and daily mindset in which football will never again be placed ahead of education, nurturing and protecting young people."
 
29 On the other, Fox and ESPN signed a 12-year deal with the Pac-12 worth about $3 billion.

30 Then again, if college football wasn't so popular, the Daily News wouldn't be devoting an entire week to previewing the season.

31 Montee Ball, the Wisconsin running back who sustained a concussion after being attacked by five males on Aug. 1, is fine for Saturday's game against Northern Iowa. Ball needs 18 touchdowns to break the career record of 78 held by Miami-Ohio running back Travis Prentice (1996-99). Marshall Faulk, Ron Dayne and Ricky Williams are among those he'd pass on the way to Prentice.
 
32 What started as the Blockbuster Bowl, and became the Carquest, Micron, Mazda and Champs Sports bowls is now known as the Russell Athletic Bowl. It's Dec. 28 and will match teams from the ACC and Big East.

33 Michigan State again should have the best defense in the Big Ten. Massive end William Gholston (6-7, 278), a cousin of Jets 2008 first-round pick Vernon Gholston, is among eight returning starters.

34 Sparty has a murderous four-game stretch starting Oct. 13 against Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin and Nebraska.

35 Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn took the head-coaching job at Arkansas State, so the Tigers will use more traditional offensive sets than Malzahn's no-huddle/heavy-shotgun formations. Former Temple offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler is Auburn's new OC.

36 Toledo senior safety Mark Singer (Holy Cross H.S.) is back after missing all of 2011 with a torn labrum. The last action Singer saw was in a heartbreaking loss to Florida International in the 2010 Little Caesars Pizza Bowl when he had a career-high eight tackles.

37 This time last year, the CyHawk Trophy, given annually to the winner of Iowa State-Iowa, was universally ridiculed because it was changed to a goofy bronze sculpture of a corn farmer and his family. It was changed again for 2012, this time depicting each team's mascot. Hilarious. This year's game is Sept. 8.

38 Former Penn State wide receiver Justin Brown landed at Oklahoma and will be counted on to contribute immediately. The Sooners have a Heisman candidate in quarterback Landry Jones, but an inexperienced offensive line.

39 Notre Dame, on Oct. 27, will play at Oklahoma for the first time since 1966, when the top-ranked Irish put a 38-0 hurting on the 10th-ranked Sooners.
 
40 Alabama's Barrett Jones won the Outland Trophy as a left tackle last season, but he has been moved to center. Jones has started 35 games heading into his senior season, including 25 at right guard his first two seasons. That's remarkable versatility.

41 Mike Leach, who guided Texas Tech to 10 straight bowl games, has taken over for Paul Wulff at Washington State. Wulff was 9-40 in four seasons. "We'll just do the best we can and try to win one game a week," Leach said simply.
 
42 Georgia has nine starters back on defense and also returns Andy Murray, who set the school record with 35 TD passes last season.

43 Missouri hosts Georgia in its first SEC game on Sept. 8. "It's going to be mammoth," Mizzou coach Gary Pinkel said. "It's going to be very historic . . . It will be wild."

44 The addition of Missouri, along with LSU and Auburn, gives the SEC three schools with the nickname "Tigers." Throw in the Kentucky Wildcats and the league has more cats than the old lady who lives down the street.

45 Texas A&M hosts Florida, also on Sept. 8, in its SEC debut. The Aggies close the regular season at home against fellow Big 12 defector Missouri.

46 Hope the Florida coaches are able to move lineman Sharrif Floyd back inside. Floyd started 11 games at defensive end last year out of necessity, and held his own. But his more natural spot is at d-tackle where he was ranked No. 1 coming out of George Washington High School 3 years ago. Gators freshman quarterback Skyler Mornhinweg (St. Joseph's Prep) isn't likely to see much time yet.

47 Michigan senior quarterback Denard Robinson is arguably the most exciting upperclassman in the nation. Among underclassmen, there's nobody more electrifying than Oregon sophomore running back De'Anthony Thomas.

48 Notre Dame opens the season in Dublin, Ireland on Saturday at 9 a.m. EST. "Notre Dame" Harvey's annual kickoff party at Keenan's in North Wildwood starts an hour earlier that morning. Proceeds from this year's event benefit the Billy Dunphy scholarship fund for St. Gabriel's grade school in South Philly. Stop in if you're at the shore - and awake.

49 Terrific Irish linebacker Manti Te'o is entering his senior season. "A successful year for me will be when I run out of that tunnel for the last time, and people are crying," he told the Chicago Tribune. "That'll show me I made an impact on lives here. When I see that happening - when I see people standing and crying - that's when I'll know I had a successful year."

50 The pick: There is no doubt that Tyrann Mathieu will be missed, but LSU has enough to compensate for losing their dynamic playmaker. Getting out of the SEC is never easy, but the Tigers have a reasonable schedule with South Carolina and Alabama at home. The trip to Arkansas at the end of the season (Nov. 23) will be an adventure, but Zach Mettenberger will take control of the offense and LSU will beat Southern Cal to win another BCS title for the SEC.

Once upon a time in America...

From AP via Yahoo.com:

Maryland school shooting suspect was bullied

At 6:27 a.m. on his first day as a sophomore at Perry Hall High School in the Baltimore suburbs, Robert Wayne Gladden Jr. updated his Facebook status.

"First day of school, last day of my life," he wrote. He then typed a symbol resembling a person with two middle fingers extended before adding "f--- the world."

 ... a kid like Bobby would look his bully in the eye and say "Fuck you, asshole" and then get on with his life. Or he'd go to his dad and learn how to punch said bully in the head and then get on with his life...

Gladden, a pale youth with long, dark hair who turned 15 just three weeks ago, has been charged as an adult in the shooting of a 17-year-old classmate, who was hit in the back with a shotgun blast in the school's cafeteria Monday morning. The victim, Daniel Borowy, remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.

...but nowadays, kids are more sensitive and less neanderthal. [That is, more "evolved".] Sticks and stones and words are answered with shotgun blasts. Where is the self-esteem our government indoctrination centers trumpet incessantly? If you were full of self-esteem would you care what some ignorant and insecure child thinks of your looks or speech or behavior or beliefs or music or clothes? 

Of course not. If Leviathan and Hollyweird had taught you that you were valuable simply because you exist, you'd say "Fuck you, asshole" and get on with your life. The terrifying truth is this, kiddies: Power loves victims of all sorts. The terror of the victimized makes them more pliable and more willing to surrender their God-given freedoms in exchange for the sham protection of the power-mad who rule them. Why protect anyone when your power lies in increasing the number of victims who gladly make themselves your slaves?

And what about dear old dad? This nonsense has rotted our society from within for so long, that men no longer know how to be men or how to teach their sons how to be men.
 
While authorities did not discuss a motive for the shooting, Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson said Gladden planned the attack and fired a shot at random before school staff rushed him. A second shot hit the ceiling during the struggle, police said.

But Gladden's attorney, George Psoras, challenged that version of events, saying that the teenager brought the shotgun to school to intimidate bullies and did not aim it at classmates or intend to harm anyone. Psoras said he believes Gladden fired into the floor and the gun discharged again accidentally while teachers tried to wrestle it away.

"The stereotype right now is that we have a Columbine," Psoras told The Associated Press. "It's simply not the case. This is a typical teenager who was just starting this school year. He was being bullied, and the bullying has to stop."

The police chief said Gladden told investigators directly that bullying was not the motive for the shooting. But Psoras said that his client made those comments under duress and he criticized police for their interrogation tactics. Elise Armacost, a police spokesman, said the department stood by the chief's statements.

Meanwhile, Gladden's Facebook page and comments from his classmates suggested a troubled and withdrawn young man. Patrick Waters, a 14-year-old sophomore at Perry Hall, said that Gladden didn't have many friends and dressed "kind of different." He also said Gladden had been disciplined in middle school.

"He would just walk up and hit people," Waters said.

Waters said he'd played football against Gladden in middle school, but he didn't think Gladden was involved in sports anymore.

Humberto Cardona, 15, said Gladden dressed "kind of gothic" and grew his hair out.

"He'd like wear it in front of his face, like he was hiding," Cardona said.

The Facebook page, which classmates confirmed was his, makes references to murder-suicide and to mass murderer Charles Manson. Gladden gave himself the nickname "SuicidalSmile," and the three photos of him all show his face hidden behind his long hair. He describes himself as a "metalhead" and a fan of musicians Marilyn Manson and Slipknot.

There were also indications of a troubled home life. Gladden's father and stepfather both have criminal records, and his stepfather is facing gun charges stemming from a search of his home Monday. The charges are not related to the school shooting, police said.

"Golly, Fyodor, are you a psychic?" 

Nope. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.

According to the timeline provided by Johnson and by prosecutors in charging documents, Gladden rode the bus to school, carrying a bag with a disassembled shotgun, 21 rounds of ammunition and a bottle of vodka.

When he arrived at Perry Hall High School — the county's largest school, serving the quiet, middle-class suburbs northeast of Baltimore — he attended his first two classes. On the way to lunch, he stashed the bag with the gun in a restroom.

He was inside the cafeteria briefly before returning to the restroom to assemble the double-barreled shotgun, which was manufactured before 1968 and had been taken from his father's house in Middle River, police said.

At some point he sipped from the vodka bottle, but he was not drunk, police said. He hid the gun under his clothing and went back to the cafeteria.

Once inside the bustling lunchroom, he lifted the shotgun and fired at a nearby table, striking Borowy, police said. But Psoras said Gladden fired the first shot into the ground. He said the second shot was fired accidentally as school staff struggled with his client for control of the gun.

School officials and witnesses praised guidance counselor Jesse Wasmer for wrestling the gun out of Gladden's hands.

"This situation could have been much, much worse," county schools Superintendent Dallas Dance said. "Thanks to Jesse for his quick thinking."

The victim, Borowy, has Down syndrome, according to classmates. His family issued a statement thanking supporters for their prayers and asking for privacy.
Gladden was being held without bail. A bail review was expected Wednesday, and assistant state's attorney Garret Glennon said he would argue that the teen continue to be held without bail. A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Sept. 7.
Psoras cautioned against a rush to judgment.

"There are no pat generalizations that can ever explain these types of cases. The human brain is exceptionally complex," he said. "When all the facts come out, you'll see that Mr. Gladden was not some demon."

Gladden's father, Robert W. Gladden, told the AP Monday night that his son had been bullied, although he did not elaborate.

Classes resumed Tuesday at the school amid a low-key police presence. About 150 students turned out for a prayer vigil organized by local churches on the school grounds. Some students wore T-shirts and bracelets reading "Pray for Daniel" and "Team Wasmer" in reference to the victim and the guidance counselor.

The terrifying truth is this, kiddies: Power loves victims of all sorts. The terror of the victimized makes them more pliable and more willing to surrender their God-given freedoms in exchange for the sham protection of the power-mad who rule them. Why protect anyone when your power lies in increasing the number of victims who gladly make themselves your slaves?

Terror is a form of social control.

You are being controlled.

Don't let yourself be controlled. 

Smells like a scam.


From ABC via Yahoo News:

Aurora Shooting Victims Angry Over $5 Million Relief Fund

The families of the Colorado theater shooting victims came together publicly for the first time today in a press conference fueled by pain, anger and frustration over the actions of a charity fund set up to help the families.

In the wake of the shooting that left 12 people dead and 58 wounded, a non-profit called Giving First set up the Aurora Victims Relief Fund, which was supported by Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper

Members of the public and private entities have raised $5 million through the fund, but the families say that the charity has not been working fast enough to distribute the money and that they are not including the victims' families in the decision making process.

The group was led by Tom Teves, whose 24-year-old son Alex Teves died protecting his girlfriend from the gunfire in the theater on July 20, 2012. 

"Forget about having a robust guiding voice, the victims have no voice at all," Teves said. "Fighting for justice is not easy for us because we are doing this at a time in our lives when we are in extreme pain." 

"It's incomprehensible what we have to do," he said. "There's not enough money in the federal government to replace what we lost."

Teves said that the $5 million was collected "using our murdered loved one's pictures and names" with the promise that all of the money would go directly to the victims' families.

"Unfortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case," Teves said.

Only a fraction of the money has made its way to the victims so far, Teves said, with priority being given to various non-profit organizations. He claimed that it was only after the families started making noise about the funds that the the organization distributed $350,000. Each of the 70 victims' families was given $5,000.

Chantel Blunk, the wife of Jonathan Blunk who died in the theater, said that she was told the $5,000 should cover funeral costs, psychiatric help, debts and other necessities. 

"How do you raise a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old until they're 18 with $5,000?" Blunk asked incredulously. She added that she was denied money for a plane ticket to bring her child with her to Colorado.

Giving First did not respond to request for comment.

The families made a few passing references to accused shooter James Holmes, referring to him as a "coward," "somebody sick" and a "horrible man," but made it clear that they did not want to give him any more publicity than he has already received. 

Holmes is accused of a mass killing in which he sprayed bullets into a crowded movie theater during a midnight premiere screening of the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," on July 20. Twelve people were killed and 58 were wounded in the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, as measured by number of people shot.
Holmes was charged with 24 counts of first degree murder, two counts for each of the people he is accused of killing. He was also charged with 116 counts of attempted first degree murder, one count of possessing an explosive device and one count of violent crime. He faces a total of 142 criminal charges. 

"None of us allowed our family members to leave for a movie and never come back or come back wounded," an impassioned Deidra Brooks said. Her Jarell Brooks, 19, was shot while helping get a mother and her two children out of the movie theater. 

"Somebody sick inflicted pain on all of our lives," Brooks said. "My heart bleeds for these 12 families, but my heart [also] bleeds because 72 families will never be the same again." 

Teves also called on Hickenlooper to help the families, saying that his requests to speak to the governor have not been answered.

"Gov. Hickenlooper, you came and grieved with our families," he said. "We allowed you into our inner most circle at the worst time in our lives. We didn't do this lightly. You pledged 12 times, 'We will remember.' Are you a man that is true to your words or are they just words?" 

At a vigil days after the shooting, Hickenlooper said the name of each shooting victim and led the crowd in a refrain of "We will remember" after each name.
Hickenlooper's office did not respond to a request for comment. 

Multiple family members said that they were not looking to "get rich" from the funds. 

"We have nothing to gain as the family of the murder victims," Teves said. "We have already lost everything. Evil started this. Good has to finish it. It's time to pick a side."

ZOMBIE GULLS!

The PETA pervs' heads have started spinning.

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From Sky News via Yahoo! UK & Ireland New:

Whale-Eating Seagulls To Be Shot By Police

Flesh-eating seagulls that attack southern right whales off the coast of Argentina are to be shot by police in patrol boats.

The birds have developed a habit of attacking the endangered mammals in one of their prime breeding grounds.

Seagulls off the coast of the Patagonian city of Puerto Madryn have discovered that by pecking at the whales as they come up for air they can create open wounds.
Each time the whales then surface gulls swoop down and cut away skin and blubber with their beaks and claws.

Aside from the environmental issues, experts also fear it could hit tourist numbers with whale-watching changing from a magical experience to something from a horror movie.

Whales are also changing their behaviour in response to the attacks.

Instead of breaching the water and dramatically displaying their tails, they rise just barely enough to breathe through their blow-holes before descending to safety.

"It's not just that the gulls are attacking the whales, but that they're feeding from them, and this way of feeding is a habit that is growing and becoming more frequent," said Marcelo Bertellotti of the National Patagonia Centre.

"It really worries us because the damage they're doing to the whales is multiplying, especially to infant whales that are born in these waters."

Environmentalists say the plan is misguided, claiming humans are to blame by creating so much rubbish that the gull population has exploded.

They say the only way to effectively reduce the seagull population is to deny the birds food by closing open-air tips around the gulf and stopping fishermen and a nearby seafood packing plant from dumping scraps into the water.

They're OUR neighbors, kiddies, not the government's.



Please Help Now: Hurricane Isaac Fund
Please Donate NowAs the devastating impact of Hurricane Isaac makes its way across the Gulf Coast, thousands of families and individuals will be displaced and without basic necessities or shelter. Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) and our local agencies are fully prepared to assist with shelter, food, and other immediate and long-term needs.

Please help today with a gift of $50, $100, $250, or more to the Hurricane Isaac Fund. Your donation is urgently needed to assist people impacted by this disaster.

Catholic Charities will not only provide immediate services, but also will be there for the long term, assisting individuals and communities as they recover and rebuild their lives. Your donation will help restore desperately needed hope.

We are eternally grateful for your past and present contributions toward our disaster work.
Sincerely,

Fr. Larry Snyder


Fr. Larry Snyder
President

Catholic Charities USA  

Visit www.catholiccharitiesusa.org to read the latest disaster updates and reports on how Catholic Charities is responding.

If you have been personally affected by a disaster and are in need of assistance, please contact your
local Catholic Charities agency.
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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Now that's what I call a real pussy riot.

From AP via Yahoo News:

Togo women push sex strike to unseat president

The female wing of a civil rights group is urging women in Togo to stage a week-long sex strike to demand the resignation of the country's president.

If you're wondering how a sex strike lasting only a week has any hope of bringing down a government, remember that Togo's men have very few televised sporting contests to occupy their, um,...minds.

Women are being asked to start withholding sex from their husbands or partners as of Monday, said Isabelle Ameganvi, leader of the women's wing of the group Let's Save Togo. She said the strike will put pressure on Togo's men to take action against President Faure Gnassingbe.

Ameganvi, a lawyer, told The Associated Press that her group is following the example of Liberia's women, who used a sex strike in 2003 to campaign for peace.
"We have many means to oblige men to understand what women want in Togo," Ameganvi said.

The sex strike was announced at a rally Saturday of several thousand in the capital city, Lome. The demonstration was organized by a coalition that is protesting recent electoral reforms, which they say will make it easier for Gnassingbe's party to win re-election in the parliamentary polls set for October.

Gnassingbe came to power in 2005, following the death of his father, Eyadema Gnassingbe, who ruled the West African country for 38 years. Gnassingbe has not commented on the sex strike, nor has his wife. Earlier this month, two anti-Gnassingbe protests were dispersed by police using tear gas and more than 100 people were arrested.

At Saturday's rally, which ended peacefully, Jean-Pierre Fabre, leader of the National Alliance for Change opposition party, called for Gnassingbe's resignation. Other opposition leaders called for civil disobedience.

But it is the sex strike that has people talking in this small country of more than 6 million people.

"It's a good thing for us women to observe this sex strike as long as our children are in jail now. I believe that by observing this, we will get them released," Abla Tamekloe said. "For me, it's like fasting, and unless you fast, you will not get what you want from God."

When asked if her husband would agree, Tamekloe said: "It is easy for me to observe it. I am used to it, but I am not sure my husband will accept, but I have to explain to him."

Another Togolese woman said she supports the sex strike, but she does not know if she can carry it out for a full week.

"I do agree that we women have to observe this sex strike but I know my husband will not let me complete it. He may agree at first, but as far as I know him, he will change overnight," Judith Agbetoglo said. "So I don't believe I can do the one-week sex strike. Otherwise, I will have serious issues with him. He likes that too much."

Though the call for a sex strike seemed to please many women, some men, including heads of opposition parties and human rights groups in the anti-Gnassingbe coalition, did not believe it would be a success.

"One week sex strike is too much," said Fabre of the National Alliance for Change, who suggested a shorter period, amid laughter from the crowd at the demonstration. "Let's go for only two days".

Others were skeptical of Isabelle Ameganvi's call.

"It is easy for her to say because she is not married herself. She does not live with a man at home," said Ekoue Blame, a Togolese journalist. "Does she think women who live with their husband will be able to observe that? By the way, who controls what couples do behind closed doors?"

Pussy Riot Update

Two unidentified members of the Russian punk band Pussy Riot have reportedly fled Russia in an attempt to evade arrest and, likely, a sentence similar to the two-year prison term handed down to their bandmates.
- CBC via Yahoo! Canada News 

Let's hope they come to AmeriKKKa, kiddies. We need some more anti-fascist freedom fighters in this country...even ones with poor taste.
Russian Orthodox Church activists burst into a theatrical show about the Pussy Riot feminist punk band late Monday, shouting "Repent!" and "Why do you hate Russians," as they were filmed by a national channel.
- AFP via Yahoo! News


Pussy Riot appeals conviction, Russian church critical

A lawyer for the jailed members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot on Monday appealed against the three women's conviction for a protest against President Vladimir Putin at a church altar, but said he had little hope the verdict would be overturned.
 - Roto-Reuters via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News


Arrests, breasts, chainsaws: Punk world backs Pussy Riot 
AFP via Yahoo! News



Comicness.

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NEWS FLASH: EVERYONE IN THE WORLD IS MAD!

From Boston.com in 2007:

Top celebrity stories of 2007



Forty years after the classic song "Sweet Caroline" was released, Neil Diamond  finally revealed that President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline Kennedy, [then 11 years old - F. G.] was its inspiration. He told the Associated Press in November that he wrote the song after seeing a photo of Caroline with her pony, perhaps similar to the photo at left. 

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 From Lancasteronline:

'Sweet Caroline' gone from Penn State playlist


Penn State's home opener on Saturday will be missing a game-day staple: "Sweet Caroline."

The Altoona Mirror reports http://bit.ly/TiVZAA that school officials decided to eliminate the Neil Diamond sing-along hit from the Beaver Stadium playlist because of its lyrics: "Hands, touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you."

The song could be awkward in light of the Jerry Sandusky child-sex scandal.

However, Associate Athletic Director Greg Myford says that while the lyrics were discussed, "Sweet Caroline" had been on the bubble for several years because the song has no real connection to Penn State. He says "it simply became easier to rotate out in order to try something else."

Diamond has said he wrote the song in tribute to President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline

Sometimes, there really are Nazis...


From all over the place via Yahoo News:




 ...and sometimes there are dumbasses with really bad marketing skills...


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'Hitler' clothing store stirs anger in India 

The owner of an Indian clothing store said Wednesday that he would only change its name from "Hitler" if he was compensated for re-branding costs, amid a growing row over the new shop.

The outlet, which sells Western men's wear, opened 10 days ago in Ahmedabad city in the western state of Gujarat with "Hitler" written in big letters over the front and with a Nazi swastika as the dot on the "i".

Actually, kiddies, the swastika is an ancient Indian [real Aryans] symbol the Nazis stole.

"I will change it (the name) if people want to compensate me for the money we have spent -- the logo, the hoarding, the business cards, the brand," Rajesh Shah told AFP.

He put the total costs at about 150,000 rupees ($2,700).

Shah insisted that until the store opened he did not know who Adolf Hitler was and that Hitler was a nickname given to the grandfather of his store partner because "he was very strict".

"I didn't know how much the name would disturb people," he told AFP by telephone from Ahmedabad. "It was only when the store opened I learnt Hitler had killed six million people."

Members of the tiny Jewish community in Ahmedabad condemned the store's name, while a senior Israeli diplomat said the embassy would raise the matter "in the strongest possible way."
 
"People use such names mostly out of ignorance," Israel's Mumbai Consul General Orna Sagiv told AFP.

Esther David, a prominent Indian writer in Ahmedabad who is Jewish, said she was "disturbed and distressed" by the shop, but added that some Indians used the word "Hitler" casually to describe autocratic people.

David said Jewish residents had sought to change Shah's mind about the store's name and told him about the Holocaust.

The row evoked memories of a controversy six years ago when a Mumbai restaurant owner called his cafe "Hitler's Cross" and put a swastika on the hoarding, claiming Hitler was a "catchy" name.

The restaurant owner eventually agreed to change the name after protests by the Israeli embassy, Germany and the US Anti-Defamation League. 

Hitler attracts an unusual degree of respect in some parts of India, with his book "Mein Kampf" a popular title in bookshops and on street stalls.

Gujarat schoolbooks issued by the Hindu nationalist state government were criticised a few years ago for praising Hitler as someone who gave "dignity and prestige" to the German government.

India's a really screwed-up place.

Monday, August 27, 2012

I get mail...

...from guys who worry most about my speculation on their digestive health...



I'm actually not "terminally constipated." Rather healthy actually. It's the advantage of not cramming 5 Guys Burgers down my pie hole. 

- "Kurtsy" Frausun on WAIT! THAT'S NO ZOMBIE, THAT'S KURTSEY FRAUSUN!


Seriously, dude, that's amusing. It nearly always amazes me upon what or whom folks fixate. Thanks for the addition to my collection of oddities.

BTW, thanks for mentioning my post, [any publicity. et cetera] 5 Guys Burgers ARE the best., that guy's music is better than anything...well, you know. It would be too perfect if you were a vegan as well. Please don't tell me if you aren't, it might ruin the fun.

I doubt any of you kiddies failed to get it,  but just in case you were wondering, his intestines were being used as an allegory for his mind. Let's all pray he doesn't take this embarrassment out on his old lady.


P.S. - OMG!!!!!! HOW DID HE KNOW I LIKE PIE? GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU CLOWNISH TEXAN CHURL! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!!!!

P.P.S - I forgot a link to the post that started it all:
The forces of anti-christ [In the guise of some dumbass band from Texas nobody's ever heard of] use zombie mania to attack the One, True Church.

P.P.P.S. - I prefer "Kurtsey" now. I'm going to go back in my BLOGGER® brand time machine and change it.

      

Bullied by statistics.

 1 out of 6 high school and middle school students are bullied every year.


1 in 88 American kids is born with autism.
1 in 166 American kids is born with autism.

1 in 12 American kids have ADHD.
Odds of your child dying in a car accident are 1 in 23,000.
1 in 6 Americans lives in poverty.
1 in 6 American kids is starving.
1 in 9 elderly Americans is abused.
36,000 Americans die annually from the flu.
12,000 Americans die annually from the flu.
1 in 160 American kids is born with autism.
1 in 150 American kids is born with autism.
1 in 110 American kids is born with autism.
60 million American adults are obese.
1 in 4 girls is sexually abused by age 18.
1 in 6 boys is sexually abused by age 18.

About Me

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First of all, the word is SEX, not GENDER. If you are ever tempted to use the word GENDER, don't. The word is SEX! SEX! SEX! SEX! For example: "My sex is male." is correct. "My gender is male." means nothing. Look it up. What kind of sick neo-Puritan nonsense is this? Idiot left-fascists, get your blood-soaked paws off the English language. Hence I am choosing "male" under protest.

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